Bowerchalke - Wiltshire OPC Project

Bowerchalke is a rural parish in South West Wiltshire close to the county borders of Hampshire and Dorset. It lies within Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs, both designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The River Chalke, a classic chalk stream, rises in the village and joins the River Ebble at Broad Chalke, flowing into the Hampshire Avon south of Salisbury. The Bowerchalke Downs, known individually as Woodminton Down, Marleycombe Down and Knowle Down, are a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the species-rich chalk grassland.

Bowerchalke is recorded in the Doomsday Book as part of the manor of Chalke, which included the neighbouring village of Broad Chalke. During the reign of Henry VIII the area came into the ownership of the Earl of Pembroke, whose descendants continued in ownership until part of the family’s estates were sold off at the end of World War One. Reputedly Wiltshire’s most haunted village, today the village is mainly residential, having seen the closure of its school, pub, Post Office and shop in recent years.

Population and Other Information

Civil Registration

1837 – April 1936 Wilton Registration District
April 1936 – Present Salisbury Registration District

Buildings and Land

Owners of Land 1873 Land & Building News 1800-1849

Property Sales

For Sale Notice 1780

Crime and Legal Matters

Assaults

Assault in Salisbury Market Place 1867

Bastardy

Bastardy Examinations 1801-1849

Miscellaneous Crime

Committed to Fisherton Gaol 1800-1849 Crime Reports 1800-1849 Youth of Today 1883

Thefts

Stealing Lead from the Church 1866 Thefts by Gypsies 1889

Directories

Post Office 1855 Kellys 1867 Post Office 1875 Kellys 1915 Post Office Telephone 1940

Education

Diocesan Board of Education Meeting 1874 Deja Vue 1905

Emigration and Migration

Strays Index Henry & Matilda Penny, Old Colonists 1853-1915

Employment and Business

Gamekeepers Certificates 1807 Gamekeepers Certificates 1834 Hard Times for Ag. Labs. 1846 Employment News 1850-1899

Miscellaneous Documents

Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship

People and Parish Notables

People Gallery

Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies

Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871 Winners at Salisbury Sheep Fair 1878

Census Returns Transcripts

1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911

Deaths

Sad Death of Mrs. Foot 1898

Entertainment

First Annual Ball 1891

Elections and Polls

Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Poll Book 1865 MP Nominations 2015 MP Nominations 2017

Family Notices

1800-1849 1850-1899

Parish Notables

Iona Brown– Internationally renowned violinist, born 7th January 1941 in Salisbury, lived at Misselfore Cottage from 1968 until her death on 5th June 2004.

Reverend Edward Collett, born 13th April 1847 in St. Petersburgh, Russia; Died 7th May 1924 in Bowerchalke – From 1878 until 1924 Reverend Edward Collett, known as the Father of the Farthing Press and long time Vicar of Bowerchalke wrote, printed and published a unique village newspaper documenting the social history of the village. In 2004 the papers were republished in a book by Bowerchalke resident Rex Sawyer as Collett’s Farthing Newspaper: the Bowerchalke Village Newspaper 1878-1924. The family pedigree of the Reverend Collett. The Collett One-Name Study produces it own Newsletter.

William Golding, Nobel Laureate & author of Lord of the Flies, born 19th September 1911 in Newquay, Cornwall; Died in Perranarworthal, Cornwall on 19th June 1993; he was educated at Marlborough College; He taught at Bishop Wordsworth School, Salisbury. He lived in the village and is buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard.

Dr. James Ephraim Lovelock, scientist & environmentalist and author of the Gaia Hypothesis (named by his friend and fellow resident William Golding) was born 26th July 1919 in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire. He died on 26th July 2022 in Abbotsbury, Dorset on his 103rd birthday, He lived in the village during the 1960s & 70s.

Marjorie L. C. Pickthall, British born, Canadian novelist, poet and librarian was born in Gunnersbury, London on 14th September 1883; died in Vancouver, Canada on 22nd April 1922. She lived and wrote at Chalke Cottage, Bowerchalke around the time of the First World War interspersed with periods in Canada

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, First World War poet, was born in Matfield, Kent on 8th September 1886; He died in Heytesbury on 1st September 1967; He is buried in St. Andrew’s Churchyard, Mells, Somerset. He lived in the village for a while before moving to Heytesbury. He was educated at Marlborough College. He was awarded the Military Medal and the CBE

William Thick, Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant was born on 20th November 1845 at Misselfore Green. He left the village in 1868 to join the Metropolitan Police. In 1888, by then based in London’s Whitechapel District, he was involved in the investigation of the notorious Whitechapel Murders. During the investigation Sergeant Thick himself was falsely named in letters as the likely murderer know as Jack the Ripper. He died in Battersea, London on 7th December 1930

Taxes

Falstone Day Book 1645-1653

Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse

Wilton Union Guardians Appointed 1835 Guardians Dinner & Election of Guardians 1870

Overseers

Elected Overseers

Probate

Probate Index 1546-1864 (WSHC) National Probate Index 1858-1966

Parishioners Wills

John Gould alias Hawkins Proved 1658	Thomas Norris Proved 1810	Edward Heasell 1827
John Norris Proved 1827	Thomas Humby Proved 1841	Sally Norris Proved 1841

War, Conflict and Military Maters

War Memorials & Military Gallery

Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918	Roll of Honour Plaque	Men Who Served 1914-1919
Flying Accident – F. C. Butler 1918