The OPC is Teresa Lewis
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Calne – Chippenham – Christian Malford – Highway – Hilmarton – Lyneham – Sutton Benger – Tytherton Kellaways
Websites
Bremhill – Parish website
The Parish Church of St. Martin
A Short Description of St. Martin’s Church
St. Martin’s Gallery St. Martin’s Interior Gallery St. Martin’s Churchyard Gallery
Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions
Church Building
Church News
Books Relating to the Church
Parochial History of Bremhill 1828
Incumbents
Archdeacons
Henry Drury
Sudden Death of Rev. Henry Drury 1863 Obituary of Venerable Archdeacon Drury 1863 Archdeacon Drury Memorial Service 1864
Obituaries
Rev. Charles A Harris 1874 Canon Arthur Edward George Peters 1943
Rectors
William Lisle Bowles
The Poetical Works of William Lisle Bowles
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
Marriages
1580-1699 1700-1749 1750-1799 1800-1849
Burials
Please note that the burials records above are just 6 entries found in family history papers and are from copies of the registers
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1591-1990
Marriages 1598-1993
Burials 1590-1874
Sermons
Rector’s Sermon Published 1777 Battle of Waterloo Sermon and Collection 1815
Parish History
The parish of Bremhill (formerly known as Brimble) is 4 miles east of Chippenham and includes the tythings of Charlcutt, East Tytherton, Foxham & Spirthill and Studley
Christmas Festivities 1820-1837
Civil Registration
1837 – April 1936 Calne Registration District
April 1836 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Parish Newsletters
The first issue was published in July 2013 – Some of the Newsletters missing after that date are due to non publication or are no longer available. Should these be retrieved at a later date they will be included in date order.
Buildings and Land
Farms
Swine Fever Free Notice- William Fry 1882
Land Surveys
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1813-1814
Public Houses
The Dumb Post Inn
Crime and Legal Matters
Bastardy Examinations
The definition of a bastard for the period when examinations were carried out by parish overseers and local justices is as follows:- any child born out of wedlock including those where the mother and father later marry, children of a second marriage whilst the first wife is still living; the issue of divorced couples; children born where the husband is known to have been abroad for some years; A child born after the father has died. The definition has evolved since the Act of 1732/33 where a “single mother” was by law obliged to declare her pregnancy and state the name of the reputed father. Some parish registers may record the words base-born against a baptism record and some may even name the reputed father. Below are some of the surviving bastardy examination reports transcribed from various sources such as court books and overseers accounts. It is interesting to note that only the mother’s and witnesses’ oaths seem to be recorded even though the defendant would have been summoned to the hearing. Perhaps their evidence was pre-delivered for the examiners to peruse before the mother was required to prove her case. It is also interesting to read the language used to describe the situation the mother found herself in and the circumstances in which the child was conceived. It would appear that the examination itself would not have been a pleasant experience for plaintiff or defendant no matter what the outcome. Bastardy Examinations 1852-1872
Dolman v Dolman 1861-1862 Duck v Webb 1852-1853 Hadrell v Cook 1855 Hadrell v Wilkins 1872
Miscellaneous Items
Police Officer Found Lost Bank Notes 1866
Directories
Post Office 1855 Post Office 1875 Kellys 1915 Swindon & District 1928 Kellys 1931
Education
Emigration and Migration
Strays Index Emigration & Migration News 1850-1899
To Australia
South
Employment and Business
Agriculture and Land
Game Licenses 1750-1799 Game Licenses 1800-1849 Gamekeepers Certificates 1807 Ag lab to Deputy Chief Constable 1848-1926 Threshing Machine Accident 1861
Apprentices
Apprentices to London Livery Companies 1626-1703 Apprentices Index 1626-1703
Apprentices Registers 1817-1922 records the names of apprentices with a connection to Wiltshire in some way and were selected by the Wiltshire Society to receive assistance. There are a few names that applied for apprenticeships but were unsuccessful and not selected. We have attempted to show the parishes of association either through the apprentice having been born or living in the parish or one or both parents were born in the county. The candidate may in some cases be apprenticed to a master within the county. Some of the entries have further information that can be requested from the administrator via the Contact Us tab at the top of the page. Many of the candidates are apprenticed to masters in London and the names and addresses of the master may be requested as can the date of the apprenticeship, the duration and the amount of money paid to the master. The number of candidates selected was fixed each year according to available funds. Seven apprentices were to be taken from London Residents within the Metropolitan Board of Works, originally defined as the ‘Limits of the Bills of Mortality’. The remainder were to be selected from either London or the county of Wiltshire. Applications were received by the Society in January of each year and the Committee examined each candidate. The application was often prepared by a solicitor and supported references from the local vicar or the child’s teacher, as to his or her suitability for an apprenticeship.
Community Services
Police
Medical Services
Medical License Directory Extract for John Wilson 1700
Miscellaneous Items
Employment News 1850-1899 Employment News 1900-1949
Postal Services
British Postal Services Appointment 1737-1969
Miscellaneous Documents
Miscellaneous News Snippets 1800-1849
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
For the Moravian Church records at East Tytherton please visit the page dedicated to this denomination.
Moravian Church Members
People and Parish Notables
Accidents
Accidents & Sudden Deaths 1800-1899 Boy Dragged by Horse 1868 Accidents 1900-1949 Tram Accident 1906 Storm Fatality 2014
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Bankruptcy
Coroners Bills
County coroners were introduced in England in around 1194 once established other boroughs and liberties sought the right to have their own coroner. Often in Medieval times the coroner also assumed the role of the sheriff and his duties weren’t limited to holding inquests on dead bodies although almost a full time post they were unpaid for the duties apart from those that were deemed murder of manslaughter when they would receive 13s. 4d. From the 24th June 1752 a law was passed allowing the coroner to claim £1 for every inquest they attended not held in a gaol and also to claim 9d per mile travel allowance from the place of residence. Inquests held in any gaol were performed at a rate totalling no more than £1. These costs were to be paid from the county rates. In cases of homicide the coroner also received the former fee of 13s. 4d. The coroners submitted their bills at the quarter session sittings for approval. Coroners Bills 1752-1796
Census Returns Transcripts
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1921 1939 Register
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voting List 1832 Voting Lists Revisions 1843 Electoral Register 1909 MP Nominations 2015 MP Nomonations 2017
Family Notices
1800-1849 1850-1899 1900-1949 1950-1999
Funeral Reports
Husband & Wife Buried Together 1784 Funeral Report of William Powney 1870 Funeral Report of Benjamin Slade 1935
General People Items
People News 1800-1849 People News 1850-1899 Secrets of Farming Book Subscribers 1863 Residents Mentioned in Kilvert’s Diary 1870-1879 People News 1900-1949
Inquest Reports
Medical Matters
Parishioners Treated at Bath Hospital 1800-1849
Obituaries
| Rev. Francis Fisher 1858 | Marriage and Death of Susan Anne Freegard 1923 | Rev. Arthur Herbert Hitchcock 1921 |
| Edward Champion Long 1921 |
Personal Research Items
Townsend Family
Pete Townsend has produced a valuable family history on his website
Tuck Family
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts – This item was donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many refer to Quaker burials found across the county
Parish Notables
William Lisle Bowles, Cleric and Poet – read more about the Rector of Bremhill under the Parish Church Section
Maude Heath – Widow and Benefactress
Maud Heath Remembered 1837-1838
Taxes
Wedding Reports
Marriage Report – Bishop to Hazell 1946 Marriage Report – Peters to Conoley 1929
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
| Fine Imposed for Not Giving Poor Relief 1820 | Rural Poverty 1844-1846 | Poor Law, Charity & Workhouse News 1850-1899 |
| Poor Relief Fraud or Wrongful Allegations 1851 |
Charity
Donations to Royal United Hospital, Bath 1911
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
Estate Probate Notices
| Abel Ferris 1793 | Probate Notices 1800-1849 | Probate Notices 1850-1899 |
| Charles Pavy 1885 | Thomas Fry (Freegard) 1873 | Robert Hammond 1934 |
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
Parishioners Wills
William Fry 1801 Richard Pinnegar 1801 Richard Sadler Smith 1835 William Whitworth 1857
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Muster Roll 1539 Soldiers Small Book Harry L. Henly 1905
WWI
War Memorial Military Service Exemption Tribunals 1914-1918 Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 Soldiers Who Died in WWI Named in Calne & District Casualty List WWI Roll of Honour
WWII
Casualties
Civilians
Civilian Deaths 1939-1945
Home Guards
Home Guards 1940-1944 Home Guard Awards 1944 Winners of Challenge Cup 1944
War Memorials and Books of Remembrance
War Memorial Dedication Service 1920
Avon
Directories
Emigration and Migration
People and Parish Notables
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871
Charlcutt
Buildings and Land
7 Year Leases at Charlcutt 1808 Sale of Charlcutt Farm 1930
Crime and Legal Matters
Bastardy
Bastardy Examinations 1855-1868 Hadrell v York 1868 Salter v Pincutt 1861
Directories
Employment and Business
Wiltshire Society Apprentice – Joseph Great 1872
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871
Bankruptcy
Coroner Bills
Family Notices
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts – This item was donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many refer to Quaker burials found across the county
Probate
Parishioners Wills
Henry Wisdome Proved 1642 Jane Hayward Proved 1685
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
WWI Casualty Biographies
Harry George Aspeck James Henry Summers 1915
East & West Tytherton
East Tytherton – Movavian Church
Buildings and Land
Crime and Legal Matters
Directories
Emigration and Migrations
Non Conformity & Other Places of Worship
Moravian Church
Moravian Church Gallery Moravian Church Interior Gallery Moravian Church Burial Ground Gallery
For images of some of the memorial stones for this burial ground please read the document “The Moravian Burial Ground” which can be found below.
Nigel Pocock should be consulted on all Moravian issues he may be contacted via the drop down menu on the home page
Moravian Church Members
Moravian Faith
Moravian Education
Moravian Girls School 1794-1939 Harriet Maynard 1850-1906
Moravian People
Leonora Carr – Born Into Slavery
Slavery in Wiltshire – Hard to believe perhaps but since Bristol was so close it would be naive of us to believe that slaves brought into England via that port failed to be bought by wealthy Moonrakers – The Georgian House in Bath is known to have had several slaves working both in the house and outside in the grounds. Here we read in four instalments about the life of one such slave Leanora Carr – A slave born of a slave mother in Antigua and raised as a Moravian.
A History of Three East Tytherton Families – Pocock, Long and Collett
Read about these family histories in five parts including many images Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Moravian OPC Feedback
To read some of the feedback and success generated by the OPC Scheme please read ‘The Fruits of OPC Inquiries‘
Quakers
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations, Societies and Sporting Events
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871
Accidents
Almost Fatal Accident 1853 (East)
Census Returns Transcripts
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
Family Notices
1800-1849 (East) 1800-1849 (West) 1850-1899 (East) 1900-1949 (East)
Inquests
John Whittle 1852 (East)
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts (East) – These items were donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many references to Quaker entries may be found from across the county.
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
Parishioners Wills
Mary Guy Proved 1827 Penelope Gay Proved 1832 Priscilla Smallcomb Proved 1849 Alice Spackman 1828
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Calne & District Casualty Lists WWI WWII War Memorial Plaque
Foxham & Spirthill
Foxham – St. John
Foxham Photo Gallery Spirthill Photo Gallery
The Church St. John the Baptist
St. John’s Gallery St. John’s Interior Gallery St. John’s Churchyard Gallery
Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1850-1911
Marriages None Listed
Burials 1850-1911
Buildings and Land
Fires in Foxham and Spirthill 1800-1849 Sale of West End Farm 1853 Owners of Land 1873
Public Houses
Foxham Inn
Crime and Legal Matters
Crime Reports 1850-1899 Bastardy Examination Fry v Williams 1855 Bastardy Examinations 1855-1864
Directories
Kellys 1931 (Foxham) Kellys 1931 (Spirthill)
Education
School & Education News 1850-1899
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Christmas Fare at Devizes 1870
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Wesleyan Chapel at Spirthill
The building is dated 1825 but was registered as newly built in 1929. Is is a red brick building with a pan tiles roof. The window and door surrounds are made of ashlar stone. The windows are of a Gothic style and are two light traceries with small glass panes. There are two large south side windows and keystones above the doors. In 1987 the building was being used as a store room.
People and Parish Notables
| Coroners Bills 1752-1796 | Brothers in Brawl 1835 | Royal Wedding Gifts Presented to the Children of Foxham 1840 |
| Family Notices 1850-1899 | Family Notices 1900-1949 | Almost Married 1921 |
Elections
Inquest Reports
Foxham
Alfred Matthews 1864 David Reeves 1864
Spirthill
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts (Foxham) – This item was donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many refer to Quaker burials found across the county
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts (Spirthill) – This item was donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many refer to Quaker burials found across the county
Sport
Bath Cyclists Wiltshire Trip 1937
Probate
Probate Notice of Charles Vines 1868
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Thomas Fry (Freegard), Legacy to the Poor 1873
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Roll of Honour WWI St. John The Baptist Calne & District Casualty Lists 1914-1918 WWI Casualty – Matthews, Sidney Herbert
Stanley
Crime
Assault on Elizabeth Dolman 1862
Stockham Marsh
Stockham Marsh Farm
People and Parish Notables
Studley
Buildings and Land
Chippenham Turnpike Notices 1846
Crime and Legal Matters
Bastardy Examinations 1856-1877
| Ann Head v Robert Clifford 1860-1861 | Ann Cole v George Hunt 1865 | Mary Jane Hand v Joseph Bryant 1870 |
| Fanny Clifford (alias Carpenter) v Joseph Brittain 1877 |
Directories
Employment
Apprentices
Apprentice records published here may not necessarily mean that the apprentice was from the parish but was apprenticed to a master within the parish.
Emigration
People and Parish Notables
Tax List 1332 Coroners Bills 1752-1796 Poll of Freeholders 1772 Family Notices 1800-1849
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Sunday School Librarian’s Register 1899-1910
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Little Zoar Chapel, Studley
This appears to have been founded by William and Martha Wiltshire. Their grave memorial is located at St. Martins Church, Bremhill.
Probate
War, Conflict and Military Matters
Service Personnel
Servicemen & Families with the 1st Wilts Regt. in South Africa 1911
WWI
Casualties
Newspaper Reports
Died of Wounds – Frederick William Gingell 1917
Memorials and Books of Remembrance
Calne & District Casualty Lists 1914-1918
Service Exemptions and Appeals
WWI Service Exemption Tribunals
