OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Brokenborough – Foxley – Westport St. Mary
Websites
Cowage Farm – Farming and history
Duncan and Mandy – Cowage Farm and Bremiland Mill
Historic England – Chapel overview
The Parish Church
This unique little church, built in the 1880’s, is set in the centre of the farmyard at Cowage Farm, Bremilham. Services are held there just once a year on Rogation day. The church itself has just one pew to seat 4 people and standing room for just 6 more. There is no altar and the church is currently listed in the Guiness Book of Records as being the smallest church in Britain to hold services. Between 50-100 people gather outside the church at Rogationtide to listen to the service being conducted inside. The church had been used to house livestock until the new owners of Cowage Farm had it reblessed and services recommenced. It is advisable to consult parish registers for neighbouring parishes if unable to find what you are looking for in the Bremilham registers. These would also include those of Foxley, Highway and Norton Coleparle.
Parish Church Gallery Parish Church Interior Gallery
Rectors List Ecclesiastical Reports 1800-1849 Church Bell Stolen 2020
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1813-1992
Marriages 1813-1874
Burials 1815-1904
Bishops Transcripts 1847-1860 held at Bristol Record Office
Parish History
Bremilham is also known as Cowage or Cowich. On modern maps it appears as Cowage Farm or in some cases not at all. In 1831 the parish population was recorded at just 33 people rising to 46 by 1851.
Civil Registration
1837 – April 1936 Malmesbury Registration District
April 1936 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Buildings and Land
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1813-1814
Crime and Legal Matters
Directories
Post Office 1855 Post Office 1875 Kellys 1915 Taylors 1941
Education
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
People and Parish Notables
Bankruptcy of William Buckland 1840
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871
Census Returns Transcripts
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843 MP Nominations 2015
Family Notices
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Guardians
Election of Guardians 1837 Election of Guardians 1839 Election of Guardians 1844
Tenders
Medical
Probate
Probate Index 1641-1877 Will of John Godwin proved 1761
War, Conflict and Military Matters
