OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Bishops Cannings – Calne – Chittoe – Heddington – Melksham – Rowde
Websites of Interest
Bromham – Village news and council
The Parish Church of St. Nicholas
Bromham St. Nicholas
(Broom enclosure) is a charming village on the edge of a wooded valley, containing several interesting half-timbered houses and the Baynton alms-houses dating from 1612. The church (St. Nicholas) is a fine Perpendicular Building with nave, chancel, S. Aisle, and central tower with octagonal spire, 110 ft. in height. The nave was Norm., and there are traces of small windows of the period in the N. wall. The chancel was rebuilt in 1865 in its original Early English style. It retains a squint and a credence with trefoil-headed arch. The exceedingly interesting chancel aisle, the Bayton or Beauchamp Chapel, was built by Richard Beauchamp, second baron St. Amand, who died in 1508. He founded therein a chantry, dedicated to Our Lady of St. Nicholas, much ornamental both inside and out, the flat panelled ceiling being divided onto compartments, gilt and highly decorated , while the exterior has an embattled parapet with pinnacles and panelling. In the centre of the E. wall above the roof is a canopied niche, and inside is another against the same wall. In the centre of the chapel is an altar-tomb of Purbeck marble, with a well preserved recumbent effigy, in full armour, of Sir Roger Tocotes or Touchet (ob. 1457). There is a canopied tomb to his wife Elizabeth, and a brass effigy of a kneeling figure in the costume of the time. On the floor is a brass effigy of John Baynton (1516) and against the S. wall is a canopied tomb to Sir Edward Baynton (ob. 1578) with brass effigies of his two wives and children, represented kneeling. There are various other tombs and memorials of the Beauchamp, Baynton, and Starky families. Two lofty Perpendicular arches communicate with the chancel , and another with the S. aisle, which has a flat stone groined roof with a large central pendant. [source: The Little Guides, Methuen 1949]
St. Nicholas is cruciform with a central tower and spire. Its great glory is the south chapel; a licence was granted in 1492 thus making it one of the last achievements of the High Gothic style. Very wide windows line its south side between the pinnacled buttresses; the whole chapel is crowned by an elaborate battlemented parapet. Within are some fine 15th century and 16th century tombs.
St. Nicholas Gallery St. Nicholas Interior Gallery St. Nicholas Churchyard Gallery
Church News
Incumbents
Death of Former Rector 1940 Visiting Clergy 1940
Memorials in St. Nicholas Church
Sir Edwad Bayntun Tomb Hughes Memorial 1640-1648 Lady Elizabeth Tocotes Tomb
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
| 1550-1599 | 1600-1624 | 1625-1649 | 1650-1674 | 1675-1699 | 1700-1724 | 1725-1749 | 1750-1774 | 1775-1799 |
| 1800-1824 | 1825-1849 | 1850-1874 | 1875-1901 |
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1566-1987
Marriages 1560-1989
Burials 1560-1865
Parish History
Includes the district of Chittoe Heath. However, Chittoe was a detached portion of the Bishop’s Cannings parish and became a parish in its own right in 1867.
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Devizes Registration District
Buildings and Land
Quit Rents 1788 Owners of Land 1873 Leasehold & Copyhold Estates (extract) 1824
Agriculture
Cattle Plague Regulations 1867
Land (Selected Extracts)
Court Book 1612-1638 Court Book 1651-1657 Court Book 1734-1782 Court Book 1783-1874 Court Book 1831-1861
General Rate Book 1830-1833 Highway Rate Book 1851 Land Tax 1780-1831 Rack and Quit Book 1800-1815
Estate Book of Sir Edward Bayntun 1675-1678 Survey & Valuation of Property of Sir Edward Bayntun 1781
Land Surveys
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1808-1811
Public Houses
New Licensee for the Shoulder of Mutton Inn 1870
The Greyhound
Crime and Legal Matters
Assault
Old Man Assaulted and Robbed 1831
Bastardy
Building & Land Crime
Alleged Breach of Covenant 1915
Crime Reports
Debtors
Prisoners in Fisherton Gaol 1761
Fraud
Prisons & Prisoners
Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879
Theft
Stealing Potatoes 1867 Devizes Bank Theft 1922
Directories
Post Office 1855 Post Office 1875 Gillmans 1900 Gillmans 1914 Kellys 1915
Education
National and British Schools were established here
Emigration and Migration
Strays Index Emigration Home Contact Requested 1800 – Present
Employment and Business
Agriculture and Land
Aspects of the Life of the Wiltshire Agricultural Labourer c1850 Horse Sale at the Repository, Salisbury 1858
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.
Joel Bayly 1719 John Bird 1759 George Bishop 1716 William Carpenter 1725
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Community Services
Police
Miscellaneous Documents
This section is awaiting information to be compiled
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Baptist Chapel
Methodist Chapel
Mission Room
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Quaker Meeting Room
Netherstreet Methodist Chapel
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Sports
Ancient Order of Foresters
Nominations for District Ranger 1930
Friendly Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society
Membership 1837-1871 Promotion 1912
Census Return Transcripts
1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1921
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
Deaths
Elections, Polls and Voters Lists
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843 MP Nominations 2015
Entertainment
Family Notices
Inquest Reports
Drusilla Alexander 1855 Unnamed Baby 1947
Parish Notables
| John Collinson – Antiquarian | Thomas Moore – Poet, 1779-1852 | Dr. Henry Season – Writer |
| George Webb – Bishop of Limerick 1582-1642 |
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
Sport
Hunting Notices 1800-1999 Cricket Match Yew Tree CC v Spye Park CC 1890 Bath Cyclists Wiltshire Trip 1937
Suicides
Taxes
Tax List 1332 (Liberty) Falstone Day Book 1645-1653
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
Poor Law Union Bread & Flour Contract 1838
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands held
Michael Drewe 1633 Samuel Webbe 1639 Ferdinand Hughes 1641
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Service Personnel
Chelsea Pensioners 1808-1828 Militia Deserters 1812 Servicemen & Families with the 1st Wilts. Regt. in South Africa 1911
WWI
British Red Cross/V.A.D. Volunteers
Ethel Davis 1916-1918 Mabel Davis 1916 Mary Davis 1916-1919 Alethea Hamsworth 1916-1919 Bessie Hunt 1916-1919 Mary Knapp 1916-1919
WWII
Netherstreet
People and Parish Notables
Deaths
Sandy Lane
St. Mary & St. Nicholas Church
The Parish Church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas
Sts. Mary & Nicholas Gallery Sts. Mary & Nicholas Interior Gallery
Buildings and Land
Public Houses
The George Inn
Crime and Legal Matters
People and Parish Notables
Family Notices
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
WWI
Casualties
Calne & District Casualty Lists 1914-1918 Roll of Honour 1914-1918 Served 1914-1918
British Red Cross/VAD Volunteers
Mary Duck 1916-1919 Daisy King 1916-1919
