OPC Vacancy
Calstone Wellington Photo Gallery
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Avebury – Bishops Cannings – Blackland – Cherhill
Websites of Interest
The Parish Church of St. Mary The Virgin
St. Mary’s Gallery St. Mary’s Interior Gallery
The list of Rectors indicates that a church has stood here since 1301. Its Patron in the 14th Century was the tenant in demesne at Blunt’s and the Blunt’s estate land formed its parish. Nothing remains of the early church, which was probably of wood; it was completely rebuilt in the Perpendicular style in the mid-15th Century. The chancel, nave, north porch and tower, i.e. the present church structure except the vestry, date from that period, as do the timber nave and porch roofs and small amounts of stained glass. In 1763 the church was known as St. Mary’s, which may well have been the original dedication. A small gallery built in the late 18th Century was removed in 1884.
In 1881 the parish was united to Blackland with George Randolph Haddow as Rector. Major restoration work under architect Ewan Christian took place in 1884-1885, the congregation worshipping in a temporary iron church about ¼ mile from the present church during that time. During this restoration a vestry was added, the chancel re-roofed, the gallery removed, the top tier of the tower rebuilt and a heating system installed. A new altar, still in use, was made from roof timbers from the old chancel. The church was re-opened on 10th November 1885.
Two bells hung in the church in 1553 but only one, cast by John Wallis in 1603, remained by 1884. Two new bells were cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough to give the current ring of three, of which the original is the treble.
In 1962, following the death of the Rector Edwin J Matthews, who had served the parish since 1927, Calstone Wellington separated from Blackland and was united to Heddington. In 1973 both Calstone Wellington and Heddington were united with Cherhill, Yatesbury and Compton Bassett to form the Oldbury Benefice.
Church Memorial Plaques
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
1605-1744 (with gaps) 1760-1812 1813-1938
Banns
1760-1939 (With gaps) 1940-2009
Marriages
Burials
1605-1743 (with gaps) 1761-1812 1813-1963
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1760-1963
Marriages 1760-1980
Burials 1760-1963
Parish History
Calstone’s name may indicate that it was originally colonised from Calne – Calne’s east tun. An alternative suggestion is a derivation from Caelx Weallan – from the Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘chalk’ and ‘to spring up’, which fits with its position at the foot of the Marlborough Downs, close to the source of the River Marden. Its land was almost certainly part of the large estate called Calne held by the King in the 10th Century or earlier. By 1066 most of Calstone’s land formed three estates: one became Calstone Manor and an estate called Calstone Wylye, one became Calstone Wellington Manor, and one was later called Blunt’s. The rest of the land later became Blackland Manor and parish. The parish name was originally Calstone, but by about 1600 it had become known as Calstone Wellington or Calstone Willington, derived from the surname of the Lords of Calstone Wellington Manor in the 13th and 14th Centuries.
Calstone remains an unspoilt village in a beautiful setting. Located 5km SE of Calne and 8km WSW of Avebury it is sited predominantly on the Chalk and Upper Greensand, with some Gault Clay to the northwest. Its Census population varied between 21 in 1801 and 45 in 1881. Since 1891 it has been part of the Parish of Calne Without and the current population of the ecclesiastical parish is only 90. Until the latter part of the twentieth century agriculture remained the main source of employment, though today there are just two working farms – Manor Farm (arable and sheep) and Sprays Farm (dairy). Diversification has included the opening of a day nursery and conversion of a hill barn into a beautifully located wedding venue. The changes in the village reflect the general increase in prosperity, educational opportunities and mobility. By the year 2000 village residents were employed in varied jobs including IT, Finance, Health & Safety, Sports and the Arts. In 2000 only 34% of residents were born in Wiltshire, compared with 86% in 1881. Only 19% were under 20, compared with 49% in 1881, and 45% were over 50, compared with 21% in 1881. As part of the Calstone Wellington Millennium Project, a village history exhibition of memories and photographs was held in the old Reading Rooms in March 2000, from which a fascinating account of the village: “Calstone Wellington Our Village Past and Present”, edited by Doug Price and Ann Rivers-Davis, was compiled. With kind permission of the Editors, a selection of those photos is included in the galleries on this page. Copies of the 2010 2nd Edition of the book are available from the Editors, who may be contacted via the OPC. This is recommended reading for those whose families lived or worked in Calstone during the late 19th and early to mid-20th Centuries.
Civil Registration
1837 – April 1936 Calne Registration District
April 1936 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Buildings and Land
Land Surveys
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1808-1811
Crime and Legal Matters
Directories
Post Office 1875 Kellys 1889 Gillmans 1900 Gillmans 1914 Swindon & District Year Book 1928 Kellys 1931 Post Office 1855
Education
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
There is a Methodist Chapel here
Quakers
People and Parish Notables
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871 Postcard to Cicely Lock 1913 Band Members c1925
Census Returns Transcripts
| Census (Tything) | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | |||
| Census (Parish) | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 |
Part of a note added at the end of the 1861 Census return for Blackland Tything, which also applies to Calstone, reads: “There is much uncertainty about the District/ Area of the people, as the exact distinction between Calstone and Blackland in Calne and Calstone Wellington and Blackland Parishes is unknown to persons generally.” John Ladd, Registrar. From 1841 until 1890, census data for Calstone was recorded in two parts: a) the Parish of Calstone Wellington and b) the Tything of Calstone in the Parish of Calne. In 1890 Calstone Wellington and Calstone Tithing became parts of the newly created Parish of Calne Without, with all Calstone census records now listed together.
Coroner 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
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 (Calston) Poll of Freeholders 1772 (Calston Woolington) Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843
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
Subscriptions
Fifth Annual Report for Negro Emancipation 1830
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Overseers of the Poor 1715-1889
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
| Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 | Calne & District Casualty Lists WWI | St. Mary Roll of Honour WWI |
| St. Mary Roll of Honour WWII |
