OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes our neighbours
Boyton – Chitterne St. Mary – Fisherton Delamere – Sherrington – Stockton – Upton Lovell
Websites of Interest
Codford Parish Council – Local Authority Website
Please note that this page is divided into four sections Codford which holds information common to the whole parish or where the specific parish is uncertain, Codford St. Mary, Codford St. Peter and Ashton Gifford which holds information unique to those villages.
Parish Churches of St. Mary and St. Peter
Codford is served by two Anglican churches St. Mary and St. Peter which also serves the Ashton Gifford Community. see individual village tabs below for details
Codford Choir at Choral Festival at Sutton Veny 1871
Parish Registers held at WSHC
See parish tab for resources held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
Church Supported Charities and Funding
Parish History
The village of Codford is located in the valley of the River Wylye, 7 miles south east of Warminster and 14 miles north west of Salisbury, in the southern shadow of Salisbury Plain. The village was formed by the union of two adjacent parishes – Codford St. Mary and Codford St. Peter in 1928. The hamlet of Ashton Gifford is part of the civil parish of Codford.
The village was formed by the union of two adjacent parishes – Codford St. Mary and Codford St. Peter in 1928, when the union of the two Codfords was approved and six years later the two civil parishes became one. Both churches are still in use, with the Church of St. Mary located at the southern end of the village and the Church of St. Peter at the northern end. Together with the hamlet of Ashton Gifford a settlement was cleared to make way for the principle house of the village in the early 19th century the area covers some 3,797 acres.
The layout of the village consists of a High Street, running south east to north west, with another road, the Chitterne Road, meeting it at right angles on its northern side. The village is now built around these roads and the New Road, which runs from the western entrance to the village to a point about three quarters of a mile north on the Chitterne Road. There are several small lanes and bridleways about the village. The parish itself is bounded by the Wylye to the south and by ancient drove roads to the west and east. The northern boundary roughly coincides with the Chitterne to Heytesbury Road.
The name Codford is thought to mean the fording place of Codda who was, perhaps, an Anglo-Saxon who owned the land on which the ford was situated. The oldest known recording of the name is in an Anglo-Saxon charter of land granted in the Wylye valley in the late ninth century; here the name is recorded as Coddan Ford.
Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of England 1845 Kiss-Wicket 1893-1895
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Warminster Registration District
Population
Population figures are separate for Codford St. Mary & Codford St. Peter until 1951 when the 2 parishes were united in regards to census information.
Codford St. Mary’s population was at it’s lowest in 1801 with a total of 187 & at it’s highest in 1861 with a total of 404. Codford St. Peter was at it’s lowest in 1901 with a total of 242 while it’s highest was in 1851 with 401. The decrease in population from 1861 to 1871 for both parishes could be attributed to the closing of a large Woolstapling business. In Codford St. Mary the position was made worse by the closing of certain training stables.
Publications Relating to Codford
Books by John Chandler
Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire
Books by Romy Wyeth
| Book Of Codford: From the Bronze Age to the Bypass | Men of St. Mary’s & The Anzac War Graves | Sterner Days: Codford During the Second World War |
| Swords and Ploughshares: Codford During the 20th Century | Warriors for the Working Day: Codford During Two World Wars |
Buildings and Land
Agriculture
County Agriculture Report 1847
Ancient Monuments
Codford Circle
Codford Circle is a neolithic earthwork hilltop enclosure, or possible hillfort, located on the crest of Codford Hill, a chalk promontory of Salisbury Plain, near to the village of Codford. The elevated oval area is approximately 3.6 hectares and is surrounded by a bank 6.5 metres wide and up to 1.6 metres high from the outside. This is surrounded by a ditch 5 metres wide & up to 0.5 metres deep except for a section around the south eastern edge where it has been reduced by ploughing. Aerial shots show entrances on the east and west sides. The entrances on the southeast and northwest sides are later in origin. There is no archaeological evidence for occupation and the slight nature of the earthworks have been interpreted as being defensively weak. Also known as Wilsbury Ring, Oldbury Camp or Ogbury. It may have been formed by the Druids for religious rites.
Ancient Monuments List Artefacts from Ashton Valley Codford Circle Sketch 1810
Crop Circles
A crop circle was reported to have appeared on 3rd June, 2010 between the villages of Codford St. Peter and Codford St. Mary, within sight of the earthwork hilltop enclosure of Codford Circle. The design consisted of a complex formation consisting of a central circle surrounded by a stellated dodecagon with a perimeter of twelve interlocking circles. It measured around 240 feet in diameter & was formed in 12 inch barley. This area of Wiltshire is not commonly associated with the appearance of crop circles and it is close to the military training area of Salisbury Plain – one of the largest Ministry of Defence training areas in the UK.
Fires
Fires 1804-1865 Thatched Cottages Fire 2014
Highways
Postal Telegraphs 1872 Proposed Main Road Between Chitterne & Codford 1886
Listed Buildings
Grade I – Buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
There are no buildings in either village within this category
Grade II* – Buildings are particularly important and of more than special interest.
Both village churches are listed under this category see tabs below for details
Grade II – Buildings are nationally important and of special interest.
There are a total of 31 buildings listed for this category within the Codford Boundary 24 of which are situated in Codford St. Peter and the remaining seven in Codford St. Mary
Miscellaneous Items
Description of Villages on the “Wily” 1848 Oxen at Plough 1904 Gardens Open to the Public 1937-1939
Property for Auction, Let or Sale
Sale of Farm Stock at Fisherton Delamere 1872 Anzac Farm for Sale 1936 Old Rectory 2014 Old School House 2014
Public Houses
George Hotel, High Street between St. Mary and St. Peter
The building was formerly the man house stable block.
Railway Station
Codford Railway Station was an intermediate station on the Salisbury to Warminster branch line of the Great Western Railway. The Station was built in Ashton Gifford, on the lane to Boyton, at the far south-west corner of the parish and opened on 30th June, 1856, with a Stationmaster’s Lodge nearby. Heytesbury was the next station heading towards Warminster and Wylye was the next station heading towards Salisbury. The original single platform was built on the north side of the line next to a level crossing. A passing loop was installed in 1897 which necessitated a second platform to be built towards Westbury. The line was doubled from Heytesbury in 1899 and on to Wylye in 1900. The Station was an important feature in both world wars, serving the army camp at Codford. A branch line was built in 1914 to connect the Army Camp to Codford Station. This branch was taken over at the end of the First World War by the Great Western Railway but closed in 1922. Codford Railway Station was closed to passenger services on 19th September, 1955 and its goods yard was closed on 10th June, 1963. The signal box remained in use until June, 1982. Trains still run between Warminster and Salisbury but no longer stop anywhere in between. Codford Railway Station Gallery
Land for Railway 1844 & 1847 Railway Branch to Open 1856
Weather Phenomena
Great Flood 1841 Summer Hailstorm of 1785 & Damage Caused 1853 Gale 1928
Crime and Legal Matters
| Wilts Quarter Sessions 1610-1614 | Committed to Unspecified Prison 1775-1883 | Smuggled Tobacco 1788 |
| Committed to Fisherton Gaol 1807-1848 | Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879 | Committed to Devizes House of Corrections 1826-1872 |
| Offenders Fined in Lieu of Prison 1826-1888 | Codford & The Swing Riots 1830 | St. Peter & St. Mary v Thomas Topp 1824 |
| Bendall, Jnr. v. Goodfellow 1847 | Doughty v. Pearce 1848 | Dorset County Gaol & House Of Corrections Admission Registers 1849 & 1877 |
| 3 Runaway Boys 1859 | Gypsies Under Suspicion 1861 | Ann Sparey – Arson & Assault 1865-1866 |
| William Batt – Stolen Silver Watch Chain by Policeman 1883 | William Henry Line – Gardener Charged with Destroying Plants 1886 | James Haynes – Extraordinary Charge of False Pretences 1886 |
| Driver Fined 1926 | Extraordinary Behaviour of a Lunatic 1883 |
Transportation
| George Benbawl – 7 years for Larceny – 1821 | William Henrys – Death Commuted to 14 years for Burglary – 1825 | Benjamin Woods – 7 years for Larceny – 1841 |
| Praxell Alwood Hinwood – 10 years for Sending Threatening Letter – 1845 |
Directories
| Post Office 1849 | Post Office 1855 | Post Office 1859 | Harrods 1865 | Kellys 1867 | Post Office 1875 |
| Kellys 1880 | Kellys 1889 | Kellys 1895 | Kellys 1898 | Kellys 1903 | Kellys 1907 |
| Kellys 1911 | Kellys 1915 | Kellys 1920 | Kellys 1927 | Kellys 1939 | Post Office Telephone 1940 |
Education
Annual Fete for School Children 1854-1858
Emigration and Migration
Emigration to Australia
Free Passage to Australia Advertisements 1838 & 1848
Letters Home
Letter from Australia 1847
News Sought Back Home
Advertisement to Find John Fry & Josiah Hinwood 1857
Emigration to Canada
Emigration to Canada Advertisements 1861 & 1874
Emigration to the United States of America
Anna Clancy – U.S. Passport Application 1923
Immigration into Britain
Naturalization Certificates 1935-1966
Strays
Employment and Business
Agriculture & Land
| Game List 1824-1848 | South Wilts Chamber of Agriculture Attendees 1883 & 1888 | Servant’s Awards at Agricultural Shows 1840-1849 |
| South Wilts Chamber of Agriculture 1890 | Strike of Farm Labourers 1853 | Wiltshire Labourers 1871 |
Apprentices
UK Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices 1710-1811 Wiltshire Society Apprentices 1844-1910
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Communications
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Community Services
Police Sergeant Reakes Retires 1932
Markets, Exhibitions & Shows
Warminster Industrial Exhibition 1869 Ram Sale Purchases 1869-1871
Railway
Railway Labourers’ Strike Turns Violent 1854 Warminster & Salisbury Railway Workmen 1854 Railway Employees 1856-1915 Great Western Railway Employees Accidents 1914
Miscellaneous Documents
Complaints about High Prices of Necessaries 1847 Turkish Bath 1861
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
See Codford St. Mary for more information
People and Parish Notables
Accidents
John Rose 1855 Mother and Infants Drowned 1922
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Harmonic Society Inaugural Meeting 1835
Agricultural
Address to S. G. Osbourne 1866 Melksham Agricultural Society 1871 Agricultural Report 1893
Friendly Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871 Codford Friendly Society 1848 Wiltshire Friendly Society 1848- & 1851
Bankruptcy
Bankrupts 1805-1869
Elections and Polls
Poll Book 1818 House of Commons Petitions 1833 Voting Revisions Barristers Court 1890 MP Nominations 2015
Entertainment
Codford Annual Balls 1838-1866
Family Notices
1700-1849 1850-1899 1900-1949
Inquest Reports
| Eliza Ann Goodfellow 1843 | Charles Hann 1915 | Injury to Isaac James 1909 | George Lye 1915 |
| Henry Manning 1888 | William Miles 1888 | Ambrose Moody 1900 | Jane Mould 1858 |
| William Potticary 1855 | Sarah Topp 1866 | Austin Vincent 1915 | Herbert Wells 1915 |
| Frank Winter 1915 |
Number of Inquests Held Over Last 4 years in Parishes near Wilton 1840
Parish Notables
Colonel Sir William Mahon, 7th Baronet is a retired soldier, living at Codford. He was born on the 4th December 1940 and lives in the village. He was a fundraiser for MacMillan Cancer Relief from 1993-2002. In 2003 he became Chairman of the National Army Museum Development Trust
Notable Inhabitants of Codford 1939
Sport
Boxing
Cycling
Bath Cyclists Tour of Wiltshire 1937
Hunting
Stag Hunt 1853
Taxes
UK Death Duty Registers 1796-1811
Uncategorised People Items
Donations for Flood at Shrewton 1841 Community Spirit Wins Top Award 2005
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Codford came under the jurisdiction of Warminster Poor Law Union. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, usually one representing a constituent parish. Overseers of the Poor was another term used, their roles were similar in that they administered poor relief such as money, food and clothing as part of the Poor Law system. Usually Church wardens or Landowners were selected for these roles.
Church Charities
Bishop of Salisbury’s Memorial Fund 1870
Guardians
Disease and suffering unrelieved, the Bath Board of Guardians 1857
Probate
UK Extracted Probate Records 1536-1698 Probate Index 1538-1876 WSHC
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
War, Conflict and Military Matters
Army
Records of Armed Forces – Army 1802-1837 Rifle Corps 1860 Autumn Manoeuvres 1872
Deserters
Gabriel Sparey, Deserter of 5th Bn Wilts Local Militia 1811
Servicemen
Obituary of Major-General Yeatman-Biggs 1898
Wiltshire Regiments
Wilts Rifle Volunteers Subscriptions 1868
Merchant Navy
Register of Merchant Seamen 1913-1972
Royal Navy
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services 1810-1893
Codford was the demobilisation centre for Polish troops at the end of WWI and many settled in the area. During World War II, British, American & Polish soldiers were deployed in the Codford area. Among the troops stationed in Codford were 6th Guards Armoured Brigade consisting of 4th Grenadiers, 4th Coldstream & 3rd Scots Guards as well as 2nd Battalion of Welsh Guards. between 1941 & 1943. They were followed by the American 3rd Armoured Division September 1943 – June 1944.
| R.A.F. Crash 1936 | Return to Codford 1936 | Sterner Days, Codford During WWII |
| Remembering Codford Camp 1983 | Search & Recovery of WWII Spitfire 2004-2005 | Recalling American Soldiers 2005 |
| Recalling Italian Prisoners of War 2005 | Death of Mrs Walker, AIF Canteen Volunteer 1927 | Codford Remembers Great War Impact 2014 |
World War I
| Australian WWI Recruitment Posters | Photographs of Temporary Memorials of AIF Servicemen Sent to Next-of-Kin WWI | Soldiers Who Died in WWI Who Enlisted at Codford |
| Codford WWI Casualties Summary Table | Fund Raising for Recruit Recreation 1914 | Concerts at Codford 1915 |
| Entertainment for the Soldiers 1915 | Spies in Kitchener’s Army 1915 | Concert in New Zealand Concert for Codford Camp 1916 |
| Inquest Report on Albert Hudson 1916 | Inquest Report on Joseph Lingard Kirk 1916 | Lieutenant and Quartermaster Charged 1916 |
| Message from Codford 1916 | Postcards Home from Pte. Michael J. Barritt 1916 | Anzacs Marrying English Women 1917 |
| Military Medal Awarded to Pte. E. Henderson 1917 | Services for the Catholics 1917 | Anzac Day Pilgrimage 1918 |
| Central Queenslander Contacts 1918 | Letters Home from Pte. Robert J. D. R. Phelan 1918 | Musketry Instructor, L/Cpl. J. Boyns Killed in Action 1918 |
| Western Australians in Camp 1918 | Australian Soldier Charged with Murder 1919 | Australian Troops Going Home 1919 |
| Deserter – Rex Thomas 1919 | Letters Home from L/Cpl. John R.Hawke 1919 | Lieutenant Lloyd Dowe Heading Home 1919 |
Casualties of WWI
| Edward Kent | Arthur John Johnson 1915 | Harry Cummins 1916 |
| William Walter Smith 1916 | Harold Henry Kitley 1917 | Hector James Down 1918 |
| Percy Pike 1918 |
WWI
Remembrance
Remembered in England 1920 Visit to Soldiers’ Graves 1920 Australian Graves Abroad 1921 Gambling and Camp Life in General Remembered 1923
Codford Camp
The Salisbury Plain area in Wiltshire had been used by the British Army for manoeuvres for at least 40 years before the start of World War I. As with many other villages located within and around the Salisbury Plain during World War I, Codford was chosen by the military as a training and transfer camp for troops on their way to the Western Front. Codford was chosen for its easy road access to Warminster and Salisbury; its rail line was extended from Codford Station to a branch line known as the Codford Camp Railway which was used to bring supplies and troops to and from the main line. At first the military camps at Codford consisted of tents; with the wet weather in the winter of 1914-15, the wet conditions made the area a muddy; unlikeable place, with roads becoming almost impassable. The tents were replaced with wooden army huts. The village, which had consisted of about 500 people, soon became full of temporary shops, cafes; barbers to cater for the troops in the area; its shifting population grew with anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 troops and other service personnel. Codford had 15 camps located within its two parishes, which mainly comprised of British, Australian & New Zealand soldiers. In July, 1916, Codford was chosen as the site of the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital. This was set up to serve the needs of New Zealand soldiers convalescing before either being returned back to the War or sent home.
Conditions at Codford Camp Soldiers Daily Routine
Chalk Badges
Rising Sun Chalk Badge Gallery
In 1916, an Australian Commonwealth Military Force Badge – “The Rising Sun” was cut into a steep slope at the top of Lamb Down, near Codford, Wiltshire. It is less detailed in its design than a similar chalk emblem located at Fovant, Wiltshire.
“The Brigade Commander of the nearby garrison wanted to leave a visible Australian mark on the English countryside. Gazing out from the reading room of his headquarters at Stockton House, he came up with the idea of carving out a Rising Sun badge in the chalk hillside opposite, known as Lamb Down. The initial work on the badge was started by the 13th Training Battalion, Australian Imperial Force AIF. The badge was then embedded with green, brown and clear beer bottles to make it shine bronze like the badge worn on the Australian uniform. Maintaining the badge became the focus of punishment parades and as a result the spur on which it was carved was affectionately known as “Misery Hill” by Australian troops. The badge remained untouched until WW2 when it was covered over to prevent aircraft using it as a navigation aid. After the war it was uncovered, however, most of the glass had either washed away or sunk into the chalk below. The outline of the badge remains to this day.
Proudly worn in two World Wars, the Rising Sun, officially known as the General Service Badge of the Australian Imperial Forces, became one of the best recognised and honoured insignia of the allied armies and an integral part of the Digger tradition. Its distinctive shape, worn on the upturned brim of a slouch hat is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC.” From Anzacs in Codford – Information board
| Anzacs (Map of Australia) 1928 | Restoration of the Rising Sun Chalk Emblem on Lamb Down 2010 | Chalk Badge Shines Bright Again 2013 |
| Australian Badge Clean Up 2014 |
War Art & Poetry
War Art is produced to illustrate and record many aspects of war, whether allied or enemy, service or civilian, military or political, social or cultural. The work of the artist is to embrace the causes, course and consequences of conflict and has an essentially educational purpose. War Art records military activities in ways that cameras and the written word cannot.
War Art
Poetry
Codford Camp Codford, and What We Think of It The Wail
Buildings
Army Hutments for Sale 1922
WWII
Prisoners of War
Prisoner of War Camps in Wiltshire Prisoner of War Camps 2010
Codford St. Mary
Codford St. Mary Village Gallery
Parish Church of St. Mary
St. Mary’s Gallery St. Mary’s Interior Gallery St. Mary’s Churchyard Gallery
St. Mary New Churchyard Gallery St. Mary New Churchyard Survey
| Rectors List 1297-2004 | Incumbents List 1550-1816 | News Articles 1843-1844 |
| Consecration of Codford St. Mary 1844 | Memorials of the Parish 1844 | Rev. H. F. Crockett 1861 |
| Rectory Appointments 1861-1868 | Charles Hinton 1890 |
Church Memorials
| 1785 & 1844 – John & Elizabeth Ingram 1785 & 1844 | Joshua Winter 1816 | Jacobus Ingram 1844 |
| Ann Webster – Chair 1844 | Ann & Rev. George Mountjoy Webster 1844 & 1861 | Henry Lush 1848 |
| Johannes Gulielmus Hammond 1868 | Charles Notley 1904 | Emma J. Russell & Elizabeth B. Ward 1910 |
| Edward H. Aston 1923 | James Charles Fleming – Lamp 1933 | Canon Cyril Henry Meyrick 1951 |
Parish Register Transcripts
Marriages
Parish Registers Held at WSHC
Baptisms 1654-1997
Marriages 1654-2003
Burials 1654-1934
Records available from Other Sources
Buildings and Land
Domesday Book Dangerous Bridge 1861 Wiltshire Cottage Improvement Society – Repair of 3 Cottages 1951
Land Surveys
Listed Buildings
Grade I – Buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
There are no buildings in this part of the village within this category
Grade II* – Buildings are particularly important and of more than special interest.
Church of St. Mary
Grade II – Buildings are nationally important and of special interest.
| Cottage | East Codford Farmhouse | Lodge | Middle Farmhouse |
| Milepost About 1 Mile South East of Codford St. Mary | Old Rectory | St. Mary’s Cottage |
Property for Auction, Let or Sale
Stockton House Furniture for Sale 1906 & 1920 Boyton Manor for Rent 1913
Crime and Legal Matters
| Biggs v. White & Another 1823 | Sarah Wheeler – Arson 1831 | Committed to Old Bridewell, Devizes 1835 |
| Michael Brick – Driving Fine 1907 | Boyton Manor Theft 1950 |
Crime Reports
Directories
Emigration and Migration
Employment
Apprentices
Wiltshire Society
George Herbert Humphries 1883 Stanley Richard Simper 1910
Communications
Post Office
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Exhibitions
Warminster Industrial Exhibition 1869
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Chapel of the Holy Cross
In 1317, Sir Oliver de Ingham, the lord of the manor, was granted permission by Edward II to provide two acres of land in Crouchland to Henry de Marey Marsh. Henry was a chaplain and hermit who then built a chapel & hermitage. The boundary of the hermitage adjoined the churchyard and was supposedly marked by two yew trees. Two wooden candlesticks in St. Mary’s Church are made of wood from one of these ancient yews.
Congregational Church
The Independent meeting was founded by Thomas Haytor, with services held in the open air, in cottages and in the barn of Mr Rebbeck. A malt house was fitted up for worship in 1798. A chapel, with schoolroom and adjoining manse was opened on 2nd November, 1811 with Samuel Devenish as the dissenting minister. This became a Congregational Church in 1813. Further information.
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Census Returns Transcripts
Inquest Reports
Inquest Report on an Unknown Man 1832 Inquest Report on Elizabeth Alford 1845 Inquest Report on Samuel Ford 1905
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832 Poll Book 1865
Family Notices
1800-1849 1900-1949
Parish Notables
William Creed, Clergyman and Academic was born c1614. He died in Oxford on the 19th July 1663 at Oxford. He was Rector of Codford St. Mary and at Stockton. He also served as Archdeacon of Wiltshire
James Ingram, Academic was born on 21st December 1774 in Codford St. Mary. He died at Trinity College, Oxford on 4th September 1850
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
Reward for Thomas Sparey & James Topp Leaving Families Chargeable to Parish 1837
Probate
Inquisitions Post Mortem
Edward Mompesson 1632 John Toppe 1633 John Topp 1640
War, Conflict & Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Military Burial of Neal McCourt 1876 Brig. General Russell Maynard M.B.E. 1988
Anzac Day Services
Anzac Day is one of Australia’s important national commemorative occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces ANZAC – Australian & New Zealand Army Corps during the First World War. On 25th April, 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers – ANZACS, formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula, in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied Navies. At the end of 1915, the allied forces were evacuated. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli and the events that followed had a profound impact on Australians & New Zealanders at home. The 25th of April soon became the day on which Australians remember the sacrifice of those who had died in the war. Anzac Day today is a national day of remembrance which commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”. Anzac Day Gallery
| In Memory of Anzac Soldiers 2001 | Tributes to Anzac Soldiers 2004 | Anzac Day Salute to Fallen Heroes 2013 |
| Anzac Day Service 2014 | Diplomat Visits Codford 2014 | Anzac Day Commemoration 2015 |
| Anzac Day Service 2015 | Remembering the Great War Anzacs 2015 | New Zealand Soldier Remembered 2015 |
General Information Relating to Australian Servicemen in WWI
| Abbreviations used in Australian Service Records | Disposal Order of Medals of Deceased Australian Soldiers |
| Headstone Costs of Australian Imperial Forces | Imperial War Graves Commission Pamphlet on Cemetery & Memorial Registers |
| Influenza Epidemic | Medical Classifications for Wounded & Sick Australian Soldiers |
| No Photographs of Permanent A.I.F. Headstones |
Boer War
Casualty – Edwin George Ovens 1871-1900
Word War I
Hints About Food In War Time 1914 Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 St. Mary Roll of Honour 1914-1918
Casualties of WWI
| Harold Roy Bowden 1918 | William Cooper 1914 | Reginald Davis 1917 |
| William Arthur John Davis 1918 | Walter Feltham 1917 | George Fenn 1915 |
| George Elliot Grant 1918 | Albert Frank Johnson 1918 | Charles Edward Jones 1916 |
| Ernest Marsh 1916 | Kei Marsh 1916 | James McEwan 1915 |
| Henry George Penny 1915 | Arthur Charles Pond 1918 | Ernest George Poolman 1916 |
| Herbert Poolman 1918 | Archie Arthur Portingale 1917 | Walter George Portingale 1918 |
| George Pretty 1916 | William Pretty 1915 | Sidney Randall 1915 |
| Albert Edgar Read 1918 | Alexander Coverdale Short 1916 | Arthur Francis Simper 1916 |
| Willie Smith 1916 | Albert Frederick Ward 1915 | Cecil Whitehead 1916 |
Codford ANZAC Military Cemetery
A Military Cemetery was established by deed of gift as the “Military Burial Ground”, with a small part reserved for future burials from the parish and is located near St. Mary’s church. it is now called St. Mary New Churchyard
The “ANZAC” Military Cemetery, established by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, contains the graves of 31 Australian soldiers from WWI, 66 New Zealand soldiers from WWI and 1 Welsh Guards soldier from WWII. It is the second largest ANZAC cemetery located in England, the largest New Zealand war grave cemetery in the U.K.
| Edwin Beattie 1917 | Thomas George Bickley 1917 | Harold Vincent Brooks 1917 | Albert James Button 1916 |
| Oscar Cameron 1918 | William Rea Cathcart 1917 | Frank James Cattermole 1918 | Thomas William Chilton 1918 |
| Sydney James Clarke 1918 | Percy Francis Connelly 1917 | Arthur John Couchman 1917 | John Richard Flanagan 1917 |
| Harry David Fletcher 1917 | Thomas Michael Gorman 1917 | Albert Arthur Harris 1917 | Harry Holder 1917 |
| Clarence Albert Jennings 1918 | Lawrence Kinane 1917 | John Macintosh Adamson Lessells alias Morton 1917 | James Charles Patrick McGrath 1917 |
| David Edward McGregor 1917 | Gabriel McIlroy 1917 | Thomas Ernest Osborne 1916 | Alfred Henry Parkinson 1917 |
| Frank Nicholas Patience 1917 | Alexander Pollock 1919 | Richard Charles Gladstone Ryan 1916; | Michael Smith 1916 |
| Henry Thomas Stratford 1918 | James Thomas Williams 1917 | Charles Ziesler 1918 |
Mick Smith – A Son of the Bush
Extract from an article written for The Forbes Advocate, NSW, Australia on 23rd February, 1917 by Sergeant-Major G. W. Brownhill:
Mick Smith no doubt in his thoughts before leaving the sunny shores of Australia pictured many possibilities of his career as a soldier, but it is almost safe to say that there never crept into his mind, even a suggestion of the grand military funeral that one day in December would make its solemn way through the little English village of Codford, with the body of Mick Smith on the gun carriage, covered over with the Union Jack. …….. And old Mick Smith is in a lonely, and soon to be untended grave, 13,000 or 14,000 miles from his Australian home.
Thankfully the people of Codford have made sure that these Soldiers are remembered! See Australian Buried in the Anzac Cemetery for more information on Michael Smith
British Burials
Alfred James Darch 1916 Christopher Thomas Brown 1942
New Zealand Burials
| William Michael Aiken 1919 | William Allen | Francis Lignori Alley 1918 |
| Edward James Boland | Walter Edward Bourke | Frederick Henry Browning |
| Vincent John Byrne | John Charleston | John Delaney |
| William Patrick Dunne 1918 | ||
| Charles Edward Stuart Elton | Edward Foster | David Freitas |
| William Garlick | William Gilmour | Alfred George Glastonbury |
| Alexander John Griffin 1919 | William George Guthrie | Hona Hape |
| Charles John Harvey | Charles William Hayes | Daniel Hayes |
| Francis Arthur Holland | Arthur Holmes | Job Jefferies |
| Benjamin Stevens Jordan | Bertie Ernest Kearse | Thomas Walker Kearse |
| John Bodley Kelland | Frederick Charles Keys | |
| Walter Edward King | Joseph Magee | Archibald James Maley |
| Gordon McDonald | James William McDonnell 1918 | Claude McEnteer |
| James Malcolm McFarlane | James McLeod | William McMullan |
| Oswald Alan Mincher | Francis Robert Moody | John Moore |
| Frank Kemp Morris | Archibald John Nicolson | Graham Wakefield O’Connor |
| Patrick Thomas O’Neill | Thomas Patrick Perwick | Zell Eric Ivon Pilkington |
| William Protheroe | Charles Salisbury | John George Saville |
| Michael Sexton | Alexander Davidson Shaw 1917 | Bertram Onslow Stevenson |
| Thomas Telford | Samuel Thomas | Charles Tombs |
| Harry Edward Tucker | John Wade | William Richard Wakelin |
| Walter Robert Watson | William James Westerby | Alexander George Whitelaw |
| Bertram Winterburn | Andrew Anderson Wishart 1917 |
WWI Casualties with Parish Connections
Gilbert Shoemark 1915
WWII
Casualties
Albert Ben Sheppard 1944 Thomas Robert Stacey 1945
Codford St. Peter
St. Peter
The Parish Church of St. Peter
St. Peter’s Gallery St. Peter’s Interior Gallery St. Peter’s Churchyard Gallery
Churchyard Survey
| Incumbents List 1545-1814 | Stolen Articles Held by Churchwardens 1807 | Rectory Appointments 1839-1928 |
| Grant Approved for Building New North Aisle 1863 | Re-opening of Church 1864 | Concert in Aid of Choir Funds 1866 |
| Festival of Choirs at Heytesbury 1868 | Saxon Cross 1937 |
Church Memorials
| Thomas Polden 1753 | Wrench Thring 1781 | Mary & Ann Thring 1784 & 1790 |
| Maria Emilia Awdry 1814 | Ann Thring 1824 | Rev. John Dampier 1839 |
| Dionysia & James Raxworthy 1841 & 1855 | Elizabeth Smith 1844 | James Slade 1846 |
| Betty Head 1860 | James Henry Raxworthy Window 1862 | Sophia Harriet Ravenhill 1863 |
| Sophia H. Ravenhill Window 1864 | John & Mary Brind Window 1881 | Rev. Henry Wightwick 1884 |
| Isaac Flower 1889 | Sarah Wightwick & Sons Window 1907 | Thomas King Harding 1916 |
| Macleane & Wightwicks 1923, 1926 & 1931 | Douglas Macleane Pulpit Plaque 1925 | Rev. Edward Denny 1928 |
| Stuart Carey Houston 1947 | John Sainsbury Torrie 2006 |
Parish Register Transcripts
Marriages
Parish Registers Held at WSHC
Baptisms 1597-1900
Marriages 1619-1991
Burials 1597-1978
Records available from Other Sources
Buildings and Land
Domesday Book Owners of Land 1873
Land Surveys
Listed Buildings
Grade I – Buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
There are no buildings in this part of the village listed within this category
Grade II* – Buildings are particularly important and of more than special interest.
Church of St. Peter
Grade II – Buildings are nationally important and of special interest.
| 41 and 42 Beanis Path | Boundary Post Opposite the Happy Eater Cafe | Farm Buildings in Yard on North Side of Manor Farm |
| French Horn | 52, 53 and 54 High Street | 68 High Street |
| 69 High Street | 76 High Street | |
| Manor Farmhouse | Manor House | Manor House Cottage |
| Milepost at South Entrance to Hillside Cafe | Milepost opposite the Old Manse | Old Manor House |
| Old Manse | Old Rectory | Overton House with Front Walls and Railings |
| Ox Barn | Poplars with Front Gates and Railings | Stable Cottage |
| Steps, Revetment Walls & Gate Piers to Church | Wool House | Wool Store |
Property for Auction, Let or Sale
Wool House 2014 Wool Store Apartments 2014 69 High Street 2015 Stable Cottage 2015
Public Houses
George Hotel
George Hotel for Sale 2014
Crime and Legal Matters
| Daring Robbery 1803 | Shot Fired through Window 1836 | William Richardson – Stolen Sugar Nippers 1851 |
| Wiltshire Gentleman and the Sheriff’s Officers 1865 | Breach of Cattle Plague Orders 1866-1867 | |
| Thomas Bennett – Stolen Slabs of Wood 1868 | Selling Cider Without a License |
Assault
3 Charged with Assault 1854
Transportation
Stephen Toogood – 7 years for Sheep Stealing – 1830 Thomas Whale – Life for Burglary – 1841
Directories
Education
Parish School of Codford St. Peter 1697-1702
Emigration and Migration
Emigration to Australia
Bennett Family Emigration to South Australia 1854
Emigration to Canada
Letter from Canada 1835
Emigration to the United States of America
Frederick Carpenter – Emigration to the U.S.A. 1923
General Items
Strays Index Emigration Home Contact Requested 1800 – Present
Employment and Business
Agriculture
Apprentices
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Alexander Hill 1844 Edwin Smith 1866 Wiltshire Society Apprentices Notice 1866
Communications
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Community Services
Police
Wiltshire Constabulary 1858 Metropolitan Police Pensions Record – Thomas Alford 1866-1892
Employment News
Exhibitions
Warminster Industrial Exhibition 1869
Medical Matters
General Medical Council Registrations 1859-1959
People and Parish Notables
Accidents
Thomas Sturgiss Drowned 1860 Loss and Misfortune Thomas King 1862
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Union Friendly Society Annual Meeting 1823 Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy Report of James Raxworthy 1865
Census Returns Transcripts
1851 1871 (incls Ashton Gifford) 1881 (incls Aston Gifford) 1891 (incls Ashton Gifford) 1901
Coroners Bill
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832 (with Ashton Gifford) Poll Book 1865
Family Notices
1700-1799 1800-1849 1900-1949
Funeral Reports
Funeral Report of Isaac Flower 1889
Inquest Reports
| Infant Child 1799 | Infant Child 1811 | William Sparey 1835 |
| Henry Colston Watkins 1843 | Sarah Trowbridge 1843 | Betsey Oliver 1848 |
| George Dallimore 1853 | James Jukes 1861 | Sarah Jane Mabott 1861 |
| John Everley 1864 | Henry Charles Sparey 1870 | Susanna James 1871 |
Parish Notables
Robert Dampier, Artist & Clergyman, was born on the 27th May 1799. He died at Chilworth, Hampshire on the 2nd December 1874. His painting include subjects such as the Sandwich Islands and Hawaii.
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
| Reward for John Penny Who Left his Family Chargeable to the Parish 1834 | Fete for Poor of Codford St. Peter & Ashton Giffard 1837 |
| Donation to Salisbury Infirmary to J. A. Ingram 1849 | Disease & Suffering Unrelieved, The Bath Board of Guardians 1857 |
Probate
Inquisition Post Mortem of Thomas Lambert 1639
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
| Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 | St. Peter Memorial Window 1914-1918 | St. Peter Roll of Honour 1914-1918 |
| St. Peter Roll of Honour 1939-1945 | WWII Pillbox 2014 |
Casualties of WWI
Casualties of WWII
| Charles Homer Bosworth 1939 | Percival Frank Conduit 1943 | Anthony Strangman Hancock 1945 |
| Alan Roney-Dougal 1945 | Albert Ben Sheppard 1944 | Thomas Robert Stacey 1945 |
| Guy Napier Westley 1944 |
Ashton Gifford
Ashton Gifford is a hamlet, part of the civil parish of Codford, in the county of Wiltshire. For parochial purposes the hamlet comes under the jurisdiction of Codford St. Peter. For Baptisms, Marriages and Burials please consult Codford St. Peter Section.
Buildings and Land
Domesday Book Ashton Gifford Inclosure Notice 1814
Listed Buildings in Ashton Gifford
Grade I – Buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
There are no buildings listed for this category in Ashton Gifford
Grade II* – Buildings are particularly important and of more than special interest.
There are no buildings listed for this category in Ashton Gifford
Grade II – Buildings are nationally important and of special interest.
Ashton Cottage Ashton Gifford House Boundary Post opposite entrance to Ashton Gifford House
Property For Auction, Let or Sale
Sheep and Dairy Farm To Let By Tender 1824
Crime and Legal Matters
Licensing Session Opposed 1890
Education
Greenways School
Greenways School Advertisement for Greenways School 1947 Fire at Greenways School 1948 Advertisement for Greenways School 1964
Employment and Business
Game Licenses 1824-1839 Select Commissioners for Land & Assessed Taxes 1842 South Wilts Chamber of Agriculture 1890
Miscellaneous Documents
People and Parish Notables
| Falstone Day Book 1645-1653 | High Sheriffs for Wiltshire 1758-1856 | |
| Warminster & South Wilts Farmers’ Club 1840 | Sheriff Nominations & Appointments 1845 | |
| Hunting Appointments 1849-1936 | Presentation to John Ravenhill 1870 | South & West Wilts Hounds 1889 |
| Wiltshire Agricultural Association 1888-1890 |
Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley 1855-1935 – also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq. Owned and lived at Ashton Gifford House from 1929 until his death
Census Returns Transcripts
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
Elections, Polls and Voters Lists
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818
Family Notices
1800-1899 1900-1949
Inquest Reports
Sophia Harriett Ravenhill 1863 Lily Farley 1905
Probate
Probate Notice of John Ravenhill 1878
