The OPC is Ali Walker
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Batheaston (SOM) – Bathford (SOM) – Biddestone – Ditteridge – Marshfield (GLS) – North Wraxall – Slaughterford – Yatton Keynell
Websites of Interest
The Parish Church of St. John The Baptist
The clock was built in 1685, probably by the village blacksmith. It has only the hour hand, like that of Westminster Abbey. There are only a small number of similar one handed clocks in England. The clock was restored in 1959, and again in 1968. The most recent restoration of the clock was carried out in 2008, when the large stone weights were replaced by autowinding gear and the clock face was also replaced.
St. John’s Gallery St. John’s Interior Gallery St. John’s Interior Wall Tablets Gallery St. John’s Churchyard Gallery
Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions Interior Wall Memorial Inscriptions William Harris Benefaction 1700
Incumbents
Rectors & Vicars for Non Resident Rectors 1298-1898
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1628-1957
Marriages 1560-1986
Burials 1661-1959
Parish History
The parish includes the hamlets of Euridge, Eastrip, Thickwood and Widdenham.
Colerne – An Introduction
Colerne is situated on a hilltop in the north-west of Wiltshire, between Chippenham and Bath, Somerset. The nearest neighbouring village is Marshfield, Gloucestershire and indeed just outside the village is the Three Shires Stone, at the point where the three counties meet. The village itself is on the southern fringe of the Cotswolds and the houses, commercial properties and churches in the central conservation area are largely built of Cotswold stone. Colerne used to be known locally for its RAF base, now used in part by the Army. The village and nearby hamlets (Thickwood, North Colerne, Eastrip, Euridge, Widdenham) are home to 3000 diverse inhabitants including many young families: for this reason Colerne’s school and its businesses are continuing to thrive, along with a host of clubs, sports teams and other activities.
Colerne Fire 1774
A devastating fire ravaged the village of Colerne on 1st April 1774. Read more about the fire and the people who were affected.
The Legend of the Dead Donkey
The Vicar had left his donkey in the care of the Churchwarden while he was visiting a neighbouring parish, but it died while he was away. Having given many years of devoted service, the Churchwarden thought the animal should at least be rewarded with a Christian burial in the churchyard. The undertaker and gravedigger, not normally artful in the burial of veterinary specimens, failed to dig the correct grave dimensions resulting in the donkey being buried feet up with it’s hooves breaking the surface of the grave. On his return, the Vicar had the beast reburied but word of this had already reached the neighbouring villages. Youths would often come to Colerne and poke fun at the villagers by crying ee-aaw as they passed through. This often resulted in mass altercations and even today the visiting soccer teams are told to “go polish the donkey’s hooves” for a joke.
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Population and Census Analysis 1801-2011
Buildings and Land
Owners of Land 1873 Two Brokenbrow Farms to Let 1810
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1813-1814
Public Houses
Fox & Hounds
Sale of Property
Sale by Auction of Thomas Dunning’s Stock 1868 Sale of Property 1871
Crime and Legal Matters
Business Crime
Bath Butcher Fined for Breaking Rationing Quota 1941
General Items
Crime Reports 1800-1849 Crime Reports 1850-1899
Prisons and Prisoners
Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879 Convicts for Transportation 1830
Proceedings in Chancery Elizabeth I Era (1558-1603)
Directories
Post Office 1875 Kellys 1889 Kellys 1915
Education
Average School Attendance & Government Grant 1871-1885
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
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.
Michael Bayley 1758 Thomas Beard 1755
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
| George Newman 1907 | Henry Moules 1910 | Albert Henry Tilley 1910 |
| Stribley Tidmarsh 1913 | Thomas Edward Tidmarsh 1913 | Leonard Walter Roger Moules 1914 |
| Sidney Albert Moules 1914 | Ernest Albert Gray 1915 |
Community Services
Police
Wiltshire Constabulary 1858 Metropolitan Police Pensions Record – James Aust 1868-1890
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Colerne Evangelical Church
Independent Congregational Church
Baptist Church
Methodist Church
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Thickthorn
Providence Baptist Chapel
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations & Societies
Friendly Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Bankruptcy
Census Returns Transcripts
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
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 or 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 Free Holders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843 General Election Candidates, North West Wiltshire 2010 MP Nominations 2015 MP Nominations 2017
Family Notices
Family Notices 1800-1849 Family Notices 1850-1899
General Items
Elizabeth Forrester Benefaction 1776 High Sheriff of Wiltshire Nominations 1925
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
Parish Notables
Brian Ashton, England rugby international and coach was born in Leigh, Lancashire on the 3rd September 1945 and a resident of Colerne
Kristan Bromley – Skeleton racer and Winter Olympian was born in Rossendale, Lancashire on the 7th March 1972. He is married to fellow Olympian Shelley Rudman. He was resident of the parish for some time
Derek Fowlds – Actor, was born in Wandsworth, Middlesex on the 2nd September 1937. He died at the Royal United Hospital bath on the 17th January 2020 and is buried in the churchyard at Holt. He had been resident of Chippenham and of Colerne.
Shelley Rudman – Skeleton racer and Winter Olympian was born in Swindon on 23rd March 1981. She is married to fellow Olympian Kristan Bromley. She was resident of the parish as well as Pewsey and has business interests in Manningford
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
Bartholomew & Margaret de Badelesmere 1311
Parishioners Wills
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Muster Roll 1539 St. John’s Churchyard Military Memorial Inscriptions
Chelsea Pensioners
WWI
Wiltshire Regiment Wounded List July 1917
St. John’s WWI War Memorial St. John’s WWII War Memorial
WWII
Home Guard
Home Guards 1940-1944 Home Guard Awards 1944
Thickwood
People and Parish Notables
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts – 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.
