The OPC is Stephen Smith
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Kington St. Michael – Langley Burrell – Seagry – Stanton St. Quintin – Sutton Benger
Websites of Interest
The Parish Church of St. James
Draycote Cerne (1 m. W. of Sutton Benger) was held by the family of that name in the 13th cent. The church (St. James) stands in the park beside the now modernized Draycot House, and is Early Engliah with a perpendicular tower and porch. On the N. side is the arched and canopied recess containing the mail-clad and cross legged effigy of Sir Philip de Cerne, who is said to have founded the church in the 13th century. In the santuary is the fine altar-tomb of Sir Thomas Long (16th cent.), and on the floor is a good brass with effigies of Sir Edward Cerne and his lady (1393) with clasped hands. The chancel is said to be the oldest part and is on a lower level than the nave, a rare feature.(The Little Guide 1949, Methuen)
The church is not publicly accessible and has to be pre-arranged for visits.
St. James Gallery St. James Churchyard Gallery
St. James Churchyard Memorial Survey Churches Conservation Trust Headstone Inscription for Noah Flower 1748
Parish Register Transcripts
Extracts from the Parish Registers
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1691-1994
Marriages 1692-1993
Burials 1691-1971
BTs 1839-1872 held at Bristol Record Office
Parish History
Includes Easton
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Buildings and Land
Chippenham Turnpike Notices 1846
Cemeteries
Draycot Cerne Cemetery
Cemetery Chapel
The Chapel was built in 1883 and restored 2015.
On a visit in September 2021, the Chapel interior was in poor condition.
If you’ve driven down the Draycot Straight during the hours of daylight you can’t have failed to notice that, after being in a state of disrepair for a number of years, the Draycot Cerne Chapel of Rest has a new roof. This was completed in early December 2015 as a result of the hard work by a small team of volunteers that set up a charity to repair and maintain this important and much loved, albeit abused feature of the DC community.
Many people don’t realise, but when the tiles were stolen from the roof, it became apparent that the chapel and graveyard is owned by the people of the village. It was given to the village in the late 1800’s. In the past it has always been maintained by village residents on a voluntary basis and since the early 1980’s this has been done almost entirely by Rueben Couzens, to whom we are indebted. The situation highlighted the need for a formalisation of the ownership of this village asset for a number of reasons. One of the fundamental issues is that the building was not insured and you cannot insure something you don’t have a legal claim to, i.e., a tenancy or legal title. The team set upon the road to achieve legal title of the property to be able to repair it, insure it and secure its future as a village asset for generations to come. The charity was established, which subsequently made a successful claim to the Land Registry to hold the title of the chapel and cemetery. This will give current and future residents control and security of what is our only communal asset, and primarily our ability to be in charge of our own place of rest for evermore, for those already resting there and those whose wish to be there at some point in the future. The Friends of Draycot Cerne Chapel’s sole purpose is for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery and chapel (Sutton Benger Parish Council)
Cemetery Chapel Gallery Cemetery Chapel Interior Cemetery Gallery
Cemetery Memorial Inscriptions
Landowners
Land Surveys
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1813-1814
Crime and Legal Matters
Directories
Post Office 1875 Kellys 1915 Swindon & District 1928 Taylors Telephone 1941
Education
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Agriculture and Land
Gamekeepers Certificates 1807 Gamekeepers Certificates 1834
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.
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Burial Ground Interments 1886-1894 Mortuary Chapel
People and Parish Notables
Accidents
Associations, Clubs, Organisations & Societies
Agricultural Societies
Wiltshire Agricultural Society Annual Meeting 1848
Census Returns
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
Elections, Polls and Voters Lists
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843
Family Notices
General Items
Residents Mentioned in Kilvert’s Diary 1870-1879
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
Taxes
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
Settlement Examinations 1750-1799
