The OPC is Pauline Illsley
Market Lavington Photo Gallery
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Charlton – Easterton – Orcheston St. George – Orcheston St. Mary – Potterne – Rushall – Tilshead – Urchfont – West Lavington – Wilsford
Websites of Interest
St. Mary – Benefice of the Lavingtons, Cheverells & Easterton
Trinity Church – Services and History
The Parish Church of St. Mary
St. Mary’s was built mainly in 13th century replacing an earlier Norman one. While there are traces of earlier Norman work in the church, it is thought there could have been a Saxon church on this raised site. Stones with Norman carving have been used in the medieval walling of the aisles and in the later porch.
The church we see to today is built of ashlar and sarsen rubble and consists of a chancel with north and south vestries and a south organ chamber, an aisled and cloistered nave with a south porch and a west tower. The east and west windows are late 13th Century indicating the period of rebuilding of the Norman church. It is likely that the nave was its present length and width at that time. The chancel circa 1300, the north vestry about 1340 and the rest of the nave 14th century. There is a 14th century piscina in the north aisle indicating the position of an altar, possibly for the chantry dedicated to St. Mary The Virgin. The west tower was mainly built in the 15th century but could have been commenced towards the end of the 14th century.
St. Mary’s served both Market Lavington and Easterton until a church was built for the latter village in 1875. In the latter part of the 17th century up until about 1718 the vicar was Thomas Tanner whose son, also Thomas, became the Bishop of St. Asaph. In 1676 there were estimated to be 476 parishioners worshipping at the church from the combined villages. The younger Thomas Tanner made a bequeath to provide a sermon each year on the 25th January to celebrate St. Paul’s Day; this annual sermon first took place in 1735 and is still part of the church calendar today.
Large congregations still took part in church services well into 19th century and when the church took its census in 1851, 300 people were at morning service and 250 in the evening. The first major restoration of the church took place in 1864 under the watchful eye of Ewan Christian, the architect in charge of the works. The nave and part of the aisle walls were rebuilt, buttresses were added to the south aisle and those of the chancel were rebuilt. The window tracery was renewed at this time and the chancel arch rebuilt. In 1910 the organ chamber and choir vestry were added to the south of the chancel whilst the chancel itself went under restoration which included the rebuilding of the east wall. There were 6 bells by 1783, recast in 1876.
St. Mary’s Gallery St. Mary’s Interior Gallery St. Mary’s Churchyard Gallery
Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions
Interesting Entries in the Parish Registers 1714-1782
Parish Register Transcripts
Marriages
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1673-1975
Marriages 1673-1988
Burials 1673-2001
Parish History
The parish has been inhabited for at least 4000 years. The various types of soil in the area, chalk downland, clay and sand, together with an abundant water supply – made it an ideal place for settlement. The parish is about five miles long and a mile wide; much of this area is on Salisbury Plain, a military training area.
Market Lavington was referred to as “Laventone” in the Doomsday Book. The name of the parish has changed several times over the years – Chepyng Lavington, Steeple Lavington and East Lavington amongst them.
In 1254 Richard Rochelle was granted a charter to hold a market in Lavington. No regular markets have been held for more than 100 years now.
Church Brief for Market Lavington 1725, Loss by Fire 4735 lb.
Briefs were a way for people to raise money for the rebuilding or repair of their church, or for damage after a natural disaster.
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Devizes Registration District
Buildings and Land
Read about the Market Lavington Museum here
| Notice of Intended Construction of the Wilts & Berks Canal 1793 | Lunatic Asylum 1818 | Abolition of Turnpike Gates Celebrations 1825 |
| Owners of Land 1873 |
Agriculture
County Agriculture Report 1847
Public Houses
Sale of the George & Kings Arms Inns 1765
Crime and Legal Matters
Alcohol Related Crime
Bastardy
Bastardy Examinations 1839-1879
Capital Punishment
Execution of Richard Potter 1789
Courts
Wilts Quarter Sessions Business Meeting 1884
Crime Reports
Debtors
Prisoners in Fisherton Gaol 1761
Employment Crime
Prisons and Prisoners
Convicts sent to Prison Hulks 1823-1842
Manslaughter
Uncategorised Crime Items
Elopement of the British Lion Queen 1847
Directories
Gillmans 1913 Gillmans 1914 Kellys 1915
Education
Emigration and Migration
Strays Index Brothers & Draper Connection to Pennsylvania 1681 Emigration Home Contact Requested 1800 – Present
Employment and Business
Agriculture
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.
William Bell 1721 H. Bundale 1751
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Lawrence S. Plank 1922 George Smith 1886-1889
Communications
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Inventors and Patents
Markets and Fairs
Medicine
General Medical Council Registration 1859-1959
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Trinity Church
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Friendly Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society
Accidents
Mrs. Hay’s Accident 1855 Accidental Shooting 1859
Celebrations
Golden Wedding – Alexander 1936
Census Returns Transcripts
Elections, Polls and Voters Lists
Council Elections
County Council Election Notice 1925
Parliamentary Elections
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843
MP Nominations
Family Notices
1700-1799 1800-1849 1850-1899 1900-1949
Funeral Reports
Joseph & Mary Topp Funeral Report 1938
Inquests
Personal Research Items
Ingram/O’Connor
Topp Research
If anyone has any information about the Topp family of Market Lavington would they please contact Teresa Lewis (Administrator). The main subject of this query is Sydney Thomas Topp born about 1914. Various sources name different mothers and fathers. We know about his marriage at Worton in 1939 and his death if 1945. We can find no trace of him prior to his marriage apart from the mention of him in the Funeral report above of Mary and Joseph Topp.
Tuck Research
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
Football
Taxes
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
Poor Law Union Bread & Flour Contract 1838
Probate
Probate Notices 1850-1899 National Probate Index 1858-1966 Estate Values 1900-1949
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Land Held
John Walraund 1309 Joan Noyes 1623
Parishioners Wills
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Service Personnel
Chelsea Pensioners 1808-1828 Casualties Reported at the Battle of Sobraon 1846 Servicemen & Families with the 1st Wilts. Regt. in South Africa 1911
Deserters
Wiltshire Militia Deserters 1812
Shooting Competitions
WWI
Servicemen & Women
WWI Serving Military Personnel 1914
Casualties
WWII
War Memorials
Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 War Memorial WWI
