The OPC is Joy Waters
Cathy Day (Consultant) has her own website
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Bourton (DOR) – East Knoyle – Gillingham (DOR) – Kingston Deverill – Maiden Bradley – Motcombe (DOR) – Penselwood (SOM) – Sedgehill – Silton (DOR) – Stourton – West Knoyle
Websites of Interest
Cathy Day – Consultant for Mere, has her own website which can be visited via her link.
The Parish Church of St. Michael The Archangel
At the south western corner of the county stands the splendid church of Mere, its lofty western tower nobly maintaining its stand against the high Downs. The chief glory of St. Michael’s is the screen work, not only the rood screen, but also those enclosing the chapels. There were a number of chantry priests attached to the church and 15th Century. Stalls with interesting carved misericords can be seen in the chancel. Font replaced in the Tower from N. Aisle where it was placed 1856.
St. Michael’s Gallery St. Michael’s Interior Gallery St. Michael’s Interior Memorials Gallery St. Michael’s Churchyard Gallery
Church Census
Church Guides and History
Church Guide St. Michael’s – Article written by Rev. Carol Green 2020 St. Michael’s Parish Church
Church Interior
Coats of Arms of the Stourton Family Alliances Interior Wall etc Memorials
Church Officials
Reeves, Overseers & Churchwardens 1551-1692 Them Against Us – Letter from the Vicar of Mere 1818 Vicars List 1296-2012
Church Organisations
Church Collections 1700- Present Members of the CofE Temperance Band 1883
Church Repairs and Renovations
Renovation of East Window Appeal 2010
Church Services
Church Supported Charities and Funding
Donations and Charities 1633-1666 Benefactions Board Wadlow’s Bequest Benefaction John Phillips Benefaction 1881 Salisbury Infirmary 1858
Churchyard
St. Michael’s Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
A note entered between 23 June and 21 July 1822: “The late Mr. Howel having omitted to enter the names of people baptised from (parish register entries) 465 to 578 the Vicar has inserted them after the Curate’s death from a little help by the Parish Clerk William Coward to the best of which he has deposed an oath this twenty-fifth day of June 1822 before R.C. Hoare one of the ? ? for the County of Wilts as witnessed by my signature this 25th day of June 1822, Henry Wake, Vicar of Mere. Verified on oath before me, R.C. Hoare”
| 1680-1689 | 1690-1699 | 1700-1709 | 1710-1719 | 1720-1729 | 1730-1739 |
| 1740-1749 | 1750-1759 | 1760-1769 | 1770-1774 | 1775-1799 | 1800-1824 |
| 1825-1849 | 1850-1874 | 1875-1899 | 1900-1924 (Incomplete) |
Marriages
1561-1599 1600-1649 1650-1699 1700-1749 1750-1774 1775-1799 1800-1824 1825-1849
Burials
1700-1719 1720-1739 1740-1749 1750-1764 1765-1774 1775-1799 1800-1824 1825-1849
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1561-1961
Marriages 1561-1996
Burials 1561-2001
Parish History
The name of Mere probably comes from the Saxon ‘meare’ meaning a marsh or boundary. Mere certainly has abundant water supplies but it is also close to the boundaries of the three counties of Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset so either origina may be correct. The Earl of Cornwall built a castle here in 1253 but it was ruined by the 14th Century such that Aubrey wrote in 1660 ‘here anciently was a castle’. However, much of the land in and around Mere still belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall. In later years, it was a stopping place for coaches on the London to Exeter road giving rise to the cluster of fine inns in the centre of the town. The Angel and White Hart no longer exist but one can still imagine the bustle in the Square as the coaches came and went. Mere was once a market for the wool trade but in later years gained a name for linen and silk weaving. The last silk mill closed in 1894 and now the town has a name for brushes!
The parish includes the hamlets of Barrow Street, Burton, Limpers Hill, Rook Street & Southbrook
Parish News 1850-1899 Rates Charges 1951
Civil Registration
1837 – January 1978 Mere Registration District
January 1978 – Present Salisbury Registration District
Parish Council
Members of the Parish Council & C.P.R.E. 1967
Buildings and Land
Turnpike Toll Gate Auction 1858 Cattle Plague Regulations 1867 Owners of Land 1873 Sale of Conwick Farm, Barrow Street 1818
Buildings
| The Chantry | Charnage | Dean’s Orchard | Grove Building and VAD Hospital |
| Mere Castle | Mere Park | Old Rectory | Woodlands Manor |
| Zeals House |
Cemetery
Farms
Chaddenwick Farm
Property Sales
Sale of Superior Business Site 1892
Public Houses
Angel Inn
Now closed
Old Ship Inn, High Street
The building dates from around the 17th Century. This was the home of Sir John Coventry until 1682. It was first licensed in the early 18th century, and horses would be stabled at the “Sign of the Ship” for races on Mere Down in 1733. The magnificent wrought-iron scroll sign was made by a local clock-maker between 1730 and 1763, and is without doubt one of the country’s finest inn signs. The fine elm staircase, flagged floors, oak beams, open fireplaces, and bedrooms with decorated ceilings and mullioned and latticed windows give the inn an historic interest in keeping with the original 17th century mansion.
Talbot Inn, The Square
This is a 16th Century coaching inn formerly named The George Inn where Charles II once visited after the battle of Worcester against Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads.
The Butt of Sherry, Castle Street
Is a 19th century establishment which at one time had an off license incorporated where the large bay window is now.
Walnut Tree, Shaftesbury Road
Public house situated on the edge of the town.. It was rebuilt in the mid 1930’s and moved 20 yard along the road.
White Hart
Now closed.
Crime and Legal Matters
Animal Cruelty
Bastardy
Bastardy Examinations 1852-1857
Driving Offences
Forgery
Fake Notes in Circulation 2014
Miscellaneous Items
Crime Reports 1800-1849 Crime Reports 1850-1899
Motoring Offences
Poaching
Prisons and Prisoners
Bedford Gaol Prisoner Thomas Smith 1821 Warminster Reformatory Runaways Recaptured 1871
Theft
Transportation
Transportation of Prisoners 1827 James Crouch – His Story 1840-1909
Vandalism
Wilful Damage to Vegetables 1869
Directories
Pigots 1820 Post Office 1849 Post Office 1875 Kellys 1889 Kellys 1915
Education
Emigration and Migration
Strays Index Emigration Home Contact Requested 1800 – Present Memorial Inscription of Nellie Hooper 1908
Employment and Business
Business & Advertising Gallery
Agriculture and Land
Farmers Active in 1823 Importation of Seed Potatoes 1872
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 Andrews 1741 Harry Beckett 1738 William Bradford 1724 Christopher Colbourne 1712 Henry Clark 1723
Aviation
Community Services
Fire Brigade Members 1920 Fire Brigade Members 1974 Wiltshire Constabulary 1858
General Business
Inventors and Patents
Medicine
General Medical Council Registrations 1859-1959
Seamen
Situations Vacant
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Catholicism
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
Broughton Catholic Charitable Society Members 1844
Congregationalists
United Reformed Church (Congregational)
Mere United Reformed Church was built in 1868 as a Congregational chapel, joining the United Reformed Church at its formation in 1972. Precursors of the present building were a small Presbyterian chapel of 1700, an Independent chapel of 1795 and a larger chapel of 1852.
Independent Chapels and Churches
Dissenters
Independent Chapel
Chapel Register Transcriptions
Baptisms
Marriages
Methodism
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Census 1851 Mere Methodist Chapel
Mere Methodist Church was built as a Primitive Methodist chapel in 1846; a gallery was added in 1859 and a schoolroom in 1874. It was de-consecrated in 2017 and sold at auction in April 2018. It is being converted for residential use.
Quakers/Society of Friends
The first reference to a Quaker in Mere is in 1709 when the marriage of Edward Seager of Mere, a Quaker shepherd to Christian Brown of Warminster, appears in the Quaker records. Nothing else is known about him and it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that a small group of Quakers settled in Mere. Among these were Edwin Bracher, the chemist and printer, and John Farley Rutter, the solicitor. They both took an active interest in education, The Temperance Movement and other social work in the town.
From 1856 Quaker or Friends Meetings have been held in Mere, and in 1863 a Friends’ Meeting House was built at the same time as the Lecture Hall and formed the northern room of that building. Since 1928 the Small Lecture Hall has been used by the Friends as their meeting House, the old room on the street having become too noisy.
St. Matthews CofE
The church of St. Matthew was built in 1882 by C.E. Ponting, on a rural site at White Hill, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) southeast of the town. It was a mission church, served by the clergy of St Michael’s. The church closed in 2004 and was sold for residential use in 2008. See the St. Michael’s Registers for Baptism entries
People and Parish Notables
Accidents
Shocking Accident to Edward Gatehouse 1878 Bicycle Collision 1901
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Benefit & Friendly Societies
Wilts Conservative Benefit Society Club Festival & Fete at East Knoyle 1912
Club & Society News
Miscellaneous Clubs & Societies
Conservative Smoking Concert 1899
Musical Societies
Mere Manor Youth Band Members 1967
Temperance Society
Temperance Society Entertainment 1872
Bankruptcy
Census Returns Transcripts
c1650 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
Please note that the census dated c1650 lists only what appears to be the head of the household
Deaths
Sudden Death of William Fricker 1881
Funeral Reports
Funeral Report of Dr W.W. Farnfield 1940
Inquest Reports
Mourning Cards
Lydia Harding 1934 Mary Ann Harding 1888
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Poll Book 1865 MP Nominations 2015
Entertainment
Family Notices
Miscellaneous Items
Grocer Finds Surprising Nest of Bluetits 1867
Parish Notables
William Barnes, Poet & Educator
Sport
Cricket
Cricket Match Loss Dispute 1844
Taxes
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
General Poor Law Matters
Wanted, Christopher alias Thomas Jukes for Abandonment 1807
Workhouse
Workhouse Crime
Workhouse Inmates
Census 1841 Census 1851 Adult Paupers in Union Workhouse for 5 years Consecutive 1861
Workhouse Supplies and Tenders
Workhouse Provisions Tenders Advert 1841
Probate
Parishioners Wills
William Doddington proved 1657
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Service Personnel
Chelsea Pensioners 1808-1828 Shooting Competition for the Wilts Rifle Volunteers 1872 Servicemen & Families with the 1st Wilts. Regt. in South Africa 1911
Veterans
Edward Shirley Godman 1876-1951
Uncategorised Military Items
Mere at War Anti War Meeting 1870
WWI
British Red Cross/V. A. D. Service
V.A.D. & Red Cross Hospitals 1914-1918 Local Nurses and War Work 1919
Casualties of WWI
War Memorials and Dedications
Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918
WWII
Burton
People and Parish Notables
Inquest Reports
Chaddenwycke
Employment and Business
People and Parish Notables
Census Returns Transcripts
Please note that the census dated c1650 lists only what appears to be the head of the household
Taxes
Woodlands
People and Parish Notables
Census Returns Transcripts
Please note that the census dated c1650 lists only what appears to be the head of the household
Elections, Polls and Voters Lists
Woolverton
Probate
Parishioners Wills
Thomas Doggerell, Jnr. 1678 (Nuncupative with Inventory)
Acknowledgments
Grateful thanks to Joy Waters who has transcribed many of the items on this page.
