OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes (Our neighbours)
All Cannings – Bishops Cannings – Devizes St. John – Etchilhampton – Potterne
Websites of Interest
St. James Church – Parish Information
The Parish Church of St. James
The church is first mentioned in 1461 as being on the Green and was sometimes called the Green Church. The dedication to St. James is known by 1505. The church may occupy the site of the hospital chapel of St. James and St. Denis, which had gone by 1338. Originally the church was a chapel in Bishop’s Cannings parish but it had its own graveyard for burials by 1505 and christenings and marriages were taking place by 1572. The church seems to have been built in the early 15th century with a chancel, nave with continuous aisles, a south porch and a west tower. There were some lancet windows of the 13th century that possibly came from the original chapel. [Source: Wiltshire Community History]
The church interior has been modernised in recent times but retains its ancient impressiveness. It is a very busy church commanding two Sunday morning services both of which are normally full. From the amount of memorials to to the Wiltshire Regiment within the church it would appear that many of the battalion worshipped here over the years. Images of some of these memorials can be found in the document and gallery below.
St. James Church Gallery St. James Interior Gallery St. James Churchyard Gallery
St. James Churchyard Memorial Survey Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers Meeting 1915
Church Matters
Church Supported Charities and Funding
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
1550-1649 1650-1699 1700-1749 1750-1774 1775-1799 1800-1824 1825-1839 1840-1849 1850-1859 1860-1869 1870-1879
Marriages
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1572-1974
Marriages 1572-1979
Burials 1572-1946
Parish History
The Crammer Pond is reputably that most associated with the Moonraker Legend
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Devizes Registration District
Buildings and Land
Devizes Poor House and Lunatic Asylum were in this parish.
Bellevue Lunatic Asylum Census 1851
Landowners
Parting Letter of Mr. Estcourt 1859 Owners of Land 1873
Crime and Legal Matters
Assault
Bastardy
Bastardy Examinations 1838-1879
Crime Reports
Proceedings in Chancery Elizabeth I Era (1558-1603)
Directories
Education
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Apprentices
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
James Alexander 1904 Gordon F. Little 1923
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
People and Parish Notables
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 and Polls
Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843
Death Notices
Sudden Death of Mr. Hopkins 1890
Family Notices
Family Notices 1800-1849 Family Notices 1850-1899 Life Event Reports 1850-1899
General Items
Funeral Reports
Funeral Report for Mark Stobbart 2014
Inquests
Sudden Death of Mrs Parry Nisbet 1861
Poor Law, Charity and the Workhouse
The parish was the location of the Devizes Union Workhouse. Poor Law covers the whole of the area covered by the Workhouse Catchment Area.
Poor Law Supplies Contracts & Tenders
Bread & Flour Contract 1838 Bread, Flour and Meat 1847
Relieving Officers
Relieving Officer Appointed 1846
Workhouse Census
1851 Adult Paupers in Workhouse for 5 or More Consecutive Years 1861
Workhouse Crime
Murder at the Workhouse 1881-1882
Workhouse Employment
Workhouse Statistics
Union Workhouse Facts & Figures 1874
Workhouse Supplies and Tenders
Union Workhouse Sealed Tenders 1838
Probate
Indenture Notice of William Heale 1851
War, Conflict and Military Matters
Return of the Wiltshire Regiment 1902 Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 Bell Ringers Book of Remembrance in St. Pauls Cathedral Library WWI
Napoleonic Wars
Veterans
WWI
British Red Cross/VAD Volunteers
E. R. M. Isborn 1917-1918 Frances Mary Isborn 1917-1918
