The OPC is Felicity Arnold
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Bratton – Edington – Hilperton – Keevil – North Bradley – Semington – Trowbridge – Westbury
Websites of Interest
Steeple Ashton – Parish Council
Steeple Ashton – Parish Newsletters (Including “Bryan writes” local history articles)
Steeple Ashton – Links to Magdalene College Cambridge
Steeple Ashton – A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8
Steeple Ashton History – Some Stories of Local Interest
The Parish Church of St. Mary The Virgin
The most richly ornamented church in Wiltshire is undoubtedly that of Steeple Ashton near Trowbridge. A great clothier church, its steeple rose to 186 feet before it fell, but the tower on which it stood is still a noble structure. Its walls display an array of wide windows and are crowned by battlements and pinnacles. Almost uniquely in English parish churches, the whole interior was designed to be vaulted in stone.
St. Mary Gallery St. Mary Interior Gallery St. Mary Churchyard Gallery St. Mary’s Monumental Inscriptions
Church Charities
Church Charity Bag 1832-1851 Church Alms Recipients 1856-1869
Church Officials
Incumbents List 1252-1980 Churchwardens 1543-1676 Parish Clerks 1543-1676 Parish Sidesmen 1543-1676
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1538-1856
Marriages 1558-1987
Burials 1538-1900
Burials Recorded in Churchwardens accounts 1559-1663
Parish History
The parish includes the tythings of Great Hinton, Hinton, Littleton and West Ashton
Parish Officials 1543-1676 Parish News 1800-1849
Civil Registration
April 1936 – Present Warminster Registration District
Buildings and Land
Surveyors of the Highway (Waymen) 1543-1676 Building & Land News 1800-1849 Inclosure Awards Extract 1818 Owners of Land 1873
Property for Sale
Walter Long Estate for Sale 1911
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1808-1811
Crime and Legal Matters
Arson
Reward to Find Fire Starters 1821
Crime Reports
Drink Related Crimes
Driving Offences
Driver Collides with Cows at Kington Langley 1940
Murder
Moses Angel Hanged for Murder 1828
Police & Law Enforcement
Prisons & Prisoners
Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879
Riot
The Chartists at Steeple Ashton
Theft
Boys Imprisoned and Whipped for Theft 1831
Directories
Post Office 1855 Kellys 1867 Gillmans 1899 Kellys 1915
Education
Emigration and Migration
To United States of America
Many villagers joined the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in the mid 1800’s and some subsequently emigrated to the United States. Fortunately, excellent records were kept. Below are the family groups with ties to Steeple Ashton that have been identified so far – they are listed by surname and year of emigration.
Summary of LDS Emigration To Utah in 1800s LDS Emigration Research Resources
Strays
Employment and Business
Agricultural
Game Keepers Certificates 1807
Apprentices
Apprentice Indentures 1710-1811
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.
Hebar S. Adams 1723 Thomas Bennett 1715 Robert Boyd 1723
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Community Services
Police
Manufacturing
Medical
General Medical Council Registrations 1859-1959
Postal Services
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
A house was licensed for Methodist meetings in 1797. In 1829 they were meeting in a farm house with 8 members of the church and a congregation of 50. In the 1851 religious census it was recorded that one room of a house was set aside exclusively for worship; there were 120 seats and the average size of the congregation was about 100 people. (source Wiltshire Community History)
Steeple Ashton Primitive Methodist Gallery
Non Conformists in Steeple Ashton
People and Parish Notables
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Agricultural Societies
Wiltshire Agricultural Show Prize Winners 1904
Friendly Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Census Returns
1770 (V.1) 1770 (V.2) 1800 (V.1) 1800 (V.2) 1813 1818 1826 1827 1851 1881
The Census of 1770 and 1800 V.2 includes information on the tithings of Steeple Ashton and for neighbouring parish Semington. The Census return of 1826 and 1827 were probably lists of households entitled to bread under poor law relief
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843 MP Nominations 2015
Entertainment
Family Notices
Funeral Reports
General People Items
Inquests
Inquest Reports 1800-1849 Inquest Reports 1850-1899
Local Families
Ball Family of Steeple Ashton Richard Godolphin Long 1761-1835
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.
Wedding Reports
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Charities
Charity News 1800-1849 Parental & Carers Support Charity Closes 2014
Poor Law
Collectors of the Poor Rate 1543-1676 Distributors to the Poor 1543 – 1676 Distribution to the Poor 1605-1623 Poor Law Union Audit 1849
Overseers
Elected Overseers Overseers 1543-1676
Workhouse
Workhouse Provisions & Clothing Tenders 1846
Probate
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands held
William Jones 1626 John Lowe 1632 James, Earl of Marlborough 1633 Henry, Earl of Marlborough 1638 Thomas Lambert 1639
Parishioners Wills
These represent a small fraction of villagers’ wills, and concetrate on a few local families. Transcriptionss are listed by name and the date the will was proved.
| Mary Ballard 1761 | Ann Dunsdon 1846 | Elizabeth Dunsdon 1809 | Harriet Dunsdon 1810 | John Dunsdon 1722 |
| John Dunsdon 1851 | Thomas Dunsdon 1758 | William Dunsdon 1739 | William Dunsdon 1834 | |
| Samuel Ghey 1825 | Emme Lancaster 1797 | Elizabeth Togwell 1822 | Emme Togwell 1726 | John Togwell 1704 |
| John Togwell 1724 | William Togwell 1820 | John Winslow 1837 | Stephen Winslow 1818 |
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Attestations & Discharge Records
Royal Marines
General News
WWI
Egg Collection for Wounded Servicemen 1914-1918
War Memorials & Books of Remembrance
Diocese of Salisbury Book of Remembrance 1914-1918 Bell Ringers WWI Book of Remembrance is St. Paul’s Cathedral Library War Memorial
British Red Cross/VAD Volunteers
WWII
St. Mary Roll of Honour WWI & WWII Civilian Deaths 1939-1945
Great Hinton
Buildings and Land
Property for Sale
Walter Long Estate for Sale 1911
Crime and Legal Matters
Execution of Richard Potter 1789 Negligent Driving Charge 1924
People and Parish Notables
Census Returns Transcripts
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832
Political Meetings
Political Debate on Free Trade 1904
Family Notices
Funeral Reports
Funeral Report of Catherine M. Noad 1937
General Items
Inquest Reports
Coroners Inquests Reports 1800-1849
Probate
Parishioners Wills
Littleton
Probate
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands held
Thomas Somner 1632 Nicholas Flower 1634
Census Returns Transcripts
West Ashton
St. John
Church of St. John
The church was built in 1846 by T. H. Wyatt and D. Brandon, with funding from Walter Long. It became a civil parish in the late 19th century.
The parish includes the hamlets of Dunge, East Town and Rood Ashton
St. John’s Gallery St. John’s interior Gallery St. John’s Churchyard Gallery
Church Matters 1800-1899 Tomb of Walter & Harriet Long 1847
Buildings and Land
Property for Sale
Walter Long Estate for Sale 1911
Crime and Legal Matters
Directories
Kellys 1867 Kellys 1911 Kellys 1939
Emigration
Census Returns Transcripts
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832 Election Agents for the South West 2017
Family Notices
Probate
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
Gifford Longe 1634 John Harris 1636
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
WWI
Diocese of Salisbury Remembrance Book 1914-1918 War Office Letter to Walter H. Long 1919
