I have been asked many times why did I get involved with the Wiltshire OPC Project, I thought it would be a good idea to let others know who we are and what we do and what motivates us. Its always nice to put a face to the name so here we go, naturally we have some very shy team members who haven’t yet given us a mugshot so they are represented by a silhouette. In alphabetical order are:-
This list was last updated on 15th March 2020 – If you have not yet sent a photograph in for us to use then please do so – this is not a requirement but its so nice to see a face and associate it with a name. Thanks
Michael Ambrose is OPC for South Damerham
Karen Arnold is OPC for Derry Hill with Pewsham
Vivien Birch has adopted the parish of North Bradley and is a great contributor to Lives of the First World War
Elizabeth Bond is OPC for Lyneham
Kate Burhouse is the OPC for Chiseldon
Sam Butler is OPC for Atworth. Sam is the lady in red.
Philip Carey has taken on the parish of Aldbourne with John Dymond as consultant having set up a website for his research called Treelines
Nigel Chalk is OPC for Stratton St. Margaret. Nigel is an active member of his local community.
Heather Cook is OPC for Pitton & Farley
Richard Cresswell has joined the team as Web Master. Richard has a background in Web Design etc. so his help will be a great resource.
Andrew Davies is OPC for Urchfont
Cathy Day has been a Consultant OPC for several years and has adopted Kilmington, Maiden Bradley, Mere, Stourton & Zeals
Linda De Santiz is OPC for Melksham. Linda is based in the town so is very knowledgeable about her parish. She likes to walk and takes lots of photographs to add to her galleries. Linda often visits the WSHC and is an active member of The Well-House Collection and Historic Melksham.
John Dear is OPC for Durnford, Wilsford cum Lake and Woodford
Jane Dick is OPC for Bowerchalke, Broad Chalke and Fifield Bavant
Ros Dunning is OPC for Bradford-on-Avon
Rob Edmunds is the OPC for Boscombe
Val Emerson has recently taken on the parishes of Downton and Kingston Deverill
Brian Fisk has recently joined the team (January 2017). Brian has taken over the parish of West Harnham from Jean Barnwell .
Tara Frugalone is OPC for Purton
Jodi Ann Fuller is a former OPC for Salisbury apart from the Cathedral & Close, however she does help out for that part of the city when she can. Due to ill health Jodi has resigned her Salisbury parishes except for St. Thomas & Edmund remaining an active member of the team and transcribes when she is able. OPC Profile – Jodi Fuller
Mike Goodall is our photograph restorer. I wouldn’t know what to do sometimes without his skill.
Dot Gurd is OPC for Bishopstone near Wilton and Donhead St. Mary
Anne-marie Hayes is OPC for Highworth, Sevenhampton & Stanton Fitzwarren
Linda Hull is OPC for Easton Royal, Milton Lilbourne & Wootton Rivers.
Stephanie Heuston is a new OPC and has adopted the parish of Huish
Kay Lewis is OPC for Fisherton Anger
Teresa Lewis is the Senior Administrator and Co-Ordinator & OPC for Bremhill & Worton & Marston. Teresa lives in Scotland but was born in Worton. She is also the author of this blog. Teresa also is the fund raiser for the website.
Duncan McBurney is OPC for Alton Barnes & Priors, The Manningfords, North Newnton Wilsford near Pewsey and Woodborough – Profile of – Duncan McBurney
David Milborrow is OPC for Salisbury Cathedral and Close. David was locked away in a very cold small cell-like room at the Cathedral whilst photographing the original parish registers for transcription. David is often found out and about photographing military related headstones in churchyards.
Neil MacDougall is one of the Photographers we call upon. Neil has photographed many of the Wiltshire churches and is about to add more to his portfolio.
Ian Mankin is OPC for Little & Steeple Langford
Yvonne Mitchell is OPC for Dilton & Dilton Marsh.
Sandy Mursell is OPC for Bramshaw and Landford with Earldoms. Sandy was one of the first OPCs to join the team way back when Susan Pearson launched the Wiltshire Project. OPC Profile – Sandy Mursell
Jim Parsons is OPC for Corsley and Horningsham. Jim is from Frome and is very active on several projects in the area.
Nigel Pocock is a consultant and specialist for the Moravians at East Tytheron (Part of the parish of Bremhill
John Pope is a site administrator & OPC for Bishopstone (Swindon), Keevil, Little Hinton, Rowde & Potterne. John often visits North Wiltshire from his home in Norfolk and often submits items for parishes across the county. John is a bit of photographer and is often seen with his camera and tripod in the churches of Wiltshire taking interior photographs which he then shares with the website. John has also become the assistant administrator for all intents and purposes although this is not an official position.
Tracey Piper has recently adopted the parishes of Chute & Ludgershall
Elaine Read is OPC for East & West Grimstead
Eric Read is OPC for Barford St. Martin with Groveley Wood and Fovant
Linda Robson is OPC for Britford with East Harnham, Laverstock & Ford, Milford, Netherhampton & Stratford Sub Castle. Linda is also responsible for the Military Page as she is a volunteer at the Wardrobe in Salisbury.
Sue Stenning is the OPC for Castle Combe
Jean Strong has now resumed her role as OPC for Cricklade
Rachel Stroud is the OPC for Westbury
Marion Swindells is OPC for Burcombe
Jenny Todd has now volunteered to take over the parish of Hankerton after the death of David Palmer.
Jenny Todd – OPC for Hankerton
Paul Vivash has adopted the parishes of Collingbourne Ducis, Great Bedwyn, Little Bedwyn and Tidworth. Paul has in the past helped in the compilation of the Church of England Clergy Database. He is also supplying information for the parish of Shalbourne as and when he finds something useful. The faithful companion at Paul’s side is Archer.
John Wilmott is the OPC for Froxfield
Maureen Withey is OPC for Collingbourne Kingston, Great Wishford, Homington & Winterbourne Stoke
Pauline Witton is OPC for Brinkworth
Hayley Wood is OPC for Christian Malford
Ruth Wood is OPC for Dauntsey, Easton Grey
Amanda Wood-Woodley has been with the team a few years now having taken on the parishes of Avebury, Etchilhampton and Imber. Amanda has lots of interests especially Military and Veterans.
Mandy Yeates is OPC for Winterslow
Clare Young became OPC for Enford
OPC EVENTS AND GET TOGETHERS
Wiltshire Family History Society Fair 2014
From Left to right are OPCs Linda Hull, Sandy Mursell, Linda de Santiz, Sam Butler & Liz Corfield at Wilts FHS Open Day June 2014. This was a first for the website as none of the team had met each before. Since then Teresa Lewis & John Pope have met up. Hopefully more of us will get together over the years. Maybe an OPC meet in the county in a few years time !!!!!!
We have held two OPC meet ups. One in Avebury in 2018 and one in Salisbury in 2019. There is another planned for Swindon in 2020.
Avebury 2018
From left to Right (Forgive any omissions it was hectic and I did not get to speak to everyone personally)
Linda De Santiz, (two ladies sat on the left I apologise I don’t recognise either of you), Linda Hull, Sam Butler, Barry & Sandy Mursell, John Pope, Amanda Wood-Woodley, Ruth Appleby, Ruth Wood, Eileen Barnett (obscured or hiding), Nigel Chalk, Pauline Whitton, (Ruth Wood’s friend) and finally me (Teresa Lewis). Oh and the gorgeous ball of fluff in the front is Blaze.
Salisbury 2019
This is the group photograph for the OPC Meet at Salisbury in 2019. It was taken as we gathered to throw some flowers into the River Avon in memory of Christine Brooks and Carol Ouellet who both passed away earlier in the year.
From left to right are:- Jenny & Paul Henly, Kay Lewis and her husband, Barry & Sandy Mursell, John Pope, Grahame Eyre, Jan Pennington, Teresa Lewis and Amanda Wood-Woodley with Ethan. Linda De Santiz was behind the camera.
Karen Macey is in the foreground of this photograph.
Ruth Wood thinks by closing her eyes the camera won’t capture her – Wrongggggggggg
Linda De Santiz with me being held hostage. (Hate my photo being taken)
One of the flowers thrown into the river in memory or Christine & Carol
Watch this space for 2020 Meet in Swindon
Thank you so much to all you lovely people who spend valuable time indexing registers! For those of us who live on the other side of the world, it’s a huge help, particularly since Wiltshire records seem to be under-represented in the databases of the big players! Thanks again and please keep up the wonderful work!
I do apologise for not replying to this – for some reason I did not get messages left on the old blog facility – having transferred the blog to our new website – a few unanswered messages have come to light.
Thank you for your kind words it means a lot to us that we know we are helping others in a small way
Hello,
The Wiltshire OPC records for Longbridge Deverill have been of great help to me, but I’m struggling a bit with my Bremhill lookups. Longbridge Deverill databases were great for marriages, as it listed the abodes of each party, which helped with locating births outside of that parish. Sadly, Bremhill doesn’t appear to have the same resource. If anyone can view the following marriages and comment on any parishes that are listed for each marriage I would be greatly appreciative:
William Provis and Betty Cale (m. 1764, Bremhill)
Joshua Richards and Anne Keen (m. 1784, Bremhill)
And other ones from Wiltshire:
Matthew King and Elizabeth Green (m. 1738, Bishopstrow)
Richard Lapham and Jane Edwards (m. 1714, Stourton)
William Little and Judith Rogers (m. 1694, Broad Hinton)
Thanks,
Adam
I do apologise for not replying to this – for some reason I did not get messages left on the old blog facility – having transferred the blog to our new website – a few unanswered messages have come to light.
If you haven’t resolved your query might I suggest you add it to the Facebook group page. More people will see it there and maybe able to assist. Please let me know if you still need the look ups for Bremhill and I will deal with that.
For the other queries
Stourton – I suggest you contact OPC Cathy Day
For Bishopstrow and Broad Hinton I would post on the Facebook page.
Good evening from Australia. Thank you all for the information you are able to give to people all over the world with a connection to your beautiful area.
I’m searcing for any information on a Henry Charles Sheppard born 1851, possibly illegimately to a Sophia Shepherd/Sheppard. I’m trying to find who his father might be, at the moment i’m looking at the farming family Mitchell.
Is anyone able to help?
I would really like to know what my own surname is supposed to be.
Kindest regards Craig
Hi Craig
I do apologise for not replying to this – for some reason I did not get messages left on the old blog facility – having transferred the blog to our new website – a few unanswered messages have come to light.
If you haven’t resolved your query might I suggest you add it to the Facebook group page. More people will see it there and maybe able to assist. – Do you know which parish you would be looking at. It may have an OPC in place who could assist.
I am really grateful to this group for the work they do. How do we get in contact with OPC parish reps please?
Hi Janice thank you for getting in touch. If you wish to contact an OPC – log in to the home page and from the ribbon tabs select the User tab. From the drop down select Members/Contact. In the account type box select OPC or Consultant or Admin depending on who you wish to contact. Click on their profile which will open a message/contact screen. If you do not receive a response from the person within 7 days then contact myself via the admin tab and I will remind them that they have a message.