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England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Orcheston St George

 

The Parish

The parish of Orcheston St George lies in south central Wiltshire about 8 miles west of the small market town of Amesbury. Orcheston is, today, a single, if somewhat linear, village which sits a half mile east of the A360 which connects Amesbury with Devizes. Orcheston was previously two discrete villages of Orcheston St George & Orcheston St Mary but whilst both churches survive there is only a single village with a ling strip joining the two, relatively small hamlets. Of the two settlements St George was the southernmost. Orcheston St George sits in the chalky hills northwest of one of Britain's most famous archaeological monuments as the wonder that is Stonehenge and its surrounding ritual landscape is merely a few miles away. At the time of this transcript Orcheston St George would have been a farming community dominated by grazing of sheep on the rounded downs of the area. Nowadays a more threatening presence lies just above the twin village, commandeered by the military in World War II and still retained is the vast Salisbury Plain Army Ranges with much of the parish subject to restricted access. The headwaters of the River Till rise in the village and flow southwards soon joining the Wylye and then the Wiltshire Avon to reach the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour. Orcheston St George sits at around 90 metres above the sea but land rises all around to the "Plain" which sits at or close to 150 metres. Orcheston St George parish had a rather unusual shape being reminiscent of a backward "L", a north to south strip being augmented westwards by a narrow east to west patch, the parish was a fairly typical small Wiltshire parish covering just under 2,400 acres and supporting a population of just under 250 parishioners. The lumping of the two Orchestons is not just a modern phenomenon as they were recorded as one in Domesday Book, two landholders (perhaps they reflect the two villages), Osbern Giffard & Edward of Salisbury, collectively the twin parishes totalled just 7 ploughs and some meagre pastures.


The Church

Orcheston's main lane leads north from the A360 about a mile northwest of Shrewton, St George's church is found at its first crossroads albeit behind fronting properties. St George's church is now deconsecrated with St Mary the main village church, it is maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust and still visitable. The church shows small traces of a very early origin, the northern doorway showing the Norman Romanesque style of the 12th century. Late, if much modified, is the chancel, a pair of lancet windows from the Early English Gothic era of the 13th century together with parts of the chancel arch date it firmly. The short blocky western tower topped by battlements and a pyramidal roof is later & Perpendicular in style. Major alterations work occurred during the 19th century, a major episode of 1833 being followed by further more modest campaigns to result in today's amalgam of a church. A large set of farm buildings and mature trees hide the church from the road but a pair of footpath signs point the way, parking is best sought around the crossroads as post deter parking on the verge here. Sadly for the photographer the church is crammed into the southeastern corner of the churchyard removing the better aspects especially on a sunny day.


The Records

Register No Covering Dates Deposited With Register Style Quality Standard Comments
1 2nd January 1756 - 9th April 1810 Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre - Reference - PR/232/1/5 Standard preprinted and self-numbered combined Banns & Marriage register with 4 entries per page Grade 1 Register - Few issues noted and a low likelihood of misreads None
2 15th December 1813 - 21st July 1836 Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre - Reference - PR/232/1/6 Standard Rose style preprinted and prenumbered Marriage register Grade 1 Register - Few issues noted and a low likelihood of misreads None


Orcheston St Mary
Orcheston St Mary
Rushall St Matthew
Upavon St Mary
Tilshead St Thomas of Canterbury
Shrewton St Mary
Maddington St Mary
Maddington St Mary
Shrewton St Mary

1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830

Register Reference Date Groom Forename Groom Surname Groom Status Groom Abode Bride Forename Bride Surname Bride Status Bride Abode
13/01/1754 John MILES Cricklade Jane BEAR Sherrington
1 02/01/1756 John WHITE Widower Jane HARFORD Single
2 10/07/1757 William PARKER Winterbourne Stoke Judith BRIDEWELL Single
3 10/12/1757 John PRITTY Sarah PEIRCY Single
4 16/01/1758 John PETTY Single Ann NAISH Single Shrewton
5 23/07/1758 James STRONG Single Bemerton Grace PHILLIPS Single
6 30/07/1759 John HAYWOOD Single St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth KINGMAN Single
7 06/08/1759 Charles NETTON Widower Shrewton Mary CANNINGS Single
8 25/12/1759 William BRITTAIN Single Mary LEWDON Single Shrewton
9 07/05/1763 John WEBB Single Woodford Ally PARHAM Single
10 05/07/1763 John NORTH Single St Mary, Orcheston Sarah MONS Single
11 08/07/1764 William LEMON Single St Mary, Orcheston Ann BANKS Single
12 03/03/1767 William LYE Single Shrewton Sara WHITE Single
13 03/08/1767 Joseph HAYWARD Single South Newton Ann GRAY
14 04/01/1768 William SAINSBURY Widower Great Cheverell Sarah VELTHAM Single
15 17/10/1768 John SNOOK Elizabeth SMITH
16 22/05/1769 Robert MILLER Single Woodford Sarah PEIRCE Single
17 03/08/1769 Joseph GOODENOUGH Single Rollstone Jane GRAY
18 13/11/1769 William ROWDEN Widower Steeple Langford Mary GRAY Single
19 12/05/1770 Oliver SCRUSE Single Joyce PEIRCY Single
20 03/06/1773 William ROWDEN Widower Steeple Langford Elizabeth GRAY Single
21 11/10/1773 William VINNELL Single St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth LONG Single
22 06/11/1773 George LANE Sarah ELLIOT
23 28/01/1775 Joshua LAWRENCE Mary BREACHER
24 29/04/1776 John ADLEM Steeple Langford Elizabeth ADLEM
25 11/02/1777 William LAWRENCE Figheldean Joanna COLLINS
26 10/10/1777 Timothy SCRUSE Single Mary GODWIN Single
27 19/10/1777 William YATES Single Martha STRONG Single
28 23/10/1777 Francis GIBBS Rachel KELLOW
29 20/04/1778 James CARTER Shrewton Jane DOWNTON
30 10/04/1780 Thomas BURGES St Mary, Orcheston Maria ELLIOT
31 14/05/1780 Abraham WINDSOR Maddington Grace STRONG
32 05/03/1781 William PEACY Stapleford Ann LONG
33 14/10/1781 William WANT Elizabeth MARTIN
34 14/10/1781 Giles BLEWDON Maddington Mary FELTHAM
35 17/12/1781 Thomas KITE Mary PIERCE
36 18/07/1784 James SMITH Elizabeth WHITE
37 06/01/1785 James SIDFORD Single Barford St Martin Jane MILES Single
38 29/05/1785 James WHITE Single Ann ADLEM
39 17/04/1786 Thomas RANSOM Widower Imber Sarah LANE Widow
41 29/04/1787 Thomas FRANCIS Widower Jane HARRIS Single
42 03/06/1788 John ANNETTS Widower Amport, Hampshire Elizabeth HARDING Widow
43 29/10/1788 Robert HAWKINS St Mary, Orcheston Fanniah LONG
44 06/04/1789 Thomas BURGESS Widower St Mary, Orcheston Ann LEECH Single
44 08/06/1789 Robert WILLIAMS Single Joyce ADLIM Single
45 19/06/1789 Lazarus SOUTHEY Widower Enford Mary MERCER Single
46 12/10/1789 John LEMON Single Ann COLLINS Single
47 07/12/1789 Thomas VALLIS St Mary, Orcheston Ann WHITE
48 04/01/1790 Moses TRUCKLE Martha KYTE
49 15/05/1792 Robert BATT Single Catherine SHEPHERD Single
50 08/04/1793 John SMITH Winterbourne Stoke Sarah YATES
51 28/05/1798 James ALLEN Rachael FELTHAM
51 07/07/1799 James LINARD St Mary, Orcheston Hannah STRONG
52 15/12/1802 Charles BURTON Tisbury Ann CANNINGS
53 20/12/1802 William MILLARD Dianah PEARCE
54 07/08/1803 Thomas CHANDLER Ann MORTIMER
55 14/12/1803 James BECKETT Wilton Sarah CANNINGS
56 21/12/1803 William BUTLER Over Wallop, Hampshire Sarah SCRUSE
13/10/1805 James JORDAN Tilshead Jane CANNINGS
26/02/1806 John VALLIS Prasilla STOMOS
26/06/1806 Edward FENNELL Single St Margaret, Westminster, Middlesex Mary GIBBS
16/10/1806 John PEARCE Shrewton Ann BURDEN
06/11/1806 Thomas FELTHAM Hannah HOLMES
28/03/1807 William SANDERS Pewsey Mary MARRIOT
18/10/1807 William ROLFE Berwick St James Sarah HIBBERD
14/05/1809 William CANNINGS Mary GOULD
09/04/1810 Stephen FARR Chirton Susanna DREW
1 15/12/1813 Robert WILLIAMS Anne YEATS
2 19/05/1814 William GREEN Figheldean Ann LEMMON
3 20/06/1814 Samuel SMITH Hanah MAGGS
4 12/01/1815 Job DOWDELL Wylye Christian CANNINGS
5 30/01/1815 William HARRIS Rollstone Elizabeth MAGGS
6 19/02/1816 John TURNER St Mary, Orcheston Anne SCRUSE
7 26/02/1816 Thomas MAJOR Isabella MARRITT
8 15/08/1816 William INGRAM Mary VALLIS
9 20/10/1817 William ROSE Sarah BRITTON
10 23/03/1818 John VALLIS Elizabeth BATCHELOR
11 20/04/1818 William PERRY Maddington Rebecca MORTIMER
12 03/11/1818 John WILLIAMS Barbara MARRITT
13 09/08/1820 George PERRY St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth FELTHAM
14 24/09/1820 Matthew HUTCHINS St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth BRITTON
16 12/05/1822 Thomas YEATS Catharine PEARSE
19 10/08/1823 William SHERGOLD Sarah MAGGS
20 23/10/1823 John GARRETT Charlotte CANNINGS
22 09/02/1824 John HAWKINS Elizabeth KYTE
23 22/12/1824 William STOKES All Saints, Chitterne Hannah ROSE
24 08/08/1825 James BRITTON Mary ROSE
25 16/10/1826 Joseph CARTER St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth FELTHAM
26 22/01/1827 Thomas BURROW Shrewton Elizabeth CHANDLER
28 08/02/1827 Samuel WHICKER Wilton Charlotte GARRETT Widow
29 26/11/1827 John SMITH South Newton Mary WILLIAMS
30 19/11/1829 John CANNINGS Ann COOK
31 30/11/1829 John ORAM Betty SCRUSE
32 31/05/1830 Giles VALLIS St Mary, Orcheston Anne BRITTAIN
33 28/06/1831 Henry LEA St Michael, Winchester, Hampshire Julia LOWTHER
34 03/12/1831 Mathew MUNDAY Single Ann MORTIMER Single
35 11/10/1832 William SWEET Single Alice HOLMES Single
36 16/06/1833 Henry PAYNE Single Anna CHANDLER Single
37 28/07/1833 John WILLIAMS Widower Lucretia SMITH Single
38 30/09/1833 Henry Glass TURNER Widower St Mary, Orcheston Elizabeth MERRITT Single
39 11/11/1833 Jacob TURNER Single Shrewton Susannah LONG Single
40 22/02/1834 Joseph CANNINGS Single Mary BROCK Single Shrewton
41 29/03/1834 James KILFORD Single Jane CHANDLER Single
42 12/06/1834 John LEMON Single St Mary, Orcheston Anne PEGGE Single
43 03/07/1834 John CHANDLER Single Elizabeth WILLIAMS Single
44 26/12/1835 James LENNARD Single Sarah HIBBERT Single
45 21/07/1836 Christopher WEST Single Eliza MORTIMER Single

Corrections to Tinstaafl Transcripts