England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Tockenham St Giles

The Parish

The parish of Tockenham lies in northern central Wiltshire about 3 miles southwest of the small market town of Wootton Bassett. Tockenham is a small and compact village sitting, in lanes, about a mile south of the A3102 road which connects Wootton Bassett with Calne. This area of the county lies off the chalk which dominates much of the area being older Jurassic clays as soil and limiting arable opportunities, the parish was largely pastoral at the time of this transcript. Modern developments have impacted on the northern edge of the parish, the, now-disused Wiltshire & Berkshire canal passed through whilst both the Swindon to Chippenham rail line and not too much further north the modern M4 motorway pass close by. Tockenham is drained westwards by a series of small brooks all making their way to join the Avon near Dauntsey, thence heading southwest then west to reach the Bristol Channel through the Avon Gorge. Tockenham is sited at around 120 metres above the sea in gentle terrain that rises steadily westwards towards a local high-point at close to 150 metres. Even by Wiltshire standards Tockenham parish had a tiny acreage, barely covering 750 acres it would have supported around 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Tockenham was largely held by Durand of Gloucester & Ralph de Mortimer with small holdings in the hands of 3 Saxon survivors, collectively they could muster 8 ploughs, small meadows, pastures & woodland but there was a mill.

The Church

St Giles' church lies on the southeastern corner of the village on the northern side of Orchard Lane. The church is a small one as befits its congregational size, a simple nave & chancel topped by a bell-turret augmented by a shingled spirelet. The presence of lancet windows is indicative of the origin of the church 13th century and early English Gothic in style. The major window, the eastern window, was replaced as part of a general Victorian restoration, in this case in 1876. The churchyard is hedge to the narrow lane, parking is limited as the lane is narrow, a small wooden gate grants access at the western end of the site by the village hall. Whilst much of the churchyard is relatively free of obstructions the church has dense trees at both eastern & western ends which somewhat restrict the best angles for photography.