Aldbourne, Wiltshire Family History Guide

Aldbourne is an Ancient Parish in the county of Wiltshire.

Other places in the parish include: the tythings of Preston, Lower Upham, and Upper Upham.

Status: Ancient Parish

Alternative names: Aldbourn, Aubourne

Parish church: St. Michael

Parish registers begin:

• Parish registers: 1637
• Bishop’s Transcripts: 1607

Nonconformists include: Particular Baptist, Primitive Methodist, and Wesleyan Methodist.

PLACES OF WORSHIP 1855

Church Rev George Parker Cleather M A vicar; Rev George Henry Willes curate; Richard Bunce clerk.

Independent Chapel ministers various

Wesleyan Chapel ministers various

Primitive Methodist Chapel ministers various 

Parishes adjacent to Aldbourne

• Liddington
• Baydon
• Chiseldon
• Ogbourne St George
• Wanborough
• Ramsbury with Axford   

Parish History

Kelly 1875

Aldbourne is a village and parish, in the Northern division of the county, hundred of Selkley, Hungerford union and county court district, diocese of Salisbury, archdeaconry of Wilts, and rural deanery of Marlborough; it is pleasantly situated in a fertile valley, 8 miles north west from Hungerford station, 68 from London and 7 north east from Marlborough. The church of St Michael is an ancient structure in the Norman style supposed to have been erected in the reign of Edward V and has a chancel with chancel aisles nave aisles porch square tower and 8 bells; the church was restored in 1867 and a new organ presented in 1869 by the widow of Henry Charles esq, in memoriam in the south aisle is a handsome altar tomb with several figures erected to the Goddard family of Upham date 1597; there is also one to the Waldron family bearing an inscription in three languages date 1617; another of alabaster to the memory of John Stone prebendary of Sarum formerly vicar of Aldbourne date 1501: several ancient brasses remain perfect. The register dates from 1637. The living is a vicarage yearly value 600 with residence in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury and held by the Rev Prebendary George Parker Cleather MA of Exeter College Oxford. There is a National mixed school a Gothic stone building and a new Infant school also places of worship for Baptists Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists. There are three charities Brown's of 6 for schools and Hill's of 3 2s 5d for clothing and Thomas Goddard's of 40s yearly to the poor. The representatives of the late HD Francis esq are lords of the manor. The principal landowner is Walter M Baskerville esq. The soil is light subsoil chalky. The chief crops are barley and roots The area is 8,495 acres gross estimated rental 10,847 rateable value 9,823 and the population in 1871 was 1,513 

Source: Wiltshire. Ed. by Edward Robert Kelly. (County topogr.). 1875

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ALDBOURNE, a village and a parish in the district of Hungerford and county of Wilts. The village stands 7 miles NW of Hungerford r. station, and 9 SE of Swindon, and has a post office under Hungerford. It was formerly a market town; but it suffered great devastation by fire in 1760; and it has never recovered its old prosperity. Aldbourne Chase, adjacent to it on the N, was a favourite hunting-ground of King John; given by Henry VIII. to the Duke of Somerset; and the scene of the defeat of the Parliamentarians under the Earl of Essex, by the Royal forces under Prince Rupert; but is now enclosed and cultivated. The parish includes the tythings of Preston, Lower Upham, and Upper Upham. Acres, 8,495. Real property, £10,301. Pop., 1,539. Houses, 343. The property is subdivided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Salisbury. Value, £367. Patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. The church is ancient; has Norman features and a brass; and is good. Part of the parsonage is supposed to be a remnant of the ancient royal hunting-seat. Remains of an ancient British encampment occur near a farmhouse called Pierce's Lodge. There are a Wesleyan chapel, and charities £43.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1851

Aldbourne, or Aubourne, a parish in the division of Marlborough and Ramsbury, union of Hungerford, Wiltshire; 6 miles north-east of Marlborough, on the road to Lambourn. Living, a vicarage in the archd. of Wilts and dio. of Salisbury; rated at £26 6s. 3d.; gross income £390. Patron, in 1835, the bishop of Salisbury. The church is a structure laying claim to considerable antiquity. Charities connected with this parish amount to £40. This was formerly a market-town and a place of considerable trade, but has of late years fallen into decay, partly in consequence of a fire in 1760, which destroyed 72 houses and other property, to the amount of £20,000. It anciently gave name to a royal chase granted by Henry VIII. to Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset, which is now enclosed and cultivated. Fustians were formerly manufactured here to a great extent, but at present this branch of trade is nearly extinct. Tuesday was the market-day; but for a long period both markets and fairs have been discontinued. Pop., in 1801, 1,280; in 1831, 1,418. Houses 336. Acres 8,060. A. P. £6,576. Poor rates, in 1837, £735 — In the neigh bourhood of this place the parliamentary forces and the royalists had a smart skirmish previously to the battle of Newbury. Part of the residence of the vicar is supposed to be the remains of a hunting-seat of John of Gaunt. Some remains of an ancient British encampment are to be seen near a farm-house called Pierce's lodge. The surrounding country it rich and fertile.

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1851.

Leonard's Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850

Aldbourne or Auborne, 73½ miles S.W. London. P. 1556.

Source: Leonard's Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.

Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833

Aldbourn, co. Wilts.

P. T. Marlborough (73) 6¼ m. NE. Pop. 1383. M. D. Tues.

A parish and town in the hundred of Selkeley; living, a vicarage in the archdeaconry of Wilts, and diocese of Salisbury; charged in K. B. 26l. 6s. 3d.; church ded. to St. Michael; patron, Bishop of Salisbury. It formerly possessed considerable trade, in which it has latterly been superseded by Hungerford. It is seated on a small stream, which runs into the Kennet.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland by John Gorton. The Irish and Welsh articles by G. N. Wright; Vol. I; London; Chapman and Hall, 186, Strand; 1833.

Parish Records

FamilySearch - Birth Marriage & Death Census Migration & Naturalization Military Probate & Court

Directories

Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire and the Isle of Wight 1889

Residents in 1855

GENTRY

Brown Miss Martha

Brown Mrs

Cleather Rev Geo Parker M A vicar

Coleman Mr William

Neate Francis esq

Willis Rev George Henry curate

TRADERS

Arter James Blue Bear

Bacon Thomas Edmund postmaster

Barrett George shopkeeper

Barrett James shoemaker

Barrett Thomas butcher

Brown John farmer

Brown Thomas farmer Lottage

Brown William farmer Warron

Bunce John carpenter

Bunce Richard parish clerk

Castle William farmer

Chandler Thomas farmer North farm 

Choules Thomas farmer East Leaze

Church Richard farmer

Church Thomas farmer Hillwood

Cook Daniel carpenter & wheelwright

Cook James carpenter

Dixon Thomas shoemaker

Eatwell John National school master

Everett James shoemaker

Everett Stephen Queen Victoria

Farmer John shoemaker

Farmer Robert blacksmith

Farmer Thomas shoemaker

Flower William saddler & harness

Frampton Fredk farmer Upham farm

Godwin William Crown

Gould Henry tailor

Hatherall John farmer

Jarman George shoemaker

Jerram John cooper & shopkeeper

Kemm Thomas farmer 

Lambourn George shopkeeper

New Charles miller

Palmer Ephraim baker

Palmer James baker

Palmer Joseph shopkeeper & carrier

Pearce George carpenter

Pitney John tailor

Pizzey William farmer

Sheppard Ambrose Bell

Sheppard William baker & shopkeeper

Smith Charles maltster & farmer

Smith Francis butcher

Smith John baker

Smith Joseph blacksmith & farrier

Snap Paul farmer

Taylor Stephen tailor

Taylor William tailor & shopkeeper

Wentworth Joseph farmer

Witts Broome farmer 

Source: Post office [afterw.] Kelly's directory of Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire (the Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands) 1855

Administration

• County: Wiltshire
• Civil Registration District: Hungerford
• Probate Court: Court of the Archdeaconry of Wiltshire
• Diocese: Salisbury
• Rural Deanery: Marlborough
• Poor Law Union: Hungerford
• Hundred: Selkley
• Province: Canterbury