RootsChat.Com

We try our best - am beginning to compile the baptism records for the site but its a long haul as their are thousands of entries - I plan to add about 800 baptisms per document so that they can at least start to be put on the site.

And thank you for you kind words about the WOPC - on the odd occasion we can't please all.

The Benefactor was one John Hussey of Tidcombe Will Proved 1599

Word for word transcript is :-

Item I gyve six shillings Eight pence to be buryed in the pishe Church of Titcombe Item I give a bushell of wheate to Mr Gryffin Curat of the parishe of Titcombe; Item I give Tenne shillings to them of great Bedwin that have of late susteyned losse by ffyer To be distributed amongst them by the direction of the Church wardens & overseers of the same parishe of greate Bedwin

Thanks - I had read the WSHC entry - it mentions a later devastating fire, however this one was referred to in a will which was proved in 1599 and the testator conferred a legacy upon the church to care for the victims of the recent fire.  The will had been written only months before the demise of teh testator.  Maybe a letter to the present incumbent is the way forward. 

Nigel Pocock (contactable) via the Wiltshire OPC site is involved in the restoration of the burial ground - he may be able to provide more information as he is in contact with the Moravian Church Headquarters.   There are several items on the page about the Moravians including a wonderful account of a young slave girl educated at the Moravian School - Leonara Carr who is also buried in "Lambs Acre"

For once I happen to agree with  FF regarding the names of the residents of Bremhill.  It is extremely difficult to sort out family relationships within this village.  Unless you purchase the bmd certificates for events you are never going to be entirely sure who belongs to who.  Even the registers can be misleading since the surnames are common in the area such as Pinnegar, Ponting, Henly and their variants.  Coupled with that is the use of Given names in the same way.  There may be for example 4 or 5 John Pontings all cousins.  Then we have the use of the surname as a middle name adding to the mix.  Since I regard Bremhill as the my family "seat"  as FF regards Yatesbury as his I will eventually purchase the microfiche for the parish which may help in a very small way.  But this is one Wiltshire parish hat genealogy is certainly an expensive hobby as you will no doubt need to purchase certificates to be certain.

As I said in a previous post - there are images on the Wilts OPC website of the memorial stones that remain standing in St. Martins Churchyard up to about 2010.

I have been to the Churchyard and walked around the graves and been inside the church to have a look at where my grandfather was baptised.  Sadly I hadn't realised I would be involved in family history as much as I am and I did not have the foresight to take a camera.  The only plaque I remember looking at was that of the Roll of Honour, since my grandfather (served), great uncle (KIA) and a nephew of my grandfather also KIA are named. 

Another spanner in the works is the Moravian burial ground at East Tytherton in the parish.  Some of the surnames associated to  St. Martins appear their too.   

Further to that Foxham which is another tithing of the parish has its own church possibly built as a chapel of ease to St. Martins.  St. John's registers at the WSHC are from 1850-1911 for baptisms and burials.  I believe it was never licensed to perform marriages.