From Volume Six, pages 479 to 483, of Regional Survey Of Warminster District, compiled by Victor Strode Manley during the 1920s and 1930s (unpublished by Manley):
Sutton Common is 2 miles from Warminster.
Sutton Veny is 3 miles from Warminster.
Sutton Parva or Little Sutton.
Sutton Magna.
Population [of Sutton Veny] 566 (1911).
Church of St. John the Evangelist.
Ruins of St. Leonard’s Church (see page 480 of Regional Survey).
Patronal Dedication: St. John.
Patron of the living – Major G.W. Heneage.
The Common begins where Bishopstrow ends, as a low-lying field in which are two large round barrows of prehistoric age. A finely worked flint axe was found in this field in 1928 (No.45 placed in the Warminster Museum by kind permission of Mr. Arnold, the finder). The site adjoins the Romano-British Pitmead villa site. The Sheriff’s Court used to be held near at Illegh (Iley) Oak, presumably Eastleigh Court. An old woman in 1850 remembered as a girl seeing men hanged on the Common, which would make the date about 1790.
Sutton Veny is the “south town” of both the River Wylye and the Moot Hill at Norton Bavant (the “north town”). The water supply is from wells, there being only a gutter trickle of surface water. A reservoir has been provided since the [First World] War, with stand pipes in the village.
Roads – The cross roads run along the valley, (i) from Warminster to Salisbury along the south side of the Wylye stream, (ii) from the Salisbury road north of the Wylye, along the Deverill Valley, to Bruton.
The track over Whiten Hill to Lord’s Hill (Shaftesbury road) is scarcely perceptible across the downland grass.
Five Ash Lane – “in Sutton, was the road by which those who had taken out work to do in their homes (cloth making) went to and from the mills (at Crockerton) with the stuff.” (H.i. 129.) From a bridle track it has become a road. Starting above the cross roads, it leads past the earthwork of Robin Hood’s Bower.
Place-Name – Sutton, in Exon Domesday (v.a.25 bot.) Sudtone to Nigel the Physician: Suttone to William Fitz-Wide. The South town of the river and moot. Veny is disputed. Pronounced veenee, and so not associated with “venny” for fenny as suggested. It may be derived from vany, stony, as in Cornish Trevany, and sacred stones covered by the ancient church, or Vinea, a vineyard of Domesday, perhaps once occupying the lynchets on the warm southern slopes of Whiten Hill (see Place-Names).
[Handwritten note by Manley suggested that vean means little].
Prehistoric – Besides the remains on Sutton Common, the district has yielded one of those curious pieces of slate found with burials, and which Hoare calls a “breast-slate” in this instance. (Devizes Museum, nos. 63-66)
Churches –
St. John’s was built in 1868 by the Everett family and is of pleasing design. The bells were taken from St. Leonard’s.
St. Leonard’s has been left in solitary state outside the present village though we should expect to find it the centre of the village in former days. The ruins are seen at the end of a drive north of the Tytherington road, the fine arch of the door looking splendid still. Closer inspection reveals the massive strength of the arches as though they had been built to carry a tower. The walls of the nave stand roofless: the chancel has been kept roofed and in repair for use as a chapel. There are architectural tit-bits to admire ranging from the Early Norman period (vide H.i.19) but the edifice was rebuilt in the 13th century (H.i.20) in the Early English period. In the near distance the tower of Heytesbury Church appears in a dip, a church which was made collegiate in the 12th century. The student with a sketch book would be happy in a visit to St. Leonard’s. Little or nothing seems to have been done for its preservation much though its deserts justify.
The six bells and bell-frame were removed to St. John’s and again taken down for recasting in 1928. “The third became cracked and was replaced in 1886, the old fourth was tuned and a new fourth cast. This new bell bears the inscription of the old third.
The inscriptions on the bells are:
Treble – L.C.1696.
2nd – L.C.1696.
3rd – Mr. R. Bailey Rect., Jef. Long, R. Exten, C.W. 1695.
4th – Mr. Noah Wilkins & Mr. John Best, Ch.Wds 1749. Recast 1886. G.F. Powell Rector, R. Elling, Jas. N. Parham, Churchwardens.
5th – Saml. & Stephen Long, Churchwardens, Robt. & Jas. Wells, Fecit 1793.
Tenor – Mr. Stephen Long & Mr. John Rundall, chwds. Wm. Cockey Cast Mee 1723.
(Warminster Parish Magazine – 1921).
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SUTTON and note re W.Common, pages 479.
About 1781 or later Mr. Rebbeck, a farmer, was murdered on Sutton Common, and the murderers hung on the spot. Rev. R. Fry “was so absorbed in prayer, while standing by them at the gallows, as not to feel a shower of rain which fell at the time.” (History of Nonconformity In Warminster, 44.)
SUTTON MURDER – History of Nonconformity In Warminster, 1853, p.44 – “. . . the Rev. Richard Fry, who came from Plymouth to reside here in October 1781. His tall figure is not forgotten yet by those two or three who saw him accompany to their execution two men who were found guilty of a murderous attack on Mr. Rebbeck near Sutton Common, and were hung at the spot of their crime. It is said of him that he was so absorbed in prayer, while standing by them at the gallows, as not to feel a shower of rain which fell at the time.” Query – Was this one of the Rebbecks who resided at Crockerton Mill?
Enclosure – Act for Sutton. “. . . except certain Tithes called Thirties,” but including . . . & Commonable places – 1798 – copy in office of Messrs. Wakeman, Solicitors, Warminster. Places mentioned include Lake Meads and Dummock’s Lane.
SUTTON VENY continued:
The Church [St. Leonard’s] is within Sutton Veny but close to the boundary of Sutton Parva (Little Sutton).
The Manor House is now the Old Rectory, with its 14th century hall, roof, doorways, etc.
The Box Hat Club was recently the name of a boys’ society whose particulars I cannot gather.
Occupations are now entirely agricultural but the wool-stapling industry flourished till recent times.
Inns –
The Woolpack, at the crossroads. Rebuilt 1931.
The Bell, in the centre of the village.
Farms – Church Farm, Glebe, Greenhill, Baggs, Raxter’s.
The mapping of all the field names would be of interest and value.
Other place-names are:
Newham, a group of dilapidated cottages on the Deverill side of the cross-roads.
Marsh Lane – between Sutton and the Leg, Southleigh Wood.
Ring Clump.
Long Ivor – i.e. Lang Eofre, Long Boar. A long rounded hill running to Longbridge Deverill (Langabeorh = Long Hill, not bridge).
Pole bridge – at St. Leonard’s?
Dymock’s Lane.
The Knap.
Shapcotts.
Haycombe (Anglo-Saxon, haeg=hedge).