Chicklade: Gleanings – Page 3

A Shop And A Bakery At Chicklade

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

THE VILLAGE SHOP
About this time Chicklade possessed at least one shop, situated in the cottage at the foot of Lundy’s Lane – otherwise “The Chimney.” It was kept by Mrs. Fry. It was probably a general village store, and one article at least sold there was of interest to the little Halliday children from Chicklade House. They used to buy bottles of ginger-pop and then run up the Chimney to hide from their nurse, and to enjoy in privacy what was probably a forbidden pleasure.

Chicklade never possessed a Post Office. The post town was and is Hindon.

Although there was only one shop it appears that there was a bakery in connection with the Bull Inn. Bread baked there would doubtless be distributed to people in the village and the district round.

Chicklade In The Domesday Book

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

DOMESDAY
As time went on the hill sites were abandoned and villages in the valleys became centres of population. In the Domesday Book for Wiltshire (with translation by W.H. James, F.S.A., 1865), one Edwin is named as the Tenant of the Manor of Chigelic. “As Deveril is mentioned next after this small manor it may be conjectured that Chigelic is possibly Chicklade but there is no clue (in Domesday) to the Hundred in which it is situated.” Edwin was the Tenant in capite (holding land immediately from the King) as a King’s Thane. “Edwin holds Chigelic. He held it in the time of King Edward and it paid geld for one virgate and a half of land. The land which is there is a half carucate. It is worth three shillings.”

virgate – an ancient land measure.

carucate – a plough-land.

Early References To Great Ridge Wood

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

The Great Ridge appears as:
Chickladriggh 1348 A.D.
Chickladerigge 1367.
Chicklade Ridge Woods or Chicklade Ridge Coppices 1635.
Chicklade Ridge or Great Ridge 1773.

An early reference to the Ridge Wood is in “Lacock Abbey” (Bowles). The Abbey had a Close in the Wood of Chicklade in connection with their estate at Chitterne. In 1267 it was agreed by certain persons that the Nuns should hold for ever their Close at Chicklade, whether old or new. The title was quitclaimed to them by Joan, daughter of William Archer.

Chicklade Windmill

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

Windmill Piece is named on an Award map of Chicklade 1838, which was shown to us by the County Archivist. At the top of the hill on the Chicklade-Hindon road is a small enclosure, surrounded by a hedge. There is a well within the enclosure. This site was eminently suited for a windmill. It seems that Nathan Wright and his wife owned Windmill House from 1788-1790 and that afterwards Mrs. Randall and others were owners and the Parish paid rent to them for certain tenants.

Chicklade Plan And Award 1783

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

TRACING SHOWING VILLAGE OF CHICKLADE AS ON PLAN WITH PARISH AWARD 1783

PART OF THE PARISH PLAN, 1783.

INCLOSURES NOT EXCHANGED.

No. Proprietor A R P
30 JAMES EDMUNDS 1 0 39
31 REV. JOHN RUFS 1 1 19
38 RICHARD RANDALL 1 1 12
45 THOMAS HULL 1 1 0
46 NATHAN WRIGHTE 1 0 0
47 THOMAS HULL 1 1 38

48 NATHAN WRIGHTE 1 0 38
49 THOMAS WATERS 1 1 31
50 JAMES EDMUNDS 1 0 39
52 WILLIAM BLAKE 0 0 38
53 SOLOMON BRIGHT 0 3 32
54 ELIAS LUCAS 0 3 20
55 REV. JOHN RUFS 1 2 27
56 NATHAN WRIGHTE 1 1 10
57 REV. JOHN RUFS 1 1 19
58 RICHARD RANDALL 0 2 10
62 GLEBE 0 3 0
63 THOMAS WATERS 2 0 3
64 THOMAS WATERS 0 1 2
65 HARRY EDGELL 0 3 18
66 REV. JOHN RUFS 1 1 32

NOTE: OTHER NUMBERS EXCHANGED.

The Population Of Chicklade

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

THE POPULATION OF CHICKLADE
What may be regarded as the first English Census is Bishop Camplan’s Church Census of 1676 (Wilts. Notes and Queries, Vol. III.) taken for the purpose of computing the numbers of members of the Church of England, Dissenters, etc. The parish of Chicklade in the decantus of Chalke had:- Conformists, 50; non-Conformists, 2; Papists, 0.

This was only a partial census, children were not included.

Population
150 in 1801.
130 in 1811. Colt Hoare.
139 in 1821.
122 in 1851.
143 in 1861.
122 in 1871.
97 in 1881. Kelly’s Directory.
42 in 1911.
62 in 1931.
53 in 1953 (at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.)

Along with the decline in population, there are in later years fewer land owners with larger estates. In 1915 Kelly’s Directory mentions two – Mr. Hugh Morrison, of Little Ridge, and Lady Octavia Shaw Stewart; in 1935, Major J.G. Morrison and the Duke of Somerset.

We came to realise that the reduction in numbers and lack of communal life in smaller villages corresponds to frequent movement and less stability among rural populations.

Further, the loss in numbers is the outcome of the more central organization of larger estates on a more impersonal and mechanical basis.

A social revolution that has brought many benefits has also had its less desirable effects.

The Place Names Of Chicklade

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

THE NAME
In Domesday Chicklade is Chigelic. Several old forms of the name are given in “The Place Names Of Wiltshire” (English Place-Names Society, C.U.P. 1939).

CYTLID circa 912 A.D.
CHITLAD 1211 Bosco de Siclet 1232.
CITLET 1242.
CHICLED 1252.
BOSCUM DE CHIKLED 1279.
CHIKKELADE 1279.
CHICKLAD 1289.
CHICKLADE 1675 (Hoare).

“(Professor) Ekwall takes the first element to be the British “At’ (wood) and the second the Old English “klid’ (gate) but hybrid compounds are not very common in English place names. It may be that we have to do with the obscure British word found in Lydiard or with the second element in Crick lade – O.E. (ge)lad – passage.”

What could be a more suitable and appropriate meaning of the name “Chicklade” than “a gate or passage into the Wood”? Have we not still our paths or passages into the Wood?

(1) The chalk road leading of old to Croft Gate up Cratt (Croft) Hill and continued as the road to Warminster.

(2) Pauper of Plum Path along which Alfred Morrison planted the Merryweather plum trees that still bear flower and fruit so prolifically.

(3) Heytesbury Drive and

(4) The path to Pennings (the word means “an enclosure for cattle”) that leads towards the Earthworks.

These paths have doubtless been used down the centuries since our early ancestors with their herds or flocks moved up to their villages on the downland slopes or down to the shelter of the valley.

The Great Ridge appears as:
Chickladriggh 1348 A.D.
Chickladerigge 1367.
Chicklade Ridge Woods or Chicklade Ridge Coppices 1635.
Chicklade Ridge or Great Ridge 1773.

An early reference to the Ridge Wood is in “Lacock Abbey” (Bowles). The Abbey had a Close in the Wood of Chicklade in connection with their estate at Chitterne. In 1267 it wad agreed by certain persons that the Nuns should hold for ever their Close at Chicklade, whether old or new. The title was quitclaimed to them by Joan, daughter of William Archer.

The Roman Road Through Great Ridge Wood

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

A Roman road through Great Ridge Wood seems to be part of the road from Old Sarum towards the Mendips. To the south of the old road and near the edge of the Ridge is the Boyton-Chicklade parish boundary.

Chicklade Parsonage And Rectors

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

Chicklade – The Parsonage And Some Of The Rectors
The Parsonage is first mentioned in 1704 in the Terrier of that date. No description of the house is given and we must imagine it was a modest structure in style and size. A much fuller description is given in the Terrier of 1783. The two rooms (north and south) were probably the present dining room and drawing room. The wall between the present kitchen and dining room is very thick and was probably an outside wall. The three chambers with floors of elm wood were probably the present bedrooms, named Avebury, Barbury and Clench (above present dining and drawing rooms).

The Rev. Benjamin Blatch writing in 1783 informed the Bishop that he did not live in the Parsonage as it was “too small.” The Patron, Harry Edgell, Esq., gave Mr. Blatch another house about 100 yards from the Church.

The Rev. John Still had permission from the Bishop to live at Fonthill Gifford 1814-15 because of “the unfitness of the Parsonage House’ and again in 1827. He did the work of both parishes. John Still resigned in 1836.

The Parsonage must have been enlarged and improved before the Rev. J.C. Faber came as Rector in 1839. Mr. Faber and family (they had twelve children) lived in the Rectory. We have seen an engraving of the house and surroundings done by the Rev. – Bagshawe for Mr. Faber in 1846 and in it the house appears as it is now. It is a most attractive picture of the south aspect of house and garden.

A window tax was paid for the Rectory in 1790 and other years.

We have noted above that when the Parsonage was vacated by the Incumbent the Vestry let it in parts to various tenants; the most noted character was Mary Yates who acted as a Parish nurse. She lived to be “near 100” and died in 1797 having had her rent paid for her for about twenty years. Another occupant of the Rectory about the same time was Hannah Hayward.

The Parsonage, 1783 (an imaginary sketch after the description in the Terrier 1783).

Chicklade House

From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:

Chicklade House
One cannot always make a definite statement as to past owners or tenants of properties at Chicklade. Evidence is sadly lacking. But by study of the Rate Book we may be justified in inferring that those who paid higher rates owned larger properties and were succeeded by owners and/or occupiers who paid the same rates. Using this process of reasoning we can tentatively assign Chicklade House to the following persons –

The house was, apparently, built about 1720 (i.e., the central part of the present building). The western portion with the drawing room was added about 150 years ago and it has been enlarged at a later date by an eastern wing.

Colt Hoare, writing in the 1820’s stated that the family of Wright (see Parish Plan 1783) held for many years an estate at Chicklade which was subsequently sold to Thomas Benett, of Pyt House. It then passed to John Benett, Esq., M.P., but the house was sold off a few years since to Sir William Parker, Bart.

I. Sir William had three children baptised at Chicklade – George (1814), Louise Jane (1815), Francis (1817).

He paid rates as owner and occupier (1817-1823).

He paid rates as owner (1823-1826) and Chicklade House was let to the Rev. John Whitmarsh Phelps, who married Octavia Frowde in 1824. She was the daughter of the Rev. J. Thaine Frowde, of whom more later.

Mr. and Mrs. Phelps had two sons baptised at Chicklade – John Frowde Phelps (1825) and William Whitmarsh Phelps (1826). Afterwards they left Chicklade and went to live at Harrow-on-the-Hill.

II. Dr. and Mrs. Daw. This name appears in the Church Books between 1835 and 1842. The Daws lived here for about 12 years. On their tombstone is added the name of a child, Margaret Spencer Reid, who may have been an adopted daughter.

III. Dr. Daw was followed by John Locke, Justice of the Peace and a Magistrate. It is said that prisoners were kept in the cellars under Chicklade House. John Locke left the parish inn 1885 and then Chicklade House was purchased by John Halliday, Esq.

Chicklade House, c.1909.