Broad Chalke Old Documents

Old Documents and History Books : Broad Chalke

Abner and John (top), Thomas and William Burrough (seated); assumed identities

Abner and John (top)
Thomas and William Burrough (seated)
assumed identities; about 1865
Their father wrote the 1800 Diary.

Broad Chalke Parish Archive

There is a Parish Archive stored on the Chapel balcony. Contact Michael Powis tel. 01722 780483, Michael Roe tel. 01725 519242 (chairman), Ann Ferreira tel. 01722 780477 or Sue Fry (secretary) tel. 01722 780093 if you would like to contribute time, documents or money.

The Archive will be open for viewing on the first Saturday of a month from 10.00 am to 12 noon (started on 2nd June 2012)

Archive Contents List (part) (Excel, wait, download may be slow).

Broadsheet Index to 2016

Some of the Archive can be viewed in our online backup. Please ask for a link to see it online.

The Broad Chalke Book

A history of a south Wiltshire village, its land & people over 2000 years.

This book was published in 1999 by The Baskerville Press. The editorial team was Elizabeth Gallop, Ann Ferreira, Liz Barr, Ronnie Butler, Robert Hitchings, Candida Hughes, Michael Powis, Michael Roe and Ivor Smith.

The book is available at the village shop and can also be obtained by sending a request to The Broad Chalke Millennium Book, The Willows, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5HH (price £20, plus postage and packing: UK £3.95; Australia & New Zealand, £14; USA & Canada £12.50; Europe £6.00 but the prices may be out of date so please check first).

Impressions of the South Wiltshire Downs : A Shepherd's Life
The Archive does not hold a copy of this book.

A Shepherd's Life by W. H. Hudson (1841 to 1942) details the lives of villagers in South Wiltshire, part of which records his travels alongside the River Ebble through "The Chalks", which you can read online here. Note the long list of "small print" restrictions at the beginning and end of the book.

Quite early in the narrative he mentions cycling along the Ebble valley then pushing up a steep slope on a dusty road to the high plain and meeting a young lad with a large gun who had been standing in the middle of a field as a bird scarer. The boy had run to the edge of the field just to see the man on his bike pass - perhaps a bike was an unusual vehicle, it may have been a "penny-farthing" from his description of "getting off the wheel".

Broad Chalk is mentioned because a farmer ordered the clearing out of an old well near the village and lots of sheep's horns were found. The ewes and rams of a Wiltshire breed of sheep (even then extinct) all had horns.

Bower Chalk is mentioned because two unmarried servants got "in the family way" at the same time. The unmarried father, a shepherd, was ordered to choose between the women and the unfortunate younger servant was rejected and cast out of the village. How intolerant and inconsiderate people were in those days (probably including my ancestors). She walked to Winterbourne Bishop to see someone whom she thought would take her in and the story retells her fate and how she found her feet and lived a hard-working, peaceful, but short life, leaving an orphan boy to be brought up by other village women. Winterbourne Bishop is identified here as Martin, about five miles away.

Martin was transferred from Wiltshire to Hampshire in 1895. However, Martin is not twelve miles from its nearest town of Salisbury, only about ten miles. It's difficult to find any village in the South Wiltshire Downs that is twelve miles from Salisbury without it being closer to Shaftesbury, Blandford Forum, Ringwood or Fordingbridge. The village could be Sixpenny Handley which is also "between the rivers", has downs on either side, and is thirteen miles from Salisbury, but it is in Dorset. Neither village is two and a half to three miles from the turnpike (A354?), both are just over one mile. Martin does meet some of the other descriptions of Winterbourne Bishop, like being in a depression with hedges that run up towards the downs on either side, but Sixpenny Handley also fits this description. The village in the book may be a conglomeration of several villages.

Other History Books (some out of print)
The Archive does not hold copies of all the books listed below.

A Short History of Broadchalke by H. M. Trethowan, published by BAS Printers Limited, Over Wallop, Hampshire, covers the prehistoric, mediaeval and later periods with maps.

Life in a Wiltshire Village by H. Poole (1975) published by Arthur H. Stockwell Ltd, Elms Court, Ilfracombe, Devon covers the period from 1905 to 1915 in Broad Chalke with a map and photographs.

All Saints Broad Chalke - A Visitors' Guide printed by Alamein Press, Salisbury has a short history of religion from the Druidic Iron Age, through the advent of Christianity under the Romans, through the Saxon period when there was probably a wooden church until the present stone church was built in the thirteen century. It also mentions that Sir Gawain, the Arthurian knight, is supposed to be buried at the top of Howgare Hill.

The Bowerchalke Parish Papers, Collett's Village Newspaper 1878 - 1924, by Rex L. Sawyer (1989), published by Alan Sutton Publishing, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, is a social history with extracts from the Village Newspaper and photographs.

Collett's Farthing Newspaper - The Bowerchalke Village Newspaper 1878 - 1924, by Rex L. Sawyer (1989 and 2004), published by Hobnob Press, PO Box 1838, East Knoyle, Salisbury, SP3 6FA is a social history with extracts from the Village Newspaper and photographs. It contains many references to Broad Chalke and is an almost complete repetition of The Bowerchalke Parish Papers with edits, additions, an Epilogue and more photographs.

Bishopstone, a history of the farms, houses and people of a south Wiltshire village by Elizabeth Gallop (1998), published by Elizabeth Gallop in 2003, is part of the Locale Series. It covers the prehistoric, mediaeval and later periods with maps, diagrams and sketches.

Ebbesbourne Wake through the Ages, by Peter Meers, published by Dial Cottage Press, Ebbesbourne Wake, Salisbury, SP5 5JF (2003), is a history of the village with maps and photographs. This is an excellent general history of England from pre-Roman times to the twentieth century covering Royalty, wars and the Church with references to the impact on Ebbesbourne Wake, the chalke valley and Wiltshire generally. You can read it online here.

The Papers of W. E. V. Young MBE (1890 - 1971) from The Goodfellow family.

The Ebble River by Barbara Fergusson, Ebbesbourne Wake (1997) published by Wake Press.

The Hundred of Chalke by Charles Bowles of Shaftesbury (1830) published by Clarence Butler.

Fovant - A Short History by R.C.C.Clay (1967) is a history from the Ante-natal period, through the Roman and mediaeval periods to the end of the Second World War. It includes stories of highwaymen on the Ridgeway or Herepath north of Broad Chalke, smugglers and ghosts.

Fovant by The Fovant History Interest Group (2005) published by The Hobnob Press, PO Box 1838, East Knoyle, Salisbury, SP3 6FA, has a historical and geographical overview and covers the buildings, religion and people of the village up to 2005.

Cranborne Chase, by Desmond Hawkins, published by Victor Gallancz Ltd, London (1981), has some references to Broad Chalke people, places and buildings but is generally about areas further south and west in Hampshire. It covers the history of the area with maps and photographs.

A Sense of Belonging, by John Chandler (1998), published by Ex Libris Press, 1 The Shambles, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1JS, covers the history and communities of the whole of Wiltshire with only one brief mention of Broad Chalke.

A brief history of Broad Chalke and a list of historical documents can be viewed on the Wiltshire County Council website.

Earls of Paradise, by Adam Nicolson, published by HarperCollins (£25 in 2012), is about the Earls of Pembroke and includes references to Broad Chalke which was part of the Pembroke Estate. "How can we verify the mundane reality of the Elizabethan golden age? Adam Nicolson thinks he has the answer. In a brilliantly imaginative and beautifully written coup of scholarship, he examines the lost world of the Elizabethan Renaissance, from its enchanted beginnings in the 1520s to its brutal death in the 1640s, through the fortunes of one great English family, the Pembrokes of Wilton, in the heartland of Wessex."

Books and photographs by or about residents of Broad Chalke
The Archive does not hold copies of all the books listed below.

John Aubrey (1626 - 1697)
Miscellanies upon Various Subjects by John Aubrey. This is his diary and memoirs which can be read online.
John Aubrey : And His Friends by Anthony Powell published by Heinemann (1948).
Brief Lives by John Aubrey - a review.

Reverend Professor Rowland Williams (1817 - 1870) was a theologian whose essays and sermons caused him to be charged with heterodoxy. He was later vicar of Broad Chalke and buried there. See 1911encyclopedia.org, Darwin Project and genuki.org.uk.

Maurice Henry Hewlett (1861 - 1923)
ebooks library a short biography and list of his works which can be downloaded.
Project Gutenberg online library.

Sir Cecil Beaton (1904 - 1980) lived in Reddish House.
Wikipedia biography.
National Portrait Gallery Beaton Collection.
Staley+Wise website about Sir Cecil Beaton.

The Life of Flo by Joy Billington, printed by Jill Bullen, Alvediston (1996) is Flo Penny (née Gurd)'s memories of the period during and after the First World War as related to Joy Billington.

Broad Chalke Memories by W. S. Sidford, printed by Broadsheet Duplicating Service (about 1965) records his own recollections of life between about 1916 and 1965 including Broad Chalke during the Great Wars.

Betty Graham-Yooll, poetry by the late Betty Graham-Yooll who lived in Broad Chalke can be read on this website.

For Love And Courage by Anne Nason published by Waterstones; edited letters by her grandfather to his wife from the First World War trenches.

My Life in Broad Chalk (1925 - 1929) by Daisy Herron née Andrews; £6 from the Post Office.

James Holland has written historical books and novels, mainly about the Second World War and has presented television programmes and films about Second World War battles.

Other old documents or historical items

General History Index

A brief history of Broad Chalke and a list of historical documents can be viewed on the Wiltshire County Council website and on the British History Online website.

Graves plans for the Church and URC Chapel.

You can see entries for The First World War concerning enlisting and the Armistice in the South Wilts Church Magazine 1914-1918 and the Peace Treaty and the War Memorial in the South Wilts Church Magazine 1919-1921.

The Village Hall construction cost is shown on an extract from the South Wilts Church Magazine dated June 1914. It was then called the Parish Room.

The purchase documents for a cottage in 1923 by Eva Penny (later called Rose Cottage, then Penny Cottage from 1970).

Historical Road Names.

Historical photographs of Broad Chalke

Francis Frith photo library.

1841 Census and Church Births, Deaths and Marriages Records

The 1841 Census can be viewed on the Census page. The Parish Archive in the Chapel has Census records for later decades.

There are some sample death records on the Church Records page.

Genealogy

NAME TITLE TELEPHONE ADDRESS
Broad_Chalke, Wiltshire, Genealogy Parish Records   Genealogy for Broad Chalke website

The BURROUGH Family in Bowerchalke and Broad Chalke

General History of the Burrough Family

Will of Joan Burrough - 1820

Probate of the Will of Joan Burrough dated 4th December 1820.

Joan Burrough (1736 - 1820) was wife of William and mother and grandmother of the Thomases referred to below. William and Joan lived in Bowerchalke.

Thomas Burrough's Diary - 1800 to 1832

This Diary was probably written by Thomas Burrough (1) (1775 - 1843) and describes local, national and international events. His son, Thomas (2) (1810 - 1880), was assumed in the Broad Chalke Book to have written the Diary but was not born in 1800 although there are notes relating to 1852 and 1853 which is after the father had died and were probably added by the son. The Diary is sewn into the book with clippings from The Salisbury & Winchester Journal and a note which says "Began the Salisbury & Winchester Journal October 16. 1852." which again suggests that the son Thomas had a part in the Diary. The 1841 Census shows the elder Thomas and his four sons living in North Street, Broad Chalke.

The diaries reproduced here are typewritten copies of the original diary and were made by Monty Trethowan, a local solicitor. The writing on the original is not clear enough to show here.

1800 photo | 1800 | 1812 | 1814 | 1816 | 1818 | 1819 | 1820 | 1821 | 1823 | 1827 | 1830 | 1832

After viewing one page you can use the "next" and "prev" links to see the other pages from 1800 to 1832.

Thomas Burrough's Work Diary - 1832

This diary could have been written by the father, Thomas (1), but January 6th 1832 shows different work recorded and the two pages for 26th June 1832 show different spelling - Salisbury and Grand Lumation in the diary above and Sarum and General Ilumination in this diary and the handwriting seems to be slightly different so this diary is assumed to be written by Thomas (2).

Thomas (2) (1810 - 1880), son of Thomas (1), above, was aged 21 when he started the Diary. He was a carpenter living in North Street, Broad Chalke and later at Barn Orchard in High Road. The pages recorded his daily activities in 1832, with the weather recorded in the margin. There is an entry for nearly every day except when he was off-work due to the ague, and usually a note of the preacher on Sundays.

page 1 | 2 and 3 | 4 and 5 | 6 and 7 | 8 and 9 | 10 and 11 | 12 and 13 | 14 and 15 | 16 and 17 | 18

After viewing one page you can use the "next" and "prev" links to see the other pages from January 1st to September 1st 1832.

Burrough Diary - 1839 to 1842

There is a Burrough diary about religious matters covering periods from 1839 to 1842 which could have been written by Thomas Burrough (1) 1775 - 1843 or by Thomas Burrough (2) 1810 - 1880. The handwriting of both men is similar but it seems more likely that the diary was written by Thomas Burrough (2). It could also have been written by John Burrough 1812 - 1900 or by William Burrough 1815 - 1894 but this is unlikely as the diary is in the same brown paper cover and in similar handwriting to other diaries by each Thomas. Abner Burrough 1823 - 1896 was probably too young to have written it.

1839 page 1 | 1839 2 and 3 | 1839 4 and 5 | 1840 1 and 2 | 1840 3 and 4 | 1840 5 to 7 | 1842 1 to 3 | undated found with 1839 1 and 2

A diary probably written by Abner Burrough with statistics for Australia and USA

This diary has detailed statistics of population, farming, etc. for Australia and USA with a date of 1849 so he may have been doing some research into these countries prior to his emigration to Australia in 1853. It is assumed that the foregoing were written by Abner as his brothers seemed to have had settled jobs in Broad Chalke or Bowerchalke. There is also a comment in different ink (after his return from Australia) that says "1865 January 21 Mr A-----d ." (probably Arnold) "finished Cider Macking" although Abner, as a member of the non-conformist Chapel, may have been teetotal.

Australia 1 and 2 | 3 and 4 | USA 1 and 2

Abner Burrough's Diary - Emigration to Australia in 1853

Abner Burrough, aged 29, emigrated to Australia with his wife Elizabeth (a cousin née Gould) in April 1853 and returned to London on June 27th 1860. His Diary details the journey to London, some sightseeing, a meeting with brother Thomas at Waterloo Station, a visit to Exeter Hall (used for holding religious and philanthropic meetings), the departure by ship, sea-sickness and moving his boxes to the Coffee Shop (possibly a hostel or boarding house) in Sydney; then brief details of their return journey in 1860 including a collision with another ship. They returned with one young daughter although there is no mention of her in the Diary, just one mention of Elizabeth on the outgoing journey.

In Australia they had a daughter who died after three days, a second daughter who died after ten days and a third daughter who returned to England with them and had a normal lifespan. A son was born later in England but died aged 13.

page 1 | 2 and 3 | 4 and 5 | 6 and 7 | 8 and 9 | 10 and 11 | 12 and 13 | 14 and 15 | 16 and 17

The first steam-assisted sailing ships for emigrants sailed to Australia in 1839 so Abner and Elizabeth could have travelled by one of these. The first regular twice-monthly steam-assisted mail service was provided by P&O in 1852 from Singapore. See P&O. It seems that by 1853 there had been regular sailings with emigrants and convicts for some decades.

An interesting novel about the conditions in Australia between 1820 and 1859 is "English Passengers" by Matthew Kneale published by Penguin Books which tells of an archaeological expedition to Tasmania in 1857 and the treatment of aborigines and convicts in the decades before that.

Another diary probably written by Abner Burrough with statistics for New South Wales

These statistics for population and farming for New South Wales are separate papers found with the diary written by Abner Burrough who emigrated with his wife Elizabeth to Australia in 1853 and returned to Broad Chalke in 1860 so they are assumed to be written by him as his brothers seemed to have had settled jobs in Broad Chalke and Bowerchalke.

The date of 1853 for the data may suggest that he wrote the notes while in Australia (the data for 1853 would not have been available before he left in April 1853) but he could have written them after his return in 1860. This diary, on four pages on both sides of one sheet of folded paper, is pinned with farming notes for Australia (which have a reference to the Emigrants' Almanac 1849), so it seems likely that they were written during his time in Australia. Some other diaries have dates after his return, so it's not entirely clear when these were written.

New South Wales 1 and 2 | New South Wales 3 and 4

Extracts from the 1871 Census for parishes in and around Salisbury and Census extracts for Canada and USA and emigration statistics

This diary is probably written by Abner Burrough because the paper is the same as for the diary of his voyages; the pages are held together with a pin and they follow the diary of the voyages to and from Australia so he may have been doing some research into several countries. Perhaps he was considering emigrating again as some have dates more than ten years after his return to England.

Census 1 and 2 | Census 3 and 4 | Census 5 and 6 | Census 7 and 8 | Canada and USA and emigration

Will of Thomas Burrough (1) - 1839

Will of Thomas Burrough (1) (1775 - 1843) dated 4th March 1839 and Probate dated 11th December 1843.

Thomas Burrough (1) was son of Joan, brother of John and father of Thomas (2) (1810 - 1880). Thomas (1) was a husbandman who lived in Broad Chalke.

Will of John Burrough - 1852

Probate of the Will of John Burrough dated 27th December 1852.

John Burrough was elder brother and uncle of the Thomases referred to above. John was a husbandman who lived in Bowerchalke.

Will of Thomas Burrough (2) - 1870

Will of Thomas Burrough (2) (1810 - 1880) dated 8th December 1870.

Thomas Burrough (2) was son of Thomas (1) (1775 - 1843). Thomas (2) was a carpenter and coffin-maker who lived in Broad Chalke.

Other Burrough records

The South Wilts Church Magazine dated July 1910 says:-

"G.F.S. - The members of the Girls Friendly Society went to the Annual Festival of the Salisbury Branch at the Palace on Wednesday, June 1st. ... Of the Broad Chalke members Florence Burrough received a premium of 10/- for two years' good service, ..."

Florence Burrough does not seem to be related to the Burrough family recorded above.

The South Wilts Church Magazine dated September 1913 says:-

"FETE. - ... The fish pond and bran tub attracted many youngsters, and the warm weather drove many to the mineral water and fruit stall, conducted by the Misses Burrough and G. Foyle, Messrs H. Emm and G. Hewitt, especially in the evening, when dancing was indulged in to the music of the Broadchalke Prize Band. ..."

The Misses Burrough could have been Mrs Thomas Burrough (Maria), Mrs Abner Burrough (Elizabeth) and Miss Nellie Burrough (Maria's daughter). Hedley Burrough's wife would have been living in Newport (Mon) at the time where Hedley was a YMCA manager and their daughter Miss Eveline Rose Burrough would have been seven years old.

Other websites

NAME TITLE TELEPHONE ADDRESS
Broad_Chalke, Wiltshire, Genealogy Parish Records   Genealogy for Broad Chalke website
Michael Powis Hon. Secretary   Chalke Valley Preservation Society website
Wiltshire History Zoom meetings 01249 70550 Wednesdays four times a year; 7.30pm;
Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre. Search for Community History at Wiltshire Council