Sixpenny Handley

Arranged according to the Gregorian Calendar, with the Julian year indicated to the left of the forward slash (/) in those years when the Julian Calendar, which ran from March 25th to March 24th, was in use (i.e. prior to 1752, 1751 being the transition year).

The Bishop's Transcripts are difficult to read in places, so readers are invited to use this transcript as a guide only and to consult the original at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre.

Until 1844, Sixpenny Handley was a chapelry of Iwerne Minster. In the early years, BTs for Sixpenny Handley were sometimes submitted together with the return for Iwerne Minster. This was the case in 1736-1739 and 1741 (1743 is unfortunately missing). The returns for 1736 and 1738 do not mention specifically where events took place. However, on the 1737 and 1739 returns, Iwerne Minster events were listed first in composite format (i.e. not separated out into christenings, marriages and burials) and the Handley events were listed second, separated by type. The returns for 1736 and 1738 follow this same pattern. Also, the individuals in the second part of the 1736 and 1738 returns appear in Handley returns in other years, so we can have a high degree of confidence that these events occured in Handley rather than Iwerne Minster.

The return previously thought to be for 1739 has been redated as 1741.Since it has no date, it's assignment as 1739 was based on it's position in the BT bundle, as filmed by the LDS Church. However, in 1739 Handley events were included on the Iwerne Minster BT submission. This fragment cannot therefore be for that year. After careful comparison with Iwerne Minister submissions in previous and subsequent years, it has been found that the handwriting, ink and thickness of nib match the Iwerne Minister submission for 1741. Furthermore, the heading of that year's submission "A Copy of the Register of Iwerne Minster, Farnham & Handley for the Year 1741" has been amended by striking out 'Farnham' and 'Handley', and it is clear that the bottom half of it has been cut off.
 

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