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RESOURCES
History of Agriculture in Wiltshire (Farming)
page 1 of 5
Examples from Parish Register
Crockford’s Registers Role-Playing (Medieval Farming)
From Wylye burial register (translated from Latin of Thomas Crockford)
JOHN PREWETT (9 November 1622)
John Prewett from Cannington in Somerset. He was the head of a noble household (so it is said) and a very old man more than 90 years of age.
He had been summoned to London to take part in important business, and as he was going home he contracted a fatal disease. He died at
William Lock’s inn in Wylye high street on 8 November and was buried in our churchyard on 9 November.
JOHN BAKER (10 December 1621)
John Baker was a young boy nearly 7 years old. He was the illegitimate orphan son of Christabel Baker, who came from Wylye, and was very
poor during her lifetime. He died on 9 December and was buried on 10 December.
ELIZABETH BAKER (28 May 1625)
Elizabeth Baker was a poor woman, and the widow of John Baker, who had been a farm labourer in Wylye. She had been born into a family of
farmers, the Furnells of Wylye. She had a miserable life as the mother of many children, and she died and was buried at about the age of 50 on
28 May.
THOMAS KENT (1 June 1625)
A farmer, and not married, Thomas Kent was about 38 years of age, and the oldest son of Thomas Kent of Deptford, a yeoman farmer. He was
unlucky enough to suffer head injuries when he fell from a farm wagon on to a stony piece of ground in Wilton town. His accident occurred on
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History of Agriculture in Wiltshire (Farming)
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Examples from Parish Register
Friday, St John the Baptist’s day, and he died on Wednesday, St Peter’s day. He was buried with solemn rites in Wylye churchyard. John Lee,
the acting minister, performed the burial service, but the funeral sermon given before the ceremony as usual was delivered by Francis Edwards, a
most distinguished clergyman, priest of Woodhay in Hampshire.
UNKNOWN (14 July 1625)
A citizen of London (it is thought) who was a bonnet maker, was trying to escape from the plague that is raging in the city. But unfortunately he
brought the disease with him and fell dangerously ill on the road. With repeated wailing and tears he proclaimed his faith in Christ as he breathed
his last. The dead man, at his own request, was buried with every precaution and as quickly as possible at the expense of the parish. His resting
place is in a field next to the highway at the western approach to the village.
RICHARD TAYLOR (30 March 1626)
Richard Taylor was an elderly farmer from Wylye. He was nearly eighty and had had only one wife, and she one husband. They were the
unhappy parents of several children, boys and girls. His death was sudden and not expected. No-one saw him die in his little bed during the night
of the storm on 28 March. He was buried on 30 March.
ROBERT AND JANE LOCK (10 and 22 January 1625/6)
Robert Lock was a very delicate infant boy, the second son of Robert Lock, farmer on the Wylye estate, and his wife Jane. He was buried on 10
January. Jane Lock was in fact the daughter of John Brian of Langford but had recently become Robert Lock’s wife. She had just given birth to
the infant Robert and was the mother of three other children. She was almost thirty years old and died as the result of the recent childbirth. She
was buried on 22 January.
THOMAS HILLMAN (22 February 1627/8)
Thomas Hillman was an elderly farmer from Wylye whose wife had died before him. He was nearly 80 years old, the ancient parish clerk of this
church – chosen and approved by successive rectors. He was the father of one son and one daughter, a greatly loved gentleman and especially
religious and trustworthy. In death he gave his soul back to the Christian God on 20 February and was buried on 22 February.
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History of Agriculture in Wiltshire (Farming)
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Examples from Parish Register
HENRY SPRING (18 February 1618/19)
Henry Spring (also known as Kent) was an old man from Wylye in his seventies. He used to be a farmer among neighbours of a better class. But
before his death (such is the uncertainty of human affairs) bad luck reduced him to dreadful poverty. He died on 17th and was buried on the 18th
February.
ALICE CRUTCHILL (27 March 1620)
Alice Crutchell was a poor old woman. Her husband, John Crutchell, a labourer from Wylye had run away, and it was unknown whether he was
still alive. She died and was buried on 27 March.
RALPH HENWOOD (6 April 1620)
Ralph Henwood was a new-born baby, the first son of the Wylye blacksmith, Hugh Henwood and his wife Matilda. He died and was buried on 6
April.
THOMAS BAKER (11 June 1620)
Thomas Baker was also known as Chate. He was a poor widower from Wylye, who by trade had been a blacksmith but now lived on charity. He
was the younger of two brothers with the same name, and was almost seventy when he died, on 10 June. He was buried the next day.
MARTHA LEE (10 February 1620/1)
Martha was the wife of John Lee, the rector of this church. She was brought up in the city of Oxford, and was nearly 36 years old. John was the
only husband she had had, and they had two sons and one daughter. She contracted a wasting disease and passed to her rest at Wylye while
proclaiming her Christian faith piously and calmly. She died on Friday 9 February and was buried in Salisbury Cathedral on 10 February.
WILLIAM WARREN (14 August 1623)
William Warren was a poor man from Sherborne who found his way as a stranger to Deptford to work as a reaper. But he became ill and died on
Wednesday 13 August, and was buried the next day.
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History of Agriculture in Wiltshire (Farming)
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Examples from Parish Register
JOHN FOWLER (9 November 1624)
John Fowler was a young unmarried farm worker. He was employed by Richard Eyles (also known as Hicks), a yeoman farmer from Deptford,
but has been brought up by a labouring family in Warminster. He died on 8 November and was buried the next day.
WILLIAM MARSHMAN (25 March 1625)
William Marshman was a poor teenager from Deptford who lived on benefit. He was the son of a labourer, also called William Marshman, who
used to live at Deptford too. He died on 25 March and was buried the same day.
Fisherton Delamere burials
THOMAS AND JOHN INGRAM (January/February 1614)
Thomas was an unmarried farm labourer, more than forty years old. He was the son of Richard Ingram who once farmed at Lipyatt in Bapton,
and of his wife Elizabeth who has recently died. Thomas died on 23 January and was buried the following day. John Ingram the elder, husband,
family man and farmer, was nearly fifty. He was the older brother of Thomas, and had the same parents. Although once jovial he became serious
(as is the mark of his distinguished family) but then irritable as a result of long-drawn out sickness or weakness in the movement of his bile; but
he retained completely his dignity until his death on 2nd February, followed by burial the same day.
JOHN CULLYFORD (5 February 1616/17)
John Cullyford was a young unmarried labourer who lived at Deptford but died at Fisherton and was buried in our cemetery on 5 February. The
reason for his burial here was the flooding of the river which closed the road to Wylye around this time.
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History of Agriculture in Wiltshire (Farming)
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Examples from Parish Register
JOHN AND JOANNA HOSKINS (September 1619)
John Hoskins senior, a labourer from Bapton, was a very poor householder, although he was descended from the well-born Hoskins family of
Bapton street. By God’s will he was brought through mischance to a state of wretched poverty. He had been the father of many children and had
reached the age of eighty or more, when he died on 10 September, with his burial the following day. Joanna Hoskins was a poor old woman, and
John’s only wife and then widow. She was descended from a respectable family named Byss from Chicksgrove, and lived beyond sixty. She died
on 28 and was buried on 29 September.
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