Place:Fonthill Bishop, Wiltshire, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Fonthill Bishop is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, to the north of the Nadder valley and 9 miles (14 km) south of Warminster.

The Fonthill Park estate extends into the south of the parish. Landscaping which included the creation of Fonthill Lake was begun in 1740 by William Beckford (later Lord Mayor of London) and continued from c. 1793 by his son William Thomas Beckford, who built Fonthill Abbey, now almost completely demolished. The estate now belongs to Alastair Morrison, 3rd Baron Margadale.

The village developed along a north-south street, bisected by the west-east road from West Knoyle and Hindon to Wilton and Salisbury (now the B3089). The shape of the village changed from the 19th century, with most buildings now on the northern half of the street and along the road.[3]

The parish population was 77 in 1377, peaked in the early 19th century with 228 recorded at the 1821 census, then steadily declined.

Research Tips

• Victoria County History - Wiltshire - Vol 11, pppp77-82 - Parish: Fonthill Bishop". British History Online. University of London.
• From this Ancestry page you can browse the Wiltshire parishes which have parish register transcripts online, quite often from very early dates. However, reading the early ones requires skill and patience. Transcriptions should also be in FamilySearch.
• A further collection of online source references will be found on the county page for Wiltshire.