Whitchurch Canonicorum

The Parish Church of St. Candida (or St. Wite) and Holy Cross, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, courtesy of Michael Day's Dorset Churches web site	Whitchurch Canonicorum lies in Marshwood Vale in the west of the County of Dorsetshire. To the west is Catherston Lewiston, Wootton Fitzpaine and Hawkchurch. To the north is Marshwood and to the east is Symondsbury and Chideock with Stanton St Gabriel. It is a very large parish 5 miles west north west from Bridport. The very ancient church of St. Candida and St Cross, is unique in being the only parish church in England containing the bones of its patron saint. The saint's relics are in a stone altar. There is a chapel of ease at Fishponds Bottom dedicated to St John the Baptist and a Congregational chapel at Morecombelake. The parish comprises 4253 acres used for wheat, barley, oats and beans. In 1884 Yards and Gerrards Farm were transferred to Marshwood and Rivelsea to Bettiscombe. Post Offices by the church and at Morecombelake, also National Schools in the same locations and a police station in the village. Population in 1891 was 837
There is no OPC for Whitchurch Canonicorum at present
Census	1811 Census transcribed by Jennifer Dando (Head of Households & statistics) 1841 Census transcribed by Pearl Blanking 1851 Census 1861 Census on this site transcribed by Peter Collins 1871 Census in 5 districts: District 5, District 6, District 7, District 8 & District 9 transcribed by John Ridout 1881 Census this can be searched free on the LDS Site. 1891 Census 1901 Census
Parish Registers	The parish registers date from 1538, the following transcriptions are available: Baptisms 1558-1729 from index by the Rev. R.Grosvenor Bartelot MA [Michaela Poynton-Smith] 1735-1764 from BTs by Jennifer Dando 1766-1812 from the Parish Registers by Keith Searson Marriages 1538 - 1812 transcribed by Peter Collins Burials 1735-1812 from the Parish Registers by Keith Searson
Monumental Inscriptions	MIs In The Churchyard of the Chapel of Ease of St John the Baptist at Fish Pond Bottom transcribed by Brian Webber
Records held at the Dorset History Centre PE/WCC	Registers Baptisms 1558-1680/81, 1691-1985. Marriages 1558-1623, 1632-1984. Burials 1558-1676, 1681-1878. Banns 1754-1969. Transcriptions Marriages 1558-1837. Indexes Christenings1558-1729, 1771-1837. Marriages 1558-1727. Burials 1558-1727, 1813-1837.
Tithe	A transcription of the tithe apportionments that accompany the Tithe Map of 1838 are on line.
Maps	The 1891 Ordnance Survey maps of the parish can be seen at the old-maps site, just enter 'Whitchurch Canonicorum' under place search.
	For modern location maps visit:- www.multimap.com

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