Didmarton is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Cotswold District, about southwest of Tetbury. The parish is on the county borders with South Gloucestershire (to the southwest) and Wiltshire (to the south and southeast).

Since 25 March 1883, the civil parish has included the former parish of Oldbury-on-the-Hill.

History

A military survey of Didmarton in 1522 shows that it was then a very small village, overshadowed by the neighbouring Oldbury-on-the-Hill.

In the 16th century, the manor of Didmarton was owned by the Seacole family. In 1571, Simon Codrington married Agnes, daughter and co-heiress of Richard Seacole, and the estate thus passed to their son Robert Codrington. It was sold to Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort, in about 1750, but has had a succession of other owners since then.

Together with Oldbury, the parish was subject to enclosure in 1829.AN ACT for inclosing Lands in the Manors and Parishes of Didmarton and Oldbury-on-the-Hill (HMSO, 1829, 18pp.)Didmarton and Oldbury on the Hill enclosure at nationalarchives.gov.uk (accessed 13 April 2008)

According to The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868):Hamilton, N. E. S. (ed.), The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (London, J. S. Virtue, 1868)

In 1935, the parish's boundaries changed as a result of the County of Gloucester Review Order 1935, with part of the then parish of Hawkesbury including Saddlewood Manor transferring to become part of Didmarton parish. This now forms the northern edge of the Didmarton parish boundaries, adjoining Boxwell with Leighterton.

Places of worship St Laurence's church at Didmarton (Church of England) is an early English building with a later open bell tower, unusual in England.photograph of St Lawrence's Church, Didmarton online at wishful-thinking.org.uk (accessed 13 April 2008) Archaeological work has suggested an origin in the 12th century.Bryant, R., 'Observations at Didmarton church, 1981' in Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, vol. 101 (1983) pp. 183-185 The church's dedication is to St Laurence of Canterbury, whose feast day is on 3 February.

The village's Congregational church is a square stone building with arched sash windows.photograph of the Congregational Church, Didmarton , online at wishful-thinking.org.uk (accessed 13 April 2008)

Another Anglican church at the western end of the village, once dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, has been converted to a private house, although its churchyard is still consecrated ground.

Public houses The village's present-day pub, the King's Arms, was first mentioned in 1772. The former George Inn dated from at least 1791, and the former Compasses Inn (or Three Compasses) from 1798.Didmarton: A ramble through history (Didmarton Parish Council, 2000)

Local names Parish registers from 1674 to 1991 are held at the Gloucestershire Record Office.PARISH: Didmarton (St Lawrence) - abstract of available parish records online at genuki.org.uk (accessed 13 April 2008)

Surnames in the marriages register for 1675 to 1751 are: Acton, Allen, Biggs, Bishop, Brooks, Brush, Burcombe, Byrton, Carey, Chapman, Chappel(l), Codrington, Collings, Davies, Drew, Emely, Frith, Gingill, Harris, Hatchett, Heaven, Iddols, Kingscott, Lewis, Milsum, Minchin, Porter, Powel, Power, Robbins, Scrope, Shipton, Smart, Sparkes, Taunton, Thompson, Walls, Watts, Weekes, White, and Witchell.Didmarton, Gloucestershire, Marriages 1675-1751 online at glosgen.co.uk (accessed 13 April 2008)

The surnames recorded in the parish graveyard, and in that of the Didmarton Congregational church, include: Baker, Bickerton, Borham, Cox, Gould, Hatherell, Inane, Lucas, Pritchard, Short, Rice, Robbins, Till, and Tuck.Some Memorial Inscriptions - Didmarton, Gloucestershire, St Michael's & St Lawrence's Churchyards and Didmarton Congregational Church online at wishful-thinking.org.uk (accessed 13 April 2008)

Notes

External links

Didmarton at genuki.org.uk Didmarton location map from google.co.uk/maps Didmarton, Lasborough, Leighterton, Boxwell, Oldbury-on-the-Hill & Saddlewood page at rootsweb.ancestry.com, with photograph of St Lawrence's Church, Didmarton Gloucestershire census returns 1801-1901 at genuki.org.uk Video report of the nearby Leighterton School by BizView.tv