St. Mary, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset

Description

The parish church of St. Mary, restored and enlarged in 1879 at a cost of £3,000, is an ancient Gothic edifice of stone and flint, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles and north transept, south porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing 3 bells : within the communion rails is a tomb to John Alye esq. d. Dec. 1579, and his wife, Dorothy. d. May 1577, beside, other members of the family; a stained window was erected in 1901 by Mrs. Cartwright as a memorial to the late Mrs. Parke, of Henbury, Dorset, and in 1914 a brass was erected to the memory of Mr. James Isaac, the last to hold the position of parish clerk, that position having been held by his family continuously for 138 years: there are 396 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1736. The original register books are now deposited with the Dorset Archives Service, but have been digitised by Ancestry.co.uk and made available on their site (subscription required).