St. Mary, Tyneham, Dorset

Description

The parish church of St. Mary is a small cruciform edifice of stone, in the Early English and Decorated styles, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, transepts, west porch, and a central bell-cot containing 2 bells: the north transept was a chantry chapel, belonging to the manor house; the south transept is modern: there are three monuments of Caen stone, to the Rev. William Bond, formerly rector of Steeple with Tyneham, and canon of Bristol; to William Bond esq. metropolitan police magistrate and recorder of Poole and Wareham, and to the Rev. Henry Bond, vicar of South Petherton and Thomas Bond esq. barrister at law: there is also an ancient monument with eleven shields of arms to Henry Williams, son of John Williams, of Herington, d. 1641: devine service was formerly performed in this parish only once on each Sunday in the year, and on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Christmas Day: in 1848 the Rev. William Bond, considering the increase of the population, gave the sum of £1,700 to the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty upon trust to pay the dividends half yearly to the rector of Tyneham, upon condition of his performing two full services, with a sermon, every Sunday and also on Good Friday and Christmas Day: there are 300 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1654. 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).