Compton Beauchamp, Berkshire
Historical Description
Compton-Beauchamp, a parish in Berks, on the Ridge Way, adjacent to the Berks and Wilts Canal and the G.W.R., 4 miles ESE of Shrivenham station, and 6¼ S by W of Faringdon. It includes the hamlet of Knighton, and its post town is Shrivenham (R.S.O.), which is the money order and telegraph office. Acreage, 1812; population, 122. The manor belonged to the Beauchamps. Compton House is a moated, building, with quaint old terraced garden. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Oxford; net yearly value, £230 with residence. Patron, Earl Craven. The church is ancient, picturesque, and good, and contains a curious ancient stone seat.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Berkshire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Compton-Beauchamp St. Swithin | |
| Hundred | Shrivenham | |
| Poor Law union | Farringdon |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The register dates from the year 1551.
Churches
Church of England
St. Swithin (parish church)
The church of St. Swithin is a cruciform building of stone, in the Early English and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave, transepts, north porch and a western tower with broach pyramidal roof containing one bell: the chancel retains an Early English sedile and piscina: the east window is partially filled with ancient glass, as is also the top of the east window in the north transept: in the south transept is a memorial tablet to the late Judge Bacon, who was tenant of the Manor House, and who rebuilt the south transept in 1911; and there are also four small memorial windows: there is also a low side window in the chancel and a high side window in the nave: in the chancel are mural epitaphs to Margaret White, ob. 20th July, 1627; and Christian White, ob. May 21st, 1618; and a brass to "Magister" Frampton, 1450, an early rector of this church: in the nave is a curious monument, to Mrs. Richards and her daughter. There are 100 sittings. In the churchyard, near the chancel are several large tombs to the Langley and Hawkswell families.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Compton Beauchamp was in Faringdon Registration District from 1837 to 1937 and Wantage Registration District from 1937 to 1974
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Compton Beauchamp from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Compton-Beauchamp (St. Swithin))
- Kelly's Directory of Berkshire, 1915
Land and Property
Compton House is an ancient brick residence in the Italian style, with a central block, relieved by pilasters and a balustrading and wings; there is an inner quadrangle, and the mansion is surrounded by a moat; the grounds and terraced gardens and the cloister walk are very tastefully laid out.
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Berkshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Compton Beauchamp are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Berkshire papers online:
Visitations Heraldic
The Visitations of Berkshire 1532, 1566, and 1665-6 is available online.