Compton Bassett, Wiltshire
Historical Description
Compton-Bassett, a parish in Wilts, 2 miles NE of Calne station on the G.W.R., and 7 SSW of Wootton Bassett. It has a post office under Calne, which is the money order and telegraph office. Acreage, 2576; population, 350. The manor belonged to the Bassets, and was forfeited by them to the Crown. Compton Bassett House is the seat of the Walker-Heneage family, and commands an extensive view. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Salisbury; value, £300. Patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. The church is partly Norman; partly Later English. The chancel has a handsome Tudor double screen.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Wiltshire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Compton-Basset St. Swithin | |
| Hundred | Calne | |
| Poor Law union | Calne |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The register dates from the year 1558.
Findmypast, in association with the Wiltshire Record Office, have the following parish records online for Compton Bassett:
| Baptisms | Banns | Marriages | Burials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1563-1882 | 1754-1820 | 1558-1933 | 1558-1962 |
Churches
Church of England
St. Swithun (parish church)
The church of St. Swithun is an edifice in the Norman and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, north porch, and an embattled western tower containing 5 bells: there is a rich Tudor rood-screen: the chancel was rebuilt in 1866, and a stained window inserted in memory of the Rev. William Dalby, a former rector, and there are seven others: the church affords sittings for 250 persons.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Compton Bassett from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Compton-Basset (St. Swithin))
Maps
Online maps of Compton Bassett 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 Wiltshire papers online: