Fonthill Bishop

Fonthill Bishop, situated 22k east of Salisbury, is within the Downton Hundred. It is situated along the northern slopes of the Nadder valley covering an area of 1,797 acres and measuring 2.5k from east to west and 3.5k north to south. To the south the boundary is the river Nadder. The 19th century boundary with Berwick St. Leonard was straightened by exchanges of land between the two villages. The highest point in the village reaches 213m.  the mainly chalk land slopes towards the river and consists of ridges and dry valleys. To the north is clay with flint overlaying the chalk. There is a greensand ridge with wooded areas in the south of the parish. A warren to the north west of the parish was planted with trees in the period 1800-1838 and south of the church an area was taken to be included in Fonthill Lake. The southern area of the parish was included in Fonthill Park.

The area near the river is set to pasture and the uplands to arable with pasture. 

 Domesday tells us Fonthill was held by the Bishop of Winchester, and assessed at 10 hides, a mill was valued at 5 shillings (25p), together with 8 acres of meadow and pasture covering ¾ mile by 3 furlongs, the same area was to woodland and valued at £10. It is believed the name originally Funtel, then Fontel later Fonthill was derived from the springs of water rising in the area. 

 Athelwulf made a morning-gift of a 5 hide estate at Fonthill to his wife Athelthryth. In the late 9th century she sold this to Oswulf. By 900 Ordlaf held a life lease on 10 hides at Fonthill. This was exchanged for land formerly held by Denewulf, Bishop of Winchester. The manor of Fonthill passed with the See, and does not appear to have been surrendered at the Reformation.

When this land was sold, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners retained the lordship of the manor. The demesne lands of the manor were leased to farmers in the early 15th century. By the 16th century these tenants included Robert and Edward Mayo. Edward’s heir, his daughter Thomasine, married Wm. Grove. The land then passed to their son William. The lease was acquired, in 1610, by Henry Mervyn, lord of the manor of Fonthill Gifford. Leases for Fonthill Bishop passed together with the manor of Fonthill Gifford. These were held by the Cottingham family from the 1630’s until around 1744 when the Beckford family took over. In 1822 Wm. Beckford sold the lease to John Farquhar. After various sales the land was purchased by James Morrison, whose son, Alfred, bought the freehold of the leased land from the bishop in 1859, and since 1897 almost the whole parish became owned by Morrison. In 1964, John Granville Morrison was created Baron Margdale.

In 1977 the estate was still held by the Morrison family. 

 In 1377 the parish had 77 poll tax payers and in 1804 the population was said to be 194, rising to 206 by 1811 and a maximum of 228 in 1821. By 1931 this had declined to 117 and in 1971 the figure was 123. The parish register dates from 1769. 

 Until the 19th century the parish consisted of small farmsteads scattered along the main street which runs north to south. The road from West Knoyle to Barford St. Martin and on to Wilton, which was turnpiked in 1761, crosses the village street near the church. During the period 1881-1921 many buildings to the west of the church and south of the turnpike road were demolished and new settlements grew up along the road.

Older buildings, predominantly of stone, remain to the west of the street and include an early 18th century house and an altered 17th century dwelling. Behind the church are a 19th century farmhouse which was enlarged in the late 19th century and a further 19th century farmhouse on the south of the road. A row of cottages is dated 1864 and farm buildings 1887. The Kings Arms first opened as a public house in 1794. 20th century estate cottages and social housing stand by the road east of the junction. The Malt House in the street dates from 1837. 

 The New Inn, 1773, is one of the few buildings separated from the main settlement; it is situated in Chicklade Bottom, beside the main London-Exeter road which was turnpiked in 1762.

The 18th century building became a farmhouse. Fonthill Lodge, located on the downs, was included in the parish and was used as an isolation place for smallpox victims during the period 1766-1773. Inoculations against the disease were also given there. 

 In 1867 a gun-maker was living in the parish along with the two public houses. He appears to have left the village by 1875 when a shopkeeper and baker were trading alongside the two public houses. 

 Pre-historic ploughing is indicated by a field system on Fonthill Down. During the Middle Ages sheep and corn husbandry were common on the chalk area of the parish.

In the 13th and 14th centuries the Bishops of Winchester held a demesne farm and these arable lands were intermingled with those of the free tenants. In the 1270’s the flock of the bishop was 400, but only 40 in the 1270’s, by the late 14th century it was said to be back to the figure of 400. It is noted that in the 14th century there were two shepherds for the tenancy and one for the demesne flock. In 1417 demesne lands were leased for £20 per annum. Arable lands in the village were inclosed around 1760. 

 The mill which had been worth 5/- in 1066 was also customarily held in the Middle Ages.

It was said to be ruined by 1539, but was possibly restored and working until the early 18th century. 

 Early 16th century Courts list offences such as keeping un-ringed pigs and un-lawful gaming. 

 A church existing in the parish is first mentioned in 1242. In 1291 the living was valued at 10 marks, in 1535 - £10 and in 1650 - £60. In 1830 it was valued at £246, all indicating the parish had average wealth for Wiltshire. The tithes in 1837, to which the rector was entitled, amounted to £259. From 1620-39, Christopher Wren was rector, he later became Dean of Windsor. In 1783 the church was served by a curate who was there for 35 years, he also served Fonthill Gifford and Berwick St. Leonard, but lived at Chicklade. There was one single Sunday service and Communion was held 4 times annually.

In 1864, services with sermons were held twice each Sunday and the congregation averaged 70. Sacrament was taken by 33 communicants. 

 The present day church, dedicated to All Saints, is of ashlar and rubble construction, the date of the building is uncertain but possibly mid 13th century. The porch was added in 15th century when doorways and the west window were renewed. The Chancel was re-built in 1871 and the remainder was extensively restored in 1879. This restoration was directed by T.H. Wyatt. In 1553 there were two bells, one of which was believed to date from 1320 and still remains. The 2nd bell was replaced in 1879 by one founded by Mears and Stainbank of Whitechapel. Both bells were re-hung at this time.  In 1553 1oz. of silver was taken for the King, but the chalice, weighing 6oz., was left. Church plate was replaced in 1858 and was still in situ in 1977. Registers exist for marriages solemnized since 1754, those for baptisms date from 1769 and burials from 1796.

Earlier registers were accidently burned in 1759. 

These were said to be no non-conformists in the parish in 1676. A house was registered for dissenters’ meetings in 1819, but no chapel was built. There were said to be a few papists in the parish in the late 18th century.   

 In 1787, Samuel Gattrell gave, by deed, £350 for the teaching of 16 poor children of the parish. The interest of £10 each year was given to the school mistress who lived and taught the children in a house in the village. In 1808 the ages raged between four and eight. In 1833 the 16 charity students were joined by a number of fee paying students. An elementary school was built around 1841. It was situated near the east end of the church and the charity funds were used for the expenses of the school.

By 1851 there were fifteen to twenty pupils, but the older children went to Hindon.  In 1905 a Scheme was developed requiring that the income from Gattrell’s Charity should be spent on bursaries for Fonthill Bishop children entering further education, or to buy books for the school library. The school had places for 78 pupils, but in 1906 the average attendance was 33. This increased slightly to 42 pupils by 1927, but the decline continued until the school closed in 1971. By 1977 the income from Gattrells Foundation was being allowed to accumulate. 

 During his life, Henry Spencer, who died in 1811, gave fifteen shillings (75p.) each Christmas, which was to be distributed to the oldest parishioners at the rate of one shilling (5p.) each. In 1832 his heirs gave £25 to perpetuate this practice. It is thought that distribution was infrequent, as by 1869 £47 had accumulated. In 1906 an endowment of £46, the income from which was distributed to the poor of the parish every 3 years. In the 1970’s the fund was used occasionally to help aged pensioners of the parish who were in need.