Church of St. George, Ogbourne St. George

A church may have stood on the site of the present church prior to the gift of the manor of Ogbourne St. George to the Abbey of Bec-Hellouin, after which the church was appropriated by the Abbey. The church had been dedicated to St. George by the later 13th century.

After the expulsion of alien orders the Crown appointed vicars on five occasions between 1326 and 1401. The priory and advowson passed to John, Duke of Bedford who granted the latter to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 1421. In the 20th century the parishes of Ogbourne St. George and Ogbourne St. Andrew were combined, in 1970, into one benefice. In 1974 Ogbourne St. George was incorporated into the Ridgeway team ministry and the historical role of the Dean and Canons of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, continued as their representative served on the board responsible for appointing the team rector.

St. George’s church consists of a chancel, north and south chapels, a clerestoried nave and aisles, a south porch and a west tower. Parts of the chancel walling, the chancel arch and south arcade, survive from the early 13th century. Two eastern bays of the north arcade date from the late 13th century. The chancel underwent alterations in the 14th century as did the whole church in the 15th or early 16th century.

By the middle of the19th century the church had fallen into a state of some decay and a general restoration and a number of alterations were carried out in the course of the years 1863-1865; the restoration cost a total cost of £1,400. Upkeep of the chancel had remained the responsibility of the Dean and Canons of Windsor, although they had customarily leased the tithes which accompanied this responsibility. The lessee and Chapter provided a small amount of money for the chancel repair in 1866 but it was not until 1873, when the church had passed into the care of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, that the chancel was repaired comprehensively.

Baptism registers for the parish from 1663 to1914, marriage registers from 1664 to 2005 and burial registers from 1664 to 1891 are held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham; subsequent registers are held by the parish incumbent. Bishop’s Transcripts survive, with gaps, from 1579 and are also held at the History Centre.