Athelhampton, Dorset Family History Guide

ATHELHAMPTON (or ADMISTON) is a parish on the river Trent, or Piddle, in the hundred of Puddletown, Dorchester union, petty sessional division and county court district, diocese of Salisbury, archdeaconry of Dorset, and rural deanery of Whitchurch first portion, about 6 miles north east from Dorchester.

Alternative names: Admiston, Athelhampstone

Parish church: St John

Parish registers begin:

Parish registers: 1692
Bishop’s Transcripts: 1732

Nonconformists include:

Table of Contents

Adjacent Parishes

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ADMISTON, or Athelhampton, a parish in Dorchester district, Dorset; on the river Piddle, 5 miles NW of Moreton r. station, and 6 NE of Dorchester. Post town, Piddletown under Dorchester. Acres, 471. Real property, £1,026. Pop., 95. Houses, 13. This place is said to have been at one time the principal residence of the Kings of Wessex. The living is a rectory, united to the rectory of Burrelston, in the diocese of Salisbury. Value, £200. Patron, G. J. Wood, Esq. The church is perpendicular English, and has a tomb of Sir W. Martin.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1851

Admiston, or Athelhampstone, a parish in the hund. of Piddletown, Dorchester division, union of Dorchester, county of Dorset; 6¼ miles east-north-east from Dorchester. Living, a rectory united to that of Burleston, formerly in the archd. of Dorset and dio. of Bristol, now in the dio. of Salisbury; rated at £2, and returned to parliament at £150; gross income £200. Patron, in 1835, the Hon. W. T. L. P. Wellesley. This place is said to have been at one period the principal residence of the kings of Wessex. The Piddle flows through this parish. Pop., in 1801, 62; in 1831, 67. Houses 14. Acres 290. A. P. £1,773. Poor rates, in 1837, £21.

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1851.

A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848

ADMISTON, or Athelhampton, a parish, in the union of Dorchester, hundred of Piddletown, Dorchester division of Dorset, 6 miles (E. N. E.) from Dorchester; containing 74 inhabitants. This place is said to have been the principal residence of the Saxon kings of Wessex, but there is no satisfactory evidence of the truth of that opinion. The living is a rectory, with that of Burleston annexed, valued in the king’s books at £2; net income, £200; patron, the Earl of Mornington. The church is a small edifice, repaired by Sir Robert Long in 1740, before which it contained an apartment supposed to have been anciently inhabited by a rector or custos.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848

Parish Records

FamilySearch

Census

Census returns for Athelhampton, 1841-1891

Church Records

Bishop’s transcripts for Admiston, 1732-1879 Author: Church of England. Parish Church of Admiston (Dorsetshire)

Parish chest records for Admiston, 1917-1949 Author: Church of England. Parish Church of Admiston (Dorsetshire); Dorset Record Office

Parish registers for Admiston, 1692-1976 Author: Church of England. Parish Church of Admiston (Dorsetshire); Dorset Record Office

Dorset Historical Directories

Directory Transcriptions

Kelly’s Directory of Dorsetshire 1880

The church of St John, originally a chapel of ease to Burleston, is a plain Gothic stone structure, rebuilt in 1862 on a site presented by J Wadham Floyer esq. and consists of nave and chancel. The register dates from the year 1693.

Parish Clerk, John Hause

Letters are received from Dorchester through Puddletown, which is the nearest money order office

Here is a school for the two parishes on the British system, attended by about 60 children; John Holmes master

Wood Mrs Athelhampton hall
Homer George Wood farmer
Lock John dairyman

Source: Kelly’s directory of Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire (the Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands).
By Kelly’s directories, ltd · 1880