Swanage              


 

Swanage, a seaside town in The Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
is 10 miles S.E. of Wareham. Since Roman times Swanage
has been the centre of the local stone industry becoming
a quarry town and harbour from which Purbeck marble was shipped. The Bay of Swanage was the place of the naval victory of King Alfred who destroyed the Danish fleet of more than 100 vessels in 877.

In the 19th century Swanage slowly grew into a seaside resort, expanding greatly with the arrival of the railway in 1885.

The parish church is St Mary's which with exception of the tower, was entirely rebuilt in 1859/60 in Early English style. The plain unbuttressed tower is very ancient and supposedly of Saxon origin. Its massive walls rise in four stages to a height of 80 ft. - the 3 lower stages of the tower are of the 14th century and the top stage built about 1620. An octagonal turret with stone spire adjoins the north transept.

Photo displayed with kind permission of John Haysom

 

St Mark's Church, Herston
In the second half of the 19th century it was apparent that the community in Herston had grown large enough to warrant the building of a new church and St Mark's Church was built 1869-1872.

In 'Purbeck Parish Churches' by F.P. Pitfield it states that "It is, as it was intended to be, a very economical design in both general concept and detail, consisting of a nave and chancel contained with a simple rectangle under one continuous double pitched roof which is extended down along part of the north aisle containing an organ bay and vestry. There is also a separately roofed porch on the south side. The walls are faced with squared rock-faced Purbeck stone with ashlar dressings, and the roofs are covered with Purbeck stone tiles."

The population in Swanage in 1891 was 2,674 and in 1991 it was 9,036.

 

The Online Parish Clerk for Swanage is Sue Mills

Any enquiries or lookups please contact by email at the following:

I am an unpaid volunteer willing to assist others with their genealogical research
and should in no way be confused with the County Council appointed Parish Clerk.

I live in Western Australia.

 

 

 SEARCH THIS SITE

FOR RECORDS FROM

SWANAGE - LANGTON MATRAVERS - WORTH MATRAVERS - STUDLAND - CHURCH KNOWLE
 AND MY PERSONAL RESEARCH


 

  

     16th and 17th Century Records :

 

 


     Parish Registers :

  • Baptisms - 1563 - 1880
    Transcription by  Michael Norman and Barry Chinchen

    Including The Protestant Dissenting Congregation later known as Swanage Congregational Chapel :
    1786 to 1881
    1838-1881 by Richard Wiltshire from a transcription by Alec Brown

1563 - 1634,  1635 - 1678,  1679 - 1721 
 
1722 - 1751,  1752 - 1776,  1777 -  1795

1796 - 1809,  1810 - 1823,  1824 - 1835

1836 - 1844   1845 - 1853   1854 - 1864

1865 - 1881***UPDATED***
 

  • Marriages - 1564 - 1861
    Transcription by Michael Norman and Richard Wiltshire


        1565 - 1768      1769 - 1847      1848 - 1872

        Strays - 1747 - 1771
 

  • Burials - 1690 - 1863
    Transcription by  Michael Norman and Barry Chinchen
     

1567 - 1650,  1651 - 1704,  1705 - 1738

1739 - 1769,  1770 - 1797,  1798 - 1822,

1823 - 1841,  1842 - 1863
 

Discrepancies on the Miscellaneous pages of the OPC site

 

  • Godlingston Cemetery Burial Index 1932 - 2014
    by John Patrick,  Lew Fletcher and Tricia Vincent
     
    Surnames - A - B     C - F     G - K     L - P     Q - S     T - Y

    Map 
      

  • Northbrook Cemetery Burial Index 1856 - 2008 
    by John Patrick

    Surnames               A - C      D - J      K - R      S - Y      Map

 

  • List of Rectors - 1297 - Present Day

 

 


     Memorial Inscriptions :

Swanage Memorials
 Unless otherwise stated, the MI photos were taken by Jan Marsh
 

  • St Mary's, Swanage MI Index -  
    A - C,    D - O,    P - Z
    by  Richard Wiltshire

  • Hutchin's - List of MI's [made 1847]  
         by Martin Ayres and Richard Wiltshire

  • St Mary's, Swanage  Survey
     by Martin Ayres and Richard Wiltshire

       1. Crypt and church - Page 1 - Page 2

        2. Churchyard  - Page 3 - Grave Plan

       3. Upper Churchyard, Church Hill -
            
             Page 4 - Page 5 - Grave Plan
     

  • Swanage Congregational Burial Ground - 1
    by Martin Ayres
     

  • Godlingston Cemetery Burial Index 1932 - 2014
    by John Patrick,  Lew Fletcher and Tricia Vincent
     
    Surnames - A - B     C - F     G - K     L - P     Q - S     T - Y
      

  • Godlingston Cemetery MI's- Map and Plot Plans
     Unless otherwise stated, the MI photos were taken by Jan Marsh

    Area 1    1    2    Index 

    Area 2    1    2    Index

    Area 3    1    2    3   Index  

    Area 4    1    2    Index  

    Area 5    1    2    Index     

    Area 6    1    2    Index  

    Area 7    1          Index

    Area 8    1    2    3  Index 

    Area 9    1    2    Index  

    Area 10  1          Index

    Area 11  1    2    3  Index

    Area 12  1          Index

    Children's Area   1    Index

    Cremation Area  1  2  3  4  Index
     

  • Find A Grave - Godlingston Cemetery 
     

  • Northbrook Cemetery Burial Index 1856 - 2008 
    by John Patrick

    Surnames               A - C      D - J      K - R      S - Y      Map
     

  • Northbrook Cemetery
     Unless otherwise stated, the MI photos were taken by Jan Marsh

    Consecrated - Map and Index

    CA - CB - CC - CD - CE - CF
     

    Unconsecrated      
     Unconsecrated sector inscriptions by Martin Ayres and Richard Wiltshire

    UA  - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
                                 
    UF  - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9      

    • UC - 10    

    UB - 11 - 12

    UD - 13 - 14 

    UE - 15 - 16 

     

  • Find A Grave - Northbrook Cemetery 

 

 


     Rates and Taxes:

 


     Militia List :

  • Some Purbeck Militia Lists - 1759
     

  • Swanage Militia List - 1759
    by Kim Parker

  • Purbeck Militia List - 1798
    by Kim Parker
     

 


     Census Returns and Register Index:

  • Full transcription of 1803 list of names of inhabitants in preparation for a French Invasion -

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5
 

  • Full transcription of 1841 census. -

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3
 

  • Full transcription of 1851 census. -

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3
 

  • Full transcription of 1861 census. -

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3
 

  • Full transcription of 1871 census. -

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
 

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
 

  • 1918 Swanage Electoral Register - A-C   D-J   K-R  S-Y 
    Military
    by John Patrick and Lew Fletcher
     

 

 


     Wills :

  • George Fry's Dorset Administration List - PCC    
     

  • Calendar of Wills and Administrations - Archdeaconry and Consistory Court - 1572 - 1855
         by  Richard Wiltshire
                                 Page 1 -     Page 2 - Page 3

  • Abstracts of Archdeaconry Court of Dorset Wills -
     by  Richard Wiltshire
                                 Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 
     

  • Abstracts - Bristol Consistory Court
     by  Richard Wiltshire
                                 Page 1 
     

  • Abstracts - Canford and Poole Peculiar Court
     by  Richard Wiltshire
                                 Page 1 

  • Purbeck Miscellaneous Wills 
    by  Richard Wiltshire 
                                 Page 1

 

 


     Directories :

  • Directory of Dorset - 1852

  • Post Office Directory - 1867

  • Kelly's Directory 1895 - 1 - 2

  • Kelly's Directory 1915 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 

 

 


     Maps :

  • Tresswell's Map C 1586

  • Swanage Tithe Map - 1839

  • Braye's Map - 1890

  • Purbeck Quarries Map

 


     Photos :

  • Images of Swanage - 1 - 2 - 3  
     

  • Swanage of Olde        

- From the book 'Swanage Past'

- The Bays and Pier -  1  -  2

- The Town - 1  - 2

- Misc Photos - 1

- Tilly Whim Caves

  • Purbeck Folk  - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8

 

 


     This and That :

  • Lumey - an extract from Roy Martin's book

  • Peak District Mines - 1896

  • Dorchester Prison Admission and Discharge Registers, 1782 - 1901 

 

 


     Suggested Reading :

 

 


     Researchers :    

  • List of those researching in Purbeck
    To be added to the list contact

 


     Links :

  • Dorchester Gaol Registers - 1782 - 1901 - Ancestry

  • 19th Century Tithe Map
    and Apportionments  - Ancestry (email me for look ups)
     

  • List of Dorset Mines - 1908

  • Geology of the Dorset Coast - Swanage

  • Roll of Honour - Swanage War Memorial
     

  • Obituaries from the Fortnightly Returns of the
    Operative Society of Masons, Quarrymen and
    Allied Trades of England and Wales
  • Swanage United Reformed Church - History

 

 

 



A place to share Purbeck research

 

 

Ancestors of Sue Mills

 

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