Tidcombe History
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Location: Tidcombe, Wiltshire, England
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Tidcombe History
Tidcombe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of the county, near Hampshire. It is about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Marlborough and 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Hungerford, Berkshire. With few inhabitants, it forms part of the civil parish of Tidcombe and Fosbury.
Tidcombe was probably part of the Bedwyn estate that was passed by the Crown to Abingdon Abbey in the 8th century and held there until about 975. In 1066 it had been granted away from the Crown to Wenesius and subsequently down to members of the Beauchamp family of Elmley Castle, Worcestershire.
Domesday Book of 1086 recorded nine households at Titicome. Tidcombe lay within Savernake Forest until 1330.
In the 19th century, the names Tidcombe and Titcombe were both in use.
Tidcombe village was designated a conservation area in 1975.
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| Map of Tidcombe |
The village is small, currently about 12 houses, in a hilly area rich in mature trees and reached by a winding lane which runs roughly north-south. The few buildings are widely spaced along the lane, not all are visible from the lane. These are principally:
- the manor house (mid to late 18th century, Grade II* listed, west side of the lane),
- the 13th century church with 17th-century tower (Grade II* listed, west side of the lane)
- a 19th century former vicarage (east side of the lane and east of the church)
- small former school house (built c.1858, closed c. 1879 - south of the church and on the west side of the lane)
- an active farmyard
- several cottages with various outbuildings
The wooded grounds of the manor, the vicarage house and the churchyard constitute most of the village area.
About 1840 there were two farmyards at the north end of the street, one on each side, and a house and a farmyard stood immediately north of the vicarage house. There were then nine cottages in the street, including a terrace of five at the south end. Of the buildings standing c. 1840 only the church, the manor house, a small house apparently of 17th-century origin, and a possibly 19th-century cottage survived in 1998.
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| Tidcombe |
A long barrow, a bowl barrow, and several prehistoric ditches lie on the downland south of Tidcombe village.
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| Tidcombe |
Population
Domesday Book of 1086 recorded nine households at Titicome.
The population of Tidcombe parish in 1801 was 220. Between then and 1881, when it was 238, it was at its lowest, at 204, in 1811 and its highest, at 274, in 1861. It had fallen to 199 by 1891 and, despite the addition of Hippenscombe to the parish, to 190 by 1901. A rise to 251 between 1901 and 1911 and a fall to 197 between 1911 and 1921 cannot be explained. Despite the addition of part of Shalbourne in 1934 the population of Tidcombe and Fosbury parish continued to fall. There were 158 inhabitants in 1951, 97 in 1971. In 1991 the population was 105.
Church of St Michael
The Church of St Michael is a 13th century church with 17th-century tower (Grade II* listed) located on the west side of the lane.
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| Church of St Michael |
- Dedicated to: Michael the Archangel
- Location: Tidcombe and Fosbury, Wiltshire, South West England, England
- Diocese: Anglican Diocese of Salisbury
- Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building (1966–)
- Religion: Anglicanism
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| Church of St Michael - interior |
In 1926 the vicarages of Tidcombe and Fosbury were united. Today the parish forms part of the Savernake team ministry, alongside eleven other rural churches around Burbage.
"Open all day, every day and enabling Christian worship throughout the year, St Michael’s Tidcombe provides a beautiful and historic setting for Christian worship and celebration, as well as a centre of sanctuary, peace and contemplation for all who visit."
Note: Church registers begin in 1639. They are lacking for 1702-30, and registrations of burials are also lacking for 1676-9.
More Photos: Wikimedia: Church of St Michael
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Tidcombe manor house
The manor house at Tidcombe is mid to late 18th century, Grade II* listed, and located on the west side of the lane.
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| Tidcombe manor house (south face) |
- Location: Tidcombe and Fosbury, Wiltshire, South West England, England
- Occupant: George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, wartime commander of the Special Boat Service and long-serving politician in the House of Lords, lived at Tidcombe Manor in later life until his death in 2007
- Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building (1966–)
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| Tidcombe manor house - main entrance |
The manor house was built in the mid 18th century, possibly for John Tanner soon after c. 1767. It is a two-storeyed house of red brick with, on the south, a main front of five bays, of which the central bay is pedimented and incorporates an open-pedimented doorcase. On the ground floor the house originally had four rooms, two on each side of a central staircase hall. In the 1930s a rear service wing was enlarged, the interior of the house was much altered, a garden with rustic walls of flint was made to the west, and a swimming pool house was built in a Moorish style. In the 1960s stables were converted to cottages, in the 1970s a bay was added to the service wing and a coach house was converted to a library, and in 1990 the south forecourt was altered to designs by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe.
Early History
Lords of the manor included William Esturmy of Wulfhall (died 1427; MP and Speaker of the House of Commons) and John Seymour (died 1464, also an MP).
In the late 12th century the manor was held by Henry Hussey. Formerly it may have been held by members of the Beauchamp family, and in 1249 William de Beauchamp of Elmley Castle (Worcs.) confirmed it to Hussey's successor. The overlordship of the manor was held by William's son William, earl of Warwick (d. 1298), and descended with the earldom.
By 1540 the manor of Tidcombe was acquired by Sir John’s son Edward who had gained favour with Henry VIII and elevated to Earl of Hertford. He was executed in 1552 and the manor passed to his son Edward who was a minor.
From 1553 to 1675 the manor descended with Tottenham Lodge in Great Bedwyn successively to William Duke of Somerset and via Sarah his widow until by direction of the Duke of Northumberland, Hugh Percy, it was sold in 1767 to Edward Tanner. It was he who in about 1770 built the Manor house. On his death in 1779 the house and manorial estate passed to his son John. From John Tanner it passed to Sarah his daughter and to her son the Reverend William Churchill. In 1872 he sold the land to Thomas Hayward from whom it passed through his son to Mr J W Hayward who owns Tidcombe Farm of 940 acres and farms a further 2000 acres in 2005.
More Photos: Wikimedia: Tidcombe manor
Early Tidcombe Families
Jellicoe
George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, wartime commander of the Special Boat Service and long-serving politician in the House of Lords, lived at Tidcombe Manor in later life until his death in 2007. Born in 1918, he was the only son but sixth and youngest child of John Henry Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, who was a First World War naval hero, commander at the Battle of Jutland, and Admiral of the Fleet, and his wife Florence Gwendoline Cayzer.
His eldest son, Patrick, succeeds to the title.
Pike
Baptisms, marriages and burials of the Pike/Pyke family first appear in the Tidcombe records in 1632, and continue up until 1839, after which time all members of the Pike/Pyke family appear to have left Tidcombe.
- Robert Pyke of Marton, Wiltshire (1474-1557): It is not clear what Robert's association to Tidcombe is, but in his will he leaves money to the church - "Also I geve towardes the rePARaconnes of Titcombe churche"
- Elizabeth Pyke of Marten, West Bedwyn, Wiltshire (1478-1558) (widow of Robert (above): Again, It is not clear what her association to Tidcombe is, but in her will he leaves money to the church - "I give to the parishe Churche of Tytcombe one busshell of wheate"
- John Pyke of Titcombe (died 1613): In his will John requested he be buried in the parish church (or churchyard) of Titcombe (Church of St Michael), to which he left twelve pence
- James Pike, son of Jeffery, was buried on 18 Jun 1682, at the Church of St Michael, Tidcombe.
- John Pike was buried on 2 Nov 1670 at the Church of St Michael, Tidcombe.
- His son, Robert Pike was also buried there on 1 Feb 1663 (he was only ~20, and predeceased his father, John)
- His son, Francis Pike was also buried there on 6 Sep 1665 (he was only ~18, and predeceased his father, John)
- His son, John Pike was also buried there, on 6 Jul 1685.
- Joseph Pike (c1748-1818): My (Pike-5935) Pike family originated from Tidcombe where my 5xGGrandFather, Joseph Pike, first appears in the Church of St Michael records in 1770 when he married Ann Lovelock.
- Joseph and Ann had 8 children: Elizabeth (1780), Sarah (1781), Winefrid (1784), Isaac (1787), Joseph (1789), Thomas (1794), James (1797) and Leah (1801). All of their children were baptised at the church of St Michael.
- Two of his sons, James and Joseph, along with their wives and children (a combined family of 16 in total) emigrated to Australia in 1840 as free (assisted) settlers. They arrived in South Australia from London on the ship "Fairlie" on July 7 1840. Many of their descendants soon moved on to other states of colonial Australia - Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
- (Pike-5935) I was fortunate enough to visit Tidcombe when travelling through England in 2019. I have uploaded the photos I took (some of which you see on this page) to Tidcombe Photos
Note: The Pike and Whitebread families of Tidcombe became connected when Rachael Pike, grand daughter of Joseph Pike married Shadrach Whitebread, grandson of Charles Whitebread in 1852 in Adelaide, South Australia.
Whitebread
The marriage of Charles Whitebread and Hannah Witts in 1781 at the Church of St Michael, Tidcombe appears to be the first record of the Whitebread family in Tidcombe.
- Charles and Hannah had 8 children: William (1782), Charles (1784), Thomas (1787), Mary (1789), Sarah (1793), Samuel (1795), Hannah (1801) and James (1806). All of their children were baptised at the Church of St Michael, Tidcombe.
- His youngest son, James emigrated to Australia in 1840 on the ship "Lysander" with his wife, Charlotte and five sons, Adolphus, William, Shadrach, Josiah and Alfred, arriving at Port Adelaide, South Australia on 6th Sept 1840.
- Isaac (Whitebread) Whitbread (bef.1810-1840), grandson of Charles Whitebread, son of William Whitebread, also emigrated to Australia in 1840 on the ship "Charles Kerr", with his wife Emma (Amy) and four children, Elizabeth (Mills), Charles, William and Matilda, also his brother-in-law George Mills and his wife Mary Ann with two children.
Other member of the Whitebread family remained in Tidcombe. Baptisms, marriages and burials of the Whitebread family continue to appear in the Tidcombe records up until 1860, after which time the Whitebread family appear to have left Tidcombe.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Tidcombe
- British History Online, Tidcombe
- Tidcombe Conservation Area Statement, March 2005 Kennet District Council, 2005. Describes each building of the village.
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| Tidcombe |
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My 4th-great grandfather Charles Whitebread married Hannah Witts at St Michael in 1781.
edited by Steve Thomas
When I visited the church I found it very moving to sit in the same church my family had been married, baptised or buried in (given it is on the other side of the world for me). It's such a lovely little church, well cared for inside but the yard was very overgrown outside. I couldn't find any family graves, any stones I could see or reach were not readable. There are some more photos I took at Tidcombe Photos Christine
Since I have specifically mentioned your ancestors you may wish to edit/update what I added.
edited by Christine Pike
James Whitebread immigrated with his family on 'Lysander' in 1840. Amongst the sons, the eldest was Adolphus. Leandra Ford descended from this line. My line, is the second son, William. The next son Shadrach married Rachel Pike.