The Parish Registers Of Horsington Somerset 1558-1836

Unlock the Secrets of Your Somerset Ancestors: The Parish Registers of Horsington (1558-1836)

Step back in time to the rolling hills and quiet hamlets of Somerset, where the lives of your ancestors were etched into the annals of history.

This meticulously transcribed and indexed collection of The Parish Registers of Horsington, Somerset (1558-1836) is your key to unlocking over 275 years of family history. Spanning from the dawn of the Elizabethan era to the reign of the young Queen Victoria, these records are the very heartbeat of a community, chronicling the moments that defined generations: baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Within these pages, you won't just find names and dates. You'll find the story of your family. Discover the generations who toiled the land, survived the turmoil of the English Civil War, and witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Break down your "brick walls" and trace your lineage back to a time when Horsington was a world unto itself.

What You'll Discover Inside:

Baptisms (1558-1836): Find the names of your newly discovered ancestors, often with the names of their parents, opening a door to the previous generation.
Marriages (1558-1836): Unite family lines as you discover the vows of your forebears. Find names of brides and grooms, witnesses, and sometimes even the parish of origin.
Burials (1558-1836): Piece together the end of life's journey, marking the passing of loved ones and providing crucial links in your family chain.
Beyond the Names: The Myths & Legends of Horsington

The registers of Horsington do more than record facts; they are set against a backdrop of local lore and mystery. As you search for your ancestors, imagine the stories they told and the legends that shaped their world.

The Legend of the Silent Bell of St. John's
Local whispers tell of a great tenor bell, cast in the 16th century for the Church of St. John the Baptist. During the tumult of the Civil War, it was said that Parliamentarian soldiers planned to melt it down for cannon. In a desperate act of preservation, the villagers hid the bell in a deep pond on the edge of the parish, where it remains to this day. The legend says that on the night a prominent member of an old Horsington family dies, a faint, ghostly chime can be heard rising from the water's surface, a toll from the depths for a soul departing the earth. Could your ancestor's name be linked to one of the families who guard this secret?

The Whispering Woods and the Green Man
Surrounding the village are ancient woodlands, steeped in pagan folklore. For centuries, locals have spoken of the "Green Man of Horsington," a spirit of the forest depicted in a forgotten carving high in the church's nave. He was said to be a protector of the village, but a mischievous one. Farmers would leave a small offering of the last sheaf of wheat at the edge of the woods to ensure a bountiful harvest, lest their livestock be led astray by spectral lights. Look for the occupations of your ancestors in the registers—were they farmers, woodsmen, or perhaps even the parish clerk who quietly recorded these old traditions?

The Smuggler's Code of the Vane Family
Horsington, though inland, lay on a well-trodden track for smugglers bringing contraband from the south coast up towards Bath and Bristol. The most notorious was said to be the Vane family, who operated under the guise of respectable farmers. Legend holds that they used a secret code in the parish registers to signal a successful run. When a marriage was recorded for a Vane, the entry would sometimes include the unusual phrase, "bound by more than vows." This was the signal for contacts in the next village that a hidden cellar behind the old alehouse was stocked with brandy and lace. As you search the marriage entries, keep an eye out for this phrase—your ancestor might not have been a Vane, but they could have been the parson who, for a price, penned the fateful words.

Product Details:

Complete Transcription: Every entry from the original registers for baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1558 to 1836.

Fully Searchable Digital Index: Instantly search by surname, forename, or event to find your relatives in seconds.
Historical Introduction: Provides context about Horsington, its church, and the landscape your ancestors knew.
High-Quality Scans: Includes images of particularly interesting or difficult-to-read original pages for verification.
Format: Available as a convenient PDF download or on a professionally produced CD-ROM.
Don't let your ancestors' stories remain forgotten in the dust of an archive. Order your copy of The Parish Registers of Horsington today and begin a journey into the heart of your family's past. Uncover the names, trace the stories, and walk in the footsteps of your Somerset heritage.