Chickerell

Chickerell Church dedicated to St Mary © Keith Searson 2010	Chickerell is a small town and parish 1 mile north-west of Weymouth and 5 miles south-east from Abbotsbury. The population now is well over 5000, having expanded from a large village in the 1800s (population 660 in 1861). The parish of Chickerell has to the west the Fleet lagoon, Moonfleet and Langton Herring. To the north-west is Portesham, to the east Weymouth, and to the south the Isle of Portland. Chesil Beach runs alongside to the west of the village which is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A major attraction in Chickerell is Bennetts Water Gardens which is situated next to Chickerell Downs, a Woodland Trust wood
The Parish was previously referred to as West Chickerell and was in the hundred of Culliford Tree. Within the parish are the hamlets of East Chickerell and Putton or Padington. The tythings of East Chickerell and Putton were at times included in the Liberty of Sutton Poyntz. In past times there was an extensive trade in mackerel which were caught on Portland Beach, West Bay. Brickmaking was also formerly an important local industry. The church, dedicated to St Mary is an ancient structure formerly belonging to the Abbey of Bindon. There is evidence of Celtic Christianity in this area for centuries before the existence of the present church, which dates from about 1260, and probably replaced an earlier wooden Saxon structure on the site. The registers date from 1699 (but see note below) and the churchwardens' account and minute books date from 1729. There were also Congregational and Methodist chapels within the parish.	Chickerell Church Yard © Keith Searson 2010
The post of Online Parish Clerk (OPC) is currently vacant If you would like to volunteer for the role, please contact the OPC Project Co-ordinator Contributions of additional resource materials for the site are always welcome
Census	1841 Census [Pearl Blanking] 1851 Census [John Ridout] 1871 Census [Christel Muncaster]
Parish Registers	Baptisms 1732-1879 [Terry Pine], 1880-1906 [Keith Searson] Marriages 1723-1812 & 1814-1847 [Royston Clarke & Terry Pine] Burials 1732-1879 [Terry Pine] Notes on Chickerell Parish Registers
Trade & Postal Directories	Name extracts from Directories 1844 & 1851 [Debby Rose]
Other Records
Photographs
Monumental Inscriptions	Monumental Inscriptions [Keith Searson]
Maps
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Records held at the Dorset History Centre [Ref PE-CHI]	Registers Christenings 1699-1930. Marriages 1960-2006. Burials 1723-1891. Banns 1823-1990
Registration District (for the purpose of civil registration births, marriages & deaths)	1 Jul 1837-31 Mar 1997: Weymouth 1 Apr 1997-30 Sep 2001: South Dorset 1 Oct 2001-17 Oct 2005: South & West Dorset

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