Steeple Genealogical Records
Steeple Birth & Baptism Records
An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Baptism records from people born in and around Steeple between 1540 and 1812. Lists the name of people's parent's, their occupations and abode.
Baptisms records for children living in and around Steeple, detail the names of their parents - their occupations and residence from 1794 to 1812.
Original images of baptism registers, searchable by a name index, covering almost all Dorset parishes.
Transcriptions of baptisms in Dorset covering most Anglican parishes.
Steeple Marriage & Divorce Records
An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Marriage records from people who married at Steeple between 1813 and 1879. Lists an individual's abode, marital status and more.
Marriage records from people who married at Steeple between 1540 and 1812. Lists an individual's abode, marital status, father's name, age and signature
Marriage registers are the primary source for marital documentation before 1837, though are relevant to the present. They typically the record marital status and residence of the bride and groom.
Original images of marriage registers, searchable by a name index, covering almost all Dorset parishes.
Steeple Death & Burial Records
An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Name index linked to original images of the burial registers of Steeple. Records document an individual's date of death and/or burial, age and residence. Some records may contain the names of relations, cause of death and more.
An index of burials recorded at St Michael, Steeple_. The index includes the name of the deceased, the date of burial, age (where available) and occasionally other notes.
Original images of burial registers, searchable by a name index, covering almost all Dorset parishes.
Transcriptions of burials from 234 parishes in Dorset.
Steeple Census & Population Lists
An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.
The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
A full name index, connected to original images of the registers. These records list those who were eligible to vote and may give a description of an individual's property.
A list of freeholders in the county, with their residence, the name of their tenants and the location of their freehold.
Transcriptions of hearth tax records for the county of Dorset.
Newspapers Covering Steeple
A politically independent newspaper, covering the affairs of Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. It includes family notices.
A regional newspaper covering the counties of Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire Hampshire and Berkshire. It covers local and national news, family announcements, business news, legal proceedings and more.
A liberal newspaper covering the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. It includes family notices.
A regional newspaper including news from the Dorset area, family announcements, business notices, advertisements, legal & governmental proceedings and more.
A London newspaper that later became The Sun.
Steeple Wills & Probate Records
Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.
An index to 295,609 wills of people who lived in or were connected to Devon. The wills they reference can contain a great deal of genealogical information.
An index to Gloucestershire wills from Bristol and Gloucester Diocese.
An index linked to original images of wills, administrations and inventories proved in Dorset courts. Documents contain much genealogical information.
An index to estate administrations performed by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The index covers the southern two thirds of England & Wales, but may also contain entries for northerners.
Steeple Immigration & Travel Records
An index linked to original images of documents for vagrants. These records were draw up for poor people who moved to parishes where their presence was unwanted. They contain much genealogical information.
Indentures and other records that recorded the transportation of Dorset men and women to the colonies.
Details of individuals who left Dorset for New England.
A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.
A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.
Steeple Military Records
An index linked to original images of lists men eligible to serve in the militia. Records may include name, residence, occupation, age, height, marital status, disabilities and family details.
A list of Dorset-men who were in the military and registered to vote as absent.
A list of names found on World War One monuments in Dorset, with some service details.
A list of names found on World War Two monuments in Dorset, with some service details.
A searchable list of over 100,000 British Army POWs. Records contains details on the captured, their military career and where they were held prisoner.
Steeple Court & Legal Records
Over 60,000 documents relating to prisoners held at Dorchester Prison. The collection includes admission and discharge books and photographs of the latter prisoners.
Documents relating to the licensing of alehouses. Contains details on the proprietor, establishment and conditions of the licence.
Original images of Dorset parish records. Including: poor rates, overseers, churchwardens, vestry, incumbents' and other records.
The records document Quarter Session judges’ decisions in matters that include settlement inquiries, highway rates, criminal trials, registers of settlement, orders of removal, bastardy examinations, apprenticeships, licensing, contracts, lists of justices, and other matters related to the business of running the county.
Original images of Dorset parish records. Including: poor rates, overseers, churchwardens, vestry, incumbents' and other records.
Steeple Taxation Records
Maps delineating fields in Dorset, which are referenced to documents recording field names, land owners, occupiers, land use and land size.
Digital images of 18th and 19th century records that record landowners and their tenants. The taxable value of the land is given, and sometimes a description of the property. These records can be searched by names and place indices.
Transcriptions of hearth tax records for the county of Dorset.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
Steeple Land & Property Records
A full name index, connected to original images of the registers. These records list those who were eligible to vote and may give a description of an individual's property.
Maps delineating fields in Dorset, which are referenced to documents recording field names, land owners, occupiers, land use and land size.
Digital images of 18th and 19th century records that record landowners and their tenants. The taxable value of the land is given, and sometimes a description of the property. These records can be searched by names and place indices.
A list of freeholders in the county, with their residence, the name of their tenants and the location of their freehold.
A list of Dorset-men who were in the military and registered to vote as absent.
Steeple Directories & Gazetteers
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
An exhaustive gazetteer, containing details of settlement's history, governance, churches, postal services, public institutions and more. Also contains lists of residents with their occupation and address.
Steeple Cemeteries
An index to vital details engraved on gravestones and other monuments across the county of Dorset.
An index to inscriptions found on 56,608 gravestones and monuments in Dorset. The index includes details of relationships.
An index to inscriptions found on over 11,500 gravestones in Dorset. The index includes details of relationships.
Photographs and descriptions of Dorset' most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.
Steeple Obituaries
The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.
A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.
A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.
This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.
A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.
Steeple Histories & Books
Selected issues of a periodical which contains many historical and genealogical tracts relating to the counties of Somerset and Dorset.
A history of Catholicism in South West England with biographies of noted Catholics. Contains details of the Dominican, Benedictine, and Franciscan orders.
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Photographs and images of churches in Dorset.
Short profiles of Dorsetshire churches, containing photographs and bibliographies.
Steeple School & Education Records
A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.
A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.
A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.
Steeple Occupation & Business Records
A collection of nearly 60,000 documents including crew lists, ship agreements and log books for Dorset. Records may contain information of a sailors birth, life, duties and discipline.
Abstracts of apprenticeship indentures initiated by parishes in Dorset. These records provide details on parents' names and occupations.
Over 3,300 documents relating to bounties offered to farmers by the government to grow hemp & flax.
An article describing the life of labourers in Dorset in the 19th century. Includes details on hiring practices and poverty.
An introduction to smuggling in Dorset & Hampshire.
Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Steeple
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Steeple Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Photographs and descriptions of Dorset' most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
Over 600 pedigrees for English and Welsh families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.
Steeple Church Records
The primary source of documentation for baptisms, marriages and burials before 1837, though extremely useful to the present. Their records can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.
Prior to civil registration in 1837, the parish registers of Steeple are the most common place to turn for details on births, marriages and deaths.
Original images of Dorset parish records. Including: poor rates, overseers, churchwardens, vestry, incumbents' and other records.
Abstracts of apprenticeship indentures initiated by parishes in Dorset. These records provide details on parents' names and occupations.
Original images of parish registers, searchable by a name index, covering almost all Dorset parishes.
Biographical Directories Covering Steeple
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.
A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.
Steeple Maps
Maps delineating fields in Dorset, which are referenced to documents recording field names, land owners, occupiers, land use and land size.
A collection of digitalised maps covering the county.
Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.
Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
Steeple Reference Works
A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.
Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.
A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.
A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.
A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.
Civil & Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Historical Description
STEEPLE is a parish in the Isle of Purbeck, 3 ½ miles west-by-south from Corfe Castle station on the Swanage branch of the London and South-Western railway and 5 south from Wareham, in the Eastern division of the county, petty sessional division and county court district of Wareham, hundred of Hasilor, union of Wareham and Purbeck, rural deanery of Dorchester (Purbeck portion), archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. The church of St. Michael, situated near the centre of the parish, is an edifice of stone, mostly in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch, and small north aisle near the east end of the nave, belonging to Creech Grange, formerly the burial place of the Lawrences, and another small south chancel aisle, belonging to the Blackmanstone farm, now used as a vestry, and a tower containing 3 bells: the south doorway is Norman: there is a memorial window to the Rev. Nathaniel Bond and his wife and to the late G. H. Bond esq. M.P. for East Dorset: there are 120 sittings. The register dates from the year 1548: the entries of the Bond family can be traced to the reign of Edward VI. The living is a rectory, annexed to that of Tyneham, average tithe rent-charge £322, joint gross yearly value £435, net £180, with residence and 25 acres of glebe, 5 of which are in Steeple, in the gift of Nathaniel Bond esq. and held since 1889 by the Rev. Christopher Wordsworth M.A. formerly fellow of St. Peter’s College, Cambridge, prebendary of Lincoln and also rector of East Holme, who resides at Tyneham. The Rev. William Davy Filliter M.A. of Exeter College, Oxford, has been curate in charge of Steeple, Grange and East Holme since 1893. Creech Grange, the seat of Nathaniel Bond esq. D.L., J.P. is in the Early Tudor style, partly rebuilt on the site and in the style of the old mansion, the two principal gables being surmounted by lions sejant bezante, the old crest of Bond, and a similar lion over the front door holds a shield with the arms of Bond: the south front was added during the reign of William III. whose bust is over the south doorway: the mansion is most delightfully situated at the foot of the chalk downs and the grounds are well-wooded, and exceedingly picturesque. There is a chapel of ease (St. John the Evangelist) in the grounds of Creech Grange, erected in 1746, but not used till 1840 and it was consecrated in 1859; it was built from the ruins of Holme Priory in the adjoining parish, and contains a very beautiful Norman chancel arch, which was removed entire; the rest is of modern construction (1844): the chancel has a fine oak reredos and stained window. Creech Barrow, a lofty conical hill of the tertiary formation, is in the immediate vicinity. This parish is principally the property of N. Bond esq. lord of the manor, and Col. Pleydell-Mansel, of Smedmore, Kimmeridge. The soil on the south side of the hill which divides the parish is strong clay, on the north side it is gravelly subsoil, with a slight heather upper soil. The crops are principally grass, with some corn. The area is 3,362 acres; rateable value, £1,553; the population in 1891 was 314. The parish extends to the sea cliffs, and comprises 7 geological formations.
West Creech is a hamlet, 1 mile north-west.
National School (mixed), built in 1840, for 70 children; average attendance, 70.
Most Common Surnames in Steeple
| Rank | Surname | Incidence | Frequency | Percent of Parent | Rank in Hasilor Hundred |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooper | 22 | 1:13 | 7.69% | 128 |
| 2 | Taylor | 19 | 1:16 | 2.66% | 15 |
| 3 | Hooper | 17 | 1:17 | 7.00% | 163 |
| 4 | Holland | 13 | 1:23 | 8.90% | 284 |
| 4 | Stickland | 13 | 1:23 | 2.47% | 40 |
| 6 | Legg | 12 | 1:25 | 1.09% | 5 |
| 7 | Horlock | 11 | 1:27 | 11.00% | 422 |
| 8 | House | 10 | 1:30 | 1.75% | 33 |
| 9 | Kingston | 8 | 1:37 | 57.14% | 1,745 |
| 9 | Dorey | 8 | 1:37 | 4.55% | 236 |
| 9 | Cure | 8 | 1:37 | 25.81% | 1,064 |
| 12 | Biles | 7 | 1:42 | 3.78% | 224 |
| 13 | Smith | 6 | 1:49 | 0.39% | 2 |
| 13 | Brown | 6 | 1:49 | 0.40% | 3 |
| 13 | Masters | 6 | 1:49 | 2.39% | 153 |
| 13 | Selby | 6 | 1:49 | 4.11% | 284 |
| 13 | Elmes | 6 | 1:49 | 10.00% | 649 |
| 13 | Poore | 6 | 1:49 | 5.83% | 410 |
| 13 | Beat | 6 | 1:49 | 100.00% | 3,092 |
| 13 | Balston | 6 | 1:49 | 46.15% | 1,847 |
| 21 | Whittle | 5 | 1:59 | 1.55% | 108 |
| 21 | Bungay | 5 | 1:59 | 17.24% | 1,118 |
| 21 | Peverall | 5 | 1:59 | 100.00% | 3,470 |
| 24 | Barnes | 4 | 1:74 | 0.58% | 18 |
| 24 | Bartlett | 4 | 1:74 | 0.32% | 4 |
| 24 | Mead | 4 | 1:74 | 3.33% | 344 |
| 24 | Sansom | 4 | 1:74 | 1.15% | 95 |
| 24 | Stockley | 4 | 1:74 | 1.87% | 192 |
| 24 | Hibbs | 4 | 1:74 | 2.03% | 205 |
| 24 | Vallens | 4 | 1:74 | 19.05% | 1,363 |
| 31 | Slade | 3 | 1:98 | 0.90% | 105 |
| 31 | Orchard | 3 | 1:98 | 1.30% | 173 |
| 31 | Fooks | 3 | 1:98 | 1.64% | 230 |
| 31 | Damen | 3 | 1:98 | 2.78% | 390 |
| 35 | Grant | 2 | 1:148 | 0.88% | 177 |
| 35 | Long | 2 | 1:148 | 0.72% | 135 |
| 35 | Bond | 2 | 1:148 | 3.13% | 615 |
| 35 | Randall | 2 | 1:148 | 0.56% | 89 |
| 35 | Tyler | 2 | 1:148 | 18.18% | 2,038 |
| 35 | Bower | 2 | 1:148 | 0.77% | 148 |
| 35 | Tuck | 2 | 1:148 | 0.98% | 201 |
| 35 | Seaman | 2 | 1:148 | 8.70% | 1,283 |
| 35 | Langdon | 2 | 1:148 | 11.11% | 1,491 |
| 35 | Knapp | 2 | 1:148 | 11.11% | 1,491 |
| 35 | Heal | 2 | 1:148 | 18.18% | 2,038 |
| 35 | Studley | 2 | 1:148 | 2.74% | 560 |
| 35 | Farwell | 2 | 1:148 | 1.35% | 278 |
| 35 | Skiller | 2 | 1:148 | 18.18% | 2,038 |
| 49 | Harris | 1 | 1:295 | 0.12% | 10 |
| 49 | Miller | 1 | 1:295 | 0.12% | 8 |
| 49 | Lucas | 1 | 1:295 | 0.32% | 114 |
| 49 | Hood | 1 | 1:295 | 1.41% | 575 |
| 49 | Thorne | 1 | 1:295 | 0.23% | 57 |
| 49 | Philips | 1 | 1:295 | 2.44% | 882 |
| 49 | Bennet | 1 | 1:295 | 5.88% | 1,539 |
| 49 | Churchill | 1 | 1:295 | 0.20% | 48 |
| 49 | Wilmot | 1 | 1:295 | 7.14% | 1,745 |
| 49 | Stiles | 1 | 1:295 | 25.00% | 3,917 |
| 49 | Lawes | 1 | 1:295 | 5.88% | 1,539 |
| 49 | Dominy | 1 | 1:295 | 1.96% | 755 |
| 49 | Falls | 1 | 1:295 | 14.29% | 2,754 |
| 49 | Linnington | 1 | 1:295 | 3.23% | 1,064 |
| 49 | Kail | 1 | 1:295 | 1.89% | 727 |
| 49 | Strangeman | 1 | 1:295 | 33.33% | 4,444 |