Teffont Evias
Encyclopedia
Teffont Evias, also Teffont Ewyas, past alternative spellings including Tevont Evias, is a small village
and former civil parish in the south of Wiltshire
, England
. The present buildings are mostly of local stone, and several are thatched. With their immediate environs they are protected as a site of special building restraint.
The civil parish came to an end in 1934 and was combined with neighbouring Teffont Magna
to form a united Teffont.
and eight miles (13 km) from the cathedral
city of Salisbury
, in the valley of the River Nadder
.
Position:
and its adjoining church date largely from the 15th century, with significant embellishments and extensions in the 19th century. The Old Rectory, built in 1842, was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott
.
, and flows some 2.5km south to its debouchment into the River Nadder
. Early Saxon remains have not been found to the west of the stream, and the original boundary may have separated the Romano-British from the Anglo-Saxons. The "Ewyas" element derives from Ewyas Harold
, the main seat of Teffont's lord at the time of Domesday Book
. From Saxon times the village has been generally on the valley bottom along the course of the stream; remains of Roman settlement have been found on higher ground.
The ancient parish of Teffont Evias formed part of the Dunworth hundred of Wiltshire.
According to Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
(1870-1872):
In the 13th century, the Teffont Evias quarries
, at the southern end of the former parish, were the source of much of the freestone used in the building of Salisbury Cathedral
.
The Church of England
parish church
is called St Michael's The chancel
contains a notable monument in the form of three horizontal male figures, who are 16th century members of the Ley family
, which owned the manor of Teffont Evias from 1545 until 1692. The church's parish register
s survive in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
for the following dates: Christenings
1684–1991, Marriage
s 1701–1994, burials
1683–1991.
Sir Walter Raleigh
mentions the church of "Tevont Evias" in his Discoverie of Guiana (1596), in connexion with the Ley family.
Since 1692, the estate of Teffont Evias has descended in the same local family; the last of the Maynes was Emily, whose marriage to William Andrew Salius Fane de Salis was childless. On her death in 1896 she left the estate to her Keatinge nephews. Until 1957 the advowson
of the benefice
of Teffont Evias was shared by M. W. and G. F. Keatinge and the patrons of the church of Dinton; it was then transferred to the Bishop of Salisbury
.
In 1914, the parish's rector, the Reverend Sir Douglas Edward Scott, 7th Baronet Scott of Great Barr
, was declared bankrupt and his rectorship terminated. Four years later, he was convicted of bigamy, and imprisoned.
unitary authority
, which is responsible for almost all significant local government functions. It forms part of the Salisbury parliamentary constituency
, and the serving Member of Parliament
is John Glen.
and is available online. A social history of the village was published in 2003, entitled "The Bounding Spring" (Audrey McBain and Lynette Nelson. ISBN 1-904377-26-2. Black Horse Press, 2003.)
http://www.teffont.org.uk The Teffont Archaeology Project
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and former civil parish in the south of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The present buildings are mostly of local stone, and several are thatched. With their immediate environs they are protected as a site of special building restraint.
The civil parish came to an end in 1934 and was combined with neighbouring Teffont Magna
Teffont Magna
Teffont Magna, also sometimes called Upper Teffont, is a small village in the south of Wiltshire, England.For most of its history Teffont Magna was a chapelry of neighbouring Dinton, and in 1934 it was combined with the village of Teffont Evias, just to the south, to form a united...
to form a united Teffont.
Location
Teffont Evias lies six miles (10 km) south-west of WiltonWilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
and eight miles (13 km) from the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
city of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, in the valley of the River Nadder
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
.
Position:
Buildings
These are in irregular clumps giving views of the woods and fields. The houses include worker's cottages in vernacular styles, some with carved dates in the 1600s. A few other more substantial dwellings show later work, mostly from the 19th century. The manor houseManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and its adjoining church date largely from the 15th century, with significant embellishments and extensions in the 19th century. The Old Rectory, built in 1842, was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
.
History
The name derives from "Tef", an old Germanic word meaning a boundary, and the Late Latin word "fontana", meaning a spring of water. The perennial stream rises at Spring Head at the north end of Teffont MagnaTeffont Magna
Teffont Magna, also sometimes called Upper Teffont, is a small village in the south of Wiltshire, England.For most of its history Teffont Magna was a chapelry of neighbouring Dinton, and in 1934 it was combined with the village of Teffont Evias, just to the south, to form a united...
, and flows some 2.5km south to its debouchment into the River Nadder
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
. Early Saxon remains have not been found to the west of the stream, and the original boundary may have separated the Romano-British from the Anglo-Saxons. The "Ewyas" element derives from Ewyas Harold
Ewyas Harold
Ewyas Harold is a village and civil parish in the Golden Valley in Herefordshire, England, near to the Welsh border with present day Monmouthshire and about half way between the towns of Abergavenny and Hereford. It lies on the Dulas brook, and is contiguous with the neighbouring village of...
, the main seat of Teffont's lord at the time of Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. From Saxon times the village has been generally on the valley bottom along the course of the stream; remains of Roman settlement have been found on higher ground.
The ancient parish of Teffont Evias formed part of the Dunworth hundred of Wiltshire.
According to Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales is a substantial topographical dictionary first published between 1870 and 1872, edited by the Reverend John Marius Wilson. It contains a detailed description of England and Wales...
(1870-1872):
In the 13th century, the Teffont Evias quarries
Teffont Evias Quarry / Lane Cutting
Teffont Evias Quarry / Lane Cutting is a 3.6 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Teffont Evias in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1989. It consists of two parts, Teffont Evias Quarry , and Teffont Evias Lane Cutting .-Source:...
, at the southern end of the former parish, were the source of much of the freestone used in the building of Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
.
The Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
is called St Michael's The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
contains a notable monument in the form of three horizontal male figures, who are 16th century members of the Ley family
Earl of Marlborough
Earl of Marlborough is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came on 5 February 1626 in favour of James Ley, 1st Baron Ley, Lord Chief Justice and Lord High Treasurer...
, which owned the manor of Teffont Evias from 1545 until 1692. The church's parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s survive in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre is a building in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, which serves as a focal point for heritage services relating to Wiltshire and Swindon. It is funded by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council...
for the following dates: Christenings
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
1684–1991, Marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
s 1701–1994, burials
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
1683–1991.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
mentions the church of "Tevont Evias" in his Discoverie of Guiana (1596), in connexion with the Ley family.
Since 1692, the estate of Teffont Evias has descended in the same local family; the last of the Maynes was Emily, whose marriage to William Andrew Salius Fane de Salis was childless. On her death in 1896 she left the estate to her Keatinge nephews. Until 1957 the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Teffont Evias was shared by M. W. and G. F. Keatinge and the patrons of the church of Dinton; it was then transferred to the Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
.
In 1914, the parish's rector, the Reverend Sir Douglas Edward Scott, 7th Baronet Scott of Great Barr
Scott Baronets of Great Barr
The Scott Baronetcy, of Great Barr in the County of Stafford, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 30 April 1806 for Joseph Scott of Great Barr Hall, Member of Parliament for Worcester....
, was declared bankrupt and his rectorship terminated. Four years later, he was convicted of bigamy, and imprisoned.
Governance
The village of Teffont Evias is now part of the parish of Teffont, which has a parish council and is in the area of the Wiltshire CouncilWiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
, which is responsible for almost all significant local government functions. It forms part of the Salisbury parliamentary constituency
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
, and the serving Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is John Glen.
Notable people
- James Ley, 1st Earl of MarlboroughJames Ley, 1st Earl of MarlboroughJames Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland and then in England; he was an English Member of Parliament and was Lord High Treasurer from 1624 to 1628. On 31 December 1624, James I created him Baron Ley, of Ley in the County of Devon, and on 5 February...
, born at Teffont Evias ca. 1552. - Henry Ley, 2nd Earl of MarlboroughHenry Ley, 2nd Earl of MarlboroughHenry Ley, 2nd Earl of Marlborough was an English peer and Member of Parliament.Ley was knighted in 1611 by James I. He represented Devizes from 1620 to 1622 and in 1626, and was knight of the shire for Wiltshire in 1625. In 1628, he entered the House of Lords by a writ of acceleration as Baron Ley...
, born in the Manor of Teffont Evias 1595. - William Andrew Salius Fane de Salis, married the heiress of the Mayne family and made Teffont Evias his country seatFamily seatA seat or family seat is the principal residence of a family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families took their dynasty name from their family seat , or named their family seat after their own dynasty...
. - Sir Edgar KeatingeEdgar KeatingeMajor Sir Edgar Mayne Keatinge CBE was an English farmer, soldier and Conservative Party politician. He is best known for having served as the Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds from 1944 to 1945, after a high-profile by-election. He disliked the name Edgar and preferred to introduce...
(died 1998), a former politician who owned and farmed the remainder of the estate. - Paffard Keatinge-ClayPaffard Keatinge-ClayPaffard Keatinge-Clay is an English-born architect in the modernist tradition who spent most of his professional life in the United States of America, before moving to southern Spain, where he has increasingly focussed on sculpture....
, architect and sculptor.
Further reading
A detailed history of the parish was published in 1987 by the Wiltshire Victoria County HistoryWiltshire Victoria County History
The Wiltshire Victoria County History is an encyclopaedic history of the county of Wiltshire in England. It forms part of the overall Victoria County History of England founded in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria...
and is available online. A social history of the village was published in 2003, entitled "The Bounding Spring" (Audrey McBain and Lynette Nelson. ISBN 1-904377-26-2. Black Horse Press, 2003.)
External links
http://www.teffont.com the village websitehttp://www.teffont.org.uk The Teffont Archaeology Project