The Parish of Sixpenny Handley

Photographs Courtesy of Anne Preston ©	Handley from the Anglo Saxon chronicle Hanlee 877 Hanlege D.B. meaning High wood clearing OE {hean+leah]. Sixpenny OE Sexpene {hill of the Saxons {Seaxe+celtic Penn}.* Handley a large village in the Hundred of its name, is 4 miles from the Wiltshire border, 5 miles NW Cranborne 10 miles NE Blandford. The rectory is a perpetual curacy. Church of St Mary is of mainly Gothic architecture with an embattled square tower and a sturdy porch built in stone and of brick interior. It has a splendid wooden beamed roof, the font is of Early English 12^th c with straight supports on each corner, the belfry contains 3 bells. It has been much added to in later years. Two Wesleyan chapels were here and a National School was erected 1851. Many donated sums of money to the homeless totalling approx £1000 at that time.
Handley has the Hamlet of Woodcutts, Newton, Deanland and Minchington with the Chapelry of Gussage St Andrew 3 miles SW now annexed from Handley. Sixpenny-Handley were anciently two separate Hundreds, revenues each year make Sixpenny the more important. It belonged with the chapel of St Andrew to the Abbess of Shaftesbury. About 1332 Sixpenny disappears from the records. It reappears in the 16^th c added to Handley. After the Reformation it was sold to the Glyn family. The Ley family known as ALYE have a memorial plate in the church dating from 1625. Handley is one long street with the church at the top. Worbarrow Hill is famed for its celtic treasure here and can be seen in Farnham Museum.
Sheep farming was the main occupation but other trades were well covered. The population in 1861 was 1,203. Area covering 5,928 acres. A fire in the village in the 19^th c made over 200 people homeless
The Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for Sixpenny Handley is Anne Preston Please note that Anne is temporarily unable to deal with any enquiries Please put in the subject line the Surname of person sought.
Census	1841 & 1851 Census now on-line
Parish Registers	Registers begin Baptisms 1731-1779 Marriages 1742-1836 Burials 1731-1780 Banns 1754-1976 Bishop's Transcripts date from 1731
Rectors	Rectors List from 1304+
Militia	Militia Roll 1757—1799
Poll Books	Dorset Poll 1807
Owners of land	Owners of Land copy
Maps	The 1891 ordinance survey maps of the parish can be seen at the old-maps site, just enter 'Handley' under place search.
	For modern location maps visit:- www.multimap.com and enter 'Handley' or click on the thumb nail opposite for a 1920's map of the area.

	Above. the entrance to the parish church with the war memorial © Anne Preston Left. Chapel of St Andrew, courtesy of Peter Walker ©