About Dr Campbell's Index

Mr. James Skeggs, Somerset Record Office writes:

"Readers will be sorry to learn of the death of Dr. Neville Campbell of Coombe St. Nicholas, Somerset. Dr. Campbell had an interesting career, encompassing time as a houseman at York, war service in Italy with the 4th Indian Division, and 20 years as a doctor in Sierra Leone. Family historians will remember him for his abiding interest in Somerset surnames. Indeed, his memorial will be the famous Dr. Campbell's Index at Somerset Record Office, at Taunton: an estimated 1,000,000 names painstakingly prepared from parish registers and covering baptisms and weddings for the period 1538-1900. He had completed his analysis of 153 of the 482 Somerset parishes and, coupled with this complex and absorbing task, had produced transcripts of many of the registers, supplementing the information with detail from the surviviing Bishops' Transcripts. He pieced together information from documents almost illegible due to the ravages of time. Until recently, Dr. Campbell had been attempting to identify two whole boxes of fragments of Bishops' Transcripts. He succeeded in many cases by a cunning combination of handwriting comparisons and knowledge of the subject, utilising his phenomenal memory of surnames. This resulted in a listing of early churchwardens and parish priests not included in any existing index -- another achievement. This kind, generous and warm-hearted gentleman will be remembered for a long time."

Dr C's is a double sided card index. Years only are given, but baptisms are arranged into family groups in each parish. From the Somerset Record Office parish list I calculated that the index covered 147 parishes (although of course I may be wrong). These 147 parishes are listed below, with a * in columns M(arriage) or B(aptism) indicating at least one WENSLEY event recorded in that parish.

 M  B Parish
 ================
      Aller
      Angersleigh
      Ash Priors
 *  * Ashbrittle
      Ashill
      Barrington
 *    Bathealton
      Beercrocombe
      Bickenhall
    * Bicknoller
 *  * Bishops Hull
      Bishops Lydeard
    * Bradford on Tone
      Broadway
 *  * Brompton Ralph
 *  * Brompton Regis
      Broomfield
 *  * Brushford
      Buckland St Mary
 *    Carhampton
      Chaffcombe
      Chard
      Cheddon Fitzpaine
      Chillington
 *  * Chipstable
      Churchstanton
 *  * Clatworthy
      Combe Florey
      Combe St Nicholas
      Corfe
      Cothelstone
    * Crewkerne
      Cricket Malherbie
      Cricket St Thomas
      Crowcombe
      Cudworth
      Culbone
      Curland
      Curry Mallet
      Curry Rivel
 *    Cutcombe
      Dinnington
      Donyatt
      Dowlish Wake
      Drayton
 *  * Dulverton
    * Dunster
      East Lambrook
 *  * Elworthy
      Exford
      Exmoor
 *  * Exton
      Fitzhead
      Fivehead
      Halse
      Hambridge
      Hatch Beauchamp
 *    Hawkridge
      Heathfield
    * Hillfarrance
      Hinton St George
 *  * Huish Champflower
      Huish Episcopi
      Ilminster
      Ilton
      Isle Abbots
      Isle Brewers
      Kingsbury Episcopi
 *    Kingston St Mary
      Kingstone
    * Kittisford
      Knowle St Giles
 *  * Langford Budville
      Langport
 *  * Leighland
      Long Load
      Long Sutton
      Lopen
      Luccombe
      Luxborough
 *  * Lydeard St Lawrence
      Martock
      Merriot
 *  * Milverton
      Misterton
 *  * Monksilver
      Muchelney
      Nettlecombe
 *    Norton Fitzwarren
      Nynehead
      Oake
      Oare
 *  * Old Cleeve
      Orchard Portman
      Otterford
      Pitminster
      Porlock
      Puckington
      Raddington
      Ruishton
      Runnington
    * Sampford Arundel
 *    Sampford Brett
      Seavington St Mary
      Seavington St Michae
      Selworthy
      Shepton Beauchamp
    * Skilgate
      South Petherton
    * St Decumans
      Staple Fitzpaine
      Staplegrove
      Stawley
      Stocklinch Magdalen
      Stocklinch Ottersay
 *  * Stogumber
      Stoke Pero
      Stoke St Mary
      Swell
      Tatworth
      Thorne St Margaret
      Thornfalcon
      Thurlbear
      Thurloxton
      Timberscombe
      Tolland
      Treborough
      Trull
    * Upton
      Wansbrook
      Wayford
      West Bagborough
 *  * West Buckland
      West Hatch
 *    West Monkton
 *    West Quantoxhead
      Whitelackington
      Whitestaunton
      Williton
      Wilton
 *  * Winsford
 *  * Winsham
 *    Withiel Florey
      Withycombe
      Withypool
 *  * Wiveliscombe
 *  * Wootton Courteney