Dear Jan,

There is not a great deal of information on Eisey and it has not yet been covered by the Victoria History of Wiltshire. It was a separate parish which included Water Eaton after that village's church had disappeared long ago. It has been a part of Latton civil parish since the 1890s and a part of Latton ecclesiastical parish since before 1951 - probably from 1947/8.

The population in 1831 was 167 and in 1841 it was 188 - this was for the whole of the parish including Water Eaton. Eisey village was never very large and I don't think that the canal would have made much difference. In 1891, the last census before Eisey was added to Latton, the population had decreased to 128.

The church of St. Mary was a small building of stone in the Perpendicular style. It had a chancel, nave, south porch and a small turret on the western gable with just one bell. This would seem to indicate that there was never many people or much wealth in the parish. There were seats for 100 people. What I cannot find out is when and why the church was demolished. The registers, which date from 1571, end in 1947 and so it would seem that the church was redundant from that year although burials of local people would still have taken place. The large scale Ordnance survey map of 1960 has no church marked and so it would seem to have gone between 1947 and 1960. I have tried to contact the churchwarden and secretary of Latton church and the Victoria History of Wiltshire who I believe are researching this area at the moment but all seem to be away at present. When I can get an answer I will let you know.

Michael Marshman
County Local Studies Librarian
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire, BA14 8BS England