When searching for Ockley ancestors in parish records, bear in mind that several ecclesiastical parishes extend into the village and environs of Ockley. Records of some former Ockley residents may therefore be found in the parish registers of Wotton, Okewood, Abinger and Capel rather than in those for Ockley itself. It is also worth remembering that Ockley is only 1-2 miles away from the Sussex border and, since people often moved around in search of work, records of Ockley families (particularly baptisms) sometimes appear in the Sussex parishes of Warnham and Rudgwick.
All original Ockley parish registers and parish chest documents (such as Poor Law books, Overseers Records etc) are held in the County Record Office: The Surrey History Centre, 130 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 1ND Tel: 01483 594594 e-mail: shs@surreycc.gov.uk / Website: shs.surreycc.gov.uk
However a considerable amount of material which can help the family history researcher is held locally in our Parish Archives. This includes:
MEMORIAL INSCRIPTIONS AND LOCATIONS St Margaret’s Ockley Inscriptions date from 1661. The churchyard was closed for burials in the early 1900s.
St John the Baptist, Okewood The earliest inscription is 1757 but most date from the 1870s. The churchyard is still open for interments.
CENSUSES Copies of the census for Ockley and surrounding area for 1881 and 1891
We also have an index of names on the 1851 census.
PARISH MAGAZINES We have a large collection of old Parish magazines with particularly good coverage of the: · late Victorian period (1886-1901); · 1920-30s; · 1950s onwards.
OTHER INFORMATION · Some details from Manorial records and Land Tax assessments · Old maps · Old photographs · Local knowledge of people, properties and history.
The Parish Archives team are happy to search through these records to try to answer queries. Contact: Briony Thomas Email : elmersfarm@aol.com
or c/o The Parish Office, Ockley Rectory, Stane Street, Ockley, Dorking Surrey RH5 5SY
