Records have been kept in the Priory Church of St Mary and St John the Baptist from 1659 (baptisms), and 1661 (marriages and burials), although there is a seventeen year gap in burials in the mid-eighteenth century, and some marriages during the nineteenth century were entered in the parish registers of Monk Sherborne. The earliest Rampton record is of the marriage of Fraunce RAMPTONNE to Anne OMADEY (or OMADO) on 14 Feb 1667. This suggests that Ramptons were living in Pamber from very early times, certainly from before the keeping of church records. However, there is evidence to suppose that Fraunce, or Francis, was actually born in Monk Sherborne. On 27 Apr 1645, Francis Rampton, son of John, was baptised at All Saint's Monk Sherborne. Francis would have been about 22 years old at the time of the 1667 marriage, about the right age for a young man to marry, and there are no other men of marriageable age called Francis in the area at that particular time, at least none that I have been able to discover. The only other evidence for Francis' existence is an Inventory attachment to a lost will for Francis RAMTON of Pamber, Vereger, dated 3 Jul 1676.

There are no children listed in the parish records for Francis and Ann, and no record of the burial of either in Pamber. However, on 18 Sep 1676, George HANKINS (or HAWKINS) a widower of Herriard, married Ann RUMTON, a widow of Pamber. This event took place only 10 weeks after Francis' will inventory was taken, and could not have been many months after his death. It is not impossible that the new Mrs Hankins was Francis' widow. On consulting the Herriard parish registers, I found that the (presumably first) wife of George Hankins (also called Ann although spelled An in the burial notice) was buried there on 16 May 1676, and Ramptons abound in the early Herriard registers, so perhaps Ann took her children when she went to Herriard with George in 1676. Detailed examination of the Herriard Parish Registers has revealed a few interesting facts. For instance, George HAWKINS was buried 12 Oct 1702, and was described as Blacksmith; the earliest Rampton record in the Herriard Registers relates to John RAMPTON who was, according to his will, a Blacksmith.

The next Rampton event to take place in Pamber was the marriage of Elizabeth Rampton to Peter STARE or STAIR on 1st Oct 1710. It is assumed, in the absence of any note on the marriage entry, that both parties were of Pamber. So where did Elizabeth spring from? She does not appear to have been baptised in Pamber (the first Rampton baptism did not take place until 1726), and so far the only two candidates I have found in surrounding parishes are Elizabeth daughter of John Rampton of Tadley, bapt. in 1792 (a little young to be marrying in 1710, but possible), and Elizabeth daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (nee WILD) of Monk Sherborne who was baptised 24 Feb 1690 at Monk Sherborne. I favour the latter, partly because she was closer to the normal marrying age, and partly because of the close association between the parishes of Pamber and Monk Sherborne. Wherever she appeared from, Elizabeth STARE sadly died in childbirth or shortly afterwards, along with her daughter Elizabeth (who had been baptised on 11 Dec 1710 at Pamber). There are two burial records for Elizabeth STAIR next to one another in the Pamber register, one dated 10 Dec 1710 and the other 22 Dec 1710.

The next Rampton event in Pamber was the marriage of Richard Rampton to Hannah JAMES on 22 Sep 1720. Richard was also of the Monk Sherborne family, younger brother of Elizabeth (who is possibly the one who married Peter STARE).

The only Pamber baptism to take place in the 18th century was that of John Rampton, son of George and Elizabeth, on 23 Mar 1726 at Pamber Priory. George and Elizabeth are another mystery waiting to be solved. I cannot find a likely candidate for George's baptism, nor can I find a marriage for George and Elizabeth. They appear to have had two children prior to John: Elizabeth, bapt. 22 Nov 1719 in Monk Sherborne, and George, bapt. 24 Nov 1721, also at Monk Sherborne. Then they disappear. No burial in Pamber, no further baptisms.

Joseph STILLMAN married Ann Rampton on 19 Nov 1730 at Pamber Priory. The most likely candidate is the Ann born to John and Elizabeth Rampton in Tadley, who was baptised on 8 Apr 1706. I have not identified any other marriage for this Ann in Tadley, nor a burial for her in that parish. So far, I have only been able to find one child born to this couple; Elizabeth daughter of Joseph and Ann Stillman was baptised 6 Jun 1731 at Tadley, but no others appear in either Tadley or Pamber, and no burials either in the ten years after the marriage. At least this baptism does show a connection with Tadley.

The last Rampton event in Pamber in the 18th century was the marriage of John Rampton and Sarah MONGER on 1 Nov 1750. Both bride and groom were parishioners of Tadley, and so it is a mystery why they should have married in Pamber. John was the son of John Rampton and Mary SERLE, and John senior was the eldest brother of Ann (born 1706, possibly the wife of Joseph Stillman). [See the separate research into my own Rampton family for more details]

This concludes the Rampton events in Pamber in the 18th century. It looks very much as though the Rampton name is not indigenous to the parish, as all events can be traced back to surrounding parishes.

On 17 Nov 1816, Sarah Rampton was baptised, the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Rampton. A further two baptisms are recorded in the same area, where the mother is a single woman named Elizabeth Rampton; Jane Rampton baptised 30 Jul 1820 at Monk Sherborne, and Anne Rampton baptised on 7 Sep 1823 at Pamber. So far this Elizabeth had not been identified.

In 1816, Christopher Rampton and Sarah (nee MATTINGLEY) baptised one of their children at Pamber Priory, but all the others were baptised in Monk Sherborne, where the family originated.

There were no more Rampton events at Pamber until 1861, when Arthur Rampton, son of Thomas and Ann (nee CRIPPS) was baptised on 9 Nov 1861. Thomas was the son of John Rampton and Hannah (nee SIMPSON) of Tadley. Thomas and Ann subsequently baptised two more of their large family at Pamber, Alfred (11 May 1862 at Pamber Priory) and Albert (3 Feb 1867 at Pamber Methodist Chapel). [Dave Aldworth has carried out much research on the descendants of Albert and the fruits of his labours are available for download]. Another of Thomas and Ann's children, 8-week-old Sarah, died of convulsions on 20 Apr 1860 at Pamber, although her burial was not recorded in the registers. Thomas was described on the death certificate as a Hoop Shaver.

Another twenty years passes by before the next baptism in Pamber, that of Rose Rampton on 25 Mar 1888. Rose was the daughter of William and Clara Rampton, and their place of residence was given as Tadley. William had married Clara Ellen BULL at Reading St Giles on 26 Apr 1884, and they had previously baptised a son, William John, on 19 Oct 1884 at Tadley. They were not still living in Tadley at the time of the 1891 census, and I have not so far found any other children for the couple. William was the son of Thomas Rampton labourer aged 28 according to the marriage certificate. This identifies him as the son of Thomas and Harriet (nee GUNDRY) born in Tadley on 5 Jul 1855, baptised 15 Jul 1855. Clara Ellen was a widow, aged 29. She was the daughter of William JURY, also a labourer.

Alfred Rampton (of Tadley), married Emily Gertrude SMITH (of Pamber) at Pamber Priory Church on 22 Jul 1899. Alfred was 25 years old, the son of Daniel and Anne Rampton, and brother of Henry, Esther and Amelia.

There were no Ramptons living in Pamber on the night of 30 Mar 1851, nor on the night of 3 Apr 1881, nor on 5 April 1891. This is not really surprising, as most of the Rampton events seem to relate to people who were just passing through.