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font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Memorials of Old Dorset, by Various</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Memorials of Old Dorset</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Various</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Editors: Thomas Perkins</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em;'>Herbert Pentin</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: May 19, 2022 [eBook #68128]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Tim Lindell, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMORIALS OF OLD DORSET ***</div> - -<div class="transnote"> -<h3>Transcriber’s Notes</h3> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other -spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.</p> - -<p>The repetition of the title immediately before the title page has been -removed.</p> -</div> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_frontispiece" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_frontispiece.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"> -<p class="center">Ringstead and Holworth.</p> - -<p>“Where one may walk along the undulating -downs that skirt the Channel, held in place -by parapets of cliff that break down straight -into the sea; where one may walk mile after -mile on natural lawn and not meet a soul—just -one’s self, the birds, the glorious scenery, -and God.” (<i>See page 109.</i>)</p> - - -<p class="center"><i>From a water-colour sketch by Mr. William Pye.</i></p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p class="center"> -<span class="smcap">Memorials of the Counties of England</span><br /> - -<small>General Editor: <span class="smcap">Rev. P. H. Ditchfield</span>, M.A., F.S.A.</small></p> - - - -<h1> -MEMORIALS<br /> -OF OLD DORSET</h1> - -<p class="center"><span class="fs3">EDITED BY</span><br /> - -THOMAS PERKINS, M.A.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="fs2"><span class="smcap">Late Rector of Turnworth, Dorset</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Author of</span><br /> -<br /> -“<i>Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory</i>”<br /> -“<i>Bath and Malmesbury Abbeys</i>” “<i>Romsey Abbey</i>” <i>&c.</i></span> -</p> -<p class="center"><span class="fs3">AND</span><br /> -<br /> -HERBERT PENTIN, M.A.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="fs2"><span class="smcap">Vicar of Milton Abbey, Dorset</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Vice-President, Hon. Secretary, and Editor<br /> -of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club</span></span></p> - -<p class="center"><span class="fs3"><span class="smcap">With many Illustrations</span></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp10" id="i_title" style="max-width: 12.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_title.jpg" alt="publisher’s device" /> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="fs3">LONDON<br /> -BEMROSE & SONS LIMITED, 4 SNOW HILL, E.C.<br /> -AND DERBY<br /> -1907<br /></span> -<br /> -<span class="fs2">[<i>All Rights Reserved</i>]</span> -</p> - - - - -<p class="center spaced"> -TO<br /> - -THE RIGHT HONOURABLE<br /> - -<big>LORD EUSTACE CECIL, F.R.G.S.</big><br /> - -PAST PRESIDENT OF THE DORSET NATURAL<br /> -HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN FIELD CLUB<br /> -THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED<br /> -BY HIS LORDSHIP’S<br /> -KIND<br /> -PERMISSION<br /> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp5" id="i_v" style="max-width: 6.375em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_v.jpg" alt="decoration" /> -</div> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PREFACE">PREFACE</h2> -</div> - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">he editing of this Dorset volume was originally -undertaken by the Rev. Thomas Perkins, the -scholarly Rector of Turnworth. But he, having -formulated its plan and written four papers therefor, -besides gathering material for most of the other chapters, -was laid aside by a very painful illness, which culminated -in his unexpected death. This is a great loss to his many -friends, to the present volume, and to the county of -Dorset as a whole; for Mr. Perkins knew the county as -few men know it, his literary ability was of no mean -order, and his kindness to all with whom he was brought -in contact was proverbial.</p> - -<p>After the death of Mr. Perkins, the editing of the -work was entrusted to the Rev. Herbert Pentin, -Vicar of Milton Abbey, whose knowledge of the -county and literary experience as Editor of the Dorset -Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club enabled him -to gather up the threads where his friend Mr. Perkins -had been compelled to lay them down, and to complete -the work and see it safely through the press. As General -Editor of the series, I desire to express my most grateful -thanks to him for his kind and gracious services in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</span> -perfecting a work which had unfortunately been left -incomplete; and all lovers of Old Dorset and readers of -this book will greatly appreciate his good offices.</p> - -<p>Few counties can rival Dorset either in natural -beauty or historic interest, and it deserves an honoured -place among the memorials of the counties of England. -In preparing the work the Editors have endeavoured to -make the volume comprehensive, although it is of course -impossible in a single volume to exhaust all the rich -store of historical treasures which the county affords. -After a general sketch of the history of Dorset by the -late Editor, the traces of the earliest races which inhabited -this county are discussed by Mr. Prideaux, who tells of -the ancient barrows in Dorset, and the details of the -Roman occupation are shown by Captain Acland. Dorset -is rich in churches, and no one was more capable to -describe their chief features than Mr. Perkins. His chapter -is followed by others of more detail, dealing with the -three great minsters still standing—Sherborne, Milton, -and Wimborne, the monastic house at Ford, and the -memorial brasses of Dorset. A series of chapters on -some of the chief towns and “islands” of the county -follows, supplemented by a description of two well-known -manor-houses. The literary associations of the county -and some of its witchcraft-superstitions form the subjects -of the concluding chapters. The names of the able writers -who have kindly contributed to this volume will commend -themselves to our readers. The Lord Bishop of Durham, -the Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot, Mr. Sidney Heath, Mr. -Wildman, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Gill, Mrs. King Warry, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</span> -our other contributors, are among the chief authorities -upon the subjects of which they treat, and our thanks -are due to them for their services; and also to Mr. William -Pye for the beautiful coloured frontispiece, to Mr. Heath -for his charming drawings, and to those who have supplied -photographs for reproduction. We hope that this volume -will find a welcome in the library of every Dorset book-lover, -and meet with the approbation of all who revere -the traditions and historical associations of the county.</p> - -<p class="psig"> -<span class="smcap">P. H. Ditchfield</span>,<br /> -<i>General Editor</i>. -</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - - - -<table class="standard" summary=""> -<tr> -<td class="tdl" colspan="2"></td> -<td class="tdr"><small><span class="smcap">Page</span></small></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Historic Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Thomas Perkins</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Barrows of Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">C. S. Prideaux</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Roman Occupation of Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By Captain <span class="smcap">J. E. Acland</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Churches of Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Thomas -Perkins</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_44">44</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Memorial Brasses of Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">W. de C. Prideaux</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Sherborne</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">W. B. Wildman</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_75">75</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Milton Abbey</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Herbert -Pentin</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Wimborne Minster</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Thomas -Perkins</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">Sidney Heath</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdl">By the <span class="smcap">Lord Bishop of Durham</span>, D.D.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">Sidney Heath</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Isle of Portland</td> -<td class="tdl">By Mrs. <span class="smcap">King Warry</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_177">177</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Isle of Purbeck</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">A. D. Moullin</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_187">187</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Corfe Castle</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">Albert Bankes</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_200">200</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Poole</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">W. K. Gill</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_222">222</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Bridport</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">R. Grosvenor -Bartelot</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_232">232</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Shaftesbury</td> -<td class="tdl">By the Rev. <span class="smcap">Thomas -Perkins</span>, M.A.</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_240">240</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Piddletown and Athelhampton</td> -<td class="tdl">By Miss <span class="smcap">Wood Homer</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Wolfeton House</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">Albert Bankes</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_264">264</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">The Literary Associations of -Dorset</td> -<td class="tdl">By Miss <span class="smcap">M. Jourdain</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_273">273</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt">Some Dorset Superstitions</td> -<td class="tdl">By <span class="smcap">Hermann Lea</span></td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_292">292</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdlt" colspan="2">Index</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_305">307</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="INDEX_TO_ILLUSTRATIONS">INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -</div> - - - -<table class="standard" summary=""> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Ringstead and Holworth</td> -<td class="tdr"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a water-colour sketch by Mr. William Pye</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tdr"><span class="smcap fs2">Page, or<br /> Facing Page</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Bronze Age Objects from Dorset Round Barrows</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_20">20</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From photographs by Mr. W. Pouncy</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Part of the Olga Road Tessellated Pavement, Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Tessellated Pavement at Fifehead Neville</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">St. Martin’s Church, Wareham</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Chapel on St. Ealdhelm’s Head</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Brass to William Grey, Rector of Evershot</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_70">70</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a rubbing by Mr. W. de C. Prideaux</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Sherborne Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Entrance to Sherborne School</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_86">86</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Milton Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Paintings in Milton Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Milton Abbey: Interior</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Tabernacle in Milton Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Abbot Middleton’s Rebus</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">St. Catherine’s Chapel, Milton Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_104">104</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Holworth Burning Cliff in 1827</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_106">106</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a coloured print by Mr. E. Vivian</i>)</span><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Liscombe Chapel</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Milton Abbey in the year 1733</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From an engraving by Messrs. S. and N. Buck</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Seal of the Town of Milton in America</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Wimborne Minster</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Chained Library, Wimborne Minster</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_132">132</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Details from Cloisters, Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From drawings by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Chapel, Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Panel from Cloisters, Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Seal of Ford Abbey</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">High Street, Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Judge Jeffreys’ Lodgings, Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Cornhill, Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">“Napper’s Mite,” Dorchester</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_155">155</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Quay, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Chest in the Guildhall, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_164">164</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_166">166</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Doorway, Sandsfoot Castle</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_167">167</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Some Weymouth Tokens</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_169">169</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Arms of Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_170">170</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Old House on North Quay, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">An Old Chair in the Guildhall, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_172">172</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Old Stocks, Weymouth</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Portland Cottages</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">“Kimmeridge Coal Money”</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_192">192</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by Mr. A. D. Moullin</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Corfe Castle</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_200">200</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The Town Cellars, Poole</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_222">222</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Shaftesbury</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_240">240</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Gold Hill, Shaftesbury</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_248">248</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Piddletown Church</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_258">258</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Athelhampton Hall</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Wolfeton House</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_264">264</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"> ” ” ”</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The East Drawing Room, Wolfeton House</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_268">268</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">William Barnes</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_280">280</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by Messrs. Dickinsons</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Thomas Hardy</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_284">284</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Came Rectory</td> -<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_291">291</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" colspan="2"><span class="fs2">(<i>From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath</i>)</span></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span></p> -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="HISTORIC_DORSET">HISTORIC DORSET<br /> - - -<small><span class="smcap">By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A.</span></small></h2> - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HE physical features due to the geological -formation of the district now called Dorset have -had such an influence on the inhabitants and their -history that it seems necessary to point out -briefly what series of stratified rocks may be seen in -Dorset, and the lines of their outcrop.</p> - -<p>There are no igneous rocks, nor any of those classed -as primary, but, beginning with the Rhætic beds, we find -every division of the secondary formations, with the -possible exception of the Lower Greensand, represented, -and in the south-eastern part of the district several of -the tertiary beds may be met with on the surface.</p> - -<p>The dip of the strata is generally towards the east; -hence the earlier formations are found in the west. -Nowhere else in England could a traveller in a journey -of a little under fifty miles—which is about the distance -from Lyme to the eastern boundary of Dorset—cross the -outcrop of so many strata. A glance at a geological map -of England will show that the Lias, starting from Lyme -Regis, sweeps along a curve slightly concave towards the -west, almost due north, until it reaches the sea again at -Redcar, while the southern boundary of the chalk starting -within about ten miles of Lyme runs out eastward to -Beechy Head. Hence it is seen that the outcrops of the -various strata are wider the further away they are from -Lyme Regis.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</span></p> - -<p>Dorset has given names to three well-known formations -and to one less well known: (1) The Portland beds, -first quarried for building stone about 1660; (2) the -Purbeck beds, which supplied the Early English church -builders with marble for their ornamental shafts; -(3) Kimmeridge clay; and (4) the Punfield beds.</p> - -<p>The great variety of the formation coming to the -surface in the area under consideration has given a -striking variety to the character of the landscape: the -chalk downs of the North and centre, with their rounded -outlines; the abrupt escarpments of the greensand in the -neighbourhood of Shaftesbury; the rich grazing land of -Blackmore Vale on the Oxford clay; and the great Heath -(Mr. Hardy’s Egdon) stretching from near Dorchester out -to the east across Woolwich, Reading, and Bagshot beds, -with their layers of gravel, sand, and clay. The chalk -heights are destitute of water; the streams and rivers are -those of the level valleys and plains of Oolitic clays—hence -they are slow and shallow, and are not navigable, even -by small craft, far from their mouths.</p> - -<p>The only sides from which in early days invaders were -likely to come were the south and east; and both of these -boundaries were well protected by natural defences, the -former by its wall of cliffs and the deadly line of the Chesil -beach. The only opening in the wall was Poole Harbour, -a land-locked bay, across which small craft might indeed -be rowed, but whose shores were no doubt a swamp -entangled by vegetation. Swanage Bay and Lulworth -Cove could have been easily defended. Weymouth Bay -was the most vulnerable point. Dense forests protected -the eastern boundary. These natural defences had a -marked effect, as we shall see, on the history of the people. -Dorset for many centuries was an isolated district, and -is so to a certain extent now, though great changes have -taken place during the last fifty or sixty years, due to the -two railways that carry passengers from the East to -Weymouth and the one that brings them from the North<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span> -to Poole and on to Bournemouth. This isolation has -conduced to the survival not only of old modes of speech, -but also of old customs, modes of thought, and -superstitions.</p> - -<p>It may be well, before speaking of this history, to state -that the county with which this volume deals should always -be spoken of as “Dorset,” never as “Dorsetshire”; for -in no sense of the word is Dorset a shire, as will be -explained further on.</p> - -<p>We find within the boundaries of the district very few -traces of Palæolithic man: the earliest inhabitants, who -have left well-marked memorials of themselves, were -Iberians, a non-Aryan race, still represented by the -Basques of the Pyrenees and by certain inhabitants of -Wales. They were short of stature, swarthy of skin, dark -of hair, long-skulled. Their characteristic weapon or implement -was a stone axe, ground, not chipped, to a sharp -edge; they buried their dead in a crouching attitude in -the long barrows which are still to be seen in certain parts -of Dorset, chiefly to the north-east of the Stour Valley. -When and how they came into Britain we cannot tell for -certain; it was undoubtedly after the glacial epoch, and -probably at a time when the Straits of Dover had not -come into being and the Thames was still a tributary of -the Rhine. They were in what is known as the Neolithic -stage of civilisation; but in course of time, after this -country had become an island, invaders broke in upon -them, Aryans of the Celtic race, probably (as Professor -Rhys thinks, though he says he is not certain on this -point) of the Goidelic branch. These men were tall, fair-haired, -blue-eyed, round-skulled, and were in a more -advanced stage of civilisation than the Iberians, using -bronze weapons, and burying their dead, sometimes after -cremation, in the round barrows that exist in such large -numbers on the Dorset downs. Their better arms and -greater strength told in the warfare that ensued: whether -the earlier inhabitants were altogether destroyed, or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span> -expelled or lived on in diminished numbers in a state of -slavery, we have no means of ascertaining. But certain -it is that the Celts became masters of the land. These -men were some of those who are called in school history -books “Ancient Britons”; the Wessex folk in after days -called them “Welsh”—that is, “foreigners”—the word -that in their language answered to βάρβαροι and -“barbari” of the Greeks and Romans. What they called -themselves we do not know. Ptolemy speaks of them as -“Durotriges,” the name by which they were known to the -Romans. Despite various conjectures, the etymology of -this word is uncertain. The land which they inhabited -was, as already pointed out, much isolated. The lofty -cliffs from the entrance to Poole Harbour to Portland -formed a natural defence; beyond this, the long line of -the Chesil beach, and further west, more cliffs right on to -the mouth of the Axe. Most of the lowlands of the interior -were occupied by impenetrable forests, and the slow-running -rivers, which even now in rainy seasons overflow -their banks, and must then, when the rainfall was much -heavier than now, have spread out into swamps, rendered -unnavigable by their thick tangle of vegetation. The -inhabitants dwelt on the sloping sides of the downs, -getting the water they needed from the valleys, -and retiring for safety to the almost innumerable -encampments that crowned the crests of the hills, many of -which remain easily to be distinguished to this day. -Nowhere else in England in an equal area can so many -Celtic earthworks be found as in Dorset. The Romans -came in due course, landing we know not where, and -established themselves in certain towns not far from the -coasts.</p> - -<p>The Celts were not slain or driven out of their land, -but lived on together with the Romans, gradually -advancing in civilisation under Roman influence. They -had already adopted the Christian religion: they belonged -to the old British Church, which lived on in the south-west<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</span> -of England even through that period when the Teutonic -invaders—Jutes, Angles, Saxons—devastated the south-east, -east, north, and central parts of the island, and utterly -drove westward before them the Celtic Christians into -Wales and the south-west of Scotland. Dorset remained -for some time untouched, for though the Romans had -cleared some of the forests before them, and had cut -roads through others, establishing at intervals along them -military stations, and strengthening and occupying many -of the Celtic camps, yet the vast forest—“Selwood,” as the -English called it—defended Dorset from any attack of the -West Saxons, who had settled further to the east. Once, -and once only, if we venture, with Professor Freeman, to -identify Badbury Rings, near Wimborne, on the Roman -Road, with the Mons Badonicus of Gildas, the Saxons, -under Cerdic, in 516, invaded the land of the Durotriges, -coming along the Roman Road which leads from Salisbury -to Dorchester, through the gap in the forest at -Woodyates, but found that mighty triple ramparted -stronghold held by Celtic Arthur and his knights, round -whom so much that is legendary has gathered, but who -probably were not altogether mythical. In the fight that -followed, the Christian Celt was victorious, and the -Saxon invader was driven in flight back to his own -territory beyond Selwood. Some place Mons -Badonicus in the very north of England, or even in -Scotland, and say that the battle was fought between -the Northumbrians and the North Welsh: if this view -is correct, we may say that no serious attack was -made on the Celts of Dorset from the east. -According to Mr. Wildman’s theory, as stated in his -<i>Life of St. Ealdhelm</i>—which theory has a great air of -probability about it—the Wessex folk, under Cenwealh, -son of Cynegils, the first Christian King of the West -Saxons, won two victories: one at Bradford-on-Avon in -652, and one at the “Hills” in 658. Thus North Dorset -was overcome, and gradually the West Saxons passed on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</span> -westward through Somerset, until in 682 Centwine, -according to the English Chronicle, drove the -Welsh into the sea. William of Malmesbury calls -them “Norht Walæs,” or North Welsh, but this -is absurd: Mr. Wildman thinks “Norht” may be -a mistake for “Dorn,” or “Thorn,” and that the Celts of -Dorset are meant, and that the sea mentioned is the -English Channel. From this time the fate of the -Durotriges was sealed: their land became part of the great -West Saxon kingdom. Well indeed was it for them that -they had remained independent until after the time when -their conquerors had ceased to worship Woden and -Thunder and had given in their allegiance to the White -Christ; for had these men still been worshippers of the -old fierce gods, the Celts would have fared much worse. -Now, instead of being exterminated, they were allowed -to dwell among the West Saxon settlers, in an inferior -position, but yet protected by the West Saxon laws, as we -see from those of Ine who reigned over the West Saxons -from 688 to 728. The Wessex settlers in Dorset were -called by themselves “Dornsæte,” or “Dorsæte,” whence -comes the name of Dorset. It will be seen then, that -Dorset is what Professor Freeman calls a “ga”—the land -in which a certain tribe settled—and differs entirely from -those divisions made after the Mercian land had been won -back from the Danes, when shires were formed by shearing -up the newly recovered land, not into its former divisions -which the Danish conquest had obliterated, but into -convenient portions, each called after the name of the -chief town within its borders, such as Oxfordshire from -Oxford, Leicestershire from Leicester. The Danes -did for a time get possession of the larger part -of Wessex, but it was only for a time: the -boundaries of Dorset were not wiped out, and there -was no need to make any fresh division. So when -we use the name Dorset for the county we use the very -name that it was known by in the seventh century. It<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</span> -is also interesting to observe that Dorset has been -Christian from the days of the conversion of the Roman -Empire, that no altars smoked on Dorset soil to Woden, -no temples were built in honour of Thunder, no prayers -were offered to Freya; but it is also worth notice that -the Celtic Christian Church was not ready to amalgamate -with the Wessex Church, which had derived its Christianity -from Papal Rome. However, the Church of the -Conquerors prevailed, and Dorset became not only part -of the West Saxon kingdom, but also of the West Saxon -diocese, under the supervision of a bishop, who at first -had his bishop-stool at Dorchester, not the Dorset town, -but one of the same name on the Thames, not far from -Abingdon. In 705, when Ine was King, it received a -bishop of its own in the person of St. Ealdhelm, Abbot of -Malmesbury, who on his appointment placed his bishop-stool -at Sherborne: he did not live to hold this office -long, for he died in 709. But a line of twenty-five bishops -ruled at Sherborne, the last of whom—Herman, a Fleming -brought over by Eadward the Confessor—transferred his -see in 1075 to Old Sarum, as it is now called; whereupon -the church of Sherborne lost its cathedral rank.</p> - -<p>The southern part of Dorset, especially in the neighbourhood -of Poole Harbour, suffered much during the -time that the Danes were harrying the coast of England. -There were fights at sea in Swanage Bay, there were -fights on land round the walls of Wareham, there were -burnings of religious houses at Wimborne and Wareham. -Then followed the victories of Ælfred, and for a time -Dorset had rest. But after Eadward was murdered at -“Corfes-geat” by his stepmother Ælfthryth’s order, and -the weak King Æthelred was crowned, the Danes gave -trouble again. The King first bribed them to land alone; -and afterwards, when, trusting to a treaty he had made -with them, many Danes had settled peacefully in the -country, he gave orders for a general massacre—men, -women and children—on St. Brice’s Day (November 13th),<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</span> -1002. Among those who perished was a sister of Swegen, -the Danish King, Christian though she was. This -treacherous and cruel deed brought the old Dane across -the seas in hot haste to take terrible vengeance on the -perpetrator of the dastardly outrage. All southern -England, including Dorset, was soon ablaze with burning -towns. The walls of Dorchester were demolished, the -Abbey of Cerne was pillaged and destroyed, Wareham was -reduced to ashes. Swegen became King, but reigned only -a short time, and his greater son, Cnut, succeeded him. -When he had been recognised as King by the English, -and had got rid of all probable rivals, he governed well and -justly, and the land had rest. Dorset had peace until Harold -had fallen on the hill of Battle, and the south-eastern and -southern parts of England had acknowledged William as -King. The men of the west still remained independent, -Exeter being the chief city to assert its independence. -In 1088 William resolved to set about to subdue these -western rebels, as he called them. He demanded that -they should accept him as King, take oaths of allegiance -to him, and receive him within their walls. To this the -men of Exeter made answer that they would pay tribute -to him as overlord of England as they had paid to the -previous King, but that they would not take oaths of -allegiance, nor would they allow him to enter the city. -William’s answer was an immediate march westward. -Professor Freeman says that there is no record of the -details of his march; but naturally it would lie through -Dorset, the towns of which were in sympathy with Exeter. -Knowing what harsh and cruel things William could do -when it suited his purpose, we cannot for a moment doubt -that he fearfully harried all the Dorset towns on the line -of his march, seeking by severity to them to overawe the -city of Exeter.</p> - -<p>In the wars between Stephen and Maud, Dorset was -often the battle-ground of the rival claimants for the -throne. Wareham, unfortunate then, as usual, was taken<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span> -and re-taken more than once, first by one party, then by -the other; but lack of space prevents the telling of this -piece of local history.</p> - -<p>King John evidently had a liking for Dorset. He -often visited it, having houses of his own at Bere Regis, -Canford, Corfe, Cranborne, Gillingham, and Dorchester. -In the sixteenth year of his reign he put strong garrisons -into Corfe Castle and Wareham as a defence against his -discontented barons.</p> - -<p>In the wars between his son, Henry III., and the -Barons there was fighting again in Dorset, especially at -Corfe. Dorset, among other sea-side counties, supplied -ships and sailors to Edward III. and Henry V. for their -expeditions against France.</p> - -<p>The Wars of the Roses seem hardly to have touched -the county; but one incident must be mentioned: On -April 14th, 1471, Margaret, wife of Henry VI., landed at -Weymouth with her son Edward and a small band of -Frenchmen; but she soon heard that on the very day of -her landing her great supporter, though once he had been -her bitterest enemy, Warwick the King-maker, had been -defeated and slain at Barnet. This led her to seek -sanctuary in the Abbey at Cerne, about sixteen miles to -the north of Weymouth; but her restless spirit would not -allow her long to stay in this secluded spot, and she started -with young Edward, gathering supporters as she went, -till on May 4th her army was defeated at Tewkesbury, -and there her last hopes were extinguished when King -Edward IV. smote her son, who had been taken prisoner, -with gauntleted hand upon the mouth, and the daggers -of Clarence and Gloucester ended the poor boy’s life.</p> - -<p>We hear nothing of resistance on the part of Dorset -to the Earl of Richmond when he came to overthrow -Richard III. Probably, as the Lancastrian family of the -Beauforts were large landowners in Dorset, Dorset -sympathy was enlisted on the side of the son of the Lady -Margaret, great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span></p> - -<p>Like all the rest of England, Dorset had to see its -religious houses suppressed and despoiled; its abbots and -abbesses, with all their subordinate officers, as well as -their monks and nuns, turned out of their old homes, -though let it in fairness be stated, not unprovided for, for -all those who surrendered their ecclesiastical property to -the King received pensions sufficient to keep them in -moderate comfort, if not in affluence. Dorset accepted -the dissolution of the monasteries and the new services -without any manifest dissatisfaction. There was no -rioting or fighting as in the neighbouring county of -Devon.</p> - -<p>Dorset did not escape so easily in the days of the Civil -War. Lyme, holden for the Parliament by Governor -Creely and some 500 men, held out from April 20th to -June 16th, 1644, against Prince Maurice with 4,000 men, -when the Earl of Essex came to its relief. Corfe Castle -and Sherborne Castle were each besieged twice. Abbotsbury -was taken by Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper in -September, 1644. Wareham, also, was more than once -the scene of fighting. In the north of Dorset a band of -about 5,000 rustics, known as “Clubmen,” assembled. -These men knew little and cared less for the rival causes -of King and Parliament which divided the rest of -England; but one thing they did know and greatly cared -for: they found that ever and again bands of armed horsemen -came riding through the villages, some singing -rollicking songs and with oaths on their lips, others -chanting psalms and quoting the Bible, but all alike -treading down their crops, demanding food, and sometimes -their horses, often forgetting to pay for them; so they -resolved to arm themselves and keep off Cavaliers and -Roundheads alike. At one time they encamped at -Shaftesbury, but could not keep the Roundheads -from occupying the Hill Town; so they, to the number of -4,000, betook themselves to the old Celtic camp of -Hambledon, some seven or eight miles to the south.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span> -Cromwell himself, in a letter to Fairfax, dated August 4th, -1645, tells what befell them there:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>We marched on to Shaftesbury, when we heard a great body of them -was drawn up together about Hambledon Hill. I sent up a forlorn hope -of about 50 horse, who coming very civilly to them, they fired upon -them; and ours desiring some of them to come to me were refused with -disdain. They were drawn into one of the old camps upon a very high -hill. They refused to submit, and fired at us. I sent a second time -to let them know that if they would lay down their arms no wrong should -be done them. They still—through the animation of their leaders, and -especially two vile ministers<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>—refused. When we came near they let -fly at us, killed about two of our men, and at least four horses. The -passage not being for above three abreast kept us out, whereupon Major -Desborow wheeled about, got in the rear of them, beat them from the -work, and did some small execution upon them, I believe killed not -twelve of them, but cut very many, and put them all to flight. We have -taken about 300, many of whom are poor silly creatures, whom, if you -please to let me send home, they promise to be very dutiful for time -to come, and will be hanged before they come out again.</p> -</div> - -<p>From which we see that “Grim old Oliver,” who could be -severe enough when policy demanded it, yet could show -mercy at times, for throughout this episode his dealings -with the Clubmen were marked with much forbearance.</p> - -<p>Charles II., after his defeat at Worcester, September -3rd, 1651, during his romantic wanderings and hidings -before he could get safe to sea, spent nearly three weeks -in what is now Dorset, though most of the time he was -in concealment at the Manor House at Trent, which was -then within the boundaries of Somerset, having only -recently been transferred to Dorset. This manor house -belonged to Colonel Francis Wyndham. Hither on -Wednesday, September 17th, came Jane Lane, sister of -Colonel Lane, from whose house at Bentley, Worcestershire, -she had ridden on a pillion behind one who passed -as her groom, really Charles in disguise, with one -attendant, Cornet Lassels. Jane and the Cornet left Trent -the next day on their return journey, and Charles was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span> -stowed away in Lady Wyndham’s room, from which there -was access to a hiding-place between two floors. His -object was to effect his escape from one of the small -Dorset ports. Colonel Wyndham rode next day to -Melbury Sampford, where lived Sir John Strangways, to -see if either of his sons could manage to hire a boat at -Lyme, Weymouth, or Poole, which would take Charles to -France. He failed in this, but brought back one hundred -pounds, the gift of Sir John Strangways. Colonel -Wyndham then went to Lyme to see one Captain Ellesdon, -to whom he said that Lord Wilmot wanted to be taken -across to France. Arrangements were then made with -Stephen Limbrey, the skipper of a coasting vessel, to take -a party of three or four royalist gentlemen to France from -Charmouth. Lord Wilmot was described as a Mr. Payne, -a bankrupt merchant running away from his creditors, -and taking his servant (Charles) with him. It was agreed -that Limbrey should have a rowing-boat ready on Charmouth -beach on the night of September 22nd, when the -tide was high, to convey the party to his ship and carry -them safe to France, for which service he was to receive -£60. September 22nd was “fair day” at Lyme, and as -many people would probably be about, it was necessary -that the party should find some safe lodging where they -could wait quietly till the tide was in, about midnight. -Rooms were secured, as for a runaway couple, at a small -inn at Charmouth. At this inn on Monday morning -arrived Colonel Wyndham, who acted as guide, and his -wife and niece, a Mrs. Juliana Coningsby (the supposed -eloping damsel), riding behind her groom (Charles). Lord -Wilmot, the supposed bridegroom, with Colonel -Wyndham’s confidential servant, Peters, followed. -Towards midnight Wyndham and Peters went down to -the beach, Wilmot and Charles waiting at the inn ready -to be called as soon as the boat should come. But no -signs of the boat appeared throughout the whole night. -It seems that Mrs. Limbrey had seen posted up at Lyme<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span> -a notice about the heavy penalty that anyone would -incur who helped Charles Stuart to escape, and -suspecting that the mysterious enterprise on which her -husband was engaged might have something to do with -helping in such an escape, she, when he came back in the -evening to get some things he had need of for the voyage, -locked him in his room and would not let him out; and -he dared not break out lest the noise and his wife’s violent -words might attract attention and the matter get noised -abroad. Charles, by Wyndham’s advice, rode off to -Bridport the next morning with Mistress Coningsby, as -before, the Colonel going with them; Wilmot stayed -behind. His horse cast a shoe, and Peters took it to the -smith to have another put on; and the smith, examining -the horse’s feet, said: “These three remaining shoes were -put on in three different counties, and one looks like a -Worcester shoe.” When the shoe was fixed, the smith -went to a Puritan minister, one Bartholomew Wesley, and -told him what he suspected. Wesley went to the landlady -of the inn: “Why, Margaret,” said he, “you are now a -maid of honour.” “What do you mean by that, Mr. -Parson?” said she. “Why, Charles Stuart lay at your -house last night, and kissed you at his departure, so that -you cannot now but be a maid of honour.” Whereupon -the hostess waxed wroth, and told Wesley that he was an -ill-conditioned man to try and bring her and her house -into trouble; but, with a touch of female vanity, she -added: “If I thought it was the King, as you say it was, -I should think the better of my lips all the days of my -life. So, Mr. Parson, get you out of my house, or I’ll get -those who shall kick you out.”</p> - -<p>However, the matter soon got abroad, and a pursuit -began. Meanwhile, Charles and his party had pressed on -into Bridport, which happened to be full of soldiers -mustering there before joining a projected expedition -to capture the Channel Islands for the Parliament. -Charles’s presence of mind saved him. He pushed through<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span> -the crowd into the inn yard, groomed the horse, chatted -with the soldiers, who had no suspicion that he was other -than he seemed, and then said that he must go and serve -his mistress at table. By this time Wilmot and Peters -had arrived, and they told him of the incident at the -shoeing forge; so, losing no time, the party started on -the Dorchester road, but, turning off into a by-lane, got -safe to Broadwinsor, and thence once more to Trent, -which they reached on September 24th. On October 5th -Wilmot and Charles left Trent and made their way to -Shoreham in Sussex. But they had not quite done with -Dorset yet; for it was a Dorset skipper, one Tattersal, -whose business it was to sail a collier brig, <i>The Surprise</i>, -between Poole and Shoreham, who carried Charles Stuart -and Lord Wilmot from Shoreham to Fécamp, and -received the £60 that poor Limbrey might have had save -for his wife’s interference.</p> - -<p>Dorset was the stage on which were acted the first and -one of the concluding scenes of the Duke of Monmouth’s -rebellion in 1685. On June 11th the inhabitants of Lyme -Regis were sorely perplexed when they saw three foreign-looking -ships, which bore no colours, at anchor in the bay; -and their anxiety was not lessened when they saw the -custom house officers, who had rowed out, as their habit -was, to overhaul the cargo of any vessel arriving at the -port, reach the vessels but return not again. Then from -seven boats landed some eighty armed men, whose leader -knelt down on the shore to offer up thanksgiving for his -safe voyage, and to pray for God’s blessing on his enterprise. -When it was known that this leader was the Duke -of Monmouth the people welcomed him, his blue flag was -set up in the market place, and Monmouth’s undignified -Declaration—the composition of Ferguson—was read. -That same evening the Mayor, who approved of none of -these things, set off to rouse the West in the King’s favour, -and from Honiton sent a letter giving information of the -landing. On June 14th, the first blood was shed in a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span> -skirmish near Bridport (it was not a decisive engagement). -Monmouth’s men, however, came back to Lyme, the -infantry in good order, the cavalry helter-skelter; and -little wonder, seeing that the horses, most of them taken -from the plough, had never before heard the sound of firearms.</p> - -<p>Then Monmouth and his men pass off our stage. It -is not for the local Dorset historian to trace his marches -up and down Somerset, or to describe the battle that was -fought in the early hours of the morning of July 6th under -the light of the full moon, amid the sheet of thick mist, -which clung like a pall over the swampy surface of the level -stretch of Sedgemoor. Once again Dorset received -Monmouth, no longer at the head of an enthusiastic and -brave, though a badly armed and undisciplined multitude, -but a lonely, hungry, haggard, heartbroken fugitive. On -the morning of July 8th he was found in a field near -Horton, which still bears the name of Monmouth’s Close, -hiding in a ditch. He was brought before Anthony -Etricke of Holt, the Recorder of Poole, and by him sent -under escort to London, there to meet his ghastly end on -Tower Hill, and to be laid to rest in what Macaulay calls -the saddest spot on earth, St. Peter’s in the Tower, the -last resting-place of the unsuccessfully ambitious, of those -guilty of treason, and also of some whose only fault it -was that they were too near akin to a fallen dynasty, -and so roused the fears and jealousy of the reigning -monarch.</p> - -<p>Everyone has heard of the Bloody Assize which -followed, but the names and the number of those who -perished were not accurately known till a manuscript of -forty-seven pages, of folio size, was offered for sale among -a mass of waste paper in an auction room at Dorchester, -December, 1875.<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> It was bought by Mr. W. B. Barrett,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span> -and he found that it was a copy of the presentment of -rebels at the Autumn Assizes of 1685, probably made for -the use of some official of the Assize Court, as no doubt -the list that Jeffreys had would have been written on -parchment, and this was on paper. It gives the names -of 2,611 persons presented at Dorchester, Exeter, and -Taunton, as having been implicated in the rebellion, the -parishes where they lived, and the nature of their callings. -Of these, 312 were charged at Dorchester, and only about -one-sixth escaped punishment. Seventy-four were -executed, 175 were transported, nine were whipped or -fined, and 54 were acquitted or were not captured. It is -worth notice that the percentage of those punished at -Exeter and Taunton was far less than at Dorchester. -Out of 488 charged at Exeter, 455 escaped; and at -Taunton, out of 1,811, 1,378 did not suffer. It is possible -that the Devon and Somerset rebels, having heard of -Jeffreys’ severity at Dorchester, found means of escape. -No doubt many of the country folk who had not -sympathized with the rebellion would yet help to conceal -those who were suspected, when they knew (from what -had happened at Dorchester) that if they were taken they -would in all probability be condemned to death or slavery—for -those “transported” were really handed over to -Court favourites as slaves for work on their West Indian -plantations. It is gratifying to know that it has been -discovered, since Macaulay’s time, that such of the transported -as were living when William and Mary came to the -throne were pardoned and set at liberty on the application -of Sir William Young.</p> - -<p>Monmouth was the last invader to land in Dorset; -but there was in the early part of the nineteenth century -very great fear among the Dorset folk that a far more -formidable enemy might choose some spot, probably -Weymouth, on the Dorset coast for landing his army. -Along the heights of the Dorset downs they built beacons -of dry stubs and furze, with guards in attendance,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span> -ready to flash the news of Napoleon’s landing, should he -land. The general excitement that prevailed, the false -rumours that from time to time made the peaceable -inhabitants, women and children, flee inland, and sent the -men capable of bearing arms flocking seaward, are well -described in Mr. Hardy’s <i>Trumpet Major</i>. But Napoleon -never came, and the dread of invasion passed away for -ever in 1805.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">In the wild October night time, when the wind raved round the land,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And the back-sea met the front-sea, and our doors were blocked with sand,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And we heard the drub of Dead-man’s Bay, where bones of thousands are,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">(But) knew not what that day had done for us at Trafalgar.<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The isolation of Dorset, which has been before spoken -of, has had much to do with preserving from extinction -the old dialect spoken in the days of the Wessex -kings. Within its boundaries, especially in “outstep -placen,” as the people call them, the old speech may be -heard in comparative purity. Let it not be supposed that -Dorset is an illiterate corruption of literary English. It is -an older form of English; it possesses many words that -elsewhere have become obsolete, and a grammar with rules -as precise as those of any recognised language. No one -not to the manner born can successfully imitate the speech -of the rustics who, from father to son, through many -generations have lived in the same village. A stranger -may pick up a few Dorset words, only, in all probability, -to use them incorrectly. For instance, he may hear the -expression “thic tree” for “that tree,” and go away with -the idea that “thic” is the Dorset equivalent of “that,” -and so say “thic grass”—an expression which no true -son of the Dorset soil would use; for, as the late William -Barnes pointed out, things in Dorset are of two classes: -(1) The personal class of formed things, as a man, a tree,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span> -a boot; (2) the impersonal class of unformed quantities of -things, as a quantity of hair, or wood, or water. “He” -is the personal pronoun for class (1); “it” for class (2). -Similarly, “thëase” and “thic” are the demonstratives of -class (1); “this” and “that” of class (2). A book is -“he”; some water is “it.” We say in Dorset: “Thëase -tree by this water,” “Thic cow in that grass.” Again, -a curious distinction is made in the infinitive mood: when -it is not followed by an object, it ends in “y”; when an -object follows, the “y” is omitted:—“Can you mowy?” -but “Can you mow this grass for me?” The common -use of “do” and “did” as auxiliary verbs, and not only -when emphasis is intended, is noteworthy (the -“o” of the “do” being faintly heard). “How -do you manage about threading your needles?” -asked a lady of an old woman engaged in sewing, whose -sight was very dim from cataract. The answer came: -“Oh, he” (her husband) “dô dread ’em for me.” In -Dorset we say not only “to-day” and “to-morrow,” but -also “to-week,” “to-year.” “Tar’ble” is often used for -“very,” in a good as well as a bad sense. There are many -words bearing no resemblance to English in Dorset speech. -What modern Englishman would recognise a “mole hill” -in a “wont-heave,” or “cantankerous” in “thirtover”? -But too much space would be occupied were this fascinating -subject to be pursued further.</p> - -<p>National schools, however, are corrupting Wessex -speech, and the niceties of Wessex grammar are often -neglected by the children. Probably the true Dorset will -soon be a thing of the past. William Barnes’ poems and -Thomas Hardy’s Wessex novels, especially the latter, -will then become invaluable to the philologist. In some -instances Mr. Barnes’ spelling seems hardly to represent -the sound of words as they are uttered by Dorset, or, as -they say here, “Darset” lips.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_BARROWS_OF_DORSET">THE BARROWS OF DORSET</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By C. S. Prideaux</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HE County of Dorset is exceedingly rich in -the prehistoric burial-places commonly called -barrows. At the present time considerably over -a thousand are marked on the one-inch Ordnance -Map, and, considering the numbers which have been -destroyed, we may surely claim that Dorset was a -populous centre in prehistoric times, owing probably to -its proximity to the Continent and its safe harbours, -as well as to its high and dry downs and wooded valleys.</p> - -<p>The long barrow is the earliest form of sepulchral mound, -being the burial-place of the people of the Neolithic or -Late Stone Age, a period when men were quite ignorant -of the use of metals, with the possible exception of gold, -using flint or stone weapons and implements, but who -cultivated cereals, domesticated animals, and manufactured -a rude kind of hand-made pottery. Previous to this, stone -implements and weapons were of a rather rude type; but -now not only were they more finely chipped, but often -polished.</p> - -<p>The round barrows are the burial-places of the Goidels, -a branch of the Celtic family, who were taller than the -Neolithic men and had rounder heads. They belong to the -Bronze Age, a period when that metal was first introduced -into Britain; and although comparatively little is found in -the round barrows of Dorset, still less has been discovered -in the North of England, probably owing to the greater -distance from the Continent.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span></p> - -<p>Hand-made pottery abounds, artistically decorated with -diagonal lines and dots, which are combined to form such -a variety of patterns that probably no two vessels are found -alike. Stone and flint implements were still in common -use, and may be found almost anywhere in Dorset, -especially on ploughed uplands after a storm of rain, when -the freshly-turned-up flints have been washed clear of -earth.</p> - -<p>In discussing different periods, we must never lose sight -of the fact that there is much overlapping; and although -it is known that the long-barrow men had long heads and -were a short race, averaging 5 ft. 4 in. in height, and that -the round-barrow men had round heads and averaged -5 ft. 8 in.,<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> we sometimes find fairly long-shaped skulls in -the round barrows, showing that the physical peculiarities -of the two races became blended.</p> - -<p>Long barrows are not common in Dorset, and little has -been done in examining their contents. This is probably -due to their large size, and the consequent difficulty in -opening them. They are generally found inland, and -singly, with their long diameter east and west; and the -primary interments, at any rate in Dorset, are unburnt, -and usually placed nearer the east end. Some are chambered, -especially where large flat stones were easily obtainable, -but more often they are simply formed of mould and -chalk rubble. Their great size cannot fail to impress us, -and we may well wonder how such huge mounds were -constructed with the primitive implements at the disposal -of Neolithic man. One near Pimperne, measured by Mr. -Charles Warne, is 110 yards long, and there are others -near Bere Regis, Cranborne, Gussage, and Kingston -Russell; and within a couple of miles of the latter place, -besides the huge long barrow, are dozens of round barrows, -the remains of British villages, hut circles, stone circles, -and a monolith.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_020fpa" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_020fpa.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><i>PLATE I.</i> Figs. 1 3 2 4 6 5<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Bronze Age Objects from Dorset Round Barrows</span><br /> - -(<span class="smcap lowercase">IN THE DORSET COUNTY MUSEUM</span>).<br /> - -<i>⅕ Scale.</i> -</div></div> - - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_020fpb" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_020fpb.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><i>PLATE II.</i> Figs. 1 3 2 4<br /> - -<span class="smcap">Bronze Age Objects from Dorset Round Barrows</span><br /> - -<span class="smcap lowercase">(IN THE DORSET COUNTY MUSEUM</span>).<br /> -<i>⅕ Scale.</i></div> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span></p> - -<p>The late Lieut.-General Pitt-Rivers, in 1893, removed -the whole of Wor Barrow, on Handley Down,<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> and made -a very exhaustive examination of its contents, which presented -many features of peculiar interest. This barrow, -with ditch, was about 175 feet long, 125 feet wide, and -13½ feet high; inside the mound on the ground level was -an oblong space, 93 ft. by 34 ft., surrounded by a trench -filled with flints. The earth above the trench bore traces -of wooden piles, which were, no doubt, originally stuck into -the trench with the flints packed around to keep them in -place, thus forming a palisade; the wooden piles in this -case taking the place of the stone slabs found in the stone-chambered -long barrows of Gloucestershire and elsewhere.</p> - -<p>Six primary interments by inhumation were discovered -at the south-east part of the enclosure, with a fragment -of coarse British pottery. Three of the bodies were in a -crouched position. The remaining three had been deposited -as bones, not in sequence, the long bones being laid out -by the side of the skulls; and careful measurement of -these bones shows that their owners were the short people -of the long-headed or Neolithic race, which confirms the -first part of Dr. Thurnam’s axiom: “Long barrows long -skulls, round barrows round skulls.” Nineteen secondary -interments of a later date were found in the upper part -of the barrow and in the surrounding ditch, with numerous -pieces of pottery, flint implements, fragments of bronze and -iron, and coins, proving that the barrow was used as a -place of burial down to Roman times.</p> - -<p>In Dorset the round barrows are generally found on -the summits of the hills which run through the county, -more particularly on the Ridgeway, which roughly follows -the coast line from near Bridport to Swanage, where may -be seen some hundreds of all sizes, from huge barrows over -100 feet in diameter and 15 feet in height to small mounds, -so little raised above the surface that only the tell-tale<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span> -shadows cast by the rising or setting sun show where a -former inhabitant lies buried.</p> - -<p>In the western part of the county they may be traced -from Kingston Russell to Agger-Dun, through Sydling and -Cerne Abbas to Bulbarrow, and in the east, from Swanage -Bay to Bere Regis; and also near Dorchester, Wimborne, -Blandford, and other places.</p> - -<p>In the Bronze Age cremation and inhumation were both -practised; but in Dorset burials by cremation are the more -common. The cremated remains were sometimes placed -in a hole or on the surface line, with nothing to protect -them from the weight of the barrow above; at other times -they were covered by flat slabs of stone, built in the form -of a small closed chamber or cist. Often they were placed -on a flat piece of stone, and covered with an inverted urn, -or put in an urn, with a covering slab over them; and they -have been found wrapped in an animal’s skin, or in a bag -of some woven material, or even in a wooden coffin.</p> - -<p>The inhumed bodies are nearly always found in a contracted -posture, with the knees drawn up towards the -chin; and a larger number face either east, south or west, -than north. In the case of an inhumation, when the body -was deposited below the old surface level, the grave was -often neatly hewn and sometimes lined with slabs of stone, -and it was the common custom to pile a heap of flints -over it, affording a protection from wild animals; above -the flints was heaped the main portion of the mound, which -consisted of mould and chalk rubble.</p> - -<p>A ditch, with or without a causeway,<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> usually surrounds -each barrow, but is so often silted up that no trace of it -can be seen on the surface; it probably helped to supply -the chalk rubble of the barrow.</p> - -<p>Bronze Age sepulchral pottery, which is hand-made, -often imperfectly baked and unglazed, has been divided -into four classes: the beaker or drinking vessel, the food<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span> -vessel, the incense cup, and the cinerary urn. The two -former are usually associated with inhumations; the two -latter with cremations.</p> - -<p>As a type of prehistoric ceramic art in Britain, the -Hon. J. Abercromby says that the beaker is the earliest, -and the cinerary urn the latest.<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> - -<p>Plate II., fig. 2, is a typical drinking vessel or beaker -which was found in the hands of a skeleton during alterations -to the Masonic Hall at Dorchester. It is made of -thin, reddish, well-baked pottery, and from the stains -inside it evidently contained food or liquid at some time. -The beaker is more often met with than the food vessel, -being found on the Continent as well as in England. The -food vessel, on the other hand, is a type unrepresented -outside the British Isles, and is entirely wanting in Wiltshire,<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> -although common in the North of England, Scotland, -and Ireland. In the Dorset County Museum at Dorchester -there are several fine examples found in the county, and -Plate I., fig. 1, represents one taken from a barrow near -Martinstown.<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> It is of unusual interest, as one-handled -food-vessels are rare. In this inhumed primary interment -the vessel was lying in the arms of the skeleton, whilst -close by was another and much smaller vessel, with the -remains of three infants.</p> - -<p>The terms “drinking-vessel” and “food-vessel” may -possibly be accurate, as these vessels may have held liquids -or food; but there is no evidence to show that the so-called -“incense cups” had anything to do with incense. The more -feasible idea seems to be that they were used to hold embers -with which to fire the funeral pile, and the holes with -which they are generally perforated would have been most -useful for admitting air to keep the embers alight.<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> These<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span> -small vessels are usually very much ornamented, even on -their bases, with horizontal lines, zigzags, chevrons, and -the like, and occasionally a grape-like pattern. They are -seldom more than three inches in height, but vary much -in shape, and often are found broken, with the fragments -widely separated, as if they had been smashed purposely -at the time of the burial. Plate II., figs. 3 and 4, are from -specimens in the Dorset County Museum, which also contains -several other Dorset examples.</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt as to the use of the cinerary -urn, which always either contains or covers cremated -remains. The urn (Plate II., fig. 1) is from the celebrated -Deverel Barrow, which was opened in 1825 by Mr. W. A. -Miles. The shape of this urn is particularly common in -Dorset, as well as another variety which has handles, or, -rather, perforated projections or knobs. A third and -prettier variety is also met with, having a small base, and -a thick overhanging rim or band at the mouth, generally -ornamented.</p> - -<p>It is rare to find curved lines in the ornamentation of -Bronze Age pottery, but sometimes concentric circles and -spiral ornaments are met with on rock-surfaces and -sculptured stones. Mr. Charles Warne found in tumulus -12, Came Down, Dorchester, two flat stones covering two -cairns with incised concentric circles cut on their surfaces.<a id="FNanchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> - -<p>There is no clear evidence of iron having been found -in the round barrows of Dorset in connection with a Bronze -Age interment; but of gold several examples may be seen -in the County Museum, and one, which was found in -Clandon Barrow, near Martinstown, with a jet head of a -sceptre with gold studs, is shown in Plate I., fig 2. Others -were discovered in Mayo’s Barrow and Culliford Tree.<a id="FNanchor_12" href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> -Bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin, is the only -other metal found with primary interments in our Dorset -round barrows.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span></p> - -<p>The County Museum possesses some excellent celts and -palstaves; a set of six socketed celts came from a barrow -near Agger-Dun, and look as if they had just come from -the mould. They are ornamented with slender ridges, -ending in tiny knobs, and have never been sharpened (two -of them are figured in Plate I., figs. 3 and 4); another celt, -from a barrow in the Ridgeway, is interesting as having -a fragment of cloth adhering to it. Daggers are found, -generally, with cremated remains, and are usually -ornamented with a line or lines, which, beginning just -below the point, run down the blade parallel with the -cutting edges. The rivets which fastened the blade to the -handle are often in position with fragments of the original -wooden handle and sheath.<a id="FNanchor_13" href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> These daggers seem to be -more common in Dorset than in the northern counties, -and many examples may be seen in the County Museum, -and two are illustrated in Plate I., figs. 5 and 6.</p> - -<p>Bronze pins, glass beads, amber and Kimmeridge shell -objects, bone tweezers and pins, slingstones and whetstones, -are occasionally met with; but by far the most common -objects are the flint and stone implements, weapons, and -flakes.</p> - -<p>In making a trench through a barrow near Martinstown,<a id="FNanchor_14" href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> -more than 1,200 flakes or chips of flints were found, besides -some beautifully-formed scrapers, a fabricator, a flint saw, -most skilfully notched, and a borer with a gimlet-like -point.</p> - -<p>Arrow-heads are not common in Dorset, but six were -found in a barrow in Fordington Field, Dorchester. They -are beautiful specimens, barbed and tongued; the heaviest -only weighs twenty-five grains, and the lightest sixteen -grains. Mr. Warne mentions the finding of arrow-heads, -and also (a rare find in Dorset) a stone battle-axe, from a -barrow on Steepleton Down.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span></p> - -<p>Charred wood is a conspicuous feature, and animal -bones are also met with in the county, and in such positions -as to prove that they were placed there at the time of the -primary interment. Stags’ horns, often with the tips worn -as though they had been used as picks, are found, both in -the barrows and in the ditches.</p> - -<p>So far only objects belonging to the Bronze Age have -been mentioned; but as later races used these burial-places, -objects of a later date are common. Bronze and -iron objects and pottery, and coins of every period, are -often found above the original interment and in the ditches. -This makes it difficult for an investigator to settle with -certainty the different positions in which the objects were -deposited; and unless he is most careful he will get the -relics from various periods mixed. Therefore, the practice -of digging a hole into one of these burial-mounds, for -the sake of a possible find, cannot be too heartily condemned. -Anyone who is ambitious to open a barrow -should carefully read those wonderful books on <i>Excavations -in Cranborne Chase</i>, by the late Lieut.-General Pitt-Rivers, -before he puts a spade into the ground; for a careless dig -means evidence destroyed for those that come after.</p> - -<p>Most Dorset people will remember the late curator of -the County Museum, Mr. Henry Moule, and perhaps some -may have heard him tell this story, but it will bear -repeating. A labourer had brought a piece of pottery to -the Museum, and Mr. Moule explained to him that it not -only came from a barrow, but that it was most interesting, -and that he would like to keep it for the Museum. The -man looked surprised, and said, “Well, Meäster, I’ve -a-knocked up scores o’ theäsem things. I used to level -them there hipes (or heäps) an’ drawed awaÿ the vlints -vor to mend the roads; an’ I must ha’ broke up dozens -o’ theäse here wold pots; but they niver had no cwoins -inzide ’em.” Those who knew Mr. Moule can imagine -his horror.</p> - -<p>Much more remains to be done by Dorset people in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span> -investigating these most interesting relics of the past, for -we know little of the builders of these mounds; and, as -Mr. Warne says in his introduction to <i>The Celtic Tumuli -of Dorset</i>:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>If the Dorsetshire barrows cannot be placed in comparison with many -of those of Wiltshire ... or Derbyshire, they may, nevertheless, be -regarded with intense interest, as their examination has satisfactorily -established the fact that they constitute the earliest series of tumuli in any -part of the kingdom; whilst they identify Dorset as one of the earliest -colonised portions of Britain.</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_ROMAN_OCCUPATION">THE ROMAN OCCUPATION</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Captain J. E. Acland</span><br /> - -<i>Curator, Dorset County Museum</i></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/a.jpg" alt="A" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">LTHOUGH we are dealing with historic and -not prehistoric times in describing the -occupation of the County of Dorset by the -Romans, it is to the work of the spade and not -of the pen that we must turn for the memorials of that -most interesting and important period, which lasted nearly -four hundred years; when the all-powerful, masterful race, -the conquerors of the world, held sway, enforced obedience -to their laws, and inaugurated that system of colonisation -which was perhaps the best the world has ever seen—a -system designed and developed according to exact -regulations, which savoured more of military discipline -than of that civil liberty which we associate with the -profession of agriculture.</p> - -<p>The Roman occupation was indeed an admirable -combination of military and civil rule; and the memorials -fall naturally into two distinct classes, corresponding with -two distinct periods. There is, first, the period of -conquest, embracing the years during which the Roman -Legions drove back the native levies, and captured their -strongholds; not in one summer campaign we may well -believe, but year after year, with irresistible force, until -the subjugated tribes laid down their arms and yielded -the hostages demanded by the conquerors. Then followed -the period of peace, of civilisation, and of colonising; of -improving the roads, and marking out of farms; the days<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span> -of trade and commerce, and of building houses, temples, -and places for public amusement.</p> - -<p>Now both aspects of the occupation are to be seen -as clearly at this day as if they were described in the -pages of a book; and yet what is the fact? Scarcely a -sentence can be found of written history which deals with -it. General Pitt-Rivers, who, living in Dorset, devoted -many years of his life to antiquarian research, asserts that -having read with attention all the writings that were -accessible upon that obscure period of history, some by -scholars of great ability, nothing definite can be found to -relate to the Roman Conquest. It is, however, generally -assumed that it fell to the lot of Vespasian, in command -of the world-famous “Legio Secunda,” to commence, if -not to complete, the subjugation of the Durotriges, the -people who are believed to have inhabited the southern -portion of the county. The only reference to Vespasian’s -campaign by contemporary historians is made by -Suetonius. He says that Vespasian crossed to Britain, -fought with the enemy some thirty times, and reduced -to submission two most warlike tribes and twenty fortified -camps, and the island (Isle of Wight) adjacent to the -coast. In this statement, which is all too brief to satisfy -our curiosity, may lie the main facts of the passing of -Dorset into Roman power. The work begun by Vespasian -may, indeed, have been completed by others—by Paulinus -Suetonius, the Governor of Britain about the year 60, and -by Agricola; and where so much is left to conjecture, it -is at least worth while to give once more the theory -propounded by the well-known antiquary, the late Mr. -Charles Warne, F.S.A. In a paper read before the Society -of Antiquaries in June, 1867, he suggests that as the south-eastern -parts of Britain had been previously visited by -Roman armies, Vespasian directed his course further to -the west, and either made the Isle of Wight the base of -his operations or anchored his ships in the harbours of -Swanage or Poole. Close by is the commencement of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span> -long range of hills, The Ridgeway, which, with few -interruptions, follows the coast line, and still shews by -the number of the burial-mounds the district inhabited -by the British.</p> - -<p>Mr. Warne proceeds to enumerate the various camps -along this route, all at convenient distances from one -another, some of which shew by their construction that -they were Roman camps, and others British camps, -captured by the conquering legions, as narrated by -Suetonius. If Vespasian had pursued this plan of -campaign, it would have had the additional advantage -of enabling him to keep in touch with his transports. -As one hill fortress after another was captured in the -march westward along the Ridgeway heights, so the fleet -might have changed its anchorage from Swanage Bay -to Lulworth, from Lulworth to the shelter of Weymouth -and Portland, and finally to the neighbourhood of -Charmouth or Lyme Regis.</p> - -<p>There is this also to be said in favour of Mr. Warne’s -conjecture. An attacking force must find out and capture -the strongholds of the defenders, which would naturally -be made more strongly, and therefore last longer than the -camps of the invaders. And this is what we see in the -suggested line of the Roman advance. First, on the east, -Flowers, or Florus Bury Camp, and Bindun, then Mai-dun -(Maiden Castle), after that Eggardun, and finally, at the -western limit of the county, Conig’s Castle and Pylsdun. -All these are (as far as can be seen now) British camps -of refuge; all of them must have been captured before -the Roman generals could feel secure in their own isolated -position on a foreign shore. That they were one and -all occupied by the conquerors is also most probable, -and would account for the discovery of Roman relics -within their areas. No Roman camps can be seen at -all approaching in strength or size these magnificent hill -fortresses. It is, of course, well known that the armies -of Rome never halted for a night without forming an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span> -entrenchment of sufficient size to include not only the -fighting men, but the baggage train, and though traces -of these still remain on the hills of Dorset, the majority -have long ago disappeared.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the most interesting example of the military -occupation of the two races is to be seen at Hod Hill, -near Blandford, where a well-defined Roman Camp is -constructed within the area of a previously occupied -British fortress, and here have been found spear heads, -arrow heads, spurs and portions of harness, rings and -fibulæ, and fragments of pottery, all indicating the Roman -occupation; iron was found more generally than bronze, -and the coins are those of the earlier emperors, including -Claudius, in whose reign Vespasian made his conquests. -Badbury, four miles north-west of Wimborne, Woodbury, -near Bere Regis, and Hambledon, five miles north of -Blandford, may be referred to as memorials of the time -of the Roman occupation, though not of Roman construction.</p> - -<p>Poundbury Camp, with its Saxon appellation, deserves -special mention, for, being situated on the outskirts of -Dorchester, it has been studied more frequently perhaps -than any other earthwork in the county. It has the form -of an irregular square, with a single vallum, except on -the more exposed west side, where it is doubled, and -traces have been discovered of other ramparts now -obliterated. On the north the camp overhangs the river -and valley, once probably a lake or morass, and here the -defences are slight. The area within the vallum is about -330 yards from east to west, and 180 yards from north -to south. Some authorities affirm that it was raised by -the Danes about <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1002, when they attacked Dorchester. -Stukeley regards it as one of Vespasian’s camps when -engaged in his conquest of the Durotriges, while other -antiquarians claim for it a British origin, prior to the -Roman invasion. Mr. Warne, whose opinions are always -worthy of most careful consideration, “holds it to be a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span> -safer speculation to regard it as a Roman earthwork,” -and, no doubt, in form and general outline and size it -is very similar to other Roman camps, and altogether -different to the magnificent British fortress Maiden Castle, -not two miles away. Many Roman relics have been found, -including coins ranging from the times of Claudius to -Constantine, and a tumulus is still to be seen within the -vallum, which alone would be an argument against its -Celtic origin.</p> - -<p>Poundbury is insignificant indeed when compared with -Mai-dun, and it is impossible by mere description to -convey an adequate impression of this great earth fortress, -singled out by many as the finest work of its kind. It -certainly surpasses all others in the land of the Durotriges, -and probably nowhere in the world can entrenchments -be seen of such stupendous strength. This camp, which -is said to occupy 120 acres, is in form an irregular oval, -embracing the whole of the hill on which it stands; its -length is nearly 800 yards, and width 275 yards. On the -north, facing the plain, there are three lines of ramparts, -with intervening ditches, the slopes being exceedingly -steep, and measuring over 60 feet from apex to base. -On the south the number of ramparts is increased, but -they are not so grand, and, indeed, as Mr. Warne remarks, -they appear to have been left in an unfinished condition. -At the east and west ends are the two principal entrances, -and here the ingenuity of the designer is manifested in -a surprising manner. At one end five or six ramparts, -at the other as many as seven or eight are built, so as -to cover or overlap one another; vallum and fossa, -arranged with consummate skill, to complete the intricacies -of entrance, and to compel an enemy to undertake a task -of the utmost difficulty and danger.</p> - -<p>In later times this camp was, no doubt, occupied by -Roman troops as summer quarters, its healthy position -rendering it very suitable for the purpose. Perhaps, still -later, it became the residence of some Roman magnate,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span> -who selected that fine eminence for his country villa; at -any rate, there should be no difficulty in accounting for -the discovery of Roman coins and implements, or even -of villas, on the sites of the camps and castles of the -British. Many a hard fought battle must have raged -around their earthen walls.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Ever and anon, with host to host,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Shocks, and the splintering spear, the hard mail hewn,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Shield breakings, and the clash of brands, the crash</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of battle axes on shattered helms.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Many a shout of victory must have been heard as the -conquering legions forced their way over the ramparts -and planted their eagles on the summit of the captured -fortress. And once captured they must have been -retained, at first perhaps by a fairly large garrison -sufficient to prevent re-capture, then as the tide of battle -ebbed from the neighbourhood the numbers might have -been reduced; but the sites, always in some commanding -position, would have been long utilised as points of -observation and centres of control over the conquered -tribes.</p> - -<p>No revolt is recorded as taking place in the west of -Britain such as that led by Queen Boadicea in the east, -in the year 61; so in looking back to the Roman -occupation, it is reasonable to suppose that before the -end of the first century it was reduced to the condition -of a Roman province. Trade would soon commence with -this, the latest, addition to the Empire, and the soldiers, -no longer necessary except as garrisons and guardians -of the peace, would be employed in improving the means -of communication. The warlike Briton (in these parts -at any rate) was transformed into a peaceful husbandman, -who sowed and reaped, and paid his taxes, grumbling -perhaps, but on the whole contented with his lot.</p> - -<p>Roads, or trackways, of some kind there certainly were -in use by the British, linking tribe to tribe, or camp to -camp, and, judging by the line of what we now term<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span> -Roman roads, it is most probable that to a very great -extent the ancient routes were taken as the foundation -of the new system developed by the Romans. The details -of this system are given by an authority of contemporary -date in <i>The Itinerary of Antonine</i>, which is believed to -have been compiled in the third century, and possibly -corrected and added to later. In this work we find, as -regards the County of Dorset, a description of roads -which are easily recognised to-day, roads which are still -in use throughout a considerable portion of their length. -It must not be lost sight of that these roads are in -very close connection with some of the principal British -hill-fortresses, which fact would stamp them as being -originally constructed by the British race, though to all -appearance they are grand examples of Roman skill and -energy. The main road, the Via Principalis, of the third -and fourth centuries, comes to Dorset from Old Sarum, -in Wiltshire, one of the grandest of British camps; it -passes close to Badbury Camp, and then makes for -Maiden Castle, and onwards to Eggardun, all of earlier -date than the Roman invasion. But notwithstanding this -obvious connection, the roads as we see them now bear -witness to the power of Rome, and are, perhaps, some -of the most obvious of the memorials of the past. They -are described in the <i>XV. Iter.</i> of Antoninus, with the -names of the Roman stations and the distances between -them along the road from Silchester (Calleva) to Exeter -(Isca Dumnoni), which forms a portion of the great Via -Iceniana.</p> - -<p>After passing Old Sarum, this road crosses the -north-east border of the modern county of Dorset at a -small hamlet called Woodyates (near Cranborne), taking -a south-westerly course; it passes over Woodyates and -Handley Down, and is described by Sir R. Colt Hoare as -being at that point “the finest specimen of a Roman road -I know.” It runs by Badbury Camp, and thence to -Dorchester, where the direction changes to due west,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span> -parallel with the coast line, and after leaving the county -near Lyme Regis proceeds towards Exeter.</p> - -<p>It must not be supposed that this, or any other Roman -road, can be traced exactly throughout its whole course. -Far from it: the hand of the destroyer has been heavy -indeed on these relics of the past, built with a prodigal -expenditure of time and material. It is often the case -that the modern “turnpike,” or county, road has been -made on the very site of the ancient road, the old -embankment being levelled to gain additional width. In -other places cultivation and the demands of agriculture -may have proved the cause of its obliteration. Here and -there, especially on waste land and heather-clad downs -the true Roman work may still be seen, though covered, -perhaps, by grass; but with the aid of the Antonine -<i>Itinerary</i> much may be learnt and many a portion be recognised. -He names, however, only two stations within the -county, and the mileage is short by nearly twenty miles, -so in all probability, through error in copying, one other -station has been omitted. The two stations mentioned -are Vindogladia and Durnovaria. Authorities differ -greatly as to the true position of the former of these -places; the other station, however, is remarkable for the -proofs of its former importance. Here we find no less -than four roads meeting, from north, south, east, and west, -the east and west roads being the Via Iceniana; the others -are roads of less importance, that to the south leading to -the sea and towards the Roman settlement, Clavinio (or -Jordan Hill), near Weymouth, and that to the north -passing Stratton and on to Ilchester.</p> - -<p>Other branch roads were made as necessity required -in different parts of the county. Thus we find traces of a -road leaving the Via Principalis, near Badbury, to connect -with the harbour of Poole, and another, starting from the -same point, running northwards. Mr. Warne is considered -to have made a very interesting and clever discovery of -a station which is missing in the <i>XV. Iter.</i> of Antoninus.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span> -The distance there given between Vindogladia and -Durnovaria is quite obviously too short by some fourteen -miles. But on Kingston Down, near Bere Regis, the -cultured eyes of the learned Dorset antiquarian discovered -traces of a Roman settlement, and on due investigation -being made, it was considered that there was sufficient -proof to establish at this point a station called Ibernium, -referred to by other writers as existing in the county.</p> - -<p>The position of Vindogladia, though a subject of long -and frequent debate, and though stated by some to have -been at Badbury, by others at Wimborne Minster, has now -been accepted as on Gussage Down, not far from the -north-west border of the county where crossed by the Via -Iceniana. This is due to the researches of Sir R. C. -Hoare, and stands on a par with Mr. Warne’s discovery -of the other Roman station on the great military road.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>We come now to a very interesting period of the -Roman occupation, when we may imagine the military -operations at an end, a firm and beneficial government -established, and the colonists (at any rate), who usually -obtained a third part of the conquered territory, becoming -rich and enabled to build those houses that must have -been the envy and admiration of the native population, -with their decorative floors and walls, and ample comforts -for seasons of heat or cold.</p> - -<p>Still, as we have said before, it is not to any printed -records that we can turn for its history, but rather to the -result of careful excavation and the relics unearthed after -fifteen centuries’ burial in the soil: in a word, we trust -to the use of the spade for bringing before our minds -the life of the past and restoring the memorials of ancient -Dorset.</p> - -<p>In Warne’s map of the county, prepared in the year -1865 after most patient research and personal investigation, -there are more than fifty sites given where relics of -the Roman colonisation have been found, exclusive of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span> -Durnovaria. Mr. Moule, writing in 1893, says: “Roman -work of one kind and another has been found here in -Dorset in eighty places, and that for the most part -casually.” But year after year this number is increased, -and, truth to tell, so frequent are the discoveries that in -Dorchester the ordinary labourer, when excavating in the -streets, or elsewhere, is ever on the alert, and many a -treasure rewards his watchful care; and even children -whose eyes have been trained aright will find, when -digging in some neglected corner of garden or field, a bit -of common pottery, a fragment of Samian ware, or perhaps -a coin bearing the image of an Emperor of Rome. And -thus our history is written: a word discovered here, a -sentence there, until the story of the life of those days -may be once more told afresh. The frequency of these -discoveries is so far interesting that it draws attention -to the large area over which the Roman settlers were -distributed. No doubt they found this land of the Durotriges -a pleasant land to dwell in, as we do now in this -twentieth century. But here may be said, in passing, that -Roman colonists were partly at least a Roman garrison. -They were frequently old soldiers intended to keep in -check the conquered nation, and liable to be called back -to active service. But if there was no fear of a hostile -rising, the military character of the colony would gradually -be lost. And that, no doubt, soon happened here, for the -very great majority of the relics of the Roman occupation -are signs of its peaceful character.</p> - -<p>The discovery of the sites of Roman villas scattered -in more or less isolated positions throughout the county -tend also to prove this, and especially when the villa is -shown to have possessed one of those beautiful mosaic -floors which can only have belonged to a prosperous and -wealthy colonist or to a British landowner left undisturbed -in his possessions, and who employed the Roman craftsmen -to build him a house. These tessellated floors have -been frequently exposed to view in various parts of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span> -Dorset, and too frequently, alas! through ignorance or -carelessness, been neglected or destroyed; others, again, -have been examined, plans or drawings made, and been -covered up once more. Among those which have been -described may be mentioned: Thornford and Lenthay -Green, near Sherborne; Halstock, six miles south of -Yeovil; Rampisham, twelve miles north of Dorchester; -Frampton, six miles north of Dorchester; Preston, near -Weymouth; Creech, near Wareham; Fifehead Neville, -north-west of Blandford; Hemsworth, five miles north of -Wimborne; and in Dorchester itself no less than twenty -different pavements, either complete or in portions, -besides one on the upper area of Maiden Castle. It is -difficult to assign a date, even approximately, to these -villas, for the coins found amidst the <i>débris</i> cover practically -the whole period of Roman occupation, and the other -objects generally discovered on the site are not of much -assistance. There are no records of inscribed stones -being found, which might have helped; and, as a rule, the -more valuable part of the building materials, such as cut -stones, roof slabs, and timbers, must have been taken away -when the houses were left; but the wells and refuse pits -are the happy and profitable hunting-ground of the -antiquary.</p> - -<p>The tessellated pavements are so interesting and -attractive that it is worth while to describe them in detail. -The system adopted in their construction seems to have -been as follows:—If no provision was made for heating -the rooms by means of a hypocaust or hot-air flues, the -ground was prepared by rough levelling, and 6 to 8 inches -thick of flints rammed, or coarse, gravelly mortar or -concrete laid; on this 3 or 4 inches of better class white -cement, and above some fine cement to take the tessellæ; -and after these were laid a liquid cement would be run -into the interstices before the final polishing was -commenced. The system of laying is well shewn in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span> -annexed illustration, taken of a pavement <i>in situ</i>, before -removal to the Dorset County Museum.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_038fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_038fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Part of the Olga Road Tessellated Pavement, Dorchester.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>The tessellæ themselves, as generally found in Dorset, -consist of small cubes of stone or brick, but vary in size -from about ⅜ or ½ inch to 1½ inch; the smaller are used -for the decorative portions; the larger for the borders, -or for passages, or for the floors of houses of a humbler -character. The colours are for the most part only four—namely: -white, dark slate (or blue-black), red, and a sort -of drab or grey; occasionally yellow is found, but not often.</p> - -<p>The materials of which the tessellæ are composed has -given rise to much discussion and, indeed, much difference -of opinion; but, as a general principle, it may be assumed -that, wherever possible, local stone was used. The red -tessellæ are merely brick or tile of a fine description; but, -as a means of obtaining a scientific opinion of the other -stones, microscopic sections have been cut from the -tessellæ and submitted to an expert mineralogist, who -has given them the following names. The very dark -stone is a fine-grained ferruginous limestone; the grey is -also a fine-grained limestone; the drab or yellow is an -oolitic limestone; and the white is a hard chalk, showing -foraminifera very well. It is believed that the colour may -be altered by submitting the stone to heat, an opinion -held by Professor Buckman, and explained in a very -interesting chapter of his book, <i>Roman Art in Cirencester</i>.</p> - -<p>The mosaic floors found in Dorchester are, as a rule, -of very simple but effective design, consisting of -geometrical arrangements of the single guilloche, the twist -or plait, the double guilloche (which is extremely handsome -in mosaic work), and the ordinary fret. These, being -arranged as outlines of intersecting squares and circles, -leave spaces of varying dimensions, spandrels, or trefoils, -which are utilised for the introduction of many diverse -emblems, such as the fylfot or swastika, the duplex, -sprays of foliage, urns, and interlacing knots. In the -County Museum may be seen laid on the floor (in which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span> -position alone can full justice be done to the skill of the -Italian artist) two nearly complete mosaic pavements. -One of these shows the area of three adjoining rooms, -with entrances or vestibules; the other pavement, found -in 1905, is in excellent preservation, measuring 21 feet -by 12 feet 6 inches, and is remarkable for two ornamental -vases, with two serpents issuing from each.</p> - -<p>The pavement at Preston, near Weymouth, still <i>in situ</i>, -was discovered in 1852, the coins found near the villa -dating from the middle of the third century. At Jordan -Hill, close by, is the Roman settlement, Clavinio, which -has been productive of a large number of very interesting -relics.</p> - -<p>At the entrance to the village of Preston, coming -from Weymouth, may be seen an arch spanning a small -stream. The form and masonry of the arch, as well -as its proximity to the other remains here noticed, point -to the probability of Roman construction, and is of -special interest, as examples of Roman masonry are but -rarely found still existing in the county.</p> - -<p>The pavement at Lenthay Green was discovered in -1836, and was carefully removed to the dairy of Sherborne -Castle. It contains a representation of a sitting -figure playing on a lyre, and a second figure dancing and -playing a pipe.</p> - -<p>The villa on Maiden Castle was discovered by Mr. -Cunnington in 1882, and as a result of his excavations -he sent to the County Museum many interesting objects: -fragments of mosaic floor, wall-plaster, and roof tiles, a -curious bronze plate (repoussé work) representing a -helmeted figure holding a spear, and coins from Helena, -<span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 290, to Arcadius, <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 408.</p> - -<p>A mosaic floor at Frampton is remarkable for the -introduction into the design of the Christian monogram -☧, known as the Labarum. Extensive excavations were -made here at the end of the eighteenth century, and four -different pavements were found. They contain numerous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span> -representations of heathen deities, Neptune being -especially favoured; a motto worked into one of the -borders runs: “<i>Neptuni vertex regmen sortiti mobile -ventis</i>,” and some other words partly lost. The introduction -of the monogram of Christ is probably of a later date -than the original work. The pavement is now covered -up, but Mr. Lysons, who superintended the excavations in -1797, obtained accurate drawings of the whole site, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span> -mosaic work being shown in correct colours on seven -large plates which were published, together with an -accurate description.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_041" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_041.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Tessellated Pavement at Fifehead Neville, Dorset.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>The pavements uncovered at Fifehead Neville are also -of great interest. The first was discovered in 1881, -measuring about 14 feet by 12 feet, the design consisting -of an urn, or vase, in the centre, around which seven small -fish are depicted, and outside them are four sea-monsters, -like dolphins. Coins found here date from <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 270 to -340. The second pavement, found in 1903, requires no -description, as we are permitted, by the Editor of the -Dorset Field Club, to reproduce an illustration which -appears in the Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>. The general plan of -the design is almost identical with a pavement found in -Dyer Street, Cirencester, though the details are altogether -different. They may well have been designed by the -same artist.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Very little has been said, so far, of Dorchester itself, -and yet the modern town is full of memories of the Roman -Durnovaria. It lies within the boundaries of the ancient -walls, their position, still plainly discernible in many -places, being marked by broad walks and avenues of -trees. One small portion of the masonry of the wall itself -may still be seen in the West Walk. The position of -the gates is also fairly easy to decide, though no vestige -of them remains. The roads which issued from them -have been referred to at a previous page.</p> - -<p>It has been asserted recently—and, indeed, proved to -the satisfaction of many local authorities—that the course -of a Roman aqueduct can be traced here and there to -the west of Dorchester skirting the adjacent valleys and -hills. It is believed to have been an open water-course, -obtaining its supply from the source of a small stream -some twelve miles distant.</p> - -<p>Perhaps, however, the most remarkable relic of the -Roman occupation is the amphitheatre, said to be the best<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span> -preserved in Britain. It is larger than the so-called “Bull -Ring” of Cirencester, and, being quite free from trees and -bushes, stands out more boldly than the similar work at -Silchester. It is built of chalk, now covered with grass, -somewhat elliptical in plan, the height of the sides being -given as about 30 feet, and the internal measurements -218 feet by 163 feet. On each side of the entrance there -are walks which ascend gradually to the centre of the -mounds, where there are small platforms as if for seating -the principal spectators or judges, but there are no traces -of steps or ledges for the accommodation of the general -public; and, judging by the remarks of early Roman -writers, it is very probable that the people were obliged -to stand throughout the public games.</p> - -<p>But in addition to these more obvious relics of a -bygone age, the subsoil of Dorchester is full of treasures -that emphasise the Roman occupation. It would be -impossible to describe in these pages even the most -interesting of the objects that have been brought to light -in recent years, but it is fortunate that they find their -way very frequently to the County Museum, of which the -people of Dorset are justly proud. It must suffice at the -present time to mention that in its cases may be seen a -fine collection of objects made of Kimmeridge shale; -glass hairpins, brooches and bracelets, and a metal mirror; -pottery of all kinds; many examples of mosaic floors, -fragments of wall plaster retaining their brilliant -colouring, three curious antefixæ, a Roman sword handle, -which is believed to be almost unique, and a base and -capital of a column of a temple. In looking at these -memorials of the past, and stepping the while on the -ancient pavements, the mind is taken back with irresistible -force to the men and women who made use of them in -their daily occupations—the Romans, who for a period of -four hundred years exercised their wise and beneficial -influence over the people of Britain.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_CHURCHES_OF_DORSET">THE CHURCHES OF DORSET</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/o.jpg" alt="O" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">UT of about three hundred churches which are -to be found in Dorset, three stand out as far -ahead of all the rest—the church (once -collegiate, now parochial) of Wimborne -Minster; the church of the Benedictine Abbey at -Sherborne, now the parish church; and the great -Benedictine Abbey Church at Milton, now in parochial -use. These three, which receive separate treatment in -the present volume, are the only three Dorset churches -that can rank with the great parish churches of England.</p> - -<p>There were before the Reformation many religious -houses, each with its own church, in the county, but at -the time of the Dissolution, in the reign of Henry VIII., -most of these, as being of no further use, fell into decay, -and their ruins were regarded as quarries of hewn stone -whenever such material was needed in the neighbourhood. -Of the Benedictine nunnery of Shaftesbury, once one -of the most wealthy religious foundations in the kingdom, -nothing remains save the foundations, which recent -excavations have disclosed to view; of Cistercian Bindon, -only the gatehouse and a few ivy-clad walls, rising only -a few feet above the ground; of Benedictine Cerne, a -splendid barn and a beautiful gatehouse, and a few -fragments incorporated in some farm buildings; of its -daughter abbey at Abbotsbury, a still larger barn, -testifying to the wealth of the community, and some -ruined walls—this is all that remains to mark the spots<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</span> -where day after day through many centuries the words -of prayer and praise rose almost without ceasing, and -monks and nuns lived their lives apart from the busy -world, spending their time in meditation, in adorning -their churches with the carving of capital and boss or -miserere, in copying and illuminating manuscripts, in -teaching the young, in giving alms to the needy, in tilling -their lands in the days while yet they cherished the high -ideals of the founders of their orders, before they lapsed -into luxury and riotous living.</p> - -<p>A few monastic barns remain in other places, as at -Tarrant Crawford and Liscombe. These owe their -preservation to the fact that they could at once be utilized; -for those who received grants of abbey lands, no less -than their predecessors, required buildings wherein to -store their corn; whereas the refectory, dormitory, cellars, -and other domestic buildings designed for a community -of monks or nuns were useless when such communities -no longer existed; and the churches, unless they could -be turned to account as parish churches, would also be -of no use.</p> - -<p>After the three great ministers already mentioned there -is a wide gap, for though many of the Dorset parish -churches are of architectural or archæological interest, -either generally or because they contain some special -object—a Saxon font, a Norman doorway, a Decorated -Easter sepulchre, a canopied tomb, or the effigy of a noble -who fought in the French wars of the fourteenth and -fifteenth centuries—yet as a rule the churches are comparatively, -if not actually, small, and are for the most part -built in the Perpendicular style, the most prosaic and -uninteresting of the mediæval styles of architecture, -though in mason-craft it can hold its own against all -the rest. And, moreover, Dorset Perpendicular is not -equal to that which is to be found in the neighbouring -county of Somerset. We look in vain for the splendid -fifteenth century towers which are the glory of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</span> -Somerset churches; here and there in isolated places, and, -strange enough, not on the Somerset border, we find traces -of the Somerset influence; but for the most part the -Dorset towers are utilitarian appendages, not structures -carefully designed with a view to beauty of outline and -richness and appropriateness of ornament, as the finest of -the Somerset towers are. Spires of mediæval date are -rare in Dorset. There are but two—one at Winterborne -Steepleton, near Dorchester, and one at Trent, a parish -added for administration purposes to the County of Dorset -in 1895; there is a spire also at Iwerne<a id="FNanchor_15" href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> Minster, but it -cannot be called a mediæval one, for though the tower -of this church was formerly surmounted by a beautiful -spire, yet that to be seen to-day is only a reproduction, -built of some of the stones of the old spire, which was -taken down at the beginning of the nineteenth century. -The upper part above the lower of the two moulded bands, -preserves the original slope; the lower has a different -slope, as the builder had, in a vertical distance of about -ten feet, to connect the base of the original spire with the -horizontal section of the upper part, which was originally -about thirty feet above the base. The original spire was -forty feet in height; the present one is only twenty feet. -The stone not used in the rebuilding was sold to a road -contractor for metalling the roads.</p> - -<p>The hand of the restorer has been laid very heavily -on Dorset churches. In some cases, where there was -absolutely no necessity for it, old churches were entirely -destroyed to make room for smart new buildings; others -have been restored—a few judiciously, the majority -injudiciously; a few only, so far, have entirely escaped. -Many causes in Dorset, as elsewhere, have led to extensive -restoration—the desire to adapt the building to the -form of worship fashionable at the time, or to put back, -as it is called, the church into what was supposed to be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</span> -its original form, as if such a thing were possible; the -love of uniformity, which has led to the removal of -seventeenth and eighteenth century additions, such as -pulpits and galleries, which were supposed to be out of -keeping with the main portion of the church; by which -removals much interesting history has been destroyed. -Oak pews, sometimes carved, have been swept away in -order to put in more comfortable benches of pitch pine; -encaustic tiles have taken the place of the old stones, -which, if they had become uneven, might have been -relaid; ancient plaster has been stripped from walls, and -the stones pointed; churchyards have been levelled, and, -in some cases, the paths have been paved with old headstones. -Unfortunately for Dorset, there has been found -no lack of money to carry out these supposed “improvements,” -so that the work of “restoration” has been done -most thoroughly throughout the length and breadth of the -county, and there is now little more that is likely to be -done. It is, indeed, almost too late to utter the prayer -of Thomas Hardy:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">From restorations of Thy fane,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">From smoothings of Thy sward,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">From zealous churchmen’s pick and plane,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Deliver us, good Lord!<a id="FNanchor_16" href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a></div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>But despite the fact that Dorset is architecturally much -poorer at the beginning of the twentieth century than -at the beginning of the nineteenth, there is still much -that the archæologist may take joy in, though his joy -may be mingled with regret at treasures of old time that -have vanished for ever.</p> - -<p>One of the most interesting ecclesiastical buildings -in Dorset is the little church, disused for many years -save for an occasional service, of St. Martin, at Wareham. -Some of it is probably of Saxon date; in size and proportion -it bears a remarkable likeness to St. Ealdhelm’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</span> -recently re-discovered church of St. Lawrence, at -Bradford-on-Avon. This is specially interesting, as it -is said that St. Ealdhelm founded a monastery or nunnery -at Wareham, and the similarity of this church to -that which he built at Bradford gives some confirmation -to the belief that this church also was built by him during -the time of his episcopate at Sherborne (705-709). Some -authorities, while recognising the church as of Saxon -foundation, would date it approximately 1050. The -chancel arch is low, like that at Bradford, but not so -narrow; the nave, though subsequently lengthened, is -short, narrow, and high—long and short work may be -seen in the coigns of the walls; all these seem to indicate -its Saxon origin. The church, however, has been enlarged -from time to time; the north aisle is divided -from the nave by round-headed arches; the windows at -the east of the chancel and aisle, now walled up, are of -the Perpendicular period; and a window in the south -wall of the nave is of Decorated date; but an early -Norman one may be seen on the north side of the chancel. -The tower, with a gabled roof, is an early addition to the -building. When, in 1762, a great fire destroyed about -a third of the town of Wareham, many of those whom -this disaster rendered homeless found a refuge within -the walls of the little church, which even then had -ceased to be used for service. Beneath the church a vast -number of burials took place; it would seem that the -limited space within the walls was used over and over -again for this purpose.</p> - -<p>Among other examples of Saxon work to be found -in Dorset may be mentioned a walled-up doorway, with -triangular head, on the south wall of Worth Matravers -church, in the Isle of Purbeck; a fragment of herring-bone -work in Corfe Castle, which may possibly be a portion -of a wall of the chapel founded here by St. Ealdhelm, -though it may, on the other hand, be of Norman date; -and fonts at Toller Fratrum and Martinstown; and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</span> -carved stone over the doorway of Tarrant Rushton, the -chancel arch of which church is also probably of pre-Conquest -date.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_048fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_048fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">St. Martin’s Church, Wareham.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Norman work is naturally more abundant. The church -at Studland, in the Isle of Purbeck, is no doubt the most -complete example to be met with in the county. It is -also a fine example of restoration at its best. The church -was in great danger of falling, owing to the sinking of -an artificial bed of clay on which the foundations of some -of the walls were laid; wide cracks had opened in the -walls, in the chancel arch, and other places; the mortar -of the core of the walls had perished; but by underpinning -the walls, grouting with cement, the insertion of metal -tie-beams, and stopping the cracks, the church has been -made safe. There is little work of post-Norman date, -but it is by no means certain that the Norman builders -built the church from its foundations; there is good reason -to suppose that a previous church of rude rubble masonry -existed here, and that a great part of the original walls -was left standing, and that the Norman builders cut out -portions of the old walls to insert their own more perfect -work in various places. It is a long, narrow church, -without aisles; a low central tower, probably never -completed, covered with a gable roof, stands between the -nave and chancel. The tower arches are low, and the -roof is vaulted. The Norman work probably dates from -about 1130. The church bears some resemblance to the -well-known church at Iffley, but the decoration is not -so elaborate.</p> - -<p>Next to Studland in interest comes the church of -Worth Matravers, also in the Isle of Purbeck. Here, -however, the tower stands at the west end. The chancel -is Early English, the roof is of wood; but the chancel -arch is elaborately carved, as is also the door within the -south porch. In the parish of Worth stands a unique -building—the chapel of St. Ealdhelm, on St. Ealdhelm’s -(or, as it is often incorrectly called, St. Alban’s) Head. It<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</span> -shares with the later chapel of St. Catherine, near Abbotsbury, -the peculiarity of being built, within and without, -walls and roof alike, of stone. The chapel of St. Ealdhelm -stands four square, with a pyramidal roof, now surmounted -by a cross, which has taken the place of the cresset in -which the beacon fire blazed on nights of storm or national -danger. No doubt it showed one of the “twinkling points -of fire” of Macaulay’s ballad when the Armada had -been sighted off Alderney. There is a legend that it was -built by St. Ealdhelm, who, finding that he could not by -land get at the heathen of what we now call Dorset, came -in a boat and climbed the cliff, and afterwards founded -this chapel to mark the spot where he landed. That he -landed here is probable enough, but the style of architecture—Norman—shows -that it was built long after -St. Ealdhelm’s time. It is far more likely that his -chapel was built on the hill at “Corfes-geat,” now -crowned with the ruins of Corfe Castle. Another more -romantic story tells us that this chapel on St. Ealdhelm’s -Head was founded by the Norman Lord of -the Manor, who, when his daughter, who had just -been married, set out from Poole Haven to sail down -channel to her home, came to this high spot to watch -the vessel that bore her pass, and saw it wrecked on the -rocks below. Hence it is said that he built this chapel -so that masses might be said there for her soul’s rest. -Be this as it may, it is certain that for many centuries -the chaplain received his yearly stipend of fifty shillings -from the Royal Treasury, and the chapel was a seamen’s -chantry, where prayers for their safety might be offered, -and whose flaming beacon served as a lighthouse. A -narrow Norman window, or, rather, a slit, near the north-west -corner of the east wall, alone admits light. A Norman -doorway, in the opposite wall, is the only entrance. The -stone vault is supported by ribs springing from a central -pier, an arrangement similar to that common in polygonal -chapter houses. The local name for the building was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</span> -at one time “The Devil’s Chapel,” and people sought to -gain their objects by some process of incantation, one -part of the rite being the dropping of a pin into a hole -in the central pier, a custom not altogether abandoned -even now. On Worth “club walking day,” in Whitsun -week, the building was used as a dancing room; at other -times of the year as a coastguard store. It has, however, -been refitted as a chapel, and service for the coastguard -station is held at stated times by the rector of -Worth.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_050fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_050fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p><span class="fs3">Sidney Heath 1901</span></p> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Chapel on St. Ealdhelm’s Head.</span></p></div> -</div> - -<p>It is neither possible nor desirable to mention all the -Norman work which is to be found in Dorset, but -attention must be called to that at Bere Regis. In this -church may especially be noticed some curious carved -heads on some of the capitals; on one, an arm comes -down from above, and the hand raises the eyelids—evidently -the gift of sight is here indicated; on another -in like manner the fingers open the mouth—probably the -gift of speech is here represented, although the carving -might be intended to represent the gift of taste.</p> - -<p>Work of the Early English period (thirteenth century) -is not very common in Dorset. We meet with it, however, -in the east end of Wimborne Minster, in the churches -of Knighton, Cranborne, Corfe Mullen, Portesham, and -Worth, among others.</p> - -<p>Nor is the Decorated style more fully represented. -The best examples are Milton Abbey Church, which is -almost entirely in this style, and the aisles of Wimborne -Minster; but it may also be seen in Gussage St. Michael, -Tarrant Rushton, and Wooton Glanville, and at St. Peter’s, -Dorchester, a well-preserved arch for the Easter sepulchre -of this period may be seen. It was customary in such -arches to set up at Easter a movable wooden structure -representing the grave in Joseph’s garden, where certain -rites commemorating the Burial and Resurrection were -performed. These sepulchres were very elaborate, and -associated with them were figures, of course of small<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</span> -size, representing Christ, the Father, the Holy Ghost, the -armed guard, and angels and devils.</p> - -<p>The great majority of the Dorset churches are of -Perpendicular date, and in churches of earlier date there -are few that do not contain some addition or insertion -made after the time when this peculiarly English style -had had its birth in the Abbey Church at Gloucester, and -had been adopted by William of Edington and William -of Wykeham in the transformation of the Norman -Cathedral Church at Winchester during the latter half -of the fourteenth century.</p> - -<p>Why was it that so many churches were built -during the fifteenth century? Probably because conditions -had changed, and the building was no longer -the work chiefly of the bishops or of the religious -orders as it had been up to the thirteenth century, -or of the nobles as it had been in the fourteenth, -but of the people. The French wars of Edward III. -emptied the purses of the nobles and the monasteries; -the Black Death also counted many monks among its -victims, and had entirely swept away many of the smaller -religious houses, and decreased the numbers of brethren -in the larger;<a id="FNanchor_17" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> and the middle class rose after the Black -Death to a position that it had never occupied before. -This class demanded parish churches, as well as trade -halls and guild chapels, and built them, too—that is, -supplied money to pay masons. Architecture became more -of a trade and less of an art. Norfolk and Somerset were -especially rich districts at a time when England exported -the raw material, wool, and not, as now, manufactured -goods; and hence in these two counties some of the largest -and grandest parish churches were built. And Dorset, -lying as it does on the Somerset border, showed, though<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</span> -in less degree, the results of the new conditions. It has -no churches of this period to match in size St. Mary -Redcliffe at Bristol, or St. Mary Magdalene’s at Taunton; -it has no Perpendicular towers to rival those of Shepton -Mallet, St. Cuthbert’s at Wells, or Huish Episcopi; but it -has some fine examples, nevertheless, distinctly traceable -to Somerset influence. The parent design in Dorset may -perhaps be seen in Piddletrenthide, 1487; Fordington -St. George, the top of which tower has not been very wisely -altered of late, is a little more in advance; St. Peter’s, -Dorchester, and Charminster are still further developed; -the two last probably are the finest individual towers in -the county. Bradford Abbas may be thought by some -more beautiful, but the builder borrowed details from the -Quantock group of churches. The tower at Cerne is -probably by the same builder as Bradford, judging from -the similarity of the buttresses and pinnacles in the two -churches. Beaminster also has a fine tower, and so has -Marnhull, though the general effect of the latter is ruined -by the clumsy modern parapet. Milton Abbey tower has -good details. In all these cases, excepting Cerne, there are -double windows in the belfry stage; but this arrangement -is not so common in Dorset as in Somerset, and the writer -knows no instance of triple windows. A Somerset feature -that is very commonly met with in Dorset is an external -stair-turret, an arrangement not found in the East of -England. The Somerset builders often placed pinnacles -on the offsets of their buttresses; these are rarely seen -in Dorset. Generally, the Dorset towers are not so richly -ornamented as those of Somerset.</p> - -<p>It has been said before that there are only two Dorset -churches with spires built before the Reformation. A -few words may not be out of place descriptive of the -two. Steepleton is a long, narrow church, with nave and -chancel, but no aisle. A blocked-up Norman arch, and -a pointed one, similarly blocked, in the north wall of the -nave, indicate that originally a chapel, or chapels, stood<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</span> -here. A curious stone, carved with the figure of a floating -angel, probably taken from the interior, was at some time -built into the exterior of the south wall of the nave. -It has by this means escaped destruction, but the damp -has caused lichen to grow on it. It bears a strong -resemblance to the angel to be seen over the chancel arch -of St. Lawrence’s Church at Bradford-on-Avon. It is not -unlikely that the corresponding angel is on a stone that -has been used in blocking one of the arches mentioned -before. They possibly date from pre-Conquest days, or, -at any rate, from a time before the pre-Conquest style -had died out in this remote village, and may have formed -part of a representation of the Ascension. The western -stone may possibly date from the fourteenth century, as -a window in its east face, now covered by the raised roof, -shows geometrical tracery; the windows in the other faces -are much later—probably they have been altered. The -main octagonal spire that rises from the tower does not -seem to have been part of the original design. On the -four spaces between the corners of the tower and the -spire are four spirelets; these do not stand as pinnacles of -the tower, nor are they used, as sometimes spirelets were -used, to hide the awkward junction of a broad spire with -a square tower, for this is not a broad, but rises, as -fourteenth century spires generally do, from the tower roof, -though here a parapet hardly exists.</p> - -<p>Trent Steeple, standing midway on the south side of -the church, is a very beautiful one; the tower has double-light -windows, with geometrical tracery, and a pierced -parapet, with pinnacles, from which rises a very graceful -spire, the edges of which have a circular moulding. The -spire is slightly twisted from some subsidence, and cracks -have occurred in the tower. The church has no aisles, -but the projecting tower, the lower part of which serves -as an entrance porch, on the south, and the chapel and -organ chamber on the north, give it a very picturesque -appearance. A modern addition is a distinctly pleasant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</span> -feature, namely, an octagonal baptistery, which stands -beyond the church at the west end of the nave. The -interior is also pleasing. There are bench ends of oak, -black with age, a reading desk on the north side, of like -material, and a fine oak chancel screen. The carved -wooden pulpit, if not entirely modern, is very largely so. -In the churchyard are the steps and base of a churchyard -cross. It is an exceedingly beautiful church, and the few -houses in its immediate neighbourhood, with stone -mullioned windows, are all in keeping with the church. -The straggling cottages, the winding lanes, render it one -of the most picturesque villages in the county. It was a -distinct loss to Somerset and gain to Dorset when this -parish was transferred from the former to the latter -county.</p> - -<p>This sketch of the Dorset churches would be -incomplete without reference to some of the noteworthy -features to be met with in the fittings of -some of them. The cast-lead font of St. Mary’s, -Wareham, on which figures of the Apostles are still -distinguishable from each other, despite the rough -usage to which they have been subjected, may possibly -date from Saxon days, and from the resemblance it bears -to the font in Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire, they may -well have been contemporaneous. If so, it gives countenance -to the belief that this font dates from the time -when, as yet, the whole Wessex kingdom was one diocese -with its Bishop-stool at the Oxfordshire Dorchester—that -is, sometime between the conversion of Cynegils by -St. Birinus in 635 and the division of the diocese into the -two separate sees of Winchester and Sherborne in 705; -as after this event the Oxfordshire Dorchester would have -little to do with Dorset.</p> - -<p>The church at Piddletown has escaped the drastic -restoration that has destroyed the interest of so many -of our Dorset churches. Archæologists may well rejoice -that the gallery and pews have not been swept away<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</span> -with ruthless zeal, and will pray that they may, for many -years to come, stand as witnesses of what was being done -in Dorset at a time when the storm was gathering that -was destined for a while to overthrow the power of king -and priest.</p> - -<p>In Bloxworth Church there still remains in its stand -the hour-glass by which the preacher regulated the length -of his sermon. This probably was placed in its position -about the middle of the seventeenth century. The people -in those days liked sermons, and expected to be able -to listen to one for at least an hour, though sometimes -the preacher, when all the sand had run into the lower -half of the hour-glass, would give his congregation another -hour, turning the glass; and sometimes yet once again -the glass was turned. As we look on this relic of sermon -loving days, we cannot help thinking of the eyes of the -weary children, doomed to sit under these long-winded -preachers, turned on the slowly trickling sand, and the -sense of relief they must have felt when the last grain -had run down, and the hour of their enforced listening -was at an end.</p> - -<p>To this same seventeenth century may be ascribed -many of the elaborately carved oaken pulpits which are -to be found in Dorset, as, for instance, those at Beaminster, -Netherbury, Charminster, Iwerne Minster, and Abbotsbury. -In the last may still be seen two holes caused by bullets -fired by Cromwell’s soldiers when the church was -garrisoned by Royalists under General Strangways.</p> - -<p>At Frampton a stone pulpit, of fifteenth century date, -much restored, still exists. At Corton Chapel a fine pre-Reformation -stone altar stands, which escaped destruction -when the order for the removal of stone altars was issued -in 1550, because Corton was one of those free chapels -which had been suppressed and deprived of its revenue -three years before by the Chantry Act of 1 Edward VI.</p> - -<p>In the neighbouring church at Portesham a window -on the north side of the nave shews signs of the influence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</span> -which on the Continent led to the Flamboyant style. A -fine Jacobean screen may be seen at West Stafford Church, -which was removed from its original position and put -further to the east when the church was lengthened a -few years ago.</p> - -<p>In Hilton Church there are twelve noteworthy mediæval -panel paintings, each more than six feet high, representing -the Apostles. These once belonged to Milton Abbey.</p> - -<p>When Tarrant Rushton Church was restored, on the -eastern face of the chancel arch were found two earthenware -vases. Their use is a matter of doubt, but an idea -formerly prevailed that such vessels gave richness to the -voice, and from this idea they were sometimes let into -the walls, and were known as acoustic vases.</p> - -<p>Dorset is fairly rich in monumental effigies in stone and -alabaster. One of the most beautiful and best preserved -of the latter is that erected in Wimborne Minster by -the Lady Margaret, in memory of her father and mother, -John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and his wife. Cross-legged -effigies are to be seen in Wareham, Bridport, -Piddletown, Wimborne Minster, Dorchester, Trent, -Horton, Wimborne St. Giles, and Stock Gaylard. The -first four bear a close resemblance to one another. The -knight wears a sleeved tunic or hauberk of mail, a -hooded coif, and over this a helmet. This costume indicates -a date before the middle of the twelfth century. -The feet rest upon an animal. At one time the fact that -the legs were crossed was held to indicate that the person -represented was a Crusader; if the legs were crossed at -the ankles it was supposed that he had made one pilgrimage -to the East; if at the knees, two; if higher up, -three. But all this is probably erroneous, for on the one -hand some known Crusaders are not represented with their -legs crossed, while others who are known not to have -gone to the Holy Land are so represented. And even a -stronger proof may be adduced, namely, that some of the -crossed-legged effigies represent knights who lived after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</span> -the Crusades were over; for example, that found on the -tomb of Sir Peter Carew at Exeter, who died in 1571. -In Mappowder Church there is a miniature cross-legged -effigy, about two feet long. This is often spoken of as a -“boy crusader”—a child who is supposed to have gone -with his father to the Holy Land, and to have died there. -But this is probably a mistake. Similar diminutive -effigies are found in divers places; for instance, that at -Salisbury which goes by the name of the “Boy Bishop,” -and Bishop Ethelmer’s (1260) at Winchester. Many -authorities think that, as it was customary in the twelfth -and thirteenth centuries to bury different parts of the -body in different places, these effigies mark the spot -where the heart was buried. The figure at Mappowder -holds a heart in its hands, and this certainly lends countenance -to this theory. A similar monument formerly -existed at Frampton, but it has disappeared. At -Trent is a crossed-legged effigy of a “franklin”—a -civilian who was allowed to wear a sword. There are -two figures in St. Peter’s, Dorchester, laid on the sills of -windows; it is said they were removed from the old -Priory Church. These are of later date, namely, the -end of the fourteenth century. They wear plate armour, -and on their heads pointed bassinets, while the great -helms that were worn over these serve as pillows for -their heads to rest on.</p> - -<p>At West Chelborough there is a curious monument -without date or name: a lady lies asleep on a bed with -a child enveloped in the folds of her drapery; probably -this indicates that she died in giving birth to the infant. -Another curious monument is met with in Sandford Orcas -Church, whereon may be seen William Knoyle kneeling -with one of his wives in front, and one behind him, and -behind the latter, four corpses of children; the knight -and first wife have skulls in their hands, to indicate -that they were dead when the monument (1607) was -erected; the second wife is dressed in black to show her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</span> -widowhood; her seven children are also represented, the -four girls by her, and the three boys behind the father. It -will be noticed that the recumbent figures of earlier time -gave place to kneeling figures in the sixteenth century, -when the husband and wife were often represented -opposite to each other, with their children behind them -in graduated sizes. These are far less pleasing than -the monuments of earlier date; but worse was to come, -an example of which may be seen at St. Peter’s Church, -Dorchester, in the monument of Denzil, Lord Holles, so -well known in the history of the reign of Charles I.</p> - -<p>A bare mention must suffice for other monuments. -In Marnhull, Thomas Howard (1582), a man of huge -stature, lies between his two wives, small delicate women, -who are absolutely alike in person and dress. It would -seem as if their effigies were mere conventional representations. -In the neighbouring church of Stalbridge lies an -emaciated corpse in a shroud without date or name.</p> - -<p>In Netherbury is a mutilated alabaster figure with -“S.S.” on the collar; at Melbury Sampford the alabaster -effigy of William Brounyng, who died 1467, wears -plate armour and the Yorkist collar. At Charminster are -several canopied tombs of the Trenchards, in Purbeck -marble, of a form found in many Wessex churches, and -the figure of a daughter of Sir Thomas Trenchard, wife -of Sir William Pole, who died in 1636. She kneels before -a book lying open on a desk, and wears a fur tippet. In -Chideock Chapel may be seen a knight in plate armour, -possibly Sir John Chideock, who died in 1450. In -Came Church are the recumbent figures of Sir John Miller -and his wife Anna (1610).</p> - -<p>In Farnham, over the altar, is a plain stone in memory -of one Alexander Bower, a preacher of God’s Word, who -is said to have died “in the year of <i>Christes</i> incarnation -(1616).” This is interesting as showing the unabridged -form of the possessive case.</p> - -<p>Built in the wall over the door of Durweston Church<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</span> -is a piece of carving, which originally was above the altar -and beneath the east window, representing a blacksmith -shoeing a horse; and over the west door of Hinton Parva -is a carving of an angel, a cross, and a butterfly.</p> - -<p>The finest timber roof in the county is undoubtedly that -of Bere Regis nave. It is said that Cardinal Morton placed -this roof upon the church when he was Archbishop of -Canterbury. He was born near, or in, this village, and -after the battle of Towton was attainted. In the -central shield on the roof the arms of Morton are -impaled with the arms of the See of Canterbury; this -gives the date of the erection somewhere between 1486 -and 1500, but a Cardinal’s hat on one of the figures limits -the date still further, as it was not until 1493 that Morton -became a Cardinal. The figures, which project from the -hammer beams and look downwards, are popularly known -as the Apostles, but the dress precludes this idea, as one -is habited as a Deacon, and one, as said above, wears -a Cardinal’s hat. The painting of the roof is modern, -done when the roof was restored.</p> - -<p>One of the most remarkable buildings of the fifteenth -century is St. Catherine’s Chapel, on the lofty hill which -overlooks the sea near Abbotsbury. In the construction of -this, wood plays no part—all is solid stone. The roof is -formed of transverse ribs, richly bossed where ridge and -purloin ribs intersect them, and each of the two rectangular -compartments between every pair of ribs on either side -thus formed is simply foliated like blank window lights. -There is not a thin stone vault below a stone outer roof -above with a space between them, but it is stone throughout, -and on St. Catherine’s wind-swept hill the chapel -has stood uninjured since the Benedictine Monks of -Abbotsbury built this chantry nearly five hundred years -ago. The massive buttresses, from which no pinnacles -rise, the parapet pierced by holes for letting out the water, -the turret with its flat cap, in which once the beacon fire -used to be lighted in its iron cresset, render the chapel<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</span> -still more unique. Nowhere else in England, save on -St. Ealdhelm’s Head, can such a solidly-built structure -be found. The simple tracery of the windows remains, -but the glass has disappeared. The windows are boarded -up to keep out the rain and the interior is bare. Resting -on a hill top, washed by the pure breezes, such a chapel -is fitly dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_MEMORIAL_BRASSES">THE MEMORIAL BRASSES -OF DORSET</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By W. de C. Prideaux</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/d.jpg" alt="D" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">ORSET is by no means rich in the number of -its monumental brasses. Haines, in his list -(1861), gives their number as thirty-three, -distributed over twenty-four churches; but -recent researches and alterations in the county boundaries -have rendered his list no longer strictly accurate. Yet only -about one hundredth of the brasses to be found in England -are preserved in Dorset, though its area is about one fiftieth -of the area of England; and so it will be seen that the -number of its brasses is considerably below the average, -although it must be remembered that brasses are very -unequally divided, the Eastern counties having by far -the largest proportion.</p> - -<p>The earliest known brasses in England date from the -latter part of the thirteenth century; and for three -centuries this form of memorial was in great favour. -Brasses had many advantages over carved effigies in -stone; they occupied less space, formed no obstruction -in the churches, were more easily executed, and possibly -cheaper. Fortunately, also, they have lasted longer, and -have preserved a wealth of valuable detail relating to -costume and heraldry far in excess of any other form of -monument.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</span></p> - -<p>Monumental brasses may be divided roughly into two -classes: those in which the figure is engraved on a -rectangular plate, the background being plain or filled -in with diapered or scroll work, which is seen to such -great advantage on many Continental brasses, and those -in which there is no background, the plate being cut -around the outline of the figure, and fastened down into -a similarly shaped shallow matrix or casement in the -stone slab. Examples of both kinds are found in Dorset; -but none of our examples are of very early date. One -of the oldest, commemorating Joan de St. Omer, dated -1436 (an engraving of which may be seen in Hutchins’ -<i>Dorset</i>, vol. ii., p. 380, and a rubbing by the late Mr. Henry -Moule in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, -London<a id="FNanchor_18" href="#Footnote_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a>), has disappeared from St. Peter’s Church, -Dorchester, although the matrix still remains. The Oke -brass at Shapwick, if of contemporary workmanship, may -be older.</p> - -<p>Sometimes brasses were pulled out and sold by the -churchwardens for the value of the metal.<a id="FNanchor_19" href="#Footnote_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> Sometimes, -indeed, brasses which had commemorated some warrior, -priest, or worthy of former times were taken up, turned -over, re-engraved, and made to do duty in honour of -someone else, as may be seen in the retroscript brasses -at Litton Cheney; but in several cases the brass, -after weathering the stormy times of the civil wars, -and escaping the greed of those whose business it was -to guard their church from the mutilation, were lost -through the gross neglect of the nineteenth century -restorer. The writer knows of several specimens now -loose and in danger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</span></p> - -<p>The following is a list of all the known brasses in -Dorset:—</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Beaminster.</i>—Ann, the wife of Henry Hillary, of Meerhay, -1653.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Elizabeth, the wife of William Milles, and -daughter of John Hillary, of Meerhay, 1674.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ann Hillary, died 1700.</p> - -<p>William Milles, Esq., of Meerhay, and Mary, his -wife. He died 1760, aged 82; she died 1771, aged 95.</p> - -<p>And outside the wall of south aisle, inscriptions -to—</p> - -<p>Elizabeth Smitham, 1773, aged 61.</p> - -<p>Rev. Edmund Lewis, 1766, aged 40.</p> - -<p>Joseph Symes, gent., 1776, aged 75; also Frances, -his wife, 1737, aged 47.</p> - -<p>And on a large slab in the floor of south aisle, -formerly on an altar tomb—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Pray for the soule of S<sup>r</sup> John Tone,<a id="FNanchor_20" href="#Footnote_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a></div> - <div class="verse indent0">Whose bodye lyeth berid under this tombe,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">On whos soule J’hu have mercy A Pat’nost’ & Ave.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>All small inscriptions only.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Bere Regis.</i>—J. Skerne and Margaret, his wife, 1596. -Kneeling figures, with heraldic shield and an eight-line -engraved verse, on altar tomb.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Robert Turberville, 1559. Inscription only.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Bryanston.</i>—John Rogers and Elizabeth, his wife, 1528. -Inscription below matrices of their effigies and -heraldic shields.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Cecilia Rogers, wife of Sir Richard Rogers, of -Bryanston. A ten-line verse below matrices of her -effigy and heraldic shields, 1566.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Bridport.</i>—Edward Coker, gent. Inscription only, 1685.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</span></p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Caundle Purse.</i>—William Longe, 1500; Elizabeth Longe, -1527; Richard Brodewey, rector, 1536. All small -effigies, the two latter with inscriptions; and all -loose when seen by the writer, with the exception of -a small plate to Peter Hoskyns, 1682, above Longe -altar tomb.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Compton Valence.</i>—Thomas Maldon, rector, rebuilder of -church, 1440. Half effigy, from which issue two -scrolls, with words from Ps. li. 1.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Chesilborne.</i>—A small inscribed brass to John Keate, 1552, -and Margaret, his wife, 1554.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Corfe Mullen.</i>—A small effigy of Richard Birt. Below -this there is a mutilated inscription to Ricardus Birt -and Alicia, his wife, 1437.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Crichel, Moor.</i>—Isabel Uvedale, 1572. An effigy with a -ten-line engraved verse.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>William Cyfrewast, Esquyer, 1581. Inscription -and two six-line verses.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Crichel, Long.</i>—Johan’ Gouys. A small inscription only.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Cranborne.</i>—Margaret, daughter of Henry Ashelie, the -wife of William Wallop, 1582. Inscription only. -There is another inscribed plate bearing date 1631; -otherwise illegible.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Dorchester, St. Peter.</i>—Inscription and scroll to the lost -figure of Joan de St. Omer, widow of Robert More, -1436.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>William and Johanna Sillon. Part of inscription.<br /> -Inscription to John Gollop.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Evershot.</i>—William Grey, rector, 1524, with chalice and -host. Inscription below effigy composed of quite a -different alloy.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Fleet Old Church.</i>—Robert and Margaret Mohun, with -seventeen children, 1603.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Maximillian Mohun, his son, showing his wife and -thirteen children.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</span></p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Holme Priory.</i>—Richard Sidwaye, gent., 1612.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Knowle.</i>—John Clavell, 1572, and two wives; the first with -three sons and one daughter; the second wife, Susan, -daughter of Robert Coker, of Mappowder, is kneeling -alone.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Litton Cheney.</i>—Ralph Henvil, of Looke, 1644. Anne -Henvill, daughter of Richard Henvill, of Looke, 1681. -Inscriptions only.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>There is also an interesting retroscript brass, in -two pieces, having three inscriptions:—</p> - - - -<ul> -<li>1.—Johes Chapman, ffysch mōger, 1471.</li> - -<li>2.—Alexandriam (?) Warnby, 1486.</li> - -<li>3.—Johis Newpton et Thome Neupto.</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Lytchett Matravers.</i>—Thomas Pethyn (<i>als.</i> Talpathyn), -rector, in shroud, <i>c.</i> 1470.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Margaret Clement, “generosa, specialis benefactrix -reedificacionis huius ecclesie,” 1505.</p> - -<p>A matrix of a very large fret (the arms of -Matravers), with marginal inscription, to Sir John -Matravers, 1365.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Langton.</i>—John Whitewod, gent., and his two wives, -Johanna and Alicia; three effigies, with inscription, -bearing dates 1457, 1467, and portion of scrolls.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Melbury Sampford.</i>—Sir Gyles Strangwayes, 1562, in -tabard. Two shields, with thirteen and fourteen -quarterings respectively, and inscriptions to Henry -Strangwayes, Esq., who “died at the syege of -Bolleyne,” and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Lord -George Rosse; and to Sir Gyles Strangwayes and his -wife, Joan, eldest daughter of John Wadham, Esq. -There are also strip brasses around recumbent marble -effigies of Sir Gyles Strangwayes the elder, and -William Brunyng, and a rectangular brass plate to -Laurencius Sampford, <i>miles</i>, and another to John and -Alicia Brounyng, with three coats of arms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</span></p> - -<p><i>Milton Abbey.</i>—Sir John Tregonwell, D.C.L., 1565, in -tabard, with heraldic shields and inscription.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>John Artur, a monk of the Abbey. A small brass -of about the middle of the fifteenth century.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Milborne St. Andrew.</i>—John Morton, Esq., 1521, son of -Richard Morton, and nephew of John Morton, -Cardinal. Brass plate on altar tomb, below matrix -of a knight in armour.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Moreton.</i>—James Frampton, 1523. He is shown kneeling, -with text on scrolls.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Owermoigne.</i>—John Sturton, Esq., 1506. Inscription, -“causyd this wyndowe to be made.”</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>On a loose plate, now lost, Nicholas Cheverel, Esq., -and Jane, his wife, who both died in the year 1548.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Piddlehinton.</i>—Thomas Browne, parson for 27 years, in -hat and clerical habit, having staff and book, with -a twelve-line verse and inscription, 1617.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>There was formerly a brass inscription to John -Chapman, 1494, in the north aisle.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Piddletown.</i>—Roger Cheverell, 1517. Half effigy, with -inscription and two shields of arms.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Christopher Martyn, Esq., 1524. Kneeling -effigy, in tabard, with shield of arms and partial -representation of the Trinity.</p> - -<p>Nicholas Martyn, Esq., and wife, 1595, with three -sons and seven daughters, with armorial brass and -inscription between effigies, on back of altar tomb.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Pimperne.</i>—Mrs. Dorothy Williams, wife of John Williams, -curate, 1694. A very curious effigy, with skeleton -below. “Edmund Colepeper fecit.”</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Puncknowle.</i>—William Napper, Esq., brother of Sir Robert -Napper, in armour; by his wife, Anne, daughter of -Wm. Shelton, Esq., of Onger Park, he had six sons. -Brass engraved <i>c.</i> 1600, before his death.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</span></p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Rampisham.</i>—Thomas Dygenys and his wife Isabel. -Two figures, with inscription at their feet, “gud -benefactors to this churche.” Both died in 1523.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Shaftesbury, St. Peter.</i>—Inscription to Stephen, son and -heir of Nicholas Payne, steward of the Monastery, -1508. On the slab are matrices of four brass -shields. This was removed from the Abbey.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>In Holy Trinity churchyard is half a large blue -slab, having thereon the matrix of a large brass -which local tradition says was to King Edward the -Martyr.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Shapwick.</i>—Inscription to Richard Chernok, <i>als.</i> Hogeson, -vicar, 1538.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A fine effigy of Maria, heiress of Lord de -Champneys, and wife of John Oke. The inscription -is to the latter; the former has a dog at her -feet. Her first husband was Sir William Tourney, -and she married William Oke in the reign of -Richard II.; so it is quite likely that this brass is -of the fourteenth century.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Sturminster Marshall.</i>—An effigy of Henry Helme, vicar, -in gown, with moustache and pointed beard. He -was the founder of Baylye House (the vicarage), 1581. -The inscription is a ten-line verse. The brass is -fastened on a black marble slab.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Also, “Here lyeth Wylla’ Benett, on whose sowle -Gode have merci.” (No date.)</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Swanage, als. Swanwich.</i>—William Clavell (effigy lost), -with Margaret and Alicia, his wives, <i>c.</i> 1470.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>John Harve, 1510. Inscription only:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Suche as I was, so be you, and as I am, so shall you be,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And of the soule of John Harve God have mercy.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Henry Welles, of Godlinstone, 1607, and Marie, -his first wife, 1560. Inscriptions only.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</span></p> - -<p>Susan Cockram, wife of Brune Cockram, parson of -Swanw<sup>ch</sup>, 1641.</p> - -<p>Thomas Serrell, the sonn of Anthony Serrell, of -Swanwhich, 1639.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Swyre.</i>—John Russell, Esq., and Elizabeth, his wife, -daughter of John Frocksmer, Esq., 1505. Inscription, -with arms.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>James Russell, Esq. (son of John Russell), and -Alys, his wife,, daughter of John Wise, Esq., 1510. -Inscription, with arms.<a id="FNanchor_21" href="#Footnote_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a></p> - -<p>George Gollop, of Berwick, tenth son of Thomas -Gollop, of Strode, Dorset; brass, <i>c.</i> 1787. Long -inscription only, to many of this family.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Tincleton.</i>—Inscription to Thomas Faryngdon, <i>armiger</i>, -1404.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Tarrant Crawford.</i>—In the year 1862, a small brass plate -was found on the Abbey site in memory of “d’ns Joh’es -Karrant.”</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Thorncombe.</i>—Sir Thomas and Lady Brook. Two fine -effigies, with long inscription. Sir Thomas died -1419; Lady Brook, 1437; “on whose soules God -have mercy and pite that for us dyed on the rode -tree. Ame’.”</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Upwey.</i>—William Gould, 1681. Inscription only, on outer -side of north wall of chancel, opposite altar tomb.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>West Stafford.</i>—Inscription to Giles Long, 1592, “then -Lord of Frome Bellett and patrone of the parsonage -and Stafford.”</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Wimborne Minster.</i>—St. Ethelred, King of the West -Saxons, martyr, “Anno Domini 873 (871?) 23 die -Aprilis per manus dacorum paganorum occubuit.” -Half effigy, engraved <i>c.</i> 1440; inscription restored <i>c.</i> -1600.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</span></p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Woolland.</i>—Mary, daughter of Robert Williams, of -Herringston, and wife of Robert Thornhull, and then -of Lewis Argenton, 1616. The inscription of twelve -lines is curious and descriptive, beginning:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Here lyeth our landladie loved of all,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Whom Mary Argenton last wee did call.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Yetminster.</i>—John Horsey, Esquire, 1531, Lord of the -Manor of Clifton, and Elizabeth, his wife, Lady of -the Manor of Turges Melcombe. Two fine effigies, -with scrolls at sides and inscription at foot.</p> -</div> - -<p>Of the foregoing brasses, the following deserve a longer -notice:—</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Bere Regis.</i>—J. Skerne and Margaret, his wife. This -monument consists of two kneeling figures, fourteen -inches high, cut round the outline, and represented -as kneeling on the pavement; between them is a -rectangular plate, with coat of arms (Skerne impaling -Thornhull), and an inscription on another plate below. -Skerne wears a long gown, with sleeves nearly touching -the ground; his wife, a dress, with ruff and a -widow’s wimple. The inscription states that the -memorial was erected by the aforesaid Margaret in -1596.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>In the same church there is an inscription to Sir -Robert Turberville, 1559. There are also remains of -three altar tombs, all with empty matrices; two in -the south aisle probably mark the last resting-places -of members of the Turberville family. It is of these -that John Durbeyfield, in Thomas Hardy’s <i>Tess</i>, -boasted, “I’ve got a gr’t family vault at Kingsbere -and knighted forefathers in lead coffins there.”</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp75" id="i_070fp" style="max-width: 50em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_070fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">William Grey, 1524. Rector of Evershot.</span></div> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Caundle Purse.</i>—The brass of W. Longe, 26 ins. high, -represents a man in armour, with long flowing hair; -the head is inclined to the right. Its matrix was -found by the writer in the North, or Longe, Chantry.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</span> -The brass is heavy, being ⅜-in. thick; it is poor in -execution, and is, unfortunately, away from its slab.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The monument of Richard Brodewey, rector, is -far more interesting. The head has been broken off; -the figure, only ten inches high, represents the priest -as laid out for burial, clad in eucharistic vestments. -This brass is specially noteworthy, because it is the -only known memorial in England in which the maniple -is represented as buttoned or sewn, so as to form a loop -to prevent it from slipping off the wrist. This was -the final form that the maniple assumed; in earlier -times it simply hung over the arm without attachment.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Evershot.</i>—The brass commemorating William Grey is -rather larger than that at Caundle Purse, and is in -better condition. Like Brodewey, Grey is represented -as laid out in his eucharistic vestments—amice, alb, -maniple, stole, and chasuble; between his raised -hands he holds a chalice, with the host (similar to -Henry Denton, priest, Higham Ferrers, 1498). There -are only about a dozen representations of chaliced -priests in England, so that this memorial may be -classed among rare examples. It was customary to -bury a chalice (usually of some secondary metal) with -all ecclesiastics in priests’ orders.<a id="FNanchor_22" href="#Footnote_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a></p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Fleet.</i>—The two brasses in this church are engraved on -rectangular plates. In each, the husband kneels on -the opposite side to the wife (he dexter, she sinister), -with a <i>prie Dieu</i> between them. Their many sons -and daughters kneel behind the father and mother -respectively.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Milton Abbey.</i>—Sir John Tregonwell is represented, -kneeling, in a tabard; and this is the latest tabard -brass in England.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</span></p> -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>Another very interesting and almost unique brass -in the Abbey is that to John Artur, of this place -“<i>monachus</i>.” Brasses to monks are exceedingly rare.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Moreton.</i>—The inscription on the monument of James -Frampton is unusual; the letters are raised above -the background, instead of being sunk in it.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Piddletown.</i>—The effigy of Roger Cheverell has only the -upper part left—10½ in. by 6 in. in size. The dress is -that of a civilian of good standing, for the cloak -is lined with fur; the head is bare and the hair long.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Christopher Martyn’s brass is engraved on a -rectangular plate. The lower half is occupied by -the inscription; above it kneels the figure in -conventional armour, with a tabard bearing arms over. -A scroll comes from the mouth, bearing, in abbreviated -form, the prayer, “Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, -et omnes iniquitates meas dele.” Two shields, one low -on the right side of the figure, another high above the -left shoulder, bear the well-known Martyn arms; and -above the former, the All Father sits on a throne, -with two fingers of the right hand raised in blessing, -and the left hand holds between the knees a Tau-shaped -cross, on which the Son is nailed. There is, -however, no dove, so that it cannot be regarded as -a complete representation of the Trinity. At Bere -Regis there is a matrix of an enthroned figure of -almost identical outline.</p> - -<p>The memorial to Nicholas Martyn and his wife -belongs to the other type of brass. In the centre, -indeed, are two rectangular plates, one bearing the -heraldic shield (Martyn impaling Wadham), the -other the inscription; but the other plates are -cut round the figures, and have little background. -On the right or dexter side, the husband, clad -in armour, but not wearing a helmet, kneels, with -hands clasped in prayer, before an altar covered -with a fringed cloth, on which lies an open<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</span> -book; behind him kneel his three sons, wearing -cloaks, with ruffs around their necks. On the left-hand -side, Margaret, his wife, kneels before a similar -altar and book; behind her are her seven daughters, -all engaged in prayer. They all wear Elizabethan -costume—hoods, large ruffs, long bodied peaked -stomachers and skirts, extended by farthingales of -whalebone.</p> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><i>Thorncombe.</i>—The brasses to Sir Thomas and Lady -Brooke, of Holditch and Weycroft, are two of the -most distinguished to be found of the fourteenth -century. He was sheriff of Somerset, 1389, and of -Devon, 1394, and is shown clad in a long gown with -deep dependent sleeves, guarded with fur around the -skirt, and pulled in at the waist by a belt studded with -roses; within the gown a second garment appears, -with four rows of fur around the skirt. His hair is -short, and his feet rest on a greyhound couchant, -collared. Lady Brooke wears a long robe, fastened -across the breast by a cordon with tassels, over a -plain gown; her hair is dressed in semi-mitre shape, -and confined by a richly jewelled net, over which is -placed the cover-chief, edged with embroidery and -dependent to the shoulders. At her feet is a little -dog, collared and belled. Sir Thomas and his wife -each wear the collar of SS.; their arms are in tightly-fitting -sleeves, and the hands are raised in prayer. -The inscription around the effigies has been restored, -and plain shields inserted in place of originals, which -would have shown Gules on a chevron argent a lion -rampant sable; Brooke with, among others, Cheddar, -Mayor of Bristol, 1360-1, and Hanham.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Wimborne Minster.</i>—The Ethelred effigy here is only half -length. The king is represented, in part, in priestly -vestments. (“As kings by their coronation are -admitted into a sacred as well as a civil character,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</span> -the former of these is particularly manifested in the -investiture with clerical garments.”) Though the -brass commemorates a king of the West Saxons, it -dates only from 1440. The inscription is on a copper -plate, and the king’s death is said thereon to have -occurred in 873, two years too late. A brass plate on -which the date is correctly given is preserved in the -Minster Library. It is supposed that the figure and -the plate bearing the inscription were removed from -the matrix and hidden for safety in the time of the -Civil Wars, and that the plate could not be found when -the figure was replaced, so that the copper one now -on the slab was engraved to take the place of the -one lost, which, however, was afterwards found, but -not laid on the stone. It is a noteworthy fact that -the effigy is fastened to the stone with nails of copper, -not of brass; doubtless these are contemporary with -the copper plate which bears the inscription. The -Ethelred brass is the only brass commemorating a -king that is to be found in England, and is so -illustrated in Haines’ <i>Manual</i>, p. 74.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Wraxall.</i>—Elizabeth Lawrence, wife of Mr. William -Lawrence, 1672. A six-line verse and an impaled -coat of arms.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Yetminster.</i>—This brass, one of the finest in -Dorset, was at one time loose at East Chelborough Rectory, but it -has now been fixed to a slab on the south wall of the church. It was -originally laid on a large stone in the floor of the chancel. John -Horsey is represented in full and very richly ornamented armour; his -wife is in a graceful gown and mantle, with dependent pomander, and -fine head-dress.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="SHERBORNE">SHERBORNE</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By W. B. Wildman, M.A.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/s.jpg" alt="S" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HERBORNE, as far as we can tell, owes its -existence as a town to the fact that it was chosen -in 705 to be the site where the bishop-stool was -fixed of St. Ealdhelm, the first bishop of Western -or Newer Wessex. Sherborne, like its daughter-towns -Wells and Salisbury, is a Bishop’s town; but, unlike them, -it was also, from 998 to 1539, the seat of a Benedictine -Monastery. Thus Sherborne has suffered two distinct -shocks in its career; the first came upon it when it lost -its bishop in 1075; the second, when its Abbey was -dissolved in 1539.</p> - -<p>Another point worth mentioning concerning the past -dignity of the town is this, that Sherborne, or at any -rate, a part of it—Newland—was once actually a borough, -as was also what we may call the suburb of Castleton.</p> - -<p>This part of Sherborne is still called the Borough of -Newland; it was given burghal privileges by Richard -Poore, Bishop of Sarum, in 1228, and, according to -Hutchins, it actually sent members to the House of -Commons in 1343. But long after Newland got rid of -this then burdensome privilege it still kept the name -and other privileges of a borough, and both it and -Castleton were for administrative purposes outside the -Hundred of Sherborne; they kept their own tourns twice -a year, and their own courts every three weeks; they -had their own view of frank-pledge quite apart from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</span> -the rest of the town and Hundred. It is not known to -what bishop Castleton owed its title and dignity of <i>burgus</i>.</p> - -<p>When Sherborne came into being, the surrounding -country bore a very different look from that which we -see to-day. It lay on the western edge of the great -forest of Selwood, a fragment of which still remains to -us here in Sherborne Castle Park. There were then no -trim water-meadows, and the course of our river was -marked by moor and marsh. Here, in the last fold of -the Wessex hills, under which lies the great plain of -Somerset, Ealdhelm’s seat was fixed, in a site central and -convenient for the new district, which had barely a quarter -of a century before been added to the West Saxon realm.</p> - -<p>Sherborne was never a walled town; it lay under the -protection of the fortified palace of its bishop, and in -troublous times of Danish inroad its site was a safe one. -The story that Swegen ravaged the town rests on nothing -like contemporary evidence; on the other hand, the safety -of its position, coupled with the fact that it was once -the second city of Wessex, accounts for its being chosen -by King Æthelbald for his capital, so to speak, when -Winchester, in 860, was laid waste by the Danes; indeed, -the change may have taken place soon after 856. -Sherborne continued to be the capital of Wessex till -about the year 878. During a considerable part of that -time we may well believe that King Alfred spent his -boyhood here, almost certainly during King Æthelberht’s -reign; and here, in this centre of education which -Ealdhelm had founded, he may well have received such -education as he got during his boyhood. There is no -other centre of education which has so good a claim to -him; here were buried his two brothers, Æthelbald and -Æthelberht, who successively reigned before Æthelred -and himself. Æthelberht was his guardian after his -father’s death. Alfred must have known Sherborne well; -he was a benefactor of our church, and we claim his -boyhood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter illowp87" id="i_076fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_076fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">Sherborne<br />Sherborne Abbey<br /> -<i>Sidney Heath</i></div> -</div> - -<p>But besides Alfred and Ealdhelm, early Sherborne -claims other heroes; Ealhstan, our bishop, the first West -Saxon general to win a decisive victory over the Danes, -was the right-hand man of Kings Ecgberht, Æthelwulf, -Æthelbald, and Æthelberht; he was the most powerful -man of his time. Here, in Sherborne, he lies buried beside -Æthelbald and Æthelberht.</p> - -<p>We claim, too, among our Sherborne bishops, St. -Heahmund, who fell fighting against the Danes at Merton -(probably Marden, Wilts.); Asser, the biographer of King -Alfred, who is said to lie buried among us; Werstan, -another warrior who fell in battle; St. Wulfsy and St. -Alfwold, names rather forgotten now, but great and famous -in their day. St. Osmund, who compiled the <i>Use of -Sarum</i>, was one of our abbots; and St. Stephen Harding, -the author of the <i>Carta Caritatis</i>, and the real founder -of the Cistercian Order, is the earliest scholar of -Sherborne School whom History records as such.</p> - -<p>Nor can Sherborne forget what it owes to the great -Roger Niger, that dark, stalwart Bishop of Sarum, who -built the Norman Castle here and the Norman part of -our Abbey Church, who organized the English Court of -Exchequer, was the trusted adviser of the “Lion of -Justice,” Henry I., and deserved a better end than to break -his heart in a contest with such a poor creature as King -Stephen.</p> - -<p>Our Abbot, William Bradford, will not be forgotten -by lovers of architecture, for under his rule in the fifteenth -century the choir of our Abbey Church was rebuilt; -while to another Abbot, Peter Ramsam, we owe, later in -the same century, the restoration of our nave. To Abbot -Mere we are indebted for a little building, which every -visitor to Sherborne knows, the Conduit, which stands in -our old market-place, now called by the somewhat affected -name of the “Parade.” This conduit, though it was built, -as we have said, by Abbot Mere (1504-1535), is described -by one of those omniscient gentlemen who have lately<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</span> -been enlightening us about the beauties of Wessex, as -“a structure of the fourteenth century.” It originally -stood on the north side of the nave of the Abbey Church, -inside the Cloister Court, which is now a part of -Sherborne School; but it was removed to its present -site, or nearly its present site, by the school governors -in the latter part of the sixteenth century. It is to this -day the property of the school.</p> - -<p>And so we are brought to the time when our -ecclesiastical lords, the Bishop of Sarum and the Abbot -of Sherborne, passed away from us, and their places were -taken by lay lords. Here, too, we meet with famous -names. We have the Protector Somerset, to whom, -indirectly, Sherborne School may owe its post-Reformation -endowment. We have, also, Henry, Prince of Wales, that -“young Marcellus of the House of Stuart,” the eldest son -of James I., whose hatchment, as that of a squire of -Sherborne, still hangs in our Abbey Church; we have -Walter Ralegh, that restless, strenuous soul, whose dearly-loved -home Sherborne was, where he would gladly have -been buried; we have John Digby, first Earl of Bristol, -whose name stands high among those of English worthies -in the reigns of James I. and Charles I., a man worthy -to have lived in a better age, and to have hazarded his -all in a better cause. And another name insistently -presents itself to anyone who has followed Sherborne -history—that of Hugo Daniel Harper. To him Sherborne -town and school owe much that is precious and enduring. -That a little town like ours has kept something of its -ancient state, that here we can still so easily call back -the past of Wessex, can still see standing in beauty and -dignity these buildings which the Middle Age has left -us—all this is in no small degree owing to that famous -headmaster of Sherborne School and to his successors.</p> - -<p>We now proceed to write more particularly of the -most interesting of these ancient buildings and institutions.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</span> -They are four in number: the Abbey Church, the School, -the old Castle, and the Almshouse.</p> - -<p>With the exception of a small part of the west front -of the Abbey Church, there is, so far as we can tell, not -a single piece of wall standing now in Sherborne which -was standing in the year 1107, when Roger of Caen -became Bishop of Sarum and Abbot of Sherborne. We -know that the doorway, now blocked up, on the north -side of the west front of the church, and, therefore, also -some of the adjoining wall, is older than Bishop Roger’s -time; but with that exception, we are forced to admit -that the Norman from Caen pulled down all the rest of -Ealdhelm’s church. If he left any more of it, either time -has destroyed this, or he so used the walls that they -cannot now be recognised with any certainty. At the -same time there is a piece of outside wall at the north -end of the north transept, in the old slype, which looks -very like pre-Norman work.</p> - -<p>The church which Roger built extended as far east -as the present church does, excluding the lady chapels; -for the lady chapel of the thirteenth century must have -abutted on the Norman east end, just as it now does on -the Perpendicular ambulatory. The church extended -probably rather further to the west than the present church -does, for there exists evidence to show that, before the -parish church of All Hallows was built on to the west -end of the Abbey Church in the fourteenth century, the -west front of the Abbey Church was embellished with a -large porch of Norman work.</p> - -<p>The chief traces of Roger’s work still existing in the -church are the piers and arches that carry the tower, the -transept walls, the arches leading from the transept into -the side aisles of the nave, and the walls of these aisles. -Other interesting traces of Roger’s work will be found -in the little chapel which projects eastwards from the -north transept; also in the south and west walls of the -early English chapel on the north side of the north aisle<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</span> -of the choir, commonly called Bishop Roger’s Chapel, and -now used as the vestry; these Norman walls were outside -walls of Roger’s church before this early English addition -was made. There is also the jamb of a window to be -seen on the outside of the east wall of the south transept, -the only relic which gives us an idea of what the Norman -clerestory was like.</p> - -<p>The choir of Roger’s church extended west of the -central tower, and to allow room for the stall-work, the -shafts of the east and west tower arches were corbelled -off above the line of the stalls, as may still be seen in the -existing church. That part of the Abbey nave which lay -to the west of the Norman choir was used, until the building -of All Hallows, as the parish church; and the fine Norman -south porch, which has been rather over-restored in the -nineteenth century, was, no doubt, a parochial porch, for -it faces the town, not the monastic buildings, which are -on the north side of the church.</p> - -<p>The tower up to the floor of the bell-chamber is -Norman. Over the pier-arches which carry it, except on -the east side, there is a passage in the thickness of the -wall, with an arcade of semi-circular arches resting on -circular and octagonal shafts, eleven inches in diameter. -On the east side the Norman pier-arch was removed at -the rebuilding of the choir in the fifteenth century, and -the removal of this arch so weakened the tower that its -condition in the course of years became dangerous. The -tower was made secure in 1884-5, and these shafts on the -north-west and south sides of the lantern, which had been -concealed by the fifteenth century masonry, were again -displayed to view.</p> - -<p>A large lady chapel was added in the thirteenth -century; the fine Early English arch, by which it was -entered from the church, may still be seen in the east -wall of the ambulatory. The centre of this arch is to -the south of that of the fifteenth century arch, and -hence the corbels of the Perpendicular vaulting do not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</span> -correspond at all with the Early English arch; one of -them is actually constructed to hang as a pendant, free -of this arch altogether.</p> - -<p>The changes made inside the church in the fourteenth -century were so slight as to need no mention. Outside -the church, however, a great change took place, for -towards the end of this century the church of All Hallows -was built. The great west porch was pulled down so -that All Hallows might stand directly against the west -front of the Norman church. There are still to be seen -remnants of All Hallows, viz., the lower part of the north -wall of the north aisle, and four responds built into the -west wall of the Abbey Church. When All Hallows was -standing with its pinnacled western tower, one would have -seen a church some 350 feet long, with a central and a -western tower. This latter tower had a ring of bells of -its own, at least five in number; and it was to this ring -of the parish, not to the Abbey, that Wolsey gave our great -bell.</p> - -<p>In the fifteenth century Sherborne saw great things -in the way of building; not only was the Almshouse then -built, but the church also underwent those changes which -gave it the appearance it keeps to-day. The choir was -taken down during the last year or two of Abbot John -Brunyng’s rule, and rebuilt from the ground by his -successor, William Bradford (1436-1459). During this -same century the smaller lady chapel, called the Bow -Chapel, was built, and the nave restored in the style of -the time by Abbot Peter Ramsam (1475-1504). To these -two men we owe our present splendid fabric. Any visitor -to Sherborne Abbey can for himself easily perceive the -differences which mark off the choir as a building from -the nave. The choir from floor to vault is one harmonious -piece of work, so lovely, so complete, that the wit of man -could scarcely design anything finer; while the nave is -a compromise, for in the nave yet stand the old Norman -piers cased in Perpendicular panelling, and the effect<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</span> -which the nave gives us is that of two stories distinctly -marked off the one from the other, the lower story bearing -strong traces of its Norman origin, the upper or clerestory -plainly a Perpendicular work, and worthy of the companion -clerestory of the choir. The pillars of the southern arcade -of the nave are not opposite those of the northern arcade, -and the arches are of different widths; the clerestory -arches of the nave, on the other hand, are of equal widths, -and hence the clerestory arches are not directly above -the arcade arches. This compromise has, however, been -effected so cleverly that few people notice the irregularity.</p> - -<p>The rebuilding of the Abbey Church choir in the -fifteenth century recalls to our mind the great quarrel -between the Abbey and the townsfolk, which came -to a head in the year 1437. It has already been noted -that in ancient times the townsfolk had been allowed by -the Abbot and Convent to use the western part of the -Abbey Church nave as a parish church. Thus the Abbey -Church had become a divided church—part was -conventual, part parochial. But as time went on this -arrangement ceased to please one or other, or both, parties, -and the consequence was that All Hallows was built at -the west end of the Abbey Church for the use of the -parishioners. After this addition was made, the large -Norman doorway at the west end of the south aisle of -the Abbey Church nave was narrowed by the insertion -of a smaller doorway. Now, All Hallows had not the -<i>status</i> of a parish church; technically, the parish church -was still the western part of the Abbey Church nave, -and here it was still necessary for all Sherborne children -to be baptised in the font, which originally stood where -the present font stands. The parishioners, to get to the -font, had to enter All Hallows’ Church, and pass thence -into the Abbey Church through the Norman doorway, -which had been narrowed. This the parishioners regarded -as a grievance. It appears, also, that the Abbot had -moved the font from the place where it now stands to some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</span> -other site which the parishioners regarded as inconvenient. -The parishioners, therefore, in 1436, took the law into -their own hands, and eight of them are charged before -the bishop with having set up a font in All Hallows. The -Abbot, of course, regarded this as a usurpation of the -rectorial rights of the Convent; he complained, also, of -another grievance, to wit, that the parish bells rang to -matins at too early an hour, and disturbed the morning -slumbers of the monks. For though they got up at -midnight to sing matins and lauds, they went to bed -again, and slept till the hour for prime, somewhere -between 6 and 7 a.m. Abbot Bradford, therefore, appealed -to the Bishop of Sarum, Robert Nevile, who came to -Sherborne and held an inquiry on the 12th November, -1436, in what is now the chapel of the school, but was -then the Abbot’s hall. He examined one hundred or -more of the parishioners, many of whom had not approved -of the high-handed course taken in the matter of the -font. After a thorough investigation, the Bishop, by the -advice of his counsel learned in the law, gave his decision -from his manor of Ramsbury, on the 8th January, 1437. -It was to this effect—(<i>a</i>) that the font in All Hallows was -to be at once utterly destroyed and removed and carried -out of the church by those who had caused it to be set -there; (<i>b</i>) that the ringing of the bells to matins for the -parishioners throughout the year was not to be made till -after the sixth hour had struck on the <i>clocka</i> or <i>horologium</i> -of the monastery, except on the following solemn feasts: -All Saints, Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter; (<i>c</i>) that the -font of the Abbey Church was to be replaced in its old -accustomed position, and all infants born or to be born -in Sherborne were, as of old, to be baptised therein; -(<i>d</i>) that the intermediate door and entrance for the procession -of parishioners to the font was to be enlarged -and arched so as to give ample space and bring it to -its original form; (<i>e</i>) that the manner of the procession -and other ceremonies about the font were to be observed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</span> -in the old and wonted way; (<i>f</i>) that there must be made, -at the expense of the monastery, in the nave of the -monastic church, close to the monks’ choir, a partition, -so that there should be a distinct line of separation between -the monks and the parishioners; (<i>g</i>) that the replacing -of the Abbey Church font in its wonted place, and the -enlarging of the door, must effectually be completed -before the following Christmas.</p> - -<p>This admirable judgment was not received by the -disputants with the respect which it deserved; delays -and evasions on both sides brought about a violent -termination of the dispute. The monks induced “one -Walter Gallor a stoute Bocher dwelling yn Sherborne” -to enter All Hallows, where “he defacid cleane the -Fontstone; the townsmen, aided by an Erle of Huntindune -lying in these Quarters ... rose in playne sedition -... a Preste of Alhalowes shot a shaft with fier into -the Toppe of that part of St. Marye Church that divided -the Est Part that the monks usid; and this Partition -chauncing at that tyme to be thakked yn the Rofe was -sette a fier, and consequently al the hole Chirch, the Lede -and Belles meltid, was defacid.” After the fire the -monks were induced to agree to the legal transformation -of All Hallows’ <i>Chapel</i> into the parish <i>Church</i>, in order -to get rid of the parishioners altogether.</p> - -<p>The monks never removed the smaller doorway by -which the old Norman entrance was narrowed; there -it stands to this day, a monument of that stormy time, -and connected with it there is still a curious tale to tell. -Among the eight parishioners who, “casting behind them -the fear of God,” set up the obnoxious font in All Hallows, -and complained of the narrowed doorway, there was a -certain Richard Vowell. Anyone who now examines this -doorway will notice that the wall, which now blocks it -up, is almost wholly occupied by a large monumental -tablet to the memory of Benjamin Vowell, who died in -1783, and to his three wives; thus, as Professor Willis<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</span> -neatly showed, the doorway which in the fifteenth century -Richard Vowell felt to be too narrow, Benjamin Vowell -in the eighteenth blocked up altogether. The “partition” -referred to, which was being thatched, must have been -the tower, which was being raised in height, and was -covered with a temporary roof of thatch to keep out the -rain; no doubt, also, the new choir, which was already -built as high as the springing-stones of the vault, was also -thatched for the same purpose. The reddened stones in -the choir and tower still bear witness to this fire.</p> - -<p>John Barnstaple, last Abbot of Sherborne, surrendered -the Abbey into the hands of King Henry VIII. on the -18th March, 1539. He received a pension of £100 a year, -and the Rectory of Stalbridge in 1540; this living had -been in the patronage of the Abbot and Convent. He -died in 1560; we know neither the place of his death -nor of his burial, but he certainly was not buried at -Stalbridge; he left a small legacy to Sherborne School.</p> - -<p>Henry VIII. sold the Abbey Church, and the demesne -lands of the Abbey, to Sir John Horsey, of Clifton -Maybank; Sir John, in 1540, sold the Abbey Church to -the parishioners; the lead, however, with which the church -was roofed, had not been granted to Sir John, and the -parishioners had to buy that through him from the King. -The parishioners appear to have begun at once to sell -All Hallows for building stone. The parish accounts for -1540 and 1541 are missing, but that for 1542-3 shows -the process of selling going merrily on, until, finally, in -the account for 1548-9, we get the last of it in such entries -as these: “George Swetnam, for vi. yerds off one syde -off the Tower, xxs.; Robert ffoster, for foundation stones -of ye Northe Syde of ye Tower, xiiis.; Mr. Sergyer, for -a yard off the grace table off the sowthe syde and for the -dore yn the north syde off ye Tow<sup>r</sup>, xs.”!</p> - -<p>It may be interesting to set down here what the -parishioners paid for the Abbey Church and lead. We -have already noted that the parish accounts for 1540 and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</span> -1541 are missing. They were not missing, however, in -the eighteenth century, as is evident from an entry in -the parish account book in use from 10th April, 1721, -to 4th April, 1809. This entry is due to Francis Fisher, -a Sherborne attorney, who was steward to the Governors -of the School during the years 1720-1730. He tells us -that by an indenture made the 28th September, 1545, -between the King on the one part and Sir John Horsey -on the other, the parishioners paid £230 for the body of -the church and tower and for the lead. He adds that -the parish account rolls give us the following information: -In 1540 the parish paid £40 for the church, in 1541 -£26 13s. 4d. for the same, in 1541 £17 17s. 6d. for the -bells of the Abbey, in 1542 £100 for the lead, in 1544 -£80 in full payment for the church and lead. So that, -if the King got in 1545 £230, and the parish actually -paid £264 10s. 10d., Sir John put into his pocket the -balance. However we may regard this matter, the -parishioners of Sherborne made an excellent bargain.</p> - -<p>No man can doubt but that the dissolution of the -monastery meant serious loss to Sherborne. Its Abbots -had ruled wisely and well, as far as we can judge, a -strip of territory stretching, though not in an unbroken -line, from Stalbridge to Exmouth. Anyone who will -make for himself a map of the manors in Dorset and -Devon belonging to our Abbey, will see that this is so; -and besides these, our Abbey held other lands as well, -so that when Sherborne ceased to be the <i>caput</i> of this -fair estate, much that had once come our way ceased -to come hither any more. Though the presence of the -school here has in later times done much to redeem this -loss, one cannot say that it has entirely done so.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_086fp" style="max-width: 86.4375em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_086fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Entrance to Sherborne School.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Of all the ancient institutions in Sherborne, that one -which has kept its dwelling-place longest, which is to-day -what it was before Wessex became one with England, -is Sherborne School. The old Castle is a ruin, the -Almshouse dates only from the fifteenth century, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</span> -Abbey Church became the parish church only in 1540. -But the School, though it suffered pecuniary loss in 1539 -by the dissolution of the monastery, suffered no breach -of continuity; it was in existence when the Almshouse -was founded, it educated St. Stephen Harding in the -eleventh century, and we have no reason to think that -its existence suffered any break from Ealdhelm’s day -till then. A school with such a history may well call -forth some reverence from those who love Wessex and -know something of its history. Our school has roots -which stretch down into the very beginnings of things -Christian among the West Saxons, and there is certainly -no existing school in Wessex that can rival its claim to -antiquity.</p> - -<p>Sherborne School is fortunate in possessing many -ancient documents illustrative of its history; among these -special mention must be made of a series of accounts -commencing in 1553 and continuing to the present time. -Only eleven are missing. Till towards the end of the -eighteenth century they are written on rolls of parchment, -and are for the most part in excellent condition. Besides -these there are a few early court rolls of the school manors -at Bradford Bryan and Barnesby, Lytchett Matravers and -Gillingham, and schedules and leases of its other lands. -Among these documents, too, are records belonging to -the old chantries, with the lands, of which Edward VI. -endowed the school; some of these go back to the reign -of Henry VII.</p> - -<p>There is no existing minute book of the governors’ -proceedings older than that which begins in 1592; but, -luckily, a draft of minutes exists relating to the years -1549 and 1550, relating, that is to say, to the time of -transition from the old condition of things which obtained -before the dissolution of the monastery, to the new -condition created by the charter granted to the school -by Edward VI. The series of minute books from 1592 -onward is complete.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</span></p> - -<p>From the school statutes much can be gathered about -the character of the education given in the school. The -oldest statutes of the post-Reformation epoch are lost; -they were based, as we learn from the accounts, on those -drawn up by Dean Colet for his school, once attached -to St. Paul’s Cathedral. In 1592, however, a new set was -drawn up for the School of Sherborne by its visitor, -Richard Fletcher, Bishop of Bristol, who, as Dean of -Peterborough some years before, had imposed on him -the terrible task of attending Queen Mary Stuart on the -scaffold. Great stress is laid in these statutes on the -“abolishing of the Pope of Rome and all fforrein powers -superiorities and authorities.” From time to time after -this new statutes were made to suit the changing -educational and political views. The statutes all still -exist, except those made in 1650 by the Puritans; of -these all trace is lost, except the bill for engrossing them, -which amounted to 25s. Statutes were drawn up in 1662 -by Gilbert Ironside, Bishop of Bristol, which the Governors -were unwilling to accept, because by these statutes the -headmaster was protected from arbitrary interference on -the part of the Governors. It was not till 1679 that -Bishop William Gulston succeeded in making them accept -a new body of statutes, which contain almost all that -Gilbert Ironside proposed, together with some additional -matter. In Bishop Ironside’s draft and Bishop Gulston’s -statutes, it is laid down that it is never lawful “for subjects -to take up armes ag<sup>t</sup> theire Soveraigne upon any pretence -w<sup>t</sup>soever.” The language used in and out of school in -all official matters was Latin, and no scholar was to go -about the town alone, but with “a companion one of the -Schollars that may be a witness of his conversation and -behaviour under penalty of correction.” The system of -monitorial rule has always been in vogue in the school; -in 1592 these rulers are called <i>Impositores</i>—a somewhat -awkward term one must admit; in 1662 and 1679 they -are called <i>Prepositores</i>; nowadays they are called<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</span> -<i>Prefects</i>. In 1679 they were four in number: “One for -discipline in the Schoole, to see all the Schollars demeane -themselves regularly there, the Second for manners both -in the Schoole and abroad any where, the Third for the -Churche and Fields, the Fourth to be <i>Ostiarius</i>, to sitt -by the doore, to give answere to strangers and to keepe -the rest from running out.”</p> - -<p>When the assizes were held at Sherborne, the judge -sat in what is now the schoolhouse dining-hall—it was then -the big schoolroom; and just before the assizes took place, -we get from time to time an entry of the following kind -in the school accounts: “for washinge of ye King, 6d.” -The King referred to is the statue of Edward VI., which -still adorns the room; it is of painted Purbeck marble, -and is the work of a certain Godfrey Arnold; it cost -£9 5s. 4d., and was set up in 1614.</p> - -<p>The two royal coats of arms, which may still be seen -on the south wall of the old house of the headmaster, -and over the south door of the schoolhouse dining-hall, -were taken down by order of a Commonwealth official in -1650; but they were carefully preserved, and were restored -to their old positions at the Restoration. That on the -old house dates from 1560; that on the dining-hall from -1607. They used to be bright with tinctures and metals, -but since 1670 they have been “only washed over with -oil or some sad colour, without any more adorning.” The -chronogram on the dining-hall is unique, for it can be -made to give two different dates, according to the ways -in which the significant letters are taken. Mr. Hilton, -our chief authority on chronograms, knows of no other -which gives two dates in this fashion. The first date -which our chronogram gives is 1550, the date of the -granting of the charter; the second date which it gives -is 1670, that of the rebuilding of the dining-hall.</p> - -<p>Among other school buildings of ancient date we must -not omit the library, partly of the thirteenth century, -but certainly restored in the fifteenth; and the school<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</span> -chapel, with its undercroft of the twelfth century, and -its upper story of the fifteenth. The undercroft is a -very precious relic of the past, but the school chapel, -which was once the Abbot’s Hall, has undergone changes -and additions; it still keeps its fine fifteenth century -timber roof. The library, on the other hand, has gone -through little change. It was the Guest House of the -Monastery, and has kept its timber roof of the fifteenth -century. It is curious that the windows on the east -side of the room are not quite opposite those on the -west side, nor is the divergence uniform; the large -window in the south end of the room is not in the -middle of the wall, but rather towards the west side.</p> - -<p>The modern buildings of the school harmonize well -with the older work, for they are all built of the same lovely -stone, and the style in which they are built, though it -is in no sense an imitation of this older work, is yet -in harmony with and worthy of it. One of these buildings -deserves more than passing notice, viz., the new big -schoolroom, completed in 1879. The whole group of -buildings, with its surroundings, classrooms, museum, -laboratory, drawing school, music house, Morris tube -range, bath and fives courts, deserves more attention than -it usually gets from visitors to Sherborne. These -sojourners often forget that the north side of the exterior -of the church is likely to be as interesting as the south -side; if once they take the trouble to get to this north -side, they will be surprised to find how much fine work, -ancient and modern, is to be seen there.</p> - -<p>Sherborne Old Castle is situated on an elevated piece -of ground to the east of the town; this ground is about -300 yards long by 150 yards broad; the surface has been -made level, and an oval area, 150 yards long by 105 yards -broad, has been traced out, and its edges scarped to a -steep slope, with a ditch about 45 feet deep. The -material taken away in forming this scarp and ditch has -been thrown outward, so that the counter scarp is formed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</span> -of a mound more or less artificial. It was within this -area, above described, that our Pageant of 1905 was given.</p> - -<p>The remains of the Castle are as follows: parts of -the curtain wall, with the gatehouse, the keep, the chapel -and hall, along with other parts of the domestic buildings—all -ruinous. The builder of this castle was Bishop -Roger; and William of Malmesbury, who knew it well, -has described the masonry in glowing terms. All that -remains is of this Norman period, though it was somewhat -restored and altered in the fifteenth century. The keep -belongs to the class of square keeps. To judge from -two windows of the chapel which still remain in a -fragmentary condition, that building must have been of -a very ornate character. The barrel vaulting of the -basement of the keep is worth study, and a Norman -pillar, still standing and supporting a quadripartite vault, -is well known to students of architecture. There is also -a Norman chimney with three flues in the gatehouse.</p> - -<p>The ruinous condition of the Castle is not so much -due to time as to gunpowder, for in 1645, after the Castle -was taken by Fairfax, it was blown up by order of the -Long Parliament, so as to be no longer tenable as a -fortress. After this, while the troops of the Parliament -occupied Sherborne, their barracks were the school, and -their “Court of Guard” the schoolhouse dining-hall.</p> - -<p>This is not the place to deal with the vicissitudes in -the tenure of Sherborne Castle—how the Bishops of -Sherborne lost and regained it. It finally passed from -Bishop Henry Cotton into the hands of Queen Elizabeth -in 1599. Sir Walter Ralegh had, however, been tenant -of it since 1592, and when Queen Elizabeth got the fee-simple -of it, she gave it to Ralegh. Ralegh, however, did -not care to live in it; other magnates in this part of the -world were building fine modern houses, and he followed -their example. Thus arose the modern Castle, known in -former days as Sherborne Lodge, on the other side of -the lake, the central and loftier part of which is due to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</span> -Ralegh. There is no trace of any evidence that Sherborne -Castle was ever besieged before the great Civil War. -It was used at times in the Middle Ages as a prison; for -example, in King John’s reign. King John himself -stayed here in 1207 and in 1216.</p> - -<p>After some tragic vicissitudes the Sherborne estate -came to the Digbys in 1617, and since this date, with -the exception of the troublous period of the great Civil -War, it has remained with them.</p> - -<p>Sherborne Castle was twice besieged during the Civil -War, first in 1642, and again in 1645. The first siege was -uneventful and unimportant. In 1644 Charles I. had been -here after his successful campaign in the West; Prince -Rupert, too, had come, and there had been great doings -with reviews of men in Sherborne Park, after which -followed the second battle of Newbury and the self-denying -ordinance and the creation of the New Model. -The second siege, that of 1645, was more important; not -only was Fairfax drawn hither by it, but Cromwell, too, -came as general of cavalry. Though the Parliamentary -troops destroyed much of the old castle that we should -like to see standing now, we must, on the whole, acquit -them of having done any great injury to the buildings -of the church or school.</p> - -<p>In 1688, King William III.—then Prince of Orange—on -his advance from Exeter to London, stayed in the -modern castle here; his proclamation to the English -people is said to have been printed in the drawing-room -at a printing-press set up on the great hearth-stone, which -was cracked by it.</p> - -<p>Let us now turn to the last of our four ancient -institutions, viz., the Almshouse. This institution is -certainly older than the year 1437, in which year, by a -license from King Henry VI. to Robert Nevile, Bishop -of Sarum, to Humfrey Stafford, Kt., Margaret Goghe, -John Fauntleroy, and John Baret, it was refounded in -honour of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</span> -It is actually older than this, because some accounts of the -charity exist for a few years prior to this date. Some -day, no doubt, the history of the institution will be more -fully worked out than it is at present. Plenty of material -exists in its account rolls which could hardly fail to throw -light on old Sherborne life.</p> - -<p>According to the deed of foundation, there were, we -are told, to be twenty brethren, called the Masters of -SS. Johns’ House—they are now called master and -brethren—together with a perpetual priest to pray for the -good estate and the souls of the founders and inmates. -The house was to contain twelve poor men and four -poor women, who were to be governed by one of themselves, -called the Prior, of their own election, and a -woman of domestic ability was to buy their food and -dress it, wash their clothes and make their beds, who -should be called the Housewife of SS. Johns’ House. -The older part of the building was finished in 1448, and -here still stand, not much altered from what they were -then, the chapel, ante-chapel, and dining-hall, with a long -dormitory over the dining-hall; this dormitory used to -open into the chapel, so that the sick and infirm might -hear the service, and, so far as they could, join in it. -The chapel contains an interesting triptych of the fifteenth -century by a Flemish artist, name unknown. One cannot -imagine a more desirable haven of rest than this for -those who are fortunate enough to become its inmates.</p> - -<p>Enough has now been told to show that among old -English towns Sherborne holds a peculiarly interesting -place. It still keeps much of its old-world look and -ancient dignity, and its inhabitants, many of whom bear -the names of the old stock who were living here in -in the time of Henry VI., are a kindly race, among whom -it is a pleasure and a privilege to live.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="MILTON_ABBEY">MILTON ABBEY</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Rev. Herbert Pentin, M.A.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HE county of Dorset is one of the few counties in -England that contain three great minsters in good -repair and in parochial use—Sherborne, -Wimborne, and Milton. And each of these -minsters is of Saxon and Royal foundation. King -Athelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great, founded the -Monastery and Collegiate Church of Milton for Secular -Canons, in or about the year 938. In the year 964 King -Edgar and Archbishop Dunstan of Canterbury converted -the monastery into an abbey, with forty Benedictine -monks, and chose a very able man, Cynewearde (or -Kynewardus), as the first Abbot. This Cynewearde, a -few years afterwards, to the loss of Milton, was made -Bishop of Wells.</p> - -<p>The original minster built by Athelstan was a noble -stone building of its time, and was very rich in shrines -and relics. The King gave a piece of our Saviour’s -Cross, a great cross of gold and silver with precious stones, -and many bones of the saints, which were placed in five -gilt shrines. The bones of his mother were also brought -to the church (for burial). We also know that the Saxon -Minster was restored and enlarged, if not rebuilt, in -Norman times. It has been reasonably conjectured that -the size of the Norman Abbey was that of the choir and -presbytery of the present church. Some large fragments -of Norman masonry have been dug up,<a id="FNanchor_23" href="#Footnote_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a> which show that -the Norman Abbey was a building of some considerable -architectural pretensions; and encased in the south wall -of the present choir and presbytery are the remains of -two enriched Norman arches which escaped destruction -in the fire of 1309. In that year the church was struck -by lightning, and was almost entirely burnt to the ground. -Thirteen years later, however, under Abbot Walter -Archer, the present Abbey Church was commenced on -the same site, but on a much larger and grander scale; -and building operations went on, from time to time, -until within a short period before the Dissolution in -1539.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_094fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_094fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Milton Abbey.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_095" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_095.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"> -<table class="normal" summary=""> -<col width="39%" /><col width="20%" /><col width="39%" /> -<tr> -<td class="tdc"><span class="smcap">King Athelstan.</span><br /> -Founder of Milton Abbey.<br />(<i>From a Painting in the Church.</i>)</td> -<td class="tdc"> </td> -<td class="tdc">“<span class="smcap">Athelstan’s Mother.</span>”<br /> -Buried in Milton Abbey.<br />(<i>From a Painting in the Church.</i>)</td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</span></p> - -<p>The following styles of architecture are represented -in the main portions of the church, built of stone from -Ham Hill and Tisbury:—First Decorated, the choir and -presbytery of seven bays, with aisles; Second Decorated, -the south transept; Third Decorated, the two western -piers of the “crossing”; Perpendicular, the north transept -and central tower. The Perpendicular work was undertaken -by the penultimate Abbot, William de Middleton, -assisted by Bishop Thomas Langton, of Salisbury and -of Winchester, the Abbey of Cerne, and the families of -Bingham, Coker, Latimer, Morton, and others.</p> - -<p>At the Dissolution, the Abbey estates were granted by -Henry VIII. to Sir John Tregonwell, who had helped to -procure the King’s divorce from Catharine of Aragon; -but the whole of the Abbey Church was preserved for -the parishioners, with the exception of the Ladye Chapel, -which was pulled down, although some of its vaulting -shafts can still be seen outside the east end of the -church. The last of the Abbots (John Bradley, B.D.), -after leaving Milton in Tregonwell’s hands, was consecrated -Suffragan Bishop of St. Asaph, with the title -of Bishop of Shaftesbury,<a id="FNanchor_24" href="#Footnote_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> and the Abbey Church of -Milton then passed under the sole spiritual control of -Richard Hall, Vicar of Milton, and his successors.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_096fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_096fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Milton Abbey: Interior.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Unfortunately, the Abbey underwent a “restoration” -in 1789, when the church was despoiled of many of its -fittings; and chantry chapels and other valuable objects -of interest went down under the hand of the “restorer.” -But Sir Gilbert Scott, in 1865, restored the church at the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</span> -expense of the late Baron Hambro, and left the Abbey -in its present beautiful condition, and, as far as was -possible, in its original state.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp70" id="i_097" style="max-width: 50em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_097.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Tabernacle.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</span></p> - -<p>The view of the church at the beginning of this -chapter will save the necessity of a description of its -exterior. But the interior contains many things which -demand notice.</p> - -<p>And first of all must be mentioned the “ornament,” -which many antiquaries consider to be a Tabernacle for -reserving the Eucharist. This very beautiful and richly -carved “Sacrament-house” dates from the fifteenth -century, and is made of oak in the form of a spire -composed of four storeys, the lowest containing the -opening through which the reserved elements may have -been passed. It is not in its original position, but is now -fastened to the west wall of the south transept beneath -the triforium.</p> - -<p>The great altar-screen is a very lofty, beautiful, and -peculiarly rich construction, even though the two long -rows of ornamental niches now lack the statues of the -saints that once stood in them—saints with “very bluff -countenances, painted in very bright colours and heavily -gilded.” On its lower portion there is a Latin inscription, -which bids prayers for the souls of William Middleton, -Abbot of Milton, and Thomas Wilken, Vicar of the parish, -who worthily decorated (“<i>honorifice depinxerunt</i>”) the -screen in 1492. The three stone sedilia in the sanctuary -are fine specimens. The bosses throughout the church -are of very rich design.</p> - -<p>The Abbey also contains two fifteenth century oil -paintings of a crude description, one of which represents -Athelstan, the founder, giving to the first head of the -monastery a model of the minster (with three spires)<a id="FNanchor_25" href="#Footnote_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> over -which he was to preside. The other painting is supposed -to represent Athelstan’s mother—Egwynna, “<i>femina -illustris</i>.”<a id="FNanchor_26" href="#Footnote_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</span></p> - -<p>The tombs of the abbots within the Abbey are most -interesting. In front of the altar steps there is a Purbeck -marble grave-slab of the fourteenth century, which was -once inlaid with the brass figure of an abbot clad in -<i>pontificalia</i>, with a marginal Latin inscription in Lombardic -capitals:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>ABBA : VALTERE : TE : FATA : CITO : RAPVERE : TE : -RADINGA : DEDIT : SED : MORS : MALE : NOS : -TVA : LEDIT.</p> -</div> - -<p>This is the slab of an Abbot of Milton whose -Christian name was Walter, and who was formerly a monk -of Reading, probably Walter de Sydelinge, who died in -1315. In the north transept there is a thirteenth -century grave-slab of another abbot. This slab is also -of Purbeck marble, but the upper portion is broken off. -The remaining portion shows part of an incised figure of -an abbot, with pastoral staff, chasuble, stole, maniple, -alb, and an imperfect marginal inscription in Norman -French:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>VVS ⁝ KI ⁝ PAR ⁝ I ⁝ CI ⁝ PASSET ⁝ PVR ⁝ LEALME ⁝ -PRIE...</p> - -<p>...RCI ⁝ LISET ⁝ LE ⁝ PARDVN ⁝ I ⁝ CI<a id="FNanchor_27" href="#Footnote_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a></p> -</div> - -<p>There are other large marble grave-slabs, without -inscriptions, in the church, which are supposed to cover -abbots, monks, and benefactors. On some there are the -matrices of missing brasses. One, in front of the altar -steps, shows the outline of a civilian in a plain gown, -and his wife wearing a “butterfly” head-dress, with -their five sons and four daughters, <i>circa</i> 1490. In St. -John the Baptist’s Chapel, at the east end of the north -aisle of the church, there is a small fifteenth century -brass to John Artur, one of the monks of the Abbey,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</span> -with a Latin inscription, which bids God have mercy -on his soul. In the same chapel, a very fine coloured -armorial brass over Sir John Tregonwell’s altar-tomb -contains the latest tabard example on a brass in -England (1565).<a id="FNanchor_28" href="#Footnote_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a></p> - -<p>But to mention all the ancient or modern memorials -(some of wondrous beauty, such as those of Lord and -Lady Milton, and Baron Hambro) would take far too much -space. A marble tablet in the vestry informs the reader -that John Tregonwell, Esquire, who died in the year 1680, -“by his last will and testament gave all the bookes -within this vestry to the use of this Abby Church for -ever, as a thankfuld acknowledgement of God’s wonderfull -mercy in his preservation when he fell from the top of -this Church.” This incident happened when he was a -child; he was absolutely uninjured, his stiff skirts having -acted as a parachute.<a id="FNanchor_29" href="#Footnote_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a> The chained library of sixty-six -leather-bound volumes comprises the works of the Latin -and Greek Fathers and other early Christian writers, and -some standard theological works of the seventeenth -century. The books have been kept at the vicarage for -many years.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp70" id="i_101" style="max-width: 37.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_101.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Abbot Middleton’s Rebus.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>The abbey now contains very little painted glass.<a id="FNanchor_30" href="#Footnote_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</span> -There is a large “Jesse window” by the elder Pugin in -the south transept, and some coloured coats of arms and -devices of kings, nobles, and abbots in some of the other -windows. The dwarfed east window contains the only -pre-Reformation glass in the church.<a id="FNanchor_31" href="#Footnote_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a> The Abbatial -Arms are emblazoned in several parts of the building. -They consist of three baskets of bread, each containing -three loaves. On one of the walls in the south aisle, near -the vestry, there is the carved coloured rebus of Abbot -William de Middleton, with the date 1514 in Arabic -numerals—the 4 being represented by half an eight. -It comprises the letter W with a pastoral staff, -and a windmill on a large cask—in other words, -a mill and a tun (Mil-ton). The old miserere seats -still remain in the choir, but the carving thereon is not -very elaborate, and many of them have been renewed. -The inscriptions on the Communion plate (which consists -of two large silver barrel-shaped flagons, a bell-shaped -chalice, and a large and a small paten) tell us that “John -Chappell, Sitteson and Stationer of London, 1637,” and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</span> -“Mary Savage, 1658,” and “Maddam Jane Tregonwell, -widdow, 1675,” gave these to “Milton Abby.”</p> - -<p>There are several other interesting things in the -church, albeit not ancient—<i>e.g.</i>, the rood-loft, the font, and -the pulpit.</p> - -<p>The rood-loft, although not entirely ancient, is -composed of ancient materials. When the party-walls of -St. John the Baptist’s Chapel, the chantry of Abbot -William de Middleton, and other side-chapels, were -destroyed or mutilated at the “restoration” in 1789, -some of the materials were used to reconstruct the rood-loft. -The eastern cornice, for instance, is probably a -portion of Abbot Middleton’s chantry, and bears thirteen -coats of arms, including those of the Abbeys of Milton, -Sherborne, and Abbotsbury, and the families of Chidiock, -Latimer, Lucy, Stafford of Hooke, Thomas of Woodstock, -and others.</p> - -<p>The font of the Abbey, in the south transept, is -modern, but of unusual design. It is composed of two -beautiful life-sized white marble female figures, representing -Faith and Victory, with a baptismal shell at their -feet.</p> - -<p>Near the font is an oak case containing a fourteenth -century coffin chalice and paten, and fragments of a -wooden pastoral staff and sandals, discovered during the -restoration of the church in 1865.<a id="FNanchor_32" href="#Footnote_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a></p> - -<p>The pulpit is also modern, of carved oak; but it is -interesting, because it contains statues of all the patron -saints connected with the Abbey and the parish, and of -these there are no fewer than six, viz.: St. Sampson of -Dol, St. Branwalader,<a id="FNanchor_33" href="#Footnote_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a> St. Mary the Blessed Virgin,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</span> -St. Michael the warrior-archangel, St. Catherine of -Alexandria, and St. James the Great.</p> - -<p>St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patron-saint of -“King Athelstan’s Chapel,” which stands in the woods at -the top of the hill to the east of the Abbey. And -this little church has also had a history well worth -the telling. When Athelstan was fighting for his throne -he had to pass through the county of Dorset, and -he encamped on Milton Hill, and threw up an earthwork, -or made use of one already existing there, the -remains of which can still be seen beyond the east end -of the chapel. During the night he believed that some -supernatural revelation was made to him, assuring him -that he would conquer his many enemies and become -King of all England. He pushed on, and at Brunanburh, -“Christ helping him, he had the victory, and there slew -five kings and seven earls” (<i>Saxon Chronicle</i>). The song -commemorating this important and decisive victory is -given in the <i>Old English Chronicle</i>; and the first stanza -of Professor Freeman’s version and that of Lord Tennyson -reads thus:</p> - -<table class="normal" summary=""> -<col width="48%" /><col width="4%" /><col width="48%" /> -<tr> -<td class="tdct"><div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Now Æthelstan King,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of Earls the Lord,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">In warriors the ring giver</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And his brother eke,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Eadmund Ætheling,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Eld-long glory</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Won in the fight</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With the swords’ edge</div> - <div class="verse indent0">By Brunanburh,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The boardwall they clave,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And hewed the war-linden,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With hammer’s leavings</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Offspring of Eadward.</div> - <div class="verse indent10"><i>Freeman.</i></div> - </div> -</div> -</div></td> -<td class="tdc"> </td> -<td class="tdct"><div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Athelstan King,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Lord among Earls,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Bracelet bestower and</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Baron of Barons,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">He, with his brother</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Edmund Atheling</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Gaining a life-long</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Glory in battle,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Slew with the sword-edge</div> - <div class="verse indent0">There by Brunanburh,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Brake the shield-wall,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Hew’d the linderwood,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Hack’d the battle-shield,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Sons of Edward, with hammer’d brands.</div> - <div class="verse indent10"><i>Tennyson.</i></div> - </div> -</div> -</div></td> -</tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_104" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_104.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">St. Catherine’s Chapel.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Athelstan, being a thoroughly religious man, as well -as a great warrior, expressed his thankfulness to God in -the way usual in those times. He founded the monastery -at Milton, and erected the <i>ecclesiola</i>, afterwards dedicated -to St. Catherine, within the entrenchment where -he received the remarkable revelation. Chapels on the -top of hills were often dedicated to St. Catherine of -Alexandria, on account of the legend which tells that -St. Catherine’s body was buried by angels on Mount -Sinai. Other instances, in many places, of this dedication -with its connection still remain—in Dorset, for example, -at Abbotsbury and Holworth. The little church at Milton -did its work in Saxon times, and then underwent a considerable -restoration in Norman days. It also underwent -a lesser restoration in the early part of the sixteenth -century. As it stands at present, it consists of a nave -and chancel. The main walls, which are very thick, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</span> -the door arches are Norman. On the west jamb of the -south door there is a curious and rare inscription in -Lombardic capitals relating to an indulgence:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>INDVLGENCIA ⁝ H’ ⁝ SC̄I ⁝ LOCI ⁝ C ⁝ E ⁝ X ⁝ DIES ⁝<a id="FNanchor_34" href="#Footnote_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a></p> -</div> - -<p>The windows in the nave are Early Norman and Perpendicular. -The old west front was taken down for some -reason in the eighteenth century, and at this time -an effigy of a monk in his habit (lying along and resting -on his hands, looking down at the Abbey below) was -destroyed. Some paintings also perished at the same -time. The chancel was also partly rebuilt, and the roof -raised, but the Transition-Norman chancel-arch was -preserved. On the south side of the altar is a pedestal, -on which the statue of St. Catherine may have formerly -stood. The encaustic tiles in the chancel were removed -from the Abbey Church in the year 1865. Some of these -mediæval tiles are heraldic, and contain the arms of the -See of Exeter, the Earls of Cornwall, Gloucester and -Hertford, and others. A tile manufactured at Malvern -has an inscription and date, 1456.</p> - -<p>In pre-Reformation days King Athelstan’s Chapel was -possibly used as the <i>capella extra portas</i>—the chapel, that -is, outside the gates of the monastery, at which strangers -and women who were not admitted within the gates -might hear Mass. That women used St. Catherine’s -Chapel for another purpose is also possible. St. Catherine -is the patron-saint of spinsters, and in days gone by she -was supposed to have the power of finding a husband for -those who sought her aid. The following Milton rhymes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</span> -in use to-day may be echoes of the mediæval Latin -doggerels:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">St. Catherine, St. Catherine, O lend me thine aid,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And grant that I never may die an old maid.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">A husband, St. Catherine,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">A <i>good</i> one, St. Catherine;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">But arn-a-one better than</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Narn-a-one, St. Catherine.</div> - </div> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Sweet St. Catherine,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">A husband, St. Catherine,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Handsome, St. Catherine,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Rich, St. Catherine,</div> - <div class="verse indent0"><i>Soon</i>, St. Catherine.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>After the Reformation the chapel was allowed to -decay and to become desecrated. In the eighteenth -century there is a record that it was being used as a -pigeon-house. Then, when more houses were needed -in the parish, the “Chapel Royal” was turned into a -labourer’s cottage—the interior was whitewashed, and a -ceiling added; the chancel became a bedroom, and the -nave a living room, with a kitchen grate and chimney -affixed. Afterwards the little church was used as a -carpenter’s workshop, and then as a lumber store. But, -in 1901, the neglected building was cleaned out, and a -service was held there on St. Catherine’s night (November -25th). The parishioners assembled in the building, the -roof of which was full of holes (admitting ivy, wind and -wet), the windows had long been broken, and the south -wall was dangerously bulging. Confession of wrong was -made for the past desecrations, and prayers were offered -that the Church of St. Catherine might for the future be -reverently treated as a “holy place” (as the Indulgence-inscription -calls it); and, happily, the building has since -been most conservatively restored by Mr. Everard Hambro, -the lord of the manor. Thus, the little church which -commemorates a very critical event in the early history -of England has been saved from further desecration and</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_106fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_106fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Sea-Side Hamlet of Milton.</span><br /> -<i>Holworth, in 1827, showing the Burning Cliff.</i></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</span></p> - -<p>decay; and King Athelstan’s Chapel is once again used -for the service of God, while remaining a valuable historic -relic of Saxon days.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_107" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_107.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Liscombe Chapel.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Another <i>capella</i> belonging to the Abbey, but now in -private ownership, has been less fortunate. Liscombe -Chapel,<a id="FNanchor_35" href="#Footnote_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> in the parish of Milton, five miles from the -Abbey Church and two miles from Chesilborne, is still -desecrated. This little building, built principally of flint, -stone, and large blocks of rock chalk, is entire, and consists -of chancel and nave, divided by a handsome Transition-Norman -arch, with massive rounded columns. The east -window and the two other chancel windows are Norman, -with some later work inserted. But the chapel of -Liscombe has been desecrated for a long time. The nave -thereof is now used as a bakehouse (there is a large open -grate, oven, and chimney in the centre), and the chancel -is used as a log-house. A flight of stone stairs has been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</span> -erected in the chancel, which leads to the bedrooms over -the bakehouse and log-house. The bedrooms have been -ceiled, and the whole interior of the little church has -been whitewashed, including the handsome chancel arch; -the roof of the building is of thatch. An old stone -sundial is preserved in the west wall. Warne, in his -<i>Ancient Dorset</i>, states that the chapel is credited with -being “tenanted by a supernatural visitor”; and this is -still believed by the country folk. The house adjoining -this desecrated sanctuary is also ancient, and built chiefly -of flint and stone. It possesses several interesting windows -of various dates (including a <i>loup</i> in the east wall), -and an old stone sundial on its south wall. The interior -contains some oak-work, portions of which may be -pre-Reformation. This house is now used as a labourer’s -cottage; but there is a tradition that it was formerly -inhabited by the monks, who ministered (“<i>Divina -celebrant</i>:”) in the little church. And the building itself, -from its position and evident antiquity, lends colour to the -tradition; but there are marks that it became the manor -farmhouse after the Dissolution. There is also a tradition -that the stream which now runs through the hamlet of -Liscombe was formerly larger than it is now, and that -there were fish-ponds close by, and that the monks at -Liscombe supplied their overlord, the Abbot of Milton, -with fresh-water fish.</p> - -<p>Milton Abbey also possessed three other Norman -<i>capellae</i>—in Woolland, Whitcombe, and Holworth respectively; -but Woolland is now a separate ecclesiastical -parish; Whitcombe is a donative held by the Rector of -Came (it was held for many years by William Barnes, the -Dorset poet); and Holworth, alone of the three, still -remains a part of the ecclesiastical parish of Milton.</p> - -<p>Holworth is sixteen miles from the Abbey Church, -and now possesses a modern chapel, on a hill near the -“Burning Cliff,” known as the Chapel of St. Catherine-by-the-Sea. -It is said that in days gone by the monks<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</span> -at Holworth supplied their Abbot, at Milton, with salt-water -fish. The hamlet of Holworth, overlooking -Weymouth Bay and Portland Roads, has been well -described as resting in “a most lonely and most lovely -valley by the sea, an earthly paradise, which those who -have discovered cherish and dream about. It is far away -from the haunts of men, and remote from the cares of life; -where the newspaper is two days’ old before it invades -the religious calm of a mind attuned by the most exquisite -scenery to rise to thoughts above this world; where one -may walk along the undulating downs that skirt the -Channel, held in place by parapets of cliff that break -down straight into the sea; where one may walk mile -after mile on natural lawn and not meet a soul—just one’s -self, the birds, the glorious scenery, and God.”<a id="FNanchor_36" href="#Footnote_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a></p> - -<p>The hamlet of Holworth is, indeed, worthy of being -a portion of the parish that is acknowledged to be one -of the most beautiful places in Dorset. The village of -Milton lies enfolded between richly-wooded hills, at the -foot of a wonderfully picturesque descent. Sir Frederick -Treves, in his <i>Highways and Byways in Dorset</i>, says -that “there is nothing like to it in any part of England.” -He calls it a “surprising” village, “a toy town.” The -first impression on seeing it “is one of amazement, for the -place is both extraordinary and unexpected.” Each of -the houses is of the same pattern, and each is separated -from the others by a chestnut tree. The builder of this -unique village, as will be seen, was Joseph, Lord Milton -(afterwards Earl of Dorchester). The old town of Milton -lay near the south side of the Abbey Church; but the -ancient town was pulled down by Lord Milton about the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</span> -year 1780, as it was too close to his new mansion (in -which he had incorporated the magnificent fifteenth century -monastic refectory), and proved an annoyance to him. -The death, in 1775, of his wife (“the most noble and -most excellent Lady Caroline, Lady Milton, daughter of -Lyonel, Duke of Dorset, the wisest and most lovely, the -best and most virtuous of women”), to whom he was -passionately attached, and the suicide, in the following -year, of his eldest son (the husband of “the beautiful -Anne Seymour Damer”<a id="FNanchor_37" href="#Footnote_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a>), probably had a hardening -influence on Lord Milton’s character, and made him use -his giant’s strength tyrannously like a giant. At any -rate, he swept away the old town, and the “new town” -was then built, further off, as a substitute. Some fragmentary -particulars of the old town of Milton have been -gathered together,<a id="FNanchor_38" href="#Footnote_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a> which perhaps are of sufficient -interest to be reproduced here.</p> - -<p>The old town was one of the most ancient in Dorset. -It grew up with the Abbey, and was known as Middleton -(of which Milton is a contraction), because it was the -middle town of the county. It contained shops of all -kinds, four inns, a pre-Reformation Grammar School, almshouses -built in 1674, and a brewery, which helped to -supply Weymouth, Poole, and other large towns in Dorset. -Milton Abbey ales were at one time among the most -famous in the county; they could also be obtained in -London. The tradesmen of old Milton were prosperous, -but the “working classes” were very poor. Their staple -food was barley cake; and to keep down expenses they -saved every morsel of fat and made their own candles in -pewter moulds. Two, if not more, of the leading shopkeepers -issued “tokens” in the seventeenth century,<a id="FNanchor_39" href="#Footnote_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</span> -specimens of which exist; and among the old parish -papers are a number of apprenticeship indentures which -bound poor boys to various tradesmen in the place. -The girls of the parish were taught to spin.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_110fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_110fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Milton Abbey, in the Year 1733.</span><br /> -<i>Showing the old Monastic house on the left, and the old town on the right of the church.</i></div> -</div> - -<p>The handsome fifteenth century market cross was one -of the finest in the kingdom, quite worthy of its position -near the Abbey Church. It had an ascent of no fewer -than thirty steps. Its site is marked in the present park -by a very massive octagonal socket stone, which is said -to be a portion of the original cross. The parish registers -state that, in the days of the Commonwealth, banns of -marriage were published “in the markett.”<a id="FNanchor_40" href="#Footnote_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a> The weekly -market was well attended, it being the central market -of the county, and was held around the market cross. -The annual fair was held on St. Sampson’s Eve and -Day, July 27th and 28th, St. Sampson being the chief -patron saint of the Abbey. This fair, like the market, -was granted by King Athelstan; but it was practically -discontinued when the old town was pulled down.</p> - -<p>The sports in old Milton were badger-baiting under -the cedar trees in the Abbey churchyard; cock-squailing, -cock-fighting, and “fives,” outside the west end of the -church; bowls were played on the bowling green, and -ringing was very popular. The ringers only claimed -“bread and beare” for their services each year—on the -Restoration Day of Charles II. (May 29th), on Guy -Fawkes’ Day (November 5th), and on Christmas Day. -They were also paid on special occasions, such as “for -ringing ye Bishope throu Towne”; but episcopal visits -were rare. During Lent the children went “shroving” -and “Lent crocking.” On Shrove Tuesday the children,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</span> -carrying sticks, knocked at the doors of the principal -residents and repeated this doggerel verse:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Please I’ve come a-shroving</div> - <div class="verse indent0">For a piece of pancake,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or a little ruckle cheese</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of your own making.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">If you don’t give me some,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">If you don’t give me none,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">I’ll knock down your door</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With a great marrow bone</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And a-way I’ll run.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The result of this threat was that the children were given -hot half-pence, apples, eggs, a piece of pancake, or a -hunch of ruckle-cheese. A ruckle-cheese was a small -sour-milk home-made cheese, weighing about one pound. -It could be ruckled—<i>i.e.</i>, rolled along the ground. Hence -its name. In the evening the “Lent-crocking” began. -Those people who had not given the children anything -when they came “a-shroving” were then punished by having -pieces of crockery and pans and other missiles thrown at -their doors. In this way real damage was often done, -and the two parish constables do not seem to have -interfered. The practice of shroving is still continued in -the present village of Milton: it is one of the customs -that have survived the demolition of the old town. It -obtains in other Dorset parishes, but is gradually dying -out.</p> - -<p>The Abbey churchyard was a very large one. Its area -was about three times the area of the Abbey Church. -The sports which took place therein have been already -mentioned. It was also used as a public flogging-place -for offenders against the law. Lord Milton, when he -decided to pull down the old town, had all the headstones -in the churchyard removed, broken up, or buried. In -converting the churchyard into lawns, many bones of -parishioners were turned up and irreverently treated; and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</span> -the superstitious tradition in the present village is that, -in consequence of this, Lord Milton died of a gruesome -disease. There was an ancient cross in the churchyard -called the “Druid’s Cross,” and also a preaching cross.<a id="FNanchor_41" href="#Footnote_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a> -It is hardly necessary to add that these perished with the -churchyard.</p> - -<p>The old Grammar School, founded by Abbot -Middleton in 1521, was also pulled down. It was one of -the chief public schools in the south-west of England, and -was known as “the Eton of the West.”<a id="FNanchor_42" href="#Footnote_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a> It had, as a rule, -between eighty to one hundred boys, mostly boarders, -sons of the leading county families. There were several -boarding-houses for the boys in Milton, and the existence -of the school helped on the prosperity of the town. Two -of its most distinguished <i>alumni</i> were Thomas Masterman -Hardy, Nelson’s favourite captain, who in after life did -not forget his old friends at Milton<a id="FNanchor_43" href="#Footnote_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a>; and Thomas -Beach, a native of Milton, the famous Dorset portrait -painter, who from 1772 to 1800 “limned the features of -everybody who was anybody.”</p> - -<p>It must be admitted, reluctantly, that the Grammar -School boys were an undoubted nuisance to Lord Milton. -They lived within a stone’s throw of his mansion, they -broke into his privacy and seclusion, they scoured his -gardens and plantations in every direction, stole his fruit, -and disturbed his game. Records exist of the expulsion -of some boys bearing the most honoured of Dorset names -for persistent stone-throwing down chimneys, and for -stealing cucumbers from the Abbey gardens, and game-fowl -eggs for the purpose of rearing birds to compete -in fighting. In the Abbey Church the Grammar School<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</span> -boys sat in a large gallery which stretched from the -rood-loft to the west wall. This gallery was pulled down -by Lord Milton’s orders as soon as he had removed the -school. The headmaster and assistant-masters of the -school, being in Holy Orders, frequently held the position -of Vicar or Curate of the Abbey Church. Among them -was John Hutchins, the Dorset historian, who was Curate -of the Abbey and “usher” of the school.<a id="FNanchor_44" href="#Footnote_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a></p> - -<p>It must not be thought that Lord Milton’s “fine -quarter-deck high-handedness” aroused no outcry. The -parishioners regarded his action as a cruel piece of -tyranny, and they resisted it with stubborn and obstinate -opposition.<a id="FNanchor_45" href="#Footnote_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a> For over twenty years his lordship was -involved in considerable trouble and expense while -gradually getting all the houses into his possession, in -order that he might raze them to the ground. Mr. -Harrison, a resident solicitor, refused to sell his lease, -although he was offered three times its value; so Lord -Milton let the water from the “Abbot’s Pond” (a small -pond which then lay just below the Abbey Church) creep -around the premises. Mr. Harrison at once entered an -action against his lordship for flooding his house, and the -lawyer won the case. A few days afterwards Lord -Milton went to London, and on his way to Blandford he -heard the Abbey bells ringing. This he interpreted as -a sign of parochial joy at his defeat and departure; and -nothing would satisfy him but the sale of the offending -bells. The bells were really ringing to commemorate<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</span> -Guy Fawkes’ Day: it was November 5th. But the bells -had to go: “the autocrat” had spoken. And his friend, -the Dean of Norwich, had said that “bell-ringing caused -much idleness and drinking.” There is a record that, -when the parishioners saw their bells carted away, they -stood at their house-doors weeping, even though two of -the bells were saved for the new Church of St. James.</p> - -<p>In pulling down the old town Lord Milton preserved -the Abbey Church, and employed James Wyatt to restore -it. Much havoc was then wrought in the interior, but -at the same time the vast building underwent a thorough -repair, which it needed very badly. There is a tradition -that this restoration cost Lord Milton no less than -£60,000; but this seems a fabulous sum.</p> - -<p>With the materials from the demolished buildings of -the old town Lord Milton built the present village of -Milton (he also built some ecclesiastical-looking sham -“ruins” in the park, which are still standing);<a id="FNanchor_46" href="#Footnote_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a> and the -stone and timber from the old Abbey tithe-barn were used -to construct a new church in the new village. The few -interesting things in this church, which is dedicated to -St. James the Great, were originally possessions of the -Abbey—two bells of the fourteenth and sixteenth -centuries respectively, a thirteenth century Purbeck marble -octagonal font, an old pulpit, two pewter plates, two oak -coffin-stools, and three elaborately-bound volumes, in -black letter, of Fox’s <i>Acts and Monuments of the -Christian Martyrs</i> (1632), which aforetime were chained -in the Abbey to a desk covered with “red shagg” and -studded with 200 brass nails.</p> - -<p>But although St. James’ Church suffers loss by -comparison with the other more ancient churches in the -parish, its churchyard is remarkable in that it is higher<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</span> -than the church itself. The dead are buried not below -the level of the church, but above the level of its roof. -This is certainly unusual.</p> - -<p>Yet it may be regarded as a fitting <i>finale</i> for the -inhabitants of a parish that has been described truly as -“a curiosity, surprising, and remarkable.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp50" id="i_116" style="max-width: 18.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_116.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Seal of the town of<br /> -Milton in America.</span><br /> - -<i>Incorporated 1662.</i></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="WIMBORNE_MINSTER">WIMBORNE MINSTER</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/w.jpg" alt="W" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">IMBORNE Minster, as it is called to -distinguish it from the village of Wimborne -St. Giles and Monkton-up-Wimborne, is at -the present day a bright, clean, prosperous-looking -little market town, showing few remains of olden -times save in its church. There is no doubt that its name -is connected with the little river or “bourne” on which -it stands, for the two villages mentioned above, bearing -names of which Wimborne forms a part, stand on the -same stream, which, like some other Dorset rivers—the -Var or Frome, the Piddle or Trent—bears two names, the -Wim or the Allen.</p> - -<p>And yet it is an ancient place. Here, early in the -eighth century, Cudburh, or Cuthberga, sister of Ine, the -famous King of the West Saxons, whose laws were the -foundation of the liberties of his subjects, and show a -spirit of tolerance hitherto unknown towards the conquered -Celts, founded a nunnery. Here, in 851, the then Earl -of Devon is said to have defeated the Danes; here -Æthelred, the brother and immediate predecessor of -Ælfred on the West Saxon throne, having died of a -wound received in battle with the Danes, we know not -where, was buried in 871. Hither came the Danes again, -plundering the town and destroying the convent. Hither, -too, after the death of Ælfred, in 901, came Æthelwold, -the Ætheling (son of Ælfred’s brother, Æthelred, who -had been passed over as too young to rule when his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</span> -father died) rebelling against the new King, Ælfred’s son, -Eadward the Unconquered, and possessed himself of -Wimborne. Eadward marched from the south against -him, and encamped within the rampart of Badbury -Rings, a few miles to the west of Wimborne; hence he -sent a message to Æthelwold, bidding him surrender. -To this Æthelwold returned stout answer that he would -either live or die in Wimborne. But after the messenger -had gone back he took counsel with himself, and decided -that as the first alternative was impossible, and the second -unpleasant, he would see if a third course were not open -to him—namely, to live elsewhere. So he fled to -Normandy, and thence to Northumberland, which was -then under Danish rule, and, throwing in his lot with the -enemies of Wessex, he collected a band of freebooters -from beyond the sea, and received some assistance from -the East Anglian Danes. But all to no purpose, for the -“Unconquered” King overthrew him and his Danish -allies in many fights, and recovered all the booty they -had carried off.</p> - -<p>But it is the church that is the centre of interest of -Wimborne. Ine, King of the West Saxons, had two -sisters, perhaps more, but only two are connected with -Wimborne. Cuthberga was betrothed to the Northumbrian -King, Æcgfred, or Osric, as he is often called, but when -she met him she found his rough northern manners and -his intemperate habits little in harmony with her more -refined disposition and mode of life. Therefore, she -persuaded him to allow her to devote herself to a religious -life, and retired to the nunnery at Barking; and afterwards, -at what exact date we do not know, but probably not -later than 705, she founded a nunnery at Wimborne, her -sister being associated with her in the work. Both of -these royal ladies were buried within the precincts, and -in due time canonised as St. Cuthberga and St. Cwenberga; -the former was commemorated as a virgin on -August 31st. A special service appointed for the day -may still be read in a Missal kept in the Cathedral -Library at Salisbury.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_118fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_118fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Wimborne Minster.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</span></p> - -<p>The convent of Wimborne can boast of another -illustrious lady among those who took the veil within -its walls—St. Walburga, or Walpurgis. Somewhere about -the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century, -she was born in Sussex, and was educated at the newly-founded -nunnery at Wimborne, and became in due course -a nun; here she stayed for yet another twenty-seven -years. Then, by the desire of her uncle, St. Boniface, and -her brother Wilibald, she set out with thirty other nuns -to found religious houses in Germany. She first settled -at Bischofsheim, in the diocese of Maintz, and in 754 -became Abbess of the Benedictine house at Heidenheim, -which was situated within the diocese of Eichstädt, in -Bavaria, of which her brother, Wilibald, was Bishop. -Another brother, Winebald, was head of the Benedictine -monastery in the same place; and when he died, in 760, -Walburga received the charge of this house in addition -to her own, and continued to rule both until her death -in 779. She was buried in a hollow rock at Eichstädt, -from which a bituminous oil, afterwards called Walpurgis’ -oil, exuded. This was supposed to possess miraculous -powers of healing, so that her grave was much visited -by pilgrims, and a church was built over it. She is commemorated -at different times in different places, but chiefly -on May 1st, a day originally celebrated with heathen -ceremonies, emblematical of the birth of Summer. Hence -some of the heathen rites still lingered on, just as certain -of our Christmas customs are of heathen origin. The -readers of Göethe’s <i>Faust</i> cannot help remembering the -revels of the witches on the Brocken on Walpurgis’ -night.</p> - -<p>The nunnery at Wimborne perished in some plundering -raid of the Danes some time during the ninth century. -Whether Ælfred did anything to restore it we do not -know, but a king of the name of Eadward, either Ælfred’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</span> -son, the “Unconquered,” or the Confessor, founded a -college of secular priests at Wimborne. Again, we know -not whether the church of this college occupied the site of -the old convent church or not. The names of the deans -from 1224 until the Dissolution, in 1547, have come down -to us. The only one of these whose name is known in -history is the last but one—Cardinal Pole, who held this -position from 1517 till 1537, being only seventeen years of -age at the time of his appointment. When the deanery -was abolished, Wimborne Minster became a Royal -Peculiar, under the administration of three priest-vicars. -The arrangement was a somewhat unusual one; each of -the three was responsible for the services for one week, -one of the other two acted as his curate in the Minster, -and the other took charge of the chapelry of Holt. The -next week they changed places; and so on continually. -This curious arrangement continued in force till 1876, -when one vicar retired on a pension, another removed to -Holt, where a parsonage had been built for him, and the -third became sole vicar of the Minster and the parish -attached to it.</p> - -<p>The history of the church is best read in its stones; -written records are scanty. The central part, all in -Norman style, the work of the twelfth century, is the -oldest; from this the building gradually extended north, -south, east, and west, as well as upwards, in the course -of the next three centuries; but the builders who -enlarged did not wantonly destroy the work of their -predecessors. Probably the chief cause of this was lack of -funds; there was no shrine of saint, nor tomb of martyr, -nor wonder-waking relic to attract pilgrims, whose alms, -had they come, would have enriched the church, as many -another church was enriched, and had to pay the penalty -of over-much wealth in the form of demolition and reconstruction. -Wimborne Minster was simply enlarged; the -outer walls, of course, had sometimes to be pulled down. -Thus in the thirteenth century the Norman east end,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</span> -which was probably apsidal, had to be demolished to -afford space for eastward extension, and the date of this -extension is determined by the character of the east -window; the windows of the aisles proclaim themselves -to be of fourteenth century date; the western tower is -a century later. The church is one of the few that -possess two towers, set tandem fashion, one at the crossing, -the other at the west end. It is not a very satisfactory -arrangement from an artistic point of view, and has in -the few instances in which it has been introduced been -unfortunate. Hereford had two towers thus placed, but -the western one fell; Wymondham, in Norfolk, has two -still standing, but the east end of the church is a ruin; -Wimborne central tower was once surmounted by a spire, -but this fell. Exeter and Ottery have two towers, but -these are placed in a different manner, their bases forming -the north and south ends of the transept.</p> - -<p>The central tower at Wimborne is the older. It is -supported on four massive Norman piers; the east and -west arches beneath it are wider than the other two; to -bring the capitals from which they spring all into one -horizontal plane and the crowns of the four arches all into -another horizontal plane, the builders made the wider -arches segments of a circle less than semi-circles, and the -narrower ones segments greater than semi-circles, giving -them the shape of horse-shoes. Above this lower stage are -three others—the triforium stage, with a gallery in the -thickness of the wall; above this comes the clerestory, -added later; and above it another stage, still later, -because here, in place of the simple arches seen on the -outside of the lower stages, we find interesting arches -forming lancet-headed openings; above this is a heavy, -ugly parapet and set of pinnacles, erected in 1608 after -the fall of the central spire. The western tower is higher -than the central one, contains the bells, and, just outside -the easternmost window, on the north side of the belfry -stage, there stands the wooden figure of a soldier, who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</span> -strikes the quarter-hours on two bells, one on each side -of him, and is known as the “Quarter Jack.”</p> - -<p>Inside this western tower, on the face of the south -wall, is a curious clock made by Peter Lightfoot, a monk -of Glastonbury, in the early part of the fourteenth -century. It tells not only the time of day, but the day -of the month and the age of the moon. The earth is -represented by a globe in the centre; the sun by a ball -on a disc, which travels round it in twenty-four hours, -showing the time of day; the moon as a globe on another -disc, which revolves once in a lunar month. Half of this -globe is painted black, the other half is gilt, and the age -of the moon is indicated by the respective proportions -of black and gilt shown, for the ball itself rotates on its -axis; when the moon is full the gilt half is entirely -visible; when new, the black half. The clock is still in -working order. A screen separates the lower stage of -the tower from the nave, and forms a baptistry, in which -stands an octagonal font of Norman character, large -enough for baptising an infant by immersion.</p> - -<p>From the west end, the church presents a very -imposing appearance. The nearer pillars, it is true, are -rather mean; they are of fourteenth century date, and -very plain. It has been, with some probability, conjectured -that they were brought from some other church -which had been pulled down just before the time when this -church was extended westward, possibly when the western -tower was built. The pillars of the original nave are -cylindrical and massive, the arches of the main arcading -resting upon them are pointed; above is a plain wall; -the division between the original and the added work is -shown by the different character of the mouldings of the -arches, and of the string-course above them, and by the -fact that to the east there are the original Norman -clerestory windows, while the walls to the west are not -broken by any openings whatever.</p> - -<p>The floor of the presbytery is raised considerably above<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</span> -that of the choir, and this is itself higher than the floor -of the nave, so that the altar stands at a considerable -elevation. One peculiarity is noteworthy—there are no -altar rails, but their place is taken by three massive oaken -benches, covered at all times with the “houseling linen,” -fair white cloths—the use of which goes back to very -early times. The benches which now stand across the -presbytery floor, close to the topmost of the flight of -steps leading up to it, are the remains of ten such benches, -which were made in Puritan times for communicants to -sit on as they received the sacred elements. When the -custom of kneeling was revived, these benches were placed -on the steps; and on “Sacrament Sundays,” the clerk, -after morning prayer, went to the lectern and bade those -who were prepared to receive the Holy Communion to -draw near, whereupon intending communicants left the -nave and knelt at the benches, or in the choir stalls, until -the officiating clergy brought them the sacramental bread -and wine. In 1852, when sundry changes were being -made in the arrangements of the church, all these benches -except three were removed—the three which were in -use as altar-rails.</p> - -<p>The beautiful triplet of windows, over the altar, end -the long vista seen from the west. Beneath the presbytery -floor is a vaulted crypt. This is not, as many crypts are, -dark and gloomy, but well lit by triangular windows, -which from the outside are seen to be just above the -level of the churchyard. This crypt does not retain its -original altar, but its place is marked by a piscina on the -southern side; two arches open out into the choir -aisles, through which those kneeling in the aisles might -look down on the priest officiating at the altar of the -crypt.</p> - -<p>There are several monuments worthy of notice, but -by far the most interesting is the Beaufort altar-tomb on -the south side of the presbytery. This was erected, to the -memory of her father and mother, by the Lady Margaret.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</span> -foundress of Christ’s and St. John’s Colleges, at Cambridge, -well known for her many benefactions, and from the -fact that she was the mother of Henry VII. As the -history of this family—the Beauforts—is interesting, and -its details little touched on by the writers of English -history, it may not be out of place, especially as they were -connected with Wimborne, to give an outline of it here. -Everyone knows that John of Gaunt was the third son of -Edward III. and the father of Henry IV., but many know -only in a general way that the House of Tudor traced -through him their claim to the English crown. John -of Gaunt married Blanche, great-granddaughter of -Edmund Crouchback, second son of Henry III., who was -created Earl of Lancaster in 1257. Her father, on -account of his valour in the French wars of Edward III., -had been made a Duke—a new title as far as England -was concerned, for the only English Duke that had been -previously created was the Duke of Cornwall, better known -as the Black Prince. Through Blanche, his wife, John -of Gaunt succeeded to the estates of the Duke of -Lancaster, among them to the Castle of Beaufort, in -Anjou. He was himself in 1362 created Duke of -Lancaster. Among Blanche’s maids of honour was one -Kate, daughter of Sir Payne Roet, and widow of Sir Owen -Swynford. When Blanche died, John married Constance -of Castile, but took unto himself Kate Swynford as his -mistress; by her he became the father of four children, -all born at Beaufort Castle. As they were illegitimate, -they took the name of their birthplace as a surname. The -eldest of these was John de Beaufort, and the second, -Henry, the celebrated Cardinal Beaufort. When Constance -died, these four children were legitimatised by -a Bull of Urban VI., then by Richard II., then -by Act of Parliament. The Duke then married Kate. -On January 13th, 1396, John de Beaufort was created -Earl of Somerset. He died in 1410, leaving four sons -and two daughters; the eldest, Henry, did not long<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</span> -survive his father, and his title and estates passed to his -next brother, John. He greatly distinguished himself in -the French wars, and was made Duke of Somerset, Earl -of Kendale, Lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine and -Captain-General of the whole realm of France and -Normandy. In 1436 the Duke of Bedford, the Regent, -died, and as the King, Henry VI., was still a minor, another -regent had to be appointed. The Duke of Lancaster -thought he should have obtained this important post, but -it was conferred on the Duke of York, and Lancaster -therefore retired from active service, and in 1440 married -Margaret, widow of Oliver St. John, and daughter of -John, Lord Beauchamp, of Bletsoe Manor, Bedfordshire. -This John, Duke of Somerset, and Margaret, his wife, -are they whose figures lie side by side in alabaster on -their altar-tomb at Wimborne. Their right hands are -clasped together; angels guard their heads; his feet rest -on a dog, hers on an antelope; he is clad in complete -armour, the face and right hand alone bare; the left -hand holds the right-hand gauntlet, which he has taken -off before taking the lady’s hand. On the apex of the -arch, above the tomb, hangs the helm which he, during his -life, used to wear in tournaments. Their only child was -born in 1441—Margaret, of whom mention has been made. -Her father died in 1444, aged thirty-nine years, and the -Duchy of Somerset became extinct in the Beaufort family. -His death took place at Kingston Lacy, an estate close -to Wimborne, belonging to the Beaufort family. His -widow and daughter went to live on the Bedfordshire -property. In about four years time, the widow married -her third husband, Lord Welles. Young Margaret, when -only nine years of age, was sought by the Duke of Suffolk -as a wife for his son, John de la Pole, and by King -Henry VI. as wife for his half-brother, Edmund Tudor, Earl -of Richmond, son of Catherine, the Queen of Henry V., -by her second husband, Sir Owen Tudor. Margaret -was a clever girl, well educated, knowing even then Latin<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</span> -and French; but sorely distraught was she to know which -of the two suitors to choose: so she consulted an old -gentlewoman, who advised her to commit the matter to -St. Nicholas. She took the advice, prayed to the saint, -and fell asleep, and about four o’clock next morning, -whether sleeping or waking she could not tell, saw one -standing in her room, habited in a bishop’s robes, who -bade her accept Edmund Tudor as a husband. She told -her mother, and she was betrothed to the Earl of -Richmond, and they were married in 1455, when she was -fourteen years of age and he twenty-four. They lived -at Pembroke Castle, which belonged to Jasper Tudor, -Earl of Pembroke. In 1456 her only son, Henry, afterwards -Henry VII., was born, and shortly after this her -husband died. He was buried at Caermarthen Abbey, -and when the monastery was suppressed, his body was -removed to the Cathedral Church at St. David’s. His -mother, anxious to keep quite aloof from party strife (for -the War of the Roses had already broken out), lived on -at Pembroke, educating her son. In 1459 she married -her second husband, Sir Humphrey Stafford; widowhood, -for one of exalted rank, not being a desirable condition -in those times of war and turmoil. It has been seen that -her mother was thrice married, and Margaret followed her -example, for when Sir Humphrey died in 1481, she, at the -end of a year, being then about forty years of age, married -Thomas, Lord Stanley. After fifteen years she separated -from him with his consent, in order to devote herself to a -religious life, and retired to the convent at Woking, in -Surrey. It must not be supposed that she had a peaceful -or happy life. Her thoughts were centred on her only -son, and many were the years of separation from this -son that his mother had to endure. The story of his -wanderings, his dangers, his detention in Brittany, are -too long to be told here—suffice it to say that Richard III. -became so odious to the chief nobles that at last it was -arranged that Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Margaret’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</span> -son, should be recognised by the Lancastrian party as -their leader, and should claim the throne; and that in -order to gain the adherence of those members of the -Yorkist party who were opposed to Richard, a marriage -should take place between Henry and Elizabeth, the -daughter of Edward IV. Both the mothers agreed to the -union: but the first attempt at invasion by Richmond was -a failure, and Richard seemed free from all danger; and -with a view to win over his Yorkist opponents, he made -up his mind to marry Elizabeth himself, although she was -his own brother’s child. This step led to a fresh invasion—this -time a successful one—and the death of Richard -on Bosworth field virtually placed the crown on Henry’s -head (1485). So at last the Lady Margaret’s troubles -were at an end, and she saw her son crowned and wedded, -and the red and white roses twined together. It remains -only to speak of her benefactions. Those at Cambridge are -well known; and the writer of this chapter, who once held -at Christ’s College one of the scholarships she founded, -cherishes the memory of the royal and pious lady with all -due gratitude. But it is of her benefactions at Wimborne -that mention must now be made. About 1498 she built -the beautiful monument to her father and mother in the -Minster; founded a chantry, where, for her own soul, and -for those of her son, her parents, and ancestors, Mass -was to be duly said. She founded and endowed the -Grammar School, though, as its endowments were greatly -added to by Queen Elizabeth, its name was afterwards -changed from the Lady Margaret’s to that of Queen -Elizabeth’s Free Grammar School.</p> - -<p>The Lady Margaret just outlived her son; both died -in the same year, 1509, but she rather later than he.</p> - -<p>Of the other monuments space forbids mention of -any, save that of Anthony Etricke, if it can be called -a monument, for it is really the sarcophagus that contains -the body of this eccentric magistrate, who lived at Holt, -and was recorder of Poole. He desired, for some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</span> -reason, to be buried neither above the ground nor under -it, neither within the church nor outside of it; and in -order to carry out this strange wish, he got permission to -cut a niche in the south wall, partly below the level of -the surface of the churchyard, and in it fixed a slate -sarcophagus. In this he ordered his coffin to be -deposited when he died; and he made all the preparations -he could beforehand, even to the painting of the date -of his death on the side of the slate coffin. He had a -presentiment that he should die in 1691, but he lived till -1703, so that the real date of his death had to be placed -on the coffin. The other date was not obliterated, but -the new one was painted on the other, and the two may -be seen there to-day. The arms of his family are painted -on the lid, and, as he left twenty shillings per annum to -keep coffin and niche in good repair, the sarcophagus -is bright and smart as paint, gilding, and varnish can -make it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_128fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_128fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Chained Library, Wimborne Minster.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>The chained library, as it is called, is placed in a -chamber above the vestry, rebuilt when the church was -restored. It was formed by the Rev. William Stone, -Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford, afterwards one of the -“three vicars” of the church. By his will he left some land -to St. Margaret’s Hospital, and his collection of books to -the Minster. These were brought from Oxford in 1686, -and placed in what was then known as the Treasury. -They were chiefly the writings of the Fathers, with certain -other theological books, and were intended for the free -use of the people of Wimborne. In these days few would -care to pore over these dry and heavy tomes, or make -use of the library, for it does not contain any novels, -standard or ephemeral; but there were days when it was -used for study. In 1725 a catalogue was made, and the -number of the books was then two hundred; when next -catalogued, about one hundred and fifty years later, the -number had dropped to one hundred and eighty-five, -despite the fact that ten books not mentioned in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</span> -former catalogue were on the shelves. There is but one -MS., bearing date 1343, “Regimen Animarum,” written -on vellum, and containing some illuminated initials. The -majority of the books were printed between 1520 and -1710. The most interesting are: a Polyglot Bible (1657), -a Breeches’ Bible (1595), and Sir Walter Ralegh’s <i>History -of the World</i> (1614). No less than one hundred and four -pages of this <i>History</i> have had a hole burnt through them. -Tradition says that Matthew Prior, the poet, was reading -this book by candle light, and fell asleep; when he awoke -he found that some snuff from his candle had fallen on -the book and done the mischief. He stuck small pieces -of parchment over the hole in every page, and inserted -the missing letters or words with pen and ink. But the -interesting tradition has been controverted in modern -times.</p> - -<p>The books were originally chained to the shelves, one -end of the chain being fastened to the edge of the -binding, the other to a ring which would slide along a -rod. Many of the books had got loose in the course of -years, and lay dusty and uncared for; but at the restoration, -new rods were fastened along the new shelves, and -the old chains repaired and put to their former use.</p> - -<p>In two oaken chests in this room many deeds relating -to the Collegiate Church (the earliest dating from the -time of Henry III., the latest from that of Henry VIII.) -are preserved. Among them is the deed founding the -Chantry and Grammar School, drawn up by the -executors of the Lady Margaret’s will; and also the -charter granted by Charles I. to the Governors of the -church, from which they derive the powers of appointing -clergy, choristers, clerk, vergers, etc., which powers they -use to-day.</p> - -<p>There is one other ancient ecclesiastical foundation -in the neighbourhood of Wimborne, about a quarter of -a mile from the town on the road to Blandford. It is now -an almshouse, where three poor married couples, three poor<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</span> -single men, and the same number of unmarried women, -are maintained; but its original purpose was to relieve -only such of the poor as were suffering from leprosy. It -is generally said to have been founded by John of Gaunt, -and so to have been another connection between that -family and Wimborne. There is, it may be said, an old -kitchen at Canford which is still called “John of Gaunt’s -Kitchen”; whether he had anything to do with the -building of the kitchen or the endowment of the Lazar-house -we do not know, but it is certain that he did not -found the latter, for, in the reign of King John, Hugo -of Lingiveria gave to it an acre of land, and in 1282 the -Bishop of Exeter gave an indulgence to any who would -contribute to its support. A deed of the date of -Henry VIII. refers to a Bull of Innocent IV., dated 1245, -in which this hospital is mentioned. Various gifts of -land, vestments, plate, etc., were bestowed on the hospital, -to which a small chapel dedicated to St. Margaret and -St. Anthony is attached. A chantry was founded here -by one John Redcoddes, in order that a priest might -daily say masses for his soul’s welfare. The chapel, the -architecture of which shows that it was originally built in -the thirteenth century, still stands, and is fitted up for -service. Hither once a week one of the clergy comes -from the Minster to conduct a service, which the almshouse -people attend.</p> - -<p>Other than the buildings already mentioned, there is -little mediæval work to be seen in Wimborne. The old -Free Grammar School buildings have given place to -modern ones erected in 1851, and the school is now -managed by a governing body appointed under a scheme -drawn up by the Charity Commissioners. So “the old -order changeth, giving place to the new”; but, seen from -far or near, the two-towered Minster, with its parti-coloured -walls of deep red and drab stone, rises grand -and old amid its modern surroundings—a noble memorial -of the mediæval builder’s art.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="FORD_ABBEY">FORD ABBEY</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Sidney Heath</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/v.jpg" alt="V" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">ARIOUS authorities agree with Camden in -stating that Ford Abbey (originally in Devon, -but now included in the county of Dorset), -near Chard, was founded in the year 1140, for -Cistercian monks, by Adeliza, daughter of Baldwin de -Brioniis, and a grand-niece of William the Conqueror. -The circumstances of its origin are interesting and -romantic. It appears that Adeliza’s brother, Richard of -Okehampton, had given, in 1133, certain lands at Brightley, -within his barony, to an Abbey of the Cistercian Order, -and had secured twelve monks to dwell therein from -Gilbert, Abbot of Waverley, in Surrey. This small community -remained at Brightley for five years, when they, -“by reason of great want and barrenness, could abide -there no longer,” and commenced a return journey to -their original home in Surrey. On their way they passed -through Thorncombe, the parish wherein Ford is situated, -where they encountered Adeliza, who, hearing with great -regret of the failure of her brother’s enterprise, exclaimed: -“Behold my manor where you now are, which is very -fruitful and well wooded, which I give you for ever in -exchange for your barren lands at Brightley, together with -the mansion-house and other houses. Stay there until a -more convenient monastery may be built for you upon -some other part of the estate.” The site selected by -the monks for the erection of the Abbey was in a valley, -on the left bank of the river Axe, at a place called, -according to Leland, “Hertbath” (<i>balneum cervorum</i>), and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</span> -which, from its nearness to a ford crossing the river at -this spot, subsequently became known as <i>Ford</i>.</p> - -<p>Such is the accepted origin of the splendid pile of -buildings which sprang up in this fertile and sequestered -valley in 1148, and which still, notwithstanding the -pillage at its dissolution, and its many structural alterations, -commands our admiration and our attention; -although, if we except some small portion of what is -known as “the chapel,” at the eastern end of the south -front, nothing now remains of the original foundation -erected by the pious Adeliza.</p> - -<p>The original purpose of this ancient part of the -building, known as “the chapel,” is somewhat obscure. -It has been commonly regarded as that portion of the -religious house which its name indicates, and as being -the burial-place of its founder and other benefactors. -Dr. Oliver, however, in the supplement to his <i>Monasticon</i>, -speaks of it as the “Chapter House”—a likely suggestion. -In his <i>Memoir of Thomas Chard, D.D.</i>, Dr. J. H. Pring -writes:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>That except in the deed of surrender, and a short reference made to -it by Hearne, I have not been able to discover the slightest notice of -“the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ford” in any of the numerous -accounts which have been given of the abbey; though when we read of -frequent interments, some on the north, others on the south side of the -choir—others, such as that of Robert Courtenay, who, we are told, was -buried on the 28th July, 1242, in the chancel, before the high altar, under -a stately monument exhibiting the figure of an armed knight—there can -be little doubt, I think, that these took place, not in what is now known -as the Chapel, but in the Abbey Church, which stood at the east end -of the abbey, about two hundred feet above the chapel.</p> -</div> -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_132fp" style="max-width: 75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_132fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Ford Abbey.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>This portion of the edifice, whose original uses are -conjectural, shows, both inside and out, considerable -vestiges which appear to suggest a Norman origin, and -which we may assume were possibly erected under the -immediate auspices, if not under the personal superintendence, -of the Lady Adeliza. The exterior angles of -the eastern end exhibit the quoins so characteristic of -the Norman style of building, and the interior has many<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</span> -fine examples of Anglo-Norman work, in the pillars, the -groined stone roof, the arches at either end, of a slightly -pointed character, with the well-known zig-zag or chevron -moulding. The eastern window is of much later date, -being Perpendicular in style, and it is believed to have -been inserted by Thomas Chard, the last Abbot, as the -upper panel of the left-hand side depicts a stag’s head, -whilst the companion panel, parallel to it, contains faint -traces of the oft-repeated monogram, T. C.</p> - -<p>The next feature in point of antiquity is what is now -termed the “Monks’ Walk,” a range of ivy-clad buildings -running back for nearly four hundred feet from the -eastern end of the Abbey in a northerly direction, and it -is thought that a similar range ran parallel to it. The -remaining wing is on the eastern side, and consists of two -storeys, the lower of which possesses some beautiful Early -English work, and the upper one was probably the monks’ -dormitory. In the centre is an archway of fourteenth -century date, and along the entire length of the wing is -a series of lancet windows, almost perfect on the western -side, but destroyed or built up on the eastern. Hearne -thus notices this wing:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>But now, though one of the chief uses of the cloisters was for walking, -yet in Religious Houses they had sometime galleries for the same -end. We have an instance of it in Ford Abbey in Devonshire, which is -one of the most entire abbeys in England; in the east front whereof, -which is the oldest of the two fronts (though the south front be the -chiefest), there is a gallery called the Monks’ Walk, with small cells on the -right hand, and little narrow windows on the left.</p> -</div> - -<p>Great as is the antiquarian interest of these fragments -of what we may reasonably presume to have formed -part of the original foundation, the greater part of the -existing fabric is the work of Abbot Chard, of whom we -shall have something to say later. The best view of the -building is obtained from the front, where nearly all that -meets the eye affords a striking instance of the consummate -taste and devoted perseverance of this remarkable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</span> -man under circumstances that may well have discouraged -the boldest. The storm which culminated in the dissolution -of the monastic houses was gathering; but -instead of being filled with dismay, as were so many of -his fellow-churchmen, Thomas Chard spared no effort -to beautify his beloved abbey, perhaps that the very -glamour of her loveliness might enchant the eyes of the -spoilers and turn them from their purpose of ruthless -spoliation. To a great extent, his work was preserved, -for, although the abbey did suffer, and that grievously, -yet it escaped the wanton wreckage by which most of -these foundations throughout the land were devastated.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_134" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_134.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p><span class="fs3">Sidney Heath 1907</span></p> -<p class="center"><i>Details from Cloisters. Ford Abbey.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>The first portion of Chard’s building to claim attention -is the cloister, late Perpendicular in style, with mullions -and window tracery which present an appearance at once -good and bold, and show no signs of the debasement -and formality that are so characteristic of the late -buildings of this period. Above the windows a frieze -of stonework depicts on shields the arms of various benefactors -to the Abbey—as those of Courtenay quartering -Rivers, Poulett, the Bishop of Exeter, etc.; and on many -shields appear either the monogram or the name of -Thomas Chard.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</span></p> - -<p>An excellent account of the cloister—and, indeed, of -the whole Abbey—is contained in a very rare little volume, -entitled, a <i>History of Ford Abbey</i>, written anonymously -many years ago, but acknowledged by ecclesiologists to -be the work of one who for a long period must have -resided there, and who thus, by daily associations with -the fabric, became more familiar with its minute architectural -details than could possibly be the case with -anyone who had not enjoyed a similar privilege. As this -volume is rare, as well as interesting and accurate in -regard to its architectural information, no apology is -needed for quoting certain passages from it here. In -reference to the cloister we learn that:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The cloister is divided by a suite of rooms and arcade from the -grand porch-tower, so conspicuous for its architectural beauty, and which -in days gone by was no doubt the original entrance. It is richly -ornamented with first-rate sculpture, some of it obviously unfinished; -the central boss in the vaulting uncut; and the blank shield in the -centre, below the basement window, encircled by the garter, was doubtless -intended for the royal arms. The uncut shield on the sinister side, -having the pelican and dolphin for supporters, was for Courtenay. The -two small shields cut are charged with a lion rampant for De Redvers, -and cheeky two bars for Baldwin de Brioniis. Immediately over the -arch of the door is a large scroll shield of a more modern date, bearing -the arms of Prideaux, impaling those of his second wife, Ivery. On -the upper part of this elegant specimen of Dr. Chard’s taste, in the -centre shield, are his initials, T.C., with the crosier and <i>mitre</i> (Dr. Chard -was a Suffragan Bishop); and the two smaller shields, with the T.C., -crosier, and abbot’s cap, alternate with the stag’s head cabossed—supposed -to be the bearing of the then Bishop of Exeter; and just -below the battlement of the tower is the following inscription:—</p> - -<p> -AN̄’O D’N̄I MILLESIMO QUINGESIMO VIC<sup>MO</sup> OCTA<sup>O</sup>. A D’N̄O<br /> -FACTUM EST THOMA CHARD, ABB.<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>Now, while there is no doubt that Chard united in his -own person the offices of Abbot and Suffragan Bishop, -the above account is at fault in attributing “the stag’s -head cabossed” to the then Bishop of Exeter, for it formed -no part of the armorial bearings either of Bishop Oldham -or of his successor, Veysey. In a letter from Dr. Chard to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</span> -Cardinal Wolsey “the stag’s head cabossed” is used as -the <i>seal</i>, and is expressly referred to in the body of the -letter as “<i>sigillum meum</i>,” and we find the same device -associated with his name or monogram in various parts -of the Abbey buildings; the most probable solution being -that it relates to the ancient cognizance of the Abbey, or -the site whereon it stands, which, as we have already -seen, was Hertbath (<i>balneum cervorum</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp70" id="i_136" style="max-width: 50em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_136.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><i>Panel from Cloisters. Ford Abbey.</i></div> -</div> - -<p>Further confirmation of Dr. Chard’s double office of -Bishop and Abbot is found in a remarkable panel in the -frieze (<i>see illustration</i>), which appears to have been -designed for the purpose of attesting this fact, if not in -actual words, yet in unmistakable and appropriate -symbolism. The small top corner shields of this panel -contain the letters T. C., and the lower ones an abbot’s -and a bishop’s staff, respectively; whilst on the hatchment-shaped -panel in the centre occurs the stag’s head and -bishop’s staff, the name “Tho. Chard” on a scroll entwined -round an abbot’s staff; and above these, as a fitting -termination to the whole, appears the abbot’s cap, surmounted -by the bishop’s mitre.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_136fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_136fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Chapel, Ford Abbey.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</span></p> - -<p>The entrance porch contains a fine west window of -the same character as those of the adjoining great hall, -which in their turn correspond with those of the cloister, -and above them is a frieze of grotesque animals. To -quote once more from the book already referred to:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This part of the building has been shorn of its length, as, on minute -inspection, will appear. The royal arms are not in the centre, as they -no doubt originally were. They consist of a rose crowned, encircled with -a garter, and supported by a dragon and greyhound, the badges of -Henry VII.... Although the remaining portion of this wing has -been altered, it was built by Thomas Chard, the battlements corresponding -with the tower and chapel; and as a more decisive proof that it was -so, there is, at the western end of the building, but hid by ivy, the -portcullis cut in stone, another of the badges of Henry VII.; and to the -north, or back side, are the initials T. C., with the crosier and cap.</p> -</div> - -<p>The ancient guest-chamber, so integral a part of these -old foundations, appears to have been at right angles to -the great hall, as it was noticed some years ago on the -collapse of portions of the ceiling that the ancient timber -roof was still <i>in situ</i>. We shall have a little to say later -about the alteration and adaptation of the interior for the -purposes of a modern mansion, when, happily, much of -Dr. Chard’s work was not disturbed; but we have, -unfortunately, no record of the condition of the fabric -prior to the restorations of the above prelate, and his task -seems to have been little less than the rebuilding of the -greater part of the edifice. The antiquary Leland, -visiting the Abbey during Dr. Chard’s alterations, writes: -“<i>Cœnobium nunc sumptibus plane non credendis abbas -magnificentissime restaurat</i>.”<a id="FNanchor_47" href="#Footnote_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a> This beautiful structure -had scarcely had its delicate stonework mellowed by the -soft winds from the Devonshire moors, when the Dissolution, -long impending, burst in fury upon the larger -religious houses, and on March 8th, 1539, Thomas Chard -was induced to sign the surrender of his beloved Abbey<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</span> -of Ford, which was endeared to him by many sacred -associations, and on which he had lavished his own private -fortune and the artistic genius of a master mind. The -following is a translation (according to Dr. Pring) of the -document of surrender, the wording of which, we may be -sure, accorded ill with the reluctant hands that attached -the names and seals:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>To all the faithful in Christ, to whom this present writing shall -come: Thomas Chard, abbot of the monastery or abbey, and of -the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Ford, in the county of -Devon, of the Cistercian order, and the same place and convent, -everlasting salvation in the Lord.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"> - -<p class="pnind"> -Per me Thomā abbem<br /> -Willūs Rede, prior<br /> -John Cosen<br /> -Robte Yetminster.<br /> -Johēs Newman.<br /> -Johēs Bridgwat<sup>r</sup>.<br /> -Thomas Stafford.<br /> -Johēs Ffawell.<br /> -W. Winsor.<br /> -Elizeus Oliscomb.<br /> -William Keynston.<br /> -William Dynyngton.<br /> -Richard Kingesbury.<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>Know ye that we, the aforesaid abbot and -convent, by our unanimous assent and -consent, with our deliberate minds, right, -knowledge, and mere motion, from certain -just and reasonable causes especially -moving our minds and consciences have -freely, and of our own accord given and -granted, and by these presents do give, -grant, and surrender and confirm to our -illustrious prince, Henry VIII., by the -grace of God, king of England, lord of -Ireland, supreme head of the Church of -England in this land, all our said -monastery or abbacy of Ford aforesaid. And also all and singular -manors, lordships, messuages, etc. In testimony whereof, we, the -aforesaid abbot and convent, have caused our common seal to be affixed -to these presents. Given at our Chapter House of Ford aforesaid, on -the 8th day of the month of March, and in the thirtieth year of the -reign of King Henry aforesaid. Before me, William Petre, one of the -clerks, etc., the day and year above written.</p> - -<p> -By me, Willm̄n Petre.<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>No sooner had the document been signed than the -work of pillage commenced; but one is inclined to agree -with the Devonshire historian Prince, that, “by what -lucky chance he knew not, Ford Abbey escaped better -than its fellows, and continueth for the greatest part -standing to this day.” At the same time, there is little -doubt that much havoc took place, although, perhaps, not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</span> -to the extent recorded by Risdon, who says it now -merely “somewhat showeth of what magnificence once -it was.”</p> - -<p>It is just possible that Thomas Chard’s beautiful work -softened the hearts of the spoilers, and its very wealth -of ornament caused it to be retained as too valuable -a prize to be utterly demolished; but, whether standing -entire or razed to the ground, it appears to have been an -encumbrance, for on October 28th, in the year of its -surrender, it was granted by the King, “with all and -singular its manors, lordships, and messuages, etc.,” to -Richard Pollard, Esq.</p> - -<p>At the time of its dissolution the annual revenues of -the Abbey were computed at £374 10s. 6¼d. by Dugdale, -and at £381 10s. 6d. by Speed, and the net revenue was, -no doubt, somewhere between these two sums.</p> - -<p>Born probably at Tracy, near Awliscombe, Honiton, -about the year 1470, Thomas Chard was one of the most -distinguished ecclesiastics of his day, and evidently, as -his works attest, an accomplished architect and a most -munificent man. The highly ornamental façade of the -institution over which he presided as last abbot is considered -to be the finest example of its kind in the West -of England. On entering holy orders, Chard appears -to have held several livings in Somerset, Devon, and -Cornwall, and was elected Abbot of Ford about 1520. -Previous to this, in 1508, he was appointed Suffragan to -Bishop Oldham by the title “Episcopus Solubricencis,” -in 1513 Warden of the College of Lady St. Mary, at -Ottery, and in 1515 Prior of the Benedictine or Cluniac -Priory of Montacute. It has been suggested that as -Dr. Chard was Warden of Ottery College about the time -that the beautiful Dorset Chapel was built (1513-18)—one -of the most lovely pieces of Perpendicular building we -possess—the inspiration of this eminent architect may -have done much to influence the splendid design of this -portion of the Church of Lady St. Mary at Ottery.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</span></p> - -<p>It was Bishop Chard who officiated for Bishop Veysey, -of Exeter, at the noble obsequies of Katherine Courtenay, -daughter of Edward IV., and widow of William Courtenay, -Earl of Devon, buried at Tiverton in 1527. It is -thought that his choice for this office was determined by -his headship of the Monastery of Ford, of which foundation -the Courtenays had -always been great patrons -and benefactors.</p> - -<div class="figleft illowp47" id="i_140" style="max-width: 18.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_140.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"> Seal of Ford Abbey.<br /> -<i>Full Size</i></div> -</div> - -<p>The burial place of -Thomas Chard is unknown, -but may possibly -be in the chapel of the -Hospital of St. Margaret, -near Honiton. Dr. Oliver, -who visited this chapel -many years ago, writes: -“The west door is secured -by a large sepulchral slab, -to which was formerly -affixed a brass plate.” This -has long since disappeared, -but many writers agree -that there is little doubt -that this slab covered the -dust of the Abbot-Bishop.</p> - - -<p>The old abbey seal,<a id="FNanchor_48" href="#Footnote_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a> which had eluded the research of -many antiquaries, including the editors of Dugdale’s -<i>Monasticon</i>, was discovered by Mr. Davidson, of Sector, -near Axminster. It is of oval form, the usual shape for -monastic seals, and is divided into three compartments, -in the uppermost of which is a bell suspended in a steeple, -and in the canopy beneath we see the Blessed Virgin with -the Divine Infant on her knee. On one side is the -shield of Courtenay, bearing—<i>or</i>, three torteaux, with -a label of three points. On the other side is the shield<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</span> -of Beaumont—barry of six, <i>vair</i> and <i>gules</i>. The lowest -compartment occupies rather more than half the seal inside -the inscription, and shows an abbot standing, in his -right hand a pastoral staff, and holding in his left hand -a book; and at his feet are three monks kneeling, with -their hands together in supplication.</p> - -<p>With this description of the seal the claims of Ford -Abbey to figure in this volume of “Memorials” are -practically finished, yet it may be of interest to continue -a little further in the personal and architectural -history of this wonderful old house. As we have seen, -Henry VIII. granted the abbey and all its appurtenances -to Richard Pollard, Esq., who was subsequently knighted -by Henry VIII., and from this gentleman it passed to his -son, Sir John Pollard, who sold it to his cousin, Sir Amias -Poulett, of Hinton St. George, and Curry Mallet, who had -held the office of head steward of the abbey under the -<i>régime</i> of Dr. Chard (as had his father, Sir Hugh Poulett, -before him), and who was for a short time the custodian of -Mary Queen of Scots. From Sir Amias Poulett, the abbey -and estates passed by purchase to William Rosewell, Esq., -Solicitor-General to Queen Elizabeth, and thence to his -son, Sir Henry Rosewell, who, in 1649, conveyed them to -Sir Edmund Prideaux, Bart., of Netherton, county Devon. -He was educated at Cambridge, and after being admitted -a student of the Inner Temple was called to the Bar, 23rd -November, 1623. He was returned as Burgess for Lyme -Regis and took part against the King. He appears to -have been a man of marked abilities, as in 1643 we find -him appointed one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal, -and three years later he was granted the privileges of a -King’s Counsel, the combined offices being worth some -£7,000 a year. It is somewhat singular that, while holding -the first-named office he was allowed to retain his seat -in Parliament, and when he relinquished the Great Seal, -the House of Commons, as an acknowledgment of his -valuable services, ordered that he should practise within<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</span> -the Bar, and have precedence next after the Solicitor-General, -to which office he himself was raised in 1647. -Although attached to the Parliamentary cause he took -no part in the King’s trial, nor in the trials of the Duke -of Hamilton and others. Nevertheless, he shortly afterwards -accepted from the dominant party the office of -Attorney-General, a post which he retained for the remainder -of his life. His remarkable organising abilities were -shown in 1649, when, as Master of the Post Messengers -and Carriers, a post he had acquired in 1644, he established -a weekly conveyance to every part of the kingdom, a -great improvement on the system he had found in vogue, -and under which letters were sent by special messengers, -one of whose duties it was to supply relays of horses at -a given mileage. It is said that the emoluments accruing -to his private purse from this improved postal service were -not less than £15,000 a year. Sir Edmund was twice -married, and by his first wife Jane, daughter and sole -heiress of Henry Collins, Esq., of Ottery St. Mary, he -had a daughter Mary. His second wife was Margaret, -daughter and co-heir of William Ivery, of Cotthay, -Somerset, and by her he had three daughters, and a son -Edmund, who succeeded him at Ford Abbey. It was Sir -Edmund Prideaux who brought Inigo Jones to the Abbey -to carry out certain alterations, which he did by inserting -square-headed windows in the walls of the state rooms, -and by adding these and other classical affectations on -to the old Gothic building he destroyed the harmonious -composition of the whole, and it is not, perhaps, a matter -of regret that this architect died in 1654, before his -designs for converting this fine old house into a sham -“classical” building were carried out, although the interior -of the house was embellished with magnificent decorations -and the whole place made into a beautiful, comfortable, -and habitable mansion.</p> - -<p>Edmund Prideaux, the younger, had for his tutor -John Tillotson, who afterwards became Archbishop of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</span> -Canterbury. Although he took but little part in the grave -political troubles of his day, he is remembered in history -as the entertainer of the ill-starred Duke of Monmouth, who -visited Ford in 1680, on his journey of pleasure to the -west country, where he was royally entertained by his -host, whose connection with his noble guest did not end -here, as after the Rye House affair he was suspected of -favouring the Duke, and the house was searched for arms. -When the Duke subsequently landed at Lyme Regis in -1685, Mr. Prideaux, like a prudent man, remained quietly -at home, but was visited at night by a small party of -rebels requiring horses, and it is said that one of them -while in the house drank to the health of Monmouth, which -indiscretion becoming known in London, a warrant was -issued for Mr. Prideaux’s arrest, and he was taken to the -Tower on a charge of high treason. Notwithstanding -that nothing could be proved against him, he was kept a -close prisoner until he had paid the sum of £15,000 to -the infamous Jeffreys, when his pardon was signed on -March 20th, 1685. On the accession of William III. he -petitioned Parliament for leave to bring in a Bill to charge -the estates of Jeffreys with the restitution of this money, -but the Act failed to pass.</p> - -<p>The sole surviving daughter of Edmund Prideaux (and -his wife, Amy Fraunceis), in 1690, married her cousin, -Francis Gwyn, Esq., of Llansandr, co. Glamorgan, who -thus inherited Ford Abbey, and was succeeded in the -estates by his fourth son, Francis Gwyn, who, dying -without issue in 1777, devised this house and all his other -lands to his kinsman, John Fraunceis, or Francis, of -Combe-Florey, on condition of his taking the name of -Gwyn, and in this family the Abbey remained until the -decease of a John Francis Gwyn, in 1846, when it was -purchased by G.F. W. Miles, Esq., and afterwards by -Miss Evans. It is now the property of Mrs. Freeman -Roper. The famous Jeremy Bentham rented the abbey -early in the nineteenth century and here he entertained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</span> -James Mill and other social and literary magnates. One of -the numerous Francis Gwyns was Queen Anne’s Secretary -for War, and to him Her Majesty presented the magnificent -tapestries now hung in the saloon. They are worked -from original cartoons by Raphael, said to have been -designed at the request of Pope Leo. Charles I. is said -to have purchased the cartoons on the advice of Rubens, -and to have removed them from Brussels in 1630. They -were first placed, it is thought, at Whitehall, and -William III. had them hung at Hampton Court Palace, -where they remained until 1865, when they were taken to -their present home, the Victoria and Albert Museum. -These designs were the property of His Majesty King -Edward VII., who has, I think, recently bequeathed them -to the nation.</p> - -<p>It was in 1842 that, for the convenience of county -business, the parish of Thorncombe, containing Ford -Abbey, was transferred to the county of Dorset.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="DORCHESTER49">DORCHESTER<a id="FNanchor_49" href="#Footnote_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Lord Bishop of Durham, D.D.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcapi" - src="images/i.jpg" alt="I" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">F Bede is right, the Roman armies did not leave our -shores till <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 452. Whether it was then, so near -the end of the old Western Empire, or a little -earlier, it must have been a dark hour for Dorset, -which no doubt saw something of the embarkation; some -considerable force, in that strict order which to the last -the legions maintained, would no doubt march from Durnovaria -to Clavinio (Weymouth) to take ship. The light of -history falls faint over Dorset and Dorchester for many -a year from that Roman exodus. But it is interesting -to find that the “Saxons,” to use the familiar term, took -a century and a half to master Dorset; our fathers must -have made a stubborn fight against endless raids. It is -at least possible that the victory of Badon Hill—in which, -says the Arthurian legend, the Saxon hordes were -ruinously beaten by the “Britons,” led perhaps by a -Rome-trained chief—was won in Dorset; Badbury, near -Wimborne, in the belief of Edwin Guest of Cambridge, -was Badon. But Wessex in due time absorbed Dorset -and Dorchester; and now our fields and woodlands were -well sprinkled with royal manors, while our town, beyond -a doubt, still kept much of its old dignity and culture; -for the Saxons left the walled cities largely alone, after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</span> -disarming their inhabitants. Durnovaria, with its name -changed to Dorceastre, still stood fenced with its massive -wall and still contained many a stately house, tessellated -and frescoed. Kings of Wessex doubtless visited Dorset -often, for the chase, and for sustenance on their manors, -and to keep state at Dorceastre. Alfred, in all likelihood, -was known by sight in the town. His grandson, Athelstan, -allowed it the right of coinage—a sure testimony to its -importance.</p> - -<p>It suffered sorely from the Danes a century later. -Sweyn, in 1002, taking awful revenge for the massacre -wrought by Ethelred the “Unredy”—that is to say, the -“Counsel-less”—marched from Devon to Wilts by Dorset, -and left Dorchester a desolation. It is said that he tore -down the walls, but this, almost for certain, was not so; -they were too massive to be wrecked without long labour, -which the rovers would not care to spend; and there is -large evidence for their existence far into the seventeenth -century. However, Danish fire and sword must have left the -town black and blood-stained within its ramparts. Half -a century later, under the Confessor, Dorchester counted -172 houses; the number is recorded in <i>Domesday Book</i> -(1085-6) as large, in contrast to the eighty-eight at the date -of the survey. Very likely the building of the Norman -Castle (where now stands the Prison) had to do with the -shrinkage; the castle was sure to be a centre of spoliation.</p> - -<p>The restless John was in the town in 1201, and often -later—hunting, no doubt, and taking his “one night’s -firm,” the statutable sustenance due to the King and his -men. Under Edward I., in 1295, we sent burgesses to -the first English Parliament. Our last burgess sat from -1874 till 1885. Dorchester is now only the centre of an -electoral division.</p> - -<p>In that same reign appears the first mention of our -town churches: Holy Trinity, St. Peter’s, and All Saints’. -Not that the parishes are no older than that date; indeed, -the porch of St. Peter’s contains a twelfth century -fragment.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_146fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_146fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">High Street, Dorchester.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</span></p> - -<p>The reign of Edward III. experienced the terror of the -Great Plague, carried from China over Asia to Europe, -where literally millions of people perished. It burst into -England, alas! from a ship which put in at the Dorset -shore, and no doubt our town owed to that awful scourge -the low state of industry recorded a little later. Things -had mended by the time of Henry VI., and from then, -upon the whole, the place has been prosperous. In the -seventeenth century it was busy with cloth-making and, as -now, with the brewing of beer. In the old times of -farming it was a great centre of grain commerce. Stories -are told of Dorchester fair-days, when wheat-laden wagons -stood ranged in long file from Cornhill, along South Street, -and far out upon the Weymouth road.</p> - -<p>The town had its troubles in “the great century.” -In August, 1613, a fierce fire swept it almost clean away. -The old churches of Trinity and All Saints vanished, -with nearly every other building within the walls (and -some outside their circuit, in Fordington), save only St. -Peter’s and the houses near it—among which would be -that now almost solitary relic of picturesque Old -Dorchester, “Jeffreys’ lodgings.”</p> - -<p>But the rebuilding must have been energetic, for in -the Civil Wars we find Dorchester populous and active -enough to be a troublesome focus of “malignity.” “A -place more entirely disaffected to the King, England had -not,” says Clarendon. One probable cause of this -attitude lay in the commanding influence of John White, -Rector of Holy Trinity from 1606 to 1648. White was -an Oxonian, a man of culture and piety, and evidently of -strong personal influence. Preachers to-day may envy, if -they please, the pulpit privileges given him by the -town. The borough records show, for example, that in -1630 one Nycholls was brought to justice for having -“offered speeche concerning Mr. John White’s preaching.” -White helped to plan the colony of Massachusetts, -but he did not join the emigration. His power was felt<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</span> -at home, in the Westminster Assembly, and in the -politics of Dorchester.</p> - -<p>In 1642 the walls were solidly repaired, and outside -works thrown up at, among other points, Maumbury Ring. -Watch was kept day and night at the gates and on -St. Peter’s Tower. But the spirit of the town strangely -failed when, on the approach of the enemy, one Master -Strode predicted that the walls would hold off the King’s -men for just half-an-hour. The Governor, Sir Walter Erle, -hearing that Lord Carnarvon was coming with two -thousand men, and Prince Maurice’s artillery besides, -promptly left the place, and the citizens opened the gates -on a promise that they should be spared violence. -Carnarvon would have kept the promise with chivalrous -fidelity, but Maurice let his men loose, and Dorchester was -so badly handled that Carnarvon threw up his command -and went to serve the King in person. A little later the -town behaved much more bravely, and baffled a small -Irish force under Lord Inchiquin till help from Weymouth -completed the rout of the Royalists. Later again Essex -occupied the town in force; and then Sir Lewis Dives, -for the King, surprised it with brilliant success, but was -badly beaten on a second attempt. Yet later there was -a skirmish at Dorchester, when the royalist <i>Mercurius</i> -says that no less a captain than Cromwell himself was put -to flight by Lord Goring; but the account lacks full -confirmation. A story of that skirmish clings to a corner -of lower Fordington, a curve in the road near Grey’s -Bridge, known as Tupp’s, or Tubb’s, Corner; it is said -that a Cromwellian hero of that name fled thereby at a -speed memorable for all time.</p> - -<p>A still darker experience than that of war awaited -Dorchester not long after. When Monmouth fought at -Sedgemoor (1685) our Dorset peasants were among the -bravest of his rude but heroic army. And when the -abortive rising was over, the Bloody Assizes began, and -Jeffreys sat at Dorchester. His lodgings are still shown,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</span> -the most striking house-front in the town, with its black -timbers and long, low windows; and still, in the Town -Hall, is kept the chair from which the terrible Chief -Justice, in a court hung with red, dealt out death with -grim smiles and ghastly jests. Nearly three hundred -men, told that it was their only hope, pleaded guilty, but -for most of them the only result was a few days’ respite. -Seventy-four were executed at Dorchester, with all the -horrible circumstances of death for treason. For years -afterwards grim human relics of that evil time still clung -to the railings round St. Peter’s, greeting the entering -worshippers.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp90" id="i_149" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_149.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p><span class="fs3">Sidney Heath 1901</span></p> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Judge Jeffreys’ Lodgings</span></p></div> -</div> - -<p>This was not quite the last scene of horror at -Dorchester, though it was alone in its dreadful kind. As -late as within the eighteenth century an unhappy woman, -convicted of the murder of her husband, was hanged and -then burned within Maumbury, amidst a vast gazing -multitude.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</span></p> - -<p>It is a relief to think that about the same time the -town put on a beauty of a sort unique, I think, in England. -The walls had somehow largely disappeared within the -last half of the seventeenth century; and now it was -proposed to plant double rows of trees all along the line -of their foundations. By 1712 the planting was complete, -and for nearly two complete centuries Dorchester has been -surrounded by the noble range of avenues which we call -The Walks, renewed from time to time, and kept -with increasing care. From close to Glide Path Hill -(“Glippath”) the visitor can walk under long successive -aisles of sycamores or chestnuts on a well-laid gravel -road, now facing east, now south, now west, now north, -till he finds himself close to the foot of High Street, -within ten minutes of his point of departure. I have -seen the noble avenues at King’s Lynn, and those of the -Backs at Cambridge are only less dear to me than our -Walks. But I do not think that anything even there can -quite equal these bowery ramparts of our ancient town—certainly -not when we put together the natural charm and -the historical interest.</p> - -<p>The Walks were still young about the year 1730, when -a poet, in the course of a tour from London to Exeter -with a group of friends, rode through Dorchester. It -was Pope’s intimate, John Gay. The travellers first saw -the town, of course, from Stinsford Hill, over a foreground -which then, no doubt, was less full of trees. The reaches -of the Frome and the broad water-meadows pleased Gay, -as well they might, and in his delightful verse-journal we -read his impression:</p> - -<p class="pnind center"> -Now the steep hill fair Dorchester o’erlooks,<br /> -Border’d by meads and wash’d by silver brooks.<br /> -</p> - -<p>In 1762 we find recorded as noteworthy the paving and -fencing of a side-walk in the lower High Street; and in -1774 came the first public lighting of the streets. A -decade later Miss Burney (Mme. D’Arblay) gives a lively -picture of Dorchester as she saw it when travelling in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</span> -the suite of George III. to Weymouth: “The city had -so antique an air, I longed to investigate its old buildings. -The houses have the most ancient appearance of any that -are inhabited that I have happened to see; and inhabited -they were indeed! There was an amazing quantity of -indigenous residers—old women and young children,” who, -as she shrewdly remarks, could not have come in from -a distance, and so formed an index of population. Yet the -town could not have counted then more than 3,000 -inhabitants. It contains now just 10,500.</p> - -<p>We reach at last the nineteenth century. The town, -like the county, and like all rural England, was in grave -alarm in 1830 at the time of the “rick-burnings.” Mrs. -Mary Frampton’s <i>Journal</i> speaks much of the scenes of -riot and of wild alarms. I possess letters written by my -mother, then the young mistress of Fordington Vicarage,<a id="FNanchor_50" href="#Footnote_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a> -in which she speaks of the nightly watch and ward kept -all around, and of her husband’s active share in it, and -the relief, under the terrible strain, which was given by -the friendly attitude of Fordington towards him. Just -later the Frampton <i>Journal</i> describes the battle royal of an -election scene on Poundbury (Pummery, as I must be -allowed still to call it), when the greatest of all Dorset’s -sons, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, then Lord Ashley, -stood for the county.</p> - -<p>That date brings me to times only a little previous -to my own memory, and well within the memory of my -brothers and friends, and familiar of course to my father, -who from 1829 to 1880, as Vicar of Fordington, laboured -alike for the spiritual and social good of his parishioners. -I may be allowed to close my narrative with a small sheaf -of reminiscences from his and other memories. Then, -after a brief glance of the mind’s eye over my native -town, my task of love is done.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</span></p> - -<p>My father knew very old people who “remembered -when rooms were first carpeted at Dorchester.” One -aged parishioner could recall the change of style in the -calendar in 1752; the children were taken to <i>a stile</i> in -the Great Field as a memento. He and my mother saw, -from Maumbury, about 1832, the Princess Victoria with -her mother, passing in their carriage on the way to Weymouth. -My brother, since 1880 Bishop in Mid-China, -recalls the bringing into the town, in carts, about 1834, of -loads of saplings sent to be planted along the London -Road; and a noble avenue they made, which now, alas! -is no more than a relic of itself.</p> - -<p>I just remember the days of the stage coaches in -Dorchester. I see the old <i>Emerald</i> still, and hear the -bugle of the guard. In 1852 I travelled by coach to -Dorchester from Bath. And how vividly I can see the -excitement of the crowd on the arrival of the first South-Western -train, in 1847! An old woman still runs across -my field of view, crying out: “There, I did never zee a -coach avore goo wi’out ’osses!” I remember, two years -later, Prince Albert’s arrival at the station, where he took -carriage for Weymouth, there to lay the first stone of the -Breakwater. Very vividly I recall the thousands of lamps -festooned along the Walks to illuminate an entertainment -for old people after the Crimean peace. Two years -earlier, a few weeks before the Alma, I remember the -awful outburst of the cholera in Fordington; it was -brought from London in tainted clothing which was sent -to the wash in a Fordington cottage. My father “stood -between the dead and the living” at that dark time, and, -with admirable assistance, was able, under God, to bar -the pestilence from entering the town.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp90" id="i_153" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_153.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Cornhill</span></p></div> -</div> - -<p>But I must not ramble further into narrative. -Dorchester, with its integral neighbour, Fordington -(incorporated into the borough in 1835), is very dear to -my heart, and it is not easy to put narrow limits upon -reminiscence. Yet scarcely a word has been said here<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</span> -about our chief architectural features of the place. I have -but named Trinity Church, the third structure in succession -to that which perished in 1613, as All Saints’ Church is -the second in like sequence—All Saints’, whose fine spire, -raised in 1852, gave a wholly new feature to the town. -St. Peter’s is the ecclesiastical crown of Dorchester—a -noble Perpendicular church, with a dignified tower, vocal -with eight fine bells; in its churchyard stands a bronze -statue of our Dorset poet, William Barnes. At the head -of High Street, where the tree-vaulted Bridport road runs -out westward, stands the modern St. Mary’s, the church -of West Fordington; the pretty original church, Christ -Church, now the chapel of the Artillery Barracks, was -built by my father’s efforts in 1847, when the parish was -divided from old Fordington. The County Hall and -Town Hall are leading features of the High Street.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</span> -The present Town Hall, in 1849, took the place of a -building visible still to my memory, under which opened -an archway leading into North Square, and which itself -succeeded, in 1791, “The Cupola,” near the Town Pump. -The Museum, where my brother, Henry Moule, long -superintended and developed the excellent geological -and antiquarian collections, is a handsome modern feature -of the middle High Street; it stands at a point where, -almost within the oldest living memory, projecting houses -so narrowed the roadway that the stage-coach could pass -up and down only with great caution. The County -Hospital, founded in 1841, has grown into abundant usefulness, -and makes, with its beautiful little chapel, a -dignified feature of the place. In South Street the quaint -front of the “Napper’s Mite” almshouses, and the -Grammar School, are conspicuous.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp90" id="i_155" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_155.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center">“<span class="smcap">Napper’s Mite</span>”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>With Fordington Church, St. George’s, let me close. As -I write<a id="FNanchor_51" href="#Footnote_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a> it is about to be largely rebuilt, for Fordington has -grown fast; and the north aisle of 1833 is, indeed, very -far from beautiful. But, whilst I rejoice that space and -form should be added to the church, my mind must still -and always see it as it was, with its simple chancel of -1750; its rude, partly Norman, north aisle; its pulpit of -1592, now approached by a rood-stair re-opened in 1863; -its remarkable eleventh century <i>tympanum</i> at the south -door, which shows (probably) St. George routing the -Saracens at Antioch, in armour of the Bayeux type; and -its very noble fifteenth century tower, a model of proportion. -Let us climb that tower, by the stairs familiar to -me all my days, and from it bid farewell to Dorchester. -Beautiful is the prospect, near and far. Below us lies -the spacious churchyard, a burial-place, in parts, ever since -the Roman period. Westward you see Dorchester, tower, -spire, and bowery Walks, with Poundbury beyond them. -South-westward lies expanded the vast field of Fordington,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</span> -which till 1870 was unbroken by fence, and was tilled by -the farmers on a system of annual exchange, older, -probably, than the Christian era. Beyond it stretches -the green, massive rampart of Maiden Castle, and, more -distant still, the aerial dome of Blackdown, crowned by -the monumental tower which commemorates Nelson’s -Hardy. North-westward we can almost see beautiful -Wolfeton House, cradle of the greatness of the Bedfords. -Northward, we look down on the roofs and lanes of dear -old Fordington; and eastward lie the long, fair levels of -the Swingbridge meadows, where Frome is sluiced into -hundreds of channels, bright with living water. The -bowery slopes of Stinsford and Kingston flank the -meadows; and then, eastward, the broad valley leads -the eye away to the vanishing yet abiding line of the -Purbecks, a cloud of tenderest blue. South-eastward, over -the village and its bartons, the woods of Came appear, -and the sea-ridge runs above them with its long line of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</span> -Danish burial-mounds. Almost in sight are Max Gate, -the home of Mr. Hardy, our renowned novelist, and the -thatched roof of Came Rectory, once the home of our -poet, William Barnes—deep student, true pastor, clear -and tender seer of nature and of man.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">O fields and streams, another race</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Already comes to take our place,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">To claim their right in you,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Our homes to hold, our walks to rove—</div> - <div class="verse indent0">But who shall love you with our love,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Shall know you as we knew?</div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="WEYMOUTH">WEYMOUTH</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Sidney Heath</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcapi" - src="images/i.jpg" alt="I" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">T has become customary in recent years for topographical -and other writers to depict Weymouth, if -not exactly as a town of mushroom growth, at least -as one whose history and antiquity date no further -back than from the time when George III. found its -salubrious air so suited to his health. True, the aspect -of the modern town has little left of its pre-Georgian days -to tempt the archæologist or allure the casual literary -worker; but a few hours spent among the old records of -the town would speedily remove this first impression of -modernity, and convince even the most sceptical antiquary -that the old town of Weymouth is one of the most -ancient in the county of Dorset. The casual visitor may, -therefore, be forgiven his impression that Weymouth -was founded by George III.; for so nearly were the older -buildings swept away at the time of this royal invasion -that even loyal Weymouth citizens now find it difficult -to realise how living a thing was the ancient past of -their town, since whatever was left untouched by the -Georgian builders has been well-nigh destroyed in more -recent times to make way for what is called modern -convenience and improvement.</p> - -<p>The word Weymouth is derived directly from the -Saxon “Waegemuth,” <i>waeg</i> meaning a wave, that is the -sea; and <i>mutha</i>, an opening. The Celtic name for the -river Wey, allied to the Welsh word <i>gwy</i>, meaning water,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</span> -seems to have caused some confusion in the Saxon mind, -and have led them to regard the mouth of the estuary -(the Backwater) as the -inlet of the sea rather -than the outlet of a -small stream.</p> - -<div class="figleft illowp50" id="i_158" style="max-width: 31.25em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_158.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center">The Quay Weymouth</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The earliest beginnings -of the town are -lost in obscurity; yet, -even if we are not prepared -to accept the -assertion of certain historians -that the Tyrian -and Phœnician merchants -traded here in their -numerous visits to these -shores, we have evidence of a more than respectable -antiquity in some traces and memorials of the -Roman occupation, in the way of roads, coins, and -pottery; while at Preston, an almost adjoining village, -remains of a Roman villa may still be seen, and considerable -Roman remains have been found at Radipole.</p> - -<p>There are very few records or official documents -antecedent to the reign of William I., and naturally -many chasms occur in the continuity of the recorded -history of Weymouth. The earliest mention of the -place is in Saxon annals, which state that King -Athelstan, <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 938, granted to the Abbey of Middleton -(Milton), in Dorset, in order that masses might be said -for his soul and the souls of his ancestors and successors, -Kings of England:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>All that water within the shore of Waymuth, and half the stream -of that Waymuth out at sea: twelve acres for the support of the wear -and its officer, three thaynes and a saltern by the wear, and sixty-seven -hides of land in its neighbourhood.</p> -</div> - -<p>The next mention of the place occurs in a Saxon -charter of King Ethelred II., wherein the King gives<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</span> -land to his minister, Atsere, during his life, and -licence to leave the inheritance of it as he wills. The -charter is signed by the King with the sign of the cross; -by Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Oswald, -Archbishop of York; and the Bishops Athelwold, Living, -and Hirwold. The date of this interesting document is -either obliterated or was never inserted; but in 980 -Dunstan was Grand-Master of the fraternity of free and -accepted Masons in England, and both he and Oswald -died about 988.</p> - -<p>We find no further record of Weymouth until 1042, -when Edward the Confessor caused a charge to be brought -by Robert, Bishop of London, accusing his mother, Queen -Emma, of consenting to the death of her son Alfred, of -endeavouring to poison Edward, another of her sons, and -of maintaining an infamous connection with her kinsman, -Alwin, Bishop of Winton, to the King’s and her own -dishonour. The Queen was ordered to purge herself by -“fiery ordeal,” which she did at Winchester Cathedral -in the presence of the King and his nobles; and, having -passed barefooted and blindfold over nine red-hot ploughshares -without harm, she was adjudged to have cleared -herself of the accusations and to have furnished her -accusers with an example of what female chastity is able -to accomplish. The King publicly solicited his mother’s -pardon; but the Church of Winton was not so easily -appeased at the charge brought against its Bishop, and -forced the repentant King to submit to severe penance, -and to give nine manors to Holy Mother Church, -accordingly—“Ex libello donatorium Wintoniæ Ecclesiæ, -S. Edwardus rex, dedit Portelond, Wikes, Hellwell, et -Waimuth maneriis, cum ceteris aliis, ad Wintoniæ -ecclesiæ”; and this grant was confirmed by a bull of -Pope Innocent II.</p> - -<p>In <i>Domesday</i> there are several parcels of land separately -surveyed under the name of <i>wai</i> and <i>waia</i>, with no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</span> -additional name to distinguish them, and they are held -by different individuals.</p> - -<p>Henry I. granted by a charter (without date) to -the Prior and Monks of St. Swithun, Winton, the ports -of “Waimuth and Melecumb, with all their appurtenances, -together with the manors of Wike and Portelond,” which -King Edward gave them, and that they might enjoy all -the liberties, wrecks, and all free customs, by sea and by -land, as they had ever enjoyed them. This charter was -confirmed by Henry II.</p> - -<p>In the reign of Henry III. the manor appears to have -been considered as a dependency of Wyke, and again as -appertaining to Portland, but it is certain that in the -early part of this reign it was granted to Henry Blois, -Bishop of Winchester, and his successors, as appears -by the entry on the Charter Rolls. The Bishops -did not keep the manor long, for it soon became the -property of the opulent family of Clare, from whom was -descended Edward IV. It would be tedious to trace the -varying fortunes of the Clare family, who were for -centuries among the most powerful in the kingdom; -and although much could be written of the subsequent -holders of the manor, the following brief records must -suffice for several decades:—</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>40 Edward III.—Lionel, Duke of Clarence, held the -boroughs of Weymouth and Wareham, the manors of -Portland and Wyke, with many others.</p> - -<p>22 Richard II.—Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, held -the borough of Weymouth, the manors of Portland and -Wyke, with many others.</p> - -<p>11 Henry V.—Anna, wife of Edward, Earl of March, -held the borough of Weymouth, etc.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>By the marriage of Ann Mortimer, sister of the Earl -of March, with Richard de Conysburgh, Earl of Cambridge, -the manor fell to the house of York, for their son, -Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, succeeded them;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</span> -and in 11 Henry VI., the King granted to Richard, Duke -of York, livery of Weymouth, and all the castles, manors, -lands, etc., which Ann, late wife of Edmund, <i>Comes -Marchiæ</i>, held in dower of the inheritance of the Duke.</p> - -<p>The town is mentioned by Leland (1538), Coker (1630 -<i>circa</i>), and Camden. The first-named writes:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Tounlet of Waymouth lyith strait agayn Milton (Melcombe) on -the other side of the haven, and at this place, the Trajectus is by a bote -and a rope, bent over the haven, so that yn the fery-bote they use no ores.</p> -</div> - -<p>In another part of the Itinerary we read:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Waiymouth Town rite agen Milton, on the other side of the Haven -yt is bigger than Miltoun ys now. The Est South Est point of the Haven -of Waymouth ys caulid St. Aldelm’s point, being a litl foreland. Ther -ys a Chapelle by on the Hille. The Paroch Chirch ys a mile of—a Kay -for shippes in the town—the Haven Mouth almost at hand. Half a mile -and more to the New Castelle—an open Barbecane to the Castelle. -Weimouth is counted 20 miles from Pole.</p> -</div> - -<p>Camden states that in the reign of Edward III., the -King got together a powerful army and fleet for the -purpose of invading France, and the town provided twenty -ships and 264 mariners for the siege of Calais; but these -figures are disputed by Hackluit, who says there were but -fifteen ships and 263 mariners. In March, 1347, the -bailiffs of Weymouth seized all the goods, chattels, jewels, -and armour of Geoffry, Earl of Harcautly, who had joined -the army of the French King. In 1377 the town suffered -considerably from the fleet of Charles V., when great -portions of the ports of Dartmouth, Plymouth, Portsmouth, -Hastings, and Weymouth were destroyed.</p> - -<p>The next event of importance was the landing here, -on April 14th, 1471, of Margaret of Anjou, the consort -of Henry VI., on her return from France with her son, -Prince Edward.</p> - -<p>So the tide of history swept on, with periodical -ravages from pirates and enemies, until the appearance -off the harbour of a large foreign fleet of eighty sail, which -had voyaged from Middleburg on January 10th, 1505, to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</span> -escort Philip and Johanna to their Kingdom of Castile; -but a violent hurricane caused the ships to run to -Weymouth for shelter. The inhabitants, being unaware -of the quality of their visitors, and alarmed at so formidable -an array of vessels, speedily armed themselves, and -sent word to Sir Thomas Trenchard, at Wolfeton, who, -with Sir John Carew, marched into the town at the -head of some hastily improvised troops. On the rank -of the visitors becoming known, Sir Thomas invited them -to his house at Wolfeton until he could advise the King, -Henry VII., of the fortuitous circumstance. As soon as -Henry had notice of the arrival of these royal visitors, he -despatched the Earl of Arundel with a troop of 300 horse, -carrying torches, to escort them to London.</p> - -<p>There is much in the minor history of the town that -one would fain linger over, but we must confine ourselves -to those larger and more far-reaching historical events -with which the old life of Weymouth was so closely -bound up.</p> - -<p>In 1544 the bailiffs of Weymouth received the following -letter from the King, Henry VIII.:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>(By the King.)</p> - -<p> -Henr. R.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Trustie and well beloved, we greate you well. And whereas -betweene us and the Emperor upon provocation of manyfolde injuries -committed by the Frenche Kyng unto us both particularlie; And for -his confederation wyth the Turke, against ye whole commonwealthe of -Christendome. It ys agreede that eche of us aparte, in person, with -his puissant Armie in several parties this soommer, shall invade the -Realme of Fraunce; and beyng not yet furneyshed as to our honour -appertayneth:—</p> - -<p>We have appoynted you to send us the nombre of xv hable fotemen, -well furneyshed for the warres as appertayneth, whereof iii to bee archers, -every oone furneyshed with a goode bowe in a cace, with xxiii goode -arrows in a cace, a goode sworde, and a dagger, and the rest to be -billmen, havyng besydes theyre bill, a goode sworde, and a dagger, to -be levyed of your owne servants and tenants.</p> - -<p>And that you put the saide nombre in such a redyness, furnished with -coats and hosen of such colours as is appointed for the battel of our -Armey.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</span></p> - -<p>As they faile not within oone houres warnyng to march forward to -such place as shall be appoynted accordinglie:—</p> - -<p>Yeven under our Sygnete at our palace of Westmr., the v<sup>th</sup> daie -of June, the xxxv yere of our reigne.</p> - -<p> -Henr. R.<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>Weymouth had been created a borough in the reign of -Edward II., at the time that his nephew, Gilbert of Clare, -Earl of Gloucester, was lord of the manor (one of whose -sisters had married Piers Gaveston, and the other sister -was the wife of Hugh le Despencer); and although the -town is styled a “burg” in several documents relating to -previous reigns, it was not until the nineteenth year of -the reign of Edward II. that it returned a representative -to Parliament.</p> - -<p>The borough of Weymouth and the adjoining -one of Melcombe (which together now make up modern -Weymouth) had long viewed each other with jealous -eyes; and so many complaints being made through -their respective members, the Parliament prepared a -charter, at the suggestion of Cecil, it is said, which was -approved by Queen Elizabeth in the thirteenth year of -her reign, which united these two discordant elements into -one borough.</p> - -<p>The merchants of the town, like all those of our -southern ports, played a zealous and active part in fitting -out ships to fight the Armada; and from a MS. in the -Cottonian Library we learn that the following vessels set -out from Weymouth in 1588, with instructions to guard -the coast and seek out the Invincible Armada:—</p> - -<table class="standard" summary=""> -<tr> -<th class="tdc">Name.</th> -<th class="tdc">Tonnage.</th> -<th class="tdc">Master.</th> -<th class="tdc">Men.</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Gallion</i></td> -<td class="tdr">100</td> -<td class="tdl">Richard Miller</td> -<td class="tdr">50</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Catherine</i></td> -<td class="tdr">60</td> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdr">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Heath Hen</i></td> -<td class="tdr">60</td> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdr">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Golden Lion</i></td> -<td class="tdr">120</td> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdr">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Sutton</i></td> -<td class="tdr">70</td> -<td class="tdl">Hugh Preston</td> -<td class="tdr">40</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><i>The Expedition</i></td> -<td class="tdr">70</td> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdr">50</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp90" id="i_164" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_164.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center">A Relic of the Armada.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Notwithstanding that their largest vessel was only of -120 tons, the Weymouth contingent captured two of the -galleons and brought them as prizes into the harbour. -The only other vessels sent by the county on this -occasion were two from Lyme Regis—<i>The Revenge</i>, -of 60 tons, and <i>The Jacob</i>, of 90 tons—and four -from Poole. In the Guildhall there is a memorial of the -event in the shape of a massive iron-bound chest (<i>see illustration</i>), -believed to have been brought from one of the -captured galleons; and many other relics are scattered over -the county, as at Bingham’s Melcombe, where there is a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</span> -magnificent oval dining-table, of massive form and -marvellous workmanship, with the crest of a Spanish -grandee in the centre, the whole mounted on a sea-chest -in lieu of legs. Many Spanish coins have been washed -ashore on the Chesil Bank, and it is possible that -others of the ill-fated ships sank in the vicinity of Portland, -or that the dons threw their money and valuables -overboard rather than let them fall into the hands of -their captors.</p> - -<p>Little is recorded during the next fifty years, save the -building of a wooden bridge of seventeen arches to unite -the two towns, in 1594; and thirteen years later the town -was visited by one of those great plagues which periodically -swept over mediæval England.</p> - -<p>The outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 found the -county fairly evenly divided in support of the rival parties, -and Corfe Castle became the headquarters of the Royalist, -and Bingham’s Melcombe that of the Parliamentary forces. -In 1643 the Earl of Carnarvon seized and held for the -King, Weymouth, Melcombe, and Portland, and left them -in charge of Prince Maurice, whose troops are said to have -pillaged and ravaged the district. The following year the -Earl of Essex defeated the Royalist troops, and took the -town for the Parliament, when he was assisted -by a fleet under the Lord High Admiral, the Earl -of Warwick. The towns proved a rich prize for the -captors, as, in addition to much ammunition, etc., no less -than sixty ships fell into their hands. The troubles of -the inhabitants, however, were far from over, as in 1645 -Sir Lewis Dyves received orders from the King to make -an attempt to re-capture Weymouth, which, with the help -of Sir W. Hastings, the Governor of Portland, he succeeded -in doing, and drove the defenders across the harbour into -Melcombe. On June 15th, 1644, the town surrendered to -the Parliamentary Commander, Sir William Balfour, the -final overthrow being largely due to the Earl of Warwick, -who appeared off the harbour with a large fleet, originally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</span> -mobilised for the relief of Lyme Regis. The spoils of -war which fell into the hands of the captors included -100 pieces of ordnance, 2,000 muskets, 150 cases of pistols, -200 barrels of powder, and 1,000 swords, in addition to -sixty ships of various tonnage lying in the harbour. The -losses sustained by the combined towns in the Civil War -amounted to £20,000, as a certificate from the Justices, in -the Parliamentary Roll, testifies. The town to-day shows -no trace of the fierce bombardments it underwent, but a -house in Maiden Street has a “bogus” memento in the -shape of a cannon ball foolishly inserted in the masonry -some decades since.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_166" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_166.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center">Sandsfoot Castle</p></div> -</div> - -<p>In 1649 the inhabitants petitioned Parliament for a -grant of £3,000, to enable them to enlarge Melcombe -Church, build a new bridge, and free the harbour from -rubbish.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="i_167" style="max-width: 50em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_167.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">Doorway Sandsfoot -Castle</div> -</div> - -<p>The “Old Castle,” otherwise Sandsfoot Castle, situated -about half a mile from Weymouth proper, is to-day nothing -but a mere shell of the former stronghold. It was built by -Henry VIII., about 1539, and was part of his scheme for the -fortification of various parts of the coast, particularly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</span> -Portsmouth, Portland, and Weymouth, against a possible -invasion on the part of Papal Europe on his throwing -off the Roman yoke in 1540. Leland calls it “a right -goodlie and warlyke castel, havyng one open barbicane.” -The existing masonry shows its form to have been a -parallelogram, and from its commanding position it, no -doubt, was a fortress of considerable strength. It is -difficult to identify, from its crumbling remains, the various -portions of the castle, but that portion to the north, from -its vaulted character, appears to have been the Governor’s -apartment; while fronting south was the gun platform, -as the embrasure shows. This platform would also flank -its east and west sides, which were also pierced for big<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</span> -guns, while almost level with the ground was the barbican, -with two tiers of loop-holes for small arms.</p> - -<p>On a tombstone at Whitchurch Canonicorum is the -following inscription:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Here lyeth Iohn Wadham of Catherstone, Esquyer, who deceased -<span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1584, who was dewring his life time Captayne of the Queene’s Ma<sup>ties</sup> -castell called Sandesfote, besides Waymouth in the countye of Dorset.</p> -</div> - -<p>Among its other Governors were George Bamfield, -1631; Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1643; Colonel -Ashburnham and Colonel William Sydenham, 1644; and -Humphrey Weld, of Lulworth, 1685. It is a matter for -regret that this old building should have been so neglected, -as each year sees large masses of its masonry falling over -the cliff. As a writer as long ago as 1829 said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Its remains even now attract many an inquisitive enquiry as to why -it has been so neglected, as where the neighing of hostile steeds, and the -busy clang of arms once sounded to the battle’s din, the humble grass now -grows, its walls are the dormitories of the birds of the air, and its rooms -afford pasturage to the cattle; a change certainly more gratifying to us -as a nation; but still its bold towering appearance, as seen ascending the -hill, or viewing it from the hill, reminds us of some bygone tale.</p> -</div> - -<p>In addition to the castle, the town was further -protected by several forts. Probably none of these were -in the nature of permanent fortifications, except the Blockhouse, -which stood near the east end of Blockhouse Lane. -The New Fort, or Jetty Fort, was erected at the entrance -of the harbour, at the end of the old pier, and was -dismantled in 1661, although in Hutchins’ time three -guns were placed in position on the same site. Then -there was Dock Fort, under the hill, west of the Jetty -Pier, St. Nicholas’ Chapel converted into a fort by the -Parliamentary troops, and a small fort called the Nothe -Fort.</p> - -<div class="figright illowp28" id="i_169" style="max-width: 18.75em;"> - <img src="images/i_169.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">Some Weymouth Tokens <br /> -<span class="fs3 i"> -The Town Token<br /> -Thomas Hyde<br /> -Bartholomew Beer<br /> -James Stanley<br /> -James Budd<br /> -</span> -</div></div> - -<p>Few events seem to have occurred during the Protectorate -that need recording beyond the great naval victory -gained by Blake over Van Tromp, off Portland; and, -as some compensation for the damage done to their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</span> -property during the reign of his father, Charles II. granted -the town in 1660 an annuity of £100 a year for ten -years from the Customs’ dues. It was during this reign -that tradesmen coined small money or tokens for the -convenience of those wishing to buy small quantities of -goods, as but little small money was coined by authority. -In 1594 the Mayor of Bristol was -granted permission to coin a token, -and the benefit to the community -proved so great that the custom -spread to other towns. Weymouth -coined many of these tokens (<i>see -illustration</i>), which were made of -copper, brass, or lead, and decorated -as fancy dictated. Every -person and tradesman in the town -was obliged to take them, and -they undoubtedly answered the -purpose of providing the people -with small money. In 1672, however, -Charles II. ordered to be -coined a sufficient number of half-pence -and farthings for the -exigencies of the State, and these -<i>numorum famuli</i> were prohibited -as being an infringement of the -King’s prerogative.</p> - -<p>The grant of armorial bearings -to Weymouth and Melcombe Regis -bears the date of May 1st, 1592. -The seals of the town were eight -in number, a description of which is recorded in Ellis’s -<i>History of Weymouth</i>.</p> - -<p>When the ill-starred Duke of Monmouth landed at -Lyme Regis in 1685, no Weymouthians seem to have -flocked to his standard. Upon the failure of the -rebellion the participants of the neighbourhood were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</span> -quickly disposed of by Judge Jeffreys, who opened his -Bloody Assize at Dorchester, and ordered them to be -hanged at Greenhill, and -their bodies to be dismembered -and exhibited -throughout the county as -a warning to rebels.</p> - -<div class="figleft illowp50" id="i_170" style="max-width: 25em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_170.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">Arms of Weymouth</div> -</div> - -<p>So we come down to -the close of the seventeenth -century with little -to record save devastating -fires, plagues, and storms. -A general period of poverty and depression seems -then to have overtaken the two towns. The causes -leading to this change, which had begun to show itself -in the reign of Elizabeth, were many and various, -and may be briefly ascribed to the concrete result of the -vicious rule of the Stuarts, the removal of the wool trade -to Poole, the loss of the Newfoundland trade, and the -injury received during the Civil War. Ellis tells us -that, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, “scarcely -any idea can be formed of the general devastation -and depression that everywhere prevailed. Houses were -of little value ... the population had dwindled -to a mere nothing ... old tenements fell down -... the inhabitants consisted chiefly of smugglers -and fishermen.”</p> - -<p>Before we turn to the brighter days which set in -towards the middle of the reign of George III., a short -account must be given of the larger memorials of the -town—<i>e.g.</i>, the old bridge, the priory, and the parish -church, although it must be confessed that of important -antiquities dating before the Georgian era the town has -little to show beyond a few remnants of Jacobean houses, -part of one solitary pillar of the chapel, and possibly a few -old doorways; and in later and minor memorials the town -is little better off. There is, in the Guildhall, the fine<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</span> -iron-bound chest before mentioned, and another, said -to be of similar origin, bequeathed by the late Sir Richard -Howard. There is also an ancient chair with a cardinal’s hat -carved on the back, and the old stocks and whipping-post; -but for the most part nothing has survived save the truly -Georgian, such as round windows, picturesque doorways, -and part of the old Gloucester Lodge, now an hotel—an -altogether disappointing record in comparison with the -long and varied history of the place.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="i_171" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_171.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath></p> -<p class="center">Old House on North Quay. Weymouth</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</span></p> - -<p>Of the old chapel,<a id="FNanchor_52" href="#Footnote_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a> the one remaining stone is preserved -in the wall of a school. The chapel was a chapel -of ease to Wyke Regis, the mother-church of Weymouth, -and was dedicated to St. Nicholas. It stood on the -summit of a hill overlooking the old town of Weymouth, -and its site is commemorated in the name “Chapelhaye,” -by which the district is known. There are several documents -extant relating to this chapel, and among extracts -from the <i>Liceirce</i> is the following:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>None shall fail at the setting -forth of the procession of Corpus -Christi day, on pain of forfeiting -one pound of wax, and each brother -shall pay six pennies to the procession, -and pay yearly.</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp50" id="i_172" style="max-width: 31.25em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_172.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">Old Chair at Weymouth.</div> -</div> - -<p>This relates to the fraternity -or guild in the Chapel -of St. Nicholas, which was -founded by a patent granted -in 20 Henry VIII. to Adam -Moleyns, Dean of Sarum, -and certain parishioners of -Wyke Regis, and known as -“The Fraternity or Guild -of St. George in Weymouth.”</p> - -<p>Before the building of a -bridge across the harbour -the means of direct communication between the two towns -was, so Leland says in 1530, by means of a boat, drawn -over by a rope affixed to two posts, erected on either -side of the harbour, a contrivance which was in use at -Portland Ferry as late as 1839. In 1594 this primitive -method of crossing gave way on the erection of the -wooden bridge before referred to, erected at the expense<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</span> -of several wealthy merchants of London, who appear to -have had trading interests here. This, in its turn, was so -seriously injured during the Civil Wars, that it fell to -pieces, and was rebuilt in 12 Anne by Thomas Hardy, -Knt., William Harvey, James Littleton, and Reginald -Marriott, the towns’ Parliamentary representatives, and -it continued in use until 1741, when a bridge sixty -yards long, with a draw-bridge in the centre, took -its place. The celebrated Bubb Dodington, the first -and only Lord Melcombe, contributed largely to its cost. -In 1770 another bridge was erected some seventy -yards westward, thus increasing the length of the -harbour; but as the inhabitants were forced to make a -considerable detour to reach it, they petitioned against -the proposed alteration, but to no purpose. In 1820 -it was determined to erect the first bridge of stone,<a id="FNanchor_53" href="#Footnote_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a> -which is still in use, and only calls for mention here from -the fact that on pulling down some adjacent houses an -urn filled with silver coins of Elizabeth, James I., and -Charles I. was found; and it is said that some of the -inhabitants had a fine haul of “treasure trove” on this -occasion. More interesting, perhaps, was the discovery -of a gilt brass crucifix, four inches long; and on the wall -of one of the demolished houses was painted the following -verse:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">God saue our Queene Elizabethe,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">God send hir happie dayes;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">God graunt her grace to</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Persevir in his most holie wayes.</div> - <div class="verse indent16">A. Dom. 1577.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The old priory, or, as it was more commonly called, -the “Friary,” stood in Maiden Street. It was a house of -the Dominican Friars, dedicated in the name of St. -Winifred, although Speed gives Dominic as the dedicatory -saint. Leland writes of it as “a fayre house of Freres in -the est part of the town.” The ancient chair now in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</span> -Guildhall came from this priory, and it was said to possess -miraculous powers of healing the sick, and otherwise -blessing the devout who were privileged to sit upon it. -The priory shared the fate of the other monastic foundations -at the Dissolution.</p> - -<p>Of churches which can be rightly considered as -memorials, Weymouth has no example, as the oldest is -that of St. Mary, the parish church. The foundation-stone -was laid on October 4th, 1815; this church was -erected partly on the site of a former church. It is a -large, simple, and unpretentious building, of which some -hard things have been said and written, but it is at least -well built and free from sham, although of its architecture -the less said the better. It is, however, somewhat -redeemed by an excellently designed cupola containing -one bell. Inside, an altar-piece by Sir James Thornhill, -a native of the town, whose daughter married his pupil -Hogarth, claims attention; as also does the following -curious inscription, in which the artist, by contracting -the word “worthiest,” has conveyed the very opposite -estimate of the deceased’s character to that intended:—</p> - -<p class="center"> -<span class="smcap">UNDERth LIES Ye BODY OF<br /> -CHRISr. BROOKS ESQ. OF JAMAICA<br /> -WHO DEPARd. THIS LIFE 4 SEPr. 1769<br /> -AGED 38 YEARS, ONE OF Ye WORst. OF MEN<br /> -FRIEND TO Ye DISTRESd.<br /> -TRULY AFFECTd. & KIND HUSBAND<br /> -TENDER PARt. & A SINCr. FRIEND.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>An old chalice belonging to the former church which -stood on this site was in the possession of Mr. Ellis. It -was made of pewter, weighed (without the lid, which was -missing) 4½ lbs., and held four pints. On the front was -engraved:</p> - -<p class="center"> -HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD,<br /> -ZACH. XIV., VER. 20.<br /> -JOHN STARR,<br /> -CHURCHWARDEN,<br /> -1633.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</span></p> - -<p>About the middle of the eighteenth century a -gentleman of Bath, Ralph Allen (the original of -Fielding’s “Squire Allworthy”), having been recommended -sea-bathing for his health, found the shore of -Melcombe so suitable for his purpose that he spoke of -it to the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness came, -sampled the salt water, and built Gloucester Lodge, to which -house he shortly afterwards invited the King, George III., -who spent eleven weeks here, with his Queen and family, -in the summer of 1789. The result of this and subsequent -visits was that His Majesty purchased the house -and converted it into a royal residence. A great stimulus -was thus given to the town, which entered upon a period -of prosperity; for here George III. held court, and heard -the news of some of Nelson’s and Wellington’s victories. -Very gay, indeed, was the life of those days, with music, -feasting, and dancing, which took place in what is now -called “the Old Rooms” (formerly an inn), across the -harbour. It was at Gloucester Lodge that His Majesty -received his ministers, and from whence he and -Queen Charlotte used to walk to the little theatre -in Augusta Place to witness the performances of Mrs. -Siddons and her contemporaries. Queen Charlotte’s -second keeper of robes was Fanny Burney (Madame -D’Arblay), the chronicler of George III., and the -author of <i>Evelina</i> and <i>Camilla</i>, for which last she -received 3,000 guineas, with which sum she built -Camilla Cottage, at Mickleham, near Dorking.</p> - -<p>At Weymouth, in 1785, was born Thomas Love -Peacock, the author of <i>The Monks of St. Mark</i>, and -other works. He was Under-Secretary to Sir Home -Popham, and afterwards Chief Examiner and Clerk to -the East India Company, from which post he retired in -1856 with a pension of £1,333 per annum. He was a -friend of Shelley, whom he had met on a walking tour in -Wales in 1812. He died in 1866, aged eighty years.</p> - -<p>In the long list of eminent men who have represented<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</span> -the towns in Parliament we find the names of Francis -Bacon (Lord Verulam), Sir Christopher Wren, and the -celebrated political adventurer, Bubb Dodington.</p> - -<p>One of the most interesting studies for the topographer -lies in tracing the origin of the names of the streets of -a town; and the names of the principal streets of -Weymouth are distinctly traceable to their origin. -St. Nicholas’ Street derives its name from the patron-saint -of maritime towns; Francis Street comes probably -from Franchise; Boot Lane (formerly Buckler’s), from an -inn called “The Boot”; Helen Lane, from Queen Eleanor, -who held the manor of Melcombe; Maiden Street, from -Queen Elizabeth, who united the boroughs; and -St. Edmund’s Street, St. Thomas’ Street, and St. Mary’s -Street, possibly from chapels dedicated in honour of these -saints.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_176" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_176.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">The Old Stocks, Weymouth.</div> -</div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_ISLE_OF_PORTLAND">THE ISLE OF PORTLAND</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Mrs. King Warry</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">O the stranger of antiquarian or geological -tastes Portland must ever be of interest; but -the casual visitor—seeing it for the first time -in the glare of the noonday sun, amidst -eddying clouds of stone-dust tossed hither and thither by -blustering winds, or when the over-charged atmosphere -settles like a misty cap on the Verne Heights—is apt, if -he have formed expectations, to be woefully disappointed. -The fact is that nowhere, perhaps, is the Spirit of Place -more coy and difficult of access than in modern Portland, -having retreated before barracks, fortifications, and -prison, before traction-engines and signs of commercial -prosperity. But, properly wooed, it can still be won, and -once found, how well it repays the trouble of seeking! -A mere cycle run or drive through the island is emphatically -<i>not</i> the way to see Portland Isle, especially the -Portland of the past. The visitor needs to walk, saunter, -and lounge idly for at least a few days, and then, if he -have a well-stored mind and fail to experience the subtle, -indefinable sensation called “charm,” he must be strangely -lacking in that spiritual perception which alone makes -man feel at one with the universe and with God.</p> - -<p>The convict establishment and Government quarries -have displaced much which lent an interest to the island; -the barracks and harbour works have displaced still more—but -fortunately we retain a few records which, scanty -though they be, reveal a something of the past. Gone<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</span> -is the barrow of that king whose very name is lost; and -this supposed last resting-place of a mighty chieftain, -swept through long centuries by pure sea-laden breezes, -is now desecrated by quarrying operations: the barrow -of Celtic Bran is but an empty name, though Mound Owl -still remains in part, a silent witness of Saxon prowess -and possibly of the fierceness of the contest maintained -so long in Royal Dorset.</p> - -<p>Gone, also, is the sometime well-preserved earthwork -on the Verne Hill, formerly attributed to Roman or Dane, -and now believed to have been older than either. Only -a slight vestige of the double fosse-way remains; -though an old man, but lately passed away, has told us -that in the days of his youth he could stand on that part -of the West Cliff known as Priory and distinctly trace it -throughout its length as it tended downwards towards -the harbour, once the scene alike of peaceful commercial -intercourse or sanguinary combats. Looking across -Portland Mere from the hill-top, one can imagine it all—from -the probable peaceful Phœnician trader and Roman -trireme to the Viking rovers and much-dreaded “long -ships,” even as can be pictured in some degree the -character of the opposite coast before the altered tidal -action inside Portland breakwater had caused beautiful -Smallmouth Sands to vanish and Sandsfoot Castle to -stand perilously near the crumbling cliff-edge in ruinous -state; whilst the opposite Portland Castle still remains, -casting much of its original reflection in the Mere waters, -a standing witness to the uneasy conscience of Henry VIII. -respecting French designs.</p> - -<p>Page upon page of unwritten history lay open to the -observant eye as recently as some sixty years or so ago, -all traces of which are rapidly vanishing before modern -requirements. Barrows, earthworks, and so-called -Druidical circles were then so strongly in evidence -(especially one well-preserved circle near where the prison -Governor’s house now stands) as to make one think<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</span> -that religious observances of one kind or another must -have been strongly marked during those early days. -Indeed, the Bill itself—cleaving the clear waters within -sight of the foam-tossed Race and equally dangerous -Shambles, its point accentuated by the curious outstanding -Pulpit Rock—is often termed “Beel” by the -old islanders, and is by some supposed to derive its -name from Baal.</p> - -<p>The former bold outline of the West Cliff is in part -lost, owing to land-slides during the past century; and lost, -likewise (owing to tidal action), is the old pathway round -the Weirs underneath, towards the lighthouses, which -formed a pleasant ramble seventy odd years ago. But the -view from the cliff-tops, both east and west, must be much -the same as in immediately-preceding centuries, and it is -only those who have watched the flickering lights and -shadows and roseate glow over-spreading the white coast-line -in early day right away to St. Ealdhelm’s, or faced -the sunset on the West Cliff, who can appreciate one of -the chief charms of Portland, viz., the varying character -of the coast-line, both far and near—that coast which -surely no Englishman can survey without emotion, abounding -as it does in memories of the deeds which helped to -make our England.</p> - -<p>The Bay itself is glorious to look down upon, with its -pebbly ridge dividing it from that other water more like -lake than sea; whilst straight away, cloud-cleaving in the -haze, is Blackdown, capped by Hardy’s Monument, over -which hover greyish-purple shadows, changing into those -tones and half-tones which are so charming in Dorset -“distances.”</p> - -<p>The East Weirs, again, were an ideal place for a day’s -ramble, with their wild undergrowth, dog-roses and -honeysuckle sending their fragrance along the sea-laden -breezes. Set off on one hand by the grey, grim cliffs -above, and the restless waters on the other, they -merge into a chaotic jumble of rocks and grass,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</span> -terminating abruptly in a ledge overlooking one of the -gems of the isle—the beautiful little cove of Church Hope. -This cove is guarded above by weather-beaten Bow and -Arrow Castle, the old ruined church, and Pennsylvania -Castle, the latter lying at the head of a romantic grassy -slope studded with trees, and the whole forming a -delightful rest for tired eyes in treeless, stony Portland -Isle.</p> - -<p>Bow and Arrow, or Rufus Castle, is worth more -than a mere passing allusion, but space forbids. Its -alternative name may show the period of its erection; -it was probably built about the same time as the ancient -church which preceded the adjacent ruined building. Its -original strength is apparent at a glance, and its position -on the summit of a crag overlooking the channel is -distinctly striking. Old Portlanders believed the above-mentioned -crag to have once been near the centre of the -island, and the Shambles to have been the site of butchers’ -shops. When we recall the great historic land-slides on -the north-east in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, -and remember how the old people are stated to have -spoken of them with bated breath, in reference to the -terror they had caused the then living inhabitants, who -had believed the whole island to be slipping away, the -tradition does not seem so wildly impossible.</p> - -<p>Recorded history is so silent respecting the early years -of Portland, that one fancies it must have inherited its -full share of that barbarism into which Britain relapsed -after the departure of the Romans, its very name having -been lost; for that it was the “Vindilis,” or “Vindilia,” -of Roman times, is open to grave doubts, the latest edition -of the <i>Antonine Itinerary</i> stating that place to have been -Belle Isle. It is much more generally accepted that Portland -was referred to in the <i>Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</i> as the -landing-place of the men “who came in three long ships -from Hæretha Land (Denmark), <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 787.” Terrible, indeed, -must have been the depredations of these wild northmen<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</span> -during this and subsequent periods, for floating traditions -to linger on till past the middle of the nineteenth century. -It is well within the writer’s memory that rebellious -children were sometimes threatened with being carried -off by “the cruel wild men, who come over the beach in -the middle of the night and carry away naughty children”—a -threat which was varied by references to “Old -Arripay” or “Boney.” The “wild men” seemed too -remote, and “Arripay” too nebulous to a child’s mind -to cause much fear; but “Boney” was a real terror to -the little conscience-stricken individual, so familiar with -frequent allusions to the threatened French invasion under -Buonaparte as to consider him still living, and to regard -him with a mighty dread.</p> - -<p>There is a legend still extant that after the defeat -of the Danes at Charmouth they landed at Portland and -carried off some maidens, whom they imprisoned in the -bottom of their ship. Owing to a fearful storm, the -Danes perished, whilst the ship containing the bound -girls was driven backwards during the night and cast -ashore. When the light of morning broke, to their great -joy, they found themselves at the very place from which -they had been stolen.</p> - -<p>Duke Æthelhelm defeated the Danes here in 837; -and in 1052 Earl Godwin landed and plundered the -island.</p> - -<p>Edward the Confessor granted the manor to the church -at Winchester, which grant must have been revoked by -the Conqueror, as <i>Domesday Book</i> states: “The King -holds the island which is called Porland.” Later on we -find the Prior and Convent of Winchester held Portland, -which may account for certain lands there still being -called Priory. It must not be forgotten that the manor in -ancient times included the dependencies of Wyke, Weymouth, -and Helwell. Interesting references to grants of the -Manor may be seen at the British Museum. Amongst the -more noteworthy names in this connection may be cited<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</span> -those of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, -Lionel Duke of Clarence, and Cecilia Duchess of -York. Later still we find Henry VIII. granting the Manor -and Isle to Catherine Howard, and then to Catherine -Parr, Portland having formed part of Jane Seymour’s -possessions. In a closet over the gun-room at Portland -Castle is the following inscription:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>God, save, Kinge, Henri, the viii, of, that, name, and, Prins, Edvard, -begottin, of, Quene, Jane, my, Ladi, Mari, that, goodli, Virgin, and, -the, Ladi, Elizabeth, so, towardli, with, the, Kinge’s, honorable, -counselers.</p> -</div> - -<p>Amongst the Lansdowne MSS. in the British Museum -is one entitled “Remembrance for Lord Burghly as to -certain fixtures of Sir W. Raleigh relating to Portland -Castle, 1587”; and in 1625 the name of Gilbert Rawleigh -is cited as Governor of the Castle.</p> - -<p>We can fancy those stirring times in 1558, when Coker -tells us that off Portland, in full view of those on shore, -was witnessed a great fight with the Invincible Armada, -two of whose treasure-ships were brought into Portland -Roads. For long years after, during a ground-swell, -dollars and “ducky-stones” were picked up on Portland -Beach, and were supposed to be a portion of that -treasure which was to have been used in subjugating -England. <i>En passant</i>, it may be said that the ducky-stone -(a piece of solid silver about the size and somewhat -the shape of a small saucer) did not derive its name from -the ducat, but from the Portland game of “ducky,” -which consisted in trying to dislodge a stone poised -lightly on the top of a larger stone—a matter -eliciting some of that skill in stone-slinging for which -the Portlanders (often termed the British Baleares) were -once noted.</p> - -<p>Again, in 1653, the celebrated running fight between -Van Tromp and Blake took place off Portland, memories -of which, together with the landing of the Duke of -Monmouth “down Lyme way” some thirty odd years later,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</span> -lingered in the talk of the old people down to our own -times. Their memories were also very keen respecting -the days of “good” Queen Anne (when certain Portlanders -were “touched” for “the Evil”), of “forty-five,” -and of the chief battles of Marlborough, Wellington, and -Nelson—the victory of the Nile, with its attendant -rejoicings, assuming a greater importance than any other, -as perhaps was befitting in a coast people who could -recognise the value of this French defeat; but most of -all were their hearts stirred by tales of the long list of -brave ships which had met their doom on the rocks, of -hair-breadth escapes and thrilling rescues, and great was -the indignation expressed if any allusion were made to the -old mainland belief, that the island inhabitants had ever -been wreckers.</p> - -<p>The Portlanders, ever loyal at heart, probably sided -wholly with the King during the contests between Charles -and his Parliament; but the place changed hands several -times during the struggle. Cromwell must have felt -assured of this loyalty, as he appears to have been in -vengeful mood towards the old Parsonage House, the -“Island Ancient Records” containing the following -entry:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>One Personage House in the Villidge of Wakem Demolished and -burnt down by the Usurper Oliver Cromwell and hant been rebuilded -every since.</p> -</div> - -<p>The method of quarrying stone is too well known -to need comment; but one curious custom which -prevailed among the quarrymen until quite recent times -may here be cited, known as “jumping the broomstick.” -On the marriage of one of their number, -the quarrymen all adjourned to the George Inn, where -the bachelors were ranged on one side and the married -men on the other, a broomstick lying between. Chanting -a doggerel couplet, the married men had a tug-of-war with -the single men, and, pulling the newly-made bridegroom -across the broomstick, he was made to stand “drinks all -round.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</span></p> - -<p>The more closely the descent of the Portland people -is investigated, the more probable appears the persistent -island tradition that three families successively settled in -the island amongst the original inhabitants, viz.: the -Combens (valley men?), the Pearces from Ireland, and -the Whites, “who came from the sea, Dover way.” This -corresponds in the main with the Belgic inroads, the Irish -incursions in the west during the third and subsequent -centuries, and with the Jutish, or mixed Jutish and Frisian -settlement at Portland, of which there is considerable -proof. Anyway, one strong Frisian characteristic tallied -well with the intense independence of the old Portlander, -coupled with the occasional phrase, “as free as the air,” -and the proudly-repeated assertion, “None over us but -the Sovereign; she” (in the case of the late Queen) “is -Lady of the Manor.”</p> - -<p>The inbred distrust of strangers, called <i>kimberlins</i> -(pointing, perhaps, to a comparatively pure-blooded -community), coupled with his insularity, gave a certain -reserve to the old Portlander; but, once his confidence -won, none more communicative or hospitable than he. -True alike to his preferences and aversions, full of -prejudices, but loyal, brave and manly, proud of his -word of honour, he was by no means to be despised either -as friend or foe. Quarrelsome he certainly was if his -sense of right were in any way disturbed; otherwise -he was peaceful and law-abiding, except as regards -smuggling; and it was, perhaps, this probable old Frisian -love of freedom which made him consider that what came -by the sea was free to all, and to resent tax or toll thereon. -Not long since an underground passage was unearthed -between two old houses, one of which had secret recesses -behind two sideboards. This may have been a fair sample -of many such houses in the old smuggling days.</p> - -<p>The Portlander was also proud of his old Saxon -customs, of his Court Leet and his Reeve (Anglo-Saxon, -<i>gerefa</i>), of his “share and share alike” system (<i>gavel-kind</i>)<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</span> -regarding division of property, and of his pre-feudal -method of conveyance of land, viz.: by church-gift, a -method still frequently adhered to.</p> - -<p>In a MS. account of Portland Isle (1696) Stowe has -left an amusing account of the way in which land was -set apart for daughters during the parents’ lifetime. -The father, with some of the principal inhabitants, would -stand in the church porch after Evening Service, and -declare aloud his intention, naming his daughters in full, -and specifying the exact boundaries of each piece of land, -after which all the congregation would rise up and bless -the daughters by name.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp90" id="i_185" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_185.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p class="left fs3">Sidney Heath</p> -<p class="center"><i>Portland Cottages</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>An old-time Portland wedding was an amusing ceremony. -The bride and bridegroom always walked to -church, followed by their friends in couples. After the -wedding-feast the whole party perambulated the island, -calling at their friends’ houses <i>en route</i>. The well-to-do -kept up festivities perhaps for two or three days. It was -the proud boast of an old lady of the last century that she -had had more couples follow her at her wedding in 1809 -than had ever been known in the island, and that her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</span> -wedding had been kept up longer than any other. She -had been followed by nearly seventy couples, and the -wedding festivities had been celebrated for a week -afterwards.</p> - -<p>An island funeral was a peculiarly mournful sight, the -coffin being carried by relays of bearers, followed by a -long procession of mourners, walking slowly two by two, -clad in garments of the deepest woe. If, however, the -deceased were an infant or very young child, the bearers -would consist of young girls dressed completely in white.</p> - -<p>The fourteenth of May, when the cows were turned -into the Common, was kept as a gala day. Girls dressed -in white, and club-walking, and general rejoicing took -place. There was also a very old custom of keeping -the household fires going from November to May, and -not permitting them to be lit again (except for necessary -cooking) from May till November. An old Portlander -who died about 1830 was the last to adhere rigidly to -this rule.</p> - -<p>Superstition of all kinds was rife, and so akin were -some of the old beliefs to those of Devon and Cornwall -as to betray a common origin. Numerous and varied -were the healing remedies employed by the old people; -whilst, coupled with many cooking recipes, which would -be regarded to-day with feelings akin to disgust, are some -which can still be appreciated, such as Royal Pudding, -roast Portland lamb, and the most approved method of -cooking wheat-ears—all dishes beloved by King -George III., and prepared for him at the old “Portland -Arms,” when His Most Gracious Majesty visited the -Island.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_ISLE_OF_PURBECK">THE ISLE OF PURBECK</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By A. D. Moullin</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/n.jpg" alt="N" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">ORTH of the irregular coast-line of Dorset, from -Lulworth on the west to Handfast Point and -Old Harry Rocks on the east (a distance of -twelve miles), and extending inland for some -five to eight miles, lies a district of about a hundred square -miles in area, known as the Isle of Purbeck. It is an -island only in the same sense as Thanet. It is bounded -on the north by Poole Harbour and the river Frome; on -the west, partly by Luckford Lake, a tributary of the -Frome; and an imaginary line running southward to the -rugged coast-line forms its southern and eastern boundary.</p> - -<p>It is strange to tell that this more or less undefined -limitation has had a marked effect on the character and -customs of the people who inhabit the Isle of Purbeck, as -compared with the dwellers in the other portions of the -county. They, like the people of Portland, claim for -themselves a distinct individuality, due, possibly, in some -measure to the hereditary rights of quarrying which have -done much to keep families together, and minimised the -introduction of a foreign element into their midst. These -quarrying rights have always been jealously guarded, and -the unwritten laws regulating this industry stringently -enforced.</p> - -<p>The centre of the island is dominated by Corfe Castle; -and such importance was centred in this old-world town<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</span> -and fortress that the lord of the manor of Corfe was also -Lord-Lieutenant of Purbeck.</p> - -<p>Originally the whole of this interesting district was -a royal deer-warren, and much of it was covered with -forest. Here Norman and Plantagenet kings enjoyed the -chase; and summary justice was meted out to those who -infringed the Forest laws.</p> - -<p>In early times, one of the most important towns in -the county was Wareham; and although it is on the -north bank of the river Frome, one of the boundaries of -Purbeck, still it is usually considered to belong to the -island. Of its great antiquity there is, fortunately, ample -record. King Alfred set up a mint in the town; and it -was here that, in 876, he attacked the Danes who had -sailed up the Frome to Wareham, where they soon took -possession of the Castle and entrenched themselves in a -strong position behind the walls and earthworks, and -found it a convenient centre for ravaging the neighbourhood -at their leisure. Alfred had meanwhile defeated -these Scandinavian pirates in a sea-fight, which possibly -was the first naval victory gained by the English. -Probably disheartened by this defeat, the Danes agreed -to terms of peace, promising to sail away quietly to their -own country; instead of which some of them rode off -towards Exeter, hoping to be joined by the rest of their -men in the ships which lay off Wareham. Their treachery -was not destined to succeed, for a mighty storm arose, and -wrecked about a hundred of the Danish ships off Old -Harry Rocks, near Swanage. This loss temporarily broke -the power of the northern foe.</p> - -<p>The Church of Lady St. Mary in Wareham was in 978 -the temporary resting-place of the body of Edward the -Martyr, although the pre-Conquest Church which -occupied the same site has passed away. It is interesting -to think that for more than a thousand years religious -services have been conducted on this spot. Of the -several ecclesiastical buildings once possessed by this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</span> -town there remain only three: St. Mary’s, just -mentioned, and two others now no longer regularly -used for service.</p> - -<p>The Purbeck Hills, which nearly bisect the Isle from -east to west, divide the heathland with its china clay and -marshes on the north from the stone measures known as -the Purbeck beds on the south. The chalk hills of the -range attain in places to a height of nearly 700 feet, and -form an imposing barrier when viewed either from land -or sea. The Romans were not slow to discover the -properties of the china clay, from which they made -pottery on an extensive scale, and tiles and tesserae -with which to adorn their houses.</p> - -<p>Of the many old manor-houses with which this district -abounds, space will only admit the mention of a few. -Some three miles to the south of Wareham is Creech, -a very ancient manor, with the house rebuilt in the seventeenth -century. According to Hutchins, the manor is -mentioned as early as Edward the Confessor’s time, and -in the <i>Domesday Book</i> it is said to belong to the Earl -of Morton; afterwards, until the dissolution of the monasteries, -it was held by Bindon Abbey, after which it was -given to Sir John Horsey, and towards the end of the -seventeenth century it was purchased by an ancestor of -the Bond family, its present holders. Crossing the -densely wooded slope of the Purbeck Hills, and descending -on the other side towards the sea, we find another -ancient manor-house, that of Great Tyneham, built about -1570. It is one of the largest of the many old manor-houses -of that period.</p> - -<p>East and West Lulworth, although, strictly speaking, -outside the confines of the Island, are so closely associated -with it that a passing comment may not be out of place. -At West Lulworth is a Cove almost encircled by the -distorted and upheaved strata of the Purbeck beds. These -form a natural harbour, which, when once seen, is not -easily forgotten. There is a tradition, which forms the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</span> -basis of one of Mr. Hardy’s stories in <i>Life’s Little Ironies</i>, -that the great Napoleon was seen here in 1804 seeking -a suitable landing-place for the flat-bottomed barges in -which he hoped to bring his legions across the channel -to invade England. If this story is true, how he must -have gazed with interest at the beacon-fires on each -promontory and hill-top ready to be lit to give warning -of the impending peril.</p> - -<p>About half a mile to the east of the Cove, well above -the action of the sea, are extensive remains of a “Fossil -Forest,” with many of the tree-trunks in position.</p> - -<p>The village of East Lulworth, where once stood a -monastery, is about a mile inland from the sea. Near -this is Lulworth Castle, the seat of the Weld family, a -conspicuous object looking like a fortress, with its four -massive corner towers, which give the grey stone structure -a grim appearance from the sea. It was built between -1588 and 1609, largely of stone brought from the ruins -of Bindon Abbey; and there is still to be seen at the -Castle an exquisitely carved oak door which is said to -have belonged to the Abbey. The Castle has had many -royal visitors—James I., Charles II., the Duke of -Monmouth, George III., and Queen Charlotte among the -number. The unhappy Mrs. FitzHerbert, morganatic wife -of George IV., was first married to Mr. Weld, and lived -here; her portrait and diamond and pearl necklace are still -kept at the Castle.</p> - -<p>From Tyneham towards St. Ealdhelm’s Head extend -the shallows of the dangerous Kimmeridge Ledge, with -its interesting formation of bituminous shale underlying -the Portland Beds, a kind of coal which may be easily -burnt, and is, indeed, used for fuel by many of the -cottagers of the district, notwithstanding the unpleasant -smell it emits when burning, and the dense shower of soot -that falls from the smoke. In the early part of last -century a fire broke out and smouldered for many months, -at Holworth, on a continuation of this outcrop further to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</span> -the west, and was known as the Burning Cliff. At times -volumes of smoke arose, the pungent smell of which was -distinctly perceptible as far off as Weymouth when the -wind was blowing from the east.</p> - -<p>From the days of Sir William Clavel, in the reign of -Charles I., the minerals of Kimmeridge have from time -to time been worked, and many and various have been -the schemes for exploiting this bituminous deposit, and -even at the present day samples are occasionally sent -for with the view to extracting mineral oil. But one must -go back to a much more remote period for the first -evidence of early workings. The Romans, during their -occupation of this part of the coast, were not slow to -discover the value of this supply of fuel, which may -possibly have been worked long before their arrival.</p> - -<p>The expert Roman craftsmen found also that the -shale was capable of being turned and fashioned into -various kinds of ornamental articles resembling those made -of jet; so they set up lathes on the spot to turn out these -articles, which, no doubt, met with a ready sale among the -fashionable dwellers in Durnovaria (Dorchester). That -the existence of these lathes was an actual fact is proved -by the hundreds of discs or cores which remain to this -day, and are found in and with the Roman pottery -fashioned from the Wealdon clay of the district. These -discs are usually from 1¼ to 2½ inches in diameter, with -central holes to attach them to the lathe mandril, and were -the discarded centres of rings and other ornaments made -from the shale. By local tradition these discs have always -been known as “Kimmeridge coal money,” and although -present-day antiquaries laugh at the idea of their ever -having been used as money, the writer ventures to suggest -the possibility of the correctness of such a theory. They -are found in considerable numbers securely hidden away -a short distance below the surface of the ground, usually -between stones placed on edge and covered over by -another flat stone. The care with which they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</span> -secreted indicates that they were considered of some value -to the owner. May not the Celts have collected and used -them as tallies or tokens? These discs, bearing the tool -marks of the turner, would have been impossible to -counterfeit by the uncivilised races of that day, to whom -the use of the lathe was unknown. The value of local -traditionary names is considerable, and the foregoing -appears to be a feasible suggestion as to the authenticity -of the name, “Kimmeridge coal money.”</p> - -<p>This part of the coast has a desolate and forbidding -appearance, due to its black, shaley formation.</p> - -<p>Looking eastward, St. Ealdhelm’s Head stands out in -majestic grandeur, rising out of the sea more than 350 -feet in height, and crowned at its seaward end by the -Norman chapel dedicated to St. Ealdhelm, first Bishop of -Sherborne.</p> - -<p>About a mile and a half inland we come upon the -little church of Worth Matravers, in the centre of the -village of that name; it is probably the most ancient -building in Purbeck of which anything now remains. Here -we find traces of Saxon work, with that of Norman -added; the chancel arch is a good example of the latter. -It is now generally considered possible that here was one -of the two sacred edifices built by St. Ealdhelm in -Purbeck and mentioned in ancient records. The divided -buttress on the north wall, and the grave-stone of -Benjamin Jesty are objects of interest. On the latter -is the following inscription:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Sacred to the memory of Benjamin Jesty of Downshay, who departed -this life April 16th, 1816, aged 70. He was born at Yetminster in this -county, and was an upright honest man, particularly noted for having -been the first person (known) that introduced the cowpox by inoculation, -and who from his strength of mind made the experiment from the cow -on his wife and two sons in the year 1774.</p> -</div> - -<p>From Worth Church to Swanage there is a track or -path known still as Priestway, originally used by the -priests of Worth passing backwards and forwards between<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</span> -Swanage and Worth churches, the latter of which is said -to have been the mother-church. Sir Charles Robinson -says that Worth is the Saxon word for village, and that -the second half of the name was added because it was -owned by Sir John Matravers, who had charge of -Edward II. during his imprisonment at Corfe Castle.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="i_192fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_192fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption">“<span class="smcap">Kimmeridge Coal Money.</span>”</div> -</div> - -<p>From the elevated road along the cliffs may be seen -a series of terraces, known locally as Lynchets, cut out -on the slopes of the hills facing the sea; as to the use -and origin of these escarpments there have been many -theories and much discussion. That they are artificial -and not natural there can be little doubt, and the labour -expended in their formation must have been enormous. -From their position, facing south-east, south, and south-west, -one may fairly assume that their object was for -agricultural purposes. They are to be found in several -other parts of Dorset, as well as in other counties.</p> - -<p>Dr. Colley March<a id="FNanchor_54" href="#Footnote_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a> says the word lynchet is derived -from the Anglo-Saxon <i>hlinc</i>, meaning a ridge of land. -He tells us that in the reign of Henry VIII. an Act was -passed compelling all farmers with sixty acres of pasture -or arable land to cultivate one rood, where the soil was -suitable, for growing flax or hemp for cordage for the -needs of the navy, and concludes as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>In fine the law that compelled farmers to cultivate flax, the permission -to do so in any place they were able to secure, the importance of -suitable soil, and the necessity of prompt and efficient drainage, that -could but be obtained on a sloping surface will account for a good many -of the numerous lynchets of Dorset.</p> -</div> - -<p>Fully to appreciate the rugged features of the cliffs -between St. Ealdhelm’s and Durlston Head, they should -be viewed from the sea, for the indentations and caverns -of this iron-bound coast are indeed wonderful. All along -the sea-board quarrying was carried on for centuries, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</span> -some of the caves are due to the hand of man. Many -of these caverns fulfilled a double duty, providing blocks -of stone by day and sheltering cargoes of smuggled goods -by night. This part of the coast enjoyed quite a notoriety -for its contraband trading during the early part of the -last century, and the stories told of the daring Purbeck -smugglers would fill a volume.</p> - -<p>Mr. William Hardy, of Swanage, has published an -interesting little book called <i>Smuggling Days in Purbeck</i>, -in which he tells of many curious hiding-places for the -illicit goods; one he mentions, which long remained -undiscovered, was under the roof of Langton Church, a -most unlikely place to attract suspicion. It became -necessary at one time to double the number of revenue -men, or coastguards; and it must have been a strange -sight to see these men setting out for the night’s vigil -carrying a one-legged stool, so that in the event of their -falling asleep they might topple over and wake up. -Smuggling became such a profitable business that most -of the inhabitants of the district were more or less -engaged in it.</p> - -<p>Although less exciting, and perhaps less profitable, -the quarrying industry was extensively carried on—as, -indeed, it had been from very early times. A walk over -the hills from Swanage to Worth discloses vast numbers -of disused quarry shafts, and a few others still being -worked. These hills are literally honey-combed with old -workings, which occasionally fall in, leaving curious -depressions on the surface. The stone lies in thin beds -of varying quality, some of the upper ones being full of -fossil remains. The higher stratum of Purbeck marble -has been extensively quarried, and in bygone ages -provided the elegant shafts which adorn the columns of -many of our great monastic churches. The outcrop of -marble may be seen in the reef of rocks which extends -beyond Durlston Bay and forms Peveril Point.</p> - -<p>Whilst on the subject of quarries, it is most interesting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</span> -to note the conditions said to have been granted to -Purbeck by an ancient charter. No man is allowed to -open or work at a quarry who is not the son of parents -who were themselves both children of marblers, as they -were called, and this rule was rigidly enforced. Once a -year, on Shrove Tuesday, all the marblers of the district -repaired to Corfe Castle to register their names in the -books of the Company of Marblers, and to pay an annual -tribute of a pound of pepper and a football to the lord -of the manor of Ower, as acknowledgment of a certain -ancient right-of-way to that place for the purpose of -shipping stone, this being necessary before there were -any facilities at Swanage for so doing. A good description -of this ancient custom is given in Sir Charles -Robinson’s <i>Picturesque Rambles in the Isle of Purbeck</i>.</p> - -<p>Looking down from the lofty hills upon the little -town, a man who had been absent for twenty or thirty -years would hardly recognise in the Swanage of to-day -the village that he had left. Swanage, with its up-to-date -pier, its esplanade and sea-wall, its red-brick villas, and -the various requirements of the modern residents, -resembles the isolated little town of fifty years ago as -little as the garden of a London square resembles a -primeval forest. The quaint old stone houses, with -porches supported by pillars, projecting over the foot-way, -and roofed with massive slabs of split stone, the narrow -and winding streets, have nearly all disappeared, but -fortunately there are still some few left to delight the -eye of the artist.</p> - -<p>The twelfth century tower of the parish church, built -originally as a refuge, and as a means of defence from -sea pirates, was standing long before the rest of the -church was built. The Town Hall, although erected in -recent times, is of some historic interest, the front having -been partly built of stones taken from the old Mercers’ Hall -in London, pulled down for street alterations; and this -edifice itself is said to have been mainly composed of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</span> -material taken from one of Wren’s early churches, -destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666. So, after -many vicissitudes, these weather-worn stones have found -a resting-place very near to the source from whence -they were originally taken.</p> - -<p>Immediately at the rear of the Town Hall is a curious -little structure of solid masonry, with an iron-studded oak -door, resembling a powder magazine. This formerly stood -close to the south door of the parish church within the -graveyard, and was used as a lock-up. Over the door is -the following inscription:—“Erected for the prevention -of vice and immorality, by the friends of religion and good -order. <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1803.” A small hole may be observed in -the oak door, and it is said that through this aperture -the boon companions of the incarcerated man were in -the habit of inserting the stem of a long clay pipe, -which they used as a means of supplying him with -strong drink, and the bowl of which they also at times -filled with tobacco, in order that he might find some -solace for his weary hours in smoking.</p> - -<p>About a mile and a half from Swanage, in the direction -of Corfe Castle, is the manor of Godlingstone, with -its interesting old house. This estate is said to have been -part of the hide of land given by William I. to Durandus -the Carpenter, in exchange for certain repairs to be -executed at Corfe Castle. The round tower at the western -extremity of the house is believed to be of Saxon origin, -and was probably built as a place of refuge from the -ruthless Danes, who so frequently harried this part of the -coast. Sir Charles Robinson mentions Godlingstone as -having belonged successively to the families of Talbot, -Rempston, Chaunterell, Carent, Pole, Wells, and Frampton.</p> - -<p>The manor-house at Whitecliff on the slope of Ballard -Down is another fine old building, and is sometimes -credited with having been one of King John’s hunting -lodges; but no trace of so early a building now remains, -unless it be the massive garden walls, with the protecting -tower.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</span></p> - -<p>Forming one of the horns of Swanage Bay is Peveril -Point, with its coastguard signalling station, from which -extends, in a south-easterly direction for a considerable -distance, a ledge of rocks composed of Purbeck marble. -These rocks follow the general dip of the formation -observable for some distance along the coast—viz., from -the south, sloping down towards the north; but at the -extremity of Peveril Point one observes that the strata -to the north of the ledge slope in exactly the opposite -direction.</p> - -<p>The beautiful and deeply indented bay of Swanage -forms a harbour with good anchorage, sheltered from all -but easterly gales. The northern arm of the bay, known -as Ballard Head, is formed of lofty chalk cliffs, rising -nearly sheer from the sea. The convulsions of nature -have played some curious pranks in this locality, for side -by side with the natural horizontal stratification one may -see the layers of chalk and flints standing vertically. This -has enabled geologists to estimate the probable thickness -of these chalk beds, which, according to some authorities, -was nearly a thousand feet. The human mind is staggered -by the contemplation of the ages necessary to accumulate -this stupendous deposit of microscopic foraminifera, of -which the chalk is composed, before it was upheaved from -the bed of the sea. The upper greensand, which is -exposed at the western boundary of the chalk, contains -many interesting fossils. The cliffs of Ballard Head -terminate at Handfast Point with several chalk pinnacles -and curiously formed caverns. Of the former, “Old Harry -and his Wife” are well known, but, unfortunately, the -upper half of “Old Harry’s Wife” was washed away -some years ago, leaving little more than the base -remaining.</p> - -<p>The old-world village of Studland, at the foot of the -northern slope of Ballard Down, still retains much of its -primitive and picturesque beauty, and the old manor-house -and the little Norman church dedicated to St. Nicholas<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</span> -are of great interest. This church, like many others, no -doubt took the place of an earlier building, for there -are still traces of Saxon work to be seen in the north -wall.</p> - -<p>A mile or so to the north-west of Studland, across -the swampy heathland, we come to a conical hill some -eighty or ninety feet high, surmounted by an irregularly -shaped mass of sandstone, formed from the neighbouring -Bagshot beds, which, having been cemented together by -some ferruginous substance, has withstood the disintegrating -action of the elements better than its surroundings. It -is known as the Agglestone Rock. Sir Charles Robinson, -in his <i>Rambles in the Isle of Purbeck</i>, estimates the -weight of this rock at four hundred tons, and gives the -probable derivation of the name from the Anglo-Saxon -“hagge” (witch or hag), or “heilig,” meaning holy, and -“stan” (stone).</p> - -<p>This barren heathland, spreading over the Bagshot -sands, extends for many a mile, and stretches out to the -deeply indented coast-line of Poole Harbour, forming the -northern limit of the Isle of Purbeck. The wild beauty -of this low-lying district can only be enjoyed by those -who are prepared to explore it on foot, for carriage-roads -there are none, and the cart-tracks are not always -passable.</p> - -<p>The important deposit of china-clay found in this -neighbourhood, which is exported in considerable quantities -to many parts of the kingdom, and even to foreign -countries, is chiefly shipped from the little quay at Ower, -which is on an arm of Poole Harbour. Hutchins says -that Ower was once the chief port in the Isle of -Purbeck for the export of stone and marble, and for the -importation of timber from the New Forest; but in 1710 -Swanage seems to have superseded it.</p> - -<p>The little village of Arne, near to which is Russell -Quay, where clay and peat are shipped by small trading -vessels, is merely a cluster of a few cottages and a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</span> -plain-looking thirteenth century church, which, however, -contains an object of interest in its stone altar with the -five consecration crosses.</p> - -<p>In the woods near Arne is one of the few heronries -to be met with on the south coast; and in the solitude -of this remote spot the birds have bred undisturbed -probably for centuries.</p> - -<p>From Arne to Wareham, a distance of some four miles, -there is a rough road, by following which we complete -our circuit of this interesting district—the Isle of -Purbeck.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CORFE_CASTLE">CORFE CASTLE</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Albert Bankes</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HERE is reason to believe that a castle existed -at Corfe in the reign of King Alfred, but in -his time this structure, which afterwards -became so large as to vie with the noblest -royal habitations in the kingdom, consisted probably of -only a single strong tower on the summit of the hill -constituting one of the defences of Wareham, which in -Saxon times was a very important town and port.</p> - -<p>In 875 Wareham Castle, then the strongest place in all -Wessex, was surprised and taken by a Danish general, -and it was not until 877, two years later, that King Alfred -succeeded in driving his Danish foes out of Wareham. -To prevent the return of the enemy was the object of -building a fortress at Corfe (“Corfes-geat,” as it was then -called), a break or pass in the lofty range of the Purbeck -hills. To quote from Hutchins’ <i>History of Dorset</i>:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Whatever may have been the size or construction of the castle in -the days of King Alfred, it was greatly extended and embellished in the -century next following under the direction of the magnificent King Edgar.</p> -</div> - -<p>With Elfrida, the infamous Queen of King Edgar, -commences what is important in the history of this castle. -King Edgar, who died in the thirty-third year of his age, -bequeathed this Castle of Corfe to her as a dowry mansion, -and in this princely residence, which her royal husband -had with so much cost and care prepared for her, she -plotted and accomplished the murder of his son. On the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</span> -death of Edgar (975) there was a contest between two -parties in the state, the one supporting the claim to the -throne of Edward, son of the late King by his first wife, -the other seeking to place the crown on the head of -Ethelred, the son of Elfrida. Edward’s cause, which was -supported by Dunstan, succeeded; but he only reigned, -as we shall presently see, four years.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_200fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_200fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Corfe Castle.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>King Edgar was twice married. By his first wife he -had issue, Edward, who at a very early age became his -successor, and who is known in history as King Edward the -Martyr.</p> - -<p>The second wife of Edgar was Elfrida, daughter of -Ordgar, Earl of Devonshire. It is related that the fame -of her transcendent beauty having reached the King’s -ears, he sent one of his earls, named Athelwold, to visit -her father and ascertain privately whether her charms -were as great as they had been represented. Athelwold -saw her, and, immediately becoming enamoured, made a -false report to his sovereign, and won her for himself. -Rumours, however, that he had been deceived, soon -reached the King, and he determined to ascertain the -truth with his own eyes. Alarmed at the impending -danger, Athelwold entreated his wife to adopt some means -of disguising her charms; but Elfrida had now an opportunity -of gratifying her ambition. She exerted all her -powers to increase her natural beauty, and succeeded in -attracting the attention of the King. To get rid of -Athelwold was in those days the simplest of transactions, -and King Edgar, having caused Athelwold to be assassinated -in a wood, Elfrida became his Queen. So great -was the King’s love for Elfrida that he is said to have -granted the whole county of Dorset for her dowry. But -Elfrida had not yet reached the height of her ambition. -It was not sufficient for her to have become a queen -through assassination, for she scrupled not, after her -husband’s death, also by means of assassination, to make -a king of her own son. In the month of March (978)<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</span> -Edward the Martyr, as he is now called, was hunting in -a large wood near Wareham. Towards evening he -resolved to pay a visit to his brother, who resided at the -Castle with their royal mother. The attendants of the -King had been dispersed in the chase; he was alone, and -Elfrida, having notice of this favourable opportunity, -came forth in a most affable and friendly manner, inviting -him to alight from his horse. This he declined to do, -and remained at the gate, expressing his desire to see -his brother. The Queen then called for wine, which he -had scarce put to his lips when one of her attendants, -who had given the King the kiss of peace, stabbed him -in the back. Some of the ancient chroniclers affirm that -Elfrida herself gave him both the kiss and the mortal -wound whilst he was drinking. In any case, finding -himself wounded, the King rode away; but, fainting from -loss of blood, he fell from his horse, and, his foot being -entangled in the stirrup, he was dragged a considerable -distance, until the horse stopped of its own accord at -a bridge which crosses the small river that flows at the -foot of the hill on which the Castle stands. A servant, -sent by Elfrida to ascertain the result of her treachery, -found the murdered Prince dead, and terribly defaced -by the flints over which he had been dragged. The -Queen, to conceal the fact, ordered his body to be lodged -in a house near where it was, and covered with such mean -clothes as were at hand.</p> - -<p>Of course, there are plenty of miraculous stories -attached to this true history, of which we in this twentieth -century may believe as much or as little as we like. -It is said, for instance, that in the house where King -Edward’s body lay lived a woman who was born blind, -but at midnight she found her sight restored, and, to her -great terror, her house was full of light. In the morning, -the Queen, being informed of these circumstances, and -fearing a discovery, ordered the body to be thrown -into a well. She then retired to a mansion called Bere,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</span> -ten miles distant. Her own son, Ethelred, on expressing -his grief at his mother’s inhuman act, received a severe -beating from her with some large wax tapers, they being -the first weapons which the royal mother could lay her -hands on wherewith to chastise her son.</p> - -<p>In the year following, a second miracle is said to have -taken place—a pillar of fire descended from above and -illuminated the place where the body was hidden. -Some devout people of Wareham brought it to the -church of St. Mary in that town, and buried it in a plain -manner.</p> - -<p>As for the once beautiful but now guilty Elfrida, it -is related that she became extremely penitent, and, -abdicating her regal state, retired to the Abbey of -Wherwell, in Hampshire, which she had founded, and -there, having clothed her body in hair-cloth, for many -years slept at night on the ground without a pillow, and -mortified her flesh with every kind of penance.</p> - -<p>We meet with few incidents of an important -character connected with Corfe Castle during the first -six reigns after the Norman Conquest.</p> - -<p>During the eventful reign of the tyrannical John (1199-1216) -Corfe Castle became again a royal residence. The -King deposited within its walls his treasure and regalia, -using the Castle also for the confinement of State -prisoners, the objects of his jealousy and revenge. In the -year 1202 King John took prisoners at the Castle of -Mirabel in Poitou, in France, the youthful Prince Arthur, -Duke of Brittany, his nephew, together with his sister, -the Princess Eleanor. It must be remembered that this -Prince Arthur, being the only son of John’s elder brother, -Geoffrey, was the real heir to the throne after the death -of Richard Cœur de Lion. Prince Arthur is supposed to -have been murdered at Rouen by order of King John; -but the Princess (sometimes called the “Damsel of -Bretagne,” and sometimes from her personal attractions, -the “Beauty of Brittany”), having inherited her brother’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</span> -legal right to the throne, was brought to England and -kept a close prisoner for the rest of her life. For some -time she was a prisoner in Corfe Castle, where she -remained at the decease of her uncle, King John. Two -other princesses shared the captivity of the beautiful and -high-spirited Eleanor during her residence at Corfe, and -were her companions there. These were Margery and -Isabel, the two daughters of William, King of Scotland. -Some curious and interesting details have come down to -us respecting articles supplied for the use of the royal -ladies whilst they remained at Corfe Castle, which show -that they enjoyed many indulgences. For instance, on -June 29th, 1213, the Mayor and Reeves of Winchester -were commanded to supply to the Queen, the King’s -niece, and the two daughters of the King of Scotland -who were at Corfe Castle, such robes and caps and all -other things necessary for the vestment as should be -demanded (the cost to be repaid out of the King’s -Exchequer). There is another interesting entry on July -6th, 1213: The Mayor of Winchester was commanded to -send in haste to the King, for the use of his niece, Eleanor, -and the two daughters of the King of Scotland, robes -of dark green, namely, tunics and super-tunics, with capes -of cambric and fur of Minever and twenty-three yards of -good linen cloth; also, for the King’s niece, one good -cap of dark brown, furred with Minever, and one hood -for rainy weather, for the use of the same; besides robes -of bright green, for the use of their three waiting-maids; -also tunics and super-tunics and cloaks with capes of -Minever or rabbit-skins and furs of lamb-skins, and thin -shoes, for the use of the daughters of the King of -Scotland, the King’s niece, and her three waiting-maids; -also, for the use of the King’s niece, one saddle, with -gilded reins; and the Mayor is to come himself with all -the above articles to Corfe, there to receive the money -for the cost of the same. A little later on, another cap -for rainy weather, a riding saddle, shoes, and sixty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</span> -yards of linen cloth, are ordered to be supplied from -Winchester.</p> - -<p>The prices paid give us an insight into the value of -money at that period:—</p> - - -<table class="standard" summary=""> -<tr> -<th class="tdr"></th> -<th class="tdr">£</th> -<th class="tdr">s.</th> -<th class="tdr">d.</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A silken couch</td> -<td class="tdr">1</td> -<td class="tdr">10</td> -<td class="tdr">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">2 coverlets of fine linen</td> -<td class="tdr">2</td> -<td class="tdr">2</td> -<td class="tdr">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">6½ yards of scarlet for coverlets</td> -<td class="tdr">1</td> -<td class="tdr">3</td> -<td class="tdr">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">1 fur of lamb-skin</td> -<td class="tdr">0</td> -<td class="tdr">4</td> -<td class="tdr">0</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>Ten shillings a day were allowed to the Sheriff for the -Princesses’ maintenance.</p> - -<p>To return to Prince Arthur and his wicked uncle. -King John captured at the same time as Prince Arthur -many barons and more than two hundred knights of -Poitou and Guienne, who were in arms with Prince -Arthur. These were all loaded with irons and sent to -different prisons in Normandy and England. Many of -these poor prisoners perished in their prisons, and no -fewer than twenty-two of the noblest and bravest of them -were starved to death in Corfe Castle.</p> - -<p>From the reign of King John to that of Queen -Elizabeth allusion is frequently made in history to Corfe -Castle.</p> - -<p>It was in 1587, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, that -Corfe Castle ceased to be a royal residence, she having -sold it to Sir Christopher Hatton for £4,761 18s. 7½d. -Sir Christopher repaired and decorated the Castle at vast -expense.</p> - -<p>During the “Invincible Armada” scare, Corfe Castle -once more became a fortress. Cannons were for the -first time mounted on its walls, and Queen Elizabeth for -encouragement gave a charter to the inhabitants of the -Castle and borough, which conferred upon them all the -same rights and privileges as those enjoyed by the inhabitants -of the Cinque Ports, including the right of -returning two members to Parliament. The Spanish fleet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</span> -did, in fact, pass within a short distance of the Dorset -coast; but, as the so-called Invincible Armada came -utterly to grief, it gave no further trouble.</p> - -<p>As Sir Christopher Hatton died a bachelor, Corfe -Castle passed to his nephew Sir William Hatton, who, -dying without children, left the Castle to his widow, the -Lady Elizabeth Hatton, who married Lord Chief Justice -Coke.</p> - -<p>On the death of Sir Edward Coke, his widow and -daughter found themselves at liberty to dispose of a -mansion whose gloomy grandeur and position, remote from -the busier scenes of life, did not well accord with their -tastes and habits; so that on Sir John Bankes making -an offer for the purchase of the Castle, the ladies were -doubtless only too glad to conclude the bargain.</p> - -<p>Sir John Bankes was descended from a good Cumberland -family living in Keswick, where he was born in 1589. -At the age of fifteen he went to Oxford University, and -in due course became a barrister in Gray’s Inn. His -extraordinary diligence in his profession recommended him -early to his sovereign, Charles I., and in 1640 he was -made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. His wife, the -brave Lady Bankes, was a daughter of the very ancient -family of the Hawtreys, of Rislip, in Middlesex.</p> - -<p>To enter the Castle an ancient stone bridge, consisting -of four semi-circular arches, must be traversed. -There is probably no bridge of greater antiquity in the -West of England.</p> - -<p>The first ward forms an irregular triangle, containing -eight towers, at unequal distances, of amazing strength -and durability. The gateway leading to the second ward -has provision for a portcullis of vast size similar to that -which is found in the grand staircase. Just within the -gateway, on the right hand, was a flight of steps which -led up to the Great or King’s Tower on the exterior -summit of a very high hill. Tradition says, and -apparently with truth, that just at the entrance of this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</span> -second ward, under the archway, Edward the Martyr -received his death-blow from the hand of the assassin. -The dungeon, an octagonal tower, is said to have been the -place of imprisonment for criminals and captives of -inferior rank. Near this tower a stone is visible, projecting -from the wall, with a deep notch cut into it, which is -said to have been the place of execution. The third -and principal ward is situate on the highest part of the -hill, and on the west part, on the very top of the hill, -stood the Great, or King’s Tower, 72 ft. by 60 ft., and -about 80 ft. high, with a wall 12 ft. thick. This seems -to have been the State prison, as the windows that remain -are such a height above the floors that they must have -been thus arranged in order to prevent the prisoners -escaping. The fourth ward is the least of all the wards; -in it was a small garden at the east end, near which was -the Sally Port, where the enemy entered when the Castle -was surprised; and near it is a well, now stopped up, into -which (tradition says) Lady Bankes threw a considerable -quantity of money and plate.</p> - -<p>King Charles I. was a victim to circumstances. The -Civil War was the result of the reaction of the popular -mind in favour of liberty from its slavish submission to -the tyranny of the Tudor Kings. It was hastened by King -Charles’ folly in enforcing subsidies to pay off his father’s -debts and to carry on his Continental wars, without the -consent of the people; also by his resolution to rule the -kingdom without a parliament.</p> - -<p>King Charles came to the throne in 1625, but it was -not until 1642 that the unhappy differences between the -King and the two Houses of Parliament grew so great -that nothing but the sword could decide the controversy. -Poor Sir John Bankes found himself in a very unfortunate -position. He was upon the summer circuit, and when -presiding at the assizes at Salisbury he had, in his charge -to the Grand Jury, denounced the Earl of Essex, Lord -Manchester, and others, as guilty of high treason for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</span> -continuing in arms against the King. Another serious -subject of offence consisted in the fact of his having -subscribed liberally to the necessities of the King—an -acknowledgment of which, in King Charles’ own hand-writing, -is still preserved at Kingston Lacy. These and -various other causes were quite sufficient to induce a -furious assault upon Corfe Castle.</p> - -<p>Prior to this, Lady Bankes, who is described as being -a prudent lady, resolved with her children and family to -retire to Corfe Castle, to shelter themselves from the storm -which she saw was coming. She remained undisturbed -all the winter and a great part of the spring, until May, -1643, when the rebels, under the command of Sir Walter -Erle and Sir Thomas Trenchard, of Wolfeton House, and -others, had gained possession of Dorchester, Lyme Regis, -Melcombe, Weymouth, Wareham, and Poole. Portland -Castle being treacherously delivered to the rebels, only -Corfe Castle remained in obedience to the King. But -the rebels, wanting to add this castle to their other -garrisons, and preferring to try and gain it by treachery, -resolved to lay hold of an opportunity that they knew -was just about to offer. To quote the language of the -old chronicler:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>It seems that by an ancient usage the Mayor and the Barons (as his -Town Councillors were called) of Corfe Castle, accompanied by the -gentry of the Island of Purbeck, had permission from the Lord of the -Castle on May Day to course a stag, which every year was performed with -much solemnity and great concourse of people.</p> -</div> - -<p>On May Day, 1642, some troops of horse from -Dorchester and other places came into the island under -pretence of hunting the stag; but really their intention -was suddenly to surprise the gentlemen whilst hunting -and to take Corfe Castle. But the news of their coming -reached the Castle before them. The hunters dispersed, -and Lady Bankes ordered the great gates of the Castle -to be closed against all comers. The troopers accordingly -found themselves cheated of their prey, whereupon the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</span> -common soldiers used threatening language; but the -officers, who knew better how to conceal their resolution, -utterly disavowed any such thought, denying that they -had any orders to attack the Castle. Lady Bankes was -not deceived by the officers’ civil speeches; and, to quote -once more from the old chronicler:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>She very wisely, and like herself, hence took occasion to call in a -guard to assist her, not knowing how soon she might have occasion to -make use of them, it being now more than probable that the rebels had a -design upon the Castle.</p> -</div> - -<p>No one, of course, knows to what straits the poor lady -and her few faithful attendants were put; but provisions -must have been at a low ebb or Lady Bankes would never -have delivered up the four small cannons, the biggest -carrying not above a 3-lb. shot. The result of this compromise -was that, having delivered up the four cannons, -the rebels agreed to permit her to enjoy the Castle in -peace and quietness. Having gained the four cannons, -the rebels retired, and, growing weary of watching the -Castle gates, they grew negligent as to what was brought -in, nor did they take care, as before, to intercept supplies -which might enable the Castle people to hold out against -a siege. Lady Bankes, making use of this carelessness, -furnished the Castle with provisions of every description. -A supply, too, of ammunition was brought in; and, -hearing that the King’s forces, under Prince Maurice and -the Marquis of Hertford, were advancing towards Blandford, -Lady Bankes sent a private messenger begging that -some officers might be sent to take charge of the Castle: -whereupon Captain Laurence, son of Sir Edward -Laurence, a gentleman of the Isle of Purbeck, was sent. -There was likewise in the Castle one Captain Bond, an -old soldier, “whom,” says the chronicler, “I should deprive -of his due honour not to mention him as having shared -in the honour of this resistance.”</p> - -<p>On June 23rd, 1643, commenced a six weeks’ strict -siege of Corfe Castle, between 200 and 300 horse and foot,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</span> -with two cannons; the rebels faced the Castle, and -from the hills surrounding played on the fortress. At the -same time they set on fire four houses in the town of -Corfe, and then summoned the Castle to surrender; but, -receiving a refusal, for that time they left it—but only -for a time, as Sir Walter Erle, accompanied by Captain -Sydenham, Captain Henry Jervis, and Captain Skuts, of -Poole, with a body of between five and six hundred men, -came and took possession of the town of Corfe, taking -advantage of a misty morning, so as to find no resistance -from the Castle. With a small cannon, a culverin, and -their muskets, they played on the fortress. To bind the -soldiers by tie of conscience, they administered an oath -to them, mutually binding themselves to most unchristian -resolutions—that if they found the defendants obstinate, -they would not yield; that they would maintain the siege -to victory and deny quarter unto all, killing without -mercy men, women, and children. And to bring on their -own soldiers they deceived them with falsehoods, saying -that the Castle stood on a level, with good advantages of -approach; also, that there were only forty men within -the fortress, of whom twenty were ready to turn traitors. -They also did their best to corrupt the defenders of the -Castle to betray it into their hands; but when all these -arts took no effect, the rebel commanders fell to stratagems -and engines. One of these machines they called a “sow,” -and the other a “boar”; they were made with boards -lined with wool to deaden the shot. The “sow” was a -class of engine used as a protection for soldiers attacking a -fortress; it was constructed of strong timber, bound -together by hoop-iron, and roofed with hides and sheepskins -to render it proof against such musket-shot or -other missiles as were then in use. In front there were -doors and windows, which were kept closed till the -walls were reached; but behind it was open for the -admission or retreat of the besiegers. Mounted on -wheels, it was moved forward by the occupants by -means of levers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</span></p> - -<p>The rebels used Corfe Church as their principal -battery and headquarters, and they seem to have desecrated -the interior of the sacred building in every possible -way. Of the surplices they made shirts for the soldiers; -the organ pipes were torn down to serve as cases for their -powder and shot; and, not being furnished with musket -bullets, they cut off the lead of the church, and, rolling -it up, they shot it without ever casting it in a mould.</p> - -<p>Sir Walter Erle and the other rebel commanders were -earnest to press forward the soldiers; but as prodigal as -they were of the blood of their men, they were sparing -enough of their own. It was a general observation, says -the chronicler, sarcastically, that valiant Sir Walter never -willingly exposed himself to any hazard; and to the -eternal honour of this knight’s valour, be it recorded that, -for fear of musket-shot, he was seen to creep on all-fours -on the side of Corfe Castle hill to keep himself from -danger.</p> - -<p>This base cowardice of the assailants added courage -and resolution to the defenders; therefore, not compelled -by want, but rather to brave the rebels, they sallied out -of the Castle, and brought eight cows and a bull into the -fortress without a single man being even wounded.</p> - -<p>The rebels, having spent much time and ammunition, -and some men, were now as far from taking the Castle -as on the first day they began. At last the Earl of -Warwick sent them 150 sailors, with several cart-loads of -ammunition and scaling ladders, to take the Castle by -assault. Rewards were offered to those who first should -scale the walls: twenty pounds to the first, and smaller -sums to those who should follow; but all this could not -avail with these poor wretches, who were brought hither -like sheep to the slaughter. Some of the rebel party had -actually exchanged certain death by the rope for that of -a chance death by bullets, as some of them were actually -condemned criminals let out of prison.</p> - -<p>On finding that money rewards and persuasion could<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</span> -not prevail with such abject, low-spirited men, the rebel -commanders resolved to give their men strong drink, -knowing that drunkenness makes some men fight like -lions, who when sober are as cowardly as hares. The only -man who was not the worse for drink, says the chronicler, -with biting sarcasm, was the commander of the party, -Sir Walter Erle, who kept himself sober lest he should -become valiant against his will.</p> - -<p>Being now possessed with a borrowed courage, the -rebels divided their forces into two parties, whereof one -assaulted the middle ward, defended by valiant Captain -Laurence and the greater part of the soldiers; while the -other assaulted the upper ward, which Lady Bankes—“to -her eternal honour be it spoken,” says the chronicler—with -her daughter, women-servants, and five soldiers, -undertook to defend against the rebels. And what she -undertook she bravely performed, for by heaving over -stones and hot embers, they repelled the rebels and kept -them from climbing the ladders. Thus repulsed, and -having lost one hundred men, Sir Walter Erle, on hearing -that the King’s forces were advancing, ran away, leaving -Sydenham as commander-in-chief, who, afraid to appear, -kept sanctuary in Corfe Church till nightfall, meaning to -sup and run away by starlight; but, supper being ready -and set on the table, an alarm was given that the King’s -forces were coming. This news took away Sydenham’s -appetite; so, leaving artillery, ammunition, and last, but -not least, his good supper, the rebels all ran away to take -boat for Poole, leaving on the shore about one hundred -horses, which proved a valuable prize next day to the -soldiers of the Castle.</p> - -<p>Thus, after six weeks’ strict siege, Corfe Castle, the -desire of the enemy, by the loyalty and brave resolution -of Lady Bankes, the valour of Captain Laurence and some -eighty soldiers, was delivered from the bloody intentions -of these merciless rebels on August 4th, 1643.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</span></p> - -<p>Few portions of the kingdom were now undisturbed, -and civil war shook the domestic happiness of both the -highest and the lowest of the land.</p> - -<p>Poor Sir John Bankes, on his return home from circuit, -found his wife ready to welcome him within the battered -walls of his castle. His wife had become a heroine during -his long absence from home, and his children had endless -stories to relate of their invincible prowess in the days -of danger. He found his castle safe and his property -preserved; but Corfe Church had been desecrated and -unroofed, the shops in the little town had been plundered, -and all that would burn of the stone-built cottages around -had been destroyed by conflagration.</p> - -<p>There was much, however, at the moment to render -this a joyful meeting at Corfe Castle, for it seemed as if -the sun of the King’s fortune was about to ascend again. -But in 1644 the tide of royal success, which had flowed -so steadily through the western counties in the preceding -year, was now ebbing fast in the county of Dorset. On -June 16th, 1644, Weymouth surrendered to the Earl of -Essex, and three days afterwards Dorchester followed -suit. On August 10th, 1644, Colonel Sydenham and Sir -Anthony Ashley Cooper arrived with their troops before -the town of Wareham, and began to storm the outworks, -whereupon the town agreed to surrender.</p> - -<p>Corfe Castle was now almost the only place of strength -between Exeter and London which still held out for the -royal cause, and the constant valour of Lady Bankes, who -defended it, is to be estimated not so much by her -active enterprise and resistance in the hours of excitement -and attack as by her long endurance through tedious -weeks and months of anxiety, encompassed as she was -by threats and dangers on every side. She had now a -second winter to look forward to. All the neighbouring -towns had become hostile, and the only encouragement -and aid she could expect (her husband being absent, and -her sons quite young) was that of a garrison to consist of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</span> -soldiers brought from a distance, under the command of -officers who were little, if at all, known to her.</p> - -<p>Early in the winter the misfortune which she had -least reason to anticipate befell her, for on December 28th, -1644, her husband, the Chief Justice, died at Oxford. -On October 28th, 1645, more effective operations were -taken against Corfe Castle. Colonel Bingham, Governor -of Poole, had two regiments placed at his disposal for -this purpose, and on December 16th further reinforcements -were sent by General Fairfax.</p> - -<p>During the whole course of the Civil War no expedition -more gallant had occurred than that of January 29th -by a young officer named Cromwell: whether this young -Cromwell was related to the Protector is uncertain. -Hearing of the distressed condition of a widowed lady -shut up with her daughters in a closely-besieged castle, -Cromwell was resolved to make an effort for their relief. -Accompanied by a troop numbering 120 men, who shared -the gallantry of their commander, he set out, probably -from Oxford, and, marching with a degree of rapidity -which anticipated all intelligence of his design, he passed -through the quarters of Colonel Cooke undiscovered, and -came to Wareham.</p> - -<p>Colonel Butler, the Governor of Wareham, aware that -no troops were expected, took the alarm, barricaded his -lodgings, firing from thence upon his assailant; but the -royalist troop had no time to bestow on this attack. They -therefore set fire to a house in the vicinity which stood -near the powder magazine, and the Governor, thoroughly -frightened, consented to yield himself a prisoner. He -was carried, together with others, mounted behind -some of the triumphant troopers, to the foot of Corfe -Castle.</p> - -<p>Here a large rebel force was drawn up to oppose their -further progress; but the brave bearing of this little -troop, together with the shouts of welcome from the -besieged on the walls, induced the besiegers to give way.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</span> -The gallant band, having accomplished their purpose, -tendered their services to the lady, and presented also -for her acceptance the prisoners they had so bravely -captured.</p> - -<p>The object of this chivalrous action was probably an -offer of escape to the ladies from the Castle, which, however, -was not accepted. And on their return Colonel -Cromwell, with some of his troopers, were taken prisoners.</p> - -<p>The course of events now shifted rapidly, and though -Lady Bankes was still as intrepid as at first, it was not -so with all who were around her; for the captive -Governor of Wareham, Colonel Butler, prevailed on -Colonel Laurence (hitherto so trustworthy) not only to -connive at, but to accompany him in his flight. And there -was within the walls another traitor, Lieutenant-Colonel -Pitman, whose conduct was still more base, his treachery -far more fatal in its consequences. This officer in the -Castle garrison, being weary of the King’s service, let the -enemy know that if he might have a protection he would -deliver Corfe Castle to the Parliament. This treacherous -offer was accepted, and a protection order was sent to him -from London. On this, Pitman proposed to Colonel -Anketil, the Governor of the Castle, to fetch one -hundred men out of Somerset to add to the Corfe Castle -garrison. This proposal being approved, he formed a -design with the rebel, Colonel Bingham, who commanded -the siege, that under this pretence he should convey more -than one hundred men into the Castle, and as soon as -they were entered the besiegers should make an attack. -On this a hundred men were drawn out of Weymouth -garrison and marched to Lulworth Castle, where they were -joined by some thirty or forty more soldiers. Pitman led -them in the night to the port agreed upon for their -entrance, where Colonel Anketil was ready to receive -them. Some of these men already knew every part of -the interior of the Castle; but when fifty of these new -soldiers had entered, Colonel Anketil, seeing more in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</span> -rear, ordered the Sally Port to be closed, saying that there -were as many as he could dispose of. The crafty Pitman -expostulated on his causing him to bring these men so -far and then to expose them to the cold and to the enemy.</p> - -<p>Those of the fresh soldiers who entered took possession -of the King’s and Queen’s towers and the two platforms, -awaiting the time when the besiegers would make -an assault, it being then two hours after midnight. The -besieged, as soon as the fraud was discovered, fired and -threw down great stones upon these intruders, who, however, -maintained their posts. There were, in fact, only -six men of the garrison in the upper part of the Castle, -for that was considered impregnable. The remainder of -the defending force was placed in the lower ward, which -had hitherto been the post of danger. The besieging -forces, as soon as they saw their friends on the towers -and platforms, began to advance; and it was then clear -to the inmates of the Castle that they had been most -villainously betrayed. A parley was demanded, and an -agreement made that all lives should be spared, and -those who belonged to the town of Corfe should return -quietly to their houses; and the circumstance of a -Parliamentary officer being there with others of that -party, prisoners in the Castle, induced the besiegers to -offer conditions, which were accepted. But the truce was -broken almost at once, for two of the besiegers, anxious -for spoil, came over the wall by means of a ladder, whereupon -some of the Castle garrison fired on them, and the -risk of a free fight and general slaughter throughout the -Castle now began.</p> - -<p>Colonel Bingham was a descendant of a family long -known and highly respected in the county of Dorset, and -naturally could not but admire the courage of the lady -who was his foe, and he at once set about preserving -the lives of the 140 persons then within the Castle.</p> - -<p>This last siege is said, in Sprigg’s <i>Table of Battles and -Sieges</i>, to have lasted forty-eight days, during which eleven<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</span> -men were slain and five cannons taken. The exact date -of the fall of Corfe Castle is uncertain, but it was -probably in the last week of the month of February, 1646. -Thus, after a resistance of nearly three years’ duration, -brave Lady Bankes was dispossessed of the fortress, which -she continued to defend so long as a chance remained -for the preservation of the Crown.</p> - -<p>On March 5th, 1646, a vote passed the House of -Commons to demolish Corfe Castle. The decree was -ruthlessly carried into effect, and far more was, unfortunately, -done than was sufficient to render the Castle -utterly untenable for the future. Most of the towers were -undermined, whilst others had the soil removed from the -foundation preparatory to a similar process. Some were -blown up with gunpowder, whilst others, perhaps, sank -down by their own weight into the mines without the -aid of gunpowder.</p> - -<p>The work of plunder throughout the Castle was soon -accomplished; and there are not a few of the fair mansions -in Dorset which have been constructed in large measure -of the stone and timber carried away from Corfe Castle. -The rebels not only plundered the Castle, dividing -amongst them its sumptuous furniture (some of which -was traced by Sir Ralph Bankes, after the Restoration, -to the houses of county gentlemen, and some to dealers -in London), but even timber and stone were found to -have been appropriated by some gentlemen of the county -who supported the cause of Parliament. Most of the -lead was sold to a plumber of Poole.</p> - -<p>The halls, galleries, and other chambers throughout -the building were nobly decorated with rich tapestry -and carpeting and furniture, most of which had probably -remained since the splendid days of Sir Christopher -Hatton. And as to furniture and tapestry which existed -in the Castle, it is not a mere matter of conjecture, as -several of the things taken away are still extant. A<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</span> -<i>Perticular</i> (<i>sic</i>) of the goods viewed at Colonel Bingham’s -house gives a long list of beautiful tapestry, silk quilts, -and carpets, <i>e.g.</i>—</p> - -<p> -One piece of fine Tapestry to hang behind my Lady’s bed.<br /> -A rich ebony Cabinet with gilded Fixtures &c.<br /> -</p> - -<p>It is but fair to add that though Colonel Bingham -carried off this furniture from Corfe Castle to his own -private residence, he was by Act of Parliament of 1644 -not only ordered to confiscate property, but was threatened -with confiscation of his own if he failed or refused to act -as sequestrator.</p> - -<p>Lady Bankes’ death, as recorded on a monument of -white marble at Rislip, took place on April 11th, 1661. So -little was her death expected, that her eldest son was -married on the morning of the day on which she died.</p> - -<p>The following letters, in their quaint spelling, as to -the missing furniture from Corfe Castle, are characteristic:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>For my noble friend Sir Ralph Bankes at Chettle.</p> - -<p>From John Bingham Esq<sup>r</sup>. Bingham’s Melcombe.</p> - -<p> -Nobel sir,<br /> -</p> - -<p>My being in phisicke made me not to send an answer to your -servant’s letter last Sunday. I beseech you let it plead my excuse.</p> - -<p>Sir, I have a large bed, a single velvet red chair and a suite of fine -damask; had not the horse plague swept away my horses I would have -sent these to you. I beg that you’ll please to command one of your -servants to come to Blandford next Friday morning by 10 o’clock there -these things shall be ready for him at the Crowne Hotel.</p> - -<p>That yet a continual gale of happinefs may ever blow on you here -below the stars and that you may yet enjoy heaven hereafter is the real -wish of</p> - -<p> -Sir<br /> -Your very hearty servant<br /> -John Byngham.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Sir I humbly entreat the tender of my humbel service to my Ladey -Bankes.</p> -</div> - -<p>One other letter, having the same address, appears to -have been written within a few days of the date of the -former letter:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p> - -Nobel Sir,<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have sent to Blandford to be delivered your servant one large -bed, 2 blankets; the bed for 12 years since was opened by a wench -at my then house at Byngham’s Melcombe when I was in the Isle of -Guernsey and feathers stolne out and divers other such tricks done by -her in my being out of the land.</p> - -<p>I take the boldness to hint this trick to you likewise I have sent -to Blandford a full sute (that is as many as ever I had) of old -fine damask table cupboard cloths and napkins in particular two long -table cloths a large cupboard cloth, 2 towels long, a red velvet chaire.</p> - -<p>Sir, had I more as I promised yourself I would have sent it.</p> - -<p>Sir, the Linnen was but once used by me, but whited once in 2 years.</p> - -<p> -Your humble servant<br /> -John Byngham.<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>One large bed, minus the feathers, and one red velvet -chair, appear to constitute the amount of furniture -recovered by Sir Ralph Bankes from the hands of the -sequestrators; and Sir Ralph ought to have considered -himself very fortunate inasmuch as these sequestrators -had not made away with the estates themselves.</p> - -<p>Sir Ralph Bankes did not live to witness another -revolution, or to see the final expulsion of the royal race -in whose cause his family had suffered so severely: he -completed the mansion at Kingston Lacy, and died when -his son was under age.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The original MS. of the old Corfe Castle legend of -the Christmas Pie is still said to be in existence in the -Muniment Room at Kingston Lacy amongst the other -Corfe Castle documents.</p> - -<p>Lady Bankes’ grandmother, Mrs. Hawtrey, was happy -in the birth of many daughters, who were well instructed -in all the maidenly duties of that good and pious time. -Of the use of the needle, and the Greek and Latin -tongues, none could surpass them; and as to playing on -the virginals and clavycorde, it was wonderful to listen<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</span> -to them. But Mistress Hawtrey did most insist on every -young maiden knowing the cookcraft (for so did she style -it) of the kitchen.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Beauty fadeth like a flower.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Music can little delight the husband</div> - <div class="verse indent0">When he becometh hard of hearing,</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p class="pnind">she would say; and then solemnly add:</p> - -<p class="center"> -The best cook doth always secure the best husband.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Now, to preserve the early lessons so taught to her -daughters, from the day when they could first rest their -little chins upon the dresser, she did have them fully -instructed in this art of cooking. And then did she -require of them all a promise, strictly to be observed, that -on every Christmas Day in every year these her daughters -should themselves prepare and set forth upon her table -a number of mince-pies equalling exactly in the sum of -them the number of years since the day of her so happy -marriage; and so it was that when she had been married -fifty-nine years complete there did appear upon her table -fifty-nine mince-pies. But in the following year her -daughters conspired how, for the yet greater satisfaction -and surprised pleasure of this their beloved parent, they -did, with great labour and curiosity of art, continue one -great and noble pie a born baby might rest therein; -and this they filled with those many and rare refections -suitable to the great work they had in hand: to complete -the whole did they upraise on the crown of the crust the -letters L X—two letters large and noble—clearly denoting -thereby the three-score returns of that fertile marriage-day -from whence themselves were so happily sprung. The -knowledge of this rare structure is withheld from the -good old dame until the hall is decked with Christmas -garnishings. The pie is placed upon the table, and the -old lady entereth and is seated, but the beholding of this -pie hath an effect on this good old lady far differing from -that which then her beloved offspring intended. Alas!<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</span> -she cannot touch a morsel. A novelty so strange she -cannot realise, nor can she digest the ancient promise -broken. Mayhap she did apprehend whether an ape -should leap forth, or a dwarf, or a Denmark owl, for such -conceits had been known at the banquets of persons of -high condition. Be this as it may, the old lady is carried -to her chamber in a swoon; her daughters like demented -beings hurry to and fro—nothing is left unendeavoured -on their parts. The medicine chest is unclosed. Scores -of healthful medicaments are brought forth. They give -to her of them all: yet did the good old lady die, and -was laid straight and quiet in her coffin, before the mince-pie -had sufficient time to cool.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="POOLE">POOLE</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By W. K. Gill</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/s.jpg" alt="S" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">OME, even of those who know a little of Poole, -may wonder at the idea that a town so modern -to all appearance should have anything of -antiquity about it. To the motorist, bound -westward from Bournemouth, Poole is a place with an -irritating railway crossing at one end, and an equally -provoking bridge at the other. And even to a visitor it -will appear but as a commonplace business town—a town of -tramcars and electric lights, with a big gasworks on the -most approved principles, with wharves piled with timber -and quays black with coal, where the colliers come -in and out through a fleet of red-sailed barges and big -white timber-ships; a town whose very Church and Guildhall -are modern, and to whose past only a neglected and -mutilated stone building on the Quay bears the slightest -witness. But could we open the jealously-guarded -charter-chest, and unroll one ancient document after -another; could we summon the shadowy file of noble and -royal benefactors, from the famous Crusader, the Gordon -of his age, who granted the first charter, to that Queen of -famous memory, who gave us the last—then, indeed, we -should have a pageant fit to compare with that of any -town in Dorset. But Poole’s true pageant would be on -the water, where, too, the harbour would give her an -antiquity not her own. Roman bireme and Saxon keel, -Danish longship and Norman galley, quaint craft of -Plantagenet and Tudor, strong-stemmed Newfoundlander,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</span> -and raking privateer of the great French War—the -shipping that has sailed in that harbour would bring us -down from the Roman period to the long black destroyers -of our own day which sometimes lie in main channel -from Stakes to Saltern’s Pier. The memories of Poole -are not in her ruins, but in her records; for the swift -keel leaves no mark, and there is no more trace of the -destroyers that lay there last year than of Knut’s long -ships that lay there nine hundred years ago.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_222fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_222fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Town Cellars, Poole.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>But let us stroll slowly through the town from the -railway station, not by the High Street, but by way of the -Guildhall and the Church of St. James the Apostle, down -to the Quay, noting, as we go, the signs and vestiges of -past days. A few paces from the station is the old town -boundary, denoted by a boundstone let into the wall, and -this is all that remains to mark the position of the -embattled gate erected by charter from Henry VI., and -destroyed by order of Charles II.—the embattled gate -recorded by Leland that turned back Prince Maurice in -the great Civil War. It is amusing to note how Clarendon -“veils his wrath in scornful word” as he tells how “in -Dorsetshire the enemy had only two little fisher towns, -Poole and Lyme.” Here was the main entrance from the -north through the fortified gate that gave the name of -Towngate Street. (The southern entrance was by ferry, -and this way came Leland, the great Tudor antiquary.) -There was a sharp fight at this point during the Civil War, -mementos of which in the shape of three small cannon-balls -were dug up last year, and are now in the local -Museum. The story may be summarised thus: Poole as -a seaport was of great importance, and the King’s party -were most anxious to get hold of it. Attempts were made -to corrupt a dashing young partisan leader, Captain -Francis Sydenham, of Wynford Eagle (brother of the -famous doctor, also a soldier then), who was constantly -out on raiding expeditions. Sydenham pretended to yield, -but arranged with the Governor, Captain John Bingham,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</span> -of Bingham’s Melcombe, to have a little surprise for the -cavaliers. Accordingly, when Lord Crawford with horse -and foot came by night to the outworks that guarded the -causeway over the fosse, he was admitted within the half-moon, -but found the gates fast, while the cannon and -musketry opened on him from the wall. The darkness -favoured him, however, and he escaped, but with some -loss of men, and more of horses. The small cannon-balls -above mentioned were in all probability some of those -fired at the Royalists from the wall. This wall, as has -been said, was razed by order of Charles II., a retaliation, -possibly, for the part Poole had played in the destruction -of Corfe Castle. The fosse long remained, and, having -been deepened in fear of Prince Charlie as late as 1745, -some portion was traceable within the memory of living -persons.</p> - -<p>A few years after, the King had an opportunity of -seeing how his order had been carried out—for, the Court -being at Salisbury, to avoid the Plague in 1665, he and -some of the courtiers went touring about East Dorset, -and one day was spent at Poole. So on September 15th -a brilliant company rode into the town by the old -causeway. There was the King himself, harsh-featured -indeed, but easy and gracious in bearing; Lauderdale, -with his coarse features and lolling tongue; Ashley, with -his hollow cheeks and keen eyes; Arlington, another of -the afterwards infamous Cabal; and, among the rest, but -the centre of all attraction, the handsome, boyish face of -Monmouth. Ashley was well known in Poole, and many -a grim Puritan soldier must have muttered Scriptural -curses on his old commander, who had turned courtier for -the nonce, but who could not foresee the day when the -flags in the port should be half-mast for him, and when -his body should be brought from his place of exile in -Holland, and the hearse should pass along the very road -he had just ridden so gallantly to the old church of -Wimborne St. Giles. Still less could young Monmouth<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</span> -foresee the day when, twenty years later, turning and -doubling like a hunted hare, he should cross that road in -his desperate and vain effort to reach the shelter of the -great Forest. And little did his father think that Antony -Etricke, “learned in the laws of England,” whom he -appointed Recorder of Poole, should be the man before -whom his favourite son would be brought for identification. -Down the street rode the gay cavalcade—plumed -hats, curled wigs, velvets and laces, gallant horses and all—over -the open ground that extended halfway down -the town, till they came to the house of Peter Hiley, -which then stood about opposite where now is the -National and Provincial Bank. The house has long since -gone, but there they were entertained by Peter Hall, the -Mayor; and afterwards the King went on the water to -Brownsea, “and took an exact view of the said island, -castle, bay, and this harbour, to his great contentment.” -For many a day this visit was remembered, and the cause -of the hapless Monmouth was popular in Poole, so that -before his final attempt to reach the Forest he had entertained -the idea of escaping to Poole, and there taking -ship for Holland. A ghastly little note from the Deputy-Mayor -of Poole, instructing the tything-men of Higher -Lytchett to take delivery of certain heads and quarters -of rebels executed in Poole, and to set them up at the -cross-roads, is still in existence, and testifies to the -executions of the Bloody Assize.</p> - -<p>Further down the street comes a cluster of houses that -belong to a widely different period, both in the history -of the town and of the country. The almshouses, dated -1812, with Nile and Trafalgar Rows on one side, and -Wellington Row, 1814, a little way below on the other, -recall the great French War, when the open ground at -this end of Poole, still called The Parade, though now -built over, was the place of exercise for the troops -constantly quartered here. In 1796, the 33rd, then -Colonel Wellesley’s, regiment was here, and the Colonel’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</span> -quarters were over the water at the old manor-house at -Hamworthy. But the almshouses, built by a famous -Newfoundland merchant, George Garland, bring back -quite a different set of memories. Curiously enough, the -well-known trade with Newfoundland was at its zenith -during the later years of the great war. The English -fleet had swept the foreign flag off the seas, and the -trade had fallen to the Union Jack. But the trade -dated from the time of Queen Elizabeth, and lasted till -the middle of the Victorian age. At first the little ships -went out year by year, in the season, and returned with -their cargoes of oil and fish and skins, without making -any stay on the island—little ships of forty to fifty tons, -but manned by daring seamen, who faced the Atlantic -storms and the Turkish pirates, as well as French or -Spanish enemies, year in, year out, with no record save -now and then an incidental mention, as when the Mayor -of Poole complains to the Privy Council in 1625 of the -danger that the fishing fleets ran from the Turkish pirates, -Sallee rovers, and the like. In after years settlements -were made, and the Poole merchants had their establishments -on the island, from which they supplied the -fishermen; but the truck system was the only one in -vogue, and the oils and fish and seal-pelts were paid for -in goods only, the value of which was fixed by the -merchant, who thus got his cargoes at his own price, -and, buying his supplies wholesale in England, made, -naturally, very large profits.</p> - -<p>For many years Poole and Newfoundland were intimately -connected, but the trade gradually fell off as other -countries entered into competition, and the carelessness, -bred by monopoly, made the Poole merchants far too -independent and unenterprising.</p> - -<p>Not far down the street lived a merchant of another -sort. Sir Peter Thompson, born in Poole, but for the -greater part of his life residing in London, where he -carried on a large trade with Hamburg, built for his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</span> -retirement the fine old Georgian house long used as a -hospital. The carved doorway, with its crest and motto, -“<i>Nil conscire sibi</i>” (not, by-the-bye, the one usually -assigned to Sir Peter, which is “<i>Nulla retrorsum</i>”); the -arms and crest displayed above the doorway, and the -height and proportion of the street front, give an air of -dignity to the building strangely in contrast with the -neat little villas recently put up opposite. The house dates -from the time of Prince Charlie, who, indirectly, was -the cause of Sir Peter’s knighthood. As High Sheriff of -Surrey, the fine old Whig presented a loyal address to -George II. when the throne was in danger after Prestonpans, -and received the honour of knighthood as a mark of -the King’s appreciation. It was in the next year, the year -of Culloden, that Sir Peter began the house in which -he meant to spend the close of an honourable life in the -company of early friends, and in the collection of rare -manuscripts and objects of interest, scientific and antiquarian, -for he was both an F.R.S. and an F.A.S.; he -also aided Hutchins in his monumental <i>History of -Dorset</i>. Respected for his talents and loved for his kindness, -he lived there for some years in dignified ease, and -died in 1770.</p> - -<p>As yet it will be observed that we have had comparatively -modern memories of Poole; but as we go -nearer to the Quay, which is the most important element -in Poole past and present, we come to older and older -buildings, or rather parts of buildings, for it is a feature -in the town that the constant, active life of the place has -renewed, and so covered up, the old buildings, unlike places -whose vigour has long ebbed away and left them with -their antiquities unaltered to sleep away the remainder of -their allotted time,</p> - -<p> -And keep the flame from wasting by repose.<br /> -</p> - -<p>And so we pass the modern Guildhall—the old Guildhall -was very suitably placed in Fish Street, on the other<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</span> -side of the town, with the gaol, in which John Wesley’s -grandfather was imprisoned, under it—and down the -market till we pause before the oldest almshouses, where -the authorities have put up an inscription which tells all -that is certainly known of the buildings, viz., that they -were first erected about the time of Henry IV., were the -property of one of the mediæval religious guilds, the -Guild of St. George, and were seized by the Crown in the -time of Edward VI., and afterwards sold to the Corporation. -The lower portion and the old wall at the back—in -fact, the stonework—may be as old as the days of -Joan of Arc, but there has, of course, been a great deal -of alteration and rebuilding. Speaking of Joan of Arc, -it may be mentioned that John, Duke of Bedford, Regent -of France, under whose rule she was burned, was Lord -of Canford and of Poole, and a few years ago his seal -was dug up in cleaning out a ditch on the Hamworthy-Lytchett -road. St. James’ Church is, of course, new, -though built on the site of the old church, a print of -which, with its “handsome tower, covered with a cupola -of tin, quite round, in the fashion of a cup,” is given in -Sydenham’s <i>History of Poole</i>, a work of special merit, -written by a competent antiquary, and full of information. -Some of the old monumental inscriptions are preserved in -the church, notably one to Captain Peter Joliffe. This -worthy representative of the old Poole seamen distinguished -himself in a sea-fight off Purbeck as follows:—Cruising -with only two men in a small vessel, the “Sea -Adventurer,” he saw a French privateer make prey of a -Weymouth fishing-boat. Though the Frenchman was -vastly superior in strength, he boldly attacked him, drove -him off, recovered the prize, and then, following up his -first success, manœuvred so skilfully as to drive him -ashore near Lulworth, where the vessel was broken to -pieces and the crew made prisoners. King William III., -hearing of this brave deed, sent Captain Peter a gold -medal and chain, with a special inscription. This was not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</span> -his only exploit, and in later years George I. made him -military commander of the town. His great-grandson, -the Rev. Peter Joliffe, of Sterte, is still remembered as -the pattern of a good rector.</p> - -<p>Old Poole, as we have noted, clustered round St. James’ -Church and the old Guildhall, and, as the remains testify, -was mainly of stone, with the stone-flag roofs, that remind -one of their Purbeck home. Very near to the church, in -the yard of the St. Clement’s Inn, is a small battlemented -gateway, supposed to have been a water-gate, a view -which has been lately confirmed by the traces of seaweed -revealed in digging. This is very probably the piece of -wall of which Leland speaks as having been built by -Richard III., who “promised large things to the town of -Poole.” Hence, when “Richmond was on the seas,” and -his storm-driven ship appeared off Sandbanks, an attempt -was made to inveigle him on shore; but a warier man -than Henry Tudor did not breathe, and, to the disappointment -of the authorities, “he weighed up his anchor, -halsed up his sails, and having a prosperous and streeinable -wind, and a fresh gale sent even by God to deliver him -from that peril, arrived safe in Normandy.”</p> - -<p>Older than the piece of wall, older than the almshouses, -and older, indeed, than anything else in Poole, is -that much-battered, much-altered building now known -as the Town Cellars. The Great Cellar, or King’s Hall, -or Woolhouse, to give it the various names it was once -known by, was in all probability, as the names import, -a place in which goods were stored. It was always manor -property, rented by the Corporation in later years, but -more likely originally a place used by the lords of the -manor of Canford to store the dues levied in kind, to -which they were entitled by the charter of Longespée. On -the inner side stood a small prison called the Salisbury, -also belonging to the manor, and by this were the stocks, -still remembered by old people. Modern conjecture, -catching at the ecclesiastical appearance of the pointed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</span> -doorways and cusped windows, and ignoring the fact -that such features were common to sacred and -secular buildings alike, has imagined a monastery -here, but the utter absence of evidence, the absolute -silence of all records, the fact, too, that Leland, who visited -Poole, and mentions all of importance from the antiquary’s -point of view, has nothing to say of any such institution, -and, finally, the authority of Abbot Gasquet, whose note -on the subject may be given in full—“Poole, ‘A Friary,’ -<i>No friary: the grant 3 Edward VI. seems to have been of -gild property</i>”—seem to be conclusive against the theory. -The place has been cut right through by the street from -St. James’ Church to the Quay, and is so shown on the -revised Ordnance Map, while the original block is entire -in a plan of Poole dated 1768. It must have been very -narrow in proportion to its width, and parts of the work -are very roughly executed. Possibly this is the “fair -town house of stone on the Kay” of which Leland speaks, -unmutilated in his day. Old and battered as it is, no -inhabitant of the town should view it without reverence, -for it is part of the long past. Built about the end of -Edward the Third’s reign, it must have played its part in -stirring times. Poole, during the Hundred Years’ War, -was a place of much importance, and shared in the ups -and downs of that long war—now helping to take Calais, -and again destroyed in the great raid of John de Vienne, -who paid with fire and sword in the declining years of -Edward the score run up at Cressy and Calais and Poitiers. -The old building was the centre of a fierce struggle about -five hundred years ago. At that time the port of Poole -was a thorn in the side of Frenchman and Spaniard, and -its leader, Henry Paye, was the dread of the Channel -and of the shores of the Bay of Biscay. The Drake of -his age, half admiral and half pirate, he was commander -of the King’s ships one year and raiding the Spanish -coast the next. It is a Spanish chronicle that lifts -the veil for a moment and shows us the Poole of the</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</span></p> - -<p>Plantagenets clustering round the Church of St. James and -along the Quay, its inhabitants ready at a moment’s notice -for war; archers and men-at-arms mustering to the warcry; -the very doors so constructed that they could be -used as “pavaisses,” or large shields, against the murderous -cross-bow bolts—everything betokening a population -living in a state of war, and revealing a lively picture of -the coast towns when there was no regular fleet, and self-help -was the order of the day. We owe this glimpse to -the Spanish <i>Cronica del Conde D. Pero Niño</i>, the -substance of which, as far as it affects Poole, is given by -Southey in his <i>Naval History of England</i>. The attack -on Poole was a revenge raid in consequence of Henry -Paye’s doings on the Spanish coast. Early in the morning -the joint Spanish and French fleet entered the -harbour, and the Spaniards landed. Taken by surprise, -with their leader away, the men of Poole proved their -mettle. A large building (which we, without hesitation, -identify with the Town Cellars), full of arms and sea-stores, -was fiercely defended, and when this had been -carried by assault and set on fire, the fighting was continued -in the streets. So terrible was the hail of shafts that -the Spaniards recoiled, and only the landing of fresh men -enabled them at last to drive back the English. Henry -Paye’s brother led the townsmen with great gallantry, but -was killed on the spot, and then, apparently, his men drew -off. The Spaniards and their French allies, who at first -held aloof, but came bravely to help when the first repulse -took place, then returned to their ships with a few -prisoners; and the curtain again falls.</p> - -<p>And so we leave the old town while yet the smoke -broods sullenly over the Town Cellars, and the warcry -of Spain yet echoes among the narrow stone streets of -the East Quay.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="BRIDPORT">BRIDPORT</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot, M.A.</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcapi" - src="images/i.jpg" alt="I" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">N the days when vikings, pirates, and roving sea-dogs -ruled the waves it was a decided advantage for the -shipping merchant to reside in a port which lay a -mile or so up a river-mouth rather than on the -coast itself. Fourteenth century Weymouth folk knew -this to their cost. Dwellers they were in a growing -hamlet on the sea-coast, with no church of their own, so -they had to walk over the hill to Mass at Wyke Regis. -Whilst thus employed in pious worship, down swooped the -French ships on their defenceless abodes, and when they -returned to their Sunday dinner their homesteads were a -smouldering ash-heap. After that, they decided to build -a chapel of their own on high ground, whence the eye of -the watchman could sweep the horizon in search of -strange craft.</p> - -<p>Such a sudden surprise as this could never have -occurred at Bridport. Following Wareham’s good -example, the builders of this ancient town had an eye -to communication by land and sea. They hugged the -Roman Road, and at the same time they lay snug up a -river-mouth. The Brit, which rises in the upland slopes of -Axnoller Hill, amidst some of the finest Wessex scenery, -after a short course through Beaminster Town, past the -beautiful Tudor mansion of Parnham and the villages of -Netherbury and Melplash, unites with the Symene and -the Asker streams at Bridport Town, and thence flows -into West Bay, a mile further on, at Bridport Harbour.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</span></p> - -<p>Whether in Roman times this place had any importance -cannot now be definitely determined. If, however, -the name of the station, <i>Londinis</i>, on the Icen Way from -Dorchester to Exeter, be but a Latinised form of -<i>Lyndaen</i>—<i>i.e.</i>, “Broad Pool”—then there is reason to -believe that Bridport High Street, which runs along the -edge of Bradpole parish, is on the old Roman Road. That -Bradpole was only a hamlet of Bridport is shown by the -fact that not until the year 1527 had the former parish -any right to bury its parishioners anywhere except in the -churchyard of the latter place. The evidence of the -name of the town certainly favours Roman occupation; -“port” in this case is not derived from a personal source; -this is the “door, or gate, of the Brit.”</p> - -<p>We have more clear evidence of its growing importance -in the Saxon period. The name of its western -suburb, “Allington,” is always in mediæval days written -“Athelington,” “the town of the nobles.” Hence the -fashion in modern London of the aristocracy flocking to -the “West End,” is, after all, only an imitation of an -example set by Bridport long years ago. In Edward the -Confessor’s reign one hundred and twenty houses stood -in this Dorset town, which, in comparison with the other -towns of the county, came next to Dorchester and Wareham. -Bridport, too, had a mint of its own, and its mint-master -paid well for the privilege of coining.</p> - -<p>The Norman Conquest does not appear to have been -an unmixed blessing in these parts. In <i>Domesday Survey</i> -the town is shown to have gone back considerably. -Twenty houses are stated to be desolate, and the people -impoverished. All these bad times, however, had passed -away before the reign of King John, when Bridport was -already famous for its manufacture of rope, sailcloth, and -nets, and these have been its staple industries down to -modern days. As early as the year 1211 the Sheriff of -Dorset paid the goodly sum of £48 9s. 7d. for 1,000 yards -“of cloth by the warp to make sails of ships, and for 3,000<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</span> -weights of hempen thread according <i>to Bridport weight</i> -for making ships’ cables, and 39 shillings for the expenses -of Robert the Fisher whilst he stayed at Bridport to -procure his nets.” Let us hope “Bridport weight” was, -as it is now, specially good for the price.</p> - -<p>Residents in the town in these days are almost tired -of the threadbare witticism about the “Bridport dagger,” -but, for the sake of the uninitiated, it must be repeated -here. When anyone wished to speak tenderly of some -person who died at the hangman’s hand, he described him -as being “stabbed with a Bridport dagger.” John Leland, -the itinerant chronicler of the days of Henry VIII., came -here and heard the joke, but it never penetrated his -prosaic skull, so he gravely recorded in his note-book: -“At Bridporth be made good daggers.” Suffice it to -say that Newgate was duly supplied in those days -(as the old Morality play, <i>Hycke Scorner</i>, tells us) with:</p> - -<p> -Ones a yere some taw halters of Burporte.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Whilst an Act of Parliament of 1528 says that “time out -of mind they had used to make within the town for the -most part all the great cables, ropes, hawsers, and all -other tackling for the Royal Navy.” This industry has -left its mark upon the architecture of the place. The -streets are broad, to allow every house its “rope walk.” -Some fine examples of mediæval domestic architecture are -extant, notably the one now used as the Conservative Club -on the east side of South Street, evidently a merchant’s -house of Tudor days.</p> - -<p>Few country towns were so rich in ecclesiastical -foundations as was Bridport in the Middle Ages. It -possessed the present Parish Church of St. Mary, which -then had seven altars and numerous chantries; after much -restoration (during which the tomb of a great-grandson -of Edward I. perished), it is even now a noble example -of the piety of prosperous merchants. There were, -besides, the churches of St. Andrew, where now the Town<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</span> -Hall stands, and St. Swithun, in Allington. Other -religious foundations included the Priory, now the rope -factory; the double chantry chapel of St. Michael, where -now is extant only the lane of that name; the Hospital -of St. John, at the East Bridge; the Mawdelyn Leper -House, in Allington; and the Chapel of St. James, in -Wyke’s Court Lane. One can well imagine that clerical -interests might sometimes clash amidst such a galaxy of -places for worship. In fact, in the reign of Henry VIII. -Sir John Strangwayes, Steward of the Borough, lodged a -complaint with the Chancellor of the Diocese “against the -disorder of certain chantry priests residing at Bridport.” -This was evidently a harbinger of the coming dissolution -of monastic foundations, which confined the worship of -the town to two churches under one rector.</p> - -<p>By far the greatest interest of old Bridport is centred -in its immensely valuable Borough Records. These -include a vast collection of old deeds of Plantagenet times -more or less connected with the history of the whole -county, whilst the copies of sixty-five mediæval wills, -ranging from 1268 to 1460, are of unique interest and -importance, dating, as so many of them do, before 1383, -when the Records of the Prerogative Wills of Canterbury -commence. In addition to these, a very complete series -of borough charters is preserved amongst these records. -Bridport was a self-governing town, with the privileges -of a Royal Borough, long before 1252, when its first -charter was granted by King Henry III. This was -probably soon lost, for the same King, on May 5th, -1270, affixed his seal to another, which recites its predecessor -thus:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The King, having inspected the rolls of his Chancery, finds that -at the time when Peter de Chacepoler was keeper of his wardrobe, -the men of Bridport paid thirty marks, and in return received a -charter, etc.</p> -</div> - -<p>From that time onward each Sovereign seems to have -extorted a nice little donation for renewing the charter,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</span> -each document growing in size and verbosity compared -with the one which it supplanted, right down to the reign -of James II.</p> - -<p>Amongst the books possessed by the Corporation, the -most ancient carries us back to old Bridport from a legal -point of vision. It is the law-book of Richard Laurence, -M.P., who lived from about 1300 to 1361. In it he has -recorded copies of all the Acts of Parliament which would -be likely to come in useful to him in his legal profession. -Beginning from Magna Charta itself, he could turn to -this volume, and at a glance see what punishments were -enacted against coin-clippers, false measures, brewers of -too mild ale, or even against bigamists. Many are the -entries referring to nautical affairs, showing how often he -must have been consulted by busy Dorset mariners. -How many a six and eightpence this worthy lawyer of -six centuries ago made out of this book! On one page -he records a matter less prosaic—his daughter’s birthday. -There were no parish registers then, so he writes:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Laurentia, the second daughter of Richard and Petronel Laurencz, -was born on the vigil of Saint Petronilla, being Whitsun Eve, in the -12th year of King Edward III. (1338).</p> -</div> - -<p>He who so often made other people’s wills at last made his -own on July 26th, 1361, which is duly preserved amongst -the muniments.</p> - -<p>Another volume—the old dome-book of the borough—contains -amidst solemn minutes of meetings of the -Corporation back in the days of the Edwards, many quaint -little quibbles. The writer evidently dotted down on a -fly-leaf the following as being a very good witticism -which, in the relaxation following a heavy session, some -worthy Bridport alderman of old told to beguile away the -weariness of his fellow civic fathers: “I will cause you to -make a cross, and, without any interference, you will be -unable to leave the house without breaking that cross.” -This is how it was to be done: “Clasp a post fixed in the -house, and make a cross with your extended arms, and then<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</span> -how can you go out without breaking that cross.” Here is -another, after the “blind beggar’s brother” pattern: “A -pear tree bore all the fruit that a pear tree ought to bear, -and yet it did not bear pears. What is the answer?” -“Well, it only bore one pear.” Somewhat childish, -certainly, but such little “catches” as these delighted the -mediæval conversationalist; and do they not show that -human nature has ever been the same? An interesting sidelight -is thrown upon the clock trade of those days by a -document dated 1425, whereby Sir John Stalbrygge, priest, -was paid three shillings and fourpence for “keeping the -clock on St. Andrew’s Church.” Matters horological in -the Middle Ages were almost entirely in the hands of the -church. The clergy and monks were the clock-makers -and menders; witness the Glastonbury Clock in Wells -Cathedral, the Wimborne Clock, and others. Was not -Pope Sylvester himself, when a priest, the inventor -of an improved timepiece? Hence it appears that for -nearly six centuries the townsmen have turned their eyes -towards that same spot where still the town clock chimes -out the fleeting hours.</p> - -<p>A word about the Bridport Harbour and its vicissitudes. -In early days there were numerous contentions -between the citizens and the monks of Caen, who owned -the manor of Burton; at other times they were disputing -with the Abbot of Cerne or the Prior of Frampton, who -apparently wished to debar them from salving their own -ships when wrecked outside the harbour. Vessels were -small enough to be beached in those days; when ships -were increased in size, the Haven was built, in the year -1385, but it proved not such a success as was anticipated. -Apparently during most of the next century every county -in the south of England was canvassed for subscriptions -towards Bridport Harbour; all sorts of expedients were -devised to raise money. In 1446 was drawn up a -portentous document, still extant, known as an indulgence, -granting pardons to all those who should contribute to this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</span> -object. It was signed by one archbishop, two cardinals, -and twelve bishops. Armed with this deed, John Greve, -Proctor for the town, started round collecting. He writes -a pitiful letter on May Day, 1448, from Dartford, in Kent, -detailing how his sub-collector, John Banbury, “sumtime -bellman of Lodres,” had decamped with six weeks’ -collections, besides stealing his “new chimere of grey -black russet, and a crucifix with a beryl stone set therein.” -Nor could he find the rogue, for he says, “He took his -leave on St. George’s Day, and so bid me farewell, and -I have ridden and gone far to seek him—more than forty -miles about—and I cannot hear of him.”</p> - -<p>A few interesting survivals of old Bridport have come -down to modern times in the shape of place-names. -“Bucky Doo” passage, between the Town Hall and the -“Greyhound,” is suggestive of the rustic rabbit or the -rural roebuck; but it is simply the old name, “Bocardo,” -originally a syllogism in logic, which was here, as at -Oxford, applied to the prison because, just as a Bocardo -syllogism always ended in a final negative, so did a compulsory -visit to the Bocardo lock-up generally mean a -closer acquaintance with the disciplinary use of “the -Bridport dagger,” and a final negative to the drama of -life. Stake Lane has been altered to Barrack Street in -modern times. Gyrtoppe’s House, in Allington, carries us -back to the year 1360, when Sir Nicholas Gyrtoppe was -Chantry Priest of St. Michael’s, Bridport. It may be -mentioned that a pretty but utterly groundless story of -the origin of this name has been told, viz., that King -Charles II., when a fugitive from Worcester fight, had -to “girth up” Miss Juliana Coningsby’s saddle trappings -at this spot in 1652: hence the term “girth up.”</p> - -<p>Much could be written of the Civil War days -concerning this place. How the Roundheads voted £10 -(November 29th, 1642) to fortify (!) the town. How the -Corporation met, and voted as follows:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>1642, 14th December.—It is agreed that the inhabitants that have -muskets shall watch at night in turn; that a watch house shall be -erected at each bridge; that eight of the Commoners shall watch at -night and eight by day, two at each of the three bridges, one in Stake -Lane, and one in Weak’s Lane.</p> -</div> - -<p>On June 10th, 1643, Lieutenant Lee garrisoned the -place for the Parliament; on March 16th following, -Captain Pyne, with a party from Lyme, captured the town -and took 140 horse. Waller was here six months later -(September 24th) raising the posse with 2,000 horse and -1,500 dragoons. Suffice it to say that Bridport preferred -to keep as clear as possible from civil turmoil.</p> - -<p>As for the romantic story of the escape of Charles II. -after the battle of Worcester, and how he was nearly -captured here, the reader is referred to Chapter I. for -the full account.</p> - -<p>The Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion brings us to the -end of our interest in Old Bridport. It was on Sunday -morning, June 13th, 1685, that the whole place was thrown -into a ferment by a surprise attack on the town delivered -by three hundred of Monmouth’s rebels from Lyme Regis. -Lord Grey commanded them, and after a night march and -on arrival at dawn having at the first volley routed the -Dorset militia of 1,200 foot with 100 horse, they started -making prisoners of the officers who were lodging at the -“Bull” hotel. In this latter work, two Dorset men of -good family fell victims—Edward Coker and Wadham -Strangwayes—being slain by the rebels, who, after the -first flush of victory, disregarded ordinary precautions, and -when the King’s troops rallied they had to beat an -ignominious retreat to Lyme. Judge Jeffreys finished -the work by ordering twelve of the condemned rebels to -be executed at Bridport. To any student of that period -of history the unique collection of autographs, broadsides, -songs, and portraits, including the pre-Sedgemoor letter -from Lord Dumblane to his father, the Duke of Leeds—all -which are contained in the library of Mr. Broadley, of -Bridport—are absolutely indispensable.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="SHAFTESBURY">SHAFTESBURY</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A.</span></p> - - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Shaston, the ancient British Palladour, was, and is, in itself the city -of a dream. Vague imaginings of its castle, its three mints, its magnificent -apsidal abbey, the chief glory of South Wessex, its twelve churches, -its shrines, chantries, hospitals, its gabled free-stone mansions—all now -ruthlessly swept away—throw the visitor, even against his will, into a -pensive melancholy, which the stimulating atmosphere and limitless -landscape around him can scarcely dispel. The spot was the burial-place -of a king and a queen, of abbots and abbesses, saints and bishops, -knights and squires. The bones of King Edward “the Martyr,” carefully -removed thither for holy preservation, brought Shaston a renown which -made it the resort of pilgrims from every part of Europe, and enabled -it to maintain a reputation extending far beyond English shores. To -this fair creation of the great Middle-Ages the Dissolution was, as -historians tell us, the death-knell. With the destruction of the enormous -abbey the whole place collapsed in a general ruin; the martyr’s bones -met with the fate of the sacred pile that held them, and not a stone is -now left to tell where they lie.</p> -</div> - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/s.jpg" alt="S" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">O does Thomas Hardy describe the ancient -town of Shaftesbury.<a id="FNanchor_55" href="#Footnote_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a> Truly, it is a town -that appears to have seen its best days. -Its market-place is almost deserted, save on -market-days, and when some travelling wild beast show -visits the town. On fair days the round-abouts with -galloping horses do a lively business, and their steam-driven -organs emit energetic music that may be heard -far and wide; and when a good circus pitches its tent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</span> -on Castle Hill, vehicles of every description stream in by -hundreds from all the surrounding villages, for there is -nothing that the country folk love better than a circus. -But at other times Shaftesbury would be considered by -a stranger passing through it, fresh from city life, as a -quiet if not sleepy town. It has little to boast of save its -splendid site, its pure health-giving breezes, and the -magnificent views of the surrounding hills and downs and -valleys that may be obtained from several points of -vantage. Of its four remaining churches one only is of -mediæval date; the three others are all quite modern, -entirely destitute of architectural interest, and with little -beauty to recommend them. All the others which once -stood here have disappeared, leaving nothing to remind -us of their former existence save, in some few cases, the -name of a street or lane. Of the glorious Abbey, probably -the wealthiest nunnery that ever existed in the kingdom, -nothing but the walls that once enclosed the precincts on -the south-east, and the foundations of the church, long -entirely hidden from sight by surface soil, now happily -opened out by recent excavations, remain.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_240fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_240fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Shaftesbury.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Left high and dry upon its hill-top it can watch the -trailing steam of the locomotives in the deep valley to -the north as they hurry by, taking no heed of the once -royal burgh, the chief mint of Dorset in the days of the -West Saxon Kings, the burial-place of murdered Eadward, -and of Eadmund’s wife, Ealdgyth or Elgefu, the site of -the nunnery founded by Ælfred, and ruled at first by his -“midmost daughter” Æthelgede or Æthelgeofu. And -yet this town has a real history that can be traced back -for more than 1,000 years, and a legendary one that -carries us back well-nigh to the days of King Solomon, -for we read in a British Brut or chronicle: “After Lleon -came Rhun of the Stout Spear, his son, and he built -the Castle of Mount Paladr, which is now called Caer -Sefton, and there while he was building this stronghold -there was an Eryr that gave some prophecies about<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</span> -this island.” In Powell’s <i>History of Cambria</i> it is -said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>... Concerning the word of Eryr at the building of Caer Septon on -Mt. Paladour in the year after the creation of the world 3048 some think that -an eagle did then speak and prophesie; others are of opinion that it was -a Brytaine named Aquila (Eryr in British) that prophesied of these things -and of the recoverie of the whole ile again by the Brytaines.<a id="FNanchor_56" href="#Footnote_56" class="fnanchor">[56]</a></p> -</div> - -<p>The Brut quoted was evidently written after Dorset -was occupied by the Saxons, because it says that the town -was called Septon (a form of Shafton), and implies that -it was not so called when Rhun built it. It is pretty -certain that Caer Paladr was the Celtic name, and that -the Saxon name Sceaftesbyrig is a translation of it, the -modern form of which is Shaftesbury. If it was called -after the name of the King who built it, it was after part -of his surname Baladr or Paladr (spear), Bras (stout). -Others think the spear or shaft was suggested by the -long straight hill on the point of which the town was -built. At a later date the name was contracted into -Shaston, but this has become nearly obsolete, save in -municipal and other formal documents, where the various -parishes are called Shaston St. Peter’s, Shaston St. James’, -etc. The name also appears on the milestones, and the -inhabitants of the town are called Shastonians. No doubt -the Romans captured this Celtic hill-stronghold, and as -proof of this, the finding of some Roman coins has been -alleged; but no written record of this period has come -down to us. The real history begins in Saxon times. -Ælfred came to the West Saxon throne in 871, and in -888 he founded a Benedictine Nunnery at Shaftesbury, -setting over it his “medemesta-dehter” as first Abbess. -This we learn from Asser, Ælfred’s friend, who tells us -that he built the Abbey near the eastern gate of the town. -This shows that by this time Shaftesbury was a walled<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</span> -town. An inscription on a stone in the Abbey Chapterhouse, -so William of Malmesbury tells us, recorded the -fact that the town was built by Ælfred in 880, by which -he probably means rebuilt after its partial or complete -destruction by the Danes.</p> - -<p>Shaftesbury was counted as one of the four royal -boroughs of Dorset (Wareham, Dorchester, and Bridport -being the other three), and at the time of the Norman -Conquest it was the largest of the four. Æthelstan granted -the town the right of coining, and several scores of -pennies struck here in his reign were found in excavating -a mediæval house near the Forum in 1884-5. In the reign -of Eadward the Confessor three coiners lived in the town, -each paying 13s. 4d. annually to the Crown, and a fine of -£1 on the introduction of a new coinage. The names, -Gold Hill and Coppice (that is, Copper) Street Lane, -still speak of the old mints of Shaftesbury.</p> - -<p>On March 18th, 978, as everyone knows, King -Eadward was treacherously slain at the house of, and by -the order of, his stepmother. The body of the murdered -King was dragged some distance by his horse, and when -found was buried without any kingly honour at Wareham. -On February 20th, 980, Ælfere, Eadward’s ealdorman, -removed the body with all due state from Wareham -to Shaftesbury, and here it was buried, somewhere in -the Abbey Church. Doubtless the reason why Shaftesbury -was chosen as the place of his burial was because -he was of Ælfred’s kin, and this religious house had been -founded by Ælfred.</p> - -<p>Miracles soon began to be worked at his tomb. He -appeared, so it was said, to a lame woman who lived at -some distant spot, and bade her go to his grave at Shaftesbury, -promising that if she went she should be healed -of her infirmity. She obeyed his injunction, and received -the due reward for her faith. The grave in which the -King was laid did not, however, please him as a permanent -resting-place. First he indicated his dissatisfaction by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</span> -raising the tomb bodily, and then when this did not lead -to an immediate translation of his relics, he appeared in -visions and intimated his desire to have a fresh grave. This -was about twenty-one years after his burial in the Abbey. -The grave was opened, and, as was usual in such cases, -a sweet fragrance from it pervaded the church. His -body was then laid in the new tomb in a chapel specially -dedicated to him. Possibly this chapel stood over the -crypt on the north side of the north choir aisle. The -day of his death, March 18th, and the days of the two -translations of his relics, February 20th and June 20th, -were kept in honour of the King, who, for what reason -we cannot tell, was regarded as a saint and martyr. His -fame spread far and wide, and brought many pilgrims -and no small gain to the Abbey. At one time the town -was in danger of losing its old name, Shaftesbury, and -being called Eadwardstowe, but in course of time the new -name died out and the old name was revived. Pilgrims -were numerous, and possibly sometimes passed the whole -night in the church. In order to make a thorough -cleansing of the floor after their visits more easy, a slight -slope towards the west was given to the choir pavement, -so that it might be well swilled. A similar arrangement -may be seen in other churches.</p> - -<p>At Shaftesbury, too, was Eadmund Ironside’s wife -buried; and on November 12th, 1035, Knut the Dane -died at Shaftesbury, but was not buried in the Abbey, his -body being carried to the royal city of Winchester and -laid to rest within the Cathedral Church there. Up to the -time of the Conquest the Abbesses bore English names; -after that time the names of their successors show that -Shaftesbury Abbey formed no exception to the rule -that all the most valuable church preferments were -bestowed on those of Norman and French birth. Through -every change of dynasty the Abbey of Shaftesbury -continued to flourish, growing continually richer, and -adding field to field, until it was said that if the Abbot of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</span> -Somerset Glaston could marry the Abbess of Dorset -Shaston they would together own more land than the -King himself. The Abbess held a barony, and ranked -with the mitred Abbots, who had the privilege of sitting -in Parliament, and it was said that her rank rendered -her subject to be summoned by the King, but that she -was excused from serving on account of her sex. At last -the time came for the Abbey to be dissolved. More -prudent than Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury—who -refused to surrender and was hanged on St. Michael’s -Hill, overlooking his wide domains—Elizabeth Zouche, -the last Abbess of Shaftesbury, gave up to Henry VIII., on -March 23rd, 1539, the Abbey with all its property, valued -at £1,329 per annum, and received in lieu thereof the -handsome pension of £133 a year for her own use. At -this time there were fifty-four nuns within its walls, each -of whom received a pension varying from £7 down to -£3 6s. 8d.; the total amount given in pensions was -£431.</p> - -<p>From the day of the Dissolution the glory of Shaftesbury -began to pass away. In an incredibly short space of -time the Abbey was demolished, and when Leland visited -the place a few years later the church had entirely disappeared. -There was much litigation between the town -and those to whom the Abbey lands had been granted—the -Earl of Southampton and Sir Thomas Arundel—and -this dispute continued for fifty years, greatly -impoverishing the town.</p> - -<p>Shaftesbury received its first municipal charter in the -second year of James I.; a second charter was granted in -1666 by Charles II. From that time Shaftesbury led an -uneventful life, broken at times by the excitement of -contested elections, which were fought with great bitterness, -and the consumption of much beer and the giving -of much gold. The town was originally represented by -two members; the two first of these sat in the Parliament -of the twenty-fifth year of Edward I. At the time of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</span> -the Reform Bill of 1832 it lost one member, and in 1885 -it ceased to be a Parliamentary Borough, and was merged -in the Northern Division of Dorset. At the election of -1880 a singular incident took place, which will show how -high party feeling ran in the ancient borough. The -candidate who had represented the constituency in the -previous Parliament was defeated, and after the declaration -of the poll, about nine o’clock in the evening, his -disappointed partizans indulged in such violent and -riotous conduct that the successful candidate and his -friends could not leave the room in the Town Hall where -the votes had been counted. Stones were thrown at the -windows, some of the police were injured, but the besieged -barricaded the doors of the building, closed the shutters, -and waited with patience, while the angry mob outside, -for the space of four or five hours, yelled like wild beasts -disappointed of their prey. At last, finding that they -could not effect an entrance and make a fresh vacancy -in the constituency by killing the new member, the crowd -began to drop off one by one, and by two o’clock in the -morning the siege was practically raised, and the -imprisoned member and his friends were able to get out -and reach their hotel unmolested. Some of the rioters -were tried, but evidence sufficiently clear to identify the -men who had wounded the police was not to be obtained, -and the accused were acquitted. This was the last time -Shaftesbury was called on to elect a member; and as the -town stands quite on the borders of the new district of -North Dorset, the poll is not now declared from the Town -Hall window at Shaftesbury, but at Sturminster Newton, -a town more centrally situated.</p> - -<p>At one time there were twelve churches or chapels in -Shaftesbury—St. Peter’s, St. Martin’s, St. Andrew’s, Holy -Trinity, St. Lawrence’s, St. Michael’s, St. James’, All -Saints’, St. John the Baptist’s, St. Mary’s, St. Edward’s, -and last, but not least, the Abbey Church of St. Mary and -St. Edward. Beyond the borough boundary was the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</span> -Church of St. Rumbold,<a id="FNanchor_57" href="#Footnote_57" class="fnanchor">[57]</a> now generally spoken of as Cann -Church. Why Shaftesbury, which was never a large town, -should have needed so many churches has always been -a mystery. The late William Barnes suggested a theory -which may partially account for it. He says that some -of these churches may have been old British ones, and -that the Saxon Christians could not, or would not, enter -into communion with the British Christians, but built -churches of their own. This is probably true, although -it still fails to account for the number of churches which, -on this supposition, the Saxons must have built. It must -be remembered, as explained in the Introduction, that -Dorset remained much longer free from the dominion of -the West Saxon Kings than Hampshire, and that when -it was finally conquered by the West Saxons, these men -had already become Christians, so that the conquest was -not one of expulsion or extermination. The Celtic -inhabitants were allowed to remain in the old homes, -though in an inferior position. The laws of Ine, 688, -clearly show this. In Exeter there is a church dedicated -to St. Petroc, who was a Cornish, and therefore Celtic, -saint. Mr. Barnes thinks that the Shaftesbury churches -dedicated to St. Michael, St. Martin, St. Lawrence, and -the smaller one dedicated to St. Mary, may have been -Celtic. St. Martin was a Gaulish saint, St. Lawrence may -have been a dedication due to the early missionaries, -while the two hills in Cornwall and Brittany dedicated to -St. Michael show that he was a saint held in honour by -the Celts. The British Church differed in certain points -of observance from the Church founded by the missionaries -from Rome under St. Augustine, notably as to the -date of keeping Easter. Bæda says that when he was -Abbot of Malmesbury he wrote, by order of the Synod<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</span> -of his own Church, a book against the errors of the -British Church, and that by it he persuaded many of -the Celts, who were subjects of the West Saxon King, -to adopt the Roman date for the celebration of the -Resurrection. But even if we assume that there were four -Celtic churches, why should no less than eight fresh ones -have been built by the West Saxons? No explanation -has been offered. Possibly, however, some of the -churches may have been only small chapels or chantries.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_248fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_248fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Gold Hill, Shaftesbury.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>Soon after the dissolution of the Abbey, as has been -said previously, all the walls above the surface were pulled -down, except the one that skirts the steep lane known -as Gold Hill. This wall stands, strongly buttressed by -gigantic masses of masonry on the outside (some of them -contemporaneous with the walls, others added afterwards), -for it has to bear up the earth of what was formerly -the Abbey garden. The foundations of the Abbey -Church, either purposely or naturally, in the course of -time were covered with soil, and so remained until 1861, -when some excavations took place and sundry relics were -found, among them a stone coffin containing a skeleton -and an abbot’s staff and ring. The foundations were then -once more covered in, but recently the Corporation -obtained a twenty-one years’ lease of the ground for the -purpose of more thorough investigation. All the foundations -that remain will be uncovered, the ground laid out -as an ornamental garden and thrown open to the public. -Considerable progress has been made with this work; all -except the extreme west end of the nave has been -excavated to the level of the floor, and some very -interesting discoveries have been made. Many fragments -of delicately-carved stonework, some of them bearing the -original colour with which they were decorated, were -unearthed, and are preserved in the Town Hall. The -excavation began at the eastern end of the church, and -proceeded westward. It was found that the east end -of the choir was apsidal, the form usual in Norman times,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</span> -but abandoned by English builders in the thirteenth -century, when many of the larger churches were extended -further to the east, though in France the apsidal termination -is almost universal. The form shows that the Abbey -Church was rebuilt during the Norman period of architecture, -and that the choir was not afterwards extended -eastward, for in earlier days, as well as in the thirteenth -century and later, the rectangular east end was common. -The north choir aisle was apsidal internally and square-ended -externally; the south aisle was much wider than -the north, and was evidently extended in the fifteenth -century. The foundations of the high altar are complete, -and on the north side of it is a grave formed of faced -stone, which probably contained the body of the founder -of the Norman Church. The crypt lies outside of the -north aisle, and this has been completely cleared out; -its floor is sixteen feet below the level of the ground. -On this floor was found a twisted Byzantine column, which -probably supported a similar column in the chapel above -the crypt. This is the chapel which is believed to have -been the shrine of King Eadward the Martyr. A most -curious discovery was made in the crypt—namely, a -number of dolicho-cephalous skulls. The question arises: -How did they get there? For the shape of these skulls -indicates that their owners were men of the Neolithic -Age! In various graves sundry ornaments and articles -of dress have been found—a gold ring in which -a stone had once been set, a leaden bulla bearing the -name of Pope Martin V. (1417-1431), and a number of -bronze pins, probably used to fasten the garment in which -the body was buried. The clay used for puddling the -bottom of the graves acted much in the manner of quicklime -and destroyed the bodies. Several pieces of the -pavement, formed of heraldic and other tiles, remain <i>in -situ</i>. It is supposed by some that the Abbey Church -once possessed a central tower and a tall spire, though -it is doubtful if the <i>spire</i> ever existed; if it did, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</span> -church standing on its lofty isolated hill about 700 feet -above the sea-level must have been a conspicuous object -from all the wide Vale of Blackmore and its surrounding -hills, as well as from the Vale of Wardours to the north, -along which the railway now runs.</p> - -<p>St. Peter’s Church is the oldest building in the town, -but it is late Perpendicular in style. It is noteworthy -that it has not, and apparently never had, a chancel -properly called so; no doubt a ritual chancel may have -been formed by a wooden screen. A holy-water stoup is to -be seen on the left hand as one goes into the entrance -porch at the west side of the tower. The richly-carved -pierced parapet of the north aisle bears the Tudor rose -and the portcullis, and so shows that this part of the -church was built early in the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p>Many of the houses in the town are old, but not of -great antiquity. Thatched cottages abound in the side -lanes, and even the long main street, which runs from east -to west, has a picturesque irregularity on the sky-line. -The most interesting house is one in Bimport, marked in -a map dated 1615 as Mr. Groves’ house. It stands near -the gasworks and the chief entrance to Castle Hill. It is -a good example of a town house of the early sixteenth -century, and contains some well-carved mantelpieces of -somewhat later date. This house has served various -purposes—at one time it was an inn, and some years ago -narrowly escaped destruction. It, however, did escape -with only the removal of its old stone-slabbed roof, in -place of which one of red tiling has been substituted. -An additional interest has been given to this old -building by its introduction into <i>Jude the Obscure</i> -as the dwelling-place of the schoolmaster Phillotson, -from a window of which his wife Sue once jumped -into the street. Beyond this house is one known -as St. John’s, standing as it does on St. John’s Hill, more -of which hereafter. It was, in great measure, built of -material bought at the sale of Beckford’s strange and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</span> -whimsical erection known as Fonthill Abbey, of which -the story is told in the <i>Memorials of Old Wiltshire</i>. In -the garden of St. John’s Cottage is a curious cross, in -which are two carved alabaster panels, covered with glass -to preserve them from frost and rain.</p> - -<p>Shaftesbury owes what distinction it possesses to its -position, and this is due to its geological formation. A -long promontory<a id="FNanchor_58" href="#Footnote_58" class="fnanchor">[58]</a> of Upper Greensand runs from the east, -and ends in a sharp point where the steep escarpments -facing the north-west and south meet. On the triangle -formed by these two the town is built. Looking out from -the end of this high ground we may see a conical, wooded -hill known as Duncliffe; this is an outlier of the same -greensand formation; all the rest of the greensand, which -once occupied the space between, has been gradually -washed away, and the surface of the lower ground -consists of various members of the Jurassic series. Under -the greensand lies a bed of Gault, a blue-coloured clay -impervious to water; and, as the greensand rock is porous, -the gault holds up the water that percolates through the -greensand, with the result that a thickness of about -twenty-five feet of the lowest bed of the greensand is full -of water, while the upper layers are dry. Hence, to get -water to supply the town, wells would have to be sunk to -the depth of 150 feet. Some such wells were, indeed, -sunk in mediæval times, but were not satisfactory. It is -only in recent times that regular water-works, with -pumping-engines, reservoir, and mains, have been constructed, -and Shaftesbury had to depend for water until -that time on a supply obtained from springs at Enmore -Green, a village situated under the hill and to the north -of the town. This gave rise to a quaint and curious -custom. On the Sunday next after the Festival<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</span> -of the Invention of the Cross, May 3rd (the day -was changed in 1663 to the Monday before Ascension -Day), the Mayor and burgesses of Shaftesbury went -down to the springs at Enmore Green with mirth -and minstrelsy, and, chief of all, with a staff or -bezant adorned with feathers, pieces of gold, rings and -jewels, and sundry dues—to wit, a pair of gloves, a -calf’s head, a gallon of ale, and two penny loaves of fine -wheaten bread: these were presented to the bailiff of the -manor of Gillingham, in which the village of Enmore Green -was situated. Moreover, the Mayor and burgesses, for -one whole hour by the clock, had to dance round the -village green hand in hand. Should the dues not be -presented, or the dance fail, the penalty was that the water -should no longer be supplied to inhabitants of the borough -of Shaftesbury. The decoration of the bezant was a costly -matter; the original one, of gilded wood in the form of a -palm-tree, was in the possession of Lady Theodora Guest, -and has been presented by her ladyship to the Corporation -of Shaftesbury. The water was brought up in carts -drawn by horses, and strong ones they must have been, -for the hill they had to climb is one of the steepest in -the neighbourhood. The fixed price for a bucketful of -water was a farthing. From the scanty supply of drinking-water -it came to pass that a saying got abroad that -Shaftesbury was a town where “there was more beer -than water”; to which was added two lines describing -other noteworthy characteristics of the place—namely, that -“here there was a churchyard above the steeple,” and that -the town contained “more rogues than honest people.” -Once during the writer’s fifteen years’ sojourn in the -town some accident happened to the pumping apparatus -at the water-works, and for several weeks the inhabitants -were thrown back upon the old source of water supply. -Day after day water-carts might be seen slowly passing -along the streets, while servants or housewives came out -from every doorway with empty pails or buckets, though<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</span> -they were not called upon to pay their farthings for the -filling of them, as the expense was borne by the owners -of the water-works.</p> - -<p>In the old coaching days Shaftesbury was a livelier -place than now, since the London and Exeter coaches, -with their splendid teams and cheerful horns, passed -through it daily, changing their horses at the chief -hostelry. When the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway (afterwards -absorbed by the London and South-Western) was -planned it was intended to bring the line, not indeed -through the town, but within a half-mile or so of it, with -a station under the hill; but the bill was here, as in -many another place, opposed by the landowners, with the -result that the line was not allowed to come within about -three miles of Shaftesbury, and was carried through -the neighbouring town of Gillingham, which from -that time began to increase, while Shaftesbury decreased. -Periodically there has been an agitation for a branch -line or a loop or a light railway running from Tisbury -and passing near Shaftesbury, and joining, somewhere in -the neighbourhood of Wareham, the line to Weymouth. -But all the agitation has ended in nothing practical.</p> - -<p>The beauty of its scenery and the clearness of its air -have raised a hope in the minds of some of its inhabitants -that Shaftesbury may become a summer health resort; -but as long as the town is so difficult of access these -hopes do not seem likely to be fulfilled to any great -extent.</p> - -<p>There are scarcely any historical events connected -with Shaftesbury besides those already mentioned; -but it is worthy of notice that once for a short time two -royal ladies were held prisoners at the Abbey. Robert -the Bruce, when on one occasion things were not going -well with him, entrusted his second wife, Elizabeth, and -her step-daughter, Marjory (the only child of his first wife, -Isabella of Mar), to the care of his younger brother, Nigel -Bruce, who was holding the strong Castle of Kildrummie,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</span> -near the source of the Don, in Aberdeenshire. The -castle was besieged by the English, under the Earls of -Lancaster and Hereford, but when the magazine was -treacherously burnt the garrison had to surrender. Nigel -Bruce was taken to Berwick, tried, condemned, and -executed. Elizabeth and Marjory were carried off across -the border, and, with a view of placing them far beyond -all chance of rescue, were ultimately handed over to the -Abbess of Shaftesbury in 1313. King Edward II. -allowed them twenty shillings a week for their maintenance, -a sum of much greater value in those days than -now. After the battle of Bannockburn (June, 1314), the -Earl of Hereford, who had been taken prisoner by Bruce, -was given up in exchange for the Queen, who during all -her married life, with the exception of two years, had been -in the hands of the English, for she had been married in -1304, and had been taken prisoner in 1306.</p> - -<p>It is needful, before finishing this chapter, to explain -the old saying about the churchyard being higher than -the steeple. There was once a church dedicated to -St. John the Baptist that stood at the south-west point -of the hill on which Shaftesbury is built; this has long -ago passed away, but its graveyard still remains. Its -parish was amalgamated with that of St. James, whose -church stands below the hill, and for some time the old -churchyard of St. John’s served as the burial-ground for -the united parishes. Hence arose the saying quoted. -Speaking of St. James leads us to notice the interesting -fact that part of this parish lies outside the municipal -boundaries, and is situated in the Liberty of Alcester,<a id="FNanchor_59" href="#Footnote_59" class="fnanchor">[59]</a> so -called because this land belonged to a monastery at -the town of Alcester, in Warwickshire, and was free from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</span> -the payment of local tithes. Some have supposed that -the word Alcester was the name of a Roman town, on the -ruins of which Shaftesbury was built; but this is not the -case.</p> - -<p>In the early part of the eighteenth century a free -school was founded by one William Lush, merchant, of -Shaftesbury, for the education of a small number of boys -and girls. A new scheme was drawn up about thirty -years ago by the Charity Commissioners: new buildings -were erected to the east of the town close to Cann -Church, but within the boundaries of the parish of Shaston -St. Peter, and in 1879 Shaftesbury Grammar School, as -it is always called, was opened, the writer of this chapter -holding the office then, and for fifteen years afterwards, -of headmaster of the re-organised school, which, though -never likely to be a large one, has already done, and is still -doing, useful work in its own quiet and unobtrusive way.</p> - -<p>Despite the fact that strangers may call Shaftesbury -a sleepy place, and far behind the times in enterprise; -despite the fact that it has fallen from its former importance, -and may by some be looked on as a mere derelict—yet -those who have known it and dwelt upon “The Rock” -cannot but keep a tender spot in their memories for this -quaint Dorset town.</p> - -<p>Beautiful it is under many atmospheric conditions. -One who has risen, and stood in the neighbourhood -of the Grammar School, before the dawn -of a summer day, and has looked eastward at the -long ridge of the downs silhouetted against the sunlit sky, -and then a little later has turned to the south-west to -look at the line of the houses that run along the crest of the -Rock, ending in the two towers of St. Peter’s and Holy -Trinity, flushed with the rose of morning, while the soft -blue shade holds the valleys below, has seen a sight of -surpassing loveliness. Sometimes the hollows are brimmed -with thick, white mist, from which the tops of the -surrounding hills rise like islets from the sea. Again, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</span> -view is splendid when, at noon on a wild, gusty day, -heavy masses of clouds are blown across the sky, and their -shadows and glints of sunshine chase each other over -vale and down. But possibly the most lovely view of all -may be obtained by going to Castle Hill on a summer -evening when the sun is sinking behind the Somerset -hills to the north-west, for the sunsets are “mostly -beautiful here,” as Mr. Hardy makes Phillotson say, -“owing to the rays crossing the mist of the vale.”<a id="FNanchor_60" href="#Footnote_60" class="fnanchor">[60]</a> But -there are other aspects of nature that may sometimes be -observed in the hill town and around it—grand and wild -when the north-east blast roars over the hill-top, driving -before it frozen snow, sweeping up what has already -fallen on the fields, and filling the roads up to the level -of the hedge-tops, cutting the town off from all communication -with the outer world, until gangs of labourers -succeed in cutting a narrow passage through the drifts, -along which a man may walk or ride on horseback, with -the walls of snow rising far above his head on the right-hand -and on the left, and nothing to be seen save the -white gleam of the sunlight on the snow, the tender grey -of the shadows on it, and the bright blue of the sky -above—if, indeed, the snow has ceased to fall and the -winds to blow, and the marvellous calm of a winter frost -beneath a cloudless sky has fallen on the earth. Many -may think that such aspects of nature could never be -met with in the sunny southern county of Dorset; but the -writer speaks of what he has seen on several occasions, -when snow has been piled up to the cottage eaves, when -the morning letters have not reached the town till after -sunset, when even a wagon and its team have been buried -for hours in a snow-drift, and the horses rescued with -difficulty.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PIDDLETOWN_AND_ATHELHAMPTON">PIDDLETOWN AND ATHELHAMPTON</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Miss Wood Homer</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HE parish of Piddletown, or Puddletown, is said -by Hutchins to take its name from the river -Piddle, which flows to the north of the village, -though it is supposed to have been formerly -called Pydeletown after the Pydele family, at one time -owners of much property in the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>It was once a large parish, and the capital of the -hundred; but it now numbers only about nine hundred -inhabitants, having fallen from fourteen hundred during -the last forty years. About the year 1860 the village -contained as many as twenty boot-makers, twelve blacksmiths, -twenty carpenters and wheelwrights, five pairs of -sawyers, two coopers, and some cabinet-makers. Gloves -and gaiters were tanned and made there, as were many -of the articles in common use. Beer was brewed in the -public-houses; and there were three malt-houses, about -one of which we read in Thomas Hardy’s <i>Far from -the Madding Crowd</i>. Naturally, these trades employed -much labour, and a great decrease in the population -resulted when they were given up, after the introduction -of the railway at Dorchester, about the year 1848. Two -business fairs were formerly held in the village—one on -Easter Tuesday, the other on October 29th—when cattle, -materials, hats, etc., were sold. The October fair still -exists, but it has dwindled to a small pleasure fair only, -though pigs were sold as late as 1896.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</span></p> - -<p>Piddletown possesses a very fine church, dedicated to -St. Mary. It is a large and ancient building, consisting -of a nave and a north aisle of the same length, covered -with leaden roofs, and a small south aisle, called the -Athelhampton aisle, the burial-place of the Martyns of -Athelhampton. This aisle is under the control of the -vestry of Athelhampton Church. The chancel has a tiled -roof; it was built in 1576. The embattled tower contains -six bells.</p> - -<p>The chief features of this church are the monuments -in the south aisle, with some very fine brasses; the Norman -font (some authorities on fonts consider it to be of Saxon -work); and the beautiful roof of carved chestnut wood. -This latter has been many times supported and restored, -and it will, indeed, be a loss to the antiquary when it is -found impossible any longer to keep it in repair.</p> - -<p>The monuments are all much defaced. One of them, -of the fifteenth century, consists of a knight and lady -in alabaster on an altar-tomb, probably Sir Richard -Martyn and Joan his wife; this has traces of much -gilding and painting, but no inscription. To the west -of this there is the figure of a knight, probably placed -there about 1400. West of this again, an unknown -“crusader” and lady lie on the floor under an altar-tomb, -with a canopy upon four pillars, which was erected to -the memory of Nicholas Martyn; under the canopy there -is a fine brass, representing Nicholas Martyn, his wife, -three sons, and seven daughters, dated 1595, and bearing -an inscription. There is also a smaller brass, on which -is a monkey holding a mirror—the Martyn crest—while -above the whole are three sculptured martins or monkeys. -To the north of the aisle there is a figure of a knight -in alabaster, his feet resting on a chained monkey, the -whole supported on an altar-tomb of Purbeck marble. -On the west wall there is a large tablet to the memory -of the Brunes, who owned Athelhampton in the seventeenth -century.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_258fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_258fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Piddletown Church.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</span></p> - -<p>On the east of the aisle there is a brass to the -memory of Christopher Martyn, with the following inscription:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent4">Here lyethe the body of Xpofer Martyn Esquyer</div> - <div class="verse indent4">Sone and heyre unto Syr Willym Martyn knyght</div> - <div class="verse indent4">Pray for there Soules with harty desyre</div> - <div class="verse indent4">That they bothe may be sure of Eternall lyght</div> - <div class="verse indent4">Callyng to Remembraunce that every wyght</div> - <div class="verse indent4">Most nedys dye, & therefor lett us pray</div> - <div class="verse indent4">As other for us may do Another day.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Qui quidem Xpoferus obiit XXII<sup>o</sup> die mens’ M’cii an<sup>o</sup> D’ni</div> - <div class="verse indent6">millmo quingentesimo vicesimo quarto.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p class="pnind">Above this there is the kneeling figure of a man in -armour, and a partial representation of the Trinity. The -figure is holding a scroll, on which the following inscription -is much abbreviated: “<i>Averte faciem tuam a peccatis -meis et omnes iniquitates meas dele</i>”; while before and -behind the effigies are the Martyn arms. And on the -floor of the church, north of the pulpit, there is a brass -to the memory of Roger Cheverell.</p> - -<p>A short staircase of thirteen steps opens out of the -south aisle; this formerly led to a rood loft.</p> - -<p>A musicians’ gallery of the seventeenth century runs -across the west of the church, and there are porches on -the north and south. The south door has a ring attached -to the outside, which is popularly supposed to have been -a sanctuary ring, though probably this tradition has no -foundation.</p> - -<p>It is an interesting fact that the church clock, which -was in the tower till about 1865, was made by a village -blacksmith, Lawrence Boyce by name, about 1710. This -clock had a three-cornered wooden face on the north side -of the tower, stone weights and one (hour) hand. It -struck the hours and quarters and chimed at 8, 12, and 4, -except on Sundays, when the chimes were silenced, so -that they might not disturb the worshippers. A clock -made by the same man, for Bere Regis Church, is now -in the Dorchester Museum; but, unfortunately, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</span> -Piddletown clock was not preserved, though it was in good -going order when it was removed to make room for the -present one.</p> - -<p>In 1820, and probably for long before, it was the -custom of the members of the choir to write their own -music; some was actually composed by them, while some -was borrowed from other villages, although the rivalry -which often existed between village choirs not infrequently -prevented the exchange of tunes. In two vellum-covered -volumes, the property of Mr. W. Gover, of Piddletown, -dated 1823, the music and words of the Psalms are most -beautifully written. The books were given by a certain -Mrs. Price to the choir. The larger book belonged to -J. Holland, a clarionet player; the smaller to W. Besant. -In the latter may be found music headed, “John Besant’s -Magnificat,” which was probably composed by one of his -ancestors. At this time the choir consisted of two -clarionets, two bass viols, a flute, and a bassoon; while -before this a “serpent” was used, and the music is written -apparently for all these instruments. The violin was -prohibited by most clergymen as being “Devil’s music,” -on account of its being played in public-houses and for -dancing. The instruments were given up about 1845 on -the introduction of a barrel-organ. At this time the -village also possessed a band, which had been in existence -for nearly two hundred years, and of which the inhabitants -were justly proud.</p> - -<p>Piddletown is perhaps better known as the “Weatherbury” -of Thomas Hardy’s <i>Far from the Madding -Crowd</i>. On the south-west of the church is the gargoyle -(the head of some beast, with the legs of a child projecting -from its mouth), which destroyed Sergeant Troy’s work at -Fanny’s grave. The old malthouse mentioned in the same -book stood in what are now the gardens of Ilsington -House, while Bathsheba’s house stood on the site of -Ilsington Lodge, although it is sketched from the house -at Waterson. The latter is a fine old building about two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</span> -miles from Piddletown, and was the residence of the -Martyns before they went to Athelhampton, and remained -their property for long after. It was much damaged by -fire in 1863, but was carefully restored by the owner, Lord -Ilchester, to whose family it still belongs. It is interesting -to note that a certain Mr. Bainger, who lived at Ilsington -Lodge, was the moving spirit in causing the lowering of -Yellowham Hill, between Piddletown and Dorchester, -about 1830.</p> - -<p>The Vicarage possesses a very fine staircase and an -oak-beamed study, while an old farmhouse, now used as -a cottage, in “Style Lane,” formerly contained a fine -carved mantelpiece. In the churchyard is the headstone -of Peter Standley, King of the Gipsies, with the following -inscription:—</p> - -<p>In memory of Peter Standley, who died 23rd November, 1802, -aged 70 years.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Farewell my dear & faithful wife</div> - <div class="verse indent0">My sons & daughters too</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Tho’ never in this mortal life</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Again you must me view</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Close in our Saviour’s footsteps tread</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of Love divine possessed</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And when you’re numbered with the dead</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Your souls will be at rest.</div> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>He is said to have died of smallpox in Style Lane, and to -have been buried by night. Gipsies still visit the grave.</p> - -<p>The old coaching road from London to Dorchester -runs to the west of the village, and “Judge’s Bridge,” -near Ilsington Lodge, is said to have taken its name from -being the meeting-place of the judge and the “javelin -men” on the occasion of the Dorchester Assizes.</p> - -<p>The Court Leet House, wherein was transacted all the -local business, and which was also used as a school, -formerly stood in the “Square”; the stocks, the old -village pound, and pump were near. The house now -occupied by Mr. W. Gover was the residence of the -Boswells, who owned land in the parish, and introduced -the system of irrigating the meadows.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</span></p> - -<p>Athelhampton Hall is a fine old building east of -Piddletown. There is a tradition that it took its name -from some of the Saxon Kings, and was originally called -Athelhamstan; but Hutchins thinks it more probable that -it derived its name from Æthelhelm, one of the Saxon -Earls in Dorset, who was killed in an engagement with -the Danes <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 837.</p> - -<p>The first owners of Athelhampton of whom there is -any record were the de Loundres and Pideles. From them -it came by marriage to the Martyns, who held it till 1595. -At the death of Nicholas Martyn it was divided between -his four daughters, who married respectively Henry -Brune, Henry Tichborne, Thomas White, and Anthony -Floyer. Gradually the shares of the Whites and -Tichbornes came into the hands of the Brunes, and -were sold by them in 1665 to Sir Robert Long. It then -came by marriage to the Hon. William Wellesley Pole -(afterwards Earl of Mornington), whose son sold it in -1848 to Mr. George James Wood, from whom it came -to his nephew, Mr. G. Wood Homer. It is now the -property of Mr. A. C. de Lafontaine, who purchased it -in 1890. The Floyer share of the house remained in their -possession till an exchange was effected by Mr. Wood, -when the whole came into his hands.</p> - -<p>The house itself consists of two sides of a quadrangle -facing south and west, and was in a very bad state when -bought by Mr. Wood, having, it is said, been used as a -farmhouse, and the fine old oak-roofed stone-floored hall -as a cattle-shed. Mr. Wood entirely renovated the oak -roof, taking great trouble to preserve the original style. -He re-floored the large drawing-room, and made various -other extensive repairs. He removed the gatehouse, -which darkened the house, and partly re-erected it in -the form of a summer-house. This has, however, been -again removed by the present owner, who has made many -alterations. The house is built of Ham Hill stone. The -east wing is said to be the oldest part of the present<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</span> -building, and was probably erected by Sir William -Martyn, who died in 1503; while the north wing is -thought to have been built by Nicholas Martyn later in -the sixteenth century.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_262fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_262fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Athelhampton Hall.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>A small chapel stood on the lawn when Mr. Wood -bought the property, but as this and Burlestone Church -were both out of repair, he pulled them down and built -the present church, to a great extent at his own cost. The -chancel of old Burlestone Church is still standing in its -overgrown churchyard, the tombs having all fallen into -decay. No churchyard belonged to the Athelhampton -Chapel, Piddletown having always been the burying-place -of the owners.</p> - -<p>In a field about a quarter of a mile from Athelhampton, -on the land of Mr. G. Wood Homer, are the grass-grown -mounds—the remains of the hamlet of Bardolfeston, the -seat of Drogo de Bardolf, from whom it came hereditarily -to the Martyns. It consisted of a manor, hamlet, and -church; the latter stood at a little distance from the -cottages and manor on what is now known as Church -Knap or Knoll. The field in which the hamlet stood is -now known as “Dunditch,” and there is a local couplet -which runs:</p> - -<p class="center"> -Dunditch was a thriving town<br /> -When London was a vuzzy down. -</p> - -<p>It is probable that Bardolfeston extended irregularly -to Piddletown, as it is known that cottages and a mill -existed between the two, and Bardolfeston was part of -the Piddle Hundred, being sometimes called Piddle -Bardolf.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="WOLFETON_HOUSE">WOLFETON HOUSE</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Albert Bankes</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" alt="T" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">HE present Wolfeton House, in the parish of -Charminster, in the county of Dorset, is known -to have been built by John, father of Sir -Thomas Trenchard, during the reign of -Henry VII.; but as the property was acquired by the -Trenchard family (through marriage) from the Jurdains, -and previously the Jurdains had obtained the house and -land (also through marriage) from the Mohun family, it -is quite clear that a house of some description must have -existed on the same site as that of the present residence.</p> - -<p>Some archæologists consider that the gatehouse is -decidedly of the Norman period; so, should that be the -case, probably the house inhabited by the Jurdains, -before them by the Mohuns, was built soon after -Norman Conquest.</p> - -<p>A date is still to be seen on the north side of the -north tower, but whether that refers to the actual building -of the towers, or only to some portion that had been -rebuilt or restored, is not known.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_264fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_264fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Wolfeton House.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>In a note attached to the pedigree of Trenchard it is -stated that the first Sir Thomas Trenchard rebuilt the -house at Wolfeton as it now stands, except some addition -made by Sir George Trenchard; and there seems no -reason to doubt this statement, for a study of the existing -house shows very clearly two distinct dates of building. -There are evidences, also, that Sir Thomas Trenchard’s -rebuilding incorporated many portions of a still older -edifice.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hamilton Rogers, in his <i>Sepulchral Effigies of -Devon</i>, says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Their last heiress, Christian, daughter and heir of John de Mohun by -Joan his wife, daughter of John Jurdain, of Wolveton, Charminster, married -Henry Trenchard (<i>obit</i> 1477), of Hordull, Hants, and subsequently of -Wolveton.</p> -</div> - -<p>His descendant, Sir Thomas Trenchard (<i>ob.</i> 1505), -rebuilt this fine old mansion, and carved on escutcheons -over the gateway; and first among the noble series of -genealogical shields in the hall windows were the arms of -Trenchard. Traces of the great Devonshire family of -the Mohuns are not infrequently found in Dorset.</p> - -<p>The elevation of the south front of Wolfeton House -remains very much as originally erected, and is of two -distinct styles of architecture—the portion of the building -to the east being in the Tudor-Gothic, probably of the -time of Henry VII., and the west portion in the Elizabethan, -or, more probably, Jacobean style. The latter -portion is a picturesque example of this pseudo-classical -style of architecture and nothing more. The older part -of the building, however, possesses features which are -worthy of notice, as the rich labels over the windows are -composed of hollow mouldings filled with rolls of sculptured -fruit and foliage, and terminating in quaint corbels -carved with great spirit.</p> - -<p>Hutchins says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The ancient seat of the Trenchards here is a noble building, and at the -time when it was built perhaps the best in the country; it is a large fabric, -its principal fronts to the east and south. On the north it is sheltered -by a grove of trees.</p> - -<p>One enters on the east into what formerly was a small court, and on -both sides of the gate is a round tower. In this front are many windows, -almost all of them different from each other, as if the architect had -studied irregularity. This seems to have been the humour of that age, -for Dugdale remarks that:</p> - -<p>At Tixall, co. Stafford, the seat of the Lord Aston, there is a fine piece -of masonry, built in the reign of Henry VIII.: though the windows are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</span> -numerous, scarce two of them are alike, and there is the same variety of -fretwork of the chimneys; so that the beauty of the structure in that age -did not, as in the present, consist in uniformity, but in the greatest variety -the artist could give.</p> - -<p>On the north side of Wolfeton House there was a small cloister leading -to what was the chapel, in which some of the family were married (within -memory), but it has since been pulled down. To the west of the chapel -there was a little court.</p> -</div> - -<p>From Powel’s <i>Topographical Collections in Devon and -Dorset</i> (<span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1820) we learn that a great deal of the back -of the house had been destroyed, and the whole of the fine -glass (with the exception of five or six shields) was taken -down, amounting to 100 lbs., and sent to Mr. Trenchard’s -other house at Lytchett; but it was so badly packed that -when the case was opened almost the whole of the glass -was pounded or broken to pieces, so that very little was -preserved.</p> - -<p>The only remaining portion of the eastern front is -the old gateway, the most distinctive feature of the house. -The entrance gate is flanked by large circular towers -capped by conical stone roofs. That on the south side is -somewhat larger than its fellow, as well as standing a -little further eastwards. The arch of the entrance gateway -has continuous mouldings east and west, with a -label over. The eastern label contains a shield bearing -the following arms:—Quarterly, 1 and 4, Trenchard; -2, Mohun; 3, Jurdain; and an inescutcheon, Quarterly -1 and 4, 3 lozenges; 2..., 3.... The western label terminates -in figures holding shields on which are two T’s -combined with T. E. united by a tasselled cord. Above -the apex of the arch similar initials appear interlaced, and -over all T. T. combined.</p> - -<p>Over the door within the gateway are three escutcheons -on stone: (1) An angel holding a T[transcriber; fractur script], and at the points -T. E. (2) The arms of Trenchard. A little to the south -of the gateway is a building, on which is this inscription: -“<i>Hoc opus constructum fuit An’ Dni.</i>—MCCCCCXXVIII.” -The tower, together with the series of rooms connecting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</span> -the gatehouse westwards to the main house, are comparatively -modern, as also is the entrance porch. These -buildings form the present north front of the house, and -over the porch are sculptured the arms of Weston.</p> - -<p>The chapel mentioned by Hutchins as having formerly -stood on the north side of the house has long since -vanished, but traces of its foundations were discovered -during some excavations made about fifty years ago.</p> - -<p>Turning to the inside of the house, we find much to -interest both the antiquary and the architect.</p> - -<p>Before the hall was destroyed and replaced by the -present dining-room, over the large chimney-piece there -were carved representations of fourteen Kings of England, -which, says Hutchins, “are said to resemble the -figures in the first edition of Rastell’s <i>History of England</i>, -ending with Charles I.” Aubrey, in his <i>Miscellanies</i>, -states that on November 3rd, 1640 (the day on which -the Long Parliament began to sit), the sceptre fell from -the figure of Charles I. while the family and a large company -were at dinner—an ill omen, the full import of which -could not have been realised at the time. Opposite to -these sculptured monarchs were the figures of an abbot, -a soldier, and some esquires. On the screen were the -arms and quarterings of the Trenchard family.</p> - -<p>From the hall a large stone staircase led to the dining-room, -a noble apartment, adorned, says Hutchins, “with -a noble bay window, in which stood an octagon marble -table on four wooden lions.”</p> - -<p>The interior of the western portion of the house—<i>i.e.</i>, -of the part built by Sir George Trenchard, is composed -of two storeys, of which the lower seems originally to have -constituted a single apartment. Both storeys were very -richly decorated; the flat ceiling of the first storey is -covered with an arabesque of plaster, embracing foliage -and various devices, finishing with large central pendants.</p> - -<p>The upper floor had a lofty vaulted ceiling, corresponding -with the high pitch of the roof of a similar<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</span> -character. Unfortunately, this ceiling has been utterly -destroyed—a dreadful piece of vandalism, as the tracery -of the pendants and ceiling must have equalled, or even -surpassed, that of the lower rooms. This upper apartment -now forms a series of bedrooms, in the centre of which -is the original sculptured stone chimney-piece, having -under the cornice a large panel, whereon is depicted a -figure reclining on a couch surrounded by dancers.</p> - -<p>The magnificent carved oak doorway and chimney-piece -in the east drawing-room were sent to Sir Thomas -Trenchard by Philip and Joanna at the same time that -they presented him with their portraits and a china -bowl. The following description of the chimney-pieces -in the east and west drawing-rooms is given by the county -historian:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Chimney-piece No. 1, in the east drawing-room, the height of the -room, consists of an arrangement of entablatures one within the other, -the upper and outer cornice being supported by lofty Corinthian pillars -with rich capitals; immediately beneath this are two large sunken panels, -respectively containing figures of Hope and Justice, separated by male -caryatides, which by their different costumes are intended perhaps to -typify a citizen, knight, and esquire.</p> - -<p>Within the innermost cornice, and immediately surrounding the -fireplace, is a series of panels of great interest, displaying rural and -hunting scenes, trades, satyrs, heads, etc., quaintly but faithfully carved.</p> - -<p>Chimney-piece No. 2, in the west drawing-room, is similar in its -general character; the principal subject amongst its decorations represents -the contest of the goddesses in the garden of the Hesperides.</p> -</div> - -<p>One of the most beautiful examples of carving is an -inner door-case in the east drawing-room, the arch over -which has a richly moulded soffit, and carved heads in the -spandrils; over the door, rich Corinthian pillars, flanked -by sculptured figures of a king in armour and a queen, -support a cornice surmounting a large sunken panel.</p> - -<p>In the front of the cornice is a shield bearing the -following arms: <i>Quarterly</i>—1 and 4, <i>Trenchard</i>; 2, -<i>Mohun</i>; 3, Semée of cross-crosslets, a lion rampant, -<i>Jurdain</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_268fp" style="max-width: 93.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_268fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">The East Drawing-Room, Wolfeton House.</span></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</span></p> - -<p>There is, of course, much else to interest the antiquary -in the way of old furniture and objects of art, and any -visitor will be “charmed with the admirable manner in -which the art of the modern furniture has been adapted -to the character of the old house, lending its aid to -heighten rather than to detract from the beauty of the -antique carvings and of the interior.”</p> - -<p>A curious legend in connection with the dining-room -is that of the ghost of Lady Trenchard having made its -appearance immediately <i>before</i> her death. Anyone, of -course, can believe as much or as little as he likes about -the ghost part of the story, but of the fact of the lady’s -suicide there is no doubt. During the ownership -of Sir Thomas Trenchard one of the Judges of -Assize came to Wolfeton House to dine; but -no sooner had the company sat down than his lordship, -greatly to the surprise of everyone, ordered his -carriage and abruptly left the house. On their way back -to Dorchester he told his marshal that he had seen standing -behind Lady Trenchard’s chair a figure of her -ladyship with her throat cut and her head under her -arm. Before the carriage reached the town a messenger -overtook it on horseback with the news that Lady -Trenchard had just committed suicide.</p> - -<p>As to the dining-room as it now stands, it may be -mentioned that Wolfeton, like many other old houses of -the same period, suffered greatly at the hands of those -who in the last century were wont to pull down one-half of -their houses to repair the other half. This appears to -have happened to Wolfeton House, as, judging from an -old engraving of the house, the dining-hall must have been -quite twice, or more than twice, the size of the present -room.</p> - -<p>Of the historical anecdotes connected with Wolfeton -House, the visit of the King and Queen of Castile is, -perhaps, of the greatest interest.</p> - -<p>In the early part of the sixteenth century, Philip,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</span> -Archduke of Austria and King of Castile, set forth with a -great armada, with the intention of surprising the King -of Aragon, but he had scarcely left the coast of Flanders -when, encountering a violent storm, he was compelled -to put into Weymouth in distress. King Philip and his -Queen were invited to Wolfeton House by Sir Thomas -Trenchard, then High Sheriff, and were hospitably entertained. -And with this visit the origin of the Duke of -Bedford’s family is curiously mixed up; for on the arrival -of the King and Queen, Sir Thomas Trenchard, being unacquainted -with the Spanish language, found a difficulty in -conversing with his guests. In his dilemma he had recourse -to his cousin, John Russell, of Kingston Russell, who, being -a good linguist, became a favourite with the King, and was -recommended by him to Henry VII., who appointed him -to an office in the royal household. In the succeeding -reign Russell was also popular, and the confiscation of -Church property during this period rendered it possible -for Henry VIII. to bestow upon him extensive lands. -And thus was founded the great Bedford family.</p> - -<p>In acknowledgment of his hospitality Sir Thomas -Trenchard was presented by the King and Queen of -Castile with some very valuable china vases, together -with their portraits, all of which are now at Bloxworth -House, near Wareham. They also presented to him the -carved chimney-piece and doorway still standing in the -drawing-room at Wolfeton House, as before described.</p> - -<p>Engraved copies of the oil-paintings of the King and -Queen of Castile hang on the left-hand side of the staircase, -alongside of which is a Spanish engraving of the -poor Queen Joan, when sorrow at the death of her -husband had sent her mad. On their way to the Royal -Mausoleum the funeral <i>cortège</i> had to pass a night at a -nunnery. In the middle of the night the poor mad Queen -suddenly asked where they were. “In a nunnery,” was the -reply. “I will not have my husband surrounded by all these -women,” exclaimed the Queen; so the <i>cortège</i> immediately<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</span> -removed, and spent the remainder of the night, until -daylight, in the open country.</p> - -<p>In the ancient gatehouse of Wolfeton the winding -staircase of forty-one oaken steps appears to be quite -unique: there are nine stone steps at the base, twenty-four -of oak to the first floor level, and seventeen leading -to the garret above. For years (some think one hundred) -this staircase must have been a complete ruin, as is easily -seen by the decayed state of those steps opposite to the -two windows, the wind and the rain having beaten in on -them for many years.</p> - -<p>In addition to the King and Queen of Castile, other -royal visitors have from time to time honoured Wolfeton -House with their presence, and during the residence of -George III. at Weymouth the King and Queen paid it -frequent visits. On one occasion, when George III. -admired a marble table that used to stand in the drawing-room, -the Trenchard of that day immediately presented -it to His Majesty, and the table is now in the royal dairy -at Frogmore, Windsor.</p> - -<p>No account of Wolfeton House would be complete -without some allusion to the story of the Roman Catholic -priest. In the time of Queen Elizabeth, when it was the -object of the then Government to stamp out in every -way the Papal influence in England, the Weld family had -a Roman Catholic priest concealed at their house at -Chideock, in Dorset. Sir Thomas Trenchard, who then -resided at Wolfeton House, and was a personal friend of -Mr. Weld, of Chideock, happened to be High Sheriff of -the county of Dorset for that year, and received orders -to go over and search for the priest therein concealed. -On account of his friendship with Mr. Weld, Sir Thomas, -on reaching Chideock, made a most cursory search, and -left with the intention of reporting to the authorities that -he could find no signs of the priest; but, unfortunately, as -he was leaving, the villagers, whose sympathies were -Roman, not aware of his benign intentions, began hooting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</span> -and calling the High Sheriff and his constables a pack -of blind owls for not being able to find the concealed -priest. “If that’s what you want,” exclaimed Sir Thomas, -losing his temper, “I’ll soon show you I am not so blind -as you think!” and, surrounding the mansion with his -constables, a real search was made, and the poor priest -was soon discovered and brought over to Wolfeton House -as a prisoner. The priest, a highly-educated French -gentleman, made himself so agreeable that Sir Thomas -Trenchard did all in his power, by writing to the authorities, -to save his life; but the Government of that day -was so desirous of making an example, that all entreaties -were in vain—the poor priest was executed, and, it is -said, was also drawn and quartered in the High Street -of Dorchester.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_LITERARY_ASSOCIATIONS">THE LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS -OF DORSET</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Miss M. Jourdain</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/dq.jpg" alt="“D" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">ORSET has continued Dorset alone from time -immemorial,” and its special character has been -more carefully preserved and fixed than -that of any other English county in the -work of two Dorset poets, William Barnes and Thomas -Hardy, one of whom has succeeded, like Mistral in -France, in making its native language a literary medium -known beyond its spoken limits.</p> - -<p>Dorset’s earlier poets,<a id="FNanchor_61" href="#Footnote_61" class="fnanchor">[61]</a> however, have not been -“local”; and it is characteristic of Matthew Prior that, -in the account drawn up by himself for Jacobs’ <i>Lives of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</span> -the Poets</i>, he describes his father as a “citizen of London,” -and that though the first entry against his name on his -admission as pensioner at St. John’s College, Cambridge, -is <i>Dorcestr</i>, it has been altered by a later hand into -<i>Middlesexiensis</i>. In spite of conflicting entries, it is now -generally admitted that Prior, <i>perennis et fragrans</i>—the -motto upon the modern brass to his memory in Wimborne -Minster<a id="FNanchor_62" href="#Footnote_62" class="fnanchor">[62]</a>—was born at or near Wimborne, in East Dorset, -the son of George Prior, who is said to have been a -joiner.</p> - -<p>“With regard to the family of Prior, the tradition of -Wimborne says that his father was a carpenter, and one -house he lived in is pointed out: it is close to the present -Post Office, and is called the house in which the poet was -born. The other was pulled down, but its site is known.”<a id="FNanchor_63" href="#Footnote_63" class="fnanchor">[63]</a></p> - -<p>Local tradition makes Prior a pupil at the free -Grammar School; and of the unusually large library of -chained books in the old church, one was said to be a -standing testimony to his carelessness—a chained folio -copy of Ralegh’s <i>History of the World</i>, in which a hole -is said to have been burned by the boy when dozing over -the book by the light of a smuggled taper. Unfortunately -for the floating tradition, it has been stated that this -particular defacement is the work, not of a candle, but of -a red-hot poker. Still more unfortunately, it has been -proved that the <i>History</i>, with other books, was placed in -the library<a id="FNanchor_64" href="#Footnote_64" class="fnanchor">[64]</a> at a much later date than Prior’s boyhood.<a id="FNanchor_65" href="#Footnote_65" class="fnanchor">[65]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</span></p> - -<p>Almost a century later a poetic “Court” was held at -Eastbury, in North Dorset, by George Bubb Dodington, -Lord Melcombe, who is not interesting as a poet<a id="FNanchor_66" href="#Footnote_66" class="fnanchor">[66]</a> himself, -but as the cause of poetry in others, the last of the -patrons, a curious, gorgeous, tawdry figure, fit to be -seen through the coloured glass of Macaulay’s ridicule. -He was the easy mark for dedications and compliments -from many of the best-known writers of the day—poets -utterly discrowned, and those on whose brows the laurel -grows very thin and brittle; Edward Young, Thomson, -and Fielding mention him; while his Great House at -Eastbury is celebrated by Thomson, Young, and -Christopher Pitt,<a id="FNanchor_67" href="#Footnote_67" class="fnanchor">[67]</a> who writes, somewhat oddly, of this -“new Eden in the Wild.” The pleasures of this “Eden” -appear, from an epistle of Pitt, to have been smoking -and drinking, with conversational intervals. Dr. Young -(of the <i>Night Thoughts</i>) sits with “his Dodington,”</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">Charm’d with his flowing Burgundy and wit,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">By turns relieving with the circling draught</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Each pause of chat and interval of thought;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or, through the well-glazed tube, from business freed,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Draw the rich spirit of the Indian weed.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Thomson’s “Eastbury”—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent10">Seat serene and plain</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Where simple Nature reigns,</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p class="pnind">is as bad, in its way, as Pitt’s “Eden”—serenity, plainness, -and simple nature being the most unlikely -characteristics of Dodington,<a id="FNanchor_68" href="#Footnote_68" class="fnanchor">[68]</a> whose heavy figure was -arrayed in gorgeous brocades; and whose equally magnificent -State bed was “garded and re-garded” with gold -and silver embroideries showing by the remains of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</span> -pocket-holes, button-holes and loops that they came -from old coats and breeches. This great house, after -Dodington’s death, was taken down all but one wing -and sold piecemeal by Earl Temple, his heir.</p> - -<p>Henry Fielding, one of the Eastbury circle—he -dedicated to Dodington an epistle on “True Greatness”—was -brought up as a boy in the manor-house at East -Stower,<a id="FNanchor_69" href="#Footnote_69" class="fnanchor">[69]</a> where he was taught by the Reverend Mr. Oliver, -curate of the neighbouring village of Motcombe, said to -have been the original of Trulliber, a portrait drawn “in -resentment of some punishment inflicted on him,” according -to Hutchins.<a id="FNanchor_70" href="#Footnote_70" class="fnanchor">[70]</a> Fielding was fortunate in another -portrait, for it is generally admitted that the prototype -of Parson Abraham Adams was William Young, Incumbent -of West Stower, who had many of Adams’ -eccentricities. As an instance of Young’s absence of -mind, it is said that when chaplain to a regiment in -Flanders he “wandered in a reverie into the enemy’s -camp, and was only aroused from his error by his arrest. -The commanding officer, perceiving the good man’s -simplicity, allowed him to return to his friends.”</p> - -<p>At East Stower, too, Fielding lived for a time with -his first wife.</p> - -<p>William Crowe, though like Fielding only a short -time resident in Dorset, is admitted on the strength of -his topographical poem, <i>Lewesdon Hill</i>, of which Rogers -thought so much that when travelling in Italy he made -two authors his constant study for versification, Milton -and Crowe.<a id="FNanchor_71" href="#Footnote_71" class="fnanchor">[71]</a> Crowe’s <i>Lewesdon Hill</i> is a perfect example<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</span> -of an eighteenth century didactic and descriptive poem, -with all the heaviness due to the requirements of an age -which, like Horace Walpole, called for “edification” in its -art. As in Goldsmith’s <i>Traveller</i> the person who speaks -the verses sits pensively on an Alpine height, so Crowe -in his poem is supposed to be walking on the top of the -hill on a May morning—a hill, it has been suggested, -that Fuller<a id="FNanchor_72" href="#Footnote_72" class="fnanchor">[72]</a> may have climbed before him, and where the -wide prospect, “standing where Moses stood when the -Lord showed him all the land,” may have prompted the -title of his book, <i>A Pisgah Sight of Palestine</i>, which he -wrote when at Broadwindsor. Upon this hill, where</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent20">The lonely thorn</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Bends from the rude south-east with top cut sheer,</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p class="pnind">Crowe surveys the outspread map of the county—Shipton -Hill, Burton Cliff, Eggardon Hill, the rich Marshwood -Vale—in winter</p> - -<p class="center"> -Cold, vapourish, miry, wet, -</p> - -<p class="pnind">to the “rampire” of Pillesdon, even the “nameless -rivulet” (the minutest trickle of a stream at the foot of -Lewesdon Hill), which, he rejoices,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent20">Yet flows along</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Untainted with the commerce of the world.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>William Lisle Bowles, author of faint and forgotten -verses, is remembered by Coleridge’s early admiration -for his sonnets. His father, the Rev. W. Bowles (rector -of Uphill), planted and improved Barton Hill House, in -Dorset, which the poet sold. On leaving it the poet -wrote verses full of regret for</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent2">These woods, that whispering wave</div> - <div class="verse indent0">My father rear’d and <i>nurst</i>.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</span></p> - -<p>An author unknown outside his county is John -Fitzgerald Pennie (buried July 17th, 1848). He was born -at East Lulworth, March 25th, 1782, and is known as a -dramatic writer. He published <i>Scenes in Palestine, or -Dramatic Sketches from the Bible</i>, 1825; <i>Ethelwolf</i>, a -tragedy, 1821, etc. He followed in his early years the -profession of an actor, but after a chequered and -unsuccessful career, settled in his native village and -devoted himself to literary pursuits. He published his -autobiography in 1827, <i>The Tale of a Modern Genius, or -the Miseries of Parnassus</i>. In 1810 he married Cordelia -Elizabeth, daughter of Jerome Whitfield, a London -attorney. He and his wife died within a few days of -each other, and were buried in the same grave.</p> - -<p>Wordsworth’s connection with Dorset is of short -duration, but is of interest as occurring at a critical period -in his career. On his receiving Raisley Calvert’s legacy, -he was able to live with his sister Dorothy at a farmhouse -at Racedown,<a id="FNanchor_73" href="#Footnote_73" class="fnanchor">[73]</a> which he was allowed to occupy rent -free on condition that the owner might spend a few -weeks there from time to time. It was in the autumn -of 1795 that he settled there. His house is set upon the -north-west slope of the “rampire” Pillesdon, in a hollow -among hills cultivated to their summits, or patched with -gorse and broom, which open here and there to allow -glimpses of the sea. The Dorset peasants in Wordsworth’s -time were wretchedly poor, their shapeless cottages “not -at all beyond what might be expected in savage life,” as -Dorothy Wordsworth wrote. Very little trace of the -peculiar quality of the place is to be found in Wordsworth’s -poems, but it was here he wrote the first of his -poems of country life, modelled with an experience so -personal as to keep every sentence vividly accurate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</span></p> - -<p>It was here that he watched<a id="FNanchor_74" href="#Footnote_74" class="fnanchor">[74]</a> the “unquiet widowhood” -of Margaret, drawing out the hemp which she had wound -round her waist like a belt, and spinning, as she walked -backwards before her cottage door. Here, no doubt, he -saw her ruined cottage—there are many crumbling shells -and ruined cottages in the district to-day—with the red -stains and tufts of wool in the corner-stone of the porch -where the sheep were permitted to come and “couch -unheeded.” The garden, run wild, too, is to be met with -to-day:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent20">Its matted weeds</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Marked with the steps of those, whom, as they passed,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The gooseberry trees that shot in long, lank slips,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or currants, hanging from their leafless stems</div> - <div class="verse indent0">In scanty strings, had tempted to o’erleap</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The broken wall. I looked around, and there,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Where two tall hedge-rows of thick alder-boughs</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Joined in a cold damp nook, espied a well,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Shrouded with willow-flowers and plumy fern.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Here, too, was Goody Blake’s cabin:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent2">On a hill’s northern side...</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Where from sea-blasts the hawthorns lean</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And hoary dews are slow to melt.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>“The muffled clamour of the outside world only -reached the secluded farmhouse at Racedown after long -delay”—in other words, letters were delivered there but -once a week; and on one occasion at least Wordsworth -asks to have a book franked, otherwise he will “not be -able to release it from the post-office.” A part of this -time was given to gardening, and, no doubt from motives -of economy, almost all the meals consisted of vegetables.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</span> -“I have been lately living,” he writes, “upon air and the -essence of carrots, cabbages, turnips, and other esculent -vegetables, not excluding parsley.”<a id="FNanchor_75" href="#Footnote_75" class="fnanchor">[75]</a> At another time he -sets forth to warm himself, like Goody Blake, by gathering -sticks strewn upon the road by the gale; and his habit -was to take a two hours’ stroll every morning, and now -and then a long expedition on foot. He and his sister, -as the Cumberland peasants said, were “a deal upo’ the -road,” and many times they must have walked more than -forty miles in the day. There is a story still current -in the neighbourhood that Wordsworth once borrowed -a horse to ride into Lyme Regis, and returned on foot, -having <i>forgotten</i> the horse! With all its hardships and -frugalities, Dorothy Wordsworth loved Racedown. It -was “the place dearest to (her) recollections upon the -whole surface of the island,” and she speaks warmly of -the scenery on Pillesdon, Lewesdon, and the view of the -sea from Lambert’s Castle—which is said by some to be -<i>the</i> view of the county.</p> - -<p>Landor’s thought, that “when a language grows up all -into stalk, and its flowers begin to lose somewhat of their -character, we must go forth into the open fields, through -the dingles, or among the mountains, for fresh seed,” -would have been endorsed by both Wordsworth and -Barnes alike, but with very different ideas as to what was -considered fresh seed. Barnes’ innovation was an innovation -of the letter rather than the spirit, the literary use of -the local dialect which he heard in his boyhood, and -which, he said, was spoken in the greatest purity in -villages and hamlets of the secluded Vale of Blackmore, -a valley so secluded that its life was practically the life -of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries until the nineteenth -was far advanced. He attributes his poems’ freedom -from “slang and vice” to this seclusion; but it is as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</span> -much due to his personal<a id="FNanchor_76" href="#Footnote_76" class="fnanchor">[76]</a> preference of light to darkness. -His rustics are, as a rule, happy people.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_280fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_280fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">William Barnes.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>At Rushay, William Barnes spent his early days, and -he was educated at the day school at Sturminster Newton. -Somewhere along the road from Bagber to Sturminster -was a haunted house, about the exact locality of which he -gave no information beyond that a “dark, gloomy lane led -to it.” He once pointed out the lane to grand-children as -the place their “great-grandfather was riding down, when -all at once he saw the ghost in the form of a fleece of -wool, which rolled along mysteriously by itself till it got -under the legs of his horse, and the horse went lame -from that hour, and for ever after.” Barnes was of pure -Dorset<a id="FNanchor_77" href="#Footnote_77" class="fnanchor">[77]</a> stock. His long life was lived almost entirely in -Dorset; and when at Mere, in Wiltshire, a stone’s throw -from his own county, he “always yearned for Dorset and -Dorchester.” Latterly he lived near Dorchester, where, -until 1882, “few figures were more familiar to the eye in -the county town of Dorset on a market day than an aged -clergyman, quaintly attired in caped cloak, knee-breeches -and buckled shoes, with a leather satchel slung over his -shoulders and a stout staff in his hand. He seemed -usually to prefer the middle of the street to the pavement, -and to be thinking of matters which had nothing to do -with the scene before him. He plodded along with a -broad, firm tread, notwithstanding the slight stoop occasioned -by years. Every Saturday morning he might have -been seen thus trudging up the narrow South Street, his -shoes coated with mud according to the state of the roads -between his rural home and Dorchester, and a little grey<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</span> -dog at his heels, till he reached the four crossways in the -centre of the town. Halting there, opposite the public -clock, he would pull his old-fashioned watch from its -deep fob and set it with great precision to London -time.”</p> - -<p>An unusual union of scholar and poet, his little Dutch -pictures are free from the dull undertone of the conventional -manner that Burns occasionally fell into. Indeed, -he has more affinity with the Provençal poet and lexicographer, -Mistral, than with Burns or Béranger, with -whom he is usually compared. He is perhaps mistaken -in his belief that the Dorset dialect is “altogether as fit -a vehicle of rustic feeling and thought as the Doric as -found in the Idyllics of Theocritus.” But, after making -this exception about the “fitness” of his Doric, there -remains in his clear, untroubled poems of still life, in his -unaffected eclogues, no small affinity with Theocritus. -There is a charm in his limitations; he belongs not to -England, but to Dorset; not to Dorset, but to the Vale -of Blackmore, where the slow, green river, his “cloty” -Stour, with its deep pools whence leaps the may-fly -undisturbed by anglers, is the stream dearest to his -memory.</p> - -<p>Barnes was Mr. Hardy’s near neighbour and personal -friend—Mr. Hardy’s house is less than a mile from the -Rectory of Winterborne Came—and both have been -interpreters of the life—especially of the vanished life—and -character of their pastoral county. In every other -respect they are as different as is “Egdon” Heath from -Blackmore Vale.</p> - -<p>It is difficult to say in what form of topography Mr. -Hardy is at his best within his “kingdom”—his patient -and precise creation of a town such as “Casterbridge” -(Dorchester), the architectural individuality of his great -houses, or his knowledge of “those sequestered spots -outside the gates of the world,” and of woodlands and -wildernesses. He has the knowledge with which he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</span> -credits Angel Clare of “the seasons in their moods, -morning and evening, night and noon, in their temperaments; -winds in their several dispositions; trees, waters, -and clouds, shades and silence, <i>ignes fatui</i>; constellations -and the voices of inanimate things.” In most cases, the -birthplace of a novelist has no particular significance in -relation to his work. Very often a writer’s county is like -Matthew Prior’s, exchanged for Middlesex. But in the -case of Mr. Hardy it is different. The fact that he was -born in a “mere germ of a village” near Dorchester, and -within sound of a heath; that his life has been spent, for -the most part, in Dorset; that he now lives on the outskirts -of Dorchester, and that he comes of a Dorset stock—tracing -his descent, however, from John le Hardy (son -of Clement, Governor of Jersey in 1488), who settled in -the West of England before the end of the fourteenth -century—are significant points in his biography.<a id="FNanchor_78" href="#Footnote_78" class="fnanchor">[78]</a> By the -circumstances of birth and lifelong residence the background -of his novels, <i>Wessex</i>, has become mainly -limited to Dorset (South Wessex), and especially to the -neighbourhood of Dorchester.</p> - -<p>The interest of Mr. Hardy’s backgrounds is twofold. -There is their purely artistic interest as intensifying -action and character; there is also their topographical -interest. Mr. Hardy’s imaginary kingdom was so unlike -the photographer’s “studio backgrounds” of other -novelists that long before sketch-maps of Wessex were -prepared and published in the uniform edition of his -works the identity of many of his scenes afforded no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</span> -manner of doubt to Dorset readers. The precision with -which he describes a building or a neighbourhood, notes -position, distance, proportion, has been a clue and a -perpetual interest to those who follow the intricacies of -Wessex geography, in spite of Mr. Hardy’s half-discouragement -of those who sought to localise the -horizons and landscapes of his “merely realistic dream -country.”</p> - -<p>His “illuminative surnames” have been spoken of by -some writers. His place-names are no less illuminative, -and his quaint or sonorous substitutes might be transferred -to the map of Dorset with little loss. In some -cases an older name is revived, such as Shaston, Middleton -Abbey, and Kingsbere. Sometimes he has made a slight -modification of the real name, or received a suggestion -from it, as in Sherton Abbas, Emminster, Port Bredy, -Chaseborough, Casterbridge. Other names are downright -inventions, often a <i>précis</i> of the natural features of -the town, such as Aldbrickham for Reading; or made with -a fine ear for local probability.<a id="FNanchor_79" href="#Footnote_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a></p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="i_284fp" style="max-width: 62.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_284fp.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Mr. Thomas Hardy.</span></div> -</div> - -<p>The county town of Dorset, with its core of old -houses, and too many that are new, is the centre of the -Hardy district, as it is the “pole, focus, or nerve-knot,” of -the surrounding country. Its memories of Rome are preserved -in Mr. Hardy’s name for it, “Casterbridge”; and -its outward appearance in the days when Dorchester had -no suburbs, and was “compact as a box of dominoes” -behind its stockade of limes and chestnuts. A description -of the old-fashioned place, in the mouth of one of Mr. -Hardy’s characters, always quoted in the guide-books to -Dorchester, is that “it is huddled all together, and it is -shut in by a square wall of trees like a plot of garden-ground -by a box edging”; and the unusual way the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</span> -country came up to the town and met in one line is best -described in his words:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The farmer’s boy could sit under his barley mow and pitch a stone -into the office window of the town clerk; reapers at work among the -sheaves nodded to acquaintances standing on the pavement corner; the -red-robed judge, when he condemned a sheep-stealer, pronounced sentence -to the tune of Baa, that floated in at the window from the remainder of -the flock browsing hard by; and at executions the waiting crowd stood -in a meadow immediately before the drop, out of which the cows had been -temporarily driven to give the spectators room.</p> -</div> - -<p>It has been said that the Dorchester in the Wessex -novels had no suburbs; the North Street ended abruptly -in a mill by the river; the South Street came to an end -in a cornfield—but these bounds have been leaped over -in several places, and to-day the east, or Fordington side -of the town (Mr. Hardy’s Durnover) alone remains -unchanged; and here the flat water-meadows stretch up -to the garden-hedges and the actual walls of the houses. -In spite of changes without the escarpments, the curfew -still sounds at the stroke of eight from St. Peter’s with -its “peremptory clang,” the signal for shop-shutting -throughout the town. The brick bridge over the Frome, -and the stone bridge over a branch of the same stream -in the meads, have their well-defined peculiarities in -Dorchester as in “Casterbridge.” The neighbourhood of -“Mixen” Lane (Mill Lane), the “mildewed leaf” in the -sturdy and flourishing Casterbridge plant, is recognisable -at the east end of the town, near the town bridges.</p> - -<p>Lucetta’s house, “High Place Hall,” at the corner of -Durngate Street, has a modern shop-front inserted; while -the most significant feature of her house is to be found -at Colyton House, where, in the centre of the wall flanking -the garden, is an archway, now bricked up, surmounted -by a battered mask in which the open-mouthed, comic -leer can hardly be discerned to-day. Without the town, -on the Weymouth Road, is the immense Roman “Ring”—“Maumbury -Ring, melancholy, lonely, yet accessible<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</span> -from every part of the town”—which was to Dorchester -what the ruined Colosseum is to modern Rome.</p> - -<p>“Some old people said that at certain moments in the -summer time, in broad daylight, persons sitting with a -book, or dozing in the arena, had, on lifting their eyes, -beheld the slopes lined with a gazing legion of Hadrian’s -soldiery as if watching the gladiatorial combat, and had -heard the roar of their excited voices; that the scene -would remain but a moment, like a lightning flash, and -then disappear.” The ancient square earthwork where -Henchard planned his entertainment is Poundbury Camp, -where the annual sheep-fair is held—“Square Pommerie” -of the poems.</p> - -<p>Dorchester is interesting from the fact that it is the -only full-length portrait of a town drawn in the Wessex -novels, and is the almost unshifting scene of one, the -<i>Mayor of Casterbridge</i>, where the dramatic unity of -place is preserved. In other novels the characters are -wanderers and the scenes shifted; or the towns and -villages are sketched in half-lengths or in small thumbnail -sketches. Of these, certainly the most important -historically is Shaftesbury, the Shaston of the novels, -which seems to be set upon “a dominant cape or a -far-venturing headland.” It is a town of shrunken -importance, “familiar with forgotten years,” the ancient -British Palladour, “which was, and is, in itself, the city -of a dream.”</p> - -<p>The houses now composing Shaftesbury are held high -up above the Vale of Blackmore by the height, or cliff, -upon which it is built; and Barnes, no less than Mr. Hardy, -was alive to the vision of the old city on watch, straining -her eyes to Blackmore’s “blue-hilled plain,” or shining -“so bright” to those down miles below in the Vale.</p> - -<p>Another ancient, shrunken town is Wareham, which -reminds one to a certain extent of Dorchester, for it is -square, ramparted, and defended by water on one side; -but these are the only points of resemblance. The little<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</span> -diminished town “where only the presence of the river -and the shallow barges on its bosom suggest the ocean,” -goes by the name of “Anglebury”<a id="FNanchor_80" href="#Footnote_80" class="fnanchor">[80]</a> in the Wessex novels, -for it was a noted town in the Saxon age, when it was a -place of strength. Sherborne, the “Sherton Abbas” of the -novels, takes its fictitious name, like many other Wessex -towns, from its most prominent feature, the Abbey. Cerne -Abbas—called “Abbot’s Cernel” in the novels, one of its -old names being Cernel—is a village “still loitering in -a mediæval atmosphere”; while Bere Regis, which appears -in the novels under the older form, “Kingsbere,” is another -of the diminished places that Mr. Hardy delights to -honour, a “blinking little one-eyed place” of thatched -cottages, the measure of whose earlier magnificence is the -fine church of St. John the Baptist that holds the dust of -the Turbervilles. “Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill,” to give it its -full Wessex title, owes the last limb of that compound -name to Woodbury Hill (Greenhill)—a green hill partly -covered with trees that overlooks Bere. Its ancient fair, -now much decayed, is described rather as it was than as -it is, as the “Nijni-Novgorod of South Wessex.” The -fair is, however, still held in September, beginning on the -eighteenth of the month. “Marlott,” really Marnhull, also -connected with <i>Tess of the D’Urbervilles</i>, lies embedded -in Blackmore Vale, “where the fields are never brown -and the springs never dry,” between Sturminster and -Shaftesbury.</p> - -<p>Some six miles distant from Mr. Hardy’s home is the -village of Piddletown, known by the name of Weatherbury -in <i>Far from the Madding Crowd</i>. The church -described there remains, but, as the novelist expressly -warns us, “Warren’s Malthouse” disappeared years ago, -with some of the village’s characteristic peculiarities.</p> - -<p>Stinsford, a parish of which the Bockhamptons are -hamlets, the original of “Mellstock,” is so carefully<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</span> -described by Mr. Hardy that each cottage might well be a -literary landmark, while Sutton Poyntz, the “Overcombe” -of <i>The Trumpet-Major</i>, like Piddletown, has lost one of -Mr. Hardy’s landmarks, for the mill is demolished, but the -colossal figure of George III. upon the chalk downs, which -in the novel was being cut, is still to be seen.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hardy’s special quality of precision that comes of -knowledge is nowhere more closely shown than in his -pictures of great houses, or, indeed, of buildings of any -kind. They are all drawn from the real, from their cellars -and foundations to their leads and chimney-pots. The only -liberty he takes with the originals is to remove them, in -one or two cases, to another position. For instance, -Lower Waterstone Farm, the original of Bathsheba -Everdene’s house in <i>Far from the Madding Crowd</i>—“a -hoary building of the Jacobean stage of classic Renaissance”—is -nearly two miles from “Weatherbury” -(Piddletown). Again, Poxwell Hall, the “Oxwell Hall” -of <i>The Trumpet-Major</i>, is really three miles from “Overcombe” -(Sutton Poyntz), and, therefore, not the close -neighbour of the Lovedays it is made to be. The -original of “Welland House” is Charborough; but the -“Tower,” as Mr. Hardy writes, “had two or three -originals—Horton, Charborough, etc.”</p> - -<p>Wool Manor-house, or “Well Bridge,” as Mr. Hardy, -reverting to the older name, calls it, once a possession -of the Turbervilles, is set on the bank of the rush-grown -Frome, near the great Elizabethan bridge that -gives the place half its name. The paintings of two -women are actually, as in the novel, on the walls of the -staircase, but they are now rapidly fading away, and can -only with difficulty be made out to-day by the light of -a candle.</p> - -<p>“Enkworth Court” (Encombe), deep in the Glen of -Encombe, approached by a long road gradually dropping -into the cup-like crater by the only expedient of winding -round it, is a “house in which Pugin would have torn<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</span> -his hair.” “Great Hintock House,” however, another house -in a hole, has no original, though it has somewhat hastily -been identified with Turnworth House, near Blandford. -The situation is similar, but Turnworth House is largely -a modern building, while the “Great Hintock House” of -<i>The Woodlanders</i> had a front which was an “ordinary -manorial presentation of Elizabethan windows, mullioned -and hooded, worked in rich snuff-coloured free-stone from -local quarries.”</p> - -<p>The sea-coast towns of Dorset, southern outposts of -Wessex, make an occasional appearance in the novels and -tales. The original of “Knollsea” is Swanage, which -would scarcely now be described as the sea-side village -“lying snug within its two headlands as between a finger -and thumb.” With Bridport (“Port Bredy”) and its -neighbour, West Bay, Mr. Hardy takes one of his rare -liberties in altering the configuration of the country; for -one story opens with the statement that “the shepherd -on the east hill could shout out lambing intelligence to -the shepherd on the west hill,” over the intervening -chimneys. The cleft, however, in which the town is sunk -is not so exiguous.</p> - -<p>Georgian Weymouth is peculiarly the scene of <i>The -Trumpet-Major</i>; while Portland, “the Isle of Slingers”—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent20">The Isle of the Race</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Many-caverned, bald, wrinkled of face,</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p class="pnind">—is especially the district of <i>The Well Beloved</i>. It is -a “wild, herbless, weather-worn promontory,” sour and -treeless, with its beak-like point stretching out like the -head of a bird into the English Channel. On the east -side is an unexpected wooded dell, narrow and full of -shade, on the summit of which rises Pennsylvania Castle—“Sylvania -Castle” of the novel—a modern castellated -house, built in 1800 for John Penn, Governor of the -Island, who planted the trees around it.</p> - -<p>Perhaps Mr. Hardy’s most inalienable possession is not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</span> -the town but the wild, the “obscure, obsolete, superseded -country,” a “tract in pain,” which, with one form but many -names, stretches from Poole in the east to almost within -sight of Dorchester on the west, from near Bere Regis -in the north to Winfrith in the south, where it joins the -heathland of the Isle of Purbeck. Though “Egdon” -Heath is broken up into many tracts, into Morden and -Bere, and Wool and Duddle and other heaths, it has an -essential unity, and the attempts at cultivation have met -with desperate and, as it were, voluntary resistance, so -that the breaks into green strips of cornfield slip the -memory on a back-look at that lonely land. It is a place -inviolate and “unaltered as the stars,” a sweep of moorland, -a tract of land covered with heather and bracken -and furze, practically unbroken, where, “with the exception -of an aged highway, and a still more aged barrow, -themselves almost crystallized to natural products by long -continuance, even the trifling irregularities were not caused -by pick-axe, plough, or spade, but remained as the very -finger-touches of the last geological change.” In appearance -its colours are by distance blended into the purple -brown called, in <i>The Return of the Native</i>, “swart”—its -“antique brown dress.” The swart, abrupt slopes appear -to be “now rising into natural hillocks masquerading -solemnly as sepulchral tumuli, now dipping into hollows, -where the rain-water collects in marshy pools and keeps -green the croziers and fully-opened fronds of the bracken -much longer than the parched growths at the crests of -these rises, and again spreading out into little scrubby -plains.”<a id="FNanchor_81" href="#Footnote_81" class="fnanchor">[81]</a></p> - -<p>Its quality is “prodigious, and so as to frighten one -to be in it all alone at night,” as Pepys said of another -solitary place—the great earthwork of Old Sarum. In -Mr. Hardy’s words, “the face of the heath by its mere -complexion adds half an hour to evening: it can, in like<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</span> -manner, retard the dawn, sadden noon, anticipate the -frowning of storms scarcely generated, and intensify the -opacity of a moonless midnight to a cause of shaking and -dread.” It is an agent among agents, and what Wordsworth -finds that nature becomes seen by man’s intellect, -“an ebbing and a flowing mind.” Its lonely face, and -the face of all solitary heath-lands, are interpreted for -ever in <i>The Return of the Native</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp60" id="i_291" style="max-width: 37.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_291.jpg" alt="" /> - <div class="caption"><p><span class="fs3">Sidney Heath 1901</span></p> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Came Rectory.</span><br /> -<i>The home of William Barnes.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="SOME_DORSET_SUPERSTITIONS">SOME DORSET SUPERSTITIONS</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Hermann Lea</span></p> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcapi" - src="images/i.jpg" alt="I" /></div> - - <p class="pfirst">N employing the term superstition, it is in the sense -defined by Franz v. Schonthan:—</p> - -<p> -Zwar nicht wissen—aber glauben<br /> -Heisst ganz richtig—Aberglauben.<br /> -</p> - -<p>(Not to know, but to believe; what else is it, strictly -speaking, but superstition?)</p> - -<p>It is natural, no doubt, that superstition should decrease -in the same ratio as education and enlightenment advance, -but its total extinction need not be anticipated for a long -time to come. True, its death-knell was sounded by the -first invented printing press, a contrivance which, nevertheless, -tends to some extent to foster its growth, since -“believers” read in history facts that give support to -their own beliefs. And although this survival may not -exactly please the practically minded, to the antiquary -or the psychologist its extinction would be certainly -regretable.</p> - -<p>It must not be rashly concluded that superstition -goes hand in hand with foolishness or absence of -commonsense, nor must it be looked on as a symbol of -weak-mindedness. Did not Augustus Cæsar hold strong -views regarding putting the left shoe on the right foot, -maintaining that such procedure betokened some dire -calamity? And again, did he not deem the skin of a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</span> -sea-calf to be a certain preservative against lightning? -Yet he was not generally regarded as a particularly -foolish or weak-minded man.</p> - -<p>Of the various forms of superstition current at the -present time, none hold such sway as the credence in -witchcraft. The date of its origin is lost in the dim past, -but we may safely surmise that it arose early in the -mind of man. Moses denounced witches in no measured -terms. “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” he said, -and this decree survived until a comparatively recent date. -In mediæval times the law of Moses certainly held good; -it mattered nothing what position in the social standard -the accused held. In the year 1537 Lady Janet Douglas -was burned in Edinburgh on the charge of being a witch. -John Knox was once accused of being a wizard because -“nothing but sorcery,” so it was said, “could account for -Lord Ochiltree’s daughter”—“ane damosil of nobil blude”—falling -in love with him—“ane old, decrepid creature of -most base degree of ony that could be found in the -countrey.” Although the days are past when witches were -publicly tormented or executed, even at the present time -such a reputation is not without danger to the supposed -witch. To effect a cure from the spell cast, it used to -be considered almost essential that her blood be drawn, -and within quite recent years I have known of cases -where reputed witches have been shot at with “silver -bullets,” or struck at with hay-forks or other sharp -instruments.</p> - -<p>Having its birth in so remote a past, it is, perhaps, -not to be wondered at that witchcraft has persisted -so long, that its demise is so protracted. Until a few -years ago, when the law stepped in to punish those who -made a livelihood by “conjuring”—<i>i.e.</i>, pointing out -witches and producing spells to confound them—witchcraft -formed an everyday topic of conversation, and little -secrecy was deemed necessary; but now, though as -staunchly believed in as ever, the subject is alluded to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</span> -in bated breath, and it is no easy matter to discover the -whereabouts of a “conjurer” or “witch-doctor.”</p> - -<p>In the more remote corners of the county may still -be heard fragments of the old Dorset speech, and in -these same out-of-the-way spots one may chance on the -strangest of superstitions and customs. Witchcraft holds -a place in the minds of the illiterate, the semi-educated, -and even the better educated, from which no amount of -argument can expel it. Thomas Hardy and William -Barnes have both used the theme as a groundwork for -prose and poem. It may be interesting to note here that -Conjurer Trendle, in the former’s story entitled “The -Withered Arm,” was no fictitious personage, but had a -veritable existence. He is still well remembered (under -his real name, of course) by some of the older people -who dwelt near, and the house in which he lived, in the -central portion of “Egdon Heath,” may still be traced -in a heap of decayed walls and rotten timbers.</p> - -<p>The reason for this strong and enduring belief is not -difficult to find; thought-transference, mental telepathy, -hypnotism, are all scientifically admitted; that our -ancestors observed the effects of these “sciences,” -attributing the causes to some easily explainable or at -least plausible reasons, is more than probable.</p> - -<p>When attempting to trace to their origin some of the -stories current, one cannot help feeling that in many cases -the so-called witch stood more in need of pity than condemnation, -for it required only very scanty evidence for -her to be thus branded. Gilfillan speaks of a witch as -“a borderer between earth and hell”—a view which was -probably shared by the majority of people. Goldsmith, -on the contrary, was for giving the accused the benefit -of the doubt. “If we enquire,” he says in sarcastic strain, -“what are the common marks and symptoms by which -witches are discovered to be such, we shall see how -reasonably and mercifully those poor creatures were -burned and hanged who unhappily fell under that name.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</span></p> - -<p>If I were required to define a witch of the present -day I should state it as being the second-hand evidence of -numbers of people who have been “overlooked,” or -bewitched, and who have given me detailed descriptions. -A witch, then, is an individual, male or female—usually -the latter—who by reason of certain gifts or powers is -able to exert an influence over another. She generally -includes in her dress some red token—perhaps a red hat, -red shawl, or red cloak. She is able to transform herself -into the likeness of almost any animal, chiefly that of a -cat or hare, and is also able to become invisible; when -assuming the guise of an animal, she in no way hides -her identity from those who are conversant with the ways -of witches, a witch-hare or witch-cat differing in many -particulars, both in appearance and gait, from the ordinary -hare or cat. It has been said that two animals only she -cannot simulate—lambs and donkeys; the usual Scriptural -reasons being adduced. Her power is nearly always -inherited, and I have heard it argued that a certain woman -of my acquaintance, who was perfectly inoffensive, must -necessarily be a witch because her mother was one. This -power may be used either for good or ill, and may be -directed against an animal or a human being. I have -been informed, in strict confidence, of certain signs by -which a witch may be recognised, and to test the accuracy -of my informant, I have many times asked people whom -I knew but slightly whether so-and-so was not a person -credited with superhuman powers, and, nine times out of -ten, have been answered in the affirmative. Hence it -would seem that these tokens are well known and generally -admitted.</p> - -<p>The immediate effect on a person who has been “overlooked,” -“ill-wished,” or “hagrod” (Dorset for “hag-ridden”), -as it is variously called, consists as a rule -of some sort of indisposition. This gradually increases -to severe sickness, and finally death supervenes. The -disease is usually of an extremely subtle nature, defying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</span> -accurate diagnosis, and is often termed by the medical -man mental or hysterical. Sometimes the stricken -individual will merely pine away gradually, refuse food, -complain of nothing definite, yet preserve an entire -reticence as to any supposable cause. On the other hand, -it does happen occasionally that the effect of the “overlooking” -is extremely sudden—perhaps a fatal accident -from an apparently natural cause. Again, the ill-wishing -may take the form of a comparatively harmless nuisance—the -butter may fail to “come” in the churning, the fowls -may suddenly cease laying, the cows may refuse to “give -down” their milk, or the pig, intended for an early -fattening, may object to partake of the most savoury -mixture prepared with consummate care. Perhaps the -horses will refuse to pull fairly at their loads, or may stop -entirely when encountering a small hill.</p> - -<p>A “conjurer” or “white witch” is an individual -who, possessed of certain gifts (to some considerable -extent hereditary), is able to point out to those who -consult him (or her—for either sex may have the -qualifications) the person who is causing the mischief. -One necessary attribute is that he be a “seventh of -a seventh,” <i>i.e.</i>, a seventh child of a parent who, -in his turn, was a seventh child. It does not follow -that this peculiarity in itself is sufficient to produce -a conjurer, but without it he cannot be one. One -point, however, is shared by such-born people, and -that is, entire immunity from the effects of ill-wishing, -and a capability of identifying any other person gifted -with the powers of ill-wishing others.</p> - -<p>There are, or rather were, conjurers <i>and</i> conjurers. -Some took a delight in frustrating the efforts of a witch, -whether paid for their services or not; whilst others used -their knowledge merely as a means of livelihood, and -drained their patients of every copper or possession of -value. I knew of a family that, having consulted a -person of this latter class, parted with all their savings,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</span> -then with their convertible possessions, and, lastly, with -their stock of winter provender (garden produce, potatoes, -and the like), until left in a perfectly destitute condition, -dependent on the parish for actual necessaries. A -conjurer, having listened to the complaint brought him, -will, as a rule, ask his client to what extent he would -wish the punishment to fall. Very often he would surprise -his visitor by saying at the start that he knew the reason -why they came to consult him, and would actually cite -the case as it stood. If desired, he would inform his -questioner who their ill-wisher was, generally by showing -them the face of their enemy reflected in a crystal, or -on the surface of a bucket of water. Then would follow -the prescription—and it was here that he as a rule gave -way to a love of effect, and suggested material cures for -a psychic malady. I am inclined to think that this -materialistic display was the chief reason for his being -held up to ridicule by the unbeliever or sceptic; had he -contented himself with less rude emblematical display he -would have at least had more sympathy from the general -public. Some of the conditions laid down as being -essential to the withdrawal of the spell were, to say the -least, unnecessarily disgusting. Many I know of, which, -although interesting enough to the searcher, would certainly -not bear putting into bald print. Most were -ingenious, and possessed colourable excuse for their -suggestion. I will give a few examples to illustrate this. -A simple remedy was suggested to a dairyman who -complained of sickness in his pig-yard. He was advised -to place a birch-broom (“Bezom,” in Dorset) across the -doorway of the dairyhouse, it being said that any innocent -person could step over it, a witch never. This was tried, -with the result that in the morning a great outcry was -heard, and a neighbour was discovered standing outside -the door protesting that “something hurt her,” and she -felt unable to cross the threshold. In a very similar case -where this was tried and failed to produce any result,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</span> -a further visit to the conjurer suggested sleeping with -a prayer-book under the pillow and fixing a horseshoe -on the door—a shoe that had of itself fallen from the -left hind foot of a horse—and in both these cases the -nuisance was put a stop to almost immediately.</p> - -<p>In a case where the horses were dying from some -obscure complaint, the victim was told to cut out the -heart of the next animal that died and boil it in water -containing sage, peppermint, and onions; when cold, it -was to be stuck full of new pins on the one side, and -on the other with “maiden” thorns—<i>i.e.</i>, thorns of the -present year’s growth—picked by a maiden—woman or -girl—and inserted by her. This done, it was to be hung -up on a nail in the chimney of a neighbour—the one -accused of being the witch. Another charm of a simple -character was for the bewitched person to take a dish -of water and carry it over three bridges at midnight. -Yet another was to take a bottle, place in it some sprigs -of hyssop, fill it up with a certain liquid, insert some -new pins in the cork, and bury it in a manure heap. -In the majority of instances that have come under my -notice, the charm has been emblematical of bodily ill to -the witch; either pins or something similar capable of -drawing blood, or else some perishable material such as -the horse’s heart, which would naturally decay slowly, or -a waxen effigy which, placed near a fire, would gradually -melt; and I have been given to understand that the -slower the melting, the more protracted would be the -witch’s suffering and death.</p> - -<p>I believe it very rarely happens that the same person -is “overlooked” more than once; at any rate, all those -who have spoken to me on the subject have told me -that since they suffered in this way they have taken most -elaborate precautions to avoid a repetition of the -occurrence. I know one man who utterly refuses to meet -or pass a woman who is a stranger to him should she -be wearing anything of a red colour; in fact, he would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</span> -go a mile or more out of his way to avoid her, or enter -a field and hide until she had passed on her way. Another -man of my acquaintance, one who confided to me several -distinguishing marks by which a witch might be recognised, -advised me never to go near a cat or hare if they -exhibited any of these signs. A woman, well-to-do in -her walk in life, has warned me solemnly never to pick -yellow ragwort, lest I should thereby render myself liable -to be bewitched. The seriousness with which these and -many others have tendered advice is sufficient proof—to -me—of the genuineness of their beliefs.</p> - -<p>Let me now briefly cite a few particulars of cases -that have either come under my own observation, or have -been related to me by people in whose veracity I have -the strongest confidence. A question which may be asked -is, do I myself believe that these things happened and -are still happening? It is not easy to find an answer. -Because I cannot explain any certain occurrence it in -no way proves that it is false; moreover, I have personally -met with experiences of a strange, subtle character which, -although I may not be able to explain satisfactorily to -others, are irrefutable as far as I myself am concerned. -Probably many, if not most, of my readers have likewise -had “experiences,” but the scientific scepticism of the -age prevents one from recording them only to be sneered -at by the unbelieving.</p> - -<p>One of the strangest cases that has ever come to -my notice was that of a young baker. It appeared that -in some way or other he had given offence to a reputed -witch who lived in the same village, and who openly vowed -she would “pay him out.” Nothing untoward happened, -however, until after his marriage a few months later, -when, going into the stable one morning to feed his -horse, he found the animal covered with sweat; it was -trembling, and refused all food. The next morning the -same thing occurred; so thinking to frustrate some -practical joker, he bought a strong, expensive lock for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</span> -the door, and prided himself on the fact that he had -now outwitted the culprit. But the next morning the -horse had disappeared, and only after considerable search -was it at length discovered shut up in the pound. The -stable was locked, and there was no evidence to show -that the lock had been tampered with. The only information -he gained was from a neighbour, who stated that -he heard a horse galloping down the road about midnight, -and that, looking out of his window, he had seen—not -a horse, but a hare. For some weeks afterwards all -went on quietly; then his wife was taken ill. The doctor -who attended her could make nothing of her case, and -at length, taking the advice of a friend, he went to consult -a conjurer. As he arrived at the conjurer’s door, the -latter came out, and, without any preamble, asked him -how his wife was. Now the men lived twenty miles apart, -yet the conjurer was conversant with every particular of -the case, including details which the baker declared he -had never mentioned to a soul. To him the conjurer -handed a charm, telling him to preserve entire secrecy -on the matter, and to place it with his own hands under -his wife’s pillow. The result was an almost immediate -improvement in the wife’s condition; but in a day or two -information reached him of the illness of the supposed -witch. As his wife improved, so the other woman became -worse. Then, one evening when she had so far recovered -as to come downstairs, a neighbour ran into his house -declaring that he had just come from the direction of -widow G.’s, that her house was entirely luminous, the walls -semi-transparent, and the whole neighbourhood reeked -strongly of sulphur. Nor was this all, for as he breathlessly -told his tale, another man entered, confirming what -the first had said, and adding that a sound similar to -that made by a hare in a trap proceeded from the widow’s -cottage. Joined by others, including the village policeman, -they hastened to the spot. As they neared it, the -baker, too, smelled the same odour, and saw the luminous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</span> -effect. Arrived at the gate they stood spellbound, for -on the doorstep was a figure. To me he described it as -a “<i>thing</i>, coal-black, with fire darting from its eyes and -mouth; cloven hoofs, and a forked tail”—in short, a fair -description of a popular conception of the devil! For -some minutes they all stood still, too much frightened to -advance or retreat. Then, suddenly, an eerie cry rang -out, and the whole house was plunged in darkness. When -at last they pulled themselves together and entered in -a body, they met coming down the stairs from the bedroom -a woman who had acted as nurse to the stricken widow. -She stated that she had been sitting by the bedside when -she was suddenly overcome by a strong sulphurous smell, -which had rendered her unconscious. Coming to herself -at last, she glanced at the bed, to find it empty. Together -they all ascended the stairs; the fumes still hung about, -but the bed had no occupant; they searched the house -through and through, but could find no trace of the owner.</p> - -<p>I may mention here that it is by no means an uncommon -belief that a witch has sold herself to the devil, and that -“he” will very often come to fetch his “disciple” at the -moment of her death.</p> - -<p>The case of Charles —— was not without interest, -seeing that the narrator was a man of considerable -experience and intelligence, an engineer between thirty -and forty, in a good situation. As a boy he had lived in a -“haunted” house, in which strange and unaccountable -noises were continually heard, sufficiently loud to awaken -the whole household. He shared a small room with a -younger brother, and more than once they were awakened -in the night by the sound of a sheep bleating close to -them, apparently by the bedside. On one occasion he -and his brother, accompanied by their dog, started from -home before daybreak to drive a flock of sheep to a farm -some ten miles away. It was winter, the days were short; -and having duly delivered the sheep, they started on their -return walk as dusk began to gather. Their way led past<span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</span> -a large pond, and as they neared this spot they both -stopped suddenly, hearing the loud bleat of a sheep close -to them. Peering ahead, they soon perceived the form -of a sheep just in front of them. The dog bounded -forward, but returned immediately with his tail between -his legs, and howling dolefully he ran behind his master -as if for protection. The dog was no coward naturally, -and the lads were accordingly somewhat alarmed. They -stood still, debating what to do, while the sheep drew -gradually nearer, uttering “ba-a” after “ba-a,” until it -stopped within a few feet, when they distinctly saw that -the animal had no head. Petrified, they stood a moment, -clutching hold of one another, till the elder, recovering his -presence of mind, raised his stick to strike the animal; -but his arm was powerless—he could only raise the stick -a few inches. Meanwhile, the animal advanced, and -rubbed its neck against their legs. Suddenly it turned, -and dashing to the edge of the pond, sprang in and -disappeared from view. The lads remained gazing after -it, spellbound, and then took to their heels and ran home.</p> - -<p>I am inclined to the belief that originally the term -“hagrod” was chiefly applied to the case of horses that -had become mysteriously affected. An old carter once told -me that he had the charge of some horses at a certain -farm, and unconsciously chanced to give offence to a -reputed witch who lived near by. Her revenge took the -form of petty annoyances. It was no uncommon thing -for him to enter his stables in the morning to find his -horses bathed in sweat, and panting as though they had -been ridden far and fast—this, too, when the door was -found locked as he had left it on the previous night. -On such occasions the horses were fit for no work that -day, and he had considerable trouble to get work out -of them. Sometimes he would find them with their tails -and manes tightly plaited up with straw. Such occurrences -used to be comparatively common. One day I chanced -to mention to his master what the man had told me; -his master smiled, and said what he thought might be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</span> -an explanation, but in no way denied the man’s story. -Then he told me a case that had come under his own -observation. In the stable was a valuable young horse, -and one morning it was found with one hind leg perfectly -stiff, so stiff that it could not put it to the ground. Three -men tried their utmost to bend it, but without avail. At -last they led the animal out of the stable, limping on -three legs, and when outside it gradually got back the -use of the limb. This happened many times, and at -length the carter declared it was “hagrod,” that an old -woman living near by had “overlooked it,” that every time -she passed the stable—a thing which she did occasionally -to get butter from the dairy—the horse was invariably -stricken. Out of curiosity the farmer took note of what -the carter said, and, to his astonishment, he found that -the man was right—that is to say, in so far as that the -horse’s stiffness coincided with the time of this woman’s -approach. She left the neighbourhood a short time afterwards, -and from that date there was no recurrence of the -horse’s strange attacks.</p> - -<p>In a case with the details of which I am very familiar, -and the truth of which I can vouch for, the ill-wish found -vent firstly on animals, the property of the “overlooked.” -What actually led up to the matter I never quite knew, -possibly the narrator had offended her neighbour; anyhow, -the facts are indisputable. The first effects showed -themselves in the pigs refusing all food, and then dying -one after the other, in what looked like some form of -fit. A veterinary surgeon who was called in declared his -inability to give a name to the disease, and a subsequent -post-mortem examination threw no light on the matter. -Then, one by one, all the fowls sickened and died; and, -lastly, the woman’s daughter became seriously ill, but of -what disease the doctor was unable to say. It was at this -juncture that her mother, who had hitherto scoffed at the -notion, took it into her head that the girl was bewitched, -with the result that she paid a visit to a “wise-woman”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</span> -(with whom I was also well acquainted), and sought her -advice. The “conjuress” listened to her story, told her -the name of the person who was ill-wishing her, and -gave her a charm, with instructions to sew it, unknown -to her daughter, inside her corsets, in such a position -that she should not suspect its presence. These directions -were faithfully carried out, with the result that in a short -time her daughter regained her normal health. Meanwhile, -a neighbour (the supposed ill-wisher) sickened, growing -worse as the girl improved, and finally left the neighbourhood; -her subsequent history was never known. The -charm, which, by the way, the mother was directed to burn -directly her daughter was out of danger, was preserved for -some time. It consisted of a small lump of wax, roughly -modelled into the form of a woman, the face bearing a -distinct likeness to the accused witch!</p> - -<p>I will conclude with one more instance, which, although -free from complications, is interesting as having -happened quite recently. The supposed witch lived -within a few hundred yards of the house that -I was then inhabiting; the bewitched was a man who -was for some years my gardener. The road from his -cottage to the nearest village led past the house occupied -by the witch, and, from some quite inexplicable cause, -he was never able to pass her house in the ordinary way. -When he attempted to do so he fell down; his only -alternatives being either to turn round and walk backwards, -or else to crawl by on hands and knees. Naturally, -all the neighbours were aware of the fact, but they had -grown so familiar with it that they ceased to comment -on it. About two years ago the woman died, and afterwards, -the spell presumably expiring with her, the old -man was able to pursue his way in normal fashion. In -front of the witch’s house stood a fine apple tree, and -one day during the autumn following her death, the old -man asked me, with a twinkle in his eye, whether I had -noticed what a fine crop of apples this tree bore. “I’ve<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</span> -a-knowed thic tree,” he said, “ever since he wer’ planted; -but he haven’t never had n’ar a opple on to en avore. -Now, sir, can’ee tell I how ’tis he do bear s’well t’year?” -Knowing what was expected of me, I said: “Let me -see, John, is it not about a year ago since Mrs. X—, -who lived there, died?” His retort, though scarcely a -reply to my query, was nevertheless suggestive of the -fact that I had answered his former question to me. He -deliberately winked, then said, “Ther, sir, now you’ve -a-said it,” and strode off to attend to his work.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="INDEX">INDEX</h2> -</div> - -<div class="index"> -<ul class="index"> -<li class="ifrst">Abbey, Bindon, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Cerne, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church of Sherborne, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Foundations of Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Abbotsbury Abbey, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— taken, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Adeliza, daughter of Baldwin de Brioniis, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Agger-Dun, Round Barrows at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Agglestone Rock, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Agricola, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Albert, Prince, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Alfred, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Boyhood of King, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Victories of, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Allington, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - -<li class="indx">All Saints’, Dorchester, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Almshouse, Sherborne, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Amphitheatre at Dorchester, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Anketil, Colonel, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Anne, “Good” Queen, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Archer, Abbot Walter, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Armada, Fight off Portland, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Scare, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Vessels sent from Weymouth against the, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Arne, Village of, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Aryans, Invading, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Asser, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Athelhampton, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Hall, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Athelstan, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>-104, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Athelwold, Assassination of, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Bacon, Francis (Lord Verulam), <a href='#Page_176'>176</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Badbury, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Roman occupation of, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ballard Head, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Band, Piddletown Church, <a href='#Page_260'>260</a> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Bankes, Sir John and Lady, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>-209, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a>, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bardolfeston, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bankes, Sir Ralph, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>-219</li> - -<li class="indx">Barnes, William, Dorset Poet, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a>, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a>, <a href='#Page_294'>294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Barrows, Long, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>-19, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Beach, Thomas, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Beaminster, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Beaufort Family, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bedford Family, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— John, Duke of, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bentham, Jeremy, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bere Regis, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a>, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Long Barrow near, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round Barrow at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, Timber Roof, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bindon Abbey, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bindun Camp, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bingham, Colonel, Governor of Poole, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>-216, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bingham’s Melcombe, Headquarters of Parliamentary Forces at, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Relics of the Armada at, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Blackmore Vale, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a>, <a href='#Page_286'>286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Blandford, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round Barrows near, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bloody Assize, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bloxworth Church, Hour-glass in, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— House, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bond, Captain, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Borough Dome-book of Bridport, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Records of Bridport, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bow and Arrow (or Rufus) Castle, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bowles, William Lisle, <a href='#Page_277'>277</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bradley, John, last Abbot of Milton, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bradpole, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Branwalader, St., <a href='#Page_102'>102</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Bretagne, Damsel of,” <a href='#Page_203'>203</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bridport, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Bridport Dagger,” <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li> - -<li class="indx">British Camps, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">British Villages, Remains of, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Broadley, A. M., <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Library of, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Broadwinsor, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bronze Age, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Cremation in the, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Pottery, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Brownsea, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Buckman, Professor, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bulbarrow, Round Barrows at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burlestone Church, Chancel of, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Burney, Miss Fanny (Mme. d’Arblay), <a href='#Page_150'>150</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Butler, Colonel, Governor of Wareham, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Caen, Roger of, Bishop of Sarum and Abbot of Sherborne, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Came, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, Recumbent Figures in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Down, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Canford, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cast-lead Font, St. Mary’s, Wareham, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Castle, Bow and Arrow (or Rufus), <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Corfe, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a>, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Sherborne Old, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Royal visitors at Lulworth, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Pennsylvania, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Catherine of Alexandria, Chapels dedicated to St., <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Celtic Earthworks, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Celts, Civilisation of, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Centwine, <a href='#Page_6'>6</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cenwealh, first Christian King of West Saxons, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cerne Abbas, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round Barrows at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Abbey, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Abbot of, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Characteristics of Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charborough, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</span></li> - - -<li class="indx">Chard, Abbot, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charles I., <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— II., <a href='#Page_169'>169</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Defeat of, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Flight of, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charlotte, Queen, at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Charminster, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Canopied Tombs at, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Chesil Beach, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Chesilborne, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Chideock, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Chapel, Knight in plate armour in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">China-clay, Important deposit of, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Christ Church, Dorchester, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Christmas Pie Legend, Corfe Castle, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Churches of Bridport, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— of Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Church, Piddletown, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— St. Ealdhelm’s, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— St. James’, Milton, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Spires—</li> -<li class="isub1">Iwerne Minster, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Trent, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Winterborne Steepleton, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Towers—</li> -<li class="isub1">Beaminster, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Bradford Abbas, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Cerne, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Charminster, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Dorchester, St. Peter’s, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Fordington St. George, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Marnhull, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Milton Abbey, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Piddletrenthide, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Steepleton, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Trent, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Civil War, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Civil War Days at Bridport, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Civil War, Sharp fight in Poole during, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Sherborne Castle besieged during, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Clandon Barrow, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Clavinio (or Jordan Hill), <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Clubmen,” <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cnut, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Coal Money, Kimmeridge, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Coke, Lord Chief Justice, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Company of Marblers, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Conig’s Castle, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Conjurer or Witch-Doctor, <a href='#Page_294'>294</a></li> - - -<li class="indx"> -Cooper, Sir Anthony Ashley, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Corfe, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Castle, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a>, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>-21, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Ruins of, <a href='#Page_50'>50</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>-213</li> - -<li class="indx">Corton Chapel, Stone Altar at, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Court Leet House, Piddletown, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cranborne, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Long Barrow near, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Credence in Witchcraft, <a href='#Page_293'>293</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Creech, Ancient Manor of, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cromwell, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— at Portland, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Letter from, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Colonel, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cross-legged Effigies in—</li> -<li class="isub1">Bridport, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Dorchester, St. Peter’s, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Frampton, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Horton, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Mappowder, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Piddletown, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Stock Gaylard, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Trent, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wareham, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wimborne Minster, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> -<li class="isub1">—— St. Giles, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Crowe, William, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Culliford Tree, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cunnington, Edward, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Curious Inscription, St. Mary’s, Melcombe Regis, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cuthberga, Sister of Ine, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cwenberga, St., <a href='#Page_118'>118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cynewearde (Kynewardus), <a href='#Page_94'>94</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Damer, Anne Seymour, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Damsel of Bretagne,” <a href='#Page_203'>203</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Danes, Destruction of Shaftesbury by, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Danes in Wessex, <a href='#Page_6'>6</a>, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Decorated Architecture—</li> -<li class="isub1">Dorchester, St. Peter’s, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Gussage, St. Michael’s, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Milton Abbey Church, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Tarrant Rushton, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wimborne Minster, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wooton Glanville, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Denzil, Lord Holles, Monument in St. Peter’s, Dorchester, of, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Destruction of Shaftesbury by Danes, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Deverel Barrow, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dialect of Dorset, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Digby, John, first Earl of Bristol, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dissolution of Monasteries, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dodington, Bubb, first Lord Melcombe, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><i>Domesday Survey</i>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dorchester, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a>, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a>-56, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a>, <a href='#Page_283'>283</a>, <a href='#Page_284'>284</a>, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Amphitheatre at, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Beaker at, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Discovery of MSS. in Auction Room at, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Execution of Catholic Priest at, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Persons presented at, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round Barrows near, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Walls demolished, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dorset County Museum, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— —— Specimens in, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a>-25 <a href='#Page_39'>39</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Superstitions, <a href='#Page_292'>292</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Duke of Monmouth’s Rebellion, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Durlston Bay, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Head, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Durnovaria, Station at, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Durotriges, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>-6, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Durweston Church, Carving in, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Eadward, Murder of, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— the Unconquered, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ealdgyth, or Elgefu, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ealdhelm, St., Abbot of Malmesbury, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">first Bishop of Western Wessex, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>-87</li> - -<li class="indx">Ealdhelm’s Head, St., <a href='#Page_192'>192</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><i>Ealdhelm, Life of St.</i>, Wildman’s, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ealhstan, Bishop, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Earl of Richmond, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Early English Architecture—</li> -<li class="isub1">Corfe Mullen, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Cranborne, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Knighton, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Portesham, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wimborne Minster, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Worth, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Eastbury, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - -<li class="indx">East Lulworth, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - -<li class="indx">East Stower, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ecgberht, King, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Edgar, King, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Edward I., <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - - -<li class="indx"> -Edward II., <a href='#Page_254'>254</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— III., <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— IV. at Tewkesbury, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— VI., <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— the Confessor, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a>, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— the Martyr, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Egdon Heath, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a>, <a href='#Page_294'>294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Eggardun, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Elfrida, or Ælfthryth, Queen, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>-202</li> - -<li class="indx">Elizabeth, Queen, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Emma, Queen, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Encombe, Glen of, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Erle, Sir Walter, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>-212</li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelbald, King, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelberht, King, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelgede, or Æthelgeofu, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelhelm, Duke, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelred I., <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— II., <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelwold, the Ætheling, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Æthelwulf, King, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Etricke of Holt, Anthony, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Anthony, Sarcophagus of, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Evans, Miss, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Farnham, Stone over Altar in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fielding, Henry, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a>, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">FitzHerbert, Mrs., at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Flowers, or Florus, Bury Camp, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Font, Cast-lead, at St. Mary’s, Wareham, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fonts, Saxon, at Toller Fratrum, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>;</li> -<li class="isub1">Martinstown, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ford Abbey, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Chapel, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Seal, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Tapestries of, <a href='#Page_144'>144</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— The Cloister, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— The Dissolution of, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— The Guest Chamber, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— “The Monks’ Walk,” <a href='#Page_133'>133</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— The Surrender of, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fordington, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, St. George’s, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Field, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Frampton, Stone Pulpit at, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fraunceis, John, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fuller, Thomas, <a href='#Page_277'>277</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Funeral, Portland Island, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Garrison at Wareham, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gasquet, Abbot, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gaunt, John of, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gay, John, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Geology of Dorset, <a href='#Page_1'>1</a></li> - -<li class="indx">George III., <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a>, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gillingham, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a>, <a href='#Page_284'>284</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Manor of, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gipsies, Headstone of Peter Standley, King of the, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Glen of Encombe, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Godwin, Earl, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Godlingstone, Manor of, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Goidelic Celts, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Grammar School, Milton, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gravestone of Benjamin Jesty, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Great Tyneham, Ancient Manor House at, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Guest, Lady Theodora, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gussage Down, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Long Barrow near, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gwyn, Francis, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— John Francis, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Hambledon, Celtic Camp of, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Roman Occupation of, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hambro, Baron, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Everard, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hamworthy, Old Manor House at, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Handfast Point, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Handley Down, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Harbour, Bridport, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hardy, Thomas, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_47'>47</a>, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>, <a href='#Page_260'>260</a>, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a>, <a href='#Page_294'>294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Thomas Masterman, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Wm., <a href='#Page_194'>194</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Harold, Death of, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Harper, Hugo Daniel, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hatton, Sir Christopher, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hawtrey, Mrs., <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Henry III., <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— V., <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— VI., <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— VII., <a href='#Page_144'>144</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— VIII., <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - - -<li class="indx"> -Henry VIII., Inscription at Portland Castle to, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Letter from, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Herman, last Bishop of Sherborne, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Higher Bockhampton, birthplace of Thos. Hardy, <a href='#Page_283'>283</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hilton Church, Mediæval Panel Paintings in, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hinton Parva, Carving in, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hod Hill, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Holt, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Holworth, Burning Cliff at, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Chapel to St. Catherine of Alexandria at, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Homer, G. Wood, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Horsey, Sir John, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Horton, Finding Monmouth at, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hour-glass in Bloxworth Church, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Howard, Catherine, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hundred Years’ War, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hutchins, John, the Dorset historian, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a>, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>, <a href='#Page_274'>274</a>, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hut Circles, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Iberians, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ibernium, Station at, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ilchester, Lord, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ilsington House, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Imprisonment of Margery and Isabel, daughters of William, King of Scotland, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ine, King of West Saxons, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Jacobean Screen at West Stafford, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">James I., <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jeffreys, Judge, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jesty, Gravestone of Benjamin, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a></li> - -<li class="indx">John, King, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Houses in Dorset of King, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jones, Inigo, <a href='#Page_142'>142</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Joliffe, Monumental Inscription to Captain Peter, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jordan Hill (Clavinio), <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Jurdain Family, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Kimmeridge Clay, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Coal Money, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Ledge, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Shale, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Shell Objects, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">King of the Gipsies, Headstone of Peter Standley, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Kingston Down, Discovery on, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Lacy, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Russell, Long Barrow near, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Round Barrows, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Knut the Dane, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Lady Margaret, Son of, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">de Lafontaine, A. C., <a href='#Page_262'>262</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Langton Church, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Laurence, Captain, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— M.P., Law-book of Richard, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Legend of the Christmas Pie, Corfe Castle, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Leland, Record of <i>Bridport Dagger</i>, by, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Visit to Poole of, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><i>Life of St. Ealdhelm</i>, Wildman’s, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Limbrey, Stephen, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Liscombe Chapel, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lulworth, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Cove, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Royal Visitors at, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Village of East, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lyme Regis, <a href='#Page_1'>1</a>, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Duke of Monmouth’s landing at, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a>, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lynchets, Series of Terraces known as, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lytchett, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Macaulay, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mai-dun (Maiden Castle), <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Malmesbury, William of, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Manor House at Trent, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marblers, Company of, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a></li> - -<li class="indx">March, Dr. Colley, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Margaret, Lady, foundress of Christ’s and St. John’s Colleges, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Wife of Henry VI., <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marnhull, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, Monument in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Martinstown, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Martyn Family, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maud, Wars of Stephen and, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maumbury Ring, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>, <a href='#Page_285'>285</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maurice, Prince, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - - -<li class="indx"> -Mayo’s Barrow, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Melbury Sampford, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Effigy of William Brounyng, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Melcombe Regis, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Priory, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Melplash, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Memorial Brasses, Description of—</li> -<li class="isub1">Beaminster, Bere Regis, Bryanston, Bridport, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Caundle Purse, Compton Valence, Chesilborne, Corfe Mullen, Crichel Moor, Crichel Long, Cranborne, Dorchester St. Peter, Evershot, Fleet Old Church, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Holme Priory, Knowle, Litton Cheney, Lytchett Matravers, Langton, Melbury Sampford, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Milton Abbey, Milborne St. Andrew, Moreton, Owermoigne, Piddlehinton, Piddletown, Pimperne, Puncknowle, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Rampisham, Shaftesbury St. Peter, Shapwick, Sturminster Marshall, Swanage, <i>als.</i> Swanwich, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Swyre, Tincleton, Tarrant Crawford, Thorncombe, Upwey, West Stafford, Wimborne Minster, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Woolland, Yetminster, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Bere Regis, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Caundle Purse, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Edward the Martyr, King, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Evershot, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Fleet, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Joan de St. Omar, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Litton Cheney, retroscript brass, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Milton Abbey, Sir John Tregonwell, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Moreton, unusual inscription, <a href='#Page_72'>72</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Oke Brass at Shapwick, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Piddletown, <a href='#Page_72'>72</a></li> -<li class="isub1">St. Peter’s Church, Dorchester, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Strangwayes, Sir Gyles, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Stratton, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Thorncombe, <a href='#Page_73'>73</a> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</span></li> -<li class="isub1">Wimborne Minster, King Ethelred effigy, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>, <a href='#Page_73'>73</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wraxall, <a href='#Page_74'>74</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Yetminster, <a href='#Page_74'>74</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Middleton, Abbot William de, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Miles, G.F. W., <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Milton Abbey, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Grammar School, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Market Cross, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Old Town of, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Town of, in America, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— John, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Lord, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>-115</li> - -<li class="indx">Mohun Family, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monasteries, Dissolution of the, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monastic Barns—</li> -<li class="isub1">Liscombe, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Tarrant Crawford, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monastic Ruins at—</li> -<li class="isub1">Abbotsbury, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Bindon, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Cerne, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Money, Kimmeridge Coal, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monkton-up-Wimborne, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monmouth, Duke of, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— at Lulworth Castle, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Landing at Lyme Regis of, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Rebellion, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monmouth’s Close, field near Horton called, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Declaration, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Monumental Effigies, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>-60</li> - -<li class="indx">Monuments in Piddletown Church, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mons Badonicus, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Morton, Cardinal, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Motcombe, Village of, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Moule, Henry, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_63'>63</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Napoleon’s Invasion, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Neolithic Age, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Netherbury, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Mutilated Figure in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Newland, Borough of, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Newfoundland, Intimate connection between Poole and, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Norman Architecture at—</li> -<li class="isub1">Abbotsbury, <a href='#Page_50'>50</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Bere Regis, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Corfe Castle, <a href='#Page_50'>50</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Studland, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Worth Matravers, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Norman Conquest, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - - - -<li class="ifrst">Oaken Pulpits at—</li> -<li class="isub1">Abbotsbury, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Beaminster, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Charminster, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Iwerne Minster, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Netherbury, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">“Old Harry and his wife,” <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Owermoigne Church, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Owners of Athelhampton, First, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Palæolithic Man, Traces of, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Parnham, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Parr, Catherine, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Paulinus Suetonius, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Paye, Henry, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Peacock, Thomas Love, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pennie, John Fitzgerald, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pennsylvania Castle, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Perpendicular Architecture, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Peveril Point, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Philip and Joanna, King and Queen of Castile, <a href='#Page_268'>268</a>, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Piddle, or Trent, river with two names, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Piddletown, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pimperne, Long Barrow near, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pitman, Treachery of Lieut.-Col., <a href='#Page_215'>215</a>, <a href='#Page_216'>216</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pitt, Christopher, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pitt-Rivers, General, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Place-names of Bridport, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pole, Cardinal, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pollard, Richard, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a>, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Poole, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>-231, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Harbour, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_50'>50</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Quay, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pope, Alfred, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Portesham Church, Window in, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Portland, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_177'>177</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Island, Funeral, description of, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— “The Isle of Slingers,” <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Beds, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Bill, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Castle, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Roads, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Superstitions, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Wedding, Description of, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Pottery, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Bronze Age, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Sepulchral, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Poulett, Sir Amias, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Poundbury Camp, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a>, <a href='#Page_286'>286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Poxwell Hall, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Preston, Remains of Roman Villa at, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Roman Arch at, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Prideaux, Edmund, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>, <a href='#Page_142'>142</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Prior, Matthew, the poet, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Priory, Melcombe Regis, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Purbeck, Isle of, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>-199, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Beds, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Punfield Beds, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Pylsdun, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Racedown, Wordsworth at, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Radipole, Roman Remains at, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ralegh, Sir Walter, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rebellion, Duke of Monmouth’s, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Recorder of Poole, Anthony Etricke, of Holt, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Relics of the Armada at Weymouth, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Richmond, Earl of, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Ridgeway, Round Barrows on the, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Robert the Bruce, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Robinson, Sir Charles, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a>, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rock, Agglestone, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rocks, Old Harry, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Roman Camps, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Romans established, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Roman Occupation, <a href='#Page_28'>28</a>-43</li> - -<li class="indx">—— Road, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Villas, Sites of, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Roper, Mrs. Freeman, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Roses, Wars of the, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rosewall, William, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Sir Henry, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rupert, Prince, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">St. Mary’s Church, Melcombe Regis, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></li> - -<li class="indx">St. Nicholas’ Chapel, Weymouth, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a></li> - -<li class="indx">St. Peter’s, Dorchester, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sampson of Dol, St., <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_111'>111</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sandford Orcas Church, Curious Monument in, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sandsfoot Castle, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Saxon Architecture—</li> -<li class="isub1">Ealdhelm, Chapels of St., <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>-50</li> -<li class="isub1">Corfe Castle, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Martinstown, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Tarrant Rushton, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Toller Fratrum, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wareham, <a href='#Page_47'>47</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Worth Matravers, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Saxon Fonts at—</li> -<li class="isub1">Martinstown, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Toller Fratrum, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Saxon Invaders, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Scott, Sir Gilbert, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Screen at West Stafford, Jacobean, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sepulchral Pottery, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Seymour, Jane, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_286'>286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sherborne, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sherborne Abbey, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Abbots of—</li> -<li class="isub1">Barnstaple, John, last Abbot, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Bradford, William, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Brunyng, John, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Mere, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Ramsam, Peter, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Roger of Caen, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sherborne Almshouse, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sherborne, Bishops of—</li> -<li class="isub1">Alfwold, St., <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Asser, the Biographer, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Ealdhelm, St., first Bishop of Western Wessex, <a href='#Page_75'>75</a>, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Ealhstan, Bishop, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Heahmund, St., <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Werstan, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Wulfsy, St., <a href='#Page_77'>77</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Castle, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Parish Church, All Hallows, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— School, <a href='#Page_86'>86</a>, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Smuggling at Purbeck Isle, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Solomon, King, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Somerset, Protector, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Southey’s <i>Naval History of England</i>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stalbridge, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Church, Monument in, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Standley, Headstone of Peter, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Steepleton Down, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Stephen and Maud, Wars of, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stinsford, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">de Stokes, Abbot William, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stone Altar at Corton Chapel, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stone Circles, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stone Pulpit at Frampton, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stone, Rev. William, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stour Valley, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stower, East and West, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Strangways, Sir John, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stratton, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Studland, Old-world Village of, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sturminster Newton, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a>, <a href='#Page_283'>283</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Superstitions, Dorset, <a href='#Page_292'>292</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Portland, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sutton Poyntz, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Swanage Bay, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Round Barrows at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Description of, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Path known as Priestway to, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Swegen, or Sweyn, King, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sydenham, Captain, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sydenham’s <i>History of Poole</i>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a></li> - -<li class="indx">de Sydelinge, Abbot Walter, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sydling, Round Barrows at, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Tarrant Rushton Church, Restoration of, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tesselated Floors—</li> -<li class="isub1">Creech, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Dorchester, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Fifehead Neville, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Frampton, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Halstock, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Hemsworth, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Lenthay Green, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Maiden Castle, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Preston, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Rampisham, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> -<li class="isub1">Thornford, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Pavements, Description of, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Teutonic Invaders, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Thompson, Sir Peter, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Thorncombe, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>, <a href='#Page_144'>144</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Thornhill, Sir James, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Timber Roof, Bere Regis, <a href='#Page_60'>60</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tokens, Weymouth Tradesmen’s, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Town Cellars at Poole, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a></li> - - -<li class="indx"> -Tradesmen’s Tokens, Weymouth, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Tregonwell, Sir John, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Trenchard Family, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a>, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Sir Thomas, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Trent Manor House, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Treves, Sir Frederick, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Trinity Church, Dorchester, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Turberville, George, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Turnworth House, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Vale of Blackmore, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a>, <a href='#Page_286'>286</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Var, or Frome, river bearing two names, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Vespasian, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Via Principalis, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Village of East Lulworth, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Vindogladia, Station at, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Walburga, or Walpurgis, St., <a href='#Page_119'>119</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Walpole, Horace, <a href='#Page_277'>277</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wareham, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>-10, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_286'>286</a>, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Castle, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Cast-lead Font at St. Mary’s, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Lady St. Mary’s Church, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Warne, Charles, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_27'>27</a>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>-32, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wars of the Roses, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— of Stephen and Maud, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Waterson, <a href='#Page_260'>260</a>, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Warwick, King-maker, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wedding, Description of old-time Portland, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Weld Family, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wesley, Bartholomew, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a></li> - -<li class="indx">West Bay, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">West Chelborough, Curious Monument at, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Stafford, Jacobean Screen at, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Stower, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a> - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</span></li> - -<li class="indx">Weymouth, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a>, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a>, <a href='#Page_289'>289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Bay, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Margaret, wife of Henry VI., at, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Whitchurch Canonicorum, Tombstone at, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Whitcombe, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">White, Rev. John, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Whitecliff, Manor House of, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wildman, W. B., <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">William III., <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wim, or Allen, river with two names, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wimborne, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>, <a href='#Page_274'>274</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Minster, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— —— Effigy in, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Round Barrows near, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— St. Giles, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Winfrith, <a href='#Page_290'>290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Winterborne Whitchurch, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Witchcraft, Credence in, <a href='#Page_293'>293</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Witch-doctor, Conjurer or, <a href='#Page_294'>294</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wolfeton House, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wolsey, Cardinal, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Woodbury, Roman Occupation of, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - -<li class="indx">—— Hill, <a href='#Page_287'>287</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Woodyates, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Woolland, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wool Manor House, <a href='#Page_288'>288</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wor Barrow, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Worth “Club walking day,” <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Worth Matravers Church, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a>, <a href='#Page_193'>193</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wordsworth at Racedown, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a>, <a href='#Page_291'>291</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wren, Sir Christopher, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wyke Regis, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wyndham, Colonel Francis, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Young, Edward, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - - -<li class="ifrst">Zouche, Elizabeth, last Abbess of Shaftesbury, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - -</ul> -</div> - - -<p class="center">Bemrose & Sons Limited, Derby and London</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="center">Selected from the Catalogue of<br /> -<big>BEMROSE & SONS Ltd</big>.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> -<p class="center"><i>Memorials of the Counties of England.</i></p> - -<p class="center"><i>Beautifully Illustrated. Demy 8vo, cloth extra, gilt top.<br /> -Price <b>15/-</b> each net.</i></p> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD OXFORDSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by the Rev. <span class="smcap">P. H. Ditchfield</span>, M.A., F.S.A. Dedicated by kind -permission to the Right Hon. the Earl of Jersey, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.</p> - -<p>“This beautiful book contains an exhaustive history of ‘the wondrous Oxford,’ to which so many -distinguished scholars and politicians look back with affection. We must refer the reader to the -volume itself ... and only wish that we had space to quote extracts from its interesting pages.”—<i>Spectator.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD DEVONSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">F. J. Snell</span>, M.A. Dedicated by kind permission to the Right -Hon. Viscount Ebrington, Lord-Lieutenant of the County.</p> - -<p>“A fascinating volume, which will be prized by thoughtful Devonians wherever they may be -found ... richly illustrated, some rare engravings being represented.”—<i>North Devon Journal.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD HEREFORDSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by Rev. <span class="smcap">Compton Reade</span>, M.A. Dedicated by kind permission to -Sir John G. Cotterell, Bart., Lord-Lieutenant of the County.</p> - -<p>“Another of these interesting volumes like the ‘Memorials of Old Devonshire,’ which we noted -a week or two ago, containing miscellaneous papers on the history, topography, and families of the -county by competent writers, with photographs and other illustrations.”—<i>Times.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD HERTFORDSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">Percy Cross Standing</span>. Dedicated by kind permission to the -Right Hon. the Earl of Clarendon, G.C.B., Lord Chamberlain.</p> - - -<p>“... The book, which contains some magnificent illustrations, will be warmly welcomed -by all lovers of our county and its entertaining history.”—<i>West Herts and Watford Observer.</i></p> - -<p>“... The volume as a whole is an admirable and informing one, and all Hertfordshire folk -should possess it, if only as a partial antidote to the suburbanism which threatens to overwhelm their -beautiful county.”—<i>Guardian.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD HAMPSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by Rev. <span class="smcap">G. E. Jeans</span>, M.A., F.S.A. Dedicated by kind permission -to His Grace the Duke of Wellington, K.G.</p> - -<p>“‘Memorials of the Counties of England’ is worthily carried on in this interesting and readable -volume.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD SOMERSET.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">F. J. Snell</span>, M.A. Dedicated by kind permission to the Most -Hon. the Marquis of Bath.</p> - -<p>“In these pages, as in a mirror, the whole life of the county, legendary, romantic, historical, comes -into view, for in truth the book is written with a happy union of knowledge and enthusiasm—a fine bit -of glowing mosaic put together by fifteen writers into a realistic picture of the county.”—<i>Standard.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD WILTSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">Alice Dryden</span>.</p> - -<p>“The admirable series of County Memorials ... will, it is safe to say, include no volume of -greater interest than that devoted to Wiltshire.”—<i>Daily Telegraph.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD SHROPSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">Thomas Auden</span>, M.A., F.S.A.</p> - -<p>“Quite the best volume which has appeared so far in a series that has throughout maintained -a very high level.”—<i>Tribune.</i></p> -</div> - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD KENT.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">P. H. Ditchfield</span>, M.A., F.S.A., and <span class="smcap">George Clinch</span>, F.G.S. -Dedicated by special permission to the Rt. Hon. Lord Northbourne, F.S.A.</p> - -<p>“A very delightful addition to a delightful series. Kent, rich in honour and tradition as in -beauty, is a fruitful subject of which the various contributors have taken full advantage, archæology, -topography, and gossip being pleasantly combined to produce a volume both attractive and -valuable.”—<i>Standard.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD DERBYSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by Rev. <span class="smcap">J. Charles Cox</span>, LL.D., F.S.A. Dedicated by kind permission -to His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, K.G., Lord-Lieutenant of -Derbyshire. The contributors to the volume are: Rev. <span class="smcap">J. Charles Cox</span>, -LL.D., F.S.A., <span class="smcap">John Ward</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">W. J. Andrew</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">W. Smithard</span>, -The late <span class="smcap">Earl of Liverpool</span>, Rev. <span class="smcap">F. C. Hipkins</span>, M.A., F.S.A., <span class="smcap">J. Alfred -Gotch</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">Guy le Blanc-Smith</span>, <span class="smcap">C. E. B. Bowles</span>, M.A., <span class="smcap">S. O. Addy</span>, -M.A., <span class="smcap">Aymer Vallance</span>, F.S.A., Sir <span class="smcap">George R. Sitwell</span>, Bart., F.S.A., -The Hon. <span class="smcap">F. Strutt</span>.</p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD DORSET.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">Thomas Perkins</span>, M.A., and <span class="smcap">Herbert Pentin</span>, M.A. Dedicated -by kind permission to the Right Hon. Lord Eustace Cecil, F.R.G.S., Past -President of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club. The -contributors to the volume are: Rev. <span class="smcap">Thomas Perkins</span>, M.A., <span class="smcap">C. S. Prideaux</span>, -Captain <span class="smcap">J. E. Acland</span>, <span class="smcap">W. de C. Prideaux</span>, <span class="smcap">W. B. Wildman</span>, M.A., -Rev. <span class="smcap">Herbert Pentin</span>, M.A., <span class="smcap">Sidney Heath</span>, The <span class="smcap">Lord Bishop of -Durham</span>, D.D., Mrs. <span class="smcap">King Warry</span>, <span class="smcap">A. D. Moullin</span>, <span class="smcap">Albert Bankes</span>, -<span class="smcap">W. K. Gill</span>, Rev. <span class="smcap">R. Grosvenor Bartelot</span>, M.A., Miss <span class="smcap">Wood Homer</span>, -Miss <span class="smcap">Jourdain</span>, <span class="smcap">Hermann Lea</span>.</p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD WARWICKSHIRE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">Alice Dryden</span>. The contributors to the volume are: <span class="smcap">M. Dormer -Harris</span>, <span class="smcap">Lady Leigh</span>, <span class="smcap">M. Jourdain</span>, <span class="smcap">Jethro A. Cossins</span>, R.O. D., <span class="smcap">Albert -Hartshorne</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">S. S. Stanley</span>, M.B.N.S., <span class="smcap">F. A. Newdegate</span>, -<span class="smcap">Alice Dryden</span>, <span class="smcap">Howard S. Pearson</span>, <span class="smcap">W. F. S. Dugdale</span>, <span class="smcap">Oliver -Baker</span>, R.E., <span class="smcap">W. Salt Brassington</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">Dom Gilbert Dolan</span>, O.S.B., -<span class="smcap">A. E. Treen</span>, <span class="smcap">F. B. Andrews</span>, F.R.I.B.A.</p> -</div> - - -<p>MEMORIALS OF OLD NORFOLK.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Edited by <span class="smcap">H. J. Dukinfield Astley</span>, M.A., Litt.D., F.R.Hist.S. Dedicated -by kind permission to the Right Hon. Viscount Coke, C.M.G., C.V.O., -Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk. The contributors to the volume are: <span class="smcap">H. J. -Dukinfield Astley</span>, M.A., Rev. <span class="smcap">W. Hudson</span>, F.S.A., Dr. <span class="smcap">Bensly</span>, F.S.A., -<span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>, Rev. <span class="smcap">R. Nightingale</span>, <span class="smcap">Philip Sidney</span>, F.R.Hist.S., -<span class="smcap">H. J. Hillen</span>, Rev. Dr. <span class="smcap">Cox</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">R. J. E. Ferrier</span>, <span class="smcap">W. G. Clarke</span>, -<span class="smcap">C. E. Keyser</span>, F.S.A., Rev. <span class="smcap">G. W. Minns</span>, F.S.A., <span class="smcap">Jas. Hooper</span>, Rev. <span class="smcap">E. C. -Hopper</span>, <span class="smcap">R. J. W. Purdy</span>, Miss <span class="smcap">Longe</span>.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="center"><i>The following volumes are in preparation</i>:—<br /> - -Price to subscribers before publication, <b>10/6</b> each net.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD ESSEX.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">A. Clifton Kelway</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD YORKSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">T. M. Fallow</span>, -M.A., F.S.A.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD LONDON.</b> Two vols. Edited by <span class="smcap">P. H. Ditchfield</span>, -M.A., F.S.A.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD GLOUCESTERSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">P. W. P. -Phillimore</span>, M.A., B.C.L.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD LINCOLNSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Canon Hudson</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">P. W. P. -Phillimore</span>, M.A., B.C.L.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD SUSSEX.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Percy D. Mundy</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF NORTH WALES.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD MANXLAND.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">John Quine</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD SUFFOLK.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Vincent B. Redstone</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF SOUTH WALES.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD STAFFORDSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">W. Beresford</span>.</p> - -<p><b>MEMORIALS OF OLD MONMOUTHSHIRE.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Colonel -Bradney</span>, F.S.A., and <span class="smcap">J. Kyrle Fletcher</span>.</p> -</div> - - -<p>OLD ENGLISH GOLD PLATE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>. With numerous Illustrations of existing specimens -of Old English Gold Plate, which by reason of their great rarity and -historic value deserve publication in book form. The examples are from -the collections of Plate belonging to His Majesty the King, the Dukes of -Devonshire, Newcastle, Norfolk, Portland, and Rutland, the Marquis of -Ormonde, the Earls of Craven, Derby, and Yarborough, Earl Spencer, Lord -Fitzhardinge, Lord Waleran, Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, the Colleges of -Oxford and Cambridge, &c. Royal 4to, buckram, gilt top. Price <b>21/-</b> net.</p> - - -<p>“Pictures, descriptions, and introduction make a book that must rank high in the estimation of -students of its subject, and of the few who are well off enough to be collectors in this Corinthian field -of luxury.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p>LONGTON HALL PORCELAIN.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>Being further information relating to this interesting fabrique, by <span class="smcap">William -Bemrose</span>, F.S.A., author of “Bow, Chelsea and Derby Porcelain.” Illustrated -with 27 Coloured Art Plates, 21 Collotype Plates, and numerous line -and half-tone Illustrations in the text. Bound in handsome “Longton-blue” -cloth cover, suitably designed. Price <b>42/-</b> net.</p> - -<p>“This magnificent work on the famous Longton Hall ware will be indispensable to the -collector.”—<i>Bookman.</i></p> - -<p>“The collector will find Mr. Bemrose’s explanations of the technical features which characterize -the Longton Hall pottery of great assistance in identifying specimens, and he will be aided thereto by -the many well-selected illustrations.”—<i>Athenæum.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">THE VALUES OF OLD ENGLISH SILVER & SHEFFIELD -PLATE. FROM THE FIFTEENTH TO THE NINETEENTH -CENTURIES.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">J. W. Caldicott</span>. Edited by <span class="smcap">J. Starkie Gardner</span>, F.S.A. 3,000 -Selected Auction Sale Records; 1,600 Separate Valuations; 660 Articles. -Illustrated with 87 Collotype Plates. 300 pages. Royal 4to Cloth. Price -<b>42/-</b> net.</p> - -<p>“A most comprehensive and abundantly illustrated volume.... Enables even the most inexperienced -to form a fair opinion of the value either of a single article or a collection, while as a -reference and reminder it must prove of great value to an advanced student.”—<i>Daily Telegraph.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">HISTORY OF OLD ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND ITS -MANUFACTURES.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>With an Artistic, Industrial and Critical Appreciation of their Productions. -By <span class="smcap">M. L. Solon</span>, the well-known Potter-Artist and Collector. In one -handsome volume. Royal 8vo, well printed in clear type on good paper, and -beautifully illustrated with 20 full-page Coloured Collotype and Photo-Chromotype -Plates and 48 Collotype Plates on Tint. Artistically bound. -Price <b>52/6</b> net.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Solon writes not only with the authority of the master of technique, but likewise with that -of the accomplished artist, whose exquisite creations command the admiration of the connoisseurs of -to-day.”—<i>Athenæum.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">MANX CROSSES; or The Inscribed and Sculptured Monuments -of the Isle of Man, from about the end of the Fifth to -the beginning of the Thirteenth Century.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">P. M. C. Kermode</span>, F.S.A.Scot., &c. The illustrations are from drawings -specially prepared by the Author, founded upon rubbings, and carefully -compared with photographs and with the stones themselves. In one handsome -Quarto Volume 11⅛ in. by 8⅝ in., printed on Van Gelder hand-made -paper, bound in full buckram, gilt top, with special design on the side. -Price <b>63/-</b> net. The edition is limited to 400 copies.</p> - -<p>“We have now a complete account of the subject in this very handsome volume, which Manx -patriotism, assisted by the appreciation of the public in general, will, we hope, make a success.”—<i>Spectator.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">DERBYSHIRE CHARTERS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE -LIBRARIES AND MUNIMENT ROOMS.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Compiled, with Preface and Indexes, for Sir Henry Howe Bemrose, Kt., by -<span class="smcap">Isaac Herbert Jeayes</span>, Assistant Keeper in the Department of MSS., -British Museum. Royal 8vo, cloth, gilt top. Price <b>42/-</b> net.</p> - -<p>“The book must always prove of high value to investigators in its own recondite field of research, -and would form a suitable addition to any historical library.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">SOME DORSET MANOR HOUSES, WITH THEIR LITERARY -AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">Sidney Heath</span>, with a fore-word by R. Bosworth Smith, of Bingham’s -Melcombe. Illustrated with forty drawings by the Author, in addition to -numerous rubbings of Sepulchral Brasses by W. de C. Prideaux, reproduced -by permission of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club. -Dedicated by kind permission to the most Hon. the Marquis of Salisbury. -Royal 4to, cloth, bevelled edges. Price <b>30/-</b> net.</p> - -<p>“Dorset is rich in old-world manor houses; and in this large, attractive volume twenty are -dealt with in pleasant, descriptive and antiquarian chapters, fully illustrated with pen-and-ink -drawings by Mr. Heath and rubbings from brasses by W. de C. Prideaux.”—<i>Times.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">THE CHURCH PLATE OF THE DIOCESE OF BANGOR.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>. With Illustrations of about one hundred pieces of -Old Plate, including a pre-Reformation Silver Chalice, hitherto unknown; -a Mazer Bowl, a fine Elizabethan Domestic Cup and Cover, a Tazza of the -same period, several Elizabethan Chalices, and other important Plate from -James I. to Queen Anne. Demy 4to, buckram. Price <b>21/-</b> net.</p> - - -<p>“This handsome volume is the most interesting book on Church Plate hitherto issued.”—<i>Athenæum.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">THE OLD CHURCH PLATE OF THE ISLE OF MAN.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">E. Alfred Jones</span>. With many illustrations, including a pre-Reformation -Silver Chalice and Paten, an Elizabethan Beaker, and other important -pieces of Old Silver Plate and Pewter. Crown 4to, buckram. Price <b>10/6</b> -net.</p> - - -<p>“A beautifully illustrated descriptive account of the many specimens of Ecclesiastical Plate to -be found in the Island.”—<i>Manchester Courier.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">GARDEN CITIES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">A. R. Sennett</span>, A.M.I.C.E., &c. Large Crown 8vo. Two vols., -attractively bound in cloth, with 400 Plates, Plans, and Illustrations. Price -<b>21/-</b> net.</p> - - -<p>“... What Mr. Sennett has to say here deserves, and will no doubt command, the careful -consideration of those who govern the future fortunes of the Garden City.”—<i>Bookseller.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">DERBY: ITS RISE AND PROGRESS.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">A. W. Davison</span>, illustrated with 12 plates and two maps. Crown 8vo, -cloth. Price <b>5/-</b>.</p> - - -<p>“A volume with which Derby and its people should be well satisfied.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="hang">THE CORPORATION PLATE AND INSIGNIA OF OFFICE -OF THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF ENGLAND AND WALES.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By the late <span class="smcap">Llewellynn Jewitt</span>, F.S.A. Edited and completed with large -additions by <span class="smcap">W. H. St. John Hope</span>, M.A. Fully illustrated, 2 vols., Crown -4to, buckram, <b>84/-</b> net. Large paper, 2 vols., Royal 4to, 105/- net.</p> - -<p>“It is difficult to praise too highly the careful research and accurate information throughout these -two handsome quartos.”—<i>Athenæum.</i></p> -</div> - -<p class="hang">THE RELIQUARY: AN ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE FOR -ANTIQUARIES, ARTISTS, AND COLLECTORS.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A Quarterly Journal and Review devoted to the study of primitive industries, -mediæval handicrafts, the evolution of ornament, religious symbolism, -survival of the past in the present, and ancient art generally. Edited by the -Rev. <span class="smcap">J. Charles Cox</span>, LL.D., F.S.A. New Series. Vols. 1 to 13. Super -Royal 8vo, buckram, price <b>12/-</b> each net. Special terms for sets.</p> - -<p>“Of permanent interest to all who take an interest in the many and wide branches of which it -furnishes not only information and research, but also illumination in pictorial form.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> -</div> - - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">London: Bemrose & Sons Ltd., 4 Snow Hill, E.C.; -and Derby.</span></p> - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> One of these was the Rev. Mr. Bravel, Rector of Compton Abbas.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> <i>Proceedings of the Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian Field Club</i>, -vol. v., p. 99.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> <i>The Dynasts</i>, part i., p. 179.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> <i>Excavations in Cranborne Chase</i>, by Lieut.-General Pitt-Rivers, -F.R.S., vol. ii., p. 62.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> <i>Excavations in Cranborne Chase</i>, by Lieut.-General Pitt-Rivers, -vol. iv., pp. 62-100.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> <i>Excavations in Cranborne Chase</i>, by Lieut.-General Pitt-Rivers, -vol. iv., p. 144.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> <i>Jour. of the Anthropolog. Inst.</i>, vol. xxxii., p. 373.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> <i>Guide to Antiquities of Bronze Age in Brit. Mus.</i>, by C. H. Read, -F.S.A., p. 45.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> <i>Proceedings Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian Field Club</i>, vol. xxvi., -p. 18.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="label">[10]</a> <i>British Barrows</i>, by Greenwell and Rolleston, p. 81.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_11" href="#FNanchor_11" class="label">[11]</a> <i>Celtic Tumuli of Dorset</i>, by Charles Warne, F.S.A., p. 37.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_12" href="#FNanchor_12" class="label">[12]</a> <i>Ibid.</i>, p. 18.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_13" href="#FNanchor_13" class="label">[13]</a> <i>Proceedings of Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian Field Club</i>, -vol. xxvi., p. 15.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_14" href="#FNanchor_14" class="label">[14]</a> <i>Ibid.</i>, p. 10.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_15" href="#FNanchor_15" class="label">[15]</a> Pronounced U-ern or You-ern.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_16" href="#FNanchor_16" class="label">[16]</a> “The Levelled Churchyard,” in <i>Poems of the Past and Present</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_17" href="#FNanchor_17" class="label">[17]</a> The heads of religious houses, being landowners, suffered financially, as -other landowners did, from the great increase in wages that farm labourers -were able to demand, because so many labourers having died, the supply fell -far short of the demand.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_18" href="#FNanchor_18" class="label">[18]</a> Showing the horned head dress and gown, the whole almost identical -in outline and size with the Alyanora Pollard effigy, 1430, at Bishop’s -Nympton, Devon.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_19" href="#FNanchor_19" class="label">[19]</a> Extract from the Stratton Churchwardens’ Account, 1753, April 26th—“Two -brasses not wey’d at 7d. p. pound sopos’d to wey 12 pound they -wey’d but 9 lbs. 0.5.3.” There are no brasses at Stratton now.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_20" href="#FNanchor_20" class="label">[20]</a> According to tradition, a Knight of Malta.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_21" href="#FNanchor_21" class="label">[21]</a> This James Russell was the father of John Russell of Berwick, K.G., -created Baron Russell of Cheneys, 1538-9, and Earl of Bedford, 1550.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_22" href="#FNanchor_22" class="label">[22]</a> A coffin chalice and paten have, within recent years, been discovered -at Milton Abbey and Abbotsbury.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_23" href="#FNanchor_23" class="label">[23]</a> One of these Norman fragments was sent in 1904, as a relic, to the -parish church of Milton, near Boston, Massachusetts. The American town -of Milton, incorporated in 1662, was named after Milton, in Dorset, and the -crest on its corporate seal is a reproduction of the west front of Milton -Abbey (see illustration at the end of this chapter).</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_24" href="#FNanchor_24" class="label">[24]</a> It is curious that the first Abbot and the last Abbot of Milton should -have become bishops, while none of the intervening abbots were raised to -the episcopate. It is true that in 1261 William de Taunton, Abbot of -Milton, was elected to the bishopric of Winchester, but he desisted from -his right. A Milton monk, however, in 1292, filled the See of Salisbury -(Nicholas Longspée); and Thomas Jan, a native of Milton, became Bishop -of Norwich in 1499.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_25" href="#FNanchor_25" class="label">[25]</a> In the thirteenth century seal of the Abbey “the Church of Midelton” -is also represented with three spires.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_26" href="#FNanchor_26" class="label">[26]</a> See Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, -vol. xxvi., 201 ff.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_27" href="#FNanchor_27" class="label">[27]</a> This inscription is discussed in the Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian -Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxv., 191 ff. It announces an indulgence to -those passers-by who pray for the soul of the deceased abbot (possibly -William de Stokes, who died in 1256).</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_28" href="#FNanchor_28" class="label">[28]</a> A full description of these brasses appeared in <i>The Antiquary</i> for -March, 1904.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_29" href="#FNanchor_29" class="label">[29]</a> A full account of this incident and of the bequest appears in Heath -and Prideaux’s <i>Some Dorset Manor Houses</i>, pp. 199, 200.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_30" href="#FNanchor_30" class="label">[30]</a> In connection with the glass in the windows of Milton Abbey, it -may be of interest to add the tradition that John Milton “planned” his -<i>Il Penseroso</i> at Milton, and that the following lines in the poem are -supposed to have been suggested to him by the Abbey Church:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">But let my due feet never fail</div> - <div class="verse indent0">To walk the studious cloister’s pale,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And love the high embowèd roof</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With antic pillars massy proof,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And storied windows richly dight</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Casting a dim religious light;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">There let the pealing organ blow,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">To the full voicèd quire below,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">In service high and anthems clear</div> - <div class="verse indent0">As may with sweetness, through mine ear,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Dissolve me into ecstasies,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And bring all heav’n before mine eyes.</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_31" href="#FNanchor_31" class="label">[31]</a> A full description of this glass (<i>temp.</i> Henry VII.) appeared in <i>The -Antiquary</i> for May, 1907.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_32" href="#FNanchor_32" class="label">[32]</a> A full description of these burial relics appeared in <i>The Antiquary</i> -for July, 1905.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_33" href="#FNanchor_33" class="label">[33]</a> It is possible that Athelstan found a Celtic sanctuary at Milton -dedicated to these two Celtic bishops, and retained the dedications for his -new minster in order to conciliate the vanquished race. Such a graceful -act would be quite in keeping with the King’s imperial maxim: -“<i>Gloriosus regem facere quam regem esse</i>.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_34" href="#FNanchor_34" class="label">[34]</a> This thirteenth century inscription is discussed in the Dorset Nat. Hist. -and Antiquarian Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxv., 187 ff. One wonders if -this indulgence was granted by Robert Kilwarby, Archbishop of Canterbury, -on the occasion of his visit to Milton Abbey in 1277. The indulgence was -offered, presumably, to those who would contribute to the fabric fund of the -chapel.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_35" href="#FNanchor_35" class="label">[35]</a> A full account of Liscombe appeared in the Dorset Nat. Hist. and -Antiquarian Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxvi., 1 ff.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_36" href="#FNanchor_36" class="label">[36]</a> The loneliness of Holworth has also been remarked upon by Thomas -Hardy in his smuggling story, “The Distracted Preacher” (<i>Wessex Tales</i>). -Such a lonely spot, with its under-cliff sheltered by “White Nose”—the great -white promontory jutting like an enormous Wellington nose into the sea—naturally -attracted smugglers, who, as tradition says, hid their goods in the -tower of the neighbouring parish church of Owermoigne. In this church -there is an interesting inscription recording the will of “Adam Jones of -Holworth, in the parish of Abbotsmilton” (<i>sic</i>), 1653.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_37" href="#FNanchor_37" class="label">[37]</a> See Mary Craven’s <i>Famous Beauties of Two Reigns</i>, pp. 141-151.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_38" href="#FNanchor_38" class="label">[38]</a> See <i>Old Milton</i>, and Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian Field Club’s -<i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxv., 1 ff.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_39" href="#FNanchor_39" class="label">[39]</a> Zanchy Harvyn, grocer, of “Abby Milton,” was the second tradesman -in Dorset to issue a “token” (1651).</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_40" href="#FNanchor_40" class="label">[40]</a> See <i>Milton Abbey Marriage Registers</i>, in Phillimore’s “Dorset” -series. But during the years 1657-8 the banns of some of the more zealous -church-people were published in the church.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_41" href="#FNanchor_41" class="label">[41]</a> See Alfred Pope’s <i>The Old Stone Crosses of Dorset</i>, pp. 69-71.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_42" href="#FNanchor_42" class="label">[42]</a> See <i>Milton Abbey and its School</i>, chap. ii.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_43" href="#FNanchor_43" class="label">[43]</a> See Broadley and Bartelot’s <i>The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar</i>, -p. 124.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_44" href="#FNanchor_44" class="label">[44]</a> During Hutchins’ residence at Milton, the Lord of the Manor (Mr. Jacob -Bancks, M.P.) employed him to make some antiquarian researches concerning -Sir John Tregonwell; and while making these researches Hutchins conceived -the idea of writing a book on the antiquities of Dorset. He began to collect -materials, and at Milton laid the plan of his monumental history. His wife, -Ann Stephens, is described in the Melcombe Bingham marriage registers as -belonging to the parish of Milton.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_45" href="#FNanchor_45" class="label">[45]</a> This fight between squire and people recalls Thomas Hardy’s allusion, in -<i>The Woodlanders</i>, to “Middleton Abbey” as being a place where one might -gain strength, “particularly strength of mind.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_46" href="#FNanchor_46" class="label">[46]</a> A full account of these “ruins” appeared in the Dorset Nat. Hist. -and Antiquarian Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxvi., 195 ff.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_47" href="#FNanchor_47" class="label">[47]</a> “The Abbot at incredible expense is now restoring the monastery most -gloriously.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_48" href="#FNanchor_48" class="label">[48]</a> Engraved in Oliver’s <i>Monasticon Diocesis Exoniensis</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_49" href="#FNanchor_49" class="label">[49]</a> The writer has used, among other books, the <i>Guides</i> of Savage and -Young, Mrs. Frampton’s <i>Journal</i>, and his brother Mr. H. J. Moule’s <i>Old -Dorset</i> and <i>Dorchester Antiquities</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_50" href="#FNanchor_50" class="label">[50]</a> One part of that house is the oldest piece of inhabited building in the -borough.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_51" href="#FNanchor_51" class="label">[51]</a> Spring, 1907.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_52" href="#FNanchor_52" class="label">[52]</a> On the site of this chapel Mr. Ellis dug up some beautiful pieces -of fourteenth-century Gothic work.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_53" href="#FNanchor_53" class="label">[53]</a> This bridge was finished in 1824, at a cost of £20,000.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_54" href="#FNanchor_54" class="label">[54]</a> “The Problem of Lynchets,” Dorset Nat. Hist. and Antiquarian -Field Club’s <i>Proceedings</i>, vol. xxiv.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_55" href="#FNanchor_55" class="label">[55]</a> <i>Jude the Obscure</i>, p. 249.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_56" href="#FNanchor_56" class="label">[56]</a> This prophecy is thought to have been fulfilled when the son of -Edmund Tudor, a Welshman, ascended the throne as Henry VII.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_57" href="#FNanchor_57" class="label">[57]</a> This dedication is curious. St. Rumbold was the son of a -Northumbrian King, and of a daughter of Penda, King of Mercia, born -at Sutton, in Northamptonshire; he died when three days old, but not -before he had repeated the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed in -Latin. This fact gained canonization for him.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_58" href="#FNanchor_58" class="label">[58]</a> This has given the colloquial name of “the Rock” to Shaftesbury. -Those who live in the town are spoken of as coming from the Rock; -those who dwell in the villages below it are spoken of as “Side off” the -Rock.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_59" href="#FNanchor_59" class="label">[59]</a> The Abbey of Alcester was founded in 1140 by Ralf Boteler, and -a document exists by which one William le Boteler, of Wem, grants to -the Abbey 100 shillings per annum, derived from land in the parish of -St. James, Shaftesbury, to pay for masses for his own soul and that of -the King (7th year of Henry IV.). This is only a confirmation of a previous -gift.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_60" href="#FNanchor_60" class="label">[60]</a> <i>Jude the Obscure</i>, p. 313.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_61" href="#FNanchor_61" class="label">[61]</a> Of the poet “George Turberville, gentleman,” not much is known. -He was born at Winterborne Whitchurch, probably before 1530, and -died after 1594. Besides a book on falconry and numerous translations, -he wrote a good many occasional poems, though none of great length.</p> - -<p>Sir Walter Ralegh, a Devonshire man, was connected with Sherborne, -for it was here that he and his wife, Elizabeth Throgmorton, -settled, and in January, 1591-2, had obtained a ninety-nine years’ lease -of the castle and park. Here he busied himself with building and -“repairing the castle, erecting a magnificent mansion close at hand, and -laying out the grounds with the greatest refinement and taste.” The -castle now occupied by the Digby family is in part the lodge built by -Sir Walter, and over the central doorway appear his arms, and the date, -1594. Before his conviction he settled his estate on his son, but by a -flaw in the deed James I. took it from him, and granted it to his -favourite, Carr, Earl of Somerset. It is said that Lady Ralegh asked -the King on her knees to spare her son’s heritage, but that the King’s -only answer was, “I maun hae the lond; I maun hae it for Carr.” -On Sir Walter’s journey to the Tower, he passed in full view of Sherborne, -and said, motioning with his hands towards the woodlands and the -castle, “All this was once mine, but has passed away.”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_62" href="#FNanchor_62" class="label">[62]</a> About 1727 one Prior, of Godmanston, a labouring man, declared -to a company, in the presence of Mr. Hutchins, that he was Mr. Prior’s -cousin, and remembered going to Wimborne to visit him, and afterwards -heard that he became a great man.—Hutchins’ <i>Dorset</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_63" href="#FNanchor_63" class="label">[63]</a> <i>Longman’s Magazine</i>, October, 1884.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_64" href="#FNanchor_64" class="label">[64]</a> The collection of books to which the <i>History of the World</i> belongs -was given to the town in 1686, many years after Prior had left Wimborne. -See the <i>Contemporary Review</i>, May, 1890.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_65" href="#FNanchor_65" class="label">[65]</a> It is probable that Prior’s parents were Nonconformists. We are -told that before a dissenting chapel was built in the town the people -met for worship in a barn in the neighbouring hamlet of Cowgrove. -To this Prior seems to allude in his epistle to Fleetwood Shepherd:</p> - -<p> -At pure Barn of loud Non-con<br /> -Where with my granam I have gone.<br /> -</p> - - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_66" href="#FNanchor_66" class="label">[66]</a> He wrote occasional verse, and when Young addressed his third -satire to Dodington, he received verses from Dodington in return.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_67" href="#FNanchor_67" class="label">[67]</a> Christopher Pitt (d. 1748) was rector of Pimperne, not far from -Eastbury. He translated the <i>Æneid</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_68" href="#FNanchor_68" class="label">[68]</a> At Eastbury he slept on a bed encanopied with peacocks’ feathers, -“in the style of Mrs. Montague.”—Cumberland’s <i>Memoirs</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_69" href="#FNanchor_69" class="label">[69]</a> This was pulled down in 1835, and rebuilt.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_70" href="#FNanchor_70" class="label">[70]</a> Hutchins writes that “the house where Oliver lived seemed to -accord with Fielding’s description,” and an old woman who remembered -Oliver said “that he dearly loved a bit of good victuals and a drop of -drink.”—<i>History of Dorset.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_71" href="#FNanchor_71" class="label">[71]</a> William Crowe (1745-1829). In 1782, on the presentation of New -College, he was admitted to the rectory of Stoke Abbot, in Dorset, which -he exchanged for Alton Barnes, in Wiltshire, in 1787. Lewesdon Hill -lies near his Dorset benefice. The first edition of <i>Lewesdon Hill</i> was -published anonymously in 1788.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_72" href="#FNanchor_72" class="label">[72]</a> Thomas Fuller was presented to the rectory of Broadwindsor by -his uncle, Bishop Davenant. He was ousted at the Rebellion; but he -returned to it at the Restoration, and held the living until his death -in 1661.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_73" href="#FNanchor_73" class="label">[73]</a> At Racedown, Wordsworth finished <i>Guilt and Sorrow</i>, composed the -tragedy called <i>The Borderers</i>, and some personal satires which he never -published. Lastly, he wrote <i>The Ruined Cottage</i>, now incorporated in -the first book of <i>The Excursion</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_74" href="#FNanchor_74" class="label">[74]</a> In Wordsworth’s own account, “Towards the close of the first book -stand the lines that were first written, beginning, ‘Nine tedious years,’ -and ending, ‘Last human tenant of these ruined walls.’ These were -composed in 1795 at Racedown; and for several passages describing the -employment and demeanour of Margaret during her affliction, I am -indebted to obs”</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_75" href="#FNanchor_75" class="label">[75]</a> From an unpublished letter to Wrangham, <i>The Athenæum</i>, 8th December, -1894, quoted in <i>The Early Life of Wordsworth</i> (1770-1798), by Emile -Legouis.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_76" href="#FNanchor_76" class="label">[76]</a> It was noteworthy how he would eschew all the evil in newspapers; -no theft or murder could ever be read to him.—<i>Life of William Barnes</i>, -Leader Scott.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_77" href="#FNanchor_77" class="label">[77]</a> William Barnes (1801-1886) was born at Rushay, in the hamlet of -Bagber. He was the grandson of John Barnes, yeoman farmer, of -Gillingham, and the son of John Barnes, tenant farmer, in the Vale of -Blackmore. (A direct ancestor, John Barnes, was head-borough of -Gillingham in 1604.) In 1835 he settled at Dorchester, and kept a -school. In 1847 he was ordained, and lived at Whitcombe, Dorset. -In 1862 he became Rector of Came, where he died.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_78" href="#FNanchor_78" class="label">[78]</a> Thomas Hardy was born at Higher Bockhampton, near Dorchester, -on June 2nd, 1840. In his seventeenth year he was articled to a Mr. -Hicks, an ecclesiastical architect of Dorchester, to whom the restoration -of many of the old South Dorset churches was entrusted. In 1862 he -went to London, and became an assistant to Sir Arthur Blomfield, R.A. -In 1874 he married Miss Emma Lavinia Gifford, niece of Dr. Gifford, -Archdeacon of London, and formerly headmaster of King Edward’s -School, Birmingham. Before taking up their residence at Dorchester, -Mr. and Mrs. Hardy lived at Riverside, Sturminster Newton—the -“Stourcastle” of the novels—and then at Wimborne, and finally settled -at “Max Gate,” Dorchester, in 1885.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_79" href="#FNanchor_79" class="label">[79]</a> It is noteworthy that sometimes the name of a village or town -appears in the name of some character living in it, as, for instance, -Jude Fawley lives in “Marygreen,” which we may identify with the -village of Fawley, in Hants.; and the name of the schoolmaster of -“Leddenton” (really the Dorset town of Gillingham) is Gillingham.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_80" href="#FNanchor_80" class="label">[80]</a> Wareham is called Southerton in the earlier editions of <i>The Return -of the Native</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_81" href="#FNanchor_81" class="label">[81]</a> C. G. 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