Articles

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Manorial Court Records

The Manorial Court records for the Hundred of Sixpenny and the Manor of Fontmell are held at the Dorset History Centre in Dorchester. They make a fascinating record of the administration of the village and give us valuable insights into local history.
David Hardiman - 13/5/2010

Fontmell Poems - Grave and Gay

A selection of some of the poems about Fontmell Magna including some that have previously been published in The Gossip Tree.
Various - 1/3/2009

A Village Built On water

The first part of this poem has already appeared in the article Fontmell Poems - Grave and Gay. The full version of the poem written by Jeany Poulsen during the Dorset Landscape in Words and Pictures Course at Springhead in 1994 fully deserves to be read in its entirety.
Jeany Poulsen - 18/12/2009

Brookland Wood 10 Years On

This is the story of how a village planted a wood
Judy Westgate - 25/2/2007

The Still Family of Fontmell Magna

This is the remarkable story of one of Fontmell's oldest families, told by their descendants
The Still Research Team - 25/2/2007

Tithes in Fontmell Magna

Tithes were first introduced in England in the 9th century and lasted in their (almost) original form until the 19th century. This article should be read in conjunction with our article on Enclosures.
Ian Lawrence - 14/2/2007

ST. ANDREW’S PARISH CHURCH

The Vestry Book and the Record Book of St Andrew's Church contain important information about people and events in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Jennie Jones - 12/2/2007

Enclosures of farm land in Fontmell Magna

Enclosures (or more usually ‘inclosures’) in Fontmell during the Arundell period (1540 to 1809) were at first achieved by individual agreements between tenant farmers and the landowner. This is the story of how things developed.
Ian Lawrence - 22/1/2007

Guest Article from Compton Abbas

The village situated on Fontmell Magna's northern boundary is Compton Abbas. This is the fascinating story of the Church that Climbed Uphill.

Stephen Byrne - 28/9/2006

18TH CENTURY TOURISTS IN DORSET

Two writers have left us brief accounts of their journeys in Dorset, one through both Shaftesbury and Blandford, and one only through Blandford. The first was Daniel Defoe (best known as the author of ‘Robinson Crusoe’) whose ‘A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain’ was published in 1724. The second was John Byng, 5th Viscount of Torrington, whose ‘Diaries’ include his Dorset visit in 1782.

Durotriges - 13/7/2006

Village Life 140 Years Ago

In 1869 the ‘Second Report from the Commission on the Employment of Children, Young Persons and Women in Agriculture’ was published. This massive report covered the whole of England and included a very extensive and lucid account of Dorset. It makes for very grim reading.
Ian Lawrence - 26/6/2006

The Mystery of the Mayo family

The name Mayo has long associations with Fontmell Magna. For example, MARY MAYO married Phillip Wareham in 1739; CHARLES MAYO married Mary Monckton in 1746; and JAMES MAYO married Hannah Foot in 1750. Mary Mayo made a will in 1729 and James Mayo one in 1768.

James and Hannah’s children included JOHN MAYO (who married Mary West in 1784), and WILLIAM MAYO (who married Hannah Still from Compton Abbas in the same year). linkimageright:2251 By the beginning of the 19th century the whole Mayo family was very well-established in Fontmell and a farm in North Street was now called Mayo’s Farm. Morris and Sarah had two children John, born in 1831 in Fontmell, and Sarah born in 1833 in Fontmell, but neither child appears in the 1841 or 1851 censuses. William’s and Hannah’s second child was THOMAS (WILLIAM) MAYO. linkimage:1245 William’s and Hannah’s third son was CHARLES MAYO (1797-1873). Thomas and Charles Mayo had arrived in New Jersey and settled in Petersburg, Virginia. Thomas was 66 when his last child was born.

Ian Lawrence - 1/5/2006

The First 60 Years of the Parish Council

This account of the workings of the Parish Council during its first 60 years of its work makes fascinating reading.
Geoffrey Tapper - 4/4/2006

Tollgates

An investigation into the establishment and running of Tollgates in the Parish of Fontmell Magna
F. E. Casemore - 21/4/2006

Guest Article from Clayesmore School

This article tells the story of Iwerne Minster's connection with sport and some of its personalities.
Stephen Byrne - 13/4/2006

Looking for your Fontmell antecedents?

This text-only article is published in response to the widespread interest in family histories, in the hope that it will offer some assistance to those searching for information about the most numerous families in the second half of the 17th century.
Ian Lawrence - 20/3/2006

Fontmell Marriages in Local Parishes

Until the late 19th century most marriages of Fontmell people involved either partners from within Fontmell itself, or with one partner coming from one of the nearby parishes. To some extent, matrimonial opportunities were determined by how far you were prepared to walk. All these villages were within 3 miles of Fontmell church.
Durotriges - 20/3/2006

A 20th Century Domesday Book

This account of farming in Fontmell Magna in 1941 provides us with a wonderful opportunity to grasp the reality of wartime farming.
John Gadd - 1/3/2006

Memories of a Fontmell-born Inhabitant

Charlie Andrews was a popular figure in the village during the middle of the 20th century. His 'Memories' provide a particularly interesting account of life in the village at that time.
A. E. Andrews - 4/2/2006

FONTMELL MAGNA, EAST ORCHARD AND WEST ORCHARD

The local parishes of East and West Orchard have very close ties with Fontmell, and the hamlets of Bedchester and Hartgrove have their own stories.
Editor - 11/12/2006

Fontmell Magna in Roman Times

An investigation into the discovery of Roman coins in the village.
John Gadd - 8/11/2006

Sir (Walter) Newman Flower

Newman Flower was born in Fontmell Magna and became one of the most successful publishers in London between the wars.
Ian Lawrence - 10/10/2006

Fontmell Policemen in the Nineteenth Century

This is the story of the policemen and their families who lived in the police house in South Street, Fontmell Magna during the 19th century.
Gay Mole - 11/1/2006

The Salkeld Family

The Rev.Robert Salkeld was rector of St Andrew's Parish Church in Fontmell Magna for 46 years. This is the story of that period.
Durotriges - 26/8/2005

Social Welfare in Fontmell Magna during the 19th Century

In several important aspects of village life in the 19th century, Fontmell Magna experienced significant changes. Prominant among these were the establishment of the village school, the development of self-help welfare organizations and the impact of the legislation concerning the care of the poor.
Durotriges - 29/7/2005

The Edwards Family

From the 18th century the Edwards family name became very well known in Fontmell Magna for many generations. They were carpenters, joiners, wheelwrights, bakers and shopkeepers, and through marriage were connected with many other local names, such as Monckton, Lush, Stainer, Hart, Bridle, Lawrence and Tapper.

Mary Edwards - 11/7/2005

Three Generations of Tailors

This is the intriguing story of the three tailors who between them provided a service to the village for about 140 years.
Durotriges - 11/4/2005

The 1926 Glyn Sale of Fontmell Magna

For over 100 years the ownership of most of the property in Fontmell Magna had belonged to the Glyn family. But in 1926 a dramatic event took place.
John Gadd - 27/3/2005

Cottage Book 1883

A surviving manuscript from 1893 provides us with a wonderfully clear picture of Victorian life in the village.
Gay Mole - 24/2/2005

Then and Now

With pictures from our archive, this article compares Fontmell Magna as it was a century ago with the village today.
Ian Lawrence - 19/11/2005

St Andrew's Primary School

This is the story of how to-day's young children found a way of keeping in touch with village's past.
Editor - 5/10/2005

The Lost Cottages of Fontmell Magna

Fontmell Magna is famous for its beautiful old cottages. But there were some that disappeared in the 20th century. This is their story.
Derek Marchington - 1/10/2005

Mills in Fontmell Magna

Fontmell water mills drove the local economy for over one thousand years by providing power for the corn trade, power for the local cloth trade and power for the timber, forging and grinding trades. From the 11th to the 19th centuries the millers played a central role in the community and their contribution to the prosperity of the village cannot be over estimated.
Derek Marchington and John Smalley - 4/8/2004