Mysterious Carving Bares All!
Members of the Milborne Port History & Heritage Group were recently shown this carving, found secured to the wall of a shed attached to the Old Church House building: 14-17 High Street, opposite the Gunville turning. Obvious curiosity was piqued because of the age of the building – late 15th to early 16th century. Could the carving date to this period? Click here to find out more!
Edward Ensor (1821-1907) – A Biography
On 28th June 1821 was born Edward Ensor, the son of Edward Ensor and nephew of Thomas Ensor of Milborne Port glove factory renown. At some point in his later life he sat down to write a memoir of his life for his children, and although it was never completed, it covers the first twenty three years of his very eventful youth; it is clear from the note at the end that the rest of his life was very eventful also! His memoire, which ended up in the hands of his great grandson and came to us via the Lyme Regis History Society, provides a striking insight to what life was like for the young Edward growing up during the reigns of George IV, William IV and Victoria, all remembered through the prism of his deep religious faith.
Click here to read about: Edward’s schoolboy shenanigans; attending Dame School in ‘New Town’ (and it really would have been a new town then!) and ‘Pid-Brook’; his father’s discipline; a near drowning in the mill pond and almost dying from a donkey kick and then rheumatic fever; attending boarding school in Yeovil and Bath; local politics in 1832; the death of his mother and his father’s very speedy remarriage to a woman nearly 20 years older than himself; his introduction to the glove manufacturing business; his growing interest in Methodism; his apprenticeship to a draper in Sherborne; and his moves to London and Lyme Regis.
The document covers 18 pages so is quite a long read but is well worth the time.
‘Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.’ – Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
Amongst the many documents given to the museum a while ago was an envelope containing some very well-written poems written by children, celebrating the planting of trees in the churchyard of St. John’s Church on 15th January 1855, 170 years ago today. Further investigation links the letters to this newspaper article from the Sherborne Mercury, 23rd January 1855. Sir William Coles Medlycott had given a piece of land for the enlargement of the churchyard and paid for a row of trees, which were planted by boys from the British School (Chapel Lane) and the Church School (Crackmore). This is also when the trees that surround the Medlycott vault to the east of the churchyard that we can still see today.
The poems are a charming record of the experiences of Frederick Ansty, Thomas Luffman, John Mintern and Philip Shephard on that day. To read the poems, click here.
Great connections!
Who would have thought that Milborne Port had so many interesting literary connections! From Jane Austen to Thomas Hardy, Henry Fielding to Arthur Murhphy! Click here to read all about them!
‘It take a village to raise a child.’
Nigel Moorse spent his childhood in Milborne Port and has written about those who had the most positive influence on his life between 1950 and 1964. Read about the people, groups and organisations with a strong sense of community who made such a significant contribution to the lives of young people at that time – among them the Methodist Church, The Boys’ Brigade, Sam Dycer, Tom Dyke Senior, Fred Pearce and Stan MCkay. He remembers the preparations for the opening of the playing Fields particularly well!
Many thanks to Nigel for writing this memoire for us; it is not only a tribute to the selflessness of others but also a really important insight into the social history of the time in Milborne Port.
Click here for the link.
The May Fair of 1603
What could possibly link Morris dancers, Walter Raleigh, church bells, Sir Edward Parham of Milborne Port and riotous behaviour in Poyntington? Follow this link to find out about some early 17th century local shenanigans!
At the risk of name dropping…
Did you know that Jane Austen – none other – would have heard of Milborne Port (although perhaps not in a good way…)? To find out why, and for enough early 19th century drama, scandal and gossip to give Eastenders a run for its money – lost legs, duels, affairs, ‘detestable witches’, divorces, abandoned children – read an article by Valerie Jackson and discover Jane’s verdict on the whole sorry saga!
Now after all that, can you resist clicking on this link?
William Cory built the East View houses in Paddock Walk in the early 1900s; click here to find out about him and his family.
The Edward Hallett clocks: read all about the discovery of a beautiful grandfather clocks that belonged to a local man who served as Sheriff of Somerset in 1741. Click here!
The Luffmans were millers and bakers at Kingsbury Mill for 80 years. Click here to find out about this family from the mid 1800s to 1935.
The Markey family emigrated to Australia in 1853. Click here to find out what became of one of them in particular.
The Shepherd family was significant in and around Milborne Port in the 18th and 19th centuries. To find out about their fortunes – and misfortunes – click here.
Mourning jewellery was an important way of marking a death in the family. Click here to find out what it was, when it was popular and about its link with Milborne Port and its residents, past and present.
The Succession and Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 2024
Read an article by Dr Lesley Wray about what Milborne Port was like in 1952 by clicking here.
We have in our museum a small book 4.5” x 7” (in old money) and unsurprisingly, given its age, it is not in good condition. However, it provides a touching peek into the childhood of two youngsters. To find out more about An Early 19th Century Book Report, click here.
In 1834, the 11 Shapcott children were orphaned when their mother died. Click here to discover what happened to this large family at a time when their was no welfare state to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives…
The problems around the quality of housing for working people are sadly nothing new. To read about the poor state of housing in Milborne Port in 1864, click here.
Supporting the Poor of the Parish
The Statute of Cambridge 1388 was the first law specific to the poor and poverty. Amendments and revisions were ongoing over the years and in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the operation of the Poor Laws was the most onerous of parish duties. It did, however, produce many useful documents – settlement certificates, settlement examinations, and removal orders – which all provide interesting information.
See Milborne Port examples of these documents held at Somerset, Dorset and Devon Archives, copy and paste this link into your browser: file:///Users/admin/Desktop/material%20for%20History%20group%20website%20&%20Facebook/Removal%20orders%20and%20settlements.htm
Settlement law may have restricted the movement of people from place to place; on the other hand, a worker could travel to another parish to find a better job, knowing that if disaster struck, he would be returned to his own home parish where he could obtain parish relief to support him.
Read more here https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/settlement-certificates-examinations-and-removal-orders-parish-poor-law/
The existing systems were finally abolished in 1948 with the introduction of the modern welfare state.
To see a list of local 16th-19th century wills that are available via the National Archives website, click here.
For a list of entries into the parish registers of Death, Plague and Pestilence in the 16th Century, click here.
For some Snippets from 17th century wills, click here.
John Jenes died in 1496 and left a will that gives us clear insight into his life; click here to learn more about the will and the times in which John Jenes lived.
For a fascinating snippet from an early 17th century court case, click here and to find out about the theft of ducks, click here!
For some intriguing and sometimes amusing 18th century wills, click here.
For some 18th and 19th century indentures, deeds and documents, click here.
To discover some unusual names found in the Milborne Port parish registers, click here.