:<X> CM \CO = (7> ICO = C0 = 00 [>• CO " I Hfek^M, Memorials of the Counties of England General Editor : Rev. P. H. Ditchfield, M.A., F.S.A. Memorials of Old Dorset ?45H xr» MEMORIALS OF OLD DORSET EDITED BY THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. Late Rector of Turnworth, Dorset Author of " Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory" ' " Bath and Malmesbury Abbeys" Romsey Abbey" b*c. AND HERBERT PENTIN, M.A. Vicar of Milton Abbey, Dorset Vice-President, Hon. Secretary, and Editor of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club With many Illustrations LONDON BEMROSE & SONS LIMITED, 4 SNOW HILL, E.C. AND DERBY 1907 [All Rights Reserved] TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD EUSTACE CECIL, F.R.G.S. PAST PRESIDENT OF THE DORSET NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN FIELD CLUB THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY HIS LORDSHIP'S KIND PERMISSION PREFACE editing of this Dorset volume was originally- THEundertaken 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 for Mr. Perkins knew the as Dorset as a whole ; county 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. 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 VII viii Preface 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. 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 Preface ix 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 :he traditions and historical associations of the county. P. H. DlTCHFIELD, General Editor. CONTENTS Page Historic Dorset .... By the Rev. THOMAS i Perkins, M.A. The Barrows of Dorset By C. S. Prideaux . 19 28 The Roman Occupation of Dorset By Captain J. E. Acland The Churches of Dorset By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A. 44 The Memorial Brasses of Dorset By W. de C. Prideaux 62 Sherborne By W. B. Wildman, M.A. 75 Milton Abbey By the Rev. Herbert Pentin, M.A. 94 Wimborne Minster By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A. .117 Ford Abbey By Sidney Heath . 131 the Bishop of Dorchester . By Lord Durham, D.D. 145 . Weymouth . By Sidney Heath 157 The Isle of Portland By Mrs. King Warry . 177 The Isle of Purbeck By A. D. Moullin . 187 Corfe Castle By Albert Bankes . 200 K. Gill . 222 Poole . By W. Bridport By the Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot, M.A. 232 XI :xn Contents Page Shaftesbury By the Rev. THOMAS Perkins, M.A. 240 Piddletown and Athelhampton . By Miss Wood Homer . 257 Wolfeton House .... By Albert Bankes 264 The Literary Associations of Dorset By Miss M. Jourdain . 273 Some Dorset Superstitions . By Hermann Lea . 292 Index 307 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS Ringstead and Holworth Frontispiec {From a water-colour sketch by Mr. William Pye) Page, or Facing Page Bronze Age Objects from Dorset Round Barrows . 20 {From photographs by Mr. IV. Pouncy) Part of the Olga Road Tessellated Pavement, Dorchester . 38 {From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) Tessellated Pavement at Fifehead Neville .... 41 St. Martin's Church, Wareham 48 (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) The Chapel on St. Ealdhelm's Head 5° (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) Brass to William Grey, Rector of Evershot .... 70 (From a rubbi?ig by Mr. W. de C. Prideaux) . a Mr. Sherborne Abbey . (From drawing by Sidney Heath) j6 The Entrance to Sherborne School 86 (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) the Rev. Milton Abbey . (From a photograph by T.Perkins) 94 The Paintings in Milton Abbey 95 Milton Abbey: Interior (From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham) 96 The Tabernacle in Milton Abbey „ „ „ 97 Abbot Middleton's Rebus 101 St. Catherine's Chapel, Milton Abbey 104 (From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham) Holworth Burning Cliff in 1827 106 (From a coloured print by Mr. E. Vivian) xiii xiv Index to Illustrations Page, or Facing Page S. LisCOmbe Chapel . .(From a photograph by Mr. Gillingham) \OJ Milton Abbey in the year 1733 no (From an engraving by Messrs. S. and N. Buck) The Seal of the Town of Milton in America . 116 1 1 Wimborne Minster . (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) 8 The Chained Library, Wimborne Minster . .128 (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) the Rev. T. 1 Ford Abbey . (From a photograph by Perkins) 32 Details from Cloisters, Ford Abbey 134 (From drawings by Mr. Sidney Heath) The Chapel, Ford Abbey (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) 1 36 Panel from Cloisters, Ford Abbey . .136 (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) The Seal Of Ford Abbey (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) 140 High Street, Dorchester (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) 1 46 Judge Jeffreys' Lodgings, Dorchester 149 (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) Comhill, Dorchester. (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) I 53 "Napper's Mite," Dorchester „ „ „ 155 The Quay, Weymouth . „ „ „ 158 in the Chest Guildhall, Weymouth „ „ ,, 164 Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth „ „ „ 166 Doorway, Sandsfoot Castle „ „ „ 167 Some Weymouth Tokens „ „ „ 169 of The Arms Weymouth „ „ ,, 170 Old House on North Quay, Weymouth 171 (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) in the . An Old Chair Guildhall, Weymouth . .172 (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) The Old Stocks, Weymouth (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) 1 76 Portland Cottages . „ „ „ 185 " Kimmeridge Coal Money" 192 (From a photograph by Mr. A. D. Moullin) Corfe Castle . (From a photograph by ttu Rev. T. Perkins) 200 The Town Cellars, Poole . „ „ „ 222 Index to Illustrations XV Page, or Facing Page Shaftesbury . {From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) 240 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury . „ „ „ 248 Piddletown Church . „ „ „ 258 Athelhampton Hall . „ „ „ 262 Wolfeton House . ,, „ ,, 264 The East Drawing Room, Wolfeton House .... 268 (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) William Barnes . (From a photograph by Messrs. Dickinsons) 280 Thomas Hardy . (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) 284 Came . a Rectory (From drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) 29 1 HISTORIC DORSET By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A. 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. There are no igneous rocks, nor any of those classed as primary, but, beginning with the Rhsetic 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. The of the strata is towards the east dip generally ; 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.