942.3301 M. L; B65c 1267387 Gl^NFALOGY COLLECTIOM PUBLIC fM'iFflll*l9lVriT,y LIBRAR 3 1833 00727 9521 ^^ Qf'^Vi. 1 ^.^'^' : THE ^ CIVIL DIVISION OF THE 11 * ©otmtp of ^lomt, METHODICALLY DIGESTED AND ARRANGED, COMPRIZING LISTS OF THE CIVIL MINISTERIAL OFFICER^, jMAGISTRATES, AVD SUBORDINATE OFFICERS; WITH A COMPLETE NOMINA VILLARUM, IN KOUR PARTS; A LIST OF THE COUNTY AND OTHER BRIDGES; TOGETHER WITH THE ANNUAL VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY ; A.-MOUNT OF THE LAND-TAX; OF THE PO()R'8-RATE, AND COUNTY RATE; THE POPULATION; AND THE RULES AND ORDERS FOR REGULATION OF THE PRACTICE OF THE QUARTER SESSIONS ; AND OTHER MATTERS; WITH REMARKS AND OBSERVATIONS THEREON. "^ AN APPENDIX,ALSO, CONTAINING ABSTRACTS OF RETURNS OF CHARITABLE DONATIONS, CORRECTED TO THE PRESENT TIME. .^It^ CORRECTED, AUGMENTED, AND IMPROVED. BY EDWARD BOSWELL. IBorcijcsiti: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WESTON, SIMONDS, AND SYDENHAM. 1833. TO The Right Hon. EDWARD EARL of DIGBY, VISCOUNT COLESHILL, BARON DIGBY IN ENGLAND, AND LORD DIGBY, BARON OF GEASHILL, IN IRELAND, l>ORD LIEUTENANT, AND CUSTOS ROTULORUM, D.C.L., &c. &c. &c. AND TO THE HIGH SHERIFF, AND MAGISTRATES OP THE COUNTY OF DORSET, THIS WORK IS DEDICATED, BY THEIR MUCH OBLIGED AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. JSreface* IN presenting to the Public, at the Solicitations of manu of the Magistrates and others, a New Edition of " The Civil Division of the County of Dorset" the Editor begs to state, that in conse- quence of the many Alterations which have taken place since the Publication of the first Edition, it became necessaryfor the whole to be re-written, which has been done, and other Blatters introduced through- out. The same method has however been pursued in the present, as in the former Edition : and in order to render the Work more generally useful and easy to be consulted, in addition to the Indexes, he has prefixed a Table of the Contents. It would be superfluous for the Editor to enlarge upon the pro- bable Advantages of a Work of this kind as a Book of reference ; but he may be permitted to hope that it will be found useful, not only to the Magistrates, whose aiteniion to the good ofthe Community requires that they should have all the Information and Assist- ance which can be afforded them, but also to every Public Officer, Parish Officer, Land Owner, and principal Inhabitant of the County. Dorchester, June, 1833. Entrotiuction. The Shire, or County of Dorset, is a maritime County, situated in the South West of Ensland, between 50®. 30'. and ol^. 6'. North Lat. and 1°. 58'. and 30**. 11'. West Long, bounded on the IVorth by Somersetshire and Wiltshire, on the West by Devon- shire and part of Somersetshire, on the East by Hampshire, and Southward 'tis all Sea Coast; is in length from North to South about 35m. and in breadth from East to West 55m. and is nearly 160ra. in circumference, according to the latest authorities : it appears to be 1005 square statute miles, or 043,200 acres ; wherefore the number of inhabitants in each square mile, containing 640 acres, according to the last population returns (1831) averages 1.58 persons. The County is divided into 9 Divisions ; 35 Hun- dreds ; 22 Liberties, and 8 Boroughs (see p. 27); also into 241 Parishes; 41 parochial Chapelries ; 5 extra-parochial Places, and 3 Tithings and Hamlets,* which maintain their own poor ; and it contains 20 Towns ; 404 Tithings ; 253 Vills ; 244 Hamlets, and 617 Farms and Lands. The Names of the principal Civil Ministerial Ofii- cers, and Magistrates, having jurisdiction and autho- rity within the County, and the subordinate Officers under them, with their salaries, fees, and allowances, are given, and Lists thereof digested and arranged, according to the method adopted by Mr. Justice Blackstone, commencing from diliercnt periods, and continued to the present time, under separate heads; * These three Places belong to the Parislies cf C'anford JJagna and Beer Regis. ii. Introliiittton. with llic tlatcs and every (ithcr matter relative to these appointiiu'iits. Tin- !» Divisions, aliove mentioned, were newly arrani;ed at MidsMiniiier Sessions, IKM), and this ar- Srplcni- ranizeincnt was earricd into eflV( t the 1st of c. Ki. Imt Inllnwinii, stats. I> (i. I, » . 1:1, and 10 (;. 4, The intmlnr ot the Divisions is the same as in the year 1740, (sff p. lOH), Init the ii (inns aw more a^jree- al)h> to modern iisau'e. These Divisions have heen Inniicd l)y a jniK tion of the small Tithin^^s and Plaees, and l»y a partition ol the laru:e Hundreds and Li- berties, from one Division to anotlier, as seemed most re- convenient and proper to be altered or chanired ; L'ard havinu: l»een had to the distances of each Tithin:; and IMace, in every Dixision, from the Town where special Sessions are held.* l*art 11. contains the Ti- tliiiK/s (nilif in each lliindred. Liberty, and Division; and l*art i\ . contains the Parishes and t^laces which maintain theirow II l*oorineaeh of the New Di\ isions. The ')') Hl NDKi.DS, or some of them, have, for the convenience of the pnbli( , been severed ; and such Hundreds are situate in two or more Divisions: there- tore, iiM)rder to shew the extent of such alterations, and the number of Tithin;,^s, ]*arishes, and Places in each Division, a Si/iiopsis is given, shewinir all the Divisions, and tlic w hole mim!)er of TithinLrs, Parishes, and Places, oriiiinaliy in the Old Divisions, and how till' same ar(> now disposed of in the New Divisions mentioned in l*arls II. and IV'. pp. 10(5 and 101). The t?'2 Li HKR 11 lis, or some of tliem, have been severed in the same manner as tlie Hundreds, and by the like auth(»iity ; and the Syno[)sis shows the extent of the alterations, and where theTithiuu^s, ^:e., are now placed— see Part 11. p. 10(), • it has been remarked that to reform ancient customs which have been loni; aKAociated with ihc occurrences oi' common life, is however, nn incnn- viiiiint (ask. An instuncc ot this occurs in W alis innjt Hen li, \:>'A:t, lor the nncicnt CaniroscR nnil Comniots were altcrt-il into Hidnl'dli by commission under lhc(ircat Seal ; tlic altcr.ition met however wiih much djHicuhy, and, although cxtcndfd prricds were allowed tor its taking; ctlict, yet tlie new (ouniies ntid llundieds ixhil)it more instances of disiiiirt boundary, i. e. of Paii»he», mid J'owiiships, not contuniinoiis with tlie County or Hundred than do the ancient Counties : while the rtnuiiibranre of the abolished Canirisses and t'oniniots Mill occasionally crentis soine confusion.— Vc I'irliw. Ulu,. to p,>p. .i/..f, iitn. — — — JntroiJuction. 111. TtiE 8 Boroughs have been placed in he same manner as the Hundreds, &c., and (he Synopsis shews the alterations, and where these Boroughs now are. The 241 Parishes are numbered and placed alpha- betically. Part I. col. 2. These Parishes contain the precincts of the parochial Parish Church, and are primaricB Ecclesice, or Mother Church ; origi- nally the Kingdom, with reference to Civil Mat- ters, was divided into Towns and Vills; and Parishes were a Division in relerence to Ecclesi- astical affairs only; the Common Law took no notice of Parishes, but as Vills, for all Parishes have, or had originally, Vills, though there arc Parishes in this County where the Vili which retains the name of t)ie Parish, is depopulated and the Church destroyed : these are noted where they occur. How- ever in 1530, (22 Hen. 8, c. 12,) Parishes became Divisions, and are taken notice of in ( ivil matters. ^-{\ illiamss Justice, 1. p. 587. Freeman s Rep. This mixture of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Di- visions has created great confusion; and Mr. Jus- tice Blackstone observes, that "where the statute law have not the foundation of the common law to build on, what miserable shifts and lame expedients have from time to time been adopted, in order to patch up the flaws occasioned by this neglect." Com,m. 1, vol. p. J365 The 41 Parochial Chapelries are also num- bered, Part I. col. 3, and placed under the Parishes to which they belong. Ihese Chapelries have the Liberties of Baptism and Sepulture, and have Chapelwardens ; but they are not exempted from the visitation of the ordinary, nor are the Parishioners who resort thither, from the repairs of the Mother Church, especially if they bury there; for those Chapels generally belong to, and are as it were part of the Mother Church, and the Parishioners are obliged to go to the Mother Church, but not to the Chapel. I^olls Abri. 289. The Chapels, not numbered, are Chapels of ease. Extraparochial Places are such as are out of any Parish, and are priviledged and exempt from the B* —— — *v. ) ntioliuciion. dutir*; n(" a Purish : licrctoforc flit re wrrr lands in various j>;u(s dI' tlic Kiiiixdnm in tlic liaiuls, pr<»l)al)l\ , of irrrliirioiis and cnrrlcss owners, situate in I'on sts iiixl drscrt Placrs, and Vliich Um iinsoarcliable rciisons were nrvcr united to any I'arisli, a?id llicrc- forr cdntinnc t<» tliis d.i\ K\frai>ai()rliia!— /^/ra/:. Comm. \<»1. I. |>, IIM; and, it lias Ixcn said, that tlicsc Plnros aro usually lotuid to \\u\r Ixcn the silo of rrViqinus /loiises or ol" tinciciif Cds/fcs, wIkisc ow iuts niaN lia\c been supposed, in rude times, to liav(> resisteil any interleren( e with their autiiority A\itliin the limits ot their resideneo.