Author Archives: miltonabbashistorygroup

Dorchester Gaol

Posted on November 25, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

In the Dorset History Centre and available on Ancestry is the Criminal process register. 1782-1808, Catalogue Reference NG-PR/1/D/1/1. This gives much information, such as the prisoner’s name, the magistrate who committed them, their place of residence, their description, age, date … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorset, family history, local history, Old Town of Milton Abbas, records, social history | Leave a comment

Milton Abbas Martyrs

Posted on October 28, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Help us research these important people, they may be part of your family tree. They were pioneers, victims of oppressive laws and their story should be as well known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs. William Vatcher 1753-1818 John Bennett, alias Vatcher … Continue reading →

Posted in social history | 3 Comments

Who built the new village of Milton Abbas?

Posted on September 29, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

It is not certain who was responsible for the design and building of the new “model” village of Milton Abbas. The names that have vied for credit are Sir William Chambers, one of Lord Milton’s architects, and Lancelot “Capability” Brown, … Continue reading →

Posted in local history, Milton Abbas, Old Town of Milton Abbas | Leave a comment

Women

Posted on September 7, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

It has to be admitted that women in England have had a very poor deal since the time of William the Conqueror. It is only in the late twentieth century that they have regained the rights they had in Anglo-Saxon … Continue reading →

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Pleydell v Earl of Dorchester 1795

Posted on August 21, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This document is a note book of 60 hand written pages by one hand. It is held by Dorset History Centre, catalogue reference D-PLR/L/15. It contains transcripts of letters, opinions and memoranda of proceedings in the case of Pleydell v … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer | 2 Comments

Bills and Receipts of the Overseers of the Poor of Milton Abbas 1787- 1823

Posted on August 5, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

In the Dorset History Centre there are some 140 pieces of paper catalogued at PE-MIL/OV/2. These are the bills and receipts of our Overseers of the Poor. We are in the process of transcribing them. They provide further information to … Continue reading →

Posted in local history, Milton Abbas, social history | 1 Comment

Milton Abbas shoemaker

Posted on July 15, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

We have the account book of Joseph Rogers 1830 – 1839. It gives a unique glimpse into the life of a shoe maker in a rural Dorset village. The handwriting of Joseph Rogers, is small and cramped and this was … Continue reading →

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the most tedious document…

Posted on July 11, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Amongst the hundreds of documents that we have transcribed this is surely the pinnacle of tedium – an Indenture between John Tregonwell and John Harding, Charles Rawleigh, Thomas Radford, Robert Freke, 1678. Here is a sample: ………if she the s[ai]d … Continue reading →

Posted in document, transcription | 1 Comment

Telling Stories of the Old Town of Middleton

Posted on July 5, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

We came across this piece in the Summer 2020 issue of the magazine ‘Who do you think you are?’. It is on page 46, in an article titled ‘The Lasting Value of Vouchers’. This magazine is free to read for … Continue reading →

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Transcribing

Posted on July 2, 2020 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This is a recent example of the kind of transcription that takes so many hours of painstaking work. It is a tiny part of the will of Richard Squybbe 1591. At least it is in English! Some wills of this … Continue reading →

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