St Catherine’s Chapel

Posted on January 1, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This magical and mysterious and religious place was restored by Sir Everard Hambro in 1903. It was re-consecrated that year and the first service in several centuries performed on the Feast of St Catherine 25th November 1903 by the Reverend Herbert Pentin. Pentin had been instrumental in its sympathetic restoration, and he was an antiquary, researching Milton Abbas history and delivering lectures to the then Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club.

The Milton Abbas Local History Group have all the copies of the Proceedings of the now Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society from its beginning in 1876 up to 1939, as well as transcriptions of letters from Pentin to the Bishop of Salisbury concerning the restoration of the chapel.

Much more information on St Catherine’s Chapel is available on our website.

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The wealth of the Damers

Posted on December 17, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Just before the death of Joseph Damer, Lord Milton’s daughter in 1828 this list of paintings to be found in just one room of Milton Abbey House was published by Neale in his ‘Views of the seats of noblemen and gentlemen, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Second series.’

DRAWING-ROOM, BELOW STAIRS.

The Countess of Mountrath – Jarvis.

Two small Portraits of Queen Anne, and Prince George of Denmark.

Frederick, Viscount Newport – Sir Peter Lely

Lady Newport – Ditto.

The Countess of Bradford – Sir G.Kneller.

Mrs. Cheek and Child, after Vandyke – Sir P. Lely.

Lord Newport-oval-Ditto.

Henry VIII.- Holbein

Virgin and Child – Corregio.

A Monk’s Head – Raphael, very fine.

A Landscape and Bridges – Copy from Claude Lorraine.

Rinaldo and Armida – Grill,after Claude Lorraine.

A View of Gloucester-Vosterman.

Cupid Bathing – Greffier, after Claude Lorraine.

A large Landscape-Wynarts.

Fruit and Dead Game – Snyders.

Architecture and Figures – Vivien.

St. Anne Teaching the Virgin – Michael Angelo

An Old Woman’s Head – Martin Vos.

The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds- Ваssaпо.

Four Women and a Child – Ditto.

Soldiers un Horseback – Bourgognone.

Snow-Ball Playing – Filippo Laura.

Old Fisherman and a Woman-Joku Miel.

Small Picture of a Capuchin Friar at Devotion – Poelemberg

A Landscape, Figures and Cattle – Adrian Vandervelde.

Our Saviour, Marthin, and Mary – Old Stenwik

A Man in Red on Horseback – Bassano.

Peasants and Cattle – Berghem.

A Landscape, Cattle and Buildings – Ditto.

A Landscape with Figures, velvet – Brueghel.

Views of Venice – Canaletto.

Sleeping Christ – Vandyke, after Rubens.

View of Naples-Gaspar Occhiali

The Victory of Constantine over Maxentin – Bourgognone

A Flower Piece on Copper-Flowers by Verelst; Figures by Poslemberg.

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The Role of the Overseers of the Poor

Posted on December 3, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Following two brilliant presentations to the Milton Abbas Local History Group by members Clive Barnes and John O’Quinn, a number of questions were asked about the Overseers of the Poor of Milton Abbas.

The presentations are available on the Members Section of this website.

The Elizabethan Poor Law Act of 1601was a marked contrast to the degrading and inhuman Acts which had their inception with the passing of the Statute of Labourers.

The 1601 Act directs that in every parish “four, three or two substantial householders shall, under the hand and seal of two or more Justices of the Peace, be yearly nominated in Easter week, and that these, with the churchwardens, shall be overseers of the poor.” In order to carry out the provisions of the Act, the overseers were to raise “weekly or otherwise in every parish by taxation of every inhabitant, parson, vicar and other, and of every occupier of tithes, coal mines, and saleable underwoods in the said parish, “such necessary and sufficient” sum or sums of money as they shall think fit.” The funds so realized were to be expended in the following manner:

First. “For setting to work the children of all such whose parents shall not be thought able to keep and maintain them.”

Second. ” For setting to work all such persons, married and unmarried, having no means to maintain them, and who use no ordinary and daily trade of life to get their living by.”

Third. “For providing a convenient stock of flax, hemp, wool, thread, iron and othep ware and stuff to set the poor to work.”

Fourth. “For the necessary relief of the lame, impotent, old, blind and such other among them being poor and not able to work.”

In Milton Abbas the Easter Vestry nominated and appointed two Overseers for the forthcoming year. Our Overseers of the Poor Account Books run from 1771 to 1836. These records show that in Milton Abbas some paupers were nominated to receive regular payments for the forthcoming year every four weeks, these were called ‘months’, but were not calendar months. Some authors have referred to these payments as ‘pensions’, but this term was never used by our Overseers. There were other payments, which our Overseers referred to as ‘disbursements’, although this term was not used by them after 1804. These disbursements were for those in temporary need, often due to illness, as well as all other payments for expenses such as travelling to see the Justices, warrants, paper, etc. Our Overseers also paid for boots and cloth for the poor as well as doctor’s bills.

I will discuss Gilbert’s Act of 1782 and its impact on Milton Abbas in a later blog.

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Combination Acts 1799 and 1800

Posted on November 23, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

The Combination Act of 1799 was an extraordinarily oppressive piece of legislation. After the French revolution it is extraordinary that the Houses of Commons and Lords would risk such an unjust act. There had been acts before against workers in particular trades – weaving, hatters and miners, but this latest act was intended for every worker in any trade.

It was a particularly obnoxious piece of legislation for many reasons, but chiefly because it avoided trial by jury, the complainant bringing the defendant in front of just one Justice. And, of course, the Justices were all landowners and employers.

After one year it was repealed and replaced by a very similar act of 1800. This made one concession – two Justices were needed.

In the case of Milton Abbas in 1803 Lionel Damer probably brought our six Martyrs, in front of the notorious Justice James Frampton and himself, who promptly sentenced them to two months hard labour.

We have tried to bring this injustice to the attention of the TUC and the Shire Hall Justice Museum. What we have learned is that the TUC are so interested in the Tolpuddle Martyrs above all other injustices because in their case they were seen to win after the nationwide uproar that followed the Tolpuddle men’s transportation for 7 years.

Help us bring the terrible injustice of the Milton Abbas Martyrs to wider notice.

By the way, William Wilberforce spoke for this act in Parliament.

Can anyone find the full text of these two Acts? Believe it or not, but these are not freely available without a subscription!

Just one paragraph of the ‘Unlawful Combination Act of 1800’ –

“Every … workman … who shall at any time after the passing of this Act enter into any combination to obtain an advance of wages, or to lessen or alter the hours or duration of the time of working, or to decrease the quantity of work, or for any other purpose contrary to this Act, or who shall, by giving money, or by persuasion, solicitation or intimidation, or any other means, wilfully and maliciously endeavour to prevent any unhired or unemployed journeyman or workman, or other person, in any manufacture, trade or business, or any other person wanting employment in such manufacture, trade or business, from hiring himself to any manufacturer or tradesman, or person conducting any manufacture, trade or business, or who shall, for the purpose of obtaining an advance of wages, or for any other purpose contrary to the provisions of this Act, wilfully and maliciously decoy, persuade, solicit, intimidate, influence or prevail, or attempt or endeavour to prevail, on any journeyman or workman, or other person hired or employed, or to be hired or employed in any such manufacture, trade or business, to quit or leave his work, service or employment, or who shall wilfully and maliciously hinder or prevent any manufacturer or tradesman, or other person, from employing in his or her manufacture, trade or business, such journeymen, workmen and other persons as he or she shall think proper, or who, being hired or employed, shall, without any just or reasonable cause, refuse to work with any other journeyman or workman employed or hired to work therein, and who shall be lawfully convicted of any of the said offences, upon his own confession, or the oath or oaths of one or more credible witness or witnesses, before any two justices of the Peace for the county … .or place where such offence shall be committed, within 3 calendar months … shall, by order of such justices, be committed to … gaol for any time not exceeding 3 calendar months; or otherwise be committed to some House of Correction … for any time not exceeding 2 calendar months.”

Posted in Dorset, family history, history, local history, Milton Abbas, social history | Leave a comment

Facebook – Milton Abbas Local History Group page

Posted on November 20, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

There have been recent major changes to the way that Facebook allows the administrator to manage group pages. These changes took place without warning and now make it untenable to control content and members.

Facebook make it extremely difficult to to delete a group. For one thing, they don’t tell you how. After much time searching I finally found how to do it. After 1000 clicks I finally managed, so now there is no Milton Abbas Local History Group Facebook page. Any group with say more than 1000 members would be almost impossible to delete.

Apologies to the 143 members who had joined.

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Postcard

Posted on November 12, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Milton Abbas, Dorset. A postcard in The Times. “English Village” Series (Set 11)

Year – undated

Publisher – Photochrom Co. Ltd., London & Tunbridge Wells.

In 1938, The Times collaborated with the Photochrom Company, Ltd. for the exclusive publication of a selection of its most attractive photographs as postcards. The inclusion of Milton Abbas in Dorset speaks to its unique beauty and as a fine example of a quintessential “English Village”. Others included Lenham in Kent and Stanton in Gloucestershire. These were printed in sepia with a matte surface and hand-finished. Each postcard originally sold for two pence and there were six in each series. Here we see a man with his horse & cart walking down “The Street”. The majestic chestnut trees shading the cottages, seen here in vigorous growth, were cut down in the 1953.

Text and image by John Quinn

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RIGGS Family Bible

Posted on October 28, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

We have been given a Bible with information on the RIGGS Family. Our transcription of the MS writing is:

Robert Riggs was born August 22nd 1816

Mary wife of Robert Riggs was born July 24th 1816

Ann daughter of Robert & Mary Riggs was born Sep 7 1834

Decd July 15th aged 16 1850

John Lowis Son or Robert & Mary Riggs was born September 27th 1836

Bethia daughter of Robert & Mary Riggs was born January 14th 1839 – died April 3 1874 Aged 35 years

Levi Son of Robert & Mary Riggs was born June 27th 1841

Elizabeth daughter of Robert & Mary Riggs was born April 6th 1844

Jane daughter of Robert & Mary Riggs was born July 24th 1848

Robert Son of Robert & Mary Riggs was born July 20th was born May 14th 1851

Albert [illegible] Son of Robert & Mary Riggs was born Feb 14th 1855

May the Lord bless & keep you well for life Amen

Louis Riggs Born September 27 1836

died January 3 1877

Albert Charles Riggs Was Born Fe 14 1855

A. C. Riggs died May 30 Aged 27 1882

Jane Squibb wife of Fred Squibb died 4th =5 of July 1909

Solomon Squibb of Alln? died 10th of May 1917 buried Blandford Cemetery – 14th May 1917

Robert Riggs from the the Baron Hambro Jany 1874

“Search the Scriptures” “More Precious than Gold”

Jesse Chaffey Son William & Jane Chaffey died of wound april 10th 1918 In Battle

Miss Rolls teacher Hilton School died April 21st 1918

Please contact us if you would like images of the writing or the Bible itself.

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New additions to our Library

Posted on October 24, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Thanks to one of our members, Alistair Bond, we now have an additional 20 books. These are on all topics Dorset, and a starting point for research.

They will be available for members to borrow and are listed on the Members Section of this website.

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Vestry Minute Book

Posted on October 5, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

One of our amazing transcribers, Shirley Chick, has just completed the Milton Abbas Vestry Minute Book 1863 – 1924. The original book is in our possession.

The resulting 65 page document is now available for our members to research. The book is name rich, and contains over 50 occurrences each of the names TETT, HAMBRO, FOOKES, SPILLER, GEORGE, COX, ROBERTS, PLAYER, LOVELL and incidences of many other names then living in Milton Abbas.

Here is part of the first page 1863

The Hambro Arms is still our village pub, although I don’t believe it holds Vestry Meetings anymore!

If you want to know more about this document, please contact us.

We have thousands, yes thousands, of other documents concerning the history of Milton Abbas. Many have already been transcribed but there are still plenty to do. If you would like to help then contact us. We have high resolution images of our documents which can be shared online.

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Meetings

Posted on September 27, 2021 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Our new season of meetings starts on Wednesday 6 Oct in the Reading Rooms, Milton Abbas. For our more distant members, we will also be using ZOOM.

We have had several trial runs and spent many hours researching how best to run a ‘hybrid’ meeting. We are in the process of buying more equipment such as speakers, webcam and microphone, with the additional cost of a ZOOM subscription. Hopefully it will all work on the night!

However, all this takes time to set up and relies on one or two members to sort it all out. Our meetings WILL START AT 19:30 GMT+1. We also need some members to arrive early and set out the chairs and tables and put them away at the end of the meeting.

We ask all our members to please bear with us. We will be audio recording and video recording and the reports and presentations will be available later on the Member’s Section of our website.

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