Milton Abbas Grammar School 1521 – 1929

Posted on January 11, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This famous and early grammar school was founded by Abbot Walter Myddelton who endowed the school with land at Little Mayne Farm. There was sufficient income to make it a free school for local people. The trustees of the school were the nobility of Dorset.

One of our transcribers is working on the leases which the trustees made with tenants to farm Little Mayne. These show that the trustees were diligent and did not neglect their duties during the 18th century, despite the claims of the Lord of the Manor, Joseph Damer, Lord Milton, who was trying to move the school off his land.

In a lease of 1754 which has just been transcribed the trustees are well known Dorset names:

  • Sir Gerald Napier of More Crichel
  • Sir William Hanham of Deans Court
  • George Chafin of Chettle
  • John Bankes of Kingston Hall
  • Robert Browne of Frampton
  •  Richard Bingham of Melcombe Bingham
  • Charles Brune of Plumber
  • Edward Berkeley of Winfrith Newburgh
  • Thomas Gundrey of Dewlish

We have more leases to transcribe. If you interested in helping us please get in touch here.

Posted in Damer, grammar school, local history, Old Town of Milton Abbas, records, transcription | Leave a comment

Dorset in the First World War

Posted on January 9, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

One of our members has kindly donated this book, and it had been added to our library, click here to see a list of our books.

The information will be informing our World War I research group who are preparing the writing up of the involvement of Milton Abbas people in the war. They will be meeting 16 Jan 2023 to review progress towards publication.

Posted in Hambro, local history, Milton Abbas, WWI | Leave a comment

Christmas Tree Festival 2022

Posted on January 4, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Thanks to Ann Fookes who organised the tree and to Nicky Griffin for decorating it with images of the medieval tiles of St Catherine’s Chapel.

This is the contribution from the Milton Abbas Local History Group for this year.

There is more information on these important tiles here. And much more for members only here.

Posted in history, local history, Medieval history, St Catherine's Chapel | 1 Comment

The Milton Abbas Pendant

Posted on December 21, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This article is from the Dorset Museum, thanks to them for allowing us to publish it.

They are coordinating the fund raising effort to achieve the £10 000 required to get this unique and interesting object to the Dorset Museum for all to see, and they are well on the way to achieving this target, and there are only a few hundred pounds donations left to go.

This pendant is so important to the history of Milton Abbas because of the general lack of evidence of Anglo-Saxon occupation – we know they were here – there is a Benedictine abbey to prove it, but very little else. It is archaeologically important – if it came from an Anglo-Saxon grave that could result in excavation and maybe further information

We hope members of the Milton Abbas Local History Group and other local people can do some fund raising to achieve this.

Please contact us here if you can help with our fundraising efforts.

the-milton-abbas-pendantDownload
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Court Roll of a manor of Milton Abbey

Posted on November 20, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This is a snippet from a court roll for the manor of Sydling St Nicholas which was then held by Milton Abbey. This one is dated 11 Jul in the 8th year of the reign of Richard II which can be read in the top line.

We have a great deal of information about the manors and the tenants of Milton Abbey in the 14th century, but if we could translate some of these court rolls we would have a much fuller picture of what life was like for the tenants and servants of our Benedictine abbey.

Please get in touch if you would like to help us.

Posted in local history, Medieval history, Milton Abbey, social history, transcription | Leave a comment

Protected: AGM 5th Oct 2022, Chairman’s Report and Financial Statement

Posted on November 1, 2022 by debpat123

This content is password-protected. To view it, please enter the password below.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Protected: AGM 5th Oct 2022, Chairman’s Report and Financial Statement

Milton Abbas First School 1985 – 1991

Posted on October 16, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Former headmaster Ron Karley has written up the school diary. He has very kindly donated a copy of this 280 A4 page, lavishly colour illustrated tome to the Milton Abbas Local History Group. This has been added to our Records and will be located with our other archives in a secure location. Members of the public can buy copies at cost for £15 from Ron Karley. Use the contact form on this website for enquiries.

If only others would write up their diaries then historians now and in the future would be much better placed to understand past lives.

Thank you Ron!

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

BALH The British Association for Local History

Posted on October 6, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

The Milton Abbas Local History Group has been a member of BALH since January 2022. The link to their website together with the member’s discount code has been at the head of all 10 issues of the member Newsletter this year. Group membership runs out 1 Jan 2023. 

It is up to MALHG members to explore the BALH site and get the best out of it. Of particular use and importance for local history research are the publications ‘Local History News’ and ‘The Local Historian’. Previous issues can be searched and downloaded as searchable pdfs. New books are reviewed.

We also recommend the webinars, conferences and blogs. 

The great benefit to our history group is the indemnity insurance which is provided as part of the benefits of membership.

Posted in history, local history, social history | Leave a comment

Found in Milton Abbas

Posted on September 5, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

This stunning object was found by a metal detectorist somewhere in Milton Abbas. It is of unique design according the the British Museum.

The image is from the Portable Antiquities Scheme where you will find more information.

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, archaeology, Milton Abbas, Old Town of Milton Abbas | 1 Comment

The Reredos of Milton Abbey Church

Posted on August 22, 2022 by miltonabbashistorygroup

A dissertation by James Bowler at the University of St Andrews has recently come to our notice which is titled ‘The Life and Afterlife of an English Reredos: A Contextual, Restorative and Aesthetic Analysis of the Great Screen of Milton Abbey, Dorset’.

This shows just how important this reredos is in the history of English church architecture. It is on a par with Winchester, New College Oxford, Southwark, Ottery St Mary and Christchurch, and is one of the finest high walled reredoses in England. All are missing their original niche sculptures although some have been replaced. The date of construction is confirmed stylistically, as the inscription reads 1492, and the design follows that of New College Oxford. This was an expensive undertaking and was probably financed by the then abbot Walter of Middleton.

The author concludes that James Wyatt’s refurbishment was carried out sensitively, leaving the features of the original visible. It would have once looked spectacular with the niches filled with painted and gilded statues, the figures can be deduced from the size of the niches and comparison with other layouts.

We are very much hoping that the other Milton Abbey features such as the pyx shrine, Apostle panels and Abbot’s Hall screen would be subject of more research and recording.

Posted in history, Medieval history, Milton Abbey | Leave a comment