Category Archives: Damer

The Ruins at Milton Abbas – A date and an architect

Posted on July 17, 2026 by miltonabbashistorygroup

©Clive Barnes, July 2026 Tucked away on the edge of woodland to the west of Milton Abbey School, on the other side of the golf course, are what appears to be the ruins of an ancient church. Known, perhaps unimaginatively, … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer, landscape, local history, Milton Abbas | Leave a comment

“Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – song, Good Charlotte

Posted on December 2, 2024 by miltonabbashistorygroup

© Anne Litchfield Dec 2024 A peek into the life and lifestyle of Jacob Bancks 1704-1738 through his goods and assets as outlined in the inventory attached to probate documents in The National Archives. When he died in 1738 aged … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer, local history, Milton Abbas, Milton Abbey, Old Town of Milton Abbas, records | 1 Comment

Hilton Gold Bracelet

Posted on July 30, 2024 by miltonabbashistorygroup

©Bryan Phillips Jul 2024 GREAT NEWS! DORSET MUSEUM HAVE RAISED THE FUNDS TO PURCHASE THIS. photo © Somerset County Council 2.0 Generic. This late Bronze Age gold bracelet was found in Hilton. It has been declared treasure and has been … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, Damer, local, Metal Detecting | Leave a comment

Will of Edward Damer, 1703

Posted on July 22, 2024 by miltonabbashistorygroup

©Bryan Phillips Jul 2024 Wills and inventories are a marvellous source of information for local and family historians. Our super transcriber Shirley Chick has just completed the will of Edward Damer 1703. This gives a wealth of information on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer, document, family history, local history, Old Town of Milton Abbas, transcription | Leave a comment

Country Life

Posted on March 28, 2024 by miltonabbashistorygroup

© Bryan Phillips Mar 2024 The Country Life archive is now available on British Newspaper Archives and Find my Past. A search for Milton Abbas reveals over 400 records and Milton Abbey 350. The individual pages of the articles are … Continue reading →

Posted in Capability Brown, Damer, Hambro, local history, Tregonwell | Leave a comment

Lord Milton attends Blandford races 1786

Posted on November 30, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

The Blandford races had been held since 1603 at Race Down and attended by the worthies of Dorset. It is remarkable that there exists a list of those arriving in 1786 and Lord Milton with his ‘Coach and six Bays’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer, local history, records | Leave a comment

Moved villages – Holkham, Norfolk

Posted on November 20, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

Although the Right Honourable Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester, decided to move the village of Holkham to allow the building of his new stately home in the 1730s, it might have been an example of an earlier moved village, but … Continue reading →

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

William Woodward – surveyor and map maker

Posted on October 18, 2023 by miltonabbashistorygroup

The Milton Abbas Local History Group have used the survey and maps which William Woodward drew up for Lord Milton around 1779. The originals are in the Dorset History Centre D-919/5 and they have an interesting history in themselves, besides … Continue reading →

Posted in Damer, local history, Milton Abbas, Old Town of Milton Abbas | 1 Comment