Part 1

Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

Italics are represented thus _italic_, bold thus =bold= and superscripts thus y^{en}.

The repetition of the title immediately before the title page has been removed.

The footnotes are at the end of the book.

MEMORIALS OF THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND

General Editor: REV. P. H. DITCHFIELD, M.A., F.S.A.

MEMORIALS OF OLD DORSET

EDITED BY

THOMAS PERKINS, M.A.

LATE RECTOR OF TURNWORTH, DORSET

AUTHOR OF

“_Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory_” “_Bath and Malmesbury Abbeys_” “_Romsey Abbey_” _&c._

AND

HERBERT PENTIN, M.A.

VICAR OF MILTON ABBEY, DORSET

VICE-PRESIDENT, HON. SECRETARY, AND EDITOR OF THE DORSET NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN FIELD CLUB

WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON BEMROSE & SONS LIMITED, 4 SNOW HILL, E.C. AND DERBY 1907

[_All Rights Reserved_]

TO

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD EUSTACE CECIL, F.R.G.S.

PAST PRESIDENT OF THE DORSET NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN FIELD CLUB THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY HIS LORDSHIP’S KIND PERMISSION

PREFACE

The editing of this Dorset volume was originally undertaken by the Rev. Thomas Perkins, the scholarly Rector of Turnworth. But he, having formulated its plan and written four papers therefor, besides gathering material for most of the other chapters, was laid aside by a very painful illness, which culminated in his unexpected death. This is a great loss to his many friends, to the present volume, and to the county of Dorset as a whole; for Mr. Perkins knew the county as few men know it, his literary ability was of no mean order, and his kindness to all with whom he was brought in contact was proverbial.

After the death of Mr. Perkins, the editing of the work was entrusted to the Rev. Herbert Pentin, Vicar of Milton Abbey, whose knowledge of the county and literary experience as Editor of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club enabled him to gather up the threads where his friend Mr. Perkins had been compelled to lay them down, and to complete the work and see it safely through the press. As General Editor of the series, I desire to express my most grateful thanks to him for his kind and gracious services in perfecting a work which had unfortunately been left incomplete; and all lovers of Old Dorset and readers of this book will greatly appreciate his good offices.

Few counties can rival Dorset either in natural beauty or historic interest, and it deserves an honoured place among the memorials of the counties of England. In preparing the work the Editors have endeavoured to make the volume comprehensive, although it is of course impossible in a single volume to exhaust all the rich store of historical treasures which the county affords. After a general sketch of the history of Dorset by the late Editor, the traces of the earliest races which inhabited this county are discussed by Mr. Prideaux, who tells of the ancient barrows in Dorset, and the details of the Roman occupation are shown by Captain Acland. Dorset is rich in churches, and no one was more capable to describe their chief features than Mr. Perkins. His chapter is followed by others of more detail, dealing with the three great minsters still standing—Sherborne, Milton, and Wimborne, the monastic house at Ford, and the memorial brasses of Dorset. A series of chapters on some of the chief towns and “islands” of the county follows, supplemented by a description of two well-known manor-houses. The literary associations of the county and some of its witchcraft-superstitions form the subjects of the concluding chapters. The names of the able writers who have kindly contributed to this volume will commend themselves to our readers. The Lord Bishop of Durham, the Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot, Mr. Sidney Heath, Mr. Wildman, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Gill, Mrs. King Warry, and our other contributors, are among the chief authorities upon the subjects of which they treat, and our thanks are due to them for their services; and also to Mr. William Pye for the beautiful coloured frontispiece, to Mr. Heath for his charming drawings, and to those who have supplied photographs for reproduction. We hope that this volume will find a welcome in the library of every Dorset book-lover, and meet with the approbation of all who revere the traditions and historical associations of the county.

P. H. DITCHFIELD, _General Editor_.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Historic Dorset By the Rev. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. 1

The Barrows of Dorset By C. S. PRIDEAUX 19

The Roman Occupation of Dorset By Captain J. E. ACLAND 28

The Churches of Dorset By the Rev. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. 44

The Memorial Brasses of Dorset By W. DE C. PRIDEAUX 62

Sherborne By W. B. WILDMAN, M.A. 75

Milton Abbey By the Rev. HERBERT PENTIN, M.A. 94

Wimborne Minster By the Rev. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. 117

Ford Abbey By SIDNEY HEATH 131

Dorchester By the LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM, D.D. 145

Weymouth By SIDNEY HEATH 157

The Isle of Portland By Mrs. KING WARRY 177

The Isle of Purbeck By A. D. MOULLIN 187

Corfe Castle By ALBERT BANKES 200

Poole By W. K. GILL 222

Bridport By the Rev. R. GROSVENOR BARTELOT, M.A. 232

Shaftesbury By the Rev. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. 240

Piddletown and Athelhampton By Miss WOOD HOMER 257

Wolfeton House By ALBERT BANKES 264

The Literary Associations of Dorset By Miss M. JOURDAIN 273

Some Dorset Superstitions By HERMANN LEA 292

Index 307

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS

Ringstead and Holworth _Frontispiece_ (_From a water-colour sketch by Mr. William Pye_)

PAGE, OR FACING PAGE

Bronze Age Objects from Dorset Round Barrows 20 (_From photographs by Mr. W. Pouncy_)

Part of the Olga Road Tessellated Pavement, Dorchester 38 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

Tessellated Pavement at Fifehead Neville 41

St. Martin’s Church, Wareham 48 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

The Chapel on St. Ealdhelm’s Head 50 (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

Brass to William Grey, Rector of Evershot 70 (_From a rubbing by Mr. W. de C. Prideaux_)

Sherborne Abbey (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 76

The Entrance to Sherborne School 86 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

Milton Abbey (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_) 94

The Paintings in Milton Abbey 95

Milton Abbey: Interior (_From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham_) 96

The Tabernacle in Milton Abbey ” ” ” 97

Abbot Middleton’s Rebus 101

St. Catherine’s Chapel, Milton Abbey 104 (_From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham_)

Holworth Burning Cliff in 1827 106 (_From a coloured print by Mr. E. Vivian_)

Liscombe Chapel (_From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham_) 107

Milton Abbey in the year 1733 110 (_From an engraving by Messrs. S. and N. Buck_)

The Seal of the Town of Milton in America 116

Wimborne Minster (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 118

The Chained Library, Wimborne Minster 128 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

Ford Abbey (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_) 132

Details from Cloisters, Ford Abbey 134 (_From drawings by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

The Chapel, Ford Abbey 136 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

Panel from Cloisters, Ford Abbey 136 (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

The Seal of Ford Abbey (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 140

High Street, Dorchester 146 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

Judge Jeffreys’ Lodgings, Dorchester 149 (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

Cornhill, Dorchester (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 153

“Napper’s Mite,” Dorchester ” ” ” 155

The Quay, Weymouth ” ” ” 158

Chest in the Guildhall, Weymouth ” ” ” 164

Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth ” ” ” 166

Doorway, Sandsfoot Castle ” ” ” 167

Some Weymouth Tokens ” ” ” 169

The Arms of Weymouth ” ” ” 170

Old House on North Quay, Weymouth 171 (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

An Old Chair in the Guildhall, Weymouth 172 (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_)

The Old Stocks, Weymouth (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 176

Portland Cottages ” ” ” 185

“Kimmeridge Coal Money” 192 (_From a photograph by Mr. A. D. Moullin_)

Corfe Castle (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_) 200

The Town Cellars, Poole ” ” ” 222

Shaftesbury ” ” ” 240

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury ” ” ” 248

Piddletown Church ” ” ” 258

Athelhampton Hall ” ” ” 262

Wolfeton House ” ” ” 264

The East Drawing Room, Wolfeton House 268 (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_)

William Barnes (_From a photograph by Messrs. Dickinsons_) 280

Thomas Hardy (_From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins_) 284

Came Rectory (_From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath_) 291

HISTORIC DORSET

BY THE REV. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A.

The physical features due to the geological formation of the district now called Dorset have had such an influence on the inhabitants and their history that it seems necessary to point out briefly what series of stratified rocks may be seen in Dorset, and the lines of their outcrop.

There are no igneous rocks, nor any of those classed as primary, but, beginning with the Rhætic beds, we find every division of the secondary formations, with the possible exception of the Lower Greensand, represented, and in the south-eastern part of the district several of the tertiary beds may be met with on the surface.

The dip of the strata is generally towards the east; hence the earlier formations are found in the west. Nowhere else in England could a traveller in a journey of a little under fifty miles—which is about the distance from Lyme to the eastern boundary of Dorset—cross the outcrop of so many strata. A glance at a geological map of England will show that the Lias, starting from Lyme Regis, sweeps along a curve slightly concave towards the west, almost due north, until it reaches the sea again at Redcar, while the southern boundary of the chalk starting within about ten miles of Lyme runs out eastward to Beechy Head. Hence it is seen that the outcrops of the various strata are wider the further away they are from Lyme Regis.

Dorset has given names to three well-known formations and to one less well known: (1) The Portland beds, first quarried for building stone about 1660; (2) the Purbeck beds, which supplied the Early English church builders with marble for their ornamental shafts; (3) Kimmeridge clay; and (4) the Punfield beds.

The great variety of the formation coming to the surface in the area under consideration has given a striking variety to the character of the landscape: the chalk downs of the North and centre, with their rounded outlines; the abrupt escarpments of the greensand in the neighbourhood of Shaftesbury; the rich grazing land of Blackmore Vale on the Oxford clay; and the great Heath (Mr. Hardy’s Egdon) stretching from near Dorchester out to the east across Woolwich, Reading, and Bagshot beds, with their layers of gravel, sand, and clay. The chalk heights are destitute of water; the streams and rivers are those of the level valleys and plains of Oolitic clays—hence they are slow and shallow, and are not navigable, even by small craft, far from their mouths.

The only sides from which in early days invaders were likely to come were the south and east; and both of these boundaries were well protected by natural defences, the former by its wall of cliffs and the deadly line of the Chesil beach. The only opening in the wall was Poole Harbour, a land-locked bay, across which small craft might indeed be rowed, but whose shores were no doubt a swamp entangled by vegetation. Swanage Bay and Lulworth Cove could have been easily defended. Weymouth Bay was the most vulnerable point. Dense forests protected the eastern boundary. These natural defences had a marked effect, as we shall see, on the history of the people. Dorset for many centuries was an isolated district, and is so to a certain extent now, though great changes have taken place during the last fifty or sixty years, due to the two railways that carry passengers from the East to Weymouth and the one that brings them from the North to Poole and on to Bournemouth. This isolation has conduced to the survival not only of old modes of speech, but also of old customs, modes of thought, and superstitions.

It may be well, before speaking of this history, to state that the county with which this volume deals should always be spoken of as “Dorset,” never as “Dorsetshire”; for in no sense of the word is Dorset a shire, as will be explained further on.

We find within the boundaries of the district very few traces of Palæolithic man: the earliest inhabitants, who have left well-marked memorials of themselves, were Iberians, a non-Aryan race, still represented by the Basques of the Pyrenees and by certain inhabitants of Wales. They were short of stature, swarthy of skin, dark of hair, long-skulled. Their characteristic weapon or implement was a stone axe, ground, not chipped, to a sharp edge; they buried their dead in a crouching attitude in the long barrows which are still to be seen in certain parts of Dorset, chiefly to the north-east of the Stour Valley. When and how they came into Britain we cannot tell for certain; it was undoubtedly after the glacial epoch, and probably at a time when the Straits of Dover had not come into being and the Thames was still a tributary of the Rhine. They were in what is known as the Neolithic stage of civilisation; but in course of time, after this country had become an island, invaders broke in upon them, Aryans of the Celtic race, probably (as Professor Rhys thinks, though he says he is not certain on this point) of the Goidelic branch. These men were tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed, round-skulled, and were in a more advanced stage of civilisation than the Iberians, using bronze weapons, and burying their dead, sometimes after cremation, in the round barrows that exist in such large numbers on the Dorset downs. Their better arms and greater strength told in the warfare that ensued: whether the earlier inhabitants were altogether destroyed, or expelled or lived on in diminished numbers in a state of slavery, we have no means of ascertaining. But certain it is that the Celts became masters of the land. These men were some of those who are called in school history books “Ancient Britons”; the Wessex folk in after days called them “Welsh”—that is, “foreigners”—the word that in their language answered to βάρβαροι and “barbari” of the Greeks and Romans. What they called themselves we do not know. Ptolemy speaks of them as “Durotriges,” the name by which they were known to the Romans. Despite various conjectures, the etymology of this word is uncertain. The land which they inhabited was, as already pointed out, much isolated. The lofty cliffs from the entrance to Poole Harbour to Portland formed a natural defence; beyond this, the long line of the Chesil beach, and further west, more cliffs right on to the mouth of the Axe. Most of the lowlands of the interior were occupied by impenetrable forests, and the slow-running rivers, which even now in rainy seasons overflow their banks, and must then, when the rainfall was much heavier than now, have spread out into swamps, rendered unnavigable by their thick tangle of vegetation. The inhabitants dwelt on the sloping sides of the downs, getting the water they needed from the valleys, and retiring for safety to the almost innumerable encampments that crowned the crests of the hills, many of which remain easily to be distinguished to this day. Nowhere else in England in an equal area can so many Celtic earthworks be found as in Dorset. The Romans came in due course, landing we know not where, and established themselves in certain towns not far from the coasts.