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. ThomasPerkins, 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. HerbertPentin, M.A. | [94] |
| Wimborne Minster | By the Rev. ThomasPerkins, 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. GrosvenorBartelot, M.A. | [232] |
| Shaftesbury | By the Rev. ThomasPerkins, M.A. | [240] |
| Piddletown and Athelhampton | By Miss Wood Homer | [257] |
| Wolfeton House | By Albert Bankes | [264] |
| The Literary Associations ofDorset | 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 | [76] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
| The Entrance to Sherborne School | [86] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| Milton Abbey | [94] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| The Paintings in Milton Abbey | [95] |
| Milton Abbey: Interior | [96] |
| (From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham) | |
| 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 | [107] |
| (From a photograph by Mr. S. Gillingham) | |
| 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 | [118] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
| The Chained Library, Wimborne Minster | [128] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| Ford Abbey | [132] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| 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 | [140] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
| 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 | [153] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
| “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 | [176] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
| Portland Cottages | [185] |
| ” ” ” | |
| “Kimmeridge Coal Money” | [192] |
| (From a photograph by Mr. A. D. Moullin) | |
| Corfe Castle | [200] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| 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 | [280] |
| (From a photograph by Messrs. Dickinsons) | |
| Thomas Hardy | [284] |
| (From a photograph by the Rev. T. Perkins) | |
| Came Rectory | [291] |
| (From a drawing by Mr. Sidney Heath) | |
HISTORIC DORSET
By the Rev. Thomas Perkins, M.A.
HE 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.