Dorchester & Fordington

Dorchester, a borough and market-town in the Dorchester division of the hundred of Ugglescombe, comprising the parishes of St. Peter's, Holy Trinity, and All Saints, 15 miles from Blandford, and 110 from London,, contained in 1831, 3,038 inhabitants, and was assessed to £8,044 in 1815. It is built on the river Frome, six miles from its mouth, and commands a pleasant view of open downs on the south and west. The streets lie in the direction of the four points of the compass, are built of stone, well paved, and lighted with gas. It has no manufactures of any consequence; but brews large quantities of excellent beer, which is in much request in different parts of the kingdom. The markets are held on Saturday and Wednesday; the fairs on February 14th, July 6th, and October 26th, and are chiefly for the sale of cattle and wool. It received its first charter of incorporation in the reign of Edward II. By' its present constitution, the borough is governed by a Mayor, four Aldermen, and twelve Counselors, under the style of Mayor, Bailiffs , Aldermen, and Burgesses. It sends two members to Parliament. The present members are Robert Williams, Jun.- Esq., Hon. Henry Ashley. Electors consist of the old constituency of registered freemen and the £10 householders, which number 1743. The ancient limits of the borough are altered. The mayor is the returning officer. This is the county town. The assizes are held here, and the quarter sessions of the county in the county-hall. The market house, and town-hall over it, were erected in 1791, at the expense of the corporation. The county hall, a plain and convenient building, has a Portland stone front. The new gaol was built in the year 1792, on the benevolent Mr. Howard's plan. It occupies the site of an ancient castle; it cost-£16,179, is capable of holding 88 prisoners, and contains a penitentiary,' a house of correction, with a tread-mill. The mayor, the ex-mayor, and recorder; are justices of the peace. They hold quarterly borough sessions and a borough court every three weeks, for the recovery of debts not exceeding 40s.

The living-of All Saints is a rectory in the patronage of the mayor and corporation, value K. B. £4 .4s. 7d and £86. in 1835. The church is capable of accommodating 500 persons. The living of Holy Trinity is a rectory in the patronage of the feoffees of the free-school and almshouses of the borough, value, K. B. £17 8s. 6½ d and £454. in 1835. The church accommodates 800 persons. The living of St. Peter's is a rectory, in the gift of the 'crown, value in 1835, £184. The church is a handsome and spacious edifice, having a tower ornamented with pinnacles and battlements. It contains many ancient statues and tombs. The church of the Holy Trinity was rebuilt on its former site in 1821. The other churches present nothing worthy of more particular notice. There are chapels here for the Wesleyans, Independents, Baptists, and Unitarians. There is a free-school, founded in 1569, by Mr. Hardy, and another in 1623 by the corporation. There are also three almshouses, one for ten men, founded by Sir Gerrard Napier; one for nine women by Chubb; and one for four men and their wives by ' Whetstone; and other charitable institutions for the benefit of the poor.

This is a place of remote antiquity and numerous historic recollections. Its original name was Durnovaria, or 'the passage of the Varian now the Frome. The Romans had a strongly fortified station here, which was superior in importance to any other in the south-western part of the island. In the vicinity, their amphitheatre is very perfect. Castles were successively built and destroyed on this' site, during the fierce wars that ensued, of which no remains are now to be found. Several Roman, Catholic priests were executed here in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; it was also one of the towns in which the sanguinary Jeffreys tried the followers of the Duke of Monmouth, in his ill-fated insurrection, and where in two days he condemned 250 to the scaffold.

The general appearance of the surrounding country is highly agreeable and beautiful. The downs to the south-west afford excellent pasturage over a surface spreading more than six miles in every direction, to numerous flocks of sheep that produce mutton of an unusually rich and much-esteemed flavour. A fine promenade encircles nearly the whole town, and is pleasantly sheltered by rows of trees. Roman coins and other antiquities are often found here when any excavations are made.

NOBILITY, GENTRY of Dorchester & Neighbourhood

CORPORATION

ALDERMEN

COMMON COUNCIL

NAME, RESIDENCE & PROFESSION

Letter sent to Joseph Stone Esq. Solicitor of Dorchester dated 25th July 1833
from George Martin of Stapleton Road, Bristol, concerning the estate of Miss Bullock who died in Paris - purchased on e-bay 2012.
The Solicitors Stone and Symonds was a partnership between Joseph Stone and Giles Symonds (1813-1892) ]

CLASSIFICATION OF TRADES

Bishop J. High West st
Bollen Wm. South st
Devenish M. Wm. & Jas. Back West st
Eldridge Charles, Durngate st
Garland Wm. and Son, High West st
Garland William, North st
Hayne John, Fordington [Note:- John Hayne (1799-1868)]
Hodges and Son, High East st

Letters received from London and the North ½ p. 6 morn; despatched 7 even.
Letters received from West of England ½ p. 6 even; despatched 7 even. Dorchester

Letters received 10 morn.; despatched 3 aftn. by way of Dorchester.

Bridge, from Phoenix inn, Mon , Wed and Fri.; returns Tues., Thurs. and Sat.

Lodge, from Phoenix inn, leaves Tues., Thurs. & Sat,; returns Mon., Wed. & Fri.

Chaffey, from Royal Oak inn leaves Mon. and Thurs., returns Tues. and Fri.

Buckler, from Phoenix inn, leaves Wed. and Fri. mom.; returns Tues. and Thurs. even.

Holland, from Royal Oak inn, leaves Mon. and Fri.; returns Thurs. and Sat.

Whitmarsh, from Royal Oak inn, leaves every Thurs.; returns Fri.

Poynter Rd., High st, leaves Wed. and Sat. returns Tues and Sat

Russell and Co., Waggon office, High st leaves Tees, and Thurs. mom. and Sat even.; returns Mon., Wed. and Sat, morn., on their route to Exeter and Falmouth

Ford, from Phoenix inn, leaves Sat. aftn. 2 ; returns Sat. morn. 7

Thomas, from Phoenix inn, leaves Tues morn.; returns Thurs. noon

Banulch, from Royal Oak inn, leaves Wed.; returns Thurs.

Buckler, from Phoenix inn, leaves Wed. and Fri.; returns Tues. and Thurs.

Newport, from Royal Oak inn, leaves every Tues,; returns every Wed.

Russell and Co., from Waggon office, High st, leaves Mon., Wed. and Sat. morn.; returns Mon., Wed. and Sat, even.

COACHES TO:.


Post Card showing the Kings Arms Hotel in 1914

Duke of Wellington, from King's Anns hotel, Tues., Thurs. & Sat. morn. ½ p. 9; returns Mon., Wed. & Fri. even. 5, on its way to Weymouth

John Bull, from Antelope hotel, leaves Mon., Wed. & Fri, morn. ½ bef. 9; returns Tues., Thurs. & Sat. even. 8.

Red Rover, from King's Arms hotel, Tues., Thurs. & Sat. morn. ½ p. 8; returns Mon., Wed. and Fri. ,even. ½ p. 5, on its way to Weymouth

Royal Dorset, from Antelope hotel, leaves Mon., Wed and Fri. ½ p. 8; returns Tues., Thurs. and Sat. even.

Alert, from Antelope hotel, leaves Mon., Wed. and Fri. morn. 8; returns Tues,Thars. and Sat. aftn. 4

Royal Mail, from King's Arms hotel, leaves every even. 7; returns morn. ½ p.6.

Herald, from King's Arms hotel, ¼ bef.11 morn. daily, Sun. excepted; returns even. ½ p. 5, on its way to Exeter

Magnet, from Antelope hotel, leaves every morn. ¼ bef. 9; returns every even. 7.

Magnet, from King's Arms hotel, leaves; ½ p. 9 morn. daily, Sun. excepted;. return even. 6, on its way to Weymouth ;

Emerald, from King's Arms hotel, ¼p. 8 daily, Sun. excepted; returns aft. 4.

Rover, from King's Arms hotel, every day, San. excepted, to and from ½ p.1 aft.

Victoria, from Antelope hotel, leaves Mon., Wed. and Fri. morn. ¼ p.bef. 11; returns Tues., Thurs. and Sat. even. 6.

Royal Mail, from King's Arms hotel, 10 min. bef. 7 morn. daily, Sun. excepted; returns ¼ p. 7 even.

The Antelope Hotel on the left closed in 1990's and is now
offices and the entrance to a shopping arcade (Negative Valentines H4370)