Directories
Transcribed by Annette Rose
KELLYS DIRECTORY FOR DORSETSHIRE 1920
TURNWORTH is a parish, 3 miles south from Shillingstone station on the Midland and South Western Joint railway, and 6 miles west from Blandford, in the Northern division of the county, Blandford petty sessional division, union and country court district, forming, with the parishes of Belchalwell and Shillingstone, a detached portion of that part of the hundred of Cranborne which is in the West Shaston petty sessional division, being locally in the hundred of Pimperne, rural deanery of Milton, archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a small edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave of three bays, north aisle, and a western tower containing 3 bells; it was originally built in the 13 th century, and with the exception of the tower was rebuilt in 1869, in memory William Parry-Okeden esq.: there are two stained windows, and some memorial tablets to the Okeden and Twinyhoe families: the church affords 140 sittings. The register dates from the year 1573, and there is a list of vicars and rectors from the 14 th century to this date. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £119, with residence and 22 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury, and held since 1907 by the Rev. George Field Matthews M.A. o Worcester College, Oxford, who is also rector of and resides at Winterborne Stickland. Turnworth House, the seat of Lieut.-Col. Uvedale Edward P. Parry-Okeden J.P. lord of the manor and sole landowner, is a handsome and commodious Jacobean mansion, pleasantly situated in a valley and surrounded by scenery of a most picturesque description. The soil is light, subsoil, chalk. The crops are wheat, barley and oats, and there is excellent pasture land in the neighbourhood. The area is 1,170 acres; rateable value £734; the population in 1911 was 128 in the civil and 136 in the ecclesiastical parish.
THORNICOMBE, a hamlet, 6 miles south-west, was by Local Government Board Order transferred in 1887 to Blandford St. Mary from this parish for civil purposes.
Parish Clerk, William Wills
Post & T. Office.-Mrs. Louisa Bolt, sub-postmistress. Letters through Blandford. Okeford Fitzpaine, 2 miles distant, is the nearest money order office.
Forbes Donald, The Rectory
Parry-Okeden, Lt.-Col. Uvedale Edwd. Parry J.P. Turnworth house
Tory Mrs. J.E.
COMMERCIAL
Bolt Louisa (Mrs.), shopkpr. Post off
Skinner Donald Thomas, gardener to Lt.-Col U.E.P. Parry-Okeden J.P.
Tory James George, farmer
Wareham Sidney, carpenter
West John, farmer, Home farm
KELLYS DIRECTORY FOR DORSETSHIRE 1939
Turnworth is a parish, 3 miles south from Shillingstone station on the London, Midland and Scottish and Southern joint line, and 6 miles west from Blandford, in the northern division of the county, Blandford petty sessional division, rural district and county court district, forming, with the parishes of Belchalwell and Shillingstone, a detached portion of that part of the hundred of Cranborne which is in the West Shaston petty sessional division, being locally in the hundred of Pimperne, rural deanery of Milton, archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a small edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave of three bays, north aisle, and a western tower containing 3 bells: it was originally built in the 13 th century, and with the exception of the tower was rebuilt in 1869, in memory of William Parry-Okeden esq.: there are two stained windows, and some memorial tables to the Okeden and Twinyhoe families: the church affords 140 sittings. The register dates from the year 1573, and there is a list of vicars and rectors from the 14 th century to this date. The living is a rectory annexed to that of Winterborne Stickland, joint net yearly value £474, with residence and glebe, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury, and held since 1930 by the Rev. David George Littlejohns B.A. of St David’s College, Lampeter, who resides at Winterborne Stickland. Turnworth House, the seat of Capt. Arthur Rodd, who is lord of the manor, is a handsome and commodious Jacobean mansion, pleasantly situated in a valley and surrounded by scenery of a most picturesque description. Mr. Leonard Tory is the principal landowner, The soil is light; subsoil, chalk. The crops are wheat, barley and oats, and there is excellent pasture land in the neighbourhood, the area is 1,176 acres; the population in 1931 was 100.
THORNICOMBE, a hamlet, 6 miles south-west, was by Local Government Board Order, transferred in 1887 to Blandford St, Mary from this parish for civil purposes.
Post & T. Office. Letters through Blandford. Okeford Fitzpaine nearest M.O. office.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
(For T N’s see general list of Private Residents at end of book.)
Forbes, Donald Gordon J.P. The Rectory
Rodd Capt, Arthur, Turnworth house
COMMERCIAL
Marked thus * farm 150 acres or over.
Bolt Wm. Chas. shopkpr, Post office, TN1
*Tory Leonard, farmer. Blandford 167