A History of Colliton House and Colliton Park
Dorchester
© Written by Richard Smith - 19th Dec 2024 
© Picture:- by Richard Smith - Dec 2024
Colliton Park is well known in Dorchester now as the home of Dorset Council, and of the Roman Town House uncovered during archeological excavations in the grounds in the 1930’s. The earliest mention that I have found of the Park is in the Dorset OPC website for Dorchester where Mike Russell has compiled an extensive family history of the Churchill family from John CHURCHILL ( 1512 - 1557 ) through to William Churchill ( 1803 - 1886 ). In that he says John CHURCHILL above built the first house at Colleton having, in 1549, acquired some of the land of the dissolved medieval hospital of St. John the Baptist which dated back to at least 1324. However, an article held by the Dorset History Centre ref: RON/2/2/Dorchester/Build/1 in the Gentleman’s Magazine of February 1800 suggests the Churchills acquired the Colliton Estate from the local MOHUN family when Mary CHURCHILL, daughter of John and sister of William, married Maximillian Mohun. No date is suggested and I have been unable to verify this, or their source. Then the website for the Colliton Club describes the history of Colliton House which it now occupies, and refers to the Churchill family grazing cattle in Colliton Park in the 16th century. In David Underdown’s book “ Fire from Heaven “ on Page 13 he refers to a “ Churchill of Colliton “ in 1598. It is thought that this is likely to relate to John CHURCHILL ( c. 1568 - 1621 ), grandson of John CHURCHILL above, a clothier ( draper ) of Stinsford near Dorchester. Mike Russell further records that in 1639 William CHURCHILL ( 1598 - 1680 ) built Colliton House on it’s present site ( although altered later ) in the same year that he was High Sheriff of Dorset. Another William CHURCHILL was born at Colliton on 3rd January 1693/94 and later he had an interest in brewing. He built a brewhouse on Colliton Row, on the south side of Colliton House, which was let out on a 99 year lease from 17th April 1731. The brewhouse was demolished in 1947. The map of West Fordington Barracks, Dorchester from 1886 shows the entrance to Colliton Park part way down The Grove on the right, and the extent of Colliton Park, stretching down The Grove to Northernhay and Glyde Path Road ( or Hill ). As noted in the family history on the Dorset OPC website, members of the Churchill family occupied Colliton House into the 19th century. In 1841, it was Rev’d William Rush CHURCHILL ( 1775 - 1847 ) who on 21st July 1806 had been appointed Vicar of the church at Winterborne St Martin ( Martinstown ), then on 23rd August 1813 as Rector of Winterborne Anderson. He was living at Colliton House in 1841 with his wife Martha, and his unmarried sisters Elizabeth, Frances C., Louisa, and Emma along with seven servants. William died in January 1847 and was buried at Piddlehinton, so that in 1851 Colliton House was home to his widow Martha, along with spinster daughters Eliza 52, Frances 50, Georgina 45, and Emma 41 along with eight servants. 
© Picture:- by the late Brian Adlam's "The Book of Dorchester"
described as having 21 principal rooms. Frances and Emma continued to live together at Colliton House until first Frances died in 1886, and then Emma died in December 1889. They were the last of the CHURCHILLS to live at Colliton House, as in 1891 it was occupied by Denzil HUGHES ONSLOW and family. Denzil had been born in Ayrshire, Scotland in December 1863 and on the 22nd October 1884 he had joined the Dorsetshire Regiment. He married Marion OLIVER at Carrington, Cheshire on 18th April 1888 whilst a Lieutenant in the 39th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. In the 1891 census, they were at Colliton House with their daughter Hilda aged 1 and six servants. Sadly Hilda died in November 1893, by which time their son Oliver had been born at Colliton House on 10th March 1893. A second son Reginald was born at Dorchester on 8th August 1895. At the time of the 1901 census, Denzil and Marion were visiting Ireland with sons Oliver and Reginald. Oliver joined the Irish Guards before World War One, served as a Lieutenant, and ended the War as a Captain. In 1930 he was living in Folkestone, Kent and died at Ayrshire, Scotland on 26th February 1972. Reginald joined the Royal Navy on 15th May 1908 and in 1911 was at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth aged 15. He served on the battleship HMS Collosus from January 1913 and was on HMS Neptune as a Sub Lieutenant in 1915 at the Battle of Jutland. Promoted to Lieutenant by the end of World War One, he was a Commander on the Naval Emergency list in World War Two and died at Ayrshire, Scotland on 6th October 1947. Another son Nigel HUGHES ONSLOW was born at Dorchester on 21st April 1902, and he was living with his parents at Colliton House in 1911 along with eight servants. Educated at Eton College, he joined the Scots Guards reaching the rank of Captain H.M. Army. On 7th August 1926 he married Marjorie Helen Ruth HATCH ( born 1902 ), but they divorced in 1929. In Jan - Much 1930 he married an American lady Gladys Muriel BELCHER at Chelsea, and in 1935, travelling to Maderia with Gladys, he is listed as “Gentleman“ when they were living at Letchworth Heath, near Watford Hertfordshire. It appears they separated as, in April -June 1941 he married Barbara Birdie CHARLTON at Marylebone, London. He died at Steyning, Sussex on 20th October 1974. With the agreement of Major HUGHES ONSLOW, in the winter of 1914, Colliton House was opened as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital, starting with eighteen beds. By May 1917 there were sometimes more than 200 hundred beds, with 14 marquees that stretched across Colliton Park. This was one of the largest temporary hospitals in Dorset. It was said to be a well-equipped hospital with a staff of 40. The hospital continued to operate until May 1919, and it is thought some 2,000 patients were treated there. The hospital Commandant was Miss Winifrede MARSDEN who had arrived in Dorchester from Lancashire in 1901 when her father Rev’d Maurice H. MARSDEN ( 1844 - 1920 ) was appointed Rector of Moreton church, where he served until 1918. In the 1911 census they were living at Moreton Rectory with Winifrede’s mother Frances Maria MARSDEN ( 1847 - 1937 ). Winifrede aged 29 was listed just as a spinster, but in 1912 she started the VAD detachment in Dorchester which no doubt then led to her being appointed Commandant at the hospital in 1914. In the 1918 New Years Honours list, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire ( O.B.E. ) for her work at the hospital. Meanwhile, Major Denzil HUGHES ONSLOW had been serving with the 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment and was killed aged 52 on 10th July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme in France. In the census of 1921, Colliton House was still occupied by Winifrede and her widowed mother Frances, Rev’d MARSDEN having died at Colliton House on 4th September 1920, leaving an estate worth £50,500. Trade directories in 1927 and 1931 confirm that Frances and Winifrede were still living at Colliton House, whilst in 1927 Winifrede was elected to Dorchester Town Council representing East Ward, which she served for many years. By 1935 they had left Colliton House ( probably by 1933 - see below ) and moved to No. 25 Icen Way, Dorchester. Winifrede’s work for the town was rewarded in 1936 when she was elected as Dorchester’s first ever woman Mayor, serving just for the one year. Frances died in January 1937 being buried at Moreton, and Winifrede died in 1951. Jo Draper in her book “ Dorchester Past “ says that Dorset County Council ( DCC ) bought the Park and Colliton House during the 1920’s, but see below. The website for Cambridge University Alumni says that the Colliton Estate was sold by William CHURCHILL ( 1840 - 1907 ), but his Will dated 9th January 1904 gave Colliton House and grounds to his brother Lt. Col. Seton CHURCHILL for his life time, and then to Seton’s son Gordon Seton CHURCHILL. However, information provided by the History Centre says there is a conveyance of Colliton House, along with two cottages, from William CHURCHILL to Denzil HUGHES ONSLOW. This is dated 9th October 1907, just days before William died on 20th October. After Denzil HUGHES ONSLOW died serving in France in 1916, and whilst Colliton House was used as a VAD hospital, it would appear that his widow Marion was not living there. She is listed in a supplement to the London Gazette dated 20th March 1920 as being awarded a C.B.E. as Donor and Commandant of Laggan House Auxiliary Hospital, Ballantrae in Ayrshire, Scotland. In the census of 1921, Marion was living in Brighton, Sussex and she died at Edinburgh, Scotland on 23rd March 1933, and the Probate of her estate was granted on 20th June 1933 to Major Cruaford Tait Ellison ( H.M. Army ) and Robert Welch ( Solicitor ). The History Centre also confirm there is another conveyance from the Personal Representatives of Marion HUGHES ONSLOW deceased dated 12th July 1933 to Dorset County Council of “ that Mansion House, land and cottages known as Colliton Park.” During the 1930’s an archaeological dig took place on land in the Park to the north west of Colliton House which uncovered an extensive Roman town house and remains. More information is available on the Dorset Museum website under Roman Town House. The site is open and free for the public to visit, with information boards at the rear of the County Hall building, and has a covered building to protect the most important parts. 
© Picture:- Richard Smith - Dec 2024" I do not know if DCC used Colliton House as offices during World War Two. The History Centre have a letter ref: D-BKL/E/H/1/6/3372 on official note paper from Dorset County Garden Produce Committee to the Kingston Lacy Estate dated 6th December 1946, written from Colliton House by retired Major John Paul WRATISLAW ( 1879 - 1963 ). It is not clear if Major WRATISLAW was living at Colliton House - in the pre war 1939 census he was living in Church Street with his wife Nancy. On 26th September 1938 the 9th Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley COOPER KP., GCVO., CBE., PC Lord Lieutenant of Dorset laid the foundation stone for the new County Hall building for Dorset County Council. It seems the original plan was for the building to be built of stone, but World War Two put a stop to construction. By the end of the War, things had changed and it was decided stone was too expensive, so brick was used. County Hill was finally opened on 27th May 1955, and officially dedicated by the Bishop of Sherborne Maurice KAY on 11th May 1956. As I said earlier, Colliton House is now occupied by the Colliton Club, a private members club Richard Smith - orchidgrower@btinternet.com 19. 12. 2024 |