Directory Entries
1859 1885 1903 1923
Transcribed by Caryl Parsons
Holwell is a parish and village, in the Sherborne union, Brownshall hundred, Sturminster division, diocese of Salisbury, archdeaconry of Dorset, and deanery of Shaftesbury, 6 miles south-east of Sherborne, and east-south-east of Sturminster. The population, in 1851, was 462, and the area 2,356 acres. This parish was formerly a detached part of Somersetshire, but in October, 1844, it became part of Dorsetshire by the operation of the Act 7 and 8 Victoria, chapter 61. The living is a rectory, annual value £456, with residence, in the gift of Queen’s College, Oxford; the Rev. Henry H. WOOD, M.A., is incumbent. There is a church and a National school.
Higher and Lower Buckshaw form a hamlet, 1 mile south-west; Crouch Hill, 1 mile south; Wood Bridge, 2 miles north-east. Piccadilly, Nash, Penny’s, Jackson’s, Dolloper’s, Crouch Hill, and Northfields, are farms.
Private Residents
LITTLEHALES Bendle, esq., Westrow cot
SCELLAN Capt., Buckshaw
WOOD Rev. Henry H., M.A.
Commercial
ANTELL Thos., farmer, Higher Buckshaw
BARTER Benjamin, farmer, Nash farm
BARTER James, farmer, Penny’s farm
BARTER Robert, farmer, Hill street
BULLOCK Robert, beer retailer
COOMBS Isaac & John, farmers, Lower Buckshaw
COOMBS John Langhorn, farmer
CROCKER Sarah (Mrs), shopkeeper
DOWNTON Charles, shopkeeper
DRAKE James, farmer & landowner, Woodbridge farm
EDMUND Henry, shoemaker, Hill street
FLOWER John, farmer, Woodbridge Manor farm
FOOT Simon, farmer & carpenter, Moor lane
GILLINGHAM Charles, smith
GILLINGHAM Rhoda (Mrs), beer retailer
HAMMOND Thomas, butcher & farmer, Dolloper’s farm
HAYWARD Thomas, farmer
JEANS Stephen, farmer
MINCHINTON Wm., Red Lion, & farmer
MULLETT Thomas, farmer, Buckshaw
OLIVER John, farmer, Piccadilly farm
PARSONS Daniel, butcher & farmer
PARSONS Jas., farmer, Crouch Hill farm
PARSONS John, parish clerk
POOL John, cooper & farmer, Northfields
RIDOUT Lavinia (Miss), shopkeeper
ROGERS Charles, farmer
ROWE Thomas, farmer & brickmaker, Woodbridge
SHORT James Terry, farmer, Elm farm
TRIM William, farmer, Holwell house
WILLIAMS Sarah Ann (Miss), schoolmistress
Letters through Sherborne. The nearest money order offices are at Sherborne and Sturminster Newton.
Holwell is a parish and village, in the Northern division of the county, Sherborne petty sessional division, Brownshall hundred, Sherborne union, county court district of Yeovil, rural deanery of Shaftesbury second portion, archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury, 6 miles south-east from Sherborne, 11 south-east from Yeovil and 6 west-south-west from Sturminster Newton. This parish was formerly a detached part of Somersetshire, but in October, 1844, it became part of Dorsetshire by the operation of Act 7 & 8 Victoria, chapter 61. The church of St Lawrence was restored in 1885 at a cost of about £1,000, raised by subscriptions; it is a stone building, in the Perpendicular style, consisting of a chancel, nave, aisles and square tower. The register dates from 1653. The living is a rectory, yearly value tithe rent-charge £450, with 47 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Queen’s College, Oxford, and held since 1883 by the Rev. Henry Adeney REDPATH, M.A. of Queen’s College, Oxford. M.S. YEATMAN esq. of the Manor house, is lord of the manor, John Digby Wingfield DIGBY esq. and Major WARRY, are chief landowners. The soil is Oxford clay; subsoil, clay and sand. The crops are chiefly grass. The area is 2,356 acres; rateable value, £3788; the population in 1881 was 417.
Higher and Lower Buckshaw form a hamlet, one mile south-west; Crouch Hill, one mile south; Wood Bridge, 2 miles north-east.
Sexton, Alfred PHILIPS
Post office – John ROGERS, receiver. Letters through Sherborne received at 9am & are dispatched at 4.25 pm; the nearest money order office is at Caundle Bishop; & telegraph office at Sherborne. Pillar Box, Cross road, cleared at 4.45pm.
Parochial School (mixed), built 1875; average attendance 58; Miss Rosa HULL, mistress.
Private Residents
LITTLEHALES Capt. Edwd. R.N., Buckshaw house
REDPATH Rev. Hy. Adeney, M.A., [rector]
WARRY Major John, Westrow
YEATMAN Marwood Shuttleworth, J.P., Manor house
Commercial
ANTELL Thomas, farmer
BARTER Benjamin, farmer
CADIE Charles, farmer
COOMBS Isaac, farmer, Buckshaw
COOMBS John L., farmer
CROCKER James, shopkeeper
DRAKE James, farmer, Woodbridge
DRAKE Edward, farmer, Buckshaw
DUNNING Robert, farmer
ENGLISH Edwin George, farmer
ENGLISH Robert, brick & tile maker & farmer, & at Lydlinch
FOLLETT William, farmer
GAULER Albert, carpenter
HANN George, farmer
KING Mrs Amelia, farmer
KING John, blacksmith
LAKE John, Fox inn
LAWRENCE Robert, Red Lion P.H.
MILES Eli, farmer
MILLER Samuel, farmer
MULLETT Silas, farmer, Sand hills
PARSONS George, farmer, Crouch hill
RIDOUT Herbert, dairy
RIDOUT Oliver, farmer
ROGERS John, carpenter & post office
TRIM Lewis, farmer
WALDEN Josiah, basket maker
WALDEN Matthew, sen., farmer
WALDEN Matthew, jun., farmer
YOUNG Charles, shopkeeper
Some information repeated from earlier directories.
The church of St Lawrence …. there are memorial windows to members of the WARRY family and to Mr Robert ENGLISH, for many years churchwarden ….The living is a rectory, net income £311 … held since 1890 by the Rev. William Edward LONG M.A. of Queen’s College, Oxford….. John Kenelm Digby WINGFIELD-DIGBY esq., M.P., of Sherborne Castle, Mrs WARRY and Mrs GORDON are chief landowners… the population in 1901 was 388
Sexton, Hubert SWAIN
Post Office – John ROGERS, sub-postmaster
Pillar Letter Box, Barnes Cross road, cleared at 5 pm
Wall Letter Box, Manor House Gate, cleared at 4.30pm
Elementary School (mixed), built 1874, for 80 children; average attendance 67; mistress (vacant)
Private Residents
CABELL George
DIGBY Col. Hon. Everard Charles, J.P., Buckshaw house
GADESDEN Edmund Henry, Manor house
LONG Rev. Wm. Edwd., M.A. (rector)
TRIM John
Commercial
ANTELL Thomas, farmer
BARTER James, farmer
CABELL Jane (Mrs), farmer
CADIE Charles, farmer
COFFIN Thomas, blacksmith
COOMBS Isaac (Mrs), farmer, Buckshawe
CROCKER James, farmer
CADIE Charles, farmer (Previous CADIE entry repeated?)
DRAKE Edward, farmer, Buckshawe
ENGLISH Robert (exors. Of), farmers
FUDGE Herbert, farmer
GAWLER Ruth (Mrs), carpenter
GREGORY Philip, farmer
HANN George, farmer
HOLE William, farmer, Hill street
HUNT Matthew, farmer
JEANES James John, farmer
KING Amelia (Mrs), farmer
KING John, blacksmith
LODER Jane (Mrs), baker
MILES Edwin, Fox inn
MILES Thomas, farmer
MILLER Samuel, farmer
MULLETT Brothers, farmers, Sand hills
PARSONS William, farmer, Crouch hill
RIDOUT Elizh. (Mrs), farmer, Woodbridge
ROGERS John, carpenter, Post office
ROSS James, farmer
SLADE Henry Albert, farmer
STOKES Walter, farmer
TAYLOR Kitty (Mrs), dress maker
TRIM Louis William, farmer & shopkeeper
YOUNG Mary Jane (Mrs), shopkeeper
Some information repeated from earlier directories.
The church of St Lawrence…a marble tablet, erected by public subscription, commemorates the men of the parish who fell in the Great War 1914-18. The living …held since 1890 by the Rev. William Edward LONG, M.A….Fellow of University College, London, and rural dean of Stalbridge. The Manor House is the property and residence of E.H.GADESDEN esq., J.P. Major F.J.B.D.WINGFIELD-DIGBY D.S.O., D.L., J.P., William WARRY esq, E.H.GADESDEN esq, J.P. and Lady Emily DIGBY are the chief landowners….population in 1911, 361.
Sexton, Miss Mary Ann COLE
Post Office – Joseph John HUMBY, sub-postmaster
Elementary School (mixed), built in 1874, for 72 children; Miss Margaret Eva J. RYALL, mistress.
Parish Council, H.H.GATEHOUSE, clerk
Private Residents
DIGBY Lady Emily, Buckshaw house
GADESDEN Edmund Henry J.P., Manor house
KELLAWAY William, Coombe villa
LONG Rev. William Edward M.A.,(rector, & rural dean of Stalbridge)
WARRY William, Westrow house
Commercial
Marked thus * farm 150 acres or over
ANTELL Brothers, farmers
BROUGHTON William, farmer
CADIE Charles (Mrs), farmer
CHAFFEY Edwin, farmer, Yew Tree farm
CHAFFEY Sidney, farmer, Piccadilly farm
COFFIN Albert, cycle agent
COFFIN Harry F., farmer, Penny’s farm
COFFIN Thomas, blacksmith
COLE John, farmer
CROCKER James (Mrs), farmer
DOBLE Alfred H., farmer, Buckshaw farm
DREDGE William, farmer
FOX Walter, Fox inn
GAWLER Albert, carpenter
HODGES Thomas, farmer
HOLE Hy. Jas., farmer, Elm Tree farm
*HOLE William, farmer, Hill street
HUMBY Joseph John, shopkeeper, Post office
MILES Bertha (Mrs), smallholder
*MILLER Benj. Jas., farmer, Westrow farm
PARSONS Ella (Mrs),farmer, Church farm
RIDOUT Albert, boot maker
RIDOUT Martha (Miss), farmer, Cornhill
*SHERRY Charles, farmer, Woodbridge
SHERRY George, farmer, Woodbridge
STOKES Thomas, farmer, Woodbridge
*TRIM William, farmer, Sand hills
VINCENT Robert, farmer
*WARR Albert, farmer, Manor farm
WARR Oswald L., farmer
YOUNG Mary Jane (Mrs), shopkeeper