Hann Family History - Stoke Abbott Miscellaneous Information

Stoke Abbott - Miscellaneous information

Stoke Abbott parish contains the main village street with a number of areas and roads off it and a number of outlying small hamlets often not much bigger than the farms many have now become - Anchor Lane, Berry, Blackney (inc Venn Farm), Brimley (inc water mill), Brimley Coombe (or Coombe), Buck's Head, Butts, Chart Knolle, Croft, Four Ashes, Glitney, Green Lane, Higher Monkwood, Horsehill (inc old flaxmill), Laverstock, Norway Lane, Stoke Knapp, Stoke Water (inc old Beaminster Union workhouse), Swilletts, Wall and Yardley

Following the retirement of the last Rector (Rev Peter D May) on 30 Apr 1982, the Benefices of Stoke Abbott and Netherbury & Salway Ash were assimilated into the Beaminster Area Team Ministry, which already comprised the Benefices of Beaminster, Broadwindsor with Burstock & Seaborough, Melplash & Mapperton, Toller Porcorum & Hooke and South Perrott, Mosterton & Chedington.

Stoke Abbott Parish Council was combined in 1974 with Bettiscombe, Marshwood and Pilsdon to form Upper Marswood Vale (Group) Parish Council as a result of the reorganistion of local government which also saw the local District Council (Beaminster Rural) absorbed into a new West Dorset District Council

The old National School, now the Village Hall

Inspirational photographs of Stoke Abbott and the surrounding countryside (on Flickr.com)

Stoke Abbott & Lewesdon Hill	from Stoutcob/Water Mint
Stoke Abbott, Dorset, England	from Dorsetbays

STOKE ABBOTT WAR MEMORIAL (like Beaminster served rather than died?)

1914-1918

[Richard] George MEECH [161190, Gunner, 5th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery]

Son of Frank and Mary Ann [nee Staples] Meech, christened 4 Jun 1893 in Stoke Abbott, in 1901 a 7 year-old school boy resident in Stoke Abbott with Stoke Abbott-born parents and siblings Frank (43 farm labourer) and Mary Anne (34) Alfred James (12 stone mason's labourer) Ethel Mary (10 school girl) Elizabeth Ann (5 school girl) and Charles W F (2), in 1911 a 17 year-old steel works crane driver resident at 64 Albert Street, Llanelly with his Stoke Abbott-born uncle George Staples (49 steel works teamer) his wife Sarah (48) and children David (25 tin plate works fireman) Arthur (19 tin plate works fitter's mate) Edgar (16 steel works engine driver) Stanley (14 scholar) and Mary (11 scholar), enlisted Aberdare, died 26 Oct 1918, buried VI.C.46 Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas de Calais

George BAKER

{? Could be son of Joseph and Emma [nee Saint] Baker, born 1883 in Greenham, Somerset, in 1901 ?, in 1911 a 28 year-old mason's labourer resident in Drimpton with his Wayford-born parents Joseph (65 farm labourer) and Emma (67)

Alfred AKERMAN [ACKERMAN]

Son of Levi and Mary Ann [nee Elliott] Ackerman, born 1884 in Broadwindsor, in 1901 a 16 year-old ironmonger's errand boy resident in Stoke Abbott (next door to his parents) with his Broadwindsor-born brother Sidney (18 mason's labourer), in 1911 ?

Wilfrid [John] SWAFFIELD [16538, Private, 1st Bn, Dorsetshire Regiment]

Son of John and Mary Jane [nee Bagg] Swaffield, born 1884 in Bridport, in 1901 a 6 year-old school boy resident at (the New Inn), Stoke Abbott with his Netherbury-born father John (37 inn keeper) and Loders-born mother Mary Jane (35) Bridport-born siblings Frederick (13 mason's mortar boy) Lucy (11 school girl) Emily (9 school girl) and Stoke Abbott-born siblings Hilda (4) and Christina (2), in 1911 a 16 year-old farm labourer resident at the New Inn, Stoke Abbott with John (48 inn keeper) and Mary Jane (45) and Stoke Abbott-born siblings Chrisey (Christina) (12) William (9) Lilly (8) Louis (6) Reginald (4) and Winnifred (2), died 04 Feb 1917, buried B.42 Beaumont Hammel, Somme

George [Cole] WAKELY [472898, Rifleman, 1st/12th (County of London) Bn (The Rangers), London Regiment, ex 24689 Somerset Light Infantry]

Son of James and Elizabeth Cole [nee Davy] Wakely, christened 5 Apr 1875 in Loders, in 1881 ?, in 1891 a 15 year-old resident in Stoke Abbott with his Stoke Abbott-born father James (50 agricultural labourer) Loders or Bradpole-born mother Elizabeth C (54) and Stoke Abbott-born brother John J (9), in 1901 a 25 year-old stone mason resident in Norway Lane, Stoke Abbott with James F (61 farm labourer) and Elizabeth (64), in 1911 a 35 year-old farm labourer resident in Stoke Abbott, resident of Beaminster on enlisting, killed 07 Oct 1916, commemorated Pier and Face 9C, Thiepval Memorial, Somme

John WAKELY

[EITHER John James - son of James and Elizabeth Cole [nee Davy] Wakely, christened 7 Aug 1881 in Stoke Abbott, in 1891 a 9 year-old resident in Stoke Abbott with his Stoke Abbott-born father James (50 agricultural labourer) Loders or Bradpole-born mother Elizabeth C (54) and Stoke Abbott-born brother George C (15 mason's labourer), in 1901 a 20 year-old journeyman carpenter boarding at Brick Yard, Hamworthy Junction with the Maker family, in 1911 a 29 year-old carpenter resident in Hamworthy Junction with his Wimborne-born wife Alice Maria (31) and Hamworthy-born son Leslie John George (2)

OR John Charles - son of Frederick George and Ellen [nee Swaffield] Wakely, born 1893 in Stoke Abbott, in 1901 a 7 year-old resident in Stoke Abbott with his Somerset-born father Frederick George (46 district road surveyor) Beaminster-born mother Ellen (42) and Stoke Abbott-born siblings Frederick WIlliam (5) and Reginald George (2), in 1911 a 17 year-old draper's appentice resident in Stoke Abbott with Frederic

Sidney WEBBER [9982, Private, 1st Bn, Dorsetshire Regiment]

Allegedly born 1894-1895 in Stoke Abbott, in 1911 resident in Chilton Cantelo as Sidney Charles Carrot born Stogumber though probably born 1897 in Watchet and registered as Burge, resident in West Coker at time of enlistment at Beaminster, died 12 Jul 1916, buried II.D.7 Etretat churchyard, Seine-Maritime - aunt Emma [nee Foan] Guppy of Stoke Abbott, step father Robert Carrott and mother Eliza [nee Burge, married 1899] Carrott of West Coker

Harold WOOD [27418, Private, 6th Bn, Dorsetshire Regiment]

Son of Amos and Catherine Bussell [nee Clake] Wood, born 1895 in Luppitt, in 1901 a 5 year-old resident at Vale House Farm, Marshwood with Farway-born father Amos (43 farmer) and Sidbury-born mother Catherine (36) and brother Walter Edward (16 farmer's son) Honiton-born brother Percy John (15 farmer's son) Luppitt-born siblings Colin George (12 farmer's son) Alice Maud (11 scholar) Edmund James (10 scholar) Ernest (9 scholar) Membury-born Ethel May (3) and Marshwood-born Victor James (1), in 1911 a 16 year-old dairy worker resident at Colmer, Marshwood with his widowed mother Catherine (47 dairy woman) Waletr (26 dairy man) May (13 school girl) and Victor (11 school boy), resident in Beaminster when enlisting at Bridport, died 24 Jul 1917, buried IV.A.27 Brown's Copse Cemetery, Roeux, Pas de Calais

Colin [George] WOOD

Son of Amos and Catherine Bussell [nee Clake] Wood, born 1888 in Luppitt, in 1891 a 2 year-old resident at Sharcombe Farm, Luppitt with Farway-born father Amos (32 farmer) and Sidbury-born mother Catherine (27) and brother Walter Edward (6 scholar) Honiton-born brothers Percy John (5) and John Giles (4) and Luppitt-born sister Alice Maud (?m), in 1901 a 12 year-old farmer's son resident at Vale House Farm, Mrashwood with Amos (43 farmer) Catherine (36) Walter Edward (16 farmer's son) Percy John (15 farmer's son) Alice Maud (11 scholar) Luppitt-born Edmund James (10 scholar) Ernest (9 scholar) Harold (5 scholar) Membury-born Ethel May (3) and Marshwood-born Victor James (1), in 1911 a 22 year-old butcher's assistant boarding in South Street, Bridport with the Banger family

1939-1945

Alfred CLARKE

1798 LANDOWNERS

PROPRIETOR	OCCUPIER
ADNEY Mrs	HARDY George
ADNEY Mrs	STONE Daniel
ARUNDLE Mr James E	CHICK Benjamin
BAKER George Esq	HOPKINS James
BARRATT Joseph	WAREHAM John
BRERETON Rev John	FORSEY Richard
BRYANT Mrs	WELLMAN Benjamin
BULLEN Simeon Esq	BULLEN Simeon Esq
CONWAY Mr William	TUCKER William
COX Mr Daniel	COX Mr Daniel
COX Samuel Jnr Esq	COX Samuel Jnr Esq
COX Samuel Jnr Esq	SEYMOUR John
CROWE Rev William	HOPKINS Rev MM
DANIEL Mrs	DANIEL Mrs
DORCHESTER The Earl of	BULLEN William
DORCHESTER The Earl of	WELLMAN Benjamin
FOLLETT Mr	GAME Robert
FORSEY Richard	FORSEY Richard
FORSEY Sarah	FORSEY Sarah
FOWLER Thomas	FOWLER Thomas
GALPIN Matthew	GALPIN Matthew
GIBBS Samuel	GIBBS Samuel
LEE Mr	WAKELY William
LOVE Mrs	WARREN William
NURTON Robert	NURTON Robert
RUSSELL Mr John	HAWKER James
SANSOM Mrs	HANCOCK Richard
SCOTT Mr	CONWAY John
SEALE Mrs	SEALE Mrs
SEYMOUR Edward	SEYMOUR Edward
SMITH Mr Thomas	SMITH Mr Thomas
SMITH Mrs	UDALL John
STRICKLAND John	STRICKLAND John
SYMES Richard	SYMES Richard
SYMES Mr Richard	SYMES Mr Richard
SYMES Mr John	SEYMOUR John
WARD Widow	WARD Widow
WELLMAN Mr Benjamin	WELLMAN Benjamin
WINTER Mr James	HOPKINS Thomas
WOODCOCK Robert	NURTON Robert

1831 JURY LIST (residences shown with contemporary spellings)

NAME(S)	RESIDENCE	BUSINESS	QUALIFICATION
COOMBES Charles Abbott	Street	Linman	Poor rates
GALE Thomas	Horsehill Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
GIBBS George	Street	Clothier	Freehold
HAMILTON John	Street	Yeoman	Poor rates
HANN Arthur	Street	Linman	Freehold
HANN George	Street	Carpenter	Freehold
HANN William	Street	Carpenter	Freehold
PEACH John	Laverstock Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
PROSSER Jonathan	Street	Mason	Freehold
SAMPSONE George & Henry	Swelleiotts Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
SEYMOUR John	Chartnole Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
SWATRIDGE William	Brimley Mills	Miller	Poor rates
SYMES Henry	Street	Thatcher	Freehold
TETT Job	Glitney Farm	Yeoman	Freehold
TETT John	Brimley Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
TUCKER John	Coome Farm	Yeoman	Poor rates
WHEADON Harry	Street	Innkeeper	Poor rates

1831 ELECTORS (2 lists combined)

FREEHOLDER'S NAME	RESIDENCE	BUSINESS	OCCUPIER'S NAME
BISHOP Thomas	Stoke Abbott	Tailor	Thomas BISHOP
BULLEN William F	Bristol		__ BARRETT
CLARE Manasseh	Stoke Abbott	Labourer	Manasseh CLARE
CONWAY Robert	Beaminster	Linen-Draper	John TUCKER
COOMBS Charles	Beaminster	Millwright	C A COOMBS
COX Samuel	Beaminster	Esquire	John SEYMOUR
DANIEL Thomas P	Beaminster	Surgeon	Thos. HUSSEY
DAVIS or DAVY John	Castleton	Dairyman	John SEAL
ELLIOTT Robert	Stoke Abbott	Yeoman	Robert ELLIOTT and another
(A) GALPIN, John	Netherbury		James SEAL
GALPIN Matthew	Sturminster Marshall	Yeoman	Robert ELLIOTT
(B) GERRARD, Stephen	Stoke Abbott		Stephen GERRARD
GIBBS George	Stoke Abbott	Clothier	George GIBBS
(C) GOULD, J S	North Curry, Somt.		John CONWAY
HAND [HANN] Arthur	Stoke Abbott		Arthur HAND [HANN]
HAND [HANN] George Snr	Stoke Abbott	Carpenter	George HAND [HANN] Snr and another
HANN George Jnr	Stoke Abbott	Carpenter	George HANN Jnr
HANN William	Stoke Abbott	Carpenter	William HANN
HELLIAR Henry	Stoke Abbott	Dairyman	John MEECH
(A) HOLLAND, Edward	Stoke Abbott		Edward HOLLAND
(D) MILLS Richard	Beaminster	Butcher	Joseph BARRETT
ORCHARD Abraham	[Monkton] Wild	Yeoman	Richard. SAMSON
PROSSER Jonathan	Stoke Abbott	Mason	Jonathan PROSSER and another
SEAL Robert	Stoke Abbott	Carpenter	Robert SEAL
SEAL, Robert	Stoke Abbott		Robert SEAL and another
SMITH Edward	Charmouth		John COOMBS
SMITH Henry	Stoke Abbott	Yeoman	Henry SMITH
STAPLE Isaac	Stoke Abbott	Labourer	Abr. WAKELEY
SYMES Henry	Stoke Abbott	Thatcher	Henry SYMES
SYMES Joseph	Stoke Abbott	Surgeon	Thomas GALE
TATCHELL Job	Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset		Mrs PEACH
TETT Job	Stoke Abbott	Yeoman	Job TETT
(B) WAKELY, William	Stoke Abbott		William WAKELY
WARD David	Netherbury	Butcher	David WARD
(B) WELCH, John	Stoke Abbott		John WELCH
WELLMAN Christopher	Bridport		_ HAMILTON
(B) WHETHAM, Robert	Bridport		Robert WHETHAM
WINTER James	Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset	Esquire	Wm. SWATRIDGE
WOODCOCK Robert	Burton Bradstock	Brewer	James HARWOOD

Of these a number were removed from the list for the following reasons

(A) Withdrawn - Tendered P.

(B) Objected to - No Freehold - Not assessed - Undecided - Tendered P.

(C) Rejected - Not assessed - Tendered P.

(D) Withdrawn - No Freehold - Tendered P.

Charles Coombs and Thomas P Daniel were also omitted from one list. The occupier of Robert Elliott's property was alternatively shown as H Wheadon, Henry Helliar's as Robert Elliott and Joseph Symes's by Mrs Gale. Jonathan Prosser was also shown with another as occupiers of his property

1921 ELECTORAL ROLL

NAME	RESIDENCE	Parl'tary	Local
ACKERMAN Ernest	Cottage	R		-
ACKERMAN Frank	Blacksmith's shop	R		O
ACKERMAN Mary Ann	Cottage	O		O
ANDREWS Thomas David	The Union	R		R
BALSON William Henry	Chartnole House	R		O
BARTLETT George	Cottage	R		-
BARTLETT Henry	Cottage	R		O
BARTLETT Charlotte	Cottage	HO		HO
BARTLETT Levi	Cottage	R		-
BARTLETT Matilda	Cottage	O		O
BARTLETT William	Cottage	R		-
BOWDITCH John	Manor Farm	R		O
BOWDITCH Jane	Manor Farm	HO		HO
BOWDITCH John	The Beeches	R		O
BOWDITCH Kathleen	The Beeches	HO		HO
BOWDITCH Samson	Manor Farm	R		O
BOWDITCH Robert Barrett	Land - Res: North Bowood, Netherbury	-		O
BUCKLAND Ellen (Miss)	Cottage	O		O
BUGLER Harry Guy	Venn Farm	R		O
BUGLER Ellen Agnes	Venn Farm	HO		HO
BURROWS William Henry	Laverstock Dairy	R		O
BURROWS Amy Gertrude	Laverstock Dairy	HO		HO
BUSSELL Ben	Blackney Farm	R		O
BUSSELL Lucy	Blackney Farm	HO		HO
CADDY Thomas	Villa	R		O
CADDY Fanny	Villa	HO		HO
CADDY Isabella	Cottage	O		O
CADDY Abigail Jane (Miss)	Cottage	O		O
CANTERBURY John George	Cottage	R		O
CANTERBURY Emma	Cottage	HO		HO
CANTERBURY John	Cottage	R		O
CANTERBURY Sydney	Cottage	R		O
CANTERBURY George Benjamin	Cottage	R		O
CANTERBURY Ada Rebecca	Cottage	HO		HO
CHURCHILL Ernest Edward	Stoke Knapp	R		O
CHURCHILL May Louisa	Stoke Knapp	HO		HO
CHURCHILL James	Cottage	R		-
CLARKE Alfred Samuel (a)	New Inn	NM		-
CLARKE Beatrice Lucy	New Inn	O		O
COX Alfred George	The Union	R		O
CURTIS Charles Jesse Pattimore	Cottage	R		O
CURTIS Helen	Cottage	HO		HO
DANIELS John	Brimley Cottage	R		O
DANIELS Henrietta Bessie	Brimley Cottage	HO		HO
DAVEY Elizabeth	Cottage	O		O
DENSLOW Edith	The Mill	O		O
DORMAN Julia (Miss)	Lower Farm	O		O
DUNHAM Mary Ann	Cottage	O		O
DUNHAM William	Cottage	R		-
DUNSBY Abner	Cottage	R		O
DUNSBY Jane	Cottage	HO		HO
ELLIOTT Fanny	Cottage	O		O
GALPIN Charles Critchell	The Stores	R		O
GALPIN Mary Ann (Miss)	The Stores	O		O
GARRETT Eli	Horse Hill Farm	R		O
GARRETT Mary	Horse Hill Farm	HO		HO
GATES Lucy (Miss)	The Laurels	O		O
GILLINGHAM Frederick James	The Dairy	R		O
GILLINGHAM Mary Jane	The Dairy	HO		HO
GILLINGHAM John Henry	Coombe Farm	R		-
GODDARD Edward Joseph	Stoke Knapp	R		O
GODDARD Annie Maria	Stoke Knapp	HO		HO
GREEN Francis Bowden	Bucks Head	R		-
GREEN Sydney	Bucks Head	R		O
GREEN Ellen	Bucks Head	HO		HO
GUPPY Robert	Cottage	R		O
GUPPY Emma	Cottage	HO		HO
GUY Herbert Tom	Yardley	R		O
GUY Ada Louisa May	Yardley	HO		HO
HALLETT Charles	Cottage	R		O
HALLETT Mary Ann	Cottage	HO		HO
HALLETT Ernest William	Cottage	R		O
HALLETT Edgar Charles	Cottage	R		-
HALLETT Frederick George	Cottage	R		-
HALLETT Herbert Charles	Cottage	R		-
HALLETT Reginald Albert	Cottage	R		-
HANSFORD Elizabeth Ann	Cottage	O		O
HANSFORD John	Blackney	R		-
HANSFORD Joseph Edwin	Blackney	R		O
HARRIS Richard	Land - Res: Monkwood, Marshwood	=		O
HAWKES Lionel Hugo	The Bungalow	R		O
HAWKINS Archibald Stephen	Blackney	R		O
HAWKINS Stephen	Cottage	R		O
HAWKINS Emily	Cottage	HO		HO
HAWKINS George Park	The Bakery	R		O
HAWKINS Susan	The Bakery	HO		HO
HINCHLIFFE Ellen (Miss)	The Mount	O		O
IVORY Ellen	Cottage	O		O
LANCASHIRE George	Blackney	R		O
LANCASHIRE Frances	Blackney	HO		HO
LANCASHIRE Blanche Mary (Miss)	Blackney	O		O
LANCASHIRE Jack	Cottage	R		O
LATHAM Beatrice Rhoda (Miss)	The Union	O		O
LATHEY William John	Barrowfield Dairy	R		O
LENTHALL John Henry	Laverstock Farm	R		O
LENTHALL Alice Hannah	Laverstock Farm	HO		HO
LENTHALL Eli John Henry	Laverstock Farm	R		O
LOARING William George	Cottage	R		O
LOARING Mary Ann	Cottage	HO		HO
LUMBY Emma	The Mount	O		O
MEECH Alfred Thomas	Cottage	R		-
MEECH Charles William Frank	Cottage	R		-
MEECH Frank	Cottage	R		O
MEECH Mary Ann	Cottage	HO		HO
MEECH Tom	Stoke Abbott	R		O
MORGAN Annie	Cottage	O		O
NORRIS William Henry	Cottage	R		O
NORTHOVER Kate	Cottage	O		O
NOTTON Elizabeth (Miss)	Cottage	O		O
ORCHARD James	Land - Res: Monkwood, Marshwood	-		O
OLIVER John	Cottage	R		O
PILE John Francis (+)	Land - Res: Misson Farm, South Wraxall, Wiltshire	-		O
RENDELL Charles	Cottage	R		O
RENDELL Annie Agnes	Cottage	HO		HO
RENDALL [Rendell] Henry	The Croft	R		-
RENDELL Reginald	Stoke Abbott	R		O
RENDELL Samuel	The Croft	R		O
RENDELL Flora	The Croft	HO		HO
RENDELL Samuel	Anchor Inn	R		O
RENDELL Florence Louisa	Anchor Inn	HO		HO
RODGERS George Hamilton	House	R		O
RODGERS Mary Jane	House	HO		HO
RODGERS Sarah	Cottage	O		O
ROWE Edwin	Laverstock Dairy	R		O
ROWE George Walter	Swellett's Farm	R		O
ROWE Jane	Swellett's Farm	HO		HO
ROWE Walter William	Swellett's Farm	R		-
ROWLAND James Walter	The Mount	R		O
ROWLAND Winifred Ada	The Mount	HO		HO
SANSOM Sarah	Cottage	O		O
SANSOM Mary (Miss)	Cottage	O		O
SLADE Albert Edward	Horse Hill Farm	R		O
SLADE Fanny	Horse Hill Farm	HO		Ho
SLADE Henry	Cottage	R		O
SMITH Alexander John (a)	Lower Farm	NM		-
SMITH Elizabeth	Lower Farm	O		O
SMITH Edward Collard	Higher Farm	R		O
SPARROW Hugh Cuthbert Beridge	Chartnole House	R		O
SPARROW Evelyn Lucy Margaret	Chartnole House	HO		HO
SPENCE Hamilton Robert	Hill View	R		O
SPENCE Constance Alina	Hill View	HO		HO
SPILLER George	Higher Dairy	R		O
SPILLER Annie Forsey	Higher Dairy	HO		HO
SPILLER George	Glitney Dairy	R		O
SPILLER Kate Caroline	Glitney Dairy	HO		HO
STAPLES James	Anchor Inn	R		-
STONE Arhur John	Coombe Farm	R		O
STONE Mary Ann	Coombe Farm	HO		HO
SWAFFIELD Tom	Cottage	R		O
SWAFFIELD Ellen	Cottage	HO		HO
SWAFFIELD Frederick James	Cottage	R		O
SWAFFIELD Alice Maud Vicary	Cottage	HO		HO
SWAFFIELD John	New Inn	R		O
SWAFFIELD Mary Jane	New Inn	HO		HO
THORNE Ethel Vivienne (Miss)	The Mount	O		O
TOLLEY John	Stoke Knapp	R		O
TOLLEY Baldwin Pedard	Brimley Cottage	R		O
TOLLEY Mary	Brimley Cottage	HO		HO
TOOGOOD Edgar John	Wall Farm	R		O
TOOGOOD Eva May	Wall Farm	HO		HO
VINCENT Daniel James	Brimley Dairy	R		O
VINCENT Amy	Brimley Dairy	HO		HO
VIRGIN Heny Tom	Brimley Mill	R		O
WAY John William	Cottage	R		O
WAY Emily Jane	Cottage	HO		HO
WAKELEY [Wakely] Frederick George	Fern Cottage	R		O
WAKELEY [Wakely] Ellen	Fern Cottage	HO		HO
WAKELEY [Wakely] Frederick William	Fern Cottage	R		-
WAKELEY [Wakely] Harry	Cottage	R		O
WAKELEY [Wakely] Margaret	Cottage	HO		HO
WAKELY John Matthew Coombs (+)	Land - Res: Beaminster	-		O
WARREN Charles Larcombe (+)	Land - Res: Horn Park, Broadwindsor	-		O
WATERHOUSE Clara (Miss)	The Mount	O		O
WEAVER John	Lewesdon Cottage	R		O
WEAVER Eliza	Lewesdon Cottage	HO		HO
WEAVER Walter (a)	Lewesdon Cottage	NM		-
WELCH Elizabeth	Cottage	O		O
WELCH Herbert John	Cottage	R		-
WOLMINGTON [Woolmington] George	Post Office	R		O
WOLMINGTON [Woolmington] Jane	Post Office	HO		HO
WOLMINGTON [Woolmington] Frederick George	Post Office	R		O
WOLMINGTON [Woolmington] Ethel Mary	The Mount	HO		HO
WYATT Robert John	Brimley Farm	R		O
WYATT Dorothy Mary	Brimley Farm	HO		HO

HO Qualification through husband's occupation NM Naval or Military voter O Occupation qualification R Residence qualification (+) County Council elections only (a) Absent voter

THE ANNUAL REGISTER for 1858 regarding the murder in Stoke Abbott of Sarah Guppy

[July] 23. The Stoke Abbott Murder. - At the Dorchester Assizes James Seal was indicted for the wilful murder of Sarah Ann Guppy, at Stoke Abbott, on 30th of April last.

The deceased was a young woman, 23 years of age, the illegitimate daughter of Rebecca Guppy, and both lodged with a person named James Seal, who, although bearing the same name, was not related to the prisoner. Under the same roof lived a family named Hutchins [John and Rachel]. The cottages were divided. They were called Puckshorne [Puckhams in Anchor Lane]. It was a very solitary spot. These people were all in a humble condition of life, working as field labourers, and were consequently absent from home the greater part of the day. The deceased, however, was weakly, and not in good health, and did not labour like the others, and she usually remained at home. She bore a very good and chaste character. The prisoner lived with his father [Job SEAL], about 400 yards from these cottages. He was 19 years of age. He was in the habit of frequenting the cottage of Hutchins, and was there shortly before the murder was committed, and had said he wanted some money to provide his father's family with provisions, as they had not any. Now, this was not true, as the father was in comparatively easy circumstances. Something, however, took place which induced Mrs. Hutchins to tell him not to come to her house again. Most of these persons came from the fields to dinner, and left again about one o'clock. The deceased, however, remained at home, and was the only person there. Between 2 and 3 o'clock an old woman, named Cornick [probably Jane, nėe Cox], came down to a garden she had near these cottages, and having been there a short time, she heard a scream from Guppy's cottage, which she knew to be the voice of the deceased, and she called out, "Sarah Guppy," but received no answer. In a minute after hearing the screams she saw the prisoner come out of the cottage where Guppy lived, and close the door after him, and he was in such a position that he must have seen the woman Cornick. He at first crouched down under some palings, as if he intended to walk that way, but, as it would seem, upon seeing Cornick he changed his mind and went towards her. She asked him what he had been doing with Sarah Guppy. He said, "Nothing." She asked him what Sarah Guppy had been doing. He said, "Peeling potatoes." Now, that would appear to be untrue, as it was evident she had been doing nothing of the kind. The old woman saw that there was blood on his hand, and that his finger was cut. She asked him how he had done that, and he said, " Cutting grass." She also saw that there was blood on his clothes. The prisoner and the old woman then proceeded together towards the village, but having walked about 400 yards they separated. The old woman went on, but soon afterwards she heard an alarm of fire, and she returned to Puckshorne cottages, from which she could see that the fire proceeded. She reached there in about three-quarters of an hour from the time she had left her garden. When she got to the cottages they were nearly destroyed, and the body of the unfortunate girl was lying in the garden with her throat cut. The first alarm of fire had been given about 4 o'clock. Seal (not the prisoner), hearing the cry of fire, ran to his cottage, and upon going in he saw the body of the girl lying there, with something over her face. He did not suspect that she was dead, and, being anxious to save his property, he went upstairs to get some things down. When he came down again he went to the body, and saw that the poor girl was dead. The body was then carried into the garden. From all appearances it would seem that the fire had commenced in a building adjoining the cottages. Somewhere near the door of Seal's cottage a key was found, which was the key of the door of Hutchins's house, and which Mrs. Hutchins had given Sarah Guppy to take care of for her while she was at work. In the ashes of the house, near the body, they found three knives, one of which closely resembled a knife which the prisoner had been seen using. It was clear that the girl had been murdered, and the theory was, that the person who had committed the murder had set the premises on fire in the hope that the body would be burnt, and so all suspicion of murder be removed. The, question, therefore, was whether the prisoner was the person who had committed this great offence. The prisoner was seen about half-past 4 o'clock at some distance from the spot, and a person named Paul [possibly Samuel, from the Union Workhouse] walked by his side for some distance, but neither party spoke; however, Paul saw that there was blood on the prisoner's trousers. The prisoner was seen in a field shortly afterwards engaged in rubbing some yellow earth on his jacket and trousers. A constable named [William] Lavender came up, and asked the prisoner how he accounted for the blood on his trousers, and he said he had cut himself in cutting a stick with a knife he had obtained from a carter in the road. He had, however, previously told the old woman, Cornick, that he had cut his finger in cutting grass. The prisoner, in answer to inquiries by the constable, said that he had not been near these cottages since 9 o'clock that morning, that he had been at work at Broadwinsor, and had had two quarts of cider given him, and that he did not know much what had taken place afterwards. That was proved to be untrue, because he had been at work at the village of Stoke Abbott all that morning, the distance from the village to these houses not being more than a quarter of a mile. When he left his work he had not a mark of blood upon him.

Numerous witnesses deposed to the facts stated by the counsel for the Crown; and the jury, after short deliberation, found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sentenced to death.

Before execution he made a full confession of his guilt.

HANNfamily

20.10.2011

hosted by