The Blandford Express

  From Dorset Gallows to Van Diemen’s Land is the unlikely but true story of political corruption, hangings and transportation in the small market town of Blandford in Southern England.  It is available as a paperback from  Amazon.  The book uncovers the extraordinary tale of two ordinary men, George Long a shoemaker and Richard Bleathman a butcher. Driven by belief and dissatisfaction they are swept along by events. Sentenced to be hanged in Dorchester Gaol for their protests against political corruption they are instead, following clemency appeals,  transported to Van Diemen’s Land -  on the other side of the world. ‘A fascinatingly  good read.  This book entirely complements the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs - also transported to Australia.’ (Richard Holledge, newspaper editor, freelance journalist - London. As read in the Independent, New York Times & Financial Times. Author of   Voices of the Mayflower. ‘A must read for anyone with ...

Back in the1880s, Blandford had as many as twenty nine public houses including seven that had opened following the arrival of the railway. In the surrounding villages there was another eleven.   Some regarded this as too many and considered ‘ lawlessness, poverty and dirt abound more or less in proportionate to the number of liquor shops.’ Among those who campaigned against the ‘ demon drink’ was the Blandford Temperance Society. They believed that alcoholism was a major cause of poverty and crime. The Society had put in a petition in August 1884 to the Licensing Authorities and signed by 244 local people. This asked the Blandford Justices not only to refuse new licenses but to reduce also the number of public houses that it considered had become a ‘ prolific source of drunkenness and crime’ The Blandford Temperance Society had been founded in the early 1860s and was well-supported with well-attended meetings. It also organised social events and its Temperance Band would regular...

Despite a much smaller population, there is one global competition where the county of Dorset has matched the USA. In the now somewhat outdated Miss World Contest, Dorset has produced three winners. They are Ann Sidney, Lesley Langley and Sarah-Jane Hutt. The USA has provided Marjorie Wallace (1973), Gina Tolleson (1990) and Alexandria Mills (2010). Ann Sidney was a hairdresser from Poole, on a 30 shillings (£1.50) weekly wage, who won in 1964. She became an actress, married five times and for a short period was a girlfriend of Bruce Forsyth. The contest had an incredible 27.5 million television audience in the UK alone. When Ann returned to Poole she received a reception usually reserved for royalty. Her win led to British born, American comedian Bob Hope inviting her to entertain US troops in Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam. Her autobiography is entitled, ‘Surviving Miss World .’ Next year in 1965, Dorset achieved back to back victories when 21 year old Lesley Langley from Weymout...

Richard Hann (1830-1904) was Constable No. 1 of the Dorset Police . He served at Blandford’s newly opened Police Station, located at the corner of Edward Street and Salisbury Road, from 1865-1867. Among his cases were: Isaac Newton of Blandford was brought up before the Court, in custody of PC Hann, summoned with leaving his wife and family chargeable to Blandford Workhouse. The prisoner was committed for one calendar month with hard labour . (Dorset County Chronicle 13 th July 1865) George Paul of Blandford was summoned by PC Hann for allowing his horse to stray on the highway at Pimperne on the 13 th August last.   The case was adjourned till the next Court sitting. Later, George Paul was fined five shillings (25p) for allowing cattle to stray on the highway. (Dorset County Chronicle Thursday 7 th September 1865) Edward Foster appeared to a summons charged with being drunk and riotous in the public street. Although he pleaded not guilty the case was proven by Constables ...

Late on Saturday 23 June 1906, Blandford was struck by a great storm. It followed a day of extreme heat and the oppressive atmosphere gave a warning of the tempest which was to come. Lasting a couple of hours, the violent storm caused chaos across the Blandford district killing cattle, stripping trees of all leaves and damaging property. That evening, railway signalman Charlie Whiting was on duty in the signal box at Blandford station. He was to suffer a lucky and narrow escape. The Western Gazette reported: ‘Forked sheet and ribbon lightning illuminated a pitch black sky in all directions with scarcely a second’s intermission. Rain tropical in its violence accompanied the tempest while in some places hailstones added to its intensity.’ Because of the unusual shape and size of the hailstones, where they fell not a single greenhouse survived. The 1906 storm was remarkable also for its temperatures , the range being between 55 (13) and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 centigrade). A tree s...

Rampisham Down was a major BBC World Service shortwave transmission station and home to a vast array of antennae and masts. Its location, between Dorchester and Crewkerne,  was chosen for its remoteness and suitability for radio transmissions with little interference. The station supported services in multiple languages including English, Russian and Arabic. BBC Rampisham Down was established in 1939 just before World War II and during the war’s early years it was subject to several attacks from the German Air Force. Transmission halls on the 189 acre site were separated by heavy blast walls. The facility played a key role in international broadcasting for several decades and represented an alien landmark on a rural landscape. During the Cold War, Rampisham provided broadcasts to countries where access to news and information was restricted. Transmissions in Russian were regularly jammed by the Soviet authorities. During the severe winter of 1963, heavy snow falls caused Rampisham ...

  Lent Crocking was an old Dorset custom that used to take place on Pancake Day. It was similar to ‘ trick or treat’ although some would say it was ‘ just blackmail’ . Boys would gather in the evening and parade through the villages each armed with a collection of relics of broken pots, washing pans, jugs, dishes & plates. The broken pots originally signified that as Lent was beginning they were of no use. A lead youth would step forward and knock on a door. As William Barnes wrote: ‘When the door is opened, the hero, who is perhaps a farmer’s boy, with a pair of black eyes sparkling under the tattered brim of his brown milking hat covered with cow’s hair and dirt like the inside of a blacksmith’s nest, hangs down his head and with one corner of his mouth turned up into an irresistible smile pronounces in the dialect of his county.’ ‘I be come a-shrovin’ Vor a little pankaik, A bit o’ bread o’ your baikin’. If you’ll gi’ me a little, I’ll ax no more If you don’t gi’ me nothin’...

On Thursday 20 th August 1840, commencing at 8.00pm, Hungarian composer and piano playing genius, Franz Liszt opened an evening concert in the Assembly Rooms in Blandford. The celebrated pianist was at the time the equivalent of a rock star of the period with his flowing locks, slim figure and mesmeric personality. Franz Liszt was so revered across Europe that in Vienna confectioners sold piano-shaped biscuits iced with the words ‘Liszt’. Invitations to attend were extended to members of the local nobility and gentry. Family tickets for four could be purchased for twenty one shillings (£1.05) and a single ticket for six shillings (30p). At the time, a typical weekly wage for an agricultural worker was around eight shillings (40p). Franz Liszt performed the Marche Hongroise, his Grand Galop Chromatique and other pieces from his recitals. The event was organised by Louis Lavenu, a London based musician and entrepreneur. Also on stage, Liszt was supported by opera singer Mademoiselle...

  Built in 1771, the Blandford Assembly Rooms once played an important role in the town. They could be found on the east side of West Street near a causeway which led to Blandford Bridge. The Assembly Rooms had a grand staircase which led to a ballroom. Each year at the time of the Blandford Horse Races there was the Blandford Races Ball. In 1829, the event covered two nights. It was said that the dancing went off with great spirit and the ‘company did not break up until past six o’ clock in the morning.’ The Dorset County Ball was frequently held there. In January 1837, upwards of 100 of the county’s great and good attended this prestigious social event. The Salisbury & Winchester Journal reported that the evening ‘passed off with much spirit and animation.’ In August 1840, Hungarian composer and piano playing genius Franz Liszt played in the Assembly Room packed with the local nobility and gentry. Tickets cost six shillings (30p) or twenty one shillings (£1.05) for a fa...

What links Blandford Camp, motor racing and chocolate? The answer sadly is Joseph Gibson Fry who lost his life on the 29 th July 1950 in a crash in the British Army camp. ‘ Joe ’ Fry was a member of the Fry chocolate family. The company, J S Fry & Sons had merged with Cadburys in 1919. Joe lost his life after suffering injuries while practising for a hill climb event when he lost control and crashed at speed. A bystander said: ‘Fry’s car approached a bend known as Cuckoo Corner at about 90mph. He appeared to drift towards the outside of the course, hit the right hand grass bank and somersaulted.’ He was driving his Freikaiserwagen racing car at the time of the accident. This name had a distinctly German twist and was a tongue in cheek combination of the surnames of Fry and Caesar. Dick Caesar was one of its designers. The Freikaiserwagen was an extremely powerful little sprint and hill climbing machine but was difficult to drive. It is reckoned it set the standard for the ma...

John Love from Weymouth was reckoned at one time to be the fattest man in England. By trade, he was a bookseller and publisher but was also an accomplished artist. He did much to promote an interest in art in Dorset. In his shop he had both a library and exhibition rooms. In 1788, he published a Guide to Weymouth. He was so corpulent he regularly wore a waistband nearly up to his neck to prevent his trousers from falling down. John Love rarely wore a coat. Most of the time he just wore his nightshirt in which he was more comfortable.  John Love had studied in London under William Ryland, Engraver to the King who was executed for the crime of forgery. Terrified by his master’s  shameful death, Love returning to Weymouth. Initially, he was quite puny so his Dorchester doctor prescribed a diet of fatty foods as medicine. Results  of this and his overeating soon became evident in his expanding waistline.  ‘Giving himself up entirely to wine and dainties’ he ‘gave himself...

  When a Langton Long postman opened up Blandford Post Office on a Sunday morning in April 1949, he discovered quite a surprise. A London based gang had blown the door of the strong room wide open. The robbers had got away with £12,000 worth of cash, stamps and savings vouchers (about £445,000 in today’s money.) The thieves were apparently aware that the Post Office would be unoccupied from 9.00pm on Saturday evening until its opening early on Sunday morning.  Post bags had been placed around the door to muzzle the noise of the explosion and the door of the strong room had been completely blown out. The Head Postmaster’s office had also been completely ransacked. The police suspected the raiders made their getaway along the Blandford-Warminster road. So, a 25 mile search was carried out along the road behind walls, hedges and fences looking for gelignite and other equipment. The police regarded the break-in as highly skilled. At the time, Percy Carter was the owner of the to...

  Dorset clergyman, John White (1575-1648) did as much as any person to set up the colony of  Massachusetts leading eventually to the establishment of the United States of America. He was Rector of Holy Trinity and St Peter’s Churches in Dorchester, England from 1606-1648. For organising and encouraging emigration to the New World, John White has been described as the Founder of Massachusetts. Yet he never visited the new colony. He was a puritan at a time when there was much religious persecution in England. His first colonial project, the Dorchester Company failed but his second involving the forming of the New England Company was more successful. In March 1830, the Mary  and John  set sail from Plymouth for the New World with 140 passengers on board. Upon landing after a ten week crossing the settlement of Dorchester, Massachusetts was founded. Many were from Dorset, Devon and Somerset. Weeks later other ships followed and the Great Migration began. John White was...

  According to railway locomotive driver Andrew Thomas (above) there was a major accident near miss on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (‘S & D’ ) that could have changed the course of European history. It occurred at Wellow station, some six miles south of Bath, and involved the future twice French Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau. It is believed this incident occurred in 1884 when the Frenchman is known to have visited England. Clemenceau is generally regarded as the statesman who prevented the collapse of the French military forces towards the end of World War I. Such was his tenacity, that he gained the nicknames ‘Le Tigre’ (Tiger) and ‘Le Pere la Victoire’ (Father of Victor y). The French politician was a guest of Lord Wolverton who had been the Liberal MP for Shaftesbury before succeeding his father in the House of Lords. Wolverton lived at Iwerne Minster and had already entertained Prime Minister William Gladstone on his estate. Lord Wolverton decide...