Blandford Throwback Facts V

In 1741, two men, Will King and Ben Fluel, were publicly hanged in the Market Place for robbing Lady Grace Haynes.

In 1742, scavengers Robert Pitman and Richard Dutton were paid fifteen shillings (75p) per quarter to sweep the streets and remove the dung and filth.

In 1744, Blandford Races were revived after a lapse of several years.

In 1752, a cudgel contest was held in the Sword & Dagger public house. A two guinea prize was offered ‘to the man that breaks most heads and saves his own.’

In 1753, during this year, eight Blandford girls married soldiers.

In 1755, the famous Damory Oak was felled. It stood 75 feet high and its cavity could hold 20 men. During the Civil War, an old man sold beer in it. Its wood was sold for fourteen pounds.

During Blandford Races, cockerel fighting took place regularly in the White Bear and the Cock Inn.

Eccentric Jonas Hanway, the first man to use an umbrella in London, stayed at the Lion Inn with friends.

In 1756, thirty Blandford men joined the army stationed on Blandford Down and led by Major-General James Wolfe.

A highwayman stole the horse of Oxford clergyman, Reverend Collins as he travelled between Shaftesbury and Blandford. In return he gave the clergyman his old nag enabling the man of the cloth to continue on his way.

(Illustration: Blandford Market Place)

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Chimney Sweep Tragedy

Crown Hotel, Blandford is reckoned to be one of Dorset’s oldest hostelries. Yet its most tragic day, during a long history, must surely be when a young chimney sweep lost his life. The chimney sweep, who was just a child, suffocated and was burnt to death in a Crown Hotel chimney which had been alight a little while before. ‘His cries were dreadful and no-one could give assistance. Part of the chimney was taken down before he was got out.’ (Salisbury & Winchester Gazette 27th March 1780) The lad had gone up one chimney and attempting to go down another had become stuck. At the time children were used to climb up chimneys to clean out soot deposits. With hands and knees, they would shimmy up narrow dark flue spaces packed thick with soot and debris. After the 1731 Great Fire of Blandford it was realised that it was important to sweep chimneys regularly while many rebuilt houses had narrower ones. Smaller chimneys and complicated flues were a potential death trap for children. The sw

Murder at Gussage St Michael

Gussage St Michael is a quiet North Dorset village with a population of few more than a couple of hundred. Yet for several months in 1913, it made headlines across the world as far away as Australia and New Zealand. William Walter Burton, a rabbit catcher, was found guilty of murdering his lover, 24 year-old Winifred Mitchell and had buried her in a lonely wood. Winifred Mary Mitchell was 5ft 5 ins tall, dark haired and was employed as a cook. She was known as ‘ Winnie ’ and ‘cookie’ . Winnie wore false teeth that had been given to her by a former employer. On the 9 th August 1913, South Australia’s Adelaide Advertiser reported. ‘ In the annals of crime, there have been few murders so carefully planned and so ingeniously carried out and it will be remembered that the judge in passing sentence of death intimated that Burton was beyond human forgiveness.’ William Burton walked alone to the scaffold and was hanged at Dorchester Prison on the morning of Tuesday 24 th June 1913.

Tarrant Rushton's Nuclear Secret

Tarrant Rushton was a large RAF base used for glider operations during World War II. It was then taken over by Flight Refuelling for the conversion of aircraft for the development of aircraft in-flight refuelling. However, between 1958 & 1965, the Tarrant Rushton airfield had a much more secretive and less publicised role. This was in support of the nation’s nuclear bomber deterrent, as Tarrant Rushton airfield became a QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) dispersal unit. During 1958, contractors Costain reinforced the main runway and carried out other work to ensure the giant bomber aircraft could be accommodated. At times just a few miles from Blandford, there would have been up to four RAF Vickers Valiant bombers at Tarrant Rushton ready to become airborne in minutes charged with nuclear weapons. The bombers were from 148 Squadron at RAF Marham in Norfolk. As there was no suitable accommodation at the airfield, an old US Air Force Hospital building at Martin was used. At the time, the

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