Throwback Facts XI

In 1827, Edward Berkeley Portman of Bryanston married Emma Lascelles who became a Lady in Waiting and close confidante of Queen Victoria.

In 1830, the ‘Tally Ho’ horse drawn coach called at the Greyhound Inn on alternate weekdays on its way from Weymouth to London and similarly on the way back.

Edward Portman ‘regaled’ the returning Blandford horsemen with strong beer after they had ridden north to put down riots in villages around Sixpenny Handley. This refreshment was ‘received with good cheer.’

In 1831, Dragoon Guards were sent to Blandford from Weymouth to put down rioting. The soldiers fired upon and cut with sabres many of the rioters. Richard Bleathman and George Long were sentenced to death for taking part in the riots. Many of the windows in the Greyhound Inn were broken in the riot.

Button making was a major Blandford business. A workhouse inmate was capable of producing up to 200 handmade buttons in a day. Many women were attracted to button making because it paid better than agricultural labouring and young mothers could better look after children working at home.

Beer was the Godwin family’s business. Silas Godwin was the publican at the Three Choughs public house, Henry and John Godwin brewed beer at their Durweston brewery and Philip Godwin produced malt in Pimperne.

In 1833, Blandford’s first public library opened in the Assembly Rooms.

In 1834, the title of Mayor of Blandford was first used instead of Bailiff.

In 1835, there was a ‘most dreadful hailstorm’ which shattered 20,000 squares of glass. Smuggled brandy was still on sale in the town.

In 1836, until this year, the Bishop of Bristol’s Registry for the Archdeaconry of Dorset was kept in Blandford.

Consisting of part-timers, the town’s first police force was appointed. The superintendent was paid twenty ponds per annum and the constables one shilling and six pence (7p) for four hours by day or night.

(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

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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

The Blandford Express

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