West Stour
EXTRACTS FROM DIRECTORIES
J G Harrods & Co's Postal & Commercial Directory 1865
WEST STOWER is a
parish and village, in the hundred of Red Lane, and union of Shaftesbury, and
division of Sturminster, distant 5 miles W. from Shaftesbury, and 4 from
Gillingham south-west. The church (St Mary) is an ancient edifice, and the
living is a curacy, annexed, with Motcomb and East Stower, to the vicarage of
Gillingham. The population in 1861 was 215; acreage, 1,015.
Postal Regulations.-Letters
are received from Blandford, which is the postal town.
Nearest money-order office is at Gillingham.
BENJAFIELD Mr. Silas
COMMERCIAL
AYLES Thomas, farmer
AYLES Stephen, farmer, Stour hill Farm
DENNIS John, Ship commercial Inn and brewer
GODWIN Robert, postmaster
HARDING Henry, farmer
HERSENT James, shopkeeper
HISCOCK Arthur, farmer
HOSKINS George, shoemaker
JASPER George, cheese factor
JUKES John, farmer
MOORE Thomas, farmer
MURRISH Christopher, shopkeeper
Kelly’s Directory of Dorsetshire 1880
WEST STOWER (or Stour) is a small parish pleasantly situated on the high road from Shaftesbury to Sherborne and Yeovil, in the union, country court district and petty sessional division of Shaftesbury, hundred of Redlane, diocese of Salisbury, archdeaconry of Dorset and rural deanery of Shaftesbury first portion, 5 1/2 miles west from Shaftesbury and 4 south-west from Gillingham railway station. The river Stour passes through this parish. The church of St. Mary is an ancient stone structure, principally Early English, having chancel and nave, with square embattle tower containing 3 bells : It has an organ and a gallery at the west end. The register dates from the year 1654. The living is a vicarage, annexed with Motocombe and East Stower to the vicarage of Gillingham, joint yearly valve £1,313, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury, and held by the Rev. Henry DEANE B.C.L. of New College, Oxford; curate, the Rev. Sidney Coleridge SMITH. Here are small chapels for Baptists and Primitive Methodists. G.D. Wingfield DIGBY esq. is the principal landowner. The soil is sand and clay; subsoil, stone and gravel. The land is chiefly in pasture; the area is 1,016 acres; rateable value £2,096. The population in 1871 was 197.
Parish Clerk, Thomas HOSKINS.
Letters through Bath. Gillingham is the nearest money order office. Wall
Letter Box cleared at 4:30 p.m. week days only
National
School,
Miss E. SHADDOCK, mistress
BENJAFIELD Mrs
HAYTER Charles Commercial
AYLES Stephen, farmer & cowkeeper
AYLES George & Thomas, farmers
DINNES John, Ship Commercial inn,
& farmer
HARSENT James, shopkeeper
HISCOCK Arthur, farmer
HISCOCK Edwin, farmer
HISCOCK William, farmer
HOSKINS Thomas, shoe maker
JUKES Ann (Mrs.), farmer
MORRISH Christopher, shopkeeper
RABBITS Edward. farmer
Kelly’s
Directory of Dorsetshire 1895
WEST STOWER (or Stour) is a small parish, pleasantly situated on the river Stour and high road from Shaftesbury to Sherborne and Yeovil, 4 miles south-west from Gillingham station on the London and South Western railway, and 5 1/2 west from Shaftesbury, in the Northern division of the country, hundred of Redlane, petty sessional division, union and county court district of Shaftesbury, rural deanery of Shaftesbury (Shaftesbury portion), archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. The church of St. Mary is a stone structure, having an ancient Decorated chancel, a modern nave, south porch and a square embattled tower of Perpendicular date, containing 3 bells; it has an organ and a gallery at the west end. The register dates from the year 1654. The living is a chapelry, annexed with East Stower to the vicarage of Gillingham, average tithe rent-charge £1,146, joint gross yearly value £1,152, net £318, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury, and held since 1891 by the Rev. Sidney Edmund DAVIES, M.A. of Worcester College, Oxford, rural dean of Shaftesbury, and surrogate, who reside at Gillingham. Here are small chapels for Baptists and Primitive Methodists. J.K.D. WINGFIELD-DIGBY esq. M.P. of Sherborne Castle is the principal landowner. The soil is sand and clay : subsoil, stone and gravel. The land is chiefly in pasture. The area is 998 acres ; rateable value, £1,854 ; the population in 1891 was 158.
Parish Clerk, Thomas HOSKINS
Letters through Bath, arrive at 8:30 a.m. Gillingham is the nearest
money order office ; Sandley, Buckhorn Weston, is the nearest telegraph office.
Wall Letter Box, cleared at 5:15 p.m. week days only
National School (mixed), built in 1870, for 50 children; average
attendance, 30; Mrs. Constance M. BOWN, mistress
Carrier to Wincanton,--Henry HELLIER, wed. & sat
Russell EDWARD, Laburnam villa
COMMERCIAL
AYLES Jn. Harry, farmer, Stower Hill fm
AYLES Stephen, frmr. Lit. Kington fm
BROCKWAY Jn. Farmer, Townsend farm
BUTLER George, farmer, Woodhouse fm
DENNETT Alfd. Ship commercial inn
HARSENT James, shopkeeper
HELLIER Hy. Markt, gardnr. & carrier
HISCOCK Albert, farmer, Manor farm
HISCOCK William, farmer, Church Fm
HOPKINS Geo. Farmer, Cocking farm
HOSKINS James George, teacher of music & poor’s rate collector for
Kingston Magna
HOSKINS Thos. Shoe ma. & parish clrk
HUTCHINGS J. Hy. Carpenter & wheelwt
SHIPP Edward, butcher & farmer