STURMINSTER, or STURMINSTER-NEWTON-CASTLE, is a parish and small market town, 10 miles N.W. from Blandford, 8 S.W. from Shaftesbury, 20 N. from Dorchester, and 110 W.S.W. from London, standing principally upon the north bank of the river Stour, from whence the first syllable of its name, Stur, is derived, Minster from its ancient church, and Newton-Castle from a suburb, having a castle on the opposite side of the river, to which hamlet it is united by a stone bridge of six arches.
The town is of great antiquity, as many of its low-built, ill-contrived dwellings seem to demonstrate; about the market place, however, a few of the houses are of a different class, being either modernized or of more modern build, and exhibit a pleasing contrast, when their uniformity is placed in comparison with the gable ends and pointed roofs of the older unimproved edifices. The market house is a convenient building, the upper part of it forming warehouses, and the basement is partly occupied by the butchers’ shambles. At one period woollen goods were made here, but at the present time no manufactures exist; it has however, the best market in the county for horned cattle. Petty sessions for the hundred are held here, and manorial courts annually, when constables and other officers are appointed. The parish church, (St. Mary) was some few years since entirely rebuilt, except the tower (and this was repaired and heightened), at the entire cost of the Rev. T. H. Fox, the present vicar; it is a handsome cruciform structure, in the Norman style of architecture. The original building was constructed by John Selwood, a monk of Glastonbury. Here is a place of worship for Wesleyans, and there are public schools for instructing poor children of each sex. Sturminster, with 19 parishes, forms a union under the poor law amendment act, and about a quarter of a mile from the town a suitable workhouse has been erected. Fairs are held on May 12th, and October the 24th, and an excellent market for cattle on every alternate Thursday. In 1841 the parish contained 1910 persons. On the Newton side of the river are the remains of the ancient castle; it is supposed this strong hold was originally constructed by the Romans, and afterwards used as the regal residence of the West Saxon Kings.
POST OFFICE, at Henry Burbidge’s. Letters despatched to all parts, at 6.25 p.m. and delivered at 7 a.m.
| (All the names without addresses are at Sturminster Newton) | |
| Aitchison Mrs. Mary, Newton Baverstock Mrs. Sarah Bleathman Mr. Andrew, Newton Davis Mrs. Selina Fox Rev. Thos. Henry Lane (vicar) Newman Miss Louisa Tulk Mrs. Susan Adams Charles, beer retailer Adams Chas. carpenter & wheeler Baker George, hair cutter and stationer Best John, tin plate worker Bleathman Thos. dairyman, Newton Brice Edward, veterinary surgeon Bright Daniel, baker Brown John, Swan Inn Burbidge Hy. watch & clock maker Burden John, grocery dlr. Newton Cheesewright William, surgeon Cluett Thos. beer retailer, grocery, &c. dealer and blacksmith Colbourne and Potter, grocers, &c. Conway John, watch & clock mkr Cowley John, stonemason Curtis James, boot and shoemaker Dashwood Thomas, solicitor and agent to West of England F. & L. office Dorset bank (Branch) manager, Colbourne William, jun. (draw upon Williams and Co.), distributor of stamps, and agent to the Imperial Fire and Standard Life office Duffett Samuel butcher and farmer, Newton Foot James, Bull Inn Newton Fudge Jonathan, blacksmith, Newton Good John, surgeon Goodfellow Ann, dressmaker Goodfellow Richard, tallow chandler Goodridge John, surgeon Gould Jane, milliner, &c. Green Joseph, baker Hames Rt. master of free school Hammond John, super. of police Hancock Thomas, ironmonger Harris Martha, grocer and printer Harvey Robert Ridout, solicitor and clerk to magistrates Hawkins Thos. agent to the Royal Farmers’ Fire and Life office Hayward Robert, cooper, Newton Hutchins Alex. grazier, Newton Hutchins Sarah, mistress of Infant school Inkpen Thomas, carpenter, Newton Isaac Henry, draper and hatter Isaac Catharine, tanner Jackson Edwd. grocery, &c. dealer and druggist Jackson Joseph, beer retailer Kennell Robert, grazier, Newton Knott Ambrose, farmer Knott William, grocery, &c. dealer Lambert William, farmer Long Samuel Walter, solicitor, clerk to the board of guardians, and agent to Norwich Union Fire and Life office Longman Samuel C. chemist and grocer, agent to the Monarch Fire and Life office Lucas Silvester, boot and shoemaker, Newton | March Stephen, blacksmith Melmoth Thomas, saddle maker Newlyn Nicholas S. Crown Commercial Inn and Posting House Newman John, miller Newman Joseph, tailor Newman Richard, bricklayer Parry Robert, solicitor Paviour Richard, surveyor of roads Paviour Thomas B. linen draper Percy Robert, farmer, Newton Phillips Edwin, plumber & glazier Pile William, brushmaker, Newton Rake Martin, miller Read Joseph, cheese factor, Newton Roberts Richard, manager at the National and Provincial bank (draw upon the London Joint Stock), and agent to the Globe Fire and Life office, and the Clerical life Rose Benjamin, tailor Rose Daniel, farmer and baker Rose Edward, grocery dealer Rose Harriet, milliner and dressmaker Rose Henry, carpenter Rose James, farmer Rose James, farmer, Newton Rose James, tailor Rose Job, farmer, Newton Rose Joseph, butcher, Newton Rose Samuel, farmer, Newton Rose Thomas, beer retailer Rossiter John, auctioneer, appraiser and corn merchant, and agent to Pelican Life and Phoenix Fire offices, and Property Protection Society Rowland Thos. boot & shoemaker Ryall Elizabeth, milliner Sherring Richard, cooper Short Aaron, grocery dealer Short Edmund, butcher Short John, butcher, Newton Spencer Rt. brick maker, Newton Spicer James, blacksmith, Newton Spinney Thomas Edward, music master, and agent to Church of England Fire and Life office Stickland James, beer retailer and carrier Strange James, farmer Strange James, jun. grocer Strange John, currier and leather cutter Strange John, farmer Strange Joseph, farmer Stroud Henry, farmer, Newton Sweet Mary, mistress of Free School Symes George, veterinary surgeon Tapper Eliza, ‘White Hart’ Topp Richard and Henry, farmers Tuck Mark, grocer and baker Tuffin James, butcher, Newton Tuffin Sylvester, confectioner Union Workhouse, master, Clough William Kemp; mistress, Clough Caroline Young Edward, boot & shoemaker Young John, boot and shoemaker Young Robert, tailor and woollen draper |
CARRIERS to BLANDFORD, Ford and Co., Tues. Thur. and Sat. at 7 p.m., also, Stickland, Sat. 8 a.m., likewise the Post cart daily, at 6 25 p.m. BRISTOL, Dodimead, Tues. Wed. and Fri. at 1 p.m. POOLE, Dodimead, Mon. Wed. and Fri. 1 p.m. SHAFTESBURY & STALBRIDGE, Ford & Co. Tues. Th. & Sat. at 2 p.m. WEYMOUTH, Stickland, Mon. 8 a.m.
