Miss Lawes in her carriage by the gates to Wootton Fitzpaine Manor

The Pass Family out for a ride in Symondsbury

Rose Cottage, near the Village Hall at Wootton Fitzpaine.Notice The Saw Pit for sawing down tree trunks for timber.

Rose Cottage again, but this time with a huge tree trunk ready for sawing.

The 17th century Knapp Farm House, which used to be the Village Inn. The Pass family were Quakers who bought the village and it was closed.

The Ancient Higher Abbotts Wootton  Grange was the home in 1911 of Mary Bussell, who was aged 61 in that year.

Mary Bussell farmed at  the Grange, Higher Abbots Wootton and was well known for her Blue Vinney Cheese. She is seen here fetching water from the Well.

Mary Bussell and Sarah Parsons are sitting in the fireplace of  Abbotts Grange in this delightful postcard by Samuel Hansford.

The location of this beautiful cottage has still to be discovered!

Keepers House at Wootton Fitzpaine.

Tom and Annie  Miller lived in Champneys Mill in 1911. Their daughter Maggie is shown here standing in front of The Mill wheel.

Mrs. Hooper at Higher Pound Farm at Black Pool  in Monkton Wyld.

The Henleys are seen here outside The Forge, Long Lane Cottage, Wootton Cross

Rev John  Williams is in the centre of this line up of his family and servants outside Plenty Cottage in Whitchurch Canonicorum.

The Band of Hope was a temperance movement for young children and was encouraged by the Pass family who were non conformists. .They are seen here outside the village hall at Wootton Fitzpaine.

Ian Fraser  is the gentleman on the horse, he was nephew of Elizabeth, the wife of Alfred Capper Pass. The building on the right is the Gate keepers house to the Manor.

Three generations of the Symonds family at Griddleshay, Whitchurch Canonicorum.  Simeon, aged 75  and Ann, aged 70 sit in the doorway. Their son and grandson have buckets and stools with yokes over their shoulders to carry them to the dairy.

Another fascinating photograph of Simeon Symonds and his family at Griddleshay.

Mrs Lily Sloman is photographed by Samuel Hansford outside the Village Hall, where she was the caretaker,  before the war memorial was erected on the front.

The view today with the clock and war memorial on its front.

Tom Havis  was the Gamekeeper for the Pass estate and lived at Chamerhay in Wootton. The other photo is of Joe Studley who was a butcher by trade, sheep shearing at Monkton Wyld.

 A group of workers having a break from their tree planting at Monkton Wyld, that was encouraged by the Pass family. 

Mr William Huxter of Knapp Farm in Wootton Fitzpaine and Mr. Thomas Spurle of Seatown Farm in Chideock who were horse dealers and farmers.

Tom Havis the Game keeper  and Samuel Miller who lived at Champerhay Mill at Wootton.

Timber Hauling at Wootton Fitzpaine. Frank Hooper and son with three horses. The family were farmers, but to help their income they would do timber, sand and gravel hauling. The wife and daughters stayed at home to look after the stock, and make the butter and cheese.

Pheasant Rearing was important for shooting on the Pass Estate. In the background is Keepers Cottage at Wootton.

George Miller rented Westover Farm from The Pass family and carefully walking across the narrow plank bridge with a basket of fruit on the  footpath from Westover Lane.

Sheep washing at Wootton Fitzpaine. Local farmers brought their sheep here for washing, prior to sheep-shearing.

Another evocative postcard produced by Samuel Hansford recording this bygone event.

The Reverend Lacy  stands in front of the Rectory at Wootton Fitzpaine

Here The Reverend Lacy is photographed by Samuel Hansord by his desk piled high with books and papers for his Sermons.

Page Doble and his wife Lavinia with some of their 8 children around the fire at  Old Manor farm in Wootton Fitzpaine.

On the left of the fireplace is a brass tray with a peach design that Samuel Hansford made to raise money for the hospital fees for his daughter, Mabel.

The photograph is described as "London Nurse and Dorset Farmer, Wootton" by Samuel Hansford. On the left is Samuel Miller who is taking his medicine from the young nurse. He lived at Champenhay Mill with his wife, Frances and their three children.

John and Martha Govier sit by their fire at their house in Ryall. He was a shoemaker and also part time postman and carrier. A marvellous record of an elderly couple sitting by their wood fire, kettle boiling while she knits and he reads his paper.

Another wonderful record of an interior of a farmhouse fireplace with Mrs Martha Govier on the right. The photo graph is so sharp that you can see that the Thorleys Food Calender on the left of the overmantle is for the year 1912.

George Dare is seen here with his wife, Annie of Mearhay Farm in Wootton Fitzpaine with their 12 children.

The 1911 Census has Rachel Case `s entry as being aged 95 and was  living with her daughter, Emma and son, Job Case a Mason at Partway in Wootton. The entry also shows that she had 9 children. She finally died when she was 100.

The Manor Rook Shoot at Wootton Fitzpaine in 1908 featuring Page Doble of Manor Farm, Frank Hooper of Higher Pound Farm and John Toms of Hogchester Farm.

Mr and Mrs. Studley, Greenland's, Monkton Wylde with their pets. The other photograph is of Albert and Margaret Larcombe with their children. He was the Butler for the Pass family at the Manor.

Mr. Mark Doble of Manor Farm, Bettiscombe on the left and  Charles and Thurza Wells who lived at Monkton Wyld Cross in a Hawkers Van on the right.

The Whitchurch Canonicorum Bell Ringers in action.

The Old Five Bells at Whitchurch which was rebuilt after being destroyed in a fire.

The Old Post Office on The Green in Morcombelake managed by Mrs Miller who is seen in the entrance.

Whitchurch Canonicorum with its Post Office and Church on the top right hand side of the photograph.

This evocative photograph shows Moores Bakery behind the young lady, very little changed from how it appears today.

Moore's Bread Cart on its deliveries of the villages around Morcombelake.

The lane from the Ship Inn, Morcombelake to Whitchurch Canonicorum showing Manscombe.

A moment in time before automobiles arrived to disturb the silence. A donkey is seen on the right towing a cart piled high with Hay.

The Ship Inn is in the far distance at Morcombelake.

Our final photo is that of Samuel and his family on the steps of Nutcombe Cottage. As he would gave said :
" If you have enjoyed my photos a little- you have enjoyed me a lot".