Blandford Throwback Facts XIV

In 1863, Blandford railway station opened on 21^st September when a line that previously ended in Blandford St Mary was brought into the town.

Led by the owner of the Crown Hotel, Robert Eyers the Blandford Town Band won the National Brass Band Championship held at the Crystal Palace. There were four Hunt brothers in the Band. On returning to Blandford, they were met by the Rifle Volunteers and marched around the town amidst cheering crowds.

After the railway station was opened, seven new inns were built in the town.

Reverend William Barnes lectured on Dorset dialect to the Blandford Literacy & Scientific Institution.

In 1864, music hall star in the USA and Britain, Samuel Cowell died in his East Street lodgings and was buried in Blandford Cemetery. He had twice performed before Queen Victoria at Windsor and also before the US President yet died a bankrupt. A charity concert was organised to raise money to pay for his gravestone. A horse drawn coach from the Crown Hotel met every train arriving at Blandford railway station.

In 1865, Mary Ann Smith was matron of the County of Dorset Female Penitentiary located at 77 Salisbury Street.

In 1868, workhouse master, Robert Morgan resigned after he was charged with drunkenness, false accounting and stock deficiencies.

In 1870, Charles Bennett was born in Shapwick. Known as the ‘Shapwick Express', the railway worker was the first British track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal. Chief Medical Officer reported 60 wells in the town had undrinkable water.

In 1871, local newspaper, the Blandford Express Christmas edition cost one penny. It had advertisements for Holloway’s ointment, a professed cure for all ailments, Borwick’s Baking Powder, ideal for pies & puddings, and Peruvian bird droppings fertiliser. Parish of Blandford had a population of 3,900 accommodated in 731 houses.

In 1873, early trade union leader, Joseph Arch spoke at a meeting of the National Agricultural Labourers’ Union held in the Corn Exchange.

A train travelling at 50m.p.h. approaching Stourpaine, hit some heifers that had wandered onto the line because of a broken fence. One of the heifers was cut to pieces while a second was knocked sideways by the locomotive Blandford Church bells were rung to celebrate local landowner, Lord Portman being made a Viscount by Queen Victoria.

(Illustration: Entertainer Sam Cowell)

Comments

True Lovers Knot - a Tragic Tale

True Lovers Knot public house describes itself as a traditional inn set in a picturesque Dorset valley in Tarrant Keynston. Yet, this historical hostelry is said to have gained its name from a particularly tragic tale and still to be haunted by a distressed former publican. This publican’s son met and fell in love with the daughter of the local squire. Because the young lad was not from the gentry they decided to keep their relationship secret from her father. Unfortunately, a stable hand saw the two young lovers together and told her father. Set firmly against this friendship the squire made plans to send his daughter away from the district. Not able to face up to life without her boyfriend, the young girl decided to commit suicide and hanged herself from a tree in the village. So upset was the publican’s son of hearing of his girlfriend’s death he too hanged himself from the same tree. The Tarrant Keynston publican had, himself lost his wife at child birth and now losing his son b

Holton Heath's Tragic Explosion

Ten were killed and 23 were injured according to newspaper reports at the time. This made it one of Dorset’s worst ever industrial accidents. Holton Heath employees were blown into unrecognisable fragments necessitating a roll call of the factory’s entire staff before the identities of those killed were identified. Eleven men were originally believed to have been killed but when a roll call was held one turned up. A crimson red plume of acid vapour had towered into the sky resembling the shuddering eruption of a volcano. It was caused by the bursting of a sulphuric acid tank. Close by low buildings vanished and the shock affected houses for 20 miles with roof slates dislodged, ornaments knocked down and windows broken. The sound of the explosion could be heard at Shillingstone some 18 miles away. Closer to the factory, a hoe was wrenched from the hands of a gardener who was flung against a tree. One fortunate employee, Charles Rogers owed his life to having to leave, just before the

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

Search This Blog