Benton Priory? Warminster

Robert Hallmann's mysterious photograph of a priory in a misty field.

BENTON PRIORY? WARMINSTER

Last week we received an enquiry from Robert Hallmann of Hadleigh in Essex. His photographs have been published in several books, including The Landscapes Of Essex (with text by Stan Jarvis) and Norfolk, A Portrait In Colour (with text by Keith Skipper), both published by Countryside Books. Robert has also written about times gone by, and his published work includes A History Of Canvey Island, published by Phillimore.

Robert wanted to confirm some details for a photograph he took a long while ago - a photograph which had been labelled on the back: Benton Priory, Warminster. He wanted to confirm the subject of the photo was in Warminster, and he intends, it seems, to discover some history concerning this building. His enquiries led him to phone Warminster Information Centre, where Barbara Gilmour was very helpful and passed on to Robert the contact details for Danny Howell.

Robert then phoned Danny Howell. Danny was able to tell Robert straight away that there is not and never has been a building called Benton Priory in Warminster. Danny asked Robert to e-mail him the photo to see if he could recognise it. Robert soon e-mailed the photo (the one pictured above), which shows an unusual building with all the traits of an early religious edifice. The view looks across a misty field towards it, and as Robert himself said, the picture has something of an eerie atmosphere about it - the photo would easily lend itself to illustrate a ghost story.

The good news is that Danny has now been able to identify the building and its location. It is in Somerset and a few miles from Warminster. It stands adjacent to the A36 Warminster to Bath road, beyond Woolverton but before you get to Limpley Stoke. It is situated between the villages of Freshford and Norton St. Philip. It is on the left side of the road, opposite the turning for Abbey Lane which drops down into Freshford.

Danny says: "I thought the building in the photograph was similar to one I had glimpsed through some trees there whenever I travelled to Bath. I had always been aware of it, but, of course, when you're driving a car on a busy road, you don't get the chance to have a good look. I had to go to Freshford this afternoon (Saturday 21st November 2009) and I used the opportunity to park up and have a closer look at that building. It is indeed the one in Robert Hallmann's photograph. The building and its grounds are not accessible to the public, and the drive leading to it is barred by an iron gate. The pillars of the gateway bear plaques which read Hinton Priory."

So, for Benton Priory read Hinton Priory. Mystery solved.

There are several websites with information concerning Hinton Priory, so Robert should have no problem researching its history.

Danny Howell was happy to be of assistance, as always.

Forthcoming Titles From Bedeguar Books

FORTHCOMING TITLES FROM BEDEGUAR BOOKS

Bedeguar Books have many new titles planned for publication during 2010 and production of several of these is already under way.

We are pleased to announce that our new books will include:

Farmer John - John Forward.
In this fully illustrated autobiography, John tells of the Forward family tree and Chapmanslade; his education at Corsley and later at Sambourne School, Warminster; the farms in Corsley, particularly Pope's Farm, Warden's Farm, and Long Hedge Farm, where he was a tenant farmer on the Longleat Estate; the village characters of Corsley; and the customary events which filled the local calendar. But this book is more than a village history, because John led such a very interesting life. He relates his experiences as a dowser; his researches into Woodhouse Castle, near Horningsham; the story behind "the grail" buried deep within Cley Hill; his own explorations of the tunnels under the landscape connecting Longleat House with Cley Hill, Norridge and the Parish Church Of St. Denys' in Warminster; and the establishment of the Longhedge farm machinery and rural collection. Plus his fundraising for charities, and much, much more. Illustrated throughout. Most of this book is based on tape-recorded interviews made with John Forward by Danny Howell, at a time when John was ill - prior to his moving into a nursing home, where he later died. This book will delight farming folk and country-lovers for sure.
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Sutton Veny History - David Eyres and Danny Howell.
Farmer David Eyres and historian Danny Howell have joined forces to produce a series of fascinating books which bring together many previously unseen pictures, documents and items of memorabilia concerning the village of Sutton Veny. Tape-recorded interviews and gleanings from the archives also combine to give a unique portrait of all things Sutton Veny from farming to local businesses and shops, the military connection, churches and chapel, the school, transport and communications, clubs and societies, and the sporting life, as well as people, places, buildings and events. The village teams for bowls, cricket and football; the game of Pushball; the old inns of the village; a history of F. &. G. Sykes, and their poultry and pig business; the archaeology of the local landscape; and a host of country characters; are just a few of the topics to be regaled in print. Lavishly illustrated too. A must for anyone who loves Sutton Veny or the Wylye Valley.
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George Mitchell.
Born in Winterbourne Stoke, the son of a clever farm worker, George Mitchell tells his charmed life story, growing up in the village, helping out on a farm and witnessing the events of the Second World War years; working on a farm at Wishford, and progressing to a career as a farm manager. Plus his military service and memories of his time as a member of the Royal Signals White Helmets motorcycle display team. Now living in retirement at Upton Lovell in the Wylye Valley, George takes part in vintage ploughing matches with a Nuffield tractor he restored from poor condition, and all of this is included in the book too. Based on the tape-recordings made by Danny Howell. Fully illustrated.
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Percy And Me - Laura Trollope.
Laura Trollope, born in 1909, was the youngest daughter of the blacksmith Nelson Dewey, whose forge was at Emwell Street, Warminster; and the niece of the revered schoolmaster Harold Dewey, local councillor, and headmaster of the Avenue School for 22 years. Brought up in the Baptist faith, Laura married farmer Percy Trollope, of Horningsham. They started their married life on a farm at Blackford, near Wincanton, Somerset, and later moved to Broomclose Farm, Longbridge Deverill, where their two sons Clive and Earl are still farm-based today at Broomclose and Wing Farm. Percy, a keen historian, became the first curator of the museum in Warminster, in the days when it was housed in Curfew Cottage behind St. Laurence's Chapel. This is a delightful story, told by a delightful lady, as tape-recorded by Danny Howell, just a year or two before Laura, who was then residing at Westbury, passed away. Illustrated throughout.
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Offline - Danny Howell.
A new series of books, each featuring a variety of illustrated articles which will complement Danny Howell's Warminster and Wylye Valley website which will be launched in 2010. The first volume will include a photographic record of the long life spent in music by the late Bernie Reynolds of Warminster; an account of the prize-winning herd of Shorthorn cattle bred by Dean Willis at Bapton; the story of the Reverend Horace Wake of St. John's, Warminster, and the Boreham scout troop he founded and its summer camps in Norfolk and Belgium and elsewhere, as remembered by the young lads (now senior citizens) who were members of the troop, including Doug Dawkins and Doug Lakey; and the story concerning the time when American troops were billeted in the Old Brewery buildings in Warminster, where the cartoon illustrations of one of them, Private Bob Wise, who worked for Walt Disney, can still be seen drawn on the walls today. A fascinating collection of articles by Warminster's leading local historian. Fully illustrated throughout. A must-have anthology for the book shelf of every home in Warminster and the Wylye Valley.
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Heytesbury And Tytherington - Roger Osborne.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Garnett Osborne, who farmed at Parsonage Farm, Heytesbury, Roger Osborne farmed Manor Farm at Tytherington, keeping a herd of Shorthorn cattle and serving as President of the Shorthorn Cattle Society. In this, his autobiography, Roger recalls attending Mrs Fraser's school in Warminster, before attending Lord Weymouth's Grammar School and Dauntsey's agricultural school. This is a story of farming and the countryside as experienced by one of the Wylye Valley's best known and respected farmers. From the transcripts of recordings made by Danny Howell and fully illustrated throughout with many previously unpublished photographs.

Archaeology - Robert Smith.
We are pleased to say we are bringing together a book featuring the field-work, notes and photography of the late Robert Smith, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who later became an archaeologist with Wiltshire County Council. Included are his proposals for an archaeology visitor centre he planned as a public attraction on the Longleat Estate. Sadly, Robert Smith passed away while still a young man, and these plans never went ahead without him. The book also includes memories of "Bob" by his family, friends and colleagues.
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Other titles will be announced soon - watch this space for further details.

Admiral Vernon

ADMIRAL VERNON

325 years ago today, on 12 November 1684, one Edward Vernon was born in London. He became an English naval officer, nicknamed 'Old Grog' after his habit of always wearing a grogham coat while on deck. When, in 1746, he brought in the practice of diluting with water the Royal Navy sailors' daily rum ration, the watered-down ration became known as grog. Later on, lemon or lime juice was also added to the rum and water. (Note: Some historians refute the Vernon connection with grog; saying the word grog had been in use for some time previously).

1746 was also the year Vernon was court-martialled on a charge of publishing defamatory pamphlets against the Government. He always denied he had been involved with the pamphlets, but history now tells us he was certainly behind some of them.

Just a few years previously, he had been the commander of an expedition to the West Indies, capturing Spanish colonies. It is recorded that Vernon caused great excitement and joy for the British people when they heard how he had taken Porto Bello in 1739. Medals were struck, commemorating the victory, and these featured a depiction of Vernon's head, complete with the legend "He took Porto Bello with six ships".

My treasured copy of 'The Everyday Book Or A Guide To The Year: Describing The Popular Amusements, Sports, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs, And Events, Incident To The Three Hundred And Sixty Five Days, In Past And Present Times' by William Hone, published in 1888, states:

"The anniversary of this famous old admiral's nativity was formerly kept with great enthusiasm. It was distinguished in 1740 in a very extraordinary manner, by the ringing of bells, and public dinners in many places, &c. In the evening there were the greatest rejoicings, bonfires, and illuminations in London and other cities, that had been known for many years. Don Blass was burnt in some places, and at Chancery-lane-end was a pageant, whereon was represented admiral Vernon, and a Spaniard on his knees offering him a sword; a view of Porto Bello, &c.; over the admiral was wrote, "Venit, vidit, vicit;" and under him, "Vernon semper viret." "

The 'Don Blass' referred to in the quote above was Don Blas de Lezo, the one-legged, one-eyed Spanish hero who held off Vernon in the Battle of Cartagena (1741), a great disaster for the British, during the War Of Jenkin's Ear - part of the on-going conflict between Great Britain and Spain (1739-1748).

Admiral Vernon's name was, at the height of his fame, a popular public house moniker, his portrait featuring on the signs of such inns.

Reg Cundick, in his book The Inns And Taverns Of Warminster (published 1987), included some notes for a Warminster inn called the Admiral Vernon. Reg stated that this inn existed in Warminster in 1700 and that its name must have originated from the Admiral Vernon who had taken Porto Bello.

We have to remark though, that the Vernon we have been referring to, was only 16 years of age in 1700 (which was in fact the year he joined the Navy as a volunteer). He was promoted to a Leuitenant in 1702, to a Captain in 1706, and became an Admiral in 1745. If the inn existed in 1700 it must have had another name at that time, prior to becoming The Admiral Vernon.

Warminster's Admiral Vernon inn was at Silver Street, in the premises used in recent years as the Obelisk Antiques shop, next to the current Farmers Hotel and nearly opposite the entrance to Ash Walk. Reg Cundick also states in his book that the name of this inn changed from the Admiral Vernon to the New Inn "presumably after Vernon fell into disgrace".

Yet, "An Indexed Summary of the Alehouses named in the enrolled recognizances of licensed victuallers, 1747 to 1757" includes the inn still using the name Admiral Vernon (and records that the landlord was a Daniel Webb between 1754 and 1757), that's up to 11 years after Edward Vernon had been court-martialled. It seems more likely that the name of the inn ceased to be the Admiral Vernon, after 1757 (which was the year that Edward Vernon died).

I can confirm that the name The New Inn was being used in the second decade of the 19th century. It is listed in "An Indexed Summary of the Contents of the Register of Alehouses 1822-1827." The same summary records that the landlord of the New Inn, Warminster, in 1822, was a Christian Doswell; and for the years 1823 to 1827 the New Inn landlord was a John Lidbury.

Additional research may yield some more facts concerning the Admiral Vernon inn in Warminster.

In the meantime, if you have some rum and water and lemon or lime juice, and fancy the idea, you could raise a glass of grog today to the memory of Edward Vernon, the man who was not only victorious at Porto Bello but also had a career in politics, serving as Member Of Parliament for Ipswich. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. Those of you who don't like grog, especially if you live in London or another city, could possibly light a bonfire instead!

Danny Howell.

Fonthill Novel By Aubrey Menen

FONTHILL NOVEL BY AUBREY MENEN

Mrs. J. Colvin, who recently holidayed in our area, staying at a country cottage between Salisbury and Tisbury, has enquired whether we can give her any details for a book called Fonthill by Aubrey Menen.

We are pleased to reply that the Warminster & Wylye Valley Society For Local Study has a copy among its library, and from it we can glean the following details:

Fonthill is a comedy novel written by Aubrey Menen in 1973 and 1974 and it was first published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd., of 90 Great Russell Street, London, WC1, in 1975.

The story is set in the 1820s and is divided into five parts, namely: Private View, The Scandal, The Women, The Pillory, and Fontill Abbey.

Aubrey Menen in a note at the beginning of the book says:

“It is not generally known that part of Fonthill is still standing, though in a dilapidated state. The grounds, however, have reached that peak of natural beauty at which Beckford aimed. They are private property, but they may be visited by persons declaring their interest in the author of Vathek.”

“It was while walking in these grounds that this novel began to take shape in my mind. During the writing of it (1973) a standing silver cup collected by Beckford was sold at a London auction for £40,000; shortly after, Cozen’s sketchbooks were sold for £120,000.”

According to the notes on the back cover of the book:

“Aubrey Menen was born in London, of Indian and Irish parentage and attended University College, London, where H.G. Wells encouraged him as a writer. Menen become director of the Experimental Theatre, for which he wrote and produce several plays.”

“On a visit to the Nawab of Bhopal in India in 1939 he was appointed to organize war publicity on the radio, in English, and become one of the leading radio personalities in India. The nationalist parties opposed all support for the war, but nevertheless his programmes made Indian radio history with a very large following. After the war he joined the Political Department and undertook a special mission to a remote jungle tract in western India.”

“For the last twenty years Aubrey Menen has devoted his time entirely to writing. His best known books are The Prevalence of Witches, The Duke of Gallodoro, A Conspiracy of Women, Speaking the Language Like A Native, and The Space Within the Heart.”

Among Menen's other books, are, fiction:

The Stumbling Stone, The Backward Bride, The Ramayana, The Abode of Love, The Fig Tree, and Shela.

And, non-fiction:

Dead Man In A Silver Market, Rome For Ourselves, India (with photographs by Roloff Beny), Cities In The Sand, Upon This Rock, and The New Mystics (with photographs by Graham Hall).

The History of Nonconformity In Warminster

THE HISTORY OF NONCONFORMITY IN WARMINSTER

Rev Henry Mayo Gunn

Henry Mayo Gunn was born on 25 March 1817, at Chard, Somerset, where his father, John Gunn, was the Congregational Minister from 1815 to his death in 1836. Henry was educated at Mill Hill School (1832-1834), the University Of London and Coward College (1834-1839). He was the Assistant Minister at Basingstoke (1842-1845), and Minister at Alton, also in Hampshire (1845 to January 1848). It was in January 1848 that he accepted the "unanimous invitation" to be the Congregational Minister at Warminster - a position he held until the end of September 1870. Henry Mayo Gunn went on to be the Congregational Minister at Sevenoaks, Kent (from 1873 to 4 July 1880), where he was twice the Chairman of the Board of Sevenoaks School. He died at 14 Eaton Rise, Ealing, London, on 31 May 1886. His body was laid to rest at Hanwell Cemetery.

Gunn had served as Chairman of the Wilts and East Somerset Congregational Union for many years. He wrote many hymns - one of these, Our Fathers Were High-Minded Men, became known as the "Nonconformist National Anthem." Gunn was also the author a small number of books including The History Of Nonconformity In Warminster, which was written in 1853, when he was in his fifth year as Congregational Minister at Warminster. This book, as readers will discover, contains a great deal of information with regard the events, both locally and nationally, which shaped the shared destiny of those who chose not to worship in the established church but persevered for what they believed in, during what must have been troublesome times. Of compiling the details, the Reverend Gunn said "They have occupied much time and trouble," but he believed "they are worth preserving, and will prove encouraging and useful."

The Warminster And Wylye Valley Society For Local Study (WWV-SLS), who have instigated this new edition, acknowledge that Henry Mayo Gunn's details are indeed worth preserving, and to ensure a continuance of the information proving useful, the WWV-SLS instructed Bedeguar Books to publish again the History Of Nonconformity In Warminster for a new readership. To add to the usefulness, an index, which was sadly lacking from the original, has been appended. The text, however, is exactly as Gunn wrote it, complete with its archaic spelling and retaining its Victorian style.

The History Of Nonconformity In Warminster.

Rev. Henry Mayo Gunn.

Soft cover, 210 mm x 297 mm, 100 pages.
Published by Bedeguar Books.
November 2009.
ISBN (13): 9781872818375
ISBN (10): 1872818374