KELLY'S DIRECTORY 1899
Transcribed for the OPC Project by Annette Rose
Okeford Fitzpaine is a parish and village 1-1/2 miles south-west from the Shillingstone station on the Midland and South Western joint railway, 7 north-west from Blandford and 4 south-east from Sturminster Newton, in the Northern division of the county, hundred, petty sessional division and union of Sturminster Newton, county court district of Blandford, rural deanery of Shaftesbury (Sturminster Newton portion), archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. Under the operation of the Divided Parishes Act, a portion of the parish of Belchalwell has for civil purposes only been added to this parish, and the remainder to Fifehead Neville. The church of St. Michael is a building of stone in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, north porch, and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing 5 bells: the ancient stone pulpit, used as a font in the last century by the Rev. D. Butler, a former rector, has since been restored to its original purpose: there is a memorial window to the Rev. G. Rivers Hunter, 52 years rector here: the church was thoroughly restored in 1866 at a cost of over £2000, and has 344 sittings. The register dates from the year 5133. The living is a rectory, net income £382, with 74 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Lieut.-Gen. A.H.L, Fix-Pitt-Rivers, and held since 1872 by the Rev. John Henry Phillips B.A. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge . There are Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels here and a Wesleyan chapel at Fiddleford. A charity of about £14.10s. derived from land in Haselbury Bryant, is divided every two years in clothing amongst the poor. There are brick and tile works belonging to Mr. Alfred Charles Todd. Lieut.-Gen. A.H.L. Fox-Pitt-Rivers F.R.S., F.S.A. of Rushmore, is lord of the manor and chief landowner, The soil is a deep sandy loam ; subsoil, chalk, sand and clay. The land is chiefly in pasture, with some wheat, barley and roots. The area is 3,739 acres; rateable vale, which includes a portion of Belchalwell (added by Local Government Board Order in 1884), £5,599; the population in 1891 was 687 in the civil and 557 in the ecclesiastical parish.
Fiddleford is a hamlet, transferred in 1884 by Local Government Board Order from Child Okeford to Okeford Fitzpaine; it lies on the road from Sturminster Newton to Blandford, between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton, and is equi-distant about 2 miles from the churches of each.
Parish Clerk, George Loder
Post & M.O.O., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office - James Strange, sub-postmaster. Letters from Blandford arrive at 7 a.m. & 2.30 p.m. ; dispatched at 11.50 a.m. & 6.15 p.m. ; sunday, arrive at 7 a.m. & dispatched at 11.30 a.m. The nearest telegraph office is at Shillingstone, 2 miles distant.
Post Office, Fiddleford. – James Ridout, sub-post-master. Letters from Blandford arrive at 6.10 a.m. ; dispatched at 6.40 p.m. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Sturminster Newton, 3 miles distant.
National School (mixed), built in 1873, with residence for master, for 140 children; average attendance, 105; James Head, master; Mrs Elizabeth Head, infants mistress
Carrier. - Frank Pope, to Blandford, wed. & sat
OKEFORD FITZPAINE.
Andrews Miss
Andrews Mrs
Phillips Rev. Jn. Henry B.A. (rector)
Todd Alfred Charles
COMMERCIAL
Adams Rosana (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Allen. Joseph, farmer
Allen, Tom, farmer
Andrews William, farmer, Darknell frm
Broad, George, farmer
Field, Walter, threshing machine propr
Hallett William, farmer
Harrington Thomas, dairyman
Hilliar John, sen. farmer
Hilliar John, New inn
Hilliar Thomas, miller (water)
Loder George, carpenter
Miller Jasper, farmer, Room farm
Mullett Samuel, hay & straw dealer
Phillips Edward, butter & cheese factr
Phillips Eli Tom, frmr. Etheridge frm
Phillips Joseph, farmer, Stroud farm
Pope Frank, carrier
Pope Joseph, tailor
Rawles Edward, builder
Read Harriett (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Ridout Alfred James, coal merchant
Ridout Elizabeth (Mrs.), hay dealer & farmer, Garland
Ridout John, hay dealer
Ridout Selina (Mrs.), farmer
Ridout William, hay dealer
Stickland Ann (Mrs.), farmer
Strange James, boot & shoe maker & post officer
Strange Jane (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Thorne Joshua, boot & shoe maker
Tizzard William, blacksmith
Todd Aldfred Charles, brick & tile manufacturer & farmer
Trent William, hay dealer
Trowbridge William, hay dealer
Trowbridge Geo. Carpenter & ironmngr
Trowbridge James, carpenter
Trowbridge Tom, farmer
Wareham Alfred, grocer
Woolfrey George, Royal Oak P.H.
Woolridge Annie, (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Young Robert, boot & shoe maker
FIDDLEFORD
Adams Phillips Charles, brewer, maltster & farmer
Caines Thomas, stone mason
Cressey Joseph, carpenter & shopkeeper
Cross Henry, dairyman, Angers farm
Furnell George, shopkeeper
Maidment Stephen, shopkeeper
Ridout James, shopkeeper. Post office
Rose Mary (Mrs.), miller (water)
Topp Charles, butcher
Wilds William, farmer