Topics about organisations and activities in Warminster.
Sutton Veny Cricket Club in 1921.
Back row, left to right:
Joe Poore, Albert Hinton, Reg Tudgay, Eddie Parker, Rev. Diampre, H.W. Jeans, Tommy Hicks.
Middle row, left to right:
H. Penfold, Harold Thorn, Oliver Lines (Captain), Phil Wardour, Mrs. E. Parker (scorer).
Front row, left to right:
Bert Brown, Len Dunford, Fred Boyce.
From a list of items in Harold Nelson Dewey’s diaries 1919-1947 (list made by Percy Trollope):
Thursday 17th June 1920
Mr. Dewey received and read Manley’s diary of his [Manley’s] experiences at Sambourne, featuring J. Bartlett who is Headmaster. Mr. Dewey remarks it is an indictment of the conduct of the school.
Portway Surgery, at Portway, Warminster, c1920.
The Bunch Of Grapes at Weymouth Street, Warminster, was included among the properties sold by the Longleat Estate in September 1919 (about 100 houses, cottages, shops, pubs, farms and smallholdings – described at the time as the largest property sale ever held in Warminster).
The sale catalogue described it as follows:
Lot 36. The Bunch of Grapes. A Six Days’ Licensed House in Weymouth Street, Warminster, containing, on Ground Floor, Bar, 21ft. x 17ft. 9 in. (fittings claimed by tenant); Smoke Room with servery to Bar, 13ft. 10in. x 13ft. At the rear is an annexe used as a Smoke Room, 23ft. 6in. x 9ft., also a lavatory. On the First Floor, Room 22ft. 6in. x 20ft., and one Bedroom. On Second Floor, 3 Bedrooms and large board. In Basement, Kitchen, w.c., and good Cellar. There is a small back yard.
Now let to Mr. Albert Applegate on yearly Lady Day tenancy at £68 per annum. Land Tax, £1 1s. 3d.
The sale of the properties was spread over two days, Friday 5th September and Saturday 6th September 1919, at the Town Hall, Warminster. The auctioneer was David Waddington of Messrs. D. and D.H. Waddington, and Messrs. Ponting & Marshall were the solicitors for the vendor, the Marquess of Bath, K.G.
The Bunch of Grapes was put up for auction on the first day of the auction sale. It failed to reach its reserve price and was withdrawn, but was sold afterwards for £1,500 to the Lamb Brewery Co., of Frome.
Friday 5th September 1919
The Bath Arms, Warminster, was included among the properties sold by the Longleat Estate in September 1919 (about 100 houses, cottages, shops, pubs, farms and smallholdings – described as the largest property sale ever held in Warminster).
The sale catalogue described it as follows:
“Lot 41.
The Bath Arms Hotel, Market Place.
The principal Hotel in the town and fully licensed, has a handsome front of stone, and is of pleasing elevation and situated in the centre of the Market Place.
It contains ~ On Ground Floor, paved hall with Booking Office and Telephone Box; Coffee Room, 17ft. 10in. x 17ft. 4in.; Dining Room, 19ft. 5in. x 15ft. 9in.; Bar Lounge, 17ft. x 14ft. 6in.; Bar, 11ft. 6in. x 10ft. 4in.; Smoking Room, 13ft. x 13ft.; (h. and c. water), Larder and small Sitting Room communicating with Kitchen and yard.
On First Floor, 2 Sitting Rooms (one 18ft. x 17ft. 9in.), 4 Bedrooms, large room now used as Billiard Room and Lounge, 38ft. x 17ft. 6in.; Bath room and Lavatory (h. and c.), Linen Cupboard, w.c., and Lavatory, Servants’ Bedroom and Box Room.
On Second Floor, 8 Bedrooms.
The yard, approached by gate from main street, contains large Trap Shed, 55ft. x 15ft.; Stabling (much of it with lofts over) for 22 horses; 2 Coach-houses and some Sheds and Pig Sty, and there is a large Garden with entrance into the Avenue.
There is a right of way over the yard for the owners and occupiers of the Gardens belonging to Nos. 45, 46 and 47 Market Place, all of which have also use of Avenue entrance.
This property is now let on a yearly Lady-Day tenancy, subject to six months’ notice to quit, to Mr John Smith, at an annual rental of £125.
Land tax, £1 17s. 2d.”
The sale of the properties was spread over two days, Friday 5th September and Saturday 6th September 1919, at the Town Hall. The auctioneer was David Waddington of Messrs D. and D.H. Waddington, and Messrs Ponting & Marshall were solicitors for the vendor, the Marquess of Bath, K.G.
The Bath Arms Hotel was put up for auction on the first day and purchased by a Mr Crook. The Warminster Journal, reporting the sale, noted: “The Bath Arms Hotel, the leading hotel in the town, was purchased by Mr Crook, of Torquay, for £2,500. Mr Crook, who is a brother-in-law of Mr Harry Parker, of Crockerton, has had considerable experience of hotel management. He also bought the two adjoining houses, now occupied by Messrs. J.W. Titt and Co., and Mr Walter Scott.”
From a list of items in Harold Nelson Dewey’s diaries 1919-1947 (list made by Percy Trollope):
July 1919
Mr. W.J. Wakeman died. He was for many years Clerk to U.D.C. and the Magistrates.
Common Close Congregational Church, Warminster, 200th Anniversary
From Common Close Congregational Church 200th Anniversary Programme 1919:
Special Services and Meetings in celebration of the above will be held as follows:
On SUNDAY, JUNE 22nd, 1919, Services will be conducted by the REV. E. ANTHONY, M.A. (Of Trowbridge).
On WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25th, at 4 p.m., a Sermon will be preached by REV. J.D. JONES, D.D., (Of Bournemouth).
There will be Tea in the Schoolroom at 5.30 (Tickets 9d.), and a Public Meeting in the Church at 6.45.
W.J. MANN, ESQ., Of Trowbridge, will preside, and DR. J.D. JONES will give an Address.
Collections for Bicentenary Thankoffering Fund.
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1719 – 1919
The exact date of the formation of the Independent (or Congregational) Church at Common Close is uncertain, but as near as can be ascertained services were commenced on June 26th, 1719. A Presbyterian Church had existed in Warminster for many years previous to this, services being first held in a barn in Beastleaze Meadow. The congregation subsequently removed, in 1691, to a larger building in Meeting House Lane (now North Row), this being superseded in 1704 by the erection of the building now used as the Girls’ Council School, and long known by the name of the “Old Meeting.” Here, a large and influential congregation worshipped for many years, but in 1719 the then minister, the Rev. Samuel Bates, was suspected of a tendency to Unitarian doctrines, and there was a considerable secession from the Church; and it was these seceders who established the Independent Church, or, as it was first called, the “New Meeting.” It may be noted, by the way, that the later ministers of the “Old Meeting” preached distinctly Unitarian doctrines, and the congregation gradually dwindled away and eventually died out in 1860.
BI-CENTENARY THANKOFFERING
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As a Thankoffering to Almighty God for the blessings vouchsafed to the Church during the 200 years of its existence, it is hoped to raise the sum of £200 for carrying out much-needed repairs and alterations to the Church, and the help of past and present members of the congregation is solicited for this object. Contributions to the amount of £75 have already been promised, and any further donations will be gladly acknowledged by the Treasurer, Mr. S. Webb, High-street, Warminster; or the Secretary, Mr. E.S. Foreman, Portway, Warminster.
From a list of items in Harold Nelson Dewey’s diaries 1919-1947 (list made by Percy Trollope):
Saturday 5th April 1919
Mr. Dewey elected for the first time as a member of Warminster Urban District Council. Second place in poll results. 265 votes.
From a list of items in Harold Nelson Dewey’s diaries 1919-1947 (list made by Percy Trollope):
February 1919
At the Annual Meeting there was a proposal to purchase the Golf Links. Mr. H.N. Dewey became a guarantor.
Thursday 13th August 1915
Mr. Thomas Ponting, of Ponting & Marshall, solicitors (which later became Farnfield & Nicholls), High Street, Warminster, journeyed to London to attend the trial of George Joseph Smith, of the notorious Brides-In-The-Bath murders. (Smith was hanged for his crimes on 13th August 1915).
Beatrice ‘Bessie’ Mundy, daughter of a Warminster bank manager, was one of Smith’s victims. George Smith and Bessie Mundy were married at Weymouth in 1910. It was in connection with the murder of Bessie that Thomas Ponting set off for London to attend the trial. While there he contracted a severe chill, from which he died on his return to Warminster. He died on 22nd April 1915. He was 73 years old.
