Introduction
Following her mother’s death, Mary Annie, known throughout her life as Nance, ran one of Hardington’s principal village shops for over forty years. From her shop’s counter she became one of the best-known figures in village life, a status that was enhanced by her dedication to the village chapel.
Early life
Nance was born on 18 December 1880 at Hardington Mandeville, the seventh of nine children born to Herbert Joseph Voizey and his wife, Mary (née Matravers).[1] Herbert was a master butcher who also ran a grocery shop with Mary.
Herbert died on 2 May 1900 from chronic bronchitis that led to heart failure at the age of fifty-eight.[2] His death left Mary to manage the grocery business alone until Nance eventually returned to help her.
The 1901 census recorded Nance as the only servant employed by an elderly widow who lived otherwise alone in Ringwood Road at Longfleet, near Poole. By 1911, Nance had returned home to help her mother run the shop.
In May 1917, they advertised for a “Ralli or Governess Car” suitable for a pony of twelve hands.[3] Such lightweight carts were commonly used for personal transport and short local journeys.
By 1921, Nance had taken over the shop, and the census that year described her mother as an invalid. In the estate sale of October 1920, Nance purchased her shop, the house next door, a garden across the road and various farm buildings as the sitting tenant.[4] After her mother’s death on 15 March 1924, Nance continued running the shop on her own. [5]
Later life
During the Rev. Cleife’s rectorship, Nance supported Hardington Church. In 1894, she and her sister Blanche helped decorate the church for Christmas, and in June 1912, she and her niece Lily Amelia were among several Sunday School teachers who attended a treat at the rectory.[6]
Later, Nance shifted her allegiance to the village chapel for reasons that remain unclear. While serving customers in her shop, she often ensured they were aware of upcoming chapel services and events.[7] In December 1959, she made her will, leaving her house and garden at Broadstone on trust to apply the income for the maintenance of the chapel. She also bequeathed £100 to the Rector and churchwardens of the village church for general religious purposes.[8] This gift of her house and garden to support the chapel illustrates the importance it had come to hold for her.
The shop stocked a wide variety of everyday goods. One surviving advertisement from 1929 promoted Karswood Pig Powders.[9] Her reputation for warmth and friendliness helped make the shop an important meeting place in the village. She also derived income from letting out the cottage next door.[10]
After decades at the centre of village life, advancing age eventually led her to leave the shop. By December 1971, she had moved to Vale Farm to live with her niece, Gladys Rawlings. That month she made a codicil to her will, revoking her bequest to the Hardington Chapel as it had closed.[11] Nance died on 15 April 1973, at the age of ninety-two, leaving an estate valued at £9,091 17p.
Conclusion
Although she never married, Nance occupied a central place in Hardington life for more than half a century. Her shop served not only as a business but as a meeting place where news, conversation and chapel notices were exchanged, making her one of the village’s most familiar and enduring personalities.
References
[1] Civil registration birth index; 1939 census; civil registration death index.
[2] The death certificate of Herbert Joseph Voizey.
[3] Western Gazette, 11 May 1917, p.5. The advert states “Apply 329, Hardington, Yeovil.”
[4] Eddy Colin Turner’s copy of the estate sale catalogue.
[5] Death certificate of Mary Voizey.
[6] Western Chronicle, 5 July 1912, p.6.
[7] Information provided by Margaret Danes.
[8] The will of Mary Annie Voizey, dated 1 December 1959, proved at Winchester on 30 August 1973.
[9] Western Gazette, 4 October 1929, p.9.
[10] Western Gazette, 22 August 1930, p.9.
[11] The codicil of Mary Annie Voizey dated 6 December 1971, proved at Winchester on 30 August 1973.
