Joseph Cole, Farrier to the Ninth Lancers
Early years Joseph Cole was born at Odcombe in about 1818.[1] His father, Samuel, had left Odcombe as a young man to work as a sawyer in Dorset.[2] While there, he met and married Elizabeth Minterne of Owermoigne.[3] They married at Bere Regis in 1814 and had their first child while living at Tolpuddle.[4] They […]
A White wedding
On Easter Monday, 28 March 1932, Muriel White, the daughter of Susan and the late Walter White, married Percival George Abbott at Hardington Church.[1] The wedding was a grand affair, with a full choral service, four bridesmaids, and a congregation that filled the church. The celebrations continued at the Royal Oak, courtesy of the bride’s […]
Brice Frost, the Delinquent Cyclist
At Yeovil magistrates court on 5 February 1924, Brice Frost of Moor Farm, Hardington, was accused of riding a bike without lights on 22 December. Brice wrote a letter apologising for his absence and explaining that this was his first offence. He said he was unemployed except for temporary postal work and that someone had […]
Nurse Rhodes, a dedicated healthcare professional
Introduction Joan Dorothy Rhodes’s life is distinguished by her pivotal role as the district nurse and midwife at West Coker Surgery from 1946 to 1976.[1] She played a critical part in providing community nursing at a time when the National Health Service transformed healthcare in this country. Birth in Little Eaton Joan was born two […]
Robbie White, farmer
Robert William White was born on 8 November 1936, the second son of Sonny and Muriel White. Sonny took over the Royal Oak and 52 acres from his uncle, James Saint Partridge, in 1929 and was engaged in a ceaseless endeavour to grow and modernise the farm. As a young man, Robbie was very much […]
A present for mother
In 1889, Grace Marsh of Hardington was a domestic servant at Long Load vicarage, a position she probably acquired with the help of her sister, Emma, who worked for the Vassall family at Hurst Manor, Martock. On 22 March 1889, Grace made up a parcel for her mother, which contained a box of primroses, a […]
The indefatigable Salome Valentine Wallace
Salome Wallace, Hardington’s Head Teacher 1912-c1920. Introduction When the children returned to Hardington school in January 1912, they found themselves with a new head teacher, the formidable Miss Salome Wallace, an impressive figure and a strict disciplinarian. Early life Salome was born in Islington on 14 February 1872.[1] She was named “Salome” after her maternal […]
William George Sercombe
Early life at Hardington William was born at Hardington in 1876, the first child of George and Mary Jane Sercombe. His father was an engineer, and his mother was a schoolteacher. By the age of fourteen, he was a printer’s office boy, probably working at the Western Gazette with his father. William enjoyed sports, playing cricket […]
Extreme weather events
Hopefully, Hardington will never see anything as bad as Hurricane Milton, but here are accounts of three extreme weather events in the 1890s. On Saturday, 25 August 1894, a storm wreaked havoc in the village, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. At Manor Farm, water overflowed from the the pond because the hatches […]
An Easter wedding breakfast
On 13 April 1903, Robert Marsh and Mary Axe were married at Hardington Parish Church. After the ceremony, the Rector, Rev Cleife, hosted a wedding breakfast for the couple and their friends at the rectory where Mary had worked for five years.[1] The rector had reason to be grateful to Mary. The previous year, she […]