 |
Dorset |
|
Contents |
 Nearby places |
"A BOROUGH-TOWN, in a parish and hundred of its name, in the south division of Blandford, is 21 miles from Dorchester, 14 from Poole, 8 from Blandford, and 4 from Wareham. This town is situated on a rising ground, nearly in the centre of the isle of Purbeck, at the foot of a range of hills declining to the south. It is a place of trifling importance in a commercial point of view, and owes the consequence it possesses to its ancient castle and the returning members to parliament: this privilege was conferred in the 14th of Elizabeth, on such persons as are seised in fee, in possession or reversion of any hereditaments within the borough, and paying scot and lot; the number of voters is generally about 140, the present members are George Bankes and --- Miles, Esqrs., the mayor is the returning officer: he is elected at the court leet, held annually under Henry Bankes, Esq, the lord of the manor. .... The castle stands a little to the north of the town, opposite to the church, on a very steep rocky hill; ... The church is a large ancient fabric, the living a rectory, in the gift of Henry Bankes, Esq.; the rector is the Rev. Edward Bankes. There was formerly a market here, but it has long been disused; nor are the fairs of any benefit in the way of trade; they are holden 12th May and 29th October, The borough and parish (including the north and south division tythings) contained, by the last official census, 1,465 persons." [Pigot's 1830 Directory of Dorset.]
View a Map of the Area.
Michael Day provides pictures and bibliography for Corfe Castle church dedicated to St. Edward as a part of UKOLN: The UK Office for Library and Information Networking, University of Bath.
Parish Registers began in 1653. Baptisms begin 1653, Burials begin 1695.
Corfe Castle from "The Dorset Page".
Four documents related to the Stone Merchants and Marblers of Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck. These documents are dated from 1651-1698 and contain the names of over 200 men who signed them. Although even today the Shrove Tuesday ceremonies still take place at Corfe, by the 18th century the village had little to do with the Purbeck stone trade. The principal parishes linked to the trade were Swanage, Langton Matravers and Worth Matravers; the wardens of the order of marblers are known as the Swange warden and the Langton warden. Until the railway came to Swanage in the 1890s all the stone from the Isle of Purbeck was exported by sea from Swanage bay or direct from the quarries along the cliffs. Thanks go to John Haysom for contributing the text of these documents.
Copy of the Charter of the Borough of Corfe Castle, in the Isle of Purbeck, co. Dorset, 31 Car. II.