Ada Elizabeth Kearvell was born on 24 October 1871 at Warfield, Berkshire, daughter of Francis Kearvell and Charlotte (née Sparkes). She trained as a nurse at the Royal Devonport Hospital. In 1901 she was appointed staff nurse at the Yeatman Hospital in Sherborne and in 1908 she succeeded Miss Clarke as matron, a position she … Read more
Princess Amrit Kaur was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1889, the daughter of Prince Harnam Singh, son of Sikh Maharajah of Kapurthala. In September 1902, Amrit’s father sent her to Sherborne School for Girls where she was a member of Headmistress Beatrice Mulliner’s house. Amrit remained at Sherborne Girls’ until July 1905, becoming Head Girl … Read more
Monica Mary Scott was born in Cardiff on 3 July 1917, daughter of John Lawlor Scott and Elizabeth (née Mills). In 1927, her family left Cardiff, moving to Warminster in Wiltshire and later to London, where Monica attended a number of schools including Trowbridge High School, Camden School for Girls, and a school in Chard, … Read more
Dame Margaret Gough, also spelt Gogh and Goffe, was the daughter of Sir Stephen Derby and his wife Avice Gulden (c.1348-1420). Sir Stephen was member of Parliament for Dorset 1379-1386, and also served as Receiver of the Clare estates in Wales and the marches 1360-c.1368, Steward of the estates of Lionel, duke of Clarence, 1365-1368, … Read more
Rachel Bosher was born in about 1721, the daughter of Charles Bosher, a Bristol merchant tailor, and his wife Rachel. On 4 February 1748 Rachel Bosher was married at St Mary’s church, Bathwick, to Robert Goadby (1720–1778), formerly a Bath bookseller who in 1744 became proprietor of the Western Flying Post, or Yeovil Mercury. Robert and … Read more
Ruth Streatfeild was born on 13 August 1894 at Frant in Sussex, daughter of the Rt. Rev. William Champion Streatfeild (1865-1929) and Janet Mary (née Venn) (1872-1952), daughter of Rev. Henry Venn and niece of John Venn the mathematician who invented Venn diagrams. Ruth’s father, who was educated at Marlborough and Pembroke College Cambridge, was … Read more
On 14 October 1895, the annual Pack Monday Fair was held in Sherborne, Dorset, and the Rowland family were in town with their travelling show which they pitched in the Fair Field in Digby Road (now the Pageant Gardens). Thomas Rowland (1856-1926), a travelling showman, and his wife Betsy (née Smith) (1854-1923) had nine children, … Read more
‘Miss Gartell. Believed buried in wreckage. 20 troops digging. Ambulance standing by’ – this message was relayed to the local emergency services at 19:25 on 30 September 1940 by Maude Steele (1901-1997), the supervising telephonist at Sherborne Telephone Exchange who was later awarded the George Medal for her bravery that day when she refused to … Read more
On the 12 July 1637 Dorothy Parsons (c.1612-1686) was married in Wells, Somerset, to John Eastmont (d.1668), a rich clothier. After their marriage Dorothy and John lived at Greenhill House (now The Green boarding house) in Sherborne, which had been built in the 17th century by the Eastmonts and is now regarded as the best … Read more
Florence Grabham was born on 7 March 1874 in Pontefract, Yorkshire, fourth daughter of Dr Charles Grabham (1838-1891), a surgeon and physician, and Eliza Jane (née Leatham) (1840-1922). On 27 October 1898 Florence was married at St Martin’s Church, Bedford, to Alfred John Drewe (1851-1942), manager of the Wiltshire and Dorset Bank in Cheap Street, … Read more
On 22 May 1686, Lady Jane Noel (1664-1733), daughter of Edward Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough (1641-1689) and Lady Elizabeth Wriothesley (d.1680), married William Digby, 5th Baron Digby (1661-1752), commonly called ‘the good Lord Digby’. They had four sons and eight daughters. Lady Jane died at Sherborne on 10 September 1733, aged 69, and was … Read more
Lady Anne Russell (c.1620-1697), daughter of Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford (1587-1641) and the Hon. Catherine Brydges (d.1657), was married to George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol (1612-1677). They had two sons and two daughters. During the English Civil War, George Digby supported the Royalist cause and in 1642 their home Sherborne Lodge (the … Read more
Ann Hosey was born at Sherborne on 8 November 1721, the youngest child of Elias Hosey (1670-1762), an attorney, and Gertrude (née Goare) (1684-1755). On 30 April 1753 Ann was married in Sherborne Abbey to the Rev. Edward Cotes (1724-1780), son of the Rev. Digby Cotes (1683-1744) of Coleshill, Warwickshire, and grandson of the Hon. … Read more
Harriet Clarke was born in Cheltenham in 1846, the daughter of Joseph Clarke, a tailor, and Maria Clarke. On 10 March 1885 Harriet was appointed headmistress of Lord Digby’s School in Sherborne. The school was then located at Foundation House in Westbury (now the Britannia Inn), but Harriet’s twenty years as headmistress of Lord Digby’s … Read more
Catherine ‘Kitty’ Frances Atkins was born in Scotland on 11 November 1806, the daughter of Charles Atkins, a scene painter. Catherine first met the actor and theatre manager William Charles Macready (1793-1873) in Glasgow when she was 9-years-old when he scolded her for not knowing her lines. They met again in the summer of 1820 … Read more