Where on earth is this?

Discussion in 'Ask The Experts' started by annabel, Jun 20, 2017.

  1. annabel

    annabel Puts the Heart into Hertfordshire

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,046
    Likes Received:
    920
    Location:
    Herts
    Screen Shot 2017-06-20 at 18.58.15.png

    Can anyone work out where Richard Meech was from? This marriage is in 1698 in Stratton, Dorset
     
  2. Auburn

    Auburn Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    133
    Likes Received:
    3,186
    Location:
    Wales
    Grimstone a hamlet in the parish of Stratton
     
  3. arthurk

    arthurk Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,213
    Likes Received:
    4,501
    Location:
    West Yorkshire, England
    It looks like Pitcher Wadden in the the parish of Possom. Dorset isn't my area, but from a list of parishes I wonder if it's Portisham, and this is how locals pronounced it? There's an area of the parish called Waddon.

    That was going to be my final suggestion, but I just searched for Pitcher Wadden, and came up with what looks to be a very useful site for old place names:
    Code:
    http://placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-86-c-mappedname-000253
    With multiple spelling variants, it appears there was a Pitcher Wadden somewhere there. So that might well be your answer.
     
  4. Auburn

    Auburn Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    133
    Likes Received:
    3,186
    Location:
    Wales
    Whoops! I should have read it properly-it must be the heat.

    Disconcertingly i discovered yesterday that my ggg grandmother died of "softening of the brain"....
     
  5. annabel

    annabel Puts the Heart into Hertfordshire

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,046
    Likes Received:
    920
    Location:
    Herts
    So does that mean it is what is now Portesham? Can't find a Waddon or Little Waddon on Google maps which is what the site says is Pycher Waddon now
     
  6. arthurk

    arthurk Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,213
    Likes Received:
    4,501
    Location:
    West Yorkshire, England
    I haven't found Pitcher Wadden on a map, but these two show the eastern parts of Portisham parish (also spelt Portesham, I've found):
    Code:
    Waddon - due east of Portisham:
    http://maps.nls.uk/view/101447210
    
    Further east again is Friar Waddon:
    http://maps.nls.uk/view/101447246
    Edit: Waddon can be seen on modern Ordnance Survey maps, available at Streetmap and Bing Maps.
     
  7. arthurk

    arthurk Well-Known Member

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,213
    Likes Received:
    4,501
    Location:
    West Yorkshire, England
    I've just had another look at this, and I think it might be possible to pin it down fairly precisely. This is the list of places in Waddon that I found before:
    Code:
    http://placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-86-c-mappedname-000253
    If you go up a level to Portisham using the breadcrumbs links at the top, you'll find a long list of localities within the parish, and there are so many of them that they must refer to very specific areas. Waddon/Little Waddon is one of these.

    The Waddon/Little Waddon page gives all the names that have been found referring to that small area, and the bottom one and the one two above it may be significant. They are both taken from the same source (J. Hutchins, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (3rd edition), 1863), so it's reasonable to assume that they refer to different but related places.

    The bottom one is East Waddon, Little Waddon, or Gerard's Waddon and the other is West Waddon, vulgo Pitcher's Waddon (vulgo is Latin for commonly).

    East Waddon can be seen on this map:
    Code:
    http://maps.nls.uk/view/101447210
    West Waddon isn't marked, but as there doesn't appear to be any other settlement between there and Portisham, I strongly suspect it's what is shown as simply Waddon. So based on Hutchins, that seems to be Pitcher's Waddon.
     
    annabel likes this.
  8. annabel

    annabel Puts the Heart into Hertfordshire

    Offline
    Messages:
    1,046
    Likes Received:
    920
    Location:
    Herts
    Thank you for working that all out. A new place to investigate!
     
    arthurk and Daft Bat like this.
  9. mugwortismy cat

    mugwortismy cat Tenacious to the End!

    Offline
    Messages:
    4,045
    Likes Received:
    7,102
    Location:
    London, England
    Exactly right Mr k!
     
    arthurk likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice