RootsChat.Com

In 1838 my ggg grandfather, Henry Plowman, was "included as Commissioners in the New Act for granting a Land Tax and Duties on Personal Estates, Offices and Pensions, in the county of Dorset".

He was at that time a Surgeon retired on half pay from the Royal Navy.  I have not yet found what duties that entailed or if it he received any form of remuneration. 

Does anyone have any knowledge of the role please?

Ancestry.co.uk have just added the "Dorset, England, Quarter Sessions Order Books, 1625-1905".  The thing that has surprised me was that my ggggg grandfather was appointed as a gamekeeper whilst he was already the vicar of Tolpuddle.

A rough transcription:

The Hon. Sir Robert Long of Draycott Cerne in the County of Wilts Baronet Lord of the Manors of Burleston & Southower in the County of Dorset by this [depulalion?] dated the Seventeenth day of May 1731 doth appoint the Rev'd Mr Plowman of Tolpuddle in the County of Dorset to be his Gamekeeper of and for the said manors during his pleasure.

It is not a duty that you associate with a clergyman.  Can anyone expand upon the duties of a gamekeeper in this situation?

In 1902 Michael Forbes Tweedie published his book “The History of the Tweedie, or Tweedy, family; a record of Scottish lowland life & character”.  (I am fortunate to have inherited two copies ) In addition to the history of the Lowland family it included various pedigrees of the Tweedie/Tweedy name.  Some were cadet branches of the “chiefly” line and others with no proven link.  One of my on/off projects is to update the various pedigrees as far as possible from a variety of sources.  The results so far can be seen at www.tweedy.org.uk. 

It is generally accepted that the family Tweedie of Drummelzier is/was the senior line with a number of cadet families. The status of which is summarized below:


1 Tweedie of Drummelzier (1325) – line “lost”around the 1660s.

1.1 Tweedie of Oliver (1489) – expired in the male line 1837.

1.1.1 Tweedie of Quarter (1692) - still extant but senior male heir not clear. The male representation of Tweedie of Oliver was passed over in 1837.

1.1.1.1 Tweedie of Rawlinson (1826) - still extant but senior male heir not clear.

1.1.2 Tweedie-Stodart of Oliver (1837) – George Stodart inherited the Oliver estate from his uncle. Expired in the male line.


I would be most interest to hear if anyone here links into any of the above families or any of the pedigrees listed in the book. Somewhere out there is someone who is the Chief of the Name and Arms of Tweedie.

A long shot here.    Is anyone planning to go anywhere near Long Bredy in the foreseeable future?

What I looking for is a photograph of a monument in the floor of St Peter's Church to the left of the altar in the chancel.  The inscription reads:

P.M.S. GW: Plowman A.M. Luj eccliae Rectoris qui obit Octob Vicesimo anno. Dom. 1712

Unfortunately, on previous visits my photographs were quite useless, all glare and no detail.  So anything would be an improvement and most gratefully received.

I was wondering if any knowledgeable person here could give me some pointers as to what it took to get to Oxford &/or Cambridge University in the 17th century?

My question stems from an ancestor who went to Sherborne School, Dorset.  He then went to Magdalen College, Oxford before returning to the School as an Usher, or junior master.  His father is listed as a “pleb” in the Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 and so was not a gentleman or the like.  His father may have been a master joiner in Sherborne. 

Yours aye

Stephen