Melbury Abbas Parish, Dorset

	Melbury Abbas is a scattered parish on the road from Shaftesbury to Blandford. The church of St Thomas was rebuilt in 1851 by Sir R G Glyn bart. It is built of stone and comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and turreted tower, it seats 300 people and the registers date from 1716. There was a charity given by the Rev. Grove of £4. 4s. to be expended yearly on blankets for the poor [see below].
The parish consists of 2276 acres and the chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and beans. There is limestone which is quarried and burnt. There is a post office and a National School which was built near the church in 1868. The population in 1891 was 288 persons. Details taken from Kelly's Directory 1895. Photographs © Dorinda Miles. Right, the School
The post of Online Parish Clerk (OPC) is currently vacant If you would like to volunteer for the role, please contact the OPC Project Co-ordinator Contributions of additional resource materials for the site are always welcome
Census	Transcription of the 1841 Census by Ron Adams Transcription of the 1851 Census by Karen Satterthwaite Transcription of the 1861 Census by Ron Adams Transcription of the 1871 Census by Ron Adams Transcription of the 1881 Census by Karen Satterthwaite Transcription of the 1891 Census by Karen Satterthwaite Transcription of the 1901 Census by Karen Satterthwaite
Parish Registers	Transcribed from the Bishop's Transcripts by Ralph Kent. Transcription of Baptisms 1731-1880 Transcription of Marriages 1731-1848 Transcription of Burials 1731-1880
Postal Directories	Harrod's 1865, Kelly's 1880 & 1895
Other Records	Wills proven at Blandford Biography - William Henry Fox Talbot St Thomas Church Monumental Inscriptions index by Jan Hibberd
Maps	The 1891 Ordnance Survey maps of the parish can be seen at the old-maps site, just enter 'Melbury Abbas' under place search.
	For modern location maps visit:- www.multimap.com or click on the thumbnail on the left for a 1920's map showing the location of the parish
Churchyard gate & porch with War Memorial plaque at the side	The will of Rev. W F Grove, who left money for charitable purposes


Various headstones in the church yard, the ones on the left to the DIBBEN family.