KELLY'S DIRECTORY 1931
Transcribed for the OPC Project by Annette Rose
Okeford Fitzpaine is a parish and village, 1-1/4miles south-west from the Shilingstone station on the London, Midland and Scottish and Southern joint line, 7 north-west from Blandford and 3-1/2 from Sturminster Newton, in the Northern division of the county, hundred, petty sessional division and rural district of Sturminster, county court district of Blandford, rural deanery of Sturminster Newton, archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury. Under the operation of the Divided Parishes Act, a portion of the parish of Belchalwell has for civil purposes only been added to this parish, and the remainder to Fifehead Neville. The church of St, Andrew is a building of stone in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, north porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing 6 bells: the ancient stone pulpit, used as a font in the 18 th century by the Rev. D. Butler, a former rector has since been restored to its original purpose: there is a memorial window to the Rev. G. Rivers Hunter, 52 years rector here, and the west window was erected in 1914 in memory of the Rev. Robert Cholmeley Price, a former curate in charge, and of Florence his wife: there are stained windows in the north and south aisles erected by Miss Mabel Phillips to her parents and brother respectively: the church was thoroughly restored in 1866 at a cost of over £2000, and has 344 sittings. The register of baptisms dates from the year 1592; burials, 1593, and marriages, 1594. The living is a rectory, net yearly valve £678, and residence, in the gift of Capt. G.H.L. Fox-Pitt-Rivers, and held since 1914 by the Rev. Frank Etheridge, of the Church Missionary College , Islington. There are Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels here and a Wesleyan chapel at Fiddleford. The Reading Room was erected in 1910 by subscription. A charity of about £7, derived from land in Haselbury Bryan, is distributed annually in clothing amongst the poor. There are brick and tile works belonging to Capt. G.H.L. Fox-Pitt-Rivers, who is lord of the manor and chief landowner. The soil is a deep sandy loam; subsoil, chalk, sand and clay, The land is chiefly in pasture, with some wheat, barley and roots. The area is 3,739 acres of land and 3 of water; the population in1921 was 652 in the civil and 565 in the ecclesiastical parish.
Post, M.O., T. & T.E.D. Office. Letters through Blandford
Post & Tel. Call Office, Fiddleford, Letters through Blandford, Sturminster Newton nearest M.O. & T. office
Police Station
Carrier.- Charles Fripp, to Blandford, thurs
OKEFORD FITZPAINE.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
(For T.N.'s see general list of Private Residents at end of book.)
Etheridge Rev. Frank (rector), Rectry
Jacob James Thos. Darknell cottage
King Alfred Robert, Bournville
Phillips Arthur James, Pleydells
Phillips Miss Mabel, Hill View house
Sticklen John T., Cranleigh
COMMERCIAL.
Marked thus * farm 150 acres or over.
Adams Rt. Jun. Royal Oak P.H.
Allen tom, farmer, St. Loe farm
Beale Geo. Joiner
Field Absolom William, threshing machine proprietor
Fox Joseph, blacksmith
Fripp Chas, motor car propr
Hallet Hy. Jas. New inn
Herrington Herbt, frmr, Langston frm
Hilliar Frank, farmer, Rose Hill farm
Hilliam Tom, farmer, Mill & Stottfell farms
Kingman Francis Henry, farmer, Bellease farm
Knight, Fras. Jas. farmer, Southerley farm (postal address, Fifehead Neville, Sturminster Newton)
Lemon Albert, builder, see Loder & Lemon
Loder & Lemon (A.J. Lemon, proprietor), builders & contractors, undertakers, carpenters, joiners & wheelwrights
Miller Hector, farmer, Yeatman's frm
*Miller Jasper, farmer, Room & Hyle farms
Morley Frank, grocer, & post office, TN 1
Okeford Fitzpaine Brick & Tile Works (F. Cowley, mngr.) (postal address, Shillingstone, Blandford)
Okeford United Football Club
Phillips E. & Son (A.R. King, managing director), wholesale dairy produce merchants, Hill View dairies. T A “Phipson, Okeford Fitzpaine;” T N 4 Sturminster Newton
*Phillips Arthur James, farmer, Pleydells, Stroud & Darknell farms. TN Childe Okeford 26
Phillips Stanley Eli, farmr. Etheridge farm
Pope Charles, farmer
Pope Frank Nevill, farmer, Thornhill farm
Pope Wilfred, smallholder, Brookside
Reading Room (Parish Council)
Ricketts Wm. Chas. farmer, Garlands farm
Ridout Francis, farmer, Castle farm
Ridout Tom, farmer, Sheephays farm
Rose Mary (Mrs.), insur. Agt
Rose Rt. Farmer, The Common
Trowbridge Adelbert Geo. Wheelwrght
Trowbridge Annie (Miss), shopkpr
Trowbridge Charles, thatcher, Okeford Common
Trowbridge Edwd. Motor car propr
Trowbridge Edwin George, thatcher
Trowbridge Maurice, farmer, Knacker's Knole
Trowbridge Reuben, farmer, Knowle farm
Trowbridge Robt. Thatcher. The Cross
Woolridge Hy. & Wm. Frms. Merry gnd
Woolridge Rd. smallholder
Yeatman Maurice Jn. Farmer, Lowerbrook farm
Young Robert, boot & shoe maker
FIDDLEFORD is a hamlet, transferred iin 1884 by Local government Board Order from Child Okeford to Okeford Fitzpaine; it lies on the road from Sturminster Newton to Blandford, between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton, and is equi-distant about 2 miles from the church of each. The hamlet is partly in the parish of Sturminster Newton.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Earle Mrs. Anderson, The Archway ho
COMMERCIAL
Cross William, farmer, Angers farm
Ridout Jas. Hilliar, grocer, & post office
Rose Harry, farmer
Trowbridge Robt. Farmer, Angers frm