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February 2021 February 2021

OBITUARIES AFFPUDDLE AND BRIANTSPUDDLE

help, and he agreed to have some carers come in once a day to I came across an article on Briantspuddle and Affpuddle in a drawer the
help him. These girls were a godsend, both to him and us. other day. It was something I wrote for the Echo’s weekend magazine
Plenty of friends in the village used to call in on Dad, and keep him company. when I was a community correspondent for the paper. Of course, the
One friend Bin, who Dad had meet years ago and had holidayed together in years have moved on again since 2004 when I wrote it, and so
Scotland, used to drive from Piddletrentide every Friday afternoon to see him. many villagers I talked to then have themselves passed on now. Even
Debenhams is fast becoming history!
After a fall, which knocked his confidence for 6 Dad summoned Fiona and I
and told us to sort out a care home for him. This did come as a bit of a shock, Diana Holman
as Dad was so fiercely independent. But we did as he asked. He went into
Pine Martin Grange at Sandford, and then had to spend 2 weeks in isolation
because of Covid restrictions. He did not stay long. Just as he was due to Shoppers wandering through the Debenham store in Weymouth little realise that
come out of isolation, he had another fall, and was taken to hospital. There just fourteen miles away lies a village whose entire history was reshaped less than
they found that his health was failing rapidly. Sadly 4 days later he passed a century ago by the dream of an early chairman of the store.
away.
Ernest Debenham was the grandson of the store’s founder, William Debenham.
Dad had finally got his wish. Ever since Mum had died, all he wanted was to The vision he had when he purchased substantial land around Affpuddle and
be with her again. Briantspuddle in 1914 radically changed the somewhat slumberous way of life of
the neighbourhood said local historian, the late Joan Brocklebank.
Sadly, for us, but happily for him wishes do come true.
The early history of the village of Affpuddle and the hamlet of Briantspuddle is
Thank you, Dad, for being our Dad.
well chronicled in Joan’s book Affpuddle in the County of Dorset published in
1968. A tribute to her life as a musician, artist, woodlander and historian exists in
the stone seat at the eastern end of St Laurence’s church.
Mary Fegan
The written history of the manor of Afpuddle begins in 987 with the Foundation
Many people in the village may remember Mary Fegan from her time at Cyril Charter of the Benedictine Abbey of Cerne when Athelmar built the monastery.
Wood Court and then at Turberville Court. She left Bere Regis some years ago His kinsman Afrith gave land to the Abbey and bequeathed his name to the
to go to the Casterbridge Care Home in Cerne Abbas. village. By the early 14 century, when the land covering Affpuddle,
th
Briantspuddle and Throop was divided into three manors, it was partially owned
These were difficult times for her, she was very disabled and unable to do
many of the activities that gave her joy. However her faith and her painting by the Turberville family, and it is
were both sources of comfort, and if she could help someone else she would thought that Briantspuddle was
throw herself into them with all her intelligence. For example the Purbeck named after Brian de Turberville.
Workshop based in Wool, which helps people afflicted with cancer was a In 1683, all three manors were
project very dear to her. owned by William Frampton of
Morton. Ownership remained in
She had been a nurse and written articles for the hands of the Frampton family
medical journals, married to a doctor, and with her until 1914 when part of the estate
own experiences she brought new ways of looking at was sold to Ernest Debenham for
life's problems in a way that was new at the time. She the sum of £49,500.
was also involved with the BBC and the Antiques
Road Show in the time of Arthur Negus, and assisted a Briantspuddle, which had
young politician in Glasgow to his future career! consisted of barely a dozen

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