Other Churches

Other Churches

I am awaiting input here – does anyone have any other information to offer?  Please contact sue@merriottfamiliesgenealogy.net

Some of David Gibbs’ interesting anecdotes are about church life in Merriott in the 1940s.   Have a look at Sunshine Corner and Suffer Little Children.

The following non-Anglican ministers appear in the censuses:  (For a list of Vicars of Merriott, please go to the All Saints Church page.)

YEAR REF ABODE NAME, AGE, (etc), OCCUPATION, WHERE BORN (N= Not Born Somerset; Y= Born Somerset))
1841 45 Broadway Blake Charles 40 Minister of the Gospel N
1851 354 060 Broadway Gribble Robert Head W 63 Minister of Merriott Chapel Devon, Barnstaple
Gribble Elizabeth Dau U 31 Devon, Barnstaple
Gribble Maria Dau U 20 School mistress Devon, Rustwell?
Pattemore Sarah Servant U 20 F House servant Som, Merriott
Marks Sarah Visitor U 22 F ? Som, Merriott
For more information about Robert Gribble, see below.
1861 29 028  Broadway  Gribble Robert Head W 73 Minister of the Brethren Devon, Barnstaple
Gribble Elizabeth Dau U 41 Chapel Devon, Barnstaple
Penny Anne Serv U 27 F General Servant Dorset, Compton
1861 47 005 Lower Street  Wills James Head U 71 Retired Ind. Minister Dorset, Poole
Pitcher Harriett Serv U 56 F HouseKeeper Dorset, Netherbury
Thorn Ann Serv U 30 F House Maid Dorset, Bridport
1861 37 Lower Street Wesleyan Chapel 
1871 9 047 Merriott House Wills John Head U 81 Independent Minister retired Dorset, Poole
Pitcher Harriett U 66 F Housekeeper Dorset, Netherbury
Thorn Harriett Servt U 40 F Domestic Servant Dorset, Bridport
1871 19 144 Sockety Kelsey William Head M 29 M Wesleyan Home Missionary born Hampshire, Compton
Kelsey Ellen Wife M 33 F born Hampshire, King’s Somborne
Kelsey Mary Dau U 3 F born Hampshire, Compton
Kelsey Ellen Dau U 1 F born Hampshire, Pimsbury?
1871 72 127  Egwood  Humphries Edward Head M 42 M Minister Guernsey
Humphries Mary Wife M 29 F School Mistress Melbourne, St. Andrew
Humphries Albert Edward Son U 6 M Scholar Som, Merriott
Humphries Flora Dau U 5 F Scholar Som, Merriott
Humphries Charles Son U 2 M Som, Merriott
1891 29 156 186 Church Street  (The Manor)  Hawkins Thomas Head M 61 Congregational Minister Bathpool, Somerset
Hawkins Ann Wife M 62 Bradford, Somerset

The later All Saints Merriott Burials include entries from other denominations. Other denominations and their Officiating Ministers include: (table in alphabetical order by name of deceased).  Derived from Burial registers 1907 – 1952. 

Burial  Date Name, Age, Abode Officiating Minister Denomination
1930 15 May Emma Ashment , 70,  South St, Crewkerne  WE Haggett Congregational
1952 31 Mar Walter Francis Beer,  72, 68 Lower St, Merriott Leslie J Groves Methodist
1929 11 Jul Helen Cassie?, 72,Tail Mill House, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1933   23 Feb Alice Clift,  65 Lower St, Merriott WE Haggett Congregational
1933  22 Nov John Corbin,  77, Shiremoor Hill, Merriott WE Haggett Congregational
1932  5 Nov Alice Rosina Cridge, 58 Frogmore Farm, Lopen WE Haggett Congregational
1927  26 Feb Emma Cridge, 81 Sunnylands, Chard F Blissley Congregational
1933  6 Nov Joseph William Cridge, 77 Frogmore Farm, Lopen  WE Haggett Congregational
1928  2 Jan Susan Cridge, 79 Lopen Rev. W H Sparry Congregational Minister, Martock
1943  7 May Elizabeth? Michel Doig, 83 Abode Illegible Illegible Congregational
1940  2 Jul John Doig, 85, The Bungalow, Shiremoor Hill, Merriott GW Malpas Congregational
1938  23 Mar Emma Elswood, 74 Preston Close, Yeovil  Rev G Malpas Congregational
1951  24 Apr Frank Elswood,  58 15 Hitchen, Merriott  Leslie J Groves Methodist
1935  21 Dec Mary Ann Elswood, 43 Tail Mill, Merriott  Rev Malpas Congregational
1952  4 Oct John Farr,  69 2 Lower St, Merriott  AG Merritt Methodist
1930  16 Apr Samuel Farr,  80 Lower St, Merriott   Rodney McNeal Wesleyan
1933  24 Jan Rebecca French, 83 Rectory House, Merriott   WE Haggett Congregational
1952  15 Mar Bessie Gear, 78 Great Fields, Merriott  Leslie J Groves Methodist
1951  30 Apr Thomas Henry Gear, 63 Great Fields, Merriott   Leslie J Groves Methodist
1940 22 Oct Emma Gibbs, 82 Lower St, Merriott G. Murray Beard Methodist
1938 2 Feb George Gibbs, 82 Lower St, Merriott Paulson Methodist Minister, Crewkerne & Merriott
1931  21 Sep Leonard Cecil Hooper, 17 Lower St, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1935  20 Feb Annie Eliza Hutchings,63 Lower St, Merriott   Rev. V. Wood Wesleyan
1952 23 Jan Emma Lacey, 77 4 Broadway, Merriott  SW Wood Congregational
1929 12 Dec Edward Lawrence, 44 Haselbury Cross, West Crewkerne  WE Haggett Congregational
1939 4 Nov Elizabeth Annie Lawrence, 61 Lower St, Merriott  Rev G Malpas Congregational
1943 31 Dec George Lawrence,78 Great Field, Merriott Leonard Tyler Methodist
1933 17 Aug Florence Maud Little, 63 Lower St, Merriott WA Edwards Baptist Minister Crewkerne
1949 19 Dec Emma Paull, 75 11 Broadway, Merriott  Leslie J Groves Methodist
1949 16 Dec William Edward Paull, 85 4 Moorlands Rd, Merriott  Leslie J Groves Methodist
1939 30 May Encarnacion Rodriguez-Sanchez, 79 Moorlands House, Merriott Spanish Refugee  JHH Biffin Gospel Hall (Spanish Missionary)
1946 5 Dec John Salway, 74 Rockbourne Compton Durville   …Halstead Methodist
1937 3 Feb Matilda Smith, 79 Cornelia Hospital, Longfleet Rd, Poole   WH Smith Methodist
1941 8 Mar George Henry Sprake, 70 The Knapp, Merriott  G. Murray Beard Methodist
1948 25 Aug  Lily Sprake, 70 3 Lower St, Merriott  N Halstead Methodist
1934 30 Jan Elizabeth Sweet, 76 Shiremoor Hill, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1937 13 Feb William Henry Sweet, 52 Lower St, Merriott   WH Smith Methodist
1942 6 Aug Lilian Maud Symes, 39 Athlone, Old Barnstaple Rd, Bideford  G. Murray Beard Methodist
1945 25 Apr Arthur William Taylor, 56 Lower St, Merriott Illegible Congregational
1952 14 Jan Lottie Templeman, 53 1 Hitchen, Merriott  Leslie J Groves Methodist
1928 17 Nov Charles Trask, 77 Shiremoor Hill, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1937 15 Feb Mary Anna Trask, 80 Broadway, Merriott  WH Smith  Methodist
1933 3 Aug William Charles Trask, 51 Shiremoor Hill, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1929 9 Apr Mary Welch, 70 Knapp, Merriott  WE Haggett Congregational
1935 10 Apr Bertha Wills, 20 Council Houses, Merriott  Rev Malpas Congregational
1938 14 Jun Bessie Wills,  48 Shiremore Hill, Merriott Rev G Malpas Congregational 

There were many Burial entries with the notation:  “Certified by ……..” without any denomination being mentioned.  One of the more frequent names was Matthew Silas Cross.   One entry in the register is followed by this Notice of Burial:

Notice of Burial, included after entry No. 800 in the Merriott Parish Registers – Burials: “I, Matthew Silas Cross of Misterton, Somerset, the friend having the charge of or being responsible for the burial of Mary Loosemore of Tuncombe Farm, Crewkerne, who died at Tuncombe Farm in the parish of West Crewkerne on the 8th day of January inst., do hereby give you notice that it is intended by me that the body of the said Mary Loosemore shall be buried within the Churchyard of Merriott on Saturday the 12th day of January instant at the hour of 3 pm, without the performance in the manner prescribed by law of the service for the burial of the dead according to the rites of the Church of England, and I give this notice pursuant to the Burial Laws Amendment Act, 1880.Signed Matthew Silas Cross to the Rev. S E Percival Vicar of Merriott”

Mr Robert Gribble and the Merriott Gospel Hall

A history of the Merriott Gospel Hall can be found at:  www.preciousseed.org/article_detail.cfm?articleID=386  My thanks to the author, Eric Arnold, via Michael Jones,  for permission to link to the page.  Among other information, the webpage mentions the Church assisting refugees from the Spanish Civil War 1936-8.  

More information about the Gospel Hall & the Spanish refugees has been supplied by Pat Wallace, whose reminiscences of Merriott appear on the “Merriott Today” page.
” As a matter of interest we had a refugee colony from Spain in the village from 1935 – 1938 (or 39 !)     50 of them, all Protestants, who returned to Spain when the Civil War there ceased and WW 2 was about to start.    …… Moorlands House was the mansion in which the refugees lived and Mr. Biffen was the Superintendent.   The property was  purchased for this purpose by a Mr. Petter of Petter Oil Engine fame and the basis of the Westland Aircraft Company.” – Pat Wallace.

A photo of the the Refugees at Moorlands house,
1938 has been sent to me by David Gibbs:


This entry is found among the All Saints records:

# 0568 Buried 30 May 1939 Encarnacion Rodriguez-Sanchez aged 79 of Moorlands House, Merriott.  New Grave # 76. Died 28 May. Spanish Refugee. Minister: JHH Biffin, Gospel Hall (Spanish Missionary).

More from Pat Wallace:

“I don’t believe that the Merriott Gospel Hall was licensed to conduct Marriages or Baptisms but the one in Crewkerne (2 miles away ) certainly was, so adherents would have to go there for a wedding.     They didn’t go in for Christenings but had adult Baptisms, by total immersion.”   (This is confirmed by Michael Jones)  “

Other Churches – Pat Wallace’s remembrances

“As a matter of interest there were five places of worship in the 1940’s,  the Church of England, Gospel Hall, Wesleyan Chapel, Congregational Chapel and Elim FourSquare (Aimee MacPherson was the founder of this American sect).     The social life of the village, especially for the youngsters was very much tied up with these churches and there were usually one or two ‘bright hours’ for us each week. On the ‘wickedness’ issue [mentioned on the Merriott Gospel Hall  page] certainly when my grandparents indicated that they were moving there in 1906 they were told that it was a wicked place and that a woman could not walk safely along the main street after dark. This was not borne out by their experience and generally it was law-abiding for the whole of the 20th century.  I did hear however that there were some fights at the time of the General Elections in the 1920’s but his didn’t amount to anything very much