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“