In September 1918, two months before the end of the Great War, Lord Stalbridge sold his Stalbridge Estate as individual Lots, including almost every house, cottage, business premises, farm and field in and around the town. For the first time local people had the opportunity to own their home – though for some this meant losing theirs, rented from the Estate for generations. 100 years later, the Stalbridge History Society, after years of research, mounted a very successful exhibition in 2018 to mark the Centenary.
We knew then that we had a duty to commemorate this event in book form, providing a legacy for both the exhibition and to ensure that our research was recorded for future generations.
We have worked hard to add to our original research, supplemented by information from the 1921 census, released in 2022, together with valuable information from the Stalbridge Archive and Dorset History Centre archive in Dorchester. Many of the families whose stories are recorded here still have descendants living in the town.
The resulting book, ‘Stalbridge Sold – a town under the hammer’ is to be enjoyed both for its historical information and as a visual record of life in Stalbridge and Stalbridge Weston before, during and after the dramatic year of the Sale. With 348 pages, and lavishly illustrated with original photographs and images, this is a fascinating book….
We launched the book at our highly successful Exhibition held at Stalbridge Hall on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June, 2025.