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I took the following pictures in late June 2000, during a
family holiday to the area where my husband's Blinman and Goold ancestors lived
in the early 19th century. Hallatrow is a small hamlet, wedged between the
villages of Farrington Gurney and High Littleton, just a few miles from the city
of Bath.
William Goold married Elizabeth Blinman in the Abbey of St
Peter and St Paul in Bath on 23 February 1809. Both families lived in Hallatrow, though
the Blinmans attended the church at High Littleton, and the Goolds- somewhat
reluctantly, we suspect, since the family were Baptists- walked the mile or so
to Farrington Gurney.
Elizabeth Blinman was probably born at Hallatrow farm, where
her family had lived since moving into the village back in the 1740's. The house
still exists, but is now called Manor Farm House. William Goold was a tanner by
trade, and it is almost certain that he lived and worked in a tannery across the
road from Hallatrow farm. The tannery ceased trading in 1817, but some of the
buildings may still be in existence in the grounds of a house called Osmunda.
1888 Map showing location of Hallatrow farm (Manor Farm) and
the tannery buildings opposite.
Hallatrow farm (now Manor Farm House) birthplace of Elizabeth
Blinman in 1784
View from the farm across to the (likely) entrance to the
tannery, now the garden of "Osmunda"
View of Osmunda. The house was probably there long before the
tannery.
If you want to see more photographs click on the thumbnail
below to go to the full size view.
Extract from "A History of High Littleton and
Hallatrow" published as a millennium project by the Village of High
Littleton..
In 1760 Thomas James purchased the house now called
Osmunda and two years later acquired from Thomas Dando (called ''the
tanner" to distinguish him from two other Thomas Dandos Iiving in
Hallatrow) a strip of land adjoining the road, which is now Osmunda's garden. On
this he erected a malthouse. Behind this was a tannery, which had been operated
by generations of Dandos. ..... After passing through several hands, Thomas
James' grandson, another Thomas James, took over the tannery, some of whose
buildings had been converted into tenements by then. In 1817 he sold it to
Richard Langford, who demolished the lot and converted the site into an orchard
and garden.
Maybe it is wishful thinking- since I have no proof as yet, but
I believe that William Goold is one of the "several hands" that the
tannery passed through.
William and Elizabeth left High Littleton some time after the
baptism of their fourth child Mary in June 1817. By 1819 they were living in
Corsham, and were joined by other members of the Goold family including
William's brother Uriah, and their father. The Blinmans stayed on in Hallatrow
and were prominent members of the local community for much of the 19th century.
Photographs © Julie Kimpton 2000 . Please ask before using any images from this
page.
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