Market Lavington Museum is open
Normal times are given below.
May – October, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays, 2.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Market Lavington Village Museum, Church Street, Market Lavington
For other times contact the curator on lavingtoncurator@gmail.com
Market Lavington Museum 
May 1, 2011 at 5:05 am |
[…] Click here for opening times […]
April 3, 2012 at 12:28 am |
Hi, I live in Highlands House, Easterton. The property dates from about 1890, and seems to have been built by the Draper family. I have just torn down the lath and plaster ceiling in the lounge, and their appear to be gas pipes in the ceiling void. Is this possible? Was there ever a gas supply in the village? Regards, Ray Vincent
April 3, 2012 at 7:06 am |
Replying via email
May 13, 2012 at 10:22 pm |
Hi. Have you any photos of there being an actual market in the marketplace?
May 14, 2012 at 6:26 am |
Real markets finished in the 1850s – there are no known photos but we do have a couple of a Red Cross Market during World War One which may well give an idea of what the markets looked like. It’s published in our book, Village under the Plain, which you can buy at the museum, priced at £10.
May 14, 2012 at 9:44 am
Thanks for that, I’ll call in & check them out. I’m intrigued that such a large village/ small town has had no weekly market for so long. What happened in 1950s to call time & where did people go for market after that- all the way to Devizes?
May 14, 2012 at 10:21 am
1850 – not 1950. Devizes is little more than a 4 mile walk – further by road, of course. That was hardly a problem to our Victorian ancestors.
There are many reasons for the decline of Market Lavington as a market town. It got passed by in the railway era for the line wasn’t built until 1900. Devizes, which already had the canal, got its railway in 1857.
And then the main road was taken away from Market Lavington. When the military range was set up, the through route allowed to remian open was the present A360. The former road up Lavington Hill became no more than a farm track.
With more and more land becoming military, there was less local agricultural produce to sell – it all resulted in a small town becoming a large village.
May 14, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Thank you so much for that, it makes sense. How illogical that the main road route takes such a circuitous route to Devizes, the most direct route by map is hardly even paved now!
My interst in the market aspect of Market Lavington is that I grow veg locally (Cheverell, on a small scale) & have recently started selling from a small stall at the Green Dragon monthly market. Whilst I was there this Saturday I looked over at the Market Place and tried to imagine it bustling. Now, as I guess then, many people in the villages grow at least some of their own veg, but I can’t help thinking that as fuel gets more expensive the fair few chimney pots of Lavington might find an appetite for a more regular spot of marketeering to complement the butchers, chemist & co-op.
Meanwhile is the museum open this Wednesday?
May 14, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Yes, we are open from 2.30 to 4.30 on Wednesday
I have a day job but can get there by about 4pm. Otherwise you’ll meet a couple of our excellent stewards.
Rog (curator)
May 14, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Brilliant, I’ll come with the kids after school on Wednesday. Look forward to it.
August 13, 2012 at 4:32 pm |
Good evening,
I have just started tracing my family history,is there a local person I could contact to help me progress further?The families are Gye,Welch and Glass and are from Wiltshire.
Thanking you in anticipation
Kind Regards
Linda Dale (nee Glass)
August 13, 2012 at 5:33 pm |
Hi Linda
Probably me on lavingtoncurator@gmail.com.
Cheers
Rog
September 4, 2012 at 12:33 pm |
hi, recently visited your stall at easterton country fair. you did a great job of highlighting the museum ! i found all the photos interesting but the omissission of the 60’s and 70’s. i grew up in easterton during the 70 / 80’s and a few photos of this era would be appreciated.
also any myths/ folklore surrounding the sands on the 3 graves etc would attract “us weirdos” to to a remarkable place i called home for 11 great years. the folly in my school holidays was our playground for many years.
any pics or info would be greatly appreciated
September 4, 2012 at 1:07 pm |
Hi Graeme
Thanks for your comments. All items we have at the museum are what we are given. That includes photos. It is hard to persuade people to give us photos from 60s/70s/ they think it is recent and not for a museum. I work at it and we havce recently received the ‘then and now’ pictures where then was the 1970s. We have items on The Folly in this blog. The Three Graves are actually in Urchfont parish and so outside our area.
Have you/ your parents anything for us from your childhood time?
Do visit the Miscellany on 15th September at Market Lavington Community Hall. One item is about the jam factory and there’s quite a bit of Easterton generally.
Rog
September 7, 2012 at 10:42 pm |
Your museum is where we, as children, went to watch educational television programs back in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The room on the right of the front door was the TV room. This odd little house was part of the school which is located below it and to the right. My old school in fact, or one of them.
There were several school buildings in Lavington. Not sure why but, I imagine for over-flow reasons and possibly to divide up the age-groups. I attended them all. Three I think there were and this is before the ‘new’ Secondary Modern school was built near the Sands and quite close to Cliffe Hall. The new school opened in 1960 and I was one of the first group to attend it. In fact we helped bring the furnishings and equipment into the school.
We had wonderful teachers; Mrs Elisha, Miss Cox, Mr Metheral (not sure about the spelling), Mr Bardwell, and my special favourite Miss McDowell.
January 18, 2013 at 11:59 am |
Dear Mr Curator, I am writing from Australia and I have just started to attempt to trace my family tree on my mother’s side and I have reached a stumbling block right from the beginning. My grandfather Alfred George Smith was born in 1885 in Market Lavington according to his Australian Marriage Certificate. He provided his father’s name as William Smith whose occupation was a ‘Lake Maker’ and his mother’s name as Louisa (but no Maiden Name). According to my mother he said that he was raised by a maiden aunt who was a tyrant..etc. I had a thought that perhaps a ‘Lake Maker’ may have been a Dew Pond Maker. Anyway for whatever reason, my parent’s generation never seemed to ask questions about their ancestry. I am not sure whether you can assist me with whatever is I am looking for. With regards.
January 18, 2013 at 12:17 pm |
Hi Stephanie
I enjoy a challenge.
I’d be sure your William Smith was a dew pond digger. Lake Maker is aa lovely title though.
So we are looking for an Alfred Smith and a Louisa. We’ll see what we can do.
Rog
Curator
May 29, 2013 at 5:07 am |
[…] can click here for the curator’s email […]
June 9, 2013 at 8:09 pm |
Hello,
I wondered if you could help me at all?
One of my great grandfather’s William Phipp was born in Easterton, in about 1800. I cannot find a record of his birth or christening or any family being in Easterton,. Just his entries in the various Census’s from 1841-1881 which all give Easterton, as his birthplace. He went to be a tailor in Marlborough and lived there most of his life.
Have you come across him or any Phipp/Phipps in Easterton at all?
Thank you in advance!
Liz
June 12, 2013 at 3:04 pm |
Hi
I’m just back from a short break. I will see what we can turn up.
August 31, 2013 at 3:43 am |
Hi, I am researching the Pincheon Family from Market Lavington, I have all of the 1851 – 1911 census records. I am particularly interested in finding information on Charles Pincheon, Bricklayer (as married Betty Lanham 1792 and Betty Sutton 1803. I understand that the 1841 census for Market Lavington is missing, but was hoping that the electoral records or 1840 tithe records… I am descended from Eleanor Pinchen (daughter born 1808)
August 31, 2013 at 5:41 am |
Hi Liz
I have had a quick scan of the tithe apportionment which is in alphabetical order of property owners. The only pinchen (by any spelling) listed is Francis who owned and occupied a cottage and garden.
I will scan through the occupiers but today is Market Lavington show day and I’ll be occupied all day with that.
Lovely to hear from you and of course we’d love to see your Pinchen findings.
As a former teacher I can say I have taught people called Pinchen locally.
Rog
Curator
August 31, 2013 at 6:08 am |
Charles Pinchen lived in a cottage and garden (1840 tithe apportionment) which was the property of William Axford.
R
Curator
December 20, 2013 at 12:12 pm |
Hi Rog! I love reading your posts and that we share the same niche. Because of that, I’ve nominated you for a Liebster Blog Award. Congratulations!
Here are the Liebster Blog Award (entirely optional) rules:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog (that’s me).
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you (that’s my site).
3. Answer the questions posted for you in my blog.
4. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
5. Present the Liebster Blog Award to three blogs with 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.
6. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.
Ashley
Blue Ridge Vintage
December 20, 2013 at 12:32 pm |
Thanks very much.
We love our blog and are always pleased with the traffic it gets. There are a lot of Lavington enthusiasts out there.
But I’m sorry, we do not get involved in these awards – but I thank you for thinking of us and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
December 22, 2013 at 3:54 pm
No worries 🙂 Just wanted to let you how much I enjoy it! Keep up the great work!
April 12, 2014 at 3:54 pm |
Hello Mr Frost, it’s christine Adams, I have spent a long time going back over the records and find it fascinating. I could probably help you with a few names, but one I definitely know is the names of the 1960 recorder group. They are… Left to right
Rosalyn Cooper, Sarah Greening, me!! , Jenny Danton (not Sheila cooper), Stella Dark, Barbara Wilkins, Jane Hancock. Hope this helps.
April 12, 2014 at 4:36 pm |
Thanks so much for this, Chris. I have amended the blog to include these names.
Cheers
Rog
Curator
November 10, 2014 at 11:24 pm |
I visited Market Lavington 12-15 years ago and briefly spoke to a Mr. Louis Dark. I am of the Dark family. His address is 9 “something street” I cannot think of the name. I would like to correspond with him but need the name of the street and the zip code. Could you help? I loved that llittle town it pulls my heartstrings. The DARK line lived there for many, many decades. I would appreciate your help. While visiting I met a Mrs. Gye and Mr. Dark lived very close by.
November 11, 2014 at 8:22 am |
I regret to say that Louis Dark resides elsewhere now. He died in 2006, aged 90. Sadly, our museum founder and long time curator Mrs Peggy Gye has also died aged 89. I do not know of any Darks still in Market Lavington but I’ll make enquiries
Rog
Curator
November 4, 2015 at 8:06 pm
My aunt Mrs H Dark lives down the muddle
November 4, 2015 at 9:50 pm
So there are still Darks in Market Lavington. Grand!
February 27, 2015 at 8:15 pm |
Good evening, I have logged onto this site for the first time having visited Market Lavington today with a very old photograph of a number of family relatives who I believe are from the Pinchen family. My grandfather (who I never knew) was Fred Axford Pinchen – my name is Ashley William Axford Bradley. I note that a William Axford is mentioned above. The photograph is situated in the Clay(?) & stands out because of a protruding window in the centre of the house above the front door. It is still there today. A sign above the property bears J A Pinchen Horticulture & Architectural Builders. My mother (deceased Monica Mary Bradley nee Pinchen) is the daughter of Fred Pinchen. He is in the photo apparently aged 18 – this would date the photo at 1888. There are 8 further adults in the picture and 2 babies. My mother once told me who they all were. I unfortunately lost the paper identifying them but I a sure an Eleanor was mentioned. I can tell alot more about the more recent Pinchen family to anyone who is interested. I hope you find this useful.
February 27, 2015 at 8:46 pm |
Hi Ashley. Lovely to hear from you. I know the photo you refer to. In fact it has featured on this blog with the specific address of https://marketlavingtonmuseum.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/the-pinchen-family-of-market-lavington/ .
On that page is a copy of our museum card which names all of the people on the photo.
I hope that is useful to you.
And yes we’d love to know more about the Pinchen family – in Market Lavington or Easterton.
I’ll send this as an email as well.
Rog
Curator.
March 13, 2015 at 4:31 pm |
We know all about Ismay light bulbs and would love to buy your ismay card for our glass museum.(I would offer you £100 for it!)
John Ismay ran two factories in Dagenham and Ilford. the latter was bombed and rebuilt.
My father worked for John Ismay who became a multi millionaire, not through his two companies but by buying santa Claus tehracehorse.
Goggle it and you can see it winning the Derby & tyhe irish Derby.
He made over £11m in today’s money from it from prize money and breeding fees!.
Regards,
Stephen Pollock-Hill
March 13, 2015 at 9:47 pm |
Sorry. Definitely not for sale.
Rog
Curator
March 30, 2015 at 9:51 am |
Just been reading the Jack Welch diaries.
My father taught at Dauntseys School in the 1950’s and I remember Jack Welch, steward of the school with his pipe always on the go. Because of his war wounds he used to have great difficulty getting into and out of his car and would sit to drive it with one shoulder hunched right up. He would always put a hand up as he drove by if I was walking or on my bicycle almost in the manner of the old salute given by AA patrol men back then.
April 1, 2015 at 7:12 pm |
Fantastic memories. We are so lucky to get reminiscences and other factual details to add to the knowledge.
On a personal level I love your memory of a London tram. I was taken on one by my father. I can’t say I remember it much but I remembered the importance my dad attached to it.
Do keep up the comments.
Rog
Curator
August 18, 2015 at 8:24 pm |
Dear rog have just seen the photo of the honey jar label for felt ham and shore I am certain this was jack feltham. And Harold
Shore both lived in west lavington. Harold lived by the gun and
Jack I think at rickbarton. I remember jack removing a swarm
Of bees from my garden with his smoke gun and bee box and I think Harold had the hives on rough paddock at the back of his house hope this is helpful
August 19, 2015 at 11:53 am |
Thanks Norman
I do hope you can come to our Museum Miscellany at 7.30 on October 3rd in Market Lavington Community Hall. We are featuring your recreation ground finds.
August 19, 2015 at 7:21 pm |
I have been talking to my nephew and I have made a mistake it was Fred feltham and not as I thought jack he used to help him
Aged about 12 with the bees most of the hives were at gore cross
And to this day there are hives still on the site sadly not jack anymore
November 1, 2015 at 9:13 pm |
Hi my name is Margaret Bendle after readin you about Samuel Moore my nan was Annette Moore sister of Wilfred bill Bertha and lossy I am a great granddaughter of Samuel and I have a sister called Angela and some photoes I can show you I don’t think anyone knows we exist
November 1, 2015 at 9:46 pm |
Hi Margaret
Lovely to hear from a descendant of Samuel Moore. Florence is scheduled to appear on this blog on November 12th.
We’d love to see your photos. Are you able to email copies?
I’ll send you an email.
Rog
Curator
April 28, 2016 at 6:57 pm |
Hi my name is Andrew Perrett & it would be great if you could help me.My family (Perrett) came from Market Lavington & surrounding area’s.I have done a lot of my family tree but as always would like to know more,so would anybody be able to help with family stories & or photo’s A BIG THANK YOU Mr A Perrett
April 28, 2016 at 7:03 pm |
Best of luck Andrew.
May 1, 2016 at 5:11 am |
[…] Do please get in touch if you can tell us any more about this photo. Either leave a blog comment or contact the curator. […]
December 15, 2019 at 12:15 am |
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March 3, 2023 at 2:00 pm |
Hi hopefully you can help,I’m tracing my PERRETT family tree.would possibly have any information or photos of my ancestors.my grandfather was Byron his father DANIEL who was a Sargent Royal Marines
Thanking you Mr Andrew Perrett