This little book was published in 1855. It is not in good condition. The front cover (of this cheap version) is partly missing and it has handwriting on it. Red gaffer tape has been used to hold the covers and pages together. This scan shows the condition of this little treasure.
The battered front of a book at Market Lavington Museum
Actually we also have a better copy at Market Lavington Museum but that handwriting makes this one special – particularly the owner’s signature on an inside page. This book belonged to Gladys Windo who, for many years, was the head teacher at the Easterton village school.
Gladys Windo, head of Easterton School was the owner of the book for some of the twentieth century
When Gladys died, the book passed to Mr Tom Jefferies who shared an Easterton house with Gladys. Tom gave the book to the museum.
Whilst the covers are in poor condition, the inside pages are in good enough order with the wear and tear you might expect on a well-thumbed book published in 1855. The title page is a repeat of the front cover.
The book’s title page
So we can see that as well as being the topographical account of Market Lavington, the book also contains information on the rise and progress of the Independent Church and also an account of the life of David Saunders, pious shepherd of Salisbury Plain.
The book was put together by the Rev H. Atley. We do not know much about the Rev. H. Atley. Apart from compiling this book, he was the minister of the Market Lavington Independent Church at the time of the 1861 census. From this census we learn that he was born in Romford in Essex sometime around the end of the 18th century and that he had married and was a widower by 1861.
There is no clear signature on the artwork in the book – delightful line drawings from which we have picked out the parish church for this blog entry.
St. Mary’s Church is the frontispiece in the book, ‘A Topographical Account of Market Lavington’.
The image creates questions – notably what was the building on the left for that area is now incorporated in the burial ground.
No doubt we’ll see more from this book in the future.
Tags: book, church, Easterton, Market Lavington, person
Market Lavington Museum 
March 3, 2012 at 7:44 pm |
Was interested to see this – I too have a copy of this book. Henry Atley was minister in Market Lavington 1854-1861. He ministered in Frome c. 1840, and on the 1851 census he is a schoolmaster in Salisbury. He spent his latter years in Faringdon, where he died (8 December 1881) and is buried.
He was the eldest son of another Henry, also an Independent Minister. Henry senior was ordained in Romford, and married a local schoolteacher, Elizabeth Harvest. The family later moved to Stepney where Henry senior ran a school. He was also a founder member of the London Missionary Society and was active with Wilberforce in the work to abolish the slave trade.
Henry junior served an apprenticeship with William Fennings, a fishmonger, and was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London in 1821, prior to becoming a minister (in about 1826).
The Revd Henry Atley (senior) was my great-great-great-grandfather.
August 1, 2015 at 9:22 am |
Publishing another picture from the book on 15th August. Was Henry the artist?