The Miner family on Combe Down

Michael Miner has recently given me the story of the Miner family on Combe Down. You can see it here. The Miner family are a long established Combe Down family and have lived at many addresses, including: 1 Green Cottages, Combe Down 1 Miner’s Cottages, Monkton Combe 2 Quarry Rise, Combe Down 2 Upper House, Read More …

More Combe Down cousins

Following last month’s movers and shakers post I have discovered more Combe Down cousins for that link them to other families who lived in the ‘big houses’. Those are the Allen, Atherton, Bennett, Bryan, Cruttwell, Daubeney, Disney, Falkner, Fortt, Gabriel, Gore, Hope, Howard, Maude, Morley, Richardson, Vivian and Wingrove families who are mentioned on this site in numerous places This post is probably best read with last month’s post open in another tab for easy Read More …

Missionaries and a sort of ‘reverse Ponzi’ patronage scheme

Missionaries operate on the front line between cultures. We don’t hear so much about missionaries these days.Today they are seen by many as invasive, forcing their language, culture and religion on an unwilling population – as another form of colonialism and exploitation. It was not always this way. In the 19th century many Europeans and Read More …

Pubs, inns, arms and crowns

A while ago I added a page about the pubs, inns, arms and crowns of Combe Down and Monkton Combe. In our small area there used to be at least fourteen but now there are five. When I first came to write this blog I thought it might be more about them, but I became Read More …

Now and Then

I’ve just reordered the site somewhat into Now and Then. The, slightly punning, title of the book was Prior to Now and that became the website title too. A thought that I always had, was that the site could include the history of Combe Down (Prior) and what’s going on now (Now). I have now put Read More …

Listed buildings

I have just added a page for Listed Buildings on Combe Down and in Midford and Monkton Combe divided into 15 areas which are in a rough circle as follows: Prior Park North Road The Avenue Church Road Belmont Road Summer Lane Combe Road Bradford Road Entry Hill Midford Castle Tucking Mill Monkton Combe Brassknocker Hill Read More …