The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
I love this place – the church is so very old and solid. It’s in Romanesque style, was built around 1050, with later alterations, and is a mixture of Saxon and Norman styles.
It has some very naughty carvings, if you know what you are looking at. See this link and this link for more on that “rude” aspect, although I will touch on it below…
Studland village, Dorset - Bankes Arms pub and National Trust stall...
There is a National Trust car park in the middle of the village, right next to the church, and nearby is The Bankes Arms pub, which is also home to the Isle of Purbeck Brewery.
Studland village, Dorset - view of Old Harry Rocks in the distance (zoomed)
Some of my Purbeck ancestors going back to maybe 1615 were christened here, with surnames including READ/REED, CORBIN/CORBAN, BRANNE, BAYLEY/BAILY, MOWLAM, RIGHTBRAD/RIGHTHEAD, PAYNE, TOMBS and CHATTOCK.
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - I think this stretch of carvings under the roof is known as a corbel table
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - sorry, but this is a rude one of a woman with hugely exaggerated naughty bits. She's called a 'Sheela Na Gig' and is thought by some to hark back to paganism
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - magnificent yew tree
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - interior
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - stained glass
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - interior
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - stained glass
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - stained glass
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - stained glass
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - interior
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - the baptismal font
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - war memorial
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - list of rectors, from the year 1300...
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - view from the church
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset - magnificent yew tree
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
The Church of St Nicholas, Studland, Dorset
Studland village, Dorset - view of the sea from village car park (zoomed)
Shell Bay, Studland, Dorset - chain ferry that shuttles back and fore from Studland to Sandbanks
Shell Bay, Studland, Dorset - looking across to the hotel on Sandbanks
Shell Bay, Studland, Dorset - near here is a naturist beach
Shell Bay, Studland, Dorset - looking across at Brownsea Island (zoomed)
Shell Bay, Studland, Dorset
The Squirrelbasket 
:Lovely pictures.My maternal ancestors livedaround here in the early and mid 19c. My 3x great grandmother was Charlotte Read, born 1800 in the IOW but her father Matthew Read, mayhave been born in Swanage or Hythe Hants. Other relatives are Burt, Bridle, Hyde in this area ,Worth Matravers, Lychett and Stoborough,and in Church Knowle
Thanks for commenting. Although I doubt it, I wonder if we have some distant connection? My 5-great grandfather was John Read (or possibly Reed), born about 1738 and died 5 Dec 1822 at Greenlands Farm. As far as I can tell, he was married to Jane Saunders of Langton Matravers.
His son, born 1777, was another John Read, fisherman of Swanage. I can’t go back beyond 1738 and I know absolutely nothing about that John Read’s parents
I also have Burt ancestors, but they are from the area around Romsey in Hampshire.
Good luck with your researches. Let me know if you find anything 🙂
I have a “Mary Ann Read” born Bet. 1821–1823 Compton Abbas, Dorsetshire, England
She married a “William Bridle” born 31 May 1818 Gillingham, Dorsetshire, England
I have 7 children listed for them.
If any of this helps, maybe we can help each other.
H. Briden
Thank you for your kind communication. We may be related, but I fear that Read is quite a common name and my Reads seem to have been well established in Swanage by the 1730s.
I always think of Gillingham as the opposite end of Dorset to “my lot”, although at least Compton Abbas is on the main road down to Poole!
Good luck with your family searching and if you see a more direct link with Swanage or Studland among the Reads, please do let me know.
Best wishes 🙂
You may like to know that I am descended from JOHN READ of swanage. He aquired lands at Greenland which passed to one of his two daughters Harriet Read on his death, he left a will. She married HENRY CHURCHILL and John Read lived with them. They were farmers and fishermen. Henry had quite a few children and married for a second time after harriet died. Both Henry and Harriet are buried at St Nicholas. I am descended from their son JOB.
Hi Ruth!
We have communicated before via Genes Reunited – in 2009. I still have all the lovely information you gave me then. I am descended from Ann Read, who married Richard Hayes in Poole.
Since we last communicated, I have been to Greenlands and posted on this blog. But perhaps you can look at my photographs and confirm for me where in the field the old farm stood? I expect I have missed taking a picture of the spot, as I usually do miss the main point on my trips!
Lovely to see you here 🙂
Best wishes…
I have just found your comments about Richard Hayes and Ann Read, who were my 3 x great grand parents, my fathers mother being Edith Winifred Hayes 1898 to 1950, of Poole. So I guess we are in some way related.Myself and my father aged 89, have been visiting Poole a lot recently (his bother and one of his sister still live there) and have found some old (c1915-18) photo’s of the Hayes family at a wedding. the Hayes family in late 19th century to mid 20th, were fishermen and members of the Poole lifeboat crew. In the RNLI museum at Poole there are photos and commemoration of the Hayes. I have also traced the Read family back to John in 1738. if you have any other information , I would be pleased to hear about it.
Paul Cowper
Excellent! I will get in touch by email when I get my thoughts together!
As far as I can tell, Edith was the daughter of Harry Richard Hayes, who was younger brother of my great grandmother Alice Hayes (1861-1932). Their parents were Richard and Maria Hayes.
On the Read front, I have John Read born around 1738 (by his death date) but haven’t found his christening. I wonder if you have…
Best wishes 🙂
I have just stumbled across your website with these most lovely pictures of St. Nicholas Church in Studland. I am researching my husbands grandfather, Frank Masters who was born in Studland in 1890. As a young lad he worked at the Studland Dairy of which I have a photograph. His parents were Thomas Walter Masters and Mary Anne Keats. He was one of 13 children, he came to Canada in 1911 and was later followed by two of his brothers, Reginald and Edward. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who may be viewing these pictures and could be related to this family. Please e-mail me , Pat Masters, pitpat@telus.net Thank you…….once again the pictures are stunning!
I am happy to “host” your inquiry!
And thanks for the kind words about my pictures – I love that church…
I see from the 1911 census that Mary Ann came from Swanage (see my pix here). I expect you have full access to all the censuses going back to 1841, but if you don’t, just let me know and I will email you and do any lookup you may need. I get very little use out of my subscription at the moment as I have reached as far back as I can in most of my ancestral lines…
We had neighbours called Keats here in Wales when I was a child. I suspect they may have come from Dorset, as did so many of our neighbours, although I didn’t realise it at the time. It was because we had connections with the Royal Navy Cordite Factory at Holton Heath near Poole…
Best wishes 🙂
if anyone has facebook access you might like to know that there is a group called Purbeck Past, which has lots of members with links to many of the old Purbeck families. There is always someone who has a little gem of information and there are many old family photographs posted. You have to ask to join, it is a private group which means that your personal details remain private and there is plenty of good chatter and help with search enquiries. There is also a seperate facebook group solely dedicated to Tyneham. Both have friendly members always willing to help and are a wealth of fascinating items. Ruth x
Excellent! I may be in touch 🙂
Hello Pat,
How lovely for you to respond to my query. The pictures of the church in Swanage are stunning as well. It would be interesting to learn if perhaps my husband’s grandfather or great grandparents ever set foot in these churches…….viewing your pictures of the inside certainly gives me food for thought! If at you happen to come across any information on the Masters or the Keats I would be so pleased if you could kindly send it along to me.
Also, I have noted that your last name is English, I take it this would be a married name. We recently had a query in our local newspaper from a Mari Rose English from England who was looking for information on her grandfather who lived here in Campbell River (British Columbia) Myself and others from our genealogy society were able to send her all of the information relating to the English’s here which were her relatives. She was thrilled to hear from us as we were able to provide her with many pictures as well as I myself lived in the very house that once was her grandfather’s. It really is a small world.
I now have your blog on my “favourites”, so reading and viewing all that you have posted is just a click away….am so enjoying it all, thank you. Pat Masters
English is my married name. I have traced this particular line back through the South Wales Valleys to Bitton and Kingswood in South Gloucestershire, part of greater Bristol. These are both coal mining areas and they were a mining family.
Best wishes 🙂
Hello again Pat,
Well, you will be surprised to know that both my husband’s great grand parents are buried in the St. Nicholas church yard, Thomas Walter Masters in 1920 and Mary Ann Masters in 1939, (Grave Ref. F83). You have included some very nice photographs of the churchyard…..thank you kindly!
Pat Masters
Great! And those sound recent enough for the stones to remain readable, too! I have had very little luck finding any of my ancestors’ graves.
Best wishes 🙂
Hello Pat, Almost a year has gone by since I first came across your blog. Three months after I left a comment on your blog regarding my husband’s ancestor’s and the St. Nicholas churchyard, our genealogy society recieved a letter adressed to me from my husband’s second cousin in Australia. She wasn’t sure if we had a society or if the letter would reach me….can you imagine my surprise?
She had also visited your blog when she came across my comment. She knew three of the Masters brothers had come to Canada but had no idea where….to say the least she was thrilled when I answered her letter with information she was seeking to fill in her family tree. I was also able to put her in contact with a relative in England who saw my query in a newspaper, the Swanage Gazette. The last year has been one of excitment for me as the three of us have been exchanging information and stories about my husband’s ancestors. Niether of them use e-mail so I recieve letters from them via “snail mail”…….I find this much more personal and I enjoy replying in the same manner. Thanks to your blog, something I thought would never happen, happened!
So all you budding genealogists out there, it’s worth a try, you just never know what may turn up!
Thanks once again!
Oh gosh! Great! I’m glad something I published help bring you together.
I actually have a long lost brother I would like to find, who emigrated to Australia – so maybe I ought to publish something about that, too!
Best wishes to you all 🙂
My husband’s grandmother, Martha Margaret Frances Masters, was the eldest daughter of Thomas Walter Masters and Mary Ann Keats. She married Herbert John Frith. I have some details about the rest of her brothers and sisters, including Ted, Reg and Frank who went to Canada. Is there anything in particular you want to know?
I find it fascinating that Keats seems to be a Dorset name. My best friend was a Keats. I lived in a village called Caerwent in Monmouthshire, where it turned out many of our friends and neighbours had come from Dorset just before World War II – they came from the cordite factory at Holton Heath near Poole to set up a similar factory in my village to make propellants for the war effort. Some were factory workers but some were chemists and managers – like the Keats family, who were what we would call posh in those days, as we were poor!
All the best 🙂
I find it fascinating that Keats seems to be a Dorset name. My best friend was a Keats. I lived in a village called Caerwent in Monmouthshire, where it turned out many of our friends and neighbours had come from Dorset just before World War II – they came from the cordite factory at Holton Heath near Poole to set up a similar factory in my village to make propellants for the war effort. Some were factory workers but some were chemists and managers – like the Keats family, who were what we would call posh in those days, as we were poor!
All the best 🙂
Hello Frances, yes, I do know about the three brothers that came to Canada, Frank came first, followed by Edward and Reginald. All three resided here in Campbell River, British Columbia. Frank died tragically as the result of being burned when his home burnt to the ground. He and his wife Annie were farmers of a 100 acre parcel of land. They had two children. Reginald had four children, one who drowned at an early age. Edward had no children of his own. Please feel free to e-mail me with any information you may have. I am already in contact with Ann Bailey of whom you may know.
Cheers, Pat Masters
Hope this message gets through!
All the best 🙂
Hello Frances Frith, would you care to contact me via e-mail?
If so, my e-mail address is pitpat@telus.net
Thank You, Pat Masters
I have also emailed your message to Frances in case she doesn’t see it on the blog.
All the best 🙂
Thank You for forwarding my message to Frances Frith, I have just recently been contacted by another relative who saw my posting on your blog!
Cheers, Pat Masters
Excellent. “It’s good to talk”!
Hi, interested to hear that you are a descendant of Job Churchill, I am a descendant from his brother Mark Churchill, on my maternal side. We are currently trying to trace a Churchill who may have died in the First World War. Just wondering if you have come across anything, there was a picture many years ago of a soldier in a red uniform with a horse that hung in my Great Grandmother’s house in Swanage. This has started from my daughter’s homework project but it’s kind of over-taking my life at the moment!
Thank you for commenting. That’s very interesting. I always thought Churchill sounded an important old surname!
I’m afraid I don’t have too much on that branch of the family, as it is a side branch for me. I am not directly related to Job Churchill, only by marriage. Job’s mother Harriot Read Churchill was sister to my ancestor Ann Read.
My notes on Mark Churchill end with:
Mark CHURCHILL, born OND 1854 Wareham 5a 282; married AMJ 1886 Wareham 5a 536 to Anne SUMMERS; died after 1901
Father of Alice May CHURCHILL born 1887 Studland [AMJ 1887 Wareham 5a 297]; died after 1901
Father of Herbert CHURCHILL born 1889 Studland [JFM 1889 Wareham 5a 273]; died after 1901
Father of Arthur Henry CHURCHILL born 1891 Studland [JFM 1891 Wareham 5a 276]; died after 1901
Father of Nathaniel CHURCHILL born 1893 Studland [JFM 1893 Wareham 5a 277]; died after 1901
Father of Harold Oswald CHURCHILL born 1896 Studland [AMJ 1896 Wareham 5a 275]; died after 1901
As you can see, I didn’t pursue that line when the 1911 census became available…
By the way, did you see my pictures of Greenlands Farm, where Job lived?
All the best for your daughter with her fascinating project.
Best wishes 🙂
Hi I am a direct relation of Job Churchill, I’m his gt gt grandaughter and have an extensive family tree going back to 1590. Job also has a living gt granddaughter, my Aunty.
I would be delighted to help, the photo of Job on the Internet is from my original. Please feel free to email me ruthlancaster5@aol.com and I’m so pleased you found this site as we are all connected 🙂 thank you
Thanks for that Ruth – I hope Rachel will also see this and get in touch with you.
All the best 🙂
Rachel – Mark Churchill was my great grandfather. His son (my grandad Harold 1896-1969, or Granfer Ossie as he was known) served in the Great War. I can’t be sure if the Churchill you’re seeking is Henry Churchill whose name appears on the memorial in St Nicholas. If it is, I think you’ll find him here
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Dorset/Swanage.html
Although where he fits into the web of Studland Churchills I don’t know I’m afraid
Thanks for that – and good luck to Rachel in her search 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful photos which reminded me of my two visits to Studland. My uncle and father Archibald Frederick Pride and Percival James Pride were both christened in St. Nicholas church. My grandfather Frederick Nelson Pride was killed in the first world war, so my grandmother moved into Swanage and trained as a midwife. They lived in a thatched cottage near Studland Beach. My great grandfather was a coastguard and previously sailed around Cape Horn. My uncle came to South Australia as a Barwell Boy (farm boy) and my grandmother brought the other two boys out later.
I would appreciate any information about the pride family.
Virginia
I’m pleased to have brought back family memories for you.
I will leave this comment here on the blog in case someone else out there finds they are a Pride relative of yours and wants to contact you.
Meanwhile, if you don’t have access to the UK Ancestry information, if you tell me the name and dates of an ancestor you haven’t been able to trace, I will happily do a quick look-up to start you off.
I hadn’t heard of the Barwell Boys, but for those interested, here is a link to a bit more information about them. Interesting!
Best wishes 🙂