Background information concerning the establishment of Christ Church, and it's successor St Mary's, and the redistribution of boundaries between St Peters, All Saints and Holy Trinity in 1910.

Christ Church From (1847-1897)

Links to:     Baptisms 1847-1880:    1881-1882:     Banns 1847-1882:     Marriages 1847-1887

The Rev. Henry MOULE the Vicar of St Georges Church in Fordington was also appointed by the War Office as Chaplin to the troops in Dorchester Barracks, which is where the current Dorset History Centre is now situated. In 1845 he wrote a book called "Barrack Sermons". This sold so well he was able to use the royalties to build a church for the troops in West Fordington, which he named Christ Church.

Christchurch West Fordington c 1870 - Demolished 1933


©Picture kind permission of Dorset County Museum

Extract from Ordnance Survey Map of Dorchester - 1886

The following Ministers served at Christ Church

A memorial plaque to him and his family is on the wall inside St Georges Church in Fordington:-

Extract from Southern Times and Dorset County Herald - Sat 22nd Jun 1889:-
The Rev.C.Ll.SANCTUARY: We understand the Rev. C.Ll.Sanctuary, vicar of West Fordington, has accepted the living of Powerstock vacant by the death of his father, the late lamented Archdeacon, and will commence his duties in that parish in August. The Rev gentleman has held the incumbancy of Wewst Fordington since 1880 and his departure from the parish in which he has worked zealously and successfully, and has gained the esteem and good will of all his people, will be a source of great regret. The living is in the gift of the Vicar of East Fordington and is of the annual value of £300.

Rev. Charles Arthur Monk SMITH (1859 -1950 ) MA - served as Curate of Christ Church from 1883-1886
First son of Charles Henry & Sarah Georgina SMITH of Risley Derbyshire (arm). He was baptised at Risley on 30th Nov 1859. A graduate of Kebel College Oxford where he matriculated 14th Oct 1879 aged 19.was awarded a BA Degree in 1882. MA 1887. Cudd. College 1883. Ordained a Deacon 1883 at Sarum; and priest in 1884 by Bishop Kelly for Sarum. Appointed Curate of West Fordington in 1883-1886; Upton w Chalvey 1886-7; Stewkley 1887-1890; Kemsing 1892-3; Vicar of Whorlton Co Durham 1893-1899; Chicheley 1899-1900; Curate of North Arreton Isle of Wight 1900-1902 where he lived with his wife Mildred Mary whom he married c1898 and was 12 years younger than him; Vicar of Soutlbury 1902-1909; Perm to Offic Dio Ely 1912-1914; Curate of Whitchurch Oxon 1915-1918; L Pr Dio Ox from 1918 Longdown Berks. He lived to the age of 90 and died in North West Surrey in March 1950

Rev Eric James BODINGTON (1863-1929) MA - served as Curate of Christ Church from 1886-1889
The son of Thomas Bodington J.P. for the County of Staffordshire; BA 1885; MA 1889. Ordained Sarum deacon 1886, Priest 1887. Curate of West Fordington 1886-1889; He Married Katharine Elizabeth Cavell 23rd Sep 1890 and served at Burghersdorp with St Cuthbert Molteno in Cape Colony South Africa 1890-1892; Vicar of Osmington 1894-1899; Pottarne 1899-1907. Died at The Close Salisbury in Wiltshire 25th Oct 1929 leaving an estate of £2154. 3s 9d to his widow

Rev. William John BETTS (1841- 1913) B.A. - served as a temporary Curate at Christchurch June 1889 - Nov1890
Born on 12th March and baptised on 11th April 1841 at Malpas Cheshire son of William Keeling Betts Clerk of Metton Norfolk he was educated at Marlborough College and admitted pens at Queens College Cambridge on 28th June 1861 and awarded a B.A. Degree in 1864/5. He was ordained a deacon 1865 and priest 1867 (Norwich) and appointed curate at Aldringhasm Suffolk (1865-8); Leigh Worcestershire (1870-74); L.Comberton (1874-77); Milton under Wychwood (1877-1878); E. Bilney, Norfolk (1878-81); Beetley Norfolk 1881-84; All Saints Landport (1884-85) Arreton Isle of White (1885-89). He married at Great Bradley in Suffolk to Marion Louise Wilder (1850-1928) on 28th July 1885 and they had a daughter Marion Wilder Betts at South Moreton circa 1888. He was appointed as a temporary curate at Christchurch West Fordington in June 1889 as both the Vicar and existing curate left that year. He carried out baptisms there until Nov 1890 before being appointed Rector of South Moreton Wallingford in Berkshire. He died aged 72 in 4th qtr 1913 in Berkshire.

Rev Leonard BALDWYN (1857-1935) BA - served as Curate Christchurch from 1889-1894
The son of Bernard Baldwyn (1823-1885) a farmer of 107 acres at Kemerton Gloucestershire by his wife Mary Honniblow (1825-1877). Born circa 1857, baptised Kemerton 26 May 1862; matriculated Exeter College Oxford 27 Apr 1881; BA 1887; Married Jeanne Louise Smith 4th qtr 1886 Tewkesbury Gloucestershire and had a son Hugh A Baldwyn c1888; Attended Sarum Theological College 1888; MA 1889; Ordained a deacon 1889; Priest 1891 Sarum; Curate of West Fordington 1889-1894; 2nd son Cecil Fleming Baldwyn born West Fordington 2nd qtr 1891 baptised Christchurch 28th June 1891. Curate of Stoford Lodge Weston Super Mare 1894-1902; Rector Chinnor Dio Oxford from 1902 and Rector of Emmington 1908; Rector Ashton 1921. Probate died The Gables 34 Close Salisbury 1st Jan 1935.

Rev. Charles Rowland Haycock HILL (1850-1911) MA - served as Vicar of Christ Church from 1889 to 1894
The eldest son of Charles Hill and educated at New College Oxford taking a second class moderations BA in 1871 and graduating with a 2nd class in Modern History in 1873 and an MA in 1876. He was ordained Deacon in 1875 and priest the following year in the diocese of Winchester. He was curate successively of St Peter; St Michael and St Stephen in Bournemouth. In 1883 he was appointed by Lord Ilchester to the rectory at Evershot with Frome St Quenton. Charles Hill was keenly interested in educational matters and married in 1884 to Ellen (b.1853) the second daughter of the Rt Hon. Edward B Wriottesley before becoming Vicar of Christ Church in West Fordington in October 1889 and serving until 1894. He and his wife Ellen only had one son Walter Edward HILL born in 1892 who was killed in 1914 in the first world war. In May 1894 he was appointed chaplain to the High Sherrif of Dorset.and in July Charles moved to Lyme Regis where he remained until1898 when he became Rector of Holy Trinity in Dorchester. The Bishop collated him to a canonry in Salisbury Cathedral in 1901 and he had the rural deanery of Dorchester from 1908. He died and was buried in Dorchester Holy Trinity in July 1911.

Rev Charles Walter BALLEINE (1861-1938) - a Curate of Fontmel Magna in Dorset also served at Christ Church as an Officiating Minister in 1894.

Born on 7th Jan 1861 Charles Walter Balleine was baptised at St Peters Church in the Jersey where his father Charles Abraham Balleine (1832-1913) was a farmer. He grew up on the Island working with his father but joined the church being ordained a deacon in 1887 and a priest the following year. He served his curacy initally at Calstock (1887-1889) and then Fontmell Magna (1889-1894) and Lyme Regis (1894-1896) before returning to St Owens in Jersey (1896-1898) and progressing to St Clements in Jersey. Also during Januaryto May 1894 Charles served as Officiating Minister at Christchurch in West Fordington. As Christchurch had no burial ground his name appears twice in the burial register of St Georges Church in Fordington. He married at St Clements in Jersey to Ella Benest a 25 year old spinster on 4th July 1899 and died there on 1st Jan 1938.

Rev John Marshall COLLARD (1844-1917) MA - served as Vicar of Christ Church from 1894 to 1916
Born 16th July 1844 son of Rev John Marshall Collard he was educated at St John's College Cambridge. He matriculated in 1864 obtaining his BA in 1868 and an MA in 1871. He was a rowing blue in 1867 and ordained deacon in 1870. He was curate of Newbold-on-Avon 1870-1871 Vicar of Highmore Oxon 1871-1877, Curate of St Stephens Bournemouth 1890-1894. In November 1894 he then became Vicar of Christ Church at West Fordington where he remained until 1916. He was also Chaplain to the Forces from 1894 and to Dorchester Prison 1910 to 1916. He was also Rural Dean of Dorchester 1912-1917 and prebendary of Salisbury 1913-1917. He married on 27th July 1869 at Rugby Warwickshire to Grace Jane Sarah Molesworth (1844-1924) and had 6 children bewteen 1870 and 1881. He married his daughter Margaret Violet Grace Collar at Christchurch in West Fordington on 1899 and died at Dorchester on 25th May 1917.

Rev Alexander Reginald LANGTHORNE (1864-1947) BA - served as Curate of Christ Church from 1899 to 1900
Born at Broughton Hall Wilts the 2nd son of Alexander Grant SMITH of Broughton Gentleman. Non-Collegiate matriculated 4th Nov 1884 from Claremont School Birkenhead & Laretto. Migrated to Lincoln Ely Theological College BA 1888: Ordained a deacon 1888 and a priest 1889 Curate of St Mary Somers town London 1889 - ChristChurch Oxford Miss Bromley 1893-1898; appointed Curate Christ Church West Fordington Dorset 1899-1900; Rector of Drumtochty 1900-1904; Charlcombe 1904-5; Rector of Hartshorne Dio Derby from 1905. Married an Ethel May; Died 19th Feb 1947 Halsted Cheshire

Rev. John Duncan JOWITT (1868 - 1943) - served as Curate of Christ Church from 1900 to 1901
Born Reading Berkshire; Educated at Christ College Cambridge 1886; ordained a deacon 1896 and a priest 1898; Curate of St Giles Colchester 1896-1898; Eastville Lincs 1898-1900; Curate of West Fordington Christchurch 1900-1901, living 1901 Census 8 St Helen's Road St Peters Parish Dorchester aged 33 unmarried ; Curate of Charminster 1901-1902 ; Curate of Holy Trinity Dorchester 1902-1904 ; St John Baptist Hoxton 1904-1907; St Andrews Fulham 1909-1912 Married 12 April 1910 to Mary Margaret Stanton Stanton at St Andrews Fulham the daughter of Captain of the Royal Scots Francis Robert Stanton deceased; Rector of St James the Less Springburn Glasgow 1913-1923; Vicar of Hackthorne w Cold Hanworth Dio Lincoln from 1923-42. Died Boars Hill Oxford 4th Sep 1943

Christenings and marriages continued to be performed at Christ Church until 1924.

Times 5th March 1907: Bishop refuses to sanction rebuilding on existing site

"The problem of the church extension at Dorchester, which has for years exercised the minds of the ecclesiastical authorities of the borough and diocese has just entered a new and most interesting phase. The vicar, churchwardens and parishioners of West Fordington an extra mural parish that has extended considerably of late years and now has a population of 2,800 are unanimous in their desire to build a new permanent church on a central and commanding site now occupied by the temporary church of timber and corrugated iron built 10 years ago".

"But the Bishop of the diocese and the Archdeacon of Dorset ( The Ven. D.L. DUNDAS) advocate a readjustment of the ecclesiastical parishes of Dorchester and the erection of the proposed new church in some portion of the new district of on the South side of the town. The people of West Fordington do not at all approve of these proposals of their ecclesiastical superiors. The vicar of West Fordington ( Rev J. M. COLLARD) is now away from home on a visit to the Holy Land. In his absence the vicar of the parental parish of Fordington St George (Rev R. GROSVENOR BARTELOT) who is the patron of the benefice of West Fordington, presided over a crowded parochial meeting on Thursday night. at which strong resentment was expressed at what is considered to be the unjustified interference of the Bishop and Archdeacon in the affairs of the parish, and stout opposition to the proposed partition of the parish against the will of the parishioners. It was unanimously resolved with enthusiasm to build the new church on the old approved site, and a buildings committee was appointed and their duties defined. The action of the parish amounts to a direct defiance of the expressed wishes of the Bishop of Salisbury and the archdeacon of Dorset; but there is no doubt that the whole parish, and many beyond it cordially concur with the action of the public meeting".



Times 31st October 1907: Appeal rejected

"The conflict of opinion between the Bishop of Salisbury and the vicar and parishioners of West Fordington, Dorchester, as to the site for the proposed new church has reached an acute stage. For years past the parishioners of West Fordington, now one of the largest suburbs of Dorchester, have been preparing for the erection of a new church on the site of the present temporary structure. The land has been purchased and a considerable sum subscribed towards the building of a permanent church. The Bishop however , has refused to sanction building on the site proposed, on the grounds that it would increase the rivalry between the present parishes, there being already three churches in the main street where the proposed site is situated; also that it does not provide for the new districts that are growing up to the westward of the town".

"The Vicar (the Rev. J.M.COLLARD) and the parishioners have expressed themselves strongly against interference with a long cherished scheme, and the vicar has appealed to the Bishop to meet a deputation from the parish. The Bishop has replied restating his objections and in his letter to the vicar says:- "It is impossible for me to let other considerations outweigh the considerations of my duty towards the town and the necessary economy of the church funds and powers which that duty suggests. I cannot in fact treat your parish or encourage you to treat it, as separate from the rest. Your duty seems to me to frame a scheme for redistribution of areas of church building where population requires it in concert with your brother clergy and under the presidency of the archdeacon".



Times 12th June 1908: Report of the Commission - resignation and loss of chaplainry

"A Commission appointed by the Bishop of Salisbury has sat at Dorchester to consider the proposed rearrangement of the parochial boundaries. The Commission was rendered necessary owing to a scheme which has for some time been in progress for erecting a new church for West Fordington. The parishioners of that part of town have been working with extraordinary enthusiasm in the direction, and have not only purchased the site on which the present temporary church stands, but have a large sum in hand for the erection of a permanent building. The Bishop however, has held strongly to the opinion that, attractive as the site was, the new church should be placed more to the South, in order to provide for the new suburban district which has sprung up there. A good deal of feeling has been aroused, and the parishioners as a body have expressed the determination not to give up their favourite site. An unexpected development has now taken place, the commission which has met having decided to recommend a general scheme of parochial redistribution".

"The effect of this will be that, while St Peter's and All Saints parishes will remain unaltered, Holy Trinity will absorb a large portion of West Fordington and the latter will take a part of East Fordington. The proposals involve the erection of a new church in the heart of the rearranged West Fordington Parish. Much indignation has been caused among the parishioners of West Fordington and Dr COSSENS one of the churchwardens has resigned his seat on the church council as a protest against what he calls in his letter to the vicar (Rev. J.M.COLLARD) "The disastrous policy pursued by an ecclesiastical coterie" The vicar, who has up to now strongly stood by the parochial scheme, has signified his acquiescence in the scheme of the Commission, which will involve among other consequences, the loss to him of £80 a year as chaplain to the barracks".



Times 4th February 1910: Settlement

The difficulty between the vicar and parishioners of West Fordington Dorchester and the Bishop of the diocese in regard to the site of their proposed new church is now considered settled. The vicar (the Rev. J.M.COLLARD) has fallen in completely with the desire of the Bishop that the church should not be erected on the site of the present Church of St Mary, but should be placed in the large suburban district which has sprung up on the south western outskirts of the town. A suitable site has been given by Mr J FOOT of Dorchester in memory of his father and a sum of £4,500 has already been raised. at a parish meeting the vicar announced that the plans of the church had been passed by the Bishop and the Chancellor of the diocese and he appealed for the loyal support of the parishioners who were urged to forget their own wishes and to sacrifice their own interests if the advantage of the many demanded it.



Times 16th April 1910 - Foundation Stone Laid

Lord Shaftsbury lays the foundation stone of the new church of St Mary West Fordington Dorchester

Times 12th July 1912 - Dedication
St Mary's West Fordington

The Bishop of Salisbury yesterday dedicated the church of St Mary West Fordington Dorchester which has been erected at a cost of £11,500. The controversy respecting the site of this church has been referred to more than once in the Times. The church is built of hard Swanage stone, mainly in the Transition Gothic style. The architect Mr PONTING of Marlborough has not however followed the style servilely and the result is a church of dignified dimensions and beauty of proportions as well as of detail.


"Mass Cantata" was celebrated by the vicar (Rev. J. M. COLLARD) in full Eucharist vestments and the Bishop wore his cape and mitre. There was a procession with candles, incense and banners. At the luncheon that followed the Bishop referring to the movement for subdividing Sarum diocese and creating a diocese of Dorset, said he doubted if it would come in his lifetime.