Longman Archives

Longman Family

The Longman Family lived at Baltington Farm Tyneham for 30 years from around 1913 until the evacuation in December 1943.

Albert Bernard Longman (1869-1943)

Albert was born on 17 April 1869 at Hurn, near Christchurch, to Thomas Longman (1831-1905) and his wife Jemima Mary Longman nee Wills (1830-1916).

In 1871 his father was publican at the Horns Inn, Dudsbury near West Parley which also doubled as a general shop.

By 1881, the family were living at Firgrove Farm, West Parley. His father was farming 48 acres and employing one man.

By 1891, the family had progressed to Holdenhurst Farm. Albert, aged 21, was a dairyman.

By 1901, the family had moved again, this time to Hurn Bridge Farm. Albert was now a Farm Bailiff.

In 1905 Albert married Emma Caroline Bartlett (1870–1940). Emma was the daughter of farmer George Bartlett (1846-1909) and his wife Louisa Martha Bartlett nee Miller (1846-1907) of Heron Court Farm, Hurn.

Albert and Emma had four children:

Thomas Herbrand George ‘Tommie’ Longman (1906–1914) – born at Hurn – died at Tyneham
Louisa Winifred Mary ‘Louie’ Longman (1908–1977) – born at Hurn
Evelyn Mary Longman (1910–1985) – born at Hurn
Reginald Charles Augustine Longman (1913–1983) – born at Tyneham

By 1913 the family had moved to Baltington Farm.

In the 1920s Albert rented out one of his fields between Tyneham and Worbarrow to the Scoutmasters of Eton College for their week-long annual Summer Scout Camps.

In 1932, Albert Longman employed Mr. S Allen, an engine driver.

In September 1939, Albert, wife Emma, son Reginald, daughter Evelyn and housekeeper Lydia Dowsett were still living at Baltington Farm. Evelyn was a dairymaid.

Albert died on 9 December 1943 – believed to be due to the shock of seeing his cattle being sold off so cheaply at the auction.

**Baltington Farm Disposal Report, Western Gazette, 17 December 1943**

Albert Longman was my Grandfather and actually died on the day of his sale. He was living in Corfe with my Mum and Dad (Louie and Stanley Sheasby). He may have gone to the sale first and died later. My Mum was brought up at Baltington Farm and went to Tyneham School. Sadly she died before more open access was allowed in the village.
Bridget Dixon

Thomas Herbrand George ‘Tommie’ Longman (1906–1914)

Tommie was born at Hurn in 1906. Sadly he died at Baltington Farm on 22 October 1914 aged just 8 years. It is understood he was kicked in the leg by a cow and contracted TB. Apparently villagers took a door off its hinges to stretcher him.

**In Memoriam – Western Gazette 19 October 1917**

Louisa Winifred Mary ‘Louie’ Longman (1908–1977)

Louie was born at Hurn o 9 February 1908. She married Stanley Charles ‘Stan’ Sheasby (1904-1960) in 1933 at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, East Lulworth.

Stan was the son of Ernest Sheasby (1878-1932) who started a horse and carriage business at Corfe Castle in 1906. The business expanded and motor buses were added. Two tea rooms were opened to cater for visitors. After obtaining a school contract to transport children, he purchased his first coaches. Sadly in 1932, aged 53, he was fatally injured after being crushed by one of his coaches at the Hants and Dorset Depot in Poole. Ernest’s family continued to operate the business and the name South Dorset Coaches was introduced. The family finally sold the 99 year old business in 2005.

**1936 Advertisement for Sheasby’s of Corfe Castle**

In September 1939, Louie was proprietress of the Castle Tea Gardens, Corfe Castle. Stan was a bus owner. ¹

Stan and Louie had a daughter Bridget.

Stan died on 12 July 1960 at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe, Bournemouth aged 56. Louie died on 30 January 1977 aged 68.

Evelyn Mary Longman (1910–1985)

Evelyn was born on 12 October 1910 at Hurn. She married George Thomas ‘Cudgie’ Wright (1913-1988) in 1940.

Reginald Charles Augustine Longman (1913–1983)

Reginald was born at Tyneham on 26 November 1913.

Reginald married Joan Mary Potter (1921-1973) of Church Hill, Donhead St Mary, Wiltshire in 1943. Her father was a wheelright’s smith. ¹

By June 1945 Reginald and Joan were living at Stockford Farm, East Stoke.

Reginald and Joan had five daughters – Rita, Patricia, Rosemarie known as Diane, Janet and Gillian.

Joan died in 1973 aged 51 and Reginald died on 15 December 1983 aged 70. ² They are buried at East Stoke as too is daughter Diane.

I used to have a drink with Reg when he came into Wareham on Saturday nights, very often in the Black Bear Hotel. He was a very interesting man to talk to.
Martin Burgin-Thorpe

With thanks to: Bridget Dixon, Martin Burgin-Thorpe, Rebecca Cady & Tony Langdown

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Page last updated: 6 September 2022

1939 Register[↩][↩]
Probate Calendar 1984[↩]

Baltington

Off Limits: Baltington is strictly off limits at all times.

Baltington lies to the north west of Tyneham. Sadly the area is off limits.

Baltington Farm

Baltington anciently was a manor but by 1774 was just a farm.

**The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset by John Hutchins published in 1774**

What Three Words location of famhouse entrance = Rucksack Kickers Clearly (switch to satellite view)

Farmers of Baltington have included:

1861 – William Shetler Hull – see Hull family page
1871 – James Symes Hull
1881 – James Symes Hull
1891 – James ‘Arthur’ Chilcott
1899-1911 – James Bascombe
1911-1943 – Albert Bernard Longman – see Longman family page

In 1932, Albert Longman employed Mr. S Allen, an engine driver

Page last updated: 2 March 2024

1975: Tyneham’s ration of nostalgia

By admin 16 December 1975 6 March 2024 Newspaper

HISTORY stopped at Tyneham 32 years ago. Just before Christmas,1943, the villagers gave up their homes to make way for an army firing range, and the village died.

The villagers of Tyneham never went back. Their bitter and protracted struggle for possession of their homes ended in failure as the Army retained control over a hamlet of tumbledown cottages.

Now, as Army range wardens are working to clear up the remains of the village, has come a reminder of those early war years.

Ration books for everyone living in the village before they were dispossessed have been found by the wardens, in an old corrugated iron shed at the back of Tyneham post office.

Names like Everett, Longman, Colin Driscoll, the postmaster, and William Holland, who lived at Baltington Cottage, are still clearly legible on the tattered and crumbling orange and buff coloured pieces of paper.

And the injunction from the Ministry of Food to write your surname and National Registration Number on the counterfoil before handing it to the retailer is clearly visible, too.

Coupons for sugar, bacon and ham, meat and cooking fats are crossed off in blue pencil, for these bits of paper are the remains of used-up ration books, thrown into a pile by postmaster Colin Driscoll some time in 1943.

And there, it seems, they stayed for 32 years.

“We found them as we were demolishing the old shed at the back of the post office,” said warden Mrs. Jane Cato. “They were under a pile of ash on the floor, with rat holes all around. I’m afraid they all break up very easily,” she added.

Mrs. Cato, the only woman warden on the army range, took the ration books home to her cottage in Lulworth, and is now cleaning them up.

“We hope eventually to put them on show, wrapped in polythene, at Tyneham Church,” she told the Echo.

The church, deconsecrated some years ago, is planned by the Army as a museum and an information centre for the public who use the Army range walks when the soldiers aren’t firing.

The books will take pride of place in the museum, particularly as little else of value has been discovered in the village by the wardens.

“There was surprisingly little of value in the village – most of the villagers must have taken everything they had with them when they left,” said Mrs. Cato.

From a dump near the stream they found a few bottles and old inkwells, from the greenhouse of Tyneham House they took a water pump in perfect working order, and from a farmhouse they took a pair of Victorian scales.

But they found little else to stock a museum of old Tyneham.

So those who knew Tyneham in pre-war years will have to rely on the names in old ration books to spark off memories of life in the village.

Memories like those of Miss Margaret Taylor, whose name appears in faded ink on one of the ration books. Miss Taylor, who lives with her sister in Corfe Castle, is a frequent visitor to the tiny 13th century church, which is maintained by the Department of the Environment at the edge of the village.

“We showed her round the old post office and she was amazed to see the huge tree growing just in front of the building,” said Mrs. Cato. “She remembered giving it to the postmaster as a six-inch pot plant about 40 years ago!”

Published by Bournemouth Evening Echo, Tuesday 16 December 1975