Up Cerne

Elizabeth Browning writes: “My g.grandmother Helen Brinson Ferris, from Cowes IOW, was married to John White born 1816 of Up Cerne. They had one son also John White in 1841.John senior died in 1845 in Up Cerne and their son died at the age of 7 in 1847/8 who is also buried in Up Cerne. If anyone has information about the family, pictures, reasons for deaths I would be grateful to hear from them.”

There is a good chance that the cause of death of father and son will be included on their death certificates copies can be obtained from The General Registrars Office. Here is a link to the online certificate ordering service; it is a straight forward process:

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Here are the details you will need to complete the orders:

John White Snr. Dorchester Registration District; March Quarter 1844; Volume 8 Page 51

John White Jnr: Dorchester Registration District; March Quarter 1848; Volume 8 Page 45

If you would like to get in touch with Elizabeth email your message to info@dorset-ancestors.com and in the Subject put JOHN WHITE of Up Cerne and we will forward your message on to Elizabeth.

Hidden among the downs about a mile from Cerne Abbas is the small parish of Up Cerne, a place the world has passed by. Even the main road to the county town avoids it. Writing in the 18th century the Dorset historian John Hutchins writes of an unremarkable church  and a depopulated parish.

The small parish church stands close to the manor house. It dates from the 15th century but what we see today is largely the result of a Victorian restoration  in 1870. Over the porch entrance is the Madonna, the font is square, 12th century and Norman; the pulpit is Jacobean.
 
The gabled manor house was built using stone from the remains of Cerne Abbey and was granted to Sir Walter Raleigh, who sold it to Sir Robert Mellor around 1624. In the 19th century a fire seriously damaged the interior and more recently there have been many alterations.

In addition to the little church and the fine manor house Up Cerne has a few cottages and a babbling stream all working together to make this a very pretty village.