for more information on St Mary's Church see http://dorsethistoricchurchestrust.co.uk/beaminster.htm
1870-1872 IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF ENGLAND AND WALES (published by John Marius Wilson)
Beaminster,-pronounced Bemminster a small town, a parish, a subdistrict, and a district in Dorset. The town stands on the river Birt, near the confluence. of its headstreams, among high environing hills, 4¾ miles north west of Powerstock railway station, and 6 north north east of Bridport. It is a place of considerable antiquity; but it was burnt to the ground by the troops of Prince Manrice in 1644, and again much destroyed by fire in 1684 and in 1781; and it now presents a modern and neat appearance. It has a post office‡ under Bridport, a banking office., a hotel, a townhall, a church, a chapel of ease, an Independent chapel, a Wesleyan chapel, a free school, and almshouses with £173, and other charities with £99; and is a polling-place for the county. The church is later English and large; contains tombs of the Strodes of Parnham; has a tower nearly 100 feet high, with curious sculpture on the western side; and was restored in 1862. A weekly market is held on Thursday; and a fair on 19 Sept. A good trade exists in double Dorset or mould cheese; and the manufacture of sailcloth, sacking, and pottery is carried on. The Rev. T. Hood, father of Lords Hood and Bridport, was master of the free school; and Bishop Spratt the poet, and Russell who defended Warton's History, were natives.
The parish includes also the tything of Langdon, and the hamlets of Axknoll, Marsh, Meerhay, North Mapperton, Parnham, and Wansley. Acres, 5,118. Real property, £13,632. Population, 2,614. Houses, 590. The property is much subdivided. The manor belongs to the prebends of Beaminster Prima and Beaminster Secunda in the cathedral of Salisbury. Parnham House, formerly the seat of the Strodes, now the seat of Sir Henry Oglander, Bart., is an old Tudor edifice, and contains a fine hall, with gallery of portraits. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Salisbury. Value, £246. Patron, the bishop of Salisbury.-The subdistrict comprises the parishes of Beaminster, Mapperton, Hook, North Poorton, and Poorstock. Acres, 11,901. Population, 4,112. Houses, 912. The district comprehends also the subdistrict of Netherbury, containing the parishes of Netherbury, Stoke-Abbott, Broadwinsor, Burstock, Bettiscombe, Pilsdon, and Marshwood; the subdistrict of Evershot, containing the parishes of Evershot, Melbury-Osmond, Melbury-Sampford, Wraxall, Rampisham, East Chelborough, West Chelborough, Halstock, and Corscombe; and the subdistrict of Misterton, containing the parishes of Cheddington, South Perrot, Mosterton, Misterton, and Seaborough,-the two last electorally in Somerset. Acres, 53,764. Poor-rates in 1866, £10,116. Pop. in 1861, 13,587. Houses, 2,913. Marriages in 1866, 72; births, 420,-of which 20 were illegitimate; deaths, 219,-of which 71 were at ages under 5 years, and 10 at ages above 85 years. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 1,020; births, 4,465; deaths, 2,821. The places of worship in 1851 were 31 of the Church of England, with 6,893 sittings; 7 of Independents, with 1,482 sittings.; 1 of baptists, with 194 sittings.; 9 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 758 sitting.; and 1 of Primitive Methodists, with 65 sittings. The schools were 24 public day schools, with 1,286 scholars; 24 private day schools, with 523 scholars.; 35 Sunday schools, with 2,127 sscholars.; and 2 evening schools for adults, with 25 scholars. The workhouse is in Stoke-Abbott.
1887 BARTHOLOMEW'S GAZETTEER OF THE BRITISH ISLES
Beaminster, parish, and market town, west Dorset, 5 miles south west of Crewkerne railway station. and 6 miles north east of Bridport, 5118 acres, population. 2130; Post Office, Telegraph Office, 2 Banks. Market-day, Thursday. It is situated in a good agricultural district, and has some manufacturers of sacking and pottery. The town has been three times destroyed by fire (1644,1684, and 1781). The parish contains Beaminster Manor
1914 BARTHOLOMEW'S GAZETTEER OF THE BRITISH ISLES (from the 1911 census)
Parish, market town and seat, west Dorset; 6 miles north of Bridport; 5190 acres, population 1860; Post Office, Telegraph Office