Local People

Thomas Sainsbury, of Market Lavington was Lord Mayor of London in 1786, the name Sainsbury occurs more frequently than any other in the parish records. There is a large pedigree of the Sainsbury family in the museum.

James Lye head gardener at Clyffe Hall in the latter half of the nineteenth century was famous for raising over 80 new varieties of fuchsia.

Tom Haines who retired in the mid 1930s was the last Town Crier. These are but a few of the many villagers remembered in the museum – which is a unique collection of life in a Wiltshire Village.

Local Life

The Potters and the Sayers in local transport

Various horse drawn coaches ran from the village including a horse drawn bus service which was run by The Potter family to Devizes; finally closing in about 1916 – The first motor bus was run by Mr Fred Sayer who set up his Motor Bus Company in 1911.Many of the early photographs of the surrounding area, as well as the village and its people, were taken by Mr Alfred Burgess, who opened his shop and “Studio” in 1886, and was carried on by his sons Robin and George, until the late 1940’s.

The Saunders and Public Buildings

The Saunders family of Russell Mill had a great influence in the village during the nineteenth century. They were supporters of The Free Churches, provided The Workman’s Hall, they agitated for the building of Dauntsey’s School to comply with the terms laid down in Alderman Dauntsey’s Will, and many other changes. A major achievement was the instigation of the removal of the many turnpike gates in the area in 1825.

The money for this project was collected by Francis Smith, the last Parish Clerk – His account book of donations and details of the event are in The Museum collection along with many other interesting documents.