Minterne Magna
Encyclopedia
Minterne Magna is a village in west Dorset
, England
, situated at the source of the River Cerne
in the Dorset Downs
, on the A352 main road half way between Dorchester and Sherborne
. The village has a population
of 188 .
, (1920-1997), daughter of Edward Digby, 11th Baron Digby
, was raised at the manor house from 1920-1938, and lived there before her marriage to Randolph Churchill
in 1939. Jane Digby, the noted adventuress and mistress of Ludwig I of Bavaria
, was also raised there along with her brother Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby
. They were the children of Admiral
Henry Digby, a senior British naval officer, who served in the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
in the Royal Navy
. It was his wealth that established the original manor house, the bulk of which came from prize money
. In 1799 he had been given command of the frigate HMS Alcmene
, during which time he captured dozens of small merchant ships and had a hand in seizing the Spanish treasure frigate Santa Brigada with $1,400,000 on board.
Minterne House today is well-known for its large woodland-style rhododendron
garden, which runs in an elongated 'u' shape around the slopes of a small spur of land that stretches into the valley floor. Providing shade for the rhododendrons are many mature trees, including more unusual specimens such as Davidia involucrata ('Handkerchief Tree').
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated at the source of the River Cerne
River Cerne
The River Cerne is a ten mile long river in Dorset, England, which rises in the Chalk hills of the Dorset Downs at Minterne Magna, flows down a valley through Cerne Abbas and Charminster, and flows into the River Frome in Dorchester....
in the Dorset Downs
Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger Chalk Formation which also includes Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Hampshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, North Downs and South Downs.The Dorset...
, on the A352 main road half way between Dorchester and Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
. The village has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 188 .
Minterne House
Minterne House (set back from the main road along a curved drive) is the ancestral home of the Digby family. Pamela Digby Churchill HarrimanPamela Harriman
Pamela Beryl Harriman , also known as Pamela Churchill Harriman, was an English-born socialite who was married and linked to important and powerful men. In later life, she became a political activist for the United States Democratic Party and a diplomat...
, (1920-1997), daughter of Edward Digby, 11th Baron Digby
Edward Digby, 11th Baron Digby
Edward Kenelm Digby, 11th Baron Digby, KG, DSO, MC , also 5th Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer, soldier and politician....
, was raised at the manor house from 1920-1938, and lived there before her marriage to Randolph Churchill
Randolph Churchill
Major Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill, MBE was the son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston from 1940 to 1945....
in 1939. Jane Digby, the noted adventuress and mistress of Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
, was also raised there along with her brother Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby
Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby
Edward St Vincent Digby, 9th Baron Digby , also 3rd Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer.-Biography:...
. They were the children of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Henry Digby, a senior British naval officer, who served in the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. It was his wealth that established the original manor house, the bulk of which came from prize money
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
. In 1799 he had been given command of the frigate HMS Alcmene
HMS Alcmene
Three ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Alcmene. In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena was the mother of Heracles:...
, during which time he captured dozens of small merchant ships and had a hand in seizing the Spanish treasure frigate Santa Brigada with $1,400,000 on board.
Minterne House today is well-known for its large woodland-style rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
garden, which runs in an elongated 'u' shape around the slopes of a small spur of land that stretches into the valley floor. Providing shade for the rhododendrons are many mature trees, including more unusual specimens such as Davidia involucrata ('Handkerchief Tree').