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Holford, Somerset
This trip through south west England had a lot of potential stops at the birthplace of many of my ancestors, but alas most
of those places were not a strong draw from a tourism standpoint, and some of them have only marginally improved from their
slum conditions when my ancestors abandonded them for an unknown future in Australia.
Holford, however, has considerable charm, likely much more than when my ancestor Samuel Thorn was baptized there in 1780. Back in
the very early nineteenth century Holford had some proto-industrial revolution textile factories that were likely a bit grim. Samuel
Thorn was the father of my great great grandmother Mary Ann Thorne. Mary Ann migrated to Tasmania with her husband George
Bessell and their young family. Mary Ann's son Andrew Thorne Bessell was my mother's maternal grandfather.
- Left
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We stayed two nights at the lovely (and historic) Combe House
Hotel. Starting there we did a walk up into the Quantock
Hills AONB. The walk wrapped up just in time for lunch at The Plough in Holford. All together a
wonderful day.
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- This is the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Holford, it was rebuilt in the nineteenth century after my Thorn ancestor
was baptized there.
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