Durden's Corner - Blandford Forum, Dorset - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com

Now an opticians, this building it was once the grocery store of Henry Durden (1807-1892). Henry Durden was a Victorian grocer who made an important collection of antiquities, particularly from Hod Hill near Blandford. This collection was arranged in cases above his shop at the corner of the Market Place and Salisbury Street. It was the first museum in Blandford Forum.

Henry Durden -
"Collector. Owned grocery business in Blandford. Collected Dorset antiquities for his own museum and excavated (but did not publish). Little-known outside the county until 'discovered' by Charles Roach Smith. His coin cabinet sold upon his death; some of the rest of the collection catalogued by George Payne and published in 1892. (Durden died while this was in press). Part of the collection sold to the British Museum by Durden's son John (q.v.) in two tranches, September 1892 and June 1893 (1796 and 472 objects respectively). Augustus Franks (q.v.)was Keeper of the relevant department at that time.
Most material was from Dorset, with a small collection of Irish antiquities obtained from Dr Cotton and Danish antiquities (plus some lithics from the Mississippi valley) from Mr Bryce Wright. Durden also acquired Anglo-Saxon antiquities from Kent. Among the prehistoric material were important collections from Hod Hill and from various Dorset barrows."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Blue Plaque managing agency: Blandford Civic Society Individual Recognized: Henry Durden Physical Address: 9 Market Place Blandford Forum , Dorset England DT11 7AF Web Address: Not listed

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