In 1724, Rev. Henry Dawnay made a record of the households of Puddletown.

There were 156 houses with 605 people living in them:

5 innkeepers, a clockmaker and gunsmith, a butcher, baker, chandler, weaver, bricklayer, glazier and plasterer. 

5 farmers on the outskirts of the village, employing 20 labourers, and a shepherd.

Dawnay’s meticulous record provides a fantastic snapshot in time. 

It can be found at the Dorset History Centre.