Alfred John Scutt 1871-1952

[Western Gazette, Friday 09 February 1900. Servants, &c., Wanted. Carter Wanted at Lady-day, with sons. Also Thatcher or Labourer, with family. A. Scutt, Preston, Weymouth.] [Mon 21 Dec 1903, Exeter & Plymouth Gazette, Devon. Oak House School, Axminster. The annual examination of the pupils attending this school was held on the 14th, 15th, and 16th inst. The results were very satisfactory. Master Thornhill Madge twain, Toleis, Axminster, and Master Alfred John Scutt, of Luppitt, obtained the greatest distinction, and gained two prizes each.] [Friday 09 August 1918, Western Gazette, Somerset. Messrs. Henry Duke & Son are favoured with instructions to Offer the above Resourceful FreeHold Landed Estate for Said Auction, their Property Sale-room, Dorchester, on Saturday, August 24th, at 3.30 p.m. Lot 1. Watercombe Farm, about Acres, famous mixed holdings, memorable as the Home of the world-famed Watercombe breed of sheep, established and bred there with such success and service to the Down Sheep of this Country by the then Tenant, Mr. Thomas Homer Saunders who was followed by his son, Mr. Thomas Chapman Saunders; was succeeded the late Mr. Charles Scutt, whose son, Mr. A. J. is the present Tenant. The occupation of this notable Farm has, therefore, remained in two families of leading Dorset Agriculturists for upwards of 100 years.] [Fri 02 Jul 1926, Western Morning News, Devon. New Dorset Justices, Dorset Quarter Sessions yesterday Sir Charles Eric Hambro KBE of Milton Abbey, and Mr. Alfred John Scutt, of Maiden Castle Farm, Dorchester, were added to the roll Justices of the Peace for Dorset.] [Western Daily Press - Monday 16 October 1933. "HUMBUG" Retort at noisy West Tithe Meeting. Dorset Farmer's Protest For "Fair Play." Three out-voted when noisily interrupted Anti-tithe Meeting at Dorchester, Dorset, Saturday night, Alfred Scutt, of Maiden Castle Farm, Dorchester, said "let's have fair play. I am out play the game for my country and I don't beieve in a lot of Humburg." Oony three votes were given for a direct negative which he had moved to resolutions before the meeting. Scutt said that he held no brief for the parson, but small landowner and tenant farmer was out for fair play. People accepted obligations when they bought farms in pre-war days, and they bought them with tithe. Sir George Vernon, of Hall, Worcester, denied that clerical tithe was property. The property from which the tithe came had to be maintained. Repairs were not done by the parson, he said, but the poor old squire who went to church Sundays and was told that money was the root of all evil and covetousness the worst of sins. Landowner's Declaration. Mrs Doreen Wallace said that if they could convince Parliament that the tithe law was unworkable they could get repealed. Cap:G. Pitt Rivers, a Dorset landowner, that he was an agriculturist, tithe owner, and not an inconsiderable owner. He declared "I will not henceforth discharge a single agricultural worker or workman on my estates or lower any wages in order to pay tithe." Up to a year ago he paid tithe regularly, but owing to crushing taxation he had to make considerably retrenchments and discharge his work people. It is immoral," he said "to discharge men and throw them on the rates and tax us in order to pay this charge on an industry out of which we make our living for the good of the nation."] [Scutt, Alfred John - Chalbury Lodge, Preston, Weymouth, of independent means - Lock Reed & Lock, Dorchester, Dorset, Solicitors, (Doris Seymer Scutt, Ruth Seymer Milligan, William Scutt, William Noel Chick and Henry Osmond Lock) 23rd April 1952.] [A J S 80yr.]