Milborne Port is a town and parish, (formerly a market town) in the hundred of Horethorne, and is 3 miles north east by east from Sherborne, 8 miles south west from Wincanton and 115 miles west from London. The parish was in the Eastern division of the County, Charlton Horethorne hundred, Wincanton Petty Sessional division, Union and County Court district, Rural Deanery of Milborne Port, Archdeaconry of Wells and diocese of Bath & Wells. This parish shares it southern and western boundary's with the Somerset/Dorset County line. It is bounded to the north west by the parish of Corton Denham, to the north coming round to the east by Charlton Horethorne. Also sharing the parishes eastern boundary is Henstridge, then to the south are the Dorset parishes of Purse Caundle and Goat Hill and to the West are also Dorset parishes of Sherborne, Oborne and Poyntington (a former Somerset parish). The parish of Milborne Port also includes the hamlet of Milborne Wick.

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This town, which is irregularly built and consists chiefly of detached houses is situated at a bottom of a hill, adjoining the river Ivel, on the high road road from Yeovil to Shaftesbury. The manufacture of sail-cloth, dowlas, lindsey-woolsey, and stockings, has been superseeded by glove -making and leather-dressing. There were nine capital bailiffs, two of whom preside annually at a court-leet held in October, and appointed two deputies or sub baliffs. The town returned two members to Parliament from the 26th to the 35th of Edward I. (1298 - 1306/7), From this date to the rein of Charles I. this privilege was allowed to lapse, but the representation was restored in the third year of that monarch (1627-8) and continued until the final disfranchisement of the borough by the Reform act of 1832.
.......The Guildhall is an ancient building of stone, with a doorway of very early date. There are also the remains of an ancient cross. The town has two large factories for making leather gloves and for leather dressing, which is it's staple trade. Victoria Hall, a building of stone, erected in 1887 by S. DYKE Esq: is let for public meetings, and will seat 400 persons. There is a small free museum. Near the railway station is an ancient camp, defended by earthworks..........
1889 Kelly's Directory