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Edwin Snelgrove

L to R: Little Fountains, Fontby, The Poplars, Highfield, Fountain Farm cottage across the street

John Snelgrove was a Papermaker of Dulcote from 1812 until his death in 1829 after which his wife Mary maintained the lease.  Edwin moved to London and became a draper but returned to Little Fountains in about 1880 after his retirement from the drapery trade.

.Edwin's brother, John Snelgrove Junior is said to have walked to London as a young man with half a crown in his pocket to seek his fortune.  There he met Mr. Marshall and became his business partner in the Marshall and Snelgrove department stores in 1848.

Stagecoach – Wells to Shepton nearing first Dinder turning 1910  

The Postie

Bill Oatley was a postman for years in the Dulcote area.  One winter morning after a severe snow storm, Bill went to the sorting office in a van to collect the mail and then traveled to the Mendip Hills to deliver the mail to a farm at the top of a hill.  When it became impossible to use the van, he carried on as expected on foot with his best "mail must go through" resolve.  The snow was so deep that Bill couldn't even distinguish between the road and the top of the hedges.  With the snow sinking up to his hips at every step, it took him a couple of hours to get to the top.  When he proudly knocked at the farm house door, it was opened with the gruff greeting, "You're late, Postie!"   

Bill's return to the sorting office hours later was equally treacherous.  His boss ignored the state of him and informed him that he couldn't finish work until he had completed his other regular duties.  For the first time in his career Bill forgot his postman's ethic.   "I'm cold, wet and hungry," he objected, "and I'm going home!"

Bill Oatley's father was a train engineer on the Great West Railway and carried loads of stone from the quarry to local markets.  He was driving a train up to the quarry one summer's day in 1934/36 and a spark from the steam train set light to the roofs of the cottages and burned them all to the ground.