Toller Fratrum

{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Dorset, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |official_name= Toller Fratrum |static_image_name = Toller Fratrum, parish church of St. Basil - geograph.org.uk - 454967.jpg |static_image_caption = Parish church of St. Basil |map_type = Dorset |coordinates = {{coord|50.773|-2.598|display=inline,title}} |civil_parish= | population = 10 | population_ref = <ref name=dcc>{{cite web|url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/344882|title=Parish Population Data|date=20 January 2015|publisher=Dorset County Council|accessdate=11 March 2015}}</ref> |unitary_england= [[Dorset (unitary authority)|Dorset]] |lieutenancy_england = [[Dorset]] |region= South West England |constituency_westminster= [[West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|West Dorset]] |post_town= [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]] |postcode_district = DT2 |postcode_area= DT |dial_code= 01300 |os_grid_reference= SY578972 }}

'''Toller Fratrum''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|eɪ|t|r|əm}}) is a very small village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in [[Dorset]], England, near [[Maiden Newton]], anciently in [[Tollerford Hundred]].

The name is taken from the village's situation on the brook formerly known as the Toller, now called the [[River Hooke|Hooke]]. The addition ''Fratrum'' is the [[Latin]] for ''of the brothers'' and refers to the mediaeval ownership of the manor by the [[Knights Hospitaller]], which distinguishes it from the other Tollers, namely [[Toller Porcorum]] and [[Toller Whelme]]. It is often referred to as ''Little Toller''.

The village has a notable 16th-century farm house, ''Little Toller Farm'', built largely by John Samways, who acquired the estate in 1540. The farm house was later occupied by the Fulford family. The church of [[Saint Basil]] was rebuilt in the 19th century but possesses not only an unusual [[Norman architecture|Norman]] [[baptismal font|font]], carved with archaic figures, but also a [[relief]] of Saint [[Mary Magdalene]] of the same period. Sir [[Francis Fulford (politician)|Francis Fulford]], who acquired Toller Fratrum through marriage into the Samways family, was buried here in 1664.

The independent book publisher, Little Toller Books, is based in the village.

[[Dorset County Council]]'s latest (2013) estimate of the population of the parish is 10.<ref name=dcc/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Toller Fratrum}} * [http://www.dorsethistoricchurchestrust.co.uk/toller%20fratrum.htm Dorset Historic Churches Trust - Picture] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070314042446/http://www.ukvillages.co.uk/ukvillages.nsf/villages/Toller%20Fratrum-Dorset?open&body=villagebody&root=villagebody Village page]

[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]