Liberties were an administrative unit of local government in England from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, co-existing with the then operative system of hundreds and boroughs but independent of both, generally for reasons of tenure. The following were the liberties in the county of Dorset and the areas they contained:
Alton Pancras Bindon Liberty: Chaldon Herring Edmondsham (part) Moreton (part) Pulham (part) West Lulworth Wool
Broadwindsor Corfe Castle (also described as a hundred) Dewlish Liberty: Dewlish Milborne St Andrew (part)
Fordington Liberty: Fordington Hermitage Minterne Magna (part) Stockland (part) (ie, Dalwood, transferred to Devon 1844)
Frampton Liberty: Bettiscombe Bincombe Burton Bradstock Compton Valence Frampton Winterborne Came (part)
Gillingham Liberty: Bourton (from 1866) Gillingham Motcombe
Halstock Loders and Bothenhampton Liberty: Bothenhampton Loders
Owermoigne (formerly part of Winfrith Hundred) Piddlehinton Piddletrenthide Liberty: Gorewood (from 1858) Minterne Magna (part) Piddletrenthide
Portland Powerstock Liberty: Powerstock (part)
Ryme Intrinseca Stour Provost Stoborough Liberty Sutton Poyntz Liberty: Chickerell (part) Preston Stockwood
Sydling St Nicholas Waybayouse or Wabyhouse Liberty: Upwey (part)
Wyke Regis and Elwell Liberty: Elwell, part of the parish of Upwey Wyke Regis
Sources Boswell, Edward, 1833: The Civil Division of the County of Dorset (published on CD by Archive CD Books Ltd, 1992) Hutchins, John, History of Dorset, vols 1-4 (3rd ed 1861-70; reprinted by EP Publishing, Wakefield, 1973) Mills, A D, 1977, 1980, 1989: Place Names of Dorset, parts 1-3. English Place Name Society: Survey of English Place Names vols LII, LIII and 59/60