05 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



chapel for Independents, and National and Infant schools. East Coker, 

 population 1340, about 3 miles S.S.W. from Yeovil, has a fine cruci- 

 form church, a village school, an Infant school, and a row of alms- 

 houses for 12 persons. The remains of a Roman villa were discovered 

 here ia the middle of the last century. Congresbury, population 1253, 

 on the left bank of the Yeo River, about 11 miles S.W. from Bristol, 

 had anciently a market, which has been disused. A fair for cattle 

 and horses ia held on September 14th. There are National schools. 

 Curry Sivell, population 1687, about 2 miles S.W. from Langport, has 

 quarries of lias. Two fairs are held annually. In this parish, on a 

 commanding eminence, u Burton Pynsent, the seat of the great Earl 

 of Chatham, to whom a monument was erected in the park by his 

 widow. There is a village school. Huntspill, population 1594, near 

 the mouth of the Parrot, 7 miles N. by W. from Bridgewater, was 

 formerly a market-town. There are a National school and a village 

 school Ktlmeridon, population 2196, about 9 miles S.S.W. from 

 Both, derives its chief support from the coal-mines in the vicinity. 

 Besides the parish church there are a chapel for Wesleyau Methodists, 

 an Endowed and an Infant school Lyncombe and Wtdcombe form 

 one parish, population 9974, properly a suburb of the city of Bith, 

 from which it is separated by the Avon : the part nearest the river 

 may be considered aa the manufacturing part of Bith. Farther off 

 are many detached villas and rows of good private houses. There are 

 here National and Infant schools. The volley of Lyncombe is very 

 beautiful Martoclc, population 3154, about 7 miles W.N.W. from 

 Yeovil, formerly a market-town, has a church with a tower 90 feet 

 high, and a handsome altar-piece. In the market-place are the former 

 market-house with an assembly-room over it, and a fluted column 

 supporting a dial. Many of the inhabitants are employed in glove 

 untieing and the weaving of aa/Aing and girth-web. Mdlt, population 

 1186, about 3 miles W.N.W. from Frome, has numerous collieries and 

 an extensive iron- work in the neighbourhood. Two fairs are held 

 annually. There are National and Infant schools. Remains of two 

 ancient encampments are in the parish. Afcrriot, population 1439, 

 about 2 miles N. from Crewkerne, has a pariah church, a chapel for 

 Dissenters, and National school*. Glove-making and the weaving of 

 sail-cloth and lacking are carried on. Midioaur-fforton, population 

 3799, about 9 miles S.W. from Bath, poaiesse* a new church, a chapel 

 fur Weeleyan Methodist*, and National and Infant schools. An 

 annual fair is held on April 25th. Monlacute, population 1042, about 

 4 mile* W.N.W. from Yeovil, has extensive quarries Some of the 

 inhabitants are employed in glove-making. There is a chapel for 

 Baptist*. An annual fair U held on May 13th. Here was formerly 

 a priory, richly endowed, ffailtea, population 2543, about 8 miles 

 W. by ti from Bristol, give* name to the adjacent coal-field, the pita 

 of which employ a considerable number of men ; there are also stone 

 quarrie* and important glain irnrlrn There are National and Infant 

 schools. PaiUto*, populatiou 21 04, about 8 mile* S.W. from Bath, 

 ha* a parUb church, chapel* for Welcyan Methodists and Baptists, 

 and National and Infant schools. Many of the inhabitants are 

 engaged in the neighbouring collieries. North Pelherton, population 

 3*45, about 3 mile* S. from Bridgewater, one of the largest villages in 

 the county, wa* formerly a market-town, and still retain* two fain, 

 which are held in May and November. Pill, or Croctcrn-Piil, popu- 

 lation of the hamlet about 1600, i* a pilot station on the Avon, about 

 6 mile* below Bristol. There are here an Episcopal chapel, chapels 

 for Independents and BaptUU, and the Pill Benevolent schools. Several 

 Roman autiquitiea have been found here. Porluet, population 854, 

 i* in the hilly district which occupies the western extremity of the 

 county, 6 mile* W. from Minehead. The church is an ancient gothic 

 edifice, with a tower at the wect end. Surmounting the tower are 

 the remain* of a spire, which wa* partly destroyed in a itorm in the 

 1 7th century. The Dane* were repulsed in an attack on th is place 

 in 918 ; but it wa* burned, and the neighbourhood plundered, by 

 Harold, in the revolt of hi* family againit Edward the Confessor in 

 1051!. Porloek Quay is 2 mile* N. W. from the village, on the shore ; 

 a small harbour U here formed by means of a pier. A very few small 

 loops and *ome fishing-boat* belong to the place. The ancient 

 market-cross U still standing. There are three yearly fair* for cattle 

 and ahcep. Portiihcad, or Portakcad, populatiou 10S4, about 11 

 mile* W. by N. from Bristol, i* frequented in summer for bathing. 

 The parish church U a substantial building, with a tower surmounted 

 with pinnacle*. There are here a chapel for Independent*, and 

 National and Infant schools. Ratiitofk, or Radttolct, population 1792, 

 i* situated in the Mendip coal-field, about 8 mile* S.S.W. from Bath. 

 B*ide* the parish church there i* a chapel for Wesleyan Methodist*. 

 Stoyumlier, population 1456, about 11 mile* 8.S.W. from Taunton, wa* 

 formerly a market-town : it lias still two yearly fairs. The pariah 

 church i* an ancient edifice of large size and handsome appearance ; 

 ever the south aisle i* an embattled tower, 72 feet high. There are 

 a chapel for Baptists and a parish school Brewing is carried on. 

 Ttmihury, populatiou 1639, about 7 mile* 8.W. from Bath, ha* a 

 parish church, a chapel for Wesley an Methodist*, and National school*. 

 The Andover Canal affords facilities for transmitting the produce of 

 the neighbouring collieries. Twivrrton, or Ticertou, population 2958, 

 about 2 mile* W. from Bath, i* the seat of a considerable cloth manu- 

 facture. Over the Avon is an iron bridge of 120 feet span between 

 the centre* of the lupporting piers, and 230 feet length in all. Besides 



the parish church there are chapels for Wesleyau Methodists and 

 Baptists. Wv.linore, population 3905, about 5 miles S, by E. from 

 Axbridge, stands on a gentle elevation ; it was at one time the occa - 

 sional residence of the West-Saxon kings. The parish church is a 

 handsome cruciform edifice, with a tower 100 feet high rising from 

 the intersection. The Wesleyau Methodists and Baptists have places 

 of worship, and there are a National school partly endowed, and a 

 Wesleyan school Weiton, population 30S8, about 2 miles W.N.W. 

 from Bath, has a parish church, a chapel for Wesleyau Metho lists, 

 and National and Infant schools. Weston-super-Mare, population 

 2103 in 1341, and 4034 in 1851, on the shore of the Bristol Channel, 

 about 22 miles S.W. from Bristol, is a watering-place much frequented, 

 [ especially by the inhabitants of Bristol ; it has commodious iuns, 

 lodging-houses, and baths. The Bristol and Exeter railway has a 

 short branch to Westou. The church, a neat building, occupies a 

 commanding site on the slope of a hill The Independents have a 

 chapel, and there are National and Infant schools. Some of the 

 inhabitants are engaged in the sprat and herring fishery. The town 

 is lighted with gas. Wrington, populatiou 1620, about 11 miles S.W. 

 from Bristol, on the bank of the river Yeo, was formerly a market- 

 town and had a yearly fair. Barley Wood, the residence of the Into 

 Hannah More, U in this parish. The Independents have a chapel, and 

 there are National schools. Wrington was the birthplace of Locke. 



Division* for Eccle.Hdstical, Legal, and Parliamentary Purposes. 

 Somersetshire (except Bedminstar, which is ia the diocese of Bristol) 

 constitutes the diocese of Bath and Wells, and is divided into the 

 archdeaconries of Bath, Wells, and Taunton. The county is iu the 

 western circuit. The spring assizes are held at Taunton; the summer 

 assizes at Bridgewater and Wells alternately. The quarter sessions 

 are held at Wells, Bridgewater, Taunton, and Bath. County courts 

 are hell in Axbridge, Bath, Bridgewater, Bristol, Chard, Clutton, 

 Crewkerne, Langport, Tauuton, Wellington, Wells, Weston-super-Mare , 

 Williton, Wincunton, and Yeovil There are a county jail at flchester, 

 a county jail and house of correction at Wilton near Taunton, and a 

 county house of correction at Sheptou Mallet. There are a city jail 

 at Bath, a borough jail at Bridgewater, and a city and county lock-up 

 house at Wells. The city jail and house of correction of Bristol are 

 at Bedminster in this county. Before the Reform Act Somersetshire 

 returned 16 members to the House of Commons, namely, two for the 

 county, two each for the cities of Bath and \VelU, and two each for 

 the boroughs of Taunton, Bridgewater, Minehead, Ilchester, and Mil- 

 borne Port. By tha Reform and Boundary Acta the county has beeu 

 formed into two divisions, each returning two members. Bath, Wells, 

 Taunton, and Bridgewater still return two members each ; Ilchester, 

 Milborne Port, and Minehead have been disfranchised; and Frome 

 has been constituted a parliamentary borough to return one member, 

 so that 13 representatives are now sent by Somersetshire to the House 

 of Common*. By the Poor-Law Commissioners the county is divided 

 into the unions of Axbridge, Bath, Bedmiuster, Bridgewater, Chard, 

 Clutton, Dulverton, Frome, Keynsham, Langport, Suepton Mallet, 

 Taunton, Wellington, Wells, Williton, Wincantpn, and Yeovil. These 

 union* comprise 490 parishes and townships, with an area of 1,062,972 

 acre", and a population in 1851 of 461,844, 



History and Antiquities. In the earliest historical period part of 

 this county was probably inhabited by the Belgao. The territories of 

 the Hedui and Cimbri were separated by the Parrot, anciently called 

 Uxella. In the Roman division of the island, Somersetshire was 

 included in the province of Britannia Primo. The Antonine station 

 Aquae Solis (called also Thermic by Richard) was Bath ; the river on 

 which it stands is called Abona by Richard, a name evidently iden- 

 tical with Avon. Ad Sabrinam is supposed to have been Portishead, 

 or Portbury, west of Bristol The Avalonia of Richard was in all 

 probability Olastonbury ; and the towns Ischalis, Uxella, and Ad Aquas 

 are supposed to have stood on or near the sites now occupied by 

 Ilchester, Bridgewater, and Wells respectively. The ancient road, the 

 Fosse-way, enters the county near Bath, and runs south-west by Rad- 

 stoke, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Sheptou Mallet, Street-on-the-Fosse near 

 Shepton Mallet, East and West Lydford, Ilchester, and Petherton 

 Bridge near South Petherton ; and appears to have quitted the county 

 not far from Chard. A Roman road from the coast runs along the 

 crest of the Mendip Hills in the direction of Sorbiodunnm (Old Sarum), 

 crossing the Fosse-way at right angles. Roman antiquities have been 

 found in considerable abundance at Bath, Ilchester, Yeovil, and other 

 place*. At South Cadbury, between Wincantou and Ilchester, is a 

 remarkable camp commonly called Cadbury Castle, of irregular form, 

 according to the shape of the hill on which it stands, with an inner 

 and higher fort or pnctorium. It is partly hewn in the solid rock, 

 partly formed with a rampart of loose stones, and is defended by 

 ditches. Various Roman antiquities, especially coins, and pavements, 

 and other remains of buildings, have been dug up in the iuclosure, 

 which is about 30 acres in area. Another camp, three miles in circuit, 

 of irregular form, on Hamden Hill, is supposed to have been Roman. 

 The vallum is almost entire ; the north-western part, the most dif- 

 ficult of access, is separated from the rest by an intrenchment. There 

 are other Roman camps near Wiveliscombe, Milvertou, Brompton 

 RegU,uearI)ulvertou,atStringston, between Bridgewater and Watchet, 

 at Cadbury, between Bristol and Clevedon, and at a third Cadbury, 

 between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, on Brent Knoll, a lofty 



