SOMERSETSHIRE. 



almoft every province of Britain, and at length carried their 

 ravages into the counties of Somerfet, Wilts, and Hants ; 

 which had hitherto remained fafe againll their encroach- 

 ments. Tlie younij king was conitramed to rehnquifh his 

 throne, and to preferve himfelf by difguife and concealment. 

 He retired to an obfcure part of this county, and lived in the 

 houfe of a neatherd. During his refidence here an incident 

 occurred, which, though trivial in itfelf, has been thought 

 fufFiciently interefting "to be recorded in hiftory, and has 

 been given in this work under Alfred. At the general 

 divifion of the kingdom into Ihires and hundreds, this 

 province retained the name of Somerfetftiire, which the 

 Saxons had o-iven it ; and which was probably derived from 

 Somerton, at that time the chief town. 



In the Saxon times, this county was fubjeft to certain 

 officiary earls, who had authority to try and decide caufes, 

 and puni ill malefactors, within their jurifdiftion. The firll 

 earl of Somerfet was a warlike chief, named Hun, who at- 

 tended king Egbert in his war with Beornulf, king of 

 Mercia, and was flain in the battle of EUendiiiie, A.D. 823. 

 At the period of the Norman conquell, when the Saxon 

 nobles were, for the mod part, deprived of their honours 

 and eltates, this county was bellowed on feveral chiefs who 

 affifted William in his enterprife, either with troops or 

 money. In this dillribution, fir William Mohun obtained 

 by far the greateft (hare ; for, befides the caftle of Dunller, 

 he held fixty-one lordlhips, and had forty-feven knights in 

 his retinue. He likewile received the title of earl of So- 

 merfet, which devolved on his defcendant, fir Reginald de 

 Mohun. In the fanguinary contefls between the houfes of 

 York and Lancafter, the inhabitants of Somerfetfhire were 

 particularly aftive in behalf of the latter ; in confequence of 

 which, it is faid, that after Henrv VII. was advanced to 

 the throne, he encouraged and patronized the ereftion of 

 fome fplendid towers and churches in this county. During 

 the civil war in the reign of Charles I., Somerfetfhire had its 

 full fhare of diflention and calamity. Various flcirmifhes 

 were fought, but no general engagement took place, except 

 one at Laufdown, near Bath, between the parliament's 

 army, under fir William Waller, and the king's forces, 

 under the marquis of Hertford. In this aftion, out of two 

 thoufand horfe the marquis lolt fifteen hundred, by a regi- 

 ment of cuiraffiers, commanded by fir Arthur Hazlerig, 

 which was fo completely armed, that they were called the 

 regiment i>f lobllers. The marquis, however, drove fir 

 William from his poll, and compelled him to retire into 

 Bath. Somerfetihire was alfo the principal theatre of the 

 rebellion of the duke of Monmouth, in 1685. 



Surface, Maizes, Soil, Isfc. — The fea-coaft of Somerfet- 

 fhire is very irregular, in fome places projefting into lofty 

 and rocky promontories, and in others receding into fine 

 bays, with flat and level fhores. From Stert-Point north- 

 ward the coaft is flat, and compofed of vafl fand-banks 

 repeUing the inundation of the fea, which, in ancient times, 

 waftied over thefe fhoals, and flowed up into the country, 

 covering with its waters that extenfive trad of land, now 

 called Brent-Marfli. The fea, after its general retirement, 

 however, frequently overflowed thefe parts ; and it was 

 found necefiary, for the fecurity of the country, to eilabli(h 

 a commiffion of fewers, the members of which were required 

 to examine the fea-banks, ditches, gutters, and fewers, con- 

 neded with the fea, and order the rcqnifite cleanfings and 

 reparations. The firft commifiion of this kind upon record, 

 was in 1304 ; and fimilar offices are extended to this day. 

 For fertihty of foil and general produce, this county ftaiids 

 eminently high in reputation. The plains are remarkable 

 for their luxuriant herbage, which furnifhes not only a fuf- 



ficiency for home confumptton, but alfo a confiderable fur- 

 plus for other markets. London, Brillol, Sahfbury, and 

 other cities and towns of the kingdom, are annually fup- 

 plied from Somerfetfliire, with fat oxen, flieep, and hogs, 

 together with cyder, cheefe, butter, and many other articles 

 in great abundance. Nor are the hills deficient in arable 

 produftions ; yet the vicinity of the Bnltol Channel, which 

 fills the air with watery vapours unfavourable to the ripen- 

 ing of corn, particularly in the weftern parts, induces a pre- 

 ference of grazing and dairy hufbandry ; and, in con- 

 fequence, vaft quantities of grain are purchafed from the 

 adjacent counties of Wilts and Dorfet, to the amount of 

 at leall one hundred thoufand quarters annually. The fur- 

 face of the inland parts is varied by lofty hills, rich level 

 plains, and afpiring woods. The principal hills are the 

 Quantock, between Taunton and the Brillol Channel ; 

 Brendon, near Quantock; Poulden, near Bridgewater; 

 Mendip, between Frome and the coaft ; Broadfield-Down, 

 between Brillol and Wrington ; Leigh-Down, in the 

 hundred of Portherry ; Dundry, near Briftol ; Lanfdown, 

 near Bath ; White-Down, near Chard ; and Black-Down» 

 on the borders of Devonfliire. The refpeftive foils of thefe 

 may be thus Hated : Quantock, a thin variable foil, covering 

 a loofe flielly rock, interlperfed with occafional limeftone ; 

 Poulden, a ilrong lurface, covering a bed of clay or marie ; 

 Mendip, Broadfield, and Leigh-Down, a gravelly loam on 

 a limeftone rock ; Lanldown, a thin foil on a freeitone 

 grit ; White-Down, variable ; Black-Down, a thin furface 

 of black earth on a bed of fand or gravel. Almoft every 

 fpecies of foil (chalk excepted, of which there is only a 

 fmall portion in tiie eaftern divifion) may be found in 

 different parts of the county, and of a quality highly 

 fertile and produftive. 



Fore/Is and Moors. — The ancient forefts of Somerfetfhire 

 were, Selwood, near Frome ; Mendip, between Frome and 

 the Briftol Channel ; Exmoor, between the port of Watchet 

 and the north-weft part of Devonfhire ; but moft of thefe 

 formerly wooded trafts of country are now deprived of 

 their ancient timber-trees, and inclofed. The principal 

 moorsare. King' s-Sedgemoor, near Bridgewater; Eaft-Sedge- 

 moor, between Wells and Glaftonbiiry ; Weft-Sedgemoor, 

 between Taunton and Langport ; North-moor and Stan- 

 moor, near the ifle of Athelney ; Common-moor, near 

 Langport ; Weft-moor, Curry and Hay-moor, near North- 

 Curr)' ; King's-moor, between Ilcheller and Somerton ; Ile- 

 moor, on the river Ivel ; Brent-Marfh, on the rivers Brue 

 and Ax ; Wefton-moor, near Uphill ; Banwell and Smeath- 

 moors, near Churchill ; Kenn-moor, near Yatton ; Nailfea- 

 moor, north of Kenn ; Clapton-moor, between Clapton 

 and Wirton. Of thefe, many have been inclofed, drained, 

 and improved within the courle of the laft forty years. 



Minerals, &c. — This county produces lead, copper, iron, 

 lapis calaminaris, manganefe, coal, hmeftone, paving-ftone, 

 tiling-ftone, freeftone, fuUers'-earth, marie, and ochre. 

 The Mendip hills are noted for their mines, particularly of 

 lead and lapis calaminaris. The former feem nearly ex- 

 haufted, or at leaft the deep working is fo incumbered with 

 water, that little can be done, and in all probability millions 

 in value may remain concealed in the bowels of this moun- 

 tain. In times paft many thoufand pounds have been 

 paid to the fee of Wells for the lord's fhare (that is one- 

 tenth) of the lead dug on the foreft within the parifh of 

 Wells only. 



Coal is abundant in the north-eaftern part of the county. 

 In the northern collieries, the ftrata of coal form an inclina- 

 tion in the plane of about nine inches in the yard. In thick- 

 nefs, it varies from ten inches to upwards «f three feet ; if 



lef« 



