284 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 



not far off. There was no bridge here until about one hundred 

 years ago, but a bridge at Eodboume could be used when the way 

 to Malmesbury, through Little Somerford, was prevented by floods. 

 In old deeds various names are given to the parish itself or parts 

 of it. Great Somerford, Broad Somerford, Somerford Magna, 

 Somerford Ewyas, Somerford Maltravers or Mautravers, and 

 Somerford Bolles all occur — often three of them together. These 

 latter names arose from families which owned a large amount of 

 property in the parish at various times. All trace of them is now 

 lost except the last. A. field in the middle of the village is still 

 called " Bolles/' another field, in quite a different part of the 

 parish, is called " Bolles Ham," and the open ground, which was 

 formerly near the bridge, was called " Balsej^ Green." If we wish 

 to form an idea of the appearance of the parish in old times, we 

 must think of the greater number of the hedges, as they exist 

 now, swept away ; the thatched homesteads being clustered near 

 the roads adjoining the river with a few in the outlying portion of 

 the parish called Steikeley, and surrounded by open commons, 

 arable and pasture. The land attached to the different homesteads 

 would be made up of half- acre strips in the arable common lands 

 with the feeding of so many oxen in the common pastures. The 

 strips which composed the farm arable land did not lie together, 

 but in what would seem to us now the most bewildering confusion. 

 The arable common lands were in fact cultivated much in the same 

 way as allotment lands are at the present day. No doubt this 

 system was in primitive times advantageous, the work of ploughing 

 possibly being done in common. But so far back as five hundred 

 years ago, under changed circumstances, its inconveniences began 

 to be felt. With the break-down of the manorial system, and the 

 rise of small ownerships, exchanges began to be made for the purpose 

 of enlarging holdings. Ultimately, with the permission of the 

 legislature, Enclosure Acts being passed, the open common lands 

 and waste grounds were divided between the different owners of 

 property in the parish, exchanges being at the same time made so 

 as to consolidate the properties ; and large enclosed fields took 

 the place of open commons. The principal arable commons in 



