North Petherton (hundred)
Encyclopedia
The Hundred of North Petherton is one of the 40 historical Hundreds
in the ceremonial county
of Somerset
, England, dating from before the Norman conquest
. Although the Hundreds have never been formally abolished, their functions ended with the establishment of county court
s in 1867 and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894
. The name of the hundred derives from the name of the large royal estate (later expanded by Henry II
to become the Royal Forest
of North Petherton) that covered much of the area in 1086, recorded variously as Nortpetret in the Domesday Book
, Nortpedret in Liber Exoniensis
and Nort Peretu in the associated tax returns. This, in turn, was derived from the area's location to the northern end of the River Parrett
.
The hundred was administered from North Petherton
, which had been the hundred meeting place and at the centre of the royal estate during Saxon times.
and Taunton Dean lay to the West, Andersfield
to south and west, with Huntspill and Puriton
to the north east and Whitley Hundred
and North Curry Hundred
to the east, separated by the River Parrett
.
The 1851 Parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales stated that the hundred had 1,047 houses and a population of 5,800 in 1831. By 1887 the Gazetteer of the British Isles showed that the population had increased to 7,476.
, to north of Junction 23 at Stretcholt, and east–west from Athelney
to Goathurst
. According to the Domesday Book it included the 37 places in the table below. Although the settlement of North Petherton had what was then considered to be a very large population, it paid little tax as much of it, including the Manor of North Petherton, was held by the king.
The status of various places also changed over the intervening years. Although Lyng and Bridgwater had been included in the hundred at the time of Domesday, by 1275 Lyng held the status of a free manor and Bridgwater borough was described as a separate hundred; however by 1316 they had both returned to the jurisdiction of the Hundred of North Petherton.
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
in the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, dating from before the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. Although the Hundreds have never been formally abolished, their functions ended with the establishment of county court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
s in 1867 and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
. The name of the hundred derives from the name of the large royal estate (later expanded by Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
to become the Royal Forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
of North Petherton) that covered much of the area in 1086, recorded variously as Nortpetret in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, Nortpedret in Liber Exoniensis
Liber Exoniensis
The Liber Exoniensis or Exon Domesday is a composite land and tax register associated with the Domesday Survey of 1086, covering much of Southwest England. It contains a variety of administrative materials concerning the shires of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire...
and Nort Peretu in the associated tax returns. This, in turn, was derived from the area's location to the northern end of the River Parrett
River Parrett
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
.
The hundred was administered from North Petherton
North Petherton
North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.The town has a population of 5,189...
, which had been the hundred meeting place and at the centre of the royal estate during Saxon times.
19th century
By 1868 the town of Bridgwater and the parishes of Bawdrip, Chedzoy, Chilton Trinity, Durston, St. Michael Church, Pawlett, North Petherton, Thurloxton, and part of Wembdon were within the Hundred of North Petherton, which (excluding Bridgwater) covered an area of 23,150 acres (94 square kilometres). Part of the Parish of North Petherton, a separate tithing known in 1841 as Petherton limit which may have dated from the 1670s, lay within the Hundred of Andersfield. The Hundreds of CanningtonCannington (hundred)
The Hundred of Cannington is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
and Taunton Dean lay to the West, Andersfield
Andersfield (hundred)
The Hundred of Andersfield is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
to south and west, with Huntspill and Puriton
Huntspill and Puriton (hundred)
The Hundred of Huntspill and Puriton is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court...
to the north east and Whitley Hundred
Whitley (hundred)
The Hundred of Whitley is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
and North Curry Hundred
North Curry (hundred)
The Hundred of North Curry is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
to the east, separated by the River Parrett
River Parrett
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
.
The 1851 Parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales stated that the hundred had 1,047 houses and a population of 5,800 in 1831. By 1887 the Gazetteer of the British Isles showed that the population had increased to 7,476.
11th century
At the time of the Norman invasion the hundred covered a large area corresponding, today, roughly to a north–south corridor along the M5 motorway from Junction 25 near TauntonTaunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, to north of Junction 23 at Stretcholt, and east–west from Athelney
Athelney
Athelney is located between the villages of Burrowbridge and East Lyng in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The area is known as the Isle of Athelney, because it was once a very low isolated island in the 'very great swampy and impassable marshes' of the Somerset Levels. Much of the...
to Goathurst
Goathurst
Goathurst is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, around 3 miles from the town of Bridgwater. The parish includes the hamlets of Andersfield and Huntstile.-History:Goathurst was part of the hundred of Andersfield....
. According to the Domesday Book it included the 37 places in the table below. Although the settlement of North Petherton had what was then considered to be a very large population, it paid little tax as much of it, including the Manor of North Petherton, was held by the king.
| Place | Tax paid (geld units) | Number of households |
|---|---|---|
| (North) Petherton North Petherton North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.The town has a population of 5,189... |
0.8 | 65 |
| (West) Monkton West Monkton West Monkton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish includes the hamlets of Monkton Heathfield, Bathpool, Burlinch and Coombe, and had a population of 2,663 at the 2001 census.-History:The charter for West... |
15 | 56 |
| Newton (West Newton and North Newton) | 4 | 38 |
| Creech (St Michael) Creech St Michael Creech St. Michael is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated three miles east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 2,464... |
10.5 | 36 |
| Bridgwater Bridgwater Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England... |
5 | 32 |
| Bawdrip Bawdrip Bawdrip is a village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The village is on the south side of the Polden Hills about north-east of Bridgwater. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 498. The parish includes the hamlets of Bradney and Horsey... |
2 | 27 |
| Bower (East Bower and West Bower) | 1.3 | 23 |
| Adsborough | 2 | 21 |
| Horsey | 2 | 19 |
| Woolmersdon | 0.9 | 18 |
| Durston Durston Durston is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the A361 road north east of Taunton and south of Bridgwater in the Taunton Deane district. The parish lies on undulating ground between the lowest slopes of the Quantock Hills and the valley of the River Tone at the Curry and... |
2.8 | 17 |
| Perry | 3.2 | 17 |
| Lyng Lyng, Somerset Lyng is a civil parish in Somerset, England, comprising the villages of West Lyng and East Lyng and the hamlet of Bankland.-History:The name derives from the Old English hlenc, meaning hill.... |
1 | 13 |
| Hadworthy | 1 | 12 |
| Hamp HAMP Hepcidin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HAMP gene.The product encoded by this gene is involved in the maintenance of iron homeostasis, and it is necessary for the regulation of iron storage in macrophages, and for intestinal iron absorption... |
1 | 12 |
| Wembdon Wembdon Wembdon is a rural village near Bridgwater, in Somerset, England.Wembdon is now home to an Anglican church, a small shop , a pub, a small garage and a fruit juice processing and packaging plant.-History:... |
2 | 12 |
| Melcombe | 0.4 | 10 |
| Clayhill | 1 | 9 |
| Huntworth Huntworth Huntworth is a small hamlet and farming community , within the civil parish of North Petherton east of the M5 motorway from Bridgwater, Somerset, England.... |
1 | 9 |
| Sandford Sandford, Somerset Sandford is a village between Churchill and Banwell on the A368 in North Somerset, England.The Parish of Winscombe and Sandford, centred around the Parish Church of Saint James, includes the villages of Barton, Oakridge, Sandford, Sidcot and Woodborough.... |
1.2 | 9 |
| Stretcholt | 1 | 9 |
| Bradney | 1 | 8 |
| Shearston | 0.5 | 8 |
| Huntstile | 0.3 | 7 |
| Pawlett | 0.3 | 6 |
| Pignes | 1.3 | 6 |
| Waldron | 1 | 6 |
| Crandon | 0.5 | 5 |
| Crook | 0.3 | 4 |
| Walpole | 0.8 | 4 |
| Chilton (Trinity) Chilton Trinity Chilton Trinity is a village and civil parish on the River Parrett, north of Bridgwater in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England.-History:Iron age and Roman pottery have been found at Chilton village... |
0.5 | 3 |
| Rime | 0.1 | 1 |
| Athelney Athelney Athelney is located between the villages of Burrowbridge and East Lyng in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The area is known as the Isle of Athelney, because it was once a very low isolated island in the 'very great swampy and impassable marshes' of the Somerset Levels. Much of the... |
0 | 0 |
| Dunwear | 0.3 | 0 |
| Shovel | 0.3 | 0 |
| St Michael Church | 0.5 | 0 |
| Sydenham | 0.3 | 0 |
13th & 14th century
By 1285 the Hundred of North Petherton is known to have included the villages and hamlets of North Petherton, West Newton, Bawdrip, Horsey, Woolmersdon, Durston, Perry, Wembdon, Clayhill, Huntworth, Sandford, East and West Stretcholt, Shearston, Pawlett, Pignes, Crandon, Chilton, Dunwear and Sydenham – all of which had been included at the time of the Domesday Book – together with Chedzoy, Tuckerton and Thurloxton which had not received separate mentions in Domesday; by 1303 Ford, Wood and Kidsbury were also named separately within the hundred.The status of various places also changed over the intervening years. Although Lyng and Bridgwater had been included in the hundred at the time of Domesday, by 1275 Lyng held the status of a free manor and Bridgwater borough was described as a separate hundred; however by 1316 they had both returned to the jurisdiction of the Hundred of North Petherton.
