Preston Plucknett
Encyclopedia
Preston Plucknett is a suburb of Yeovil
in Somerset
, England
. It was once a small village, and a separate civil parish until 1930, when it was absorbed into the neighbouring parishes of Yeovil, Brympton
and West Coker
. It was listed in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as "Preston" (Old English: preost tun, "priest farm/settlement") when its lord was Ansger of Montacute
(Alfward before 1066). In the 13th century, Alan de Plugenet was lord of the manor
and added his surname to Preston. Following the 20th century expansion of Yeovil, Preston Plucknett became little more than a suburb
of the town. Throughout the centuries the spelling and pronunciation of the name has changed and evolved until it became the present day "Preston Plucknett." The parish of Preston Plucknett was part of the Stone
Hundred.
The village church, dedicated to St James, dates from 1420, and has a 20 m (60 ft) tower with six bells. The church was restored
and partially rebuilt during the 1860s. A vestry
was added in the 1950s and an annexe in 1979, which was expanded in 2001. It became a separate parish
church in 1988: until that time, it had been a church of St John’s, the parish church of Yeovil. It has a daughter church, St Peter's, built in the 1930s.
The tithe barn
at Preston Plucknett was included in the fifth list of ancient monument
s prepared by the Commissioner of Works in 1925.
The still preserved manor house
of Preston Plucknett was owned in the early 15th century by John Stourton (d. 1438; cousin of his namesake John Stourton
, 1st Baron Stourton
), a justice of the peace
, sheriff
, and several times Member of Parliament
for Somerset, who, helped by three good marriages, accumulated a respectable wealth. The manor was left to his third and surviving spouse, Katherine Payne, and eventually inherited by his three daughters, one of which, Alice, was married to Sir William Daubeney and was the mother of Giles Daubeney, 1st Baron Daubeney.
The village is included in The Meaning of Liff
(defined as "a very large string bag made of thin strong cord into which feathers from freshly killed ducks and chickens were stuffed, from Preston in Lancashire".
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
in 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was once a small village, and a separate civil parish until 1930, when it was absorbed into the neighbouring parishes of Yeovil, Brympton
Brympton
Brympton is a civil parish and ward in Somerset, UK. The parish is situated on the north-west edge of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish/ward has a population of 4,956...
and West Coker
West Coker
West Coker is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district.-History:The name Coker comes from Coker Water ....
. It was listed 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...
of 1086 as "Preston" (Old English: preost tun, "priest farm/settlement") when its lord was Ansger of Montacute
Montacute
Montacute is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 680 . The name Montacute is thought by some to derive from the Latin "Mons Acutus", referring to the small but still quite acute hill dominating the village to the west.The village...
(Alfward before 1066). In the 13th century, Alan de Plugenet was lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
and added his surname to Preston. Following the 20th century expansion of Yeovil, Preston Plucknett became little more than a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the town. Throughout the centuries the spelling and pronunciation of the name has changed and evolved until it became the present day "Preston Plucknett." The parish of Preston Plucknett was part of the Stone
Stone (hundred)
The Hundred of Stone 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...
Hundred.
The village church, dedicated to St James, dates from 1420, and has a 20 m (60 ft) tower with six bells. The church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
and partially rebuilt during the 1860s. A vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was added in the 1950s and an annexe in 1979, which was expanded in 2001. It became a separate parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church in 1988: until that time, it had been a church of St John’s, the parish church of Yeovil. It has a daughter church, St Peter's, built in the 1930s.
The tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
at Preston Plucknett was included in the fifth list of ancient monument
Ancient monument
An ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. In the United Kingdom it is a legal term, differing from the American term National Monument in being far more numerous and always man-made...
s prepared by the Commissioner of Works in 1925.
The still preserved manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of Preston Plucknett was owned in the early 15th century by John Stourton (d. 1438; cousin of his namesake John Stourton
John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton
John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton was an English soldier and politician.-Life:He was born at Witham Friary, Somerset, the son of Sir William de Stourton , Speaker of the House of Commons, and Elizabeth Moigne.Stourton served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1426, 1433 and 1437, Somerset and Dorset...
, 1st Baron Stourton
Baron Stourton
Baron Stourton is a title in the Peerage of England, It was created created by writ in 1448 for John Stourton. In 1878, the ancient barony of Mowbray was called out of abeyance in favour of the twentieth Baron Stourton. About two weeks later, the barony of Segrave was also called out of abeyance in...
), a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, and several times Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Somerset, who, helped by three good marriages, accumulated a respectable wealth. The manor was left to his third and surviving spouse, Katherine Payne, and eventually inherited by his three daughters, one of which, Alice, was married to Sir William Daubeney and was the mother of Giles Daubeney, 1st Baron Daubeney.
The village is included in The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff is a humorous dictionary of toponymy and etymology, written by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, published in the United Kingdom in 1983, and the USA in 1984....
(defined as "a very large string bag made of thin strong cord into which feathers from freshly killed ducks and chickens were stuffed, from Preston in Lancashire".
External links
- The history of St James' Church, Preston Plucknett, Yeovil (from the church's website)
- Records pertaining to Preston Pluckett in collections in the British National Archives.
- St Peters Church, Preston Plucknett, Yeovil (from the church's website)
Further reading
- Sir Robert de Z. Hall, "Post-Medieval Land Tenure, Preston Plucknett", Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, CV (1961), pp. 110–132.