Reveals from Old Records

Taken from The Somerset Year Book 1929 

by F. C. Taylor.

THOMAS Cromwell, one of the Ministers of Henry VIII., was the founder of the Parish Registers as we know them to-day, and it was at his suggestion that the above-named Monarch established by law the compulsory keeping of Registers for recording Births, Marriages and Deaths in this country, and although earlier examples exist, Registers did not come into general use before 1538, and old registers and volumes of accounts afford very many interesting names and striking ways of spelling as used by our forefathers.

In the West Mendip districts of Somerset, in the old days, according to old records of Shipham, girls were named Sexa, Maynis, Ole, Fortune, Petersy, Gylliam, Idith, Elyn, Secalia, Surfphia, and among the women who had been married or buried at Shipham, there were three whose names were Minicy, Sapience, and Petzia. Among the boys were such peculiar names as Sias, Bias, Osias, Perigrine, Salvage, and Nimrod. Occasionally there is a note of a nickname, such as Richard, otherwise called the Wanderer, Old Uncle, Joseph, the Bullie. In the adjoining village of Rowberrow, a boy was named Anon, perhaps after a great writer ; whilst two damsels of that parish, one 1777, and one in 1801, were baptised under the astonishing name of Talitha Cumi ; and there are, for example, other names, Moreya, gob, gosyer, Sarrahawn, james, and Socelia, and one with a fine effort for spelling fillo, P.p.

According to an old book of the Parish Accounts of Shipham, money was spent “tu bui ffiering” “for Shagar” aJackott, half hundred of COIe, wone Blanghot. At Winscombe, there is a record of two burials, viz., A. Stranger and Old Evan. Other interments were John Wilson, a Scotchman, James Boulton, a Foreigner. Another interesting record is about “ye Housse for ye Poor”. “By Order and Agreement gave ye Maisons and ye Carpenters to forwarde and encourage ym at two times, 0----I--).”

We also read of payments to a trapper, for Ten Poule-Cats-- for Ffour polecatts, for 7 pollecats, and for 6 polecats, the word polecat being spelt differently each time it is written down. The price for killing a polecat was fourpence.

At Churchill there is a quaint entry in the year of the great fire of London, showing that the parishioners, in common with other parishes, subscribed towards the reliefeof the sufferers of devastating catastrophe. “1666. It. Paid the Parratt (a petty officer who read proclamations) for sumoninge us to bring the money that was gathered for the City of London to Axbridge, 0—VI.” In Churchill there are byeways know as Duck-street and Pudding-Pie Lane. At Burrington, famous for its beautiful Coombe, where the Rev. Augustus Toplady, when curate of Blagdon, was inspired to write his famous hymn, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for me,” in the Churchwardens Accounts for 1676, there appears the peculiar name of “ffarthinge Sutton”, a poor woman who was relieved three times during that year.

Some parishioners and probably some professional beggars entered strange pleas for relief. For instance : 1724. To 3 men with to of yr Tongues cut out. 0-1-6.” “1747. gave Sarah Purchase at two times in extream weather 0-2-0”. “1754. Gave Charity Is, she is extream ill”.

An entry of 1821 shows that the postage of a letter from Wedmore to Burrington cost 8d. In the ancient scripts of Christon, it is recorded that John Combe “was interred ye 4^th of May 1707, in woollen according to ye Act.” It appears that an Act was passed in 1678 with a view of encouraging the manufacture of woollen fabrics and damaging the lien trade, and it was enacted that all burials were to be in woollen, under a penalty of five pounds.

For some years it was the custom for couples from Shipham, Axbridge, Rowberrow, Banwell, and adjacent parishes to come to Christon “to be mared,” as the records say : John Milkens of ye parish of Rowbro. And hannah woockei, of the parish of Shippom was mared at Christon december 27, 1746.”

Favourite names for Christon girls were Blandina, Theodotia, Anis, and Chority. Another curious entry is “Clitching the Reen” at Uphill, meaning clearing the river. The Loxton Register records names of girls as Silvestra, Bernnice, Chrysogon, Aemilia, Drana, Hora, Corah, Achsah, Saxe, and Peninnah. A curiosity is Penilipi or pency, daughter of William and Sarah Henderson, born April 1794.

In the Burial Register of Worle is this grim record : “Note-Edward Bustle cruelly murthered by consent of his owne wyfe, who with one Humfry Hawkins, and other of their associates were executed for the same murther at a place called Shutt Shelfe neere Axbridge. . . a good president for wicked people.”

In the ancient days beacon-fires were lit on the isolated and commanding height of Crooks Peak, one of the highest points in the Mendip Range, and for years before the sailing of the Spanish Armada, the Banwell Authorities kept piles of wood there to be lit as soon as the news was received that the enemy ships were sighted. In the Churchwardens Accounts for 1580 is this entry : “Pd. the firste daye of July for one lood of Wood for the Beaken and for carrynge the same to Croke peke. 0-5-0.” Next year the Wardens wrote “RecD. backe of oure money for the Beakon at Crokes peacke. 0-2-0.” Which marks a considerable difference in the spelling.

Of the wonderful word-lore of the bells of Somerset many columns might be written. Suffice to say that at the beautiful village of Chew Stoke, at the foot of the Mendip Range, there flourished for many centuries the famous firm of Bilbies, the Bellfounders, and their bells are to be found throughout the County, and probably throughout England, all bearing wonderful and fascinating inscriptions. The following from Winscombe may be given as examples : MY TREBLE Voice Makes Hearts Rejoices, Mr. Willm Fry. Churchwarden. 1770. A.B F.” “I. TO. THE. CHURCH. THE. LIVING. CALL. AND. TO. THE. GRAVE. DOTH. SUMMONS. ALL. Willm. Fry. Churchwarden. 1770. Abram. Bilbie. Founder.”

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