Stoke St Gregory - Years of History BACK to Main Site
1825
Two hundred years ago, in 1825, Stoke, along with most parts of rural England, was still in the process of recovering from the major disruptions of the Napoleonic Wars. But, just up the road, in the village of Street, a new industry was about to develop. It began with a flash of inspiration. It was 1825, and James Clark was busy working at the tannery owned by his brother, Cyrus, who made sheepskin rugs. Seeing the pile of off-cuts, James had a brainwave: Slippers! The sheepskin slipper was born, and the Clarks footwear empire grew from there.
Back in Stoke, two bits of news emerged from the local papers. One was the death of Elias Loveridge, aged 63, who “from the weakness of his sight fell into the river Tone, and was drowned.” The other was reported in the Taunton Courier on 20 July 1825 that: “Isaac Verrior & Mary Shoemack, of Stoke St. Gregory, were severally convicted in the mitigated penalty of 12s (60p) each, for unlawfully selling cider without an Excise License. The Magistrates declared their indication not to inflict any penalty under 12s for this offence in future.” Strong words from the magistrates, but this was 15 years before the Beer Acts of the 1840s, which allowed anyone to sell beer and cider from their premises on the payment of a once off fee of 2 guineas (£2.10). This led to the large number of beerhouses springing up round the village, especially along the bank of the Tone, to cater for the passing boating trade.
BULL PLACE FARM
Also in the news was the sale of Bull Place Farm. The railway from Taunton to Yeovil had yet to cut its way through the property, leaving most of what was called Bull Load on the other side of the track. Richard Betty sold the 100 acre farm to the House Family. In 1841 John House Senior was still the owner, but James House was living and farming there with his wife Ann and their two little girls. By the time the single track broad gauge railway came through in 1853, Henry House was at Bull Place with his wife Rhoda and their six children aged between two and and ten. It must have been quite an upheaval.
Bull Place Farm
Walkers Farm
Railway
The Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser announced the sale in their edition of 18th May 1825
“THE FEE SIMPLE and INHERITANCE of all that compact and desirable FARM, called Bull Place, either together or in the following Lots:
Lot I.—A convenient Dwelling-House, Dairy and Cellars attached. Cow-stall and Stable, two Gardens, two Orchards, and one Close of Pasture Land adjoining, containing by estimation eight acres and a half, the same more or less.
Lot 2.—A Close of rich Pasture Land adjoining, called Shortland’s containing estimation four acres more or less.
Lot 3 A Close rich Pasture Land adjoining, called Smalley's, containing, by estimation seven acres and a half, more or less.
Lot 4 A Close of Meadow Land adjoining, called Holly More, containing estimation three acres and a half, more or less.
Lot 5 Close of Arable Land, called the Six Acres, opposite Lot one, containing by estimation six acres, more or less.
Lot 6.—A Close of Arable Land, lying at Bull Load, containing by estimation half an acre, more or less. Bull Place is situate about one mile from the River Parrett, about four miles from Langport, seven from Bridgwater, and nine from Taunton, the Iands are of excellent quality. Lot four tithe free, and the remaining lots are subject to a Modus in lieu of tithes. The purchaser or purchasers may be accommodated with the whole or any part of the Purchase-money on approved security at reduced interest; possession the Premises be given at Christmas next. For a view of the same apply Mr. Richard Betty, the owner, at the Farm House, and for further particulars to Mr. Bridge, Solicitor, North Curry, or to the Auctioneer, Stoke St. Gregory.
Woodhill, Stoke St. Gregory, May 16th, 1825."
A NEW BRIDGE OVER THE PARRETT
In January 1825, it had been decided to replace the old bridge with an iron one (very popular at the end of the Napoleonic Wars) and specifications had already been drawn up and put out to tender. However the commissioners changed their mind and decided to go for a stone one. In August of the same year it was reported that:
“NOTICE is Hereby Given, that the next MEETING of the COMMISSIONERS for taking down and re-building BURROW BRIDGE, over the RIVER PARRETT, in the county of Somerset, will be holden at the King Alfred Inn, at Burrow, within the parish of Lyng, in the said county, on Friday, the Sixteenth Day of September next, at Eleven o'Clock in the Forenoon, when the Commissioners intend taking into consideration the propriety of revoking an Order heretofore made for erecting an iron Bridge, in lieu of the present Bridge, and to make such order thereon as shall be deemed expedient. Dated the twenty-third day of August, 1825. J.S. Warren, the Clerk to the said Commissioners.”
The decision was duly taken and a stone bridge was commissioned, but that’s another story. This is one of the architect’s drawings.
Footnote
Co-incidenatally this was the same year that parliament was petitioned re Bow bridge over the Parrett in Langport. The Great Bow Bridge, which now carries the A378, is a three-arched bridge, constructed under the terms of the Parrett Navigation Act 1836. It replaced the previous medieval bridge, with its nine tiny arches, all too small to allow navigation. The tender was published Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser in October 1825, but it was not completed until 1841 at a cost of £3,749.