WEST QUANTOXHEAD
The parish of West Quantoxhead or St. Audries
shares with East Quantoxhead the northern end of
the Quantock ridge and the narrow coastal strip
beyond. (fn. 1) Its 594 ha. (1,467 a.) extend nearly 3 km.
from the coast to the top of Weacombe Hill, and it
is between 1.5 km. and 2 km. wide. From Beacon
Hill (310 m.) in the south-east, on the sandstone
shales of the Quantocks, where Bronze Age barrows
lie near the prehistoric ridgeway, the land falls
gradually to the low cliffs of St. Audries bay in the
north. Below the west-facing scarp, broken by the
long and narrow Weacombe combe, the land levels
out on gravels and marls. (fn. 2)
The main ancient settlement, the village of West
Quantoxhead, lay at the head of a second, wider
combe, sheltered from the east by Stowborrow Hill,
where the land slopes to the coast over marls, shales,
and limestone. A secondary Domesday settlement
called Weacombe lay at the mouth of its combe.
Landshire, in the north-east corner of the parish,
seems to have emerged as a consolidated farm by the
14th century, (fn. 3) and Bidwell, north-west of Weacombe, occurs in the 13th century. (fn. 4) Quarries in the
centre of the parish were extensively used in the 19th
century, (fn. 5) and lime was burned near the coast in the
17th century and dug at Landshire in the 18th. (fn. 6)
There were two ancient, roughly east-west routes
through the parish: the coast road from Stogursey
ran from Perry in East Quantoxhead to Rydon in St.
Decumans, passing just north of the manor house,
and the Great Road over the Quantocks from Nether
Stowey to Watchet. A third route under the scarp
ran northwards, linking Weacombe with the main
village, crossing the Great Road at Staple, the centre
of population since the 19th century. (fn. 7) The name
Staple occurs in fields from the early 17th century,
and the Staple highway is referred to in 1626. (fn. 8)
The village of West Quantoxhead thus lay between roughly parallel through routes, the manor
house standing at the northern end of the village
street. The extension of the park south and west of
the house from the late 1820s had a profound effect
on the parish, and particularly on its road system.
The first stage was to straighten the road between
Staple and the village in 1770. (fn. 9) The second was to
divert the coast road to run further north from the
manor house in 1815. (fn. 10) More significant was the
replacement of that coast road by a route cut into the
rising ground east of the house which then followed
the contour south and west in a gentle curve, cutting
the village street between the church and the rectory
house and joining the Great Road below Staple. The
new route was formed by Act of Parliament of 1828
for adoption by the Minehead turnpike trust. (fn. 11) The
village street thereafter gave access only to the manor
house, (fn. 12) and its houses and cottages were gradually
removed as tenants transferred to new homes at
Staple. There were ten dwellings and other buildings
there in 1761 and eight in 1835, a lease in 1783 having been conditional upon replacement of three
dilapidated cottages by one dwelling. By 1840 there
were only five dwellings, and by 1853 four, one
having been removed to improve the view from the
rectory house. (fn. 13) The park was thus gradually extended over the site of the village to the line of the
turnpike road, and took its final form in the 1850s
with a construction programme (fn. 14) involving the resiting and rebuilding of the church (1854–6), almost
alone at the main entrance to the park, (fn. 15) and the
building of four lodges (Fairfield Lodge 1850,
another by 1851). (fn. 16) The school was built at the edge
of the park in 1857, and St. Audries or Home Farm
was removed from its former site beside the coast
road to a new one near the shore in 1855. (fn. 17) The
whole park was surrounded by ornamental ironwork
fencing and was linked to the deer park beyond the
turnpike road by a bridge. The bridge was demolished just after the Second World War to permit
the passage of double-deck buses. (fn. 18)
Traces of open fields survived in the 1830s northeast of the manor house, west of Staple, and southeast of Weacombe. (fn. 19) The grant of free warren to
Philip de Cauntelo in 1267 (fn. 20) was the origin of the
later medieval warren on the slope of Stowborrow
Hill (Conyger Hill in 1418), (fn. 21) which in the 19th
century had become the deer park. A park was part
of the demesne let to farm in 1418 and was described as 'opposite' the manor house. (fn. 22) The name
Park mead survived for a field in front of the house
in the 19th century. (fn. 23)
Inventories of the mid 17th century imply houses
with two or three ground floor rooms, their halls
with rooms above. (fn. 24) One house, described as new in
1757, (fn. 25) remains beside the line of the former coast
road north of the manor house. The houses at Staple
date from the 1830s and include Staple Farm,
described as new in 1835. (fn. 26)
The butts in the village were mentioned in 1529, (fn. 27)
and wrestling in 1575. (fn. 28) A victualler was licensed in
1736. (fn. 29) The Windmill Country Hotel, formerly
Quantock Barns, was established in the 1930s; (fn. 30) its
successor, also called the Windmill, was rebuilt after
the Second World War. A small harbour, begun c.
1835, (fn. 31) was built to import coal for the estate. (fn. 32)
The population of the parish was 103 in 1665. (fn. 33)
In 1801 there were 192 people, a total which fell
slightly in the next decade, rose to 225 by 1821, and
then fluctuated, increasing to 278 in 1881 but falling
to 139 by 1921. By 1931 the total had increased to
184. (fn. 34) Thereafter more houses were built at Staple,
and by 1971 the total population had risen to 452,
including resident pupils at St. Audries School. (fn. 35)
The Rt. Revd. C. R. Alford, bishop of Victoria,
Hong Kong, 1867–72, was born at West Quantoxhead rectory house in 1816. (fn. 36)
MANORS.
An estate called Quantoxhead, measuring 3½ hides, was held in 1086 by William de
Mohun (I) as part of a fee held T.R.E. by Elnod the
reeve, a fee which included Brompton Ralph and
Heathfield. (fn. 37) William died after 1090 and his son
William (II) (d. c. 1155) granted the fee to an unknown tenant before the end of Henry I's reign. (fn. 38)
By 1166 it was held of William (III) de Mohun (d.
1176) by Roger of Newburgh. (fn. 39) The manor of
LITTLE or WEST QUANTOXHEAD or ST.
AUDRIES (fn. 40) which was part of this fee continued
to be held of the honor of Dunster until 1788. (fn. 41)
Roger of Newburgh had died by 1201, and was followed after a minority by his son Robert. (fn. 42) Robert
died c. 1246, and c. 1270 his son Henry quitclaimed
his remaining rights to John de Mohun (I). (fn. 43)
Robert de Cauntelo, who held the estate in fee
from the Newburghs before 1215, was followed by
his son Simon. In 1229 Philip de Cauntelo, to whom
Robert had subinfeudated it, defended his possession. (fn. 44) This Philip, or another of the same name, was
still there in 1267 and 1280, but was dead by 1284. (fn. 45)
About 1285 the property was divided into three
parts, possibly for three Cauntelo heirs, though the
manor was said to be held in fee by Eve, wife of
John de Pavely, from whom two parts were held by
William de Ramsey and William de Pavely. (fn. 46)
William de Ramsey still held his share in 1292, (fn. 47) but
he does not occur thereafter, and his part seems to
have been divided between the two surviving heirs
between 1303 (fn. 48) and 1327. About 1292 Eve de Pavely
married William de Welle or Welles and their son
Roger atte Welle was in possession of half the manor
by 1327. (fn. 49) He was still owner in 1346, (fn. 50) but probably
not in 1349 when the advowson was exercised by
trustees. (fn. 51) By 1378 the property had passed to Sir
William Lucy, from whom the reversion was bought
by Sir Baldwin Malet, to be settled on his son John
and his prospective wife Joan, daughter of Sir John
Hylle. (fn. 52) Lucy was evidently dead by 1382. (fn. 53)
John Malet, knighted by 1391, (fn. 54) died c. 1394,
leaving his widow Joan and a daughter Eleanor, later
wife of Sir Edward Hull. (fn. 55) Joan had a life interest in
the property, described as half the manor and the
advowson, and she married three times more. Her
second husband, Simon Michell, occurs in 1402–3
and 1406–7, but was dead by 1409. (fn. 56) From 1410
until c. 1422 she was married to John Luttrell, and
he was followed by William Cornu, who survived
until 1442 or later. (fn. 57) A settlement made in 1425
established a life interest for Cornu, with remainder
to Eleanor Hull. (fn. 58)
On Eleanor's death in 1460 the property passed to
her father's half-brother Hugh Malet (d. 1465) and
then to Hugh's son Thomas. (fn. 59) Thomas died in 1501,
and was succeeded by his son Baldwin, later the
king's solicitor. (fn. 60) Baldwin died in 1533, having
bought out the Iver family's share of the other half
of the manor. (fn. 61) His son Michael bought out the
Jacob share and at his death in 1547 held the whole
advowson. (fn. 62) Richard, Michael's son, was a minor at
his father's death, and his step-grandmother, Baldwin's widow Anne Trevanion, had jointure in the
manor. (fn. 63) Richard survived until 1614, and was succeeded by his son Arthur. (fn. 64)
Arthur Malet died in 1644, devising his estate to
his so-called wife Joan, and then to Thomas Malet
of Poyntington, great grandson of Baldwin Malet
and a judge of the King's Bench. Sir Thomas succeeded in 1646 and died in 1665. (fn. 65) His son, Sir John,
who lived for a time at West Quantoxhead, died in
1686. (fn. 66) Baldwin and William, Sir John's son and
grandson, mortgaged their lands. (fn. 67) William Malet
was dead by 1736 when the estate was owned by his
brother Baldwin, then rector of Street, as heir at law
of William's daughter Anne. Baldwin sold the property in 1736 to James Smith. (fn. 68)
Smith died in 1748 leaving West Quantoxhead to
his daughter Lavinia, who sold it in 1764 to Robert
Balch formerly of Bridgwater and probably lessee of
the estate. (fn. 69) Balch died in 1779 and was followed by
his sons Robert Everard (d. 1799) and George (d.
after 1810) and his daughter Christiana. (fn. 70) She died
in 1824 leaving as her heir Henry Harvey. Harvey
sold the manor in 1831 to the Revd. Elias Webb,
who in 1835 divided the property, selling Weacombe
farm and some 70 a. to Thomas Cridland Luxton,
and some 1,186 a. with common rights on the
Quantocks to Sir Peregrine Fuller-Palmer-Acland. (fn. 71)
Sir Peregrine (d. 1871) bought the estate for his
daughter Isabel (d. 1903), wife of Sir Alexander
Acland-Hood, Bt., and they lived there after their
marriage in 1849. Their eldest son Alexander (cr.
Baron St. Audries 1911) died in 1917, and his son
Alexander Peregrine, the second baron, sold the
estate, though not the lordship of the manor, in 1925
to W. A. Towler of Littleport (Cambs.). (fn. 72) The lordship is assumed to have descended on the death of
the 2nd Lord St. Audries in 1971 to his niece Elizabeth Acland-Hood, later the wife of Sir Michael
Gass, K.C.M.G. The estate was divided, the mansion
and parkland passing in 1934 to the Misses L. and
K. D. Townshend, and Staple and St. Audries farms
to individual farmers. (fn. 73)
The manor house, known as St. Audries, is a large
mansion in the Tudor style. It appears to be mostly
of the mid and later 19th century, but at least in its
plan it retains the outlines of a medieval house. That
had a central hall range, whose smoke-blackened roof
survived until c. 1870. (fn. 74) By the late 18th century (fn. 75)
upper floors had been put into the hall range, and
the principal elevations had new and symmetrically
arranged windows. By 1835 (fn. 76) the garden and park
had been considerably improved, and elaborate
Gothic porches had been added to the west and
north fronts. (fn. 77) Between 1835 and 1870 the house was
completely rebuilt or refaced. The first phase, under
Richard Carver of Taunton, seems to have involved
work on the dining room, and may have included
the interior decoration of the rooms on the north
side. (fn. 78) The second phase, in the early 1850s, (fn. 79) included a large service and stable court to the east,
partly replacing earlier buildings. The north and
south fronts were then refaced. About 1870 the hall
range was rebuilt to provide a larger great hall; its
cross wings were extended westwards, and an
entrance tower was added. The architect for the last
phase, and probably for the refacing work and the
service additions, was John Norton of London, who
was evidently at work on other parts of the estate in
the 1850s. The latest work on the house, completed
in 1870, provided a total of 42 bedrooms. (fn. 80)
Among the 19th-century garden improvements (fn. 81)
were a large orangery (later converted for use as a
school chapel), a grotto decorated with shells on the
formal terrace garden, a sea grotto (fn. 82) near the cascade
on the cliffs, and a conservatory, later removed, on
the south side of the house.
St. Audries
In 1285 William de Pavely's share in the manor
evidently derived from his wife as one of the heirs of
Philip de Cauntelo. Probably a son of the same name
held it in 1327 and 1332, (fn. 83) but between then and the
early 15th century the estate was divided between
three coheirs, represented by the families of Pavely,
Rivers (otherwise Iver or Court), and Lambrook. An
Adam, son of Adam Pavely, occurs in 1361 and
1366, (fn. 84) and Joan, widow of Adam Pavely, occurs in
in 1406. She was credited with half the manor until
1416, and by 1420 was succeeded by William
Pavely. (fn. 85) John Pavely was returned with ¼ fee in 1430
and ⅓ of ½ fee in 1431. (fn. 86) He was followed between
1442 and 1447 by Henry Pavely, variously described
as gentleman and franklin, occupier of Over Weacombe. The two estates thereafter descended
together. (fn. 87)
The Rivers share of the estate was owned at his
death in 1406 by John Rivers. (fn. 88) He was succeeded
by his son William, who did homage for ¼ fee in
1413. (fn. 89) Under the name William Court he was still
in occupation in 1430, though by 1442 his widow
Margaret Iver had succeeded him. She survived at
least until 1447. (fn. 90) Richard Iver alias Court had a
share in the advowson in 1475; (fn. 91) another Richard
did homage in 1491, and David Iver, son of John
Iver, was owner in 1504. (fn. 92) David was co-patron of
the living in 1505, (fn. 93) and in 1515 conveyed all his
property in the parish to trustees for sale to Sir
Baldwin Malet. (fn. 94)
The second share was held in 1412 by John
Lambrook (d. c. 1420), and then by another John in
1424. Eleanor, widow of John, occurs in 1429, and
she was followed after 1432 by William Cloutsham,
husband of her daughter Margaret. William occurs
in 1447, (fn. 95) but in 1475 Margaret acted as co-patron
of the living. (fn. 96) She died in 1491 and was succeeded
by two daughters, Margaret Cloutsham and Elizabeth, wife successively of William Jacob and John
FitzJames the younger. (fn. 97) Elizabeth acted without
Margaret as co-patron in 1505 (fn. 98) and died in 1510,
when her heir was her son John Jacob. (fn. 99) John's halfbrother, Aldred FitzJames, sold the estate in 1540
to John's widow's nephew Michael Malet (fn. 100) and thus
the manor and advowson were reunited.
In 1086 an estate at WEACOMBE was held under
Roger de Courcelles by Geoffrey and William in
succession to three thegns. (fn. 101) The lordship descended
like Kilve manor. It was held in 1303 by Matthew de
Furneaux of Cecily de Beauchamp as of Compton
Dundon manor, and in 1346 formed part of the Kilve
fee held by Simon de Furneaux. John Rogers (d.
1441) held it in 1428 in succession to Simon. (fn. 102)
Henry Pavely occupied an estate called Over Weacombe by 1447, (fn. 103) and by 1455 had been succeeded
by his two daughters Joan and Elizabeth. By 1459
Elizabeth was the sole heir. She probably married
John Dobell, and her son Robert (d. c. 1531) was in
1520 holding an estate described as the manor of
Over Weacombe. (fn. 104) Robert's son Giles sold it to
George Harrison in 1552, and when George died in
1559 he left the capital messuage, subject to his
widow's life interest, to his third son Alexander. (fn. 105)
Alexander succeeded some time after 1581 and survived until 1622. (fn. 106) In 1606 his holding, which he
then settled on his son Ames, included land at
Weacombe held of George Luttrell, presumably part
of the former Pavely estate. (fn. 107)
Ames was succeeded in 1622 by a young son
Alexander (d. 1665). (fn. 108) Alexander's son Ames (d.
1690) was followed by Ames Harrison (d. 1731),
whose daughter Frances (d. 1767) married Richard
Cridland (d. 1757), an attorney of Combe Florey. (fn. 109)
Thomas Cridland, younger son of Richard and also
a lawyer, occupied Weacombe at his death in 1789. (fn. 110)
The Weacombe estate, which included large holdings in Stogumber and elsewhere, (fn. 111) passed in trust
to Thomas's sister Elizabeth and to his son, also
Thomas (d. 1811). (fn. 112) By 1813 the estate was occupied
by the Revd. Laurence Herd Luxton and his wife
Frances, daughter of the elder Thomas Cridland. (fn. 113)
Luxton was succeeded by his son Thomas Cridland
Luxton, who bought some adjoining land from St.
Audries manor in 1835. (fn. 114) Luxton held the estate
until his death in 1850, when he was succeeded by
his sister Frances (d. 1862), wife of Langley St.
Albyn. (fn. 115) The St. Albyn crest appears in glass in the
house and in stone on the lodge. Anne and Caroline,
daughters of Frances, were owners in 1864, (fn. 116) but
from 1865 the estate may have been let to a succession of tenants. (fn. 117) About 1871 it was acquired by the
Revd. Ottiwell Sadler (d. 1899). His son Ottiwell
Tennant Sadler (d. 1937) was succeeded by his niece
Rachel, wife of William Territt Greswell (d. 1971).
The owner in 1979 was Mr. A. J. Greswell. (fn. 118)
Weacombe Farm, an early 19th-century building,
probably represents the capital messuage of the
Harrison estate. Weacombe House (fn. 119) stands on a
landscaped site c. 100 yards to the south-west of the
capital messuage. The original building of the mid
18th century comprised a principal front of five bays
and two storeys, the openings having heavily rusticated surrounds. Interior decorations are of high
quality. A lower service wing on the east side was
partly rebuilt in a similar style to the front in the
later 18th century, and the staircase was renewed.
Further additions were made in the 19th century
which extended both the main accommodation and
the kitchens. The principal front appears to have
been originally roughcast, and was rendered in
imitation of ashlar early in the 19th century, when a
Tuscan porch was added to the main entrance.
ECONOMIC HISTORY.
Two Domesday estates
in the parish together measured 4½ hides. Twothirds of the larger holding were in demesne, with
7 serfs and 3 ploughs, leaving the remainder to be
farmed with 6 ploughs by 10 villeins and 4 bordars.
Weacombe, measuring 1 hide, was shared by two
tenants, with one bordar on the estate. Stock on the
main holding included 200 sheep, and there was
pasture measuring a league square, 16 a. of meadow,
and 50 a. of wood. (fn. 120)
There were again 10 principal holdings on the
main manor in 1407, comprising 5 free tenements
and 5 farms of 24 a., their holders paying cash for
rents and all services. (fn. 121) One of the free holdings was
Landshire, possibly that occupied by William
Poulett. (fn. 122) That farm perhaps originated in the 13th
century or earlier from a rearrangement of holdings
in the manor to consolidate the demesne. It remained
in different ownership from the manor and was later
divided between Higher and Lower Landshire until
the late 18th century.
By the early 15th century most of the demesne
was let. The income from fixed rents and court
fees, normally about £8 5s., was increased by rents
from demesne let as copyholds at will, bringing in
c. £5 in 1417 and over £6 by 1435. The rector held a
substantial share of the demesne and acted as
receiver of the estate; the remainder was shared between 18 tenants, who held in addition to the closes
mainly of grassland between the manor house and
the coast, up to a total of 35 a. of arable on the hills
for growing rye. (fn. 123) Individual holdings in the manor
cannot be accurately assessed, though in 1418–19 the
rector paid 29s. 5d. for his share of the demesne and
c. 1422 John Holcombe paid 25s. 4d. (fn. 124) Eleanor
Lambrook, also c. 1422, claimed to hold 6 messuages,
119 a. of land, 19 a. of meadow, and 20 a. of wood,
her share of the whole manor. (fn. 125)
Seventeenth-century inventories suggest prosperous individual farmers whose holdings are traceable backwards for several generations. Michael
Conibere (d. 1640) left property around Weacombe
to the value of £327, a third of which was corn; (fn. 126)
Henry Conibere (d. c. 1530) possessed a flock of at
least 36 sheep. (fn. 127) Alexander Harrison (d. 1665) left
goods and stock worth £169 including 72 sheep. (fn. 128)
The Conibere and Harrison holdings survived until
the late 18th century, together with Lower Landshire, which was bought back into the manor in
1774, (fn. 129) after at least two centuries in the hands of the
Popham family of Porlock. (fn. 130) The lord of the manor,
the rector, and the Harrisons were the leading resident owners in the 1640s and 1667. (fn. 131) Inventories of
the 17th century suggest flocks of sheep commonly
over 50. (fn. 132) A weaver's shop occurs in 1581, a clothier
and shearman in 1642, and a clothier in 1738. (fn. 133)
The extension of the park was probably begun by
James Smith (d. 1748). His trustees leased to a
Bicknoller clothier not only the house and farm but
a nursery for fruit trees, a new orchard, and some
newly inclosed land on the edge of the common. (fn. 134)
By the 1780s the small tenant holdings outside the
park were being consolidated into farms at Bidwell,
Landshire, Staple, and Weacombe, a process which
continued well into the next century, and in 1835
they measured 79 a., 96 a., 59 a., and 65 a. respectively. (fn. 135) Consolidation involved in 1817 a rearrangement of the glebe. (fn. 136) By 1851 the four main farms
outside the park had merged into three, Landshire
(100 a.), Staple (140 a.), and Weacombe (151 a.).
Some further rearrangement of holdings took place
at the time of the removal of the home farm to a site
near the coast in 1855, and the main farming units in
the 1880s were Weacombe, Staple, and Rydon farms,
the latter afterwards known as St. Audries or Home
farm. (fn. 137) In 1840 about a third of the parish comprised
commonable land on the hills, and half was equally
divided between arable and grass. (fn. 138) Some 370 a. of
grassland were reported in 1905 compared with 264 a.
of arable. (fn. 139) In 1976 there were three major farms,
two heavily involved in dairying and one concentrating on cattle and sheep. (fn. 140)
The development of the park around the house
was accompanied by the creation of the deer park on
the rising ground to the south-east. Woodland east
of the church by 1761 was extended towards the
coast by 1817 over the former warren, and by 1835
comprised a deer park of 66 a. (fn. 141) It was extended
southwards over Stowborrow Hill, and by c. 1900
covered 350 a., stocked with 120 fallow and 25 red
deer. (fn. 142) Some 50 a. had been planted with ash, elm,
and sycamore in the 1890s, and in 1905 the whole
parish had some 140 a. of woodland. (fn. 143) The existence
of common rights over the high ground in the south
prevented planting on an extensive scale by the
Forestry Commission in 1927, (fn. 144) though in 1976
nearly 18 ha. of wood remained in the parish, some
under the commission's control. (fn. 145)
Between 1836 and 1838 as many as 49 people were
employed on improvements to the manor house and
grounds, apart from the normal domestic and farm
staff, the whole representing a significant contribution to the economy of the parish. (fn. 146) There were the
usual village craftsmen - carpenter, tailor, cordwainer, blacksmith, baker, dressmakers, and strawbonnet maker - in 1851. (fn. 147) A holiday camp, known in
1979 as St. Audries Bay Holiday Hamlet, was established on the coast below Landshire by 1935, (fn. 148) and
the Home Farm Holiday Centre, at Home Farm, was
developed in the 1970s. (fn. 149)
Field names Mill mead and Wood mill, occurring
in 1761, suggest the site of a water mill west of Home
Farm. (fn. 150) A water-driven mill was included in the new
buildings at St. Audries Farm in 1855. (fn. 151)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
Court rolls for West
Quantoxhead manor have been found for single sessions in 1491 and 1493. (fn. 152) Four courts were held each
year in the 1430s. (fn. 153) Leases of 1783 and 1785 mention
suit of court, but no evidence of sessions has been
found. (fn. 154) In both November 1491 and May 1493 a
reeve and haywards were appointed. (fn. 155)
By the end of the 18th century the parish was
administered by two wardens and two overseers, the
latter serving by rotation in an eight-year cycle. A
vestry, so named by 1786, nominated wardens and
overseers by 1818. Overseers' accounts were signed
by only three or four men in the 1780s, and wardens'
accounts at first by the rector alone, and then in the
1820s also by the tenant farmers. (fn. 156)
The vestry in 1786 refused money to paupers not
badged; by 1787 it was paying for inoculation, and
in 1808 bought canvas for paupers to work. The
church house was occupied as a poorhouse by 1785
until 1817 or later. (fn. 157) The wardens made new stocks
in 1791. The parish became part of the Williton
poor-law union in 1836, the Williton rural district in
1894, and the West Somerset district in 1974. (fn. 158)
CHURCH.
A church had been established by 1265
when the bishop appointed a rector on the direction
of the king's council during the Barons' War. (fn. 159) The
rectory remained a sole benefice until 1977, and in
1978 it became part of the newly formed united
benefice of Quantoxhead. (fn. 160)
The advowson was owned by the lords of the
manor in the late 13th century and by the joint
owners, possibly acting alternately, at least until
1319. (fn. 161) Ownership remained divided until 1378 or
later. (fn. 162) During the 15th and early 16th centuries the
owners of one half of the manor, represented in 1434
by William Cornu, husband of Joan Malet, in 1491
by Thomas Malet, and in 1519 by Baldwin Malet,
presented alternately with the owners of two shares
of the other half of the manor. (fn. 163) Thereafter, until the
18th century, the Malets normally exercised patronage, though in 1559 the young Richard Malet was
joined by his mother and her second husband; and
in 1617 the patron was William Evans, lessee of the
estate. (fn. 164) Malet trustees presented in 1733, and James
Smith was patron in 1736. (fn. 165) Successive owners of
the manor continued thereafter to be patrons until
1831, when Henry Harvey retained the advowson on
selling the estate. He sold the patronage to the new
owner, Sir Peregrine Fuller-Palmer-Acland, in
1836. (fn. 166) The property then descended in Sir Peregrine's family to Lady Gass, who in 1978 was joint
patron of the benefice of Quantoxhead. (fn. 167)
The rectory was taxed at £4 6s. 4d. in 1291 and at
£11 8s. 8d. in 1535. (fn. 168) In 1434 its poverty was noted. (fn. 169)
It was by 1291 charged with a pension of 7s. to the
priory of Stogursey, a charge which remained at
least until 1569. (fn. 170) The living was worth c. £60 by
1668 and £232 net in 1831. (fn. 171)
The tithes amounted to £8 4s. in 1535. (fn. 172) They
were redeemed for a rent charge of £227 2s. 6d. in
1840. (fn. 173) The glebe in 1341 was worth 30s., and
26s. 8d. in 1535. (fn. 174) It measured c. 35 a. in the early
17th century and in 1817, when the rector exchanged
some 27 a. with Miss Balch. (fn. 175) In 1840 the total was
just over 38 a. (fn. 176) In 1855 nearly 3 a. were sold to
enlarge the churchyard, and a small exchange was
made in 1875. (fn. 177) The tithe barn at Staple was sold in
1840. (fn. 178)
The rectory house was described as fit in 1835. (fn. 179)
It was about to be improved in 1840, and was
evidently then or later extended. (fn. 180) In 1977–8 it was
sold. The house, in local stone, stands on rising
ground overlooking the church and park.
No rector before 1519 is known to have been a
graduate, though Robert Pavely, rector 1319–47, was
licensed to study for a year at Oxford. (fn. 181) John Skelton,
rector 1519 until after 1532, was a pluralist, (fn. 182) and
curates served in the absence of rectors early in
Elizabeth's reign. (fn. 183) Gawen Evans, rector from 1617,
was removed c. 1647 when Silvester Harford was
intruded, but lived in the parish until his death in
1660. (fn. 184) Rectors were normally resident in the 18th
century even though employing curates regularly. (fn. 185)
There were c. 20 regular communicants in 1776. (fn. 186)
Under Charles Alford, rector 1814–72, services were
held twice each Sunday, and the communion was
celebrated four times a year in 1843. (fn. 187) By 1870 there
were two Sunday services and monthly celebrations. (fn. 188)
A church house occurs by 1757, and may be that
given by John Jacob in 1518–19. (fn. 189) It was used as a
poorhouse by 1785. It stood in the north-west corner
of the churchyard, and was sold to Sir Peregrine
F.P. Acland in 1843. (fn. 190)
By 1530 the church had a light of St. George, and
five years later a mortuary light. (fn. 191)
The church of ST. ETHELDREDA, designed in
a late 13th-century style by John Norton and built
in 1854–6, (fn. 192) comprises chancel with north aisle, nave
with north and south aisles and south porch, and
north-west tower. It replaced a medieval church
which had a chancel, said to have been rebuilt c.
1583, (fn. 193) a nave with south chapel and south porch,
and a west tower. That building had details of the
13th and 14th centuries in the chancel and of the
15th century in the nave and tower. (fn. 194) Interior
furnishings of the former church included a screen
now at Exford, an elaborate three-decker pulpit,
some plain late-medieval benches, and 18th-century
box pews. (fn. 195) The church was galleried in 1787. (fn. 196) The
new church was paid for by Sir Peregrine Acland
and Sir Alexander Acland-Hood. The family arms
occur in the decorative tiles in the chancel and
initials in the pierced parapet of the tower. The
church is richly decorated and includes piers of
Babbacombe marble. The plain 12th-century font
survives from the previous church.
There are five bells including two from the medieval Exeter foundry. (fn. 197) Registers from 1558 survive in
a 17th-century copy, which appears to have no break
during the Interregnum, when marriages by Justices
of the Peace were recorded. (fn. 198)
NONCONFORMITY.
A small Wesleyan society
was formed in 1827, but it failed to find a permanent
meeting-place 'independently of the Baptists', and
services ceased. There were attempts to re-establish
the group in 1835, and regular services were held
between 1841 and 1844. (fn. 199) Summer services were
arranged by Methodists at St. Audries Bay Holiday
camp from 1956. (fn. 200)
EDUCATION.
There was an unlicensed schoolmaster in the parish in 1623. (fn. 201) A school for c. 40
children had been founded by 1818, (fn. 202) and by 1825
there was a day school with 51 children and a Sunday
school with 68. (fn. 203) By 1835 there were two day schools
for a total of 30 children, one partly supported by
subscribers including Sir Peregrine Acland who paid
a mistress to teach 6 children. A Sunday school for
35 children was also supported by Sir Peregrine. (fn. 204)
By 1846–7 a day school had 30 children and a Sunday school 15. (fn. 205) A schoolroom, mentioned in 1829–
30, (fn. 206) was replaced in 1857 by a new building given
by Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, and possibly designed by John Norton, on a site just within the park
below Staple. (fn. 207) West Quantoxhead Church of
England school was given aided status when transferred to the county council in 1903, and it then had
an average attendance of 42 children. (fn. 208) From 1928
seniors were no longer taken, and in 1962, when
Doniford army camp was empty, the juniors and
infants were transferred to Watchet and the school
closed. The building was sold to St. Audries School
in 1964. (fn. 209)
St. Audries boarding school for girls was established in the mansion in 1934 on its move from
Weston-super-Mare. In 1944 it was vested in the
National Society, together with an estate of 83 a. of
park and woodland. In 1978 there were 250 pupils
ranging in age from 8 to 18 years. (fn. 210)
CHARITY FOR THE POOR.
By will dated 1756 a
Dr. Lucas of Wells gave £30, interest to be paid at
5 per cent for the second poor. Until the 1820s the
interest was distributed in cash on St. Thomas's
Day in sums of 1s. or 2s., but none was paid by
1869. (fn. 211)