HOLTON
The ancient parish of Holton, a detached member of Whitley hundred c. 3 km. south-west of
Wincanton, was highly irregular in shape. It
interlocked on its eastern side with Lattiford in
North Cheriton. (fn. 57) Both Lower Holton, its principal settlement, and Higher Holton lie on a
south-facing slope while a few houses including
an inn cluster beside a road on Cheriton hill
across a small valley to the south. The parish
measured c. 1.25 km. from north to south and
2.25 km. from east to west at its widest point in
the south between the marsh and Whatcombe.
In 1839 the parish comprised nearly 505 a. (fn. 58) In
1885 Lattiford (5 houses, 35 persons) was added
from North Cheriton, and in 1886 Hatherleigh
(5 houses, 25 persons) was transferred from
Maperton, thus extending the parish eastwards
to the river Cale, almost to Wincanton, and
creating a civil parish of 1,270 a. (514 ha.). (fn. 59) In
1988 part of the ancient parish on Cheriton hill
was transferred to North Cheriton. (fn. 60)
Most of the parish lies on Forest Marble clay
but in Whatcombe there are strips of limestone
and Fullers' Earth, in the village and on the
south-eastern boundary some Cornbrash limestone, and in the marsh in the south-east Oxford
Clay. (fn. 61)
In the earlier 18th century Holton village lay
beside a north-south road from Bristol and
Castle Cary to Poole (Dors.). (fn. 62) That route had
evidently lost its importance by the mid 18th
century when two other roads were turnpiked.
In 1756 the Wincanton trust adopted an east-
west route between Wincanton and Ilchester
through the northern end of Holton village as
part of the London road. A short bypass was
made to the north of the village between 1822
and 1839. (fn. 63) That road was disturnpiked in 1874
and part was widened in the 1970s. It was
replaced by a new road further north. The
second turnpike road, part of the route between
Wincanton and Sherborne, crossed the southern
end of the parish over Cheriton hill. Lanes from
the village led west through Whatcombe to
Maperton, north to the fields, and south through
North Cheriton to the Wincanton-Stalbridge
turnpike. (fn. 64)
The buildings in the centre of Holton village,
of local stone and brick, include Church Farmhouse, dated 1673, and the large barn belonging
to Manor or Holton farm.
Two small open arable fields lay north and
south of the village. (fn. 65) In the early 17th century
fields on the Maperton boundary named Great
park and Horne park (fn. 66) and a prominent ditch
suggest a park separate from the larger one in
Maperton. (fn. 67) Great park was walled. (fn. 68) Another
field called Park lies near fields called Witherley
implying a woodland clearing. (fn. 69) Before the 1620s
there was a wood called High wood in the north
of the parish. (fn. 70)
There was a victualler in the parish in 1675
and in 1686 an inn offered three guest beds and
stabling for six horses. (fn. 71) Victuallers were licensed in 1753 and 1760. (fn. 72) The Windmill inn
was in business by 1766. (fn. 73) It closed in the 1850s
and the name was transferred to a new house
nearby. That house closed between 1875 and
1885. (fn. 74) A fives wall survives from the earlier inn.
The Old Inn was so named in 1813 and continued in business in 1994. (fn. 75) It may have been
rebuilt in the 1870s when for a short time it was
called the New Inn. (fn. 76)
There were 179 inhabitants in the parish in
1801. The total rose to 235 in 1821, fell to 209
in 1831, rose to a peak of 237 in 1851, and then
fell for two decades until the addition of Lattiford. The population in the ancient parish
continued to fall and was 137 in 1921 when the
total for the civil parish was 223. In 1981 the
figure was 203 and in 1991 174. (fn. 77)
Holton in 1839
MANOR
Between 959 and 975 King Edgar
gave 5 hides in Healtone to the thegn Byrnsige.
Byrnsige gave them to Glastonbury abbey. (fn. 78) It
is probable that the land comprised both Holton
and Lattiford. Alnoth held HOLTON before
1066 and in 1086 it was among the estates of
Humphrey the chamberlain, who also occupied
Lattiford. (fn. 79) By 1189 Glastonbury abbey had
regained its lordship of a fee which comprised
Holton and Blackford and in 1341 the abbot took
the homage of the new holder of the fee, which
also included Lattiford. (fn. 80) No further claim to the
overlordship has been found.
Aelfric, the terre tenant in 1086, had been
Glastonbury abbey's tenant at Lattiford before
1066. (fn. 81) In 1189 Henry Newmarch (d. 1198) held
Holton and Blackford for 1 fee and ownership
descended like Horsington to his sons William
(d. c. 1204) and James (d. 1216). (fn. 82) Holton passed
to James's daughter Hawise, wife successively of
John de Boterel and of Nicholas de Moeles.
Nicholas was in possession by 1234 and had died
probably by 1260. (fn. 83) He was followed by his son
Roger (d. 1295) and his grandson John. (fn. 84) John
died in 1310 (fn. 85) and was succeeded by Nicholas
(d. 1315-16) whose heir was his brother Roger.
Roger died in 1316 and his brother John, his
heir, in 1337. (fn. 86) On John's death the estate was
divided between his two daughters, Muriel, wife
of Thomas Courtenay, and Isabel, wife of William Botreaux. (fn. 87) Muriel seems to have acquired
lands in Holton while the manor may have been
held in dower by her mother. (fn. 88)
Holton manor seems to have descended like
the second manor of North Cheriton and Lattiford. (fn. 89) On the death of Thomas Courtenay in
1362 (fn. 90) it passed to his son Hugh, who died while
still a minor in 1369 and was succeeded by his
sister Margaret, wife of Thomas Peverell. (fn. 91) Margaret died in 1422 when her heir was her
daughter Katherine, wife of Sir Walter Hungerford, later Baron Hungerford (d. 1449). (fn. 92) From
Sir Walter the manor descended like Holbrook
in Charlton Musgrove to Henry Hastings, earl
of Huntingdon (d. 1595), who in 1586 conveyed
it to his brother Sir Francis Hastings. (fn. 93) In 1601
Sir Francis mortgaged and in 1603 sold the
manor, advowson, and other property to Robert
Harbin and his son John. (fn. 94) In 1622 the Harbins
sold Holton manor and advowson to Nicholas
Watts of Shanks in Cucklington, (fn. 95) and both
properties descended with that estate (fn. 96) until in
1749 the executors of Elizabeth Gifford (d. 1747)
sold them to Charles Plucknett, rector of both
Holton and North Cheriton. (fn. 97) Charles died in
1785 and was followed by his son James (d.
1817). James left the estate to his widow for life,
and on her death c. 1836 it passed jointly to their
three sons Charles, William, and James. (fn. 98) James
and William both died in 1868, each leaving a
daughter, and Charles died unmarried in 1881.
In 1884 the whole seems to have passed to
Elizabeth, daughter of James, and to her husband Carl Fehn. (fn. 99) No mention of the lordship
was then made.
A 'mansion or dwelling house anciently
erected', evidently of three storeys, was standing
in 1647. A new house was built beside it in that
year when the demesne farm, later Holton farm,
was divided. (fn. 1)
In 1305 Richard Lovel, Lord Lovel (d. 1351),
held land at 'Wythele', (fn. 2) identified with fields
called Witherley in the north part of the parish. (fn. 3)
In 1361 it was held by Lovel's eventual heir,
Nicholas Seymour, Baron Seymour, as of
Thomas Courtenay, lord of both Holton manor
and of Lattiford. (fn. 4) It seems to have been last
mentioned as a separate estate on the death of
Richard Seymour, Baron Seymour, in 1401. (fn. 5)
ECONOMIC HISTORY
In 1086 the estate
was taxed for 2 hides and had land for 2
ploughteams. In demesne were 1½ hide with
one team. A villanus and 4 bordars had ½ team
and there was a servus. There were 6 a. of
meadow and 6 a. of woodland, and stock comprised a riding-horse, 2 cows, 12 swine, and 12
sheep. (fn. 6) In 1316 the demesne farm comprised 127
a. of arable, 11 a. of meadow, and 6 a. of pasture. (fn. 7)
In 1337 John de Moeles's estate comprised 120
a. of arable, 11 a. of meadow, 6 a. of inclosed
pasture, and a share of common pasture valued
at 12d. (fn. 8) In 1452-3 the lord claimed 4d. for every
1,000 tile stones dug and the manor court presented a serf living away from the manor. (fn. 9) In
1535 tithes of wool and lambs were worth less
than a quarter of tithes on crops. (fn. 10)
By the 1580s tenants were wanting to exchange and inclose arable and grassland, (fn. 11) and
the north open arable field had probably gone
by the turn of the century. High wood had been
converted to pasture by the 1620s and inclosure
and consolidation continued, (fn. 12) the process involving complaints when landshares were
illegally ploughed out or hedges and gates destroyed. (fn. 13) The value of manorial rents fell from
over £12 in 1583-4 and over £11 c. 1600 (fn. 14) to £9
12s. and a nominal 80 bu. of oats as heriots in
1650 and £9 9s. 7d. in 1693. (fn. 15) About 1560 the
total value, including the demesne farm, was £40
4s. 6d., and demesne lands including woodland
were let for large fines towards the end of the
16th century, much of the woodland for conversion to tillage and pasture. (fn. 16) The demesne farm
continued to be let separately in the mid 17th
century and was not included among the 16
tenant farms in 1650. (fn. 17) Among those farms were
two of 43 a., one of 34 a., and six of over 20 a. (fn. 18)
The demesne farm, let to two tenants from 1647,
seems to have measured about 60 a. (fn. 19) The
division of arable and grassland was then almost
equal. Two farmhouses were built on the estate
in 1647. (fn. 20)
In 1680 Matthew Pitman, whose family had
been tenants of the manor by 1545, (fn. 21) took a farm
of 56 a. and in 1693 he and Widow Pitman were
among the three largest rent payers. (fn. 22) In 1707
only one farm was subject to a heriot. (fn. 23) In 1712
two tenants jointly took former Pitman land,
much of which was copyhold, to make a farm of
87 a., (fn. 24) but in 1730 Richard Pitman took a 40-a.
farm at rack rent as a sub-tenant. (fn. 25) By 1736
Matthew Pitman the younger occupied a farm
of 133 a., some of which had been owned or held
by the family over fifty years earlier. Only just
over 30 a. was arable. (fn. 26) In 1755 part of that farm
was let to another tenant for 5 years for the sum
of £50, the landlord agreeing to spend £40, half
in fencing, trenching, grubbing, and removing
mole hills, half in repairs to buildings. The
tenant undertook to plough a small named field
and not to mow more than 15 a. (fn. 27) In the later
18th century the parish was described as mostly
under good pasture. (fn. 28)
In 1839 there was one principal farm, Holton
farm, of 152 a., and four others ranging between
66 a. and 32 a., of which one was known as
Parsonage farm. (fn. 29) One tenant had occupied both
in 1806. (fn. 30) Holton farm continued to be the
principal holding in the 19th century, reaching
283 a. in 1871 and employing 13 people. By 1881
it was combined with a brick and tile manufacture outside the parish and measured 300 a.; the
only other substantial farm was of 70 a. (fn. 31) By 1841
there were two dairymen in the parish (fn. 32) and in
1861 a cheese dealer. (fn. 33)
In the later 17th century a broad weaver and
a clothier lived in the parish and linen and
woollen weavers were tenants in the first half of
the 18th century, together with similar textile
craftsmen from other parishes. (fn. 34) A glazier was
living there by 1724, a cheese cloth maker was
mentioned in 1752, and a staymaker in 1756. (fn. 35)
The position of the village on two important
roads is reflected in the number of tradesmen in
the 19th century. In 1841 a carrier was in
business and a shop open. (fn. 36) In 1861 there were
four blacksmiths, a shopkeeper, and two master
carpenters; (fn. 37) in 1871 a road contractor; (fn. 38) in 1875
four shops; (fn. 39) in 1881 an aerated water manufacturer, a coach body maker, and two shops, as
well as butchers, bakers, and dressmakers. (fn. 40)
Tile stones were quarried in the 15th century (fn. 41)
and building stone in the 18th and 19th centuries, both on Cheriton hill and immediately
north of the village. (fn. 42) Lime was burnt at Whatcombe. (fn. 43)
Mill
There was a corn mill in 1422. (fn. 44) In 1612
it was still a water grist mill and was presumably
driven by the stream south of the village flowing
towards Lattiford. By 1650 it had been let to a
man later described as a clothier and it may have
ceased to grind. By 1701 it was occupied by a
linen weaver and was last mentioned in 1707. (fn. 45)
Windmill Hill on the southern boundary of the
parish may be so called from a windmill mentioned in 1702. (fn. 46)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The township of
Holton was within Whitley hundred in 1242-3. (fn. 47)
In 1648 it was described as 'within' Blackford
tithing and in 1650 was linked with Blackford,
Wheathill, and Cary Fitzpaine in a single tithing. (fn. 48) In the later 18th century it was joined with
Lattiford in North Cheriton as a unit for land
tax collection. (fn. 49) The manor, part of the barony
of Newmarch in 1295 (fn. 50) and part of a fee with
Blackford and Lattiford in 1303 and 1346, (fn. 51) was
by 1369 regarded as a member of Maperton. (fn. 52)
Rolls or books of the manor court survive for
the years 1452-3, (fn. 53) 1529-30, (fn. 54) 1603-16, (fn. 55) and
1628-46, (fn. 56) and extracts, copies, memoranda, or
presentments for 1602, 1615, 1618, 1621-49,
1675-85, 1694, and 1756-60. (fn. 57) Before 1616
courts were held two or three times a year but
by the late 1620s only twice, in April and
October. A hayward was presented by the jury
for appointment each October and continued to
be appointed until 1759 or later. Until the later
16th century a reeve occupied an acre on Wincanton moor in alternate years with the reeve of
Maperton. A tithingman was appointed until
1759 or later in the court. In the mid 15th and
the earlier 17th century the court was concerned
with the maintenance of buildings, hedges,
ditches, and roads and with exchanges of holdings.
By the 1720s a parish meeting nominated the
single churchwarden and continued to do so
until the arrival of a resident rector over a
century later. By the 1760s the meeting was
known as a vestry, and comprised five or six
people as well as the curate. By 1760 the vestry
nominated two people to serve as overseer, of
whom one was chosen at the meeting. The parish
paid house rents, and for fuel, clothing, and tools
for the poor, and by 1768 rented a parish house
or poor house from the lord of the manor. (fn. 58)
The parish became part of Wincanton poorlaw union in 1835, of Wincanton rural district
in 1894, and of Yeovil (later South Somerset)
district in 1974. (fn. 59)
CHURCH
The church was described as a
chapel in 1316 but from the beginning of the
following year the living was known as a rectory. (fn. 60) It remained a sole benefice but between
1881 and 1886 it was annexed to North Cheriton. (fn. 61) Between 1938 and 1976 it was united with
Bratton Seymour and in 1982 it became part of
the Camelot Parishes team ministry and its
incumbent a team vicar. (fn. 62)
The patronage belonged to the lords of the
manor until the death of John de Moeles in 1337
when it passed to his daughter Isabel, wife of
William Botreaux (d. 1349). (fn. 63) The Crown presented in 1316, 1350, and 1353 during minorities
after the deaths of Roger de Moeles and of
William Botreaux, (fn. 64) and again in 1408 when the
heirs of William, Baron Botreaux (d. 1395), were
also under age. (fn. 65) The bishop collated in 1454 by
lapse. (fn. 66) William, Baron Botreaux (d. 1462), was
succeeded by his daughter Margaret (d. 1478),
wife of Robert Hungerford, Baron Hungerford.
She died in 1478 and was succeeded by her
great-great granddaughter Mary, Baroness
Botreaux and from 1485 Baroness Hungerford
and Moleyns, wife successively of Edward Hastings (d. 1506) and Sir Richard Sacheverell. Mary
presented in 1508 and 1509 and with her second
husband in 1530. She died before 1532 when her
heir was her son George Hastings, earl of Huntingdon. (fn. 67) The patronage was thus again held
with the lordship of the manor. (fn. 68) James Sutton
presented in 1626 by grant of Robert Harbin,
and Thomas Farewell and his son Thomas were
patrons in 1667. The Crown presented by lapse
in 1724 and John Gibbs in 1785. (fn. 69) In 1808
Nathaniel Dalton sold the patronage to the
Revd. James Plucknett (d. 1817), who left it to
his son Charles, rector from 1833 until his death
in 1881. (fn. 70) The Revd. Joseph Stanton was said to
be patron in 1875, (fn. 71) but after the death of
Charles Plucknett the advowson was held by the
two successive rectors, Thomas Garniss (1886-
8) and Thomas Dunn (1888-1901). The Revd.
Samuel Jenkins Johnson was patron by 1902 and
he was succeeded by S. T. Johnson in 1907. (fn. 72)
Priscilla Mary Darley transferred the advowson
in 1920 to the Church of England Temperance
Society. (fn. 73) The bishop had acquired the patronage by 1924-5 but by 1938 he had exchanged
the advowson for another with the Martyrs
Memorial and Church of England trust. That
trust was represented on the patronage board of
the team ministry. (fn. 74)
The living was not valued in 1291 but was
taxed at £4 in 1445. (fn. 75) It was worth £8 os. 2d. in
1535, £30 c. 1670, £25 6s. 1d. in 1707, and an
average of £100 net in 1829-31. (fn. 76) In 1734 the
living was augmented with a capital sum of £200
by John Gifford, matched by a similar sum from
Queen Anne's Bounty. (fn. 77) In 1902 the net income
was said to be £80, in 1938 £282. (fn. 78)
In 1535 the tithes were assessed at £4 16s. and
in 1707 at £15 10s. (fn. 79) In 1606 tithes were payable
on land in Horsington, Maperton, Wincanton,
North Cheriton, and Blackford. (fn. 80) In 1839 the
tithes were commuted for a rent charge of
£120. (fn. 81) Glebe was worth £2 6s. 8d. in 1535. (fn. 82) In
1606 the rector had 21 a. of glebe but a further
14 a. were 'detained' by two farmers. (fn. 83) There
was nearly 39 a. of glebe in 1839. (fn. 84) Nearly 5 a.
was sold before 1916 and more in 1920 and 1922,
leaving just over 22 a. in 1942 and slightly less
in 1978, partly in North Cheriton. (fn. 85)
About 1583 the rectory house was said to have
been 'hardly used' by the rector, who had sold
roof slates and replaced them with thatch. (fn. 86) In
1815 the house was described as a poor cottage
which appears not to have been occupied by the
rectors. (fn. 87) It was declared 'unfit' in 1835. (fn. 88) In
1888 it was very small, 'hardly more than a
cottage and deficient in accommodation' and was
then extended. (fn. 89) It remains in use as a benefice
house.
Robert Amys, appointed rector by the Crown
in 1316 when only 'meanly learned', was ordered
to find a good chaplain in order to pursue his
studies. (fn. 90) In 1344 the rector was appointed
guardian (curator) of the rector of Bratton. (fn. 91)
John Wegge, rector 1408-54, was the first of six
rectors to serve the parish for forty years or
more. (fn. 92)
Hugh Davidge was deprived in 1554 for being
married. (fn. 93) In 1568 the rector was reported for
requesting prayers for all Christian people. (fn. 94)
Robert Dicke (rector, 1593-1626) several times
failed to preach or catechise, (fn. 95) and Edward
Sutton (rector, 1626-66) was replaced in 1654
but returned in 1660. (fn. 96) Nathaniel Dalton was
already rector of Cucklington when appointed
rector in 1681. (fn. 97) Charles Plucknett, lord of the
manor and patron from 1749, (fn. 98) was rector from
1734 to 1785. (fn. 99) His successor Joseph Legge,
rector from 1785 to 1833, lived in Wiltshire in
1815 where he served three cures. (fn. 1) James Plucknett, son of Charles, served the parish as curate
for Legge between 1777 and 1800, (fn. 2) and in 1815
services, alternately morning and afternoon,
were taken by Paul Leir, rector of Charlton
Musgrove. (fn. 3) Charles Plucknett, eldest son of
James, was assistant curate 1818-24 and rector
from 1833 until his death in 1881. (fn. 4) The rector
of Maperton served the parish for Legge in
1827. (fn. 5) In 1840 the rector lived in the parish but
had let the rectory house. One service with
sermon was held each Sunday, with communion
four times a year. (fn. 6) In 1851 the morning attendance on Census Sunday was 50 adults and 19
children; the average for adults at afternoon
services was 64 and there were usually 27 children at each service. (fn. 7) By 1870 services were held
both morning and afternoon and there were five
celebrations a year. (fn. 8)
In 1545 a testator gave a banner for the cross. (fn. 9)
In 1606 the church received 1 lb. of wax from
land in the parish and had a yard of ground called
Bellyard. (fn. 10)
The church of ST. NICHOLAS, so dedicated by 1505, (fn. 11) comprises a chancel with north
vestry, a nave with north aisle and south porch,
and an unbuttressed west tower. Nave, chancel,
porch, and tower were built in the 14th century.
In 1887-8 the north aisle, for seats removed from
the chancel, and organ chamber were added and
the vestry rebuilt to the designs of W. J. Willcox
of Bath. (fn. 12) The font probably dates from the 12th
century. In 1736 a communion table was bought
and the minister's desk was removed from the
chancel to the north side of the church where a
window was inserted to provide extra light. (fn. 13) A
gallery, recently built c. 1785, (fn. 14) housed the
'choiristers' who visited Redlynch at Christmas
1782. (fn. 15)
The three bells, probably of the 15th century,
are from the Salisbury foundry. (fn. 16) The plate
includes a cover of 1570 and a cup of 1573. (fn. 17) The
registers begin in 1558; some baptisms and
marriages between 1738 and 1773 were entered
in North Cheriton records. (fn. 18)
NONCONFORMITY
In 1669 two ejected
ministers had 50 'hearers' in a house in the
parish. (fn. 19) In 1822 a house was licensed for nonconformist worship. (fn. 20) A chapel built in 1831 and
licensed in 1832 was used by Bible Christians in
1851 when the average attendance was 30 in the
afternoon and 50 in the evening. (fn. 21) It was used
by Baptists from 1873, (fn. 22) but it was no longer in
use in 1923. (fn. 23)
EDUCATION
In 1666 John Day of the parish
was licensed to teach in a grammar school. (fn. 24) In
1818 there was a Sunday school for 30 boys and
girls. (fn. 25) In 1825-6 there were 12 boys and 14 girls
there. (fn. 26) By 1835 there was a day school for 16
boys and 11 girls who were taught mainly at their
parents' expense. Some were paid for by the
rector, who had recently started a free Sunday
school for 24 boys and 21 girls. (fn. 27) The Sunday
school continued in 1846-7 with smaller numbers (fn. 28) and was still held in 1875. (fn. 29) There was still
a small day school in 1859 (fn. 30) and perhaps until
1871. (fn. 31) By 1875 children attended a day school
at North Cheriton. (fn. 32) The Marchant-Holliday
school, occupying the former North Cheriton
House but located in Holton parish, was opened
in 1959 and continued in 1994. (fn. 33)
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR
None known.