LILSTOCK
The ancient parish of Lilstock, the stoc of Lylla
and his people, (fn. 1) occupied a band of coastline 2 km.
long and 1 km. in depth, from the eastern end of
which a narrow strip less than 1 km. wide ran inland
for 2.5 km. Its boundaries with Kilton and Stogursey
were regular, but there were detached areas of
Lilstock in Stogursey until 1811. (fn. 2) In 1881 the parish
measured 1,160 a. (fn. 3) In 1886 the parish was amalgamated with part of Kilton to form the civil parish of
Kilton-with-Lilstock. (fn. 4) In 1933 the parish of
Stringston was added to create the civil parish of
Stringston. (fn. 5)
The parish lay on Lower Lias with pockets of clay
and limestone; limestone has been quarried and
burned there. (fn. 6) The land is mostly below the 30-m.
contour, and the coastal band is bisected by a stream
which runs northwards almost to the coast and then
turns east behind the pebble bank, where a harbour
was formed in the 19th century. (fn. 7) Two open arable
fields, east and west fields, occupied the coastal band,
divided from each other by Upper or Goose common and Lower or Horse common, a marshy area
beside the stream. (fn. 8) About 210 a. of common land
were inclosed in 1811. (fn. 9) By 1886 the valley was used
as a rifle range. (fn. 10)
Lilstock village clusters on the west side of the
valley. The remains of its church lie at its southwestern edge, but further south are house platforms
and a field called Castle Ditch, an indication of more
extensive settlement. (fn. 11) Roman pottery has been
found on the cliffs to the north-west. (fn. 12) There was a
secondary settlement at Honibere, to the south-east
of Lilstock village, by the 11th century. It was the
site of a manor house, (fn. 13) and was still described as a
village in 1655, (fn. 14) but it is now represented only by
Honibere Farm. The land around Honibere, south
of Lilstock east field, seems to have been inclosed by
the 12th century and may have originated in clearings in the wood and heathland which survived
further south, in Kilton, into the 16th century. (fn. 15)
The village is served by a lane which leads from
the road between Burton in Stogursey and Kilton.
The straight section of the lane north from Honibere
Farm was not fenced until after 1764 (fn. 16) and its
northern end, running east and then north into the
village, was created early in the 19th century, probably after the passage of the Inclosure Act in 1803. (fn. 17)
About 1820 Sir John Acland built a boathouse on
the beach near the stream, (fn. 18) and cross-channel trade
grew up. Coal was brought from Wales for domestic
use on the Acland estate and to fire the large limekiln on the cliff. Pit props were the main export. (fn. 19) A
harbour was built around the stream where it ran
almost parallel with the beach. By 1848 there were
resident coastguards, and by 1855 a customs officer. (fn. 20) About 1860 a stone pier was built from the
northern side of the harbour wall, with a wooden
awning and a butler's pantry at its end. (fn. 21) By 1886
warehouses were standing under the cliff beside the
southern harbour wall. (fn. 22) A plan for a ship canal from
Seaton (Devon) to terminate at Lilstock was considered by the Board of Admiralty in 1888. (fn. 23) The
harbour was apparently abandoned and the pier
subsequently destroyed after the First World War. (fn. 24)
About 1832 Sir Peregrine Acland created a private
road between his house at Fairfield and the cliff
above the harbour, and built a wooden house there
for his delicate only daughter. (fn. 25) A promenade along
the cliff became a recreation for local gentry, and
in the 1860s and 1870s pleasure steamers plied between Lilstock, Burnham, Ilfracombe (Devon), and
Cardiff. (fn. 26) A naval bombing range was established
off the coast west of the village in 1954. (fn. 27)
A beer house called the Limpet Shell was in
business early in the 20th century. (fn. 28)
There were 11 households in the parish in 1563, (fn. 29)
65 taxpayers in 1667, (fn. 30) and 12 inhabited houses at
the end of the 18th century. (fn. 31) The population was 56
in 1801. It fluctuated considerably during the century, rising to 91 in 1811 and 94 in 1881, but falling
to 48 in 1841 and 58 in 1901. (fn. 32) Later figures for the
population of Lilstock alone are not available, but in
1977 there were 5 inhabited houses.
MANORS AND OTHER ESTATE.
In 1086
Ansger the cook held LILSTOCK of the Crown in
succession to Bricsic. (fn. 33) Before 1107 William de
Falaise gave part of the tithes of his demesne there
to the monks of Lonlay (Orne). (fn. 34) William's lands,
described as the barony of Stogursey, passed to his
daughter Emme, and through her marriage to
William de Curci descended to William de Curci (d.
1194). Alice, sister of the last, left two daughters, and
by 1225 the barony was shared between them, Lilstock evidently passing to Joan, wife of Hugh de
Neville of Essex (d. 1234). John, Hugh's son, died
in 1246, and his grandson, also Hugh, in 1269. The
latter was succeeded by his son John (d. 1282), and
then by John's son, another Hugh, who came of age
in 1298 and who died in 1335. (fn. 35) A fee at Lilstock was
said in 1303 to be held of John de Neville, (fn. 36) but no
further trace of Neville lordship is recorded.
The terre tenant of Lilstock in 1303 was John de
Columbers, already occupier of Honibere and
Heathfield in the parish. (fn. 37) John died in 1306 (fn. 38) and
Lilstock passed first to his son and heir Philip (d.
1342) and then to Stephen de Columbers, clerk,
Philip's brother. (fn. 39) The land descended, like Honibere, in the Columbers family to the Audleys, and in
1428 was held by James, Lord Audley. (fn. 40) The manor,
with Honibere and Stowey, was settled on James's
great-grandson, John, Lord Audley, in 1535, (fn. 41) and
from the mid 16th century was united with Honibere
as the manor of HONIBERE LILSTOCK. (fn. 42)
In 1086 Anscetil the parker held HONIBERE of
the Crown in succession to Alviric. (fn. 43) It may be identified with an estate called Bura, the second tithes of
which Robert de Chandos gave to Goldcliff Priory
(Mon.) in Henry I's reign. (fn. 44) Maud de Chandos,
Robert's granddaughter, and lady of Nether Stowey,
granted Honibere in Richard I's reign to Walter de
Castello, probably for a term of years, since it was to
be held as Goslan held it. (fn. 45) Honibere thereafter seems
to have passed to the descendants of Maud de
Chandos by her husband Philip de Columbers (d.
1186). Their son Philip (d. 1215) and their grandson, also Philip de Columbers (d. 1257), were followed by another Philip de Columbers, who died in
1262 holding a fee in Honibere. (fn. 46) The latter's widow,
Egelina, held it in dower in 1297. (fn. 47) Egelina's second
son, John de Columbers, died in 1306 (fn. 48) and Honibere
passed to John's second son Stephen, clerk, and then
by 1337 to Stephen's elder brother Philip (d. 1342). (fn. 49)
The manor then descended like Nether Stowey
manor through the Audleys until the execution and
forfeiture of James, Lord Audley, in 1497, when it
was granted for life to John Arundell, knight of the
body. (fn. 50) It was evidently recovered by James's son
John, Lord Audley, in 1512, and was security for his
debts to the Crown and the subject of litigation
within the family. (fn. 51) In 1535 it was settled on John
and his wife and their son George in tail, (fn. 52) but like
Nether Stowey the manor passed in 1538–9 to
Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford. (fn. 53)
After Seymour's attainder and death in 1552 the
combined manor of Honibere Lilstock was granted
by the Crown to John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, (fn. 54) and on his attainder in 1553 reverted to the
Crown. It had been leased after Seymour's death to
Hugh Benny; he was followed by 1560 by Nicholas
Luttrell who, after disputes with undertenants,
acquired the estate in fee in 1562. (fn. 55) Luttrell, a
younger brother of Thomas Luttrell of Dunster,
died in 1592 and was succeeded by his son Andrew,
of Hartland (Devon). (fn. 56) Andrew settled it on his
second son John, of Braunton (Devon), in 1611. (fn. 57)
John died in 1617 but Elizabeth Luttrell, possibly
his sister, (fn. 58) continued to occupy the house until her
death in 1637. (fn. 59)
Under John Luttrell's will the manor was to be
sold, and it had passed by 1635, the year of his death,
to Sir Sampson Darell, himself descended from
Margaret, wife of James, Lord Audley (d. 1497).
Darell's heir in 1635 was his son Marmaduke, then
a minor. (fn. 60) By 1650 the estate had passed to Sir
Francis Dodington, (fn. 61) and it descended like Dodington manor. (fn. 62) In 1977 the owner was Lady Gass,
niece of Lord St. Audries.
There was a capital messuage at Honibere in
1306. (fn. 63) According to charters surviving at Fairfield
in the mid 18th century, (fn. 64) Philip de Columbers (d.
1342) granted a messuage and land which Agnes de
Columbers had held to Eleanor, widow of John
Amaury, and her sons in tail male. In 1488–9 John
Amaury of Taunton conveyed land and a house
called Honibere Court to John Verney (d. 1507) of
Fairfield, and John's son Robert (d. 1546) (fn. 65) sold the
estate to Humphrey Colles. Nicholas Luttrell is said
to have bought the Colles holding, and to have made
Honibere Court his residence in Edward VI's
reign. (fn. 66) About 1610 Jane Luttrell granted to John
Luttrell, grandson of Nicholas Luttrell, the greater
part of the house and her land in return for an
annuity and her maintenance there. (fn. 67) The house was
still standing in 1729. (fn. 68) Its site is probably on or near
the present Honibere Farm.
ECONOMIC HISTORY.
Lilstock was assessed at
5 hides and Honibere at 1 in 1086; there were 2
ploughlands at Honibere, but the size of the arable
at Lilstock was not recorded. Lilstock had a demesne
farm of 3 ploughlands, and the tenants' holdings,
occupied by 11 villeins and 7 bordars, measured
1¾ hide. There were two areas of woodland, but
no meadow or pasture was recorded. The value
of the estate had remained stable at 100s. since
1086. Honibere, farmed with 3 bordars and 1 serf,
included 60 a. of pasture, but its value had been
reduced from 20s. to 5s. (fn. 69) By 1306 the Columbers
family occupied a demesne farm of 159 a. of arable
and 24½ a. of meadow, described as at Honibere but
probably the demesne of their entire holding in the
parish. There were 16 customary tenants and 3
cottars. (fn. 70) In 1327 the parish was assessed at a higher
figure than most of its neighbours, largely because of
the stock of Alice de Columbers at the manor
house. (fn. 71) By 1386 the Audley holding comprised a
farm of 218 a. of arable, 55 a. of meadow, and
24s. 6d. rent. (fn. 72) By 1484–5 the whole estate was let
for cash rents worth £21 18s. 6d. (fn. 73)
By the early 17th century the main survivals of
medieval farming were the common pasture at
Honibere Heathfield and the two open arable fields
on the coast divided by marshes. The common
pasture at Honibere, located in Kilton parish, included 30 a. for Lilstock tenants alone. (fn. 74) Three free
tenants held by military service, including the
Verneys of Fairfield, and heriots were payable on 13
tenements. About 1615 there were two farms of over
80 a., two of 70 a., two of c. 50 a., and one of 40 a., in
all 11 separate holdings and 5 cottages. Thomas
Engram was the most substantial tenant, with 88 a.
by lease dating from 1562. (fn. 75) Apart from the common
at Honibere Heathfield, tenants had oxen and bullock leazes ('shuts') in North Marsh and horse
leazes in Rexway. (fn. 76) A tenant of 40 a. in 1683 had
rights to cut fuel in Honibere wood for frith staves
and spars like the other tenants of the manor and to
take seaweed and fish. Those rights were not mentioned when the same farm was leased again in
1721. (fn. 77) A lease of a small farm in 1706 included a
share in the seaweed and sea fishery. (fn. 78) The weirs to
catch red mullet along the foreshore are survivals
from the 19th century. (fn. 79)
Produce on which tithes were payable in 1633
included grain, seaweed, lambs, sheep, piglets,
calves, horses, and milk. (fn. 80) Two tenants shared a
flock of 22 sheep in 1637. (fn. 81) Holders of land in the
late 17th century included a Stogursey yeoman, a
clothier from Over Stowey, a fuller from Stogursey,
a Dodington weaver, and a butcher, besides Lilstock
yeomen and husbandmen. A Lilstock soapboiler,
established at Honibere in 1692, undertook to dress
his land with soap ashes, and agreed not to grow
more than two grain crops without manuring. (fn. 82)
The number and size of farms remained largely
static until the late 18th century, but the owners of
Fairfield manor extended their holdings north and
west of the house into the parish. (fn. 83) Elsewhere from
1780 onwards leases for lives were converted to 7and 14-year leases, and several small and decayed
holdings were consolidated. (fn. 84) Lilstock farm, a union
of three ancient holdings, was let for 14 years, with
penalties against growing flax or hemp and encouragement to sow clover or grass between two
arable crops. Two further ancient holdings were
added to the farm in 1786, and the whole was let in
1795 for 7 years. (fn. 85)
Under an Act of 1803 the common holdings in the
two open fields and in the marshes which divided
them were inclosed. (fn. 86) Lilstock farm was the largest
to emerge, followed by the newly created Glebe
(later Park) farm (83 a.), Bartlett's or Upper farm
(65 a.), and Honibere (31 a.). (fn. 87) By 1824 some further
reorganization had taken place, creating Manor farm
from part of Lilstock farm and increasing the size of
Upper (116 a.) and Honibere (99 a.) farms. (fn. 88) By 1851
there were four main farms, headed by Honibere
(170 a.). (fn. 89) By the 1880s there were two principal
holdings. (fn. 90) The land was fairly evenly divided between grassland and corn on the two farms which
occupied the whole of Lilstock in 1977.
In 1488–9 John Amaury conveyed a mill at
Honibere called Ameris mill to John Verney, and
before 1546 Robert Verney sold it to Humphrey
Colles. (fn. 91) A mill-house at Honibere was converted
c. 1692 to a soap-boiling factory. (fn. 92)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
No court rolls for the
manors of Lilstock, Honibere, or Honibere Lilstock
have been found, but the Audleys held courts twice
a year in the 1490s for an estate called Honibere (fn. 93)
and by the early 17th century the lord claimed to
hold courts leet and baron with the royalty of felons',
outlaws', and pirates' goods, deodands, and wrecks. (fn. 94)
In 1824 courts were said to have been held regularly. (fn. 95) Suit of court was occasionally required of
leasehold tenants. (fn. 96)
The tithing of Honibere comprised the whole
parish of Lilstock and part of Fairfield in Stogursey. (fn. 97) No records of parish administration have been
found, but two wardens and two overseers served in
the 17th century. (fn. 98) The parish became part of the
Williton poor-law union in 1836, of the Williton
rural district in 1894, and of the West Somerset
district in 1974. (fn. 99)
CHURCH.
Between 1100 and 1107 William de
Falaise gave to the monks of Lonlay (Orne) the
church of Stogursey and the tithes of two thirds of
his demesne in Lilstock. (fn. 100) The advowson of Lilstock was confirmed to Lonlay between 1161 and
1171, in practice a confirmation to the alien priory
of Stogursey which had by then been established. (fn. 101)
In 1251 the church was appropriated by the priory,
and passed to Eton College on the dissolution of the
house c. 1442. (fn. 102) The status of Lilstock was not clear
from the 16th century, and the church was described
variously as a chapel (fn. 103) and as a parish church, (fn. 104) the
living as a rectory (fn. 105) and as a benefice consolidated or
united with the vicarage of Stogursey. (fn. 106)
The monks of Stogursey appointed a chaplain
under the appropriation of 1251, (fn. 107) but the vicar of
Stogursey had to find one in 1465. (fn. 108) Eton College
took responsibility soon afterwards, (fn. 109) but the vicar
of Stogursey was paying the priest at Lilstock by
1535. (fn. 110) The living was usually served by curates
appointed by the vicar of Stogursey in the late 18th
and early 19th centuries. (fn. 111) In 1881 the chapelry of
Lilstock was separated from Stogursey and annexed
and united with Kilton. (fn. 112) From 1947 the united
benefice was held with Kilve, Stringston, and East
Quantoxhead, and from 1978 became part of the
united benefice of Quantoxhead. (fn. 113)
No separate valuation of the living has been found
until 1827, when it was said to be worth £105. (fn. 114) In
1851 the income was £97, (fn. 115) and in 1879 £85 12s. (fn. 116)
The parochial chaplain was paid £6 in 1535 (fn. 117) but in
the 1570s he received for the cure only 6s. 8d. (fn. 118) In
1827 the curate had £50. (fn. 119)
Apart from a house and the churchyard there was
no glebe in 1633, but tithes payable to the vicar of
Stogursey included personal offerings of 1d. at first
communion, thereafter 2d., 3d. for a married couple,
and 3½d. for a widow or widower. (fn. 120) Under the inclosure award of 1811 tithes on all but the Honibere
estate were replaced by an allotment of 136 a. of
land. (fn. 121) The Honibere tithes were commuted for a
rent charge of £13 10s. in 1846. (fn. 122) By 1851 the value
of the glebe was £84. (fn. 123) In 1881 just over 68 a. of
glebe were transferred to the vicarage of Stogursey
and some 10 a. of glebe in Stogursey and the tithe
rent charge were transferred to the new benefice of
Kilton-with-Lilstock. (fn. 124)
In 1557 the parsonage house needed repair. (fn. 125) In
1633 it comprised a porch, hall, and inner room, with
lofts. (fn. 126) In 1715 the vicar was suspended, partly for
not repairing the house. (fn. 127) Only part of a wall was
standing in 1827. (fn. 128)
In 1554 the chancel needed repair and the nave
windows were 'greatly ruined'. (fn. 129) In 1557 there was
no priest. (fn. 130) By 1827 the parish was served by a
curate who lived at Kilve and who also served
Stringston. (fn. 131) By 1831 the vicar of Stogursey claimed
to take part duty at Lilstock. (fn. 132) Services in the 19th
century were held every Sunday, alternately morning and evening, with communion four times a
year. (fn. 133) In 1881, on the annexation of the parish to
Kilton, the church was demolished save for the
chancel, which was rebuilt to serve as a mortuary
chapel. (fn. 134) The chancel was declared redundant in
1980. (fn. 135)
Until c. 1492 the lord of the manor paid 6d. a year
for candles and mass bread. (fn. 136) A church house is
referred to c. 1615. (fn. 137)
The church of ST. ANDREW, so dedicated by
1532, (fn. 138) consisted of chancel, nave with south porch,
and embattled west tower. The east window was
evidently of the 14th century, while those in the nave
may have been inserted or have formed part of a
rebuilding in the early 16th century. (fn. 139) A 12th-century font remained in the former chancel until its
removal to Stogursey church in 1981.
There were said to be four bells in 1791, but only
two survived in 1881. (fn. 140) A cup and cover by 'R.O.'
of 1574 are at Kilton. (fn. 141) The registers begin in 1654;
those for marriages end in 1869 and for baptisms in
1881. The last burial was in 1974. (fn. 142)
There were chaplains at Honibere in 1174. (fn. 143)
NONCONFORMITY.
A Presbyterian teacher had
14 hearers in a house in the parish in 1669. (fn. 144)
EDUCATION.
In 1577 John Culverwell was
licensed to teach in the parish. (fn. 145)
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR.
By will dated 1643
Alexander Standfast of Kilve charged land in Lilstock with 6s. 8d. to be paid to poor householders at
Easter in the parishes of Kilve, Kilton, and Lilstock.
Payment was refused by 1786–7, and the charity was
lost. (fn. 146) A 'small benefaction' was 'duly applied' in
1840, but no further details are known. (fn. 147)