ECONOMIC HISTORY.
In 1086 Fiddington
was taxed at 4 hides, of which the demesne
answered for 3 hides. The whole estate was
assessed at 6 ploughlands, and the demesne
supported 2 teams. There were 21 a. of meadow,
80 a. of pasture, and 43 a. of moor. The recorded
livestock comprised 12 cattle, 11 pigs, 60 sheep,
and 40 goats and the value was unchanged from
1066. In 1086 there were 6 villani and 5 bordars
sharing 3 ploughteams. (fn. 93) By the later 12th century there were two separate estates, Fiddington
and Bonson. (fn. 94) In 1579 Bonson manor comprised
a main farm of 210 a. and 10 other holdings, only
two over 50 a. and the rest under 30 a., although
additional overland was available. (fn. 95) Holdings
remained small during the 18th century and in
1745 there were difficulties in renewing leases on
Fiddington manor, possibly because the harvest
was bad. In 1746 several tenants were in debt,
some had abandoned their holdings, one man
was in gaol, one in danger of imprisonment, and
another was impoverished. The tenants were
said to be mostly poor and estates fetched low
prices although the manor was valued at over
£331 a year. (fn. 96)
Inventories of the 17th century suggest mixed
farming; in 1639 a farmer had 6 cattle, 22 sheep,
3 pigs, and 2 horses and had sold some young
animals. A wealthy clothworker who also farmed
had a flock of 60 sheep, 19 cattle and a dairy, 10
pigs, and 3 horses, with hay and corn worth £30.
Rye and oats were grown besides wheat and
barley, (fn. 97) and in 1685 a tenant of Fiddington
manor was required to plant an orchard. (fn. 98) In the
1780s large quantities of flax were grown; in
1784 two men produced 385 stone on 9½ a., in
1786 output was 442 stone, and in 1787 one man
produced 317 stone. (fn. 99)
In 1837 there were 408 a. of arable, 387 a. of
meadow and pasture, and 39 a. of orchard and
garden. Of the 17 holdings over 10 a., 9 were
under 25 a., 4 between 25 a. and 50 a., 1 between
50 a. and 100 a., and 3 were over 100 a. but under
150 a. (fn. 1) Most of the tenants, however, occupied
more than one holding. In 1851 four farmers
worked most of the land in the parish and
employed 23 labourers. Later in the 19th century only two farmers had less than 100 a. (fn. 2) By
1905 the parish had almost doubled in size and
most of the land was laid to grass, which covered
1,055 a. There were 593 a. of arable. (fn. 3) In 1982
there were 12 holdings, half of which were
worked part-time and 3 of which specialized in
poultry. Eight holdings were under 50 ha. (123.5
a.) but one was over 300 ha. (741 a.). Arable land
had increased to cover half the parish, with
wheat on 215 ha. (531 a.), barley on 84 ha. (207.5
a.), and oilseed rape on 28 ha. (69 a.). Poultry
numbered 241,736 birds of which 49,700 were
laying hens. There were also 756 cattle and 692
sheep. (fn. 4) Poultry farming with egg packing remained an important industry in 1988.
Cloth was made in the parish in the 17th and
early 18th centuries, giving rise to field names
such as Weavers acre and Dyers close. (fn. 5) One
woman in 1636 died in possession of a pair of
looms and wool and she also kept a few sheep.
A clothier was recorded in 1667. (fn. 6) Another died
in 1670 with wool out for spinning and large
quantities of wool, yarn, dyestuffs, soap, and
fuel. He had a furnace, combs, scales, a warping
bar, and other tools, together with 116 serges
worth £260. A sergemaker's inventory of 1714
included two furnaces, scales in a warping shop,
a shop fitted out with a counter, yarn, and white
and coloured wool; 1,521 lb. of wool had been
sold. (fn. 7) Tanners were recorded in the parish in
1638 and 1656, possibly at Inwood, where there
were field names such as Tanhouse mead and
Tanners plot. (fn. 8)
Mills.
Two mills were recorded in 1086
paying 2s. (fn. 9) In 1242 the Fiddington miller died
after falling under the wheel. (fn. 10) Fiddington
manor mill, recorded in 1309, (fn. 11) was known in
1473-4 and 1518 as Galpin mill and by 1705 as
Dunstone mill. (fn. 12) Manorial tenants still owed suit
of mill in 1681. (fn. 13) In 1772 the mill was sold by
Joseph Champion to the brothers Richard and
Gregory Score. Richard (d. 1807) left his share
to his brother who in 1819 gave the mill to his
sons John (d. 1834) and William; William probably sold it to the miller before 1837. (fn. 14) It was in
use in 1899 but milling seems to have ceased by
1906. (fn. 15) The mill was later demolished and the
pond and leats were filled in. Bonson mill,
recorded in 1403 and in 1458 when tenants of
Bonson manor owed mill suit, (fn. 16) remained part
of the manor until 1773 when Henry Rawlings
sold it to William Kebby. The new owner had
to repair the sluices and turn the water on the
vendor's lands between Saturday evening and
Monday morning. (fn. 17) During the 19th century the
mill was kept by the Bowering family but it
appears to have gone out of use by 1923. (fn. 18) It was
driven by an internal overshot wheel. The mill
building bears the date 1734 but it was totally
rebuilt in the early 19th century.
Fairs.
In 1242 it was said that fairs were held
at Fiddington and customs taken without warrant. (fn. 19) The fairs were not recorded again.