ECONOMIC HISTORY.
The four 11thcentury estates at Otterhampton together had
land for 5½ ploughteams but 6 teams were
recorded, of which 3 were on the demesnes
where there were also 3 servi. There were 22½
a. of meadow, 15 a. of pasture, 10 a. of wood and
underwood. Livestock included 5 cattle, 11 pigs,
and 45 sheep. There were 9 villani out of a
recorded population of 20. (fn. 56) In 1316 the Trivet
manorial demesne at Otterhampton comprised
90 a. of arable, 30 a. of meadow, and 20 a. of
pasture. There were then eight neifs who owed
three days' work in autumn; and of the £4 8s.
rent, £1 14s. was paid by free tenants. (fn. 57) In the
1330s a widow's dower in the manor included
10 a. of wheat and 4 cattle and had produced
crops of wheat, oats, hay, and fodder. (fn. 58) In the
1540s the manor court attempted to regulate
livestock: outsiders were presented for putting
animals on the marshes and the rector was
accused of allowing his pigs to go unringed; he
also kept geese. A neif was recorded as late as
1546. (fn. 59) In the early 17th century tithes were
levied on corn, cattle, calves, wool, lambs, pigs,
geese, honey, wax, and apples. In 1634 the corn
tithes were worth £30 and the small tithes £26. (fn. 60)
In 1636 one woman had corn worth over £19, a
large quantity of cheese and bacon, 11 cattle,
horses, sheep worth £30, and 2 pigs. (fn. 61) Cheese
and dairy cattle appear in other inventories but
also wheat, sheep, wool, and poultry. (fn. 62) During
the 18th century holdings were small apart from
Hill farm on the Otterhampton Rumsey estate,
which covered about 130 a. There were a few
rack-rented estates on Otterhampton manor by
1755 but rents of capons, pepper, and cumin
were still being charged. (fn. 63)
During the agricultural protests of 1801 labourers marched to Hill House where John
Evered addressed them. With other magistrates
he tried to make farmers bring their corn to
market to reduce prices and shortages. (fn. 64) In 1824
one farmer had over £175 of livestock in the
parish, possibly on the marsh, mainly sheep but
also cows and a colt. (fn. 65) In 1839 there were 681 a.
of meadow and pasture, 242½ a. of arable, 18 a.
of orchard, 17 a. of woodland, and 4 a. of garden.
Most holdings were under 25 a., but some of
them were only tracts of marsh; only two were
over 100 a., of which the larger was Otterhampton farm with 191½ a. (fn. 66) During the next 40 years
the larger holdings absorbed some of the smaller:
Moxhill farm reached 190 a. by 1861, Higher
Hill farm 100 a. by 1871, Otterhampton farm
229 a. and Moxhill farm 231 a. by 1881. (fn. 67) By
1905, after the inclusion of Steart marsh, the
parish comprised a total of 1,353 a. of grass, 212
a. of arable, and 28 a. of wood. (fn. 68) Six holdings
covering two thirds of the parish in 1982 had
294 ha. (726 a.) of grass and 105 ha. (250 a.) of
arable. Most of the arable land was under wheat,
but there were small amounts of winter and
spring barley, oats, fodder, orchard, soft fruit,
and glasshouse crops. There were 708 cattle and
691 sheep; three of the holdings were dairy
farms, another specialized in rearing cattle and
sheep. Two were worked part-time. All the
holdings were under 200 ha. (494 a.), two were
over 100 ha. (247 a.), two between 50 ha. and
100 ha. (124-247 a.), one between 20 and 30 ha.
(49-74 a.), and one under 2 ha. (5 a.). (fn. 69)
Although primarily an agricultural parish the
river and the growth of the wharf at Combwich
provided alternative employment. (fn. 70) A man from
Otterhampton was accused of selling bad fish in
1379. (fn. 71) There was a sergeweaver in the parish in
1676, (fn. 72) and bricks and tiles were manufactured
in Combwich in the 19th century. (fn. 73)
A mill, probably at Combwich, was recorded
on Otterhampton manor in the 1540s. (fn. 74)