Local government.
The parish was
divided into a number of tithings. The borough
was possibly the tithing of North Petherton
recorded in 1242-3, and was later represented
by Denizen or Town Denizen tithing. (fn. 9) Buckland
fee tithing was also recorded in 1242-3 as the
Hospitallers' jurisdiction. (fn. 10) Newton Plecy tithing, apparently the same as North Newton and
in Freemanors hundred, (fn. 11) was recorded in 1396
along with Huntworth and West Newton tithings.
Shearston, Tuckerton (sometimes Tuckerton and
Hedging), and Woolmersdon tithings were recorded from the early 15th century. (fn. 12) The part
of North Petherton village that was in Andersfield
hundred in the 1670s (fn. 13) probably formed a separate
tithing then as in 1841 when it was known as
Petherton limit. (fn. 14) Tithings called Moorland and
Bankland had been formed by 1766, (fn. 15) following
the growth of settlement in North moor.
North moor was administered by a moorward
until the end of the 18th century. (fn. 16) Henry of
Erleigh, lord of North Petherton, granted the
hereditary office of moorward to Philip Maunsel
in the mid 13th century. (fn. 17) The office, held with
Maunsel manor, was usually exercised by deputy, who accounted for issues of the moor,
collected grazing rents, and presumably supervised the regular chase or drive of the moor. (fn. 18)
A borough court, described as a portmote
between 1308 and 1331, (fn. 19) and later simply as a
court, was held monthly in the 1390s, (fn. 20) but no
reference to it has been found after 1399. A
portreeve was in office in 1293 (fn. 21) and from 1299
until 1399 or later two borough reeves. (fn. 22) In the
1390s there was also a catchpole. (fn. 23)
Court rolls for the inner (intrinsecus) hundred
or the manor of North Petherton survive for the
years 1296, 1332-3, 1349-50, 1382, 1389-90,
1397-8, 1401, 1417, 1420, 1431-3, 1484, (fn. 24) and
for 1653. (fn. 25) Seven sessions were held in 1293-4, (fn. 26)
and between 10 and 14 each year in the period
1386-9. (fn. 27) Leets with view of frankpledge were
held twice a year. The officers of the court were
a bailiff and a clerk shared with the foreign
hundred, and in 1397-8 an aletaster. (fn. 28) Business
included civil pleas, tenures, and orders for
roads, bridges, and rhynes, and the court maintained a pillory and held prisoners. (fn. 29) There was
a court house in 1290. A new hall was built there
in 1304-5, part of which was let in 1328-9. (fn. 30)
Courts leet for the inner hundred were held each
autumn between 1767 and 1779. The court
appointed constables and tithingmen, and presentments included encroachments on manorial
waste and the lord's failure to erect gateposts
and to maintain stocks and pillory. (fn. 31)
Each part of Newton manor seems to have
exercised leet jurisdiction. A record of one meeting for Newton Plecy survives for 1398. (fn. 32) A
court was held in the 'largest and fittest lower
room' at Parker's Field in the 17th century. (fn. 33) A
court was also held for Newton Wroth manor,
usually twice a year in the 1630s. (fn. 34) By the 18th
century Newton Wroth and Newton Regis were
administered together, and shared a court leet
every other year, alternating with the court for
Newton Chantry and sharing some profits and
a pound. (fn. 35)
Court rolls for Newton Chantry manor survive
for various years between 1453 and 1610, (fn. 36) for
1613-38, (fn. 37) 1661-5, (fn. 38) and for most years 1689-
1864. (fn. 39) There are presentments for every
alternate year from 1794 to 1864. (fn. 40) In the mid
15th century the leet, view of frankpledge, and
halimote were held twice a year, the halimote on
the same day as the presentment of the homage
but separately from it. In the 18th century only
the leet and view were held, and by the end of
the century presentments were made every other
year. (fn. 41) A court baron for property transactions
was held by the vicars choral at Wells twice a
year in the 17th century. (fn. 42) The leet appointed
tithingmen and reeves in the 15th century, (fn. 43) and
surveyors were recorded in 1589 and 1619. (fn. 44) In
the 18th century two constables assisted the
reeve and tithingmen, then chosen in rotation by
tenement. (fn. 45) A pound keeper was appointed in
1816 and a hayward from 1826. In the 15th
century courts dealt with breaches of assizes and
nuisances. In the 16th and 17th centuries the
court made orders to control animals, prevent
flooding, and repair buildings and hedges. In the
16th century the vicars choral of Wells, as lords
of the manor, were said to have built an alehouse
and stables for holding court, and they provided
stocks, cucking stool, and pillory. (fn. 46) A reeve's
dinner was held at Michaelmas 1661. (fn. 47) By the
18th century tenants of ten holdings in rotation
provided accommodation for the court. (fn. 48)
Court rolls for Chadmead manor survive for
various years between 1441 and 1485. The court
normally met once a year, at Michaelmas or in
early summer. Officers included a steward,
bailiff, and rent collector. (fn. 49) There is a record of
one court for Hulkshay in 1511. (fn. 50) The manors
of Huntworth and Buckland Fee were administered together by the 18th century but court rolls
survive only for 1728. The court appointed a
tithingman for Buckland Fee and the leet jury
were entitled to a dinner or 4d. in lieu. Buckland
Fee had its own pound. (fn. 51) In 1611 a court for the
Halswells' manors of West Melcombe and
Moorland was held with that for Woolmersdon
and Hadworthy. (fn. 52) Rhode and Shearston shared
manorial officers but each had its own homage
and records. Court rolls survive for 1519, 1530, (fn. 53)
1553-4, (fn. 54) 1559, and 1562-72, (fn. 55) and the court
dealt with property transactions and nuisances. (fn. 56)
For West Newton manor copies of court rolls
survive from 1558, 1619, and 1631 (fn. 57) and a court
was held in 1798. (fn. 58) There was a pound at West Newton in 1800. (fn. 59) At Woolmersdon the Pokeswells employed a steward in 1445-6. (fn. 60) The
Halswells and their heirs held courts for their
share of the manor of Woolmersdon and Hadworthy during the 17th and 18th centuries: in
1611 a court was held jointly with courts for
Moorland and West Melcombe. Each manor had
its own jury and a separate record. (fn. 61) Rolls for
the court baron of the Verneys' manor of Woolmersdon survive for 1382, 1508, 1511, and
1516. (fn. 62) There were manorial courts from the
16th to the 18th century for Buckland Sororum,
Chadmead, (fn. 63) and the Sydenhams' manor of
North Petherton. (fn. 64) Suit of court was owed by
tenants of Clavelshay, (fn. 65) Maunsel, (fn. 66) West Melcombe, where courts were held twice a year, (fn. 67)
three of the Moorland estates, (fn. 68) and Shearston
Chantry. (fn. 69) A court was held twice a year for
Stamfordlands manor in the 17th century (fn. 70) and
Bankland tenants attended a court at Lyng
1741-6. (fn. 71)
A forest court or swanimote was held for
Petherton park twice a year and there are court
rolls for 1396-8 and 1400. (fn. 72) The court had two
verderers, four foresters, and a jury of regarders.
The court was attended by the moorward of
North moor and the tithingmen and their attendants from Huntworth, Newton Plecy, West
Newton, Durston, and Lyng. (fn. 73)
Strong parochial administration emerged in
the 17th century when the parish was divided
between Town, South, and Moorland each with
its own officers. There were three churchwardens until the 19th century, assisted by three
sidesmen, (fn. 74) and normally three overseers. (fn. 75) The
division of the parish into three was used by the
waywardens in the 17th century, but between
then and the early 19th century the waywardens
reorganized their areas three times. (fn. 76) In 1843 the
parish appointed 22 constables for 11 divisions. (fn. 77)
An Easter vestry had been established by 1671, (fn. 78)
and in 1718 a parish meeting held in the chancel
of the parish church drew up a list of orders for
parish government, church maintenance, and
poor relief. Among particular concerns were
unlicensed alehouses, strangers, unemployed dependents, and drunkenness on and around May
Day. (fn. 79) By the early 19th century the vestry met
about four times a year and additionally to bind
out apprentices. In 1811 a clerk was appointed,
in 1816 an inspector-general of accounts, and in
1819 an assistant overseer. (fn. 80) By 1823 a select
vestry was formed. (fn. 81) In 1846 a collector of taxes
was employed and in 1850 the salaries of officers
including the sexton and the clerk were burdensome and had to be reduced. (fn. 82) A burial board
was appointed in 1855 after the virtual closure
of the churchyard, (fn. 83) and Heathfield cemetery
was opened in 1856. (fn. 84) A police station was
established in 1860. (fn. 85) A parish council, created
in 1894, met in private and appointed overseers
and waywardens. (fn. 86) Parish meetings discussed
general concerns such as street lighting and the
council set up committees for lighting and firefighting. In 1912 fire inspectors were appointed
and in 1917 a corps of firemen was established
for Moorland and Somerset Bridge. (fn. 87) A town
council, headed by a town mayor, replaced the
parish council in 1974.
Poor relief in the 18th century divided regular
recipients, described as in the calendar, from the
rest. (fn. 88) The vestry in 1718 attempted to reduce
costs by fixing maximum prices for supplies and
funerals and by refusing to employ a surgeon
except for fractures 'or such extraordinary occasion'. (fn. 89) Money was given in 1625 and 1698
towards building a workhouse, (fn. 90) and one was
built in 1737-8, probably in High Street near
Tappers Lane. (fn. 91) Until then the only lodging for
paupers was probably the former church
house, (fn. 92) known by 1709 as the poorhouse. It was
evidently rebuilt, on the same site west of the
church, in 1720, and was maintained by the
wardens and overseers. (fn. 93) It was apparently abandoned after 1738. In the 18th century inmates
of the workhouse were supplied with a wide
variety of food, fuel, and clothing, and kept a
pig. (fn. 94) In the early 19th century the governor
farmed the poor for a small salary and 3s. 6d.
per head a day. (fn. 95) In 1831 the workhouse was
enlarged to house the assistant overseer, (fn. 96) and
from 1836 to 1838, following the creation of the
Bridgwater poor-law union, it was used as an
annexe, where inmates were allegedly ill-treated,
and for illegitimate children. (fn. 97) It may have been
sold after 1838 (fn. 98) and by 1851 it was divided into
nine dwellings. (fn. 99) It may have been the almshouse recorded in 1871. (fn. 1)
The parish became part of the Bridgwater rural
district in 1894 and of Sedgemoor district in
1974. (fn. 2)