NORTH CHERITON
The ancient parish of North Cheriton comprised a narrow strip of land, 5 km. from east to
west and c. 1 km. from north to south, whose
eastern end was marked by an old course of the
river Cale. It contained North Cheriton village,
3 km. south-west from the centre of Wincanton,
and the hamlet of Lower Cheriton. About 0.5
km. to the north lay a detached and irregular
area around the scattered hamlet of Lattiford,
its boundaries in part following Bow brook,
formerly the river Ladder or Latter, and a
tributary. (fn. 88) The ancient parish was said to measure 1,082 a. in 1838. (fn. 89) In 1885 Lattiford (5
houses, 35 persons) was transferred to Holton
and land from Wincanton was added at the east
end of the parish taking the boundary to the river
Cale. The civil parish covered 347 ha. (857 a.)
in 1981 but was increased to 369 ha. (912 a.) by
the addition of part of Holton in 1988. (fn. 90)
Land to the east of Lower Cheriton, watered
by Bow brook, lies below the 70-m. (250-ft.)
contour on Oxford Clay. Westwards the ground
rises towards the summit of Windmill Hill (185
m.) in Charlton Horethorne over Forest Marble.
North Cheriton village and Lattiford are on
Cornbrash limestone. (fn. 91)
The main Wincanton-Stalbridge road, running north-south through the parish, was
turnpiked in 1824 by the Blackmore Vale trust.
The Sherborne road, turnpiked by the Wincanton trust in 1756, diverges from it at Lattiford
and runs south-west. North Cheriton village is
on a lane linking the two. (fn. 92) Roads between North
Cheriton and Lattiford, probably passing
through Holton, were repaired under an Act of
Parliament of 1825. (fn. 93) The line of the Somerset
and Dorset railway passed through the east part
of the parish between 1863 and 1966. (fn. 94)
The parish name is possibly derived from the
church (fn. 95) and the main settlement includes the
church, manor house, and Old House at the west
end of the village street and the rectory house at
the east end. Lattiford, in the 11th century
Lodreford, (fn. 96) is more scattered since the disappearance of houses between Lattiford Farm and
the mill (fn. 97) and of roadside cottages on the Wincanton-Ilchester road since 1766. (fn. 98)
There was an ale seller in 1604 (fn. 99) and the New
Inn stood in North Cheriton Street in 1718. (fn. 1)
The Lion or Red Lion, on the Castle Cary-Stalbridge road, was recorded in 1766 and may have
closed in the 1930s. (fn. 2) The building, in 1994 a
private house, dates probably from the late 17th
century. (fn. 3) The Anchor inn on the Wincanton-Ilchester road was recorded in 1766 (fn. 4) but may have
closed by 1770. (fn. 5) The site had become part of the
road by 1838 (fn. 6) but the name survives in Anchor
Corner and Anchor Hill. (fn. 7)
The North Cheriton Friendly Benefit society
was founded in 1841. Members met at the
Windmill inn in Holton. (fn. 8)
North Cheriton in 1839
There were 42 families in the parish in 1650. (fn. 9)
By 1801 the population was 233; it fell to 216 in
1821 and rose to a peak of 315 in 1871. Within
the next decade it had fallen sharply to 228 and
a steady decline continued to 137 in 1981 but,
partly because of boundary changes, it rose to
203 in 1991. (fn. 10)
MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES
Two
11th-century estates may be identified with
two manors, each of which was later called
North Cheriton. Eiritone or Ciretona was held
by Ernwy in 1066 and by Warmund of William
de Mohun in 1086. (fn. 11) Overlordship remained
with the honor of Dunster until the 18th
century. (fn. 12)
The terre tenancy of NORTH CHERITON
was held by the Huse family in the persons of
Geoffrey or Ralph Huse in 1166, (fn. 13) Ralph in
1214, (fn. 14) Ralph in 1256, (fn. 15) William in 1278, (fn. 16)
Ralph in 1280, probably the owner of 1256
who had settled his estates on his son William, (fn. 17) and by Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath
(d. 1292). (fn. 18) Joan of St. Martin, widow of William
de Brayboeuf (d. 1284), in 1285 claimed one
third in dower from Hugh Burnell, brother of
Robert. (fn. 19) Robert's heir was Hugh's son Philip
(d. 1294) (fn. 20) who was succeeded by his son Edward (d. 1315). (fn. 21) Edward's heir was his sister
Maud, wife successively of John Lovel (d.
1314) and Sir John Haudlo (d. 1346). (fn. 22) Maud's
son John Lovel (d. 1347) and his wife Isabel
(d. 1349) were succeeded in turn by their sons
John (d. a minor 1361) and John Lovel (d.
1408). (fn. 23)
John left a widow Maud and a son John who
appear to have sold the manor to John Rogers
before 1412. (fn. 24) Rogers (d. 1441) was followed
by his son John (d. 1450), by John's widow
Anne (d. 1498), and by their son Henry (d.
1500-06). (fn. 25) Henry's son John sold the manor
in 1544 to Robert Ryves (d. 1552). (fn. 26) Robert's
grandson John Ryves (d. 1587) was followed
by his son (Sir) John (d. 1625). (fn. 27) George
Ryves, nephew of the last, was succeeded
before 1655 by his son John (fl. 1663). (fn. 28) John's
heir was George's sister Elizabeth who married a cousin George Ryves (d. 1668). Their
son George (d. 1699) (fn. 29) was followed by his
nephew Thomas Ryves (d. by 1705) whose
widow Anne and son George sold the manor in
1711 to Dr. William Watson. (fn. 30) William (d. c.
1734) appears to have left it to his sister Elizabeth
(d. 1745), widow of John Ernle, rector of North
Cheriton, and she was followed by Thomas Watson (d. by 1749) and his son Thomas (d. by 1776)
and grandson the Revd. Thomas Watson (d. c.
1799). (fn. 31) Much of the land was sold by the
Watsons but lordship passed to Watson's devisee
Julia, wife of Thomas Connock (d. 1820), whose
daughter Mary married John Weston Peters (d.
1858). Their daughter Julia (d. 1864) married
Frederick Gale (d. 1877). (fn. 32) John Weston Peters
Gale (d. 1897), son of the last, was succeeded in
turn by his son John (d. c. 1915) and daughter
Ethel Gale. Ethel sold what remained of the
estate in 1927 but lordship was not recorded. (fn. 33)
A dovecot was mentioned in 1349 and a capital
messuage in 1441. (fn. 34) In 1666 the capital messuage, called Upper Farm, was leased to Robert
Ryves' younger son John (d. c. 1685), then a
minor. It was not recorded after 1685. (fn. 35) In the
mid 19th century Frederick Gale lived in the
parish and probably built Cheriton House, also
known as Manor House or Cheriton Manor, on
the site of a house by the church. (fn. 36) The square,
two-storeyed, stone house with overhanging eaves
had a three-bayed east front under a slate roof
with central Doric porch. In the 20th century
alterations included moving the entrance to the
north. (fn. 37)
Ciretune, held by Alfwold before 1066 and
by Robert under Turstin son of Rolf in 1086,
may have become another manor of NORTH
CHERITON. (fn. 38) Turstin's lands passed to Wynebald of Ballon who by 1166 had been succeeded
by his grandson Henry Newmarch. (fn. 39) Overlordship probably descended with that of
Horsington until 1216 when it became part of
Hawise Newmarch's share and descended in
the de Moeles family. (fn. 40) Nicholas de Moeles (d.
1315-16) was succeeded in turn by his brothers
Roger (d. 1316) and John (d. 1337) and by the latter's
daughter Muriel, wife of Thomas Courtenay. (fn. 41)
Thomas (d. 1362) was succeeded by his son
Hugh (d. 1369), a minor, but overlordship was
not recorded again. (fn. 42)
The terre tenancy was said to be held by
Geoffrey de Frethorn in 1316 and by William
de Montagu, earl of Salisbury, in 1337 for 1/32
fee. (fn. 43) In 1369 it was held by Sir Ralph Russel (fn. 44)
and thereafter probably descended with
Horsington manor until the death of Margery
Russel in 1431. (fn. 45) It appears to have been settled
on Margery's coheir and aunt Margaret, wife of
Gilbert Denys, and by 1482 had descended to
Margaret's grandson Walter Denys. (fn. 46) Walter's
son William sold the manor in 1498 to Maurice
Berkeley and others. (fn. 47) Before 1561 Thomas
Decins or Diggons conveyed the manor to his
father-in-law Roger Adams and to Roger's wife
Elizabeth for their lives with remainder to
Thomas. (fn. 48) Thomas Diggons, a clergyman and
probably son of Thomas, died in 1622 when his
estate was said to be held of John Ryves's manor
of North Cheriton. (fn. 49) There was no record of
lordship and the estate has not been traced
further.
The capital messuage was let in 1562 and was
last recorded in 1623. (fn. 50)
Two hides in LATTIFORD in 1066 'could
not be separated' from Glastonbury abbey. In
1086, however, they were held of the king but
belonged to the abbey's manor of Butleigh. (fn. 51)
From 1271 the estate was held of the abbey and
continued to be so held in 1361, but there is no
further record of the abbey's overlordship. (fn. 52)
Aelfric was tenant of the abbey before 1066
and Humphrey the chamberlain in 1086. (fn. 53) In
1271 Sir Roger de Moeles (d. 1295) did homage
to the abbot when Lattiford was joined with
Blackford and Holton as a single fee. (fn. 54) From Sir
Roger the mesne lordship descended with the
Moeles's manor of North Cheriton to Hugh
Courtenay. (fn. 55) The Moeles fees including Lattiford were held by Sir Walter Hungerford and
Walter Sandes in 1428 (fn. 56) and Sir Francis Hastings in 1595. (fn. 57)
In 1316 Lattiford was held by John atte Mille
for 1/64 fee. (fn. 58) The lady of Lattiford recorded in
1327 was probably Christine atte Mille who held
it for 1/16 fee in 1337 and for 1/60 in 1338. (fn. 59) Richard
atte Mille of Lattiford was recorded in 1424 (fn. 60)
but descent is unclear thereafter until Robert
Hannam died c. 1545 holding Lattiford, and was
followed by his sons Ambrose (d. by 1575) and
John. (fn. 61) In 1613 Ambrose's son John alienated
his lands to Thomas Cooper, husband of his
daughter Joan. (fn. 62) Thomas Cooper (fl. 1660),
probably Joan's son, was followed by John (d.
by 1713), (fn. 63) John by Benjamin (d. by 1736), and
Benjamin by his daughter Elizabeth. (fn. 64) She was
succeeded c. 1790 by her nephew the Revd.
James Plucknett. (fn. 65) Probably in 1814 James sold
most of Lattiford to John Dalton (d. 1817). John
was followed successively by his sister Elizabeth
Dalton (d. 1820), by the Revd. Samuel Serrel
(d. c. 1837), and by Henry Digby Serrel. (fn. 66) The
estate, reduced to only 40 a. including the house,
was bought c. 1841 by Robert Thick and John
Bailward. (fn. 67)
Lattiford House was built probably c. 1800. (fn. 68)
In 1819 it had at least six main bedrooms and
two staircases; a coach house and stables were
built near the mill. (fn. 69) New stables near the house
and a lodge were built c. 1850. (fn. 70) In the later 19th
century a 3-bayed, 2-storeyed wing was added
to the west, later rendered under a slate roof.
The wing survived a fire which destroyed the
main part of the house in 1901. The house was
rebuilt on a larger scale in 1902 to include a
ballroom, 13 bedrooms, a nursery, and staff
accommodation. (fn. 71) It is of local squared stone
with a clay-tiled roof, has a 6-bayed south front
of two storeys and attics and an Ionic porch, and
is set in a small park. It was occupied in 1993
by a school. (fn. 72)
In 1166 William son of John (I) of Harptree
held a fee at LATTIFORD in succession to his
father and to his grandfather Hamon. (fn. 73) In 1225
William's son William (II) settled his holding
there on a younger son Pain, to be held in fee of
Robert de Gurney, grandson of William (II) by
his eldest son Thomas of Harptree. (fn. 74) In 1242-3
Robert was returned as holding ½ fee. (fn. 75) Before
1280 Joan and Osbert Gifford seem to have
acquired the fee, possibly in Joan's right, and it
descended to her grandson, also Osbert
Gifford. (fn. 76) By 1320 it was in the hands of
Bartholomew Pain, son of William and grandson
of Pain, the tenant of the fee in the settlement
of 1225. (fn. 77) Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury,
was said to be overlord in 1451, (fn. 78) presumably
in the belief that William de Montagu had held
the fee. (fn. 79) In 1540 the manor was said to be held
of Holton manor. (fn. 80)
Walter of Lattiford was terre tenant in 1225
and he or another of the same name was alive
in 1243. (fn. 81) Thomas of Lattiford was dead by
1280 leaving an heir Thomas, a minor, who
later claimed to have surrendered his estate to
Osbert Gifford under pressure. (fn. 82) In 1319 the
land was held by William de Montagu (d.
1319) (fn. 83) and it passed to his son William, (fn. 84) later
earl of Salisbury (d. 1344), who granted it c.
1337 to Bisham abbey (Berks.). (fn. 85) In 1355 the
abbey sold it, with the approval of the second
earl, to John Cammell. (fn. 86)
Another John Cammell, who seems to have
been renting the estate from Alice Carlill,
possibly a Cammell widow, until her death in
1412, was in possession in the following year.
In 1438 he settled it on his daughter Joan, wife
of John Wyke. (fn. 87) Wyke (fl. 1480) was succeeded
by his son William (d. by 1518). William's
widow Anne held the manor for life but his
uncle and heir Richard Wyke sold the reversion to Robert Cary in 1521 and Anne seems
to have retained only a third. (fn. 88) She was still
alive in 1540. (fn. 89)
Robert Cary died in 1540 and was followed
by his son, also Robert (d. 1586), and by
Robert's son George. (fn. 90) George's son William
sold the manor in 1620 to William Helyar,
archdeacon of Barnstaple, to be settled on the
marriage of Christian or Christine, William
Cary's eldest daughter, to Henry, son of William Helyar. (fn. 91) Henry (d. 1634) (fn. 92) was followed
by his son William (d. 1697), his grandson
William (d. 1742), and his great grandson
William Helyar (d. 1784). (fn. 93) In 1812 William
Helyar (d. 1820), son of the last, gave the
manor to his son William (d. 1841) and he was
followed in the direct male line by William (d.
1880) and Horace (d. 1893). (fn. 94) Horace was succeeded by his daughter Dorothy who married
Godfrey Walker Heneage. In 1914 the estate was
put up for sale but lordship was not included. (fn. 95)
The capital messuage was recorded in
1320. (fn. 96) It was rebuilt in the early 17th century
and in 1914, when it was known as Lattiford
Farm, it had a central three-bayed range with
two projecting wings built of stone rubble with
steep tiled roofs and brick stacks. (fn. 97) It was replaced by a new house in the later 20th century.
The estate of LATTIFORD CHAPEL, comprising the site, 14 a. of land, and the tithes of
Lattiford farm, was worth 20s. a year in 1535
and was let by the Crown in the later 16th
century. (fn. 98) In 1607 the estate was sold to Thomas
Emerson, (fn. 99) and in 1650 was said to belong to
Theodore Gullson. (fn. 1) In 1672 the Revd. William
Oke was probably the owner and a Mr. Oke,
possibly Walter Oke, held it in 1705. (fn. 2) By 1750
the tithes had been acquired by Elizabeth Cooper, (fn. 3) probably with most of the land. (fn. 4) The
probable site of the chapel and its tithes were
settled on the Revd. James Plucknett (fn. 5) and he left
the land, known as Lattiford Farm Orchard,
with the tithes of Lattiford farm, to his son
William after the death of his widow Elizabeth
(d. c. 1836). (fn. 6) In 1838 the tithes were commuted
for a rent charge of £46, which was sold to
Charles Warren, the tenant of Lattiford farm, in
1841. (fn. 7)
The Lower Cheriton estate was created by
the Randall family in the 17th and early 18th
centuries. (fn. 8) They were the wealthiest family in
the parish in 1641 and 1661. (fn. 9) Benjamin Randall (d. 1667) was followed in the direct male
line by Robert, Benjamin (d. 1711), Robert (d.
1725), and Benjamin who owned almost 300 a.
Gerard Napier, who held a mortgage from
1741, (fn. 10) acquired the estate outright before
1765 when his heir was Edward Phelips. (fn. 11)
Phelips (d. 1797), who had less than half the
Randall holding, was succeeded by his son
William (d. 1806), and by William's son John
(d. 1834). John's nephew William Phelips (fn. 12)
appears to have sold Cheriton or Lower Cheriton farm to Thomas Bailward (d. 1913).
Thomas's son John sold it in 1943 to the
Dudwell Trust Ltd. of Weston-super-Mare.
Renamed Cherrington farm, it was sold to
John Copland in 1949 and by 1964 was the
property of the Westminster Bank. (fn. 13)
The 'great dwelling house' of the Randall
family was recorded in 1718 and in 1725 was
partly three storeys high with four first-floor
chambers. (fn. 14) It was described as a very handsome
dwelling c. 1740 but was not recorded again. (fn. 15)
ECONOMIC HISTORY
In 1086 there were
5 ploughlands on the 2 Cheriton estates and 2
ploughlands at Lattiford. There were 3 teams at
Cheriton of which 2½ were on the demesnes.
Those demesnes measured 3¾ hides. Only one
demesne had stock: 1 cow, 15 pigs, and 50 sheep.
Two villani and 8 bordars, equally divided between the two Cheriton estates, worked 5
virgates. In total there were 16 a. of meadow and
10 a. of pasture on the Cheriton estate. (fn. 16)
In 1086 there were 12 a. and one square
furlong of woodland on the Cheriton estate. (fn. 17)
Woodland at Peaswood, south of North Cheriton village, was probably part of an area of
ancient woodland, extending into South Cheriton and Charlton Horethorne. (fn. 18) In the 17th
century there was concern that oak, elm, and ash
had been felled illegally at Lattiford. In 1766
there were over 1,600 trees on the manor, mostly
in hedges, but Whites wood, north-west of
Lattiford, had been cleared. (fn. 19) By 1838 there was
only 10 a. in the whole parish. (fn. 20) In 1988 there
was 3.5 ha. (8.5 a.) of woodland. (fn. 21)
Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath, received a
grant of free warren in 1292. (fn. 22) In the late 13th
century there were disputes over pasturage
rights and stubble grazing. (fn. 23) In 1320-1 the
Montagu demesne at Lattiford comprised just
over 53 a., nearly half sown with wheat and the
rest with oats, barley, beans, peas, and mixed
corn. A carter, a drover, and a shepherd were
employed. (fn. 24) Customary works were recorded in
1349 on the Lovel manor of North Cheriton.
The demesne arable and meadow there declined
in recorded value between 1349 and 1441 from
3d. and 8d. an acre to ½d. and ¾d. respectively.
In 1441 the demesne comprised 137 a. of arable,
16 a. of meadow, and over 50 a. of pasture. (fn. 25)
In the 1530s tithes of grain were five times the
value of tithes of wool and lambs, (fn. 26) and arable
farming continued to predominate into the later
part of the century. North Cheriton appears to
have had two open arable fields, called the north
and south fields in the 16th century. (fn. 27) Inclosure
of part of south field in 1608 is, however, the last
reference to open arable fields, (fn. 28) and inclosure
of meadow in Cheriton moor followed during
the 17th century. Common meadow in the moor,
in the east of the parish, appears to have been
inclosed by 1710. (fn. 29) In 1693 Lattiford farm was
let at a rack rent, the tenant having to plant
clover after two years of tillage. (fn. 30) By 1766 only
26 a. of the farm was arable out of a total of 252
a. One tenant still owed a sack of oats for a
heriot. (fn. 31) In 1767 the tenant of Lattiford farm was
to have the liberty of digging marl. (fn. 32) In 1740 the
Randall family's estate at Lower Cheriton was
also mainly grassland (fn. 33) and the tenant of Lower
Cheriton farm in 1827 was prohibited from
breaking grassland under threat of a fine. (fn. 34)
In the next year the landlord offered 100 apple
trees to the tenant of Lattiford farm and agreed
to repair the barn and dairy. (fn. 35) The landlord of
Lower Cheriton in 1827 required the replacement of damaged apple trees. (fn. 36)
In 1838 there were 105 a. of titheable arable,
877 a. of grass, and 73 a. of orchard and garden.
Four of the holdings measured between 25 a.
and 50 a., three between 50 a. and 100 a., and
four over 100 a., of which the largest was
Lattiford farm with 211 a. (fn. 37) In 1851 there were
five farms of over 100 a. employing 27 labourers.
That pattern remained unchanged in 1871. In
1881 Lattiford farm had increased to 426 a. (fn. 38) In
1905 a return covering only half the then parish
recorded less than 1 a. of arable and 454 a. of
grass. (fn. 39) Five holdings sold between 1919 and
1956 were dairy farms, some with large cheese
lofts and with stalls for 10 to 44 cows. (fn. 40) Of six
holdings returned in 1988, four were worked
part-time, one was a dairy farm, and one raised
poultry. There were 124 cattle and 65,111 poultry. Total grassland was 123 ha. (304 a.) out of
127.5 ha. (315 a.) returned, and there was only
one holding over 40 ha. (99 a.). Twenty-one
workers were employed. (fn. 41) Rose farm at Lattiford
produced traditional cider from local apples in
the late 20th century.
There were woollen weavers at Lattiford in
the 17th century and linen was processed there
in the 18th and the early 19th. (fn. 42) A fellmonger
was recorded in 1723, a parchment maker in
1795, (fn. 43) and in 1770 a blacksmith had a shop on
the Ilchester road. (fn. 44) In the 19th century there
were shopkeepers and craftsmen such as a cabinet-maker, stonemasons probably working the
stone from Cheriton Hill quarry, (fn. 45) an ironmon
ger, a cooper, and a mole-trapper. (fn. 46) One man
described himself in 1902 as a forage, corn, and
coal merchant and manufacturer of horse spices
and condition powders. (fn. 47)
A water mill at Lattiford was recorded in
1595. (fn. 48) Ownership descended with the Lattiford
House estate (fn. 49) and the mill remained in use until
1939 or later. (fn. 50) The mill house was said to have
been rebuilt in the later 19th century, (fn. 51) and was
a boarding kennel in 1993.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
North Cheriton
with South Cheriton in Horsington constituted
one tithing until after 1638, (fn. 52) but by 1766 South
Cheriton was a separate tithing. (fn. 53) In 1327 Lattiford formed part of Whitley hundred with
Blackford and Holton (fn. 54) and continued to be
linked with Holton in the 18th century. (fn. 55)
Courts were held for the Lovels' North Cheriton manor in 1349 and 1441. (fn. 56) In 1685 the
tenants of Upper Farm owed suit and had to
accommodate the lord and his attendants twice
a year while he was keeping courts. (fn. 57) Tenants of
Thomas Watson's manor of North Cheriton
owed suit in 1749 (fn. 58) and the Helyars claimed suit
from their tenants at Lattiford during the
1740s. (fn. 59) There was a pound near Lattiford Farm
in 1766 and another adjoining the churchyard.
The latter belonged to the parish in 1838. (fn. 60)
The overseers had a cottage on the waste near
Cheriton Hill in 1838; it had been demolished
by 1888. (fn. 61) In 1890 the parish acquired land east
of the Stalbridge road for a cemetery and it was
consecrated in 1893. (fn. 62) In 1835 the parish became
part of Wincanton poor-law union, in 1894 part
of Wincanton rural district, and in 1974 was
absorbed into Yeovil, later South Somerset,
district. (fn. 63)
CHURCHES
There was a church in 1256. (fn. 64)
The living was united with that of Holton in
1881 (fn. 65) but they were disunited in 1886. (fn. 66) From
1934 it was held with Maperton, from 1966 with
Blackford, Compton Pauncefoot, Maperton,
North Cadbury, and Yarlington, and from 1968
also with North Barrow, South Barrow, and
Lovington. In 1976 it became part of the Camelot team. (fn. 67)
The advowson was held with that manor
owned by the Lovel, Rogers, Ryves, and Watson
families, (fn. 68) although patronage was exercised by
John Sydenham in 1571 (fn. 69) and by Thomas
Sampson in 1687. (fn. 70) In 1796 Samuel Gatehouse
bought the advowson which passed to his wife
Sarah for life and then to his children and their
heirs as tenants in common. It was held with the
rectory which was occupied successively by Samuel's sons Robert (d. 1824) and Thomas (d.
1863), and his grandson Thomas Gatehouse (d.
1897). (fn. 71) Margaret, widow of the last, was succeeded as patron before 1923 by her daughter
Margaret who in 1930 transferred it to the
Ridley family, patrons of Maperton. (fn. 72) In 1954 it
was conveyed to (Sir) Godfrey Nicholson (Bt.).
Since 1976 patronage has been exercised by a
board of patronage for the team ministry on
which Sir Godfrey was represented until his
death in 1991. (fn. 73)
In 1291 the church was valued at £4 6s. 8d. (fn. 74)
and in 1535 at £8 12s. 0½d. net, (fn. 75) but it had a
reputed value of £40 c. 1670. (fn. 76) In 1707 the gross
value was £44 19s. 9d., (fn. 77) but by 1829-31 the
average gross income was £250. (fn. 78) Tithes and
offerings were valued at £8 0s. 4½d. in 1535 (fn. 79)
and £22 12s. 9d. in 1707. (fn. 80) In 1838 tithes were
commuted for a rent charge of £202 17s. (fn. 81) Glebe
lands were worth 20s. in 1535 (fn. 82) and c. 1600 were
said to extend to 33 a. or 37½ a. in scattered
closes. (fn. 83) They were valued at £22 7s. in 1707. (fn. 84)
Exchanges of glebe in 1799 still left 29 a. scattered throughout the parish in 1838. (fn. 85) Some land
was sold with the rectory house in 1923, leaving
22 a. in 1978. (fn. 86)
In 1623 the rectory pigeon house had fallen
down. (fn. 87) In 1799 the rector, Samuel Gatehouse,
proposed the exchange of the old parsonage
house for his own house. (fn. 88) It is not clear if the
exchange took place; by 1838 the rectory house
was at the eastern end of the village and the
Gatehouse's home, later called the Old House,
stood opposite the church. (fn. 89) The rectory house
was said in 1877 to be old and in need of constant
repair and was probably rebuilt soon afterwards. (fn. 90) Now known as the Old Rectory, it was
sold with some glebe in 1923 to augment the living,
the rector having moved c. 1900 to a private house
called the Cottage. (fn. 91)
In 1314 the first recorded rector, only an acolyte,
was given licence to study for further orders. (fn. 92) In
1535 the church had two endowed lights (fn. 93) and in
1548 a small piece of land and a cow for the font
taper and an obit. (fn. 94) William Pyres was deprived
for marriage in 1554. (fn. 95) The reinstated altar was
not hallowed in 1555. (fn. 96) Thomas Watson, rector
1785-99, was also lord of North Cheriton manor
and his successor Samuel Gatehouse was the first
of a family who held the rectory, with a short break
from 1863 to 1869, until 1934. (fn. 97) In 1815 and 1827
there was only one Sunday service and the rectors
were also curates of Blackford. (fn. 98) In 1840 communion was celebrated four times a year and the
Sunday service was held alternately morning and
afternoon, (fn. 99) attended by 120 adults and children
in 1851. (fn. 1) By 1870 celebrations had increased to six
a year and there were two Sunday services. (fn. 2)
The church of ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST,
dedicated to his Decollation in 1530, (fn. 3) is built of
rubble with ashlar dressings and has a chancel with
north organ chamber and vestry, a nave with north
aisle and south porch, and a west tower. The
chancel, nave, and tower are all of late 15th- or
early 16th-century character. Before 1877 the
north wall, which contained a blocked rood stair,
was heavily buttressed. (fn. 4) Repairs were carried out
in the 1830s when the chancel was rebuilt. Remains of an arch and a statue bracket were
discovered in the north wall. (fn. 5) In 1877 the chancel
was said to be out of perpendicular with a decayed
roof and large cracks. The nave, porch, and chancel were then largely rebuilt, a north aisle and
chapel were added, and the west gallery was
removed. (fn. 6)
Fittings include a Norman font with Jacobean cover and a pulpit dated 1633. The
stained glass in the east window is by Clayton
and Bell. The chancel screen was installed in
1883, the gift of the Gale family, and incorporates parts of a Perpendicular screen said to have
come from Pilton, where a screen was provided
in 1498-1506. (fn. 7)
In the churchyard are the steps and a fragment of the shaft from a probable 15th-century
preaching cross. Stocks stand outside the gate.
The plate includes a plain cup and paten
of 1623 by 'C. X.' (fn. 8) There are five bells; one is
dated 1651, probably by Robert Austen, and another is dated 1678. (fn. 9) The registers date from 1558. (fn. 10)
A chapel at Lattiford was endowed, possibly by
William de Montagu (d. 1319) or one of his
successors, for a priest to sing mass on the Nativity
of Our Lady (8 Sept.). It had a chaplain c. 1533
and 1535 (fn. 11) but had probably been demolished by
1590, although procurations were still due from it
in 1605. (fn. 12) It appears to have stood north-east of
Lattiford Farm, where an orchard was known as
Chapel in 1838. (fn. 13)
NONCONFORMITY
A married couple was
accused of not receiving communion in 1612. (fn. 14)
Ten teachers, including John Wesley, grandfather
of John and Charles, and four other ejected ministers, were recorded in 1662 and 1669 with 200
hearers. (fn. 15) The house where they met, possibly at
Lattiford, was licensed for Congregational meetings in 1672 and was then served by George
Pearce. (fn. 16)
In 1831 two houses were licensed for worship.
One, in North Cheriton village, belonged to Wesleyans (fn. 17) and was in the Sherborne circuit in the 1840s.
The school house was used by Wesleyans in 1867. (fn. 18)
EDUCATION
In 1818 a small Sunday school
taught 43 children at the rector's expense; by 1825
9 boys and 12 girls attended a day school. (fn. 19) The
Sunday school reopened in 1830 with 18 children;
the day school had 33 pupils in 1846. (fn. 20) By 1859 the
day school was said to be for girls only and both day
and Sunday schools were held at the rectory house
in the 1860s. (fn. 21) The National School was built in
1863 (fn. 22) on land west of the rectory house belonging
to the Gale family. There were 69 children on the
books in 1903 when it was known as North Cheriton
and Holton school. (fn. 23) Attendance remained fairly
stable until after 1935 when it began to decline. From
1939 Maperton was added to the name of the school,
which adopted voluntary aided status in 1953. In
1955 there were 37 children on the register aged
5-11 but only 20 in 1976. The school closed in 1977,
children being transferred to Horsington. (fn. 24) The
former school was a private house in 1993.
Childscourt School, a co-educational boarding
school for children aged 6-16, moved from Long
Bredy (Dors.) to Lattiford House in 1963. (fn. 25) It
was open in 1993.
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR
Thomas Abbot (d. 1709) (fn. 26) of South Cheriton gave 7 a. of
land to the poor of North Cheriton. The charity
was last recorded in 1939. (fn. 27) Ethel Alice Gale's
charity, registered in 1961 and placed under a
new scheme in 1980, was for the general benefit
of the inhabitants of North Cheriton but no
income was recorded in 1992. Poor parishioners
are also among the many beneficiaries of the
Fitzgerald Charitable Trust established in 1985. (fn. 28)