Places mentioned in the Bracher Genealogy
Last updated 1 December 2014
My aim is to list places of interest mentioned in the Bracher Genealogy pages - some will be small, some will be large.
Apshill Farm is now called Chicksgrove, but has been called Abshulle in 1242, Apsehull in 1412, Apshull in 1428 and finally Apsell since 1773!
Chicksgrove is recorded in the 12th century as Chicksgrove and the nearby settlement as Stoford. But in the later 19th century, it has become known as Lower Chicksgrove with Stoford now called Upper Chicksgrove.
Chilmark parish includes the hamlet of Ridge. The Doomesday Book of 1086 notes that it belonged to the Abbess of Wilton but Henry VIII gave it to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1551. Since Roman times Chilmark has been noted for its quarries but this declined when the Kennet and Avon canal made Bath stone cheaper as it was easier to transport than Chilmark stone. Farming has always been important too though. The earliest reference to a fair at Chilmark is 1619. A sheep fair was held in the 17th century, and clothes were traded in the 18th century, and cheeses and horses in the 19th: the fair stopped in 1874.
Hindon was built in 1220 with a series of Burbage plots. Its success was due to its large markets and fairs than to its industry. Following the turnpiking of other main roads in the area in the 18th century, the road through Hindon became an important route across the downs encouraging trade. In 1754 there were 14 inns and public houses. In 1830 daily coaches left some of the inns in a variety of directions including London and Exeter. The presence of this prosperity meant that Hindon was able to recover quickly after a devastating fire in July 1754.
Place farm was built for the Abbesses if Shaftesbury in the late 14th and 15th centuries. The tithe barn was built in the late 15th century to store a tenth of the farm’s produce which had to be given to the church. The tithe barn at Place Farm is the largest thatched barn in England – 200 foot long. By c1500 all the arable land had been enclosed enabling more efficient farming as part of a modernisation programme by Shaftesbury Abbey. In 1833 James, Baron Arundell, sold Place Farm to James Morrison.
Sedghill was originally part of the Shaftesbury Abbey’s Tisbury estate. After the Dissolution it was granted to Sir Thomas Poynings in 1540 who immediately sold it to Sir Thomas Arundell. In 1552 the manor passed to Richard Audley and then to William Grove in 1573 where it remained in the Grove family until the 1930s. By the first quarter of the 19th century Sedehill contained 19 farms – Butterstakes and Higher Sweetwell were medium-sized farms, Sedgehill West, Sedghill and Goods large but others began to merge in 1837. Berrybrook, Whitemarsh and Butterstakes merged under the name Berrybrook (162 acres).
Semley is thought to have been part of the Wilton Abbey holdings. In 1541 Semley manor was granted to Sir Edward Baynton, who restored it ot the Crown in 1572. It was then granted to Matthew Arundell whose son Thomas was created Baron Arundell of Wardour in 1605. Ownership of Semley was disputed in the 1630s but in 1649 the manor was declared to be the property of Henry, baron Arundell and has held with Wardour and Tisbury. It remained a parish with a high number of Catholics. Between 1806 aand 1820 John Benett of Pythouse bought 441 acres of Semely and then expanded it to 1064 acres by 1849. The parish was predominantly a dairy farming area althought the common pasture gradually became enclosed and some arable farming started such that by 1839 some 1000 acres of land were arable.
Shavers Bridge is a quarry from Roman times, east of the Place Farm to Ansty road at Oakley. In a local newspaper in 1819 it seems to be known as Saviours Bridge. A limekiln stood at the quarry in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Between 1769 and 1838 there was also a farmstead called Shaversbridge on the road between Place Farm and Ansty.
Stourton can be traced back to a Bartholomew of Stourton who was living in the west of England prior to the Conquest. The medieval manor house at Stourton was probably constructed by Robert Stourton in the late 12th century. The manor remained in this family until 1714. Edward, the 13th Baron, was heavily in debt at this time and sold the property to Sir Thomas Meres. Three years later it was held in trust for Henry Hoare, to whom it finally passed in 1720. Henry Hoare pulled down the medieval house and engaged Colin Campbel as architect to build a new house, which was completed in 1724. Between 1741 and 1750 Henry’s son Henry landscaped the gardens. The property then passed through four generations until it was inherited by Sir Henry Hoare 6th Bt and his wife Alda in 1894. In 1946, Sir Henry gave Stourhead to the National Trust. Most Stourton familes earned their living from the land but there was a silk industry by 1813 with a silk mill at Bruton.
The hamlets of Bonham and Gasper were separate manors. The first Bonham known to have lived there was Sir John de Bonham in 1323. In 1665 the manor was sold to Peter Pytney by Walter Bonham. In 1714 it was sold to the Hon Thomas Stourton and was then bought by Henry Hoare in 1785; the chapel and part of the house were retained by the Stourton family in order to maintain the Catholic faith in the village. The manor of Gasper was bought by Sir Richard Colt Hoare in 1799, from the Rebow family of Essex.
Sutton Mandeville was originally called Sudtone in the Doomesday Book of 1086. It was given to the de Mandeville family as part of a grant of land by Henry I (1068-1135). The church was originally built in the mid 1200s. Sutton passed to the Pembrokes after the Reformation and then in 1689 both Sutton and Chicksgrove estates were purchased by the Wyndham family of Dinton House (now called Philipps House).
Tisbury was first settled as a village in Saxon times – its was called Tissebri by 759. In 984 King Ethelred gave the Tisbury estate to the Abbess of Shaftesbury. It is mentioned in the Doomesday Book of 1086 a reasonably sized village of over 300 people on the estate. In the 12th century quarrying continued but an increasing number of sheep were also introduced. Seemingly the lack of a major route through Tisbury meant it was never granted a fair or market. From 1372 coth production at a “fulling mill” is evidenced. Despite being hit badly by the Black Death of 1348-1349, by 1377 there were 433 poll tax payers, making this one of the most populous parishes in Wilts. The original Wardour castle was built in 1392. During the 15th century the village expanded due to its farming; but due to the religious turbulence the village did not thrive again until the late eighteenth century when various new buildings were constructed. In 1825 a short-lived cloth factory was built; it was forced to close in 1830, probably due to poor communications. In 1835 Tisbury was divided into three parishes – east Tisbury (the village), West Tisbury and Wardour. The coming of the railway with Tisbury Station in 1859 enabled more development such that Tisbury began to be more a small town.
Wallmead farmstead was noted in the 12th century. The farm and cottage were largely rebuilt int eh 19th century.
Wardour castle was originally built by Lord Lovell in 1392 with permission from Richard II. It was modelled on a French desing and no intended for defence. It was confiscated in 1461 and bought by Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne in 1544. The Arundells and so Tisbury were Roman Catholics and so were royalists during the Civil War. On 7 May 1643 Sir Edward Hungerford and the Parliamentarians captured the castle despite fierce defense by Lady Blanche Arundell following a 5 day siege.. But in March 1644 Henry Lord Arundell III (son of Lady Blanche) besieged his own castle forcing the Parlimentary garrison to surrender, albeit blowing up much of the castle in the process! The new Wardour Castle was built in 1770s following the building of Wardour House near the old castle.
Wincanton was a typical village in the Doomesday Book of 1086. However in 1235 the Lord of the Manor was granted the right to hold weekly markets so by the middle of the 14th century it was a flourishing town. From 1556 Wincanton was also allowed two fairs. The town prospered because of the wool industry with cloth woven in the town. In the 18th century there were also pottery and brick making industries. From the later 17th century the town was a stage on the London-Plymouth route – a post office was open in the 1670s and coaching inns were established. By the 1790s post was dispatched to London 6 days a week and there was a thrice-weekly coach service to London and Taunton while several wagons went regularly to Bath, London, Sherborne, Taunton and Weymouth. By 1838 11 coaches passed through daily. The Dorset Central Railway reached Wincanton in 1861.
Apshill Farm is now called Chicksgrove, but has been called Abshulle in 1242, Apsehull in 1412, Apshull in 1428 and finally Apsell since 1773!
Chicksgrove is recorded in the 12th century as Chicksgrove and the nearby settlement as Stoford. But in the later 19th century, it has become known as Lower Chicksgrove with Stoford now called Upper Chicksgrove.
Chilmark parish includes the hamlet of Ridge. The Doomesday Book of 1086 notes that it belonged to the Abbess of Wilton but Henry VIII gave it to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1551. Since Roman times Chilmark has been noted for its quarries but this declined when the Kennet and Avon canal made Bath stone cheaper as it was easier to transport than Chilmark stone. Farming has always been important too though. The earliest reference to a fair at Chilmark is 1619. A sheep fair was held in the 17th century, and clothes were traded in the 18th century, and cheeses and horses in the 19th: the fair stopped in 1874.
Hindon was built in 1220 with a series of Burbage plots. Its success was due to its large markets and fairs than to its industry. Following the turnpiking of other main roads in the area in the 18th century, the road through Hindon became an important route across the downs encouraging trade. In 1754 there were 14 inns and public houses. In 1830 daily coaches left some of the inns in a variety of directions including London and Exeter. The presence of this prosperity meant that Hindon was able to recover quickly after a devastating fire in July 1754.
Place farm was built for the Abbesses if Shaftesbury in the late 14th and 15th centuries. The tithe barn was built in the late 15th century to store a tenth of the farm’s produce which had to be given to the church. The tithe barn at Place Farm is the largest thatched barn in England – 200 foot long. By c1500 all the arable land had been enclosed enabling more efficient farming as part of a modernisation programme by Shaftesbury Abbey. In 1833 James, Baron Arundell, sold Place Farm to James Morrison.
Sedghill was originally part of the Shaftesbury Abbey’s Tisbury estate. After the Dissolution it was granted to Sir Thomas Poynings in 1540 who immediately sold it to Sir Thomas Arundell. In 1552 the manor passed to Richard Audley and then to William Grove in 1573 where it remained in the Grove family until the 1930s. By the first quarter of the 19th century Sedehill contained 19 farms – Butterstakes and Higher Sweetwell were medium-sized farms, Sedgehill West, Sedghill and Goods large but others began to merge in 1837. Berrybrook, Whitemarsh and Butterstakes merged under the name Berrybrook (162 acres).
Semley is thought to have been part of the Wilton Abbey holdings. In 1541 Semley manor was granted to Sir Edward Baynton, who restored it ot the Crown in 1572. It was then granted to Matthew Arundell whose son Thomas was created Baron Arundell of Wardour in 1605. Ownership of Semley was disputed in the 1630s but in 1649 the manor was declared to be the property of Henry, baron Arundell and has held with Wardour and Tisbury. It remained a parish with a high number of Catholics. Between 1806 aand 1820 John Benett of Pythouse bought 441 acres of Semely and then expanded it to 1064 acres by 1849. The parish was predominantly a dairy farming area althought the common pasture gradually became enclosed and some arable farming started such that by 1839 some 1000 acres of land were arable.
Shavers Bridge is a quarry from Roman times, east of the Place Farm to Ansty road at Oakley. In a local newspaper in 1819 it seems to be known as Saviours Bridge. A limekiln stood at the quarry in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Between 1769 and 1838 there was also a farmstead called Shaversbridge on the road between Place Farm and Ansty.
Stourton can be traced back to a Bartholomew of Stourton who was living in the west of England prior to the Conquest. The medieval manor house at Stourton was probably constructed by Robert Stourton in the late 12th century. The manor remained in this family until 1714. Edward, the 13th Baron, was heavily in debt at this time and sold the property to Sir Thomas Meres. Three years later it was held in trust for Henry Hoare, to whom it finally passed in 1720. Henry Hoare pulled down the medieval house and engaged Colin Campbel as architect to build a new house, which was completed in 1724. Between 1741 and 1750 Henry’s son Henry landscaped the gardens. The property then passed through four generations until it was inherited by Sir Henry Hoare 6th Bt and his wife Alda in 1894. In 1946, Sir Henry gave Stourhead to the National Trust. Most Stourton familes earned their living from the land but there was a silk industry by 1813 with a silk mill at Bruton.
The hamlets of Bonham and Gasper were separate manors. The first Bonham known to have lived there was Sir John de Bonham in 1323. In 1665 the manor was sold to Peter Pytney by Walter Bonham. In 1714 it was sold to the Hon Thomas Stourton and was then bought by Henry Hoare in 1785; the chapel and part of the house were retained by the Stourton family in order to maintain the Catholic faith in the village. The manor of Gasper was bought by Sir Richard Colt Hoare in 1799, from the Rebow family of Essex.
Sutton Mandeville was originally called Sudtone in the Doomesday Book of 1086. It was given to the de Mandeville family as part of a grant of land by Henry I (1068-1135). The church was originally built in the mid 1200s. Sutton passed to the Pembrokes after the Reformation and then in 1689 both Sutton and Chicksgrove estates were purchased by the Wyndham family of Dinton House (now called Philipps House).
Tisbury was first settled as a village in Saxon times – its was called Tissebri by 759. In 984 King Ethelred gave the Tisbury estate to the Abbess of Shaftesbury. It is mentioned in the Doomesday Book of 1086 a reasonably sized village of over 300 people on the estate. In the 12th century quarrying continued but an increasing number of sheep were also introduced. Seemingly the lack of a major route through Tisbury meant it was never granted a fair or market. From 1372 coth production at a “fulling mill” is evidenced. Despite being hit badly by the Black Death of 1348-1349, by 1377 there were 433 poll tax payers, making this one of the most populous parishes in Wilts. The original Wardour castle was built in 1392. During the 15th century the village expanded due to its farming; but due to the religious turbulence the village did not thrive again until the late eighteenth century when various new buildings were constructed. In 1825 a short-lived cloth factory was built; it was forced to close in 1830, probably due to poor communications. In 1835 Tisbury was divided into three parishes – east Tisbury (the village), West Tisbury and Wardour. The coming of the railway with Tisbury Station in 1859 enabled more development such that Tisbury began to be more a small town.
Wallmead farmstead was noted in the 12th century. The farm and cottage were largely rebuilt int eh 19th century.
Wardour castle was originally built by Lord Lovell in 1392 with permission from Richard II. It was modelled on a French desing and no intended for defence. It was confiscated in 1461 and bought by Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne in 1544. The Arundells and so Tisbury were Roman Catholics and so were royalists during the Civil War. On 7 May 1643 Sir Edward Hungerford and the Parliamentarians captured the castle despite fierce defense by Lady Blanche Arundell following a 5 day siege.. But in March 1644 Henry Lord Arundell III (son of Lady Blanche) besieged his own castle forcing the Parlimentary garrison to surrender, albeit blowing up much of the castle in the process! The new Wardour Castle was built in 1770s following the building of Wardour House near the old castle.
Wincanton was a typical village in the Doomesday Book of 1086. However in 1235 the Lord of the Manor was granted the right to hold weekly markets so by the middle of the 14th century it was a flourishing town. From 1556 Wincanton was also allowed two fairs. The town prospered because of the wool industry with cloth woven in the town. In the 18th century there were also pottery and brick making industries. From the later 17th century the town was a stage on the London-Plymouth route – a post office was open in the 1670s and coaching inns were established. By the 1790s post was dispatched to London 6 days a week and there was a thrice-weekly coach service to London and Taunton while several wagons went regularly to Bath, London, Sherborne, Taunton and Weymouth. By 1838 11 coaches passed through daily. The Dorset Central Railway reached Wincanton in 1861.