The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.
There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903.
Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found.
There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-
The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.[10]
Reconstruction of the Saxon royal palace at Cheddar around 1000 AD
The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras.There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot.
The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s.
They are located on the grounds of The Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus.
Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site.
Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Celtic dwr.
An alternate spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.
As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD.[17] The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.
As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.[20] William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers.
In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.
Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.
Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.
Government
Cheddar is recognised as a village.
The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-
The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham'electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.
Cheddar Fire Station has a crew of retained firefighters
The village falls within the non-
It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and is part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-
CHEDDAR , a e t s C l i f f s a n a I t s C a b c s i .
T he Church— Chantries— Rood Loft— Piscixa— Stone Pulpit— Tombs— Porches— Yew Trees— De Chedder Family—Manors— Ancient Cross— Charities— National School—Mrs. Hannah More
— Friendly Societies— Manufactures—Paper— Cheese— Mines— Population.
This celebrated village, which has borne the several names of Cheddour , Cedre , Cheddre , and now Cheddar, is supposed to have derived its name from Ced, signifying a brow or conspicuous height , and Dwr Water; it is situate at the foot of the Mendip Hills, on the southern side, about two miles from the borough-
6
quality, they generally obtain a preference. On the west the parish extends to the churchyard wall of Axbridge : on the southern boundary runs the river Axe, dividing it from Wedmore and Wear.
In the Cliffs rise the stream called Cheddar Water, which after turning several corn and paper mills, wends its serpentine course at the head of Cheddar Moor, through Axbridge and Cross Moors,
to a place called Redcliff, where it joins the river Axe, which thus united passes through the parishes of Loxton and Bleadon, and finally empties itself into the Bristol Channel, at Uphill.
In the year 1801, a most beneficial undertaking was completed by the enclosure and allotment in severalty of about 4000 acres of
land upon the Mendip Hills, and Lowlands, called Moors, which
before that time were held and occupied in common ; this enclosure
has been the cause of the formation of several farms on the summit
of the hill, which thentofore were applied to the feeding of sheep;
but in consequence of the enclosure and division have been cultivated, so as to produce considerable quantities of oats, barley, and
even wheat, besides potatoes and artificial grasses, whilst the more
rocky and shallow portions are still applied to the feeding of sheep
and young cattle. The total expense of perfecting the enclosure
amounted to ,£8119, of which large sum a portion was raised by
the sale of various parts of the waste lands, some in the moors, but
chiefly on the hills. The Commissioners for this enclosure were:—
F. E. Whalley, Esq., of Winscombe, John Billingsley, Esq., of
Oakhill, and John Band, Esq., of Wokey, who on the suggestion
and with the able assistance of Thomas Davis, Esq. (whose name
and merits have been most justly commemorated by the Bath Agricultural Society), and who was then the liberal steward of the
Marquis of Bath, caused the carriage road through the stupendous
chasm of Cheddar Cliffs to be formed through their whole extent;
before this incalculable benefit was conferred on the parish and on
the public, it was scarcely practicable for even a horse to pass
through from the immense masses of rock which had fallen into the
valley.
7
STfje
The Cliffs, thus made accessible, have been of late, and especially
during the last three or four years, visited by an immense number of
persons from every part of the United Kingdom, and from many
parts of the Continent, and even North America; for independent
of their natural beauties, which have been long appreciated and
celebrated in the most eulogistic style of commendation, the discovery of a very beautiful “ Stalactite Cave” at their entrance, and
the formation of tea-
pleasure and refreshment of visitors, have added greatly to the
attractions which before existed.
That the reader of this pamphlet may be made acquainted with
the estimation in which this great natural curiosity has been held
in ancient and more recent times, the following testimonies are
collected from various sources.
Shaw, in his Tour through the West of England, describes them
thus:—
“ About five miles north-
“ town of Cheddar, remarkable for rich and large cheese, are large
“ Cliffs of the same name, and a stupendous chasm quite through
“ the body of the adjacent mountain, as if split asunder by some
“ violeut convulsion of nature, which exhibits an awful appearance
“ to strangers. Near the entrance is a remarkable spring of water
“ rising in a perpendicular direction from the rocky basis of the
“ hill, and so large and rapid is its stream that it turns a mill
“ within a few yards of its source, and afterwards falls into the
“ river Axe. Near to this is a curious Cavern, the entrance
“ of which is by an ascent of about fifteen fathoms among the rocks.
“ Neither this nor Okey Hole have any communication with the
“ mines of Mendip, though it is well known that in general among
“ lead mines there are caverns which are various both as to their
“ nature and situation.”
8
Collinson, in his History of Somerset in reference to the village
of Cheddar and its locality, says :—
“ The situation is rendered exceedingly fine by the contrast between
“ the lofty hills of Mendip on the one hand, and the rich extensive
“ level of the moors on the other. The steep slopes of the hill are
“ constantly diversified, in some parts excavated into deep recesses,
“ and in others swelling out into hold protuberances, adorned with
*• hanging woods, which, in autumn especially, exhibit in their
“ foliage the richest variety of tints and shade.
“ But what most distinguishes the place, and occasions it to be
“ visited by travellers, is that stupendous chasm, Cheddar Cliffs,
“ which certainly rivals the wildest defiles in the British islands.
“ Proceeding through the winding passage the Cliffs rise on
“ either hand in the most picturesque forms, some of them being
“ near 800 feet,* and terminating in craggy pyramids on the right
“ hand, several of them are perpendicular to the height of 400 feet,
“ and resemble the shattered battlement of vast castles. On the
“ left hand, or west side, are two also of this form, which lean over
“ the valley with a threatening aspect, and the tops of many others
“ at the height of several hundred feet project over the heads of the
“ spectators with terrific grandeur; in general the swelling proje ctio n s on one side are opposed to corresponding hollows in the
“ other, which is a strong indication that this immense gap was
“■ formed by some strong convulsion of the earth. On the right
“ hand the Cliffs are steeper than on the left, and are generally
“ inaccessible, but beautifully interspersed with ivy, shrubs, small
“ yew and other trees, which grow out of the fissures of the rocks
“ up to the very summits ; the awful scenery is continually changing,
“ but to observe all its beauties it must be traversed backwards and
“ forwards; in doing this there will be found ten points of view,
“ which are grand beyond description, and where the prospects
» Collinson was misinformed in this particular, the highest of the rochs being
no more than 429 feet from the valley or road to the upper surface on the hill,
bv actual admeasurement.
9
“ exhibit that wild and tremendous magnificence which cannot fail
“ imposing the mind of the spectator with awe and astonishment
“ at the works of that power whose voice even the obdurate rocks
“ obey and retire. Stupendous however as these Cliffs are, the top
“ of Mendip is some hundred feet higher, sloping upwards from
“ their tops in a gentle ascent, and affording a most extensive pros-
“ pect over the southern and the western parts of this county, a
“ considerable part of Wilts and Dorset, the British Channel, the
“ Holms, and long range of the coast of Wales.”
Rutter, in his history of the north-
of Somerset, describes the Cliffs as the sides of a “ stupendous
“ chine or chasm, extending across or through one of the highest
“ ridges of the Mendip Hills, presenting one of the most striking
“ scenes of the kind in Great Britain. Here indeed, Nature, work-
“ ing with a gigantic hand, has displayed a scene of no common
“ grandeur— in one of those moments when she convulsed the world
“ with the throes of an earthquake, she burst asunder the rocky ribs
“ of Mendip, and tore a chasm across its diameter of more than a
“ mile in length— the vast opening yawns from the summit down to
“ the roots of the mountain, laying open to the sun a sublime and
“ tremendous scene, exhibiting a combination of precipices, rocks,
“ and caverns, of terrifying descent, fanstastic forms, and gloomy
“ variety.
“ The approach from the village is extremely picturesque, and at
“ the entrance all is gentle and beautiful; a brook, clear as crystal,
“ leads its murmuring course by the side of the road on the left,
“ backed by a shrubby wood, at the opposite side of which are a few
“ humble cottages, and on the opposite side the ground swells into a
“ steep, sufficiently covered, however, with verdure and vegetation
“ to form a soft feature in the scene ; but as the visitor advances
“ the abyss suddenly expands, the rocks assume a more precipitous
“ character, presenting bold and almost perpendicular points, with
“ bare and rugged tops towering many hundred feet above the level
“ of the country. A rough carriage-
10
“ miles through the Cliff until it reaches the summit of the Hills,
“ presenting various advantageous points for viewing the wild and
“ tremendous magnificence of the scenery, the rock alternately
“ projecting on one side and receding on the other, and on cither
“ hand rising almost perpendicularly into the most wild and
“ picturesque forms, sometimes resembling the round battlements
“ and solitary towers of a stupendous castle, having their perpendi-
“ cular points partially covered with ivy, and beautifully intersected
“ with verdant ledges, scattered over with the mountain ash and
“ darker yew, intermingled with the crimson mountain pink and
“ other flowering shrubs peculiar to this romantic district.”
An anonymous writer in Blackwood’s Magazine, under the title
of a Sketcher, thus describes the Cliffs :—
“ No one can form an idea of the peculiar beauty, I should say
“ grandeur of these Cliffs without studying them. From the
“ general line of the country no suspicion could be entertained of
“ so fine a pass existing among the Mendip Hills— there are indeed
“ many passages through them of various character, but there is
“ not one to be compared to that of Cheddar, indeed there is nothing
“ like it any vdiere so far as my judgment goes. The rocks are in
“ character the finest, in places perfectly precipitous to the depth
“ of perhaps 400 feet— they are magnificent in form and colour,
“ and the numerous caverns and holes add much to the sublime of
“ the scene— it is certainly much finer than the pass of Llambarris—
“ it is a circuitous and narrow course, and so retired and shattered
“ within its own recesses that you think not of its utter barrenness—
“ you are involved as it were in a deep wood of rock— many years
“ since I visited it and sketched there. I vras much gratified the
“ other day by a fine subject of Cheddar, sketched in on canvas by
“ a friend of mine, Mr. Jackson, of Clifton, an artist of much
“ genius, and in consequence I determined on the first opportunity
“ to revisit the rocks— such soon occured, and I must confess that
“ their sublimity, magnificence, and beauty, far surpassed my
“ recollection and expectation. An artist cannot find better studies
11
“ for rock in detail, and should he be disposed to make pictures of
“ such subjects he will find many as perfect in composition as he
“ would desire. There is a kiln at the entrance, the smoke of
“ which rolling among the rocks produces a fine effect; here too he
“ will find admirable studies of caverns of every shape and depth—
“ what a scene for a land storm; it is so treated in my friend’s
“ picture, which is promising. I think few would wind through
“ this sublime pass without a sense of fear, the rocks hanging over
“ head, threatening to crush the intruder, and the yawning chasms
“ close upon his footsteps, seem prepared, as if by magic, for his
“ prison in the grave— it is the region for genius and enchantment.
“ It may be useful to mention that the sketcher will find very good
“ accommodations, as there are two respectable inns at the little
“ village, which are close to the scenery.”
As, connected with this interesting locality, the following account
of an adventure which befel King Edward the Martyr, may be
thought curious, it is extracted from an ancient manuscript in the
possession of the Corporation of Axbridge, which Rutter describes
as being apparently written about the middle of the fifteenth century,
purporting to be compiled from an ancient Charter granted by
Edward the Confessor.
“ Sometimes, for the sake of hunting, the King spent the summer
“ about the Forest of Mendip, wherein there were, at that time,
“ numerous stags and several other kinds of wild beasts, for, as is
“ read in the life of St. Dunstan, King Edward (A.D. 975), who
“ sought retirement at Glastonbury, came to the said forest to hunt,
“ Axbridge being then a royal borough. The King, three days
“ previously, had dismissed St. Dunstan from his court with great
“ indignation and lack of honour, which done, he proceeded to the
“ wood to hunt. This wood covers a mountain of great height,
“ which being separated at its summit, exhibits to the spectator an
“ immense precipice and horrid gulph, called by the inhabitants
“ ‘ Chedder Clyffs.’ When, therefore, the King was chasing the
“ flying stag here and there, on its coming to the craggy gulph, the
12
** stag rushed into it and being dashed to atoms perished; similar
“ ruin involved the pursuing dogs, and the horse on which the King
“ rode having broken its reins became unmanageable, and in an
“ obstinate course carries the King after the hounds, and the gulph
‘•'lying before him threatens the King with certain death— he
“ trembles and is at, his last shift. In the interval his injustice
“ recently offered to St. Dunstan occurs to his mind— he wails it,
“ and instantly vows to God that he would, as speedily as possible,
“ recompence such injustice by a manifold amendment, if God would
*• only for the moment avert the death which deservedly threatened
“ him. God immediately hearing the preparation of his heart took
“ pity on him, inasmuch as the horse instantly stopped short, and
“ to the glory of God, caused the King, thus snatched from the
“ perils of death, most unfeignedly to give thanks to God. Having
“ returned to his house, that is, to the borough of Axbridge, and
“ being joined by his nobles, the King recounted to them the cause
“ of the adventure which had happened, and commanded Dunstan
“ to be recalled with honour and reverence, after which he esteemed
“ him in all transactions as his most sincere friend.”
O j c (KaDcs.
Although limestone ranges of rock generally abound with caverns
or caves, and there can be no doubt many such are within the
Cliffs, yet previously to the discovery of the Stalactite Cave, the
only one of any extent which has been exhibited to the public, is
that which lies on the right side of the Cliffs, opposite the limekiln,
about ninety feet from the road. It has been explored to the length
of about 300 feet, and takes a south-
remarkable within it, either of stalactite or stalagmite, or mineral
incrustation. The other caverns, which are shown by the women
who attend visitors, so far as they have been explored, possess
no interesting feature. But the Stalactite Cave, discovered in 1837
13
by Mr. George Cox, proprietor of the contiguous corn mill and tea
gardens, has been found to have been an object of very great and
pleasing interest.
Mr. Cox’s description of this admired cavern is subjoined:— •
“ The roof resembles ancient sculpture, the formations are
“ grotesque and fanciful, in one part you perceive the furniture of
“ a Hindoo temple, the Black Prince, in another a mummy, elegant
“ drapery and pillars from four to fifteen feet in height, fonts,
“ transparent stalactite, likewise the substantial comforts of a farm-
“ house, v iz:— turkies, tongues, fat goose, bacon, bread, &c., are
“ naturally pourtrayed; and the cavern is so perfectly clean and
“ easy of access that the most timid and delicate may explore it
“ without inconvenience.”
The discovery was purely accidental. Mr. Cox, in removing a part
of the rock in front of his mill, for the purpose of erecting a waggon
house, broke into a hole which led into the present cave; he
explored it, and after very considerable labour, the work of several
months, in blasting and removing large masses of rock, he has
brought it to its present perfection.
Subsequent to the discovery of Mr. Cox’s Stalactite Cave, a
cavern situate at the further extremity of the Cliffs, at the distance
of about a mile and a quarter from the entrance, and on the left
side, about 180 feet above the road, has been partially explored, and
with results quite unexpected. It proves to be a bone-
following is its description, being the substance of a communication
from Mr. William Long, which was read at the great meeting of the
British Association, held at Newcastle-
“ The Cave is situated in limestone rock, and thirty feet in depth;
“ on the first entrance it has the appearance of lofty chambers
“ tapering into an archway, which opens again into lofty chambers,
“ on the bottom of which are found human skulls and bones, mixed
“ with those of bears, deer, oxen, &c., embedded in soil, evidently of
“ remote origin, and containing very few fossils, which are, however,
“ very abundant in the rocks above.
14
The reading of this paper appears to have elicited observations
from some of the eminent geologists who attended the meeting.
“ Professor Sedgwick remarked that he had not personally visited
“ the locality, but always looked with suspicion at cases where the
“ association of human bones with those of other animals of extinct
“ species was sought to be established. The occurrence of human
“ bones in caverns might be readily explained, without their being
“ coincident with the rock, and no argument could be drawn from it
“ for changing the present system of geologists, in which the
“ existence of bones belonging to the human species along with
“ those of extinct species of animals had not been established.
“ Professor Lyell mentioned that this subject had been minutely
“ examined by eminent French geologists, who had found in a
“ cavern in the south of France, human bones associated with those
“ of the rhinoceros and elephant, the latter were of living genera,
“ though extinct species. It was a singular fact, that some pieces
“ of pottery found along with these bones led them to examine a
“ tumulus in the neighbourhood, where they found pieces of pottery
“ of the same description, and also bones of the ox, ass, and goat,
“ but none of the extinct rhinoceros or elephant. The circumstance
“ of human bones being found in connection with those of animals
“ was no proof that they were coeval, hut only that they were of
“ high antiquity, though not referable to a geological sera.”
In confirmation of the remarks of these celebrated geologists,
who appear to have been unacquainted with the locality of the spot
where this cavern is situate, it is important to state, that in a part
of that large tract of country, known in ancient times as “ The
Forest of Mendip,”* famous for being a royal forest, visited and
* The forest of Mendip, on the Mendip Hills, was about twelve miles in
length and from three to six in breadth; it was well stocked with deer, and the
ancient kings came hither to hunt. The loftiest parts are Crook’s Peak, above
the village of Loxton, and Blackdown, north of Cheddar, both commanding
extensive prospects, from the latter (Blackdown) can be seen the higher parts
of Bath and of Clifton, near Bristol, and it is even said to be that part of
Somersetshire which is visible from Windsor Castle.
15
hunted in by some of the Kings before and since the Conquest, and
was also the scene of many bloody conflicts, in which the Saxons,
Danes, and Romans were the actors. In various parts of the
unenclosed Hill are lines of loose stones and circles, which were
probably field works, or watch or signal stations, commanding as
they do, a most extensive view of the vale from the Channel to
Glastonbury, and also the range of the Poulden and Quantock
Hills. Besides these indications of warfare, “ the continuous flat
called Cheddar Moor, was (according to Rutter), until within these
few years, studded over with British barrows, or tumuliand
there are now existing on the Hills two or three large tumuli,
covered with turf, and several small ones formed of stones; nothing
therefore is more probable than that the victors, in the various
battles fought in this vicinity, found, in caverns such as these, convenient depositories for their slaughtered friends or foes. About
twelve or fourteen human skulls were entire and sound, and fragments of a much larger number in various states of decay. This
different condition only implies that they were deposited at different
periods of time, or were more or less exposed to the action of the
air or the dampness of the cavern. It has been only partially
explored, but it is hoped that the gentleman on whose estate it is
situate, or the gentleman who has hitherto been at the expense of
the examination, will gratify his own taste and the curiosity of the
public by completing the work he has so generously begun.
The cavern is entered by a vertical fissure, which has been
enlarged to facilitate the removal of the great quantity of soil in
which the bones were imbedded. The circumstance of its having
been within a forest, will well account for the bones of boars,
deer, and oxen being found therein, and also for those of wolves,
foxes, &c., who made them their prey. It has been traversed
about 100 feet in length, and unless it takes a downward direction,
the unexplored extremity could be easily reached on the outside,
thereby displaying the treasures of its inmost recess, and probably
forming a very convenient and safe access to its chambers. The
1C
circumstance of the discovery of bones in this cavern, a few of
which nearly resembled the fossil state, and the fact of similar
bones being found in other caverns of the Mendip Hills, with those
of decidedly a more remote epoch, open a wide and instructive field
of inquiry in the investigation of these geological phenomena ; and
although we are borne out in our surmise as to the origin of the
deposit of the remains of man in this cavern, yet it is worthy of
remark that human bones have in no instance been hitherto found
embedded in the detritus of mountain limestone and earth, which
hinders the access to these places in any caverns hitherto explored
at Banwell, or elsewhere in the neighbourhood. On this subject a
most interesting statement appears in Fairholm’s geology.
m * <£?)urcfj.
The Church dedicated to St. Andrew (whose statue is visible on
the east side of the tower and in good preservation) is a fine old
building, probably erected between the years 1350 and 1450. The
chapel, or chantry,* at the north-
now used as a vestry-
more ancient origin than other parts of the fabric, and may have
been part of a more ancient church. The tower is nearly 100 feet
in height, with double buttresses terminating in ornamental pinacles,
with a parapet of open work. The exterior of the nave and aisles
is also highly adorned with smaller buttresses of a similar character,
connected by pierced parapets. The belfry has a finely-
ceiling, with ornamented intersections terminating in a circular
opening. There is a peal of five well-
The interior of the church is lofty and spacious, the nave being
opened to the aisles by pointed arches on octagonal columns, and
* Is a part of a church, generally in or near the chancel, endowed in ancient
times by some person of consequence in the parish, with a salary to a priest to
say daily masses for the souls of the founder or his family, and as appears was
accessible by a low door, distinct from the principal entrance at the porches.
17
lighted above by six well-
side, with an oak ceiling divided into deep compartments, some
of which near the chancel have gilded ornaments. The arches
extend half the length of the chancel, but the projecting ends are
divided hy a handsome oak screen, which was restored a few years
since by the Rev. C. J. Cobley, son of the late vicar, and now vicar
of Winscombe, who further contributed to the embellishment of the
church, by collecting from the floors of the public pews various
fragments of the beautiful panelling of the ancient rood-
forming them into an appropriate reading-
The pulpit is of richly-
the county ;f it was originally on the north side of the nave adjoining the ancient rood-
the east side of the intersection of the arches of the north-
or chantry before mentioned as being now used as a vestry-
is another at the north-
by a low doorway, now blocked u p ; this chapel contains a piscina.J
* A loft in the church, from whence, in the times of Popery, the figure of
the cross was exhibited to the congregation. There is reason to believe that
after the Reformation this loft was, for a time, used as an organ loft, as in the
churchwardens’ account of this parish, between 1612 and 1674, there, are
frequent charges for repairing the organ, blowing the organ, &c., and also the
costs of a suit against the churchwardens in the Ecclesiastical Court for the
non-
f This eastern part of Somerset is remarkable for the extraordinary architectural beauty of the towers of the churches, and for their numerous richlyornamented stone pulpits, from whence may be inferred the great wealth of
the district in ancient times, and the pious zeal of the great landholders at
whose expence those structures were, with great probability, supposed to have
been erected. A drawing of this pulpit by Mr. H. Marshall, and lately lithographed in colours, may be obtained at his academy for young gentlemen,
Clift House, Cheddar.
I The piscina in this and other old parochial churches, was connected with
tho ceremonies of the Popish forms of worship, its use is stated to have been to
B
IS
Another chapel is situate on the south side of the chancel, also
entered by a low doorway. And a fourth projecting chapel
opens from the south aisle by a broad handsome obtuse arch, with
clustered shaft on one side, and a series of canopied niches on the
other. This chapel was formerly a chantry, and is now occupied
by the family seat of Mr. Birch, and underneath is the burial
vault. It was also the seat and burial place of the family of the
Roes, one of whom was entombed there in 1595.
On the south side of the chancel, and until lately within the rails,
is a fenestella, or gothic niche, containing a double piscina; and on
the north side, beneath a richly-
with the church, appearing to have been built within the substance
of the wall,* is the tomb with the brass effigy of Sir Thomas de
Chedder, in armour, standing on a lion, with the Chedder arms
around i t ; and on a floor slab at its side is a figure in brass
of a female, supposed to be his lady, named Isabella, with the
Chedder arms also ; portions of inscription brasses, containing the
words “ Isabella tromina," having been preserved from the destruction that has been inflicted on the inscription on the tomb.
The length of the church, including the chancel, is 129 feet, and
its breadth 54 feet. On the north and south sides are porches with
convey away the washing of the utensils employed in the different offices,
through a pipe to the foundation of the walls, thereby to avoid the possibility of
contamination. The concavity of the piscina also admitted a vessel or basin
of glass or earthenware, wherein the priests might wash their hands.
» Grose says that monuments within the substance of the walls of churches,
are good authority for supposing founders or re-
Sir Thomas de C'liedder, it is not an improbablo conjecture by reason of his
great wealth. In those times most of the churches in country parishes were
built at the charge of the great landed proprietors. Covered monuments, that
is, consisting of cnmbent figures on altar tombs under canopies of festoons, were
introduced into general use in the fourteenth century and lasted till the fifteenth.
Another order of monuments were flat stones even with the pavements, inlayed
with engraved brass plates; some of these are as old as the latter end of the
thirteenth century, and continued till the fifteenth century, and had commonly
the inscription round the side of the stone.— G bose .
19
stone seats ;* over each door is a canopied niche without a figure.
On the east side of the churchyard is a yew treef of large dimensions ; another of corresponding age was blown down five years ago.
The living is a vicarage in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter
of 'Wells. The late Bishop of Rochester (Dr. King) obtained a
lease for lives of the Great Tithes, and of the Manor called Parsonage Manor, connected therewith; and under the Tithe Commu-
» In ancient parochial churches, in the north and south porches, are generally
found stone benches on each side. The porch was a very ancient appendage to
a church, and in times of Papacy had special uses. In the will of the pious
Henry VI., respecting the foundation of his College at Eton, is the following
article :—
“ I tem .— On the south side of the body of the church a fair large door, with
“ a porch, and the same for the christening of children and for weddings.”
The most particular use of the porch was in administering the Sacrament of
Baptism, the following is the translation of an ancient missal on this ceremony :
“ The priest, standing at the end of the church, interrogates the person to be
“ baptised at the door of the church; the necessary questions being asked and
“ prayers read, he (the priest) leads him or her into the church, saying— Enter
“ into the holy church of God, that you may receive the heavenly benediction
“ from the Lord Jesus Christ."
And in regard to weddings, Somner relates that in 1299, Edward the 1st was
married at Canterbury, to Margaret, sister to the King of France, by Archbishop
Winclielsea— “ in ostio Ecclesite versus Claustrum."
The porch was also used in ancient times for the churching of women, as by
a missal printed in 1.115, it appears, “ that the priest goes to the door of the
“ church, where the woman, to receive the ecclesiastical benediction, kneeling
“ down, the 23rd psalm is said with some responses, after which she is led into
“ the church, the conclusion being made before the altar.”
J In the fifteenth century yew trees were generally planted in churchyards.
Our forefathers were particularly careful in preserving this funereal tree, whose
branches not only supplied the means of decorating the church on festival
occasions or holydays, but were also used by mourners, and carried by them in
solemn procession to the grave, and then were thrown under and upon the
bodies. The branches cut off, by shooting next spring resembled the resurrection of the body, as the perpetual verdure did the immortality of the soul.
Such are the accounts given by ancient writers, of the use to which these
venerable trees were applied.
20
tation Act the impropriate rent-
a-
which there are about thirty-
payments charged on certain lands, which together constitute a
commutation of the tithe of wool and lamb, which was fixed in
perpetuity under the Cheddar Enclosure Act of 1801.
The vicarage-
considerable sum in rebuilding the south front, and repairing other
parts of the ancient fabric; and the present incumbent, the Rev.
Richard a Court Beadon, grandson of the late Bishop of the
Diocese, inducted 22nd July, 1836, has since taken down the whole
edifice, and erected another on the same site, at a very considerable
cost, and in a stile of architecture anterior to that of Elizabeth.
CTje B e dfjeOUer JFamtlp.
This family was connected with the city of Bristol so early as
the thirteenth century, and had arrived at high civil distinction, a
John de Cheddre being a burgess in Parliament for that city
in 1298. The family mansion was near “ Brodemede.”
In 1288, 1291, and 1306, John de Cheddre was seneschal.
In 1324 Robert de Cheddre was living in Cheddre, and in 1351
he served the office of seneschal, and in 1360 and 1362 he served
the office of mayor. In 1368 Robert de Cheddre, son of the above,
obtained a grant of lands in Cheddar from some member of the
Hannam family. He had issue four sons, one of whom, namely,
Richard de Cheddre, born in Bristol, Sept. 4th, 1379, was a person
of eminence, and knight of the shire for Somerset, in the Parliaments of 1407, 1413, and 1417, soon after which he died without
issue, and was succeeded in his estates, in Chedder and elsewhere,
by his brother.
21
U ofrrt Oe (KfjriJOer.
He also was born in Bristol, and succeeded to his brother's largo
possessions in 1417. He was a burgess of Bristol, and also a
knight of the shire for Somerset, in the Parliaments of 1421
and 1426. This Robert married Joan, a daughter and co-
Simon Hannam, of the county of Gloucester, and had issue by the
said Joan,* only one son.
JEflomau tre
It is this Thomas de Chedder whose tomb is on the north side of
the chancel in Cheddar church, and whose Lady Isabel lies in a
vault at the side. The effigies of both are in brass, the one on the
tomb and the other on the floor slab. He died in 1443, seized of the
manor of Chedder, and the advowson of the chantry of the Virgin
Mary, in the church of St. Andrew, of Cheddar. To convey some idea
of the wealth in land of this individual, it appears by a post mortem
inquisition,f that he possessed at his death in Bristol, 84 messuages,
5 gardens, and 2 closes; other estates and rent charges in the several
counties of Gloucester, 6— Devon, 9— Cornwall, 2— Somerset, 50—
and Dorset, 2. He left two daughters his co-
Joan, who was first married to Richard Stafford, and secondly to
* This Joan married secondly Sir Thomas de Broke, to whom she brought as
dower, twenty manors in this county, besides advowsons and large estates. She
lies entombed with her said last husband, Sir Thomas de Broke, in the parish
church of Thomcombe, in the county of Devon.
f Blackstone states that this form of inquisition, post mortem, was instituted
(at the death of any man of fortune) to inquire the value of his estate, the
tenure by which it was holden, and who and of what age his heir was, in order
to entitle the king to his marriage, his wardship, relief, and other advantages, as
the circumstances of the case may turn out. When the heir came of full age,
provided he held a knight’s fee (a possession in land of £15 to £40 a-
was to receive the order of knighthoodt and was compelled to take it upon him or
22
John, Lord de Lisle, of Gloucestershire, who was slain in the
memorable battle of Nibley, between himself and William, Lord
of Berkeley, and their respective retainers. This Joan, Yicountess
de Lisle, died July 15, 1464, and lies entombed in Wells Cathedral.
Isabel, the wife of John Newton, son of Richard Newton, the
recorder of Bristol. She is supposed to lie with her said husband
in Yatton church.
Between these two co-
and at length dissipated. Part of this Chedder property belonged
to the late Alexander Popham, Esq., who sold it in fee to the
tenants ; and the remainder, called the Manor of Cheddar Hannam,
is now the property of Walter Long, Esq, M.P. for North Wilts.
Part of the Manor House (and where its courts are still held) is
occupied as a farm-
the entrance to the village of Axbridge.
©tljer ftlatiors.
The Royal Manor of Cheddar remained in the possession of the
Crown, from King Edward the Confessor, until the reign of King
John, who granted it to Hugh de Welles, Bishop of Wells, in 1229;
from that time until 1548, it continued in possession of the see,
when it again came to the Crown by exchange for other lands.
In 1552 King Edward the 6th granted it to Sir Edward Seymour,
who sold it in 1556 to Sir John Thynne, through whom it has
else pay a fine to the king. This prerogative of compelling the vassals to he
knighted, or to pay a fine, and was expressly recognised in parliament by the 1 st
of Edward II., was exacted as an expedient for raising money by many of our
best princes, particularly by Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth. This ancient
usage explains the circumstance of so many knights appearing on the rolls of
municipal corporations, such as the large commercial cities of London and
Bristol; they are not to be regarded as distinctions eagerly sought for as marks
of royal favour, as in the present day, but as fit objects of regal taxation in the
shape of heavy fines or fees.
2.3
descended in regular succession to the present Marquis of Bath.
From having been for many years in the possession of the Bishops
of Wells, it obtained the name of Chedder Episcopi. The noble
mansion originally belonging to this manor, and probably the
occasional residence of the bishops, was situate outside the village,
on the left of the road to Wells. In the memory of living persons,
an arched gateway was visible, and large heaps of stones denoted
the extent and magnitude of the various buildings, the remaining
vestiges of which are on lands belonging to Richard Gilling, Esq.
Another manor, called the Parsonage Manor, belongs to the Dean
and Chapter of Wells, and was by them leased out on lives to the
former Bishop of Rochester (Dr. King). A fourth manor, denominated Cheddar Fitzwalter, was granted by William the Conqueror
to one of his Norman followers of that name, and subsequently by
King Stephen to Walter Malherb, from whom it descended to the
family of De Roos, or Roe, in the sixteenth century, and from them
to the Lancasters through the seventeenth century ; through their
descendants, by intermarriages, it came to the Roses and Tillams,
who sold it in 1742 to James Birch, Esq., a barrister-
Bristol, from whom it is derived by the present possessor. The
ancient Manor House belonging to this estate was, for the greater
part, rebuilt in the middle of the last century, by the said James
Birch, Esq., the then possessor.
ancient ©rose.
In ancient times crosses were erected in most places of public
concourse, or at the meeting of three or four roads or highways.
Such is the case with the Cheddar cross— a market cross.
From a very early period two great fairs, or markets, have been
held here, one called St. George, on that Saint’s day, the 23rd April,
but since the alteration of the style on the 4th M ay; the other on
St. Luke’s day, the 18th of October, now held on the 29th ; the
24
former of these for the supply to the dairy people and graziers
of cows and store or lean cattle, from the breeeding districts, for
the summer feeding on the extensive low lands or moors ; and the
autumnal one for the sale of surplus cattle stock, or those that had
been fattened during the summer. Large numbers of geese were
also fed on these open pastures, which, with the neighbouring moors,
were frequently flooded in the winter months for want of proper
sewers, or land drains and embankments, for stopping the influx of
the tides, which, according to very ancient tradition, flowed above
"Weare, and even so far as Glastonbury. This drainage has now
been accomplished.
The roof of the ancient market cross being greatly decayed, and
in danger of falling, was taken down in the year 1834, and the
present roof and arches erected at the sole expense of Thomas, the
late Marquis of Bath, then Lord of the Manor, and principal landowner of the parish. The shaft being octagonal, and the base,
formed into resting places or shelves, being sexagonal, seems to
imply that the shaft is of greater antiquity than the shelves, which
were only repaired in 1835.
(KTjaritite.
The more ancient charities of the parish under the control of the
churchwardens and overseers of the poor, were investigated before
the Charity Commissioners, and found to amount to the sum of
,£’ 200, which has been placed out at interest, and is disposed of in
money, at the discretion of the churchwardens and overseers for the
time being, among those poor persons or families who do not receive
parish relief.
In 1751, Mrs. Sarah Comer, a native and resident of Cheddar,
and a member of the Society of Friends, bequeathed the residue of
her estate to trustees, and directed that the annual income arising
25
therefrom should be divided into four equal parts. One part to b»
distributed amongst poor decayed housekeepers; another fourth
part to be laid out in provisions and apparel, to be also distributed
among the poor; another fourth part to provide a fit and able
schoolmaster to teach a proper number of boys and girls; and
the remaining fourth part for apprenticing poor boys and girls, or
advancing them in trade or profession. This important Charity
now produces an annual income of 181 11s. 4d., being the dividends on i?6052 3 per Cent. Consols. In carrying into effect the
objects of the will in reference to this bequest, the executor, James
Birch, Esq. (who had been the adviser of the testatrix as to the
mode in which she might most beneficially for the parish dispose of
her residuary estate), became embroiled in a chancery suit, which
was at first amicably, but afterwards hostilely carried on, and which
lasted nearly thirty years, in consequence whereof the principal
sum having been paid into court by the executor, the accumulation
of interest thereon during so long a period increased the amount
thereof to the sum above-
an augmentation in a manner the most unexpected, and perhaps
unprecedented. The gentleman, whom the executor before-
employed as his solicitor to conduct the suit, was his intimate
friend, the late Henry Bengough, Esq., alderman of the city of
Bristol, who by his last will (in the year 1818) bequeathed to the
trustees of the Charity in augmentation thereof, the sum of i?200,
being the sum he supposed he may have benefited his own estate
by his professional charges in the suit.
This noble instance of retributive charity entitles the memory of
Mr. Bengough to the gratitude of the parish, and to the applause
and admiration of the public. This gentleman, who united the
soundest knowledge to the most honorable practice of his profession,
having been many years connected with the old Corporation of
Bristol, became one of its members, and in this character distinguished himself as an able counsellor in its affairs, and a vigilant
guardian of its interests.
26
At the eastern extremity of the parish, on the road to Wells, is
the hamlet of Draycot, lying partly in the parish of Cheddar, and
partly in Rodney Stoke; the hamlet thus parochially united possess
a very valuable endowment, called the Draycott Charity. Its
income, amounting to more than X’ 300 a-
freehold lands in the parishes of Badgworth, South Brent, East
Brent, and Burnham. The benevolent founder was Mr. Card, a
resident in that part of the hamlet belonging to the parish of
Rodney Stoke, who bequeathed this large property by his will.
A decree in the Court of Chancery has been obtained regulating
this noble Charity, which is invested in trustees, and its income
dispensed at their discretion in consonance with the will and decree.
N ational Scfjool.*—iftannatj Itto rc.t
In the year 1789, the celebrated Mrs. Hannah More, at the
instigation of her intimate friend, Wm. Wilberforce, Esq., and
aided by his pecuniary support, and that of Sir Wm. Pepys (father
of Lord Cottenham), and Henry Thornton, Esq., undertook the
formation and superintendence of a large Sunday-
parish, and also a small Weekly-
* A lithographed drawing of the new school buildings, by Mr. John
Walker, jun., of Axbridge, may be obtained at Mr. R. G. Bartlett’s, bookseller,
Axbridge.
f This most distinguished lady, whose extraordinary talents and virtues were
united to a benevolence almost unexampled, and who by the literary labours of
her long life had acquired a fortune of nearly £30,000, besides having bestowed
very large sums in annual subscriptions and donations during her life, bequeathed
by her will upwards of £20,000 in charities of various kinds, and more than
seventy in number, dispersed over the whole civilized world— in Europe, Asia,
Africa, and America
27
the whole charge fell on Mrs. More, who, nevertheless, continued
the schools, although at the annual expense of upwards of £ 100,
until her death, which occurred in 1833.
By her will she bequeathed £ 5 0 to the school; this became the
nucleus of a subscription for the erection of two large school-
of sufficient area for the accommodation of 300 boys and girls, and
also a house for the residence of the master and mistress. These
school buildings were erected at an expense very considerable and
unexpected, but which, however, has been nearly provided for by
the subscriptions of the many benevolent individuals in the subjoined list, and more especially by the very liberal grant of ,£150,
as royal bounty, by the Lords of her Majesty Treasury, who in
their minute conferring the grant, after expressing their regret that
they could not apply any part of the parliamentary grant towards
erection of the schools, were pleased to say—
“ Adverting, however, to the history of these schools, their great
“ usefulness, the laudable motives which have induced the memo-
“ rialists to make exertions for their continuance, and the interest
“ such an undertaking must create, my lords have been pleased to
“ direct an issue of £ 150, as of her Majesty’s royal bounty, in
“ aid of these schools.”
There still remains a debt of ,£130 for the purchase of the site,
which it is hoped the benevolence of the public will soon enable the
trustees to discharge.
LIST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS TOWARDS THE BUILDING AND FIT.
TIN G UP OF THE CHEDDAR NATIONAL SCHOOL.
Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s Royal Bounty £150 0 0
Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester 5 0 0
Thomas, the late Marquis of Bath 100 0 0
The Marchioness of Bath 5 0 0
The Right Rev. the Bishop of Bath and Wells (Dr. Law) 5 0 0
28
SUBSCRIPTIONS Contixuxd.
The Dean and Chapter of Wells . . .. .. . . £25 0
The Vicars Choral of ditto . . . . . . . . 5 0
Mrs. Hannah More’s Legacy . . . . . . . . 45 0
Mrs. Roberts, one of the Executors of Mrs. H. M ore.. . . 40 0
Miss Mary Frowd, one of the Executors of Mrs. II. More . . 5 0
Ditto, second Subscription . . . . . . •. 3 0
Mrs. Savidge, Blackford . . . . . . . . 20 0
J. Lintom Simmons, Esq., one of the Executors of Mrs. Patty More 20 0
Mrs. Sarah Comer’s Trustees . . . . , . . . 95 0
Richard Godolphin Long, Esq. . . . . . . . . 50 0
General Popliam . . , . . . . . . . 20 0
Wm. Gore Langton, Esq., M.P. . . . . . . . . 10 0
Wm. Miles, Esq., M.P. .. . . . . . . 5 0
Rev. John Cobley, late Vicar . . . . . . . . 10 0
Rev. C. J. Cobley, Winscombe .. . . , . , . 5 0
Rev. Dr. Symons, Oxford .. . . . . . . 10 0
Richard Gilling, Esq., Cheddar . . . . . . . . 10 0
Robert Allford,, Esq., Ditto . . . . . . . . 1 0 0
Samuel Birch, Esq., Ditto . . . . . . . . 10 0
Mr. Samuel Birch, Jun., Ditto . . .. . . . . 5 0
Anonymous, Ditto . . . . . . . . 5 0
Ditto, 2nd Subscription, Ditto . . . . . . . . 5 0
Mrs. Lax, Wokey . . . . . . . . . . 5 0
Mrs. Counsel, Murk . . .. . . . . . . 5 0
Robert Phippen, Esq., Badgworth . . . . . . . . 5 0
Mrs. Phippen, Ditto . . . . . . 5 0
Mr. James Birch, Newport . . . . . . . . 10 0
Mrs. King, Cossington . . . . . . . . 10 0
Rev. W. King, Ditto . . . . , . . . . . 10 0
John Hare, Esq., Bristol .. . . . , . . 5 0
Richard Jones, Esq., London .. . . . . . . 10 0
Thomas Davis, Esq., Warminster . . . . . . . . 5 5
Mr. John Lawrence, Cheddar . . . . . . 5 0
Mrs. (Levy) Star Ditto . . . . , , , . 5 0
Dr. New, UJfculm . . . . . . 5 0
A Stranger . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 0
A Clifton Family .. . . . . . . . . 6 1
Sundry Subscriptions of 2 guineas and under . . . . 16 14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
dF rtenU lp S o c ie t ie s .
This benevolent lady (Mrs. H. More), not satisfied with what
she had effected in regard to the school, whereby she hoped to save
future generations from the condition of ignorance and vice, in
which she found the lower classes of the parish involved, projected
in the year 1792 a Female Friendly Society, by means of which
she and all her benevolence came in direct contact with the heads
of those families whose temporal and eternal welfare she sought
most zealously to promote. This being the first institution of the
kind in this county, and anxious that it should he fixed on a basis
that should secure its perpetuity, she availed herself of the friendly
assistance of Mr. Morgan, the eminent actuary of the Equitable
Life Assurance Society, and adopted his calculations. The Society
is possessed of an endowed fund of £G30, invested in the public
funds, entirely derived from the contributions of Mrs. H. More’s
numerous friends, annually assembled by her invitation* at the
school-
total capital amounts to nearly £1000.
Through the unwearied exertions of F. H. Synge, Esq., of
Weston-
» During the lifetime of the Misses More, the assemblage at the annual
meeting of this female society was thus conducted:— A long train of carriages,
containing their invited friends, proceeded from Cowslip Green, and afterwards
from Barley Wood, to the school-
ladies, was laid before the company. The quiet procession on foot from the
school-
music or flags, or any other display than blue breast-
regale of the women with tea and buttered cake— the statement of the finances—
afterwards an address to the members, usually delivered by Mrs. Patty More—
the whole proceedings concluding with prayer, and the doxology sung by the
whole assembly— altogether combined such a series of circumstances as rendered
the whole scene peculiarly interesting and delightful.
*29
30
indebted for the establishment of the Axbridge and West Mendip
Friendly Society in 1837, on a safer basis and more comprehensive
plan than the old system. Its objects are pay to the sick members of
different classes ; endowment for children ; payment on death ; with
many special privileges. Its last report shews an invested capital
of more than <£1000, and being well supported by the donations of
the clergy and gentry of the district, and more especially by the
active and able superintendence of the president, vice-
and honorary district members, it cannot fail to be both prosperous
and permanent. Cheddar supplies a full proportion of benefit
members. Two men’s friendly or benefit societies, upon the old
system, still exist. There is also a clothing club, supported by its
members, and aided and superintended by the ladies of the parish,
and also a Dorcas Society.
m anufactures.
In ancient times as many as thirteen or fourteen grist or corn
mills were worked by the stream of water flowing from the Cliffs ;
there are now only three. The principal manufactures are of paper.*
The first paper mill was erected in the year 1765 ; it stands on
the left side of the road leading and near to the Cliffs; another,
now the property of Mr. Allford, is at the bridge on the approach
to the Cliffs, lower on the stream, and was erected about the
* The art of making paper from fibrous matter reduced to pulp in water,
appears to have been first invented by the Chinese in the first century of the
Christian mra. About 1100 years after, the manufacture was introduced into
England by John Tate, who had a paper mill at Hertford. Previous thereto
this kingdom was supplied with the article from Venice, Holland, Germany, and
France. The first book printed on John Tate’s paper was entitled, “ Bartholomwus de Proprietalibus Serum, by Wynkyn de H orde," about 1491, with this
announcement.
“ John Tate the younger joye mote he broke,
Which late liathe in Englond doo make this paper thvnne.
That now in our English this boke is printed inne."
31
year 1805. This mill possesses many improvemements upon the old
system; and in the mill lately reconstructed by Messrs. Tanner, still
lower on the stream, are introduced all the modern machinery of
ingenious construction, such as well deserves the inspection of the
curious.
The only other manufacture is a tan-
for centuries famous for another species, perhaps more deserving the
name of manufacture than the others whose operations are conducted by machinery, namely, cheese making.
Camden’s Britannia records :—
“ East of Wells, just under Mendip Hills, lies Cheddar, famous
“ for the excellent and prodigious cheeses made there, some which
“ require more than one man’s strength to set them on the table,
“ and are of a delicate taste, equalling, if not exceeding, the
“ Parmesan.”
The celebrity of this cheese still continues, and is not confined
to this kingdom. It has not only reached the table, and received
the approval, of our most gracious Queen, but has also been supplied to the King af Hanover and the President of the United
States of America. The cheeses of the present day range from
30 to 501bs., and rarely exceeds 561bs. each ; they have been made,
merely as objects of curiosity, not of profit, as high as 1201bs.;
all these are flat cheeses, the sort provincially called truckles, are
from 10 to 201bs.
art& fttmn-
In the adjoining parishes of Shipham and Rowberrow, large
quantities of calamine and lead have been raised for seventy or
eighty years past; the same minerals were formerly raised in some
parts of this parish, but have been long discontinued. Iron stone
and manganese have been found in small detached portions on the
surface of the Hills, and it is probable workable mines would be
discovered if scientifically searched for.
32
{population.
In order to deduce the population of the parish in ancient times,
it was thought the register of baptisms and burials furnishing
annual numbers might become a basis of calculation, and accordingly the oldest registers now existing were referred to, but the
very first result (1678) baffled all calculation ; it shewed the baptisms of that year to be twenty-
same year were sixty-
of the Decennary did the burials fall short of the baptisms. The
baptisms and burials for 122 years in Decennaries were as follows:
Baptisms. Burials. Baptisms. Burials. Baptisms. Buria
1678 1728') 1778
to 265 392 to ► 248 281 to 367 219
1687 1737J 1787
1688 17381 1788
to 259 246 to y 199 200 to 342 196
1697 1747 J 1797
1698 17481 1798
to 234 228 to ^ 210 194 to 114 44
1707 1757J 1800
1708 17581
to 197 278 to ^ 284 227
1717 1767J
1718 17681
to 215 198 to ^ 361 218
1727 1777 J
From the above list it appears eighty years elapsed (viz., from
1678 to 1758) before the population was restored to its numbers at
the commencement of the series, at least so far as it can be
evinced by the baptisms.
It is to be regretted that the chest of every church does not
contain the “ annals of the parish,” so far as the population is
affected, by some note when any particular circumstance occurred,
whether of civil war, pestilence, or famine.
The paucity of medical practitioners and the superstition of the
people in those early times, favored rather than obstructed the
ravages of epidemic diseases; but other causes sometimes intervened, for Sydenham, in his treatise on the diseases of 1675 to
33
1680, writes, “ The next year, 1678, the constitution of the air
being wholly changed, so favored agues that they again became
epidemical, whereas, they had in a manner, wholly left the city
(London) for the space of thirteen years.’’ This extraordinary
statement is fully confirmed by the registers of this parish, shewing
that those diseases were not confined to the city of London, for in
the years mentioned by him, namely, 1678 to 1685, the total number of baptisms in Cheddar was 188, whilst the burials were 304,
shewing a decrease of no less than 116 in seven years. By the
census taken in 1801, the total number of inhabitants was—
1159, namely, 583 males, 567 females. Increase in 10 years.
1811 .. . . 1378 » 680 n 698 0 228
1821 .. . . 1797 n 926 0 871 i* 419
1831 .. . . 1980 0 1009 0
971 » ia i
1841 .. . . 2321 0 1168 0 1156 0 344
Total Increase since 1801.... 1174
Shewing the entire population to have been somewhat more than
doubled in forty years.
At the time of the expected invasion of the French in the year
1803, the government required an account of the stock of cattle,
corn, &c., in the rural districts, the following return was made from
this parish in August of that year:— Inhabited houses, 222 ; uninhabited houses, 4 ; families, 276 ; male inhabitants, 583 ; female
inhabitants, 567; Total 1150. Oxen, 127; cows, 269; young
cattle, 380; sheep, 3128; pigs, 194; riding horses, 25; draft
horses, 6 7; colts, 36; waggons, 2 1; carts, 4 2; corn-
quarters of wheat, 244 ; quarters of oats, 81; ditto of bailey, 24;
ditto of beans, 82 ; loads of hay, 1110 ; sacks of potatoes, 1869.
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