James' Barton |
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The exact date that
James’ Barton was built is not known but it is clear that the house has
been here since late medieval times and probably originated in the C15th. The farmhouse and its
associated land appear on the 1840 tithe map, and the property is referred
to in the schedule as “Late James’”[1].
Although it may have been called James’ Barton at this time it is not
recorded as such. “Barton” means farm or smallholding. The owners were the Dean and Chapter of Wells, which has made it possible for a previous occupant, Charles Brundrett, to trace the history of the property through the records of the Chapter estates. These records show that the property derived its present name from a Joshua James who held it by copyhold tenure in 1763, at which date it consisted of a tenement ….. “conteyninge
20 acres of land meadow and pasture of
old asture with the appurtenances and one cottage with curtilage
conteyninge 3 acres of overland ”[2]. The recurrence of this
description together with details of rent, value and heriot (death duty[3])
has made it possible to trace the occupants of the house as far back as
1510 when it was surrendered by Joan Bellamy, the widow of John Bellamy
to her second husband, Hugh Lauerans. We can safely assume that
John Bellamy held it prior to his death. The phrase “Old Auster” meaning
“ancient heath” indicates that there was an established holding here
by the early C16th therefore. Whilst the records do not refer specifically
to the fabric of the building, a study undertaken by M.B.McDermott, of The land associated with
the property ran eastward to the lane by Wynes, southwards to the Swan Inn
and on the west from roughly Originally the house was
some 10 feet shorter at either end and the roof was hipped at both ends
rather than one as at present. The construction at this time was of cob: a
mixture of mud, straw and manure. Cob is a resilient material provided
that it is kept dry and this is achieved by providing a stone base for the
walls, large overhanging eves and a weatherproof, though porous, coating.
Cob derives its strength through its thickness, which accounts for the
width of the walls and the small size of the windows. It is quite possible
that the original building had no windows as glass was not in common use. The house was certainly
single storey and was open to the rafters throughout, possibly being
divided internally with low partitions. It was probably more like what we
would think of as a barn than a house, and may well have housed animals at
one end and people at the other so providing the animals with shelter and
the people with warmth. A fire would have burned in the middle of the
earthen floor, with the smoke rising to find its way out through an
opening in the roof. The underside of the thatch is still smoke blackened
from this time. A biologist from the
The adze marks are clearly visible along
this rail.
The invention of the chimney must have made a considerable difference to the inhabitants of houses such as James’ Barton. Not only did it create a smoke-free environment, but also, through removing smoke from the building, it allowed for the extension of the existing single upstairs room to run along the whole length of the house so creating a first floor.
This may have been the
first time that the preparation and cooking of food was carried out within
the house as it was common to have a separate outbuilding for this purpose
in the medieval period. A previous owner of the house reports that there
is a well under this part of the building.[6]
Perhaps an internal water supply was incorporated into the new kitchen ? The Dining room chimney
was probably added later and is slightly less deep, although equally wide.
Its insertion led to the creation of a cross passage which is typical of
this type of house. The other wall of the passage is older and is made of
timber uprights which are partly exposed just inside the front door. This
“screens” wall is still in place along the length of the corridor but
is boarded over due to its very poor condition. This wall gives a good
idea of the type of low partition which may have originally divided the
dwelling. It was probably at this
time, the late C16th or early C17th, that the upstairs was completed and
in consequence a stone stair turret was added to the rear of the house to
allow access. An upper hearth was incorporated into the dining room
chimney at first floor level; now a cupboard in the bedroom wall. There is evidence of a
second stairwell which rose from the present cupboard in the sitting room
to the master bedroom. There is a projection in the cob wall in the
passage behind this room,
which formed part of the support for this. It seems likely therefore that
around this time the house may have been divided into two dwellings. Later still the house was
extended in stone by about 10 feet at the eastern or kitchen end, and a
smaller fireplace and entrance, both of which are now removed, was
inserted to the front of the house. These rooms have served at various
times as a dairy, coal store, sewing room, larder, toilet and shower. A
cruck-beam marks the end of
the original house. The lean-to type
extensions at the rear of the building were added piecemeal over the years
with the oldest being at the eastern end and the newest which probably
dates from after 1788 at the western end.
This last room also had a chimney and may have contained the old
wash boiler. An old photograph shows the house with its middle (dining room) chimney intact.[7] It is not clear when this was removed but it had already gone when the house was rethatched in 1962. The chimney stack was reinstated in 2006. The photograph also shows a doorway on the left hand side of the front porch. This led into a wide passage running towards the stairwell mentioned earlier and also was the entrance to a butcher’s shop, which was situated in the sitting room. In 1998 the three internal rooms in the east end of the house were made into the present kitchen (which had been in the small room [ie.study] off the dining room). A new external rear door was created, and a chimney built to incorporate the Aga flue. Likewise a bedroom at the west end was removed and the bathroom remodelled to create the current master bedroom. A visit by a
dendrochronologist arranged by the Somerset Vernacular Building Research
Group in 2003 established that the main timbers are of elm, not oak, and
are therefore not suitable for dating by this method. In summary James’ Barton
originated as a single storey medieval house with an open hearth and low
partitions to divide the accommodation, into which upper rooms and
enclosed fireplaces were added in stages, probably during the C16th and
C17th. During this period of modernisation a turret stairwell was added.
The house was also extended eastwards at a later date and further
additions were created to the rear of the building up to the C19th.
Throughout all these changes, however, the roof and cob shell of the
original building have remained substantially intact. Sources / Bibliography
M.B. McDermott,
'Single Storey Medieval Houses: Two Examples from Charles
Brundrett and others , Stogumber: The History of a DD\CC/B/111692 Stogumber Parish and Modern Survey DD\CC/B/111691 1703 Stogumber Parish and Manor Survey DD\CC/B/111688 Stogumber Parish and Manor Old Terrier DD\CC/B/110077 Bicknoller Parish and Modern Survey 1788 DD\CC/T/10874 Maps of Bicknoller, Stogumber and Stogursey DD\CC/B/110002 Terriers or Notitiae Old Terrier p. 13 DD\CC/B/114066 Halimote Courts Book of Warrants p 83. p.224. DD\CC/B/111690 Stogumber Parish and Manor Parliamentary Survey and copy. 1650 DD\V/WIR/23/6
Report on James Barton, Stogumber, 1980. National Monuments Record Office B/60295/03/04 [1] S.R.O. DD\SAS/C212/9/75/1 [2] S.R.O DD/CC 111688 [3] Usually recorded as being “Best Beast” or a monetary equivalent eg. £3 in 1788. [4] S.R.O. DD\V/WIR/23/6 [5] S.R.O. DD/CC 10874 [6] Mary Jenkins nee Hinchliffe who owned the house although her parents were the residents. She was unsure of the exact location. [7]
“Stogumber The History of a [8] S.R.O.DD/CC 11002 p.13 [9] S.R.O. DD/CC 114066 p. 224 [10] S.R.O. DD/CC 111690 |
Copyholders and Freeholders For most of its history
James’ Barton has been occupied by tenants rather than owner- occupiers.
Tenancies commonly ran for three lives in succession and were usually
recorded when a change of tenancy occurred. A death duty or heriot was
payable on death, and a fee or fine was payable on a change of tenancy. The
heriot for James’ Barton is usually recorded as being “Best Beast”
or a monetary equivalent.
The property formed part
of the rectory estate that dates back to the Domesday Book and possibly
earlier. This estate was appropriated by the Diocese of Bath and Wells in
1273 and it was transferred in 1857 to the modern church commissioners who
subsequently sold off parts of it including James’ Barton..
-1510
John and Joan Bellamy 1510-1552
Joan (widow of John Bellamy) and Hugh Laurence “George
Siller and John Syller claim to hold for the term of their lives
successively by copy given the 27th day of April in the fifth year of
Edward VIth , one tenement containing twenty acres of land and meadow of
old auster and one cottage with the curtilage containing three acres of
land and overland, and paying thence annually 13/4d and a heriot…”[8] 1552-1571 George Siller 1571-1581 John Syller 1581-1590
Margaret Syller (widow of John) “Margaret
Syller, widow, by custom and after her William and Edmund Lacy, sons of
William Lacy ,gent, hold for the term of their lives successively one
tenement containing twenty acres of land and meadow with the appurtenance
of old auster, and one cottage with the curtilage containing three acres
of land of overland. The said Margaret, William and Edmund desire to
surrender all the premises with the appurtenances at the same time as the
copyhold of the same in the next court, So that all the above mentioned
are regranted to the aforesaid Margaret and also Christopher Hawkins and
Joan the daughter of the said Christopher for the time of their
lives successively for a fine of £13.6.8d to be paid equally at the next
four accounts”.[9] 1590-1606
Margaret and Christopher Hawkins and their daughter Joan. 1606
Nicholas Hawkins “Stokegummer….Nicholas
Hawkins by coppy dated before the last day of Julij 3 Jacobi holdeth one
tenement conteyninge 20 acres of land meadowe and pasture of ould Asture
with the Appurtenances and one cottage with a curtillage conteyninge 3
acres of land or overland for terme of his life according to the custome
of the mannor worth upon improvement over and above the present rent per
annum £27.6.8d….the life in beinge etat 61. The revercio of the
last mencioned premises by coppy dated ult. die julij 30
Jacobi is graunted to Robert Hawkins, Christopher (mort) and William
Hawkins. The further revercon of the lst mencioned premises dated 10th
Julij 6 Coroli is graunted to Katherin, the wife of the foresaid Robert
Hawkins, Robert and Christopher Hawkins their sons. Christopher Hawkins
onely living etat 20”[10]
Robert and William Hawkins (sons of Nicholas)
Katherine Hawkins (widow of Robert)
Nicholas Hawkins 1707
Christopher Hawkins 1763-1767
Joshua James and daughter Elizabeth Chilcott and three
children 1767-1777
Elizabeth Chilcott and daughter Prentice 1777-1790
Thomas Burges with daughters Betty and Sarah 1790-1840
John Burges - leased to
John Tuckfield Mary Ann and Francis Welch
-1921
John Francis Warlow Welch & Lucy Mary Welch & Eleanor Gill
Lee 1921-1941
Thomas Lee White 1941
Mr or Mrs Wynter 1941-1943
Catherine Timpson 1943-1954
Capt. C.V.de Freyville 1954-1959
F.H.Milson 1959-1967
Mary Hinchliffe / Jenkins 1967-1974
E.V.Harrison 1974-1995
Charles and Sheila Brundrett 1995-1998
Malcolm and Pamela MacKenzie 1998 - |
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At an early stage
it is believed that a room was built on a platform at
the eastern end of the building. The supporting rail and truss for this
can be seen on the dining room wall.The blocked doorway, also from this
time, gives the impression that the inhabitants must have been much
smaller, but whilst this would have been the case, it is important to
remember that the floor has subsequently been raised.
