A cottage was originally tied to the farm and this was situated in front of the farm and the road. This has now disappeared…
1841 Tithe Award shows the owner as John King but no tenant.
1871 occupied by Sally Fear, aged 16 and Jane Ingram, aged 18; both servants, and presumably working at Kings Farm.
1891 census shows Edwin Tilly aged 45 dairyman; his wife Mary Ann aged 49, children Beatrice 15, Ernest 13, Emily 12, Mable 8, Albert 5
1901 census Francis Tidball, aged 30, a cement labourer from Chilton Polden; his wife Mary, aged 26, born in Bawdrip; their children, Alice, aged 8; Edith, aged 6; Henry, aged 4; Frederick, aged 2; Phyllis, aged 1.
1902 Emily Meadows
1905 Francis Lynham jnr moved in when he married. He is listed on the 1911 census as being a cowman on farm, aged 26. Wife Nellie, aged 28′ and Charles Lynham, son, aged 4.
1934 electors list Kate Acreman and Mary Dudeney were in residence.
No date has been found for the demolition of the cottage.
Kings Farm, Tithe No. 102
Named after the King family who can be traced back to 1609 when the Bishops Transcripts show John King as being buried in the Church at Bawdrip. The King name is evident throughout the 18th century. The farmhouse has a datestone of 1650 although parts of the farmhouse could be much earlier as the fireplace in the main parlour seems to date from the Tudor period. There are several high status monuments to the King family in the Churchyard.
We believe the farm was held on a feudal tenancy by John Durneford, who died in 1594. His father had been Valentine Durneford. John’s widow, Susannah inherited his holdings, which she then surrendered to the Manor Court on 11.10.1594
“And to the Court came Susanna Durneford, widow in her own person and in open Court (at her own volition) surrendered unto the hands of the Lord, by the hands of the Steward, all her estates in her widowhood; 1 tenement and 2 cottages called Rowleaze with appurtenances with 56 acres of land, meadow and pasture. Held by feudal holding until death by Valentine Durneford by the use and behoof of Thomas Wroughton (null). There has fallen due to the Lord a heriot of 2 best animals viz 2 beasts colour red, which are forefeit to the bailiff to use the same, and a heriot on death of 2s for the cottages aforesaid.” At the same court William Saunders came to receive from the hands of the Steward the same property but with land only totalling 39 acres, made up of 20 acres of arable land lying in the common field of a long ago ruin within the Manor of Bawdrip. This ruin could mean the old Roman Villa which was later excavated in Eastside Lane. The land mentioned includes Rattle Mead and Brook, which are still evident as Tithe Award field names in 1841 and are in close proximity to Kings Farm. The rental is 13s6d to be held on the lives of William Saunders, his older brother, John, whoever shall live the longest. John Saunders receives from the Steward the remaining land called Moore Leaze for a rental of 7s.
In 1596 John Saunders dies.
C1596 Rent Roll shows William Saunders paying a rental of 20s6d, which would have been his holding of 13s6d and the 7s rental for Moore Leaze, which had belonged to his brother John.
In April 1610 William Saunders is in trouble with the Court for not being resident upon his tenement.
There is also a lease dated 1.11.1650 for William Saunders in sight of his wife, Margaret, who was the widow of John Allen, for a house, orchard and garden 20 acres of land, Moor Close 2 acres, meade 3 acres and Brook 1 acre and there is a pencil note in the margin of the document saying “Kings”. We believe that this note may have been made by a latter Lord of the Manor, possibly Denys Rolle, or more probably Jeffreys Allen.
The Saunders and King family are connected when Ann Saunders death is recorded on 26.02.1820 and she is shown to be the daughter of William King
1841 Tithe Award shows John King as owner/occupier, aged 69, farmer, his wife Jane, aged 59, children William 30, Mary 25, Elizabeth 21, Charlotte 16. Jane Hurman, Elizabeth Young, aged 25, a servant; Elizabeth Ash, aged 19, a servant; and George Clark, aged 25, a servant.
1851 census William King, aged 41, farmer of 100 acres, his wife Sarah Wood, aged 38; Charlotte Parrott aged 22 and William Sellick, aged 21, who were probably servants.
There is no listing on the 1861 census for the Kings. William and his wife Sarah have moved to Dawlish in Devon, and his occupation is given as Landed Proprietor. He still held Kings Farm but was not living there.
1971 census John Pain, aged 45, farmer of 200 acres, employing 5 men and 2 boys. Jane, his wife, aged 37; children Albert 17, William 15, Matilda May 9, Clara Jane 7, Sydney ton 5, Edwin 3. George, his brother, aged 52. Owner King.
1881 census Albert Pain, aged 26, farmer of 106 acres; John Blower, father-in-law, retired farmer (ex Court Farm), aged 76; mother in law Hannah Blower, aged 72; Sarah Clist, aged 13, servant Owner, King.
1891 census William Pain aged 33; Fanny his wife, aged 23; Kathleen aged 2 and unnamed son. Theodora, aged 15, servant.
In 1903 the Revd. King still owned the parcel of land behind the farmhouse, so we assume he still owned the farmhouse at that time.
The Pain family farmed here until 1972.
In 1973 the present owners, the Normans, began farming here. An extension was made to the farmhouse c. 2000, giving it a west wing to complement the wing at the other end of the house.
Mill above King’s Farm
In 1650 a survey of land gives a John Stolle (this is probably a derivation of John of Stawell” as owning 2 acres of land where the mill standeth and all customary fruits to the mill [1]“. We know this was situated on the high land opposite Kings Farm, the site of which was obscured when the railway was built. The mill is also recorded in 1552 when a Johanna Wesse is presented to the Manor Court on a number of occasions for taking excessive toll from her mill. The mill has been dismantled by 1685, as witnessed by the surrender of a lease by Henry Stolle for 2 acres of land on which the windmill formerly stood.
Eastside Cottages, demolished c. 1930 Tithe No. 87
These cottages were situated just past the row of houses built originally for the Council. The site of these cottages stood where the garage buildings now stand and some remnants can still be seen there. Built by or for Joseph Varman, who had a lease from Jeffreys Allen in 1815 to erect a cottage in the waste belonging to Bawdrip Manor, 30 yards by 12 ft and Lea Close (the field behind) for 5s.
1841 census Joseph Varmen, aged 70 a carpenter, his wife Betty aged 65 and Mary aged 35.
1851 census Betty Varmen aged 77, born in Stawell
The property then gets divided into three and the 1861 census shows that no-one was living in the first cottage, Mary Linham, a widow, aged 56 was living in the second; and James Barnett, aged 48 a carpenter from Stawell, Sarah his wife, aged 48, and Mary Ann, their daughter aged 17, a dressmaker, were living in the third.
1871 census gives cottage 1 William Hoare, aged 65, a widower; cottage 2 Mary Linham, widow, aged 66; cottage 3 James Barnett, aged 58, a carpenter and Sarah his wife aged 58.
[1] It is also recorded in 1324 that there was a windmill at Bradney Manor, although we don’t know where this was situated, the obvious site would have been on the high ground behind Peasey Farm
The History Articles reproduced are owned and were researched and produced by Suzie Lewis and her father (now deceased), John Jenkins.
