Tag Archives: Fitzhead

History of Fitzhead

Fitzhead has been a farming village for centuries. The 15th Lord Sommerville (who owned Fitzhead Court and became President of the Board of Agriculture in 1798) introduced Merino Sheep from Spain into Britain and, amongst other developments, invented the double furrow plough.  He established experimental farms at Dean Farm and Manor Farm to test the most economical and profitable ways of farming and cultivating the soil.
On the death of the Sommerville line, the estate passed to Bishop Beadon, and then to his son Richard.  He sold most of the estate at auction but he retained Fitzhead Court and 87 acres.  In 1840 he sold this to Lord Ashburton (Alexander Baring the banker), MP for Taunton.  All the houses and every acre of land in the village were owned by the Ashburton Estate (except for the Rectory and Church Glebe lands and a few fields), and most of the villagers were tennants.  In the 1890s Barings Bank was in danger of collapse and the Ashburton estates were sold at auction.  Many of the villagers were then able to buy their own houses and land. In 1985 the Court was sold to George Stanton Wing and some lands (including the Tithe Barn) was sold to Simeon Berry, JP.  Berry died in 1908 and the Tithe Barn was sold for £100 to the Diocese of Bath & Wells for use as a village hall.

George and Nance Andrew moved to Fitzhead in 1926, a week before the birth of their son Brian Andrew.

Despite being staunch abstainers, they grew cider apples for the Taunton Cider company. Uncle Stan remembered taking cart loads of apples from Fitzhead to Norton Fitzwarren which was where Taunton cider was made until the mid (?) sixties.

They also made cider for their farm workers, in a cider cellar which was down outside stairs under the house. Although there is a story about a farm hand who overdid the availability and was sacked, shortly after they moved to Fitzhead and they may have stopped after that.

The children would earn money rat-catching, especially when they were thrashing out the corn ricks – catch the rats in some sort of mesh crate on the end of a stout poll and then put the end of the crate in the pond and watch them drown.

Granny cooked and baked, particularly double bakes, which were rolls, baked then cut in half and baked again, and sweet rolls. The kitchen was a traditional one, where hams were smoked in the chimney, there was a stockpot on the fire. Over the winter they would survive on cheese, preserved meat etc. Worth remembering at a time when everything must be eaten within three days of opening! John Andrew recalled that they didn’t have many vegetables, except lots of nettles in the spring.

Kelly’s Directory Somerset 1897

Fitzhead

7 farmers. (inc Jas Burston Corner at Manor Farm)

Agricultural implement manufacturer/farmer

Inn. Carpenters Inn

Vet

Land Agent

Blacksmith/post office

Thatcher

Inn/shopkeeper

Plumber and glazier

Chipstable

School for 65 children

Post Office/bootmaker

8 farmers

Farm bailiff

Shoe maker

Road contractor

Miller (water)/farmer/assessor of taxes

Agricultural implement manufacturer (Pool)

Grocer (Pool)

Photographic artist. Alfred James Pool

Carpenter (Pool)

Junior assistant overseer (Pool)

Baker, at Waterow

Police Constable

Blacksmith

Blacksmith/farmer/butcher

Mason

Inn. Rock Inn Waterow