 Photograph by Alan Prime, 2005 |
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HIGHER BROUGHTON FARM, STOKE ST. MARY |
Photograph by Alan Prime, 2005 |
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 Photograph by Maurice Kirk. (1998) |
| Higher Broughton Farm formed part of the Bishop of Winchester's ownership
of much of the Manor of Taunton Deane. The Bishop's records began in 1208 and Higher
Broughton Farm has been identified as one of the 3 principal farms of 40 acres or more
in the parish at that time. Research in the early 1990's has dated the roof timbers of the farmhouse between 1265-1290. Source: See documents at SRO. |
| History on Higher Broughton Farm. |
| The name Higher Broughton Farm was only given in the course of the 19th century, and
the earlier name, Stoke Farm, is a better clue to the farm's origins and historical status.
Higher Broughton Farm was still known as its original name Stoke Farm in 1852 but by 1886 had
been renamed by the Harman family who then held it. The Harmans also held Broughton Farm,
and evidently invented 'Higher Broughton Farm' to show that both
farms were parts of a single estate. The ancient but discarded name 'Stoke Farm' was probably
adopted by Richard Thomas Drew in the later 19th century for the house in which his
descendants have lived ever since.
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 Photograph 1965. |
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As the earlier name implies, Higher Broughton Farm was evidently the major agricultural
holding at the centre of Stoke St. Mary, comparable in size and status to the out-lying
Broughton Farm, Stoke Court Farm, and Greenway Farm (Thurlbear). It is likely that all the
farms have early (pre-conquest) origins, and in the case of Greenway Farm, the evidence of
topography and a Saxon charter suggests a date before the mid-9th century. Higher Broughton Farm may thus have been one of several scattered pre-conquest farms within the area which was to become the parish of Stoke St. Mary. The nucleated village of Stoke St. Mary, on whose western edge the farm stands, developed only later, and was probably created as the result of a deliberate decision of the bishop's administration, possibly in the 12th century.
A village street was created and open fields laid out, one of which, Stoke Down, is still traceable in the area south of Higher Broughton Farm. The farmhouses lining the new village street all had their share in the lands of the open fields, but the suggested status of Higher Broughton Farm as the primary farm settlement at the middle of the parish was not challenged by these new arrangements. By the time the bishop's records begin in 1208, the area later known as the tithing of Stoke contained some 40 tenant holdings: over half of them were were of 15 'acres' or less, and only 3, the most important farms, were of 40 'acres' (a virgate). The 3 farms can be identified as Stoke Court Farm, Broughton Farm, and Higher Broughton Farm, all of them suggested above as primary settlements long pre-dating the nucleated village. The bishop of Winchester's accounting records, the Pipe Rolls, begin in 1208, and by lengthy research among them it might be possible to trace a line of ownership (or manorial tenancy) from the late 14th century. For present purposes, the line has been followed back no earlier than the beginning of the 16th century. the manorial description 'one messuage and one virgate (or yardland) of bondland in the tithing of Stoke' attached to the property throughout.
John More (or Atmore) junior held property in Stoke St. Mary by 1500 and by 1543-4 was in possession of Higher Broughton Farm. He married Alice, daughter of Robert Tedgole, in 1505-6, and in 1527-8 paid the customary 3s 4d to the lord of the manor when his daughter Agnes was married. in 1545-6, near the end of his life, he provided for his wife's widowhood by granting that she should have a right to the room called 'le Syderhous Chamber', food and clothing, and an annual sum of 26s 8d. it was no doubt intended that John's son, William Atmore, should so provide for his mother, and it was he who succeeded to the property on his father's death. He was in turn succeeded by his son John in 1567-8, who held the farm until 1596 when it was surrendered to his son William. In 1635 William More brought to an end the long tenure of the More family when he surrendered the farm to a London merchant, Thomas Boone.
1680 succeeded by his son and heir Charles Boone.
Richard Heaviside 111 of Brighton granted a 14 year lease of the farm to Charles Harman of Stoke St. Mary in 1852 at an annual rent of £170. the lease refers to 'buildings now in progress and agreed to be erected by...Richard Heaviside', and also to the thatching of buildings that had been leased. The farm was one of the acquisitions made by the Portman family during the later 19th century and remained in their possession until 1944 when the Somerset estate was sold to the Crown Lands (later Crown Estate) Commissioners in payment of death duties. The Crown Estate Commissioners remain owners of the farm today. Notable tenants this century have included Henry Harman, Richard Grabham and Ben Shepherd. Source: Tom Mayberry (1987) with permission of Bob and Val Tilley. |
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The Wedding of Ruth Tilley to Daniel Coomber |
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