People

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

History is about people and places and this page lists the families involved in the history of Chewton Mendip and the surrounding area. The traditional view of history was that it was limited to tedious dates of the reigns of the Kings and Queens or heroic actions of famous individuals. Some modern histories have gone to the other extreme and have either ‘dumbed down’ the subject or turned it into a sub-set of sociology. This web site attempts to prevent a balanced view of all sections of society involved in the history of Chewton Mendip and the surrounding area.   The acknowledgments page lists the other people who have contributed to this website.

A

Adams	The Adams family in appear in the records from the 16th century to the Victorian era and left their mark in features which may have been farms. Adams Corner, Adams Grove and Adams Lane are all examples.
Albert	The Albert family lived in the Old Vicarage during WW2.
Alford	The Alford family gave their name to Alfords Farm near Priddy.
Anstee/Anstey/Anstis	The Anstee family were a significant family in the 18th century and appear as Overseers and possibly builders. There were many variations of the spelling of family name.
Atthay	The Atthay family make a brief, but significant, appearance in the history of Widcomb.
Attwood	The Attwood family cover a long period in the history of Chewton mendip but the direct family link is not proven.
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B

Bartlett	The Bartllet family are recorded in the 18th century and at least one member of a branch of the family is still resident.
Bath	The Bath family first appear in the 18th century in the records of Chewton Mendip. The name may have been confused with the Batt family.
Batt	The Batt  family are first mentioned in the 18th century. A Mr J Batt was elected to chair the first meeting to decide the Parish Council elected under the Local Government Act of 1894. He also appears in a number of other records and was probably a wagon maker based in Kings Hill. There are two sets of gravestone for the Batts family in the ‘old churchyard’ of Chewton Mendip Church, both of them next to graves for the Curtis family showing a close family connection.
Battle	The Battle/Battell family appear in the records of Widcombe from 1611-1769 as farmers, overseers and apprentices . They also appear in the records of Chewton Mendip until the modern era. Members of the Battle family are shown and described in the page about Chew Hill.
Beach	Thomas Beach was the churchwarden in 1623 and Francis Beach was an overseer in the mid 18th century.
Beauchamp	The Beachamp or Bello Campo family were medieval lords of the manor.
Beaumont	The Beamonts were based in Ston Easton but held land in Chewton Mendip.
Bendall/Bendle	The Bendalls left their name in the village in farms and geographic featues such as Bendall’s Grove.
Bishop	The Bishop family have lived in the area since the medieval era.
Blackman	John Blackman’s estate was one of the estates taking apprentices in the 18th century. There are no other references to the Blackman family in the history of Chewton Mendip but there are references to people living in ‘Blackmans‘ in the Victorian era.
Blanning	The Blanning name can be traced back to the Medieval period and when through many variations of spelling of which Blanning and Blannin remain. It is now a rare name but it used to be quite common and widespread in the area.
Board	The Board family were prosperous farmers up to the 18th century.
Bonville	The Bonvilles were the medieval Lords of the Manor who lived in the village.
Boucher	The Boucher name may have evolved from Butcher but Boucher is a name that appears on the 1794 map.
Boyle	Major Boyle and his family lived in Chewton House at the end of the Victorian era.
Brown	The Brown family gae their name t a farm that hs now been abandoned..
Buckland	The Bucklands were land owners based in the Harptrees but they also owned land in Widcombe from the 16th century.
Bull	The Bull family were prosperous people in the 18th century.
Burge/Burges	The Burges  family have left their mark on the village in the name of Burge’s Coomb.
Bury	There is a single reference to John Bury who was an Overseer in 1670.
Butcher	Members of the Butcher family were identified as living in the village in Tudor times. The name may have evolved into Boucher
Braine	There is a single reference to Stephen Braine, who was a fuller, and his wife in 1770 who were probably living in Widcombe .
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C

Chappell/Chapple	A John Chappel was listed in a property document related to Chewton Mendip dated 1604. The variation on the spelling of the name identified different branches of the family by the 20th century but other variations appear in the historical record.
Church	The Church family can be traced back to the 18th century at least. Ken and his wife Ethel,  still live in the village. Miss Alice Phebe Harknett, the sister of Maurice Church’s first wife, was drowned in the Titanic.
Clark(e)	Various Branches of the Clark or Clarke families are linked to Chewton Mendip.
Clavey	The Clavey family were resident from the 18th to the 19th century at least.
Cook	Cook is one of the family names that may be traced back to the medieval period.
Corry	The Corry family held land in Chewton Mendip during the 18th century.
Cox/Cocks	The Cox family first appears in records about Chewton Mendip in the 17th century but earlier accounts of people with a similar name appear in earlier records.
Culliford	The Culliford family were playing a significant role in the 18th century but appear to have died out by the 20th century.
Cramphoine	A Mr Cramphoine makes an enigmatic appearance in the 18th century records.
Curtis	The Curtis family can be traced back to the Tudor period in the area. A website provides further information. www.boddyparts.co.uk
Cutler	It is possible that the Cutler family gave their name to Cutlers Green cross roads.
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D

Dagg/Dagge	See Tegg.
Dalimore	The Dalimores were a substantial family in the 18th century.
Dashwood	The Dashwoods held an annuity on income from rectory land in 17th and 18th centuries.
Denning	The Denning family contribute to the history of Chewton Mendip as butchers and cricketers.
Dowling	Members of the Dowling family are referred to from the end of the 17th century to the modern era.
Drakeford	The Re David Drakeford was the Vicar from 1855 to 1858.
Drial	The Drial or Dryal family were significant in the 17th and 18th centuries and have left their mark in the village in Drials Lane.
Dudden	The Duddens are recorded in the 17th century records and remained in the village until 1977.
Dwelly	Dwelly’s transcriptions helped maintain the record of births, deaths and marriages in Somerset.
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E

Edgell	Edgells are mentioned as tenants in Emborough in 1580 and a branch of the family gave Edgehill Farm in Widcombe its name.
Eglesfield	The Eglesfields were residents in the village, probably from the Tudor period until the 18th century.
Emery	The Emery family may have only lived on the edge of the village for a short while but one of their descendants still lives in the village today,
Exon	The Exon family may have come from Almonsdbury but were residents in Chewton Mendip in the 18th century.
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F

Ferris	The Ferris’s were occupying farmland in the 1840s but they may not have been residents.
Fear	The Fear family are mentioned in connection with Widcombe between 1766 and 1840.
Field	Richard Felde (Field) was a miller in Widcombe in 1462
Fillis	The Fillis/Filer/Phills were occupying land upto the end of the 18th century.
Flower	Flower is a relatively common name  in the area since the 17th century.
Franks	The Frank family were probably fullers in Widcombe in the middle to late 18th century.
Frapwell	The Frapwell/Frappell were a family that featured in the history of several villages..
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G

Gait	The Gait family have played a role in the history of Radstock and Chewton Mendip.
Gane	The Ganes may be best remembered as shopkeepers but George Gane was also a farmer and war hero.
Gay	The Gay family appear in the records for Widcombe in the 18th century. The name was sometimes written a Gray and may have been confused with Grey.
George	No records of a births, deaths or marriages for the George family have yet been found but there was an estate called George’s in the 18th century.
Gillard	One branch of the Gillards have ben in the area since the 17th century.
Gold	The family name of Gold or Golde shares the same as Gould.
Goldfinch	Eliza Mary Goldfinch was described as living at Chewton Priory when she was buried in High Littleton in 1816.
Gould	Gould or Goold probably started as Golde  and was used interchangeably with Gold.
Green	Green is a name that appears in the early history of the area but the current family moved to Chewton Mendip in 1928. Refer to the page dedicated to the Green families.
Grey	The Greys were lords of the manor in the Tudor period.
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H

Habgood	The Habgoods appeared in the 19th century and were very significant members of society for about 100 years .
Hale	Hale  may be a variation of Heal or Hill.
Halston	Thomas Halston left 16d (16 old pence or about 6p) to help build the Church Tower in 1541. Variations of the name like Hailstone continue to appear to the 18th century
Hart	The 18th century Hart family were unusual in that they owned some land and may have had the money to build what would them have been an impressive house which is now known as Lynch Cottage. It is not known if the Hart family currently living in th village are related.
Haskins	See Hoskins.
Heal	Various forms of the name ‘Heal’ appear in the records dating back to the medieval period. There is a page in this website dedicated to the Heal family.
Hewish	Hewish is one of several ‘old’ families that has gone through several variations of spelling.
Hill	Hill is one of the names that appears in several forms in the history of the village.
Hippisley	Although Lords of the Manor of the neighboring villages of Ston Easton and Emborough, the Hippisley family were also played a significant part in the history of Chewton Mendip. The www.boddyparts.co.uk  website provides more information.
Hodges	The Hodges family made a significant impact in the 18th century
Holbrook	The Holbrook family were residents in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Hoskins	The Hoskins were farmers in the 18th century.
House	The House family were farmers in the 18th century and left their name on fields shown on the 1794 map.
Huish	See Hewish.
Hunt	A branch of the Hunt family were wealthy people in the 18th century. The family may have been in the area since medieval times.
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I

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J

James	The James‘ were farmers in Chewton Mendip and another branch were wealthy land owners.
Jenkins	One branch of Jenkins family were wealthy landowners in Hampshire and Somerset with strong links to the church but another branch of the Jenkins family also appear in the historical records.
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K

King	The King family played a significant role in the 18th century.
Kingsmill	The Kingsmills owned most of the centre of the village from the Tudor period up to 1848.
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L

Lasbury	Lasbury may be a variation of Laspor.
Lasper	The Lasper/Laspor  or Lasbury family appear in the 18th century poor law records.
Lords of the Manor	The lords of the manor have been the Waldegraves since the Tudor period
Loxton	Loxton is one of the earliest family names associated with the area. .
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M

Magg	See Mogg.
Manners	Roger Manners briefly owned the rector lands of Chewton Mendip.
McMutrie	The McMutrie family made a very significant impact on the history of Chewton Mendip.
Melhuish	Thomas Melhuish may never have lived in the village but he bought a farm at a significant period.
Middle	Middle is a name that appears in the Medieval era but it could have described the person’s stature, where they lived or some other feature. There were several branches of the Middle family in Chewton Mendip and surrounding villages.
Miles/Myles	Various names that could have evolved into ‘Miles’ appear in the medieval records of the area. The Miles family of the mid 18th century were significant people combining the role of overseers and estate manager for the Hippisley family. Member of what was the original Miles family continue to appear in the records up to the modern era but the current Miles family who live in the village come from the south east.
Mogg	Some members of the Mogg or Magg family were prosperous landowners but there were also branches of the family involved in a rage of activities.
Moor[e]	One branch of the Moor[e] family were local landowners and an Anglo-Irish  branch married into the Kingsmill family. This branch may be connected to the Loxton family.
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N

Norris	Although relative newcomers to the village, the Norris family are part of the living history of the village.
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O

Oakes	The Oakes are a featured family.
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P

Palmer	The Palmer family first appear in the 17th century and were still living in the village in the 20th century.
Parfitt	John Parfitt was the Waldegraves agent in the Victorian era.
Payne	The  Payne or Pain family are first identified in the area in the early 18th century and there are records of several branches of the family in the area. Payne’s Pond is probably named after them.
Pearce(Pearse/Pierce)	The Pearce family first appear as residents of Chewton Mendip in the 18th century when they were prosperous enough to serve on juries. A number of variations of spelling of the name and there was a William Pearce and A William Pearse listed as the father of children at Chewton Mendip school in the Victorian era. There may have been two of them or they could have been the same person. Some records uses the Pierce spelling.
Peppard	Joseph Peppard, moved to Chewton Mendip in the early 20th century after returning from America. Some of his descendents still live in the village.
Perkins	Various branches of the Perkins family are listed in the history of Chewton Mendip.
Phelps	The Phelps family feature in th history of Emborough and East End.
Plaister	The Plaister family were a significant family in Chewton Mendip until they left in the 18th century.
Ponting	The Ponting family  are first identified in the 18th century . A member moved to Swallow Pits Farm and appear in the crickett article.
Purnel	The Purnel family were first listed in the medieval era.
Prior	The Prior family were introduced to Chewton Mendip via marriage to the Speed family.
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Q

Quarles	Edmund Quarles was the vicar of Chewton Mendip during a significant time in the history of the village.
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R

Robbins	The Robbins family were reasonably prosperous farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries
Roberts	The Roberts family appear in the 18th century. George Roberts was an overseer who was farming the vicarage lands at the turn of the 19th century.
Rosewell	The Rosewell name may have evolved into any one of several variations of Rousell, Rusell or even Reeves.
Roynan	The Roynans only make a few, but relatively significant, appearances in the history of the village.
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S

Sage	The first record so far identified for the Sage family is 2/3/1640 when Henry Collyar married Joan Sage in Chewton Mendip. This family probably gave their name to Sage’s farm.
Salvidge	Salvidge and other variations of the name can probably be traced back to a family called Savage living in the area in the 18th century and earlier.
Scobell	The Scobells were residents if not owners of Chewton House in the 19th century.
Scott	Members of the Scott family appear in the records of Chewton Mendip and it is beleived that the name evolved from Scutt.
Scutt	The Scutt family were prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries and left their mark in the village as the name of the small hill overlooking Chew Head called Scutts Hill. The name may have transformed into Scott.
Sealy	Sealy and Selway may have been the same family at one time but Sealy was established as a separate name by the Victorian era.
Secombe	The Secombe family held land in Chewton Mendip in the 18th century.
Selway	The Selway family came to prominence in the 18th century as farmers and builders. The name was sometimes spelt Sealy.
Smith	Smith is a name that is common nationally but relatively rare locally.
Spear	The Spear/Speer ,or other variations of the name, were a family that was mentioned in the 17th to 1th century records of Chewton Mendip
Speed	Some members of the Speed family can be traced back to the Speed from Ansford, Castle Carey who moved to Farrington Gurney sometime in the late 18th century.
St John	The  St John family moved to the village in 1929 and have been here ever since.
Stocker	The Stockers are a local family.
Strode	The Strode family were based in the Glastonbury area but had some involvement with Chewton Mendip.
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T

Taswell	Taswell is a family which had a significant role in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Tegg	The name Tegg may share the same source as Dagg.They were a significant family in the earlier history of several villages.
Thiery	The estate Louis Thiery shared with Widow Chelve ? was valued at £3, 10s. The date is probably about 1784. He may have come from Chew Stoke and may have lived in Widcombe.
Thistle	Thissol, Thrisell or a number of other variatios may have been variations on the Taswell family name which evolved into Thistle.
Till-Adam	Two Nathanial Till-Adams, probably father and son,were clergymen during the civil war period
Tredaway	George Tredaway was the head master at Chewton Mendip school from 1867 to 1892. He recorded census details as well as school attendance during his term and conducted som statistical analysis which has significance beyond the education topic. He also raised a substantial family in the school house.
Tucker	Various members of the Tucker family appear throughout the history of Chewton Mendip.
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U

Uphill	The first reference to Uphills in Chewton Mendip was in 1770 when William Uphill was renting a cottage in Bathway from Robert Kingsmill. Uphills are still in the village and run an agricultural engineering business at Nedge. The name used to be pronounced ‘upple’.
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V

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W

Waldegrave	The Waldegraves have ben lords of the temporal manor of Chewton Mendip since Tudor times
Watts	Watts, or variations of the name, appear in the records of the area from the mediaval period to the present.
Webb	Various branches of Webbs family are featured in the history of Chewton Mendip.
Wookey	At lest one branch of the Wookey family were living in Chewton Mendip in the 18th century and  there were members of a branch of the family living in the village within living memory.
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X

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Y

York	The York or Yorke family were very significant in the 18th century.
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Z

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