Tyning

Tyning is a relatively common word  that appears in several  fields or farms in Somerset but it is not unique to county and the origin of the word is not clear. Wikipedia suggests to it is derived from a verb to  “enclose with a hedge or fence; to fence, to hedge in” given for the verb ‘tine’ or ‘tyne’ in the Oxford English Dictionary 2nd edition.  Another suggestion is that Richard Verstegan (aka Rowlands) who wrote  A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence (1605) gives the usages  as “Betyned. Hedged-about. {W}ee vse yet in some partes of England, to say tyning for hedging.” Dr Johnson’s dictionary refers to a Shakespearean definition meaning someone with little wit or intelligence.

There are several references in the 18th century churchwarden accounts  and poor law records to an estate  called Tyning or New Tyning in Chewton Mendip. Most of the records show that Mr Culliford was paying rates for the Tyning estate and that it as in the Town Tithing. These all point to it  (or them)  belonging to the Kingmills and William Kingsmill was listed as paying poor rates for New Tynings in 1764.

If they were Kingsmill fields, they may not be mentioned in the 1766 which only list Waldegrave properties but it is possible that the New Tyning fields were sold by the Kingsmills in 1785although it is not one of the fileds listed.

There were several fields that included the name ‘Tyning’ the 1840 tithe map but they were on the edge of the village, often near woodland, which supports the description of land beyond a boundary.

Some of the fields were which included the word Tyning in their name were between  Chew Down   and  Ston Easton so they are not shown on the on the 1794 map. This area  is generally described as being in the East End tithing.

Top Tyning on Mendip and Lower Tying on Mendip were next to Shooters Bottom in 1840 when they were owned by the Waldegraves and rented by James Selway. This supports the theory that the fields identified in 1840 a Top and Lower Tyning  were purchased by the Waldegraves from the Kingsmills at some time.