Hemington, Somerset Beggars Bush 1840

The Hemington site is a field a few hundred metres away from the Lullington/Laverton site along the line of Portway to the north. It is a lone exposed field, in the next valley, two fields away from the road. The parish boundary between Hemington and Laverton is a brook, not easy to cross.

The origin on the name in Hemington is clear from the names of the adjacent fields in the Tithe Survey, which tell of poor land; Gutter Land, Poor or Little Mead Portway, Long Bush, Poor Tyning, Little Poor Tyning, Cuckoo’s Nest or King’s Meadow. Indeed the parish of Hemington offers an almost complete range of derogatory field names, from the straightforward, (e.g., Biggs Poor Ground, Sinklands, Dismal Down, Poor Ground, Little & Great Bramble Hill, Well Use and Cats Tails, Poor Fields, Sparrow Bills, Little Slough, and Great Slough), to the ironical, (e.g., Twerton Revel, Strong Mans). In addition to the Beggars Bush are Irendell Bush, Briers Close, 6 Acre Bushy Ground, and Blackthorn Hedge, (and many other hedges). It is likely that these recorded the poor quality of the land, which is confirmed in neighbouring Laverton by a survey.

At the time of the Tithe Survey this Beggars Bush was owned and occupied by M Dovell, who also owned and occupied several adjoining fields including Long Bush, . The Laverton Beggars Bush was also owned and occupied by Mary Dovell at this time, and the earlier 1807 Conveyance of that was to Jacob Dovell. It is clear from the Burton map of Lullington that the Dovell’s were significant landowners in that parish.

I have not been able to trace the name to any earlier date but there are few records for the parish before the Tithe Survey.

Grid ST762531

Tithe Award no.389

Thanks

Phil Quinn, Frome Musuem

Posted: March 19th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Frome, Hemington, Laverton, Lullington, Somerset, derogatory | No Comments »