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Hillfarrance History
Hillfarrance - 1930 On the 17th May 1937 the thatched property belonging to the Lovell family burnt to the ground, it was rebuilt minus the thatch. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ISAAC HAWKINS? We have received pictures of a longcase clock by Isaac Hawkins of Hillfarrance. This clock has been passed down through the first male of a local family together with the story that it was purchased by the family living then at Crowcombe and that it was collected from Hillfarrance to give to his bride on the morning of their wedding. Records suggest that they married at Crowcombe in 1803 which doesn't tie in with the 1760's to 1770's; whereas the hands of the clock and the brass face suggest that it was manufactured before 1770 which would tie in with Isaac Hawkins. Conflicting stories have been received about the making of these clocks. Some say the clock and case would have been made in full by the person whose name is on the dial. Others that he would have purchased the mechanism and had it engraved with his name and then built the case. Does anyone know better?
An Extract from 'A popular Histroy of West Somerset 1893' Hillfarrance is a small parish and village, situated 4 miles west of Taunton and 3.1/2 miles North East of Wellington station. It was formerly called Hille, afterwards Hulle-Ferun, and derives it's second name from the Ferun family, the word being afterwards corrupted into Farrance. At the time of the Norman survey by William I. it was thus described:- "Walter holds of Alured Hille... Alvi held it in the time of King Edward......There is a mill of 30d rent. It was worth £3 now £2." The manor for years belonged for some time to a family named Ferun or Feron above mentioned. ................................ Hillfarrance (from an article in Somerset Life, July 2002) In 1884 Hillfarrance was amalgamated with Nynehead Milverton and Oake for civil purposes. Principal landowners were Edward A Sanford and Lord Ashburton and a large number of tenant farmers are recorded. James Crocker at the Anchor Inn was a builder and John Ware a beer retailer with James Ware as wheelwright and blacksmith. Levi Hawkins advertised as a miller and Charles Baker as a butcher. The newly opened Victory Inn catered for the passing trade on the Grand Western Canal. Post arrived by 'foot messenger' from Taunton until 1923 when a post office opened at Hillfarrance with Mrs Dyte as Sub Post Mistress. The water mill still operated with William Allercott as 'water miller' and Walter Ware followed his father at the forge but abandoned the dying craft of wheelwright and supplemented his income by farming. Edwin Way the village thatcher was also a shopkeeper. In 1931 the population had dropped to 309 as crafts and trades disappeared. In 1939 Hillfarrance became the home of the Culmstock Otterhounds with Captain A C H Wright-Boycott as master.There were 12 couples of hounds hunting on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The best waters for hunting were the Axe the Otter the Exe and the Tone . Taunton Exeter and Axminster were convenient centres and Norton Fitzwarren was the nearest railway station to the kennels. Waterman's, Frog Street, Hillfarrance. The Bungalow This was the news: On the 15th July 1901 The Druids Club ‘walked’ to day, they attended a service at 9.45a.m. On the 18th May 1904 the local lodge of the Druids club, ‘The Loyal Anchor Lodge’ – ‘walked’ today having previously attended a Service in the church at 10.00 o’clock. The Vicar preached on 1Timothy v. 8. The service consisted of Shortened Matins. Ps. 125. Lesson 2 Thessalonians III. Hymns 165 and 512. We know that the United Ancient Order of Druids ‘Loyal Anchor Lodge No. 754’ met every Monday. On the 13th January 1908 the Trustees of the Lodge were Major Elton, C. Norman and J. Hayman. The Treasurer was Mr. J. Baker and there were 72 members at that time.
JOHN WESLEY AT HILLFARRANCE 1750 - 1765 The question has often been asked; "Why ever did John Wesley go to Hillfarrance?" It has never been answered, and this is an attempt to do so. Subsequent meetings took place in private houses, including for many years that of David Burford, a poor weaver who lived near Magdalene Street. But it was a mixed society and included the Superintendent of Excise, the Squire of Fivehead, and a gentleman farmer from Creech Saint Michael. Those from outlying districts rode in Sunday by Sunday. Under Friday, 3rd September 1750, Wesley wrote in his Journal: "About noon I preached at Hillfarrance, three miles from Taunton. Three or four boors would have been rude if they durst; but the odds against them was too great." And what were the odds against them? If the 18th century equivilant of the tabloid press is anything to go by, here is a clue: It comes from the Western Flying Post of 24th September 1750 - only three weeks after Wesley's visit. "They write from Hillfarrance, near Wellington that the Methodists there are so numerous and grown to such a height of impudence that the Minister cannot go in peace to and fro the Church for them. They do often insult him in a very indecent manner; and particularly on Sunday the 11th instant when he was going from Church, he was stopped and beset by a gang of them, who abused him to a high degree, insomuch that one of them said, The Church should not stand long, for that he himself would put a help in hand to pull it down. These with many other imprecations, makes the Minister almost afraid of going to church to perform Divine Service." Make of that what you will, it makes it very clear that there were Methodists in Hillfarrance. In the County Record Office in Taunton can be seen a request for a Meeting House Licence by: "Isaac Hawkins of Hillfarrance, Carpenter, the owner of a new brick house in the Green." The Application is signed by: This is dated 5th October 1764 Isaac Hawkins Also in the Record Office, dated also in 1764, is a large and splended document being the deeds for the same premises. In summary, it is between Isaac Hawkins of Hillfarrance, Joiner, and nine Trustees who include Abraham Waterman, the last signatory of the application for a Meeting House Licence. The building is described as "a dwelling house situate, lying and adjoining the churchyard in the parish of Hillfarrance," and to be sold to the Methodists "in consideration of five shillings lawful money of Great Britain," permitting - "John Wesley, late of Lincoln College, Oxford, Clerk, and such other persons as he shall from time to time appoint...............to preach and expound God's Holy Word. ................................And after his decease the Trustees shall permit Charles Wesley, late of Christ Church College, Oxford, Clerk, and such other persons as he shall appoint to enjoy the said premises for the purposes as are appointed at the yearly conference of the people called Methodists shall enjoy the said premises and preach no other doctrine than is contained in Mr. Wesley's Notes on the New Testament and Four Volumes of Sermons." Here's a turn up for the book! A building in Hillfarrance, snug in the shadow of the parish church of the Holy Cross, vested in the names of the two Wesley brothers, one the founder of Methodism, the other, arguably the finest hymn-writer in the English language! Twelve years later, in 1776, Wesley was in Taunton to open the new - and the first - preaching house in Taunton: the Octagon in Middle Street. It must be noted that Hillfarrance had its own Methodist preaching house twelve years before Taunton - and 21 years before Wellington. When the Octagon was opened, two of the trustees named were Isaac Hawkins and Abraham Waterman - both of Hillfarrance, and already mentioned. And so the mystery of why Wesley went to Hillfarrance can be explained. He went because two of his Taunton members lived there. Hawkins using his own house for meetings in the village. Wesley's Journal shows that he visited the homes of other members of his Taunton Society who lived in outlying villages and which were used for preaching. By 1771 the membership at Hillfarrance was 16 - a healthy total against 21 in Taunton. The quarterly contribution from Hillfarrance was twelve shillings. By 1782 no more membership figures were entered in the Circuit Book but the quarterly contribution had dropped by nine shillings. By 1795 it was three shillings, and the following year entered at £0. 0. 0. The Deeds contain two added notes which throw partial light on what happened. 1793 "Isaac Hawkins and Abraham Waterman are the only remaining Trustees. Thomas Cattel of Hillfarrance is the person to whom it is to be sold. The sum he is to give is 20 pounds." 1815 " The house at Hillfarrance ceased to be used as a Preaching House in 1793 and has been let to a different occupiers since 1794. The present occupier is Robert Jennings." As the building was sold in 1993 and the name Hillfarrance appeared in the list of meeting places in the Circuit Book until 1796 it seems that the dwindling society went back to meeting in private houses. Another puzzle is produced by the Preaching Plans. The earliest known to exist are in the Temple Methodist Church, Taunton. The first is dated 1817. Seventeen preaching places are mentioned but as expected, not Hillfarrance. The next is dated 1827 with 19 places, one of them being Hillfarrance. These were Wesleyan Plans. In 1815 an independent Methodist movement known as the Bible Christian Methodists started in North Devon. Their preachers were soon in Kingsbrompton near Dulverton, and before long they had sent preachers to Wiveliscombe, and Croford, Milverton and to Hillfarrance. A chapel was built immediately behind the Anchor Inn alongside the stream. They also built a chapel at Hillcommon, and the names Hawkins and Cattel appear again. But the story of the Bible Christians in Hillfarrance is another story!
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