Local History
The story of St Cuthbert (Out) Parish Council
Map showing the Anglo-Saxon hundreds - an administrative area - including Wells Forum. (Map: Phelps, William - The history and antiquities of Somersetshire 1839.) St Cuthbert (Out) today covers what was a large part of the Wells Forum.
Beginnings:
Before the Norman Conquest, the Hundred of Wells Forum was one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, dating from the Anglo-Saxon era. Each hundred had a fyrd which acted as the local defence force, and a court which was responsible for the maintenance of the frankpledge system, a forerunner of the 'Hue and Cry' system of justice. The hundred also formed a unit for the collection of taxes.
The name Wells Forum was derived from the city of Wells, which lies within the hundred, to which was added the word Forum, referring to Wells' market place. The hundred of Wells Forum encompassed the ancient Forest of Mendip, which occupied the northern part; and extended to the south into the lowlands of East Sedgemoor.
Its neighbouring hundreds were Chewton to the north; Whitstone to the east; Glaston Twelve-hides to the south; and Bempstone and Winterstoke to the west. Two small rivers had their source within the hundred: the Wells and the Axe.
The hundred covered around 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) and included the parishes of Binegar, Cranmore West, Dinder, Evercreech, Litton, Priddy, Westbury and Wookey. Although the Hundred was never formally abolished, its functions ended with the establishment of county courts in 1867 and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894.
It's present form:
From 1866, the historic ecclesiastical parishof Wells St Cuthbert had been split into two, with the Wells St Cuthbert Out parish covering the area outside the city of Wells.
In 1933, the parish of Wells St Cuthbert In merged with the Liberty of St Andrews to become the civil parish of Wells.
(Source: Wikipedia)
HMSO map showing the division of parishes around Wells in 1917.
Parliamentary, urban district, rural district and civil parish boundaries around Wells in 1966.
Somerset, and particular routes to Wells, have been criss-crossed for thousands of years by pilgrims, tradesmen, travellers and residents.
William Camden found many historical links and evidence in his writings of his Somerset travels in 1607. He also explored the families with county links: the Mohuns, the Beauforts, the Seymours are just a few!
Find out what Daniel Defoe noted of the parish and area in the 1720s in his "Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, divided into circuits or journies"
From the Ordnance Survey Office, this revised map was published in 1903., showing the Great Western & Somerset & Dorset Joint Railways. It can be seen on visionofbritain.org.uk