Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the village and bounded by Hurst and the A303. Martock has a population of 4,766 and was historically a market town.West Country Genealogy
Martock Parish, Somerset

History

Etymology

Martock was known in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Mertoch''. It means ‘Rising bright from the shining sea’ from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

‘meretorht’. It was the property of Queen Edith (Eagdith), wife of Godwin and mother of Earl Harold (Harold II). By 1066 it was the property of Queen Edith, wife of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

. The word root ‘Mer-’ can also refer to ‘a boundary or shore line’ from the Old English ‘maere’. It is possible that the name included the Old English element ‘stoc’ meaning ‘by a lake’. An alternative theory to the origin of the name Martock comes from the

words "mart" meaning market and "ac" for oak. This might relate to an oak tree on the spot now occupied by the Market House or more precisely the column there. Ekwall suggested that the name derives from ‘merkestoc’ meaning ‘a place on a boundary’. However, Prebendary G.W. Saunders, vicar of Martock from 1917 to 1951, cites two more possibilities. Firstly, from Collinson, who wrote in 1790, that the name Martock is derived from ‘market oak’. But unfortunately Martock was not granted a market until 1247 and long before that it was called by this name. His second suggestion is that the name is derived from a Celtic personal name ‘Merti’, who gave his name to a settlement, hence Merti-oc, the settlement of Merti. Both of these seem to be flights of fancy. Bower Hinton was called ‘Hanton Mertoc’ in 1225 and ‘Burhenton’ in 1280. ‘Hinton’ meaning a poor enclosure, from the Old English ‘hean’ and ‘tun’. Newton means the new enclosure from the Old English ‘niwe’ and ‘tun’. The medieval hamlet of Newton, which lay between Bower Hinton and Hurst, was first referred to in 1327. Stapleton was first recorded in 1195. It means the steep enclosure from the Old English ‘steap’ and ‘tun’. Alternatively it may be from the Old English ‘stapel’ and ‘tun’, meaning ‘settlement by a post’.

Domesday book

Martock had a single entry in the Domesday book and expanded rapidly in the succeeding years to include dependent settlements at Bower Hinton, Hurst, Newton, Coat, Stapleton,

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

, Witcombe, Milton and

Long Load Long Load is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Yeo south of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 332. History Long Load was recorded as ‘Lade’ in the late 12th century and ...

, expanding between 1086 and 1302 from 89 tenants to more than 200. It was the only parish in the

Martock Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bow ...

Hundred.

Later history

In 1810 1,025 acres of common land were enclosed as a result of the Inclosure Acts. The village was once a junction on local branches of the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

, now dismantled.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council. The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, having previously been part of Yeovil Rural District. The district council is responsible for local planning and

building control Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, ligh ...

, local roads,

council housing Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...

, environmental health, markets and fairs,

refuse collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable m ...

and recycling,

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

and

crematoria Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county. On 1 April 2023 the county counc ...

is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education,

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

, libraries, main roads, public transport,

policing The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning. An

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

exists in the same name. Although ''Martock'' is the most populous area the ward stretches north to

. The total population of this ward taken at the 2011 census was 5,724. It is also part of the

Somerton and Frome Somerton and Frome is a constituency in Somerset represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by David Warburton, who was elected as a Conservative, but currently sits as an Independent after losing the Conservative whip in ...

county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Economy

Local businesses include arts and crafts (stonemasonry, woodworking, silversmithing) a reclamation yard, and a fish and chip shop. Historically a market town, these days a monthly farmers market is held in Martock.

Landmarks

The Treasurer's House is a National Trust-owned property built from hamstone during the 13th century. Notable dwelling houses include Church Lodge. Local places of interest include the

Burrow Hill Cider Farm Burrow Hill Cider Farm is a cider farm in Somerset, England at the base of Burrow Hill overlooking the Somerset Levels. It has views of most of South Somerset on clear days. The cider is made in traditional vats and uses age old traditional meth ...

. The

Parrett Iron Works The Parrett Iron Works was a series of industrial buildings next to the River Parrett, near Martock, Somerset, England. The site was originally named Carey's Mill, which had been used in the production of snuff, and the adjoining bridge is calle ...

was a series of industrial buildings next to the

River Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...

. The site was originally named Carey's Mill and the adjoining bridge is called Carey's Mill Bridge which was built of Ham stone in the 18th century. The Iron Works was founded in 1855, on the site of a former snuff mill. The site included a foundry, with a prominent chimney, ropewalk, workshops and several smaller workshops and cottages. The sluice which powered the waterwheel and sluice keepers cottage still exist. The hamstone Market House on Church Street was completed about 1785. It is a Grade II listed building. A grant of £190,000 was obtained from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the building and establish a community office on the ground floor in 2008. In front of the Market House is a Market Cross, also known as The Pinnacle, with a column which dates from 1741 with a fluted Tuscan order column, on a stepped plinth, which supports a ball

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

crowned with a wrought iron weathervane. Madey Mill is a Grade II* listed watermill with medieval origins. The current buildings date from the 17th century. It has suffered from a lack of maintenance and has been placed on the Heritage at Risk Register.

Religious sites

The Church of All Saints dates from the 13th century. It was acquired by the Treasurer of Wells Cathedral in 1227 and he became the rector and patron of the church. The church was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard ...

Benjamin Ferrey Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810–22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival. Family Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a draper who became Mayor of Christc ...

, who was architect to the Diocese of Bath and Wells from 1841 until his death, and also in 1883–84 by Ewan Christian. The tower was built in four stages, to replace the previous one over the central crossing. It has offset corner buttresses to the full height of the tower. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is said to be the second largest in Somerset and has unique carved wooden statues in the eaves.

Notable people

Arthur Lakes Arthur Lakes (December 21, 1844—November 21, 1917) was an American geologist, artist, writer, teacher and Episcopalian minister. He captured much of his geological and palaeontological field work in sketches and watercolours. Lakes is credited ...

(1844–1917) Born in Martock. Geologist, paleontologist, artist, writer, teacher and minister. Accidentally involved in the Bone wars (Great Dinosaur Rush).

References

External links

* Community website
Martock Online
* GENUKI

* The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey
Martock
by Miranda Richardson {{South Somerset Villages in South Somerset Civil parishes in Somerset