1821

1821 saw the birth of their third child, Carolyn ; they now had two girls and one boy. It was also the year that John served as Overseer of the Poor. Professionally it was one of the more diverse years. He was heavily involved in inclosure work particularly at Chilfrome, but was also working on a wide range of landed estates, mapping them, valuing them and arranging their sale ; he was also in his third year as Steward to the Lord of the Manor of Rampisham, Mrs Daniells. The diary opens however with details of his work at Wraxall which is not otherwise mentioned in this diary.

The inside of the 1821 diary

Wraxall Glebe
Arable Plot	Js Curtis	£39 0 0 pd [paid]	20 0 0
Higher Ten Acres & Moor	Js Curtis
Acre and half	Wm Curtis	£4 12 0 pd	4 12 0
Higher Five Acres	Ploughman	£13 10 0
Lower Ten Acres	Jacob Bridle	£27 0 0 pd	12 10 0
		£84 2 0
Let Thomas Beater two Lots of the Hill at 38£

Wraxall Glebe 1821
Mr Plowman for the acre & half		£4 12 0
James Curtis Ten acres Moor & Barton		£38 0 0
Wm Curtis the Five acres		£13 10 0
Lower ten acres Hay Js Curtis Aftergrass Wm Henning		£15 17 6 £2 17 6
		£74 17 0

Mowing by hand with a scythe did not result in a close cut. The Hay crop for Lower Ten acres at Wraxall was worth £15 17s6d but the grass left behind – the after grass- was used to feed cattle after the harvest. If the meadows were used for ‘common pasture’ the commoners would be allocated strips of meadow from which they would be able to take the hay. After this the field would be ‘broken’ to allow access by the commoners cattle. Most parishes had strict rules as to who was entitled to the grazing, as to when the fields could be ‘broken’ and when the cattle had to be removed to protect next years hay crop. In this case however the after grass was of a single field belonging to the rector glebe land and a solitary villager had the right, for the sum of £2 17s 6d to graze his cattle their after the harvest. Disputes occasionally arose about the depth of cut made in the grass. At Child Okeford the rector took a farmer to court accusing him of not cutting the grass hard enough. He alleged that the amount of hay [from which he would claim his tithe] was reduced thereby. As it happens he lost the case but we can see the temptation placed in the farmer’s way; the after grass was not titheable.

The next page starts off with an interesting note ,“240 bricks to one perch 14 brick wall”. Strictly speaking a perch is an area of land rather than a length. However as a perch was a square rod and a rod was a unit of length [5 ½ yards] he may have used the term perch and rod interchangeably. Next comes a record of who bought the tithe hay for the year.

Lot	Name	Amount	Deposit	Remaining
1	S Brake	£15 0 0		15 0 0 pd
2	Messrs Willy & Watts	£18 2 6	5 0 0	13 2 6 pd
3	Mr Watts	£10 0 0	3 0 0	7 0 0 pd
4	Mr Ireland	£7 5 0	2 0 0
5	Richard Ellis	£6 2 6	6 2 6 all paid
6	Mr Stickland	£8 5 0	2 0 0	6 5 0 reced
7	Mr Tucker Shaw	£1 15 0	Sold to J Chubb @ 35s
8	Butcher Morris	£1 7 0	1 0 0	0 7 0 reced
9	L Dunford Frith	£1 11 0	0 11 0	1 0 0 reced
10	R Swatridge	£1 11 6	0 11 6	1 0 0 reced
		£70 19 6	20 5 0

He then records the sale of wool, from which it appears that he sold about 20 packs of wool.

Wool 1821

82 Fleeces & Lambs wool at 1s per lb [imperial pound weight]

1 Pack weight @ 29 ½ lb

Date	Diary Entries for 1821	Accounts entries	Notes.
	January
1^st -2^nd January 1821	Plotting Chilfrome	Cash in hand £7 7s 3d	The Act to inclose Chilfrome was passed in 1814 but clearly took some time to get started.
3^rd^–4^th January 1821	Working upon Jobs for Mr W J – L^d I		WJ = William Jennings Jnr. Ld I = Lord Ilchester. This is the first entry where he records working for Lord Ilchester.
5^th– 6^thJanuary 1821	Plotting Chilfrome	£3 10s Reced one Y^rs Rent of my Land on Frome Hill due Michas last	Michaelmas is the 29^th September. Frequently bills were paid late. This is the first record of him owning land. Frome Hill is south of Dorchester which is a strange location for him to own land. It is not heard of again.
7^th January 1821	At Home
8^th– 11^th January 1821	Plotting Chilfrome
12^th January 1821	Rent day at Evershot Went to Yeovil with my Cows but did not sell		Similarly this is the first reference in the diaries to farming.
13^th January 1821	Plotting Chilfrome
14^th January 1821	At Home
15^th^–16^th January 1821	Plotting Chilfrome	Brought forward £10 17s 3d Paid Mr Trenchards Meat Bill for one Yr £23 14s 8d Pd Mrs Martin to pay Bills £10 0s 0d Pd Brett Tailor £2 14s 6d Pd Ways Bill for Lead for Gutter &c £1 6s 7d Pd Mrs Martin to pay Bills £3 Pd Thompkins for Meat 11s Pd for Picture Frame £2 8s 6d Pd 2 weeks keep for Edwin 12s Pd Man bringing Cows back from Yeovil 2s 6d	He was either feeling flushed or guilty when he paid his meat bill a year late. Martin married in 1816 and we see him paying his wife, Mary, two amounts £10 and then £3 to pay domestic bills. Edwin was born in 1820 and baptised in June of that year. Why did he need to pay for two weeks “keep” and what did it involve. Although he did not sell his cows at Yeovil he still had to pay for them to be brought back.

January 1821 was an expensive month for Martin with over £40 pounds [£2300+ in modern values] being paid out for a variety of reasons. At at time when agricultural labourers subsisted on bread and little else he spent £23 + on meat. Almost a years wages for an ‘ag lab’. It is not clear why he spent 12s on ‘keep for Edwin’.

17^thJanuary 1821	Do. Preparing Vellum for Ld Eldon’s Maps		He got his days wrong in these entries.
18^thJanuary 1821	Do. Taking off Ld Eldon’s Maps on Vellum	£10 Reced of Willm Thompkins for a Cow
19^th -20^thJanuary 1821	Do.
21^stJanuary 1821	At Home
22^ndJanuary 1821	Plotting Chilfrome
23^rdJanuary 1821	Preparing Vellum for Ld Eldon’s Plans		According to Wikipedia John Scott, a lawyer and politician was created Earl of Eldon in the “County Palatine of Durham” in 1821 and then bumped up to Viscount Encombe in Dorset. Encombe House is near the village of Kingston. Presumably Martin was working on Estate maps for him.
24^thJanuary 1821	Taking of Do.
25^thJanuary 1821	Sale of Timber at Ransom Working upon Ld Eldon’s Plans	£9 Reced of Ralph Swatridge and Wm Thompkins for Cows	Martin usually refers to Rampisham as Ransom. The text explains why.
26^thJanuary 1821	Went to Ransom & divided the Large Allts [Allottments] on the Hill into three Pieces –
27^thJanuary 1821	Making Ld Eldon’s Fair Maps
28^thJanuary 1821	At Home
29^th-31^stJanuary 1821	Making Lord Eldon’s Maps

John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon studio of Sir Thomas Lawrence oil on canvas, circa 1828, based on a work of 1826 NPG 464© National Portrait Gallery, London Creative Commons Licence.

The Encombe estate; surveyed by John Martin in 1821.

	February
1^st – 3^rd February 1821	Do.	Reced of John Vine in part of Potatoe Land due Michas 1820 } pd 7d	Potatoe lands are dealt with in the section on farming.
4^thFebruary 1821	At Home
5^th -6^thFebruary 1821	Working Lord Eldons’ Map
7^thFebruary 1821	Making Sketches of Pen for Sir Rd Hoare Faintly in pencil Begun loaves from Ransom 2 a week.	Pd Mr Daws Bread Bill } £3 2s	Sir Richard Colt Hoare owned Stourhead and Penselwood. He was famed for being an antiquarian and archaeologist. He was to die in 1838 aged 70 yr’s.
8^thFebruary 1821	Do.	Pd Thompkins for Meat 4s 8d
9^th– 10^thFebruary 1821	Making Lord Eldon’s Plans
11^thFebruary 1821	At Home
12^th– 15^th February 1821	Making Sketch of Silverton for Mr Wm Jennings	Pd Smiths Bill of Ransom for Beans &c £2 5s 9d	This was probably for land owned by the Earl of Ilchester.
16^th– 17^th February 1821	About Ld Eldons Maps	Pd for Coals £1 14s Dogs Chain 2s 8d	He kept several dogs for Hare Coursing and they occasionally get a mention in the diaries. Of his most important animals – horses there is no mention at all.
18^thFebruary 1821	At Home
19^thFebruary 1821	Made Plan of Laverstock for Lord Holland	Brought Forward Received £38 3s 3d Paid £69 6s 10d	Henry Vassall Fox 3^rd Baron Holland was a Whig Politician. This was a part of an estate sale at Laverstock near Salisbury.

Henry Richard Vassal Fox 3rd Lord Holland. Taken by author at National Portrait Gallery.

20^thFebruary 1821	Do. and went to Farmer Comdens Sale	Purchased Barrener £8	A barrener is/was a cow that had been mated but is not in calf.
21^stFebruary 1821	Went to Ransom &c
22^ndFebruary 1821	Went to Hardington respg Fence Farm Common &c		This is Hardington Mandeville in Somerset. Martin was one of two valuers to apportion the tithe rent-charge in 1841. How he came to be involved in the parish in the first place is not known.
23^rd– 24^th February 1821	Making Sketch of Chilfrome for Valuing	Reced of Bitha [sic] Colmer in part for rent due May 1820} pd 18s 6d	Who Bitha Colmer was is not known.
25^thFebruary 1821	At Home
26^th February 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure receiving claims	£11 4s Reced of Miller & Way for a Cow Pd for Garden Seeds 3s
27^th February 1821	Do. Ransom Hay Sale	Pd for Veal 3s Pd for Bullock Heart 1s	The entry for the Bullock Heart is unique. Udal in his ‘Dorsetshire Folk-Lore’ notes that a Bullocks heart placed in the chimney was the usual remedy to prevent witches and fairies entering the house.

The entry for the Bullock Heart is unique. Udal in his ‘Dorsetshire Folk-Lore’ notes that a Bullocks heart placed in the chimney was the usual remedy to prevent witches and fairies entering the house. This being their usual portal of entry.

28^th February 1821	Do.
	March
1^stMarch 1821	Do.	Pd my Share of Bill at the Acorn on Chilfrome £1 7s 6d Lost at Cards 6s Pd Mrs Martin on acct £1 Pd Plowman for Bran &c £2 7s 6d
2^ndMarch 1821	Finishing Laverstock Returned &c
3^rdMarch 1821	Making Lord Eldon’s Plan
4^thMarch 1821	At Home
5^thMarch 1821	Went to Chilfrome Staking Allottments	£9 Received Miller & Way for a Barrener Paid for Meat 13s 6d Gave to luck 1s
6^thMarch 1821	Making Lord Eldon’s Maps	Paid Mr J Jennings for Jacobs C Keaper 12 s 6d
7^th -9^thMarch 1821	Do.	Paid for a Cow and Calf £11 11s 0d
10^thMarch 1821	Measuring Trenching at Ransom
11^th March 1821	At Home
12^thMarch 1821	Went to Beaminster	Pd for errands and Shoeing Horse 3s
13^thMarch 1821	Went to Stoke respg Poors [sic] Rate Slept at Woodstreet		This is East Stoke. Woodstreet farm, owned by the Jesty family with whom the Martin’s were friendly, was close by.
14^th-17^thMarch 1821	Do.	Pd for Pencil and Rubber 1s 6d Expenses at Dorchester 1s 6d Paid for Shrub 5s 6d Gave Servant at W. Street 2s
18^thMarch 1821	At Home
19^thMarch 1821	Making Stoke Poors Rate		We would call it the Poor Rate i.e. the rate for the Poor. They often called it the Poors rate i.e. the rate belonging to the poor. A subtle difference.
20^th -21^st March 1821	Do.	£50 Reced of Mr William Jennings a Years Salary due Michaelmas 1820 Paid Mr Wm Jennings 5 Years Insurance of my House up to Xmas 1821* £7 18s 4d*	Jennings does not appear to have had any working involvement with Rampisham but at the time of Tithe Commutation refers to himself as ‘Agent for the Earl of Ilchester’. This ‘salary’ is probably a retainer for Martin’s work for the Earl of Ilchester
22^nd March 1821	Do. when finished	12^th January Pd for Errands at Yeovil not carried for 16s 6d Pd for a Blank Book for Stoke Rate but did not use it 2s 6d	Another reference to him preparing the Poor’s Rate assessment at East Stoke.
23^rdMarch 1821	At Home about Garden &c	Paid Plashing Garden Hedge 3s
24^th March 1821	Making Sketches of Sale Lots and Public Roads for Chilfrome	Pd small Sums not recollected £1
25^thMarch 1821	At Home
26^thMarch 1821	Dined at the Turnpike Meeting Acorn
27^thMarch 1821	Cleaning off and packing up Lord Eldon’s Maps
28^thMarch 1821	Set off for Hampshire to Value Mr Ashleys Estates at Arnewood slept at X-Church [Christchurch]		This was under the auspices of the Sway and Arnewood inclosure in Hampshire.
29^thMarch 1821	Valuing at Arnewood and slept at Lymington	£3 Reced of Mr Butcher for Mr Jones’s Maps Postage &c on this 2s 6d
30^thMarch 1821	Returning Home slept at Dewlish	£11 13s 4d Reced from Arnewood Inclosure what Mr Wm Jennings paid Public expenses Pd Expenses travelling to and from Arnewood £1 12s 6d
31^stMarch 1821	Arrived Home
	April
1^stApril 1821	At Home
2^nd April 1821	About Jobs at Home	Pd Mrs Martin on Acct of House keeping £3 0s 0d
3^rdApril 1821	Making out Valuation of Mr Ashleys Estate at Arnewood	Pd Mr Yeatmans wine and Spirit Bill £6 4s 0d Pd Wm Miller for Dung 10s	The importance of dung, is reflected in the number of entries concerning it over the years.
4^thApril 1821	Went to Chilfrome to find out mistakes in Measuring
5^thApril 1821	Went to Mudford respg Dr Daniells going out Tenant	Dr Daniell charge	Mudford is North of Yeovil. The Daniell family owned the Manor of Rampisham.
6^thApril 1821	Went to Chilfrome respg Map	Pd Mr Dunning for Feed £2 4s 0d
7^thApril 1821	At Home
8^thApril 1821	At Home
9^thApril 1821	At Home about Jobs	Pd for 9 Oak Slabs £3
10^thApril 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure valuing lands
11^th -14^th April 1821	Do.
15^thApril 1821	At Home
16^thApril 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure Sale of Lands
17^thApril 1821	Do.
18^thApril 1821	At Home about Jobs	Cow to Bull
19^thApril 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Map

A portion of John Martin’s inclosure map.

20^thApril 1821	Making Sketch of Quakers Charity Long Sutton		In the 16th and 17th century the Tucker family owned land in Long Sutton a part of which, Sutton Hosey, was sold in 1704 to a William Steele. On his death in 1715 he devised the estate in trust to a charity in support of the Quakers which apparently survived until 1921.[1]
21^st April 1821	Do.
22^ndApril 1821	At home
23^rdApril 1821	Rent Day at Ransom & dined at Association dinner	Pd for ½ Hundred of Cheese £1 1s 0d Pd ½ Years Taxes £4 2s 71/4d	An unusual unit for cheese.
24^th April 1821	Making Sketch of Quakers Charity Long Sutton	£10 10s 0d Received half a Yrs Salary from Ransom due Ldy Dy last Pd Mr J Jennings for Rogue Smiths writ £1 3s 6d Pd Charlotte Holloways Boy for Work £1 5s 0d	Since Jennings was a solicitor we may assume that ‘Rogue Smith’ was being taken to court by Martin.
25^thApril 1821	Finished Do.
26^thApril 1821	Went to Bridport Respg Loder &c	£32 10s 0d Received of Mr Templer bill on Bridport Turnpike
27^thApril 1821	Went to Chilfrome finding out State of Property Charge	Postage upon Stoke Poors Rate 2s 4d Paid for Ink & Pencil 1s 6d Paid Carriage of Jones’s Plans from Lymington 3s 4d Paid for Carriage of Vellum 4d Paid Postage on Businesses 1s 6d Pd for Horse Keep at Bridport March £1 1s 0d Expenses at Bridport 8s 6d
28^thApril 1821	Do. Charge	Charge
29^thApril 1821	At home	Brought Forward Received £166 19s 7d Paid £134 19s 5d
30^thApril 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Map
	May
1^st May 1821	Tithed Mr Noakes’s Lambs [28] and sold them to him for 14£ [sic]	Pd for Stamp receipt when reced Bill on Bridport Turnpike 1s	John Noake was a tenant farmer in Wraxall born in 1767.
2^ndMay 1821	Numbering Chilfrome Map &c	Pd for a Doz small Knives and Forks 14s
3^rdMay 1821	Do.	Pd at Ransom for Oats Straw &c £4 18s 5d
4^thMay 1821	Making Particulars Survey of Chilfrome	Pd Mr Shepherd of Bridport for Black Cloth for a Coat & W[aist] Coat £3 11s 0d
5^thMay 1821	Do.	Pd Chain Man on further Acct attndg Commissioner Valuing &c £1 15s 0d Pd Mr J Jesty’s Malt Bill £11 6s 3d
6^thMay 1821	At Home	Reced of Mr Oakley Bill upon Mr Hardy for Plans of Water Trial £6 6s 0d Pd Mr Oakley what I reced for him being Balance Bill on Arnewood £9 25s 0d Pd Postage on Businesses 6d	Another enigmatic entry presumably in view of the next one to do with the Arnewood inclosure.
7^thMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome	Pd for Hops 3s Pd Daniell & Beachem Bill for Grt Coat £3 16s 9d
8^thMay 1821	Attending Mr Noake at Wraxall finding out his estates at Chilfrome Charge		An expensive pencil – it would cost about £3 today.
9^thMay 1821	Completing Map Names &c as corrected yesterday	Pd Thos Hows 3/- Do. Rd Groves 2/6d
10^thMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome
11^th -12^th May 1821	Do.	Pd for a Pencil 1s
13^thMay 1821	At Home
14^thMay 1821	Evershot Fair kept today instead of Saturday	Pd Chubb & Jessop Sawing my Plank 11s 10d	Country fairs were not spontaneous affairs. They were granted anciently by the King and had to be celebrated on specific unalterable dates. Evershot fair was held on the 12^th May and was primarily for, as Hutchins describes it ‘bullocks and toys’. As a considerable amount of festivity was involved there was a risk that if the fair fell on a Saturday, such festivities would spill over into the sabbath. This was anathema so the fair was postponed.
15^thMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome IN PENCIL Ink Bottle at Noahy [?]	Pd Curtis of Ransom Shoeing Horse 10s 4d Pd for 1000 Laths from Weymouth £1 Pd Man Gard[enin]g 1s 2d
16^th -17^thMay 1821	Do.	Pd Mr J Jennings for 2 sacks of Pot[atoes] 5s Pd for Ear Pick &c 3s
18^thMay 1821	Making out Particulars of Lands in Portland for Mr John Henning	£50 Reced of Mr Wm Jennings on Acct Pd Mrs Martin on a/c £15
19^thMay 1821	Put Pony on Ransom Hill Do.	Pd Mr Swaine for Coals £7 7s 11d
20^thMay 1821	At Home
21^stMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome Map	Pd Thos Brett Nailing Trees 2s
22^ndMay 1821	Making three Sketches of Laverstock and Ford for Lord Hollands Sale	Pd Andrew Groves for having my Horse Shoed at Bridport and Turnpike 3s
23^rdMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome Map
24^thMay 1821	Do.
25^thMay 1821	Tithed more Lambs at Wraxall 20 & scaling Chilfrome	Paid Whites Boy for Work 5s 4d Paid for Fish 1s
26^thMay 1821	Scaling Chilfrome
27^thMay 1821	At Home
28^th May 1821	Scaling Chilfrome
29^thMay 1821	Went to Toller Down Fair from thence to Bridport Measuring Down Hall Estate IN PENCIL dotted line Mr Millis		Down Hall Estate near Bridport. The sale was ordered by a decree of the High Court of Chancery as a result of a legal dispute between Nathaniel Down [presumably the owner] and Joseph Gundry.
30^thMay 1821	At Bridport Measuring Dined at Mr Colfox’s
31^st May 1821	Do.
	June
1^stJune 1821	Do. and went Home
2^ndJune 1821	At Home Robert Jenning here		Probably Thomas Robert Jennings one of the sons of John Jennings. He was to meet with an accident that paralysed him and rendered him an imbecile. He was placed into a private asylum but subsequently died.
3^rd June 1821	Went to Bridport in the evening		More work on the Down Hall estate.
4^th June 1821	Measuring at Bridport
5^th -7^th June 1821	Do.	Pd Mr Fletcher for Trees 13s
8^th June 1821	Loder Inclosure Examining Drft of Award returned Home	Pd Chain Man on the Bradpole & Allington Business 15s 6d Liquor for Do. 7s Pd my Expenses on the Bradpole Business £3 15s
9^th June 1821	Making Plan of Bradpole & Allington	Paid Postage on Business 5s 10d
10^th June 1821	At Home
11^th June 1821	Making Plan of Bradpole and Allington	Brought Forward Received £223 5s 7d Paid £206 1s 4d
12^th June 1821	Finished and sent it to Bridport
13^th June 1821	Scaling Chilfrome
14^th -15^th June 1821	Do.	Paid for a 12 feet deal 8s
16^th June 1821	Went to Woodstreet Mrs Martin there	Pd for Exchange of Saddle £2 2s 0d
17^th June 1821	At Woodstreet	Paid for a New Hat £1 Expenses to and from 8s 6d
18^th June 1821	Returned Home from Woodstreet	Pd Mrs Martin on a/c £3 Pd Boy & Girl for work 4s 6d
19^th June 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure 4 o/k [o’clock] dinner	Pd for 36cwt of Coals £3
20^th June 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure Mowed my Grass	Pd Expenses at this Meeting Chilfrome £1 4s 9d	The importance of the Hay harvest cannot be overstated. In earlier times the hay harvest determined if the livestock would survive the coming winter and the wheat harvest, in July/ August, if the human population would.
21^{st –}23^rdJune 1821	Do.	Pd Mr Meech for a Slab for Paint 4s Paid Mr Beater for Hay £1 10s	Paint for domestic purposes was supplied in slab form. No ready made paint in those days.
24^th June 1821	At Home
25^th June 1821	Ricked my Hay Courtlands	Pd Mowing 8s Do. Haymaking 2s 6d Do. Do. 5s 8d
26^th June 1821	Making Collecting Sheets for Chilfrome		Court rolls recorded the manorial tenancies but had to be checked against what the tenants believed were there properties. Sheets were distributed to those with claims under the inclosure act for later collection.
27^th June 1821	Working upon Chilfrome casting &c
28^th June 1821	Do.
29^th June 1821	Loder Inclosure Meeting Examnd Accounts &c	Pd for Horse at Loder 2s Pd for Look [sic] for Garden 3s Pd Horse &c Dorchester 2s 6d Pd for White Lead 12s 4d
30^th June 1821	Went to Dorchester with Population form for Evershot	Population in 1801 /497 Males 289 Females 278 Total 567 Militia man 6 = 573 Population 1811 498 increase 75	John Martin was Overseer of the Poor in 1821 and was responsible for gathering the data. In those days a simple enumeration of the population. It was not until 1841 that individual households were recorded.

	July
1^st July 1821	At Home
2^nd July 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Castings &c made Loder Rate	Pd Boy 2s 4d
3^rd July 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Castings &c
4^th July 1821	Do. ½ a day	Pd for Fish &c 2s 6d
5^th July 1821	Staked out Public Road at Kites Green and took up Horse Hills		It is assumed this is at Chilfrome though the 6” OS map of 1888 does not show such areas.
6th July 1821	Collecting Property Chilfrome
7^th July 1821	Do.
8^th July 1821	At Home
9^th July 1821	Collecting Chilfrome Property
10^{th –}14^th July 1821	Do.
15^th July 1821	At Home
16^th July 1821	Ricked my Hay in Courtlands	Pd Haymaking 4s 9d Do. 2s 6d Do. 3s 6d	The tithe map shows a number of fields known as Courtlands. These had probably been owned directly by the manor at one time. This particular field was known as Rowland Courtlands after its owner Adam Rowland.
17^th July 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Inclosure
18^th July 1821	Do.
19^th July 1821	King Geo the 4^th Crowned

20^th July 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Inclosure	Let Mrs Martin have on Account £5
21^st July 1821	Do.
22^nd July 1821	At Home
23^rd July 1821	Dorchester for myself and to Went to Plush for Mr Wm Jennings respg Hardy and Devenish	£12 10s Reced this day Interest on £250 on Navy per Cents from Mr Pattisons Bank who has power to receive the same due 5^th July instantly	Martin had extensive holdings in various consuls and bonds.
24^th July 1821	Working upon Chilfrome	Pd Exchange for a new Bridle 12s Expenses at Dorchester 5s 6d
25^th July 1821	Completing Loder award Maps
26^th July 1821	Completing Loder award Maps
27^th July 1821	Went to Chilfrome examining claims with Farmer Guppy
28^th July 1821	At Home the whole day
29^th July 1821	At Home
30^th July 1821	Do.	Pd Wm Knight Tailor for Mr B Jesty 15s 6d
31^st July 1821	At Home with Men in Garden	Pd Men Gardening 4s 6d
	August
1^st August 1821	Loder Inclosure put off Working upon Chilfrome Rough scheme
2^nd August 1821	Do.
3^rd August 1821	Do. when finished the same
4^th August 1821	Measuring Cop:[pice] in Melbury Park
5^th August 1821	At Home
6^th August 1821	Measuring Coppice in Melbury Park &c	Pd for Rose Pink &c 2s 6d Pd John Thompkins making Hedge in Poor Close 5s	Another form of paint.
7^th August 1821	Casting same & went to Ransom &c
8^th August 1821	Colouring Passage at Home &c &c		The paint slab was at last put to good use. Or was it the Rose Pink?
9^th August 1821	Dorchester Assizes		He was of course eligible for Jury service. As he was away for two days he probably dis serve on it.
10^th August 1821	Dorchester Assizes Returned Home	Pd for Brandy £2 12s 6d
11^th August 1821	At Home and went to Ransom
12^th August 1821	At Home
13^th August 1821	Making Fair Plan of Little Main Farm	Pd Matthew Knight for 4 pr of Drawers £1 1s 0d Pd for Gin £2 10s

There is a whole range of expenses here but my favourite is the guinea paid for drawers and £2 10s for gin. At the bottom is the only entry concerning his work as Overseer.

14^th August 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure 4 o’clock dinner
15^th August 1821	Do.	£196 3s 6d Reced my Bill on Loder Inclosure Pd Expenses of Loder Meetings £6 10s Pd for Horse on Do. Loder 2s Loder pd other fines 15s 6d now £6 10s £7 5s 6d
16^th August 1821	Loder Inclosure to sign award
17^th August 1821	Chilfrome Meeting Broke up & went to Froome [sic] to Measure Land for J Petty	Pd Mr Enson for Grocery’s £1 19s 8d Pd for Horse 1s 6d
18^th August 1821	Went to Dorchester upon Framptons Bastardy J Pettys Acct	Paid for Warrant on Framptons Bastardy 3s	For the story of Bastardy at this time see here. The warrant was for the apprehension of the putative father of the baby.

As you might expect the story does not have a happy ending. The Overseers records read: Dec 3rd “Shroud Eliz Framptons child 2s….Mr Conway coffin for Do.[ditto] 7s”

19^th August 1821	At Home
20^th August 1821	Colouring Passage up Stairs &c	Expenses at Acorn last week on Chilfrome £1 4s 0d
21^st August 1821	Went to Ransom	Expenses at Bridport on this day 6s
22^nd August 1821	Went to Loder to divide soil allotment between the Lords Sr E Nepean and Mr Down		This was Sir Evan Nepean who died the following year and was succeeded by his son Sir Molyneux Hyde Nepean.
23^rd August 1821	Working upon Chilfrome taking up Roads &c
24^th August 1821	Staking Road over the Down
25^th August 1821	Do. and Measuring off the same
26^th August 1821	At Home
27^th August 1821	Finally taking up Roads on Map and preparing Fair Scheme
28^th August 1821	Making Fair Scheme dined at Mr J J[ennings]
29^th August 1821	Do. Misses Wards dined at my House
30^th August 1821	Finished Fair Scheme	Pd Wm Knight ^Tailor for Mr B Jesty 15s 6d Pd Men Gardening 4s 6d Pd Edward Chubb for a Rope to tie the Cow 3s
31^st August 1821	Allotting Chilfrome my Brother George came to Evershot.		Martin had at least four siblings the youngest of whom appears to be George who lived in Oxford and was a servant to St John’s college.
	September
1^st September 1821	Shooting
2^nd September 1821	Do.
3^rd September 1821	Working upon Chilfrome Fair Allotting	Paid Sydenham of Yeovil for a Pair of Wellington Boots £1 8s Pd for Horse 8d

Invented in 1815 the Wellington boot rapidly became popular and was no doubt very necessary for someone who spent most of his time outside, frequently in the wet. The price in modern terms is not much less than some pairs of modern boots- £80 40p- but I bet I know whose lasted longer. At three times the yearly wage of an agricultural worker it was an expensive purchase.

4^th September 1821	Do.
5^th September 1821	Shooting at Ransom
6^th September 1821	Fair Scheming Chilfrome
7^th September 1821	Do.
8^th September 1821	Went to Yeovil Valuing Lands for Mrs Daniell about to be sold
9^th September 1821	At Home
10^th September 1821	Plush Inclosure Meeting at Cerne	Paid Expenses at Cerne on Plush 8s 6d
11^th September 1821	Shooting IN PENCIL Pd Mr Daws Bred [sic] Bill	Pd Mrs Martin to pay Gilberts Bill & Chas Daws Bread Bill £15
12^th September 1821	Allotting Chilfrome & giving Instructions for advertisement
13^th September 1821	Went Shooting
14^th September 1821	Went Coursing dined at Mr J J[ennings]’s
15^th September 1821	My brother George left Evershot
16^th September 1821	At Home
17^th September 1821	Fair Scheming Chilfrome
18^th September 1821	Do.	Paid Mr Clayton 1 years tithe due Ldy day last £1 14s 0d
19^th September 1821	Do. & went to Ransom
20^th September 1821	Fair Scheming Chilfrome
21^st September 1821	Do.
22^nd September 1821	Coursing
23^rd September 1821	At Home
24^th September 1821	Shooting at Chilfrome	Pd Pitcher Gardening 10s 6d Pd for Corn Sieve 2s 6d	A wether sheep is a castrated male sheep.
25^th September 1821	At Home	Pd Man Staking roads at Chilfrome 4s Pd Mr Wm Trenchard for 8 wether sheep last Toller Down Fair £9 11s 0d
26^th September 1821	Staking Sale allotments at Chilfrome Charge	Paid for Ink 6d
27^th September 1821	Do. Charge
28^th September 1821	Shooting	Pd for Oats Eggs &c from Ransom }£2 8s 1d
29^th September 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure Making Maps of Sale Lots £3 3s 0d	Pd Postage on Business 1s 8d Pd for Colouring for Stair case &C 2s 6d	We now discover he did not paint the house himself.
30^th September 1821	At Home
	October
1^st October 1821	Shooting
2^nd October 1821	Went to Ransom
3^rd October 1821	At Home	Pd Mr Warr his Bill for Deals &c £1 17s
4^th October 1821	Making out arrear acct for Mrs Daniell and writing letter
5^th October 1821	Went to Ransom
6^th October 1821	Went to M Newton and Sydling Coursing caught 8 Hares and 2 Rabbits	Reced of John Vine remainder of Potatoe [sic] rent to Lady Dy 1821 3s 7d Pd Thos Beater for Pig £1	Coursing was a common ‘sport’ and one that appears regularly in the diaries. Oddly a game certificate was needed for rabbits but not hares.
7^th October 1821	At Home
8^th October 1821	Went to Ransom	Pd Mrs Martin on Account of Housekpg £5 Pd Mrs Seymour for chest of drawers £1 10s 0d
9^th October 1821	Measured Wetley at Melbury	Packing Boxes for Lord Eldon’s Plans charged yes Paid Mr Conways Bill £13 15s 0d	This is Wheatley at Melbury Sampford a pasture of some 23 acres.
10^th October 1821	Evershot Court	Pd Matt Knight for a Pair of Trousers £1 11s 6d Pd Mrs Rowland Rent 10s Do. Lords Rent 5s 10d Do. my own Lds Rent 3s 6d	Mrs Rowland was the wife of Adam Rowland why she only got 10s is not known. See the entry for 22^nd October.
11^th October 1821	Went to Stapleton to Measure Road for Ld Ilchester	Pd Lake for a Quarter of Oats £1 0s 0d	Probably Winterbourne Steepleton.
12^th October 1821	Working a little upon Broad Main Map unwell with a Cold
13^th October 1821	Writing in Ld Ilchester s accounts
14^th October 1821	At Home
15^th October 1821	Went to Sherborne Fair with Mr Jesty Reced of Mr Jesty what I paid for him [tailoring] 15s 6d	Pd Mr Jesty for Table Mats 13s Pd in Exchange for another Saddle £1 7s Expenses at Sherborne 5s 6d Expenses at Odcombe 1s Pd Erasmus Cox for Work 6s 6d Do. 3s 6d
16^th October 1821	Went to Odcombe to Measure Fields there for Mr Banger	Expenses at Odcombe 1s
17^th October 1821	Writing my Lords Accounts
18^th October 1821	Do. Bad Cold
19^th^–20^th October 1821	Do.
21^st October 1821	At Home
22^nd October 1821	Writing in my Lords Accounts	Mr Rowlands Rent £12 Heriot 10s Land Tax 5s 2d Lords Rent 5s 10d £1 1s 0d £10 19s 0d
23^rd – 24^th October 1821	Do.	Paid Bollen Bal of Bill for Bread 6s 6d Pd J Thompkins Brewing 1s 6d
25^th October 1821	Ransom Court		Martin took over the stewardship of the Manor of Rampisham in 1818. This is the first diary instance of him holding the Manor’s Annual Court Leet.
26^th October 1821	Writing in my Lords accounts sent rent of Courtland by a son of Coles of Hook	Caroline Born 10 mins past 8 in the Evening	The birth of his first child. She died two years later.

Note the finger pointed to the entry.

27^th October 1821 1821	Writing in my Lords Accounts		Given the proximity to the Ransom Court this probably refers to the Lord of the Manor at Rampisham.
28^th October 1821	At Home
29^th October 1821	Went to Ransom and Wraxall to see Mr Clement	£39 18s 6d Reced of Messrs Ward and Merriman Cheque on Child and Co London for 1 years Interest from Bishopstone due 29^th Sept last
30^th October 1821	Writing in my Lords Account	Pd Wm Day for 35 cwt of coals £2 18s 4d Pd Mr Plowman for Bran & Barley 19s 3d
31^st October 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure Sale of Lands
	November
1^st November 1821	Chilfrome Inclosure Meeting	Pd Isaac Frampton for 20 Hund Coals £1 13s 4d Pd Eras Cox’s work 6s
2^nd – 3^rd November 1821	Do.	Pd my expenses at the Acorn Chilfrome £1 11s 0d
4^th November 1821	At Home
5^th November 1821	Altering Allotments on Chilfrome Map [charge]	Reced of Mr Wm Jennings at Somerton on Tithe 2s 4d Potatoe Lots on East Hill 3s 6d Meterological Book 2s Giving notices 18s At Mr Bangers 2s Chiselborough Timber 17s 6d Pd for Mr Field at Long Sutton and pen £1 1s 0d £3 7s 2d
6^th November 1821	Do.[charge]
7^th November 1821	Working upon my Lords Accounts	£12 0s 0d Reced of Mr J Jennings for a Pony £10 10s 0d Reced ½ yrs Salary Ransom Paid Mr Wm Jennings for 7 Pound Hops 7s Pd Mr Wm Jennings £7 0s 3d £1 Reced of Mrs Henning Thompkins to Ldy Day1820 Melbury Men to 1819 £4 15s 0d Do. to 1820 £5 9s 6d East Hill 1820 £13 17s 10d Bitha Colmer on Acct to May 1820 18s 6d £33 1s 1d
8^th- 10^thNovember	Do.	Pd Pitcher on Chilfrome for labour 3s
11^th November 1821	At Home
12^th November 1821	Working upon my Lords Accounts	£150 Reced on Acct Chilfrome Inclosure
13^th November 1821	Allotting Chilfrome
14^th November 1821	Allotting Chilfrome ½ day	Pd for Canvas 10s
15^th November 1821	Allotting Chilfrome	Paid Mr ### ½ yrs Taxes &c £7 16s 1d Paid Eras Cox for work 6s
16^th – 17^th November 1821	Do.
18^th November 1821	At Home
19^th November 1821	Completing Chilfrome Allottments
20^th November 1821	Do.
21^st November 1821	Staking Allots at Chilfrome
22^nd November 1821	Finally scheming Whittles Allots and Ld Sherbornes
23^rd November 1821	Staking Allotments at Chilfrome	Pd Eras Cox at Chilfrome 7s Do. for myself 3s 6d
24^th November 1821	At home went to Ransom
25^th November 1821	At Home
26^th November 1821	Subdividing allottments on the Map	Pd J^sFrampton for 20 Hundred of Coals £1 13s 4d
27^th November 1821	Went to Chilfrome to Stake Allotments forced to return on Acct of Rain
28^th November 1821	At Home about my Lords Accounts
29^th November 1821	Staking Allotments at Chilfrome
30^th November 1821	Staking Allotments at Chilfrome This doodle appears in the diary at this point.	Purchased £150 in the 5 per cents per Mr Pattisons Bank £167 Pd Eras Cox on Chilfrome 2s 6d

	December
1^st December 1821	Went to Dorchester to purchase Thorn Plants for Chilfrome Glebe [charge]	Pd Mr Day for 35 of Coals £2 18s 4d Pd Mr Plowman for Bran & Barley 19s 3d Pd Isaac Frampton for 20 Hund Coals £1 13s 4d Pd Eras Cox’s work 6s Pd my Expenses at the Acorn £1 11s 0d
2^nd December 1821	At Home	Pd Eras Cox in full 4s 6d Paid Mr Chubb Poor Rate of 1820 10s 5d Pd Him Church Rate of 1821 6s 3d
3^rd December 1821	At Home about Jobs	Pd James Daw for Labour Carriage of Pegs &c Chilfrome £1 10s Pd Mrs Martin on Account to pay Bills £10
4^th December 1821	Staking Allotments Chilfrome	Pd Eras Cox for Labour Staking Chilfrome Allotments £1 0s 6d
5^th December 1821	Staking Allotments Chilfrome
6^th December 1821	Finished Staking Allotments at Chilfrome
7^th December 1821	Went to Corscombe about Thorn Plants and at Home
8^th December 1821	Shooting
9^th December 1821	At Home
10^th December 1821	At Home Hopkins House sold by Auction to Mr H J Petty at £119	Pd Stamps for receipts on Chilfrome inclosure 3s 6d Pd for Roasting Jack and Wine £1 2s 6d Expenses at Yeovil 1s 6d
11^th December 1821	Valuing Ransom Farm with Mr W Jennings
12^th December 1821	Went to Ransom
13^th December 1821	Making valuation of Ransom Farm
14^th December 1821	At Home dividing Mr Whittles Allotment for him &c
15^th December 1821	Went to Yeovil to see Mr Batten respg Ransom		Mr Batten was one of the local solicitors.
16^th December 1821	At Home
17^th December 1821	Went to Ransom
18^th December 1821	Ruling Ld Hollands Accounts and unwell
19^th December 1821	Very unwell in [sic] Bowel complaint
20^th December 1821	Went to Chilfrome and subdivided Mr Whittles allotment for him
21^st December 1821	Went to Ransom on Business
22^nd December 1821	Shooting at Ransom	Pd Boy 2s Pd Man Gardening 2s Paid Colouring Room 3s Pd Man Gardening 5s
23^rd December 1821	At Home
24^th December 1821	Writing in Ld Hollands Accounts
25^th December 1821	Writing in Ld Hollands Accounts
26^th December 1821	Writing in Ld Hollands Accounts
27^th December 1821	Writing in Ld Hollands Accounts &c
28^th December 1821	Do.
29^th December 1821	Do.
30^th December 1821	At Home
31^st December 1821	Went to Ransom
	Reced of Mr Trenchard 8 sheep £10 8s 0d	Paid Mr Trenchards Meat Bill £9 6s 2d
	Pd 300 rates for 1821 for Poor £3 2s 6d	Paid Richard Roberts Bill 13s 8d
	Paid Knells Bill for Shoes &c £1 17s 4d	Paid Edward Chubbs Cooper his Bill £2 13s 6d
	Paid Rent of Poor Close including Repairs £8 0s 0d	Paid Mr Daws Bread Bill £1 18s 9d
	Paid Robert Way for ½ a pig at 3 ½ d per lb 8s 9d	Paid Boy 2s 9d
	Paid Man gardening 2s	Pd Man colouring room 3s
	Pd Men Gardening 5s
End of Year balance Received £659 1 10d Paid £603 10 3d £55 11s 7d carried forward to Pocket book of 1822

As with the inside of the front cover there are jottings on the insides of the back cover. They have been digitally enhanced as they are unreadable. They clearly concern some agricultural notes but where is not known.

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1 Victoria History of the County of Somerset

John Martin of Evershot

The Life and Times of a 19th Century Land Surveyor.

1821