Another Somerset apportionment, the Earl of Ilchester was the largest single landowner although there was another aristocrat on the block – Lord Portman. Charles Pym ATC made an award and the apportionment was carried out by Martin and George Parsons. No explanation is given in the award as to why it was made. It was another large parish of some 2600 acres; the majority of the parish had been inclosed in 1803 by William Jennings Jnr.

Two small areas, Cold Harbour and Oil Moor were still open arable and were mapped at 3 chains to the inch. The apportionment records that these strips were “allotments” and were not therefore held by some remnant of feudal tenure such as copyhold or lifehold. They were owned by the Earl of Ilchester who was known to be a fan of allotments like these. The roads of the parish were flanked by narrow inclosed strips which were presumably remnants of common that, as at Child Okeford, had been inclosed.

Oddly the final date of reception of the map at the Tithe Commission was 6th October 1843 after the instrument of apportionment had been signed. There are a few diary entries for Hardington.

John James was a farmer from Crewkerne and, with Martin, one of the three apportioners at Merriott. Presumably this was Martin’s fee from that. Mr Brake owned land at Hardington and his rent-charge was £3 7s 0d ; the £2 16s 0d Martin received from him seems a little excessive until we realise that this was the rent-charge due on 14 acres he occupied under the Earl of Ilchester. The remaining 225 acres he occupied paid a mere 13s 4d under a modus but as these acres had to be measured and plotted as well as the other 14 he had to pay his fair share of the apportionment costs if not the tithe!

List of Commutations under the Tithe Commutation Act