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Portrait of Bampton, Devon, in the Eighteenth Century

By Tom McManamon

The Market House

Originally known as the Market House, the building, on the western end of the island of shops between Fore Street and Back Street, was used by the Lord of the Manor or his steward to control all the markets and fairs held in the town. Stallholders' fees and sales taxes were collected in it, and the lord held his court here for those breaking Fair or Market rules. When the first Market House was built, or by whom, is not known, but one was standing close to the church in 1673, with a garden adjoining, when it was mentioned in an indenture regarding a nearby house sale. The present site has never had room for a garden, being in the middle of the market square. In 1777, one George Cockram placed a public notice in the 29 December issue of the Sherbourne & Yeovil Mercury, apologising for having, on the 16th day of June last past with "some malicious and evil disposed persons [did] violently and with force of arms, destroy a market house which stood in the market place of Bampton belonging to Henry Arthur Fellowes Esq; Lord of that manor". Henry brought an action against George which, had it progressed, would have ruined George's family. Instead George agreed to pay suit and rebuild the market house on the same site at his own cost. The re-building had been completed by the date of the public notice.

It seems that the building was renewed again some 20 years later, for a plaque on the gable of the present building gives the year 1798. It is not known when the Market House ceased to function in that capacity, but in 1872 it was earmarked to become a library and reading room.

The annual fair itself has existed since Saxon times, and during the eighteenth century was still one of two, each held over three days. One was held in Whitsuntide, and the other which is the older of the two, on the three days around the feast of St. Luke, 18 October. It was in the middle of the ninteenth century when pony sales started, and until then the fair consisted of cattle, sheep, and poultry sales, and many other items which could not be produced at home, such as pots and pans, pottery and metalware, corn and flour, cloth, leather goods and the like.

In 1793 the following traders were in Bampton:
TradeNumberTradeNumberTradeNumber
Drapers2Innkeepers8Maltsters3
Bakers1Carpenters3Thatchers2
Bye-Post Man1Tailors2Breeches Makers1
Farriers2Glaziers1Shop Keepers1
Gardeners1Serge Makers6Lime Burners1
Boot/Shoe Makers3Heel Makers1Millers 1
Excise Officers1Butchers4Coopers1
Tanners2       

It is uncommon for trades and professions to be included in deeds and the like, but apart from the breakdown above, the following have appeared in various documents in the years given; those above are included below. The Excise Office was in the present White Horse Inn.

SurnameForenameOccupationDate
AndrewJohnDoctor of Medicine1752
BadcockAbrahamlimeburner1770, 1781
BadcockPeteryeoman1700-1704
BakerJohnroper1765-1802
BakerJohnvictualler1793
BakerWilliammaltster1793
BallWilliammaltster1751-1770
BassJohntailormid 18th century
BereRichardsurgeon1742
BereRichard (deceased) apothecary1749
BettyWilliambaker1793
BishopChristopherroper1743-1764
BishopHenryroper1778-1791
BlackmoreGeorgebye-post man1793
BlackmoreHenryyeoman1704-1733
BlackmoreJohnyeoman1704
BlackmoreJohn Olandattorney1733-1741
BrandWiliamsurgeon1752
BrandWilliamapothecary1762, 1770
BrayWilliamyeoman1770-1780
BrewerAnthonymason1733
BrewerJamesmason1754-1786
BrewerJamesinnkeeper Angel Inn1767-1793
BrowneWilliamsurgeon1782
BryantJohnyeoman1733
BucknellWilliamyeoman1770
BurgeHughplumber (=lead worker) 1762-1781
BurgeJamesthatcher1793
BurgeJohncarpenter1793
BurgeWilliamthatcher1793
CapronRobertfarrier1793
ChilcottJohnyeoman1770
Cleeve (Cleave) Williamyeoman1733-1780
Cottrell (Cotterill) Benjamintailor1793
CottyJohncarpenter1762-1793
Crudge (Cridge) Annvictualler1793
Crudge (Cridge) Jamesglazier1793
CrudgeRobertglazier1780
DaveyGeorgelimeburner1793
Davey (Davy) Johnvictualler1793
DuckhamJohnyeoman1733
DyerJohnsurgeon1752
EdburyJohnyeoman1702
EscottThomasvictualler1793
Filcott (Filcock) Martynmiller1704
FisherAnthonyyeoman1741
FisherJohnyeoman1725
FisherJohnmaltster1751-1770
GlasseThomasdoctor of medicine1752
GoodingRobertyeoman1780
HandinHenryexcise officer1793
HarderHenryapothecary1733
HellingsThomasvictualler1793
HewgoeJonathonsurgeon1752
HillEdwardyeoman1780
HillJohnyeoman Zeal1770
HillJohnyeoman Doddiscombe1770
HillJohn junioryeoman1780
HillRichardyeoman1751
HillRichardyeoman Quartley1774
HillRobertyeoman1733, 1751, 1770
HillWilliamyeoman1741-1751
HillWilliambutcher1793
HodgeHenryfarmer1721
HutchinsJohnblacksmith1702
LangdonWilliamsurgeon & man-midwife1793
LeighRobertyeoman1780
LeighRobertcooper1793
LockHenryyeoman1725-1733
LucasRobertbarrister1733-1741
LuxtonRobertyeoman1741
Marley (Marly) Georgebutcher1793
MarleyJohninnkeeper Angel Inn1792-1796
MeltonRichardyeoman1762
MeltonRobertyeoman1733
MersonAnthonyyeoman1704
MersonFrancisyeoman1725
MersonJohnyeoman1725
MiltonRobertyeoman1741
NormanRobertyeoman1733-1741
NorrisRichardmaltster1780-1793
NutcombeRichardfarmer1712
OsmondRobertyeoman1741-1751
OxenhamJohn the elderyeoman1702
OxenhamJohnyeoman1727-1733
OxenhamJyeoman1770, 1777
OxenhamThomasyeoman1733-41;1780-1793
OxenhamWilliambreeches maker1793
PaddonThomasmiller1741, 1742
PaddonThomasyeoman1741
ParsonsEdwardvictualler1793
Pearce (Pearcy) Johnbutcher1733-1741
PenneyWilliamsurgeon1752
PhillipsJohnblacksmith1780
PhillipsJohnfarmer1793
PhillipsRobertshopkeeper1793
PhillipsThomasblacksmith1751-1762
PhillipsWilliamdraper1793
PilletJonathonsurgeon1751
PringJohnmiller1725
Prout (Prowte) Williamtailor1793
ProwseRichardyeoman1733
RichardsDanielyeoman1702-1725
RichardsDaniel son of Daniel & Sarahsoap boiler1740
RichardsDanielyeoman1741
RichardsDanieltallow chandler1742
SayerWilliambutcher1781-1793
ShortJohnbutcher1793
SpurwayHenrycarpenter1793
StephensHenryapothecary, cornfactor, pedlar, dealer, chapman1774
StyleJohnperukemaker1758-1770
StyleWilliamdraper1793
SurridgeJames (James Hagley alias Surridge)farmer1712
SurridgeWilliamyeoman1733-1741
TackellWilliamcollier (=charcoal burner)1750
ThomasWilliamcooper1766, 1768
TroweyJohnmaltster1793
YeandallThomas (deceased) publican Swan Inn1780
YeandallThomasvictualler1793

Little is known of the medical services in Bampton until the advent of directories in the 19th century, but from the above it seems that Bampton was well catered for. In 1782 Robert Browne was recorded as being the surgeon in the Workhouse.

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