Part - Biddlecombe of Dorset, Devon and Somerset
This is a collection of the articles about Biddlecombe families in the counties of Hampshire and the adjacent Dorset
This Part contains a collection of Sections associated with the Counties together with the associated 'locations and 'Records and Other'
This is part of a series of articles about the Families of Biddlecombe and variations of that name. The introduction to the series is Families of Biddlecombe and variations of that name - START. If you have not visited the introduction yet might I suggest that you do so.
Locations
Locations
Collection at Part level, Dorset, Devon and Somerset.
The ESRI Story Map is a repeat of elsewhere, so that each element is stand alone.
ESRI Story Map
ESRI Story Map
Below is, in part the culmination of my 'perambulation of the borders' of the Canford Manor, plotted on a single map so as to see the true extent of the huge manor. It is a stand alone ESRI Story Map so there will inevitably be repetition.
You can also open the ESRI Story Map An exploration of Biddlecomb(e) families by clicking on the link, which will open a new page.
Planned future additions to the story are the locations of all of the people mentioned in this article for whom I can establish a location. Some are already plotted. Others include Biddlecomb(e)'s with later stories and records. All being slowly expanded.
Scroll down the insert to see the map, which can also be expanded.
location-section-thorncombe-and-winsham
Collection at Section level, Thorncombe and Winsham
The ESRI Story Map is a repeat of elsewhere, so that each element is stand alone.
Locations
The location of an event has a significant importance when looking at the past through the lens of a Family Tree. A wide family with the same surname can have many individuals with the same name and approximately the same birth year, particularly with Christian names either generally popular or past down for generations through the family. Each with their own family, and, to confuse things further, frequently with the same names for parents through the generations. Sometimes it is only the location that can separate one John from another.
This section explores some of those locations to help keep the history correct, and to share my exploration and findings.
ESRI Story Map
ESRI Story Map
Below is, in part the culmination of my 'perambulation of the borders' of the Canford Manor, plotted on a single map so as to see the true extent of the huge manor. It is a stand alone ESRI Story Map so there will inevitably be repetition.
You can also open the ESRI Story Map An exploration of Biddlecomb(e) families by clicking on the link, which will open a new page.
Planned future additions to the story are the locations of all of the people mentioned in this article for whom I can establish a location. Some are already plotted. Others include Biddlecomb(e)'s with later stories and records. All being slowly expanded.
Scroll down the insert to see the map, which can also be expanded.
Thorncombe
The reason for including these locations.
Thorncombe in Devon and later Dorset
Thorncombe village, surroundings and parish.
The of John Biddlecombe of Thorncombe in the County of Devon is the focus of this location tab.
John Biddlecombe
In the name of God Amen I John Biddlecombe of a place called Hanplott within the parish of Thorncombe in the County of Devon.
George Biddlecombe
George Biddlecombe is also listed as a landowner in the Tithe Apportionment.
Joseph Aplin
Thorncombe Farm, Fore Street, the home of Joseph, Mary, and Elizabeth Aplin according to the 1841 Census.
James Aplin
According to the 1841 Census James Aplin and family lived at Forde Abby Farm
On to the locations mentioned in the wills.
Thorncombe
Greenwood Atlas of the Counties of England Surveyed 1817 to 1833
Greenwood Atlas Devon
Greenwood Atlas Devon East
Greenwood Atlas Devon East Thorncombe Parish
Greenwood Atlas Devon East Thorncombe
Thorncombe Devon / Dorset
Thorncombe is very near the Devon / Dorset border, and was in Devon but the border has now moved, such that it is now part of Dorset.
Whilst Thorncombe was in Devon at the time of the will of John Biddlecome by the date of the above map, Dorset XIX.15, Revised: 1901, Published: 1903, the county borders had already changed, shown in gold. Dorset centre and right, Devon left, East, and Somerset, top and top right, North. The parish heading for Thorncombe, highlight in light blue, and the village of Thorncombe circled in light blue. The marker represents the location thought to be the home of John Biddlecombe.
Zooming it to the village of Thorncombe on the same map gives more detail.
Moving on to a Tithe Map of the Parish of Thorncombe, signed by the Tithe Commissioners on 25 February 1843. There is a note indicating that the map was repaired 20 November 1961. I have circled Thorncombe village in light blue, to give you some idea of the position within the parish. The village is not labelled as the whole map is plot based.
Thorncombe and John Biddlecombe
Again zooming in Thorncombe village is on the left. It is recognisable by it's shape and roads compared to the above Ordnance Survey Maps. There is an area that I have given a light blue colour wash which represents land register in the Tithe Apportionment as belonging to John Biddlecombe.
Name: John Biddlecombe
Parish: Thorncombe... County: Devon (Now In Dorset)... Type: Landowner... Plan Number: 1051...
and 1052, 1053, 1054.
An extract from the associated Tithe Apportionment shows three of the four plots as occupied by himself, with plot 1052 being his house, the building shown on the map adjacent to plot 1051.
Plot 1051 is an orchard of about 1/4 of an acre, rented out as the record below indicates.
Landowner John Biddlecombe
Occupier John Hitchcock
Parish Thorncombe
County Devon (Now In Dorset)
Original Date 3rd November 1841
Plot 1051
Thorncombe and Mary Biddlecombe
Returning to the Ordnance Survey 25" map.
The Tithe map is rather too dark to make out all the plot numbers, but plot 1002 is within the area circled in green on the OS Map above. On the edge of the village towards the land owned by John Biddlecombe. The significance of plot 1002 may be apparent from the below record.
Landowner Mary Biddlecombe
Occupier Mary Biddlecombe
Parish Thorncombe
County Devon (Now In Dorset)
Original Date 3rd November 1841
Plot 1002
From the will of John Biddlecombe it is apparent that his parents are Joseph and Mary Biddlecombe. Perhaps the Mary Biddlecombe in plot 1002 is John's Mother, or alternatively his sister
Thorncombe and George Biddlecombe
George Biddlecombe is also listed as a landowner in the Tithe Apportionment.
The plots identified as his are in two locations, but he is not the occupier according to the records. The relationship of George to John is not yet known. The lefthand patch is around 'New House' in the area of Headstock Cross. The righthand patch is at Greenhill, adjacent to the Turnpike Road, which is now known as Horseshoe Road. At the junction of the High Street towards Thorncombe village.
Again, the OS 25" map with the two areas owned by George Biddlecombe identified in orange. A transition from the Tithe Map of 1841 to the Dorset XIX.15, Revised: 1901, Published: 1903. George Biddlecombe does appear to have a residence in Winsham, Chard, just 3 miles from the village of Thorncombe. There may be an association with George Bowditch, another surname of interest to me. The plots adjacent to Mary Biddlecombe also have adjacent Bowditch families.
George and James Biddlecombe
George and James Biddlecombe also occupy lands in the parish of Shapwick, Somerset. However, that parish is over 30 miles from Thorncombe so could be a different family. George and James are also recorded in the voters register for Shapwick in the same year as George Biddlecombe is registered in the voters register for Winsham. However, I understand that a person could have more than one vote at than time.
Back to the plots owned by John Biddlecombe as identified by the Above Tithe Maps and Apportionment, circled in light blue. The position of the marker in first map in this section, with the county boundaries, and the map beneath that.
Thorncombe Farm
Thorncombe Farm, Fore Street, Thorncombe
Thorncombe Farm, Fore Street, the home of Joseph, Mary, and Elizabeth Aplin according to the 1841 Census.
Looking in more detail at the Tithe Maps for Thorncombe, Joseph Aplin shows as being a Landowner as well as an Occupier. I actually started with the Map and detail, but it is better to present the Summary first.
It is easy to find Aplin as Landowners as the summary is in order of Landowners, and unsurprisingly, A for Aplin is near the top.
Joseph Aplin as a Landowner with ten separate Occupiers plus Himself. Thomas Aplin and William Aplin are also Landowners.
Joseph Aplin is the occupier of over 160 acres from the Landowner John Biagge Esq. His Tithe rent charge to the vicar is almost £22 per year.
James Aplin, with the pink marking, is a much smaller affair from this landowner, a mere 36 perch. Tithe Apportionment only a shilling a year, again to the vicar. For ease of reference 40 perches to a rood, and 4 roods to one acre. Also In 2021, the relative value of £21 18s 5d from 1843 ranges from £2,290.00 to £102,900.00. That is just the Rent Charge to the vicar, to replace the Tithe, not the rent paid to the Landowner for the use of his land.
Moving into the detail;
Joseph Aplin as Landowner, split over two pages, showing his diverse portfolio.
The second page has Thomas Aplin and William Aplin as well as the larger holdings of Joseph Aplin.
Moving on to Joseph Aplin, and he fills almost the whole page with his 163 acres.
The image is difficult to read at this distance, so lets zoom in.
Firstly, the players, John Bragge Esquire (it could be Biagge in some instances within the Tithe Apportionment), as Landowner.
Joseph Aplin as the Occupier.
Very conveniently pulled together under the heading of Thorncombe Farm. Just over 163 acres.
This is what 163 acres looks like. All the above plots of Thorncombe Farm coloured mid-blue.
One plot at the bottom only partially shown, one plot guessed as the number missing in the damaged area and one plot assumed as the transcription seemed questionable.
The red shaded plots indicate that Joseph Aplin is the Landowner and Occupier within the village of Thorncombe. He is also Landowner for the yellow plots, both in the village and in the inset above, but occupied by others according to the Tithe Apportionment. Beside the yellow plots in the inset are brown plots with Landowner William Boon. Not all of the plots could be confidently identified so assumptions have been made.
There are many other plots with potential Biddlecambe wider family members as Landowners and / or Occupiers within the Tithe Apportionment for the Parish of Thorncombe in the County of Devon at the time, but since 1844 part of Dorset.
Forde Abbey Farm
Forde Abbey Farm, Thorncombe (Parish)
According to the 1841 Census James Aplin and family lived at Forde Abby Farm in the Parish of Thorncombe. Presumably the same as the one shown on the above map. Click on the map to go to the source and zoom out to see the location in respect of the village of Thorncombe.
It would be remiss not to pick out Forde Abbey. I have given the River Axe a blue wash, together with the Mermaid Pond at the Abbey. Winsham is not far away, to the north.
To see Forde Abbey as it is today, go to the Forde Abbey website.
The Thorncombe Parish Tithe Map, again with the River Axe and ponds with a blue was, and roads yellow.
The Landowner of Forde Abbey and surrounding area according to the Tithe Apportionment is John Francis Gwyn Esquire. He is also the occupier of the main house and the gardens. James Aplin is the Occupier of the plots coloured orange. There are more plots to colour, but this is zoomed in on the Abbey area.
The extent of the Forde Abbey Farm, occupied by James Aplin coloured orange. The Forde Abby Farm buildings shown on the OS map apparently did not exist at the time of the Tithe Survey but did for the 1841 Census. Partway is shown on the OS map and here, although not named, it is the location of a Dairy House and Garden, Occupied in Tithe terms by James Aplin, but not necessarily his residence. Plot 14, which is within the grounds of the Abbey is described in the Tithe Apportionment as Homestead.
Forde Abbey Farm Tithe Apportionment straddles two pages. As previously stated, the Landowner of Forde Abbey and surrounding area is John Francis Gwyn Esquire. James Aplin is the Occupier of the above listed plots, which based on this list were coloured orange in the map above.
I find that difficult to read so lets zoom in.
That should now be legible. Whilst the names and descriptions are frequently just the local name for a field at that time, sometimes you can still see the name on current maps. The name has been adopted and become official. It must be, it is on a map!
James Aplin was looking after 312 acres, 3 roods and 36 perch, very nearly 313 acres of mainly arable, pasture, and meadow land with the odd wood thrown in for good measure.
| A | r | p | |
| Arable | 158 | 0 | 29 |
| Meadow | 59 | 3 | 21 |
| Pasture | 71 | 2 | 14 |
| Woodland | 8 | 1 | 37 |
| Gardens and Orchards | 13 | 1 | 20 |
| 121 | |||
| 40 | |||
| 3 | 3.025 | ||
| 10 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 2 | 2.5 | ||
| 311 | 2 | 1 |
The remaining area set to houses, yards, and premises.
The Tithe Map and Tithe Apportionment are to be read together, and in the day created the Tithe Rent Charge. However, the margin note states that the farm is 'Tithe Free'.
There is an additional entry, out of place in the Tithe Apportionment Book. That pertaining to Plot 406, Dairy House and Garden, in the location called Partway.
From the Tithe Apportionment for Thorncombe James Aplin is not a Landowner within the Parish of Thorncombe.
Collection of Biddlecombe and Aplin plots in the Village of Thorncombe
The first find, plots owned by John Biddlecombe in light blue, including his residence. Mary Biddlecombe in Fore Street, in green. The tan circle is a plot identified in the Tithe Apportionment with a George Biddlecombe as the landowner but not the occupier. The recent find in blue is Thorncombe Farm where the 1841 Census records the Joseph, Mary, and Elizabeth Aplin family.
Winsham
Winsham, Somerset
Greenwood Atlas of the Counties of England Surveyed 1817 to 1833
Greenwood Atlas Somerset
Greenwood Atlas Somerset South
Greenwood Atlas Somerset South Chard Crewkerne Winsham
Winsham, Somerset
Later in the will the premisses are stated as being in Church Street, coloured yellow on the above extract of the Dorset XIX.10, Revised: 1901, Published: 1903 held at the National Library of Scotland.
The tithe apportionment dated 30th October 1839 has George Biddlecombe as the combined Landowner and occupier of plot 74, shown in blue on the above map.
The Tithe Apportionment Map with Plot 74 circled in light blue.
The Tithe Apportionment shows George Biddlecombe as both Landowner and occupier for plot 74. George is also Landowner for Plot 77, a house occupied by John Singleton. Plot 77 is near plot 74 but is difficult to read on the above map, it is on the other side of the road from plot 190 which is easier to read. Interestingly the shop nor other elements mentioned in the Will are mentioned in the Tithe Apportionment as George Biddlecombe being the landowner.
It seems likely that one of these two buildings, which look old enough, are where George Biddlecombe lived and the dwelling house shop stable barn garden and orchard mentioned in the Will. Probably not the Post Office if it is in the the same position as it was for the Ordnance Survey Map above.
Slightly further along Church Street, and perhaps these are the doors to the stable.
Broadwindsor
Broadwindsor, Dorset, Somerset
Greenwood Atlas of the Counties of England Surveyed 1817 to 1833
Greenwood Atlas Dorset
Greenwood Atlas Dorset West
Greenwood Atlas Dorset Western End of County
Greenwood Atlas Dorset West Broadwindsor Parish
Greenwood Atlas Dorset West Thorncombe Parish, note that it is part of Devon at the time of the map
Greenwood Atlas Dorset West Broadwindsor and Thorncombe Parishes
Broadwindsor (or Broadwinsor) and Thorncombe Parishes together so you can see their proximity, immediately adjacent, together with the relative positions of Chard and Crewkerne, in Somerset.
County map of Parishes
County map of Parishes - Dorset
Extract from Great Britain, Atlas and Index of Parish Registers, from Ancestry
County map of Parishes - Dorset West
County map of Parishes Dorset; Extract Broadwinsor and Thorncombe (Devon) area
Shapwick
Shapwick, Somerset
Tatworth Chard Somerset
Tatworth Chard Somerset
Tatworth Tything, Chard is identified as the place of residence on the day of the 1851 Census for Ann Pearce Phillips
Tatworth, Chard, Somerset
NLS Old OS 25 Map SW Tatworth Chard Somerset -- Somerset XCI.12, Surveyed: 1888, Published: 1889
The 1851 Census refers to Tatworth Tything and this presumably is the village within that Tything.
Union Place Plymouth Devon
Union Place Plymouth, Devon
Union Place, Plymouth is identified as the place of residence on the day of the 1841 Census for Thomas Pearce Phillips
Union Place, Plymouth
Devon CXXIII.12, Surveyed: ca. 1854 to 1863, Published: ca. 1854 to 1863
Devon CXXIII.12, Surveyed: ca. 1854 to 1863, Published: ca. 1854 to 1863
Shapwick
Shapwick, Somerset
Biddlecombe families of Thorncombe and Winsham
Biddlecombe families of Thorncombe, Devon and Winsham, Somerset
Click on the link above, which will open in a new window
James Biddlecombe of Enmore
James and Ann Biddlecombe of Enmore Somerset
End of this article in the series, select the next collection or person to view from the list below.
