History library
Our parish history is entwined with Wells Cathedral. King Edward the Confessor gave Whitchurch and Binegar to Giso, Bishop of Wells in 1065. In 1140, Bishop Robert created the Dean and Chapter setting aside property - Prebends - for its foundation. Binegar and Whitchurch supported the Cathedral Canon appointed Whitchurch Prebendary. His seat is still in the Chapter House.
The Parish comprised the two Manors from 1065-1937 and stretched to Paulton. Then they reorganised and Whitchurch went to Ston Easton. The Prebendal house, though, is still there at Whitchurch Farm. This page aims to give you all we have about our history.
Scroll down and if you have a contribution, do send it in.
| The big picture | |
| What's in a name Binegar and Gurney Slade - meanings and crest |  |
| Of Prebends and Prebendaries - things you will need to know | |
| Binegar: a short history - Binegar Women's Institute, 1974 | |
| The Barrington Papers - Delia Barrington's research papers for A Short History | |
| The Barrington photographs - the collection of pictures | |
Guest essays | |
| Charles Uphill and the search for the stained glass window Jeff Parsons on an Australian's donation to Holy Trinity's East window, 1912 |
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| Binegar and the Blücher Harry Crowley on prisoners of war and the German Navy's armoured battle cruiser |
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| A Country Fair - reminiscences of High Drowsy (Binegar) Annual Fair Charles Hippesley Meade, 1866-1939, childhood memories (courtesy Mrs J Hill) |
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Dig deeper for tales of our parish - of murder, mayhem, highway robbery, sanctuary from justice and more. You will meet great men - lawyers, playrights, judges and brilliant churchmen. Judge Bracton's words are carved in stone on Harvard University Law School Library. Richard Courtenay lies in Westminster Abbey in the same grave as King Henry V. John Claymonde was a close friend of those Renaissance Men Saint Thomas More and Erasmus. And there are thieves and vagabonds too. We have an entertaining and interesting history!
Digging deeper | |
| From ancient times to the Norman invasion of 1066 | |
| From 12,000BC via ancient Celtic Britons, Romans and Saxons to Edward the Confessor | |
| Secondary neolithic and Roman site at Binegar, Somerset by E K Tratman |
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| Roman road from Whitnell Corner to Midsomer Norton by E K Tratman | |
From the Norman Conquest to the Black Death 1066-1348 | |
| 1066 - Normans, our parish, Domesday and the sad fate of the Saxon nobles | |
| 1080 - So, who on earth was living here on the Mendips 900 years ago? | |
| 1140 - The Whitchurch Prebend and its (scandalous) first Prebendaries | |
| 1250 - Henry de Bracton - the greatest of all our Prebendaries | |
| 1257 - William and Cicely de Wynchalse seek Sanctuary in Holy Trinity Church | |
| 1342 - Richard de Thormerton - an unlucky and absent Prebendary | |
| 1348 - The Black Death and how that Divine Wrath could be cured and prevented | |
From the Black Death to the English Reformation, 1348-1530 | |
| 1349 - The Wells Holy Cross Fair moves to Binegar and stays 600 years | |
| 1370 - Thomas Waryn - our lost Rector found again | |
| 1374 - Richard de Courtenay - our fairest Prebendary and King Henry's mate | |
| 1381 - Dangerous times in Somerset as the peasants revolt (and the "gentry") | |
| 1401 - A Welsh Rector and murmurings of discontent about the state of the Church | |
| 1410 - More bad feeling about the Church with absentee rectors and prebendaries | |
| 1425 - A tough vocation for a dedicated man- a priest's life in the 1400s | |
| 1450 - With so many absentee clerics, who did care for the souls of parishioners? | |
| 1463 - Thomas Chaundler - our clear-sighted playright Prebendary | |
| 1509 - John Claymonde - the life and fateful times of a Renaissance Man and Prebendary | |
| 1527 - William Knight and John FitzJames - divorce negotiator and Reformation legislator | |
From the Reformation to the English Civil War, 1530-1650 | |
| 1534 - Reformation begins brutally and led by Thomas Cromwell, Dean of Wells | |
| 1535 - Rector John Dun is sued by the Dean of Wells | |
| 1543 - Highway robbery of Thomas Foxe on his way home from Benenger Fair | |
| 1548 - Bad Bishop Bill Barlow and his bounteous bequest | |
| 1599 - Bishop Still grabs Binegar Fair's profits and writes a comedy about a needle | |
From the English Civil War to Victoria, 1650-1832 - the yet to be tackled | |
From Victora to today, 1832 onwards | |
| 1888 - Thomas Hardy's Binegar Fair | |