In producing this, my fourth book in the Then and Know series, I have turned to an area of high uplands which in part form The Southwolds, being the most southerly extension of the Cotswolds, and is based on and around the old and historic town of Marshfield. For reasons which are now lost in the midst of time, these uplands have been inhabited for thousands of years as many prehistoric burial grounds, in the form of long and round barrows of various types, plus Druidical Stones have been found within the vacinity of Marshfield. By the time of the Conquest, the town was recorded as Meresfelde, and was held by Queen Edith, the widow of Edward the Confessor, passing to Queen Matilda in 1075. A hundred years later it became part of the Abbey of Keynsham, where it remained for almost four hundred years. It was the Abbot of Keynsham who in 1234, obtained the right to hold weekly markets plus, a three day fair around St. Oswald's Day, despite protestations from the good citizens of Bristol. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1548, the manor passed through a number of hands before being divided between the Goslett's and the Crispe's.
Over the years the town grew and prospered being described by Samuel Rudder in 1789 as:
"The Town of Marshfield stands near the middle of the parish and consists chiefly of one street, near a mile long, through which a turnpike road leads from London to Bristol. The business of making malt to supply the cities of Bristol and Bath was formerly very great here, for which the town is conveniently situated in a corn country; and though it has been for some time declining yet it is still pretty considerable. The market, which is but little frequented, except in the malting season, is held on Tuesday and there are two fairs in the year, on the 24th May and 24th October, for which privileges their charter was renewed in the reign of James 1"
July 1999
Price £5.00
ISBN: 0-9526490-4-7
