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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Friday 22 Mar 1958
Page 3 Column 3-6
TAUNTON INN ONCE A “FASHONABLE RESORT”
On
the Staplegrove road, just beyond the Odeon Cinema, and behind a car
park, is the King's Arms Hotel, kept by Mr. Leslie WASHER. About 50
years ago on the same site stood a very old inn also called the
King's Arms, with cottages attached to it on each side, shown in this
painting owned by Mr. WASHER. There is a mention of it in the
minutes of the Court Leet (established in 883) in the year 1635, when
the innkeeper, Thomas CARPENTER, made a petition to the Court.
The petition described the in as “a house into which divers gentlemen and others of quality usually frequent, as well as for the despatch of the affairs of the country as for their private occasions, being drawn to frequent the said house, much the sooner in regard of the convenient prospect, which the house afforded them, into the several parts of this town.”
Fashionable Resort
Not only did highly respectable people enjoy “stronge beer” at 3d a gallon, “ordinaire beere” at 2d a gallon and “hooped potte” at 1d a quart during business discussions, but also the view across to the river was unobstructed. From the windows of the inn could be seen a pleasant riverside gravel walk to Bishops Hull, with orchards, cherry gardens and meadows adjoining it.
In an article of February 19th, 1949, in the Somerset County Herald, I wrote abut Thomas GERARD's impressions of Taunton in 1633, and added: What a different prospect meets the eye as one stands on the town bride to-day, looking in the direction of the Gas Works! Here is a sight to make the angels week, and it might have been kept as lovely as any stretch of the Stratford Avon.” Angels must still be weeping about it.
The petition to the Court Leet goes on to say that Hugh WILLIS encroached on the lord's waste and erected in front of the inn “a certain porch-chamber or room, whereby he hath utterly stopped and taken away the whole prospect of the house of the petitioner, and besides, by erecting the said chamber, can look into the rooms of the petitioner, and can at his pleasure behold and see all that is done in the petitioner's rooms, to the great hurt and prejudice of the petitioner, and to the great scandal and offence of such as resort unto his house.”
Mercenary Outlook
The petitioner humbly desired the Steward of the Manor, who presided, to refer the matter to the consideration of the jury. “Your petitioner' will every pray for your health long to continue.” But the seemingly hardhearted jury returned a verdict that “we do find no such encroachment as is complained of.”
The new building probably brought in a little more revenue to the borough. In a bigger way, 150 years later, the town authorities destroyed the beauty of our river for the sake of still more monetary gains. The climax came when a cattle market was allowed to be held in front of our historic castle.
At the meetings of the Court Leet, which were held twice a year, the tithingmen or aldermen of each street of the borough (Shutterne, Paul-street, North-street, High-street, Fore-street and East-street) were sworn and handed in a list of names of all residents in the streets over which they had control. The lists for 1635 show that there were 380 male residents in these streets, and reckoning an average of five inmates to each house, the population of the borough was about 1,900.
H. J. CHANNON
<Notes: Page heading says The Western Gazette Friday 21 March 1958>