sexton's house
sexton's house
In St John's churchyard
In William Harbin's Account Book dated 1682 is the following narrative -
"One Starr of Yeovil some years since being churchwarden; and behind the church tower next to Mr Prowse his garden up against the tower there was a little house where the sexton alwaies lived, and Mr Star aforesaid pulled down the house and made use of the tile upon his own house which stands now adjoining to the churchyard; and in three or four years time after in a quiet summers day all the tile that he took off the sexton's house and put up on his own slid down from his owne house, notwithstanding it was new tiled but a short time before (as aforesaid), and no other part of the tileing which was adjoining to it and done at the same time did not the like, but stood all firm, and doth to this day.
This I had for certaine trewth from all the masters that belongs at this time to the almshouse at Yeovill in Somerset; this was above twenty years past, but most of the chiefe of the towne now in the corporation of the almshouse aforesaid very well remember. 1682."
The family of Star are commemorated in Stars Lane.