Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Yonder Great Long Croft

A field of Longcroft Farm

 

Great Long Croft was originally a single large field of Longcroft Farm, between Combe Street Lane and Yeovil Marsh. It was later divided into two parcels called Higher Great Long Croft (Parcels 1118 and 1119) and a third called Yonder Great Long Croft (Parcel 1120). 'Yonder' is an archaic dialect word simply meaning farther removed, or 'over there'.

In 1816 Longcroft Farm, including Yonder Great Long Croft, was let to Henry Guppy, known as Harry. However, in April 1816, Harry was being held as a 'Prisoner for Debt' in the King's Bench Prison, Surrey, awaiting his case to be heard at the Guildhall, Westminster during the following month.

The 1846 Tithe Apportionment recorded that Yonder Great Long Croft was owned by Lord of Kingston Manor, William Jones Prowse, who had inherited huge land holdings in the area. The farm, at this time, was let to James Tucker. Yonder Great Long Croft was described as arable for growing crops and measured 4a 2r 26p.

During the 1860s, a Mr Sawtell was the tenant farmer. During the 1870s Robert Chard farmed Longcroft Farm, and during this period the farm was afflicted with a foot & mouth disease outbreak. In June 1879, Chard was declared a bankrupt. The next tenant farmer was William Hardy. By January 1908 Hardy had died and was followed, certainly between 1910 and 1921, by Herbert James Pearce. During the early 1920s Longcroft Farm, including both parcels of Higher Great Long Croft, went through a series of auction sales and sales by private treaty.

Yonder Great Long Croft (Parcel 1120) was bounded on the east and south by the two parcels of Higher Great Long Croft (Parcels 1118 and 1119), to the west by Lower Plaines (Parcel 1117) and to the north by Higher Pear Tree Close (Parcel 1132).

 

For details on historic land measurement (ie acres, roods and perches) click here.

 

Each farm has (or will have) its own page - click here.
Each Parcel of land has (or will have) its own page - click here.