The Hundred of Pitney is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England,[1] dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was responsible for the maintenance of the frankpledge system.[2] They also formed a unit for the collection of taxes.[3] The role of the hundred court was described in the Dooms (laws) of King Edgar. The name of the hundred was normally that of its meeting-place.[4]
| Pitney Hundred | |
|---|---|
| Area | |
| 3,690 acres (1,490 ha) | |
| Status | Hundred |
| • HQ | Pitney |
| Subdivisions | |
| • Type | Parishes |
| • Units | Langport Eastover, Muchelney, and Pitney |
The Pitney hundred grew in the 16th century from two free manors and a neighbouring borough.[5] The Hundred of Pitney consisted of the ancient parishes of: Langport Eastover, Muchelney, and Pitney. It covered an area of 3,690 acres (1,490 ha).[6]
The importance of the hundred courts declined from the seventeenth century. By the 19th century several different single-purpose subdivisions of counties, such as poor law unions, sanitary districts, and highway districts sprang up, filling the administrative role previously played by parishes and hundreds. Although the Hundreds have never been formally abolished, their functions ended with the establishment of county courts in 1867[7] and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Pitney Hundred". A vision of Britain through time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Administrative Units Typology | Status definition: Hundred". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "The Shire and the Hundred". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Summary". Institute of Archaeology. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ R. W. Dunning (editor), A. P. Baggs, R. J. E. Bush, Margaret Tomlinson (1974). "Pitney hundred". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ County Courts Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. 142) s.28
- ^ "Mapping the Hundreds of England and Wales in GIS". University of Cambridge Department of Geography. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2011.