Yeovil's Virtual Museum

robert tucker the Elder

Glove Manufacturer

 

The Tucker family in Yeovil goes back at least to the sixteenth-century and the surname denoted a fuller - one who cleans and thickens cloth in the finishing process.

Robert Tucker the Elder was born in Yeovil and is thought possibly to be the un-named child, son of Amos Tucker, whose baptism was recorded in St John's parish register on 5 August 1770.

Robert married Margaret Messiter of Barwick, presumably around 1798, although I could find no record of their marriage in either Barwick or Yeovil. Robert and Margaret lived in Yeovil, where Robert amassed a fortune as a glove manufacturer towards the end of the eighteenth-century. They were to have at least one child, Robert Tucker the Younger, who was baptised at St John's church on 31 January 1802.

In the 1832 poll book, Robert Tucker the Elder and his son Robert Tucker the Younger were both listed, separately, as living in Hendford; Robert the younger by virtue of a freehold house and Robert the elder by virtue of freehold land. 

Robert the Elder died in Yeovil in the autumn of 1841 and Robert the Younger placed a stained-glass window in memory of his father at the east end of Holy Trinity church.

 

 

The Yeovil Tithe Apportionment of 1846 and the Preston Plucknett Tithe Apportionment of 1848 show that Robert Tucker the Elder had extensive land holdings, passed to his son Robert Tucker the Younger on his death in 1841, in both places as tabulated below.

His total acreage held in Yeovil was 46a 0r 13p while the total acreage held in Preston Plucknett was 105a 5r 9p.

 

Yeovil Tithe Apportionment 1846
Owner	Occupier	No	Name
Tucker, Robert	Hare, Rev Thomas	343	House & Garden
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	346	Yarn Barton
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	671	Sherrys Mead
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	672	Dry Close
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	673	Dry Close
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	682	In Rustywell Field
Tucker, Robert	Horsey, Thomas	684	Rustywell Mead
Tucker, Robert	Penkeville, John	677	House, Garden & Plot
Tucker, Robert	Pilton, Emanuel	622	In Middle Northover
Tucker, Robert	Pilton, Emanuel	644	In Higher Northover
Tucker, Robert	Pilton, Emanuel	658	In Higher Northover
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	629	Francis' Close
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	630	Clover Field
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	631	Middle Field
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	632	Furlong
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	633a	Watercombe Orchard
Tucker, Robert	Tucker, Robert	345	House, Garden & Field
Tucker, Robert	Tucker, Robert	678	Rustywell Orchard

 

Preston Plucknett Tithe Apportionment 1848
Owner	Occupier	No	Name
Tucker, Robert	de Chavelle, Couly	135	Dwellinghouse & Garden
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	132	Farm House, Offices & Garden
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	133	Home Orchard
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	134	Cowleaze & Barton
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	136	Long Mead
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	137	Second Close
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	138	Four Acres
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	139	Seven & Eight Acres
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	141	Five Acres
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	142	Nine Acres
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	143	Pookhay Mill
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	144	Five Acre Mead
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	145	Three Acre Mead
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	146	Little Bucks Mead
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	147	Catshill Eight Acres
Tucker, Robert	Roberts, Joseph	148	Catshill Ten Acres
Tucker, Robert	Tucker, Robert	145a	Plantation
Tucker, Robert	Tucker, Robert	146a	Plantation

Note: The farm occupied by Joseph Roberts was Preston Lower Farm

 

 

Bidder's map of 1843 shows West Hendford running from top centre towards bottom left before petering out, Hendford runs from top right corner to bottom right and Horsey Lane joins the two at bottom centre. Robert Tucker's land, including his house Hendford Lodge, is marked 'Mr R Tucker' and occupies all the land between West Hendford and Hendford.

 

 

Robert Tucker the Elder

 

The Hendford entrance to Hendford Lodge.

 

Hendford Lodge was Robert Tucker the Elder's home for many years and passed to his son Robert Tucker the Younger on the father's death in 1841. It was demolished in 1973.