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bell inn (1)
High Street / The Borough
Yeovil had a Bell Inn certainly as early as 1444 when it was recorded that the rent of the Bell Inn was £2 3s. 4d. per annum (see Documentation below). This Bell Inn (marked as 'F' on the 1886 map below) fronted High Street, in the Borough. It was the property of the Chantry of the Holy Trinity of St John's church, certainly in 1501 when the accounts of William Weaver, senior priest in the chantry, noted that John Wyning was the host of the Bell Inn, the rent of which had fallen from 100s to 43s 4d p.a.
The accounts of the Chantry of the Holy Trinity note that in 1548 a widow, Isabella Welfare, was running the Bell Inn and the rent had fallen further to 33s 4d per annum.
In his will of 24 August 1580, woollen draper Gyles Hayne wrote "... All that my Burgage or Inne called the Bell with his Appurtenannces Scituate and being in the highe streete within the Borowe of Yeavell aforesaid, nowe in the Tenure of Henrie Welfare or of his Assignes.".
In 1618 an order was made that only nine licensed premises be allowed in the borough (that is the town, not that part of High Street today called the Borough) and two outside, with the rest being 'suppressed'. The Bell Inn was undoubtedly one of the nine 'allowed' premises.
In 1639 a lease referred to a "messuage between the Bell and the Rose and Crown in High Street".
It is not known when this initial Bell Inn (there were two later Bell Inns) ceased trading, but was probably in the early 18th century since the second Bell Inn was in operation by 1735.
map
owners / tenants / licensees
1444-67 -
Licensee not
named but rent
of Inn referred
to (Goodchild
'The Borough of
Yeovil')
c1500 - John
Wynyng – Host
(Chantry of the
Holy Trinity
Accounts)
1548 – Isabella
Welfare, widow
(Chantry of the
Holy Trinity
Accounts)
1564 – Isabella
Welfare / Giles
Hayne (Calendar
of Somerset
Chantry Grants)
1599 – The Bell
Inn mentioned in
Latin document
1615 – Thomas
Lane (Notes of
LC Hayward)
1664 – Widdow
Hayne (Rate
Book)
1667 – Mary
Hayne (Notes of
LC Hayward)
1669 – Thomas
Atkins, late
Lang (Notes of
LC Hayward)
1689 – John Game
(Notes of LC
Hayward)
1690 – Dr. Gayme
(Notes of LC
Hayward)
1695 – Jane Game
(Notes of LC
Hayward)
Documentation
|
1444-1467 |
In
these
and
subsequent
years
the rent
of the
'Bell'
Inn was
£2. 3s.
4d. a
year. (Goodchild
et al:
The
Borough
of
Yeovil,
1954.
p48) |
|
c1500 |
The
accounts
of
William
Wever,
temp.
Henry
VII,
senior
priest
of the
Chantry
in the
parish
church
of
Yeovil,
show
that the
rent of
the Bell
Inn, of
whom
John
Wynyng
was
host,
had
fallen
from
100s.
per
annum to
43s. 4d.
(SCHNQ
Nov.
1901) |
|
1548 |
Yevill,
The
Chantry
of the
Holy
Trinity...
Isabella
Welfare,
widow,
holds a
burgage
or Inn
with
certain
curtliages,
called
the
Bell,
and
renders
per
annum
33s 4d.
(Somerset
Chantries,
S.R.S.
2) |
|
1564 |
To Thomas Reve, gentleman, William Revette, merchant, and William Hetchins, of London, 14 July 1564: Yeovil: Holy Trinity Chantry:... Isabella Welfare, widow, 1 burgage or Inn with certain curtilages called the Bell, £1 13s 4d. rated at 24 years. Reve and Revette conveyed the Holy Trinity Chantry properties to Giles Hayne of Kingston next to Yeovil on 20 July 1564... Isabella Welfare renewed her lease for the Bell Inn and other Yeovil properties worth £1 13s 4d. (Calendar of Somersewt Chantry Grants, 1548-1603: Cal 72.) |
| 1580 |
In his
will of 24
August 1580,
woollen draper
Gyles Hayne
wrote "...
All that
my
Burgage
or Inne
called
the Bell
with his
Appurtenannces
Scituate
and
being in
the
highe
streete
within
the
Borowe
of
Yeavell
aforesaid,
nowe in
the
Tenure
of
Henrie
Welfare
or of
his
Assignes.". |
|
1599 |
The Bell Inn mentioned in Latin document signed by Raufe Horsey, Thomas Freke and Gerrad Sterr (SRO. DD/PH c295.23) |
|
1615 |
Thomas Lane - Notes of LC Hayward |
|
1664 |
Burrow - Widdow Hayne att the Bell 1s. 4d. (Rate Book) |
|
1667-8 |
Mary Hayne - Notes of LC Hayward |
|
1669 |
Thomas Atkins, late Lang - Notes of LC Hayward |
|
1689 |
John Game - Notes of LC Hayward |
|
1690 |
Dr. Gamee - Notes of LC Hayward |
|
1695 |
March 1695. Portreeve and Burgesses of Yeovill to Jane Gayne of Yeovill, Messuage and burgage in High Street, between burgage now or late in the possession of Joseph Hayne, commonly called The Bell on west messuage of Thomas Phillips, als. Phelps, commonly called the Rose and Crown on east, formerly held by Thomas Atkins decd. Rent 14s. 8d. (Signed) Richard Rogers portreeve and 11 burgesses - Giles Hayward, Francis Mines, James Markes, John Chaplin, John Knight, John Old, Edward Boucher, William Rowe, Henry Avoke, |
