Minehead (St. Michael)
MINEHEAD (St. Michael), a market-town and parish, and formerly a representative borough, in the union of Williton, hundred of Carhampton, W. division of Somerset, 38½ miles (W. N. W.) from Somerton, and 160 (W. by S.) from London; containing, with the manor of Bratton, and the hamlets of Periton, Vineford, and Woodcombe, 1489 inhabitants. At the period of the Conquest, this town, then called Manheved, was given by William to William de Mohun. Between the years 1550 and 1654 it was repeatedly visited by the plague, and it has at various periods suffered from fires. It is situated on the shore of the Bristol Channel, and consists of the Church town, which is composed of mean irregular streets, on a sloping eminence called Greenaleigh; the Lower town, which is the principal part, comprising some respectable streets, and the townhall, erected at the expense of J. Fownes Luttrell, Esq.; and the Quay town, near the water's edge, including the custom-house. The quay is a solid piece of masonry, with a parapet towards the sea, into which it extends about a quarter of a mile, affording a tolerable shelter for small vessels. The inhabitants were formerly engaged in foreign commerce to a great extent, and even at the commencement of the last century, forty vessels from this harbour were in constant communication with Ireland alone. At present a few vessels only belong to the port; some of these trade with Bristol in grain, malt, bark, timber, flour, and leather, and are freighted back with grocery, iron, &c., and the rest convey commodities to Wales, and return with coal, culm, and limestone. Herrings are taken on the coast. The market, for fish and provisions, is held on Wednesday; and there is a chartered fair for pedlery, &c., on the Wednesday in Whitsun-week. The borough first sent members to parliament in the reign of Elizabeth; it was disfranchised by the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 45. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £18. 9. 7., and in the patronage of Mr. Luttrell, the impropriator: the vicarial tithes have been commuted for £200, and the impropriate for £104. 2. 3.; there are 26 acres of glebe. The church is a spacious and handsome building, with an embattled tower; in the chancel is an ancient monument, supposed to be that of Judge Bracton, chief justice of England in the reign of Henry III., and author of the earliest treatise on the Laws of England extant. There is a place of worship for Baptists. An almshouse for eleven persons was built and endowed by Robert Quirke, about 1648; and the poor generally have an estate producing about £30 per annum, together with the interest of £1197 three per cent. consols. A species of shell-fish is found at low water on the rocks off Minehead, which affords a peculiar fluid, having the property of communicating to linen a purple tint, supposed to be similar to the murex, which produced the Tyrian purple mentioned by Pliny. Dr. Brocklesby, the friend of Johnson and of Burke, distinguished as a physician and medical writer, was a native of the town.
Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.