Definition
The Hundred of Mart Martock is a former administrative division, known as a hundred, located in the historic county of Somerset, England.
Overview
Hundreds were geographic units used in England from the early medieval period through the 19th century for judicial, fiscal, and military purposes. The Hundred of Martock encompassed the parish of Martock and surrounding settlements, serving as a jurisdiction for the local court (the hundred court) and as a unit for the collection of taxes such as the Danegeld. The hundred’s boundaries and constituent parishes varied over time, but it generally covered a rural area in the southwestern part of Somerset, lying to the east of the River Parrett.
Etymology / Origin
The name “Martock” derives from the Old English personal name “Mær” combined with “stoc,” meaning a secondary settlement or outlying farmstead, thus signifying “Mær’s farm.” The term “hundred” originates from an early medieval English concept, possibly indicating an area that could furnish one hundred men for military service or comprised roughly one hundred hides (a hide being a unit of land sufficient to support a household).
Characteristics
- Geographical Scope: Historically included the parish of Martock and neighboring communities such as South Petherton, West Lambrook, and parts of Kingsbury Episcopi.
- Judicial Role: Hosted the hundred court, which dealt with minor civil and criminal matters, the upkeep of roads, and the administration of the frankpledge system.
- Fiscal Function: Served as a unit for tax assessment and collection, particularly for levies imposed by the Crown and later by the county authorities.
- Military Obligation: In the Anglo‑Saxon and early Norman periods, residents were liable for service in the king’s fyrd (local militia) proportionate to the hundred’s population.
- Decline: The administrative relevance of hundreds waned after the 19th‑century reforms, notably the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 and the establishment of modern local government districts. By the late 1800s, the Hundred of Martock retained only a nominal historical identity.
Related Topics
- Hundred (administrative division) – the broader system of hundreds across England and Wales.
- Martock, Somerset – the principal settlement after which the hundred is named.
- Somerset Hundreds – other historic hundreds in the county, such as Taunton Deane, Glaston Twelve Hides, and Bempston.
- Frankpledge – a system of joint suretyship among groups of households within a hundred.
- County of Somerset – the historic county encompassing the Hundred of Martock.
- Local Government Act 1888 – legislation that further reduced the administrative functions of hundreds.