by P J Harris, 2010
The Chronology of Rode
Stone age long barrow (Devil’s Bed and Bolster) on Rode Common
Bronze age barrow on Mogg Hill near Barrow Farm
Iron age ring ditches at Monkley Lane and coin found near St. Lawrence
Romano British artefacts found near Park Gate Lane
pre1066 Domesday book recorded that Rode was held by seven thanes
1086 Domesday Survey. Rode is recorded as having 3 manors and several mills in the possession of Geoffrey bishop of Coutances (King William’s chaplain).
1226 First priest recorded at St. Laurence, Rode – John de Thorenden
1254 Nicholas de St. Maur granted a charter to hold a fair on the St. Lawrence’s Day – 10 August.
1283 Laurence de St. Maur obtains a grant to hold a weekly market in Rode on Thursdays and a fair on St. Margaret’s Day – 20 July.
1348-49 Black Death. One third of the population died; 2,000 villages were deserted.
1410 Alice, daughter of Richard St. Maur, marries William, Lord Zouche of Herringworth and brings to him 440 acres of Rode
c1520 William St.Maur leaves a moiety of his remaining estates at Rode to each of his sisters – Margaret who married a Bamwelland Anne who married John Stawel.
16th C. Benedictine Priory (6 & 8 High Street and Habersfield House)
1551 Much of Lord Zouche’s land holding sold to King’s Treasurer
1559 Rode Bridge Mill built as a tucking mill
1566 Thomas Webb buys the Bamwell and Stawel moeties of Rode
1578 Deed of Thomas Webb (Lenten Bread)
1581 Sir Walter Hungerford of Farleigh acquire lands in Rode from the Zouche family
1587 Opening of parish registers at St. Lawrence, Rode
1589 The Webb family sell their Rode estates to the Hungerford family
1625 Service of thanksgiving at St. Lawrence, Rode for the staying of the plague
1651 King Charles II at St. Lawrence, Rode after battle of Worcester?
1650s Break-up of Hungerford Estates.
1664 John Webb, churchwarden
c.1700 William Yerbury left £50 to churchwardens of Rode (see Thomas Webb)
1703 Mr. F. Wheeler of Rode invented new fulling apparatus
1705 Henry Whitaker builds dye factory and the Millers House at Rode Bridge
c1720 Old name of Rode changed to Road (based on wording in wills)
1730 Henry Whitaker dies and his dye factory, the Millers House and Barrow House pass to his son William who leases them to his brother Thomas Whitaker
1737 Manor of Road bought by Mr. Andrews, Bristol merchant, and Northfield House (Road Manor) built.
1738 Parishes of Road and Woolverton united (Road-cum-Woolverton)
1741 John Batten dies
1746 John Wesley preaches under walnut tree at Townsend
1752 Until 1752 the legal year began on 25th March, not 1st January.
1755 Alms houses in Church Lane erected
1760 Thomas Noad dies and his estate, including his cloth manufacturing business at Rockabella, passes to his protégé Jonathan Miller (otherwise Noad)
1762 Thomas Whitaker’s daughters Sally marries Jonathan Noad; and Rachel marries Samuel Ledyard
1782 Thomas Whitaker dies and his sons-in-law; Samuel Ledyard inherits Road Bridge estate; Jonathan Noad inherits Shawford estate
1786 Baptist Chapel built
1790 Henry Batten dies
1790s Cottages developed into Southfield House for Jonathan Noad’s 1st son Thomas Whitaker Noad
1792 Road Common is enclosed
1792 Road Hill (Langham) House built by T. Baldwin for Thomas Whitaker Ledyard, son of Samuel Ledyard
1795 Jonathan Noad in residence at Rockabella House
1796 Manor of Road sold to Samuel Day of Hinton
1800 Serious fire in Road in Moberley Pond area
c1805 Shawford House developed for Jonathan Noad’s 2nd son Humphrey Minchin Noad
1807 John Pooll, grandson of John Batten, dies
1808 Scuttsbridge Mill occupied by brothers Thomas and Henry Batten Pooll
1808 Factory added to Road Bridge Mill. Clock installed in Baptist Chapel.
1808 Merfield House built for Jonathan Noad
1809 Methodist Chapel built
1810 Clock installed in Methodist Chapel in Road
1814Jonathan Noad dies and leaves Merfield House to his 3rd son Jonathan
1820 Thomas Whitaker Noad of Southfield House dies
1822 Manor of Road and Northfield House owned by Thomas and Henry Batten Pooll
1824 Christ Church built by archbishop Daubeny
1820s Remains of market cross in evidence
1829 Jonathan Noad dies but his wife Helen and family continue to live at Merfield
1834 National Schoolroom opened in Langham Place
1839 Baptist’s Schoolroom opened
1840s Closure of Rockabella Mill
1841 Brick Works owned by Mrs. Emily Noad and operated by John Dunford
1851 Thomas Pooll and sister Alice are living at Merfield
1851 Road Bridge Mill converted to corn milling till 1920s
1857 Henry Fussell acquires the Cross Keys Inn
1859? Methodist school built
1860 Road Hill (Langham) House murder.
1861 Henry Batten Pooll dies at Merfield and his estate, including Northfield House, passes to his great nephew, Robert Pooll Langford, of Timsbury, on condition he changes his name to Robert Pooll Henry Batten Pooll
1866 Service at Road during pestilence of cholera and cattle plague
1868 Silcocks’ Hall built by Edward Silcocks for free use by the village
1874 Restoration of St. Lawrence, Road
1875 Henry Fussell dies
1876 Invention of the telephone.
1879 R P H Batten Pooll enlarges Northfield House and changes its name to Road Manor
1886 Sidney Fussell acquires sole ownership of Cross Keys Inn and brewery
1887 Celebrations of Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, United Counties Institute founded by R. P. H. Batten Pooll and Rev. Brickmann of Christ Church opened and Jubilee Clock installed above window of Institute hall.
1894 Parish Council formed to administer civil matters in lieu of Vestry overseers
1897 Celebrations of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee
1899 Will of Mr. E. Silcocks (Road charities)
1900 Last Cloth made at Scutt’s Bridge Mill
1903 S. Fussell & Sons Ltd. builds new brew house
1904 Closure of Scutt’s Bridge Mill
1908 Lectern at Christ Church donated in memory of Sophia Dunn
1913 Sidney Fussell dies and Percy Fussell becomes head of the brewery
1919 Order of Somerset County Council restores the spelling of ‘Rode‘
1920 WW1 memorial erected on the Green
1923 Living of Christ Church, Rode Hill united with that of Rode/Woolverton
1927 Church Parishes of Rode and Rode Hill amalgamated
1928 George W Stokes and E Blick retire from Parish Council after 34 years service
1930 R P H Batten Pooll dies, Walter Stewart Batten Pooll inherits Rode Manor and lands.
1930 Reading Rooms (United Counties Institute) close
1935 S. Fussell & Sons Ltd. extend 1905 brew house
1936 Electricity and mains water come to Rode?
1937 Civil parishes of Rode and Rode Hill amalgamated
1938 Houses for brewery employees built in Marsh Road
1940 Invasion defences installed along east side of river Frome, air raid wardens formed
1953 Walter S Batten Pooll dies
1954 Rode Manor sold, much of house demolished, developed as Tropical Bird Gardens
1955 Memorial Hall opened
1957 Jubilee Clock stopped working
1962 S. Fussell and Sons Ltd. bought out by Bass, Mitchell and Butler
1964 Percy Fussell dies.
1966 St. Lawrence lych gate knocked down
1985 Wesleyan Chapel closed. Jubilee Clock restarted
1986 Central Stores closed
1991 New Scout Hut opened
1992 Brewery Distribution Depot and Cross Keys closed.
1995 Christ Church closed
2000 Tropical Bird Gardens closed
2000 Village sign erected and Memorial Hall refurbished
2002 Cross Keys reopened and brewery site redeveloped
2008 Jubilee clock restored