Christopher Dodington

   General Notes:

Recorder, Wells, Somerset

the following, found in a little booklet in Mere church, just over the Somerset border in Wiltshire, some 35 miles ESE of Taunton:

"A number of the inventories list the goods under the headings of the rooms
where they were found. This gives a picture of the layout of these
particular houses, some large, others obviously small. At one end of the
scale is the interesting case of Christopher Dodington in 1687. We know the
Dodingtons to have been gentry, who had owned Woodlands Manor since 1360,
but by 1705 they were in financial straits and sold it to Sir Matthew
Andrews. Christopher was presumably another member of the family who was
also hard pressed, as his adminstratrix's account shows some £160 of
borrowings on bond, which seem to have swallowed up much of the estate. His
main house was at Zeals, and had the Hall, with a parlour and a kitchen,
with chambers over all three. In his case the parlour seems to have been
used as the main bedroom. One of the chambers had 2 old beds, sharing the
space with stocks of wheat and peas; the other two were store rooms for
wool, cheese & malt; in addition there was the farmyard with 62 sheep and
all the trimmings of an arable farm. He had in addition a house at Burton on
a grander scale, with Hall parlour, buttery kitchen and milkhouse, and above
them the Green Chamber, a little chamber within the green chamber, and the
Hall chamber, all well furnished with one bed apiece, whilst the cockloft,
or top chamber, contained merely one lesser bed."

The booklet is one of a series of short histories, this one entitled 'Death
and Life in Tudor and Stuart Mere', based upon the researcher's examination
of old Wills and Inventories and his conclusions about the way of life of
the local inhabitants having regard to the evidence of records of their
property and contents. This paragraph is the only one dealing with the
Dodington family but they were evidently well to do people in the area at
that time.

   Events:

1. Baptism; 9 Jun 1605; Dodington.

2. college; 17 Jun 1621; Wadham College, Oxford.

3. father's will; 1612.

4. George Dodington's will; 1618.

5. Occupation; 1657; Recorder.

6. Residence; Wells, Somerset.

7. mother's will; 1647.

8. Own Will; 21 Jan 1656. proved in perrogative court, canterbury, 16 Nov 1657 and 8 Jan 1676

9. Residence; Lincoln's Inn, Middlesex.

   Marriage Information:

Christopher married Mary Gouge, daughter of Rev William Gouge DD and Unknown, in 1679. (Mary Gouge was born in 1613 and died in 1713.)