' THE PARISH OF SELWORTHY

THIS parish includes the greater part of the manor of Blackford, the hamlets of Allerford, Brandy or Brandish Street, and West Lynch, the manor of Holnicote, and, as a civil parish, the greater part of the manor of Bossington. Bossington is placed in this book under the head of Porlock. The history of the parish of Selworthy is to a large extent a repetition of that of East Luccombe. The greater part of Selworthy has been in the same ownership as East Luccombe from the time of Ralph de Limesi to the present day. Of necessity, therefore, not a little has to be said of this parish in the account of its neighbours. These facts, and the further fact that the parish has recently formed the subject of a volume by Prebendary Hancock, sometime its rector, have to account for the relatively small space allotted to it in this book. It is unnecessary to repeat what has already been published in a collected form, yet as the world grows older fresh information comes to light, and to some extent, therefore, the parish is entitled to a special place in this volume.

Allerford seems always to have been part of the manor of East Luccombe. Lands in Allerford were held of the Luccombe family as of that manor, and in later years we constantly find it referred to as part of the inheritance of the Arundells. Collinson, it is true, states that Allerford in Selworthy was a manor held of the lords of Dunster.... '