Description: Behind every medieval tax entry lies a village, a family, a life in motion. Every name tells a story. Kirby's Quest for Somerset, here presented with the Nomina Villarum Somerset returns for the 16th year of Edward III, opens a rare window onto 14th century Somerset, England, when lordship, landholding and royal taxation shaped the county at every level. Meticulously edited by F. H. Dickinson, this landmark assemblage of Somerset historical records reads as both medieval tax records collection and parish and manor gazetteer in embryo. Alongside Kirby's inquest stand authoritative English tax roll transcripts: the Exchequer lay subsidies roll 169/5 from the first year of Edward III, the county rate of 1742, and the hundreds and parishes of Somerset as enumerated in the census of 1841. Names, places and assessments unfold across five centuries, making this volume an incomparable reference for local historians and a rich sourcebook for genealogists engaged in Somerset genealogy research or tracing lines for Victoria County History Somerset projects. From hamlets on the Quantocks to market towns on the Parrett, it illuminates structures of landholding, fiscal obligation and community that underpinned Edward III Somerset history and its long aftermath. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions, this classic Somerset Record Society volume is restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint, a collector's item and a cultural treasure for anyone who cherishes primary documents and the deep story of Somerset's past.
