A very popular trip with 28 attendees – including a few u3a member hangers on! Very lucky with the weather and it was a very enjoyable visit – once the group got split up a bit! My usual jottings – which hopefully supplement the leaflet those who came along picked up (but much of the information is found in the links below).
The House is open through the spring and summer if you wish to visit – usually 2-4pm. There is a bit of information about it here: https://www.historichouses.org/house/fairfield/visit/ and wiki entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield,_Stogursey , historic England list entry: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1001144?section=official-list-entry
When searching for information about the House, do use Stogursey as a signifier to get the right information!
Here are my notes (which I confess are a bit jumbled as a there was a lot of information being given and I could not capture the half of it!). As the guide indicates the family name changed greatly over the years, and they are deeply woven into other local families and houses. The tour was given by the sister of Lady Gass, Mary, and her son John.

• Records begin around 1160, the current incumbents have direct but distant decent from the original owners.
• Entry to the house used to be on the west facing wing, but was moved to the current location following major changes in the late 1700s giving a more classic Georgian façade with false windows and parapet (Sir John Palmer Acland). This was also when the road was moved from running pretty much around the house to it’s current more distant location.•
• Billiard room (drawing room), maybe from ww1. Prisoner of war, Halswell house, Italian pows came to work at Fairfield and one of them painted a picture of the house (see photos).
• Verney family, ferns in coat of arms – see photos of windows with coats of arms from hallway.
• Inherited during Tudor period (1557) by an infant (Elizabeth, last of Verney family), who was the goddaughter on Elizabeth I (though due to being Catholic family during Henry VIII reign they had been much impoverished by repeated imprisonment/ fines for refusing to become protestant). Was put into the hands of a guardian Sir Thomas Palmer who took the opportunity to Mary the child heiress to his son!
• No pics only plans of pre Tudor building, inc plans for 12 towers during 100 yr war – some evidence of 3 being built.
• Palmer family had triplets, who were allegedly born on 3 consecutive Sunday and survived to adulthood. One died in battle, one beheaded ( for supporting Lady Jane Gray), one natural. The cloths from their birth are still on show (allegedly – see photos)
• Hood families, almost all called Samuel and Alexander!
• Petition with mayor of Bridgwater anti slavery bill in parliament.
• A Panelled room may have been turned into furniture (see photos)
• Tankard made from cannon from Stogursey castle (see photos)
• Sir Peregrine Palmaer Acland who built Stogursey school to thank for his daughter surviving TB. He had also built a “summer house” for her down a Lilstock on the coast where she was taken for the air – also credited with her survival.
• Forebear royalist, family story fought in every battle of civil war…exiled in Netherlands
• Lord St Audries, and wife, lived at St Audries (links with other houses in area)
• Dress swords from that era
• Vase in picture in the salon (see photos)
• Dining room used to be book room, mostly Hood portraits Alex to right, Samual to left. Both admirals in navy, due to sponsorship of a vicar who their dad helped out, joined about 12, 13 as midshipmen. 18th century. Became relatively famous, lived to 80s or 90s. Younger brother drowned in R Brue despite mother keeping him out of the navy
• Younger Samuel lost an arm between 2 portraits (one in hall, one in dining room)
• Picture of Mars v Hercules. Captained a ship in battle of the Nile with Nelson, presented with commemorative sword, now at maritime museum
• John’s grandma qualified as doctor when only 6 woman allowed per year, served in war
• Commissioned "Diamond rock" in Martinique stationed guns and left men on it to try to hold harbour while ship went to be reprovisioned.
• There was also a modern sewn and embroidered Christmas Tree decoration hanging in the Dining Room which was a favourite keepsake of Lady Gass – which came out every Christmas since she received it from the children at Stogursey Primary School (John thinks)…and as her health deteriorated she wanted it kept out. Now she is no longer resident it remains on display as a placemarker of her in the house – which is rather lovely.

Sarah Hayward

19/03/2024