land values for tax purposes did not change for this entire period of time; Dulcote land was assessed at £508 10s 5½d

although there was no inflation of tax values at this time, the amount of annual tax paid was high -- 20% of assessed value!

the nobility and peerage who owned land here in Georgian times include: Lord Waldegrave of Chewton Mendip, The Honourable George Somerville, Lord Brooke Earl of Warwick, Lord Weymouth, Sir Charles William Taylor 

over the period 1766 to 1832, many farmers in Dulcote improved their fortunes as evidenced in their increased leases of land from others and even a few purchases

although most of the land appears to be used for agriculture and animal husbandry, there are a number of tiny lots/cottages owned or leased 

in many cases, a yeoman farmer/farmer's wife "retired" from farming by re-leasing  their farm land to another farmer and leasing a small property/cottage from another landowner

a reflection of the times is a court case in 1766 which held that "Mr. Evans" was not allowed to inherit land in Dulcote because he was a papist! (see who's who list)

throughout this period was a building in the hamlet known as Slab House; it seems likely (since Chilcote and Dulcote were linked for more than 100 years under one landlord) that this is the forerunner of the Slab House restaurant today.

Wellesley Farm, included in the Dulcote tax assessment was also referred to as Wensley Farm (interchanged in documents for years)

land tracts were mostly identified by their previous owners/occupiers' names even though they had been sold or re-leased

some residences and properties mentioned by name as part of Dulcote at this time are: Hill House, Rock's Close, Slab House, Kings Castle and Tor Hill, the Mill, the Parsonage, the Vicarage, Vicar's Wood (a.k.a. Vicarial Wood, Viller's Wood)

the Bishop of Bath and Wells held land (primarily pasture land) as part of his stipend valued at approximately £27; he officially occupied this land until about 1800 but held the land as an investment for the entire period of 1766-1832.

two small land tracts were earmarked as a stipend for various church officials; in this time frame the following reverend church officials benefited from the income from this land at separate times: Archdeacon Potter, Subdean Moss, Precentor Gould, and Canon Beadon.

the vicarage and the parsonage were occupied by: Reverend Joseph Lovell (1781-3, 1791); Mr. George Bailey (1781-92); Mr. George Rich (1793); Mr. Kitchen (1793); Charles William Taylor (1800-1832); Mr. Gould (1812-14); Mr. James Garred (1823-32); Reverend Park (1812); Reverend Sears (1814); Reverend Sorrell (1823-1832)

Reverend gentlemen who owned/leased other Dulcote land (Rock's Close, Tor Hill, etc.): Dean Creswicke (before 1766); Reverend John Paine (1766-1800), Reverend Joseph Lovell (1766-93); Reverend Pearce (1766-93); Reverend Somerville (1783-1800)

in Georgian times, many Church officials owned land in Dulcote and their family names often remained in Dulcote for generations thereafter.  These names include:  Moss, Creswicke, Young, Shakerley, Lovell, White, Paine, Gould, Beadon, Potter, Somerville

a survey of Dulcote in abt. 1785 lists church lands as...

the Tudways were a prosperous middle-class Somerset family who served as MP's from Wells for many generations. While much of their prosperity came from their ownership of a sugar plantation called Parham in Antigua, they also owned land in Wells, Wookey, Wellesley, Dinder, Chilcote and Dulcote.

there is an association of the Tudway family with slavery. Two 1821 documents list a total of 583 slaves working on two Antiguan estates belonging to John Paine Tudway; the document clarifies that none of the slaves had been "imported" (see Tudway Antiguan estate papers, Somerset PRO)

the Tudways increased their prominence as landowners in Dulcote in Georgian times. The family leased out most of their Dulcote land for farming, mill operations, quarrying and private residences as part of their familial annuity income.

land records first list the interest of Charles Tudway (b 1713) in Dulcote.  By 1766, he paid land directly on about 8% of the total land in Dulcote, more than the Bishop of Bath and Wells even by this time. 

Charles' young brother Robert Tudway had a small land interest in Dulcote at this time as well.

in 1771, Clement Tudway purchased the land belonging to Francis Lord Brooke (Earl of Warwick) involving approximately 737 acres of land, occupied by 30 leasers, held in 40 leases.  Tudway paid Lord Brooke £8,500 for "the manor of Dulcote and Chilcote", including " all and singular houses, outhouses, barns, stables, buildings, gardens, orchards, ways, waters, watercourses, fishings, woods, under woods, hedges, ditches, fences ... mines quarries"  as well as "waifs, strays, ...fugitives,  felons" (see full lease amongst the Tudway papers, Somerset Record Office)

Clement’s son, John Paine Tudway, became a real presence in Dulcote, occupying about 45% of Dulcote for his direct use and leasing out the rest.  Fortunately for the historian, John kept meticulous records of this estate including maps of his (and Robert Charles Tudway's) lands which extended from East Wells to Dulcote, Wellesley Farm and adjoining parts of Dinder.