The Hundred of South Petherton is one of the 40 historical Hundreds

Hundred (division)

A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...

 in the ceremonial county

Ceremonial counties of England

The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...

 of Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

, England, dating from before the Norman conquest

Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...

 during the Anglo-Saxon

Anglo-Saxon

Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...

 era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was responsible for the maintenance of the frankpledge

Frankpledge

Frankpledge, earlier known as frith-borh , was a system of joint suretyship common in England throughout the Early Middle Ages. The essential characteristic was the compulsory sharing of responsibility among persons connected through kinship, or some other kind of tie such as an oath of fealty to a...

 system. They also formed a unit for the collection of taxes. The role of the hundred court was described in the Dooms (laws) of King Edgar. The name of the hundred was normally that of its meeting-place.

The Hundred of South Petherton was based on the area covered by the Royal Estate of South Petherton

South Petherton

South Petherton is a small country town and civil parish on the River Parrett in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. It is east of Ilminster and north west of Crewkerne. It had a population of approximately 3,200 in 2002...

 which had existed before 1066. In the 13th century it included Shepton Beauchamp

Shepton Beauchamp

Shepton Beauchamp is a village and civil parish, from Barrington and north east of Ilminster between the Blackdown Hills and the Somerset Levels in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.-History:...

, Lopen

Lopen

Lopen is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, situated eight miles west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 248.-History:The name of the village means Lufa's pen or fold....

, Whitestaunton

Whitestaunton

Whitestaunton is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.-History:The parish of Whitestaunton was part of the South Petherton Hundred....

, Cudworth

Cudworth, Somerset

Cudworth is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north east of Chard in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 69.-History:The parish of Cudworth was part of the South Petherton Hundred....

, Dowlish Wake

Dowlish Wake

Dowlish Wake is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south of Ilminster and north-east of Chard in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 293 and is home to several thatched houses....

, Westcombland in Buckland St. Mary, and probably Hurcott in Seavington St Mary

Seavington St Mary

Seavington St Mary is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated next to the village of Seavington St Michael, about east of Ilminster, within the South Somerset district and had a population of 365 inhabitants at the 2001 census....

. Later it also included the ancient parishes of: Barrington

Barrington, Somerset

Barrington is a village and civil parish, situated south east of Taunton and west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England...

, Chaffcombe

Chaffcombe

Chaffcombe is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north east of Chard in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 194.-History:...

, Chillington

Chillington, Somerset

Chillington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Crewkerne and east of Chard in the South Somerset district. The parish has a population of 96. The parish includes the hamlet of Coombe.-History:...

, Cricket St Thomas

Cricket St Thomas

Cricket St Thomas is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated in a valley beside the A30 road between Chard and Crewkerne in the South Somerset district.The village has a population of 50...

, Dinnington

Dinnington, Somerset

Dinnington is a village and civil parish in English county of Somerset, situated north of Crewkerne in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 65.-History:The name Dinnington means the settlement of Dynne's people....

, St Giles Knowle

Knowle St Giles

Knowle St Giles is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England, situated on the River Isle south of Ilminster and north east of Chard...

, Niden and Seavington St Michael

Seavington St Michael

Seavington St Michael is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated next to the village of Seavington St Mary, about east of Ilminster, within the South Somerset district....

. It covered an area of 14680 acres (5,940.8 ha).

The importance of the hundred courts declined from the seventeenth century. By the 19th century several different single-purpose subdivisions of counties, such as poor law union

Poor Law Union

A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...

s, sanitary district

Sanitary district

Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...

s, and highway district

Highway district

Highway Districts were areas in England and Wales united for the maintenance and repair of highways. They were first formed in 1862 and consisted of groupings of civil parishes in rural areas...

s sprang up, filling the administrative role previously played by parishes and hundreds. Although the Hundreds have never been formally abolished, their functions ended with the establishment of county court

County Court

A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...

s in 1867 and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894

Local Government Act 1894

The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...

.