Frome Times Past: Exciting new project by the Frome Society

EARLY in the new year work is expected to begin on a book detailing the lives of Somerset’s most important and influential surveyors and cartographers. 

Jeremiah Cruse (1758-1819) was born in Rode and was responsible for early surveys of Frome as well as many maps of the local area, several commissioned by Lord Bath at Longleat. He is responsible for the magnificent map of Frome Selwood produced in 1813 and now available as an atlas shown below.

Abraham Crocker (1742-1821) was headmaster at the Bluecoat school as well as the author of books on English grammar, cider and cartography, producing many maps and plans. He was also one of the first to introduce printing to Frome. One of his sons was head steward at Stourhead and another was an excellent artist and draughtsman. The family operated one of the first book shops in the town selling from Bath Street and Cheap Street.

Others to be included are Edmund Rack (1735-1787) who produced the Topographical Notes on the County of Somerset, a landmark in the history of books covering the ancient county and a major contributor to John Collinson’s ground breaking History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset. John Billingsley (1747-1811) was the author of The Agriculture of Somerset, and one of the founders of the Royal Bath and West of England Society, as well as an important agriculturalist who once owned the Bell public house now the Chinese takeaway at Fromefield.

The Cruse Atlas was published by the Frome Society earlier in the year in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies containing over 100 colour plates showing fields, settlements, roads, dwellings, farms, mills, rivers, bridges and many other features in remarkable detail along with a full transcript of the 1814 survey book indexing over 3,000 named and numbered plots with their state of cultivation, sizes, proprietors, tenure and occupiers.

The work is a treasure trove for local and family historians and map lovers, a handsome volume reproduced as a facsimile from Jeremiah Cruse’s huge and beautiful survey map. A fascinating information source on the geography, landscape, economy, transport, industry and agriculture of early 19th century England.

SPECIAL OFFER: We are offering a post-free deal at £45 which includes a free copy of the 1886 Ordnance Survey Map when ordered from  publications@fsls.org.uk  for a limited time only.

The Cruse Atlas is available from as always from Winstone’s Hunting Raven Books, 10 Cheap Street, Frome 01373 473 111