Yeovil, mun. bor., market town, and par., Somerset, on river Yeo or Ivel, 22 miles SE. of Bridgwater, 50½ miles S. of Bristol, and 124¾ miles SW. of London by rail - par., 4056 ac., pop. 9507; bor., 700 ac., pop. 8479; P.O., T.O., 3 Banks, 1 newspaper. Market-days, Friday and Saturday. Yeovil, known at Domesday as Ivel, is an old prescriptive borough. The parish church is a fine cruciform edifice, with a 15th century tower. The woollen trade once carried on has died out, but there is an extensive mfr. of kid and other gloves. Brewing is carried on. Yeovil is a railway centre of some importance.

(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))