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Malborough

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"MALBOROUGH is a small village, on an eminence, partly in West Alvington parish, about two miles from Salcombe Haven, and four miles S.S.W. of Kingsbridge. Its parish contains 1951 inhabitants, and 4890 acres of land, bounded on the south by the English channel, between Bolt head and Tail, and including the small hamlets of Coombe, Collaton, Rew, Bolbury, Batson, and Shadycombe; and the small town, sea-port, fishing station, and chapelry of SALCOMBE, which is pleasantly and picturesquely situated on the western side of the estuary, . . . Salcombe has now about 1500 inhabitants, though it had only 972 in 1841. [It has] three ship building yards, many good shops and neat houses, and several handsome marine villas. It is the out-port of Kingsbridge . . . . The imports are chiefly coal, culm, groceries, foreign fruit, &c.; . . . . The exports are corn, flour, malt, cider, potatoes, slate, &c. . . . The Earl of Devon, . . . is lord of the manors of Malborough, Salcombe, Ilton, East Sewer, Bolbury, Batson, Collaton-Prawle, Hope, &c.,, but part of the parish belongs to W.R. Ilbert, Esq., Miss Hawkins, A. Pinwell, Esq., Miss Burnell, Mr. Bastard, J. Netherton, Esq., Miss Spencer, and several smaller owners. . . . Malborough Church is a large ancient structure, in the perpendicular style, with a tower and six bells, and crowned by a spire, which may be seen at a great distance. . . . " [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

A parish in Stanborough Hundred, the Archdeaconry of Totnes and the Diocese of Exeter. According to Peskett, it was a chapelry of West Alvington; included Salcombe chapel of ease for which there are separate baptism registers from 1802, later a modern parish; also included West Portlemouth. Regarded as part of the South Hams area.

The old parish of Malborough was the major settlement, with a small port on the Kingsbridge Estuary at Salcombe. That port grew into the now well-known town and holiday resort, leaving Malborough as just a small village on the road between Salcombe and Kingsbridge.

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Archives & Libraries

Information about the Salcombe Maritime and Local History Museum can be found at the Devon Museums web-site.

Overbecks Museum, South Devon, London, National Trust (1989) 16p: ill. [Plymouth Library 728.8OVE]

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Biography

Burner, Bill. Blue Skies, Cokkworthy Museum (1979) 31 pp. [Licensee of the Victoria Inn, Salcombe - a personal history from c1902 of schooling, places and people, sports, lifeboat service, etc.]

Chapman, Eunice. Presumed dead: the true story of an unsolved mystery: an autobiography. London: Warner Books (1992) 232p. [ISBN 0751507741]

Green, Dick. Cove Family in the S. Hams, Devon Family Historian, vol. 131, (August 2009) pp.37. [Charles Cove, buried 1674, Malborough Church]

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Cemeteries

Salcombe burials 1879-2010 are included in DeceasedOnline's database (subscription).

MIs for Malborough Church (All Saints) are included in the Devon FHS and Incledon indexes, and those for Holy Trinity, Salcombe, are included in the Devon FHS index - see under Cemeteries on the main Devon page.

Burial records for two cemeteries in Salcombe are available (for a fee) from Deceased Online.

A transcription of the Memorial Inscriptions for Holy Trinity Church, Salcombe, is held in the Society of Genealogist's Library, in Vol. 8 of Devon Memorial inscriptions (DE/M23), and for All Saints Church, Malborough in Vol. 9.

Collins, Lyn. Salcombe churchyard, South Devon: monumental inscriptions. Kingsbridge: Lyn Collins (1989) [17] leaves: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - px929.5/SAL/COL]

Collins, Lyn. All Saints parish church, Malborough, South Devon: monumental inscriptions. Kingsbridge: Lyn Collins [1990] 32p. ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sx929.5/MAL/COL]

Collins, Lyn. Malborough and Salcombe: names of those who died at sea extracted from monumental inscriptions. Kingsbridge: Lyn Collins (1990) 4p. [Westcountry Studies Library - px929.5/MAL/COL]

Collins, Lyn. Deaths at Sea. Devon Family Historian 61 (1992) pp.18-19.

Square, J. Harris. Epitaphs from Churches, Churchyards and Burial Places in the Following Parishes: Kingsbridge, South Milton, East Allington, Dodbrooke, Malborough, Blackawton, West Alvington, Sherford, Charleton, Thurlestone, Churchstow, East Portlemouth. Devonshire Association Trans. 29 (1897) pp.182-215. [Index]

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Census

Transcripts of the Malborough Village, Salcombe and Inner Hope section of the 1841 census for Malborough, and the 1861 census for Malborough, from the Parishes of the South Hams website.

Transcription of the 1861 Census, RG9/1424 Enumeration District 1, Enumeration District 8 and Enumeration District 9 - by Kathryn Barnett

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Church History

Malborough - from J. Stabb. Some Old Devon Churches (London: 1908-16).

Burns, Francis V. From the rock to the hill, a short history of Methodism in Salcombe 1807- 1978. Ashburton: Henry Bradford (1938) 30p. Westcountry Studies p287.1/SAL/BUR]

Taylor, John Andrew Wemyss. A short history of the church in Salcombe. Salcombe: J.A.W.Taylor (1988) 18p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - p726.5/SAL/TAY]

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Church Records

Parish Registers going back to 1558 are held in the Devon Record Office.

Transcripts of the Malborough Parish Registers going back to 1558, and of the Salcombe Bishops' Transcripts going back to 1750, are held in a special collection in the Westcountry Studies Library - for details see Parish Registers in the Devon & Cornwall Record Society's Collection (archived copy).

The Devon FHS publishes indexes covering (as of June 2004): Baptisms 1813-1839, Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1813-1837, together with Salcombe Baptisms 1813-1839 - for details see their Devon Parish List.

The members' area of the Devon FHS website makes available online images, not at present (Jan 2016) available elsewhere, of the Parish Registers covering Malborough Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1558-1631, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1631-1706, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1706-1789, Baptisms: 1782-1816, Baptisms: 1813-1869, Marriages and Banns: 1754-1797, Marriages: 1774-1804, Marriages and Banns: 1804-1914, Marriages: 1813-1837, Marriages: 1837-1905, Marriages: 1906-1914, Burials: 1789-1816.

Other churches and chapels (with pre-1840 records):

  • Holy Trinity, Salcombe: Registers for 1802-67 (C), and BTs for 1813-20, 1823-38 (C), in DRO
  • Wesleyan Chapel: Registers for c1813-37 - see Kingsbridge (PRO RG 4/1088)
  • Wesleyan Chapel, Salcombe: Registers for c1813-37 - see Kingsbridge Ebenezer, Plymouth Ebenezer (PRO RG 4/1088, 1092)

Entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993): Parish Church Christenings 1558-1837 Marriages 1558-1837.

Transcripts of Malborough All Saints baptisms (1706 - 1739), baptisms (1840-1869), banns (1837-1900), burials (1673-1706), and burials (1801-1866), from the Parishes of the South Hams website.

Transcripts of Salcombe Baptisms 1802-1867 and Banns 1845-1932 from the Parishes of the South Hams website.

Hooper, Michael R. The Baptist Church, Budleigh Salterton - A record of Burials and Epitaphs at the Church, since its formation in 1844. [DFHS Library]

Deanery of Woodleigh Baptisms 1813-1839, Marriages 1754-1837 and Burials 1813-1988 - CD-ROM, Exeter, Devon FHS (2006). [Index of Aveton Gifford: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Bigbury: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837, Burials 1813-1837), Buckland-Tout-Saints: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1818-1822), Burials (1813-1988), Charleton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1780-1812), Chivelstone: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1800-1837), Churchstow: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1848), Dodbrooke: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), East Allington: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), East Portlemouth: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Kingsbridge: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Kingsbridge Ind.: Burials (1793-1897), Loddiswell: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Malborough: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Moreleigh: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Ringmore: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1764-1814), Salcombe: Baptisms (1813-1839), Sherford: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1800-1837), Slapton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), South Huish: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1856), South Milton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1838), South Pool: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1838), Stokenham: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Stokenham Ind.: Burials (1795-1836), Thurlstone: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1838), West Alvington: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Woodleigh: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837)]

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Description & Travel

Section on Malborough & Salcombe  from Samuel Lewis: A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831), provided by Mel Lockie.

Salcombe Information Centre - Official Tourist Information web site for the town of Salcombe.

Conservation Area Appraisal for Salcombe - an interesting account of the area, with numerous photographs and maps [Downloadable PDF].

Hope Cove (archived copy) - description, history and photographs from Devon Online.

Adey, W.T. All About Kingsbridge and Salcombe. Kingsbridge: B. Wyatt (1903) 105p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/KIN 1/1903/ADE] [ArchiveCD]

Anderson, Arthur H. Kingsbridge, Salcombe, and the Kingsbridge Estuary. (1916) [Plymouth Library]

Barber, Chips. Around & About Salcombe. Pinhoe, Exeter: Obelisk Publications. [ISBN 0946651760].

Chard, Judy. Salcombe. Devon Life vol. 8 no. 66 (1971) pp.40-41; ill.

Field, T. Sunny Salcome and District, South devon - Official Guide. [DFHS p942.35/SAL]

Luscombe, Ellen. Myrtles and aloes: or, our Salcombe sketch book. Kingsbridge: G.P.Friend (1861) viii, 152p, plates: ill. [Index]

Marshman, E.P. Salcombe, South Devon: the official guide of the Salcombe Town Association and of the Urban District Council, Salcombe, The Author [1920] 64p: ill, map. [Westcountry Studies Library sB/SAL 3/1920/MAR]

Pearson's gossipy guide to South Devon including Torquay, Teignmouth...Salcombe etc, London, C. Arthur Pearson [1900] 180p: ill, map. [Westcountry Studies Library sDEV/1900/PEA]

Merrell's guide: Salcombe, Kingsbridge, South Devon (4th ed.), Salcombe, Merrell [1920] 46, [4]p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library pB/SAL 3/1920/MER]

Salcombe and district, South Devon, South Croydon, Abbey Publ. [1935] 40p: ill, folded map. [Westcountry Studies Library sB/SAL 3/1935/SAL]

The official guide of Salcombe, South Devon (5th ed.), [Salcombe Town Association] [1951?] 108p: ill, maps. [Westcountry Studies Library sB/SAL 3/1951/OFF]

You can see pictures of Malborough which are provided by:

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Directories

Transcription of the entry in White's Devonshire Directory (1850) by Terry Partridge.

Copy provided by Val Henderson of the entry (description and names) in Morris and Co's Commercial Directory and Gazetteer of Devonshire 1870.

Scanned images of 1923 Kelly's Directory entries for (Malborough) and (Salcombe), from the Parishes of the South Hams websitee.

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Emigration & Immigration

Davey, F.A., Watts, S.G. Westward Look: Devon Pioneers and Pilgrims in the New World. Town & Country Press Ltd., 42 Rectory Lane, Bracknell, Berks. (1970) 56p. ["Roger Clapp of Salcombe" - pp.41-42]

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

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Genealogy

Salcombe is one of the growing number of places for which the Devon Heritage website provides census or parish register transcriptions, articles, and/or illustrations, etc.

The Genealogy section of the Salcombe History Society website provides carefully indexed records and photographs, from a great variety of sources, concerning over three thousand individuals.

Cowell, Peter. Descendants of Adams of Malborough, Devon Family Historian, no. 185, (2023) pp.51-5. [James Adams, m. Sarah Jarvis, Malborough, 1773)].

Pillar, Leslie W. Some Notes on the Fairweather Family of Horsecombe in Malborough, Devon, (2000). [DFHS p929.2/FAI]

Pillar, L. W. The Fairweather Family of Salcombe, Devon, The Author (2003). [DFHS p929.2/FAI]

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History

Salcombe lifeboat disaster: How sand bar claimed 13 lives in 1916 - from BBC News.

Born, Anne. A history of Kingsbridge and Salcombe. Chichester: Phillimore (1986) 179 pp., [16] pp. of plates: ill., maps, 1 coat of arms, facsims., ports. ; 26 cm. ISBN: 0850336082.

Clamp, Arthur L. Hope Cove and its people remembered. [Plymouth]: A.L.Clamp [1985?] 24p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pxB/MAL 3/0002/CLA]

Clamp, Arthur L. The loss of the Herzogin Cecilie on the Ham Stone, 25th April, 1936, Plymouth, A.L. Clamp (1985) 16p: chiefly ill. [Westcountry Studies Library px623.8885/SAL/CLA]

Clamp, Arthur L. Hope Cove and its people remembered - part 2. [Plymouth]: A.L.Clamp [1987]w 24p: ill. [Westcountry Studies - Library pxB/MAL 3/0002/CLA]

Cresswell, John P. Loss of the "Herzogin Cecilie". Artscape Publications (1994) 28p: ill, maps. [ISBN 1870738071]

Eriksson, Pamela. The Duchess: the life and death of the Herzogin Cecilie. London: Secker & Warburg (1958) 247p, plates: ill.

Evans, Elwyn Ll. A naval interlude: the wreck of the Ramillies, 1760. Hollingbourne: L.E.Evans (1988) 12p. maps. [Westcountry Studies Library - p623.8885/SAL/EVA]

Fairweather, Len. Salcombe remembered. Westway (1980) 24p. of ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pxB/SAL 3/1900/SAL]

Fairweather, James. Salcombe jubilee celebration: being a detailed account of the festivities on Tuesday June 21st, 1887, Kingsbridge, The Author (1887) 61 pp. [Westcountry Studies Library s394.4/SAL/FAI]

Fairweather, James. Salcombe jubilee celebration: being a detailed account of the festivities on Tuesday June 21st, 1887, Ringmore Books, 18 Portway Close, Plymouth PL9 8BA (2001). [New extended edition]

Fairweather, J. Salcombe, Kingsbridge, and Neighbourhood, a descriptive and historical guide to all places of interest between Start Bay and the River Avon. (1897) 156p: ill, fold map. [Westcountry Studies Library - B/SAL/1884/FAI]

Fox, S.P. History of Kingsbridge, Salcombe and Neighbourhood. (c1870) [Westcountry Studies Library]

Hawkins, A. Kingsbridge and Salcombe with the intermediate estuary, historically and topographically depicted. Kingsbridge: R. Southwood (1819) vi, 210p, plates: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - B/KIN/0001/KIN] [Index]

Hunt, Arthur Roope. On a Block of Granite from the Salcombe Fishing grounds. Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1879, Vol XI, pp. 311-318. [Index]

Karkeek, Paul Q. Sir Edmund Fortescue and the Siege of Fort Charles. Trans. Devon Assoc. vol. 9, (1877), pp. 336-350. [Index]

Karlsson, Elis. Mother sea, London, Oxford U. P. (1964) xiii, 264p: plates. [Notes Includes chapter on the wreck of the "Herzogin Cecilie"] [Torbay Library A623.8]]

Le Cheminant, Richard. A present from Hope Cove. [London] [30 Elsenham St., Southfields, SW18 5NS]: [R. le Cheminant] (1986) 62 pp. ill., 1 facsim., maps, 1 port.

Parkinson, Sonia F.G. Salcombe Yacht Club: the first hundred years. Salcombe: [The Author] (1995) 44p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - p797.12406/SAL/PAR]

The story of Hope Cove and surrounding district. South Huish Women's Institute (1982) 25p, plates: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pB/SOU 3/0001/STO]

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Land & Property

Sullock, Jason, (Ed.). Farms of the South Hams, Part 1: Bigbury, Churchstow, Ringmore, Malborough, Stockton, [J.D.C. Sullock] [1992] 5 leaves. [Westcountry Studies Library px631/SOU/FAR]

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Maps

View a map of the boundaries of this town/parish.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX706398 (Lat/Lon: 50.243988, -3.816122), Malborough which are provided by:

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Merchant Marine

Salcombe History Society website contains a number of well-researched illustrated articles by Roger Barrett on Salcombe maritime history.

Cove, Mary. At Sea and Onshore. Ballinger Press. [ISBN 978-1-5272-9099-0] ["A general book,  but the ports of South Devon, especially Salcombe, are the principal focus."]

Darch, Malcolm D. The Salcombe and Hope Cove lifeboat history. Salcombe: RNLI, Sal. & Hope (1984) 48p: ill, ports. [Westcountry Studies Library - 614.84/SAL/DAR]

Drake, M. The shipper's wife. Devon Life vol. 1 no. 3, (1965) pp.28-29; ill. [Wreck of Herzogin Cecilie]

Harding, B.J. Salcombe Ships and Their Captains, Devon Family Historian, No. 73, (Feb. 1995), pp. 13-14.

Murch, Muriel and David Murch and Len Fairweather. Salcombe harbour remembered. Plymouth: P.D.S. Printers (1982) 40p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - px387/SAL/MUR] [Index]

Murch, Muriel and David, and Len Fairweather. Sail and Steam in Salcombe Harbour. Plymouth: Westway (1987) 40p: ill. [ISBN 0901474231] [Index]

Murch, Muriel and David. Two 19th Century Salcombe Master Mariners/Shipowners. Maritime South West. No. 11 (1998) pp.145-166. [Richard Heath Sladen (1816-1906), Frederick William Hill (1825-1905)]

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Military History

Murch, Muriel, Murch, David and Fairweather, Len. The American forces at Salcombe and Slapton during World War 2, [Salcombe?]: [The authors?], (1984) 40p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library px940.540973/SOU/MUR]

Murch, P.D. Trading vessels of Salcombe haven, 1820-1890. Exeter Papers Economic Hist. 4, (1971) pp.101-129; ill, map.

Pearce, Peter. Salcombe war window, [Salcombe?], Harpocean (1989) 92p: ill. [World War 2. 1939-1945] [ISBN 1853080241] [Westcountry Studies Library sB/SAL 3/1939/PEA]

Pearce, Peter. Salcombe war window. Book 2, Churchstow, Studio Press (1991) 81: ill. [ World War 2. 1939-1945] [Westcountry Studies Library sB/SAL 3/1939/PEA]

Salcombe 1943-1945, US Navy, Public Relations [1945] 29p: ill. [World War 2. Operations by US Navy. 1943-1945] [Westcountry Studies Library sx940.545/SAL/UNI

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Names, Personal

Malborough contributors to a 1678 brief for the rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral.

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Probate Records

The wills of Andrew Cranch (1634) and William Cranch (1635) transcribed by Kathryn Barnett.

The will of Richard Goodman (1701) transcribed by Ros Dunning.

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Schools

Hovell, Dorothy. The end of an era: commemorating the closure of Salcombe Girls School in Devon, [Salcombe?], The Author (1976) 23p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library p372/SAL/HOV]

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Societies

Salcombe History Society website - provides the full text of numerous articles and books about the history of Salcombe.