NORTH TAWTON

From William White's "History, Gazetteer & Directory of the County of Devon", 1878-9

Transcribed by Caroline <tilburycm <AT> netscape.net>

NORTH TAWTON ... a parish and small ancient town, pleasantly situated on the east side of the Taw Valley, 6¸ miles N.E. of Okehampton, and 10 miles W. of Crediton, is in Okehampton union, county court district and rural deanery, South Molton petty sessional division, North Tawton hundred, and Totnes archdeaconry. It had 2081 inhabitants in 1871, and comprises 5814 acres of land. In the parish is a station on the North Devon Railway.

It was anciently a market ... [see 1850 above] Here are three annual fairs, on the third Tuesdays in April and December, and the second Tuesday in October.

In the town is a large tan yard and a woollen factory, the latter of which has been employed in the manufacture of serges, &c., from a very early period. Most of the modern brick and slated houses occupy the sites of old thatched cob buildings, which were burnt down during the last 50 years. The manor was an ancient demeane of the Crown, and was held successively by the Valletort, Champernowne, St. Leger, and Fellowes families, the latter of whom purchased it in 1718. The Earl of Portsmouth is now lord of the manor and owner of a great part of the parish, and the rest belongs to the Hon. Marke Rolls, and several smaller owners. Crook Burnell, alias Stone, belongs to the Sturt family. Near the church is a moated site, supposed to have been the ancient seat of the Valletorts.

PETTY SESSIONS are held at the Market House bi-monthly by the South Molton magistrates.

THE CHURCH (St. Peter) is an ancient structure, with a tower containing six bells. The Register dates from 1538. The living is a rectory, valued in K.B. at £32 4s. 7d., and 1831 at £884, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. R. Hole, B.C.L., who has a good residence in the Elizabethan style.

The BIBLE CHRISTIANS, and PLYMOUTH BRETHREN have small chapels here. The church lands and cottages are let for about £28 a year. The Free School was endowed in 1746 by the Rev. Richard Hole, with a house and 10 acres of land at West Newton.

The SCHOOL BOARD, which was formed in 1872, consists of the Rev. Robert Hole (chairman), and Messrs. Willam Salter (vice-chairman), John Pedder, John Shillson, and Hugh Pyke. Schools, accommodating 200 children, were built in 1874, at a cost of £1800.

NORTH TAWTON MIDDLE CLASS SCHOOL, a handsome building adjoining the rectory house, was erected in 1863, on a site given by the Earl of Portsmouth, at a cost of £1000, raised by subscription, his lordship contributing £500. The poor have about 26s. 8d. yearly from the gifts of Christopher Kelland and Edmund Rowland.

POST, MONEY ORDER, AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE AND SAVINGS BANK at Mr. Frank Skinner's. Letters are received from London, Bristol, Exeter, &c., at 5.9 a.m., and despatched at 8.6 p.m. Second delivery at 3 p.m. Box closes at 7.55 p.m.

BROAD NYMET

"... on one of the tributary streams of the river Taw, 8¸ miles W. of Crediton, was formerly a civil and ecclesiastical parish, but is now united to North Tawton for civil purposes, and to Bow for ecclesiastical purposes. The living is a sinecure rectory - valued in K.B. at £2 4s. 2d., and in 1821 at £58 - in the same patronage and incumbency as Bow, or Nymet-Tracey. The manor anciently belonged to the family of De Brode Nymet, and is now nearly all in one farm, belonging to Mr. R. Prickman, and occupied by Mr. Will Snell."