Hide
hide
Hide

SOUTH TAWTON

From White's Devonshire Directory of 1850

TAWTON (SOUTH) is a compact village, pleasantly situated on the banks of the small river Taw, at the north end of Dartmoor Forest, four miles E. by S. of Okehampton, and 18½ miles W. of Exeter. Its parish contains 1871 inhabitants, and 6097½ acres of land, including 86A. of woods, 79A. of orchards, and 1574A. of open pasture and forest. It comprises the hamlets of Itton, Tawgreen, Whyddon Down, Gooseford Week, Fulford, Ramsley, Dishcombe, and South Zeal, extending from two miles S. to three N. by E. of the church. The parish also comprises many scattered farm-houses, "c., and its surface is picturesquely broken into hill and dale, rising boldly on the south-west to the heights of Dartmoor, where the Taw and other rivulets have their sources. H.A. Hoare, Esq., is the lord of the manor of Black-hall; G.S. Fursdon, Esq., is lord of South Zeal, and Wm. Damarel, Esq., is lord of Itton manor; but here are several smaller manors and estates, belonging to various owners. OXENHAM, the property and occasional seat of H.A. Hoare, Esq., belonged to the Oxenham family from the reign of Henry III. till 1814. This family resided here for many generations, and is remarkable for the tradition of a bird, which is said to have appeared to many of its members previously to their death. SOUTH-ZEAL is a straggling village, on the high road, half a mile S.E. of the church, and is described as a borough in ancient records, and as having a market and two fairs, granted in 1298 by Robt. de Tony, then lord of the manor. It has still a cattle fair on the Tuesday in the week after the festival of St. Thomas-a-Becket, (July 7th.) Its ancient chapel has been long used as a school, where 60 children are educated at the expense of H.A. Hoare, Esq., who has greatly improved the condition of the poor parishioners. Itton, or Ilton Moor, was enclosed in 1849. The Parish Church (St. Andrev,) is a large antique structure, with a tower and six bells. Among its ancient monuments is the effigy of a warrior in armour, supposed to represent one of the Wike, or Weeks family, who were long seated at North Wick. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £10, and in 1831 at £150, is in the patronage of the Dean aud Canons of Windsor, and incumbency of the Rev. Thomas Birkett. The former are also appropriators of the great tithes, now leased to H.A. Hoare, Esq. The vicar has a neat thatched residence, and 34A 3R. 21P of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1844. The parish has three Almshouses for poor widows, founded by Robert Burgoyne, in 1656, and endowed with 1½A. of land, worth £5 a year. The poor parishioners have the following yearly doles, - 30s. left by Oliver Lang, in l654, out of Brushcombe close; about £15 from John Northmore's Charity, as noticed with Okehampton; £5 left by Wm. Oxenham, out of Higher Cullaford estate; 5s. left by John Dunning, out of Scurhill's estate; and about £12 from 9 ½A. of land, called Derracombe field, purchased in 1730, with £80 given by Wm. Battishull, Edw. Northmore, and other donors.

Marked 1 are at Eastwick, 2 Dishcombe, 3 Itton, 4 Ramsley, 5 SOUTH ZEAL, 6 Taw-Green, 7 Northwick, 8 Whyddon Down, and the rest in SOUTH TAWTON village, or where specified.

5 Arscott Wm. butcher
Birkett Rev. Thomas, Vicarage
5 Crocker John, parish clerk
5 Crocker Thomas, mason
Hoare Hy. Arthur, Esq., Oxenham Hs
5 Perkins Wm. rope & twine maker
8 Powlesland John, beerhouse
2 Wannacott Geo. nurseryman
Watts Mr William
5 Yeo Jas. schoolmr. & asst. overseer

PUBLIC HOUSES.
5 King's Arms, Wm. Knapman, mltsr
5 Lamb Inn, James Moore
5 London Inn, Wm. Pearce
6 Oxenham Arms, James Drew
Seven Stars, John Drew
5 Victoria, John Arscott

FARMERS (* are Owners)
7* Arnold Jno.
Ash Robert
8 Baker John
7 Borne John
6* Brailey Wm.
6 Cann Mark
2* Cann George
* Cann Wm.
2* Cann Philip
2 Counter Joseph
Carnell Richard
Cooper Henry
5* Counter Wm.
Counter Robert
Cooper Wm.
* Curson Robert
5* Curson Wm.
5 Curson Val.
* Cumming Robert, Lovaton
* Drew John
2 Dunning Richard
* Fewins Mary, Addiscott
6* Finch John
Finch Charles
5 Finch Wm.
Gilland Richard
Hearn Samuel
2 Hole Jane
8 Hole Wm.
5 Jopa George
* Knapman Arthur, Well
* Knapman Dewes and George
5* Knapman Wm. and John
* Lee Mary
Lock Grace
Lethbridge Richard
Lethbridge Ts.
Merton Joseph, Gooseford
8 Moore Andw.
5 Moore James
1* Moore John
1* Moore Smn.
* Moore Wm., Gooseford
6 Patterson Jph.
Sampson Mary
Powlesland Geo.
Powlesland John
Powlesland Thos.
3 Thorne Thos.
Soper Henry, Black-hall
Stoneman Chpr., Wickington
5* Wannacott Faithful

CORN MILLERS.
Bailey Wm., Taw-green Mill
Browning Wm., Frog Mills
2 Fewins Wm., Tawton Mills

BLACKSMITHS.
5 Beer John
8 Gove James
5 Finch Isaac
8 Finch John
Knapmall Wm.

CARPENTERS.
5 Glanvill Thos.
5 Glanvill T. jun.
5 Tucker Eml. & wheelwright

HUCKSTERS.
And Carriers.
5 Cooper James
5 Powlesland Geo.
Westaway Geo.

SHOEMAKERS.
5 Counter Saml.
5 Jopa Andrew
5 Oudas Wm.

SHOPKEEPERS.
Curson Valentine
Finch Charles
5 Perkins Hugh
5 Wedlock Arthur

TAILORS.
5 Crocker Eml.
5 Edicott Thos.

POST from Exeter & Okehampton daily, and Carriers Tu. & Sat.
The Post-Office is at South-Zeal

Brian Randell, 3 Jul 1998