BISHOP'S TAWTON

From White's Devonshire Directory of 1850

BISHOP'S TAWTON, a small village on the east side of the fertile and picturesque valley of the river Taw, 2½ miles S. by E. of Barnstaple, has in its parish 4268 acres of land, and 1827 inhabitants, including Newport, a populous southern suburb of Barnstaple, and forming part of that borough, as noticed at page 566. Newport is said to have been anciently a borough town. It had formerly a market on Monday, and a fair on the festival of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, granted in 1294. The Duke of Bedford is lord of the manor of Bishop's Tawton, which belonged at an early period to the Bishops of Devonshire, and was the original Bishop's See; but Putta, the second bishop, removed the See to Crediton. The manor was conveyed by Bishop Veysey, in 1550, to Lord John Russell, afterwards Earl of Bedford, at the request of the King, together with other manors. The bishops had a Palace here many centuries after the See was removed, and traces of it are still to be seen. Robt. Chichester, Esq., owns Accot, Hall, Pill, and Halmeston estates, and is now building a large and handsome mansion, in the Elizabethan style, at Hall, the ancient seat of the Hall family, whose heiress brought the estate to the Chichesters. Sir B.P. Wrey, Bart., and several smaller owners, have estates in the parish. The Church (St. John,) is an ancient structure, consisting of a nave, chancel, and north aisle, with a tower and spire. It contains several monuments belonging to the Chichester family, and has recently been repaired and beautified. In restoring the north aisle, in 1849, a series of interesting frescoes, in good preservation, were discovered, covering the whole of the north side, and surrounded by an ornamental border. The principal figures in these antique paintings are ten feet high. During the restoration, three fine painted windows were inserted. In the churchyard are some remains of an ancient building, called the Deanery, belonging, with the rectorial tithes, to the Dean of Exeter. The great tithes of Bishop's Tawton, Landkey, and Swimbridge, were appropriated to the Dean by Bishop Brewer, in 1231. The Dean is also patron of the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £21, and in 1831 at £480. The Rev. J.D. Baker, B.A., is the incumbent, and has 25A. of glebe, and a handsome residence, erected in 1841, in the Elizabethan style, at the cost of £1800. The tithes were commuted in 1843, the vicarial for £445, and the rectorial for £350. Thos. Brailey, Esq., is lessee of the latter. Newport Church is a modern building, near the site of an ancient chapel, the ruins of which were taken down about the middle of last century. It is a perpetual curacy, valued at £87, in the patronage of the Vicar, and incumbency of the Rev. Bourchier Wrey Saville, M.A. The parish has a National School, attended by 130 children. The Parish Land (4A.) was purchased with £100 left by John Berryman, in 1618, for the poor, who have also the interest of £32, which was expended in enlarging the Church House. They have also the following yearly sums:- 26s., left by Hugh Acland; and 10s., left by John Rowley. The vicar has an annuity of 26s. 8d., left by Eliz. Martyn, in 1663, for catechising the children. The poor of Newport have 40s. a year from H.G. Tippett's Charity. (See Barnstaple.) Newport Borough Lands were vested in trust in 1691, for the benefit of the inhabitants, and now consist of several tenements, let for only 41s. a year, which is applied in repairing the church.

BISHOP'S TAWTON.

Newport is included with Barnstaple.
Arscott Mary, vict. Three Pigeons
Ashplant Thos. & Edgar Jno. shoemkrs
Baker Rev J. Durand, B.A. Vicarage
Brailey Thomas, Esq.
Brealey John, tailor
Chichester Robt. & C., Esqrs. Hall
Dart Wm. shopr || Delve Wm. smith
Davis Thomas, carpenter
Ford Mary, corn miller
Harding Robert, gent. Down Rew
Quick Thomas, blacksmith
Rawle John, post-office
Richards Dorothy, beer seller
Tyte Henry, vict. Three Tuns

FARMERS.

Alford Henry, Halmeston
Boatfield Robert || Brown Samuel
Buckingham Wm. || Dennis Edw.
Gaydon Wm. || Hosking Richard
Houle George || Houle Wm.
Huxtable John || Joce Wm.
Marquiss Mrs || Powell John
Rowe Charles || Sanders Joseph
Slade Richard || Tyte Henry
Waldron Henry || Waldron John

Brian Randell, 23 Mar 1997