BLACKAWTON

Transcribed from William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire 1850, by Terry Partridge.

BLACKAUTON, a straggling village of indifferently built houses, on high ground, 5 miles W. of Dartmouth, has in its parish 1449 souls, and 5589 acres of land, including many scattered houses, and the village and chapelry of STREET, on the coast of Start Bay, more than 4 miles S.S.E. of the church, and S.W. of Dartmouth. Here are also small hamlets or assemblages of houses, called Bow, Dryton, East Down, Borlestone, Millcombe, and Woodford. A large fishing village, called Undercliff, near Street, is said to have been destroyed by the encroachments of the sea, many years ago. H. L. Toll, Esq., is lord of the manor and owner of a great part of the parish, and the rest belongs to W. Dimes, Esq., J. Netherton, Esq., C.Barter, Esq., Mrs. Hayne, and many small freeholders. The barton of Cotterbury has an independent royalty, and was purchased in 1806, by L. Newman, Esq., of Dartmouth. Fuge, now a farm house, was built in 1725, by the late C. Hayne, Esq. Oldstone, the seat of W. Dimes, Esq., is a large mansion, which was for more than wo centuries the seat of the Colwich family. The Parish Church (St. Michael,) is a large antique structure, with a tower and six bells. It is in the early perpendicular style, but most of the windows are modern insertions, and the chancel walls have recently been rebuilt. In the chancel are three cinque-foiled sedilia, and a handsome double piscina. The nave has a good screen and a fine Norman font. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £15. 8s. 9d., and in 1831 at £128, is in the patronage of Sir H. P. Seale, Bart., and incumbency of the Rev. E. T. Seale, who has a good residence and small glebe. The tithes, which formerly belonged to Tor Abbey, are now held by the trustees of the late Abraham Welland, Esq., and were commuted in 1841, for £739. 6s. 6d. per annum, subject to the vicar's stipend. Street Chapel of Ease, at the south end of the parish, was built about 14 years ago, by subscription, and a grant of £250. It is a neat structure, in the Gothic style, with an embattled tower. There are National Schools and small Weslyan Chapels at Blackauton and Street. The vicar has £8. 12s. a year, left by Wm. Wotton, in 1689, ut of land at Cullumpton. Several rent charges, left by the Rev. Richard Sparkes, in 1699, have been exchanged for £257 three per cent consols. The yearly dividends are distributed in bread among the poor except 30s. for a sermon, and 10s. for the parish clerk.

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