CHAGFORD

From White's Devonshire Directory of 1850

CHAGFORD is a small ancient town, on the eastern side of Dartmoor Forest, in the picturesque valley of the river Teign, 3 ½ miles W.N.W. of Moreton Hampstead, and 15 miles W.S.W. of Exeter. Its parish comprises 7492 acres, of which 5732 acres are old enclosures and well cultivated; 1271 acres are in pasturage and tillage in Dartmoor; 359 acres are waste, and 129 acres in roads, "c. The gross estimated rental is £7654, and the rateable annual value £5656. The parish has many scattered farm houses, &c., and four corn mills on the Teign, and had 1836 inhabitants in 1841, but they have since decreased to about 1740, owing chiefly to the Woollen Factory here being closed in 1848. Chagford town has only about 1050 inhabitants. It was made one of the Stannary towns in 1328, and had a stannary court, for regulating the tin mining operations of Dartmoor, till about 60 years ago, when it was removed to Tavistock. The court-house fell down in 1618, and killed the steward and nine other persons. (See Dartmoor.) The town has a market on Saturday for meat, vegetables, &c.; and four annual cattle fairs held on the last Thursdays in March, September, and October, and the first Thursday in May. Sir John Berkeley attacked and dispersed some of the forces of parliament quartered here in 1643, and and in the action fell that accomplished poet Sidney Godolphin. The manor of Chagford belonged to Sir Hugh Chagford in the reign of Henry III. It was successively held by the Wilbery and Whyddon families, for many generations, and the latter were long seated at Whyddon Park, now the seat of E.S. Bayley, Esq., and consisting of an ancient mansion, and a woody park of 300 acres. John Coniam, Esq., who has a pleasant seat called Way Barton, is now lord of two-thirds of the manors of Chagford and Cotterew; and Nicholas Clampitt, of Holy Street, is lord of the other third. There are several other manors in the parish, viz., Prince's Manor, belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall; Shapleigh, belonging to Mr. Maunder, of Exeter; and Rushford, belonging to the Hon. Newton Fellowes. The Earl of Devon, R.L. Berry, Esq., and many smaller owners have estates in the parish. Rushford was an ancient seat of the Hoares; Holly Street formerly belonged to the Rowes and the Southmeads; and Way Barton was long the residence of the ancient family of Prous, or Prouz. The CHURCH (St. Michael,) is a large antique fabric, with an embattled tower and six bells. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £39. 0s. 10d., and in 1831 at £560, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Wm. Hames, who has about 99 acres of glebe, and a large Rectory House, built about twenty years ago, on a commanding eminence, encompassed by higher hills. The tithes were commuted, in 1843, for £539. 10s. 1d. per annum. There are vestiges of ancient chapels at Teigncombe and Great Weeke, or Wyke St. Mary, and there was one at Rushford, but these places are now only farms. The Church Lands, &c., have been vested from time immemorial for the use of the church, and comprise about four acres, with a right of common, let for £14; the tolls of the markets and fairs, let for about £10; and a house, let to the overseers for 20s., except the upper story, used as a school room. The dividends of £200, four per cent. stock, left by John Weekes, in 1790, are applied in schooling and apprenticing poor children. The poor have £5 a year out of Withecombe estate, left by John Hunt, in l732. For distribution in bread, they have 27s. yearly from the churchwardens, as interest of money left by unknown donors. A congregation of Baptists was formed here in 1829; and the Wesleyans have a chapel in the town, which was leased to them for 21 years, at a nominal rent, by the late Mr. John Berry, in 1834. Here is also a small chapel, belonging, to the Bible Christians, built in 1844.

Bayley Edwd. Seymour, Esq., Whyddon Park
Berry Richard Leach, gentleman
Coniam John, Esq. Way Barton
Coniam Mrs Susan and Miss Eliz.
Collard John, ironmonger & brazier
Courtier Mr Wm. Westcote Cottaqe
Hames Rev Wm., M.A. rector of Chagford and of Ham, Kent
Hunt Samuel, surgeon
Miles Thos. watch and clock maker
Murch George, wheelwrigbt. ironmonger, and glass, &c. dealer
Pardon John, sexton
Penrose Thomas, mine agent, Whitebury Cottage
Thorn Richd. registrar & par. clerk

CORNMILLERS, &c.
Aggett Edward, Holy street
Collins James, Batworthy
Nicholls Joseph, Sandy Park
Torr Peter, Rushford

FARMERS. (* are Owners.)
Austin Wm. Drewston
Bennett John, Teigncombe
* Brock George, Drewston
* Brock John
Collins Wm.
Clampitt Gabriel, Middlecote
Clampitt Nicholas, Holy street
* Dicker John, Drewston
Dodd James
Ellis John
* Ellis John, Westcote
* Ellis Wm. Great Wicke
* Ellis Wm. Stinial
Endacott James, North hill
Ford John, South hill
Harvey George, Cleeves
* Harvey Humphrey, Corrindon
Harvey Humphrey, Yadworthy
Harvey John
Harvey Richard
* Harvey Robert, Forder
Harvey Wm. Easton
Hast Wm., Nattadon
Hellyer Richard, Calla hole
Hellyer Wm. Masher-hole
Holmes Alexander, Easton
*Holmes George
Holmes Richard
*Hooper Henry, Yelham.
Hooper Lydia, Great Weeke
Hooper John (survyr.) Withecombe
Hooper Wm. Rushford
Morris Wm. Little Weeke
Mortimore George, Frenchbeer
Northcote Thos. & Wm. Teigncombe
* Nosworthy Wm. Broadhouse
Nosworthy John, Willan head
Perryman John, Yeo
* Rowe George and John, Easton
Rowe James, Calla-hole
Scott Henry
Scott John
Stanbury John, Frenchbeer
Stanbury Richard
Stanbury John
Strong Wm. & Wills Geo. Waddicote
Torr Peter
Thorn Richard
Webber George, Whyddon Park

INNS AND TAVERNS.
Bakers' Arms, Rd. Holmes, wheelgt
Globe Inn, Henry Gregory, cooper
King's Arms, John Hooper, butcher
Royal Oak, George Harvey, butcher
Ring of Bells, Richard Stanbury
Three Crowns, John Brock

BAKERS.
Heard My. Ann
Stone Ann

BLACKSMITHS.
Hill Samuel
Murch George
Stoneman Wm.
Stoneman W. jun
Stott John

BOOT & SHOE MKS.
Aggett James
Clampitt George
Gill George L.
Harvey John
Holman Robert
Lyddon Edward
Lyddon George
Scott Wm.

CARPENTERS.
Aggett John
Ball Thomas
Brimblecombe W.
Collins James
Luscombe John
Underhill Wm.

GROCERS & DPRS.
Gale Joseph
Gibbonbs Wm. (& woolcomber)
Heard My. Ann
Morrish Wm.
Pearse Thomas
Pike James
Pratt Eliz.

SADDLERS.
Braily Jn
Thorn J

TAILORS.
Endicott Jeffry
Gilbert Wm
Pike James

POST-OFFICE at Eliz. Pratt's.
Letters via Moreton Hampstead

Brian Randell, 3 Jul 1998