COMBMARTIN

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)]

"COMBMARTIN, a parish and considerable village in the hundred of Braunton, in the county of Devon, 5 miles E. of Ilfracombe, its post town, and 10 N. of Barnstaple. It is situated on a creek of Combmartin Bay, in the Bristol Channel, and was given to Martin de Tours by William I. In former times it was noted for its silver mines, which were worked from the reign of Edward I. to that of Elizabeth. A loving cup of 137 oz., wrought of silver from these mines, bearing the date 1593, was presented by Sir B. Bulmer to the pity of London, and is still used on Lord Mayor's Day. Several of these mines have been re-opened, and have yielded 40 oz. silver per ton of lead ore. The stratum in which they occur is a variety of killas or clay slate, containing veins of galena, lead, quartz, and iron. The county magistrates hold petty sessions in the village on the first Monday in every month; but the market is discontinued, and the market house fallen into decay. The houses extend along the dale upwards of a mile from the sea-shore. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Exeter, value £387, in the patronage of the Rev. William Toms. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a fine edifice. The Wesleyans have a chapel, and there are National schools for both sexes. An endowed school was founded by George Ley in 1716, and was rebuilt by his grandson. The charities produce £25 per annum, being the endowment of Ley's school. Harding, the Roman Catholic divine, who for some time conformed to the Protestant religion, and was tutor to Lady Jane Grey, was a native of this place. There is anchorage in the small bay under the Hangman hills in 8 fathoms water.