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Fremington

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"FREMINGTON, a large village, pleasantly seated on an acclivity south of the estuary of the Taw, 3 miles W. of Barnstaple, has in its parish 1326 inhabitants, and 6810 acres of land, including the village of Bickington, and many scattered farm-houses, &c. It was anciently a borough, and sent members to the parliament at Westminster in the reign of Edward III. In 1546, it was considered as part of Instow parish. Merchant vessels trading with Barnstaple usually anchor in the small creek of the Taw estuary, called Fremington Pill, or Pen-hill; and coal vessels discharge cargoes there. . . . Wm. A. Yeo, Esq., (high-sheriff of Devon in 1850,) is now lord of the manor, and owner of a great part of the parish. He resides at Fremington House, a large handsome mansion, with extensive gardens, green-houses, hot-houses, &c., containing a valuable collection of exotics. Brynsworthy is the seat S.T.M. Esq., who is lord of the manor of Colybeare. C. Roberts, Esq., of Bickington House, and the Crocker, Quartly, Petherbridge, and other families, have estates here. The Church (St. Peter,) has a tower and five bells, and the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £20. 0s. 5d., and in 1831 at £430, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. W.C. Hill, B.A., who has 83A. 3R. 26P. of glebe, and a handsome residence, built in 1831. . . ." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

A parish in Fremington Hundred, the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple, and the Diocese of Exeter.

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Almanacs

Fremington Parish Almanac (4 vols) [Vol. 1 1865-74 includes CMB 1864-73: Vol. 2 1875-84 includes CMB 1874-83; Vol. 3 1885-94 includes CMB 1884-93; Vol 4 1895-1904 includes CMB 1894-1903] [SoG Store A (DE/LC) & SoG Data Online.]

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Cemeteries

MIs for this parish are included in the Devon FHS and Incledon indexes - see under Cemeteries on the main Devon page.

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Census

Local census of Fremington of 1821, transcribed by Len Collum.

Transcription of the 1851 census, piece HO107/1893, by Phil Mustoe.

Snetzler, M.F. North Devon Surname Index to the Census. Microfiche: M.F. Snetzler. [Covers 1841, 1861, 1871 and 1881 census records for this parish]

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Church History

Mitchelmore, E.V. St. Peter's, Fremington: notes on its historical associations. Fremington: The Compiler (1994) 16p, plates. [Westcountry Studies Library - 726.5/FRE/MIT]

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Church Records

Parish Registers going back to 1602 are held in the Devon Record Office.

Transcripts of the Parish Registers going back to 1602 are held in a special collection in the Westcountry Studies Library.

The Devon FHS publishes indexes covering (as of June 2004): Baptisms 1813-1839, Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1813-1837 - for details see their Devon Parish List.

Bideford Methodist Circuit baptisms (1819 -1870) transcribed by David Carter. (Contains entries from the following parishes: Abbotsham, Allington, Alverdiscott, Alwington, Appledore, Arlington, Barnstaple, Bideford, Buckland Brewer, Bucks Mills, Burrington, Chulmleigh, Clovelly, Fremington, Frithelstock, Great Torrington, Hatherleigh, Huntshaw, Ilfracombe, Instow, Landcross, Little Torrington, Littleham, Loxhore, Marystowe, Monkleigh, Newton Tracey, Northam, Parkham, South Molton, St Giles in the Wood, Wear Giffard, Westleigh, Woolfardisworthy.)

Other churches and chapels (with pre-1840 records):

  • Wesleyan Chapel: Registers for c1807-37 - see in Barnstaple Circuit (PRO RG 4/954)

Entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993): Parish Church Christenings 1602-1812 and Marriages 1602-1730, 1758-1837.

Deanery of Barnstaple - Baptisms 1813-1839, Marriages 1754-1837 and Burials 1813-1837 - CD-ROM, Exeter, Devon FHS (2005). [Index of Atherington: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1800-1837), Barnstaple: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Bishops Tawton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Chittlehampton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Filleigh: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Fremington: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), High Bickington: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Horwood: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1654-1837), Burials (1675-1837), Huntshaw: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Instow: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Landkey: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Newton Tracey: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1570-1837), Burials (1725-1837), Pilton: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Swimbridge: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Tawstock: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1837), Westleigh: Baptisms (1813-1839), Marriages (1754-1837), Burials (1813-1838)

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Court Records

Register of Freeholders - Ermington, Exminster, Fremington & Halberton c1816, Exeter, Devon Family History Society, (Booklet & PDF D128). [Foreword]

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Description & Travel

Lauder, Rosemary Anne. A guide to Instow and its neighbours, Fremington, Yelland and Westleigh. Barnstaple: Aycliffe Press (1981) 36p : ill, map. [Westcountry Studies Library - pB/INS/1981/LAU]

 

Section on Fremington from Samuel Lewis: A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831), provided by Mel Lockie.

 

You can see pictures of Fremington which are provided by:

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Directories

Transcription, by Jonathan Frayne of the Fremington section of Kelly's Directory of Barnstaple and Neighbourhood (1941).

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

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Genealogy

This parish is one of the growing number of places for which the Devon Heritage website provides census or parish register transcriptions, articles, and/or illustrations, etc.

Leary, Emmeline, & Pearson, Jeremy. By potters art and skill: pottery by the Fishleys of Fremington. Exeter: Royal Albert Memorial Museum, 1984. [Raymond: Exhibition catalogue, including brief biographical notes, 18-20th c.]

Reynolds, Hy. Fitzgerald. Barbor of Fremington, Co. Devon, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 13, 1924-5, pp. 139-42, See also pp. 303-5. [17-19th c.]

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History

Clement, H.C. No Justice for the Poor: Four Tales of Death and Mystery of West Country Pauper Children, H.C. Clement (1996) 186 pp. [ISBN 09525924 1 X, CAM 1999.8.5652] [The stories include that of Eliza Boucher, of Fremington, found guilty of murdering her newborn twins.]

Hill, Laura Annie Kathleen. The Old Barn, Fremington near Barnstaple. Ilfracombe: Stockwell,1974, 29 pp. ill., 1 map, 1 port. ISBN: 0722306296 (pbk):.

Reichel, O.J. The Hundreds of Braunton, Shirwell and Fremington in Early Times, Trans. Devonshire Association, Extra volume, (1935) 136pp.

The parish of Fremington: its life and times. Fremington Parish Council (1994) 44p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pB/FRE/1894/PAR]

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Maps

View a map of the boundaries of this town/parish.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SS512325 (Lat/Lon: 51.072484, -4.125304), Fremington which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Fremington. Group of 11 Poor Law Apprenticeship Indentures, 1756-1759, ... Group of 5 Poor Law Apprenticeship Indentures, 1764-1783, ... Group of 7 Poor Law Apprenticeship Indentures, early 19th C, and a Removal Order, 1829.. [Bookseller's catalogue quoted in Family Tree Magazine, May 2000, p.55.]