Harberton

from

Some Old Devon Churches

By J. Stabb

London: Simpkin et al (1908-16)

Page 112

Transcribed and edited by Dr Roger Peters

Full text available at

https://www.wissensdrang.com/dstabb.htm

Prepared by Michael Steer

Between 1908 and 1916, John Stabb, an ecclesiologist and photographer who lived in Torquay, published three volumes of Some Old Devon Churches and one of Devon Church Antiquities. A projected second volume of the latter, regarded by Stabb himself as a complement to the former, did not materialize because of his untimely death on August 2nd 1917, aged 52. Collectively, Stabb's four volumes present descriptions of 261 Devon churches and their antiquities.

HARBERTON. St. Andrew. The church is Perpendicular and consists of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch with parvise, and west tower containing six bells, all cast by Thomas Bilbie in 1762. In the churchyard there is a fine cross.

The rood screen is 44 feet in length, and in eleven bays stretches across nave and aisles. It is of Perpendicular style with the lights longer than usual. There is a rich cornice and the groining is perfect [plate 112a]. The carving on the pier casing is very good [plate 112b]. The casings are rather overloaded with detail, and the colours and gilt are at present too fresh; they will doubtless look better when time has toned the colours down a little. The lower panels contain a series of comparatively modern paintings. A former vicar's daughters are said to have been the models for the angels painted on the centre gates. In the chancel there are three stone canopied stalls and a piscina. The pulpit is of stone, octagonal in shape; it is richly carved with foliage, and has carved figures of Apostles in niches [plate 112c].

The registers date: baptisms, 1624; marriages, 1626; burials, 1624.