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MORTEHOE

From White's Devonshire Directory of 1850

MORTHOE; is a scattered village, five miles W.S.W. of Ilfracombe, picturesquely seated on the sea coast, where that narrow rocky promontory, called Morte Point juts out more than a mile into the Bristol Channel, between Bockham and Morte Bays, where there is a dangerous reef of rocks, on which vessels have often been wrecked. The parish contains 372 souls, and about 2500 acres of land, rising boldly from the sea cliffs, and including the hamlets of Horsborough, Shesborough, and Estacott. Earl Fortescue is lord of the manor of Over Wallacombe, and Sir J.P.B. Chichester owns that of Wallacombe-Tracy. The latter was long the seat of the ancient family of Tracy; and Sir Wm. Tracy is said to have lived here secluded from the world after his participation in the murder of Thomas a Becket. The Church (St Mary,) is an ancient structure, with a short tower and three bells. It contains the richly ornamented tomb of Wm. de Tracy, a former rector, who founded a chantry in it in 1308. The living is now a vicarage, valued in K.B. at £9. 19s. 3d., and in 183l at £128, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, and incumbency of the Rev. J.D. Ness, who has a good residence, and about 30A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £381. The patrons are appropriators of the rectorial tithes.

Barnes Rd., & Butler John, wheelgts.
Conibear John, shoemaker
Goss Wm. & Geo. blacksmiths
James John, gent. Zora Cottage
Ness Rev John Derby, incumbent
Wakely Wm. vict., Chichester Arms

FARMERS.

Chugg Geo. || Gammon Thomas
Hartnoll John || Heddon Ann
Irwin Joseph || Lovering John
Langdon John, Tracy Barton
Riddell Rt. Andw. || Smith Charles
Sharland Wm. Shesborough Smith Robert || Smith Thomas Post from Ilfracombe.

Brian Randell, 26 Aug 1999