Petrockstowe

White's Directory 1878/79

Provided by Michael Wright

PETROCK STOW, or Stow St. Petrock, a parish and pleasant vilage, 4 miles N.N.W. of Hatherleigh, is in Torrington union and county court district, Great Torrington petty sessional division, Northern division of the county, Shebbear hundred, Barnstaple archdeaconry, and Torrington rural deanery. It had 570 inhabitants (201 males, 279 females) in 1871, living in 136 houses on 4000 acres of land. This parish includes 210 acres of woodland, 1360 acres of open moor and the deer park of Heanton Satchville (136 acres) where the ancient mansion was burnt down many years ago, as noticed at page 488. The present handsome mansion, called HEANTON HOUSE stands in the ajoining parish of Huish and is the seat of Lord Clinton, the lord of the manors, and owner of most of the soil of both parishes. The old house was some time a seat of the Rolles and afterwards of the Earls of Orford. Merland belongs to Mr James Bonifant, and formerly belonged to the Zouch and Fitzwarren families; and Mr Henry Bonifant has an estate here. The CHURCH (St Petrock) is ancient, and consists of nave, chancel, porch, and tower containing five bells. it contains a mcuh admired norman font. The church is being rebuilt, the foundation stone of the new church being laid on June 18 1878, by Lord Clinton. Mr. J.F. Gould of Barnstaple is the architect and Messrs. Medland and Grant of Torrington, the builders. The living, a rectory, valued in K.B. at £17 0s. 2½d, and in 1831 at £285, is in the patronage of Lord Clinton, and incumbency of the Rev. Louis Woollcombe, M.A. who has a good residence and 43 acres of glebe. The tithes have been commuted for £277 per annum. The PARISH SCHOOL, was bulit by Lord Clinton, in 1842, at the cost of about £700. The WESLEYANS and BIBLE CHRISTIANS, have chapels here, and the poor have £2 a year, left by several donors.

POST OFFICE at Mr Williams Trace's. Letters from Beaford, by foot post, are received at 9 a.m. and are despatched at 4.30 p.m. Delivery on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday only. Hatherleigh is the nearest Money Order Office.

Brian Randell, 31 Aug 2002