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Plymstock

from

A Topographical Dictionary of England

by

 Samuel Lewis (1831)

Transcript copyright Mel Lockie (Sep 2016)

PLYMSTOCK, a parish in the hundred of PLYMPTON, county of DEVON, 3 miles (S. W. by S.) from Earl's Plympton, containing 2735 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Totness, and diocese of Exeter, endowed with £15 per annum private benefaction, and £1500 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Dean and Canons of Windsor. The church, dedicated to St. Mary and All Saints, was formerly attached to Plympton priory, and has lately received an addition of one hundred and forty sittings, of which one hundred and ten are free, the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and chapels having granted £120 for that purpose. At Hooe was formerly a chapel, dedicated to St. Catherine. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. A free school was endowed, in 1790, with £2000 three per cents., by the Rev. Vincent Warren, the interest of which is applied for teaching thirty children on the National system, and clothing twenty of them, viz., ten of each sex. An almshouse was founded, in 1600, by Sir Christopher Harris, for four poor persons. At Oreston, in this parish, is the great marble quarry from which the material was obtained for the construction of the Breakwater. There are wet docks at Turnchapel, belonging to the Earl of Morley, sufficiently capacious for the reception of frigates, and a yard adjoining, in which seventy-four gun ships have been built. Plymstock was an important post during the civil war between Charles and his parliament. Radford, in this parish, is said to have been the residence of Sir Walter Raleigh, after his arrival at Plymouth, in 1618; and Stoddescombe was the birthplace of Dr. Forster, the editor of Plato.