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A 1673 CHALLACOMBE MEMORANDUM
From the Challacombe Parish Register
Transcribed by John Fisher
This Register Book, being much injuried by the damp was re-bound by order of the Revd. William Henry Carwithen M.A. Rector August AD 1840
Baptisms from September 21st A.D. 1676 to
November 26th A.D. 1797
Marriages from October 16th A.D. 1677 to
January 1st A.D. 1799
Burials from January 28th A.D. 1676 to
June 2nd A.D. 1798
N.B. Entry on the side entered after states from April 1673 on page 28, 2off
Memorandum | |||||
Relative to the Parish of Challacombe | |||||
1. | Since the year 1767 there had been no resident | ||||
2. | Incumbent in this Parish, until the year 1839 when | ||||
3. | the Revd. William Henry Caewithen was inducted to | ||||
4. | the living on the presentation of the Earl Fortescue | ||||
5. | On Mr: Carwithen having come into residence he | ||||
6. | found the Parsonage Home inhabitited by the small | ||||
7. | farmer who rented the Glebe lands at an annual | ||||
8. | rental of £23.00. The former incumbent having | ||||
9. | died insolvent Mr: Carwithen received nothing for | ||||
10. | dilapidations, and at first he merely made such tem: | ||||
11. | :porary alterations as were absolutely neccessary | ||||
12. | at this time there was no road to the house but | ||||
13. | only a rough track over two of the Glebe fields,(numbered | ||||
14. | on the map 680 -681) to Lee Bale, and round by the Glebe | ||||
15. | boundary fences towards the West. It was almost | ||||
16. | impassible for a carriage of any description to get here | ||||
17. | and the whole aspect of the place was dreary and cheerless. | ||||
1840 - 41 | |||||
1. | During this winter Mr: Carwithen planted the | ||||
2. | greater part of the strawberries and trees round the house. | ||||
1842 | |||||
1. | In the Spring of this year the triangular Plantation | ||||
2. | opposite the Glebe was made by Lord Fortescue | ||||
3. | This is the first and only Plantation in the Parish | ||||
4. | In the Autumn Mr: Carwithen, by means of a | ||||
5. | voluntary subscription fitted up a large room | ||||
6. | over the Church Home as a Parish School room. | ||||
7. | It may here be wise to observe that the investment | ||||
8. | of £41.7s. 11p deposited in the Devon and Exeter Savings | ||||
9. | Bank (No 36404) is appreciated on behalf of the | ||||
10. | labouring men and widows of Challacombe who are not | ||||
11. | in the receipt of Parliment relief and for the | ||||
12. | schooling of our children | ||||
13. | In November a Parochial Lending Library was | ||||
14. | established by Revd. Will. Carwithen. | ||||
1845 | |||||
1. | March 21st The new line of the road through the | ||||
2. | Glebe towards Bratton was opened on this day and | ||||
3. | the old way stopped. The parishoners with | ||||
4. | Lord Fortescue viewed the above, and agreed | ||||
5. | to the alterations. | ||||
6. | In the Autumn of this year Mr: Carwithen com: | ||||
7. | :menced the alterations in the Glebe House which | ||||
8. | was almost re.build at an expense of nearly | ||||
9. | Five hundred pounds / £265 only being [ ? ] | ||||
10. | from the Governors of [ ? ] on this | ||||
11. | Morgage on this living | ||||
1844 | |||||
1. | September. The new bridge built over the | ||||
2. | stream at Lyn ford ( Lea FFarm Ford!) ) was fin; | ||||
3. | :nished this month and the road up Kipscombe | ||||
4. | Hill widened and repaired. There is now a | ||||
5. | passible road for wheels at Wallover Farm | ||||
6. | the Parsonage House as before the building | ||||
7. | of Challacombe Bridge it was impossible during | ||||
8. | a flood to ford the stream and parishioners were | ||||
9. | not infrequently prevented from going to market | ||||
10. | or on other business | ||||
1845 | |||||
1. | During the Autumn of this year Mr: Carwithen | ||||
2. | drained "The Little Meadow", the lower part being | ||||
3. | previously a shaking bog, and fenced the Church | ||||
4. | path which before passed through the farm court | ||||
5. | and "Great Meadow" | ||||
1846 | |||||
1. | During this Summer the Church Tower which | ||||
2. | had fallen into a most dilapidated condition, | ||||
3. | was restored and partially re-built. The small | ||||
4. | Western window was given by the Rector. | ||||
1847-48 | |||||
1. | During the Winter a new road from North | ||||
2. | Linn Gate was made and a communication | ||||
3. | thus opened with Mr: Knights road over | ||||
4. | Exmoor. There is now a tolerable thoroughfare | ||||
5. | from Bratton to Exford and through Challacombe | ||||
6. | and Simonsbath. This road was made at the | ||||
7. | joint expense of Mr: Knight and the rate payers | ||||
8. | of Challacombe for the continual accommodation | ||||
9. | of both parties; subject to certain conditions spe: | ||||
10. | :cified in the Vestry Book. | ||||
11. | The following is a copy of the Conditions of agree: | ||||
12. | :ment, prepared by the Revd. Will. Carwithen at the request | ||||
13. | of the parties concerned. | ||||
1. | Memorandum of Articules of Agreement be: | ||||
2. | :tween Frederick W. Knight of Simonsbath, Esquire | ||||
3. | of the one part, and the parishoners of Challacombe | ||||
4. | of the other part | ||||
5. | Whereas the Rate pyers of the Parish of | ||||
6. | Challacombe, at a public Vestry Meeting | ||||
7. | holden on Monday the 25th May 1846 unanimously | ||||
8. | passed the following resolution, | ||||
9. | "That the Parish of Challacombe shall forthwith | ||||
10. | properly form and make a certain line of | ||||
11. | road from North-lane to Break - neck hole | ||||
12. | and that Mr: Knight shall in like manner | ||||
13. | properly make and form the continuation of | ||||
14. | the same road therefrom to Edgerly - stone, and | ||||
15. | also build an Arch over the hollow at Break - | ||||
16. | - neck hole forthwith and keep the portion | ||||
17. | of the aforesaid line from Break - neck hole | ||||
18. | to the aforesaid Edgerly - stone in good repair | ||||
19. | for five years, and this Parish shall keep | ||||
20. | the whole of the aforesaid line of road | ||||
21. | in repair forever therafter. The | ||||
22. | above named line of road to be made | ||||
23. | as a voluntary [pact ?] for the mutual accom: | ||||
24. | :modation of the Parish of Challacombe and | ||||
25. | Mr: Knight" | ||||
26. | We whose names are hereunder | ||||
27. | written do agree to abide by the aforesaid | ||||
28. | resolution, Witness over hands this seventh | ||||
29. | day of July in the year One thousand eight | ||||
30. | hundred and forty six | ||||
PW Knight | |||||
WH Carwithen | } | Surveyors of the Highways | |||
Thos. Sallyn | } | for the Parish of Challacombe | |||
The Gift of | |||||
1. | Thomas Palmer Acland, of Little - Bray | ||||
2. | Devon, Esquire, who died March 21st 1844 and | ||||
3. | by his Will vested in Trustees the sum of | ||||
4. | £1000, with directions, that they should apply | ||||
5. | the Interests thereof, in the purchase of | ||||
6. | Bibles, Testaments, and Common Prayer Books | ||||
7. | to be distributed gratuatously from year to | ||||
8. | year for ever, to such poor persons of the | ||||
9. | County of Devon, as his trustees should | ||||
10. | in their discretion think proper to [select e: | ||||
11. | :ach ?] and with a particular request and direction | ||||
12. | that the poor belonging to the several Parishes | ||||
13. | in the said County wherein he should die | ||||
14. | possessed of any properly should in the first | ||||
15. | place be preferred. | ||||
16. | Mr: Acland at the time of his death was | ||||
17. | possessed of a small Estate in the Parish of | ||||
18. | Challacombe called ["Hammerlands" ?] and also a | ||||
19. | small Tenements or two in the hamlet called | ||||
20. | "Challacombe Town" in the same Parish | ||||
21. | The Recd. William Henry Carwithen immediately | ||||
22. | applied to the Trustees of the late Mr: Acland | ||||
23. | and in January 1847 he received the following | ||||
24. | grant of Books which he was requested to | ||||
25. | distibute at his discretion, viz: | ||||
25 small Bibles | |||||
1 large testament | |||||
25 small testaments | |||||
1 large common prayer book | |||||
50 small common prayer book | |||||
1 common prayer book with testament | |||||
1 smaller common prayer book | |||||
WH Carwithen M.A. | |||||
Rector of Challacombe. | |||||
1. | In the year 1848 - The Rev. J.C. Carwithen | ||||
2. | was inducted to the living of Challacombe. | ||||
3. | The house was in a ver dirty state | ||||
4. | Mr: Carwithen received no dilapidations | ||||
5. | from his Brother, because the Rev W.H. Carwithen | ||||
6. | received none from the farmer Incumbent | ||||
7. | who died insolvent - The House | ||||
8. | which was re-built under the Gilbert | ||||
9. | Act was most inefficiently done. | ||||
10. | The roof was put up badly covered with | ||||
11. | states of very inferior quality procured | ||||
12. | from a quarry in the Parish. It was so | ||||
13. | dilapitated that the Rev: J.C. Carwithen | ||||
14. | has found it necessary to re - slate | ||||
15. | nearly the whole of it - The Barn | ||||
16. | and Stable were entirely re - built | ||||
17. | by him, and the present Cow house | ||||
18. | erected - The Church was in such | ||||
19. | a disgracefully inauspicious state | ||||
20. | as to be totally unfit for the | ||||
21. | performance of Divine Service so that | ||||
22. | the Rev: J.C. Carwithen determined to | ||||
23. | re - build it with the exception of the | ||||
24. | Tower - The Parish contributed by | ||||
25. | rates £44.12s. towards it Himself £60 | ||||
26. | and The Earl Fortescue with his other | ||||
27. | pounds and the aid of the Societies for | ||||
28. | Building Churches made up the | ||||
29. | remaining part - The Church was built | ||||
30. | for the sum of £360 and all the | ||||
31. | sittings were made free - The | ||||
32. | glebe was rented at £33 per annum | ||||
33. | when the Rev. J.C. Carwithen was | ||||
34. | inducted to the Living of Challacombe | ||||
35. | The tenant Mr: Dallyn thinking this | ||||
36. | too high a rent and refusing to continue | ||||
37. | that su, the Rev. J.C. Carwithen | ||||
38. | farmed the land himself, making Mr: | ||||
39. | Dallyn a compensation for his interest | ||||
40. | in the glebe which did not expire | ||||
41. | for one year after his induction to the | ||||
42. | living - £100 was borrowed on the | ||||
43. | living for the purpose of draining the | ||||
44. | glebe, but the work done by the South | ||||
45. | Devon Company came to £160 - the Rev | ||||
46. | J.C. Carwithen paying the difference out | ||||
47. | of his own pocket - £80 also was | ||||
48. | borrowed for putting up fences on the | ||||
49. | glebe - but £135 has been expended | ||||
50. | upon the same by the Rev. J.C. Carwithen | ||||
51. | Poles | s | |||
52. | viz - Double walled and planted | 161 | at 8 | ||
53. | Walled 1 sided and planted | 187 | 1/2 at 4 | ||
54. | Fence made and planted | 335 | at 2 | ||
55. | In the year 1861 A bridge was built | ||||
56. | at Challacombe Town by public subscription | ||||
57. | at an expense of £23. 8s Earl Fortescue | ||||
58. | giving £4, Lord Ebrington £1, J.C. Carwithen | ||||
59. | £2. 2s and the Farmers making up the | ||||
60. | remaining part | ||||
61. | J.C. Carwithen Rector of Challacombe | ||||
62. | In the year 1874 -5 A further sum of | ||||
63. | £369. was expended on the Church and tower | ||||
64. | Besides W: Mr: W. Crang the late Churchwarden | ||||
65. | re - hung the bells - the cracked bell being recast | ||||
66. | and entirely new cradle provided | ||||
Memoranda (continued) | |||||
1. | In the year 1908 a stone bridge was | ||||
2. | erected at Rooks Foot to replace | ||||
3. | the delapidated foot bridge which | ||||
4. | in flood time, or even after very heavy | ||||
5. | rain was rendered almost un - | ||||
6. | passable for children coming to school | ||||
7. | the cost of £14 of which the | ||||
8. | Barnstaple District Council paid | ||||
9. | £7 the deficit was met by the following | ||||
10. | subscription Ld. Ebrington £1, Rector £1-2-6 | ||||
11. | WB Crang £1, Mrs: Basset £1, J Dallyn J Houlsbury | ||||
12. | and O Prouse 10/- each A Leworthy - Paul | ||||
13. | Alderman - S Conner - Mrs: Huxtable, WH Ridd | ||||
14. | RC Ridd 5/- each and J Potterdell 2/6 | ||||
J. M. Eustace (Rector) | |||||
1. | In the year 1904 a miniature Rifle | ||||
2. | club was formed - The Rector obtained | ||||
3. | from the National Rifle Association the | ||||
4. | sum of £10 (Astor Fund) and two Enfield | ||||
5. | Service Rifles. The Range (50 yards) | ||||
6. | was given by Lord Ebrington and was | ||||
7. | situated in the Meadow closest the | ||||
8. | school. The Club existed for several | ||||
9. | years and eventually died of inaction | ||||
10. | oweing partly to the opposition of the | ||||
11. | dissenters and partially to the disposition | ||||
12. | of the people generally to do nothing | ||||
13. | except which they thought "would pay" | ||||
14. | The range was opened by Ld. Ebrington | ||||
15. | on the Harvest festival 1904 | ||||
16. | J.M. Eustace Rector. | ||||
1. | In the year 1904 an attempt was | ||||
2. | made by the Rector to introduce | ||||
3. | the Telegraph to the Parish. It | ||||
4. | was found that £15. 10 would be | ||||
5. | the annual amount of guaranty | ||||
6. | to be raised. After much difficulty | ||||
7. | this was eventually done and the | ||||
8. | office was opened for telegraph | ||||
9. | business on July 26th 1905 | ||||
10. | the following is a list of the original | ||||
11. | Guarantors: | ||||
12. | £ | s | d | ||
13. | Ilfracombe UDC | 3 | |||
14. | The rector | 1 | |||
15. | Messr. | W B Crang | 1 | ||
16. | J W Conner | 1 | |||
17. | R C Ridd | 1 | |||
18. | H Ridd | 1 | |||
19. | J H Huxtable | 1 | |||
20. | J Dallyn (Shoulsbury) | 1 | |||
21. | H Turner | 1 | |||
22. | W H Ridd | 1 | |||
23. | Jas Huxtable | 1 | |||
24. | W H Conner | 10 | |||
25. | A Leworthy | 10 | |||
26. | £ | s | d | ||
27. | J Potterdell | 10 | |||
28. | T Graham | 10 | |||
29. | Mrs: O'Brian | 10 | |||
30. | ____ | ____ | ____ | ||
31. | £15 | 10 | |||
J M Eustace Rector | |||||
1. | The stone bridge connecting the | ||||
2. | school premises with the meadow | ||||
3. | was built in the year 1914 | ||||
4. | The government surveyor and | ||||
5. | valuer gave the following figures | ||||
6. | (which he said were unofficial) | ||||
7. | as the result of his visit to | ||||
8. | the rectory, glebe, and church | ||||
9. | £ | ||||
10. | Glebe and House | 2240 | |||
11. | £ | ||||
12. | Church | 2250 | |||
13. | £ | ||||
14. | School | 350 | |||
15. | The above figures refer to total | ||||
16. | or market value | ||||
1. | The old Harmonium was re- | ||||
2. | placed by a Positive organ in | ||||
3. | the year 1907 at a cost of nearly | ||||
4. | £100 raised by subscription | ||||
5. | the instrument was dedicated | ||||
6. | on Augst. 27th in that year by the | ||||
7. | Rev. A. E. Seymour Archdeacon | ||||
8. | of Barnstaple. |