CHITTLEHAMPTON

From Kelly's Directory of Devon and Cornwall, 1901

Provided by Lindsey Withers

CHITTLEHAMPTON is a parish and village on the river Taw, 2 ½ miles north-east from Umberleigh Bridge station on the North Devon branch of the London and South Western railway (which is in this parish), 5 west from South Molton and 8 south-east from Barnstaple, in the Northern division, union and county court district of South Molton, rural deanery of South Molton, archdeaconry of Barnstaple and diocese of Exeter. The church of St. Hieritha is an ancient building of stone in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, transepts, south porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock and 8 bells, 6 of which, cast in 1739, were given by Samuel Rolle esq. of Hudscott; the remaining two were added in 1879: the north chancel aisle has a good panelled roof:  the stone pulpit, of the sasme period as the tower, is adorned with carved figures of saints under canopies; and the east and west windows are stained: in the north transept is an altar-tomb with effigies, and two kneeling figures (male and female) below, and an inscription to John Giffard esq. of Brightley, and Honor, his wife, and their children, erected in 1625 by John Giffard, his grandson: in the north aisle of the chancel is a recumbent effigy of a lady, with inscription to Mistress Grace Giffard, ob. 1667: there are other fine monuments to the Rolle and Giffard families, including inscribed stones to Caesar Giffard esq. d. 1715; John Giffard, of Atherington, d. 17215, and Elizabeth, his wife; John Giffard esq. of Dujblin, d. 1819, and Sir Ambrose Giffard kt. Chief Justice of Ceylon, d. 1827: on the floor of the chancel are brasses, with effigies and inscriptions to John Cobleigh, Isabella, his wife, ob. 1 Oct. 1446, and Joan, his wife, ob. 30 Sept. 1480; and to Henry Cobleigh, ob 30 July 1470, and Alice, his wife: there are also memorials to the Morris and Saunder families: the church was restored in 1871-4, at a cost of over £4,000, when an organ was given by Miss Trefusis, and a new lych-gate by Mrs Short in memory of her husband, J. B. Short esq. who died at Hudscott; and has 450 sittings. The register of baptisms dates from the year 1575; marriages and burials, 1576, and the earliest entries are those of the Saunder family. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £358, with residence and 41 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Hon. M. G. Kerr Rolle, and held since 1890 by the Ven. Albert Eden Seymour M.A. of University College, Oxford, prebend of Exeter, Archdeacon of Barnstaple, and surrogate. Here is a Wesleyan chapel, and Bible Christian chapel at BHlakewell. There are also mission churches at Umberleigh and Clappery Mill. There are charities of £40 yearly value, derived from church lands in Alverdiscott, and one of £1 yearly for the poor, arising from a gift made in 1887 by W. H. Kelland esq. of Kelland, Lapford, as a memorial to his mother, the representative of the Saunder family. Near the village, on the South Molton road, is an ancient stone cross, standing on a lofty pedestal, and near Brightley, on the road to Warkleigh, is one of larger size. Brightley Park has been ploughed over and the remains of the mansion converted into a farm; the walls of the ancient domestic chapel are still standing and a portion of the moat still remains. The Hon. Mark George Kerr Rolle, the Earl Fortescue and Mrs Bater, of the Manor House, Chittlehamholt, are the chief landowners. The soil is loamy; subsoil is principally schistous rock. The chief crops are oats, barley and turnips. The area is 5,924 acres of land and 30 of water: rateable value, £5, 998; the population in 1901 was 996. Ambow and Biddacott are outlying hamlets. The second is the property of Captain J. Saltren-Willett, of Monkleigh. Newton was purchased in 1668 by Arthur Saunder esq. the representative of an ancient family who had been resident here from 1542 to 1864: North Newton belongs, by inheritance from her mother (a Saunder), to Miss Eleanor Kelland, of Southsea: South Newton was sold by the Saunder family and now belongs to the Hon. Mark G. K. Rolle. Bradbury formerly the residence of the Saunder family, now belongs to Earl Fortescue, the owner of South Bray. Hudscott was formerly held by the Venners, and after them by the Rolle family: Samuel Rolle gave the property in the 18th century to Dennis Rolle esq. of Stevenstone and Bicton, who founded schools in this and the parishes of Bicton and Otterton; his son, the late Lord Rolle, was born at Hudscott: Hawkridge, to John Fleming esq. of Bigadon. George Saunder esq. of Warwickshire, and John Troke esq. of Morchard Bishop, still possess land here by inheritance, and represent the old Saunder family. The manor, which formerly belonged to the Clares, ancestors of Lady de Bathe, is now the property of the Hon. Mark G. K. Rolle, in whose family it has been for 180 years. Brightley was for seven centuries the property of the Giffards of Halsbury, previous to which it was held by the Fitzwarren family; it now belongs, with the barton of Head, to the Hon. Mark G. Kerr Rolle.
By a Local Government Board Order, 16,346, which came into operation March 25, 1884, a detached part of this parish known as Leary was amalgamated with West Buckland for civil purposes, but ecclesiastically it still remains a part of Chittlehampton.
Eastacott is a hallet, 1 ½ miles south-west.
Sexton, William Chapple.
Post, M.O. & T. O., T. M. O., Express Delivery, Parcel Post, S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office. - Jas. Lewis, sub-postmaster. Letters through Umberleigh R.S.O. The mail arrives at 6.40 a.m.; dispatched at 12 noon & 7 p.m.
Post Office, Umberleigh (Railway Sub-Office. Letters should have R.S.O. added). - Thomas Murch, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive at 4.45 a.m.; dispatched 7.50 p.m. Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. The nearest money order office is at Chittlehampton. The telegraph office is at Umberleigh Railway station.
National School (mixed), built in 1865, for 200 children; average attendance, 140; & endowed with £10 4s. by the late Lord Rolle; Richard Hore, master.
Railway Station, Umberleigh, Alfred Eyres, station master.
Carriers to Barnstaple - William Galsworthy, tues. & fri.; James Towell, fri. only.

Seymour Ven. - Albert Eden M.A. (vicar, surrogate & prebend of Exeter), Vicarage
Skinner Mrs. Bloden hill
Thorold George Aubrey William M.A., J.P. Hudscott
Williams Rev. Bertram M.A. (curate)

COMMERCIAL
Ashelford James, nurseryman, Furze
Balman Richard, farmer, Shilstone
Breayley John Robert, farmer, Ash farm
Breayley William James, saddler &c
Buckingham Jas. farmer, Furze barn
Buckingham Robert, farmer, Way
Burgess Arthur, farmer, Langaton
Burgess William & Frank, farmer, Hawkbridge Barton
Burgess John, butcher & farmer
Burgess John, farmer, Moor
Carnell George, farmer, Colleytown
Cheriton Henry, farmer, Bradbury
Churston Wm. inland revenue officer
Cole James, baker & grocer
Congram Frederick, shoe maker
Courtenay George, farmer, Eastacott
Crocker John, farmer, North Nethercleave
Crocker Samuel, farmer, Eastacott
Ellicott James, farmer, Parsonage farm
Facey Wm. John, farmer, Gambuston
Galsworthy William, carrier
Gardner William Squire, road surveyor to the South Molton Rural District Council
Harris James, farmer, North Newton
Harris Thos. (Mrs.), farmer, Diptford
Haywood William, farmer, Caveyland & Oldridge
Hooper Frederick, builder
Howard John Richard, carpenter & insurance agent
Howard Richard, farmer, Higher Blakewell & Nethercleave
Howard Stephen, farmer, Coombe
Howard Thomas, farmer, Lerwell
Huxham Wm. Hy., farmer, Great Whitestone
Huxtable John, carpenter
Jones Herbert Henry, farmer, Lower Langaton
Lewis Alice (Miss), baker
Lock John, farmer, Tree Down
Manaton John, thatcher, Watergate
Manaton John Henry, accountant
Manning Henry, farmer, Winson
Mildon Henry, farmer, Hallswell
Mortimer Jn. yeoman, Brightley Barton
Mules George, tailor
Murch Bros. wheelwrights, Umberleigh R.S.O.
Murch Albert, machinist, Pitt
Murch James, coal merchant
Murch Thomas, farmer, Hoe
Murch Thomas William, wheelwright & apartments, Post Office, Umberleigh R.S.O.
Muxworthy William, miller (water), Ford mills
Nott Louis, farmer, Collacott
National Deposit Friendly Society (Jas. Lewis, divisional sec.)
Pope Hy. miller (water) Clappery mills
Rawle Hy. registered veterinary surgeon
Rendle William, farmer, Narracott
Sanders Edwin, dairyman
Scoynes William, tailor
Seage William Epaphras, blacksmith & assistance overseer
Seldon John, shoe maker, Dorridge
Shapland George, farmer, South Bray
Skinner, James, farmer, Bradbury
Skinner Jn. Baker, carpenter, Brimley
Skinner Mary (Mrs.), farmer, Cleave
Skinner Susan (Miss), shopkeeper
Slape Inkerman George South, farmer, South Newton
Smolden Jas. farmer, Higher Bittacott
Smolden Robt. carpenter, Broden hill
Smolden William, farmer & carpenter, Fullabrook
Snow John, farmer, Furze
Snow Thomas, farmer, Furze
Start George, farmer, Heywood
Stone Thomas, butcher & farmer
Tallamy Wm. farmer, Bloden hill
Thomas James Wm. farmer, Diptford
Tucker Richard, jobbing gardener
Veysey Fdk. cattle dealer & farmer, Bratton
Vickery Richard Hunt, blacksmith & machinist
Vickery Samuel, Bell P.H.
Ward Henry, mason
Wastts Carder, mason
Watts Harry Carder, brewer, maltster & seed merchant
Watts Mary Judith (Miss), shopkeeper
Watts Thomas, stone mason
Webber Philip, shoe maker
Woolaway William, miller (water), Brightley mill
Working Men's Club (John Henry Manaton, sec.)