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"HOLSWORTHY, a small market town, . . . is pleasantly situated near the small river Deer and the Bude Canal, 9 miles E. of Bude Haven; 10 miles W. by S. of Hatherleigh; and 42 miles W. by N. of Exeter. Its parish contains 1857 souls, and about 8800 acres of land, including a tract of hilly moorland; the hamlets of Staddon, Chilsworthy, Dunsteep,, and Chesty; and many scattered farms. . . . Earl Stanhope is lord of the manor, which anciently belonged to the baronial family of Brewer, and afterwards to the Chaworth, Paganell, Tracey, Holland, and other families. . . . A great part of the parish belongs to Sir N.R.F. Davie, W.H.B. Coham,, Esq., Mrs. Hart, and many smaller freeholders and leaseholders. . . . In the civil wars, Holsworthy was occupied for the King, till February, 1646, when Sir Thomas Fairfax sent a party to take possession, after the victory of Torrington. On the north-west side of the town is a curious plantation of beech, called the Labyrinth. It covers half an acre, and the puzzle consists in getting into the centre, where there is a tree, with a seat under it. The Church (St. Peter,) is a fine Gothic structure, with a tower and eight bells. There were formerly chapels at Chilsworthy and Thorne. . . ." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
A parish in Black Torrington Hundred, the Archdeaconry of Totnes and the Diocese of Exeter.
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Badcock, Michael. Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly, Devon Family Historian, vol. 166, (2018) pp.20-21.
Electric Man - Strange Story. The Advertiser, Adelaide (29 Oct 1929) p.7 [Frederick Stone, of Brandis Corner, Holsworthy - "who, it is said, owing to unusual susceptibility to electricity or the static of his own body, is able to divine both water and precious metals"] [Full text]
Snetzler, M.F. North Devon Surname Index to the Census. Microfiche: M.F. Snetzler. [Covers 1841, 1861, 1871 and 1881 census records for this parish]
Holsworthy - from J. Stabb. Some Old Devon Churches (London: 1908-16).
Brief history and photographs of the church, from the Holsworthy Area Churches web-site.
Smith, Joan. Holsworthy, Devon Family Historian, vol. 142, (2012) p.4. [Details of "memorial stones to be seen in the belfry", listed in The Westen Times of 14 Sep 1883]
Parish Registers going back to 1563 are held in the Devon Record Office.
Indexed transcripts of the Parish Registers going back to 1563, and of the Bishops' Transcripts going back to 1619, are held in a special collection in the Westcountry Studies Library - for details see Parish Registers in the Devon & Cornwall Record Society's Collection (archived copy).
The Devon FHS publishes indexes covering (as of June 2004): Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1813-1837, together with Holsworthy Wesleyan Chapel Baptisms 1812-1837 - for details see their Devon Parish List.
The members' area of the Devon FHS website makes available online images, not at present (Jan 2016) available elsewhere, of the Parish Registers covering Holsworthy Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1563-1705, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1706-1785, Baptisms and Burials: 1786-1812, Baptisms: 1813-1884, Baptisms: 1885-1915, Marriages: 1754-1799, Marriages and Banns: 1799-1812, Marriages: 1813-1837, Marriages: 1837-1915, Marriages: 1920-1927, Marriages: 1928-1947, Marriages: 1947-1962, Marriages: 1962-1973, Marriages: 1974-1988, Banns: 1894-1915, Banns: 1937-1953, Banns: 1954-1968, Burials: 1813-1972, Burials: 1873-1901, Burials: 1902-1915, Confirmations: 1894-1975, Baptisms: 1941-1997, Marriages: 1988-2010.
Other churches and chapels (with pre-1840 records):
- Congregational Chapel: Registers for 1828-30 (ZC) in PRO RG 4/2098
- Wesleyan Chapel: Registers for 1817-37 (ZC) in PRO RG 4/1210; 1839-1974 (C) at DRO
- Bible Christian/United Methodist Chapel: Registers for 1837-1939 (C) at NDRO
Entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993): Parish Church Christenings 1563-1837 (entries from Bishops' Transcripts), Marriages 1563-1837, Methodist Chapel Christenings 1812-1837.
Transcription of Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1837-39 by Elizabeth Howard.
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1837 - 1846. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1847 - 1852. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1853 - 1859. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1876 - 1880. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1880 - 1886. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1886 - 1890. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1891 - 1897. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
Holsworthy Bible Christian Baptisms 1898 - 1911. [Devon]: Devon Family History Society (2013).
An index of baptisms, marriages and burials in the parishes of Abbots Bickington, Ashwater, Black Torrington, Bradford, Bradworthy, Bridgerule, Clawton, Cookbury, Halwill, Hollacombe, Holsworthy, Luffincott, Milton Damerel, Pancrasweek, Pyworthy, Sutcombe, Tetcott, Thornbury, West Putford and Holsworthy Weslyan Burials. With photographs of the churches and extracts from White's Directory (1850), Kelly's Directory of Devonshire (1902) and A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis (1831), CD-ROM, Exeter, Devon FHS (2014). [Abbots Bickington Bapt: 1813-1840 Mar: 1770-1833 Bur: 1813-1837; Ashwater Bapt: 1813-1841 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Black Torrington Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Bradford Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1705-1837; Bradworthy Bapt: 1813-1838 Mar: 1755-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Bridgerule Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1755-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Clawton Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1800-1837; Cookbury Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1756-1837 Bur: 1813-1841; Halwill Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1813-1843; Hollacombe Bapt: 1813-1898 Mar: 1757-1837 Bur: 1813-1852; Holsworthy Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1754-1860 Bur: 1813-1837; Holsworthy Weslyan Bapt: 1812-1831; Luffincott Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1756-1837 Bur: 1814-1840; Milton Damerel Bapt: 1813-1840 Mar: 1761-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Pancrasweek Bapt: 1813-1840 Mar: 1756-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; Pyworthy Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1755-1837 Bur: 1813-1838; Sutcombe Bapt: 1813-1840 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1800-1837; Tetcott Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1755-1836 Bur: 1813-1837; Thornbury Bapt: 1813-1839 Mar: 1756-1837 Bur: 1813-1837; West Putford Bapt: 1813-1840 Mar: 1754-1837 Bur: 1813-1838.]
King, Marjorie. Holsworthy 1727 - A terrier of the Rectory, Devon Family Historian, vol. 167, (2018) pp.37-38.
Thomas, Helen. Time Travelling Through Holsworthy: A Transcriber's Journey, Devon Family Historian, vol. 165, (2018) pp.18-21. [Details of some of the families encountered.]
Thomas, Helen. It's them folk in Holsworthy again . . . Holsworthy Baptisms 1703-1795 on our Members' Area, Devon Family Historian, vol. 169, (2019) p.36. [Transcript of bapt. of Mary Wilton Bosankoe 17 Ma7 1778.
Holsworthy Information Centre..
Section on Holsworthy from Samuel Lewis: A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831), provided by Mel Lockie.
Holsworthy rural district official guide. Gloucester: British Publishing [1967] 40p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/HOL 9/1967/HO]
The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.
- Ask for a calculation of the distance from Holsworthy to another place.
This parish is one of the growing number of places for which the Devon Heritage website provides census or parish register transcriptions, articles, and/or illustrations, etc.
Dodderidge, Sidney E. Streton or Storton, Devon. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, vol. 11, (1920-21), p. 194. [Wescombe Family] [Index]
Edgcumbe, Sir Edward Robert Pearce. Family records relating to the families of Pearce of Holsworthy, Edgcumbe of Laneast, Eliot of Lostwithiel, Livingstone of Calendar, Reynolds of Exeter, Gayer of Liskeard, and others. Exeter: Wm. Pollard & Co,, 1895.
Hill, Barry. Francis Thorne Honey of Holsworthy, Devonshire, Devon Family Historian, vol. 103, (2002) pp.12-13.
Whitlock, Peter M. The Gilberts of Devon, Devon Family Historian, vol. 161, (2017) pp.23-24.
Notes from Parish Records on Oath-takers from Ashwater, Broadwoodwidger, Hollacombe, Holsworthy and St Giles in the Heath by Pat Williams, provided by the Friends of Devon Archives.
Axtell, David. West of Windmill Hill, Arthur H. Stockwell Ltd. (2008) 150 pp. [ISBN 978-0-7223-3921-3] [Former times in Holsworthy]
Day, W.I. Leeson. Devonshire Association Parochial Histories of Devonshire No. 2: Holsworthy. (1934) [10],82p,pl: ill,map.
Lauder, R.A. Market Towns of North Devon, Bideford, Badger (1983) 60 pp.
Peter, Richard. Holsworthy Markets and Fairs. Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries vol. VII, (1912-1913), Exeter: James G. Commin. 1913, pp. 32-34. [Transcript]
Piper, Menor. Snapshots. Holsworthy: Menor Piper (1994) x,331p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/HOL 9/1900/PIP]
Holsworthy: the passing years. Holsworthy Local History Centre (1989) 49p: ill,ports. [Westcountry Studies Library - pxB/HOL 9/0001/HOL]
Reflections of Holsworthy. Holsworthy Local History Centre (1988) [34]p: chiefly ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pxB/HOL 9/1870/HOL]
Photographic view album of Holsworthy and neighbourhood. Holsworthy: F.Slee [1905?] 15p of ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/HOL 9/1905/PHO]
Map of the area from OldeMaps (circa 1950).
View a map of the boundaries of this town/parish.
You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SS342037 (Lat/Lon: 50.809063, -4.354633), Holsworthy which are provided by:
- OpenStreetMap
- Google Maps
- StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
- Bing (was Multimap)
- Old Maps Online
- National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
- Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
- English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
- Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
- GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)
- All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
- Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
- Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.
Names from an 1822-23 edition of Pigot's Directory.
Harris, Helen. Farms, Farmers and Farming in the Holsworthy District in the 1950s. Trans. Dev. Assoc, vol. 142, (2010). [SoG Library DE/PER]
Transcription of the will of Stephen Ward (1841) provided by Sheila Howard.
Holsworthy Freemasons - copy of a North Devon Journal article, provided by Martin Beavis.