EARLY REGISTERS of the PARISH of FEN OTTERY 1596-1680

by The Rev. F. B. Dickinson
[Devonshire Assoociation Vol 33 (1901]

Transcribed by Jean Harris of Toronto, Ontario

This article gives a brief history of the parish Venn Ottery and includes a transcription of the parish registers from 1596 to 1680. It should be noted that, due to the upheaval during the years of the English Civil War (1642 to 1660), no church registers were kept for baptisms, marriages and burials However, for the years 1653 to 1660 a local parish official was appointed as Parish Register to record all births, marriages, burials and Venn Ottery is one of the fortunate parishes where these records have survived. Their Parish Register was appointed in November 1653:

The Firste daye of November 1653

A Certificate was brought unto me under the hands of the maior pte of the pishioners of Venottery in this county of Devon that they had chosen Richard Collins of the same pish to be their Register, for entering of such Marriages, Births & Burialls as shall happen wthin the said pish of Venottery: And for the due performance thereof hath taken his oath before me, the daye & yeere above written.

Joh: Tyrlinge

This old register must have been "lost" until 1838 as the Revd Dickinson quotes from a letter fastened inside of it:

Exeter, Nov. 29, 1838

MY DEAR SIR, - The accompanying Book is the relic I discovered in my Archives. It must have been preserved there for years - but how it travelled from one dormitory to the other is beyond my explanation. For its healthy appearance you are indebted to that indefatigable antiquarian Pitman Jones who took a fancy to have it put into gold & letters at his own expense - I am glad to restore it to its proper depository trusting that many years have yet [to] come ere' it will be handled by other hands than yours.

I am dear Sir,

               Yrs very faithfully

                             CHAS. HY. TURNER

The Rev. M. TUCKER