Cottages at Wembworthy - 2003

© Richard J. Brine

The church of St. Michael is a plain building of stone in a modern Gothic style, consisting of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south-west porch and an embattled western tower containing 3 bells. It was restored in 1868 by the 5th Earl of Portsmouth at a cost of £350, when the Rev. Peter Johnson, then rector, added the chancel and porch; and was again renovated, new-floored and reseated in 1902 at a cost of £450; there are 175 sittings. The register dates from the year 1674. The living is a rectory, with that of Eggesford annexed, joint net yearly value £502, including 11 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Countess of Portsmouth, who has two turns in four times, and the Bishop of Exeter and Captain L.G.Cruwys, JP who have one turn each, and held since 1920 by the Rev. Charles Ernest Treadwell. The Rectory Hall, an outbuilding of the rectory, is used as a parish hall and will seat 70.

Here is a Congregational chapel to which a Sunday School was added in 1886, at a cost of £200. Eggesford House is a large and handsome mansion in the Elizabethan style, erected in 1832 and stands in a park of about 300 acres, through which flows the river Taw; the old house which stood near the church was erected by Edward, 1st Viscount Chichester, in the reign of James I; during the Civil war it was garrisoned by the Royalists but was captured by Colonel Okey in December 1645.

The Eggesford Fox Hounds, of which A. W., Luxton Esq. is master, meets here twice every week during the season.  The land is owned by Richard Miller Chambers Esq. and the yeomen. The soil and subsoil are various. The chief crops are wheat, oats and barley. The area is 2427 acres of land and12 of water; rateable value £1432; the population in 1911 was 288.

RASHLEIGH:

Rashleigh is a hamlet, including part of Bridge Reeve, and formerly the residence of the Clotworthy family, but now the property of John Claude L. Tremayne Esq., OBE. It is in the parish of Wembworthy and contains a few scattered houses, that from which it now takes its name being a farm  house called Rashleigh Barton.

Sexton: R. S. Cruwys

Post and Money order office: (letters should have DEVON added) Joseph George Simmons, postmaster.

Winkleigh, and Eggesford Station, 2¾ miles distant, are the nearest telegraph offices.

School, for Wembworthy and Eggesford, founded by the Eearl of Portsmouth and now a Council School, was built in 1869 and enlarged in 1886 for 150 children; Alexander Hey, master; Mrs. May Hey, mistress.

PRIVATE RESIDENT

Treadwell, Rev. Charles Ernest (Rector), The Rectory.

COMMERCIAL

Chudley, William, blacksmith

Cole, William, yeoman and farmer, Upcott

Eggesford Fox Hounds, The Kennels:

John H. Upton Esq., master

J. Lyne, hunstman

Bert Wells, whip

Herbert Mortimore, kennelman

Grinslade, John, farmer, Dairy Farm

Harris, William, carpenter

Mitchell, Mary Ann (Miss), farmer, Paddons

Pennington, William, farmer, Kennydown

Pidgeon, William, Lymington Arms

Reed, George henry, farmer, Wembworthy Down

Sanders, Samuel jnr, farmer, Bidbeer and Yellands

Sanders, William, shoe maker

Saunders, Ellen (Mrs.) & Sons, farmers, Labdon

Saunders, Anthony, manure, agent for Labdon

Skinner, John, grocer, draper, boot & shoe dealer, Spekes Cross

Vickery, James, market gardener

RASHLEIGH

Beardon, William, carpenter

Luxton, Richard Henry, farmer, Rashleigh Barton

Miller, Arthur, farmer

Miller, Arthur jun.,baker,Bridge Reeve

Parish, William, carpenter, Bridge Reeve

Ridd, John, farmer, Gosses

Shapland, Herbert, farmer, Sauls.