From Blackberry near Black Torrington, Blegberry means
bleak hill, as Berry is the Anglo Saxon for hill, sometimes burg, which in turn
gives us the English word barrow or burial ground, an area of the former Castle
Gate, that is Castle yeat or moat- there, Hedwere and Wereparke the site of the
fish ponds in the valley between Blegberry and Blagdon. Butts moor at Galsham
this was an area were after Church service the men were obliged to undertake military
training and they set up the Butts or targets here for Archery practice. The field
has been called a sutterland of Philadelphia, Newfoundland, and Boston to see
on a clear day what is seen when looking west. There is nail at Elmscott, and
snails mead at edistone, Harp at South Hole, Sparmy or whalin ground at Exmansworthy.
There is Furzepark lane at Hartland Cross and to compliment this there is an area
along the cliffs at Fattacott known as Tom Spry's fuz patch. Fattacott also has
Strawberry moor famed for a supply of wild strawberries with which jam was made.
There is a lane called sand lane, so called as the donkeys that brought sand up
from the beach used this track as a short cut to the fields. The cloth trade is
the names of three fileds and a wood at Hescott, named after the Mazzard tree.
Newton is a field called broken cross, another at Natcott called stone field due
to the presence of a standing stone within the filed. There used to be several
of these Standing stones around the area but the majority have been removed in
the name of efficient farming practice, often locally standing stones are called
rubbing stones, for the use of stock, but most are identified as druidicial remains.
The remains of stone walls and shade grown rhododendrons cultivated by sundial
positioning.
At the highest points from the valley, forest area covered
and homesteads were sited along the tops of the hills, this is a feature of Celtic
times. The Anglo-Saxons cultivated valley land for drainage and the words for
homesteads became complacent with their describing. Another Anglo Saxon word is
Cot this representing a cottage or small detached house thus FATTACOTT, HESCOTT
or HERSCOTE in 1160, NATCOTT or NOTTYCOTT in 1500. Then there is don meaning down
so we find Blagdon, sowdon, Bursdon But Markedon is different being that it divided
the manors of Stoke and Hartland thus the Boundary don. Ford is generally identification
of a fording place of a stream, river or wet ground. Deptford, Highford and Biteford
come from the Cornish or Welsh word meaning road. Ham is also Anglo Saxon in origin,
making the English verb 'to hem in' this generally applies to fields rather than
places connected iit to Brownsham, Yapham, Crenham, Philham and Galsham. The latter
being the home of the stranger or a person from Gaul. St. Leonard's, St. Catherine,
St Clare's are some of the spots showing chapels from many centuries before.
All
but Hartland had any recorded chapels- they were all mills or beacons such as
Clovelly and Embury; Spekes Mill, Blackpool Mill, Mouth Mill, Cranham Mill, Clifford
Mill, Docton Mill, Etson Mill and Tucking Mill. Of all the field names, Park is
a Celtic word for an area surrounding a large country house, Down or Don on the
higher ground, a field such as Higher Down, Easter Down, and Hay which has a hedge
surrounding it and with a large number of closes, a Scottish croft. Canney park
is from the word Coney for rabbit, therefore it is rabbit field. In 1566 there
was a Robertsparke at Exmansworthy this then changed to Rabbety park but indicating
no rabbits as the Warren at Hartland Quay would indicate keeping them. Geyninges
parke that is jennings field which later became guinea park.
The church,
dedicated to St. Peter, or St. Patrick, is a neat edifice, in Bampton Grange,
rebuilt on the site of the old one, in 1726. It was appropriated to Shap Abbey,
in A.D. 1170, and in 1263, confirmed by Robert, Bishop of Carlisle, who granted
to the abbot and convent, in consequence of the smallness of the revenues of that
establishment, the privilege of officiating in the said church "by two or three
of their own canons, one of whom to be presented to the bishop, as vicar, to be
answerable to the bishop in spirituals, and another to be answerable to the abbot
and convent, in temporals. They were, however, bound to have one secular chaplain
in the said church, to hear confessions, and execute such other matters as could
not be so properly done by their own regular canons." John de Askeby, who was
vicar in 1362, bequeathed his body to be interred in the choir of this church.
The vicarage, which has been in the patronage of the crown ever since the dissolution,
is rated in the king's book, at £7 5s., but in 1750, it was certified to
the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, at £33, having been augmented with
lands at Rossel Bridge, near Kendal, purchased with £200 obtained from the
aforesaid governors, and £200 given by Dr. Gibson, bishop of London. The
tithes have recently been commuted for a yearly rent charge of £238 4s.,
of which the Earl of Lonsdale receives £164, the vicar £19 16s., and
the grammar school-master £54 8s. The succession of vicars, with which we
have been furnished, commences in the yeare 1300, since which time twenty-two
have been instituted. The present vicar is the Rev. William Hodgson, instituted
in 1834. His revenue is £75 per annum. There was anciently a chapel, or
oratory, dedicated to St. Thomas, connected with Bampton church, but no vestiges
of it now remain.
Farford back to 1332 was once Fair Ford and the beakland
was Beckland by Wundbury head, one of the fields called windmills. The name is
connected to the possession desribing a position, promontory or natural feature
of the area. EMSCUT or ELMSCOTT became YELMSCOT by 1566 as Hardisworthy was originally
Herds-worthy, the HEARD home or farmstead like Wembsworthy was Wymonds worth in
1566 the home of one Wymund. Exmansworthy was Ikmansworthy, that is The home or
farm of Ikman. Many place names carry those of the previous resident. Edistone
has nothing to do with Eddy or Stone it is really Egars ton, that is the home
or farm of a man named eger. In 1300 it was Egston, local name Etson and Thorry
became Docton Mill.
The manor of Bampton Patrick was held by the family
of Culwen, afterwards Curwen, and de Cliburne, from the 15th of Richard II to
the 18th of Henry VIII. It passed eventually to the family of Warwick, and, in
1772, was purchased of Francis Warwick, Esq., by Edward Hasell, Esq., but is now
the property of the Earl of Lonsdale. The parish enjoys the benefit of three public
libraries, consisting of about 700 volumes, established in 1710, 1750, and 1757,
by Dr. Bray, Messrs. Tinclar and Noble, and Lord Lonsdale.The other manor was
carried in marriage from the Cundales to the Cliburnes, who held it for two centuries,
after which it was purchased by the Lowthers, and is now possessed by the Earl
of Lonsdale.
The copper mine near Sydenham's Damerell adjacent
to Bradworthy along the hill is Sowden. The earth fort a Glovelly is a Butchers
mash being another word for moor or wet ground near the yewtree farm or Harton
cross. The mine field was of the past, as sign of trade at Rosedown hill from
the culm or copper mine there and then the water fields into Harton reservoir
where nearby little is known about Milton's Abbot. A person's Christian name attached
to the place of residence when further land was purchased, the Upper and Lower
Normans added to the number as a series of fields combined into two. These names
can be followed right through the Church registers right up to the present time.
There are still Galsworthy descendants in Hartland, The name Holloford is still
in evidence locally, Hatherly was a common name right up to the mid 1800's, Escott
became isott then escott again, coul became curtis, Colvin became colly then became
colwill, tenant became pennington, mungey became mountjoy. Previous to 1832, the
county elections were held at Cockermouth, and were often contested with great
spirit and opposition. The contest, in 1768, when 4058 freeholders voted, lasted
nearly a month, and cost the four candidates.
Before the Reform Bill of
1832, the election was by Cockermouth inhabitants having burgage tenure, who were
about 300 in number, and the bailiff was the returning officer; but, for a long
time previous to the passing of the Reform Bill, the honour of representing this
borough was not contested; the earl of Lonsdale, who purchased most of the burghers'
tenements, appointing whom he thought proper. Indeed, the immediate predecessor
of the late earl was so extensive a proprietor and patron of boroughs, that he
returned, it is said, nine members regularly to every parliament, who were facetiously
denominated "Lord Lonsdale's" . Cockermouth Union Workhouse, at the top of
Sollart-street, was erected in 1840, and opened June 23rd, 1841; since which time
upwards of £500 have been expended on its improvement; and in 1847 an east
wing and fever hospital was added, at a further expense of £600. The Union,
which is divided into the four registration districts of Cockermouth, Keswick,
Workington, and Maryport, comprises the following 47 parishes and townships. The
Church or Chapel of Ease, dedicated to All Saints, is a handsome structure, on
an eminence at the head of Kirk-gate. It was enlarged and beautified in 1825,
when 322 additional sittings were obtained, half of which are free and unappropriated;
so that it will now accommodate about 1000 persons. It has a tower, containing
a peal of six bells, a clock, and chimes. Since 1832 there have been several smart
contests for the honour of representing the borough, but the liberal candidates
have always been successful. The present parliamentary representatives of Cockermouth
are, H.A. Aglionby and E. Horman, Esqrs. who were re-elected without opposition,
in 1847.
Thursday after the Feast
of St. James [25 July], 18 Edward I. [A.D. 1290], was read a deed of covenant
between Alexander de Fordich, master of la Juenette of Warham, and Peter Barnavile
de Bordeus to commit their disputes about certain wines, &c., to the arbitrament
of Sir John de Ried, clerk to the lord the King, Remund Adreman, merchant of Bordeus,
Richard de Wimburn, and John de la Vinetrie, clerk, of London. Witnesses, Rauf
de Sandwis, Warden of London; Fouke de Seint Emaund, Salamon le Cotiler, Sheriffs;
Alein de Suffolk, taverner, Alayn de Suffolk, cordwainer, Robert le Escot, Robert
Hardel, and John le Clerk.
Hannah Escott born 1777
Compton bishop, Somerset (according to census) died and buried May 1863 St. James
the Great, Winscomb, Somerset, married St. Jamees the Great to James Oliver. Elizabeth
Escott who was born in Stockland, Somerset County, England in 1525. She was married
to William Everard, born in Stockland in 1521. Hugh Escott of Porlock, Somerset,
born 1561, who was descended from Robert d'Escote living 1468.
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Escot 18th century parkland surrounded by the ancestral home of
the Kennaway family near Cadhay- another manor, first mentioned in the reign of
Edward I as a submanor of the
Manor of Ottery St. Mary held by the de Cadehays, some of which was built
in 1550 by John Haydon who had married the Cadhay heiress. Escot is a mile
from Pitt Farm and is still abound Ottery St. Mary and nine miles from which Beer
village runs a stream from cliff top to seaview. A distance from the ancient harbour
of Axmouth, there is no horizon because of the Peninsula where Seaton and the
White cliffs of Beer meet at the River Axe. Beer and Lympstone are fishing villages
and Branscombe was once famous for potatoes grown on its warm, south facing slopes,
sea side of Exmouth, Jurassic coast with a Exe bird sanctuary and a Beer stone
quarry. Although the market town Honiton is close to Lympstone and Axminster,
threads from Honiton for lace and carpets. |