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This is item eight from Robert Dymond’s book: “Things New and Old Concerning the Parish of Widecombe-in-the-Moor and its Neighbourhood” (1876)

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THE PARISH REGISTERS OF WIDECOMBE

THE registration of baptisms, marriages, and burials was directed by a proclamation of Henry VIII., issued in 1538, at the instance ofThomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, while Vicar-General to that Monarch. Before that date, when it was desired to establish the age or parentageof persons whose title to property might be in question, or for other legal purposes, it was customary to collect evidence, in the form ofdepositions, from persons who were witnesses of the event to be proved. These depositions were often very curious in their circumstantiality. An example now lies before us in the case of Cristina,daughter of Wm. Orchard, a North Devon squire, in the reign of Henry VII. The young lady’s father and only brother had died, andit became necessary to determine the time of her birth, in order to establish her heirship. To prove this, Thomas Dynneworthy deposedthat she was fourteen years old and upwards on the Feast of St.Andrew last past ; he well remembered the same, for that his son John diedof the plague the day of her baptism. John More remembered it because he was parish clerk, and held the book in his hands at herbaptism. One witness had a daughter married the same day. Another identified it by a heavy storm, when the people of Shebbearhad much injury done to their houses. Another had carried the basin with Zowacrum from the manor house to the church, on theoccasion of her baptism. Another remembered it because on that day he had professed in the order of friars minors in a convent atExeter. Richard Rowden deposed that he had fallen from his horse, and broken his arm; while John Wothnel proved the date by agreat tempest at sea, when his ship, the Katherine, sunk, and all was lost except the mariners.

It was directed that the Parish Register should be kept in a coffer, provided by the Churchwardens, with three locks and keys,one of which was to remain with the Minister and the other two with. the Churchwardens, so that neither of the three should takethe book out of the coffer without the concurrence of the others. The earliest parochial registers were very loosely kept ; very fewindeed go back to the year 1538, and in none of the many old books we have examined in the parish churches of Devonshire have wefound original entries made in the sixteenth century at the dates of the events recorded. They are all transcripts from other sources,the original records being lost or surrendered to the Government. The Widecombe registers are all of older date than the majority oftheir kind ; and, considering the dampness of the climate and place of deposit in the vestry, they are in a very fair state of preservation.The baptisms commence in 1570, the weddings in 1573, and the burials in 1560. There are frequent gaps, some of which extendover several years; and there are some very remarkable variations in the number of entries made in each year, especially in thoserelating to burials. These were often due to the ravages of epidemic disorders. Thus, in 1581 there were but 7 funerals, while in thefollowing year there were 39! Again, in 1589 there were 22, while in the next year the burials increased to 59, the maximum numberthat occurs in the register in any one year. The 49 burials in 1711 are accounted for by a note inserted in the book thus-“This yearethe small pock rain’d very much ;” 8 of these deaths occurred in January, 17 in February, and 8 in March. Of the 57 burials whichtook place in 1643, no less than 12 occurred in the month of June.

So far as the testimony of the registers goes, the populationof the parish would seem to have been greater than now in the Tudor and Stuart reigns; and there are indications of thepresence of numerous “tinners,” or miners, in the occurrence of names of Cornish origin. One Gabriel Aptor, “whoe was spoyled(mortally injured) in a tin worke,” was buried in 1617. In 1706 we find “William Humphry, a tinner, buried ye 27 of June.” The firstinstance of the mention of the age of the deceased occurs in an entry of 1707-“ Thomas Hamlyn of Cator buried ye 28th ofDecember in the 88 yeare of his age.” Curious little notes are occasionally interspersed among the entries. The year 1597 is notedas “ the Deere yere.” The register of burials for that year is want- ing, but the famine does not appear to have diminished the numberof marriages, nine of which were solemnized. The christening of an illegitimate child in 1572 has a special record, as follows :—“Johan daughter of Nicholas Whyte (as Johan her mother sayeth) the which mother was the daughter of one Willm. Randell of Plym-mouthe dissesed, the which Johan came to the house of Knyght als Edmonds in the forest of Dartmoore and there was delyvd of a childand the child christined the first daye of September.” The burial of an unbaptized child in 1700 is entered thus :—“ November the30th. John Hine about that time had a child born that did not live half an ower and it was pitt in too the earth about the second dayof December.” In the corner of the page recording the christenings in 1725, the churchwarden gives vent to his exuberant loyalty thus:“ William Tremills, his hand and pen ; God bless King George and all his men.”

An entry in the book referring to the induction of the Rev. George Lyde, one of Prince’s Worthies of Devon, and of whom mention ismade elsewhere in these columns as the vicar who bravely conducted the service of the church through the memorable storm of October1638, is worthy of record here : “ The seventeenth daie of March 1653 George Lyde cleark mr. of arts was inducted into actuall andreall possession of the vicarage and church of Withecombe in the Moore Wth all his rights and members after the readinge of thearticles of the convocation holden at London 1562 by Mr. Robert Ellis clerke nominated in the said George Lyde his induction in thep’sence of those whose names are subscribed.–Rob. Ellis clerk, Andrew tamlin, Chr Lapthorn, -— Hamlyn, Ralph Rouse.” This lastwitness was no doubt the “Mr. Rouse” whose name is mentioned more than once in the narrative of the great storm. There are severalentries in the registers relating to the children of George Lyde. The burial of Sarah, his wife, took place 17th May, 1672 ; and in the yearfollowing is found the entry–“ George Lyde vicar of this parrish was buried on the fower and twentieth day of March.”

The civil marriages during the Commonwealth are entered as taking place before justices of the peace, as was usual during thatperiod. Thomas Reynell, Rowland Whiddon, William Bastard, and John Elford, esquires, occur as officiating magistrates ; also LawrenceAdams and Christopher Farwell, mayors of Totnes. One somewhat special entry occurs in 1658 as follows :—“ May 9th. An agreementof marriage between Michell Langworthy and Mary ffarwell was delivered unto me and was published three Lord’s days followinge inthe close of the morninge exercise. June 9th. Michell Langworthy and Mary ffarwell were married by George Lyde vicar.”

Among the many curious, and in some cases obsolete, Christian names to be found in the registers are Fabian, Quintin or Quintyne,and Sydrach or Sadrach, all common amongst the male names of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. It was a favouritefancy with parents of this parish to have their boys christened Pancras, after the youthful patron saint of their church. Amongstthe now rare female Christian names we find Sidwell, Ursula, Audrey, Pentecost, Siblighe or Sibley, Petronell, Bethia, Rogene (1573); ofthis last there are several varieties of spelling, as Ragenye (1595), Rogena (1613), Rogyney (1657). But perhaps the most remarkableis the rather common name of Rychord or Richoard, which one might hesitate to assign to a female without the ample proofs affordedin the register. The most conclusive of these proofs is the entry of the marriage of “ Rychard Smerdon and Rychord Palke the xxviiithof September 1588.” Amongst surnames the following are common —Leyman, Hannaford, Windeatt, Tamlyn, Smerdon, French, Hext,Aptor, Langworthy, Caunter, Palk, and Hamlin. The Man or Mann family were the most prolific race of all. A few of the surnames, asWidecombe, Cater, and Blackslade, are obviously derived from the parish, or places within its limits. Many of these surnames will berecognized as occurring very frequently in the parish and neighbour- hood at the present time ; but, on the other hand, the now commonones of Langdon and Hern do not appear until a comparatively recent date.

The following extracts from the Registers are selected as bearing more or less upon personal or local history:

BAPTISMS.

1605	“ Clement son of William Hill curate baptized xxix April.”
1636	“ Joan daughter of John Ilford” [Elford], baptised 18th Dec.
1638	Ann, daughter of the same, baptized 16th December.
1639	“Sarah the daughter of Mr. George Lide vicar was baptized the sixteenth day of June.”
1641	“Katherine the daughter of Mr. George Lide vicar was baptized the ixth day of February.”
1642	“ Mary and Sarah the children of John Ilford gent,” baptized 13th December (see tablet to their mother’s memory in another page).
1642	“Ann ye daughter of Mr. George Lide vicar was baptised the xxviijth day of February.” [The Register records the baptism of his other children, viz.: Elizabeth, 1645 ; George, 1647; Thomas, 1649; Sybilla, 1651; Rebekah, 1652.]
1668	John, son of William and Richard Elford, 2nd January.
1711	Jane, the daughter of Tobias Trewhelter, a. tinner, 12th Aug.
1718	“ Mary the daughter of Peter Man and Richoard his wife,” 8th February.
1732	John, son of John and Joan Andrew, of Northall, 16th May.

MARRIAGES.

1573	“Robert Ruint and Rychord Ellet the second of November.”
1573	“ Rychard Adam and Rogene Man the xxiijth of November.”
1574	Pancras Tamlyn and Johan Madick.
1580	“ Robart Hiche vicar and ffraunces Jenings ye xixth of Julye,”
1588	“Rychard Smerdon and Rychord Palke the xxviijth of Sep’tember.”
1633	“Mr. George Lyde and Mrs. Sarah Newman 27th February. [From Marldon Parish Register]
1677	“Mas. William Row minnister of Allenton and Mistress ffederatta Tickell daughter of Mr. John Tickell minnister of Widdecomb weare married 7th day of June.”

BURIALS.

1590	“ Robart Hich vicar the vth of Januarye”
1638	“ Roger Hill gent was buried ye xxiijth day of October. Robert Meade and Sibella Milward were buried ye xxiijth day of October.” (These were the victims of the great storm which wrecked the church, as described in another Page)
1642	“ Mary the wife of John Ilford [Elford] gent was buried the xviijth day of February.”
1646	“ John Ilford ye second day of September.”
1656	“ Petternell [Petronell] wife of Tho. Folle,” 7th July.
1672	“Sarah the wife of Mr. George Lyde vicar of this Parish was buried on the seventeenth day of May. ”
1673	“George Lyde vicar of this parrish was buried on the fower and twentieth day of March.” The register records the burials of their children—Katherine, 1643 ; Susanna, 1650; Ann, 1690; Gertrude, 1702; Thomas, 1702.
1690	“John the sonne of Jonathan Tickell vicker of this Parish was bured the 25th day of October.”
1697	“Johnnathan the sone of Mr. Johnnathan Tickle was buried the 29th day of July.”
1710	“ Alice the wife of John Farrant a Tinner.”
1711	“ Edward Wills a Tinner.”