Revd. G.D. Melhuish - Notes on the History of Ashwater Parish and Church

Interesting Notes.

Two interesting notes connected with Ashwater Rectory and Glebe.

I.— From the taxation of Pope Nicholas, 1288—1291,A.D., we learn that the Rectory of Ashwater had a charge on it of 13s. 4d. a year due to the Prioress of Polsloe at Exeter. I suppose it was granted by some patron in early days. When Priories were done away with the Crown appropriated the annual payment till it was bought off on March 31st, 1787, for the sum of £17-?-?.

II - At one time the Patron of the Living was the Prior and convent of Frithelstock, and in 1428, December 30th, Thomas, Prior of Frithelstock, granted to Thomas Carmynowe Esq., and Johanna, his wife, a piece of land called Hammelonde, between Cary Water on the East, the bridge on the South, the Mill leat of Thomas Carmynowe on the West and the wood of the same Thomas Carmynowe called Prustacott Grove on the North side, as well as the advowson of the Church of Ashwater. The above comes from the documents of the Cary family.

The present bridge at Ashmill is comparatively new, having been built in the early part of the 19th century, before this there was a ford with a wooden bridge some yards south of the present stone bridge. Probably the bridge mentioned in the document quoted was also a wooden one for foot passengers. The land still goes by the name Ham - Higher and Lower Ham. As far as I know this is the only sale of any Glebe land before 1921.

There are 2 handwritten margin notes added to this article.

1 - Richard Braylegh, Canon of Exeter granted avowson to Frithelstock in 1357. Ing:D.II Ed: III .

2 - Bishop Stapledon (murdered in London 1326), brother of Sir Richard Stapledon in Cookbury and founder of Exeter College, Oxford. left money in his will for several bridges, Ashwater amongst them.
See Hist: of Ex: Dio: by the Rev R Boggis.

The Names of Fields

are often interesting and suggestive. Sometimes they are very puzzling (as are also the names of some farms). I am giving below a few of the names from the Tithe Apportionment List which stand out from the usual background of “ Moory Meadows,” “ Barn Parks,” “ North Parks,” etc., etc., whose meanings are obvious.

Sometimes there is a touch of humour—grim or otherwise— as in the case of the many “Costilosts” or in “Forty Acres,” given to a scrap of ground a few yards in extent, or “ Groat of ‘Work,” “ Creeping Hole.”!

A good many appear to be named after some long forgotten individual—e.g. Simes, Alpha’s and Soper's tenements Kelly's and so on.

Then there are others about which one can rather ask than give a meaning. Here is a long string of them Muldown, Collans Park, Cabhorn, Bear Park Binney, Canna Park (a common name), Maina, Penford, Hoppy, Crackham, First Hewah, Second Hewah, Third Hewah, Snatland, Bewillys, Rumbyfield, Kent, Loffry, Park Ellis, Willycroft, Lara Close, Squirrel (7 of them in L. Muckworthy), Quoit (4 in Blackaton), Pokum, Copthorn, Hook’s Arch (5 on Barton), Catshorn, Duce Close, Gulter Close, Pullhair (formerly spelt Powellhare). These do not exhaust the list, but are the most striking. Perhaps someone will explain.