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ALPHINGTON

Select map to view parish boundaries in detail.

"ALPHINGTON, a neat and pleasant village on the western side of the river Exe, 1½ mile S. of Exeter, has in its parish 1286 inhabitants, and about 2700 acres of fertile land, traversed by the South Devon Railway and Exeter Ship canal. It has cattle fairs on the first Wednesday after the 20th of June, and on the Wednesday after Michaelmasday. It was one of the principal quarters of Sir Thos. Fairfax's army, when he was blockading Exeter, in 1646. The Earl of Devon owns most of the soil, and is lord of the manor of Alphington, which was obtained by his family in the reign of Richard II., in exchange, from the Seagraves. Matford, formerly a seat of the Smith and other families, belongs to Sir L.V. Palk, and several smaller proprietors have estates and neat houses here. Risdon says a man named Stone died here at the age of 120 years, in the reign of Elizabeth. On July 2nd, 1760, by the sudden inundation of the rivulet which runs through the village to the Exe, upwards of 20 houses are said to have been thrown down, and the damage was computed at upwards of £1000. The Church, (St. Michael,) is a large antique fabric, with a tower and eight bells." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

• General historical and descriptive information, area map from 1765, details about administrative boundaries, etc., about Alphington from the Devon Library's Local Studies Service.

Bibliography

Ellis, Arthur Erskine. Bibliography of the parish of Alphington, Devon. Typescript (1978) 17p. [Exeter Univ. Lib.] [Westcountry Studies: px016/ALP/ELL]

Biography

Hele, John. Reminiscences of John Hele of Alphington, Devon, who for many years has held, and now holds, the offices of postmaster and constable in that parish. Exeter, Printed for the author (1870). [Westcountry Studies Library: s920/HEL]

Cemeteries

Church History

Alphington - from J. Stabb. Some Old Devon Churches (London: 1908-16).

Cresswell, B.F. Notes on the Churches of the Deanery of Kenn, Devon, (1912) pp.15-17.

Croft, William Hammond. St. Michael and All Angels, Alphington: Church guide and history, Ramsgate, Church Publishers (1964) iv,8p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library: p726.5/ALP/CRO]

Croft, William Hammond. St. Michael and All Angels, Alphington: Church guide and history, Ramsgate, Church Publishers (1970) iv,12p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library: p726.5/ALP/CRO]

Alphington Methodist Church centenary 1895-1995, Alphington, The Church (1995) [24}p : ill, ports. [Westcountry Studies Library: p287.1/ALP/ALP]

Church Records

Indexed transcripts of the Parish Registers going back to 1603 are held in a special collection in the Westcountry Studies Library - for details see Parish Registers in the Devon & Cornwall Record Society's Collection.

The Devon FHS publishes indexes covering (as of June 2004): Baptisms 1813-1840, Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1812-1837 - for details see their book list.

Other churches and chapels (with pre-1840 records):

• Wesleyan Chapel, Chapel Lane: Registers for 1818-37 in PRO RG 4/1207 (with Exeter, The Mint)

Brodie, M. The parish records of Alphington, 1603-1836, Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. 97, (1965) pp.137-156.

Brodie, May. Contents of the parish chest, Alphington church, 3 folders. [Westcountry Studies Library: sB/EXE/254/BRO]

Description and Travel

Living Here: West of the Exe - community web-site, with extensive historical material.

Aplin, P. and J. Gaskell. An Alphington Album. Pinhoe, Exeter: Obelisk Publications. [ISBN 0946651272].

Directories

Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

Genealogy

Parr, John Frank. Parr family of Chudleigh, Alphington, Powderham, Shillingford and Exeter, Western Antiquary 3, 1884, pp. 47-48.

History

A Brief History of Alphington, by Rowena Jay.

Aplin, Pauline. An Alphington album. Exeter: Obelisk, 1988, [64] pp. ill., ports. ; 15 x 22 cm. ISBN: 0946651272 (pbk).

Walter James Harte: History of Alphington. Devonshire Association: Exeter, 1954, pp. 8. [BL RB.23.a.9010]

Reichel, O J. Domesday hundred of Wenford or Wonford. Trans. Dev. Assoc. 44 (1912).

Land and Property

Chapple, William. Calumny confuted, by the plain evidence of plain facts [Bound with : A short reply to the falshood ... By Mr. Pitfield], Exeter, (1761) iv, 81p. [Westcountry Studies Library: s364.156.DEV/PIT] [Concerning an estate conveyancing fraud]

Elliot, John. Homes and gardens - Gidleys, Alphington. Devon Life vol. 9 no. 76 (1972) pp.18-20; ill.

Pidsley, Thomas Ackland (transcr.). Alphington land tax 1890: Transcript of document in possession of Vicar, Typescript (n.d.). [Westcountry Studies Library: s336.22/ALP/ALP]

Pitfield, [William]. A short reply to the falshood and slander published against Dr. Andrew - Exeter: J. Spencer (1761) 44p. [Westcountry Studies Library: s364.156/DEV/PIT]

Pitfield, William. Remarks on a pamphlet lately published by the Rev. Mr. Archdeacon Sleech Exeter ; Pr. by A. Brice (1762) [4],48p. [Westcountry Studies Library: s346.04344/DEV/TRE]

Tremlett, Richard. A state of the dispute between Dr.Andrew and Mr.Pitfield. With free remarks upon the behaviour and arguments of ... Shapleigh. - Exon : Printed by A.Brice (1761) iv,55,[1]p. [Westcountry Studies Library: s364.163/DEV/TRE]

Names, Personal

Listing of Alphington contributors to a 1678 brief for the rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Brodie, M.A. The Parish Records of Alphington. Devonshire Association Trans., vol. 97 (1965) pp. 137-156.

Schools

Smith, D.F. An outline history of Alphington School to mark the centenary of the school in 1976 [Alphington]: [The School] (1976) 6 leaves [Westcountry Studies Library: px372/ALP/SMI]

Last updated: 26 Jan 2008 - Brian Randell

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