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ASHTON

Select map to view parish boundaries in detail.

ASHTON, a scattered village and parish on an acclivity, rising from a small rivulet, four miles N. by W. of Chudleigh, has 319 souls and 1709A. 3R. 5P. of land, mostly belonging to Viscount Exmouth, the lord of the manor. The Chudleighs were lords of the manor, and were seated here, from 1320 till about 1750, and the remains of their mansion may be seen in a farm house. Sir Geo. Chudleigh was created a baronet in 1620, but the title became extinct on the death of Sir James, who was killed at Ostend, in 1745. Their house, which had been garrisoned for the King, was taken by the Parliamentarians, Dec. 29th, 1645. The Church (St John) is an ancient fabric, with a tower and six bells. . . ." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

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

Biography

Howard, Elizabeth. From Lead to Gold, Devon Family Historian, vol. 102, (May 2002) pp.21-22. [About Mary Ann Harris, née Satterley, b. Ashton 1834, who emigrated to Canada in about 1857, and her family's life there.]

Cemeteries

Cresswell, B.F. Notes on the Churches of the Deanery of Kenn, Devon, (1912) pp. 27-28. [Extracts]

Dwelly, E. (ed.). Devon M. I. vol. 1., being all the monumental inscriptions in the parishes of Countisbury, Brendon, Martinhoe, etc. pp. v. 226. E. Dwelly: Fleet, (1918). 8o. BL 9918.aaa.1. [SoG Library]

Watkin, Hugh R. Ashton. Parish Church of St John the Baptist. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 9 (1916-17) pp.101-107.

Church History

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

Adams, Maxwell. A brief account of Ashton Church and some of the Chudleighs of Ashton, Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. 31, (1899) pp.185-198. [Westcountry Studies Library sx726.5/ASH/ADA]

Glasscoe, Marion. Ashton Church Devon. [Ashton, Devon]: Ashton PCC, 1984, 20 pp. ill.

Church Records

The Devon FHS publishes indexes covering (as of June 2004): Baptisms 1813-1839, Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1740-1837 - for details see their book list.

Nothing entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993).

The Deanery of Dunsford: An index of baptisms, marriages and burials in the parishes of Ashton, Bridford, Chagford, Cheriton Bishop, Christow, Doddiscombsleigh, Drewsteignton, Dunsford, Gidleigh, Hittisleigh, Holcombe Burnell, South Tawton, Spreyton, Tedburn St. Mary, Throwleigh and Whitestone. With photographs of the churches and extracts from White's Devonshire Directory 1850. CD-ROM, Exeter, Devon FHS (2009). [Ashton Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1740-1837; Bridford Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1800-1837; Chagford Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Cheriton Bishop Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1754-1841, Bur: 1813-1837; Christow Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1757-1844, Bur: 1813-1837; Doddiscombsleigh Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1755-1836, Bur: 1780-1837; Drewsteignton Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Dunsford Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Gidleigh Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1748-1812 (BT's), Mar: 1814-1837, Bur: 1813-1884; Hittisleigh Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1839; Holcombe Burnell Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1754-1836, Bur: 1753-1837; South Tawton Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Spreyton Bapt: 1803-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1800-1837; Tedburn St. Mary Bapt: 1813-1839, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Throwleigh Bapt: 1813-1841, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837; Whitestone Bapt: 1813-1840, Mar: 1754-1837, Bur: 1813-1837.]

Description and Travel

Conservation Area Appraisals for Higher Ashton and Lower Ashton - interesting accounts of the areas, with numerous photographs and maps.

Directories

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

The Online Parish Clerk scheme's representative for this parish is Daniel Morgan, who invites queries and lookup requests.

Adams, Maxwell. A brief account of Ashton church and some of the Chudleighs of Ashton, Trans. Devon. Assoc. 31, 1899, pp. 184-98.

Prideaux, F.B. Dame Joan Courtenay of Ashton, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, vol. 12, no. 8, (1923) pp.340-342. [See also vol.18, pp.225, 281]

Heraldry

Drake, F. Morris. Heraldic stained glass in Ashton church, Trans. Exeter Dioc. Arch. Soc., (1905) [Westcountry Studies Library: p748.5/ASH/DRA]

Land and Property

Index of Heads of Households in Devonshire: Ashton, P.O. Box 339, Blackburn, Victoria, Australia 3130, Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies (2000). [As recorded in Land Tax records 1780-1832]

Manors

Horsman, Alice. Old Canonteign, (1978) 13 pp. [Westcountry Studies Library: px728.8/ASH/HOR]

Names, Personal

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

Ashton Apprentices Register - 1804-1841, Exeter, Devon Family History Society A014. [Names included in the overall index published as "Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief" (CD 023).

Societies

Teign Valley History group - Honorary Secretary: Graham Thompson

Last updated: 8 May 2012 - Brian Randell

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