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DUNSFORD

Select map to view parish boundaries in detail.

"DUNSFORD, which gives name to a deanery, is a scattered village and parish, on the northern acclivities of the picturesque valley of the river Teign, from 7 to 8 miles W. by S. of Exeter. It contains 925 souls, and about 6000 acres of land, including 72A. of waste and water, and 350A. of woodland. There are two corn-mills on the river, and a cattle fair is held in the village, on the Monday after Sept. 8th. . . . Baldwin Fulford, Esq., is lord of the manor of Dunsford, and Sir L.V. Palk is lord of Little Dunsford or Sowton manor; but part of the soil belongs J.S. Pitman, Esq., and several smaller owners. A copper mine was opened here in 1848, by B. Fulford, Esq., of FULFORD HOUSE, a large square mansion, of the Elizabethan age, in a finely wooded park of about 400 acres, stocked with deer, and having a small lake. This seat is about 8 miles W. of Exeter, between Dunsford and Tedburn St. Mary, and the estate, called Great Fulford, is partly in the latter parish. The Fulfords have possessed this estate since the reign of Richard I. . . . The small manor of Halstow, in this parish, belongs to the priest-vicars of Exeter; and that of Cetley (mostly woods) to King's College, Cambridge. The barton of Clifford belongs to the Clifford family. The CHURCH (St. Mary) is a fine old structure, and contains some handsome monuments of the Fulfords." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

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

Cemeteries

Brown, Mike. Guide Notes to Monuments in Devon Churches & Graveyards: Dunsford, Moretonhampstead. The Dartmoor Press. 16pp. [Fulford, Whiddon, Fynes (Clinton)]

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

Oldfield, Anne. Memorials in Dunsford Churchyard and inside the Church, (2002). [Devon FHS Library 929.5/DUN]

Census

Church History

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

Fulford, C.H. Notes on the history of Dunsford church. Exeter: James Townsend & Sons (1934?) 9p.

St. Mary's Church, Dunsford. [Dunsford]: [The Church] (1992) 8p. [Westcountry Studies Library - p726.5/DUN/ST.M]

Church Records

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

Transcripts of Dunsford's Baptisms 1783-1812, Baptisms 1813-1843 and Marriages 1666-1755, provided by Daniel Morgan.

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

• Wesleyan Chapel, Halstow: Registers for c1820-36 - see Ashburton Circuit (PRO RG 4/840)

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

Henwood, J. A Royal Visit, Devon Family Historian, vol. 93, (2000) pp.40-41. [Extract from Dunsford Parish register describing visit of George III to Exeter in 1789]

Ofield, Anne. Dunsford Burials, 1867-2002, The Author (2003). [Devon FHS Library 929.3/BUR Dun]

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

Dunsford website - general and historical information.

Conservation Area Appraisal for Dunsford - an interesting account of the area, with numerous photographs and maps.

Directories

Copy provided by Val Henderson of the entry (description and names) in Morris and Co's Commercial Directory and Gazetteer of Devonshire 1870.

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

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

This parish is one of the growing number of places for which the Devon Heritage website provides census or parish register transcriptions, articles, and/or illustrations, etc.

Jean, P. Dingle Family of Doddiscombsleigh and Dunsford, (2002). [Devon FHS Library p929.2/DIN]

Land and Property

Amery, P.F.S. Notes on Great Fulford. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 1:1, (1900) pp.1-4, plates: ill.

Manors

Transcriptions, by Fay Sampson Priestley, of a Rent Book (from 1776?) and a Rent Book dated 1800 for the Fulford Estate, including the Manors of Dunsford and Fulford. (The original documents are in private hands.)

Alexander, J.J. Early owners of Fulford Manor. Dev. Assoc. Trans. (1938) 6p.

Names, Personal

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

Societies

Teign Valley History group - Honorary Secretary: Graham Thompson

Last updated: 8 May 2012 - Brian Randell

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