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HARBERTON

Select map to view parish boundaries in detail.

"HARBERTON, a small village of 353 inhabitants, on high ground, in a pleasant valley, 2½ miles S. S. W. of Totnes, has in its parish 1496 souls, and 5755 acres of land, including six hamlets, of which the following are the names and population :- Harbertonford, 468; Luscombe, 55; East Leigh, 171; West Leigh, 45; Belsford, 55; and Englebourne, 49. The soil is generally light and fertile, and in the parish is a remarkable rock of trap stone, so hard as to resist the mason's chisel, and surrounded by dunstone and slate. The manor, anciently held by the Valletorts, was dismembered many years ago, and now belongs to many freeholders, some of whom have neat and pleasant seats here, as named below. J. Parott, Richard and John Brown, C. Webber, E.W.W. Pendarves, and John Bidlake, Esqrs., and the Rev. W.B. Bennett, are the principal owners. At Harbertonford, on the banks of the small river Harbourn, is an old wollen factory, now occupied as a corn mill and starch manufactory; and in the same valley is the large shovel and reaping hook manufactory, called Hill Mills. The Church (St. Andrew,) is one of the finest specimens of the decorated style in the county, and has a lofty tower and six bells. . . . The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £49. 2s. 1d., and in 1831 at £752, with the curacy of Halwell annexed to it, is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, and incumbency of the Rev. George Martin, B.D., chancellor of the diocese, and canon of Exeter. . . . There are National Schools at Harberton and Harbertonford. . . . The Baptists have a small chapel here." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

• General historical and descriptive information, area map from 1765, details about administrative boundaries, etc., about Harberton and Harbertonford from the Devon Library's Local Studies Service.
• Harberton Village Web-site.

Census

Index to the 1841 Census, from the Parishes of the South Hams website.

Church History

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

Jones, Winslow. The vicarage of Harbeton and list of its vicars. Exeter: William Pollard (1890) 26p. [Westcountry Studies Library - sp283.0922/HAR/JON]

Church Records

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

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

• Wesleyan Chapel: Registers for c1813-37 - see Ashburton Circuit, Kingsbridge (PRO RG 4/840, 1088)

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

McNaught, M. J. (transcr.) Devon Registers Vol 8 - Diptford: CMB (BTs) 1596-1601/2, 1611-16, undated entries, 1633-34/5, 1639, CB 1653-1850, M 1653-1837, banns 1837-50, CMB strays 1596-1850; Halwell: C 1584-89/90, 1595-1850, M 1562-88, 1596?-98?, 1602-80, 1684-1850, B 1560-1850, C strays 1584-1850, MB strays 1560-1850; Harberton: CMB (BTs) 1597-1602, 1608-09, 1611-15/16, 1620-21, C 1624-1850, M 1625-27, 1630, 1633, 1635-36/37, 1639-40, 1648-1850, B 1622-1850, CMB strays 1597-1850. [SoG Library DE/R 117]

The Deanery of Totnes: An index of baptisms, marriages and burials . . . with photographs of the churches and extracts from White's Devonshire Directory 1850, CD-ROM, Exeter, Devon FHS (2009). [Ashprington: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Blackawton: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Buckfastleigh: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Cornworthy: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1840), Dartington: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Dartmouth St. Clement: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Dartmouth St. Petrox: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Dartmouth St. Saviour: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Dean Prior: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1755-1837), Bur (1790-1837), Diptford: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Dittisham: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Halwell: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1755-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Harberton: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Holne: Bapt (1813-1842), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Rattery: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1800-1837), South Brent: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Stoke Fleming: Bapt (1813-1839), Mar (1754-1837), Bur (1813-1837), Totnes: Bapt (1813-1842), Mar (1754-1837), Bur: (1813-1837)]

Description and Travel

Harberton Village Web-site.

Directories

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

Bridges, E.Lucas. Uttermost part of the earth. London: Hodder & Stoughton (1948) 558p,40p of pls: ill [Bridges Family - Emigrants to Harberton, Tierra del Fuego]

Parsons, Hamlyn. Links between South Devon and Tierra del Fuego. Trans. Devon. Assoc. 81, (1949) pp.297-302. [Bridges Family]

Rose-Troup, F. The honour of Harberton, Trans. Dev. Assoc. 67, 1935, 253-83. [Raymond: Valetort descent, 12-14th c.]

History

Legge, John. Villages of the South Hams: Ashprington, Tuckenhay, Cornworthy, Harbertonford, East Allington, Obelisk Publications (2001). [ISBN 1 903585 05 8] [Index]

Rose-Troup, F. The Honour of Harberton. Trans. Devon Assoc. 67 (1935) pp. 253- 283.

Trist, J. Fincher. A loyal ode composed by Major Trist of Tristford to commemorate the events...at Harberton on Her Majesty's Jubilee. Totnes: Mortimer Bros (1887) 68pp. [ Transcription (archived copy)] [Index]

Names, Personal

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

Harberton Vaccination Register - 1875-1876, Exeter, Devon Family History Society D038. [Names included in the overall index published as "Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief" (CD 023).

Last updated: 4 Jul 2011 - Brian Randell

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