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HONITON

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"HONITON, an ancient borough and market town, which has long been celebrated for the manufacture of beautiful lace, is picturesquely situated on rising ground, on the south-eastern side of the river Otter, 16 miles E.N.E. of Exeter, . . The town is well-built, and consists chiefly of one broad street, nearly a mile in length, mostly built since the destructive fires of 1747 and 1765, the former of which consumed three-parts of the town, and the latter 180 houses. . . . [It] is now well paved and lighted, and has many good inns and well stocked shops. . . . Its parish and borough are co-extensive, and comprise 3046A. 2R. 2P. of land, and upwards of 4000 inhabitants. . . . Honiton has a pottery of brown earthenware, a tannery, a brewery, an iron foundry, three corn mills, several maltkilns, and a branch of the National Provincial Bank of England. . . . Joseph Locke, Esq., M.P., one of the borough representatives, is now lord of the manor, but many other freeholders have estates in the parish, . . . St. Michael's, the old parish church, is inconveniently situated on a bold eminence, near Littletown farm. . . . It has a tower and five bells, and contains some ancient monuments, and one in memory of Dr. Marwood, physician to Queen Elizabeth, who died in 1617, aged 105 years. . . . " [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
A parish in Axminster Hundred, the Archdeaconry and the Diocese of Exeter

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General information:

Archives and Libraries

Allhallows Museum has extensive collections of documents and photographs in its archives, acts as a Devon Record Office Service Point with PRs on microfiche for Awliscombe, Beer, Blackborough, Branscombe, Broadhembury, Buckerell, Clayhidon, Clyst Hydon, Clyst St Lawrence, Colaton Raleigh, Colyton, Combe Raleigh, Cotleigh, Dalwood, Dunkeswell, Farway, Feniton, Gittisham, Harpford, Honiton, Honiton Methodist Chapel, Kentisbeare, Kilmington, Luppitt, Membury, Monkton, Newton Poppleford, Northleigh, Offwell, Otterton, Ottery St Mary, Payhembury, Rockbeare, Seaton, Sheldon, Shute, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Southleigh, Stockland, Talaton, Upottery, Venn Ottery, Whimple, Widworthy and Yarcombe. A lookup and microfiche reader booking service is provided.

Biography

Coxhead, J.R.W. Alfred Leyman, artist, 1856-1933. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 33:5, (1975) pp.153-154; 34:5, (1980) pp.209-210; 34:8, (1981) pp.326-328.
Wilkin, W.H. Five Honiton Worthies. Trans. Devonshire Ass. volume 70 (1938) pp441-450.
Smith, Norah. Coffee at St Paul's (Honiton): A collection of true stories. Norah Smith (2010).

Business and Commerce Records

Keen, Anne. A Good Policy. Family Tree Magazine 14,12 (Oct 1998) p.26.[Examples of Honiton fire insurance records.]

Cemeteries

MIs for this parish are included in the Incledon index - see under Cemeteries on the main Devon page.
Skinner, A.J. St Michael's Church, Honiton: Memorial Inscriptions Destroyed in the Fire, 26 Mar 1911. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 9 (1917) p.253.

Church History

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

Photographs of the parish church, provided by Michael Wright.

Ashworth, Edward. Some account of the churches in the Deaneries of Plymtree and Honiton, Exeter Diocesan Architectural and Archaeological Society Trans. (2nd ser.), vol. 1, (1867) pp.6-15.
Cooke, D.H. The Independent Chapel, Honiton 1771-1971: the story of 200 years. (1971) 66p. [Westcountry Studies Library - 285/HON/COO]
Holman, H. Wilson. Honiton Church in 1755. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 11 (1920-21) pp.270-275. [Includes seating plan]
Hughes, Thomas Cann. Some notes on rectors of Honiton since the Commonwealth. Trans. Devon. Assoc. 30, (1898) pp.127-131.
Wilkin, W.H. The rectors of Honiton 1505-1907. Trans. Devonshire Ass. 69 (1937) pp403-410.
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Church Records

Parish Registers going back to 1562 are held in the Devon Record Office - for details see Parish Registers in the Devon Record Office.

Transcripts of the Parish Registers going back to 1562 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): Marriages 1754-1837, Burials 1813-1837, together with Honiton Independent Chapel Burials 1813-1837 - for details see their book list.

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

Entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993), listed under "Honiton on Otter": Parish Church Christenings 1562-1837, and Marriages 1598-1837, New Meeting House (Independent) Christenings 1689-1710, 1725-1755, 1772-1780, 1821-1837.
Coxhead, J.R.W. An Inventory of St Michael's Church, Honiton, for the Year 1643. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 29, 8 (1964) pp.220-221. [Raymond: Transcript with names.]
Coxhead, J.R.W. Honiton Churchwardens' Disbursements for 1642, 1643 and 1646. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 29, 8 (1964) pp.224-227. [Raymond: Transcript of accounts.]
Coxhead, J.R.W. The Bells of St Michael's Church, Honiton, in the Seventeenth Century. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 29, 9 (1964) pp.257-259. [Raymond: Extracts from the churchwardens' accounts, 1611-1612 and 1641.]
Coxhead, J.R.W. Churchwardens of St Michael's Church, Honiton, 1570-1651. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 30, 1 (1965) pp.13-15.

Description and Travel

Honiton Town Council website.

Barber, Chips. Along the Otter, Exeter, Obelisk Publications (1996) 32p: ill, map. [ISBN 1899073426] [Westcountry Studies Library pB/OTT 3/1996/BAR]
Hallworth, Rodney. The valley of honey. Devon Life vol. 1 no. 12, (1966) pp.11-14; ill.
James, Peter. Honiton. Devon Life vol. 6 no. 48 (1970) pp.18-20; ill.
Mate's Illustrated Honiton official Guide (1903). [Devon FHS Library 942.35/HON]

Directories

Transcript of entry in White's Devonshire Directory of 1850.
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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 Margaret Lewis, who invites queries and lookup requests. (Resources: extensive database of 24,000 PRs plus.)

Christie, Ian R. The family circle of George Templar (1755-1819) M.P. for Honiton, 1790-1796, Trans. Devon. Assoc. 123, 1991, pp. 195-201.
Fortescue-Foulkes, R. The Marwoods of Honiton and Colyton, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 32, 1971, pp. 48-51, 71-73, & 110-13.
S[kinner], A.J. Humphry family, Honiton. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 10, 1918, p. 56.
Skinner, A.J. Ezra Cleaveland, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 10, 1918-19, p. 313. [Raymond: Cleaveland family extracts from Honiton parish register, 17-18th c.]
Skinner, A.J.P. Ozias Humphry, A.R.A., F.S.A. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 11:4, (1920) pp.116-120. [Corrections/additions to D.N.B.
Skinner, A.J.P. Captain George Blagdon Westcott, R.N. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 11:5, (1921) pp.155-156. [Memorial of Westcott (died 1798) in Honiton church.]
Skinner, A.J. Shepherd of Watton Court, Honiton and Lawell. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 11, 1921, pp. 315-20. [Raymond: Includes 18th c. pedigree, and wills of James shepherd, 1733, and Sir James Shepherd, 1730.]
Skinner, A.J. John Duke's arms, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 14, 1926-7, pp. 361-2. [Raymond: Includes pedigrees of Passemer and Gill, 17-18th c., and Gill family monumental inscriptions at Honiton]
Tomlinson, Margaret. Three Generations in the Honiton Lace Industry: A Family History. [s.l.]: [M.Tomlinson?] (1983) [6], 94p, plates: ill, map. [ISBN 0950857408] [Westcountry Studies Library - s746.2/HON/TOM] [Chick family]
Wilkin, W.H. Lewis of Honiton: a scholastic family. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 19, 1936-37, pp. 29-30. See also pp. 322-23.

History

Transcription, by Ann Andrews, of a 1793 article by John Feltham on the history of Hniton from the The Gentleman's Magazine Library.

Information about the history of Honiton Pottery is available from the Honiton Pottery Collectors Society.

Honiton in 1907, from the Atholguy website.

Barber, Chips. Honiton, Past and Present. Pinhoe, Exeter: Obelisk Publications. [ISBN 1899073892].
Bradshaw, Susan. The Teaching of Honiton Lacemaking in the Early Twentieth Century. In Devon Documents (ed. T. Gray). Tiverton: Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, Special Issue (1996) [ISBN 0925836203] pp.17-20.
Coxhead, J.R.W. Honiton and the vale of the Otter: a history. Exmouth: Raleigh Press (1949) 213p: ill. [Lookups]
Coxhead, J. R. W. Honiton: a history of the manor and the borough. Newton Abbot: Devon Books ; Town & Country Books [distributor],1984, 96 pp. ill. [ISBN: 0861147510 (pbk.)] [Lookups]
Edmunds, M. Honiton: an old Devon market town. Tiverton: Westcountry Books (1993) iv,76p: ill,maps. [ISBN 1898386013]
Farquharson, A. The History of Honiton. Exeter: A.Farquharson (1868) 81p. [Westcountry Studies Library - B/HON/0001/HIS]
Farquharson, A. The history of Honiton, Devon - compiled from authentic sources. Manuscript (1891) 181p. [Westcountry Studies Library - sfB/HON/0001/FAR] [Lookups]
Gosling, Gerald. The book of Honiton: of lace and pottery fame. Tiverton: Halsgrove (2005) 160p [ISBN 1841144088] [Index]
Harris, A.Wolsey. Honiton in by-gone days, glimpses of life and customs. [Exeter]: Pulman's Weekly (1952) 36p. [Westcountry Studies Library - B/HON/0001/HAR]
Horridge, G.K. Honiton, Devon: a case study. In The Salvation Army - Origins and Early Days: 1865 - 1900, Godalming, Ammonite, (1993). [ISBN: 186986607x] [Gives a detailed account of the riots that occurred in 1882 when the Salvation Army began recruiting in homniton]
Nielsen, Shirley, (Ed.). Honiton Memories, The Author, 8 Angel Mews, Silver Street, Honiton, EX14 1SS (2005) 74 pp.
Orr, Joanna. Souvenir of Honiton, old and new. Honiton: The Author (1963) [16]p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - xB/HON/0001/ORR]
Palliser, Mrs. Bury. History of Lace (reprint of 4th ed.), New York, Dover Publications Inc. (1984). [ISBN 0 486 24742 2]
Smith, Joan. The Failure of the Banks in Honiton, Devon Family Historian, vol. 140, (2011) pp.4-6.
Troup, Frances B. Honiton in 1530. Trans. Devon. Assoc. 30, (1898) pp.117-126.
Watson, W.G.W. Mate's Illustrated Honiton: Its history past and present (2nd ed.).Bournemouth: W.Mate & Sons (1907) [60]p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/HON/1907/WAT]
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Yallop, H.J. Honiton in old picture postcards. Zaltbommel: European Library (1983) 1vol: chiefly ill. [ISBN 9028823190]
Yallop, H. J. The history of the Honiton lace industry. Exeter: University of Exeter,1992, xi, 352 pp. ill. (some col.), facsims., ports. [ISBN: 0859893790 (pbk)] [Lookups]
Yallop, John. Honiton and the Otter Valley in old photographs, Stroud, Alan Sutton (1992) 160p: chiefly ill. [ISBN 0750901683] [Westcountry Studies Library sB/HON/1850/YAL] [Index] [Lookups]
Yonge, Walter. Diary of Walter Yonge, esq., justice of the peace, and M. P. for Honiton, written at Colyton and Axminster, co. Devon, from 1604 to 1628. New York: Johnson Reprint Corp.,1968 1848, xxxii, 124 pp. (Roberts, George, ed.) [Lookups]
A short history of Honiton. Honiton & Allhallows Museum (1963) 10p. [Westcountry Studies Library - B/HON/0001/SHO]

Land and Property

Digitised 1840 tithe maps, including one of this parish, are available on the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership's website.

Farm diaries of the Pearcey Family of Weston Barton, Honiton

Elliot, John. Homes and gardens - Widworthy Barton, Honiton. Devon Life vol. 10 no. 79 (1973) pp.20-22; ill.
Drake, Mary. The Fairmile inn. Devon Life vol. 1 no. 7, (1965) pp.6; ill.

Maps

Map of the area from OldeMaps (circa 1950).

Names, Personal

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

Names from an 1822-23 edition of Pigot's Directory.

Newspapers

Honiton News - regional electronic journal.

The Midweek Herald - online edition and archive.

Occupations

Andrews, Mrs. M.E. Bootmakers, Cordwainers and Shoemakers in Honiton between 1813-1839, Devon Family Historian, vol. 106, (2003) pp.34-35. [Listing derived from baptismal records]
Coxhead, J.R.W. The Romance of the Wool, Lace and Pottery Trades in Honiton. (8th ed.) Honiton: P.H.Thrower (1968) 40p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - p677.31/HON/COX] [Lookups]
Inder, P.M. History of Honiton Lace, 3rd. ed. (1983). [ISBN 086114144X] [Devon FHS Library p746.222]
Moody, A. Penderel. Devon Pillow Lace: Its History and How to Make It, London, Paris, New York, Toronto & Melbourne, Cassell & Company Limited (1908).
Whittaker, A.L. Honiton lace. Devon Life vol. 4 no. 29, (1968) pp.17-20; ill.

Politics and Government

Wilkin, W.H. Notes on the Members for Honiton, 1640-1868. Trans. Devon Assoc. 66 (1934) pp.253-278.
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Probate Records

Will of Philip Bagwell (1845), transcribed by Jenny Bird.

Brushfield, T.N. Inventory of the Goods of Henry Hampshire of Honiton, 1690. Devon Notes and Queries 2 (1902-03) pp.242-246, and 9 (1916-17) pp.[5]-2.
Tapley-Soper, H. Recovery of Will of Smyth Family. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 11 (1920-21) pp.212-214. [Raymond: Will of James Smyth of Honiton, 1677.]

Schools

Coxhead, J.R.W. Allhallows School, Honiton: Register and record, 1902-1932. (1932) [Westcountry Studies Library]
Coxhead, J.R.W. Schoolmasters of Allhallows School in the Seventeenth Century. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 28 (1959-61) pp.263-265, 29 (1962-64) p.285.
Coxhead, J.R.W. William Woodgate's Academy, Honiton. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 30 (1965-67) pp.196-199. [Raymond: Abstracts from 1841 and 1851 census returns, giving names of staff and pupils.]
Coxhead, J.R.W. The History of Allhallows School, 1524-1958. (2nd. ed.) Rousdon: Old Honitonians Club (1972) [Exeter University Library, Plymouth Library, Torquay Library] [Raymond: Includes much information on headmasters, 1604-965, and on schoolmasters of Honiton Grammar School, 1604-1677.]
Napier, G.S. Allhallows School, Rousdon: Register and Record. 1852-1952. Honiton: A. Dimond and Co. (Honiton) (1953).
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Voting Registers

Barnes. Manor and Borough of Honiton. Roberts, Printer, High Street, Honiton (1829) [Honiton Museum - includes tenants lists for 1829 and 1811] [Lookups]
Voters List. Spurway Printer, Binder, etc. Honiton (1802) [Honiton Museum - includes occupations] [Lookups]
Borough of Honiton list of voters, 1839. (1839) [Westcountry Studies Library]
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Last updated: 4 Jan 2012 - Brian Randell

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