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A parish in Witheridge Hundred, the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple, and the Diocese of Exeter."MESHAW is a small village, at the foot of a declivity, nearly 6 mile S. by S.E. of South Molton, and 14 miles N.W. by W. of Tiverton. Its parish increased its population from 166 in 1831, to 305 in 1841, and comprises 1770A. 3R. 30P. of land, part of which (about 700A.) was an open moor 20 years ago, but is now enclosed and cultivated. It is a hilly district, over which a new road was cut about ten years ago. The manor was held by the Avenells, in the 13th and 14th centuries, and was afterwards in moieties. The greater share now belongs to Richard Preston, Esq., and the rest belongs to John Brown, Wm. Adams, Robert Eastmond, and a few smaller freeholders. The Church (St. John Baptist,) was mostly rebuilt in 1838, except the tower, which has four bells. It is a small structure, and contains a handsome monument to James Courtenay, who died in 1683, at Meshaw House, now occupied by a farmer. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in K.B. at £7. 4s., and in 1831 at £206, in the patronage of the Rev. W. Karslake, and incumbency of the Rev. W.H. Karslake, B.A., who has a good residence, and 83A. 3R. 39P. of glebe. . . . " [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
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A transcription of the Memorial Inscriptions for the Church of St John the Baptist is held in the Society of Genealogist's Library, in Vol. 8 of Devon Memorial inscriptions (DE/M23).
Snetzler, M.F. North Devon Surname Index to the Census. Microfiche: M.F. Snetzler, Barcott, Buckland Brewer, Bideford, Devon EX39 5LN. [Covers 1841, 1861, 1871 and 1881 census records for this parish]
Transcripts of the Parish Registers going back to 1580 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 - for details see their book list.
Entered into the IGI (as of Jan 1993): Parish Church Christenings 1580-1797 and Marriages 1581-1645, 1660-1752, 1807.
The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.
Smith, Pat; John Headon and Hilary Headon. Meshaw: a north Devon parish. Meshaw: Pat Smith (1991) [20]p: ill. [Westcountry Studies Library - pB/MES/0001/SMI]
Meshaw contributors to a 1678 brief for the rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral.
Ryall, David. Lest We Forget, War memorials around South Molton. South Molton Archive, 68pp. [ISBN 0 951236 1 4] [Provides an indexed list of names]
South Molton and District Archive Local History Society web-site (archived copy) - provides details of archive holdings for the twenty-eight parishes in what used to be the South Molton Rural District, lists of publications, etc.
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Last updated: 17 Aug 2009 - Brian Randell
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