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ST. GILES ON THE HEATH

Select map to view parish boundaries in detail.

"ST. GILES IN THE HEATH, a village and parish, 5 miles N.N.E. of Launceston, and 9 miles S. by E. of Holsworthy, has 375 souls, and 3044A. of land, including the hamlets of Panson, Hoggadon, and Sitcott. Part of it is in the Duke of Bedford's manor of Werrington. Sir Wm. Molesworth is lord of the manor of Panson, or Paunston; and the Misses May, and several smaller owners, have estates in the parish. The Church is a small structure, with a tower and five bells, and was formerly in the appropriation of Tavistock Abbey. The living is a donative, valued at £97, in the patronage of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, the Marquis of Lothian, and the Dowager Countess of Suffield; and in the incumbency of the Rev. Edward Rudall, M.A. of Boyton. . . . " [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]

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

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Methodist Chapel - 22 entries.

Census

Counted variously in Devon and in Cornwall for the census:

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Cornwall Centre. The Cornwall Family History Society offers a census search service for its members.

Census records for St. Giles on the Heath in 1851 (HO7/1896 Enumeration District 4) and 1861 (RG9/1519 Enumeration District 8) are available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.

The 1871 Census of St Giles-in-the-Heath is available from the Cornwall Family History Society.

A search facility for a transcription of the 1871 Census of Cornwall, including St Giles in the Heath, is available.

Church History

The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX3590 and was dedicated to St Giles.

Church Records

The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1653 - 1902, Burials 1653 - 1982, Marriages 1653 - 1980.

The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of 1813-37 Marriages, and 1813-37 Burials.

Baptisms (1706 - 1846), marriages {1600-1836) and burials (1813-1837) of St Giles in the Heath (1796 to 1846) are available on CD from the Parish Chest.

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 1681-1804. (From Bishops' Transcripts.)

Cornwall burial index 1813-1837: St. Giles in the Heath. Cornwall Family History Soc. (1996) [ISBN 1858694205]

Civil Registration

The parish of St Giles-in-the-Heath was originally in the Broadwoodwidger sub-district, in the Holesworthy Registration District of Devon. (GRO volumes : X (1837-51); 5b (1852-1930)). In 1853, the parish moved under the control of the St Stephen-by Launceston sub-district of the Launceston Registration District of Cornwall, where it remained until 1901 when it became part of the North Petherwin sub-district.

In 1936, it moved back to the Holesworthy Registration district of Devon. In 1998, Holesworthy became subsumed into the Torridge Registration District of Devon.

Directories

Gazetteers

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

History

Notes from Parish Records on Oath-takers from Ashwater, Broadwoodwidger, Hollacombe, Holsworthy and St Giles in the Heath by Pat Williams, provided by the Friends of Devon Archives.

Williams, H. Fulford. Notes on the parish of Saint Giles-in-the-Heath, Devon (1964) 5p. [Westcountry Studies Library - sB/St.G 7/0001/WIL]

Maps

Map of the Launceston Registration District in which the parish once lay.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

St Giles parish was part of the Launceston Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

Population

Probate Records

Glencross, R.M. (ed.). Calendar of Wills, Administrations and Accounts Relating to the Counties of Cornwall and Devon in the Connotorial Archdiaconal Court of Cornwall (with which are included the records of the Royal Peculiar of St. Burian) now preserved in the District Probate Office at Bodmin. Index Library, vols. 56 & 59.

Alcock, N.W. Surviving Devon Wills and Inventories, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, vol. 31, (1968-70) pp.182.

Moger, O.M. Some Notes on the Whereabouts of Devon Wills, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, vol. 25, (1952-53) pp.9-10.

Last updated 13 Jul 2009 - Brian Randell.

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