Historical Memoirs of Tiverton
Historical Memoirs of Tiverton is in Georgian Books.
Historical memoirs of the town and parish of Tiverton, in the County of Devon. Collected from the best authorities, with notes and observations. By Martin Dunsford, Merchant, 1790.
Georgian Books, Historical Memoirs of Tiverton Part IV
Remarkable Occurrences.
Jul 1644. In the beginning of July, the51 Earl of Eſſex paſſed through Charles I. . Tiverton, with all-his forces.
This year also an52 epidemic disorder reigned in the town and parish, called the sweating sickness: 443 persons died in the year, about one person in seventeen of all the inhabitants of the parish, of which 105 were buried in the month of October. The town was so much deserted, that grass generally grew in the streets and lanes.
Note 51. This account also is taken from the Manuscript Diary of Farmer Robert Roberts; under which article he hath also written, that Mr. Thomas Lawrence, who came from Tiverton, reported to him, that the Earl had 350 and odd carriages, and of horse belonging thereunto for draught 2000.
In another part he writes, that the last day of May the Queen came to Exon, and toke up Bedford house. In June the Queen lay in Crediton, at Mr. Tucker's house ; and from thence shee rode to Limson, with all her troope. At the same time Prince Morrish came to Crediton, with all his foreses. Also, that on the 25th of July, this year, King Charles I and Prince Charles were in the great meadow at Crediton, with his army.
Note 52. See Parish Register, Blundell's and Hewett's Memoirs, date 1646. This date is not consistent with that in the Register, which describes the fatal effects of the sickness in the year 1644.
1741. An epidemic disorder, called the Spotted Fever, rager in Tiverton. In the course of the year, 636148 persons, about one in twelve of all the inhabitants of the pariſh, were buried. Ten or eleven149 funerals were ſeen in St. Peter's church-yard at one time. The ceremony of tolling the bell was omitted, to prevent a too general alarm.
Note 148. See Parish Register.
Note 149. Thomas Rodd, parish clerk.
Georgian Books, Historical Memoirs of Tiverton Part V
Antiquities, and Public Buildings
Richard165 Newte, A. M. third son of 166Henry Newte, of Tiverton, Gent, was born at Tiverton in 1612, and bred at Mr. Blundell's school till he was sixteen years old, when he was ſent to the university of Oxford, and admitted member of Exeter College, made B. A. and Fellow of that house. After taking the degree of A. M. in 1636, he commenced tutor, and became eminent in his college, having many young gentlemen of the western counties for his pupils. He was constant reader of an Hebrew lecture several years, and said to be well acquainted with other Eastern languages, the French and Italian, and academical learning in general. He was inducted to the rectory or portion of Tidcombe, in Tiverton, 25th September, 1641; afterwards, 28th October, in the same year, to the rectory or portion of Clare. Soon after the commencement of the civil wars he retreated into Holland, from thence to Flanders, afterwards to France, in which country he was well received, tho' frequently engaged in controversies with the Romish priests, in defence of the Protestant episcopal church : from France he went thro' Switzeriand to Italy, but not into Rome, from the fear of subjecting himself to the resentment of those he had debated with in France, whom he accidentally pereived to pass by him on the road towards that city. From Italy he returned in a ship to Topsham, in the year 1646, where, on enquiry, he found the devastations of the war had ruined his parsonage-house, and greatly injured his lands; that the sweating sickness had desolated the town, and was not yet,wholly removed; notwithstanding which he came to Tiverton, preached at first in the church, and afterwards, at the request of the people, in a field, prepared for that purpose, to avoid infection, which much endeared him to the people.
Note 165. Parish Register, Walker's Sufferings of the Epiſcopal Clergy, Palmer's Nonconformist's Memorial, and Prince's Worthies of Devon. Mr. Prince corresponded with his son, John Newte, who probably furnished him with some of these anecdotes. The present Rector of Tidcombe, Rev. John Newte, favoured me with a sight of one of Mr. Prince's original letters of enquiry for anecdotes of eminent men in the vicinity of Tiverton, particularly of Peter Blundell, founder of the grammar school.
I beg leave to acknowledge in this note the many other communications received from Mr. and Mrs. Newte, and the obliging offer of books or manuscripts in their posession, that might afford me any assistance in compiling these Historical Memoirs.
Note 166. The etymology of this name is said to be of Danish origin, from Canute, or Cnute.
Georgian Books, Historical Memoirs of Tiverton Appendix
The number of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, recorded in the Parish Regifter of St. Peter's2 church, Tiverton, in the several following periods of six years each.
Table of Baptisms, Marriage and Burials
From 1st January, 1560, to 1st January 1565 - 484 137 327
1st March, 1581, to 1st March, 1587 - 704 170 549
1st March, 1601, to 1st March, 1607 - 789 239 484
1st March, 1620, to 1st March, 1626 - 1226 315 808
1st March, 1640, to 1st 3 March, 1646 - 1272 270 1411
1st March, 1660, to 1st March, 1666 - 914 221 906
1st March, 1680, to 1st March, 1686 — 1101 322 1060
1st March, 1700, to 1st March, 1706 — 1116 331 1175
1st March, 1720, to 1st March, 1726 - 1070 284 1175
1st March, 1740, to 1st 4 March, 1746 895 340 1472
1st January, 1760, to 1st January, 1766 891 292 915
1st January, 1780, to 1st January, 1786 1144 367 1038
25th March, 1784, to 25th March, 1790 1216 321 960
Note 2. Besides the above register list, there is reason to believe that some persons were buried annually in the several chapel-yards in the parish; I have therefore calculated the suppoſed number in the computation of population (see Appendix, No. 30) from the Register of Cove chapel, in the yard belonging to which four persons have been buried annually, on an average, from the year 1700 to the present time.
Note 3. The sweating sickness carried off about 300 persons extraordinary in the year 1644, which are not included in the calculation, to determine the number living.
Note 4. The spotted fever carried off about 400 persons extraordinary in the year 1741, excluded also from the calculation.