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1829.]

Account of Horwood, Devonshire.

There are nineteen houses in the parish, and 121 inhabitants.

In twenty years, from Jan. 1, 1699, to Dec. 31, 1718, there were baptized 61; Males 36-Females 25. Marriages 15.

Funerals 46; Males 22-Females 24. In twenty years from Jan. 1, 1799, to Dec. 31, 1818. Baptized 98; Males 46-Females 52. Marriages 17.

Funerals 41; Males 19-Females 22. Horwood throughout its whole extent is a very elevated ridge, stretching from east to west, and sloping gently, to the north and sonth, to rivulets the boundaries of the parish. A highway, connecting the turnpike roads from Barnstaple to Torrington and Bideford, passes along the summit of this ridge, and affords many delightful views of the surrounding country, of Barnstaple Bay, and Lundy Island.

The substratum is a stiff clay, and the soil very shallow. The agriculture of the parish is the same with that generally adopted throughout the county; viz. pareing and burning with forty bushels of lime to an acre, previously to the sowing of wheat. The average crop of wheat is eighteen bushels per acre, thirty bushels of barley, and thirty of oats.

The Exmore sheep are those generally bred; and the cattle known as the North Devon breed are reared in this parish in high perfection. A bull bred in it obtained the prize at a late agricultural meeting.

No doubt is entertained here of the baneful influence of the Barberry bush on wheat. An old and very intelligent farmer asserts that he had frequently witnessed its pernicious effect in many fields, but more particularly in one which he rented of Mr. Dene, the present Rector's father. For many years, and every year when this field was sown with wheat, he observed a partial blight radiating from a point in the hedge across the field; his attention was at length directed to the Barberry bush; it was grubbed up, and, though since the field has been repeatedly sown with wheat, no such partial blight has ever been observed.

I cannot refrain from mentioning a circumstance of which I was a witness. I shall merely state what I saw, without offering any observation. Shaving myself one morning early near the window, my attention was arrested by a

399

very peculiar cry of a bird. I looked out and saw a small bird hovering in the air, apparently in the deepest dis tress, and descending nearer and nearer to the ground, I suspected to some of its young, but I soon saw a stoat immediately before it, whose eyes seemed to be fixed intensely on the bird. I was awaiting the final issue, when some one coming on towards the spot the bird flew away. The stoat did not escape; he had been, as I supposed, too intent on his prey to take timely precautions for his own safety; he was killed.

The landholders in the parish of Horwood are, Earl Fortescue.

The Rev. John Dene; his estates of Church Horwood, Pen Horwood, and the advowson, he inherits from the Pollards. Elizabeth Futts, the granddaughter and heiress of Arthur Pollard, the last possessor of those estates of that name, was married to John Dene, the ancestor of the present Rector.

Mr. Thomas Hog, of Appledore; his estates of East and West Horwood were purchased by his father, a merchant of Appledore, of the uncle of the present Lord Rolle.

Horwood affords no rare plants; but of some which grow in the neighbourhood, below is the habitat.

Pinguicula Lusitanica; Sentellaria minor; Campanula hederacea; on Torrington Common.

Osmunda regalis; on the banks of the river Torrington.

Melittis Melissophyllum; Tulipa Sylvestris; in the woods near Hall.

Bartsia Viscosa; on the road side near the three mile-stone from Barnstaple to Bideford.

Rubia peregrina; common in hedges. Rosa spinosissima; in

hedges.

common

Sibthorpea Europea; in and around a well near Buckland Brewer. Scirpus Holoschænus; on Braunton Boroughs.

Inula Helenium; near Brocken Bridge.

Oxalis corniculata; near Appledore. Inscriptions on slabs in Horwood Church. Here lyeth Anthony Pollard of Horwood, esquier, who deceased the 16 day of June, Ann. D. N. 1589.

In the middle of the slab are the arms of the Pollards.

On the adjoining slab :

Here lyeth Johan Pollard, wyffee of An

398

Mr. URBAN,

HORV

Account of Horwood, Devonshire.

ORWOOD is a small parish in the north of Devon, consisting of about 800 acres. It is situated a mile south of the turnpike-road leading from Barnstaple to Bideford, and is 5 miles from the former, and 34 miles from the latter town. It is bounded on the north and east by the parish of Fremington, on the west by Westleigh, and on the south by Alverdiscott.

The parish is a Rectory, and the advowson, for some generations, has been in the family of the present Rector, the Rev. John Dene, who was instituted in 1803. It is a discharged living; the yearly value according to examination is 407. Tenths, 14s. 10d. The glebe is about forty-five acres.

The Church has a nave and chancel, and north aile, which is separated from the nave and chancel by five pointed arches, springing from clustered pillars, with capitals, apparently richly carved with heads and foliage, but daubed over with repeated coats of whitewash. At the west end is a square embattled tower, containing three bells. At the west end of the tower is a handsome Gothic window, under which is an arched door. This window formerly gave light to the nave, through an arch in the eastern wall of the tower, which is now closed with lath and plaister. Under the battlements, on the south side of the tower, are three escutcheons, but no arms are at present visible.

The Church is dedicated to St. Michael. St. Michael's well, in a field near the Church, was once famous for its efficacy in the cure of sore eyes and eruptions.

The seats in the Church are open, and formed of thick oak; on the side pannels are rude carvings of human figures, and the emblems of the crucifixion of our Saviour, as the lance, the crown of thorns, nails, &c. On one of the pannels near the door are two escutcheons-the arms of Pollard, a chevron between three mullets; another, a chevron between three escallop-shells; and on another pannel adjoining, two others, a chevron between three birds, and a demi-wolf rising out of wavy bars.

On a ledge of a window in the north aile, is a recumbent female figure, beautifully executed in alabaster. Risdon says, an isle of the Church built

[May,

by the Pollards, has this in one of the windows:

"Orate pro bono statu Joh'is Pollard et Wilmote uxoris ejus, qui istam guildam fieri fecerunt;" in which he impaleth with Pollard a griffin rampant in a field Argent, which griffin (as they have it) was borne by a Duke in ffrance, whose daughter one of their auncestors matched. She being in a nunery; he then serving his Sou'reigne grew so enamoured with her, as he humbly besought ye King to procure him a dispensac'on to marry her. Before a window of which ile Eliz. Pollard lieth intombed, whose each side, elevating her hands, is most cup'porc'n in alabaster, with two children on riously cut, as any I have seen."

At the side of the window, near the monument, on a small stone let into the wall, is the following:

"Here rest the bodies of Arthur Pollard of this parish, esquier, and Johne his wife. He was buried the 10th of October, 1633. She ye 3 of June, 1622. Requiescant in pace."

In the windows of the north aile are many fragments of stained glass; but there exist at present no remains of the griffin of Pollard's arms, or of the inscription mentioned by Risdon.

The font is more than five feet in height, it is of free-stone, square, hollowed, and lined with lead, with a vent at the bottom to let off the water. It rests on a rounded column of freestone, which is placed on a square base. The cavity within the font is deep, and wide enough for the immersion of an infant.

The ceiling of the north aile is coved, and, before it was lathed and plastered, must have been very handsome. The ribs still project with bosses, which appear to have been curiously carved, as does a frieze which runs along both sides of the aile. The windows were filled with stained glass. On a boss near the east window in this aile, are the arms of Pollard, such as are on a slab covering the grave of Anthony Pollard, viz. a chevron between three mullets. This Anthony was buried 1589, and on scrubbing away the filth which had covered the slab, the arms were found as perfect as when first placed there-a kind of pitchy cement had been run into the arms and inscription which surrounds the slab. Nearly in the middle of this aile are, side by side, two slabs, about six feet in length, with a cross on each, but no inscription.

1829.]

Account of Horwood, Devonshire.

There are nineteen houses in the parish, and 121 inhabitants.

In twenty years, from Jan. 1, 1699, to Dec. 31, 1718, there were baptized 61; Males 36-Females 25. Marriages 15.

Funerals 46; Males 22-Females 24. In twenty years from Jan. 1, 1799, to Dec. 31, 1818. Baptized 98; Males 46-Females 52.

Marriages 17.

Funerals 41; Males 19-Females 22. Horwood throughout its whole extent is a very elevated ridge, stretching from east to west, and sloping gently, to the north and sonth, to rivulets the boundaries of the parish. A highway, connecting the turnpike roads from Barnstaple to Torrington and Bideford, passes along the sunimit of this ridge, and affords many delightful views of the surrounding country, of Barnstaple Bay, and Lundy Island.

The substratum is a stiff clay, and the soil very shallow. The agriculture of the parish is the same with that generally adopted throughout the county; viz. pareing and burning with forty bushels of lime to an acre, previously to the sowing of wheat. The average crop of wheat is eighteen bushels per acre, thirty bushels of barley, and thirty of oats.

The Exmore sheep are those generally bred; and the cattle known as the North Devon breed are reared in this parish in high perfection. A bull bred in it obtained the prize at a late agricultural meeting.

No doubt is entertained here of the baneful influence of the Barberry bush on wheat. An old and very intelligent farmer asserts that he had frequently witnessed its pernicious effect in many fields, but more particularly in one which he rented of Mr. Dene, the present Rector's father. For many years, and every year when this field was sown with wheat, he observed a partial blight radiating from a point in the hedge across the field; his attention was at length directed to the Barberry bush; it was grubbed up, and, though since the field has been repeat: edly sown with wheat, no such partial blight has ever been observed.

I cannot refrain from mentioning a circumstance of which I was a witness. I shall merely state what I saw, without offering any observation. Shaving myself one morning early near the window, my attention was arrested by a

399

very peculiar cry of a bird. I looked out and saw a small bird hovering in the air, apparently in the deepest distress, and descending nearer and nearer to the ground, I suspected to some of its young, but I soon saw a stoat immediately before it, whose eyes seemed to be fixed intensely on the bird. I was awaiting the final issue, when some one coming on towards the spot the bird flew away. The stoat did not escape; he had been, as I supposed, too intent on his prey to take timely precautions for his own safety; he was killed.

The landholders in the parish of Horwood are, Earl Fortescue.

The Rev. John Dene; his estates of Church Horwood, Pen Horwood, and the advowson, he inherits from the Pollards. Elizabeth Futts, the granddaughter and heiress of Arthur Pollard, the last possessor of those estates of that name, was married to John Dene, the ancestor of the present Rector.

Mr. Thomas Hog, of Appledore; his estates of East and West Horwood were purchased by his father, a merchant of Appledore, of the uncle of the present Lord Rolle.

Horwood affords no rare plants; but of some which grow in the neighbourhood, below is the habitat.

Pinguicula Lusitanica; Sentellaria minor; Campanula hederacea; on Torrington Common.

Osmunda regalis; on the banks of the river Torrington.

Melittis Melissophyllum ; Tulipa Sylvestris; in the woods near Hall.

Bartsia Viscosa ; on the road side near the three mile-stone from Barnstaple to Bideford.

Rubia peregrina; common in hedges. Rosa spinosissima; in

hedges.

common

Sibthorpea Europæa; in and around a well near Buckland Brewer. Scirpus Holoschænus; on Braunton Boroughs.

Inula Helenium ; Bridge.

near Brocken

Oxalis corniculata; near Appledore. Inscriptions on slabs in Horwood Church.

Here lyeth Anthony Pollard of Horwood, esquier, who deceased the 16 day of June, Ann. D. N. 1589.

In the middle of the slab are the arms of the Pollards.

On the adjoining slab :

Here lyeth Johan Pollard, wyffee of An

398

Mr. URBAN,

Account of Horwood, Devonshire.

Hthe north of Devon, consisting
ORWOOD is a small parish in

of about 800 acres. It is situated a
mile south of the turnpike-road lead-
ing from Barnstaple to Bideford, and
is 54 miles from the former, and 34
miles from the latter town. It is
bounded on the north and east by the
parish of Fremington, on the west by
Westleigh, and on the south by Alver-

discott.

The parish is a Rectory, and the advowson, for some generations, has been in the family of the present Rector, the Rev. John Dene, who was instituted in 1803. It is a discharged living; the yearly value according to examination is 407. Tenths, 14s. 10d. The glebe is about forty-five acres.

The Church has a nave and chancel, and north aile, which is separated from the nave and chancel by five pointed arches, springing from clustered pillars, with capitals, apparently richly carved with heads and foliage, but daubed over with repeated coats of whitewash. At the west end is a square embattled tower, containing three bells. At the west end of the tower is a handsome Gothic window, under which is an arched door. This window formerly gave light to the nave, through an arch in the eastern wall of the tower, which is now closed with lath and plaister. Under the battlements, on the south side of the tower, are three escutcheons, but no arms are at present visible.

The Church is dedicated to St. Michael. St. Michael's well, in a field near the Church, was once famous for its efficacy in the cure of sore eyes and eruptions.

The seats in the Church are open, and formed of thick oak; on the side pannels are rude carvings of human figures, and the emblems of the crucifixion of our Saviour, as the lance, the crown of thorns, nails, &c. On one of the pannels near the door are two escutcheons-the arms of Pollard, a chevron between three mullets; another, a chevron between three escallop-shells; and on another pannel adjoining, two others, a chevron between three birds, and a demi-wolf rising out of wavy bars.

On a ledge of a window in the north aile, is a recumbent female figure, beautifully executed in alabaster. Risdon says, an isle of the Church built

[May,

by the Pollards, has this in one of the windows;

"Orate pro bono statu Joh'is Pollard et Wilmote uxoris ejus, qui istam guildam fieri fecerunt;" in which he impaleth with Pollard a griffin rampant in a field Argent, which griffin (as they have it) was borne by a Duke in ffrance, whose daughter one of their auncestors matched. She being in a nunery; he then serving his Sou'reigne grew so enamoured with her, as he humbly besought ye King to procure him a dispensac'on to marry her. Before a window of which ile Eliz. Pollard lieth intombed, whose p'porc'n in alabaster, with two children on each side, elevating her hands, is most curiously cut, as any I have seen.'

At the side of the window, near the monument, on a small stone let into the wall, is the following:

"Here rest the bodies of Arthur Pollard of this parish, esquier, and Johne his wife. He was buried the 10th of October, 1633. She ye 3 of June, 1622. Requiescant in pace."

In the windows of the north aile are many fragments of stained glass; but there exist at present no remains of the griffin of Pollard's arms, or of the inscription mentioned by Risdon.

The font is more than five feet in height, it is of free-stone, square, hollowed, and lined with lead, with a vent at the bottom to let off the water. It rests on a rounded column of freestone, which is placed on a square base. The cavity within the font is deep, and wide enough for the immersion of an infant.

The ceiling of the north aile is cored, and, before it was lathed and plastered, must have been very hand

soie.

The ribs still project with bosses, which appear to have been curiously carved, as does a frieze which runs along both sides of the aile. The windows were filled with stained glass. On a boss near the east window in this aile, are the arms of Pollard, such as are on a slab covering the grave of Anthony Pollard, viz. a chevron between three mullets. This Anthony was buried 1589, and on scrubbing away the filth which had covered the slab, the arms were found as perfect as when first placed there-a kind of pitchy cement had been run into the arms and inscription which surrounds the slab. Nearly in the middle of this aile are, side by side, two slabs, about six feet in length, with a cross on each, but no inscription.

1829.]

Account of Horwood, Devonshire.

[blocks in formation]

Marriages 17.

Funerals 41; Males 19-Females 22. Horwood throughout its whole extent is a very elevated ridge, stretching from east to west, and sloping gently, to the north and south, to rivulets the boundaries of the parish. A highway, connecting the turnpike roads from Barnstaple to Torrington and Bideford, passes along the sunimit of this ridge, and affords many delightful views of the surrounding country, of Barnstaple Bay, and Lundy Island.

The substratum is a stiff clay, and the soil very shallow. The agriculture of the parish is the same with that generally adopted throughout the county; viz. pareing and burning with forty bushels of lime to an acre, previously to the sowing of wheat. The average crop of wheat is eighteen bushels per acre, thirty bushels of barley, and thirty of oats.

The Exmore sheep are those generally bred; and the cattle known as the North Devon breed are reared in this parish in high perfection. A bull bred in it obtained the prize at a late agricultural meeting.

No doubt is entertained here of the baneful influence of the Barberry bush on wheat. An old and very intelligent farmer asserts that he had frequently witnessed its pernicious effect in many fields, but more particularly in one which he rented of Mr. Dene, the present Rector's father. For many years, and every year when this field was sown with wheat, he observed a partial blight radiating from a point in the hedge across the field; his attention was at length directed to the Barberry bush; it was grubbed up, and, though since the field has been repeat. edly sown with wheat, no such partial blight has ever been observed.

I cannot refrain from mentioning a circumstance of which I was a witness. I shall merely state what I saw, without offering any observation. Shaving myself one morning early near the window, my attention was arrested by a

399

very peculiar cry of a bird. I looked out and saw a small bird hovering in the air, apparently in the deepest dis tress, and descending nearer and nearer to the ground, I suspected to some of its young, but I soon saw a stoat immediately before it, whose eyes seemed to be fixed intensely on the bird. I was awaiting the final issue, when some one coming on towards the spot the bird flew away. The stoat did not escape; he had been, as I supposed, too intent on his prey to take timely precautions for his own safety; he was killed.

The landholders in the parish of Horwood are, Earl Fortescue.

The Rev. John Dene; his estates of Church Horwood, Pen Horwood, and the advowson, he inherits from the Pollards. Elizabeth Futts, the granddaughter and heiress of Arthur Pollard, the last possessor of those estates of that name, was married to John Dene, the ancestor of the present Rector.

Mr. Thomas Hog, of Appledore; his estates of East and West Horwood. were purchased by his father, a merchant of Appledore, of the uncle of the present Lord Rolle.

Horwood affords no rare plants; but of some which grow in the neighbourhood, below is the habitat.

Pinguicula Lusitanica; Sentellaria minor; Campanula hederacea; on Torrington Common.

Ösmunda regalis; on the banks of the river Torrington.

Melittis Melissophyllum ; Tulipa Sylvestris; in the woods near Hall.

Bartsia Viscosa; on the road side near the three mile-stone from Barnstaple to Bideford.

Rubia peregrina; common in hedges.
Rosa spinosissima ;

hedges.

common

in

Sibthorpea Europea; in and around a well near Buckland Brewer. Scirpus Holoschænus; on Braunton Boroughs.

Inula Helenium ; near Brocken Bridge.

Oxalis corniculata ; near Appledore. Inscriptions on slabs in Horwood Church.

Here lyeth Anthony Pollard of Horwood, esquier, who deceased the 16 day of June, Ann. D. N. 1589.

In the middle of the slab are the arms of the Pollards.

On the adjoining slab:

Here lyeth Johan Pollard, wyffee of An

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