Sticklepath
Encyclopedia
Sticklepath is a village on Dartmoor
, in the county of Devon
, England
. Its history is unusual in that, unlike most villages, it did not evolve around a manor
. It never had a rectory
or a squire
. It owes its being and development to two factors - geography and religion.
and Launceston, once the capital of Cornwall
. A couple of miles to the east, the ridgeway passes a place called 'Harepath' which is Anglo-Saxon
for 'The way of the warriors'. The name Sticklepath derives from the Saxon
'staecle', meaning 'steep', as it lies at the foot of a high mount, over which the path had to cross, on its way to Cornwall. It also lies at the point where the river Taw
crosses the ridgeway and also where it was crossed by the old 'Mariner's Way', the route sailors took from Dartmouth
to catch their next boat at Bideford
. Although there is no written evidence of pre Norman
settlement here, both the name and the choice of location for the chapel would indicate this to be true.
, daughter of Henry I
, was granted land between the path and the stream, below Sticklepath woods to build a chantry
chapel (where services were sung for the dead family of the benefactor) by Robert Fitzroy in his manor of Sampford, within the barony of Okehampton
. In 1152, the Courtenay family sailed to England from France with Eleanor, wife of Henry II
, and in 1242 Sir Hugh Courtenay married the heiress to the barony of Okehampton and thus, both Sampford and Sticklepath came under Courtenay control until the last family member was executed by Henry VIII
in 1539 and the estates passed to the crown and was then passed on to King's College, Cambridge
. One lasting result of this early history was that Sticklepath remained mainly within the parish of Sampford Courtenay
, until it became a civil parish
in its own right in 1986.
) mill (where the Finch Foundry
Museum is today) and one fulling
mill just before the Taw River Bridge, where Albany stands today. The first recorded farmers to live in the village were Geoffrey and Mary Colet, in 1407. In 1565 there were 10 water mills established in the village on the stream that ran, parallel to the road, into the Taw and by 1600, a large farm complex, Hole's Tenement, was established on the site between the present day Willey Lane and the Devonshire Inn car park. These two factors, farming and milling, together, as we shall see, with religion, were the major elements in forming Sticklepath, until the middle of the 20th century.
stated that it should be joined to Belstone
. At about this time, the Quakers, being persecuted and imprisoned in Exeter
and Launceston, seeking somewhere safe to live and practice their religion, moved to Sticklepath, their numbers grew to about 200 and they bought the piece of land (now behind the Museum) as their burial ground. It is thought that some, from here, may have sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth
. Others integrated and prospered. In 1678 John Ballamy bought the mills by the burial ground (Ballamy's Tenement) and in 1713 Benjamin Ballamy was the first Quaker buried in the cemetery. Another Quaker, Cresset Stevins, bought the mill by the Taw.
. On Boxing Day 1569 Thomas Sackville made the final application to exchange the Parish of SC and Withyham Manor to King's College Cambridge. On 12 January 1570 Queen Elizabeth was granted Sampford Courtenay from Thomas Sackville to hold in trust for Kings College. The day after (13 January) the college was given royal permission to acquire the parish and the manor was passed to them on 4 March 1570. Two letters, still held in College records, dated 21 June and 10 July 1586 from Sir Francis Walsingham (lord treasurer) to the college show that the college was refusing to demise SC back to the Queen. However on 23 December 1601 the Queen again granted Sampford Courtenay back to the College. Ownership the stabilised and parts of the parish then remained under the authority of the College right up until the 1960s when they were finally sold off.
The 53 surviving court rolls and fines books are still stored in the Kings College archives and can be read, they tell of cattle and sheep rustling and disputes of moneys, land and timber and also include the Provosts expenses. The Court was held once a year in Sampford Courtney about 5 miles to the North and the Provosts may have written up their accounts after they had departed the area and forgotten where people lived. Sometimes the names of people are written showing them living in the ‘south town’ or ‘south side’. Sticklepath was, and still is the only area big enough to be called a town (within the Parish) and located to the south, also family names such as George Underhill are recognisable as living in Sticklepath.
In 1668, 13 July, one such court hearing was held and a session concerning the cutting of oak wood was brought before the court. The conclusion was that ‘No person was to go on another’s land to cut oak, except for delivery to the mills or for repair to cottages that have no lands’.
Sale of mill
In 1715 a George Underhill is shown as tenant of the mill by the Taw bridge, paying £0.15.0 pa; but in 1720 a Nicholas Thomas surveyed the site, its value being £12.10.0. It is regarded that between 1715 and 1720 is the date that Sticklepath mills were sold off by the College (possibly to the Underhills) though no indenture is kept.
Sheep stealing
The Fines book of 5 August 1754 showed villagers, Richard and Mary Arscot were convicted of stealing sheep, Richard was transported to the colonies and Mary was burned in the hand.
Repair of foundry
Another book shows that on 9 May 1768 the Manor mills (Foundry) was “for some time being in a ruinous condition and likely to fall down”. It needed to be rebuilt in a ‘substantial manor with proper materials’ and grant money from the college was promised. Works were initially paid for and completed by Henry Dart (the miller at the Manor mills) who lived in South Tawton. The college then reimbursed his costs, though they were not sent until the Rector had certified to the College that the mill was ‘completely finished and in a proper condition to be worked’
fulling (shrinking, compacting and beating) mills. In the late 18th century there was Curzon's or Wilmott's mill at Cleave, three mills on the old Ballamy's Tenement (later Manor Mills now Finch Foundry) and two grist mills, later Western and Carnalls, beside the Taw river bridge.
, passing through the village, was stopped and befriended by Quakers. The following year, he stopped and famously preached by the White Rock on the mount above the village. From this time, Wesley's Methodism
took hold in the village, first with meetings in private houses and then, in 1816, with the building of the Methodist Chapel. The early 19th century was yet another period when religion and industry came together to develop Sticklepath. In 1810, the Methodist Pearce family, wool staplers and serge
makers from Horrabridge and Hatherleigh, rebuilt the burnt down Western & Carnalls mill and turned it into the flourishing Cleave Mill wool factory. In 1814, the Finch family (which produced several Methodist ministers) took over the lease of the Manor Mills, converting first, part into an agricultural tool factory and then, with the decline in the wool industry, converting the rest.
The Finch family prospered and finally bought the premises and much property in the village, as well. In 1830, William Pearce bought the old Quaker burial ground and gave it to the village as an un-denominational cemetery. Fire destroyed the old cob
and thatch Chantry chapel, in 1850. This was rebuilt in 1875 by John Cook, a property owner and former butcher and landlord of the Cornish Inn (once the 'Wagon & Horses', now the 'Taw River Inn'). The village hall was donated to the village in 1897 by a descendent of the Pearce family and has been improved and added to ever since.
In 1960 Richard Barron created the Finch Foundry museum after the rear wall fell down and the site was no longer be viable as a business. The Finch Foundry trust collected money and rear wall was rebuilt and the machinery put back into working order. After Richard died his brother Bob Barron took over.
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
, in the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its history is unusual in that, unlike most villages, it did not evolve around a manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
. It never had a rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
or a squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
. It owes its being and development to two factors - geography and religion.
Origin of the name
Sticklepath lies along the old ridgeway path between ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Launceston, once the capital of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. A couple of miles to the east, the ridgeway passes a place called 'Harepath' which is Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
for 'The way of the warriors'. The name Sticklepath derives from the Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
'staecle', meaning 'steep', as it lies at the foot of a high mount, over which the path had to cross, on its way to Cornwall. It also lies at the point where the river Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
crosses the ridgeway and also where it was crossed by the old 'Mariner's Way', the route sailors took from Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
to catch their next boat at Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
. Although there is no written evidence of pre Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
settlement here, both the name and the choice of location for the chapel would indicate this to be true.
The Courtenay family
In 1147, Bricius, the chaplain to Queen MaudEmpress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, daughter of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, was granted land between the path and the stream, below Sticklepath woods to build a chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
chapel (where services were sung for the dead family of the benefactor) by Robert Fitzroy in his manor of Sampford, within the barony of Okehampton
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
. In 1152, the Courtenay family sailed to England from France with Eleanor, wife of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, and in 1242 Sir Hugh Courtenay married the heiress to the barony of Okehampton and thus, both Sampford and Sticklepath came under Courtenay control until the last family member was executed by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1539 and the estates passed to the crown and was then passed on to King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. One lasting result of this early history was that Sticklepath remained mainly within the parish of Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay is a village and civil parish in West Devon in England, most famous for being the place where the Western Rebellion, otherwise known as the Prayerbook rebellion, first started, and where the rebels made their final stand...
, until it became a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in its own right in 1986.
Village occupations
What the occupations of the villagers were, during this period, can be guessed at. The land to the south of the village is first, steep woodland then moorland. To the north, the land becomes increasingly more suitable for farming. In 1294 it was recorded that Hugh de Courtenay of Willey had one grist (grainGRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
) mill (where the Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry is a 19th century water-powered forge situated in the village of Sticklepath near Okehampton, Devon, England and was active until 1960. It was originally used to produce agricultural and mining hand tools, but the Foundry has been a National Trust property since 1994. It contains...
Museum is today) and one fulling
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
mill just before the Taw River Bridge, where Albany stands today. The first recorded farmers to live in the village were Geoffrey and Mary Colet, in 1407. In 1565 there were 10 water mills established in the village on the stream that ran, parallel to the road, into the Taw and by 1600, a large farm complex, Hole's Tenement, was established on the site between the present day Willey Lane and the Devonshire Inn car park. These two factors, farming and milling, together, as we shall see, with religion, were the major elements in forming Sticklepath, until the middle of the 20th century.
The Quakers
After the loss of Courtenay support, the Chantry fell into neglect and decay so that by 1649, a survey for Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
stated that it should be joined to Belstone
Belstone
Belstone is a village in Devon, England best known for the Nine Maidens stone circle. It lies within the West Devon local government district....
. At about this time, the Quakers, being persecuted and imprisoned in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Launceston, seeking somewhere safe to live and practice their religion, moved to Sticklepath, their numbers grew to about 200 and they bought the piece of land (now behind the Museum) as their burial ground. It is thought that some, from here, may have sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. Others integrated and prospered. In 1678 John Ballamy bought the mills by the burial ground (Ballamy's Tenement) and in 1713 Benjamin Ballamy was the first Quaker buried in the cemetery. Another Quaker, Cresset Stevins, bought the mill by the Taw.
Courtenay lands restored
Though the lands had been taken by the crown, in 1539 Henry de Courtenay had his lands restored and was given the title the 2nd Earl of Devon. His son Edward was created Earl of Devon by patent in 1553 and after his death in 1556 the title was treated as extinct.King's College Cambridge
On 26 January 1560 Thomas Sackville (possibly the 1st Earl of Dorset and Lord High Treasurer) was awarded an annuity, by Queen Elizabeth I, of £28 until the manor of Sampford Courtenay (SC) was in the possession of King's College, CambridgeKing's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. On Boxing Day 1569 Thomas Sackville made the final application to exchange the Parish of SC and Withyham Manor to King's College Cambridge. On 12 January 1570 Queen Elizabeth was granted Sampford Courtenay from Thomas Sackville to hold in trust for Kings College. The day after (13 January) the college was given royal permission to acquire the parish and the manor was passed to them on 4 March 1570. Two letters, still held in College records, dated 21 June and 10 July 1586 from Sir Francis Walsingham (lord treasurer) to the college show that the college was refusing to demise SC back to the Queen. However on 23 December 1601 the Queen again granted Sampford Courtenay back to the College. Ownership the stabilised and parts of the parish then remained under the authority of the College right up until the 1960s when they were finally sold off.
College archives
The Provost of the College would ride to the parish every year to take the levies and rent payments from the tenants and to hold court, delivering verdicts on cases.The 53 surviving court rolls and fines books are still stored in the Kings College archives and can be read, they tell of cattle and sheep rustling and disputes of moneys, land and timber and also include the Provosts expenses. The Court was held once a year in Sampford Courtney about 5 miles to the North and the Provosts may have written up their accounts after they had departed the area and forgotten where people lived. Sometimes the names of people are written showing them living in the ‘south town’ or ‘south side’. Sticklepath was, and still is the only area big enough to be called a town (within the Parish) and located to the south, also family names such as George Underhill are recognisable as living in Sticklepath.
From the archives
Cutting of oak woodIn 1668, 13 July, one such court hearing was held and a session concerning the cutting of oak wood was brought before the court. The conclusion was that ‘No person was to go on another’s land to cut oak, except for delivery to the mills or for repair to cottages that have no lands’.
Sale of mill
In 1715 a George Underhill is shown as tenant of the mill by the Taw bridge, paying £0.15.0 pa; but in 1720 a Nicholas Thomas surveyed the site, its value being £12.10.0. It is regarded that between 1715 and 1720 is the date that Sticklepath mills were sold off by the College (possibly to the Underhills) though no indenture is kept.
Sheep stealing
The Fines book of 5 August 1754 showed villagers, Richard and Mary Arscot were convicted of stealing sheep, Richard was transported to the colonies and Mary was burned in the hand.
Repair of foundry
Another book shows that on 9 May 1768 the Manor mills (Foundry) was “for some time being in a ruinous condition and likely to fall down”. It needed to be rebuilt in a ‘substantial manor with proper materials’ and grant money from the college was promised. Works were initially paid for and completed by Henry Dart (the miller at the Manor mills) who lived in South Tawton. The college then reimbursed his costs, though they were not sent until the Rector had certified to the College that the mill was ‘completely finished and in a proper condition to be worked’
Farming and industry
The main farm produce, both of Sticklepath and its surrounding neighbours, being grain and sheep, there developed much industry based on grist milling and woolWool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
fulling (shrinking, compacting and beating) mills. In the late 18th century there was Curzon's or Wilmott's mill at Cleave, three mills on the old Ballamy's Tenement (later Manor Mills now Finch Foundry) and two grist mills, later Western and Carnalls, beside the Taw river bridge.
The Methodists
In 1743, John WesleyJohn Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, passing through the village, was stopped and befriended by Quakers. The following year, he stopped and famously preached by the White Rock on the mount above the village. From this time, Wesley's Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
took hold in the village, first with meetings in private houses and then, in 1816, with the building of the Methodist Chapel. The early 19th century was yet another period when religion and industry came together to develop Sticklepath. In 1810, the Methodist Pearce family, wool staplers and serge
Serge
Serge is a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great coats and trench coats. Its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings. French serge is a softer, finer variety...
makers from Horrabridge and Hatherleigh, rebuilt the burnt down Western & Carnalls mill and turned it into the flourishing Cleave Mill wool factory. In 1814, the Finch family (which produced several Methodist ministers) took over the lease of the Manor Mills, converting first, part into an agricultural tool factory and then, with the decline in the wool industry, converting the rest.
The Finch family prospered and finally bought the premises and much property in the village, as well. In 1830, William Pearce bought the old Quaker burial ground and gave it to the village as an un-denominational cemetery. Fire destroyed the old cob
Cob (building)
Cob or cobb or clom is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth, similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive...
and thatch Chantry chapel, in 1850. This was rebuilt in 1875 by John Cook, a property owner and former butcher and landlord of the Cornish Inn (once the 'Wagon & Horses', now the 'Taw River Inn'). The village hall was donated to the village in 1897 by a descendent of the Pearce family and has been improved and added to ever since.
From mills to museums
In 1949, the mills by the Taw, at Albany, were converted to living premises. By the 1950s, Cleave mill was derelict and in 1960 was converted to dwellings. The hammers and wheels of the Finch Foundry fell silent in 1960. They are now banging and turning again in the form of the Museum of Water Power and Rural Industry.In 1960 Richard Barron created the Finch Foundry museum after the rear wall fell down and the site was no longer be viable as a business. The Finch Foundry trust collected money and rear wall was rebuilt and the machinery put back into working order. After Richard died his brother Bob Barron took over.