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WRITTEN ARCHIVE - CONTENTS
Information about the history of the Estate from the time of the Domesday Book to the 1900s
Kingsnympton’s entry in the Domesday Book, a survey of the country carried out in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror.
A fascinating and detailed account of Devon in the 1600s (Kingsnympton is mentioned on p282), with genealogical information about the noble families of the time (the Pollards of Kingsnympton Park are on p493)
Land Tax records for farms in the parish in 1795, 1809 &1829, and Valuation List for the whole village in 1876
The Tithe Map was a detailed survey of ownership aimed at working out tax payments to the church based on land holdings and value. The actual Tithe Map is displayed in the `Maps’ section, but this page contains the `apportionment’ document – both the original and a searchable transcribed version in an excel spreadsheet. The apportionment lists the owners and/or tenants of fields and properties against the plot numbers on the map, along with value of the Tithe that they had to pay for the church.
Entries from Devon Gazetteers (which provided general and population information for every town and village in the county in the 1800s), including one specifically about Glebe House
Mary Byne is a fascinating and enigmatic figure, about whom we would love to know more. On the 1843 Tythe map she is listed as owning about one third of the properties in the village, and no fewer than 8 outlying farms. We know a little about how she came by them, and next to nothing about what led to her heirs severing their connection with the village
The journal of Jessie Tapscott, who lived at North Close as a young girl in the early 1900s, and later emigrated to Canada. Her story was often set as a project for children at Kingsnympton School. There are two examples of those projects, by Liam and Rachael Turner.
The history of Oakwell Farm – by Amy Bowden, who grew up and spent most of her married life there, and John Barnes, former chair of the History Society, who lives at Limebeers Oakwell.
An interview with Chrissie Skinner, who was born in the village in 1923, and has bever left! She talks about her childhood, and growing up in the parish
Account by Joyce Gregory of being evacuated from Essex to spend the war first at Coombe Cottages (Coombe Farm) , and later at Villa Park, next to the chapel
Walter Reed – Kingsnympton memories
Account of Walter Reed, born in 1915, who spent much of his life as a farm labourer at East Hele Farm, Sampson Farm and Down Farm
Account by Pam Down of the history of Spittle Farm, from 1930 to 1960
Newspaper cuttings from 1882 to 1934, with indexes listing names of those involved, and locations featured.
List of names and addresses of those eligible to vote in the General Election of 1970
Parish Council minute book covering 1885 - 1926
1970s War and Emergency Planning
The Local Emergency Book, which covers contingency planning for local councils and communities in the event of an emergency (up to and including nuclear attack!), and a series of documents outlining survival options and emergency planning contingencies
A detailed account of the parish to commemorate the Millennium.
Another interesting source of information on the village is the Genuki website - articles include one on the murder by a Kingsnympton man of a Romansleigh man after an argument in the pub, an attempted poisoning, and death by lockjaw after being trapped in a cider press!
There is also a written archive section on our Google Drive, which includes a number of articles featuring local people written for the Nympton News
