Georgeham, Devon

Historical Description

Georgeham, a parish in Devonshire, on the coast, 8 miles NW by W of Barnstaple town, and 3 from Braunton station on the L. & S.W.R. It contains the hamlet of Croyde, and has a post office under Braunton (R.S.O.); money order and telegraph office, Croyde. Acreage, 4160; population, 747. The manor belongs to Earl Fortescue. The coast extends to Croyde and Morte Bays, and to the narrow promontorial headland of Baggy Point, and is highly picturesque. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter; value, £465 with residence. The church is ancient but good, has a square embattled tower, and contains the tomb of a crusader and several other monuments. In 1876-77, the church was almost entirely rebuilt at a considerable cost. Two persons, husband and wife, who had been married upwards of 75 years, and each of whom died at the age of 101 in 1817, are buried in the churchyard. There are two chapels at Croyde.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Church Records

The parish register of baptisms dates from the year 1540; marriages and burials, 1538.

Findmypast, in association with the South West Heritage Trust, Parochial Church Council, and Devon Family History Society have the Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, and Burials online for Georgeham

Churches

Church of England

St. George (parish church)

The parish church of St. George is a building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 6 bells, all cast by Abel Rudhall, of Gloucester, in 1748, except the second, which dates from 1765: immediately in front of the chancel is an altar tomb with the recumbent cross-legged effigy of a knight in hauberk and mail armour, covered with a cyclas, or long-skirted garment, and carrying a shield; the figure is supposed to represent Sir Mauger St. Aubyn (de St. Albine), ob. 22 Edward I. (1294): there are other memorials to the family of Harriss: the stained east window is a memorial to the Rev. Francis Hole, formerly rector here, and there is a sculptured reredos by Hems, of Exeter: the organ was erected in 1881 as a memorial to Frances, wife of Rev. F. Hole: in 1876-7 the church was almost entirely rebuilt under the direction of the late Mr. Fowler, architect, of Louth, at a cost of £3,500, chiefly defrayed by T. Hole esq. and his relatives: in the churchyard is a tomb to Simon Gould and Julian, his wife, who died in 1817, in the 101st year of their respective ages, and the 75th year of their married life: there are 300 sittings.

Civil Registration

For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Georgeham from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Georgeham (St. George))

Maps

Online maps of Georgeham are available from a number of sites:

• Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• Google Streetview.
• National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
• OpenStreetMap.
• old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
• Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)

Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers covering Devon online:

• Western Times
• Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
• Western Morning News
• North Devon Journal
• Exeter Flying Post

Villages, Hamlets, &c

Visitations Heraldic

The Visitation of the County of Devon in the year 1564, with additions from the earlier visitation of 1531, is online.

The Visitations of the County of Devon, comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620, with additions by Lieutant-Colonel J.L. Vivian, published for the author by Henry S. Eland, Exeter 1895 is online.