Kenton, Devon
Historical Description
Kenton, a village and a parish in Devonshire. The village stands in the valley of the Kenn, 1 mile W of the estuary of the Exe, 1½ NW of Starcross station on the G.W.R., and 6½ miles SSE of Exeter; was once a market-town, and has a post and money order office under Exeter; telegraph office, Starcross. Acreage, 5182 of land and 300 of water; population of the civil parish, 1901; of the ecclesiastical, 939. A pleasure fair is held on Shrove Tuesday. The manor belonged formerly to the Heles, the Hungerfords, the Duke of Albemarle, and others, and belongs now to the Earl of Devon. Oxton House is a seat in the neighbourhood. Great Haldon Hill extends along the W, and a tract called Cuttridge, with a population of 20, lies detached. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter; gross value, £300 with residence. Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Salisbury. The church is of the time of Edward III., comprises nave, aisles, and chancel, with pinnacled tower, and contains a very beautiful screen. The tower was restored and the bells rehung in 1893, and in the same year a carved reredos was erected. The chapelries of Starcross and Cofton are separate benefices. There is a Wesleyan chapel, and there are also almshonses and clothing and coal clubs.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Devon | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Kenton All Saints | |
| Hundred | Exminster | |
| Poor Law union | St. Thomas |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
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 Kenton
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 Kenton from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Kenton (All Saints))
Maps
Online maps of Kenton 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:
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.