North Molton, Devon

Historical Description

Molton, North, a village and a parish in Devonshire. The village stands partly on a hill slope, partly in a valley, on the river Mole, 3½ miles NNE of South Molton, and 2½ from South Molton station on the G.W.R.; takes its name from the Mole, by corruption of Mole Town, consists of close-built thatched houses and whitewashed cottages, with a few respectable dwellings; was once a market-town, and has a post and money order office under South Molton; telegraph office, South Molton; cattle fairs on the Wednesday after 12 May and the last Wednesday of Oct. The parish contains also the hamlets of Heasley, Ben Twitchen, Flitton, Higher Fyldon, Lower Fyldon, Upcott, and Wals-cotfc Acreage, 15,046; population of the civil parish, 1307; of the ecclesiastical, 1501. The parish council consists of eleven members. Court House, an old ivied mansion, belonged formerly to the Earl of Morley, and belongs now to Lord Poltimore. The scenery throughout the parish, and around it, up to the skirts of Exmoor, is picturesque. The living is a vicarage, and is united with the vicarage of Twitchen, in the diocese of Exeter; gross value, £240 with residence. Patron, Lord Poltimore. The church is ancient, consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with a tower nearly 100 feet high, was restored in 1885, and contains a finely-carved oak pulpit, an octagonal font, a richly decorated screen, and monuments of the Bampfyldes and the Parkers. There are chapels for Wesleyans, an almshouse, and a social club.

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

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 North Molton

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 North Molton from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Molton, North (All Saints))

Maps

Online maps of North Molton 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.