West Worlington, Devon
Historical Description
Worlington, West, an ecclesiastical parish in Devonshire, united to East Worlington for civil purposes, 4½ miles NE of Lapford station on the L. & S.W.R., and 5½ E of Chulmleigh. Post town, Morchard Bishop. Population, 195. The manor belongs to the baronet family of Stucley. Remains exist of an ancient castle of the Affetons, and in 1868 it was restored by Sir G. S. Stucley, and is used as a shooting box. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter; net value, £120 with residence. The church is an ancient building of stone in the Early English style, and was restored in 1881.
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 | West Worlington St. Mary | |
Hundred | Witheridge | |
Poor Law union | South Molton |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1683.
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 West Worlington
Churches
Church of England
St. Mary (parish church)

The church of St. Mary is an ancient building of stone in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch, and a tower with an oak shingled spire containing 6 bells: in the church is a fine monument to Sir Thomas Stucley kt. ob. September 20th, 1663, whose brother and successor in the Affeton estate, Lewis Stucley, was chaplain to the Lord Protector; the chancel was restored and refurnished in 1881 at a cost of £140, and in 1906 was partially restored at a cost of £650, and completed in 1913 at a further cost of £200: there are 125 sittings.
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Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for West Worlington from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Worlington, West (St. Mary))
Maps
Online maps of West Worlington 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.