North Tawton was, at the time of Domesday, Tawetona or Tawland, this referring to its position by the River Taw. In 1199 it was called 'Cheping Tawton'.
From "Place-names in Devon" by Chips Barber, 1999, Obelisk Publications (ISBN 1899073795) - page 23.
"Devon has long been celebrated for its woollen and lace manufactures; one or the other of which was formerly to be found in most parts of the county, but both have greatly declined here during the present century, owing to the amazing extension of machinery and the factory system, in the Midland and Northern Counties, which have nearly annihilated these branches of industry in their primitive seats, where the old domestic system was adhered to.
There are still several large woollen mills and several thousand looms in different parts of the county, employed in making serges, blankets, and other coarse woollen cloths. Cloth was woven at Exeter and Chudleigh in the reign of Edward I. Dartmoor wool, however, was at that time exported; but Edward III prohibited the exportation of wool, and encouraged the immigration of foreign weavers, many of whom settled in this county.
In the 15th century, friezes, Tavistocks, or western dozens, and other sorts of coarse cloths, were exported by the Devonshire merchants to Britanny. In the reign of Edward IV, an Italian taught the English the art of weaving kerseys; and in the early part of the 16th century, 'Devonshire kerseys', were an important article of commerce to the Levant.
The woollen manufacture was greatly extended here in the reign of Elizabeth, and continued to flourish till the close of last century. The market for wool and cloths, which had been long at Crediton, was removed to Exeter, in 1538.
Totnes produced a sort of coarse cloth, called Pynn-whites, not made elsewhere. Crediton was famous for fine spinning. Barnstaple and Torrington furnished bayes, fryzadoes, &c., and Pilton, cottons and lining, 'so coarse a stuffe, that there was a vae (a woe) pronounced against them in these words:- Woe unto you, ye Piltonians, that make cloth without wool'. Many other places contributed to the great Exeter mart, which ranked next Leeds in 1759, and exported no fewer than 330,114 pīeces of cloth, in 1768, but its trade suffered considerably during the American war.
In 1789, the East India Company bought here 121,000 pieces of serges, &c.; of which 600 pieces of broads were made at Crediton, and the rest chiefly at Ashburton, Tavistock, Modbury, North Tawton, and Newton Bushel. While they had the monopoly of the tea trade, they were enabled to force their serges or long ells, on the Chinese in exchange, and they were induced to do this on several occasions, at the request of government, in order to relieve the weavers and manufacturers of this country in times of distress. From 1795 to 1805, this company annually purchased here from 250,000 to 300,000 pieces.
In 1838, there were still in the county 39 woollen mills, and more than 3,000 looms employed in weaving serges. Of the latter there were in and around Ashburton, 660; Okehampton, 530; Collumpton, 500; Buckfastleigh, 700; Exeter, 300; Totnes, 230; South and North Molton, 200; Crediton and North Tawton, 150; and Tavistock, 100. The manufacture of blankets has been introduced into Devonshire since the expiration of the East India Company's trading monopoly, and many of the women of Devon, previously employed in weaving serges, have since been employed in glove making, &c.
Since the repeal of the prohibition to export English wool, great quantities have been exported from Devonshire, chiefly to France, for the manufacture of finer articles than serges.
In 1838, there were in Devon three flax mills and three silk mills. The latter are at Church Stanton, Aylesbeer, and Ottery St. Mary, and employ upwards of 400 hands.
From 1755 till 1835, there was a celebrated carpet manufactory at Axminster.
Bone or thread lace, commonly called Honiton lace, is extensively made in the town and neighbourhood of Honiton, and in many other parts of the county, and gives employment to many thousand women and children. At Tiverton and Barnstaple are two extensive lace factories, employed in making bobbin-net, &c. The former was established in 1815, and the latter in 1822. Blond lace is also made here, and there are in the county several potteries, many large malting and tanning establishments, several large foundries and machine works, &c., &c."
Devon: "...Of those employed in manufactures about 700 were engaged in the woollen manufacture, and were distributed at Axminster, Ahsburton, Buckfastleigh, Chagford, Cullumpton, North and South Molton, and at North Tawton...."
(from The Penny Cyclopędia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge)
"The Taw rises in Dartmoor, and flows northward past Chulmleigh, where it meets the Little Dart, and then, pursuing a north-west course, receives various tributary streams, among which is the Mole, from Exmoor and South Molton; and after a course of about 45 miles, flows, by Barnstaple, into the Bristol Channel, through the same estuary as the Torridge. It is tidal in its course for 11½ miles, and large vessels come up to Barnstaple."
"The Taw is navigable to Barnstaple, for vessels of 140 tons; and up to New Bridge for small craft; but large vessels can anchor within three or four miles of Barnstaple." [avoirdupoids tons]
"The highway returns show an extent of roads in Devon far greater than that of any other county in England, except Yorkshire. In the three years ending October, 1814, the turnpike roads and paved streets were estimated at 776 miles; and all other highways, for wheeled carriages, at 5,936 miles; the total expenditure on which was £44,658. In 1836, there were in the county 29 turnpike trusts, the total income of which was £62,024.6s.1d., of which £11,187.4s.4d. was expended on improvements. In 1839, the expenditure on 6,898 miles of highway was £37,356.
The great roads which cross the county from Somerset and Dorset, to Cornwall, meet at Exeter. The roads which radiate from that city and the principal towns in the county, and the cross roads interlacing them, are very numerous. From the high fences and narrowness of many of the roads, together with the perpetual recurrence of hills and valleys, all extensive prospects are often shut out, but on the tops of the hills, and where there are no enclosures, there are many delightful views over the beautiful vales and coasts in their vicinity.
Devonshire abounds in all parts with the best materials for the formation of good roads, and for keeping them in good repair. The principal roads are generally in excellent condition; but many of the others are narrow, with high banks and hedges, and have the disadvantage of frequent steep ascents, even where they might have been easily carried along the sides of the hills, or through the valleys, with but little loss in distance, and a great saving in labour, and the wear and tear of carriages."
"Omnibus ... to Holsworthy, Hatherleigh, and North Tawton, every Tues., Thurs., and Sat. mornings, at 9, from the 'Crown and Sceptre' ...."
"There are in the county two old railways, or tram roads, on which waggons are drawn by horses. One of these is the Dartmoor and Plymouth Railway, which extends about 18 miles southward from the extensive granite quarries, near Prince Town, in Dartmoor. It was made under an act passed in 1819, and amended by two other acts, passed in 1820 and 1821. It has a short branch to the lime works at Catdown, and to Sutton Pool, at Plymouth. The other mineral line is on the other side of Dartmoor, and extends about six miles, from Haytor Granite Works to the Stover Canal. By means of this tram road and canal, immense quantities of granite are carried down to Teignmouth, for exportation; and coal, manure, &c., are taken up for the use of the neighbourhood.
Devon is now crossed in a south-westerly direction, by the BRISTOL AND EXETER and the SOUTH DEVON RAILWAYs, which form a continuous line for the transit of passengers and goods, and have Stations in this county at,
Tiverton Road,
Collumpton,
Hele,
Exeter,
St. Thomas's,
Starcross,
Dawlish,
Teignmouth,
Newton Abbot,
Totnes,
Brent,
Kingsbridge Road,
Ivybridge,
Plympton, &
Plymouth.
There are also branch railways to Tiverton, Torquay, and Crediton, but the latter is not yet opened. Other branches are projected, as well as a line to cross the county in a north-west direction, from Crediton to Barnstaple and Bideford, under the name of the Taw Vale Railway. A few miles at each end of the latter have been constructed, but owing to the depressed state of railway property, many years may elapse before this line and the contemplated branches are completed.
The projected line from Exeter to Topsham and Exmouth is not yet made, as stated [subsequently in this History]; and the Cornwall Railway, intended to pass from Plymouth to Falmouth, is still to commence, though an act was obtained for making it a few years ago.
By means of the South Devon and Bristol and Exeter lines, and the Great Western Railway, - extending from London to Bristol, - Devonshire is connected with the great net work of railways, now traversing Britain in almost every direction."
The Northumberland Record Office holds a copy of petitions against the Railway Bill by several groups which included:
1861: ... inhabitants of the Town and Parish of North Tawton, Devon, the Borough and the Parish of Okehampton, Devon, the Corporation of Okehampton, ....
The papers of Thomas John ARMSTRONG (land agent of Newcastle); Railway & other engineering works of John Furness TONE; ref. NRO-309/C.27/2; 1861
North Tawton: £15 coinage in tax
"North Tawton (Devon.) July 15. From 60 to 70 houses burned."
From "The Insurance Cyclopaedia" by Cornelius Walford, 1876 (page 74) (Google Books Online)
"On the rise of the woollen manufacture in the west of England, Crediton became one of the most important seats of that branch of industry. Little cloth is now made in the town; but hand-loom weavers are employed in their own houses by manufacturers at Exeter and North Tawton."
From "Knight's Cyclopędia of the Industry of All Nations", 1851, by George Dodd, Charles Knight (Bodleian Library: Google Books Online) (page 698)
"In 1837 there were, moreover, most flourishing serge factories at North Bovey and at Chagford, and these have passed away, while those at North Tawton and at Buckfastleigh survive, and I believe, still prosper." (page 164)
"Beer: used in weaving, to signify forty threads of the warp. At North Tawton I heard a man, about 50 (native), say, "Have you sent those twenty-eight beer chains"?" (page 135)
"To Quill: to wind yarn from the skin on to a bobbin or spool. At North Tawton a man said "Yes, she is quilling off that yarn"." (page 146)
From "Report and Transactions" Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art (Google Books Online)
"Proceeding ... through Neston St. Cyres, Crediton, and the country of Colebrook, Clannaborough, Bow, or Nymet Tracy, Broad Nymet, North Tawton, Sampford Courtenay, Esbourne, and Jacobstow, towards Hatherleigh, the rich red loam is found to vary in its strength and quality, from its lying at a greater or less distance on a deep bed of red rubbly gravel, or from its vicinity to a red pummice-like marl, which in the parishes of Colebrooke and North Tawton, is found between the soil and a hard brown rock usefully employed in repairing the roads, and forming excellent building stone. This latter is justly esteemed by far the strongest and richest land."
From "General View of the Agriculture of the County of Devon" Board of Agriculture (Great Britain), Charles Vancouver, 1808 (R. Phillips) (page 44) (Google Books Online)
"De la Beche also mentions gold occurring in quartz at North Tawton in Devonshire ..."
From "A Treatise on Ore Deposits" by Bernhard Von Cotta, Frederick Prime, 1870 (page 422) (Google Books Online)
"CAPTAIN (155): calved February, 1852, bred by Mr. James DAVY, of North Molton, the property of Mr. STANBURY, of North Tawton. Sire, a son of Flower, (189); grandsire bred by Mr. DAVY; dame, Pretty ( 357,) by a bull bred by Mr. DAVY; grandam, Old Pretty (358,) by Oxford, (89); great grandam and great great grandam bred by the late Mr. William DAVY."
From "Davy's Devon Herd Book" by Devon Cattle, 1854
St. Peter's church, North Tawton (description & photos, published 1908-1916). J. Stabb, text and photos
"... informed me that, in her girlhood, the practice of striking persons with nettles on 3rd May was very prevalent at North Tawton and that her own arms have frequently been blistered al over in consequence."
From "Report and Transactions" of The Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature, ..., 1880 (page 106)
1859 - Poisoned Confectionery:
"The last volume of the 'Annual Register' contained a narrative of the wholesale "massacre of the innocents" by the poisoned lozenges sold at Bradford market. This year two cases of a similar nature occurred which, though not attended with fatal consequences, nor marked by the same degree of culpable carelessness, show how common is the practice of adulteration, and how much need there is of legislative interference.
In October there is a fair at North Tawton, a small village of Devonshire. Some children, as is very customary on such festivals, were gratified by a few pence, and proceeded to lay out their little fortunes in "sweeties." At the village confectioner's they purchased a "ha'porth" of "birds'-nests," which they ate."
"North Tawton lies almost at the geographical centre of Devon. It dates back to Roman times when a fort known as Nemetostatio, strategically located on a route to Cornwall, was based here. The present town, however, was built on trade and industry. It developed several industries including woollen manufacturing, bark stripping for a local tannery, and ginger beer bottling. Prominent in the Town Square is the fine clock tower, erected in 1887, to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee." Coach-drivers' Guide
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