Congram's Row Homepage


Click to enlarge Photo of Congrams Row taken in 1914 from Newport Rd end looking down row to Park Lane. The buildings are on the left and gardens on the right

CONGRAMS ROW, NEWPORT, BARNSTAPLE was two rows of terraced housing built before 1814 and were subject to compulsory purchase order by
Barnstaple District Council in 1959.

How Congrams Row came to be built is still a mystery and under investigation. The dwellings form two blocks of terraced housing running between Newport Road and Park Lane. From the Park Lane end on the lefthand side are a block of 19 dwellings starting at No 10 and ending at No 29.

Plan of Congrams Row detailing the properties to be demolished

The row (walkway) ran between the buildings and their substantial front garden. The front door to each dwelling that was even numbered was situated close to the front door of the odd numbered dwelling. The terrace was only one floor high and on the front each dwelling had two windows above and one below. Each of these dwellings except No 29 also had a backyard roughly the same size as the inside of the dwelling. No 29 was the largest dwelling and back yard but did not have a front garden as opposite was the begining of the next block of terraced housing starting at No 9. The second terrace was numbered 9 to 1 and each had a backyard but no front garden. Dwellings No. 9-6 had substantial back yards ranging from twice the size of the dwelling in the case of No's 9and 8 to 3 and half times the size for No's 7 & 6 Dwellings No. 1 and 29 were side on to the back gardens of houses situated in Newport Road.

Photo of the front of the Terms of Letting Document for Congrams Row written in 1814.

The earliest record found todate is an 1814 Survey Terms for Letting held at the North Devon Record Office Barnstaple.

896 25th March 1814

Survey Terms for letting Congerham at Newport for 7 or 11 Years from this day

The transcription is as follows:-

The Terms and Conditions of a survey held at the Swann
Inn in the Town of Barnstaple in the County of Devon on Friday
the twenty fifth day of March One Thousand Eight Hundred and
Fourteen by Henry Drake Gentleman for and on the behalf of
the Mayor Alderman and Burgess of the said Borough and
Parish of Barnstaple Feoffees of the Lands belonging to the poor
of the Almshouses in Whit Oil Lane in Barnstaple aforesaid
for letting at a Yearly Rent for the Term of Eleven Years
from this day determinable at the end of the first Seven
years thereof by either party on giving twelve Months previous
Notice in writing All that Dwelling House Garden stable
and Close of Sand adjoining if called or Known by the Name
of Congerham situated at the lower end of the Borough of
Newport within the Parish of Bishops Tawton in the said County
now occupied by Bartholomew Pyke and William Hunt.

Click to enlarge Photo of Page 1 of the Terms of Letting Document for Congrams Row written in 1814.

The Taker to pay the Rent quarterly and to give goods
Security for the payment of the same / if required/ and to
bring into and upon each and every Acre of Ground which
shall be known during the said Sum three hundred seams
or horseloads of good soften shall or stable dung and there mix
with earth and spread abroad the same in a good husbandry
like manner and then shall mow the same but three
times without the like Dressing nor more than once in
any one year and to pay bear and discharge all Rates
Taxes Charges Assessments Impositions and Incumbrances
whatsoever now or hereafter to be rated taxed charged
assessed or imposed on the said Premises or any part thereof
And to keep and leave in good and substantial Repairs
all and singular those Dwelling House and Building with
the Hedges Ditches Gates Posts Bars Stiles Rails and Fences
of and belonging to the said premises during the said Term

The Taker not to break up or convert to Pillage all or any part
of the said close of Land during the said Termunder forfeiture
of the sum of Ten Pounds for each and every acre so broken
up or tilled and in the like proportion for any greater or

 Click to enlarge Photo of Page 2 of the Terms of Letting Document for Congrams Row written in 1814.

less quantity of Ground than an acre to be recovered by
Distress in like manner as the Rent Nor cut any of the
Hedges of and belonging to the said Premises During the
said Term Nor cut top lop pare or prune any Timber of
other Tree or Trees now standing growing or being or hereafter
to stand grow or be on the said Premises Nor set let or
assign the said Premises or any part thereof for all or
any part of the said Term to any Person or Persons
whomsoever without the consent in writing of the said
Mayor Alderman and Burgess for that purpose first
obtained Nor Commit or do or suffer to be committed or
done any manner of waste spoil or destruction in or
upon the said Premises or any part thereof.

The said Mayor Alderman and Burgess reserve all Timber and
Timber Trees Saplings and Plants now growing or to grow
on the said Premises or any part thereof an all Mines
Minerals Quarriesand Benefits under Ground found
or hereafter to be found on the said Premises during
the said Term with free liberty of Ingress Egress and
Regress as well to view and take an account of any
Waste or Dilapidations as also to fell cut down root work
up and carry away such Timber Trees and young
Saplings and to dig search for land lay and carry
Wills and Pleasure

The said Mayor Alderman and Burgess to pay the Landlords Property ????
payable in ?????? of the said Premises

Covenant to be forthwith entered into at the expenses of the
Taker which are to be prepared by the said Henry Drake


A Price given in Eighteen Guinees and refused by all
I hereby agree to accept of the
Premises above mentioned at the
Yearly Rent of Eighteen Pounds,
under the conditions before ??????????
Witness any Hand the 25: day of
March 1814 William Fairchild

Offerers Names

Bartholomew Pike...........�10 �16 5s 0d
Edward ????er Baker...... 11 15 10s 0d
James Ingledon............... 13
William ????ing.............. 13.10 16 0s 0d
Adam Martin ????.......... 14
William Fairchild............. 15 17 0s 0d

It should be noted that in this earliest document the family name is written CONGERHAM the same spelling as used in the parish records for Atherington 1820-29.
However in other parishes of earlier dates the name is spelt CONGRAM
Listed below are hyperlinks to the occupants of Congrams Row's terraced houses at the time of each of the U.K. Census starting at 1841 till 1901
also included is a list of owners /occupants at the time of their compulsary purchase by Barnstaple Council .