EXTRACT FROM KELLY'S DIRECTORY OF DEVONSHIRE
- ERMINGTON 1910 -

Transcribed by Sheila Jones

ERMINGTON is a parish and village on the river Erme, 3 miles south from Ivybridge station on the South Devon section of the Great Western railway, and 11 east from Plymouth, in the Southern division of the county, Ermington and Plympton hundred and petty sessional division Plympton St. Mary union, East Stonehouse county court district, and in the rural deanery of Plympton, archdeaconry of Totnes, and diocese of Exeter.

Ermington was formerly a market town, under a grant issued in 1294. The church of S.S. Peter & Paul is a building of stone in the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a lofty embattled western tower with spire containing 6 bells; the spire leans considerably: a stained window has been inserted by the late Rev. John M. de Ludbroke Bartlet (d. 1906), of Ludbrooke; and there is a splendid screen of the Late Jacobean period, and richly designed parclose screens given by the Rev. W.H. Andrews M.A. rector 1866-1901, besides monuments to the Swete and Edgcumbe families: in the church is also a monument with brass kneeling effigies, shields of arms and inscription to William Strachleigh, of Strachleigh esq. ob. 21 July 1583; Anne (Gould) his wife, and Christian, their daughter, wife of Christopher Chudleigh, to whom there is also a memorial in the south aisle; the pulpit is panelled and adorned with carved work: the church was restored in 1890 at an expense of £7,000, chiefly borne by H.B. Mildmay esq. of Flete (d. 1905): there are 420 sittings. The register dates from the year 1603.

The living is in a rectory and vicarage, with the chapel of Kingston annexed, net yearly value about £281 with residence, in the gift of the Crown, alternately with trustees, and held since 1880 by the Rev. Edmund Pinwill M.A. of Pembroke College, Oxford and rural dean of Plympton. The rectory is of the yearly value of £500 including tithe rent-charge and 85 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Rev. William North Andrews, vicar of Boxford, Berks, at present, and at present held by Rev. Edmund Pinwill M.A..
Here is a Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
The charities, amounting to £70 yearly, given by Brookings and others, and in the hands of the feofees, are distributed amongst the second poor.

The inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture.
A fair is held here on June 24th.
The Strachleigh family were residents here from the time of Henry III.

The manor of Strode, known and Higher and Lower Strode, is partly in Modbury, but principally in this parish. The old Manor house, or Higher Strode, now a farmhouse, was in 1655 the residence of Sir William Strode, owner of the manor of Strode and Bradford, now known as Strode.
Strode house is the residence of Henry Gore Hawker esq., M.A.
The Rev. William Pollexfen Bastard M.A. of Yealmpton, and Francis Bingham Mildmay esq. of Flete, Ivybridge, are chief landowners; the latter is lord of the manor of Ermington, and owner of the impropriate tithe.

The soil is light; subsoil, various. The chief crops are barley and wheat. The area is 4,928 acres of land and 16 of water; rateable value, £8,820; the population in 1901 was 847.

By Local Government Board Order 16,313, which came into operation March 24, 1884, Penquit, Caton and Ludbrook House were transferred to this parish from Modbury in Kingsbridge union.
By Local Government Board Order No. 31,841, part of Ermington was, in 1904, annexed to Ivybridge. Cadleigh and Woodland are hamlets in this parish.

Post, M.O. & T. Office - George Coleman, sub-postmaster.

Letters from Ivybridge; London bag received at 6.35 a.m.; dispatched at 6.50 p.m.; North mail (Bath and Bristol) arrives at 4.15 p.m.; dispatched at 9.15 a.m.
Wall Letter Box at Keaton Bridge, cleared at 7 p.m. week days and 7.45 a.m. on Sundays.

Public Elementary School (mixed and infants, 70 boys and girls and 40 infants. The school is controlled by six managers; H.H. Backhouse, New Inn, Ermington, clerk; H. Vernon, Modbury, attendance officer.

Police Station, Mark Phillpotts, constable.

Carrier to Plymouth -Harry Witheridge, thurs. & sat. (Marked thus * receive letters direct from Ivybridge)

 

PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Barthes Anthony Ernest, The Fawns
Bartlet Philip Perring de Ludbroke M.A., Ludbrook Manor House
Hawker Henry Gore M.A., Strode
*Hoyle Thomas, Cadleigh lodge
*Hughes Robert Heywood, Cleeve
Loudon Maj. Fras. Arth., Cadleigh ho
Pearse Miss, Thornham
Pinwill Rev. Edmund M.A., Vicarage
Rayner Mrs, Erme cottage
Rendle Mrs, Caton cottage
Rundle Col. George Richard Tyrell, Ludbrooke house

COMMERCIAL
Abbott Alfred Jas., farmer, Beech
Arthur Frank, farmer, Penquit
Backhouse George H. (Mrs), New Inn
Cane Daniel T., farmer, Hundson
Coleman George, grocer and draper, Post off.
Coleman Samuel, baker
Colwill Albert, farmer, Swinston
Crimp Henry Edward, mason
Daniels Frederick, First & Last P.H.
Dunn Richard Henry, Old inn
Elliott Charles, farmer, Coyton
Elliott Edward, carpenter, Langbrook
Foale Sidney, miller (water), Ludbrooke mill
Ford John F.S. , boot maker
Gerry Samuel, farmer, Burraton
Gill Rt. & Sidney, farmers, Penquit
Gough Joseph, shoe maker
Haddy Henry, wheelwright
*Hall George Henry, Julian Arms P.H., Cadleigh
Harris George Henry, gardener to Col. G.R.T. Rundle
Henderson Emily (Mrs), grocer
*Hill Thos., farmer, Lower Cadleigh
Hillson Elizh (Mrs), farmer, Westlake
*Horton Thos. & Jas., farmers, Woodland
Joint James, farmer, Lower Preston
Lapthorne James B., farmer, Higher and Lower Strode
Lapthorne John Phillips, farmer, Fawns
May Wm. Thos., farmer, Hollowcombe
*Pearse Fredk Geo., farmer, Cadleigh
Pearse Albert., farmer, Southley
Pearse Thos. Jonas, farmer, Keaton
Pedrick William, farmer, Sexton
Prowse & Sons, masons, New Park cott.
Reddicliffe Agnes (Mrs) & Son, farmers, Stibb
Ryder Simon, farmer, Westlake
Smallridge Henry, farmer, Clickland
Tall George, dairyman, Heavyland
Tall William, baker
Taylor Martin, miller (water), Ermington mills
Toms Nicholas J., farmer, Luson & Parsonage
*Treneman John, farmer, East Worthill
Treneman William, farmer, Preston & Burraton
Vanstone Jn. Jas., farmer, Drew
Velvin William R., farmer, Upton farm
Witheridge Henry, carrier
Wyatt Richard, farmer, Worthill