Feniton History Group held the 68th meeting in The Nog Inn

I hope you won’t be bored with me repeating this, but again we had a jolly and far reaching natter on various topics!

We are thinking about marking the 50 years after the station closed on 3 Jan 1967, which would be next year.

David and I have been looking at emails from a researcher looking into the Pring family of East Devon. One Martin Pring born here in 1580 turns out to be a noted explorer. A Google search brings up various reports of his life as a sea captain and explorer. He was baptised in the church on 23 Apr. 1580 -  bur; 1627 St. Stephen’s Bristol. He was son of John Pring of Thorne.


There are two meetings planned, the first from Ottery Heritage by Jim on his book commemorating WW1 in the area and Jenny and George have kindly said they will show the Western Uprising PowerPoint which is nowing be updated to include new research.

Chris from Ottery Heritage has been working hard on the project to repair the Patterson Cross Monument and has received consent to organise its repair. Hoping to start in Sept, all being well.  There will a Social Evening to raise funds. The stone masons will require a welfare station on site adding to the costs.

Geoff, while volunteering at the Devon Records Office has been indexing  planning  documents for Honiton dated 1920s  / 1930s , this detailed the  Reads garage pump on arm reaching on to the High Street, and its necessary  fuel tank , the Turks Head Café and planning for the houses in Honiton Bottom. Plans for Pubs and Inns in Honiton, Tavern Beer houses. The  act of 1830 tried to put an end to too much Gin!,  but anyone could sale beer,  but not spirits. The old water board site in Kings Road was an aircraft factory war time, permissions for toilets in the pubs. In 1932 the houses were to be built with bathrooms and a washroom/ scullery.  This is a wonderful resource for the social history of the town. There is also a plan of Cullompton after the fire.

Brenda has been working on the history of the Parr Cottages, they have a long and varied past, as an Inn or Cider House,  as far back as 1649 when the “ale wife” served the church workmen, the village meeting rooms. The property was part of the Feniton Court Estate and the name Parr may have come from the village Par in Cornwall where the Rashleigh’s who owned the Court had their main family home. 

Jenny  and George took the Western Uprising talk  to the U3A meeting where it was well received, but they had trouble with the  Beehive hall equipment  which did not match their own computer so did the whole talk by the seat of their pants!! Jenny has copyrighted the talk to Feniton History Group to protect it. 

 Jenny tells us she may have links to her own family with the Frys, Quakers from Spicelands, Uffculm leading to a link with Cadbury family and chocolate.

Alan told us about the legend of the cottage near Buckerell Cross called  “Prince James Lodge”  this may be the  son of  King Charles 1st.  Since the meeting Jenny has been doing some research on this and found three men named Prince James, the most promising candidate would be the Duke of Monmouth who was in East Devon after landing at Lyme Regis. So an interesting task is in hand here!

The then evolved into a chat about long distance footpaths used by fleeing Kings, the Monarch’s Way and the Liberty Way


The route of the Liberty Trail route is based on information recorded by six rebels from various villages in Somerset and Dorset. Villagers from the two counties made their way to join the Protestant Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.The rebels wore green sprigs tucked into their hats to declare their support for Monmouth. Weapons that they carried included farm scythes and other suitable agricultural tools.

Roy  has been out and about and found some 13C / 14C finds  including a pommel hilt in the Membury area.

George told us computer problems have stopped him progressing with the Nonconformist research. He related the 1860s  law requiring a licence to use  private buildings as a church.  He mentioned the Five Miles act.


I have had a query from a lady researching the Wreck of the Berar off Rousdon in 1896. The was said to be an oak bucket at the Railway Hotel saod to have come from the wreck, the only link I could find was the landlord Fred, G Greenham who married Elizabeth Loveridge of Axmouth in 1889. They were at the pub from about 1910 to 1928.

Many thanks to all, so many interesting snippets.


The next meeting be in the Nog Inn 8 pm on 7th July.

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