THE BLACK TORRINGTON
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Kellaway Information

The Parish Church of St Mary's Location Map The church Interior
Parish Church Location Map inside St Mary′s Church
Black Torrington September 2009

Black Torrington

Black Torrington is a small village situated on the banks of the River Torridge about 10 miles NW of Oakhampton and 5 miles West of Hatherleigh. It is close to the villages of Highampton and Sheepwash and surrounded by the villages of Buckland Filleigh, Petrockstowe, Shebbear, Cookbury, Beaworthy, Halwill and Northlew. It is not far from Dolton, where the Stafford Kellaways held a Manor in early times, or to Roborough, Worthen and Whitsleigh where Sir William Kaylleway of Rockbourne held land in 1498 until 1547 when it was sold to Gilbert Drake, the son of John Drake and Agnes Kellaway. No positve link between them and the later Black Torrington Kellaways has yet been found.

The parish church of St Mary, Black Torrington, has stood on this site from at least late Norman times. The present building dates mainly from C15 and C16 with some remains from C14. It has been restored at various times since that period. The Font dates from C15. There are no known Kellaway memorials in the Church. Parish Registers begin in 1547.

The earliest record of a Rector of the parish is the institution of Henry Fitzwarren in March 1278. The Fitzwarrens were related to the Zouche family who were Lords of the Manor and Roger la Zouche was patron of the living at that time.

Inside the church on the north wall, and on the north side of the arcade, are several memorials to the Coham family who were buried under the floor of the north transept. It has to be remembered that the Halwill Kellaway family are related by DNA to the Black Torrington Kellaways and that Charles Kellaway married Catherine Coham in 1734 at Halwill.

Highampton

The Parish Church of Holy Cross The Church interior Highampton: Towards Dartmoor
Parish Church Inside the Church Highampton
Highampton September 2009

The Parish Church at Highampton is Holy Cross. It has origins in C12 with a late C15 tower. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1837 and restored 1876.
The C12 South doorway survives as does the Norman Font.

Parish Registers from 1654 are held in Devon RO. Bishop's Transcripts date from 1609

Highampton is situated on a ridge with views over Dartmoor to the south. The area is still a rural, farming community.

Kellaways of Black Torrington Information

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Black Torrington Page
Last updated October 2009
Web Page by Les Haigh. Email: (les.haigh at btinternet.com)

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