MADGE families of Devonshire 1630-2005

MADGE families of
DEVONSHIRE
Paul R. P. Madge
Book 1
Bideford to Exeter, the Torridge,
Okemont and Exe river valleys. 1630-2005

The MADGE Families
of DEVONSHIRE
Paul R.P.MADGE
Born 24.1.1937
I am the second son of William (1905-90), the eldest son
of John Samuel (1870-1941), the only son of Richard
(1838-1925), the first son of Walter (1811-1901), the fifth
son of John (1767-1865), the first born to Philip (1737-
1803), the only son of Philip (1691-1774), the eldest son of
Philip (1660-1721), the second son of Humphrey born, in
1630.
The Beginnings? Circa.700AD Possibly the first Madge:
Called sidewind born of Margaret, known as Madge, (a
derivation of Margaret), his mother’s given name.
Book 1. Bideford to Exeter, the Torridge,
Okemont and Exe river valleys. 1630-2005.
1

First published in the United Kingdom in 2017.
PrintWorkx, 3 South Street, South Molton, Devon. UK.
The copyright is held by the author Paul R.P.Madge (b.24th January 1937), the MADGE Family Historian.
However, I would happily waive this should any Madge wish to utilise its contents.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Madge, Paul R.P.
MADGE Families of DevonShire: Book 1. Bideford to Exeter. The Torridge,Okemont and
Exe river valleys.
ISBN:
Books of the “Madge Families of Devon” series, by the same author:
Book 2: Exeter and the Exe to Otter River Valleys. 1640-1900.
Book 3. Buckland Filleigh to Bow 1587 - 1900 by Hazel Lockhart.
Book 4. The Townsend Farm Diary of Exbourne, Devonshire 1885-1894(6)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Spring time in the
bluebell woods.
My grateful thanks for help and information go to:-
Nic Joy and Jeremy Clements for kindly making ‘a
disc’ into a book. Frances Mountford for some of her
lovely sketches. Margaret Appleby for the insight to
the Hannafords and early “Dawnfield” (Woodbury)
days. To the residents of Dolton, and Exbourne in
Devon (especially to Margaret Weeks, William John
and Marcia Madge) who have, over the years
provided me with a wealth of information.
Brian (Badger) Madge for his support, website and
research, with of course all our Madge relations
worldwide.
But specifically to Wendy and Debra in Canada
who have given me enormous help with the
“Canadian connections,” with numerous stories and
cuttings. They also most generously provided the
only known photograph of our Great great
grandfather, Walter. My thanks to you all.
2

CONTENTS
MADGE Families of Devon: Book 1
Introduction 5
Chapter
1. 800AD to 1630. The lost years. The Madges in the mists. 9
2. 1630 to 1700. The early years. Bideford, Torrington, Winkleigh and Meeth. 23
Humphery and Phillipa (nee ??) Madge.
3. 1680 to 1710. The Meeth and Winkleigh years 33
Humphery & Phillipa Madge on the move.
4. 1680 to 1721. Return to Meeth. Philip and Sarah (Nee Tawton) Madge. 47
Goodbye to Humphery & Phillipa:- 22nd November 1710 & to their son Philip in 1721
5. 1700 to 1774. Philip and Elizabeth (nee Johns) Madge at Dolton. 63
6. 1766 to 1810. Philip and Mary (Nee Heaman) Madge at Dolton. 85
7. 1802 to 1860. John and Mary (Nee Woolland) Madge at Exbourne. 90
8. 1837 to 1840. Walter and Mary (nee Ward) Madge of Exbourne. 135
1842 to 1890. Walter and Elizabeth (Nee Brock) Madge at Exbourne.
1807 to 1889. George and Mary Ann (Nee ??) Madge at Exbourne and Exeter.
9. 1817 to 1902. Frederick John was the last born (1817) to John and Mary. 149
Frederick John married (Q4 1847) Martha Brock, Walter’s 2nd wife’s sister.
George (b. Q4 1854) married Amelia Ann Rhoda (nee Morris) 30 Sept 1880.
1830s to 1940 The Madge, Newcombe and Turner families from Devonshire in England, cross
the North Atlantic to live in Ontario, Canada.
10. 1850 to 55/67 John and Mary (nee Woolland) Madge. 169
1850 to 1901 for their children: John (1805-53), Philip (1806-1854), George (1807-89), Richard
(1809-19), Walter (1811-1901), Mary Grace (1816-79), Frederick John (1817-1902) and
Elizabeth (c1820-1890 nee Brock) and their children; Walter (1846-1918), Philip (1848-1923),
John Frederick (1850 -1856), Elizabeth (Bessie 1853-1938). Alfred (1855-1943), Matha (Pattie
1857 -1944), John Woolland (1860-1960).
Page
3

INTRODUCTION
This book is for our Madge ancestors, so that they may live again through our eyes and during our
lives: And for all Madge families of today, especially for my wife, Pamela who made it all possible:
And who now, of course finds herself a Madge.
4

For all named MADGE worldwide.
Sir William Thomas Madge: 1st Baronet.
In 1985 I started looking at Family history with interest. During
a visit to Exeter Library, I found an anonymous benefactor had
kindly left behind records for three Madge generations in my
family. With these scant details I progressed and built our
MADGE Family Tree. Twelve generations, father to son.
Whoever this kind benefactor was, I pass my thanks you.
This book was researched, the photographs taken and
contents written by Paul R.P Madge, MADGE Family
Historian.
I do not wish to hold a copyright on any of the contents,
so all may be freely reproduced. An acknowledgement of
the source and author, would be kindly regarded.
5

The MADGE Surname
ADGE has been passed down since Anglo-Saxon times
Mof AD 600-700. Some of the early Celtic Crosses date from, or soon
after, this period. It was to these beautiful Crosses, set up in
predominant places, that the 'new' Christians gathered for prayer
and services, before the Saxon christian churches were built. And
this is where the early Christian Baptisms were held. Our surname
is 'peculiar' only to the county of Devonshire, England, in the
southwestern part of the United Kingdom. The name was unknown
in any other part of the world before the early 15th century when
migration started with the seamen from Devon.
MADGE is a derivation of the Christian name Margaret and is the
Old English term given to the "side wind" child, begotten of
Margaret. Historically the use of this meaning has covered all parts
of Devonshire, both north and south. There are five distinct areas
within the county of Devon where the name Madge appears to be
concentrated from early times. Our own branch of the Madge family
stems from the Bideford, Barnstaple and Great Torrington region of
North Devonshire.
The Anglo-Saxon meaning, with the given name of MADGE was
born of these times. Thus, any Margaret, regardless of her own
name who "fell" for a child outside marriage, gave the infant the
surname, Madge.
In modern terms, the origin of Madge now means: "Illegitimate
child born to Margaret." The benefit of the surname Madge is
immediate for the child.
This Celtic Cross was placed up on a Tor (Torr is the old
english o.e.), high on Dartmoor, just a few miles southeast
of Okehampton. It was one of the very early Christian focal
points for this area of Devon.
It provided a surname at the christening, even though there might
not be a father present. For, in early Christian days no child would
be accepted for baptism without a surname, or a man "standing" for
the child.
Today, all Madges throughout the world are descended from these
humble Anglo-Saxon beginnings.
Early Saxon Churches, are known from the ruins of the past church buildings and the layout of the only Saxon church still
standing in Hampshire. Their churchyards are still found all across Devonshire around and alongside our Norman and Medieval
places of worship.
6
6

The County of Devonshire covers 2610 square miles in the
south western peninsula of England. Most of the land is
undulating with two moors, Exmoor in the north and the
majestic Dartmoor towards the south west of the county.
Men of Devon have sailed to the far corners of the world.
A Devon man laid the foundations of an Empire abroad,
established the first colony in America and Sir Francis
Drake was the first Englishman to sail round the world.
The
County of Devonshire
England in Roman times.
The Romans built the road system as they conquered Briton. These highways were maintained for their
marching Legions during 400 years here. It was thus that they maintained Law and Order throughout the lands.
It seems strange though, that their western road stops at Exeter!
7
7

Kip’s map of Devonshire drawn in 1603
Devonshire gained its name from the old English De-avon,
meaning 'the county of rivers'. The oldest industry here is mining
when tin, copper, lead and a little silver was recovered from
mainly surface diggings. Tin was traded with the Phoenicians
during the Bronze Age. The "Tinners" of Dartmoor were hard
working, wealthy people who by the 12th century had their own
Stannary Parliament and Laws. A tradition of seafaring, from ship
building and fishing to world exploration form the basis of
Devonshire's traditions. On the land, farming has been practiced
for over 2000 years, with sheep for their woollen fleece and cattle
providing milk and beef for the county. Broad cloth and serge were
woven in the valleys where fast flowing streams provided power
for the mills. Good employment and considerable monies resulted,
which is reflected in the richly adorned local churches. Lace, long
a Devonshire tradition was chosen by Queen Victoria for her
wedding dress and this was made at Beer (1840). The population
in 1831 was 494,168. Between 1828 and 1880 more than 80,000
Devonians emigrated to North America. They followed in the
wake of the 14th century Devonshire sailors who gained a living
fishing off the Americas.
On the left the Arms of the Duke of Devonshire
shown as they remain today. On the right, the
'new' coat of arms for the County of Devonshire.
8

Chapter 1
The Madge Families of Devon
800AD to 1600. The lost years. The Madges in the mists.
It is very hard to be sure of anything in the
dark world of the Anglo Saxons when very
little was recorded. It is known that both tribes,
the Anglos and the Saxons came from the Low
Countries of Europe, this part of the continent
is now Germany. The fair skin, fair hair and
blue eyes are all features of these tribes
characteristics and many Madges carry them
today.
These were fractious times when the planting
of a seed for a crop next year was almost in
itself, an act of faith in this early christian era.
The tribes living to the west of Exeter are said
to be a kindly, mannerly folk, accustomed to
dealing with foreigners in Trade. We are told
that these peoples appear to be of Celtic or
Iberian likeness.
Before the first Christian crosses were carved,
erected and utilized as the meeting point for the
earliest of Christian gatherings the pagan
symbol was an ancestral deity of the Celtic race
was their god, Dis. This god was represented by
a figure holding up a large sledge hammer
across his chest. It can readily be seen how such
a figure can be transformed over time, into a
simple Celtic cross with a new and now,
Christian meaning.
876-7 The Danes now occupying Exeter
were besieged by Alfred the Great who
compelled them to a truce and withdrawal,
then defeat.
878 Hubba the Danish chief landed on the
north coast of Devon, but was defeated
and killed, loosing his favoured Raven
Standard.
894 Landing once more the Danes
attempted to besiege Exeter, but retreated
at the sight of Alfred's army.
926 Athelstan vanquished the Cornish,
under King Howell near Exeter. He
expelled the 'Britons' to west of the Tamar
River.
1001 King Sweyn of Denmark after an
ineffectual attack on Exeter, laid Pinhoe,
Broad Clist and several other villages to
waste.
1003 The Danes, with their King Sueno
in command, landed once more on
Exmouth sands, took Exeter and nearly
destroyed the city, before fleeing with
their plunder.
Saxon England. 871 - 1066
1067 William the Conqueror takes
eastern Devon and lays siege to Exeter
gaining the city after 18 days fighting.
1069 Saxons again resist the Normans
in defence of Exeter
9

The Madge families of the 10th 11th, 12th,
13th and 14th Centuries were all part of the
Manor ruled way of life. None are known to
have raisen above Bondsman, though some
made the higher levels of society by advancing
from Militiamen, sometime later.
Their lives were inextricably woven into the
fabric of the Medievial Manor Hall and its
fuedal common land farming system.
However, the centuries of this open field strip
farming could only be successfully maintained
with a strong Hundred Manor court managing
and controlling it.
In medieval times every village had some
unruly, cantankerous and lazy people. By their
disregard of the manor, and therefore village
rules common farming numerous areas could
be affected. Poor fencing or ditching, the
overstocking of the common lands, or may be
grazing of animals on the stubbles or meadows
at forbidden times, would all cause serious loss
to their neighbours and fellow villagers. Not
the Madge families of course, as none have
been found entered in as transgressers among
the scarce Hundred records. The Manor Court
was the ‘legal authority’ controlling almost all
village activities, both on and off the land.
This Court set the rules and guidelines for life
and work in the village. It even set the dates for
the start of the next activity in the farming
calander. So the actual day to commence
ploughing, planting, reaping and picking was
set by this Court. It also handed out the fines
and penalities for misdemeanours by wayward
villagers.
Some distance from the manor and clustered
together along the village road were the homes
of the freemen, bondsmen, craftsmen,
cottagers and serfs, all of whom held land in
strips in the open fields under different
conditions of tenure.
Medieval sayings: The Farm Labourers lot:
“He grew the dear loaf all his life, but never
had a bit of it.”
“The days be long here”. Meaning:‘I’ll do it on
the morrow’.
“Us can’t pick the feathers of a toad”. Meaning
this is poor soil, or a poor field.
The cottage (‘Bordarii’ people in the
Doomsday Book) interiors were
rudimentary places. Still with just a
central fire and a roof hole for the
smoke.
The worst off where the poor serfs who
lived on earth-floored, chimney-less
sheds, roofed with straw or reeds and
consisting of one single room divided in
two by either a plain hurdle made from
hazel, or a wattled in partition barrier.
On one side lived the family, and on the
other their cows, pigs and poultry. Life
under these conditions was harsh at
best, hungry for most of the time but
sustainable and rewarding in the good
harvest years.
Serf 1550’s
10

A Lord of the manor’s mill.
The village labourers could not leave the manor
lands, being bound to the soil. The only
satisfaction they had was knowing that if they
could not ‘flee the manor’ at least their strips of
land could not be taken away from them. Of all
the obligations and restrictions under the
manorial system, none were more generally
disliked than the mill soke and the sanctity of
the lord's pigeons which cropped the grain with
impunity. The lord’s right to have his tenants
corn ground at his mill for a toll of corn was
never enforced by law, but became in most
manors a binding custom which caused much
friction and ill-will. Such was the lot of a serf,
or in the Celtic term,“Cottier Tenants”.
The serf, or Gebur had no legal rights at all. All
had to labour on the manor lands at any time;
either for no wage at all, or any wage the lord
liked to give them.
Working more days than usual they might get
2d a day for ploughing, mowing or reaping,
plus a penny a day for any other work.
However, there was no certainty about these
payments, as they entirely depended upon the
generosity of the lord. They were, of course,
still liable for all their land rents which were
called fines in these times.
Close by were the tiny gardens mainly used for
growing herbs to season the salt meat or pork
which was the staple food of the family for most
of the year.
Medieval field strips still show up today.
Behind each of the houses were the small inclosed (o.e spelling)
paddocks or crofts where the calves and lambs were reared and the
village plough oxen were kept.
After a long day's ploughing in the open fields the oxen were too
tired to wander on the common in charge of the herdsman for their
fodder. In early times these tiny homesteads, always less than five
acres and normally less than one acre, were the only permanent
‘inclosures’ (o.e) held by the villagers for their sole use. For the rest
of their living they had to rely on the produce of the land strips
handed down to them in the open fields.
Each villager held some land, even the serf, so all were rooted in
the soil and as such was a part owner of the village.
A Medieval ploughing team of oxen. These beasts were still ploughing in Devon until the 19th century .
11

Early in the 13th century the only large
village buildings were the manor house,
the church, and the lord's mill. These
were usually built of stone if the village
had a quarry, but otherwise of a timber
frame and clay. The farm houses of
Devon were: “some of stone, red like the
soil, around Exeter”. But most were
“howes of soyle mingled with straw,
without postes”. This is the traditional
‘Cob’ building with ‘cast (faced) cob’ on
the south and westerly walls and unfaced
wall on the east and north, as they were
the non-rain sides.
It was kept in repair by the labour of the
tenants who dug the clay, cut and carted
the timber, and gathered the straw or
reeds for thatching the roof.
The village craftsmen were called in for
any specialised work that was beyond
the skill of the tenants, and for these
services they were allotted land in the
open fields.
Freemen, ‘Franklin’ (o.french. - and this
is where the english surname comes
from), or ‘Ceorl’ (o.e.) were the top folk
within the village itself. They had gained
their ‘freedom’ either as a close servant
of the lord or for an act of bravery on the
field of battle. Bondsman often gained
their freedom the same way, as they
were ‘bonded’ to give military service in
the Militia of the Lord of the Manor.
In these times the expression “Bo”, said
correctly, was the way to make a hissing
aggressive goose turn and waddle away.
The Old English, i.e. the correct way to
say “Bo” has been lost in time, but the
saying is still in our language.
12
Village craftsmen had a vast range of skills.
The better known ones include the stone mason who was probably the
most respected. But also the thatcher for barns and cottages, wood
turners, weavers and indeed any skill a villager had that could be put
to good use and so earn respect and therefore some income from the
manor.
Exceptional craftsmen such as Masons, could become Freemen just by
their skills alone. They were allowed to travel not only to the next
Manor for work but also to the next county, even to travel abroad for
work. All other village craftsmen were banned, by law, from leaving.
It is from this that the term “Free - Masons” and been passed down to
today.
These were very much a ‘handed down’ skills or trades, father training
his son from an early age. And these skills are still evident in our
Madge families of today.
Look at any one of us, as we all possess some innate ability or skill that
seems to have come down from past generations. The really nice thing
is:- yes it has!
Cottagers firstly, and then serfs, all had thoughts of moving up the
social scale. It was usually through a skill or trade they sometimes
achieved this. Hurdle maker, stake wittler, carpenter., etc. skills were
all put to use to gain income and ‘position’ in the village.
These skills did not, include those used on the land as earth
labourering was the expected ‘norn’ for all village males. Villagers
were however selected for shepherd, ploughman, seedsman etc. with
these posts appointed by the manor and then agreed by their village
peers.

The manor lord employed a steward as his senior assistant. (John
Madge 1763-1851 was Steward to the Duke of Devonshire in
Devon and Somerset).
The steward deputised in the absence of the Manor Lord, a bailiff
was in charge of the home farm and ran it as a manager would
today. He also had a large staff, from the village, of farm experts.
The Reeve, who today would be the local Magistrate or Justice of
the Peace took on the welfare and authority over the villagers. There
would be, a shepherd, swineherd, cowherd, oxherd, wagoner, chief
ploughman, woodward (or forester) and head harvester all
appointed by the Manor.
For all these offices, except the steward and bailiff; suitable men
were put forward by the villagers and presented at the Manor, or
Hundred Court as it was known then, for their appointment to be
confirmed by the steward.
Before and during this period ALL male members of the village
were allocated land for use by their families. However they still had
to give their labour to the Lord, freely first. Their land was tended
very much in their own time.
This ancient “peasant’s right”, was gradually lost after 1381.
The harvester was also, naturally the seedsman who started the
harvest cycle going by selecting and then casting the seed over the
ploughed land.
Much was required of the shepherd; he must be a patient man,
watchful and kindly. He must never absent himself, and he and his
dog always slept in the sheepfold. He enjoyed customary rights of
great antiquity - a bowl of whey all through the summer and the
milk of the ewes on Sunday, a lamb at weaning time and a fleece at
shearing time. Modern day Madge shepherds include John Madge
of Exbourne (b.1860) and recently, Charles William (b. 1953), but
known by his second name of William.
The shephard was permitted to keep a certain number of his own
sheep, with his lord's flock and he could fold his lord's sheep on his
own land to manure it for two weeks each christmas. But in these
times everything he did, it was wool in the sheep’s back, not meat,
that was his aim. He breed the Manor sheep for short fine wool used
in making cloth, or the longer wools for broadcloth worsteds and
serges.The sheep of Devon were of the long fleeced breeds.
The numbers of sheep grazing at these times was amazing. The
manor alone might have over 13,000 sheep, an Abbey up to 29,000
and a Priory 20,000. Shepherds were men to be friends with, though
it is said that they tended to take the smells of their animals.
But this cozy life, for the lords that is, was about to change. The
peasants revolt of 1381 finally brought an end to this form of
serfdom. However, it regretably generated a much, much harsher
life for the very village families it was meant to support and nurture.
13

Farming is governed by the seasons.
This is an early view on the country way of life. All known Madge
forebears worked on Devonshire’s soil.
JANUARY: By this fire I warm my hands.
“A kindly good January freezeth pot by the fire” - so said a
medieval pessimist, but with the fields frozen or under the
snow there was little to do outside and little more to do inside
than keep warm. Meat and stores were used sparingly. It was
the time to cook and spin.
FEBRUARY: With spade I dig my lands.
“Fill-dike’. “Time for hedging and ditching” , or for breaking up
the ridges in the fields. The month for sowing beans and peas.
And as the winter draws out to look for a rabbits or two,
without getting caught!.
MARCH: Here I set my seeds to grow.
As the frost abaits the sowing starts, each crop with its own
special trick. Dry for barley, good and thick for barley and oats;
rye not too thinly sown and harrow the land first, but for wheat
leave a clod to cover its head. A plough boy following the
harrow is armed with a sling to scare off the greedy crows.
APRIIL: And here I hear the birds sing.
Sweet April showers do spring the May flowers: the
countryside is awakening. It is a time for the housewife to tend
to her cows and make cheeses, and at the end of the month
the time to sow flax and hemp seeds for rope and string. The
Labourer’s wife has her distaff for spinning under her arm
while she feeds the chickens. Dozens of wild birds come to
share this corn, an opportunity to bag some for the table.
MAY: I am as light as bird in bough.
The most beautiful time of the year. Summer emerges young
and tender. The hillside with the church aglow as it catches
the sun. It is too, a time to hunt. The forest runs thick with
deer and wild boar, with mushrooms and truffles also to be
found.
Hunting was for the gentry and land owners. Early Madge families
were commoners, cottagers or agricural workers until the 1500’s.
JUNE: And I weed my corn well enough.
“Calm weather in June, corn setteth in tune.” Weeding the
corn with long-handled shears is a back-breaking occupation:
mayweed, thistle, tine, dock and brake must be ousted.
Elsewhere is busy too. Bees must be tended, and the sheep
washed and shorn - although the lambs aren’t shorn until July.
Also of course, haymaking starts.
14

JULY: With my scythe my meadow I mow.
'With tossing and raking and setting in cox, the grass that was
green is now hay for an ox." The haywain trundles up the hill
to the great barn laden with the winter feed. The cart, a tumbril
has spiked wheels to grip the rutted track.
AUGUST: And here I shear my corn full low.
Everyone prays for warm dry weather, and then helps in the
harvest. The old and the young, men and women alike sickle
the corn, and stack the sheaves into stooks in the fields. When
all is safely gathered in the last sheaf is strung up in the rafters
of the Great barn roof:. the symbol of success - that the
harvest cycle is safe for another yearly turn.
SEPTEMBER: With my flail I earn my bread.
The corn is flailed on the threshing floor. The miller grinds the
wheat into flour, and while this finishing is taking place, the
whole process is starting all over again as the fields are
ploughed and harrowed. In the great barns herring and saltflsh
are dried and stored between peas-straw for the winter.
OCTOBER:Here I sow my wheat so golden.
'Have done sowing wheat before Hallowmas eve, the sower is
out, broadcasting his seeds while his dog, attempts to scare
off the birds.” When the moon is in the wane, fruit should be
gathered from the trees.” The autumnal air is now scented
with the first smoke from chamber chimneys and time is spent
hauling tree-boughs to cut and stack beneath the walls of the
barn and cottage alike to winter.
NOVEMBER: At Martinmass I kill my
swine.
Throughout October the swineherds were to be seen knocking
down acorns from the oaks to fatten their pigs. Since there
was then no barley meal for pigs, they had to get their living,
as best they could out in the woods. 'At Hallowmas slaughter
time, sun commeth in: and then doth the husband-man's
feasting, begin. “From that time to Candlemas weekly kill
some: their offal for household the better shall come”.
Firewood was the priority for the needy.
DECEMBER: At Christmas I drink red wine.
“At Christmas be merry and thank God of all and feast thy
poor neighbours, the great with the small. Yea all the year
long, have an eye to the poor: and God shall send luck, to
keep open thy door.” On Christmas Eve the Cider Wassail
takes place. The air is filled with steam and spices from the
Wassail Bowl. Minstrels play with huge logs burning in the
hearth and decorated with boughs of holly and ivy is filled with
life. At midnight the bells of the church ring out to summon all
folk to the first mass of Christmas Day. In the chill frosty night,
the church is warmly aglow with flickering candles and merry
voices carolling.
15

800AD to 1600
From the beginings of this period with the early Christians
with their Celtic crosses placed high on Dartmoor came the
foundings of the MADGE surname.
Our name was in use during the Norman period, but like so
many early English or Anglo-Saxon customs, festivals and
names, many were lost with the introduction of the Norman
fuedal system and the insistance that Latin or French were
to be used for all records.
There is a good way to show this at “work”. Domestic
animals were looked after by the serfs and the words cow,
calf and sheep are all of Saxon origin. However, as all the
flesh was eaten at the Manor table this was given Norman
names. So beef, mutton and veal all have Normandy,
French roots. Wool, from the anglo saxon ‘wull’, gradually
created more wealth during this period than any other
single source. In 1192, Richard the Lionheart returning
from the Crusades was betrayed and held to ransom. The
sum of £60.000 (£27million today) was paid. Revenue
from the wool trade of just that one year, paid for this
enormous ransom.
Perhaps the most surprising fact about the Norman times is
that as much as 93% of thc land undcr the plough in 1914
was tilled in 1086. Daily life in the fields went on as before.
Unlike the AngloSaxons and the Danes, the Normans were
not drawn to England by a desire to farm land and their
arrival brought no changes in farming practices, except,
perhaps, for the laying down of vincyards. In the early
years of the manorial system, the lord of the manor could
demand payment when a villager married or moved out of
the manor, and was even given the villagers best beast
when he died. By the thirteenth century, however, after
protracted expansion of the area of land under cultivation,
careful attention was being paid to the fuedal system of
farming, finally sounding its death knell.
1549 (9 June) The Sampford Courtney 'prayer book' revolt.
This spread to most of Devon. The demands for changes
were refused and John, Lord Russell sent with a large force
to suppress the rebellion. He defeated the so called
insurgents after numerous engagements. The Leaders, all
Devon men were taken and executed.
Looking at this contempary map it will be seen that not one name is marked in Cornwall or
Devon; possibly indicating the lack large towns in these two counties. But the map does
show that the land ‘mass’ of England was twice the size it is today during these 118 years
as it included the western and northern parts of modern France.
Although no large towns are shown on the map above for
Devonshire, during the next two hundred years or so, the
importance of the county of Devonshire grew.
The revenue gained by its country folk would swell the coffers
of the realm and make the county renowned for its farming and
in particular the trade in wool fleeces and more important for the
country’s exports, serge and broadcloth.
Education was starting to gain ground and an interesting stastic
is that 47% of the criminal classes during Elizabeth’s reign
could ‘just’ read and write
The foundations of national stability started in the 16th century
with the long reign of Elizabeth l. Then, after the defeat of the
Spanish Armarda, by a Devonion, with ships, some built and
many manned by sailors of Devon, a higher degree of steadiness
finally returned to England.
16
It was then in the mid-1560s that Queen Elizabeth and her
ministers started to provide the first records of the people of our
nation. And most of these have survived and been handed down
to the present day. Though they mainly cover the landed class,
the Bishop’s records also cover some of the country areas as
well.
It was with the Bishop’s records of these times that we gain the
first annotated glimpses of our Madge forebears. However,
there are a few, a very few recordings of Madge family births,
marriages and deaths, that pre-date the Bishop’s accounts of
country life.

England and the West Country in the 16th century.
Historians of Queen Elizabeth's reign give us two very, different
pictures of life in the country at that time.
The first picture; too good to be true, shows a land of happy and
contented peasants most of them owning land of some sort, from
which they gain a good living. Idealistally described as, 'plenty to
eat and drink and three times as much as any peasantry in other
countries'.
The other picture, too bad to be believed, portrays a life of
backbreaking toil for many hours every day, with the
accompaniment of little education or amusement, widespread
disease with an early death through lack of competent doctors and
hospitals. No comforts softened the hardness or life, few
amusements to brightened the drabness of the days and the lack of
cleanliness and hygiene, which were things, apparently, as yet
unknown. Somewhere between these two extremes can be found a
mean to represent the life of the average village family of this time.
This was also the time when wealthy town dwelling citizens
decided that ‘outside the walls’, normally the place for the poor,
provided better air and a chance for cleaner living than the towns.
Probably both depictions could be found in all small villages if one
knew where to look.
Elizabeth dubs Captain Francis Drake.
So in spite of the long toil, the cottager was able to see around him
the results of his labour on the land. Thus dispite the ignorant of the
so called local doctors, the country air with their own home
produced food made for much healthier children than those found
in the grime and stuffiness of the towns.
But moves from the cities were starting and villagers without title
to land, and few had any, would soon be losing the soil they worked
to the rich new-commers. Those who fared worst were undoubtedly
the labourers in agriculture who had mistakenly bartered their land
for their personal liberty and now found they had no other means of
making a living except from wages.
There were two ways of employment open to them. They might be
employed by the year and live either within the farmer's household
on more or less intimate terms with his family or in a farm cottage
near by. With either form of accommodation this was a common
employment method but only held as long as food was plentiful and
there was no nearby outside market for selling surplus produce.
Otherwise labour would be hired by the day or piece (of work, such
as harvesting), and this became more usual when the price of food
rose. The number of labourers hired by either of these methods
depended largely on the wealth of the farmer or yeoman who
employed them. The labourer had no control at all over his services
to the farmer and as his family was invariably residing in a tied
farm cottage they were then doubly vulnerable.
Yeoman is derived from the Saxon word ‘Yeo’ or ‘Gau’ which
combined mean ‘land’. So in rudimentry terms Yeoman means a
man of the land.
The small landed yeoman was always his own bailiff. If he had sons
to help him on the farm and daughters to work in the house and
dairy, he perhaps needed no extra help except at harvest times or
other busy seasons. Wealthy yeomen certainly had several servants
in their houses and on their farms, but on average it is doubtful if
the majority of yeomen kept more than two servants.
Other words that have been handed down to us from these times
are: ‘clam’ is a basic bridge over a stream made from a felled tree.
The old English word ‘well’, became vill in Saxon which in turn
gave the name ‘village’ for a hamlet of cottages. Also, in Devon,
Pixies are those that go naked while fairies are always clothed!
Cider/Apples. During a good crop years the Parson would pray to
avert the evil excess of abundant cider. He having ticked off a
labourer for cider drinking is told: “Ay, 'tbe all very fine for you to
talk, but you goes home to dinner late, and us doesn't see you after.”
A Labourer’s family group being led by the Parson and his
wife on their way to a church christening.
The old Devon expression handed down for christening is:-
“Sloppin’ water over’n in church”.
17

Haymaking was better paid than harvesting, and cutting barley
earned more than cutting oats. Threshing was paid by the quarter of
grain produced; for wheat and rye the payment was 1/- to 2/- a
quarter; barley 6d to 10d a quarter.
Even at the highest rates a labourer and his wife working together
for a farmer could only earn about £12 a year and their food, or
about £24 a year if they had to feed themselves.
These wages, low as they seem by modern standards, were yet high
compared to those given in other countries of Europe.
It is difficult to compare them with wages today, but the cost of
living in about 1600 can be estimated roughly from the fact that
meat was about 1d a pound, bread 1d a pound, and chickens could
be bought for 2d, each.
Whether help was hired by the year, day, or the piece, the wages
were outside the farmer's control and were fixed by Justices of the
Peace for the county. Further, the employer was not allowed to pay
more than the minimum rates, so fixed by law. The following figures
for the west country were set by the JPs for 1592:-
Bailiff - £2 6 8 Chief ploughman £2.
Labourer £1 13s Woman in charge of house £1 6s
Ordinary woman servant. £1
And for 1635:-
Baliff £5.
Chief Ploughman £3 10s 10d
Labourer £2 13s 4d. Senior Housemaid £1 15
Housemaid £1 10s 8d.
These give an idea of the meagre wages paid to servants hired by the
year but being fed and boarded in the farmer's house.
Scything the grass for hay making in 1635
For these wages the ploughman was expected to plough 1 acre of
heavy land or one and a half acres of light land in the day.
The labourer had to be capable of mowing 2 acres of grass (for hay)
a day, or 3 acres of oats, or reap 1 acre of wheat.
The mowing was carried out with scythes, while sickles, were used
to reap the wheat.
The wages for labourers hired by the day depended on the season of
the year, the kind of work done, and whether they were to be fed by
the farmer or not.
But in the West Country these were the daily rates applied in the
1600’s.
Easter to Michaelmas
Michaelmas to Easter
Labourer (fed) 3d to 6d
2d to 4d a day
Labourer not fed, 7d to 1/-s 6d to 8d a day
Women labourers got about half the above rates.
In the early 1600’s the description of our forefathers, the Devon farm
labourer goes:-
“They fare extremely hard, work without intermission like a horse
and practice every tenor of diligence and frugality being able to
soften their present lot.”
The 17th century did not start well for England, whose population is
now 4 million, with 200,000 in London.
1603 Elizabeth died leaving a very unpopular James l to start his
reign.
1604-10 It is the time of the; ‘persecution of the Witches.
1605 Gunpowder Plot 1605.
1610 Three ‘Witches” were burned in the market square at
Heavitree, Exeter.
1619-20 Saw major shortages of food across England. This led to
extensive Food Riots in 1620.
Exeter after one such riot was described as: “Not one food shop was
left with even a morsal on its selves; and not one shop whether food
or otherwise was left fit for trading.
1630's Devon sides with Parliament against King Charles.
1642 Earl of Bedford 'prepares Exeter to a state of military
readiness'. Plymouth seized by its inhabitants and strongly fortified.
1643 Bideford & Barnstaple Parliamentarians routed by Col John
Digby. Plymouth successfully defended in three months siege. Night watchmen, not police patrolled our streets in 1620.
18

Throughout most of the 17th Century the
labourers lot was harsh in the extreme. The first
twenty or so years saw poor harvests and civil
strife leading to great shortages of food and
then, riots.
With the loss of the village strips to the
landlords all employment was by wage alone.
Thus all land workers were entirely dependent
on the farmers, both tenant and owners for
work. Regretably this allowed them to be often
cast aside like chaff from wheat when the
weather was bad or the seasonal work ceased
after the harvests.
It takes some three or four years for a farm to
fully recover from one bad year’s harvest. In
bad years, when farmers had less work for them
to do, the plight of day labourers was pitiful.
Many gave up the struggle entirely and joined
the bands of workless who roamed the country
and were unwelcome visitors to any parish.
There was always work to be done in the fields and this sketch of 1635 shows spring
ploughing, broadcast sowing and harrowing. In parts of Devon a large blackthorn branch
would be used instead of the metal harrow to cover the seeds with soil.
To meet the needs of these unfortunates, the poor laws began to take
shape and a compulsory poor rate was levied in each parish. This
was administered by the local Yeoman.
From the money provided by these rates the overseers of the poor
bought material to provide work for the unemployed and 'a
convenient stock of hemp, flax, wool, thread, iron and other stuff to
set the poor to work' was collected, and the proceeds of the sale of
the things made was paid to the makers.
Each man and woman had to save themselves from destitution by
their own efforts; if they were to be saved from starvation, then they
had to be willing to work. Day labourers who came from far off
often found difficulty in getting lodgings in the village where they
worked. So it became the fashion to use the existing cottages as
tenements to house more than one family of labourers.
Needless to say that this did little to help with the well being of the
individuals, but did place a roof over them and provided time to
settle and try and find better accommodation.
As this developed the Government tried to stop the overcrowding
and ruled that not more than one family should occupy each cottage
and that four acres of land should be given by the employer. It was
a praiseworthy effort to get the landless labourer back onto the soil,
but it was not entirely successful as the law was all too often defied
by the farmer. Especially as far as the ‘gift’ of land was concerned
which was rarely satisfied.
The Statute of Apprentices of 1563 introduced ‘work rights’ for all
labourers between the ages of 12 and 60, who, looked the the land
for work. It also gave a few safeguards as a master who unlawfully
dismissed a servant was fined; but conversely a servant unduly
leaving a master was imprisoned.
Stone breakers at the Poor house. As they had no job in the Parish
they were sent to break up stones. This how the road menders had
enough agate to fill the holes thereby evening up the surfaces for
the carts and horses. Road = Ride, ie They rode along this way.
Further, no labourer could change his locality of work without
leave from the chief constable. The hours of labour were fixed at 12
hours a day in the summer and during daylight in the winter.
It should be remembered that the very best a labourer could expect
would be £24 a year.
In all these years our Madge family was probably living in the
Bideford to Great Torrington region of North Devon. Regretably
were have no trace of them until 1630, though it is known that other
families carrying our name were living in the same area at
Buckland Filleigh, Ploughill, and Zeal Monachorum
There was a saying coined about this time that goes:
The Priest who prays for all, the soldier who fights for all, the
peasant who works and feeds all, and the lawyer who feeds off all.
What dreadfully truth that holds for us today.
19

From Bideford 1630, to Okehampton in 1930.
This map of 1610 shows the area of north and western central Devon through
which our family will travel during the first 300 years covered by this book.
South along the (blue) Torridge and Okemont river valleys, from Great
Torrington to Okehampton.
N
1
1
1. Appledore and Bideford. At Appledore's
slips, ships were built for the early
Devonions to sail across the worlds oceans.
Drake's ship the Golden Hind was built
here. Our fishermen hooked cod off the
Newfoundland coast from the 14th century
and founded settlements there. Seven
centuries later a number of sons and
daughters would undertake their schooling
here. Madge sailing skippers worked these
ports and those in South Wales for
hundreds of years. One, John, was made
Freeman to the City of London.
2
5
7
6
3
4
2. Torrington (Great). Here the first bridge
below Bideford joins the east and west
valley villages. Torrington has Palmer
House (built 1752) and the Palmers were
to marry the Okehampton Madge family in
1868.
3.Beaford. Home of the Beaford Trust, an
extensive collection of early local
photographs and drawings. Many Madge
faces grace these archives.
4. Dolton. The village where our Madge
families were, for the first time;
Landowners.
5. Meeth. On either side of the church path
the Madge sentinels in stones stand guard
for future generations.
6. Hatherleigh. The local Market town and
meeting place for farm and villagers alike,
with ancient bridges over the Taw and Lew
rivers.
7. Exbourne. Since the late 18th century
many farms here have been owned and
managed by Madge families.
9
DARTMOOR
8
8. Okehampton. The Okehampton
Agricultural Show presents the "Madge
Brothers" cup, annually.
9. Swarton. (Now Sourton) on the Okemont
river. Here Richard Madge farmed for 37
years. His son John Samuel, won
silverware at the local Agricultural show: In
Okehampton he courted then won Kate
Hannaford, against all the odds.
John Speed's map of 1610
Scale of One centimetre to One statute mile.
Dartmoor, south of Swarton.
20

From Okehampton, 1900 to Tiverton and beyond, 2004.
This map shows the area of north and eastern central Devon our family will
travel during the last 100 years covered by this book. Across from the Okemont
river: and Okehampton in 1900, via Exeter and Topsham, north along the Exe
(blue) to Tiverton and beyond by the year 2004.
1. Tiverton. An ancient castled town where
a modern bank, the golf club and the
second "Dawnfield" all play their part in
these pages.
2. Ploughill. This village has the longest
and clearest line of Madge families in
Devon.
3. Crediton. Here the site of the Saxon
Bishop's Palace shows the religious and
antiquity of "Kirton", as it is known. Its
church held the See for more than a
hundred years before Exeter took
precedence. Many Madge families have
sent their childern to school here when
farming in this Hundred. One, Robert
Madge, was known as "Lord of B.C."
4. Pynclawes.Or Pinhoe as it is now known
was laid level by King Sweyn of Denmark
in 1001.
It has been home to Madge farmers for the
last many hundreds of years.
5. Exeter. The capitial town in the Roman
era and the county city of Devonshire,
since 1050AD. A major port with direct
access to the sea via the canal. This gave
the city merchants early trading prosperity.
Much later the bombing of the city in
1942/3 reduced the medieval buildings to
dust and rubble. All save the Guildhall,
were lost forever.
6.Topsham. The port for Exeter before the
canal was built in 1560. This is where a
number of Madge families spent World
War ll. A few miles from the air-raids of
Exeter.
7.Woodbury. In medieval times
Woodbury's wide open common was used
to muster and drill the Militias of
Devonshire.
2
3
1
5
6
4
7
John Speed's map of 1610
Scale of One centimetre to One statute mile.
City of Exeter, 1610.
21

The county of Devonshire as it was before the railways cut across the copuntryside and just after the Turnpikes has been completed. It was these
roads that would give access to the coaches and start to open up the county.
The English people of the 17th Century.
1. Peers; about 7000.
2. Gentry. Knights and Squires plus all who had the right to bear a Coat of Arms. The 'Professions' & Merchants' entered the 'Gentry' during this
century.
3. Yeoman. The basis of the Roundheads forces in the civil war. “Middle people of a condition between gentleman and cottagers or peasants.”
This class was to largely disappear over the next 100 years or so, with Yeoman becoming the general term for farmers on leased farms.
4. Commoners. All the rest, including farm workers, craftsman assistants, labourers and apprentices.
22

Chapter 2
The Madge Families of Devon
1630 to 1700. The early years. Bideford, Torrington and to Meeth. Humphery and Phillipa (nee ??)
Madge.
In 1600, James l was on the throne and this MADGE family of
North Devon was, it is thought, tillers of the land. We do not know
what Humphery's father did to keep his family together as these
records have been lost forever.
We do know that most able men were employed on the land even
though boat and ship building with sea fishing were close at hand in
this part of Devonshire.
There is a rather unusual family aspect here; the name Humphery.
It is an uncommon christian name. Indeed this is the first time it was
taken by a Madge family.
It is the earliest use of this Christian name for any Madge anywhere
so I would love to know why? Was it the maiden name of his
Mother?
As there is no recorded evidence available to the contrary it can be
assumed that the family owned no land, no house nor cottage of
their own. They would have been beholden to a Yeoman Farmer for
work, pay and goodwill.
Rarely did the early writers mention the Yeomen of England
without stating it was their ancestors "who in times past made all
France afraid," It was largely from Yeoman that the armies of
archers were drawn so bringing military prestige and glory to the
English on the fields of Crecy, Paitiers and the Scottish wars.
The truth is that many of the ancestors of the Yeomen of
Elizabethan and Stuart days were following the plough as bondmen
when the armies of British bowman went forth to war on the fields
of France, but this did not prevent all Yeoman sharing the heritage
to which their number had a valid right.
A handed down saying suggests ”It is better to be the head of the
yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.
The mouth of the river Torridge at Appledore with the river Taw joining it beyond the sailing ships
23

North Devon looking SSW as it is today, though the fields have hardly changed in the last 400 years. The Atlantic is the foreground, with the river
Torridge on the left and Bideford is the town at its mouth. At the far horizion haze, Dartmoor can just be distinguished, 28 miles to the south.
There will be no valley, dell or field in all this area of North Devon
that a Madge hand has not laboured upon; either for his own
family’s well being or for the good of his landlord. All will have
been tended, ploughed, hedged & ditched, by man and boy, during
all seasons, by our labouring agricultural forefathers.
The 17th century had not started well. The death of Elizabeth the
First had caused the uneasy crowning of James l. The years 1590
and 1604-5 were also bad because of the plague, with 500 deaths in
one Devon town alone. The gun powder plot in London also
indicates a struggle for power in the capital.
Regrettably the extensive fire of 1724 was probably the reason why
no records of young Humphery were found in Great Torrington.
However, over the next 300 years the families will drift south along
the beautiful Torridge valley through the villages of, Dolton, Meeth,
Winkleigh, Hatherleigh, Exbourne and finally Okehampton.
A back breaking journey of farm labourer’s toil.
Our young Madge family of Humphery and his wife to be, Phillipa
will have crossed and re-crossed this very bridge on numerous
occasions.
James l, Coat of Arms.
This is the first Torridge river bridge below Bideford. It crosses the Torridge river near Great Torrington, The church tower of the town shows itself
high above the bridge.
24

The early ploughman would be a man who lived with his
family in a village cottage belonging to the local Lord. He
and all other commoners or “cottagers” would be entitled to
a number of strips of land that they cultivated. But not all the
strips were within the common village land or yielded good
crops.
The heavy ‘common’ plough, jointly owned by the villagers.
It would be drawn by up to eight oxen, later horses, and
managed by two men. One as the ploughman and the other
to drive on the oxen or horses. A good ploughmen could
plough an ‘acre’ in a working day, 70 yards by 70 yards. This
‘acre’ is a Saxon measurement. He had to plough to the
farming rules laid down by the Lord’s officials and the jury of
the manor court.
A very early drawing of a plough and ploughman drawn by horses. It was drawings such as this that eventually convinced the farmers in this
country to use horses rather than the much slower oxen.
25

1630 to 1655 is the first period where we know
who our ancesters were. This then, is the life
that Humphery and Phillipa MADGE were part
of in their early years. Firstly as children, then
as newly weds firmly dependant on the land
and therefore the goodness of others for their
well being.
It was only on the ‘strips’ that the cottagers,
(each might have up to 30 strips) could plant
and sow to gain produce for their own family.
These strips could only be worked when all the
tasks for the manor had been completed.
Common fields for cattle, ‘waste land’ for pigs
and a meadow for hay, made up the remainder
of the surrounding village land.
It was during this time that the use of
descriptive surnames came into general use.
The Smiths, Ploughmans, Sawyer (of tree
trunks), Pitman (saw-man’s mate), Haywards
(cattle herder, guardian of the crops and
fences), with the many others: Hedgers, Pikers,
Tanners and many, many more.
A village farming scene opf this time.
26
The “three field rotation” system of farming had been handed down for generations. Wheat, then oats followed by a fallow year was worked by
the villagers for the Manor. This sketch of 1635 is the earliest that shows this. However, the crop rotation system had been around for centuries
by this time.

1650-1670. It is believed that Phillipa married Humphery MADGE in Great Torrington sometime in the middle of the 17th Century.
Unfortunately the fire of 1724 almost certainly deprived us of their records.
“Bridale” customs in the 17th century
White feathers fired from muskets to bring peace to the couple.
The “Bridale” or wedding feast was so called because brides would
sometimes sell ale to their friends on the wedding day for whatever
the friends would give. This was so that a Bride who brought no
dowry to the union was able to provide a little financial support to
her newly married husband.
This is also thought to be the beginnings of today’s custom
whereby the bride’s father is traditionally the provider and
financier of the wedding feast.
The Bride wore several garters usually specially made by her
mother and worn on the upper leg.
After the couple were married and as part of the celebration, there
would be an undignified scramble for them by the village young
men after the ‘garter trophies’. They would then be worn on the
victor’s hat or jacket at the Wedding Feast.
It was customary to give gloves at 17th century weddings, though
the reason for this has been lost to us.
All pins from the Bride’s garland and wedding day dress had to be
taken out and thrown away, or else as superstition has it, the
marriage would be unhappy.
After a well-fo-do wedding the poorer people of the village would
be invited into the church. Then they were encouraged to collect the
presents and gifts left for them on a table within the church by the
invited guests.
Great Torrington Church.
27

The Torridge Vale
Times were beginning to change. The methods of Farming during
the 16th and 17th centuries were evolving from the old feudal
system to the newly enclosed fields. This was pushing agriculture
into a new and much more productive era. Herds of cattle ran with
flocks of sheep to renew (manure) the land. There was more crops
than ever before producing a surplus for monetary gain at the
markets. The Local Manor Houses had gradually given way to the
Church. The Ecclesiastical Tithe that drove farmers to become
self sufficient. This tithe was later to cause farmers much anguish.
These were the lands that Humphery would have been working on,
in the vale of the Torridge river.
High on the hill above the river can be seen the lovely church spire
of Great Torrington.
This church tower would provide a constant reminder to
Humphery of his wedding day and his new wife waiting in their
small cottage for his return from the fields.
Theirs would be a union blessed with a large family; four sons and
two daughters.
The “Great Field” (Commoners or Cottagers rights land) at Braunton, on the northern shore of the river Torridge estuary. Here the 600 years of
continuous cultivation can be clearly seen.
28

These were amazing times: nothing had
been seen like this before, or since. The
events that led up to this Declaration of the
Commonwealth:
1642 The first Civil War death is that of a
Farm Labourer.
1642-6 During these years King & Nobles
consistently lost to Rebels.
1643 King’s Crown Jewels are sold in
Holland by the Queen. Plague comes to
Oxford. The Puritans of Massachusetts
send seven men to help the Parliamentary
forces.
1645 Arch Bishop Laud is found guilty of
Treason and beheaded. The New Model
Army is raised.
1645(June) Parliamentary troops plunder
and pillage after the Battle of Naseby.
1646 (May) Oxford surrenders to
Parliament. However, over 100,000 are yet
to die as a direct result of the Civil War.
The King travels north and surrenders to
the Scots. He is sold back to the English!
1647 (Nov) Royalists raise another Army
and a new brutal War covers England.
1648 The Colchester siege. Royalists steal
from towns folk (Parliamentarians)
Starvation for 10 weeks, then surrender.
2000 Royalists die, but many more
civilians have also perished.
The Commonwealth of England, Wales and Ireland
is declared: The Republic of England 1649-1660.
1648 This ‘new’ war took on the horrors of
a Religious Frenzy with the war being
reported by ‘broadsheet’ and sold on the
streets. The first such war to be reported
by newspaper.
1649(Jan) Execution of Charles I.
1649 Birth of the “Levellers”, first
Communists.
1620-1660. Kent Hop pickers paid 5d a
day.
1647. In England, Women priests are
allowed to preach.
1649-52. Cromwell’s main Army resident
in Ireland.
1650. A washer woman's wage was 6
shillings per six months.
All were desperate years for the poor.
The towns suffered food riots and in the
countryside bad harvests and ‘tight
money’ made for limited work and little
reward for the agricultural communities.
1650 Humphery and Phillipa with their
family leave Great Torrington for Meeth.
1651-54. War at sea with the Dutch.
1653. Cromwell dissolves the “Council of
State”; by the sword.
1655. Parliament is again dissolved, this
time for four years.
1655-60. War with Spain.
1657. Coach Travel starts in England.
1660. The Royal Society is founded in
London.
1660. Charles ll returns to claim “his
inheritance” : The English throne.
1661. 23rd April Charles crown King at
Westminster Abbey.
29

2
1
4
3
7
6
5
John Speed’s map 1610, of central, northern Devonshire.
Our Madge families will work, reside, move and die within this area for the next six generations.
1. Meeth. Phillipa and Humphrey set up their cottage in Meeth in the
1650’s.
2. Dolton. Sarah and Philip’s move, Meeth to Dolton was made in
about 1693. Walter their youngest was born here 29.6.1694, though
he would return to Meeth to marry and farm.
3. Exbourne. The next stop for our family, but not until 1804, and it
continues to this day.
4. Hatherleigh. The modern market town after ancient Winkleigh.
5. Okehampton. The Agricultural Show and all that came after
Exbourne and in concert with it.
6. Crediton. Well known for its Madge families. Indeed one, Robert
Madge was known as “Lord of B.C.” in this ancient Bishop’s town.
7. North Tawton. Another haven for our Madge familes, but not
until 1860, and onwards.
In cob house such as this or smaller, all our Madge ancesters
would have lived and brought up their families.This amazing
house stands today is a few miles west of Exeter. It is
definitely some 400 years old and may be much older still,
even medieval. At the base of each walls the Devon red
stones of the footings can clearly be seen.
Only the south and west walls
would need to be cast or faced
against the rain.
This indicates both its
antiquity and the fact that
it started life as a more
important house, maybe
a Yeoman’s farmhouse.
The cob walls above are
made from the soil, a little
muck with straw to bind it.
Cob has been used for
Devon house and cottage
building since Saxon
times. An ancient Devon
saying goes: “All cob
wants is a hat and a good
pair of shoes.” The hat,
the thatch, the shoes a
firm stone base.
30

Meeth is a most unusual Devon village as it is in two seperate parts. This, the northern extremity has the Church alongside a public house to the
south of the churchyard. The main village is much further south.
The village of is five miles NNE of Meeth. The wooded Torridge river valley can be seen to the right running north.
All our Madge families over the next two
centuries or so, will worship in this Norman
church, help to run the Parish and Council
business and finally become residents in the
ancient graveyard.
It is thought that more Madge’s are buried here
than anywhere else in the world.
Phillipa and Humphrey would have moved into
the cottage or barn ‘end’ offered by their
Landlord, hopefully soon after they arrived in
Meeth, in 1650.
Certainly Humphrey would have been put to
farm work soon after he arrived, leaving his
wife to settle and clean the accommodation for
baby Philip.
Hopefully a friendly neighbour, may be met at
the village pump would assist.
31

The Norman church and the northern part of Meeth village as it is today.
It is interesting to see a ‘half circle’ the road makes round the
church. This is almost certainly because of the ancient Saxon
graveyard. This bygone resting place normally formed a
circle around the place of worship, as they do here.
It seems likely therefore, that the modern road probably
follows its eastern edge with the rest of the Saxon burial
ground encompassed within the old lanes to the west.
Western farm can easily be seen well to the left of the church.
It was said of the Normans, the builders of Meeth church, that
they were a frugal, maybe mean people in both outlook,
generosity and in their daily lives when they arrived in 1066.
They would only serve one meal a day for themselves and
rarely offer any hospitality and never provide for the Anglo-
Saxons they deposed.
However, it is known of the Saxons that they were outgoing,
very social and generous to a fault. The word ‘mean’ has a
Saxon origion and one wonders if this was their word to
described their new rather frugal Lords.
As far as I am concerned it is obvious where the Madge families had
their roots; we can only be Saxon! Although when John Madge
asked for the hand of Kathrine Hannaford in marriage in the late
1800’s he was first turned down by Kate’s Hannaford parents as
being far too ‘ernest’!
How todays Meeth congregation see their beautiful Norman church
32

Chapter 3
The Madge Families of Devon
1680 to 1710. The Meeth and Winkleigh years. Goodbye to Humphery and Phillipa Madge, 22nd November 1710.
An 1880’s map of Meeth with the Church,
the New Inn and areas marked shows some
of the land farmed by Madge families over
the previous 200 years.Western Town Farm,
southwest of the church was farmed by the
Acland Madge’s for over 200 years during
this period.
In the early 20th century the estates were
split up and most of the lands sold. Little
remained in Madge hands, just a few houses.
But Madge families still reside in Meeth to
this day.
Meeth Church does not have a West door,
but still boast a very early plain Norman
porch. With these features and the lovely
Norman windows along its north wall, all
indicate the great age of this beautiful Parish
church.
The font is of the 11th century, and the 1642
church plate and chalice would have all been
utilised by generations of Meeth Madge’s.
The first (known) of our family, Humphrey
and Phillipa Madge, would have taken the
communion wine with this chalice. Indeed
Humphrey and Phillipa would have brought
the youngester Philip to worshiped here when
he was old enough.
Built on Saxon foundations, St Michael’s Church at Meeth stands as a beautiful Norman gift to all our generations. Happily little has been
changed with time.
33

The Norman Church at Meeth
Meeth is mentioned in the Doomsday book, belonging to King Baldwin but
held by Bernard. The Dane Alnoth was Lord here before 1066.
A wonderful Norman font to christen your first born. This is what Humphrey
and Phillipa undertook soon after arriving at Meeth.
In 1660 well above the christening for Philip, the Green Man with a pair of
delightfully carved angels looked down on the christening below as they still
look down to this day.
The Norman Font at Meeth. The font’s “hood” is made
from local oak and is much later, possibly
contemporary with Philip’s christening.
34

By 1661, when Charles ll was crowned, stability
gradually returned to England. Although Taxes on Ale,
beer and the “new drinks” of tea and coffee plus the
Hearth Tax were levied, these affected the Landlords or
Yeoman rather than the farm workers. So life in the
country was good once more. Work was plentiful and
the rewards, though not generous were sustainable.
Humphrey now in his thirties, fully versed in all aspects
of the farm labourers tasks would be a valued addition
to his new farm and farm Steward. Phillipa after the
birth of their son Philip would have now settled into the
cottage. She would already be keeping chickens and set
their small cottage vegetable patch growing for them.
In the 1660’s the farmers were mostly Yeoman, leasing
the land from Landlords, paying them a “fair” rent.
It was always in the farmer’s interests to take on
skilled, young labourers that would live on or near the
farm and so be available to work from before dawn
until dusk and sometimes beyond, six days a week.
Married labourers also brought a ‘second’ labourer,
their wives, who would also lend a hand in the fields
should this be needed. Although this was only a
unwritten rule, many farmers insisted on the wives
helping out at hay making and harvest times. They
were paid about half that for a man. Their children from
about the age of 5 or 6 also toiled in the fields.
Devon farmers preference for packhorses over carts to move their produce to market remained well into the 19th Century. Packhorses were still
the main method of conveying goods and chattels from the makers to the towns and villages. This bridge built for them in the 14th century was a
mere 250 years old in 1661.
35

Cutting and gathering the barley crop. This always included the labourer’s wives and often their children too.
Vast areas of Devonshire where given to wool and its manufactured
into woollens and worsted fabrics from the Devon Long wool sheep.
These woven materials were known as Devon Broad Clothes.
The population of Devon was 125,000.
During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries the Great Torrington area
was well within the main wool producing area of Devon.
Thus, the move the Madge family to Meeth between 1650 and 1660
could well have been caused by Humphrey not being quite “at
home” with sheep.
There was a real deep-seated resistance by husbandmen to trying
anything new: “New seeds will not grow here with us, for our
forefathers never used 'em.”
The South Western part of England, showing the wool
producing and manufacturing areas.
Meeth, as the sketch map indicates, is outside the principle wool
areas of North Devon. The fact that Meeth Church has remained
true to its early Norman structure is also a good pointer to this, as it
is therfore likely to be “ a non-wool church”.
A Parish where great profits were made from wool, usually
bestowed large amounts of these profits on their churches. This
enabled many rich parishes to not only refurbish the fabric of the
church but in a lot of cases to fund rebuilding work as well.
We know that Meeth was built by the Normans over Saxon footings
and within the Saxon graveyard and that it has largely remained
unaltered during through all the wool rich years.
So if this was the reason for Humphrey to move his family to Meeth
he certainly did it at the best time in this (17th) century. With the
stability earned by the return of the King to the throne more money
was available. This in turn allowed the markets to pick up in trade,
with the farmers and the clothiers also benefiting from this
expansion. Life in the country became sweet once more.
The Devon Long Wool is little changed over time.
36

The Devonshire valleys and uplands around Meeth
was and still is, best for general farming. Here the
emphasis was on a full range of farming with arable
produce as well as cattle, swine and a few sheep, rather
than a specialise area.This would have suited
Humphrey if indeed he had an aversion to sheep
farming. It would also have been of benefit to his
children as they would be able to learn a greater range
of farming skills, rather than mainly the shepherding
done further north in the Great Torrington region.
Once young Philip was about 5 or 6 years old he would
accompany his Father out to the fields to assist and
learn. Here he would also gather and gleen the fruits of
the season for his Mother, Phillipa.
He would soon learn to find and collect the “snags” of
wool from the hedgerows and bring them safely home
for spinning wheel. Although sheep were not the main
‘crop’ for this area, a small number of these animals
would be kept for their wool and their meat for self
sustaining the local economy in both these comodities.
Home weaving for houshold clothes was still of great
importance.
General Farming, 17th Century
Village life sketch of the 1650’s
37

A rare woodcut of the building trade in the 1700’s. The masons had advanced from the
building of outhouses, pigstyes and walls to the more exciting work of erecting cottages
and houses.
Cooper of 1700
A land also of craftsmen, who had their land and their
crafts, and were not yet slaves to machines.
The craftsmen who had never had to work under the hard
terms of the bondsmen and had not even been obliged to
buy his freedom by giving up his right to part of the
“common lands” land. He still had to do repairs and
building for his lord if he still lived in the manor, but these
did not interfere with the cultivation of his strip at hay
time or harvest, for, when all were busy on these, other
work was likely to be forgotten for the time being. The
Faber or village smith, made the plough that cultivated
the farmer's fields and shod his horses and plough oxen.
And if the manor was now in the hands of yeomen or
tenant farmers, the craftsman could sell his work and
materials of his craft to them for money or corn as suited
him best. There was an intimate bond between
craftsmanship and farming.
All the woodworkers, turners, hoop and hurdle makers
waggoners, with the general woodworkers, enjoyed a
plentiful supply of wood from the forest.
Having been satiated with making ploughs, carts, hurdles
and gates, would enjoying the thrill of carving oak chests
and making carved panelling, with furnishing libraries
with shelves, and with carving and colouring coats of
arms for those yeomen who bore them.
The sunny glow of golden oak panelling brightened
many a dark room in the houses of the village.
The blacksmith, after his humdrum. work of making
ploughshares, harrows, tyres for cart wheels, and the
hoops for barrels, satisfied his longing for some
individual art by inventing the beauties of fire backs with
heraldic devices, decorative iron gates, weathercocks and
grandfather clocks.
The tradition of craftsmanship, like the tradition of
farming, were passed down the famiIy line as an
heirloom. Yet, as we have seen, though the roots of
craftsmanship were in the past, it blossomed afresh with
each generation.
The knowledge the craftman had acquired of the materials
he used, and the putting of them to their fit and proper
purpose was one of the secrets underlying all his best
work.
And though he had to make his living, money was
secondary to his art, for all good craftsmen are like that.
38

Here is one of the regretable sides of the craftsmanship of the villages. It show children of about ten to twelve working in a rope walk. Here they
provide the traction for the ‘walking’ rope as it is twisted and reeved to form a continious rope length from its many small componants.
The quarrymen had a share in the
quarry face from which he provided
stone for the farmer's buildings and
outhouses, and road metal for his
roads. The carpenter made the
farmer's tables, chests, and cupboards
as well as the gate that kept the cattle
from straying. The miller ground the
farmer's corn, and named the parts of
the dressed surface of his upper
millstone furrows and lands. And
when the times were good the village
craftsmen, after long years spent on the
duller essentials of their craft,
blossomed out into hitherto
unexplored but more interesting and
exciting forms of their art.
The owners of inclosed farms kept up
the roads that served them in their own
interest. The quarrymen had a share in
the quarry face from which he provided
stone for the farmer's buildings and
outhouses.
Stone from the quarry also made a good
foundation for these rodes, (roads) so
different from the drift or drove ways that
were used by the workers in the open fields
and by the cattle going to and from the
commons. These unfenced tracks, which
turned and twisted amongst the fields and
furlongs and gave rise to many of our country
lanes of today, were notorious in taking up
good farm land.
The wheeled and four legged traffic on them
tended to spread far and wide to avoid
getting bogged in the mire. Thus valuable
crops were often trodden down into a sea of
mud. In this respect the freeholders
performed a useful public service for all the
villagers for which they got little credit.
39

The May Pole was erected in most
villages at least one week before May
the first. This would not only make
sure that last year’s pole was still
sound, but would allow the children to
practice the “Pole Dance” with the
bright ribbons trailed down from the
boss on the top of the pole.
On May the 1st the whole village
would gather to watch the children.
They would dance their way around
the pole weaving their ribbons into
intricate coloured patterns. These
would remain woven on the pole for
the festival to follow.
Once the field work was finished all
the village adults would gather at the
Maypole for the May Day
celebrations. These had been banned
by Parliament until 1661 when
festivals with dances were one again
sanctioned after the so called Purition
years.
1665. The Plague The Maypole Dance
Phillipa would have had a simular
cottage to this with mostly Devon cob
rather than stone walls. By the end of
the decade, 2 boys, Philip (born in
about 1660/2), Peter (christened 6th
January 1666) and one girl Anna, (born
2nd March 1668) were happily settled
in.
40
This sketch of a dwelling from the
latter part of 17th Century is a
Devon farm labourer’s cottage.
They were rude, basic structures
and usually rather old buildings just
good enough to provide shelter for
a family.

These years 1665-6 were
dreadful ones for England.
First came the Bubonic Plague
that took one person in every
four in the cities and towns.
Though far less died in the
farming communities.
Humphrey and Phillipa were
fortunate to be in countryside
away from the worst of the
plague.
Less than 1 in 10 died here.
Labour was now in very short
supply. It was good to be alive.
Between 1661 and 1702 a
Humphrey Madge was Court
Violinist and Chorister to
Charles ll. The only other item
known about this Humnhrey
(d.1701) is that his wife was
called Sarah.
The Great Plague kills 70,000 in England alone.
1666 Thames freezes
So many people died from the plague that it
was not possible to give everyone a proper
funeral.
A collection cart would go round led by a
tolling bell and the cry: “Bring out your
dead”. The bodies were loaded onto the
cart and transported to a large common
grave, well away from habitation.
The fire started in among the wooden building in Pudding Lane, and,
fanned by a gale was soon consuming the tinder dry houses of the
adjoining streets. It raged for three days and nights spreading over
Then came the Fire of London; 2nd to 5th September 1666
270 acres, destroying 13,200 houses and 84 churches. It is
interesting to note that some of the rubble left behind by the fire was
still smouldering in January 1667, 3 months later.
41

Mealtime in at a Farm Worker’s table. 1670’s. The meals in Devon were served up on thick china dishes called ‘cloams’.
“Place not knives across, nor spill the salt; for ‘ill omens’ will blight your life to come.”
After the tragic events of the Plague followed
by the Fire of London, the rural countryside
settled down to hard work. The Anglo-Dutch
wars were in progress, with the Dutch gaining
the upper hand. But London was still
recovering, planning and rebuilding the city.
So it was up to the farming communities to
bring England's riches back. By 1674
England’s farms were producing more food
than could eaten at home; the surplus
exported.
There had been further addition to our Meeth
Madge family. Phillipa had given birth to a
second daughter Elizabeth (b.27.10.1673), the
fourth child of the family. Philip (b.1660), the
eldest, then Peter (b.1666) followed by Anne
(b.1668). Sarah would be born 14.3.1676 and
finally John 28.8.1688 in Winkleigh.
It was time the eldest son of the family, Philip
now over 20, moved on. He would have
helped his father in the fields since the age of
five years, learning all he could at his side.
A Farming print of the 17th Century
42

-
The church at Winkleigh
The journey to Winkleigh made by Philip in about 1680
is a little bit of a mystery.
Apart from it being a appropriate time to leave home no
reason can be found for the choice of Winkleigh, a wool
village. Young Philip had been taught the farming craft
by his Father in a non-wool area. Although it is but 5
miles east of Meeth (8 miles by road) it is within the
Wool rich area of North Devon. The rebuilding and
refurbished church reflects this. Winkleigh Church is
Norman in origin but much altered, regretably.
The first Insurance company (Phoenix) started in
London and the Postal service was introduced, 1680.
The movements of Philip’s parents also are unusual.
Young Philip probably moved to Winkleigh to gain
employment and to seek a bride, once he had work in
his own right. But at about the same time, for no known
reason, Humphrey and Phillipa’s had already moved to
the village as their last child, John (christen 28th
August 1688) was born in Winkleigh.
It has to be assumed that the family moved there
sometime in the late 1680’s, but only for a short period,
maybe about 5 years. They would returned to Meeth at
the turn of the century.
The trumpeting angel high
above sounds her horn. But it is
the Norman head built into the
south wall of Winkleigh Church,
that rewards the visitor.
Lovely though she is the statue
was probably added sometime
during the late 17th or 18th
century.
Looking north from Winkleigh with the church in the bottom corner and the
wooded Torridge valley at the top, right.
43

Winkleigh Church & churchyard, with part of the old village.
In Norman times Winkleigh was the richest Manor for miles around. Its wealth came from the rich soil supporting 60 villagers (+16 slaves) with
40 ploughs, 38 cattle, 15 swine and 160 sheep.
Would the Madge’s have lived here within the village or found a
cottage further out into the country? We do not know why they
moved to Winkleigh Parish for just a few years, but it could well
have something to do with the labour shortage caused by the plague.
It is however, known that little John was born in Winkleigh. This
delightful Font with its most unusual double step up for the priest
was used on the 28th of August 1688 to baptize John Madge. This
is also given as his birth date, but dates of this antiquity apply to the
christening alone; the actual day of birth was not recorded.
The Font at Winkleigh.
Winkleigh Church, lovely rood screen, barrel roof and wall paintings
all visible.
44

1685 Charles ll dies of a stroke and
James ll is crowned to reign for four
years, before exile. This opens the
way for Monmouth (base born son
of Charles), to land on Engliah soil,
in open rebellion.
Within weeks it is harshly put down
at the Battle of Sedgemoor, then the
“Bloody Assizes” in Somerset.
Most were ‘innocent’ west
countrymen who mistakenly
thought they were doing the right
thing.
1685 also saw three “witches” burnt
at the stake in Heavitree, Exeter.
The last to be “done to death” in
England.
1688 Dutch William (William of
Orange) and his wife Mary,
daughter of James ll, are offered the
Crown.
These are also the ‘years’ of
Issac Newton, when he is at the
height of his discoveries.
William of Orange with Mary, land at Brixham, Devon. 5th November 1688
The Bank of England is founded in
1694, in Mercers’ Chapel, London.
By 1700 our older Madge family of
Humphrey and his wife Phillipa
with just their youngest John of
their five children left at home,
would have moved back to Meeth.
Again we have no idea why this
move was undertaken, though
Humphrey would have been in his
70th year by now.
Their daughters Anna, now 32
years and Sarah, aged 24 had
married and moved on. Both Peter
aged 34 and Elizabeth, 27 had
moved away.
Looking south
from Winkleigh
graveyard arch.
The first rode, from ‘to ride’ (road)
maps of England were drawn in
1675.
The roads between Meeth and Winkleigh were poor country byways in 1700.
45

The triangle that is Winkleigh to Meeth to Dolton.
Although they are about the same diatance apart, some five miles from each other, the journey from Winkleigh back to Meeth is by far the most
difficult. The Torridge river with its fairly steep valley banks must be climbed.
As we pass from the 17th century to the 18th it is interesting to note
the following:
Half of all cultivated land is now enclosed.
This meant that by the turn of the century over three quarters of all
villagers had lost their age old rights to Common land and there by
could no longer grow food for themselves. Or indeed, keep any
form of live stock. A a direct consequence, 1 in 5 families received
'Poor Relief'.
£600,000 to £700,000 spent on Parish Poor.
Skilled craftsmen forbidden to emigrate.
No shops in England would be opened until the middle of the 18th
century.
General advice for the time included:
The best time for a hair cut was at the Full moon.
Blood should only be let in Spring.
No marriages in Lent.
May Day was the day Maids may address the village youth.
The Devonshire countryside just as the winter sun escapes across the fields after
sunrise.The valley in the middle ground is the Torridge river and beyond in the haze is
Dolton and Wiinkleigh.
The village poor were now a major headache for every Parish. As
most of the Common land had been removed from their rights
many of the old serfs and bondsman simply could not survive.
Thousands took to the roads in search of any work, anywhere.
46

Chapter 4
The Madge Families of Devon
1680 to 1721. The return to Meeth. The years of Philip and Sarah (Nee Tawton) Madge.
Goodbye to Humphery & Phillipa Madge - 22nd November 1710.
It is not known when Philip and
Sarah made their home in Meeth,
but it is likely to have been shortly
before, or just after their wedding
in 1680. Sarah was given away by
her parents who lived in Meeth,
while Philip would have been ably
supported by his elder brother
Peter. Sarah Tawton knew this
church well having attended it all
her young life from her christening
at the font here, in 1665.
Her children would also feel these
comforting waters when they in
their turn, were baptised at the
same font as their mother. Their
first child Sarah, was born in
Meeth the following year (1681),
so Philip was certainly working in
the Meeth village fields by then.
The family would have been
allocated a cottage of their own
too, with a small parcel of land for
their private use. This piece of land
would have been in the ‘Butts’,
where the stripes ‘abbutted’ each
other, leaving small corners just
about enough for a family.
Vegatables, a few chicken and a
pig or two if the plot was large
enough. And if they could afford
to, buy a cow.
All farm field workers, or
labourers as they have been
mistakenly called over the
centuries, would take their midday
‘grub’ with them. However, when
working near their own cottage the
wife would bring food to the field.
Philip’s skills would have included
scything with its extra penny pay.
day.
Farm workers of the 17th and 18th
century were to work from dawn
to dusk, remaining out in the fields
the whole day, 6 days in 7.
This contemporary drawing shows
a ‘modern’ church design for the
time. The long building by the
church is a barn with a labourer’s
two roomed thatched cottage set
against the near wall. This was the
sort of accommodation Sarah
might have been preparing for
their family.
The foot steps of Sarah and Philip graced this floor on 25th November 1680 as they walked down the
asile, man and wife.
Scything a meadow for hay was good for the labourers. It paid a penny a day more.
47

Meeth, means:-
“Where the corn is cut.”
High above the aisle this
face “growing” from a
tree has looked down for
hundreds of years.
Another very old,
possibly pre-medieval,
wooden carving in the
ceiling is of the
Wheelwrights trade.
Meeth’s lovely Norman Church where Philip Madge and Sarah Tawton were married, November 1680.
48
On the 22nd November 1680
Walter Tawton with his wife
Alice, gave their daughter Sarah
in marriage to Philip Madge.
Yes, great, great, great, great,
great, great, great great, Grand
Father & Mother Madge were
married here! The church would
have been full of village friends
to celebrate the young couple’s
wedding day.
They walked down this aisle,
stood at this alter rail in Meeth
church while the priest joined
them in matrimony. Philip was
in his early 20’s and Sarah some
25 years young.

1685. A great many West Countrymen supported the Duke of Monmouth.
The Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685 involved many
West Country families. Thousands of Devon, Somerset and
Dorset menfolk were recruited to fight for his cause after the
Royal landing at Lyme Regis. These Westcountrymen then
fought and died for Monmouth. The battle at Sedgemoor on
the eastern Somerset Moors was a short lived ‘affray’.
For King James II a certain Colonel John Churchill
(Malborough to be) quickly gained the upperhand on the
battle field. After a night march followed by short, bloodly
engagement, Monmouth’s troops fled from the field.
Philip and Sarah would have soon known about the defeat.
Mutilated heads and quarters of the “rebels” were taken and
displayed in all parts of Devon as a visual reminder of
Monmouth’s treason against King James II. Philip would
have seen the passage of the soldiers as Meeth is on the main
road from Great Torrington to Exeter.
The Monmouth ‘Rebel’ stories still remain today.
The oak beam on the right, was used to hang three ‘Monmouth
rebels’, in 1685. It supports a house in South Petherton,
Somerset.
Cornelous Hurford, John Parsons and Thomas Davis were
hung, drawn quartered and then steeped in boiling pitch here
in 1685. Their ‘quarters’ were then hung on display.
The Hanging Beam
They fare extremely hard, work without intermission like a horse and practice every tenor of diligence and frugality being able to soften their
present lot.
The 16th century plough gives us the age of the drawing. Philip
would be working with the plough boy in the Meeth fields stopping
only for food. Devonshire was one of the last places in England to
employ oxen for drawing the plough. England kept the oxen for a
very good reason. They ate the beef, but disliked horse meat. Not so
Europe. Plain fare of bread and cheese with a summer apple, washed
down with farmhouse cider. Then back to finish ploughing the acre,
his daily task.
49

Among records of 17th
century Devonshire, is a
detailed picture handed down
to us from the pen of Daniel
Defoe. He was travelling in
the West Country at the time
of the Duke of Monmouth
landing and rebellion against
James lI. Defoe took part in
the Battle of Sedgemoor
fighting for Monmouth
against the King.
He managed to leave the
battlefield unchallanged,
discard his weapons and
battle attire, then fly from
Somerset. He most
fortunately just escaped the
clutches of Judge Jeffreys and
his ‘Hanging Court’ at
Taunton Assize. We would
not have his account had been
caught and hung.
The first thing that stuck
Defoe about the West
Country was the number of
people, horses, carts and
wagons which were busily
employed by the wool trade.
He tells us that as soon as the wool was
sheared from the sheep’s back its
travels began. A great deal of it was
carried by packhorses to one of the big
yearly sales to be sold. Here it was
bought by clothiers, to travel by
packhorse to be carded and after this,
back to the packhorses again for further
travels.
By the end of the 17th century
Devonshire was a prosperous wool
county. The woollen trade, from sheep
to cloth, also made Devon one of the
richest and most populous in England.
So full of great towns, and towns so full
of people, that not only was it
unequalled in England, but also in all
Europe, history tells us.
West Country weavers did not yet have the skills and advances
brought by the exiled Flemish weavers. In Devon only broadcloth
and serge were manufactured in the 1680’s. Historically this had
always been so. The Devonshire long wool sheep were breed for
good long strong wool rather than the less course, shorter strands of
the uplands sheep needed for the finer, ‘flemish cloth’.
It would be another two more generations, some fifty years, before
fine cloth, manufactured with the expertise of the Huguenots exiled
from Europe, was woven in Devon.
But farming was not progressing. The civil war had badly checked
its progress. The value of manuring land had by now become
apparent: but still no attention was paid to pasture land and there was
no attempt to improve the breeds of cattle or sheep. Much would
change in the next century.
Even some pew-ends depicted sheep.
50

Vast Country Fairs were held by the main wool market towns,
Crediton (or ‘Kirton’ as it is still called locally) for our part of
Devon. Here the sheep and the fleeces were displayed, traded and
sold. Up to some £60.000 (£5 million today) could be traded in a
single day. These were the great annual fairs near the large towns;
here rich and poor alike gathered to buy goods they never saw at
other time. It was also a time to enjoy the merrymaking.
Defoe visited one where he said the rows of tents and booths were
like streets of shops. He heard that a thousand horse-packs of wool
were brought in from the surrounding districts. All sorts of items
were available: cloth and clothes, farm tools and knives and
glassware and stockings. With toy merchants from the Midlands
and further afield, goldsmiths and milliners from London all
parading their wares at their booths. On market days well-to-do
villagers made their way on horseback, often with wife or child
riding behind, holding round the father's waist.
Here they sold their produce and bought items not normally
available locally.
There was also plenty of amusements. Puppet shows. rope-dancers,
and plays acted in the streets, and on the last day a horse market was
held, with races for prizes, both on horseback and foot.
Inns and hostels for the thousands of visitors to the sheep-fair were
at a premium. Barns and stables for miles round were made into
temporary lodgings.
At the fair, merchants met their travelling buyers and local salesmen
hoped to take their accounts and then placed their orders.
So the children who had to earned their bread from five years old
had something to look forward to, albeit just once a year. Perhaps
after a long working day these exciting tents and booths would
provide a meal out, and for the very lucky ones may be a new toy to
carry home and show off.
This town, the centre of their farming district was probably the only
large town they had ever been to.
51

After the sheep market, the fleece wool was returned to be carded. Then it
was off again to the cottages to be spun and woven. The women and children
were always kept busy at spinning-wheels and hand-looms, even if all they
did was to make rough cloth to dress the family in the winter.
We can picture this busy life, in which even the young children had their own
work to do. There were few schools for young ones in thse days and Defoe
tells us that there was not a child over four years old that did not earn its
bread, by the work of its own hands. They would work long hours helping
their mothers to comb, spin, and weave.
“All farm cottages were in themselves, hives of activity. The wife not only
looked after the children, ran the home, made and mended all their clothes
but also tended the few chickens and ducks they ran, gathering the eggs. On
top of this all the family females; grandmother, mother and daughters were
expected to earn their keep by teasing out, then spinning wool into yam as
"outworkers" for the local clothier.”
A Clothier who weaves his own cloth at work.
The older more skilled ladies made lace, another ancient Devonshire skill.
The children would be sent out to the fields to gather any pieces of wool
snagged on bushes, fences etc., to be used by the family as one of the few
'free' items they could glean from the fields.
“At every considerable house was a manufactory. Every clothier keeps one
horse, at least, to carry his manufactures to the market; and every one,
generally, keeps a cow or two, or more, for his family. By this means the
small pieces of enclosed land about each house are occupied and utilised
even if they scarce sow corn enough to feed their pigs and poultry.”
“The houses are full of lusty fellows, some at the dye-vat, some at the looms,
others dressing the cloths; the women and children carding and spinning,
being all employed from the youngest to the oldest, and not a beggar to be
seen, or an idle person.”
These huge shears used by the ‘dresser’ of Devon broadcloth are of the same
design as those found in a Roman ship of the 6th century.
They are the same pattern, though rather larger, as those used by the Madge
farmers for generations. A pair, shown later in the book come down from
Okehampton, from about 200 to 300 years ago.
Thus, within the main wool market towns, Crediton or Exeter in central
Devon, huge sheep fairs were held soon after shearing time where the
fleeces were traded and sold with the farmers gaining ‘gold’ for their wares.
Broadcloth: 1650’s.
52

The cottage on the left, though rather run down
and uninviting could well have been the sort of
place offered by the Meeth Yeoman farmer. They
were only oblidged to provide some form of
shelter for the farm worker and his family.
No records exist that tell us where Philip and Sarah
lived, or indeed which farmers fields Philip
worked. We can however, assume that they were
‘let’ a cottage on the understanding that Philip
would work the land and Sarah provide for him
and their family, and work in the fields when
needed.
The cottage would only be theirs as long as Philip
was able to work.
Once Philip had got used to the farm work at
Meeth, he would have been able to make repairs
and may be some improvements to the cottage.
Planting subsequently reaping crops for his own
family from its garden plot which might be up to
half an acre, about 105 feet square.
Philip was in the fields most of his time, tending
crops, ploughing, harrowing and looking after the
beasts for the squire or yeoman and a little for
himself.
Cutting wood or gathering furze, (bracken) on
the Common for firing and bedding would also
be done daily but undertaken by the woman
folk. At harvest time the corn was carried to the
village mill for grinding.
Hides from the animals was tanned to leather
for use at home.
The children of farm workers would be taken
into the fields to assist their fathers from the
early age of four or five.
So once young John had reached this age in
1692, he would accompany and help his father
out on the farm lands learning the ways of
farming, and having to forget about any bad
weather.
But there were few holidays in this busy life.
The festival of “Plough Monday” was given
on the day before the ploughing teams
with their oxen would be allowed out onto
the fields to till the soil.
The date of this festival was the first
Monday after Epiphany which ended on
January the 6th.
This early print shows the plough providing
a central focal point for the merriment and
dancing.
A somewhat pagan looking figure, with his
festive ‘wife’ lead the dancing in the village
square. It is known that this was an adults
only festival, with, presumably, the children
left at home.
It will be noticed that the hand held curved
sickle also forms a very dangerous part of
the accoutrements for this dancing
festival.
53

After each child was christened I wonder if the parents had enough money to celebrate
the occassion with their friends, the God Parents and family in the Inn next door to
Meeth churchyard gate? This Inn still stands over 300 years later. During these years
all the fields seen below will be viewed, walked and worked by succesive generations
of Madge’s. As farm workers, agricultural labourers, tenants, Yeoman and Country
Gentleman they will look after these rich red Devonshire soils.
The Norman font at Meeth would serve to
baptize the first five of their six children.
Sarah (13.9.1681) and Anne (3.10.83) then
Elizabeth (28.4.86), John (22.1.88), Philip
(9.8.91) with Walter, the last born christened in
Dolton village 29.6.1694.
Dolton village
Torridge river valley
54
The Meeth to Dolton road journey made by both Sarah with Philip Madge (1694) and by their son Philip and Elizabeth (1734) crossed the wooded
Torridge valley.

This would have been a good time to re-afirm loyalty. William lll
died in 1702 and was succeeded by Queen Anne later that year. Her
rule provided prosperity to the countryside and saw the very
beginings of the Industrial Age, though not of course in
Devonshire.
But although the industrial change made little or no difference to
the agricultrual way or life, it did however cause the gathering pace
of farm workers leaving the land. It would be at least 20 years
before the march of the industrial revolution directly changed
farming methods.
It was during this time that Humphrey and Phillipa moved back
down to Meeth to see out the rest of their lives living with their son
Philip. Unfortunately this was not to be. Something happened on
the farm that Philip was working on and he lost his job. So Philip
and his wife Sarah, with their five children had to move in 1694 to
find work. They eventually found a farming position, with
accommodation, in the village of Dolton.
This forced move caused by the lack of work for Philip would have
caused a major dilemar for his parents, as they were living with
them in the cottage that was tied because of young Philip’s work.
Somehow, Humphrey and Phillipa had to ‘bargin’ for somewhere
to live within Meeth, with little to offer as both were on towards 70
years old. It must have been a terrible decision for all concerned.
It is in this Devonshire churchyard of Meeth that the MADGE grey
sentinals line both sides of the church path. Their headstones, all of
the slate of Dartmoor, look across as one progresses towards the
lovely Church’s Norman entrance.
It was customery over the centuries for each Parish to give
loyalty to the King and to show physical poof of it. This
tablet placed high on the side wall of Meeth Church is the
“Loyalty Plaque” of 1704.
From the early 1600’s Madge families lived and worked the fields of Meeth. Successive generations have become the “grey sentinals of
Meeth”. All the gravestones along the church path are MADGE’s.
55

Meeth church and churchyard looking down from the eastern side. The public house of at least 300 years standing is to the left of the picture;
the Madge sentinals are the two lines of grave stones ach side of the church path. The graveyard area to the right, the back of the church, is
where Humphrey and Phillipa were buried. Strangely both were given the same date of death. 22 November 1710.
Try as I might the final ten or so years of
Humphrey and Phillipa Madge living in
Meeth remains a mystery. Nothing has been
turned up about them.
As both are recorded to have died on the
same day, 22nd Nov 1710, I find it
somewhat unusual.
It is thought because of the scant
information we have about them that their
poor circumstances would not have left
them with much, if any money.
This has led to the belief that they would
have been buried at the back of Meeth
church as this area would have been less
desireable, thus less expensive.
1710 was in the times before the Parish Poor
Houses so they would have had to get on
with their lives by themselves, somehow.
Maybe their children managed to gain
enough in their work to give their parents a
little allowance to live on.
Hopefully.
56
Meeth churchyard is the final resting place for both
Humphrey and Phillipa Madge. Theirs is the first known
Madge grave, here. Regretably, the Dartmoor slate headstone
placed by their children, does not survive.
It is hard not to imagine that the last ten years of their lives in
this world were not harsh.
With all their family gone, then a very late move in their lives
to Meeth and finally their son Philip and his family moving
away through lack of work: What could they possibly have
had to look forward to?

Before we move on to Dolton village with Philip and his wife Sarah with their five, to become six, children. more needs to be said about Meeth
and the Madge families they left behind there. At least two of their children are known to have married, Peter and John. John with his bride
Elizabeth walked up this asile in 1717 to be married, no doubt to the sounds of the bells above in the church tower. We have scant details of
this John, but his son of the same name is recorded.
Peter Madge born in 1666 and a wedding
is recorded to a Jone HART of
Heatherleigh in 1699. His younger brother
John born 1688, may have married well in
Meeth. John is listed as marrying
Elizabeth HEANS in 1717
It is known that within two generations the
Madge farmers of Meeth were not only
doing very well, but had become respected
Yeoman of Devon.
The Madge farms start with Stockleigh
Barton in the north, Western farm in
Meeth, Stockley to the south with Friar’s
Hele to the west. There are others, Lane
End and Great Upcott, but the positions of
both these farms have been lost with time.
It is thought that Great Upcott was to the
east of Meeth on towards Upcott village on
the Dowland road but Lane End has not
been identified.
Besides the Madge families farming in the
area shown, most of the surrounding
villages had farming Madge families.
From Yeoman, as owner of the land and
‘lord of the manor’ or tenant to the
landlord, to Husbandman to Agent, to farm
labourer. Some even made sure that they
were buried in the “Madge” cemetury of
Meeth even though they farmed further a
field.
This map drawn up in in the eighteen hundreds but anotated about one hundred years later
shows most of the areas of Meeth farmed by Madge families
57

The Manor farmhouse of Friar’s Hele, Meeth. The building can clearly be seen to be of two different times. The left “L” side with its cob walls and
thatched roof built hundreds of years before the Georgian extention with its porch and small tower in the centre of the roof. It is thought that the
cob part was built to this size at sometime in the 13th or 14th centuries, probably on the foundations of the origional Norman Manor started in
the late 12th century.
58
Friar’s Hele Manor, as the name implies may well have
started out as a place of religious foundation. It probably
left this side behind when the cob Manor was rebuilt from
its Norman beginings to a more practical use as a
farmhouse.
Little had changed to the fabric of the cob wing for well
over 500 years. The size of the original Manor house can
be gauged from the end cob wall that supports the huge
chimney stack. Regretably a blaze in 1967, started by a
fire spark in the roof thatch, burnt out the whole of this
wing. The damage being so extensive that the remaining
ruins were knocked down and the ground leveled.
Unfortunately the basic ingredients for the cob to build
the walls are earth, manure and straw so will all burn then
crumble, given enough heat.
Friar’s Hele is now left with just the Georgian building,
but fortunately we still have the photographs to see what
our forebears built.
It is not known when the first Madge started to farm
Friar’s Hele Manor. It is thought to be about 1700,
possibly earlier, but unfortunately records have not been
found that go back that far. We know that there was a
Madge farming there by 1750, probably Philip with his
wife Anne whose dual grave stone is far on the right. This
is the earliest Madge stone still standing in Meeth
churchyard. From these parents, Philip with John, who
appears on the Devon Yeomanary roll of 1803, farmed
next. Then Philip with his wife Betty followed by John
their son with Frances his wife. Then their son Philip
with his brothers John, Walter and William Madge.

Just to give further insight to the story of Friar’s Hele I was kindly
given access to the Parish records of Victorian times when it appears
the whole village was run by Madges.
From these records, all hand written with their signatures at the
bottom of each committee meeting page, gives us the earliest look
at the hand writing of our forebears.
Walter Madge in 1845 , Philip
in 1860 at Meeth Committee.
John Madge 1856, and William
in 1870.
Stockley farm is to the south of the church. This is the rear of the
farm house which is now about 300 years old.
Recent known Madge farmers for Stockley are Philip 1845-66 & John
1861-3. Modern records started in 1830s. A Madge lives there today.
Stockleigh Barton to the north of the church was built at about the
same time as Friar’s Hele, but nothing of it remains above ground,
The low wall running up to the stables defines the line of footings for
the back of the Norman cob Barton. The last of which was cleared
in the last century.
This cottage was built in 1830 when the Barton was no longer
habitable. Unfortunately we have no record of the old building. Since
modern records John Madge 1853-60, Philip 1853-83, younger
Philip, 1853-62, John 1883 and William 1888-94 have ridden these
partures and ploughed the fields.
This photograph was
taken in 1912 and
shows three
generations of the
Thomas Acland
MADGE family.
Grandfather Madge,
shown on the right, at
the back, his father
and father’s father all
farmed Western Town
farm just to the west of
Meeth church. It is his
signature below,
written in 1850.
Western Town Farm towards the setting sun from the church. Here the
Thomas Acland Madges farmed for six generations.
59

The Devonshire farm cottages of the 1400’s, were basic very small
rude structures. The principle behind them was that the live stock
came first and human accommodation came a poor, second. The
only part not given over to the farmers needs was half the lower
area.
The two hundred years since the 1400 cottage was built saw the
elements of change towards to farm workers needs. Now most of the
cottage was for him and his family, with only a quarter given over to
farm work and its requirements. The upstairs was at last the family’s
rather than a hay loft, as it had been.
These cottages were found in the west after 1400 and for several
hundreds of years there after. The early ones would have been the
abodes of the ‘Ceorl’ or village Husbandmen, our Madge ancestors.
Very little wood was used in the construction of farm houses in
Devon. It was saved for churches and the great houses. Little stone
also was used except for foundations. Early writings speak of some
stone around Exeter that was red like the soil, but there, too, the
"plain ordinary howses are of soyle mingled with straw, without
postes." Of the Plymouth region he wrote: "All the howses be clay
without any timber in the wall, except the doores, roofe, and
windowes which is the fashion of the Country.”
These abodes were for ordinary freemen or serfs within the manor
estates, when each family owned the right to be allotted strips of land
for cultivation and its produce for their own use. By the 1600’s their
title had become Cottiers or Cottagers. This was partly because all
the previously allotted strips of land had been ‘lost’ to the serfs as
their cultivation strips were gradually taken into the manor lands.
Rushlights, rushes
dipped in fat, were
used as candles. Each
household required
2400 of them annually.
60
The sad irony of the land loss was that the
decline started after the Peasants Revolt of
1381. One of the first changes made was
the ‘fixing of wages’ by Kings Court rather
than the manor. History tells us that the
strip system and with it the serfs (ie non-
Freemen) who depended on it ‘died with
this change’. The very thing they had risen
up for, to protect.
This was the ‘time of the craftsman’. When
farm labourers could not work on the land,
farmers, their families and servants made
tools and harness, fitted wooden handles to
forks and scythes, and made teeth of ash or
willow, hardened in the fire, for rakes and
harrows. In these days if you required an
item, the first and sometimes the only
option, was to make it yourself or go
without.
Farmers readily set up their own pole
lathes to turn the wood they required,
rather than have to pay the local wood
turner for his services. Also many things
had to be make or mended for the home,
such as leather jugs, horn mugs, wooden
spoons, string and rope, platters, bowls and
baskets. If needed Winkleigh was the
nearest market town, from Meeth and
Dolton, for the Madge family and was
certainly the only market town they would
have known. A market visit would make
the long hours in the fields and working in
the home, combing, spinning, and weaving
seem very worth while.

Dolton Village seen from a hedgerow about half a mile to the south, south west on the road from Meeth. This is probaly the first
view Philip and Sarah would have had of their new village residence as they journeyed along the road, carrying all they owned to
their new place of employment. (1694)
The year of 1694 was of uncertain stability as good Queen Anne died of smallpox and the country was in a state
of turmoil until William lll suceeded.
The move to Dolton was made in 1694 when Philip and Sarah (pregnant with Walter,) moved with their five
children, Sarah (born 13th Sept 1881, Meeth), Anne (born 3rd October 1683, Meeth), Elizabeth (born 28th April
1686), John (born 22nd January 1688) and Philip (born 9th August 1691). They travelled five miles moving
northeast from Meeth crossing the Torridge valley with the river on the way. The family move from Meeth, a grain
growing area, to Dolton a wool town, was probably significient. Not only could Philip gain good wages from
tending sheep but his young family, especially Sarah (12), Anne (9) and Elizabeth (7) could also earn money from
spinning the wool. This is where the word ‘spinsters’ comes from this.
Philip would have had to quickly adapt to the ‘new’ way of farming. Here the sheep was definitely the most
important ‘being’. It brought in revenue to all who were involved in its welfare. Thus the sheep and its wool,
demanded a privilaged position within the farming community and an importance allied to the amazing amount of
revenve its produce generated for Dolton. Sarah and Philip would not have been aware of this in 1694, but their
move from a non-wool area to one of the prosperous wool parts of Devon would have a profound, lasting effect
on future Madge families. For Sarah on the other hand, she had an abode to organised, food to prepared, bedding
and furniture to be obtained and a home to be ‘made’ before nightfall. Their five children also had to be tended to.
Sarah and Philip would not have been aware of the later
benefits to our families but in 1694, their move from a
non-wool area to one of the prosperous wool parts of
Devon would have a profound, lasting effect on future
Madge families.
Althought it took another two generations and a highly
successful marriage to change the family’s fortune, it
was within the confines of Dolton that these seeds were
sown. And once it had, the family moved on and out,
once more! But it was this first move to Dolton that
caused a major shift, upwards, in the fortunes of our
MADGE family.
By 1720 the family was firmly rooted in Dolton, with
the older Philip handing over to his thirty year old son
of the same name. We believe he then retired from
farming, but of course do not really know. His last child,
the Dolton born Walter was now 25 years old and also
working the red soil of Devon.
Walter would be married in 1723 and his great, great grandson also Walter (born 1812) would marry Mary Webber in 1838. During 1849 Walter
and Mary would travel across the Atlantic with their five children, enroute for Canada. Their sixth child Samuel was born at sea off Nova Scotia.
In 1870 they helped other Madge families who migrated to Canada.
61

Soon after their move to Dolton Sarah gave birth to her
sixth child, Walter. Sarah was 39 years old. He was
christened on the 29th June 1694 at Dolton with his three
sisters and two brothers in attendance.
As far as we know Walter was the first Madge child to be
baptised in this most remarkable and very appropriate
font. For both the font and the name of MADGE are tied
together by their Saxon and Celtic heritage.
The granite font is well over one thousand years old
having been carved as Celtic crosses in Saxon times and
erected at a Christian meeting place somewhere nearby.
Sometime later, well before the Normans landed, Dolton
Saxon church was built and the crosses taken down. May
be it was damaged during this and the parts were laid to
one side. From these pieces the base of the main upright
of one cross was separated to form the base of the font.
The narrow part just below the junction of the other stone
cross was severed, turned upside down, then hollowed
out to form the well of the font. So Walter begun his
christian life in much the same was as his early Madge
forebears had, baptised at the Celtic cross.
Regretably, Philip was to
die first in this family
and he departed in 1721
aged a little over 80
years. I have never been
able to find a stone for
him.
The demise of his wife
Sarah was later; we know
not when.
During my first visit to
Dolton village in 1980 I
found this damaged
tombstone in a back
hedgerow of the
graveyard. I have never
found its true ‘owner’,
so put it in here for
Philip, though I know it
is not his.
62

Chapter 5
The Madge Families of Devon
1700 to 1774 Early years in Dolton. Philip and Elizabeth (nee Johns) Madge at Dolton.
Dolton Village is centred around the church of St Edmund. Though the church was extensively rebuilt by the Victorians in 1848, large sections of
the struture have stood since Saxon times.
As if to prove this, Dolton’s most unusual Font is formed from two blocks of an ancient Celtic Cross, the remainder of this cross, is lost. The font
would be utilised to Christen many Madge children over the next 300 years. And one wonders how many Madge ancestors gathered at this
ancient Celtic Cross when it first stood erect proclaiming the christian faith, nearly one thousand years before.
Philip, though born & christened in Meeth came to Dolton where
he met and courted his wife to be Elizabeth (Nee Johns). We know
a number of things about the local Johns family.
Walter Madge would later marry Grace Johns (the earliest Grace in
our Family), in Langtree village, nine and a half miles to the
Northwest where the Johns’ family farmed. Later in the 1790’s
another Philip Madge would marry a different Elizabeth Johns and
then settle in Meeth. They most successfully ran Stockley farm to
the south Meeth. This Madge branch of the family would be the
forerunners of today’s Madges of Meeth, as we have seen.
It is not known how young Philip gained employment in Dolton, or
where he was to live. But it can be vertually certain that his wife to
be Elizabeth would have had a deal to do with it. It may have been
through her, or friends of her parents that a labouring job on a local
farm was found. Unfortunately, time has lost this information, but
there are a few clues that might help. Numerous farms all within
five miles of Dolton, were and are still well known to Madge
families and relatives. Up until very recently, one of these, Rock
farm, was farmed by Madges. Was this the lasting gift that set our
family moving upwards? We shall see.
63

1700 to 1800: This century has become known as the: “Age of the Horse”.
1720 “ I do not think there is a people more prejudiced in its own favour than the British.” “They look upon
foreigners in general with contempt, and think nothing is as well done elsewhere as in their own country.”
1700. The population of England was 5.5 million, with an
eighth of the populous living in London.
Annually 80,000 cattle and 610,000 sheep were driven into
the capital for slaughter. The size of Exeter was just 10.000
persons.
The smallest landowners, Barons, had a gross income of
approximately £1500 a year. While a country Squire with
rented land, averaged £300.
The first twentyfive years of this century was a boom time
for the countryside. But as time went on ever greater
amounts of food were required.
Because of this farm wages in Devon ran to £15.10s a year
for a full time skilled farm labourer. Even casual skilled
labour gained 10 shillings a week for dawn to dusk work.
Though now children started work in the fields from the
age of seven. But only when the local authorities were not
looking. Farm families needed all the money they could
earn, so ineventably the children earned their keep too.
Skilled country craftsmen were forbidden by law from
emigrating.
1702 Queen Anne was crowned when William lll was thrown
from a horse at Hampton Court and killed. England would be
at war for the whole of Queen Anne’s reign.(1702-14).
1704 Union with Scotland. England pays Scotland the sum of
£398,000, well over £30m in today’s money.
Queen Anne
is torn twix
Pitt & the
influence of
France.
1704 The capture of Gibraltar by Admiral Rooke. The Royal Navy defeats the
French fleet at the battle of Malaga.
Marlborough, (John Churchill) is appointed to Command the Continental
Alliance forces against France.
His first great victory, at Blenheim, came in 1704.
Between 1705 and 1710 the British Forces were known as the “Greatest War
Machine”.
To support the Navy on the high seas and the English and Allied
Army on the Continenant, food production from England’s farms
had to be improved.
Using a plough to prepare the soil for planting had been common for
centuries; hence, the “Plough Monday” celebrations. But change
was being driven by the country’s rapidly expanding population.
Yealds per acre needed to be greatly increased and this, in turn,
would provide more income to the farms. The first plough was in use
then and provided a fairly good but shallow, farrow.
The plough below right, shows the new novel, simplistic design with
lines that would carry the wave of increased farming output
necessary in these times of war. Indirectly this, and other
innovations for use on the land also gave more income to the farmers
and pay to their farm workers.
Philip and Sarah had moved from Meeth to Dolton in
1694 and their fifth child, Philip, would have been three
years old, then. But now in his twentys he started
courting. One unwritten law in the 17th century, was that
no man could marry until he was able to fully support his
wife to be. It was therefore fortunate that when young
Philip wished to marry he found a good farm job in
Dolton, with a cottage too, or at least somewhere to live.
64
However, its complex design and therefore detailed hand crafting,
added to an incorrect pulling angle, made for both tired horses and
high blacksmith’s bills; or faber’s as they were called then.

Dolton church has taken centre stage within the village for nearly a thousand years. The open commece area can be seen just north of it.
Dolton, with its sourounding farms set on deep red Devon
soil sits on spur of land with the valley of the Torridge
river a couple of miles to the west of the village.
It is listed in the Doomsday Book as one of the more
prosperous areas of Devon. It was nearly five times larger
and with much more cultivated land than Meeth, being
shown as worth 800% more in value from its agricultural
return at the end of the Saxon period.
There was a large Saxon Manor here too with Edric as
Lord, but the building has been lost with time.
The population was also larger, with 9 times as many
people able to gain a living here.
It would appear that Dolton was a good place to move to.
Elizabeth had to established her family in the farm
cottage let and tied to them, something like the smaller of
the two above right with probably two rooms only. One
for daytime living, cooking and eating and the other for
sleeping.
With good fortune and a generous farmer, some land
would be provided for their vegatables and may be
enough to rear a pig, with chickens and may be ducks if
it was near a pond.
Also the village pump was where tattle about work,
might be heard.
There were at least two tasks that Elizabeth
undertook nearly every day of her adult life:
Drawing water and finding firewood.
Collecting
firewood: a daily
task for Elizabeth.
There were a number of advantages if a cottage was gained
within the village. Water from the village pump was at
hand, various trades would be plying their weares close by
and any member of the family that showed a talent could
readily be ‘lent’ for work to see if an apprenticeship might
be forth coming. This was a sure way to rise up from the
labouring classes. A trade made money if run correctly, so
employment here was a big step up.
It would be a further three generations before we know this
happened; but the seeds were sown in Dolton.
Every village had a farrier.
A cordwainer, or two as well.
65

One of the really nice things I have found during the researching,
visiting and viewing the lands of our forebears is how many times
I find things have changed so little. It will be recalled that there was
and still is a pub built along the churchyard wall at Meeth.
Here, today in Dolton, we find exactly the same thing. One wonders
if the church, always the ‘centre’ of a village and which naturally
drew the people to it did not also ‘draw’ the country inns as well.
Whatever the case, Philip would have found one here in 1730,
though he might not have had the money to visit it.
The church tower, which dominates the village can be seen a mere
stone’s thrown from the Royal Oak Inn at Dolton. The only building
between it and the church is the old village school.
66
In this woodcot of 1750 two local workers carry the pigs swill from the Inn towards the farmyard. The church tower can be clearly seen on the left.

Dolton Church from the churchyard gate.
Dolton’s Norman church of St Edmunds was first refered to
in 1279 and it is thought that before this a Saxon, probably
wooden, religious building was on this site. However,
Edmund of Mercia died in battle against the Danes in 870 and
became the patron saint of England. It is to him that this
church is dedicated. Later the Normans changed most of
Englands churches dedicated to St Edmund to St George and
made St George: “of England”, thus replacing St Edmund.
Thus, reason tells us that it is most likely that a substantial
Saxon building was here well before the Norman church and
for this reason the dedication to St Edmund was left in place.
There is a further compelling reason for this and it is in the
shape of the most unusual carved Celtic font.
In 1734, a relatively quite year in England’s history, the
JOHNS and MADGE families agreed to be joined in
marriage. It is probable that the reasoning behind this decision
was two fold, apart from wanting to marry that is!
The country was stable with food prices remaining at the same
level for years. The second was that the Johns family had
lands at Langtree (is this where Langtree Farm came into the
Madge family from?) and could give the wedding pair a good
start in their married lives.
So the family agreements had been made and the vicar
Samuel Ley, would have taken them through all the trappings
of the church mysterious concerning their future and the
future of their children, to be.
On their day the church would have been full of both families,
the Johns from Langtree and the Madge families from Dolton
and Meeth with their friends from all these villages.
The inside of the church would have been the same, except
with washed and painted walls and wild flowers adorning the
pew ends and the alter rail.
67

The way up to the alter rail would have
been followed by Philip with his elder
brother and bestman John Madge to
guide him treading their lonely path
before the bride arrived. Then Elizabeth
on her father’s arm would have moved
serinely past past the congregation
before joining Philip at the alter rail.
This was before the organ was installed
above the choir stalls so many more
choristers would have been in church to
sing the ‘truimphal entrance’ for
Elizabeth on her wedding day.
It is interesting to note the two large
panels either side of the end memorial
window containing the Ten
Commandments from Exodus 3:14.
Although these panels are probably of
the Victorian era it is thought, from the
paintings uncovered on these walls
above the alter, that they replaced wall
paintings depicting the same Bible
reference as the panels now show. Thus
Elizabeth and Philip as they met at the
alter would have been reminded of their
ecclesiastical duties.
Although it is not
really appropriate to
move straight from
the wedding to the
christening of their
children, it is felt
time will mitigate.
This wonderful font,
with no other known
to be simular held the
holy water for: Mary
21st Dec1735, Philip
31st Aug 1737,
Elizabeth 10th Feb
1745, Walter 23rd
Feb 1745, William
15th Apr 1752 and
Sarah 5th May 1754.
All were born in
Dolton and these
dates are those of
their christening.
The upper stone of the font has been
inverted to provide a larger area for the base;
thus the designs are shown upside down.
Most intriguing is the human face, or mask,
on this the southern side. It is thought to
depict the Spirit of Death with each breath
terminating in a dragon shape. The west side
has two dragons biting interlaced, crossed
wings and tails. East has two lizard like
dragons, with the north showing interlocked
circles found elsewhere in England but of
Latin origin.
The next few years would have been critical for our young
family and one wonders if the ‘firm footing’ gained by Philip
marrying into the more wealthy Johns family of Langtree was
the foot on the rung that started our social climb.
The Johns were known to be farming on a number of tracts of
land just five miles to the northwest of Dolton. They included
Langtree Week and Stowford farms.
The Countryman’s heritage.
68
At Cressy and Poitiers of old
his ancestors were bowmen bold,
Where good yew bows and sinews
strong
Drew arrows of a cloth-yard long;
For England’s glory, strew’d the
plain
With baron, counts and princes
slain.
Toll roads were common
place, but the Yeoman
paid the tolls.
Most Parishes charged tolls on all the roads that passed through their
lands. The Parish, after all had to provide the money, workmen and
materials that was put into their highways. This was soon to change
when the ‘gentry’ saw the turnpikes as a good sourse of revenue.

Sheep dominated the
countryside, the work of the
farmers and the lives of very
nearly everyone in the
village.
It was not until 1750 that
selective breeding was
discovered as a way to
improve stock. So all the
Dolton ewes would have
been Dartmoor sheep, Devon
Long wools, or Exmoor horn.
All produced long wool for
serge. These breeds were
hardy, able to live in
marginal regions and thrived
on poor the grass. Wool was
of good quality and the meat
palateable and well regarded.
Most of the farm’s money
was made from wool. It is
probable that the boys of
Philip’s family learnt early.
There are two rows of lovely
cob cottages in Dolton.
Probably built at about this
time, the 1730’s so could
have housed our family. But
it is felt unlikely as they
were recent arrivials in the
village and these ‘grand’ cob
built cottages would have
been too far up market for
them. Especially as Philip
arrived as an untried farm
worker, without, as far as we
can tell, any real skill.
Later with his children it is
possible that they lived here,
but only if he had become
part of the farmer’s senior
working staff, able to
supervise the work of others.
69

Dolton church from the southeast with the mid-morning sun shining down The huge yew tree on the left casts its ancient shadow onto the church
as a reminder of times gone by. All our family, Philip with Elizabeth and their children would have walked in this churchyard and sheltered from sun
and rain beneath this very yew tree.
Yew trees have been in our churchyards for many
hundreds of years. What may not be known is that they
were first planted by the Anglo-Saxons as landmark
trees for the Hundred (episcopal) Courts. Frequently
these landmark trees were Yew, evergrees, which show
up well in winter, and as it is a hardwood tree it is not
readily cut down. They were ‘meeting place’ marks for
the christian communities well before the fine, bold
Celtic Crosses graced the landscape.
Today’s church is dedicated to St Edmond and
unfortunately with the vast amounts of wool money
generated by the farmers most of the church has, from
time to time been rebuilt.
I can be clearly seen that the two smaller side chapels
are much older that the central nave which was
exstensively rebuilt in 1848; but the tower as it was built
with standing both time and merchants. It is Norman.
Times would not have been easy for Philip and his
family, despite them being in a sheep ’rich’ area.
Although with his parents nearby and able to provide
support times were gradually getting harder as the
century drew on towards the 20’s. The first quarter, the
booming years of this century were coming to an end
and although village and farm life was still prosperous
the signs were probably showing leaner times to come.
But it is an interesting fact that between 1710 and 1750
bread prices remained static throughout the country.
Even though wars were raging throughout Europe and
major common land enclosures still continued to
oppress local farm workers.
70

1715. Government Public Spending @
7% of GNP.
1715-16. Mar's rising in Scotland
against the Hanoverian succession.
1715. First newspaper, the Daily
Courant.
1716. MPs seats for 7 years.
Most seats were 'fixed' well before each
Election by and between the main
Political (Whigs/Tories) parties.
1718-19. Outbreaks of Typhus &
Malaria in England.
1718. 1,500 Customs Officers in Port
of London alone.
1719. First Silk Throwing mill built in
England.
1720. South Sea Bubble.
115,000 Catholics in England. (69,000
in 1780).
1720. Last major Plague outbreak.
1720-40. Land enclosures by 'Gentry'
causes major hardship to commoners.
1720-40 Rise of the Industrial 'Middle
Classes' who wished to have a 'say' in
Parliament. Devonshire pop. 125,000.
Although the enclosurers were causing pain and anguish in the countryside, there was far
greater turmoil being caused to the populas by the introduction of factories and mills.
These would upset all walks of life right through to modern times. The first Mill built was in
Derby, for silk. The Mill was copied from one built in Italy a few years earlier. It is one of the first
occurrences of Industrial fraud. Within the next decade Mills would be built in every county.
1726. East India Company granted a
Charter for Madras, Bombay and
Calcutta.
1727-32. Typhus & Malaria.
1727-60 George II reigns.
1727. Methodist Church founded.
1728. Exeter known as: “Citie of
Exon”.
1730-40. Cost of living stagnant. Bad
for Farmers. Farm innovations start.
Lime & Seaweed used on field. Use of
dung now 'widespread'. Turnip,s fed to
cattle introduced
1730. “Rule Britannia” written.
C a p t a i n
Henry Madge,
(1776-1850)
19th Foot,
knew &
fought in
India, Celyon,
Reunion Isle
& Mauritius.
1730. Thomas Corham funds the “Foundling
Hospitals”. Founded to keep children out of the
Workhouses.
1731. Pop 5.263m. (Same as 1650).
1732. George Washington born.
1733. Kay's Flying Shuttle introduced
Industrialism.
1737. Queen Caroline (George ll wife) dies.
1739. War with Spain. Porto Bello captured.
1740. Half of Devon's Parsons were non-resident.
The economy starts to grow, slowly.
1740-50's. Turnpike riots over road charges.
Gates torn down etc..
1741. Foundation stone for Devon & Exeter
Hospital laid.
1740-76. Riots (in cities) about every 5 to 8 years.
In the towns these riots were mainly caused by
bread & food prices.
House maids living in paid, just £3 a year.
In the country; Sheep shearing rewards included:
cakes, ale & jollifications!
This is Ashburton Church on the southern side of Dartmoor. Founded in 820AD when
a wooden Saxon church was built. This lovely stone building was founded in 1137 by
William de Pomeroy. In 1740 a survey showed that half Devon’s Parsons were
absent, merely taking the “living”, but not earning it. This church then had a Curate
named Stephen Madge (1700-1782). The Grandfather to Henry Madge, above.
71

Devon’s red soil underpins very nearly everything that grows here.
It seems strange that even with the most sheep of any 18th century
county, there is little or no folklore about shepherds and their flocks.
But the Devonshire shephard was rarely away with his sheep for any
length of time and although they had dogs, these were not used to
round up the sheep until 200 years later. It also tended to be “flockowners”
with sheep helpers rather than shepherds. Thus Philip, by
this time would have become a general assistant on all aspect of
farming rather than just working with the woolies.
The farmyard of 1750 above shows a number of interesting things.
The wooden barns would be the same as those in our area of Dolton
as the heavily wooded Torridge valley could have provided all the
timber.
A labourer’s cott can be seen on the right.
The turkey is striking, but not the bird for christmas as this did not
become ‘traditional’ until Victorian times.
The double hay ricks on the left look well trimmed and they are. The
hay knife, a huge steel blade, 12” deep, 42” long with a cross handle
at one end, its 14” allowing a double handed action was used daily to
cut the feed ready for the animals. The farmer’s heavy coat is practical
too.
A ruse of the wild moor is shown to the right.
If foxes were persistantly worrying the sheep, especially at lambing
time, a barren ewe was secured to a wheel which was hoisted on a
pole,as shown. The pit deep dug at the base of the pole, covered with
branches and bracken would trap an unwary fox attracted by the
plaintive bleats of the ewe.
72

Woodtown Farm, Addisford Road, Dolton
After centuries of knowing very little about our bygone
ancestors now, around the mid 1750s we have just a tiny
piece of aural information that gives us someting to work
on.
During my first and subsequent visits to Dolton I had a
series of long chats to Winifred Ward (nee Madge) who
was born in 1913 whose father had farmed there. Between
us we managed to piece together her and probably, our,
family. There are three farms in Dolton all of which have
had Madge owners or tenents over the past 300 years.
The first is Woodtown farm on Addisford road, just outside
the village. As can be seen this is a cob farmhouse of some
age. The left half had just been completed when I took the
photograph, but the old part on the right has been lived in
for many hundreds of years. The massive chimney also
gives a clue to what was there before this building.
Probably a Manor.
Although it is known that Madge’s lived and worked this
farm many moons ago and that they were here at the time
that Philip and his family were working in the fields about
Dolton, unfortunately confirmation has not been forth
coming. So Woodtown farm was definitely a Madge farm
but it is, regretably, not known which Madge nor when
they were there.
This farmhouse to the right is Winifred’s (Winnie’s) own
farm, left to her as the only child of William (Bill, b.1885)
and Maud (nee Cox) Madge in the 1958, soon after Bill
died. Winnie kept it going so that her Mother (1887-1957)
could live out the rest of her life here, selling it soon after
she passed away. Winnie recalled the ‘dark days’ of
working there through all her childhood and it was only the
second World War that enabled her to escape into the RAF
serving her country as a Cook for five years of war.
The farm, by Bill’s days was small, only a few acres of:
“Rock Farm it was called and rock made up most of its
soil”; so I was told. The small farmhouse is in fact an early
two up, two down farm worker’s cottage and was probably
part of an estate before the Madge families started farming
it a couple of centuries before. Our family was known in
Dolton before 1700.
Flailing the corn to remove the ears
from the chaff. Flailing, a Saxon
word, is a hard, monotonous task.
Philip would have done this every
autumn.
Rock Farm is to the northwest of Dolton down into a steep valley, which is
rather dark and foreboding.
73

This is Dolton with the church in the bottom right hand corner, showing land to the west noeth west of the village. This is where rock farm was
located, its only Rock Cottage now, in the bottom of the wooded valley above and to the left of the houses.
The church lovely porch with its lancet door frame and small simular windows has seen the village
comings and goings for at least eight hundred years. Fortunately it was not one of the parts of the
church ‘restored’ by the Victorians. So the Dolton Madge families would have gathered here to
attend church on most Sundays of the year. Philip his wife Sarah with their children, Sarah, Anne,
Elizabeth, John, Philip and Walter would have followed on this age old tradition. We know that
they arrived in Dolton in 1694 so that Philip could get farm work and presumably so that his older
children would be brought up in the traditions of sheep farming from a fairly early age.
Although schools were not something readily
found in country villages, a place of schooling
was founded at about this time. Without a proper
school hall the church rooms would be used for
the children. The priest Samuel Ley, is the likely
instigator behind this.
It would have been his wife, one of the few
woman to have an education in Dolton then, who
would have taken on teaching the children.
Although this is really ’guess work’, something
like this must have happened about this time to
spark the beginings of the rise in the Madge
families fortunes.
Dolton School is entered from the village
square outside the public house. Below, the
church side overlooks the churchyard.
The porch of Dolton church is quite
early, probably late Norman, and most
unusually built with a variety of local
and non-indigenous stones. The slate
roof is also unusual being set in the
continental style of the Low Countries.
These schools, 18th century, were known as ‘Dames Schools” as only
women could teach. The sketch on the left shows such a schoolroom.
74

This is Langham Farm, abouit a mile to the southwest of Dolton..
This is Langham Farm, southwest of Dolton
(marked 2 on the map to the right).
This was a Madge farm as well and until quite
recently too. William John (1930-87) Madge and
his wife Evelyn Margaret (1930-85) farmed this
land for some 30 years, and were the last of our
family to till the sod here. They are both buried in
the Langham Chapel churchyard at the crossroads
marked 4.
Regretably, it is not known who was the first
Madge to farm these lands, but like Rock farm the
Dolton Madge’s have worked the soil here abouts
for centuries.
Woodtown farm is marked 1 on the map.
Of the three farms known to be farmed by Madge
families, this is the one with the better land and
soil, and has by far the oldest farmhouse.
3
Rock farm is number 1 to the right.
The farm house is sited just to the south of the road,
the other side to the stream and a little way into the
green, wooded area shown. It has the smallest
farmhouse and easily the poorest soil. This has a
high stone content with outcrops of bedrock
showing where the flooding stream has washed
away the top soil.
2
4
1
The fields to the northeast of Dolton village. Philip, his sons and probably the girls as well, would have walked and worked these very fields.
75

In every village throughout England of the 1750’s there
were always a number of most interesting places for
children to go, if they had the time between errands. One
was to watch the Farrier at work shoeing horses and oxen.
The horses mainly for the Yeoman and the oxen for the
farmers and the plough.
The most exciting part of this was always the furnace.
Sometimes, to be asked to pump the bellows by hand
when the new horseshoe was in the fire starting to go red.
Then, with the increased air from the bellows fanning the
flames sparks would start to fly from the shoe as its
colour passed from red to a orange, reddish white
showing it was ready for the farrier.
But next came one of the ‘ugliest’ smells the country
manages to produce. This is made when the very hot shoe
is offered up so that it can be:”sized to the hoof”, of the
horse. As the shoe touches the hoof it burns giving off a
grey/white smoke the smell of which is arid, pungent,
slightly nauseating and down right objectionable. But this
has to be and into the furnace the shoe goes again prior to
the ferrier’s hammering magic’s after which the shoe now
the correct size fits only this horse. Still three shoes to go!
The Farrier at work with a Yeoman’s horse.
Devon Yeoman were know as “Master” to his workers and as a man had his:
“Plough horses used as coach horses when needed”.
Just down the road from the farrier was the blacksmith
with up to four assistants, all of whom have completed a
full apprentiships of up to seven years in length.
Something every father was well aware of as it would
provide good steady life time employment for a son who
showed a leaning in that direction.
It was still about one hundred years before the tasks of
Farrier and Blacksmith would be combined as the
countryside iron work gradually dimenished with the
industrial revolution.
It was still a time when everything of iron could be both
made and repaired by the village blacksmith. Indeed it
was the country smiths that were at the forefront of farm
impliment design and advancement.
Over the next 100 years it would be the blacksmiths with
their ‘hands-on’ knowledge of working iron for the fields
that would advance farming practices, increase yealds
and, regretably in the eyes of the farm workers gradually
reduce the Yeoman’s reliance on his hard working
agricultural labourers.
In 1749 the Mayor of Exeter was a Thomas Heath who
was made ‘infamous’ by the following ryme published in
a street broadsheet:
On Saturday sell gin to all,
Preaches Sunday,
And on Monday sits in judgment in the Hall,
Inflicts the fines for fight and fray;
Caused by the gin of Saturday!
There would certainly be gin available during a village
street race shown on the right.
The Madge children would be gradually growing up and
helping more, initially in the house, and then out doors to
the pastures. Their father with the boys taking them out to
the fields as he went to work. Young Philip was 13 now.
While the older girls would normally work at home but
had be taught what to do in the summer so that they could
help with getting in the harvest and assisting with the hay
making. Mary was 15 by now. Her mother Elizabeth had
been brought up on a farm so would know all about the
outside work as well as her duties in the house with the
children. Her cottage vegetable plot and their livestock
would be excellent too given her ‘earthy’ background.
76

Autumn mists form along the Torridge valley in the early evening twlight. Here is most of the land of central North Devon that our ancestors
walked, worked and lived off for the first 300 years of our knowledge of their movements.
1745. Young Pretenders (Jacobites) uprising. Ends defeated at
Culloden. 40,000 Highlanders emigrate to North America.
1746. Adam Smith's “Wealth of Nations”. Drives UK into the
future wealth, lead by the Scots economy.
1748. Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
1749 Bow Street Runners founded.
1750-7. Hargreaves designs his jenny
1750. Travel for travel's sake starts.
1750. Only 12 Banks in England. Friendly Society's founded (And
by 1800 there were 600,000 members)
1750. 143 Turnpikes completed between major cities; 3.400 miles
1750's. Ensign Commission cost £400. Lt Col. £3,500. A carter
earns 8s or 9s a week, just £26.8s a year.
1750. Peers now built the Turnpikes, using Parish Poor for Labour.
The Church is known as “Good, Dull & Decent”. Canterbury
cathedral Revenue is £7000 annually.
1751. England’s Population is 5.773m
Hargreave’s Spining Jenny was the start of the change: ‘forever’
and for everyone..
A Social comentator of the time noted:
Inequality expressed itself in contrasts that started with chances of
life and death and extended through work, diet, clothes and shelter
to education and taste. These contrasts were obvious enough, even
on the surface. One of the most obvious was that the 'gentilitie' ate
wheaten bread: 'their household and poor neighbours rye or barley
bread, and in time of dearth bread made. . . of beans, peas or oats'.
Clothes were another obvious contrast, with the best wool, fine linen
and silk at one end of the scale, with leather and rags at the other:
this, too, in an age when bright clothes were particularly prized. The
differences were there too, in hours of eating. The gentry, dined and
supped earlier than the merchants, and the husbandmen dined 'at
high noon as they call it' and 'supped at seven or eight'. As for the
poorest they generally dine and sup when they may, or indeed could,
had they the food. One of the courtiers of the time was struck by the
contrast between English labourers' 'large diet' and their houses
'made of sticks and durte'. When almost every village man was 'a
builder’ by necessity.
Incidently, it is to the builders of this period that we owe some of our
most characteristic English domestic buildings.
77

Dogs were set on the beggers. These are 18th century woodcuts
showing aspects of the poor, then.
Some tried what they could to ern a crust of two.
This was not the time to be poor or without
a little land. Parishes would drive nonparishioners
away so the their money
would not be used on the poor drifters.
From pillar to post,
The poor man is tossed,
I mean the labouring man,
I mean the ploughman,
I mean the handycraftman,
I mean the victualling man
And also the good yeoman.
The underlying problem was the
Enclosure of Lands which came to a head
in the 1760’s. Then, nearly a third of the
farming labour force left the countryside
for good.
They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal a goose from off the common;
But leave the greater criminal loose
That steals the common from the goose.
In Devon bridges like the one above, made from a trimmed fallen bough were called
‘Clams’. Bearu (o.f) or Beer (o.e) is a grove or stand of trees. This made little difference to
the poor that travelled the countryside looking for work or food.
The Enclosure Acts were all individually put before Parliment and ‘voted’
on. So the very people, the M Ps, who could have done something, anything,
about the plight of the farm worker sided with the traditional land owners
whose lawyers made sure that all untitled land, including the “Country
Commons”, became the legal property of the large landowners. Thus vast
with huge swathes of England’s agricultural lands was gifted to the landed
gentry.
The common man had no ‘written rights’ and the 18th century lawyers made
sure nothing remained for him after the Enclosures.
There had been strains on the community long before these enclosures with
complete villages deserted through lack of work. It was the small landowner
(two thirds of the population owned less that fifty acres) who virtually
disappeared as a group within sixty or seventy years, becoming instead rural
labourers, framework knitters or paupers. In 1754 Parish local poor rate
expenditures amounted to about 3%: But by 1802 they amounted to nearly
20%. In many parts of Devon magistrates decided to grant outdoor relief
allowances to the poor when bad harvests led to soaring wheat prices, and
preparing formal scales of wage support for periods of distress. But the 'local
solution' for most communities resulted in building the "Workhouse" thereby
enforcing labour on the able-bodied poor. This meant that the age old "Poor
Relief" for the farm workers, poor harvests and bad inflation supplements,
still encouraged them to remain working on the land. This, regrettably, was
progressively changed into general work related activities with the
introduction of the workhouses. This was to gradually removed the semiskilled
labour from the land and placed it 'in the Parish', bringing all the poor
down to the lowest work level. Skills were therefore gradually lost.
The village Workhouse.
78

The Parish Workhouse had existed since 1723 and by 1770’s there
were almost 2,000, each usually with twenty-five to thirty inmates.
Later a further Act permitted parishes to combine “into unions” to
deal with their poor law problems. Such changes, often supported by
humanitarians and largely ignored by the Church, ushered in the
final demise of the acceptable and workable 'old poor laws'. Against
this background of increased rural poverty, it is not surprising that a
secular leader with a spiritual mission to the poor emerged showing
a new religious attitude condemning contemporary morality and
materialism. The Evangelical movement developed new attitudes
within the Church of England and condemned their own churchmen
for their apathy and complacency towards the poor.
In 1738 John Wesley followed a mission to champion the poor and
to convert the people to Methodists.
Methodists pursued their religion as fervently as those they were
criticizing pursued profit, power or pleasure. Men and women, high
as well as low, bishops as well as squires, had to be spiritually saved
as well as 'converted' into thinking equal of all people.
John Wesley preaching in a Methodist Chapel. From this time
onwards most of the country Madge families became Methodists.
Our family must have been fortunate
during this period. Probably the marriage
connection to the Johns family who still
possessed good farming land despite the
ravages of the Enclosure Acts with the
eager ministrations of the lawyers, helped.
“You must eat within your tether”.
The cottage to the right is one in Devon
showing a combination of buildings, both
domestic and farm.
Mary the eldest daughter would be ‘of age’
now had not the Hardwicke Marriage Act
become law. All females then had to wait
until they were 21 before nuptials.
Philip would be raising 17 and have been
hard at work in the fields with his father
earning a full wage. Even his brother
Walter at 10 years would have been
earning his keep for nearly five years,
inside and out.
Both Mary (20) and her sister Elizabeth
(15) would be of great help to their mother
Elizabeth in the house and outside with the
small home plot and animals. Though
possibly, they may have become servants.
The building of the canals linking industry to raw materials changed tnot only the landscape, but also methods of transport and the way
manufacturing was undertaken.
1754. Railways (but not Locos) laid down at Bath.
1755-63. The Seven Years' war.
1756. Adm Byng 'abandons' Minorica.
1757. Conquest of India by Clive.
Law of “False Pretence” passed. Canal building started.
1758. Price of Corn sent up by “Ingrossers” (middlemen).
1750’s. Sausages and 'rasures' of bacon regularly eaten.
1759. Wolfe dies taking Victory at Quebec.
Adm Hawkes' victory at Quibern Bay.
Eddystone Lighthouse, is built by Smeeton.
1760. 5m lbs of sugar consumed.
1760-1820. George lll: The Farmer King.
79

1759-70. Factory System introduced in the Mills. 24 hr working with 13
hour shifts. Labour leaves the country in thousands. Housing also given to
the shift workers where all the family are offered factory jobs. Theatres built
in all major cities. Major growth in science and literacy.
1759-71. First Canal opened (10 miles long; started in 1757) This started the
transport revolution (as further canals were completed, countrywide) which
greatly reduced the cost of transported goods.
1762. Poor year. Very hard frosts 62/63 winter.
1763. Bad Harvest. National debt £130m. Smuggling was with Tea,
Tobacco, silks, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, candles, leather, salt and soap +
brandy etc.
1764. Average village had: 2 Pubs, general store, Builder, Shoemaker,
Chandler, B'smith, weaver, wheelwright & Barber/Doctor. The Fish and
other merchants travelled by road as did the Masons, Bricklayers and
seasonal workers.
1765. All coastal areas smuggling was a recognised 'way of life'. Don't go to
your church vicar, its full of contraband, was a common call. The church
was often the initial stowage area for the smuggled goods!
The country cobbler was very much a part of village life.
Philip’s age was now over 70 and it is hoped that he was able to take
life a little easier. Young Philip would be his own man by now,
employed in his own right as a skilled farm hand. This would also
be true of Walter, aged 20. However, both William, 13 years and
Sarah aged 10 would still be part of the, or a household, working
long hours everyday, already.
The eldest son, Philip was probably practicing making moon eyes at
the girls trying to find the right one to marry. But it was a time of
rare opportunities as work in the fields was undertaken from dawn
to dusk six days a week, so Sunday became much more important.
The church ‘parade’ prior to the Sunday Service was seen as part of
the rigmarole of Sundays. This is when the young men could cast
their eyes over the spinsters walking ahead of them trying to
workout who was who and therefore who was unmarried, though it
is doubted the curate would agree with such goings on!
It would be nice to think that this sort of fine day greeted Philip and his bride to be, Mary, when they made their separate ways to Dolton church for
their wedding. Both were born exactly 200 years before the author arrived in this world.
80

, We know less about young Philip’s wife than
we do about his mother Elizabeth (nee Johns).
Mary Heaman (the most likely surname as
there were then other Heaman in Dolton), but
it could be Hayman, was born in Dolton and
attended this church with her parents all her
young life. Her brow had felt the holy water
from the Celtic carved granite font, early in
her life. The curate for their wedding service
was Thomas Slatern and it would have been
him who insisted they attend the pre-wedding
religious teachings necessary in these days
prior to the wedding day.
Mary would have been attended and escorted
to the wedding by her father. Philip’s best
man was Walter his younger brother who was
already courting. Philip’s Mother with her
husband would have been joined by members
of the Johns family from Langtree supporting
them for the service and celebrations. Philip’s
youngest sister, Sarah at the age of 12 would
still be young enough to bring a rye smile to
the lips of the guests.
This grand picture depicts a country wedding feast, probably set in a local hostelry, well underway. The fiddlers providing the music for the
dancing. All the elidgable batchulors are seated at the table with the remains of the feast. They are being ‘eyed’ by the single women who are
hoping for a dance. Times have hardly changed. But Philip and his bride Mary would have a good sent off.
1763. Servant's Riots against the “vail” (tip) abolishment.
(Approx 600,000 to 700,000 servants making them the largest
single group in employment).
1764. Food riots in Exeter
1765. Watt Steam engine invented (1763-5). Watt/Boulton
partnership for manufacturing Watt's inventions. Factory built in
Birmingham. Steam gradually takes the place of waterpower.
England Pop 7m.
1765. Stamp Act passed attempts to make the American
Colonists self-financing.
1768-79. Libraries founded in all major cities.
Servants were the
next segment of
society ‘done down’
by Parliament.
First their “vail’ was
removed, then their
method of
employment was
changed so that
they had to ‘regain’
their position every
year.
A Servant’s Fair where ones employment was
hopefully honoured and renewed.
81

Much was happening across
the country in the 1760-70’s
that not one part was
unaffected by the Enclosures
Acts, the Servants Act and
the demise of the old “work
with Poor Relief”. Each
caused in their own
unfeeling ways, unemployed
to fed the Industrial
Revolution.
1750-1830 Cottagers were
half farm labourer and half
tradesman. Children worked
from age 7 as servants or to
work on the land.
1750 The first Shops started
to open for trade.
1 in 5 families got 'Poor
Relief'.
1759 to 70. The Factory System introduced with the Mills. 24 hr working with 13 hour shifts. Labour leaves the
country in thousands. Housing also given to the shift workers where all the family are offered factory jobs.
1750-1800. Population doubled to over 11m. Imports £6m exports
£6.5m. National debt £14.2m. Land Tax still main Tax: up to 20%
and obtained £4.3m.
Silk & Calico imports banned.
The Georgian Period saw unparallel urban reconstruction.
Theatres built in all major cities.
Major growth in science and literacy.
Newgate Prison begun.
6.4m tons coal mined.
Ceramic replaced pewter; metal knives/forkes replaced wooden.
But antiques went unwanted.
Vast ranges of fabrics & drapes available. Artisans joined the
'middle class'.
Turner’s view of the Industrial Revolution.
1770 By this date Devon's Wool manufacturing/weaving was
virtually finished.
Major changes had to be made, but few manufactures survived.
By 1770, 500 Turnpikes were completed with 15,000 miles of roads.
The 'way-warden' (the old Parish road menders) always took the stone
to repair certain Devonshires Dartmoor roads from a stream, some
miles away.
When the “enlightened” man appeared they were told to gain stone
from nearby and a new local quarry started blasting rock. This stone
was then used for all the local moorland roads. Within twelve months
most of the roads had completely disappeared; sunk into the peat bog.
The sharp granite chips had cut their way through the peat and the
road slide its way to the bottom of the bog.
82
“An Estate is but a pond, but a trade is a spring.”
This was a saying coined in the 18th century to
encapsulate the “dying” of yesteryear with its basic
rural economy and the “dawning” of the bright new
Industrial Age.
This led to some other more familiar, almost modern
comments on the late 1700’s:
Sanitation is still 'terrible'. No baths.
Even the 'country poor' had to have chintz, straw hats
and cloaks.
But good housekeeping with house cleaning/washing
is still done twice a week.
Those who were unable to leave the land had to make
do. So, as they had always done, complete families left
home every morning for the fields. Here grandfather,
grandmother, son with his wife and their son all make
their way out for a day’s work, at dawn.This is exactly
what Philip, Sarah, young Philip, Elizabeth and their
youngest, Walter would have done in 1770.

Wiith the poassing of the years and the marriage of the children,
Philip and his wife Elizabeth gradually let the younger generation
take up the reins.
Young Philip was already married and their first child, John was
born in March 1767 and baptised in the same month.
The birth of the first grandchild is always a joyous occassion for both
the parents and the grand parents. The latter probably viewed little
John with love and affection, but from the angle of limited
responsibility.
And after six children of their own with justification, too.
Their two youngest children, Walter who would not marry for
another 8 years and Sarah well below marrying age still needed to be
looked after. Thus, it would have been Walter who had to be the
bread winner now.
It is probable that Walter remained at home, earning, until he
married in 1776 as his father would have been too old to work the
required dawn to dusk hours in the fields.
As Devon’s wool
industry declined
woollen shrouds
and cloaks were
introduced to boost
trade.
The sketch above
show a Country
woman in such a
cloak of 1777.
This loyalty plague was
commissioned to afirm the support
given by Dolton to the new King,
King George. It has been in place
high on the church wall for well
over 200 years.
On the 7th March 1774 grandfather Philip finally said his farewells
to this world. He had lived for 83 years, across the reigns of five
monarchs, through turbalent changing times but had brought his
family through it all. He would find his final resting place in the
cemetery at Dolton Church (3) where, some twenty two years later
(1796) his wife Elizabeth would join him, aged 86 years.
5
2
This was a sad prelude to the marriage of William their youngest
son, to Joanna Haywood on the 8th April 1776. It is presumed that
William’s elder brother Walter, now aged 31 and probably married
himself (but we do not actually know), was the best man for his
‘baby’ brother. 1
There is a wonderful parallel here seperated by 250 years when the
Madge family joined with the Haywoods once more. This time it was
a Madge girl and a Haywood farmer of Ashreigney (2).
3
6
4
With the passing of the senior generation, Philip and Elizabeth and
most of their children left Dolton to work in Dowland (1) and on
farms beyond Dolton. Future Madges would farm at Ash Reigney (2)
and Beaford (5) while the village name of Paddon (4) is worth noting
for the future. Winkleigh (6) was also well know as the working
village to Humphery and Phillipa a hundred years previously.
The tiny village, of Paddon (4), has real significance to all the future
generations of the Madge families of Exbourne in the next century.
A house servant, Mary Louisa Paddon would enter the lives of the
Madges of the Townsend Farm household in 100 years time and
completely change the course of the family.
83

.
St. Peter’s church,
Dowland.
This lovely church is well worth a visit if only to see the rather old bench ends. One is
known to date from the 1540’s with subjects of the Keys of St Peter and Malchus’s
ear. The wonderful “Wagon-roof” ceilings are also very old and well preserved.
84

CHAPTER 6
The Madge Families of Devon
1776 to 1810. Philip and Mary (Nee Heaman) at Dolton then Meeth and back to Dolton.
We have another of those lovely little mysteries found when
tracing families through periods of intermittant records. It would
appear from the birth and christening information for Philip and
Mary’s first child, John, that at some time soon after their wedding the
young newly weds moved to Meeth. This move was in the late 1760’s
well before John was born there. The Madge families farming in
Meeth during these years were at Stockley, Stockleigh Barton, Friars
Hele and Great Upcott but unfortunately we have no way of verifying
where the father, Philip was working.
It could well have been because Philip was offered work on one of the
cousin’s farms in here. But this was only for a few years as the two
girls, Mary and Betty, were born and baptised in Dolton.
Meeth Church
and its lovely
font. Here John
was christened.
1776 Philip’s two young brothers, Walter and Willaim,
travelled to Dowland for William’s wedding to Joanna
Haywood.
Here the young couple would live, work and in the end
find their own resting places in the churchyard. William
died aged 82.
We also know that the youngest in the family, Sarah was
married too. She took John Pitman as her husband in
December 1788 marrying at the church in Dolton.
They would spend their lives in Dolton Parish but their
final years and their places of rest are unfortunately,
unknown.
This lovely church of St Peter at Dowland is listed as small and neglected;
therefore unspoilt by our Victorian forefathers. It was here that the family
baby, Sarah Madge married beau, John Pitman.
The village of Dowland (2) is
less than two miles south of
Dolton (1).
The madge farms around
Meeth during this period
were:
Stockleigh Barton (3)
Stockey (4)
Upcott farm (5)
Frair’s Hele (6)
It would be nearly one
hundred years before the
railway would come to North
Devon. The Meeth branch
line would last for a mere 90.
The rail tracks split the farm
lands of both Frairs Hele’s
land to the south of Meeth
and Stockleigh Barton to the
north.
Even now the real ale at the
pub in Iddesleigh (7) should
not be missed.
3
4
6
7
2
1
5
85

With Philip and Elizabeth Madge, finally saying goodbye to this
world, their children continue our journey through time. It would be
these children that would change the fortunes of our Madge’s for the
next few generations. Then, the sad demise of a young Mother would
cause the family to split; half to travel the world while the others
remained in Devon’s welcoming valleys.
But before this will happen Philip and Mary have children of their
own. The first John, born in Meeth, March 1767 and was christened
in the same month. His parents moved to Meeth for a few years to
work on the farm of one of Philip’s cousins. After this brief interlude
I believe that Philip and Mary travelled back across the Torridge to
work in Dolton, probably living and working Woodtown Farm. It
would have been only the older part of the building as seen here.
Mary was a local girl and Philip obviously returned to Dolton for
some specific purpose. I believe it to be Woodtown Farm.
With the building of the toll roads the days of the packhorse were
numbered, Devon was the last county to utilise them. Wagons taking
their place. With their success the advent of coach travel arrived.
1770. First road cart. Sledges were used during harvest times.
1772. Seven/Mersey Canal. 1773. Boston Tea Party
1774-9. Compton's Mule.
1774 & 79. John Wesley preaching throughout the West Country
Coach travel costs were about 2d or 3d a mile.)
1775. Start of American war of Independence. Bunker's Hill.
Cumming's Closet.
1776. Parish Poor cost £1.5m (22%). General Vaccinations begin.
1776. Declaration of USA Independence.War of Independence.
1777. Trent/Mersey Canal completed.
1779. Sixty-six French ships attempt to burn Plymouth Docks.
Driven back by Royal Navy.
As an illustration of how removed the Church was from its
congregation, the following is taken from a contemporary
journel.
Families were encouraged to “buy their pew” in their
church, renewing the money paid each year as a mark of
their 'faith'.
It will be remembered that only a very, very few of the
congregation could even afford to put money into a
collection, let alone buy a pew. Because of this the
Collection Plate was seldom passed around. This was done
so as not to 'embarrass' the poorer members of the
congregation who would be unable to make a contribution.
Devon expressions of the time:
A passing visitor mentioned the excellence of the view to a
local farmer. The reply: “Durn the view. I bain't lookin' at
no view. I be lookin' how they dratted rabbits 'as ated up my
turnips.” All early houses/cottages were built as places of
shelter: Never for the view.
Dressing wounds, cuts etc. on the land (1750's): “Washout
with water and then with brandy (rich farmer) or cider
(worker), then dressing, bandage or rag from apparel.
A county lane painted in 1780.
86

1779-1801. Commercial boom.
1780. 79% of Devon Parsons non-resident. Curates took all the
Services with the Parson taking the 'Living'. Sunday schools started.
1780. Election of MPs: only 2 out of the 182 seats were actually
voted for. Audit Commission set up.
1780. Gordon Riots paralazed London for a week. (Pro-Protestant
against the repeal of harsh RC Laws) 290 killed, 25 hanged.
1780's John Palmer invented Mail Coaches.
Farm cottages built at the turn of the century in Brideston. One of
the new Palmer Mail coaches speeds by. The farm cottage gate
scene, right, was painted in 1780 so all clothing is contemporary.
The farm cottage gate. Young John would have been out in the fields
while Mary and Betty were still at home.
The commercial boom of 1779-1801 was good for the farmers and
the countryside in general. Philip and his wife Mary would be
looking after their maturing three children: John born in March
1767, Mary in June 1770 and young Betty in August 1773.
All the three children would be capable of a days work as the
youngest was six years old in 1779.
Richard Owen the Rector would have christen the two girls at
Dolton Church.
Devon dialogue sayings of the time included:
In a Classic broad Devon tongue: “her told she”. “We am” or “Us
be”: or “w'em”. “To” is said for “at”: as, “ her liveth to Meeth”. Or
say “at” for “to”: “I be going at Dolton”.
About the weather: “as 'twere fine, us did'n”.
A pious person says: “ 'us didn't love He, 'twas Him loved we”.
A lady was seen to ‘cross’ herself as she entered church. It was said:
“her were a-spot-in' and stripe-in of 'erself”.
The cows are brought in for milking. The Farm worker’s daughter of
about 8 is helping in this painting of 1800.
The wife died and her exit from this world was said to be: - “Her
went up 'xactly like an angel”.
Devon expressions: Portraits. This was the name by which
paintings AND early photographs were known. In Devonian: “Why,
any blind man could tell 'twere he.”
“Gardens very rude”; untidy.
Hay is old English for a hedge. Thoughtful = cunning.
High minded = pretentious. Patriot = profiteer. Confined = indoors.
Well (old Eng.) = vill (Anglo/Saxon) = Village (today).
1781. Depression year. British troops surrender at Yorktown. Siege
of Gibraltar.
1782. Separation of America from England
1783. Treaty of Paris between England, America, France & Spain.
Government Public Spending @ 16% of GNP.
Montgolfier flies his Balloons.
1784. Window Tax doubled.
1785. The Times newspaper published. Cartwright's power Loom.
1786-7. Parish Poor cost £2m taking nearly 30% of the public
spending. Drinking reaches new heights/lows.
1788. Bramah's Closet. The ‘earth loo’.
1789. French Revolution.
1790. Severn/Thames Canal.
1790. London now has 1m people. The Capital’s “Explosive Riots”
caused £100,000 damage, more than in Paris during the whole
Revolution. Wheat cost 58/- a quarter. Lake District & Welsh
Mountains are now frequented by the holidaying rich.
1790-1800 Most canals completed. George CAYLEY experiments
with Aerofoil/Flight.
1790-1800 . These ten years saw most of Englands ‘early’ canals
completed. Note: 1 horse pulls a 25 ton barge, but it takes 8 horses
to pull a 6 ton cart.
87

88
This is a typical country town scene illustrated in 1790. “Post” coaches with the Royal Mail aboard vie with the stage-coaches packed with
passangers for the next stage of the turnpike. It was the invention by Elliot of the carrage elliptical suspension spring with the flatter, firmer turnpike
roads that made long distance coach travel possible.. This would expand, becoming almost common place for all but the poor, for the next 30
years. Then the railways would hold sway for the next 100.
Servant ‘markets’ were still the way
household and field staff managed to gain
or retain their employment.
Certainly John now aged 21 in 1790 would
have to ask to be retained unless he was
working Woodtown farm. As a mature
farm worker of 21 years John should not
have had any difficulty in remaining at his
place of employment being readily taken
back and signed on by his current employer.
The young girls too, Mary and Betty, would
be looking for or already be on the
employment ladder. Either way both would
have to convince their employers that they
not only worked a good year during the one
gone by, but would strive to do even better
in the months to come.
It was at these servant market fairs that
unscrupulous employers sometimes cut the
next year’s wages knowing that the servant
could not afford to look elsewhere for the
same work.
The social pressures in the country employment markets
placed there by the numbers needed by the booming
Industrial Revolution would by now, be working rather
in favour of the farm workers. During this 50 year
period nearly three quarters of the countryside
workforce left the green hillsides to find better paid, but
only just, work in the smoke of the factories. In a way
Devon was fortunate: Devon weaving had ‘died’ many
years before leaving the land as the major employer. So
with the victualling needs of the expanding Midlands
towns to be gained from the country, the Devon farmers
found themselves happy to re-employ their farm
workers to fulfil this need.
Farm wages became settled at about 14d a day and
workers cottages were gradually being built in order to
retain their farming work force. In the cottages the home
working wives were now gaining 3 to 4 shillings a
week; life at last seemed settled for our farming family.

The new century started well enough with very nearly everything in
the farmer’s garden looking healthy and fit to eat. The economy of
the country was just about flourishing and although the threat of
Napoleon, First Consul in 1799 was there in France, with an
unsettled Ireland the countryside prospects seemed good. Until the
Corn Laws and the riots they brought, arrived.
In reality the rural poor lived in Cottages or shacks made of wattle,
turf and road scrapings which produced a few agate chips to help
cover the mud floors. The rooms were a small 10-12 sq foot without
proper floors and only one other room, a bedroom for all family.
Up to three quarters of the family income went on food and drink.
Their meagre diet consisted mainly of brown bread (the poormans
bread made from buckwheat) & cheese with little of no meat. But
what there was consisted mainly of fat bacon.
This was the time when John was courting the daughter of John
Woolland who was a farmer of land at Exbourne, Inwardsleigh and
Hatherleigh. Mary Woolland was a year younger than John and from
a very well to do family; indeed one of the richest in this part of
Devonshire. We do not have records to confirm this but it would
appear logical that John met his wife to be while working for her
father on one of his farms.
The cottage door, circa 1820.
1800. England’s population 8,664,000. One of every two
children died in youth. Candles were lighting the affluent
while rushlight and starlight the poor.
The National debt = £465m with debt servicing at £9m.
1801. Union with Ireland. Union flag incorporated. First
British Census. Corn Riots, depression. Only 1in10 took
Communion.
1802. Peace with France. Peel introduces the first Factory
Legislation
1803. Parish Poor cost £4.2m. Part of this was monies
paid to 'seasonal workers' that was 'index linked'.
1803. War with France. The General Enclosure Act
makes it much easier for Land owners to enclose the
‘unclaimed’ Common Land.
It was also the time when the association of our Madge
family with the village of Dolton became permanent.
Philip died in May of 1803 and his wife Mary followed in
January 1811. Both are buried in Dolton churchyard, but
regretable I have not been able to find their resting places.
Philip wouls have missed Trafalgar, but Mary his wife
would have seen the beacons burning across Dartmoor
bringing the news of this famous victory.
The nerarest Beacon to Dolton is just up the road at Beaford.
89

The comercial ‘boom’, which included the farming community of
Devon continued until 1811, the year Mary died in Dolton. It was
then replace with ‘bust and boom’ as the Industrial heartland of
England gathered strenght from its products.
John had moved on to Exbourne and this village would be the
home for our family for the next three generations when a split
would be made. But the move from Exbourne would only include
the Madge family from g-g-Father’s first wife,Mary (Nee Ward).
1
2
6
3
4
5
90
The move from Dolton (1) to Exbourne, (or Exbourn (5) as it was spelt
in 1837 when the map was printed) was due south on the road past
Dowland (3), where Aunt Sarah lived, a stop ‘to’ the Duke of York,
Iddesleigh for refreshment, passed Monks Okehampton where Evelyn
Westaway (Nee Madge) was to farm, this all along the Okement river
that leads to Okehampton. Shebbear (6) school will feature, too.

Chapter 7
The Madge Families of Devon.
1802 to 1841 John and Mary (Nee Woolland) Madge at Exbourne.
Exbourne Village.
The move in 1802 by John to this village would make major changes to our family. for the next 100 or so years. Land all round the village, both
sides of the roads, would be farmed by the Madge families.
E
xbourne is listed in the Doomsday Book for Devonshire under two
masters. Baldwin the Sheriff of Okehampton held two thirds of the area
after deposing Aelmer the Saxon, and was taxed to £3 on the land for
11 ploughs with 13 slaves. The remainder was held by Alfred the
Breton who gained it at the expense of Wulfnoth. He had land for 7
ploughs valued for tax at 30 shillings.
In these times most of the farming land was for the plough and cattle.
Sheep, in any numbers, would not be introduced into this area for another
700 years.
The church of St Mary, though elegant and delightful on the eye was not
built until the early 14th century, suggesting that the village of today has
medieval rather than Norman roots.
91

EXBOURNE is a small Devonshire village, five miles north of
0kehampton, twenty-four miles northwest of Exeter and thirty-three miles
north-east of Plymouth. The settlement of the parish lies just to the north
of the main Exeter to Bideford road. The village is situated on a hillside
with a small river, Hole Brook, flowing to the north of the village, and the
larger River Okement flowing along the western boundary. Geologically
the southern part of the village is situated on Bow conglomerates, with
river deposits on either side. The siting of settlements on this type of
geological formation is characteristic of the area to the east, for here the
villages of Sampford Courtenay, North Tawton and Bow are all on small
natural hills of Bow conglomerates soils.
The northern part is largely a mixture of shale and sandstone, a poorish
soil, with the far richer land left by river deposits on either side. Exbourne
is in the hundred of Black Torrington, the union and county court of
Okehampton, the petty sessional division of Hatherleigh, the rural
deanery of Okehampton, the archdeaconry of Totnes in the diocese of
Exeter.
In this photograph all the farms that would be held in Madge hands can
be seen. The outlying Narracott and Lower Narracott to the northeast,
Woodhall northwest, Buskin with the red soil to the south and Townliving
with Townsend farms within the village. Many other properties including
the Red Lion Inn would also pass through Madge ownership.
92
And this is the medieval Church of St Mary probably built in the 14th
century replacing a much earlier place of worship, probably constructed
mainly of wood. There is a wonderful Celtic Cross standing beside the
eastern end of the church reminding one that these granite crosses were
the meeting places of the early christians. The early stone construction
of St Mary’s was of just one roofed aisle leading eastwards from the
tower, so the second aisle, the porch and possibly the sacristy are all
‘late’ (15th or early 16th century) additions.

Although the church is thought to have been built in
the 14th century the likelihood is that it was in being
well before this. It is known that the first rector, a
Norman was “given the living” of Exbourne in 1266.
Exeter Cathedral was built during the 14th century and
at least one of the Exeter masons worked on Exbourne
Church building and carving the wonderful east
window with its three lights. It is early 1300’s, fully
cusped with Dectracery and inside two nook shafts, on
them two little niches for angel figures and then above
the window a large, bold, casped and crocketed ogee
arch. The small chancel north window is of the same
date and just as finely carved and sited.
It is not known if any Madge families were living in or
near Exbourne at this time, but there are records of our
forebears within the Hundred of Black Torrington.
Eight Madge heads of various families were ‘invited’
to swear and then sign their (and therefore their
families) allegiance to King William III.
Bartholomew Madge of Black Torrington, John
Madge, Great Torrington, John Madge of Dolton, John
Madge of Upton Hellions, near Crediton, John Madge
of Crediton, Stephen Madge, Puddington, Walter
Madge Meeth and William Madge of Great
Torrington.
We are fortunate to have this unusual record. All these
forebears were apparently well educated being able to
read and write except for the last, William who was
unable to write, but was thought well enough of to gain
Looking at the alter from the southern aisle of pews, the lovely medieval east
window is clearly visible.
It was probably sometime near
the turn of the century that
John started to get itchy feet in
Dolton. His father would have
already taught him all Philip
knew about farming, thus
preparing John for his future to
a land bound livelihood.
Indeed it may well have been
before this, as John was over
30 years in 1800 and would
have been keeping his eyes
open for farming opportunities
in this part of Devon. It is
known that John Woolland
owned a number of farms in
this area. The main one being
at Inwardleigh a couple of
miles south west of Exbourne.
Probably Philip’s son, as the
eldest of an established farmer
would have been known to the
Woolland family having met
at markets and produce sales.
Mary Woolland was born in
1777 so was 23 years old in
1800:- AND unmarried. As
long as his standing with John
Woolland was high enough,
young John had an
opportunity.
Here is the view Mary and her father John
Woolland would have had as he took the arm of
his daughter Mary on 23rd August 1804,
walking her down the aisle to the Rood screen
where her husband to be, John Madge was
awaiting her. As Mary joined John, leaving her
father at the congregation’s pews, they would
have passed through the screen to stand by the
alter rail where the Rev Finney Belfield was
waiting to commence the wedding ceremony. It
is interesting that the date chosen for the
wedding is August, as this is a rather unusual
month for farmers to select; it being the busiest
time in the farming calendar.
93

Busy time of the year or not this is the path to the church for entry
at the porch John would have walked along with his best man. They
would have been followed a little later by Mary and her father John
Woolland. Most of the ‘well-to-do’ of Exbourne would have
attended the ceremony. John and Mary Madge’s return walk back
down the aisle from the alter passed all their invited guests would
have been one of joy and anticipation. Man and wife, just!
For, as a wedding present it appears that John Woolland generously
gave them the keys to Townliving Farm for as long as they were able
to farm the land and make it profitable.
The memorial cross seen to the left of the gate would not have been
there then as it is for World War I erected in 1919. It shows the name
of their great grandson, Frederick William Paddon Madge who died
on the Somme in 1918.
This is Townliving farm and it was the first Madge Exbourne farm that
I was shown by Uncle Richard (RJP Madge) when we went there in the
1980’s. The farmhouse has been built in four different periods. On the
farmhouse far left end is an addition that was built in about the 1960’s.
Next to it, the old porch showing above the main doorway, is the
farmhouse of the 1800’s. This would have been the house that John
and Mary moved into after their wedding on 23 August 1804. The grey
cob wall this side of the ‘new’ entrance (red door) and the cob wall this
side of that were barns attached to the main household and would have
been in use during this time. They are much older than the rest.
I believe the reason they were able to get married in the busy month of
August was because Mary’s father had promised them this farm. It also
tells us that John Madge was well versed in the monetary side of
farming as well as the practical aspects and had proved this to his
future father-in-law well before the wedding day. For how else would
Mr Woolland trust John and Mary with 50 acres of his land in 1804 and
increase this to 90 acres not too long afterwards. But we also know that
father-in-law was not that generous, as the title of Townliving
remained in his hands for a further 30 years, not passing to John and
Mary until about 1832. There was a good reason for this.
94

2
1
Townliving farm (1) is on the southern side of Exbourne and still has
access to its land direct to its door, albeit the back door. Between the
house and the church can be seen the village school (2). That was
almost certainly on land owned by John Woolland and given by him to
Exbourne for use with village children’s education. The farm’s lands,
then 50 but shortly 90 acres, stretched from the left where it meets the
This would have been the front entrance to
Townliving farm in the early 19th century and the
threshold over which John would have carry his
bride later on the day of August 23rd 1804. This was
to be the start of a most successful marriage, a very
productive farming period and a major move up in
the world for the Madge family.
We also now know at least one of the reasons for the
August wedding. Their first child, called John after
his father and grandfather was born in January or
February of 1805, and was probably rather earlier
than planned. But this did nothing to unsettle the
family. They went on to have six sons, John 1805,
Philip late 1805, George 1807, Richard 1809, Walter
1811 (our great great grandfather to be), Frederick
John 1817 and one daughter Mary Grace 1816.
It is interesting that in 1804 when the church ruled
the community and early pregnancy outside marriage
was almost a mortal sin, that John and Mary made
sure they would be wed by using this pretence: Also
gaining permission for church nuptials says a lot
about the wealth and influence of Mary’s father,
John Woolland. It is known that he owned at least 5
farms and a number of building in Exbourne, so was
clearly in a good position to give John and Mary a
fair start.
village road, all the way down to the main highway to the south of the
village and eastwards for some five miles. By 1832, John and Mary
Madge were in possession of Townliving farm, presumably having
been given, or Willed it by John Woolland. They were obviously
successful with the farm and were still working it, with some help, in
1850. John would then have been 83 years and Mary 73 years old.
Townliving farm, Exbourne.
95

Red Lion Inn
Blenheim Lane
Townliving Farm
Duck Lane
After the wedding Service at the church, it can be seen that it was
but a short walk to Townliving Farm. However, as there would have
been a wedding feast on that day in August and the Red Lion Inn is
at the top of Blenheim Lane, this could well have been where the
reception was held. This Inn would be owned by a Madge, later.
The site of Townliving farm is just beyond the village school
from the Church, down Blenheim Lane. This Lane was so
named after 1704 when Marlborough defeated the French.
Duck Lane forms a junction with Blenheim at the entrance to
Townliving.
The left end of Townliving is a modern extension added about
100 years ago to provide a kitchen and small lounge below,
and a bathroom plus bedroom above. The red front door is
also a later addition not being there in 1804. The original front
door went into the old cottage from the end wall on the left.
So, after the reception John and Mary would have walked down
Blenheim Lane, in past these gate pillars, down this path turning left
at the end to enter their new home via its old front door on the left
end wall of the cottage. They would remain here for the rest of their
lives, working the farm very successfully for over 50 years.
96

When John and Mary moved into Townliving Farmhouse in August
1804 the main building had started out as the one to the right. It was
split at first floor level and again vertically through the stairs. Looking
back at the photograph of Townliving on the previous page, the
original cottage would have stretched from left of the chimney along to
the point where a plant is growing up the wall between the two ground
floor windows.
The upper window would not have been there, nor would the red door,
but the window to the left of the red door which can just be seen below Front Door
the trellis would have been the old living room window. A bedroom
would have been found above the living room but without a window.
As the years wore on major changes were made to both the layout
and the structure of the cottage. The building to the right, first built in
the early 1600’s would have been copied into Townliving, converting
the older 1400’s cottage into a complete dwelling house for the family.
All of this cottage was for human accommodation, unlike the 1400’s
one that was half stock and half family!
It was still outside washing and a thunder box down the garden, but
most daily chores could now be undertaken indoors.
This gave rise to the building of the barns to the right of the house all
the way up and beyond the ‘new’ stockyard.
In the foreground, starting behind the brickwall is the stockyard that
John would have used from each spring and throughout the summer
months for his cattle when they were not out in the fields. It extends
down over the wooden fence, to the cross wall with the ivy growing up
to the roof. All the buildings to the right of this are barns, mainly for
winter holding of cattle but all the upper levels are for storing hay,
straw and the various cattle feeds grown on the farm.
The junction between the earlier barns which are all below the
thatched roof, and the ‘new’ barns is marked by the contrasting flatter
pitch roof with the tiles.
It is interesting to note that although the roof levels and covering are
different, the walls are all of Cob construction, keeping to the tradition
started well before the first farm cottage was built here about 600
years ago.
97

To gain some idea of life in a farmhouse
cottage in 1804, this picture depicts such a
scene in 1803. Mary’s father John
Woolland was a wealthy farmer with his
wife assisting with their five local farms, so
they would not be living with them. John’s
father Philip died in Dolton during the May
of 1803, so possibly John’s Mother Mary
could have come down to reside here, but
as she would have been already settled
before John and Mary married and moved
down into Townliving Farm, it is unlikely
that she would have done.
However, as Dolton is six and a half miles
to the north of Exbourne when mother-inlaw
Mary Madge came to visit it would
have been for a number of days as 13 or so
miles is too far for a brief visit in the days
of horses.
Also shown above sitting round the fire
place is probably the wife sewing, as is the
older lady behind the farmer who is rather
hogging the warmth! Behind the wife
another female can be seen probably
depicting a sibling of either the husband or
wife.
A closer look at the
cooking utensils.
We do not know if Mary (Nee Woolland) had brothers
and sisters but John had two younger sisters, Mary and
Betty. He also had and cousins living in Dowland from
Aunt Sarah and her husband John Pitman. Dowland is
only 5 miles distance.
They had no children until the first, John was born early
in 1805, but once the family became old enough all
would have helped with the farm, boys with John in the
fields and barns and the girls with Mary looking after the
hens and other farmyard animals which included the
newly born, and of course all the domestic work in the
house.
Inside this early 1800’s kitchen as it was found and then
reconstructed in an old Devon Cob cottage, can be seen
the “settle” on the right, high backed to keep the drafts at
bay. just below the mantle with the ‘best’ china on display
above.
98

1
Above are some of Townliving's (1) farms fields,
viewed from the main road looking in a northerly
direction towards the church. Most of the fields were
and are, of 'average' quality the soil being best for
grass, but able to be cultivated for animal feed and
for cash crops. 50 acres in 1804, more later.
2
The shippon barn (2) at Townliving farm was built
after the old cottage had been converted to provide
accommodation for the young Madge family,
sometime before 1810. By this year the family had
four children ranging from one year to five years, all
boys, needing the space.
When the old cottage was converted to a dwelling
for the family only, the livestock were moved out to
their own wintering barn. This as can be seen
above, was called a Shippon Barn. The lower floor
level, or “Barn-cellar” as it was known, was to keep
the stock in winter providing them with feed from the
upper level. During the Spring all the muck and
straw that had built up over the winter was cleared
up and carted out to manure the fields.
The barn's construction is simular to the old cottage,
but in modern times it has been given a cement
wash. A workshop has also been attached at the
rear all covered with a very modern roof as well.
Thatch would have been used before this.The large
upper doorway on this gable end is where the hay
and grain were stored for the cattle below.
The aerial view of Townliving farm clearly shows the
southern new end extension out from the original
1400's cottage. Then, the old stone chimney
integrated into the cottage thatched roof is also
visible. The “New Barns” with the shiny roof covering
to the north of the old thatched farmhouse, would
probably not have been present in 1804.
1
The farmyard, or stockyard (1) as it was called then,
would have been much larger without these ‘new’
barns and would have direct access to the farm’s
fields to the west and south of the buildings. The
‘new’ barns were probably built to house the extra
feed needed after the stock herd was extended
when more land was gained.
2
99

This is the lower farm gate into Townliving farm, probably put in
after the barns on the end of the main house were built
effectively cutting off direct access to the fields. A further barn,
built well after the shippon is just hidden by the telegraph pole
and bushes on the left of this gate. The shippon can just be seen
beyond the right hand end of the gate. A workshop was added
to the end of the shippon probably around the end of the 1800’s
when more and more machinery became available to farming.
A Barn Gallon of milk was the cows milk kept by the
farmer after milking, for the farms own use. It was a two
imperial gallons measure. A Barn Shovel, a wide
mouthed, flat bodied wooden shovel used by the
Barnsman for grain feed.
There is a story about Barns and Dutch farmers of the
15th century which earned them the name of “Barn
Burners”. In Holland as part Spring cleaning their barns,
all the chafe, straw, hay remains and corn ears were
swept into one corner of the barn. This was left piled up
overnight so that the rats would gather there.
Early the next morning the pile was 'hurdled' to keep the
rats in, then set alight to rid the barn of both the waste
and the rats and other rodents. Unfortunately this
practice sometimes led to the whole barn being burnt to
the ground. Thus Dutch farmers became known as “Barn
Burners”.
This is inside Townliving and above is the old front door way
that John would have carried Mary through on August 23rd
1804. To the right is a new fireplace but behind this will be
found the large opening and old cooking area for their their
daily food. At sometime during their years at Townliving Farm
the red front door would have come into use and the yellow
door on the right would have become the entrance to their
family cooking and eating room. The original one above being
blocked up and not re-opened until the 1900’s extension was
added.
Mrs Sage who currently lives at Townliving farmed these
lands with her husband, until his untimely demise. Most of the
“old rooms” are used just for storage, now.
As far as the old farm cottage itself is concerned there is
another of a simular date within Exbourne and a century or so
later this too would be lived in by Madge descendants.
100

This is again the inside of Townliving farm house and a section of the
oldest part of the house itself. This is the doorway from the old parlour,
diagionally opposite to the origional front door; now used as a storage
area. But after about three hundred years or so, this area and the
passageway to the right (unseen) would have formed the hallway to
the ‘new’ entrance to the dwelling. This was when the a new main
entrance would have been knocked through the front wall and the red
door that we see today, put in. Below, 1790’s locksmiths at work.
Unfortunately I could not get close
enough to the window with the bars
to see how old or otherwise, this six
paned opening was. It is however,
most unusual that it is barred for
security and one can only presume
that these are a hangover from the
less well ordered days of the early
1800’s when all expensive items,
cuts of meat, cheese, eggs, butter
and cream would have to be kept
safe, or possibly be removed by
unauthorised ‘ruffins’!
Below at the right hand bottom of the photograph is the corner of Duck Lane
where it joins Blenheim Lane, as it passes Townliving Farm. On the left are
the two old stone garden gate pillars to Townliving and it was through these
portals that John and Mary MADGE would have passed, maybe for the very
first time, as Mr and Mrs John Madge; August 14th 1804. They would have
been followed, without doubt, by John Woolland who in that year, gave John
the lease to the farm, with the hand of his daughter, Mary.
Of all the photographs I took in and around Exbourne
this is probably one of my favourites. It so neatly shows
the domination of the lovely church of St Mary towerimg
above the surrounding fields, and these are Townliving
farm fields, too.
Here the church of St Mary looks down on one of the
fields that John would have worked between 1804 and
towards the end of his life in 1855. The fact that this
church had the same given name as his wife Mary, was
the place where they were married and is the church
whose font carried the holy water which christened
some of their seven children, must have meant so much
to John as he farmed these fields. I look at this
photograph through the eyes of John wondering which
part of the tower he used as a line, season after season,
for his ploughing, harrowing and seeding of this field,
whils00t guiding his horses.
101

This gives a very good view of Townliving farm and some of the initial
50 acres that were part of the farm in 1804. The area immediately this
side of the farm, which looks lighly wooded is where the old farm
orchard was. Old cider apple trees would have graced this part of the
farm and the lovely cider made on the farm would have been a major
part of farm life: Including all the liquid provided by John for his farm
workers, both adult and boys.
When he started it is unlikely that he would have been able to afford
to hire mature farm workers, as they would have cost too much. But a
Farm Boy would have been hired from the Exbourne and he would
have helped John out in the fields and Mary with any heavy work she
undertook. As most of the milking would have been within her
compass, the boy would have had to learn that very early in his time
at Townliving, if he hadn’t already acquired this skill.
102
Here is Exbourne church with Townliving Farm below and just to the left, taken from Solland Farm where Hawkins Madge would farm some 140
years later. It shows all the Townliving land stretching across the Holebrook valley to Solland.

All farmers, whether they owned the land or
not had to pay some form of land rental or
Tithe. As John and Mary would have had to
“pay their way” for the tithe, John’s
experience with his father in running a farm
and making it profitable would have been
invaluable. It may well have been the case
that John Woolland insisted, for the first
years anyway, on some form of payment as
the landlord of Townliving farm; as of
course was his right. But as we do not know
this for certain we can but assume that the
annual Tithe was the main monetary burden
that the family had to find.
The Tithe was an yearly payment calculated
as being one tenth of the annual produce of
the; “agriculture conducted on Townliving
farm lands”. This ‘catch-all’ phrase meant
that the tenant, if he was farming for the full
year, was liable for the whole Tithe.
However, if he had been there for but a few
months, then the land owner was liable for
the rest.
The one tenth of the agriculture
also meant that produce in kind
could be offered in place of its
monetary value. This is where the
vast Tithe barns, some 13th
century ones still nestle in rural
settings, came into being. The
farm produce ‘in kind’ could be
deposited there once it had
ripened then used or sold as
required.
But here was the main stumbling
point that had really irked all
farmers for centuries.
And the Tithe had been
introduced in Anglo-Saxon times
but has the biblical beginning at
Deuteronomy ch 26 verses 2 - 4.
This payment was called for by
the church. It was spent by its
priesthood for only the clergy and
religious establishments. In lean
times it must have been very hard
to go to church with a well fed
priest taking the service while
most of the congregation were on
the bread line.
The winter fed area for cattle was always near the farmhouse, beside the barns. Straw would be put down
daily for the cattle as bedding and to accept the cattle’s waste products. This was so the farmyard ‘muck’
would be contained in one area ready for the spring when it forked up and carted out to the fields as
manure.
When John and Mary took
over Townliving farm in
August 1804 they would have
had their hands full. Not only
would they be taking on land
new to them but also a
farmhouse that would need
their attention as well.
Add to this that Mary was
with child, probably had little
if any money behind them
and that the farm fields were
now at the height of their
summer productivity.
103

Here is a stylised view of the various aspects of farming at about this
time. Unusually it shows a person tending each part of the picture and
although there were numerous farm workers working on each farm,
here there are just too many to make the farm profitable. The outdoor
role of the farmer’s wife is well depicted too. Here she is seen feeding
the swine, looking after the chickens with the geese and milking the
cows. Besides this she can also been seen drawing the water for her
cooking and of course for use in the house. The only well known
figure missing from here appears to be the shepherd and his sheep,
but as the season of the year depicted is the hay making, ie late
summertime, presumably the sheep are up in the hills feeding on the
summer grazing there. The hay cart with its load of freshly dried hay
pulled by four horses, can be seen being driven towards an already
tall and ‘full’ hayrick. The haymaker, a very important and skilled farm
worker can be seen on top of the rick, pitchfork in hand awaiting the
pitched up fork fulls of hay once the cart arrives. It is his task to lay all
the hay so that not only can the rick grow tall and straight but also
remain completely stable no matter what the weather later in the year.
His final task for each rick is to gather the “rush”, long, even lengths
of good quality straw, for the thatching. Once the last layer of hay is
laid at the top of the rick, with the longest rick-ladder, usually 24 rungs
in length, show his handed down skills and thatch-out the rick.
This is the dairy as it was in the 1800’s. It would have been Mary’s
domain: skimming the milk, settling the cream and churning the
butter,every day.
The skills required of Mary as a farmer’s wife would have
been well known to her gained at her mother’s side during
her young life. Her Mother, John Woolland’s wife would
have had to tend his main farm at Inwardsleigh and also
keep an eye on the tenant’s wives who ran John’s other
farms in case they needed a knowing shoulder to lean on.
104

The farmer's wife also looked after the farmyard
hens. These made most of their living by
scratching around the farmyard, even venturing
as far as the rickyard where the pickings were
better, and laying their eggs in odd warm corners
and in the bottoms of the hedges. Getting to
know where the egg laying places were was
important as eggs ‘addle’ after a few days if left
out for too long.
But the daily chores too, still had to be seen to.
She also kept ducks and geese, reared for the
Christmas market. A week or so before the
festival the kitchen was turned into a workroom
where the farmer's wife and one or two helpers,
with the children if they were old enough,
prepared them for market. In the seasons she
was also expected to know the hedgerows
finding and gathering all the berries and fruits
indeed all nature’s free gifts for the farm table.
Mary’s daily work was both inside and outside
the farmhouse. It would included the farmyard
animals, normally including those that were
either sickly or to young to go out to the fields:
Plus the chickens and ducks of course. The
orchard’s produce for the house was also
Mary’s responsibility, with not only apples but
plums and pears to be picked as well. One of the
favourite Devon apples of this time was called a
“Tom Putt” from the Putt estate at Gittisham
where the Estate manager was another, John
Madge.
Besides these tasks there were the orchard
beehives for honey and all the cheese, cream
and milk produce from the daily milk. To say
nothing of the household chores as well. Then
there were the children. As Mary had an ‘early’
child in the marriage she would have been fairly
hard pressed to take full the responsibilities of a
farmer’s wife during their first year at
Townliving farm.
So they would soon have had to employ a farm
boy. This would usually be a village boy of
about 12 years, probably brought up on an
Exbourne farm, with a very basic knowledge of
farming. But one thing he had to prove before
John very early on in his days at Townliving,
was his ability to work long hours without any
form of supervision or assistance. And equally
important, capable of getting up around dawn
on most of his working days.
Farmer's boy. At the bottom of the ladder
on a farm came the farmer's boy. He would
normally be a lad from a nearby village
whose parents were probably farm workers
in the same area. He was given all the jobs
that others were to much use on the farm
to do. So he was up with the dawn, setting
the house fires going and from the moment
the farmer's wife appeared he would be at
her beck and call for the next 12 to 14
hours, always trying to end his day with the
axe in his hand and the firewood ready
for the stove in the morning. The boots
and shoes would be his to clean,
vegetables in the garden would be his to
ready and prepare, washing up, clean
the dairy, pluck poultry, deliver letters, dig
the garden and be the butt of all the farm
worker's jokes. But longing all the time to
work with the field hands to do 'mans
work', thereby willing his young years
away.
105

This is a 1900’s photograph of a
typical Devon cob built
farmhouse with its farm yard. It
still survives, but is now changed
though not far from Exbourne. So
the farmyard at Townliving
farmhouse would have looked
very much like this, but smaller,
while John and Mary in residence
the early 1800’s.
The farmhouse itself is much like
the back of Townliving, but the
barns there are on the north side of
the house rather than to the
western end. The large chimney
would have been the smoke outlet
for the stove simular to that on the
previous page. The soot ‘hatch’
for sweeping is seen at the base of
the chimney. The soot was kept
and used as a fertiliser.
All the barns are still of cob with
‘reed’ thatch on each roof. The
design is from the middle ages
with the hay lofts above the winter
quarters for the cattle. These
buildings are called tallet barns
from the latin, meaning
‘upperfloor’. It is possible that the
age of these barns is such that they
were the first cob buildings, well
before the farmhouse, to be built
with this farmyard. If this is so
then the tallet, or upper section of
the barn was where the farmers of
old would have lived with the
cattle below giving warmth in the
winter months. And probably a
rich rather unwanted odour as
well.The siting of the farmyard is
also worth noting with the barns
and house on the high side of the
yard with the natural pitch of the
ground ready to ‘lead’ the cattle
slurry well away from the
domestic areas. These gradually
gave way to the Shippon Barns.
John Madge was now the Yeoman of Townliving
farm having no land of his own but would be able
to gain about £6 per year from the farm that
marriage to his wife Mary had brought him. The
Yeoman’s title then was “Master” and this is how
John would have been addressed by the villagers.
It was said that: “It is better to be the head of
the Yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.
The gentry, on the other hand saw the Devon
Yeoman as: Those who pulled their coaches
with their plough horses!
At Cressy and Poitiers of old,
His ancestors were bowmen bold;
Where good yew bows and sinews strong,
Drew arrows of a cloth-yard long;
For England’s glory, strew’ds the plain
with baron, counts and princes slain.
106
The heritage of the Yeoman is neatly
summarised by the following poem:

Although John and Mary may have got off
to an ‘unfortunate’ start as far as Mary’s
family were concerned, it is unlikely that
the village were aware of it. As they farmed
one of the village farms on behalf of the
wealthy John Woolland little if anything
would have been said even after baby John
was born early in the New Year of 1805.
The vicar, Finney Belfield who would have
christen the youngster, looking rather more
at the possible losses from church income
if he raised his voice, rather than the
possible piety of the ‘tender’ situation. The
christening should have been next
important milestone in their lives.
But was it? And who conducted the
Service? Indeed who attended the
christening? The font on the right is that at
Exbourne church and is of the same period
as the church, about 700 to 800 years old
and should have been the font for John’s
baptism; we think it was but do not know,
unfortunately.
All three of these treasurers were at the church
when John and Mary worshiped there. The
communion chalice would have touched their
lips and the oak strong box, their coin.
Little John is listed in the births for
Exbourne of 1805 but no date or month is
annotated with this year. So, yes, this was
the font used to baptise John Madge and
almost certainly it was Finney Belfield
who conducted the Service; but it seems
that the vicar drew the line at faithfully
recording the event in his Parish Baptismal
list. Very strange indeed.
Christening in Devon was known as:
“Sloppin' water over'n in church”.
107

Exbourne Church has many unusual features and as with
many West Country Churches the bench ends allow a
wonderfully freedom for the wood sculptor. Here are two of
them, one showing the grape (introduced by the Romans) and
the other the Netherlands tulip.
The latter is probably of greater interesting as the benchend is
more likely to have been carved soon after the tulip was
introduced into England, in 1577.
So even allowing a hundred years for the flower to gradually
find its place in Devon the bench end was probably
sculptured well before John and Mary took their place in the
services at St Mary’s. So their fingers, and those of their
children would have meandered their way across the
crispness of the carved wood to feel the depth and beauty of
this unusual subject. But why was John’s christening not fully
recorded in the Parish records? Probably to save ‘face’ or
embarrassment, and probably with the vicar’s OK!
There were a number of ways for the church to raise money.
Families were encouraged to “buy their pew” in church,
renewing the money paid each year as a mark of their 'faith'.
And if the family had sufficient funds they would also
commission a bench end to be carved, thus making a ‘mark’
at their place in the congregation.
It will also be realised that only a
few of the congregation could
afford to put money into a collection
in these days, so the Collection
Plate was seldom passed around.
This was done so as not to
unnecessarily 'embarrass' the poorer
members of the congregation who
would be unable to make a
contribution.
Devon country expressions:
A lady that was seen to 'cross’ herself as she entered church
was said: “ her were a-spot-in' and stripe-in of 'erself”.
One of my favourite Devonian saying is:-“her told she”.
Of a pious person it was said:-“ 'us didn't love He, 'twas Him
loved we”.
Other ways of either talking for themselves, with or without
others:- “We am” or “Us be”: or “w'em”. To is said for at: as,
“ her liveth to Moreton”.
Or some say 'at' instead of 'to', as in:- “I be going at Bovey”.
When someone's good wife died her exit from this world to
the next was said to be:-
“Her went up 'xactly like an angel”.
Talking about the weather:-“as 'twere fine, us did'n”.
Portraits. This was the name by which paintings and ALL
early photographs were known.
And in the Devon tongue a man would look knowingly at a
portrait, saying:- “Why , any blind man could tell 'twere he.”
At the turn of the century the population of Exbourne (421
persons) was too small to properly sustain the farming
community and labour had to be brought in from the nearby
villages. With the arrival of younger families, like John and
Mary, this would change within the decade.
John was born very early in the year of Trafalgar 1805, and unusually
his brother was also born in this year, about 10 months later and in the
same month as Nelson’s victory. It would be nice to know Philip’s
actual date of birth, but we only have October in the records. May be
the vicar struck again, this time with the recording of Philip’s details!
A Madge almost certainly fought at Trafalgar as nearly 40% of seaman
were Devonshire born.
By 1807 the Devonshire farm
labourer’s maximum wage was set at 14pence a day and a quart of
cider. Some, such as a skilled ploughman or shepherd could gained up
to 7 shillings a week. So this is what elder John would have been paying
his workers. All the labourer’s wives worked at home, carding and
spinning wool for about 3s 6d a week. But all this would change; for by
the 1830's the northern looms had 'killed' home wool spinning and
thereby removed about a 1/3rd of the income for a farm workers family.
108

We have the date, 23rd August 1804, for the wedding of John
Madge and Mary Woolland with Exbourne church as the venue,
but there is no evidence left telling us of the occasions itself. This
picture was painted about this time and shows the bride and groom
on the left: Just after they had been made man and wife in the
country church accompanied by their family. So it can be suggested
that John and Mary would have possibly looked something like this
in 1804. There seems to be only a few friends celebrating the event
with the happy couple here. This would probably have been true in
their wedding too, as Mary would, by late August be at least half
way through her term and thus showing physical signs of the child
(to be called John) she was carrying.
A village donkey race drawn in 1800 shows the local community thoroughly enjoying the afternoon. It should be noted that this event is based on
the village Inn shown on the right side.
The celebrations for the wedding may well have been rather
subdued in the light of “little John”. However, as the farming
families were greatly beholden the the local community for support
and more importantly for the farm workers they employed, Squire
Woolland would have had to mark the occasion with some form of
wedding feast for the people of Exbourne. Apart for the wedding
supper or some such meal, as a well known rich local landlord, John
Woolland would have wanted to ‘make his mark’ with the locals.
109

But work on Townliving farm never ceased. Improving the soil with
farmyard manure was well known even in Saxon times. But by the
Middle Ages some rural areas had forgotten this practice. In many
places ‘Witch Hunts’’ often followed two harvesting neighbours one
using manure with a good harvest and the crop failed protagonist
citing skulduggery or worse against the first.
During the second week of spring farmyard manure, muck, as it is
called was spread on the fields. Its a mixture of the dung and urine
from the animals with the straw or other materials used as bedding.
Muck supplies some valuable nutrients, particularly trace elements,
but its greatest value is in improving the soil structure. It had been
recognised for centuries that crops benefited most from rotted
farmyard manure. Some of the over winter accumulation of muck
would already be heaped in the field; as the muck was cleaned out
twice daily from the shippon (barns) and piled in loose heaps.
In this 1780 scene of muck spreading it is not possible to see if the
fork has two, three or four prongs. After about this time four prongs
were used.
This would have been drayed (carted) out when the ground was dry,
not that often in a North Devon winter, or when a rare frost hardened
the ground. Now in spring the rest, already several feet deep of muck
and bedding straw had to be carted out to the fields in the horsedrawn
butts and then spread.
In the yards the animals compacted the bedding straw which
absorbed the urine, etc. but this also kept the cattle reasonably clean
and dry. By the spring sunshine the yard was several feet deep in
well trodden manure. It was quite hard to extricate.
Long-handled forks with four curved prongs were used to load a butt
cart. The long handles enabled considerable leverage to help tear out
the straw-bound material and the ash handles would bend with the
stress if the fork was plunged in too deep.
In any event pulling out the material was a hard struggle
and often the mass that finally tore away was too bulky
and heavy to lift all at one go. This sometimes caused
imbalance so the fork had to be gripped tightly to prevent
it turning in the hands and blistering them, until the hands
had hardened off. Working the fresher muck from the
shippon was easier and quicker.
Once the butt was piled high with muck the horse was led
off to the field where the muck was to be spread. On
arrival the tailboard was unpinned and removed and the
muck dragged off with the same four pronged dung fork
into heaps, three or four from each cart load evenly
spaced in rows, up and down the field.
When only enough for one heap remained the rest could
be tipped out by releasing rod locking device and urging
the horse to back up, so tipping up the unlatched cart.
When the butt was empty the horse was pulled forward to
lower the cart body back down and the rod re-slotted,
remembering to go back to the first heap to collect the
tailboard.
A wonderful church window of around the 1850’s showing farm cattle and
includes a small warren in the fore ground.
Now it was time to return for the next load, and the best part of the job:- riding home perched
precariously on the front corner of the cart body, your feet positioned one behind the other on the
near shaft. This is when experience made sure that an empty sack was taken to protect clothes from
the muck and to serve as a cushion. However, nothing remotely cushioned the jolts transmitted
from the uneven rutted ground to the unsprung cart by its big iron-tyred wooden-spoked wheels.
Though once the rather smoother made up and maintained roads were gained the comfort or the
return journey improved considerably. Once the field was covered in the heaps of muck these were
spread with the same long-handled, four pronged forks used for loading, and by hand of course.
The knack was to scoop up a fork load and swing it round, finishing with a twist of the wrist to
spread the muck evenly in an arc over the ground, any lumps usually breaking up and scattering
as they hit the ground. Once all the heaps had been spread the whole field was covered with muck.
A job well done, but the very same back breaking job awaits for next year.
The four pronged fork was found left in a hedgerow. It had been there for years. The wooden shaft was
nearly rotted away and the pronges badly rusted. Wouldn’t it be lovely to know who left it there and why?
110

It has been really hard to find authentic oxen drawn field ploughs.
As Devonshire was the last county to give up oxen as a prime mover
for ploughing, numerous searches have been made in this country to
find one. It wasn’t until a visit to South Africa in 2007 was made
that one was finally located. It had been made in England, shipped
out to Durban and taken by ox-cart up to the north in Kwazulu Natal
to a mission that looked after and trained churchmen. The mission
is now a place of farming interest as it not only shows these
ploughs, there are a number there, but also has the original
blacksmith’s workshop with numerous old tools that have been long
forgotten in UK. So to finally find a plough that was made for and
drawn by oxen, albeit in the southern hemisphere now finds its
place in a book about Devonshire. And this was the type of plough
that John would have used in the early 1800’s, though whether it
was for horses or oxen, more likely, is not known.
Once the ploughing had been completed, normally by
mid-April, the harrows would ‘grade’ the soil
gradually breaking it down to a fine tilth for the
seeding to come.
As soon as the temperature started to rise and the ‘air’
of spring had arrived it was time for the seeds to be
sown. The early 1800’s was the transition time for
different methods of putting the new seed into the
ground.
This early seed drill with horse, boy and seedsman has a
four drill dray, one drill equalling one row. These had
disappeared on the larger farms by this time, but would
have still been in used for small-holdings.
Sow barley by the 15th of April or not at all. But when the blackthorn blossom's white, sow barley day and night.
With the temperature rising and spring having really arrived it was
time for seed sowing. Most of the ploughing was completed by then
but before the crops could be sown the furrows had to be broken
down to a crumbly tilth.
In general, the smaller the seed the finer the tilth required in the
surface layers into which the seed was sown. A range of cultivating
implements was used to breakdown the soil and most of those
utilised tines - steel fingers or spikes that were dragged through the
soil at various depths to break up the furrows and shattering any
clods that formed.
Occasionally, rollers were used to crush hard clods that were
resisting the impact of tines. These were solid wide rollers made in
one piece of Dartmoor granite and were about 12-18 in. (30-45cm) in
diameter and mounted in a wooden frame. But the main use of the
granite roller was in the meadows and leys to level the soil after the
ravages of winter and nature’s insects and animals.
As soon as a suitable tilt for the crop’s root had been achieved the seed
could be sown.
Grain and root crop seeds were sown by drills. Grain, with its close
rows and the short spaces between seeds was ‘broadcast’ by hand or
‘fiddle’ in earlier times, but by 1805 it was drilled in rows.
Root crop drilling required much more accurate row placing and the
driving would be given to the most skilled horseman available. Any
holidays, gaps or bent rows either within or at the ends, were far more
obvious as the rows were much wider apart. It was both the pride of the
farmer and his workers that their fields were planted more neatly than
the next. Indeed each would look at his neighbours to seek
comparisons, and mention them when the opportunity arose!
It was at this time of the year when all farmers had to make the best of
the weather that the horseman came into his own. All the horses and
oxen of course, on the farm were put to work during the sowing time as
every hour of dry weather had to be taken advantage of.
111

It is so good when something out
of the blue, lands in ones lap! A
contemporary sketch of oxen
ploughing with a then, ‘modern’
iron plough, simular to, but
earlier than the ones I found in
South Africa “arrived’ in a book
from Yorkshire recently. This
sketch of the 1830’s was drawn
in America and probably shows
a farm on the Eastern seaboard.
It clearly depicts the form of the
plough, which would have been
made in the States copied from
an earlier English manufactured
one. The yoke for the oxen is
shown but the harness coupling
cannot be seen. The
ploughman’s whip is also
missing, for although domestic
oxen were good steady walkers,
even with a plough tilling heavy
soil, they needed to be ‘told’ when
to turn to a new furrow.
This print right, from a woodcut,
is by far the closest picture I have
been able to find of this period.
It shows how John would have
been ploughing the fields of
Townliving farm, Exbourne in
the early 1800s, using oxen.
Oxen were still favoured over horses for work in the fields, although horses were faster. However, oxen were less expensive to feed than horses and were less liable
to sickness. They also pulled more steadily and were able to work closer to hedges. Their harness was more simple, their shoeing, as it was on their fore-feet only,
was half the price. Once they were to old for work their meat was much more acceptable for the cooking pot.
This English village scene of the time neatly shows the costumes and recreation of this time. Hard drinking on the right, with a peddler showing his
wares in the centre. The children are playing beneath the tree. There is a fiddler working his bow next to the tree for the dancers in the middle.
112

Hay collecting “machine” of 1802.
The farmer might be the boss, but the horseman ran him fairly close. He was
the man who made sure that the 'motive power' for the farm was on hand and
ready to work all the year through. He had skills at his fingertips that had
been handed down generation after generation. He loved and trusted his
horses so much so that the bond between then was almost 'child like'. His skill
in training, feeding, working and keeping them fit and able to work was
almost magical. It was built up over years of experience, usually starting with
either a natural ability with horses that was built on with time or growing up
with a father or uncle who was already had this innate ability with working
cart horses.
It was his skill getting the horses to do his, the farmers, bidding day after day
and year after year no matter what the conditions were that made the
horseman a man of fabled ability. These have all but gone today. Horses are
blessed with huge intelligence and long memories. No matter where they are
taken to on a farm, if they have been there before they will recall what work
they did there, and will expect to do so again.
The problems come when there is different work to be done, but given time
they will understand, pack it away in their minds and get on with the task in
hand. “The intelligence shown by working horses when ploughing and with
all farm work, is truly remarkable.”
But do not be fooled, cart horses can rebel as we all can and be as
cantankerous and awkward until understood and appreciated! Working a
pair of horses although walking behind them for most of the day in soft soil
is tiring. There is a companionship working with horses with an
understanding and trust that developed between man and animal which is
hard to describe.
On a fine spring day it was the best of jobs. Almost no unnatural noises stole
the silence, only broken by the jingle of harness chains, plus the occasional
words of encouragement, all with the bright sound of larks overhead and the
birdsong from the hedgerows.
Lunch would be taken sitting at the edge of the field, in the shelter of the
hedge or by a convenient rick. The horses were unhitched taking the trace
chains from the horses and they moved over to the edge of the field to graze,
munching away quietly accompanied by the slight musical jingle of their
bridle chains.
The farm dog would time his visit to the mid-morning break when there was
always some lunch to share.
There were no riding saddles with stirrups for carthorses. Just a sack on
their backs to sit on, but was almost impossible to climb back on without
some form of mounting block. So the horse was walked until a roadside
milestone was found for the 'leg-up' required to ride the rest of the way. Their
backs are very broad, and so straddling them causes one's feet to stick out at
each side, making conventional riding techniques difficult. However, being
so wide they provide a fairly comfortable and secure seat, although it is
possible to feel their powerful back muscles undulating under you. 'Secondclass
riding is better than first-class walking.'
But one of the horseman's greatest concerns was whether to breed the mares
or not. The work undertaken by a pregnant mare gradually reduced as her
time drew near, until no draught work at all was possible for nearly a
fortnight.
The sketch opposite was painted in 1810 showing the much lighter ‘shire’
horses of those days.
113

Harrowing the hay meadows in
the spring provided an excellent
opportunity to search the field
for mushrooms as the horses
gradually covered the field.
They regularly grew in certain
permanent pasture fields and
were particularly common in the
fields where the horses regularly
grazed.
When the Moon is at the full,
Mushrooms you may freely pull,
But when the moon is on the
wane,
Wait before you pick again.
The ‘modern’ (1800) harrow
right, was drawn by two horses.
It was pulled on the angle shown
and was hard to control.
Harrowing in the 1600’s, shown
above had advanced considerably
over previous generations. Before
this time a large black thorn bough
would be cut from the hedgerow,
trimmed and then attached by
ropes and dragged behind a horse.
For most of the year when the horses were not
working, they were released into a field where they
could graze. It was always a field near the farm so that
it wasn’t far to take them after a day’s work or to collect
them next morning.
They loved to be let out, particularly the first time in the
spring after being in the stable all winter except when
working and they would gallop around, throw up their
heels and roll on the ground. Big horses rolling with all
four feet in the air was quite sight.
Surprisingly, even after a long day’s work they always
seemed to be able to summon up enough energy for a
short canter before settling down to the serious
business of eating their favourite food, spring grass.
Following this the foal would have
to run with her mother while the
mare was in the field working.Then
there is weaning, the 'removal of
the foal' from its mother was never
easy until the mare's milk dried up.
This charming woodcut by Thomas Bewick was one of a
vast series cut during his working life from about 1770 to
1820. There are many more utilised as illustrations in the
Madge book series.
It has a wonderfully mischievous content.
The horse in the foreground is at rest in the early evening.
However, it is about to be bothered by the little girl by the
tail, the daughter of the farmer’s wife frantically making her
way over the fence to the rescue.
This horse and the other two in the lower field have just
been released here from working in the fields by the
horseman who had a very good reason to release them to
pasture a little early.
He can be seen with his amour beneath the bushes to the
left of the cottage. She obviously arranged to meet him at
this field with its protective bushes.
The next undrawn scene would show the horseman and
maid being severely harangued and with both jobs at stake!
We had no riding saddles with stirrups for the carthorses
and just put a sack on their backs to sit on, so it was almost
impossible to climb back on without some form of mounting
block. So the horse was walked until a roadside milestone
was found and this gave the ‘leg-up’ required to ride the rest
of the way. With only a sack to sit on is easier than one
might think. Their backs are very broad, and so straddling
them causes one’s feet to stick out at each side, making
conventional riding techniques difficult. However, being so
wide they provide a fairly comfortable and secure seat,
although it is possible to feel their powerful back muscles
undulating under you. ‘Second-class riding is better than
first-class walking.’
In the winter they lived in the stables. Although it was
convenient to have them on hand, it entailed extra work
because they had to be fed and cleaned out twice a day
and taken out to the water trough, or local stream, to drink.
Of course, all this had to be done seven days a week.
114

Small irregular fields bounded by hedges grown on tall banks
and sunken winding lanes are characteristic of much of the
North Devon countryside and contribute greatly to the beauty of
the landscape. This landscape is thought to be very ancient,
possibly iron age or before, and was formed by the early farmers
who cleared the land from the wild then stripped off the turf.
This was stacked around the small areas they had laboriously
cleared to fence them, both to denote their ownership and to
protect the crops from wandering animals.
The network of narrow lanes left to provide access to the fields
and to allow people to travel from place to place became rutted
in the course of time because of constant use by animals, farm
carts and travellers on foot. On the slopes in the wet climate
these were washed out, aided no doubt by farmers who
shoveled up the rich mud to spread on their land as manure,
giving rise to the sunken lanes common to the area.
Stone walls are not common in the valleys of the Taw and
Torridge, but often dry-stone ends to the bank have been built
where it was broken by a gateway. All the gates would be
traditional five-bar wooden gates with a diagonal fixed from one
top corner to the opposite bottom corner to prevent it sagging.
They were quite narrow, only wide enough for a cart to pass
through, and most of them have been widened or made into
double gates now. The then modern five-bar gates were hung
on substantial wooden gate posts, usually oak for long life,
although there are still a number of lovely hand cut stone ones
as well that were probably very old.
Michaelmas, late September, was the time for farms
to change hands and October was when the farm
auctions would be held, when a lifetime’s farming
disappears under the hammer in less than a day.
But it was the sale of the horses that put and kept
that lump in the throat. For the cart horses became
part of the farming family, almost another rather
large child and to see them sold to strangers was
heart breaking indeed.
March will sarch ye
April will try
May will tell ye
Whether ye’ll live of die.
September is the month that: “Dries up wells or
breaks down bridges”.
November: No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no
bees,
No fruit, no flowers, no leaves, no birds; just
November.
Major changes were taking place. in rural communities. With early
machinery taking the place of some farm workers, movement away from
the land to the towns had already started. Here new Labourers cottages
have been built (1808) to try to stem this tide. The unsprung coach would
soon be receiving the Elliot suspension spring making coach travel
rather more stable and much longer passenger journeys viable.
115

There is a bit of a quandry with regard to John and
Mary’s children that is hard to explained. It was first
believed that all their children were both born and
christened in Exbourne. However, later research has
shown the following:
John: Born (early in 1805) and Christened in
Exbourne. The church and font are on the right.
Philip: Born (1805 Oct.) in Exbourne but Christened in
Dolton.
George: Born (1807) in Dolton and Christened in
Dolton. In adulthood George moved away, living and
working in Exeter in the Wine Trade.
Richard: Born (1809) in Dolton and Christened in
Dolton. Unfortunately Richard died in Exbourne at the
age of 9.
Walter: Born (1811) in Dolton and Christened in
Dolton.
Mary Grace: Born (c.1816) and Christened in
Exbourne. Born with sight defects causing blindness.
Frederick John: Born (c.1817/8) and Christened in
Exbourne.
The question is why the return to Dolton? John would have
had his time completely taken up working Townliving farm.
With only his farm boy to help, initially, as he would not be
able to afford mature farm workers, very nearly all his time
would be in the fields. He would need to have had some good
harvest money under his belt before he entered the labour
market.
But the international situation was on John’s side in his early
years at Townliving. With the War with France being
‘resumed’ in 1803 the need for food both locally and on a
provincial scale hightened demand and so provided for an
increase in food prices.
But it may have been domestic or health reasons that caused
Mary to return to Dolton for the birth of some of their
children. It will be recalled that John’s Mother still resided
in Dolton, was now a widow and had had a successful
experience of “birthing children” with her own family. It is
well worth noting that the infant and children mortality rate
for England during the first ten years of this century was
over one in two children, died.
This 1780’s sketch of a farm’s fields, shows: 1. and 2. The Hay ricks on the
meadows. 3. The prepared fields. 4. The corn fields. 5. The Tree, or possibly
Orchard nursery. 6. The root crop area.
In fact it was 57%, so this could well have been a factor to
convince a young Mother that an experienced relative
assisting with child birth would be a good thing. And John’s
Mother in Dolton could well have provided support. It is of
interest that widow Mary Madge died in 1811 in Dolton and
that 1811 was the last year that Mary made the journey up
to Dolton when Walter was born. Dolton Church and Font.
This may have been the key that made Mary
return to Dolton. But there is another; that is the
‘unfortunate’ early birth of their first born,
John. Presumably the village gossips eventually
made remarks about the marriage and then birth
date of the first born. Maybe to scotch this the
next four children were christened Dolton
children.
For all this travelling to Dolton and returning a week or so
later with the latest addition to the family, Mary would still
have had to do her ‘share’ of the farm work in the early days.
Here is an lovely old (c.1750’s) woodcut showing a farmer with
his wife tending the fields, together.
The ground has already been ploughed and prepared so the
husband is sowing the seed while the wife leads a pair of
horses pulling a harrow raking the soil. This settles the seeds
into the tilth to the right depth for germinating.
116

1806 Invention of the Elliptical Carriage Spring by Elliot. Comfort
was on its way for coach travellers!
1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade by Act of Parliament. But in the
Indian Ocean Edward Henry Madge would still be slaving, out of
Reunion under French rule, for another 19 years or so. He finally
gave up and settled in Mauritius soon after it had come under the
rule of Great Britian.
1809-10 Commercial Boom, but a bad harvest that summer.
1810 14m tons coal mined.
1811 Depression because of 'Orders in Council'. Luddite and other
disturbances.
1812 Plymouth breakwater is built.
1813 French and American prisoners abound in the prisons with
nearly 10,000 on Dartmoor. East India Co., monopoly abolished.
With the depression of 1811 and
again in 1818, plus the poor harvests
many of Devonshire’s smaller
Farmers went out of business.
This was also the time of exploitation
of child labour that would last for
another 100 years.
Rope spinning and pin ‘making’,
here. Actually the children just
sharpen the pins on the hand turned
grindstones.
This most informative painting above, of 1780, shows the
outhouse to a country cottage. It is probably part of the lower
section of a shippon, similar to the one at Townliving farm in
Exbourne. Apart from anything else it shows how old the design
and manufacture of the sledge hammers is!
The clothes worn by the lad in the picture are also worth noting as
these, with the sturdy working boots, show what we would expect the
Madge boys to be wearing when doing their daily farmyard chores.
To the right is the lower section of the Townliving Shippon full with
more modern equipment, except for the rather painfull looking pliers,
bottom left.
117

1809 Dartmoor Prision is completed. Over
42,000 French seaman would pass through its
gates. (right)
1810-11 Boom years, but poor harvests.
1814 British capture Washington.
1815 Loss of 3 RN Frigates to the United
States Navy, balanced by US losses, later.
1815 Canal building cost £20m (1795 the
cost was 8m.).
1815 Wellington’s victory at Waterloo.
Napoleon tried to gain passage to Amercia but
surrendered to the captain of HMS
Bellerophon, in Rochefort. Exiled to St
Helena.
1815 Corn Law passed (80s per quarter. ie
80/-s for 504 lbs of wheat).
1815 Gas pipes laid in Exeter, street.
1815-17 Commercial Boom.
1815-16 Farming output/yield doubled.
During the years of being held captive on Dartmoor, the French and
Amercian prisioners madge a number of escapes. Both French and
Amercian Privateers, a type of ‘legal’ Pirate ship privately financed, but
with the unwritten blessing of their Government; sailed the English
Channel. They remained in the waters off Torbay waiting for successful
escapees. Numerous prisioners were repatriated this way.
1816 Last of the POWs leave Dartmoor. But
unrest in 1815 amongst the prisioners caused the
guarding troops to open fire. The result was 7 killed
and 30 wounded.
1818 Depression follows with numerous marches
and disturbances throughout the country.
1820's Devonion of the time: When going out of
Devon, all that needed to be said in county dialect
was: “ 'ceptin' Axter”.
The Commercial boom years of 1810, 1811, 1815 &
1816 were rapidly followed by a deep economic
depression. Add to this the soldiers returning from
the battle field and the sailors from the high seas,
work would have been very hard to find. The
Factories Acts of these years gradually resolved
many dreadful practices, but children would still be
exploited for another 100 years.
118

The cottage housewife, too, must have felt the loss of the few a week
the children earned. Though these infant’s wages were so little, their
few pence were a notable addition to the family income. Children had
to go to school, so their pence were lost and greater economies had
to be forced upon an income already insufficient for everyday
necessities.
Where there were no gangs, the women were employed individually
by the farmers, and the account of a family with five children, follows.
It is instructive. It was a family industrious and frugal to a degree. Only
the two youngest children, a girl of 6 and a boy of four, did not work.
All the family had the reputation of always neat and clean and their
lives must have been an example of the impossible.
The actual weekly figures are:-
Age Earnings Expenditure
s. d. s. d.
Farmworker 42 9 0 Bread 9 0
Wife 40 9 Potatoes 1 0
Boy 12 2 0 Rent 1 2
Boy II I 0 Tea 2
Boy 8 I 0 Sugar 31/2
Soap 2
Washing Blue 1/2
Candles 3
Salt 1/2
Coal & wood 9
Butter .. 41/2
Cheese 3
— ________ ______
13 9 13 6
This gave the family a marginal leaway of just 3d a week.
Commentary at the time, said that even with hard work and
frugality, their diet consisted mainly of bread and potatoes.
Only when the family was grown up and earning full wages,
could they hope for a little meat at the weekend and perhaps at
supper time. For the sons of the family this was usually after
the age of 16 if they were of a size to undertake a man’s work.
For the daughters this could be anytime after 14, as they would
be expected to work a full day at home after the age of 10 and
look for outside work a few years later.
The head of the family was paid from £3 10s to £5 a year in
cash, and with a quantity of grain, mainly oats, barley and peas,
a little wheat and occassionly some rye supplied. He was given
potatoes, or potato ground that was ploughed and planted for
him. He got a cow’s keep for the year, had his cottage and
garden free and his coals carried home from the pit, or
collected wood that had to be found on the estate or on
common land. The adult members of his family were paid by
the year, and probably got more money than he did.
£ s d
The bondager, I2I 1/2 days at 10d 5 1 3
12 year old child, 24 harvest days at 1 4 0
“ “ 73 1/2 days at 5d .. 1 10 71/2
9 year old child, 7 1/2 days 3d 91/2
Daughter, dressmaker 35 3/4 days at 1s. 1 15 9
Eldest daughter, 20 harvest days at 2s. 3d. 2 5 0
Wife, 9 harvest days 1 0 3
His old father, 52 days 3 18 0
His own half year’s cash 2 10 0
—————-
Total £19 6s 8d
The bondsman, (a farm worker living in a tied farm cottage),
was bound to supply a ‘hind’, a female worker, normally his
wife. He would earn about twice the money that went into the
hind’s pocket. He was responsible for all household’s people. It
is not known whether they paid him for their food; but that is
doubtful. He gave them their provender (daily food) out of the
grain supplied to him. He must also find them all houseroom in
the single room of about 17’ x 15’ that comprised the whole of
the living area in a 17th century farm cottage. At one end was
a fireplace with its metal pot, and an oven at one side. This was
almost certainly the same layout as Townliving farm cottage
when it was first built. Oatmeal was eaten in porridge. The
farm’s barley meal and pea meal were mixed together as they
were two centuries before, with the mixture baked into cakes on
an iron plate put over the fire.
119

Townliving Farm
This map was based on the Exbourne, or Exborne as it was called when the
first early survey was made. Here Townliving Farm can be seen with most of
its southerrn fields running down to Crediton road as it passes on over
Holebrook Bridge. John and Mary were still in residence at Townliving when
Mary’s Father, John Woolland died in 1832. The farm was left to them in his
will with some more fields which nearly doubled the land John Madge
farmed. It was now about 120 acres.
The red marking on this map were made by my father William (Bill) RP
Madge as the marked fields were still in our family’s hand up until the 1960’s.
This was when all the lands in Exbourne owned by the children of John
Samuel and Kate Madge were sold by auction. I asked my Father if he would
keep one acre of this Madge land as a token of our family connection with
Exbourne. Regretably all of it sold. However, we do have an acre of Madge
land in Exbourne still, just beyond Holebrook Bridge. More later!
This is the view from the back of the Red Lion Inn looking east over the
roof of TownLiving Farm. The recent corrugated roof of the end barns
can be seen with the new chimney at the farmhouse end. The fields
beyond the farm buildings are all Townliving land. However, as the
fields rise above and beyond Holebrook valley threequarters of a mile
to the east, these are the acres of Solland Farm land.
Hawkins Madge farmed Solland from the time of his marriage in 1933, until
1946; but more of this later.
The year is 1820.
John has been farming Townliving for 16 years with his wife Mary supporting
him. She has also given him seven children that survived. It is likely that a
further four or five would have died in youth.
120

The ages of their children were: John
at 15 would have worked alongside
his Father for fully five years now
and be able to undertake many of the
farming tasks. Philip, 14, would not
be far behind his elder brother with
the farm work and ably supported by
George aged 13. Their younger
brother Richard died in 1819 aged 9;
cause not known.
Walter at 9 years would undertake
the lighter farm tasks but also be
supporting his mother in the home.
Their only daughter, Mary Grace
was born in 1816 and at 4 years
would also be assisting mother.
Regretably, Mary Grace (she was to
become know by her second
Christian name, Grace) was born
without sight; but she still had a full
and ‘adventurous’ life.
Frederick John was the last to be
brought into this family in 1817 so
was aged 3. Thus the old farmhouse
was ‘full’ with at least 3 or 4
bedrooms needed.
A farm boy, from Exbourne would
also be employed with a fulltime
kitchen maid helping Mary.
This was a time of rapid change for the farms and farm workers. Those who
laboured in the fields were gradually moved out of the main farm houses, or
the corner of a barn where they would have previously resided, sometimes
with their families as well. Gradually old cottages, parts of a barn, an old store
house, or lean-to would be allocated to the permanent farm workers. They
would then be allowed, encouraged as well, to better the building making it
into a home for their family. They would also be allowed stripes of land to
cultivate in their own time, for growing vegetables. Later this was extended to
keeping poultry and even pigs with maybe a cow for milk.
When the Napelon Wars were won and the soldiers and sailors were returning
to the land for work, many of them brought their families with them. This was
one of the prime movers behind the reallocation of accommodation for farmer
workers.
Added to this was a general trend towards land ‘enclosure’. This was the
illegal claim of ownership of previously ‘common’ or ‘untitled/owned’ land
that the large land barons made through the legal system. It effectively pushed
the small holder off the land that his family may well have been cultivating
for hundreds of years. The loss of Common land that had been the right of the
Common Man, and this is where the name comes from, for many centuries
was particularly harsh. Riots all over the country were to take place because
of the Acts of Enclosure, but nothing at all was gained, or regained by the
Common man. The Land owners walked all over the Farm workers using the
latters ignorance and inability to read as a way of duping them out of their
‘Common Rights”. By the very nature of our name, Madge, very few, if any
of our forebears owned land as an inheritance. In our family it was not until
the 1830’s that John and Mary were Willed Townliving by John Woolland,
and to my limited knowledge became the first landed Madge’s.
In the 18th cetury some villages had schools run by the
Curate’s wife on a rather ad hoc, irregular basis. However,
gradually the education of the children was taken over and
organised by the Parish. This became that start iof the so
called Dames Schools. Then, a ‘respectable’ women of the
Parish’ was employed to teach basic education. The
building on the right is now known as 2, Parade Cottage
but in the 1820’s it was the “Dames School of Exbourne”.
It is in the ‘Square’ at Exbourne.
At the Dames School John, Philip, George, Richard,
Walter, Mary Grace and Frederick all attended to their
lessons here as well as helping on the farm and
farmhouse. Richard may well have spend longer at school
that the rest as his poor health may not have permitted him
to help much on the farm. Grace maybe less also.
121

As the 7 young children grew, they
gradually provided more useful help
with work on the farm. Their father
would have begun teaching the
youngesters the farming trade.
Certainly the first two boys, John and
Philip would have been taken straight
out into the fields as soon as they were
strong enough to do so. But the next
son, George, could well have been
apprenticed to his Grandfather, on one
of his nearby five farms to learn the
ways of the farmer. If this was not the
case and money was a short either one
of the first three born could have been
hired out as a ‘Farmer’s Boy’ once he
had a rudimentery knowledge of farm
work from his Father.
Here are many of the fields they
would have worked, nearly all on
the sunny southern side of
Exbourne Church.
Every farmer, be he the owner or tennent had to pay Tithes every year,
to the church. The size of the harvest or the state of the weather were
not factors the church took into account. The Tithe was a fixed
percentage, about 10 %, to be paid every year to the local church,
Exbourne, in this case. But the money was not used to assist the local
area, or the Parish community or the village poor; all of it went into the
Bishop of Exeter’s coffers! It was still being paid 100 years later.
1819 Saw the introduction of forms of payment to Parish
Overseers and Electioners (Surveyors), making them employees
of the Parish. In Meeth four & a half miles northwest of Exbourne
where the records are particularity good, there are extensive
detail of all the work carried out within the Parish boundaries.
For over 100 years most of the officials of Meeth were of the
surname, Madge; who had undertaken these duties both before
1819 when they did it ‘for the Parish’, and later when paid.
Prior to this, the appointed Overseer had to find his own time and
money to undertake the Parish duties. He also ran the Parish
Constables and the Poor House. His tasks included establishing
the ‘Poor Rate’, which was to be spent by the Parish on housing,
clothing and feeding the Parish poor.
It should be noted that the old, the disturbed of mind and the sick
would be ‘boarded out’ to Parish families at 5/- a week. Paupers
coffins cost 12/-. (60p in today’s money)
The 1820’s sketch shows a West Country farm labourer tending
his cottage garden after work. Although this may be a somewhat
romantic view it is worth noting the clothes worn by the family, the
Cob walls of the cottage and with its brick(?) chimney above.
These are indeed the clothes of this time for a country farm worker and
his family. So John would go to the fields, daily, so attired.
1819 The Manchester (Peterloo) massacre: troops intervene at a
mass reform meeting, killing 11 and wounding 400.
1820 Textile workers riots.
These greatly effected the wool trade and traders in Devonshire. Huge
mills manufacturing Devon Serge and Broad Cloth were spread right
through the river valleys of the county. The bad feelings of the workers
against the introduction of machinery to reduce the jobs within the
industry, lead to these riots.
One of the largest of these Devonshire mills was at Othery St Mary
(right), where a Richard Madge, from another Madge family branch,
worked and later became coachman to Queen Victoria’s sons for their
visits to Devon during the 19th century.
Although these riots here were not as bad as those in the Northern
counties, the mood of the workers, realising that their precious jobs
were at stake, was angry to say the least. So marches and in a few
areas wanton factory damage as well, were not unknown in Devon.
1820 The death of George III; accession of George IV.
1820 The new Okehampton by-pass is opened. It is worth recalling
this the next time you drive round Okehampton!
122

The sketch, right is of a Devon farm Longhouse
reconstructed with the aid of considerable
research. As can be seen, the farm buildings are
all alining to the work areas on the outside as
farm work was dictated by the seasons and what
was likely to be happening in the yards outside.
The likeness to Townliving farmhouse with its
barns attached is remarkable. The farmhouse,
right is but a few miles from Exbourne.
The Farmer’s Year
JANUARY: “By this fire I warm my hands”.
'A kindly good January freezeth pot by the fire" - so said
a medieval pessimist, but with the fields frozen or under
the snow there was little to do outside and little more to
do inside than keep warm.
I am not too sure that I understand this medieval pessimist
but although the fields of Exbourne, or Exborn as it was
sometimes written in the early 1820’s, would have been
covered by snow, the sheep would have still be ‘out’.Here
the shephard is looking after the sheep in the snow with
hat cape and long boots against the cold. Behind him is a
hand-driven root ‘mangle’ that would both cut up the root
feed, may be mangolds, and partly crush them to make
the pieces more palatable for the sheep. ’Root Cutters’
were first seen in the 1780’s. Apart from a little grass
cropping after clearing the snow and the odd small plant
or tree to brouse it was from the fed troughs with the roots
crop pieces that fed the sheep fed in these cold months.
FEBRUARY: “And with my spade I dig my lands”.
“Fill-dike; "time for hedging and ditching” , or for breaking
up the stones in the fields and for, sowing beans and peas.
And as the winter draws on, time to take a rabbit or two for
the pot. It was also the month that the horses foaled
Even in in the 1820’s any animal or bird taken from the
fields was still the property of the Manor lord. So John and
his elder children would have had to be careful when going
after rabbits or wood pigeon for their kitchen.
The main thrust of the field work would have been hedging
with digging and clearing out the ditches before the March
and April rains flooded their land.
It is a sad reflection on our lives today that this aspect of
country work is sadly neglected, even though modern
machinery readily takles the dykes and ditches problems.
Working horses took seven
years to train for harness and
plough, then had seven friutful
working years; followed by
seven years before ‘retirement’.
MARCH: “Here I set my seeds to grow”.
As the frost abaits the sowing starts, each crop with its own
special trick - dry for barley, good and thick for barley and
oats; rye not too thinly sown and harrow the land first, but
for wheat leave a clod to cover the head. Our man
following the harrow would be armed with a sling and
pebbles, to scare off the greedy crows
This wonderful sketch is in charcoal drawn in 1840 and
manages to even shows the movement of the horses
drawing the metal harrow. The harrow is the farm’s most
utilised implement as it tills the soil to the tilth size needed
for each different crop. Sometimes it was joined by a roller
when the tilth was to be very fine.
The rule being the smaller the seed the finer the tilth.
123

APRIL: And here I hear the birds sing.
Sweet April showers do spring the May flowers - the countryside is awakening. It
is a time for the housewife to tend to her cows and make cheeses, and at the end
of the month the time to sow flax and hemp seeds for rope and string. The lady
has her distaff for spinning under her arm while she feeds the chickens. Dozens
of wild birds share the corn, but some of these will end up on the table as
delicacies.
With April showers and the end of the really cold spells the land would the final
preperations for the land to be made.
With Spring came the ‘rush’ of sowing and planting; it was also the time when, if
March had been too cold the cattle and the horses would be released from their
winter quarters and allowed to spread their legs in the fields. The eagerness shown
by both cows and horses when released to the pastures, was a joy to behold.
Garrett’s (A relation of Pamela Madge, nee Garrett?) seed drill right, shows the
major strides made during the early Victorian years with mechanisation for the
farming community. Though some was not much appreciated as it cost some of the
farm workers their livelihood.
MAY: I am as light as bird in bough;
The most beautiful time of the year. Summer emerges young and
tender. The Castle with its church beside it catches the warm sun. It
would be a time to hunt, but it is still just to early for the young ‘new’
farmer to join the County Set. It would be another generation before
the “riding to the hounds” would include families such as John and
Mary; though Mary’s father John Woolland, would certainly have been
a local huntsman.
However, down on the farm young John would have the winter’s
“muck” to be taken out and spread!
It would also be a very busy time for John’s wife. As the farmers wife
she had all the domestic chores to do but also in April and May be
taking a lot of interest in the chickens, geese and ducks. Their eggs
would have been gathered during these weeks, after the cockerals,
ganders and drakes had looked after their flighty birds. Then as the
eggs hatched they would produce chicks, goslings and ducklings for
the farmer’s wife to look after. It was an very active time for foxes too
trying to take advantage of the ‘flush’ of small things to eat.
On the right a Devon kitchen, sketched in 1814.
JUNE: And I weed my corn well enough.
"Calm weather in June, corn setteth in tune." Weeding the corn with
long-handled shears is a time consuming occupation: mayweed,
thistle, tine, dock and brake must be ousted. Elsewhere the Manor is
busy too. Bees must be tended, and the sheep washed and shorn -
although the lambs aren't shorn until July. Also of course, haymaking
starts. A hay cart passing through the streets on the way to the farm.
The labourer to the right is wearing the smock of the
time with leggings and boots. The smock would be
worn with the back of the smocking showing while
working and then turned best side out for market days!
In early 1800’s farm workers would be given board and
lodgings, access to a strip of land for vegetables, cider
to drink when working in the fields and at every
Michelmas were given the annual wage of one guinea.
HAY (Haysel).
St Swithins day 15th July.
St Swithin’s day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St.Swithin’s Day, if thou be fair,
For forty days ’twill rain nae mair.
Also:
When ant hills are unusually high in July,
The coming winter will be hard and long.
124
Haymaking was still the principal means of conserving grass
to feed to cattle, sheep and the horses during the winter
months. There was little outside grazing to be had anyway,
so the cattle were housed to prevent ‘poaching’ of the land.
Hay cannot be stacked until the moisture has been dried out
of it. This takes longer, particularly if there is rain when it is
lying, drying in the field. Also prolonged exposure to rain and
sun reduces its feeding value. Excessive bleaching by the
sun reduces the carotin (goodness) content.
The honing of the curved blade is done with a round sharpening stone kept
in the belt of the user and is needed about every 15 to 20 minutes during
cutting. There is much subtly in swinging the scythe and years of practice
show that a slow rhythmic swing is the best as a full summer’s day’s
cutting would be normal during haymaking. Once the grass had been cut
for hay it was necessary to fluff it up (or “cock the hay”) and spread it about
as rapidly as possible so that the wind could dry it. This was done with a
tedder. A number of toothed rake bars were mounted on a cylindrical
framework rotated by the land wheels of the tedder. As the horses
provided the forward motion, this cylinder turned, the projecting teeth
picked up the grass and carried it up and back over. Once the crop was
considered to be dry, and early farmers used the ’hand-wringing’ method;
Hay was not cut until the end of June or
even July, depending on weather. The hay
fields would be ‘laid up’, that is closed to
stock, thus ground-nesting birds had the
opportunity to raise their young in peace.
Hay was scythed. A scythe is made from a
slight ‘S’ shaped ash main pole, heavier at
the blade end, with two handles, called nibs,
attacked to the pole, one for each hand.
it was ready to be carried and made into a ‘hay rick’, or haystack.
Wringing is where the farmer takes a handful of the hay, the ends in each
hand and wrings like a towel. If it stays dry under this pressure, it is
ready. If it was slightly damp it was ‘doaney’ and unwise to carry. The first
step to save the damp hay was to rake it up into rows. A horse-drawn
rake with tines is used to do this ‘tedding’. It is then repeated a day or
so later to increase the drying rate. The best hay is always that which
can be cut, dried, loaded (always the worst job as it is very dry, dusty and
hot work) and ricked in a very short time. All the goodness is then
retained. Often the rick was built in the same field as it was grown,
saving time and effort and getting the hay under the cover of its thatch
is the shortest possible time. Ricked damp hay consumed itself with fire.

JULY: When haysel is done, soon the harvest do come.
Once the hay was in the ‘stack’, called a rick by the 20th century,
farmers might have a little time to plan ahead and pause before the
ripening corn required their attention. Then, all their family and almost
as many farm workers as were available in and around Exbourne, to
assist, would be employed. It was by far the busiest, the most
productive and potentially the best money spinner of the year. Also, if
the weather was kind ripening the various corns in turn, it was time of
exceedingly hard work but also enjoyment for all the workers, young
and old, and rounded with a great sense of achievement and joy.
The 1820’s were too early for the first steam driven farm machinery to have
appeared on the farms, so all was done by horse and hand. John, his wife
Mary and their children, John (15), Philip (14), George (13), Richard (11)
and Walter (9), would all be well able to give a full day’s work during
harvest time. Although the oldest would still be too young to be allowed to
scythe the crops, they would certainly be assisting the more senior men,
probably John himself, who undertook this slow, rhythmical art, now lost.
It is of interest that wheat was always scythed as it cut cleanly, but
barley always needed a ‘spare hand’ to gather it, so a sickle had to be
taken instead.
Harvesting always depended on the number of workers available. In
early years all wives and the children helped with the corn harvest.
First it was cut and bound, then stooked allowing the sun do its drying.
The men usually did the cutting with the scythe or sickle. Sickle (Hook)
cutting: The reaper stoops to his work or kneels on one knee, leaning
forward grasping in his left hand the straw near the ground, pushes
the blade of the sickle round it and draws it towards him, pushing his
left hand over it at the same time, to avoid the cut. After each cut he
raises his left hand to clear the ears from those of the next handful to
be cut: when he can hold no more he lays out the bunch to his side,
lifting it high over the standing corn with the ears supported in the
curve of the sickle blade. As he works across a field he clears a strip
about 6 foot wide, less if the crop is heavy, reaping across the end of
the strip from outside to the inside and laying out his handfuls together
in sheaves ready for the binder. He would expect to cut half an acre a
day this way. In the early cornfield, the sheaves were transported to
the farm’s rickyard from the fields by horse and cart.
Two types of load-carrying carts were used; the Devon butt c.1790
(right) and the Devon haywain c.1800
(below right). Both were pulled by a single horse and had a single
axle at the centre so that the load was balanced over the axle and a
carried by the wheels, giving the horse a ‘straight-pull’ without some of
the load bearing down on its back via the shafts. The larger fourwheeled
haywains and wagons used in other parts of the country were
too awkward for the narrow gateways, sunken lanes and steep sloping
fields in most farming areas of Devon. The hay carts had low sides
each constructed of vertical wooden rods topped by a horizontal rail.
At the front and back of the cart there was a removable, sloping, high
'laithe', or 'lade', sometimes called a ladder or gate, the term 'gate'
giving the best impression of their appearance. The large diameter
wooden wheels with iron rims were set outside the cart body so that
the floor resting on the axle was almost at waist height. This made it
quite difficult to climb up into the cart, but the use of a mid-wheel spoke
usually did the trick.
However, should the horse move during the leg-up an accidental fall
was likely! The wheel hubs would need to be greased from time to
time and the removal of the wheel, by a wood pillar with a wooden
lever bar allowed the wheel to be turned to its ‘hub slot’ over the
securing pin. Remove the pin and off came the wheel.
The procedure for harvesting depended on the size of the team
available. In the field, one or two workers pitched the sheaves up to
the person making the load on the cart. When the load had been
completed and roped, one of the workers would lead the horse and
cart back to the farm and into the rickyard where he would climb up
onto the load and pitch it off onto the 'rick', or cornstack. This
arrangement worked best when the team was large enough for three
carts to be in use, one in the field loading, one in the rickyard
unloading and the third on the road between the two. The farm boy, or
old farm hand would lead the horse from one stook to the next as the
sheaves were loaded onto the cart. This was quite easy because the
horses knew what was required of them and required minimal
guidance, which was just as well as a youngster had to reach up to
grasp the bridle and would be rather overawed by their size.
125

Harvest was always the time of the heaviest work of all the heavy work
of the farming year. Men's minds, when not dulled by arduous physical
work, must often have turned to thoughts of easier ways of harvesting.
Long ago, in classical times, there was a machine of a kind for corn
that seems to have been used in Southern France. It is mentioned
both by Pliny and Palladius. The tradition of this machine persisted
through the ages. It was, apparently, a cart pushed before the horse
pushed into the standing corn, and had in front some sort of cutting or
tearing gear for ripping off the heads of the grain and tossing them is
into the cart. Crescentius, who compiled the first of the long series of
treatises on farming and rural life, does not mention it when writing in
the thirteenth century, but his description of it was probably only
repeating information from the early classical authors.
Barnaby Googe, an English writer of the sixteenth century, thought the
machine referred to by Palladius was a contrivance that might be used
on level ground, alone, but in England’s rather small field system and
with the rolling countryside he stated that: “it would make but ill
favoured work.”
A similar idea was converted into a machine for reaping in 1831
called the ‘Smith of Deanston’s Reaper’, above. It had little success.
But the corn was still cut by hand in the 1820s and it could have been that the
eldest son John at the age of fifteen would have been one of the sicklers or
scythe cutters. It is not likely, however that he would have been the lead cutter
as the skills required would not yet have been learnt by a fifteen year old.
Apart from being highly skilled, it was back breaking work and John would
not yet have the stamina, nor be careful enough at his age.
In the early 1820s it was probably be Walter’s job to lead the horse from one
stook to the next as the sheaves were loaded onto the cart. This was quite easy
because the horses knew what was required of them and needed minimal
guidance, which was just as well as Walter at the age of nine years would be
but 4’ 6 “ (1.36m) high. He had to reach up to grasp the bridle and although
he would know the horse from the stables he would still have been rather
overawed by its size.
Once the wheat, barley or oats harvest had been cut the next requirement was
to gather the corn laid down by the cutter and tie it up so that it could be
forked up to the cart. Some form of ‘tie’ was used for this and it was made
from the straw lengths cut earlier. This was a job for the farmer’s wife and
normally the family’s oldest child who was still too young to go out into the
field to do a day’s work. In the Townliving farm Madge family this would
have probably been Mary Grace who would have been about 5 years old,
now; and although her lack of eyesight would have hindered her, this was a
job well within her compass, as her life later will attest to.
The picture on the right shows two farm hands taking away the now
secured sheaves. Mother and child are busily making more ‘straw ties’
for the workers and a pile of them can be seen by the sleeping dog.
The straw for the ties would have been provided by the earliest
rippened straw available from this year’s harvest. The picture is a poor
illustration of reality as apart from the straw required to make the straw
ties all the rest of the cut corn would still be out in the fields. It is there
where the ties would be needed.
The straw ties were used on the sheaves and reason why, with this
form of carrying that they were so important. The harvest mouse
would heve been encountered often in the early 19th century. Even in
the mid-1940’s they were found whilest the corn was being cut, as
PWP Madge (b.1935) did so on the Lear’s farm towards the end of the
Second World War.
The small waistcoat, sometimes a jacket, was worn to save the shirt
or smock tduring the working days. The best side of the Labourer’s
smock can be seen to the right, and note the leggings that would have
been worn with the work boots below. If anyone wishes to have the
skin removed from the shin, then try walking across a field of corn
stubble. Its cut length is just right to remove the skin from the ankle
bones that protrude either side, just above the foot.
The end of the harvest was celebrated after the last cart full,
sometimes called the ‘horkey load’ was safely in the farmyard and part
of the last corn rick. Farm workers often went the rounds of the village
letting everyone know that the ‘Harvest was in’, expecting and getting
ale or cider for their pains. That evening there would be plenty to
celebrate as they could rightfully claim that the harvest was won! Only
the poor of the community and this would include some, maybe most,
of the farm workers would not be rejoicing as this was the start of the
field gleening. If it was a poor year each farmer would make extra sure
that the harvest fields were left clean, indeed he might even run his
pigs in these field too. But once the ‘guard sheaf’ had been removed
from the field gate the whole tract of harvest land was open to the
gleaners. Poor pickings in poor times, regretfully, but normally able to
glean enough corn to make some if not all of the winter’s bread.
126

AUGUST: The poor continue to glean the cut corn fields. The country looks very
rich, being finely diversified with crops of various sorts, and colours.
Pretty farmyard - thatch casting sharp shadow on whitewash in the sun, and a
Devon village rising beyond, all in a comb; sharp showers, bright clouds; water
striped with purple.
There will still be corn in the fields to be gathered and harvested. Corn Dollies would
be platted and teased by the farmers wives to made a welcome income when sold
at the Summer Fairs. Also, depending on the dryness or otherwise of the summer
this year’s lambs, with some of the ewes would be making their way to market. The
‘drove’, its name in these days, was when the sheep were walked to market along
drove ways, guided by their shepherds. Many of these droves can still be seen
today as names of country ways and streets. However, it should be recalled that it
is less than 100 years since cattle and sheep droves were taken right into the
markets of London, and indeed all major towns.
When the corn sheaves arrived at the rickyard, the cart was pulled as tightly as
possible alongside the base of the rick being built. It was was built on a layer of
faggots or wood - bundles of brushwood, each tied with a withy band, helping to keep
the base of the rick dry. A Faggot of Ash is burnt on the big open farmhouse fires at
Christmas. My Father William M (1905-1990) was the last to burn a firegrate faggot.
The cart load would be pitch it up and the rickmaker would hand down a pick so that
pitching could start. Making the rick was similar to loading the cart with each row of
sheaves overlapping the previous one to tie it in. The sheaves were pitched up two
at a time with long-handled pitch forks or hay forks, with either two or three curved
prongs. The first sheaves were laid along the sides of the cart in a row, butts outward,
still in pairs. The next two or three rows partially overlapped the previous row until the
centre was reached, so that each row tied in and secured the previous one.
Successive layers of sheaves were laid on top of the first in the same manner.
As the rick grew higher the sides were allowed to slope slightly outwards to
prevent rain running down the sides and into the butts of the outer rows of
sheaves. The rick maker relied on reports from the field on how much of the crop
was left to bring home to determine when to start building the gable top of the
stack. At this point the pitcher would be pitching most of the load uphill and
ultimately, as the rick neared its peak, to the rick maker’s assistant standing in
a space left for him at eaves height. The helper would scoop the sheaves off
the pitcher's fork with his own fork and hoist them to the rick maker at the top of
the rick.
Rick ladders were 24 rung wooden ladders the weight of which demanded the
attention of two men. The outward sloping sides meant that ricks could be
unstable, so one or two long, straight tree branches with a short fork left at the
end were pushed high up into the side of the rick, their other ends jammed into
the ground, to prevent the ricks leaning. These rick props were selected and cut
when hedging during the winter. The rick gradually settled over the first few
days, so the props had to be reset from time to time. Once the rick had settled,
the sloping ridge top was thatched to keep the rick dry. A haler, or tarpaulin of
canvas, was stretched over the top and lashed down to keep the rain out until
the rick was thatched. Combed wheat straw, called reed was used for thatching
the ricks, as well as the farmhouse and the two largest barns. (Sometimes
referred to it as Devon reed.) It should be noted that the Devon ricks were
traditionally square but very nearly all the other counties, were round!
127

SEPTEMBER: Glean what ye may for the harvest is finally done.
This month was known for unusual, harsh, weather and could; “dry up
wells or breakdown bridges.”
But in most years it was a time of celebration, with the Harvest Festival
Church Service towards the end of the month offically concluding the
time of the season’s yield. But this is not quite true, yet, as the hay
meadows would all give up another crop. Most of the root crops stayed
in the ground until they were required and the late winter barley, sown
in the spring would probably not ripen until the now fickle sun had given
up some more of its warmth.
If the year had been a good one with kind weather, a stable
Government and fair wages for the farm workers, then the end of the
harvest was a time to look forward to. The Harvest Festival, with its
good food and drink would be free to the farm workers as a thank you
for their hard work during the farming year.
But times and customs were rapidly changing and during this period of 1825
to 1835, families moved down from the hamlets and single cottages into the
villages so that their children were able to attend school when these facilities
were available. This denuded the outlying hamlets and solitary cottages and
gradually these fell into disrepair. But each Devonshire village was different.
The more progressive villages of which Exbourne was one, started by using
Parade Cottages as the Dames School, shown on the right. Here a lady maybe
the Vicar’s wife would teach the children, before the main school was funded.
Exbourne’s school building is next to the Church and in continious used for
over 150 years. Term starts in September.
OCTOBER: After Michaelmas,(late September) it was the time for
‘moving on’ in the Farming community. Some farms would have
changed hands at Michaelmas, with farm auctions for those whose
dreadful farming year had driven them out and the Baliffs in, or maybe
the eldest son ‘taking on’ from his retiring father, but whatever the
reason now was a time of both wakes and feasts. For a farmer retiring
after a long and successful tenature of the land a send-off was gladly
given: But for one whose luck went out with the vagaries of the market,
the weather or just plain misfortune the farm action was a sad affair.
For no farmer likes to see another go under.
These farmers took no holidays, had little inkling or desire to travel
abroad, and would readily find all the company he needed within the
Parish. Indeed he would spend nearly all his time either working on the
farm, with eating or sleeping in order to; “work on the farm”.
The Harvest supper was less of a religious event and much more of a
feast, in successful years that is. It was usually held round the big table
in the farmhouse kitchen, if this was large enough, for all those who
had helped bring in the harvest.Little was spared after a good harvest
in the feasting and toasting the harvest now safely gathered in.
Often it was not
the farmer himself
who headed the
table but the Lord
of the Harvest.
In harvest time, harvest-folk servants and all
should make all together good cheer in the hall;
And fill out the black bowl of blythe to their song,
And let them be merry all harvest long.
So wrote Thomas Tusser in the 16th century.
The Lord of the harvest, probably on the larger farms, would have
brought together and been foreman of the harvesting gang. Indeed, the
farmer and his wife may well have acted as the servants to the feast
table there by enabling the farming gang and household domestics to
enjoy this one a year sumptuous meal.
And after the hearty meal came games and singing, loud and long into
the night. The home brewed beer and cider flowed in quantity as the
harvest gang sang loudly of ‘largess’ the small sum of money given as
a tip to the men as they bundled the corn sheaves. And they sang:
Now the ripened corn in sheaves it is born,
And the loaded wain brings home the grain,
The merry, merry reapers sing a bind,
The jocund shouts the happy harvest hind,
Hallo Large! Hallo Large! Hallo Largess!
The other side of the hearvest coin
can be seen in the Grace taken at a
small farm or labourer’s cottage
having to make do with ‘small picking’.
The word ‘largess’ has
its origins in 13th
century French being
taken from the Latin for
‘plentiful’.
O heavenly father bless us,
And keep us all alive;
There are ten of us for dinner
And food for only five.
School children of the
1820’s, able to pay 1d a day.
128

NOVEMBER: “The oaks are beginning to turn reddish brown and the
winds have stripped some nearly bare. The underwood’s last leaves
are in their gayest yellows. Thus autumn seems to put on bridal colours
for a shroud.” This was the time for the horses; with the grain harvest
over and all the corn flailed, dried and bagged, the great horsepower
of the land were put to the test once again. November ploughing. With
all of the farms arable acreage to be turned and tended, they came into
their own. When the last of the root crops were pulled and cleaned
ready to be carted to the farmyard for ready feed and the barns and
‘clamps’ for the winter, the horses broke the soil.
In the Townsend Farm Diary, more of which will be mentioned later, it
talks about the root crop of mangolds in the 1890’s. This term was not
understood by our Canadian cousins when they received the Diary. It
was an early root crop first developed in the 18th century from the
turnip and by the 1940’s was known as the mangel wurzle. It was, with
hay and “feed corn”, the staple of winter feed.
It was also the month for ploughing matches and ‘furrow drawing
matches’. Whether John Madge at Townliving Farm took part in them
we do not know, but it is highly possible that his eldest son John who
would be 20 in 1825 could well have done so. With his brother, Philip,
20 later in the same year, George 18, and Walter 14, there would have
been enough labour about to allow one of them a day off to enter a
local ploughing match.
The Tithe payment to the church was due after the harvest and
although money was normally asked for, in the farming communities
‘kind’ of produce or livestock was more often offered albiet, reluctently.
Here the artist suggests that the farm boy has a piglet on top of some
produce as payment, though the picture makes it rather more like a
ferret! The traditions for the tithe go back to the Old Testament but in
hard or lean years farmers found it very difficult to find.
The routine of a farmer’s boy is remembered as follows: “ I used to
have to get up at five o’clock in the morning, get fire going ~ and it was
an old fashioned fireplace. Well these brass pans, they were full of
milk. One for the table and the other for the calves. Of course, a lump
of soot fell down the chimney and into the pan, so that went to the
calves and another had to be got for the men. This happened three
times a day. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was baking day with all
the washing up to do, Wednesday was floor scrubbing day, Thursday
was cleaning the dairy, Friday was housework, and Saturday was
worst of all ~ the master went off to market and left me to scrub the
kitchen floors and feed the men at teatime . No stop, it t’was.”
DECEMBER: “Frost last night and this morning and all the day intense;
it froze every part of the house, even the kitchen. ...Meat like blocks
of wood. It froze in the kitchen even by the fire in a very few minutes.
Snow has fallen, and everything is white. It is very cold. ...I love to
close my eyes a moment and think of the land outside, white under the
mingles snow and moonlight - white trees, white fields - the heap of
stones, white - snow in the furrows ...
“If He were to come I could not even hear his foot steps.”
With all the cattle in their winter quarters, the sheep would still be out
nibbling at anything that showed green above the snow. But this would
not be enough to see them through so winter fodder, here some hay,
would have to be carted out to their pasture.
At Townliving the sheep were kept in the shallow valley down to the
southeast of the property as the hill beyond, by Solland Farm, afforded
the most shelter from any winter’s snows driving down from the east.
It was now in the farming year that the quality of the harvest, for winter,
would show its true worth. Most will think of the harvest as corn for the
market place and then some cash in the farmer’s pocket. But the true
worth of a full harvest in the 1820’s extended not just to corn, but to the
animal feeds a well. For without hay, silage had been invented but few
farmers used it, oats, wheat, rye and barley for winter feed and root
crops such as turnips and mangolds, the cattle and horses would have
surely perish. The hay ricks were mostly about the farm yard so the hay
knives would be sharpened ready to cut today’s feed. The cattle on
their deep straw bedding would be kept in the barns to the right of
Townliving farmhouse for all the winter. This not only keep them warm
but provided a measure of warmth to permeate along into the
farmhouse as well.
This photograph is taken from the sheep’s wintering field to the south
of Townliving farm. Beyond this field, further south, are the Addlehole
fields; more later. Townliving grey cob shippen barn, the white end of
the farnhouse, with the barns beyond all cluster towards the
southeastern corner of Exbourne, beneath the watchful church tower.
129

These two photographs of Townliving Farm show the views from
the northside to the right, with the full length of the other side, the
old cob barns shown above. The cob buttresses of the barns still
showing and providing the necessary extra strength to keep them
standing after all these years.
The stockyard on the right is in front of the old double doors of the
barn (this now has a wooden bar across both doors) and it is where
the cattle would be released from the barn and into the stockyard.
The brickwall at this end appears to be a relatively late addition.
On the other side of the barn, see above, again the double doors are
visible, though one is covered by thorn and ivy, and are opposite
side of the old barn to those on the north side. These were used to
permit the stock their first taste of the spring grass in the old
orchard that has now fallen into disuse; above.
Seeing the old orchard above reminded me what wonderful places
orchards are to play in and no doubt, if time and work allowed the
children of John and Mary played for many hours in this one. But
one of their children, Richard died at the age of ten in November or
December 1819. It is not known how he died. Unusually he shares
the same grave as his nephew George, son of John & Elizabeth,
who died aged 4 in 1836. This grave is in Exbourne churchyard,
shown to the right, being to the east of the church porch door. This
is just below Richard and John’s grandfather, John Woolland’s
resting place in 1827 when he died aged 86 years.
John Woolland, Yeoman, as the gravestone states was burried in
Exbourne rather than Northlew where he had most of his farm land.
This is probably because he retired to Townliving Farm when he
was too old to farm his other lands. He died in 1827, when John and
Mary had farmed Townliving for 24 years but even so Mary’s
Father still left the farm to his wife. Not until 1832 did they owned
it.
130

Times were gradually getting harder and harder for Farmers and John and
Mary must have found life arduous with their seven fast growing children. As
we have seen Richard their third born, died in 1919, so six, John, Philip,
George, Walter, Mary Grace and Frederick remained. However, probably a
saving grace was that they had a ready made labour force, their own children,
to work the land, so saving on labour brought in.
It is interesting to note that John the eldest did not marry Elizabeth (Nee ??)
until he was 26 years old, in 1831, and any delay in the wedding could well
have been caused by the fact that John’s labour was required on Townliving.
As neither he could afford to leave nor his father provide the money to pay a
hired labourer to work in his place.
Farms took between 3 to 4 years to recover from a poor harvest.
1834 Hanging in chains punishment is abolished. Cholera returns to the west
Country.
1835 Highwayman murdered coachman at Jacobs Well, Mid-Devon. Hung
at Exeter, 12th August 1836.
1836 Poor Law riots. (Arlington, N.Molton and Sheepwash.)
1838 Still many Lepers in the country.
1840 Many people still expected a French style Revolution from the ‘masses’.
Tithes still paid. Casual farm Labour paid at 1s 6d a day. Regular farm
workers were paid 10s 6d per week.
New grain varieties were introduced to suit different Winter and Spring
sowing patterns
1820 to the mid 1830’s in England was a time when the country and
its population was gradually growing into the ideas of an early ‘modern’
society. The harsh penal sentences were gradually being reduced, but
the transportation of fellons to the ‘New Territories’ of the Australasias
continued at a pace.
In a way the repealed capital punishment Laws lead to an easing of
tension throughout the country so that fears of a popular uprising as in
France never materialised. Those earning and growing a farmer’s
living in the country had little time to think of such things. By far the
most important subject uppermost in all countryman’s minds was crops
and their growth closely followed by the food for their table.
If was food available, either because you grew it or ones labour earned
a wage, it meant the family fed well. It was just in the lean years, and
these were to arrive in the 1830’s that the countryside residents truely
felt aggrieved.
The Poor Law riots of 1836 were deeply felt in North Devon and many
farm workers joined these rowdy demonstrations. These were against
what they saw as a misappropriation of a third of the tithe money that
should, within Church Law, be kept for the poor of each Parish
Community. It could then be used to relieve the sufferings of those out
of work, or unable to work. But the Church was not responsible alone,
as eversince the 16th century Poor Law Acts the landed gentry, with
the other land owners were oblidged to collect and support the
‘impotant’ in the parish such as orphans, the old, and the infirm. Those
who were fit but unemployed could expect no direct help. This
parochial system was further undermined when tithe incomes began to
be appropriated for other uses, outside the village communities.
During the 18th cent. there were changes made in response to
increasing numbers of poor leaving the land and migrating to work in
the expanding industrial areas. The earlier system continued, but was
amended to allow local Poor Law authorities to attempt solutions to the
problem of the increasing numbers of those seeking Parish relief.
Some parishes combined to form a union, which built a workhouse and
required those who were poor but able to work to live within it. The
poor who entered the workhouse had to wear a uniform and were
referred to as paupers. It was intended that work undertaken in the
workhouse would cover its costs. As rural wages continued to fall a
system was devised of poor relief in cash which supplemented
inadequate wages. Then came the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.
This Act put into practice a process of relief given only to those poor
who agreed to accept the strict regime of the workhouse, where the
conditions provided were funded at a level below that affordable by a
person in work. In addition, the new Act created a commission to
supervise the establishment of unions of parishes in England and
Wales. These unions were to be administered by boards of guardians
comprising magistrates and parish ministers of the Church of England,
ex officio, and representatives of parishes elected by ratepayers.
Some of the very people who have been at the root of the problem in
the first place.
All the evidence from official reports and popular literature shows that
the Act was loathed by the poor. This system remained for 100 years.
131

These two pictures very neatly sum up the 1830’s and 40’s; for they were hard times for
those who worked the land, especially for the farm workers.
Above is a farmer and his wife with their children and probably two of their working
hands. However, this picture could easily have been applied to John and Mary with
their family. John was definitly married by now and Philip was most likely to have been
, too. George and Walter were still working on Townliving as Walter was not married
until 1837, and then to a local girl. Mary Grace was 15 years old and her baby brother
Frederick was 14. Young Richard had passed away when Grace was 3 years old.
So the clothes worn by those in the picture above will closely reflect those worn by the
Madge’s in these years. As John and Mary had now been Willed (1832) Townliving
farm by Mary’s Mother they at least had the land and farm buildings as ‘hedges’
against the worsening years in farming.
During the period covered by this chapter nine different major changes were
made to the legislation dealing with the land, the countryside and the
employment of Labour on farms. This is an indication of the poor times
experienced in rural areas.
The picture on the right is of this period and shows the ‘poor of the age’ helping
in the fields for a few pence a day.
The far reaching effects of the Swing Riots for the south of England were to be
felt for a decade or so on. Over 2000 farm and counry workers were brought
before local Quarter Sessions and although nearly 40% were either bound over
to keep the peace or acquitted. But the fate of the others, especially those who
the authorities thought were part of the rebelling core were harshly dealt with.
Over 200 were sentenced to death, though many were mitigated to lesser
penalties but still a poor 12 year old boy somehow was hung as a ‘ring leader’!
As the years passed by for the Madge’s at Townliving farm gradually the
‘next generation’ began to pick up the reins. It has been confirmed that John
and Mary became the outright oners of Townliving farm in 1832 and that
John and Mary were still there in 1841. But by this year John was 74 years
old and now in a position to reap the benefit of bringing his sons into the farm
work early and giving them all a thorough grounding in the land and its
management. In 1841 listed as a co-owner of Townliving is Walter Madge,
aged 41 years in 1841, the 5th son of John and Mary, but one who obviously
learnt well on Townliving’s farming land. During the next generation,
expanding land ownership benefitted our Madge families in Exbourne.
132

Chapter 8
The Madge Families of Devon.
1837 to 1840 Walter and Mary Elizabeth (Nee Ward) Madge at Exbourne.
1842 to 1890 Walter and Elizabeth (Nee Brock) Madge at Exbourne.
1807 to 1889 George and Mary Ann (Nee ??) Madge at Exbourne and Exeter
S
t Mary’s church Exbourne would have a large part to play for our family
over the next decade or so. Joy of joys in a marriage blessed with children but
to be followed too soon, by abject sorrow. Then a slow but fulfilled
partnership that would endure for fifty three years and would gain the
admiration of the people of Exbourne, and include long Atlantic crossing to
the new lands of the North Amercias.
Most of this ‘new beginning’ can be placed at the door of three Madge
Farmers. Walter Madge (1811-1901), his first born Richard Madge (1838-
1925) by Walter’s first wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Ward) and his last child born
to his second wife, Elizabeth (nee Brock), John Woolland Madge (1860-
1960).
The darkness in the picture of St Mary’s Church on the right holds one of the
great sadnesses for our family during these expansive years. It is somehow
appropriate that this ‘secret’ was revealed to me almost by accident, when
visiting Exbourne for only the second time in my life, in the early 1970’s.
133

Although Walter was working hard in the
fields of Townliving Farm prior to 1837, he
must have found time to go courting.
Fortunately he did not have too far to look
for a bride as there was a most suitable girl,
Mary Elizabeth Ward living in Exbourne.
She was also well connected, here, and this
is probably how John got to know of her
and then to have met Elizabeth when he
took a cartwheel to the Wards to be
repaired.
For the Wards of Exbourne were
wheelwrights for the village, and very
succesful they appear to have been too:
their house still stands today, to the right.
So, having found the excuse to meet
Elizabeth, gradually over time, the courting
would have become serious and a proposal
of marriage offered.
As it was still in the very early Victorian
days, courting would have taken sometime,
so John would probably have not had cap in
his hands asking Elizabeth’s father for her
hand in marriage for a few years after first
meeting.
Walter would have realised that the
prospect of farming land for himself to
farm as a newly married man was rather
remote. John and Mary would still, in 1837,
be living in Townliving farmhouse and
running the farm. However, their big day
was after the harvest was in, in 1837. Their
wedding celebrations would have been
included in the harvest festival celebrations
in Exbourne. For Mary was an Exbourne
girl, Walter also Exbourne brought up,
though born in Dolton, so all the villagers
would have known them and I feel sure
helped them to commemorate their entry
through the West door on the right and their
progression first by themselves and them as
one down the isle as Mr & Mrs Walter
Madge.
The Bride and Bridgrooms entry, the West Door
of St Mary’s Church, followed by their walk
down the aisle and then return as Man and Wife.
By 1837 Walter would have been working the fields of
Townliving Farm for more than twenty years. He would have
started by helping his elder brothers John, Philip and George
when they undertook their daily tasks on the farm. A little later
it is more than likely that Walter would have been placed in the
care of his eldest brother John, who would have been aged 11
then, but already with more than 5 years farming behind him.
We do not know very much about Walter’s early life except that
after being born in Dolton in 1811 at his grand mother’s house
in that village he and his Mother returned to Townliving Farm
fairly soon afterwards. Indeed Walter was the last to be born in
Dolton, Mary Grace and Frederick both crying their first breaths
of life in Exbourne.
But what can Mary Elizabeth (nee Ward) Madge have been
thinking about when she was taken to Townliving for the first
time after they were married?
It is not known what Mary’s childhood had been like, but she
was part of a successful family, the Wards, who as the only
wheelwrights in Exbourne who had been established for a long
time. But to try to work alongside your Mother-in-law, with
your husband out in the fields from dawn to dusk; very difficult
indeed! Especially as Mary was already five months pregnant.
The view of St Mary’s church to the right is taken from one of
the Townliving field to the south, south east of the church. The
farm buildings are hidden by the trees to the right of the
photograph; and behind these trees would have been the farm
orchard and then Townliving itself. It is a lovely thought that as
Walter worked the land with the church tower as an almost
constant reminder of his wedding day. He would also be able to
see, just, the top of Townlining thatched barn where his newly
married wife Elizabeth would be helping her new Mother-in-
Law Mary with the chores around the farmhouse.
134

The Madge’s ran Townliving farm from 1803 when John was ‘lent’ the Farm
by his father-in-law John Woolland; but owned from 1832 when John Madge
was ‘willed’ the farmhouse and lands to run and keep as he wished.
This has recently been found to be not the case. John Woolland ‘Willed’
Townliving Farm to his wife, Mary, on his death, as income for the rest of her
life. So it was not until she died, some years later that John and Mary actually
owned Townliving, outright.
Townliving farm (it was written Town Living in 1947) was finally sold, out
of our family, by my Grandmother Mrs Katherine (Kate) Madge (nee
Hannaford) to the Sage family in 1947.
As the farm was an extended family affair prior to 1832, both the eldest
children, John and Philip would have been taught to farm while daily helping
in the fields. John (b.1805) was to marry Elizabeth (nee Medland) on the 7th
September 1827 in Exbourne, but they were only blessed with a single child,
called George (b.1832) who regretably died aged 4 years and is buried with
his Uncle Richard just below the church porch, above the celtic cross. A
photograph of this grave site & stone is on page 132. Sad reading it makes too.
TownLiving Farm House, the old kitchen, the house Front Door as it
is now, still framed with Victorian latice work, plus the ‘full’ lounge.
Philip (b.1805), the second son remained unmarried. But sadly both were to
die before their father finally retired. John in 1853, at the age of 48, but sadder
still his wife Elizabeth had died 4 years previously in 1849. Philip died in the
following year, 1854 at 49 years. Young Richard (b.1809) had died aged 10
in 1819 and his nephew George would join him in 1836 in the grave below his
grandfather’s John Woolland resting place, just east of the church porch.
However, his elder brother, George (b.1807) had never, even in the early
years, shown any inclination to farm the land. George was thus the first to
‘escape’ the Madge farming heritage! I would think the family discussions
about George might have been long and frequent, but eventuelly he was
allowed to go to Exeter where he was to start in the wine trade. George
married Mary Ann in 1840 from Bishopsteignton. She was 10 years younger
that her husband and he was already well established, and very successful in
the wine business when they married. His business premises were at 10, The
High Street, Exeter.
The interior of the High Street Arcade, where the wine premises were looked
like one of the last vestiges of imperial power. Its intricately engineered
wrought-iron frames held hundreds of panes of glass making the Arcade look
as though it had been taken straight from the Crystal Palace of the Great
Exhibition, an enduring symbol of Empire. Behind, the High Street was
backed by scores of late medieval houses and dwellings.
Sadly much of what once was the High street, Exeter, was turned to dust,
including number 10, as a result of the destruction wrought upon the city by
the nineteen air raids between March and August of 1942 ordered by a certain
Germanic power. Both the author (b.1937) and his elder brother Peter
(b.1935) remember these raids vividly as we were living with Mother (b.
1908. Mary Adeline nee Beckham) in Topsham at the time, less than 3 miles
to the south of Exeter. Mind you our younger brother Roger (b.1941) tried his
hardest to drown out the noise of these raids, most nights!
George and Mary Ann would go on to have three children, George William
(b.1845 in Exeter) who joined his father in the wine trade, Isabella (b.1846)
and Frank (b.1849). Regretably access to her husband’s fine wines caused
Mary Ann downfall after their last child was born and she succumbed to;
“disease of the liver, over a 2 year period”, dying at the young age of 42 in
1859. But the sadness did not end there for her eldest son, George William
died aged 53 in 1898 a mere 3 years after his Father has passed on. So the
Madge wine trade in Exeter, came to an abrupt halt.
The next born child to John and Mary was Mary Grace, their only daughter so
she took the christian name of her mother. Grace as I like to call her, was born
in 1814 in Exbourne and almost certainly at Townliving Farm. Grace was
born with a problem to her eyes which meant that she remained unsighted all
her life. But this did not stop her from having a most unusual life for these
times. Though she never married she learnt to be a seamstress while growing
up in Exbourne, which lead to dress making, which in turn lead to becoming
a milliner by the time she was in her early to mid-twenties. Grace became
sufficently well known as a ladies hat maker, to be acknowledged as an expert
in her field and even worked in this trade in the west end of London. Indeed,
where George broke the Exbourne Madge mold, Grace, even without sight,
travelled the south of England, working in London, the Home Counties and
Okehampton. It is thought probable that it was Grace who introduced her
nephew Richard’s son John Samuel, to his future wife whilst working in
Okehampton (right). Much to the consternation of the Hannafords.
John would remain at Townliving until 1851, but assisted by Walter and
possibly with Philip (b.1806) and when he was old enough the youngest son,
Frederick. The village records tell us that in 1842 Walter was listed as coowner
of Townliving Farm. This is probably because his father John now in
his 75 year, had given Walter the supervision of the day to day running of
the farm. But this is not really clear enough to be certain
135

Walter and his wife Mary Elizabeth would have moved into Townliving
Farmhouse after they were married in the autumn of 1837. We have no idea
what the living arrangements were then as there were only two or three
bedrooms above the ground floor and at least two of his brothers were still ‘at
home’ helping with the farm work. Whatever the arragements were it soon
became apparent that Walter and his wife Mary would be taking over the farm
and kitchen and are listed as co-occupants in the early 1840’s. From this can
be gained the fact that Walter was probably the most skillful farmer/manager
of all the family, indeed later events confirm this to be so. After just a few
months in the January of 1838 their first child came along, Richard, who was
born on January 1st. He, like his father Walter would become a fine farmer,
running Estryer Park Farm most successfully for 37 years.
Then late in 1839 Mary Elizabeth became pregnant once more this time with
a girl who would be called Mary Elizabeth after her Mother. Tragically during
the child’s birth on the 22nd May the Mother became very ill and died in
childbirth on that day. Her tombstone, to the right and is to the north of
Exbourne Church, lying flat almost on the edge of the churchyard. I was
fortunate to find it in the early 1980’s as it was not known to anyone living in
Exbourne. It had been completely overgrown, lying flat on an old pathway.
After this personal tragedy Walter must have felt the bottom had dropped out
of his world. He had by this time, proven himself to be a very able and capable
farmer and a good farming ‘team’ with his wife. But this day when his wife
Mary Elizabeth died during the evening of Friday the 22nd May 1840
everything changed. Walter had managed Townliving farm with his wife
Mary taking over all the farmers wife’s various tasks from her Mother-in-Law
from the day they married. There was their son Richard, now just two years
old and of course the infant Mary born this day. The very first thing required
would have been a wet nurse for the baby. For without breast milk little Mary
would surely have died. Regretably we do not know who was the Nursemaid
for Mary, but one was found, probably within Exbourne who had recently
birthed her own child and had milk to spare for this emergency care. But we
do know the Mary’s mother Elizabeth Ward at the age of 60 undertook the up
brining of Richard and Mary Elizabeth from this day on.
Once the immediate care of the day-old child had been taken care of, Walter
had to address all the other implications of running a farming household,
looking after two children, managing the farm itself and ALL by himself.
From the evidience available it is thought that Walter’s parents John and Mary
were still residing at Townliving, so the farming side would have quickly been
placed back in John’s hands and, presumably, Mary, Walter’s mother would
have taken on the farm household chores. This then allowed Walter to
concentrate on his two children and what they were all going to be doing, and
where they might be living in the near future. It is known that Walter’s
brothers Philip and Frederick had been helping at Townliving farm so
presumably they would have returned there to provide extra support for their
Father and their wives assistance for their Mother.
The next few years are somewhat confused when trying to workout who was
living in which farm and who was actually doing the farming there. However,
it is known that another of the Exbourne farms that John Woolland owned was
called Townsend. This lovely old, much older that Townliving farmhouse,
was probably built sometime in the late 14th, 15th or maybe just into the 16th
century; at about the same time or a little later than Exbourne church.
The basic framework of the main farm house is that of the original two
rooms upstairs and two down. Those downstairs started out as the
Dairy that opens into the Kitchen, where the hearth and baking ovens
are on the left side of the front door. The Shippen or cattle barn on the
right side. Above the dairy/kitchen were what we call today the
Bedrooms. But they were built both as daytime resting areas and for
beds to sleep in. Opposite above the Shippen, was the hay and winter
feed loft with the floor sloping from the side wall down towards the
building centre so that any moisture that got into the feed would be
drained away.
The construction of the farmhouse can still be readily seen today. The
footings would have been dug down about two feet, or to bedrock and
then locally quarried Devon red stone would have shaped and laid as
the foundation courses for the cob walls. The basic constituents of cob
are straw, water, and Devon sub-soil all mixed with cow dung. It is the
Devon sub-soil, which often have ideal proportions of clay, silt, sand
and gravel for use in cob construction which determines the durability
of the cob as a building material. The performance of cob soils was
improved by the addition of cow dung which acted initially as a
plasticizer and subsequently as a binder inhibiting the dispersion of the
clay in winter. Once the cob wall, built in layers each layer left to dry,
was thick and strong enough the outer surfaces would have been
‘polished’, so that rain water would have flowed down it rather than
soaked in. This ‘polish’ would have lasted between a year or two before
the walls had to be re-surfaced. In rather more modern times cob walls
are given a ‘plaster type’ surface so that the rain cannot penatrate at
all. The old wheelwrights in Exbourne, right, shows this very well.
136
Front
Door
The Dairy (D) is next to the Kitchen (K) which houses the ovens
above the Hearth (H). Glassless windows with night drapes to
keep out the drafts are set into the walls The Shippen (S) would
just have arrow slits built into the walls for ventilation. The heat
of the cattle would provide a degree of warmth, upstairs, both to
dry the cattle fodder and to warm the bedroom.

In some aspects the lost of Walter’s first wife Mary Ward came as a split to
the “Madge’s of Exbourne”. It meant that Walter could no longer run a farm
as he had no one to do the household chores or a ‘dairymaid’ to undertake the
duties of a farmer’s wife in the dairy and the farmyard.
For the next two years it appears he became almost independant once more,
so much so, that it is not known how Richard and Mary were looked after
between 1840 and 1842. Walter definitely left Townliving Farm, with his
children it is presumed, and set about making enough money to keep them all
together. It is during this period of his adult life that he found a trade new to
the Madge family: as a Butcher. Again it is not known when, or how, Walter
‘gained this trade’, but it must have been in the early 1840’s, but Butcher to
Exbourne he would become.
The map opposite of Exbourne, shows Townliving farm just to the west
of the ‘E’ of Exbourne and the Addlehole fields are those to the north
of the ‘bourne’ of Exbourne. The fields marked in red, probably in 1925
by John Samuel Madge (1870-1941), show some of the land left to
John Samuel Madge by Samuel Palmer his maternal grand-Father.
This was in recognition for John and his wife Katherine (Kate
Hannaford, 1874-1959) for looking after two of his children in their old
age as they had not been able to talk or hear all their lives.
There are a few fields below Townliving Farm’s land, before one reaches the
Holebrook stream (behind the bird table, right) which flows in the little
valley there running north and south. These few fields on the right are known
as Addlehole, (next to the house that was called Addlehole, but is now
known as Swallow’s Rest, right). They are close to the Townliving fields
and it is thought that they were probably part of the John Woolland holdings
that passed to his daughter Mary, the wife of Walter’s father, John. This is
where Walter would run and graze has stock after they had been bought at
Hatherleigh Market, letting them fatten before they were slaughtered for his
butchers block. Although we are able to piece together what was the most
likely course for Walter after his wife died we do not actually know it
factually. But we do know he married again and this was to be a long and
productive partnership both in terms of their off-spring and the standing they
both achieved within Exbourne and the sounding district.
1837 Death of William IV; accession of Queen Victoria
1838 Anti-Corn Law League formed; People's Charter drafted.
Grand Union Canal opens (July)
1839 Chartist riots. Nelson’s column erected in Trafalgar square.
1840 First ‘rights’ introduced for factory workers. Penny post
instituted. Tithes still paid.
1841 Tories in power: Peel ministry Corn Law Riots. Much
starvation/hardship in the country.
1842 Repeal of the Corn Laws. 7% tax lieved on shoes & leather.
Property tax, the early Income Tax introduced.
As the events of 1841 and 1842 above, show, these two years were dreadful
ones for all the country, but worse still for the farming communities. It was
against this background that Walter had to bring up his children Richard and
Mary with no wife to support him.
However, during 1842 he appears to have gone courting once more. This time
to a young Exbourne girl in her early twenties, who was working as a
seamstress in the village and whose parents are thought to have been early
village shop keepers, as her father Richard was then a tailor.
Wedding bells sounded at St Mary’s Church on the 31st October 1842 when
Walter brought his new bride, Miss Elizabeth Madge (nee Brock) down the
church aisle, it is believed, dressed in white.
Walter was listed as an Exbourne butcher by this date so we can assume that
with the Addlehole fields for his cattle and a few sheep and probably the
Addlehole house (right) now available to him, he felt secure enough to gain
himself a new wife and, of course, a mother for the children of his first
marraige; Richard, now aged 4 and Mary Elizabeth at two and a half years.
We should now return to Townliving Farm, as it is ‘known’ that Walter was
was running Addlehole as a Butchery business, though it is not known when
this was started. At Townliving, John, now aged 75 years and his wife Mary
in her 65 year would have taken over the farm, running it with their sons Philip
and Frederick who would be helping out doing most of the heavy manual
work. In some old documents it is suggested that John and presumably his
wife Mary, moved out of Townliving Farm in 1841. I believe that this was
probably the date when Walter had ‘moved on’ with his children and his
younger siblings were helping with Townliving fields. (On the right)
There is now a most unfortunate gap of a decade in the farm and county
records during which time we have no idea who was running Townliving
farm. But, it is known that Frederick John (b.1817) married another, younger,
daughter of the Brock family, Martha (b.1824) in the autumn of 1847. So
before this date he would have been very keen to have his board and lodgings
at Townliving farm so that he could prove to his ageing parents that he was
now fully capable of taking on the full running of Townliving; and thus ensure
himself of a fitting place to bring a bride, once he had courted one.
139

1840-50 Known as the hungry 40’s. Farm labour was put up to auction
and in some places, paying just 6d to 9d paid per day. Many left the land for
the railways.
1840-on Casual farm labourers paid 1s 6d a day. Regular farm workers
paid 10s 6d a week. New grain varieties, winter/spring wheat etc.,
introduced. It takes 3 to 4 years to recover from a poor harvest.
1845 Glass tax removed. Cost of East India Cadetship approx.
£400-£500 in bribes.
1845-47 Potato Blight reaches Devon. prices raise sharply.
1849-on Farm prices tumble, many small and medium farms go under.
Potato blight, the disease that produced the potato crop failures in
Ireland in the 1840s, resulted in severe famine causing so much misery
and extreme poverty, reached Devon fields just 4 years later. The
famine also exerted an influence on world history as it led to the
massive emigration of Irish people, with vast numbers of them going to
live in the United States. Recent research has indicated that the strain
of fungus which causes blight in our crops today is different to the one
that caused the devastation in Ireland, 170 years ago.
Farming has seen some bad and very bad times, but this decade must
rank as one of the worst. Add to this the arrival of the potato blight from
overseas carried over with the potato exports from Ireland, the staple
diet for most farming communities was turned on its head for years to
come. Add to this the unfair Corn Laws so the lot of the farm worker
and his family was very, very poor indeed.
It was in this climate that Walter started his new trade as a village butcher and
took a new wife to look after his first wife’s children.
It is known that Walter ran his livestock in Addlehole fields and it is assumed
that he had use of Addlehole House; but by 1851 he is shown as a Village
Butcher but working out of “Part of Bents”.
As the small map shows to the right, “Bents” was an area of orchard lying
straight in front of Townsend Farm, but the other side of Fore Street, the road
to Corstone Moor which crosses Hole Brook.
It was within this “Bents” area that Walter was now running his stock and
trading as a Butcher. It is most likely to be on land that was closely associated
with Townsend Farm, or was actually owned by the Townsend farmer, which
was a John Woolland farm. Then comes the next and a major change.
After Walter married Elizabeth Brock in 1842 they would have been working
extremely hard in these very trying times to build up the business for their
family. Their first child, Walter (1846-1918) was born on the 26th March
1846 and he would follow in his father’s farming footsteps, but not in this
Country, but in Canada, where others would follow, but young Walter was the
first.
We know that the family remained in “Part of Bents” until at least 1848 as
their next child, Philip (1848-1923), was actually born there. During the eight
years living and working at “Bents”, it appears that dispite the poor economic
times, they managed presumably by dint of hard earnest work, to not only
keep the trade going but to build it up significantly. It should be noted that
Walter was one of three Exbourne Butchers in the 1840’s. Philip and
Frederich took over the running of Townliving while John and his wife Mary
tried to retire from running the farm and live out their remaining years,
quietly.
The picture of Exboure Church showing the main pew area, the font and the
aisle leading down to the screen and alter would have been packed with
villagers in the early spring of 1846 to celebrate the christening of their first
born, Walter and this birth, the “blessing’ on the marriage of Walter and
Elizabeth.
It is at the mid-19th century that changes would be made in the
accommodation for the Madge families within Exbourne Parish.
However, life in Exbourne was rapidly changing anyway. The Victorian era
was now reaching out over the world and included the ribbons for rural
development of firstly the canals and then, much more importantly the railway
networks. These covered firstly the main routes through the English mainland,
and then gradually most country areas gained access to rail travel and by 1880
just 30 years on, the nearest railway line was but 4 miles from Exbourne, at
North Tawton.
This, “access to the world’ would greatly change the Madge families of
Exbourne giving rise to migration to the Americas. Here is the reason for the
departures to the New World. With below, Exeter Canal and Exeter in 1800.
1850’s Casual farm labour paid 1s 4d a day. Animal feed 7d to 8d a
pound. Lamb saddle or beef haunches both 6d a pound.
However, farmers still did little ‘money’ trading providing
produce for service or product for needs and no money.
1850 “Free Trade” was brought in, allowing the farm workers
access to much less expensive food. The first Convicts are
sent to Dartmoor prison. It had only been Prisioners of War
prior to this.
1850’s The spoken, “Ye” becomes “You” in the english language,
thus changing the way everyone addressed other people.
138

This aerial view is of St Mary’s Church and part of the church
yard. This shows some of the older grave stones within the
church yard.
The John W 1827 is John Wolland’s flat grave stone that is just
below the porch entrance on the south side of the church. John
Woolland’s daughter Grace, who died on November the 18th,
1814 at 57 years is also inturned here, at the feet of har father.
The Mary M 1844 is for Mary Elizabeth Madge (nee Ward) and
her head stone is laid flat and appears to be part of a path
running east/west towards the roadway on the north side of St
Mary’s. It is not at all easy to find but it is well worth any effort
involved, if only to say a brief “hallo” my g-g-grand-mother,
which I did when I first found ‘her’ and try to do everytime I am
walking in this lovely place.
Richard M is for Richard Madge the son of John and Mary
Madge who was buried on the 20th day of a month that cannot
be read in 1819 aged 10 years. This stone is also to the memory
of George Madge the young son of John and Elizabeth Madge.
This John Madge was the son of John and Elizabeth Madge, so
young Richard aged 4 years when he died was laid: “on the
right side of his Uncle Richard Madge. George departed this
life April 12th 1836.
Walter and Elizabeth with the arrow, are buried in the same
grave half way ‘down’ the churchyard to the east of the church.
the gravestone is prominent and easily found. This site would
have been given to Elizabeth when she passed away, as she died
on 20th September 1890 aged 70 years.
Walter would out live her by a further 11 summers dying on the
29th May 1901 aged 90 years. What a man he was!
After 1850 it appears that Walter, his wife Elizabeth, her step children,
Richard and Mary, with their own children, Walter (b.1846), Philip (b.1848)
and John Frederick (b.1850) developed into a well knit family well able to
manage on the ‘brass’ brought in from Walter’s butchers trade. It is within a
year after this that Walter was shown as not only a butcher but a farmer as
well. At sometime early in the 1850’s that Walter’s hard work was rewarded
with not only his own land on which to run his livestock, but also a substantial
farmhouse and a farm with over a hundred acres to manage and farm.
Townsend Farm had arrived into the Madge family from the lands of the
Woolland farmers, having been gifted by John Woolland, through his own
wife to their daughter Mary the wife of John Madge who, at the time had just
retired from running Townliving farm. He was no doubt very pleased to be
able to pass Townsend Farm onto his most able son, Walter in 1851.
Townsed Farm is to the right of the two red roofs at the right edge of the
aerial photograph, with Townliving farm in the bottom left corner.
JohnW
1827
RichardM
1819
Walter &
Elizabeth
MaryM
1844
An Exbourne Butchers during the 19th century.
It is not known if Walter had his own shop during his early days as one of the three
butchers of Exbourne. But this building on the right is known to have been a butcher’s
shop during the first half of the 19th century. Could this have been where Walter, and
as Richard grew up (he would have been 10 years in 1848) presumably he would have
helped his Father with the preperation of the carasses to produce the cuts of meat in
prepared joints for the village customers to purchase.
The children of Walter and his first wife Mary Elizabeth (nee WARD), Richard and
Mary would have grown into their early ‘teens’ by this time so Richard would certainly
be helping his father, Walter both with the running of their livestock for the butcher’s
block and as a butcher’s assistant, as above. Mary, aged 12 in 1852 would also be
helping, but this would have been to assist her step-Mother Elizabeth (nee Brock) inside
the house as a housekeeper, with the cooking and food preperation and of course outside
in the ‘yard’, wherever this was, with the chickens, the bees, milking the cows and
possibly milking and undertaking diary jobs such as cheese making as she grew older.
In 1839 the first Exbourne Village School was built on the Church
lands just to the south east of St Mary’s. Where Mary Elizabeth’s
gravestone now lies flat in the churchyard there used to be a
number of old Almshouses. During the late 1830’s these small
building had fallen into disrepair, when a proper school for Exbourne
was decided upon. It took a couple of years to build using the stone
‘robbed’ from the Almshouses. And just look at those views across
the Hole Brook valley to the southeast!
It was the grand children of John and Mary that would have benefited from
the building of this school. Indeed Richard, Walter’s eldest, from his later
achievements attended and learnt well from the school at the building
opposite. But all Madge children from 1839 on, attended this school.
139

The 1850’s like the previous decade was very bad for the countryside in
general and farming in particular. How a village such as Exbourne survived
when it was nearly all bound into farming the surrounding lands which
included very nearly every the able bodied men, and a lot of their womenfolk
too totally depended on the farms, is very hard to understand.
1850’s The Dental Art for drawing teeth:
“He could scarce stir ‘n”. Or “He had a proper job to get ‘n”. The cost
was 6d with a mouth rinse of salted water.
Little Garden People, the Fairy/Pixie. In Devon the Fairy is fully clothed
while the Pixie is always naked.
1850 England population now 16½ million. The Railways made
Fares less expensive as all the tipping (Coachman, Drivers, Ostlers &
guard) used was no longer necessary.
This is “Long Acre” barn and the “Round House” with Towsend farm just
be beyond the left side of the lean-to. In Walter’s day this barn with its horse
drawn ‘thresher’ in the roundhouse, right fore ground, was the main storage
area for all Towsend’s farm produce. This huge barn is wonderfully built, in
about the late 15th or early 16th century, all from Devon Cob.
1851 The Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park.
1853 A Devon “living” (A Parish for a priest.) cost £2250 to purchase.
The PARSON is the one in residence. The Village RECTOR is taking
the ‘living’ and residing “away”, doing ‘not a lot’.
1854-6 Crimean War, defending European interests in the Middle
East. (France & Great Britain v Russia).
1856 At the end of the Crimea War, celebrations were held right
across Devon with bunting and Union Flags flying.
1858 House prices greatly depressed. 4 score (80) houses in Mount
Radford, Exeter, can be bought for the price the land only originally
cost.
1857-8 Second Opium War opens China to European trade.
1858-9 Derby's second minority Conservative government.
1857-8 Indian Mutiny and India Act.
1859 Darwin's Origin of Species, published. Paignton railway line
opened.
Townsend Farm shown on the right from the lane below the farmhouse, now
called Fore Street in Exbourne, neatly shows how the main building, on the
left was clearly built before the “byres” adjoining it on the right. The word
‘byre’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘stall or ‘shed’. These have now
been converted to household use as part of the main building, itself.
It is difficult to compare the quietness of Exbourne today with the hustle and
bustle of these years when it was more self-sufficient.
In 1851 there were three grocers, three butchers, a poultry dealer, three bakers,
a post-master, two innkeepers, plus local craftsmen and of course the farmers
and farm workers.
It is also worthy to note that the majority of properties were originally
thatched and there were then seven resident thatchers in the village, in these
years. Many of the properties have now had their thatch ‘raked’ off and
replaced with tiles or slates. But it is easy to see which buildings these are by
the ‘false’ ridge-line shown as an inverted ‘V’ on the chimnies of these
houses.
The year of 1859 when Darwin’s “Origins of the Species” was published,
shows what a major influence this document was to have: One hundred and
fifty years later in 2009, the Darwins and the Churches are still at loggerheads.
Each still attempting to gain the ‘moral high ground’ against the other when
actually this so called high ground can be shared equally by both and all for
that matter on an even footing, as long as commonsense prevails.
The aerial photograph on the right show most of Townsend farm fields lying
to the east of the village, with the farmhouse arrowed. Below the farm is the
large Long Acre barn on land sloping away towards Hole Brooke.
The treeline beyond this is the Okemont river as it travels south easterly away
from Exbourne, before arcing back to flow through Okehampton.
A passing visitor to Devonshire mentioned the excellence of the view to a
local farmer. The reply: “Durn the view. I bain’t lookin’ at no view. I be
lookin’ how they dratted rabbits ‘as ated up my turnips.”
This is the early Victorian expression that ‘head in the clouds’ comes from:
“I shared his aspirations for Utopia, but he was going there across the clouds
while I was going along the land”.
At sometime during the 1850s to the end of this decade Walter not only took
on Townsend farm, but became a most successful farmer. His father and
mother had joined them here by 1852. Also during this decade Townliving
farm passed into the hands of Frederick John Madge (1817-1902) and his wife
Martha (nee Brock 1824-1915). They would remain here for the next 26 years,
again farming most successfully. Townliving’s fields from Solland Farm.
140

The death of Walter’s parents at the ages of 88 years for John (c.1767-1855)
and 91 years for his wife Mary (nee Woolland c.1776-1867), sad though it
was is most unusual for this time. John and Mary, who had managed to hold
the family together for over fifty years is remarkable in itself, but when the
poor conditions for farming, the untimely ‘anti’- Farming Laws and the many
ups and downs caused by the years of wars abroad are considered, it will be
seen that they were indeed quite remarkable parents. This of course, does not
take into consideration that they had to, on the death of Walter’s first wife in
1840, re-take over Townliving farm when both should have been resting in
retirement.
John died in May of 1855 in his bed at Townsend Farm where he had ‘put up
his feet’ for his final retirement when Walter took over the farm in the middle
of the century. Mary was to live on for a further 12 years, probably at
Townsend farm before she died at 91 years. Both are likely to have been lain
in St Mary’s churchyard, and probably together, but unfortunately I have not
yet found their resting place.
During these years at Townsend Farm Walter, and his second wife Elizabeth
with her step children, Richard and his sister Mary Elizabeth would all be
hard at it. Richard learning the farming skills that would hold him is such good
stead for the rest of his working life and Mary Elizabeth following in the
footsteps of her step-mother learning all she could about the dairy and
domestic side of farming.
Mary Elizabeth, MEDLAND to be, married Samuel Medland, listed as a
“farm servant”, on the 21st April 1868 at St Mary’s Exbourne. Her elder
brother Richard gave her a bible as a wedding present, opposite beautifully
inscribed. But sadness was to follow Mary Elizabeth all her life. From the
information in the large Madge Family Bible held by Christopher Madge
(b.1953) it shows that Mary Medland had but a short marriage. Her husband,
Samuel died in the April of 1867, just one year after their marriage. It is
thought that Mary Medland died in her late 30’s or ealy 40’s without issue.
This must have caused considerable grief to her elder brother, Richard, who
now found himself alone of the children born to Elizabeth Mary (nee Ward)
their mother who died giving birth to Mary Elizabeth.
The children from Walter second marriage with Elizabeth were: Walter (b.
26th March 1846), who eventually went to Canada as the ‘first to go’. Philip
(b. Spring 1848) who went on to learn his father’s earlier trade of Butcher and
was most successful at it, conducting his own business in North Tawton. John
Frederick (b. 18th June 1850) who unfortunately died just six years later in
1856. Elizabeth, or Bessie as she was known by her father, was born on the
16th May 1853 at Townsend Farm. She with her new husband, Robert Turner
a local farmer, would follow Walter with his new wife Mary.Q. (Nee Medland
nee Ward) and the Newcombes to Canada. This was after a twin (Walter
Madge/Mary.Q and Newcombe/Pattie Madge) wedding with her sister
Martha, (b.30 October 1857), or Pattie as she was called, at St Mary’s church
15th March 1876. Pattie’s new husband was also a local farmer (John
Newcombe) looking to expand within the ‘New Continent’. All four then
travelled to a new life in Canada. The next born, Alfred (b. early summer of
1855) would farm for most of his life in and around Exbourne, but was never
very successful at it. The baby of the family was John Woolland born at
Townsend farm on the 13th July 1860. John Wooland Madge would
eventually take over Townsend farm from his father and become the most
successful farmer of all the Madge Exbourne families. It is known that the
Townsend farm Diary of 1885 to 1894(6) was partly written by the Father,
Walter but then the youngest son John Woolland Madge probably took it on.
Walter, after his grounding in running cattle for the butchers trade really found
his feet as a farmer and Townsend Farm prospered as a result. Walter’s
knowledge with the South Devon cattle and the Devon Long Wool sheep
would be put to very good use by his son John Woolland when he took over
the farm towards the end of the century. Champions in both breeds would be
bred, reared and most successfully shown at the Okehampton Show, and
beyond, during the latter part of Walter running Townsend and again, much
more often when JohnWoolland was at the helm of Townsend farm.
Some local expression in Devonshire have completely change their meaning
over the last 150 years:
Hay was the old English for a hedge, or boundary to a field. If someone was
called “Thoughtful”; it usually meant the person was acting in a ‘cunning
manner’, trying to deceive. High mindedness has not changed too much as it
is still used to indicate the person spoken of was showing a ‘pretentions’
above his station.
When one was called a Patriot, which on the surface looked to be a good
thing; actually what was being said of you was that you appeared to be a
“profiteer”. This is thought to date back to the time of the Boston Tea Party in
1773 when the English took a poor view of the “Patriots” profiting from the
Tax Laws. “Confined” then meant “Indoors” rather than in goal. For an even
older expression; the Old English word “Well”, meant “Vill” in Anglo/Saxon
but this had became “Village” by the 1850’s.
The inscription reads:
To Mary Elizth Medland.
A Wedding present from
your Affectionate
Brother, Richard Madge
April 14th 1868.
The front of Townsend farm as it was from about the 1850’s. The porch
is of a victorian design that proved very popular and lasted well.
Simular wooden porches can be seen in a lot of rural farmhouses
throughtout the West country, even today. This photograph was taken
about 80 years later, but the external appearance of Townsend would
hardly have changed, in all these years.
141

1858 House prices greatly depressed. 4 score, (i.e.80) houses in
Mount Radford, Exeter, can be bought for the price the land’s only
originally cost. This is now a ‘School area’ for Exeter. PWP and PRP
Madge both attended Mount Radford School in the late 1940’s.
1865 Dowry giving at marriage was still in being for rich and poor alike.
1870 Education Act.
1870 Oct. Siege of Paris. Prussian/French war.
1876 Last Sultan of Turkey is deposed and dies
1878 Depression across the country.
1884 & 86 Earthquakes in England.
Since writing about Walter and his second wife in the preceeding pages some
more information has come to light which helps to clarify this.
In the 1841 census he is shown at “Part of Bents” which was a portion of land
‘in front of Townsend farm’, which probably belonged to John Woolland, and
his Mother-in-Law (Mrs Ward aged 60 years) was there with them looking
after his children, Richard and Mary.
In 1851 he had already married Elizabeth Brook and was now listed as a
butcher and farmer of some 80 acres within Exbourne. But in between the two
Census we have a document that shows that the family lived, rented and
farmed a further 8 acres which included the property of Will Hayes, shown
to the right but continuing with the field(s) of ‘Addlehole’.
The house at Addlehole may not have been used, as Walter is listed as paying rental for
both the Will Hayes house with its land and Addlehole fields. The dates for this period
at Will Hayes are very specific: 8th June 1854 to 9th September 1862.
It became a little clearer in 1861 when again Walter was listed as a farmer of 80 acres,
which was Towsend farm. He was living with his wife Elizabeth, his seven children, and
a Samuel Palmer (from Okehampton) who was a servant, but a carter by trade and whose
surname crops up again in the next generation of Exbourne Madge’s. Unfortunately we
do not know what duties Samuel Palmer had, whether they were household or land
orientated, but as a carter it is thought that the later are more likely. Also present that
census day was Mary Madge (nee Woolland) in her 84th year. Walter’s Mother who was
now living a Townsend Farm with them and would depart this life there in May 1867
and was buried on the 27th at StMary’s.
Walter’s youngest sister, Mary Grace Madge, aged 47 years was also living at
Townsend Farm as it is believed she worked for a Susanna Vadden who was
probably a milliner or seamstress within the village.
Prior to this Mary Grace had been living at Sower’s End Farm, Exbourne working as a
milliner. It is known that Mary Grace worked in Okehampton, in the archade at the
milliner’s shop there and probably during her 20’s or early 30’s. Soon afterwards she
travelled to the Home Counties working at the milliners trade and for a time was
employed in the Knightsbridge area of London, also as a milliner, but this time for
London society. All this when she was blind from birth; what courage in the 1840’s.
Mary Grace passed away on December 26th 1879 and was buried on the last day of that
year. What a sad Christmas that year must have been for them all at Townsend Farm.
We are more fortunate with information over the latter part of the 19th century as we
have the farm diary and the Townsend accounts book giving us a mass of farming,
village and family news to use with the official documents available. Added to this,
now, is the list of family events that are to be found in the Madge Bible.
So what of Walter’s brothers and sisters? John and Philip died relatively young, 48 and 49 years both
were farmers at Townliving and both helped their father John as he and Mary got older, and also brother
Walter after his first wife died.
George, the third son, was the Madge who ‘escaped’! His dislike for farming eventually led him to
Exeter where after it is thought, some form of apprenticeship to merchants in that city,, he decided to
enter the Wine Trade. He would have probably left Townliving farm, therefore, in about 1827 and with
his father’s blessing gone to Exeter at the age of some 20 years. By 1827 his brothers, John with Philip
and Walter would have all been helping their father John with the farm work and although poor Richard
had died in 1819 there was still Frederick, then aged 10 years, to come.
Although George was a successful Wine Merchant in his later life, he started out as a shop retailer,
probably in the spirit trade as his shop was known as “Madge’s Gin Shop” in 1850. He had established
his trade premises in 10, High Street, Exeter and married Mary Ann from Bishopsteignton in the late
autumn of 1842. They lived at 8, Dix Field, Exeter. All seemed to be well as the children gradually
came along, George b.1845, who would have seven children of his own, and take the wine trade on
when his father died: then Isabella was born in1846 and Frank in 1849. But unfortunately the success
of the Wine Merchants caused the downfall of the family, as Mary Ann died 24th March 1859 from
excesses with the trade goods. Her husband still kept the business going after Mary Ann died. But father
George died on the 18th March 1889 in St.Thomas, Exeter and his son would pass-on just eight years
later. Fortunately there was another George Madge, the grandson (b.1871), who took up the trade and
befriended the wealthy Stone Family (of Stone’s ginger wine and ‘rennet fame’). They graciously gave
him and his new wife a Service of Plate as a reminder to them of the association of “Batchlor Friends”
and Mr E.F.Stone. The grandson married on 27th August 1897. But his time running Madge & Son was
short lived too, as he died at the age of 27. His Mother then managed the wine business for a further 15
years until finally the curtains were drawn on George Madge and Son in the August of 1914.
The last of their children, Frederick John was the last born (b.1817-1902) to John and Mary. He married
Martha Brock, Walter’s 2nd wife’s sister. By 1851 he was helping out at Townliving and running a
Grocer’s business inherited from his wife’s mother at “Quality Street”. He would continue to farm
Townliving but by 1881 had moved down to Garden Cottage, but still farming 100 acres. Their son
George married Amelia Ann Rhoda (nee Morris) 30 Sept 1880 and they had four boys. But it is now
the turn of the children who, taking their very lives in their hands decided to leave England for a ‘better
life’
142
in Canada. Again, the courage to do something as
monumental as this when no one had any first hand
knowledge of the country they have choosen to
emigrate to is quite marvelous. It should be recalled
that over 95% of all the people born in Exbourne,
would remain there for all their lives, prior to this.

“Quality Street, Exbourne”, as an address in the 1850’s must have sounded grand
to Victorian rural England, and indeed why not! The house was known as
“Quality street” and in the early 1800’s belonged to the Brock family who were
shop keepers here.
Soon after, their daughter Martha married Frederick John MADGE in 1847 at St.
Mary’s church in the village, at least one of these shops was ‘Willed’ to her and
her husband Frederick. The dates are not known but records show that eventually
both the shops, the accommodation above and to the rear became the working
place and home to Fredreck and his wife Martha. Apart from the new slate roof
and possibly the insertion of a second front door between the two shops this
building will have changed little during the ensuing 160 years.
Frederick John MADGE was the last born to John and Mary in 1817 at
Townliving farm. I believe he was the last Madge to be born at this farm.
Frederick as he was christened was shortened in later life to Frederic for his
signature (which can be clearly seen in his best ‘copper plate’, as he was the
Enumerator for the 1871 Exbourne Census) but his family nickname was
‘Freddic’. Incidently, the dates for Frederick John and his family, are taken from
this 1871 census as the dates in previous Exbourne Census are clearly incorrect.
I presume that he made sure he and his family had the correct dates for 1871! He
was remembered as an ‘astute businessman’ by his grand daughter Millie. He
married into his first business, a grocery shop in Quality Square with a bakery at
the back (right), when he tied the knot with Martha Brock in marriage. They ran
this grocery business from 1847 to 1856, when presumably Martha was left to run
it alone, as Freddic had had to go and help with Townliving farm managemnt and
farming.
Here is the “Quality Street” building as it is today. There seems to
be window space for a two shop fronts alongside each other, now.
This origins of this map were copied from the Ordance Survey revised in 1904
and was the next illustration of Exbourne to be published after the turn of the
century. It very neatly shows this part of Exbourne. It is a copy of the map that
was used when Long Acre was sold off, with the ancient barn and round house
to be separated from Townsend Farm. The old main farm building with its
“byres” running south along the Fore Street road, can be readily seen just to the
left of the “Townsend” name. The field “box” below the name with the letters ‘G
P’ in it, is a part of the orchard beyond and all this field area was known as
“Bents”. The Quality Street site is down in the left bottom corner on the map,
above, and is the square house beside the figure 404 that is shown in the
middle of the road junctions, in front of the old Bank. Right alongide the Quality
Street shops and down to the edge of the map is Parade House, that started its
life as a Madge Butcher’s shop, but subsequently became the Post office. Along
towards Hayfield Road, is the road called Back Street which runs parallel to
Fore Street going northeast then north are Hayfield House and Pooks Cottages.
Both these have family connections over the years.
It was somewhere here, either this side or the other side of the road, Holebrook
Lane (known as “Over Under”, then) that Walter Madge was residing with his
children Richard and Mary in 1841 and running his early butchery business
from a cottage known as Garden Cottage, Part of Bents. This road also runs
passed Hayes, another of the farming complexes within the village that had
Madge connections through the years.
The ‘new Methodist Church’ which replaced a Public House, the Lethbridge
Arms when it burned down, shows Philip Madge (b.1848, and named after his
parents first born b.1844 but died in1845) as one of the patrons who laid the
Church foundation stone.
Walter Madge’s first Butchers shop was in Samford Courtney, 1843. The
N.Tawton shop, above, was owned by Philip his son, in 1870. Philip, son of
Walter learnt his butchery skills at his father’s side. He would later be a most
successful shop keeper in the meat trade in the village of North Tawton,
throughout his adult life. Philip’s shop also supplied victuals to Exbourne Parish
Council for the various village annual celebrations over these years.
143

That then, was the northern side of the village
of Exbourne in the mid 1800’s.
It is interesting to have a look at the Census of
that year, 1851; the first full Census to be
taken. It is also worthy of note that Exbourne
was spelt “EXBOURN” on the census form,
so I will use that here.
There are few surprises but we do not know
exactly where this “Part of Bents” was within
Exbourne. It should be remembered that
Richard and Mary are children from Walter’s
first marriage to Mary nee WARD.
With the Grocers shop, it would appear
fortunate in both directions, that Frederick and
Martha had her Mother to help them set up
and run the Grocery business. Elizabeth Brock
loosing her husband, and it is thought, the
Quality Square/Street shop(s) being willed to
Martha brought this about for mutual benefit.
Also listed in the Census is a Willaim LEWIS
aged 12 years employed as an Errand Boy for
the business.
There is another minor mystery with the
name, too: was it Square or Street? The actual
site of the shop(s) suggests that the correct
title is Square, but both have been used over
time.
The information shown in the Census for
Townsend Farm has nicely confirmed all the
other details from associated records for this
time. There is one ommission, though. Mary
Grace who was living at home in 1851 was
working as a Milliner/Seamstress but for
some reason this is not shown. It could well be
that when the returns Officer was told she was
Blind from Birth he quite wrongly assumed
that she could not work. Townliving Farm is a
little odd, too. The Newcombe Family are
shown here but it is known that not only did
the Madge’s still own the farm but were there
in 1856 and 1857. As the Newcombe’s and
the Madge families were to be joined by
marriage (Walter’s daughter Martha, known
as “Pattie”), it is possible that Joseph
Newcombe was renting the farm for a few
years until Walter was able to undertake
Farming as well as his Butcher’s trade, which
he did by 1856.
As we come towards the end of this Chapter, having firmly established our
family roots here, it is worth casting an eye back to Dolton in 1851. For there
are still Madge families there and in the surrounding villages. Rock Farm in
Dolton would not come into our family until the next century.
Our connection with the PALMER family is not too far away as Agnes
Hannah PALMER was aged 14 and living just outside Okehampton, in which
Walter’s youngest sister, Mary Grace Madge, aged 47 years (b.1814/5) was
also living at Townsend Farm as it is believed she worked for a Susanna
Vadden (in 1851) who was probably a milliner or seamstress within the
village. But her life before this and remembering that she is blind was
remarkable to say the very least. Ever since I discovered her ‘story’ a
generation ago, I have had a soft spot in my heart for Grace.
Now we have another Grace (Grace Virginia b.1997) in our family the life of
the earlier Grace, lives on daily in my mind.
The MADGE Families shown in the 1851 Census - Exbourn.
ADDRESS PERSON
EXBOURN
Part of Walter
Bents MADGE
“ Elizabeth
MADGE
Link to Head Married AGE TRADE Birth
of Family UnMarried
Place
Head Married
39 Butcher
Dolton
Wife “ 30 Exbourn
“ Mary Daughter 12 Scholar “
“ Walter Son 10 “
“ Philip “ 5 “
“ John “ 8 Months “
Frederick
MADGE
Head Married 33 Grocer “
“ Martha Wife “ 25 Former
MADGE
Shopkeeper
“
Widow 62 “
Quality
Square
Townsend
Farm
“ Elizabeth
BROCK
“ Mary
BLUCKETT
John
MADGE
“ Mary
MADGE
Mother-in-
Law
Aunt “ 69 School
Mistress
“
Head Married 82 Farmer of 70
Acres. 2 Labs
“
Wife “ 76 “
“ John Son Widower
MADGE
46 “
“ Philip Son Single 44 “
“ Mary Grace Daughter “ 35 Blind “
“ Ann HILL Servant “ 29 House servant Jacobsto
we
“ William
Avery
“ Richard
Townliving
Farm
ROOK
Joseph
Newcombe
“ Elizabeth
Newcombe
“ Joseph
Newcombe
“ “ 40 Farm Lab. Samford
Courtney
“ “ 43 “ Exeter
Head Married 69 Farmer 40
Acres.2Labs.
Exbourn
Wife “ 66 “
Son single 37 ‘
town Madge’s were resident in 1851. Many other towns and villages
thoughout both the North and the Southern Devon areas all boasted (?!)
Madge families throughout these years. But it should be remembered that
our family origins meant that prior to about the 1400’s virtually none of
these Madge branches would be inter-related, though all would go back to
Anglo-Saxon times.
Prior to this Mary Grace had been living at Sower’s End Farm, Exbourne
working as a milliner. It is known that Mary Grace worked in Okehampton,
in the archade at the milliner’s shop there and probably during her 20’s or
early 30’s. Soon afterwards she travelled to the Home Counties working at the
milliners trade and for a time was employed in the Chelsea area of London,
also as a milliner, but this time for London society. We have a record of her
residing at 11 Sloane Street and undertaking Trimmings Sales at the age of 31
in 1861. All this when she was blind from birth, too; what courage in the
1840’s. Mary Grace passed away on December 26th 1879 and was buried on
the last day of the year. What a sad Christmas that year must have been, for
those all at Townsend Farm.
Exbourne has had a number of name spellings over the centuries. But it all started with the Anglo-Saxon original which was “OKESBORNE”. I will be recalled that
Exbourne as it is today is close by Okehampton and the Okemont River passes close by the village to the west before it reackes Okehampton itself. Thus the meaning
of the early name for Exbourne can readily be seem to be: “Borne of the Oke” river. I do find it a trifle harder to find the first part of Exbourne, though.
144

It is well worth looking at the local events of the day during this period, the
first half of the 19th century. It was the times of the Farm Labour Fairs where
most agricultural workers had to ‘sell’ their labour to the farm owners. They,
the farm labourers, were known as farm servants at these fairs and were often
treated as such, with little or no thought to each family member, merely what
the hiring benefit would be to the farmer. But the hiring was usually for the
year and if married, this included the wife and all children over 5 years, to be
taken on as workers. To the right: The Bristol Fayre of 1850.
Normally, but not always, a small cottage (its rent usually took half at least
the labourer’s weekly wage) was provided close by for a family. Sometimes
Father and Son worked as a pair and they would be hired as such, thus giving
that family an “edge” at some Labour fairs. Incidently the term Agricultural
Labourer was not introduced until 1841when a single term was required to
describe farmer workers in that year’s countrywide Census.
But is was also a most unusual and ‘misguided’ era. Here, early in the 19th
Century, Parliment passed a Bill noted as the “Bastardly Order”, which made
Parish Councils materially responsible for the welfare of local girls that had
fallen pregnant, outside wedlock. This in turn gave the Parish the “right to
coerse”, these young mothers into marriage; or and in some occassions, and,
just as often, demand a financial settlement be made to the erant mother and
her child, by the father, if he could be located.
Right. Beggar stealing dog’s food.
The ‘explosion’ of the Industrial Revolution was well under way at the turn
of this century, with Farmers gradually loosing their greatest asset,
manpower, to industry. This was a time of realisation for the Farm Owners
when their workers:- “Left the countryside in droves for the towns”, and as
we shall see, abroard. Further inroads were also being made almost daily,
where the farmer workers remaining on the land were gradually being
replaced by the early farming machines. The new threshing machine for
instance, immediately removed employment for 10 or 11 labourers.
The rather strange, yet sad point worth noting here is that machines of one
kind or another had been around for more than a century already, yet few of
the farming community had taken account of this or indeed attempted to
project their impact on farming in future years. Within such situations are
breed the seeds of discontent and during the first 50 years of this century, this
would be born, ‘in spades’. After these events had gone their course, the fact
emerged that 2 out of every 3 farm workers would loose their places on
England’s farms in this timeframe. Right. 50% of Smiths lost their work.
With this early manpower upheaval came the tensions and acts that would
shape the future of the farming communities with their Gentleman farmers.
But this would also deeply involve the Constabulary, the Crown Courts, with
in some instances, the hangman, and further, bring about a complete ‘seed
change’ in the minds of the countryside dwellers. This mental seed change
would bring the early, ‘small numbers’ of migrations abroard, to a flood of
applications. These applications would be for almost anywhere in the world
giving land at the end of a “Passage Abroard” to a new land of ‘promise’. For
once they had arrived a their destination, with the farming skills they all
possessed, and where the horse was ‘king’ their hard work would produce the
‘bread and butter’, now hardly won, but theirs ALL theirs.
Some of the Landmarks that caused the rush to live and work; “not in
England”.
1830-32 The Swing Riots. (by workers of the Land, which resulted in 9
hangings and 450 Transported to Australia.)
1833 The Tolpuddle Martyrs. Six Dorset farm workers sentenced to
transportation to New South Wales and Tasmania. Their sentence being for 7
years. Fortunately public opinion finally secure their return to England in
1836.
1834 The Parish Poor Relief Act was passed. However, through poor and
sometimes fraudlant administration, it took a long time for the monies raised
for the relief of the Parish Poor to actually get to the Poor.
1866 The Agricultral Labourers Proctection Association is formed by the
workers of the land, to try and safeguard their livelyhood. Unfortunately this
did little to help the farm workers and it would be well into the next decade
before any form of real ‘protection’ was gained by them the head of the house
and their families.
Because of this there were parts of the Devonshire Madge familes that having
had their eyes set on going abroard were looking hard at the North American
Continent as their “Long Distance Way Out” from their ailing countryside.
To the Right: Steam ploughs were seen as the way forward; so was
the role of the horse to be deminished? Future events well passed
the turn of the next Century would actually dictate this, rather than
the so called “Victorian Progress”!
145

The “WorkHouse”, to be avoided at all costs.
There are numerous recorded instances of “To emigrate” or “Not to
Emigrate”; with the picture of a far too sanguine Workhouse and the Line of
the Poor providing very good reasons for doing so. But the one that held my
interest is as follows:- A Domestic Servant wrote to an emigrant journal
saying she earnestly desired to emigrate and was seeking advice. The
following was offered. Yes, provisions were offered on board the Atlantic
passage ship, but a little tea and comforts would certainly help. As to clothes
then, a warm grey cloak with loose sleeves, cotton peignoirs (light dressing
gowns) and for dresses, it would be better if these were all ‘front opening’
garments.
As to seasickness there was no remedy but it had been found that a little
cayenne pepper in soup is very comforting! It should be remembered that
”Steerage Passage” still cost £3.10s, each passanger for a sailing time of
between four to seven weeks, coast to coast. And steerage was just that, no
allocated berths, no areas for eating food, and in some ships the toilets were
just buckets with ‘rag curtains’. One of the only few things that was in favour
of the Steerage passangers was that they tended to be placed right aft and
fairly low in the ship, thus gaining some slight advantage in rough weather.
Although with a stern sea broaching, or particial broaching with a following
sea often washed through the steerage areas.
Packed up for the
New World, and
making his way
along the wharf to
the sailing, just
before the
‘ d r e a d e d ’
goodbyes.
A typical ‘sailing’
to the “The
Americas” in the
1840s-50s would
be by sail and
probably New
York.
It was not until a
decade later that
some of the
migrate ships
made direct
sailings to
different ports and
other countries.
The photgraph to the right is another from “Grand Mother’s” suitcase that
was taken, or may be taken, or maybe sent to Canada slightly later.
Whichever it is, it gives us a lovely image of the whole of the Philip
Madge family in the year 1893/4 when they were living at 79,
Okehampton Road (now Fore St.), N.Tawton and Philip was the Butcher
here and at Jacobstowe. It was taken in Exeter at the White Studio and
shows: Philip(1848-1923) & Hannah (nee Dufty 1853-1932) Madge with
their children: Amelia (1887-1895), Wallace (1891-1982), George (1887-
1959), Frances (1880-1895), Polly (1884-1923) and Kathy (1893-??)
146

CHAPTER 9
The Madge Families of Exbourne.
Emigration to North America.
1837 to 1840 Walter and Mary Elizabeth (Nee Ward) Madge at Exbourne.
1842 to 1890 Walter and Elizabeth (Nee Brock) Madge at Exbourne.
1817 to 1902 Frederick John was the last born (1817) to John and Mary.
Fredrick John married (Q4 1847) Martha Brock, Walter’s 2nd wife’s sister.
George (b.Q4 1854) married Amelia Ann Rhoda (nee Morris) 30 Sept 1880
1830s to 1940 The Madge, Newcombe and Turner families from Devonshire in
England, cross the North Atlantic to live in Ontario, Canada.
T
here is something about this particular corner of Exbourne that causes
disruption with my senses and emotions. It contains a number of poignant
Madge reminders for those of us here today. There are three Madge graves, two
of which have sad, sad stories; there is the World War I war memorial with the
name of William Paddon Madge notated there, which is even sadder (more of
that later); but most of all this aspect of Exbourne Church would have been the
last point that those departing the country would have left behind them. The
double gates, top left, are the Church exit gates that joins the main Exbourne
village road and as one turns to close them there is the final look at the Porch
entry to the Church itself a constant reminder of the generations that the Madge
families in the Exbourne community have come by to worship in this church.
From the first of our family to reside here a continous line stretches onto even
today. And that makes an unbroken line of some 220 years thus far.
If that is what we think today then spare a thought or three for Walter, Martha
(better known as Pattie) and Elizabeth (always known as Bessie) Madge as
this was the time when the ‘west’ was opening up and Canada in particular
was hungry for hard working, of 20 something years and who had a strong
farming background. With the reports that Walter sent back from across the
Atlantic ocean added to the employment turmoil within the labouring
communities of this country; it can be well understood it was thought that the
grass was indeed greener on the otherside of the Atlantic ‘pond’.
So it would be a major and possibly ‘a final’ upheaval for those families who
were young enough and were sufficiently competent, both in health and
having the financial means to contemplate this complete change of lifestyle.
We gain a lovely insight into these times through the Townsend Farm Diary
and the notes made therein. These are thought to be in Walter Madge’s hand.
Why was this corner of St Mary’s churchyard also so poignant for our Canadain cousins? This was probably the last ‘official’ functions the four newly
weds, had within the village. Two Madges in Walter and Mary and two Turners in Robert and Bessie joined the people of Exbourne for their ‘twin’
marriage ceremony, on 15th March 1876. Robert Turner had been farming out in Canada with Walter Madge since 1871/2. They departed UK a year
apart; Robert Turner’s ship is not known, but Walter sailed aboard the Steam Ship (SS) Hibernian for Canada.
147

The historical evidence of the men of Devon
roaming the high seas goes back to prehistoric
times. It is known that Dartmoor Tin was ‘exported’
during these early years and that the tin ingots were
pack-horsed down to the south coast for onward
shipping across to France.
In AD50 Topsham, as a naval base, and the Exe
estuary were havens for shipping for both the import
and export trade.
During the second and third Crusades of 1147 and
1190 both expeditions sailed out of Dartmouth
which, by this time had established a reputation for
skilled shipfitters and traders.
From these early beginnings the quest by Devon
sailors and merchants for new trade areas was
ceaseless. By the 14th century the Devon fishing
trade had become a key economic area for the
county, with its south coast, England’s most
productive fishing grounds. It was this trade and
commercial experties that drove Devonshire’s
fisherman to explore the cod banks of
Newfoundland. By 1517 three hundred English
fishing vessels, led by Devonions, with Dartmouth
as the Headquarters, were fishing regularly in North
Amercian coastal waters.
By 1542 an Act of Parliment was necessary for
“control” of this important trade to the England.
Right: Drakes Golden Hind captures a Spanish
Treasure ship, the Cacafuego (Spitfire) in 1579.
“But the epic voyages of the great
Elizabethan seamen of Devon were the
stuff of real history”. Cabot in 1497
opened the way with his magnificent
voyage from Bristol to Greenland, Nova
Scotia and down the east coast of North
Amercia. William Hawkins followed
and in 1530 had sailed the Atlantic
south, down the Americas eastern
seaboard and this included the South
Americas also.
A replica of the Brass plate Drake nailed to
a “firme post” in what is now California,
naming it New Albion.
It was to be Drake, another Devonshire man, already a popular hero,
who “opened the world to the gaze of the English people”. His
circumnavigation of the world, 1577-1580, while taking the Spanish
ships he met with to task, and being the first Englishman to round the
world, brought him untold fame and fortune. Add to this his handling
of the Spanish Armada in 1588 with its eventual devastating defeat,
marks Drake as the pre-eminent sailor of the 16th century, if not of all
time, in English Maritime history.
The date that the first Madge went to North Amercia would have been
during the 14th or 15th centuries, with the fishing fleets off the
Newfoundland coast. Regretably the records of these times do not run
to recording names other than those of the ship’s Captains. Sadly no
Madge appears to have been given or earned Command by this time.
Ships Captains, Freeman of London and Bristol had to wait until the
18th century for the surname of Madge to appear amongst their
august lists.
It is however, not until the 1840’s that the Madge’s of our family were
known to have crossed the Atlantic for a new life in Canada. Other
Madge families had already migrated to the United States, Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa, Mauritius via the French isle of Reunion,
India and Celyon, Malaya, China (as Missionaries) with a Richard
Madge, sailing out of Liverpool (1839) disembarking in Peru to
become the Keeper of the Accounts to the people of the Andes
valley’s village industries.
148
Probably the earliest Madge to depart Devonshire’s shores for any
length of time would have been a North Devonshire fisherman,
probably out of Barnstaple or Bideford; and this would be for the Cod
Banks of Newfoundland during the middle ages.

Ontario Province (part), Canada
Lake
Huron
The town of Exeter is indicated by the arrow, right.
Usborne Township, lay-out above, is a few miles due south of
Exeter, Ontario and is where unbroken land was offered to migrants
with a farming background. This was keenly taken up by those from
Devon where land was at such a premium that no ‘common man’
could afford to purchase even a meagre piece, in his own country.
The first known MADGE to cross the Atlantic for North America was
a cousin from Meeth.
Walter Madge lived at ‘Park’ which is believed to be across the river
Torridge to the east of Meeth close by Iddesleigh. Here with his wife
Mary (Nee Webber, they married 31st December 1838 in Lapford,
Devon) by 1849 they had 5 children.
The first, Frances was born 2 November 1839 and who later married
George Andrew in Canada living in Bornholm north of Mitchell
before moving to Denver, Colorado in the USA. They had for
children, Walter, James, Mary and Georgina. After her husbnd
George, died in the early 1900’s she moved to San Francisco to be
nearer to her younger brother Walter. She was there for the earth
quake and major fires of 1906 which destroyed her home.
At the age of 67 she walked to her brother’s house in
Oakland! A distance of 60 miles. The second child Silas,
(b.c.1841, Meeth) married a widow Kate, maiden name
unknown, in Canada, who brought her son to the
marriage. Silas died in Canada in c.1924.
Along came Lydia Mary b.1843, but known as Mary all
her life. She married William Lewis in Canada.
Regretably she died giving birth to their third child Lydia
in 1869, at Crediton, Canada aged 25 years.
Ann Elizabeth b. 1845 in Meeth would marry William
Roy on 31st May 1871 and they farmed Lot 12 Con 8,
Perth County and owned it from 27 January 1885. They
had a son James who took over the farm when ‘dad’
retired.
Their next child, Philip Thomas Webber Madge b. 1844
Meeth, married Sarah Ann Issac c.1872/3. They farmed lot
15 con 8. As the children, Clara Ann, 1874, Laura Maude,
1877 Ethel May 1879 and Samuel Issac Walter in 1887
and grew up the household was known as a ‘very muscical
family’. Samuel took over Lot 15 con 8 from his Father
but unfortunately he died aged 37 years and his wife’s
brother Clarence bought lot 15 soon afterwards.
Samuel Madge had made a name for himself being born
at sea off Nova Scotia 9th September 1849 during the sea
passage to Canada.
Park house, just off Thames Road, concession vi,
part of Osborne Township, Ontario, Canada. Walter
owned this land from Jan 18th 1857.
149

Samuel would marry Ann Gibson and they had
8 children; William, 1876; but died aged 3.
Helena who married Charles Hackney. Mabel
Beatrice who married Charles Wesley Balfour
and they has 3 children: Muriel, Gladys and
Walter. Then Norman Gibson Madge who
married Helen Hunter, they had two children
Eleanor and Gordon. Father Norman was a man
of letters (Dr. Sc., L.L.D, PhD.) who had an
extensive career with Uniroyal the USA Tyre
Company. He was head of research 1918-1946
and continued research well into his retirement.
Their 7th child, Walter b. c. 1851 in
Canada, studied at McGill University and
became a Minister but for the ‘want of
money’ in Canada, moved to California. He
married Margaret Kirkham and they had 4
children Edith, Margaret, Paul and Jeanette.
Their son Paul (1853-1945) was the 8th
child. He married Elizabeth Martin and they
had three children, William Martin, Olive
and Myrtle. Paul lived in Park House
Exeter, Ontario, farming cattle and
successfully shipping them to UK (from
1885 to 97) where he ‘sold them well’.
Paul lived in Park House Exeter, Ontario, farming cattle and
successfully shipping them to UK (from 1885 to 97) where
he ‘sold them well’. It is also thought that Paul travelled to
England during these years. But, after bad droughts for
several years he also sold hay forks and windmills. and was
known as the “Windmill King”. He moved down to Southern
Sask with his son William Martin and they set up a car and
farm implement business.
Mary Catherine b.c.1856 died aged 30 in Calafornia visting
her brother. The youngest child, Jane (Jennie) Harriet never
married but kepy house for her parents, then went to Albert
with her brother Paul’s family. Later she kept house for Silas
after his 2nd wife Mary died and stayed on after Silas died.
The two pictures on the right are Frair’s Hele, a 300 acre farm
between Meeth and the river Torridge. This is the Manor
farmhouse and it was owned and farmed by Walter’s father Philip.
It was from this farm that Walter left for Canada in 1849, having
spent his childhood here. Regretably most was burned down in a
20th century fire, fortunately after these two photos were taken.
In Devonshire, within the village of Meeth, Walter and Mary ran
a brewery. It was probably bought with Mary’s dowery when they
married in 1838. But it was after Walter’s conversion to
Methodism that the quandery caused by the brewing of Ale, had
to be resolved. As this, “drink was of the devil”, then something
had to be done. This moral issue was finally settled by selling the
brewery before they sailing away to settle in Canada.
Since the family were fairly well-to-do they were probably able to
travel cabin class aboard the Steam Ship, thus avoiding the worst
features of ocean travel. This is just as well as Mary was heavily
pregnant with her sixth child, and indeed gave birth to a boy,
Samuel at sea off the coast of Nova Scotia a number of days
before they landed.
A fond farewell wave; aboard the ship’s boat out to the Steam Ship that
will take them across the high seas to North America and Canada.
The Family’s destination is shown on the Ontario map, below.
150

This is a sketch thought to have been made by either Walter or Martha, with Martha being the favourite! Unfortunately it is not dated But the
buildings on the right rather give the impression it was completed some little time after they had settled and built their Usbourne farm home,
here. As far as my research is concerned, it is thought that Walter Madge, with our surname, was the first MADGE to gain a foothold on the
continent of North Amercia, and settle there.
The first of our Exbourne family known to have crossed the Atlantic for
North America was another Walter Madge. He was the first born, probably
at Townliving Farm, on the 26th March 1846, to father, (my great-great
Grandfather) Walter’s new wife Elizabeth (Nee Brock) whom he married two
and a half years after his first wife Mary Elizabeth (Nee Ward) died in
childbirth in 1840.
The younger Walter (b.1846), learnt the farmer’s profession at his Father’s
side on the red soil of Townliving farm in Exbourne and took all this valuable
professional knowledge with him to Canada, in 1872.
The inset Canadian photograph above, taken in 1900, shows Walter
and his wife, Mary standing outside their farmhouse in Usborne, South
Heron, Canada.
151

Walter travelled to Canada on his own in 1872 aged 26 years. First he stayed
with Robert Turner’s family and then for some of his early years he helped the
ex-Meeth born second or third cousin, also Walter Madge. However, he had
already realised the urgent need for a wife to help with a Farmer’s lot in this
new land. After 4 years in North America he had saved enough money to sail
(and steam, actually,) back to Devonshire to court and marry a Devonshire
girl. The marriage would, of course, give him a better position and prospects,
to return to farm his own land in Canada. But this is not all he was to do.
During the four batchlor years he worked in Canada, he had been writing to
his parents and siblings in Exbourne. In these letters he managed to convey a
favourable impression of his Canadian life to two of his sisters. Although it
was not too common for many of the farming community to be able to read
and write it is known that all the off-spring of Walter and Elizabeth (nee
Brock) were indeed literate. They, like their father and mother, had attended
the Exbourne Village school during their early years.
Walter’s letters were received under the shadow of the ominous depression of
all farm product prices in the 1860’s. The European wars of the 1870s were
closely followed by the Country wide Depression of 1878.
Townsend Farm photographed from the air in the 1990’s. The
farmyard, at the rear, can be seen to be unused for its original purpose,
as is the ‘cattle bower’ on the right of the farmhouse, has been
converted to extend the farmhouse accommodation.
We are now in a period of great unrest, with migration and emigration from
the ‘old’ Western World to the ‘New World’ acting as the motive force
moving huge numbers of people from east to west across the Atlantic ocean.
There was, of course, also population movement south and east to the Far East
and, the isles of New Zealand with Australia.
However, this eastern movement had been going on for the two centuries
before when the East India Company had been the controlling interest in India
and the Far East. The British penal system had also been ‘off-loading’ its
convicted prisioners to the Australian sub-continent for about the same length
of time. Incidently, many MADGE families would take this route to Australia
but started a little later than the convicts.
It is also known that a Captain Thomas Madge was already serving the East
India Company in 1777 when a son, (Edward Henry M 1777-1850) was born
to his wife, Yenkoo Madge (Nee Letchmy), in India.
Edward Henry would have a full and colourful life, firstly in the Indian Army,
then Celyon, India and latterly, after a Court’s Martial, in the Seychelles,
Reunion and Mauritius. Once out of uniform he started an import and export
business, with slaves being at least part of his business. Indeed later, he was
invited to leave Mauritius, unless he gave up his slave trading practices;
which, eventually he did. He had moved there after departing as the outgoing
Governeor of the Seychelles. As an after thought, it is well worth noting that
Edward Henry Madge was a Free Mason at this time. He was made “Master
Mason” 21 October 1804 by decree by the French Masons of the island of
Reunion. Unusually, France and England were at war during this period but
this information seems to fit well with Edward Henry Madge!
Below, and to the right, is the ‘old’ Townsend drawing-room, much
modernised, now.
The favourable letters from one’s brother and as it turned out from one’s
future husband already abroad, were taken very seriously. And this it was, by
Elizabeth (Beth) Madge (born 16 March 1853 in Townsend Farm, Exbourne)
the eldest daughter and by her younger sister Martha (Pattie) born 30th
October 1857 also at Townsend.
Both these girls had been brought up on Townsend Farm and learned the daily
running of the farm and the farmhouse, “tied” to the apron strings of their
mother Elizabeth. They were therefore a good catch for future husbands who
wished to go farming, and most successful it turned out to be.
A once secret French Map of 1701-2 showing the routes to India and the
islands of the Indian Ocean.
MADGE ROCKS, south western Indian Ocean. These are in the Indian Ocean,
near the Seychelles; north of the Island of MAHE, south west of PRASLIN Isle.
They are named after Edward Henry MADGE 1876-1850, when he was
Commissioner, then Governor, to the Seychelles, 1815 to 1822. The rocks are
so marked on the Admiralty Charts of 1828, after Owen’s survey of 1825.
It was almost certainly during the four lonely years Walter had in Canada that
the small but helpful pieces of information contained in his infrequent letters
gradually made their mark on Bessie and Pattie.
One can imagine the excitement gradually building up in their minds over this
time until by 1876 both girls, well young women, as Bessie was 23 and Pattie
19 had come to the conclusion that Farming in Canada was for them.
However, it might well have been the reverse for their parents who had
already under gone the loss of their eldest son to farming abroad, now had the
prospect of loosing two more children to foreign parts, as well.
But one thing is certain, both girls had been well taught the art of the Farmer’s
Wife by their Mother, Elizabeth, though her own farming education had been
little but brief and swift. When she married Walter she was working as a
seamstress in her father’s Tailoring business!
152

It is known that Robert Turner (for the first time in 1871) and
Walter Madge (first time in 1872) sailed, or steamed for
Canada after departing from an unknown English port in April
of their respective years.
The reason that a English Spring sailing was thought to be the
best time to travel to Canada was because by this time of the
year the Canadian winter snows would have eased and the
lying snow would be well on its way down, in liquid form, to
the sea.
Thus the coach or horse as a means of land transport, would
have been viable propersition, though on the 1872 occasion the
sea ice in the Gulf of St Lawrence provided a somewhat
‘sticky’ start to the landing in the St Lawrence sea-way, port.
So the SS Hibernian sailing in the spring, on these occasions, gave an
able passage to North America for them both. It was fortunate for
Walter Madge that Mr Turner had preceeded him by 12 months.
Young Robert Turner had already had one years’ experience working
on his relatives farm in Ontario Province and the elder Turner family,
kindly made Walter Madge most welcome when he arrived there.
Here Walter would stay, working for his living on Turner land and
learning about the Canadian weather conditions and how to counter
them. After about a year he helped one of his Meeth cousins, getting
ready for his own Canadian start with a new wife, a few years later.
To the right, the photograph show that St.Lawrence sea-way as it was in
1900 with a detachment of the Royal Navy Fleet, present.
It is known that Robert Turner (for the first time in 1871) and Walter
Madge (first time in 1872) sailed for Canada for the departing from
an unknown English port in April of their respective years. The reason
an English Spring sailing was chosen, was because it was thought to
be the best time to travel to Canada. Hopefully by this time the
Canadian winter snows had eased and the lying snow was well on its
‘melted’ way down to the seas. Thus the coach or horse as a means of
land transport, would have been viable proposition, though on the
1872 occasion the sea ice in the Gulf of St Lawrence provided a
somewhat ‘sticky’ start.
The lovely 1872 SS Hibernian sketch showing the sea-ice, with
the steamship ‘bound’ in. The drawing is thought to be by
Walter who, with some other passangers was allowed to
‘descend’ down onto the sea-ice in which the ship was fast.
Both Robert Turner and Walter Madge
would return to Devonshire in 1876 in
order to gain brides for their
“promised farms” in Ontario, Canada.
But before we look at this period we
should look into the beginings of the
Turners and the Newcombe families in
this country. Both have long
Devonshire associations being born
and bred in the county, and both had
extensive farming backgrounds. First
then, the Turner Family their roots and
their early farming areas. We start with
William Turner and his wife Susanna.
The map on the right shows
Exbourne in the bottom right corner
with High Bickington straight above
it at the top edge. It is just above
Dolton where our family lived for
many generations. High Bickington
is a parish of the North Tawton
Hundred, where another branch of
our family would settle just a
decade or so later. It was formerly
a market town, but its prosperity
had waned by 1725 when the
market finally closed. The Church,
St Mary’s is said to be founded by
Athelstan in Saxon times, but
unfortunately nothing can now be
found of this early church.
153

The present building is of Norman construction with some most
attractive stone work, but unfortunately a number of the early stained
glass windows were removed and replace with ‘new’ ones in the
Victorian years. Its font is also Norman having survived the ‘good
works’ period in excellent condition. However, St Mary’s greatest claim
to original work is in its 70 or so Bench Ends of a size and number
unique to North Devon. The church is well worth a visiut for this aspect
alone.
The two photographs taken from the air to the right, show High
Bickington as it is today. As can be seen it is now a small hamlet which
is fortunate to retain its Church and school. The Church yard has the
“feel” of a Saxon enclosure, the same as Meeth, as the round
churchyard of Saxon times still remains visible today, in this aerial view.
The church is built of local Exmoor stone, and consists of chancel, nave, north
asile and tower with six bells. The Victorian restoration cost in 1873 was
£500.
Unfortunately the galley, floors and part of the seating area were also
extensively renovated at this time with the galley area being removed all
together. One interesting point is that the Parish School got a Charity grant
annually, something quite rare in 1886 when this was ‘reported’.
In White’s Directory for high Bickington, it lists three Turners. John, farmer
of Didland or Dadland a mile south of the village; William a boot maker,
within High Bickington: and a further William Turner, farmer and mason of
Little Silver, a mile and a half to the east, close by the river Taw.
Of all these Turner family locations the one that matches that of our ancesters,
is the Little Silver residence. Although I had not made this connection until
just now the memory of my exploration of the High Bickington area 11 years
ago is still as clear as the day I went there, trying to locate the Turner home.
Now that I have been able to make the comparison with the Ordnance Survey
maps of 1946 and 1930, which are based on the Victorian Survey of the
1860’s, it all now fits neatly into place.
This is Holt Cottage in the Parish of High Bickington situated about a
mile and a half to the east of the village, in the Taw River Valley, but up
about 80 feet above the river bed, below. The cottage is very old with
the earliest part at the non-porch (left) end, half-facing the road from
where the photograph was taken. Within this left end of the building is
a large, deep fireplace with an oven and bread oven as part of the
“wall” of the fire. Very unusual and most fortunate to have been
retained to these days.
This cottage was the home for William Turner (b.1816) and his wife
Susanna (b.1822). William was a thatcher and he would have carried
out his trade over an area of between 15 to 20 miles, radius, from his
home. On the 16th of July 1851 Robert William Turner was born here,
as the 5th child, but the only son to mature to adulthood. So his
decision to permantly emigrate in 1876 must have deeply troubled his
parents. Unfortunately we do not know what became of Robert’s
sisters and time does not tell us if Robert was able to return to Uk for
a visit, later in his life. It probaby would have been through his father’s
thatching trade that young Robert would have first made contact with
the Madge family some 12 miles away in Exbourne.
However, there is a conundrum here. As young Robert was probably
helping his Father with his thatching,he needed to served his
‘apprentiship’ as a Farmer. Now we know that this was ‘served’ in
Canada on The Turner farm, there. In 1876 he put down money for
farm land in Canada paid the fare in April, and emigrated with his new
wife to North America.
154
I just love the way the church
tower seems to be “looking”
over the shoulder of the school
building at High Bickington.
It somehow gives an
impression of the benevolence
and understanding that the
Victorians somehow imparted
during these years. The school
building itself was built in 1837
as the Church of England
School, and was run along
ecelesiastical lines. Robert was
a pupil here from 1859 to 1865
where he learnt, among other
things, to read and write.
Unfortunately we do not know
how well he did nor have any
details of the farm where he was
to learn his farming trade.

Robert Turner may well have done his farming ‘apprenticeship’ in Canada,
on the Turner farm before he returned in 1876 to marry Elizabeth (Bessie)
MADGE on the 15th March 1876. This was in a double Exbourne wedding
with his friend Walter Madge, who married Mary MEDLAND (nee Ward of
the wheelwright WARDS in Exbourne): Mary’s first husband, a Medland,
had died the previous year, they were without children.
There is a photograph of the Ward House in Exbourne earlier in the book on
page 136.
The Madge’s seen to the right, all emigrated to Canada and were shown listed
from various entries in Local or Provincial Directories, for the dates 1600 to
1900. Unfortunately only those Madge’s who could spare the money for a listing
were entered. Thus it is not an exhaustive list, nor is it anything more than a
1800 to 1900 list for these shown here. It will be noted that no Madge name,
here, goes back before 1800 when it is known that our family name graced the
Canadian shores well before this.
The Turners returned to Canada from Liverpool 6th Apr 1876 arriving in Bayfield 20th
April. They settled in Stanley Township, South Huron about 6 miles southeast of
Bayfield by, what is now called, Highway 31. They had their own homestead and
farmed there eventually in concert with their youngest son Frederick, his wife Mamie
and their son, Grant. Eventually they sold the farm and went to live with their youngest
daughter, Elizabeth & her husband, Gilbert Freckleton in Exeter, South Huron. Then
moving to, Lucan, London and finally Port Elgin, Bruce County where they lived out
their lives.
Stanley is
about 4
miles south
of Varna on
Highway 31
going south.
Bayfied can
be seen on
the coast
with Exeter
and Lucan
further
south, on
Highway 4.
Before we leave the Usborne famhouse of Walter and Mary
his wife, here is a more recent photograph taken about 15
years ago showing the changes there have been between
1900 and the present day.
It is well worth looking at the earlier photo on page 153 and
noting how time has changes the area around the house and,
even more so, all the various new apertures along the front
wall of the house.
I can be seen from these external changes that major
alterations have also been undertaken indoors, presumably to
streeamline and so enlarge the living accommodation.
We now return to the Turner houshold and their family.
2nd & 3rd Rows: L to R. Bethera Turner. John Turner. Mabel Turner, William & Katherine
Turner, Mary Q.Madge, Elizabeth Freckleton, George & Florence Campbell. John & Martha
Newcombe, Fred & Mamie Turner, Walter & Reginald Turner, Lloyd & Raymond Freckleton,
Grant Turner, Gilbert Fickleton, Robert Turner (Goderich).
Front Row: Susie (Westlake) Pollock (sister to Bertha) Harold Turner (son of Robert & Mabel Turner)-sitting-
Robert & Elizabeth (Madge) Turner, Madge Turner (daughter of Robert & Mabel Turner), Elizabeth
Snowden, Mary Campbell (daughter of George &(Elizabeth) Florence Turner), Violet Turner, (daughter of John & Bertha
Turner) Roy Turner (son of Robert & Mabel Turner) Robert Turner, (son of John & Bertha Turner.)
L to R: Mabel (Newcombe) Turner, Front: Robert Turner, Grant Turner. 2nd Row: Violet Turner, Robert & Elizabeth
(Madge)Turner, Roy & Madge Turner. Back Row: Mary Campbell, Harold Turner, Lloyd & Ray Freckleton,
Standind Rt: Frederick Turner, with Robert Turner. All 1926.
L to R: Sitting: Robert & Elizabeth (Madge) Turner, From L to R: Florence (Turner Campbell.
George Campbell, Mary Q Madge (widow of Walter Madge) William Turner, Katherine Turner, John
Turner, Martha (Madge) Newcombe, Bertha Turner, John Newcombe, Elizabeth (Turner)
Freckleton, Gilbert Freckleton, Fred Turner, Mamie Turner, Robert Turner, Mabel (Newcombe)
Turner. The Campbell farm was close to the Brunson Line & close by the Turner Homestead.
These three group photo were
all taken on 15th March 1926
with the gatherings honouring
the Golden Wedding of Robert
and Elizabeth Turner. Taken at
the farm of George & Florence
(nee Turner) Campbell,
Stanley Township, 6 miles
south of Bayfield, Ontario,
Canada.
4 little dears (1923) with a great
car. L to R: Harold Turner. Ray
Freckleton, (later to marry
cousin Elizabeth Turner)
Madge Turner & Roy Turner.
155

A number of years ago when I was in weekly contact with our Canadian
cousins a number of them very kindly let me have copies of some of their
older family photographs. It is these that will grace the next few pages and the
one before, of course.
I must give my consideable thanks to Debs and Wendy who have kindly
“showered” me with their wonderful old pictures. Even those from Grand
Ma’s suitcase. I must also add to this further gratitude to all the other Madge,
Turner and Newcombe extended families who have most generously done the
same with their precious family photographs. Should I have missed anyone
out, or indeed miss out any of your photographs, I apologise in advance, and
ask that a certain degree of latitude please, be extended to me and my efforts!
Robert Edgecombe Turner, the father (1885-1971), {Shown as
Labourer on his father’s farm in 1910 census. Later worked for Purity
Flour Mills. 30 years. Then Chief of Security guards @ Goderich Sky
Harbour Airport (1939-45)}.Roy Turner (middle son 1920-1995
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Lived where the Bank sent
them. Finally Haggersville Ontario.) with Mabel Turner (Living Goderich
in 1928 and all their working lives.) Next to mother is Harold Turner in
the uniform of the Royal Canadian Airforce.
Robert E, Turner was Goderich Town Councillor, Reeve, deputy Reeve
and Mayor. As Reeve was also a member of Huron County Council
and Warden for one year (1939). He met King George & Queen
Elizabeth during their visit to Statford in 1939. The Turners spent their
retirement years in Stratford, and were very active in Seniors
programmes. First Cousins. Brunette hair. Buried in Stratford cemetery
(1 Aug 1971) with his wife Mabel. (9 Apr 1967). Mabel had been born
in Samford Courtney, Devon, UK the eldest daughter of Pattie and
John Newcombe, obviously well before they
emigrated to North Amercia.
Harold was RCAF during WWll, then again slightly later in the 1950’s.
Stationed at Topcliffe, Yorkshire with Canadian Airforce; WWll
Dec1941-Dec 1944. Harold married Constance (Nee Wiseman) while
serving in Yorkshire, UK. York was her home city, working at the
grocery stores then Main Post Office in York. She lived with her
widowed Mother in York remaining there until the latter part of April
1945 when she and her son Robert travelled to Goderich, Ontario,
arriving 15th May 1945, to join her husband. They lived in Goderich
after WWll was over; then London, where they continue to reside.
The Turner family, in 1930’s with
Bessie (1853-1938) and Robert
(1851-1941) seated in front of all
their Canadian children.
Standing L to R: Elizabeth Hannah Freckleton (1895-1990) John Philip
Turner (1882-1966) Frederick Woolland Turner (1888-1986) Robert
Edgecombe Turner (1885-1971) William Walter Turner (1880-1977) &
Florence Mabel Campbell 1877-1974.
Harold Turner (b.1916), far
right, had been sent to UK
by the Canadian Airforce
in 1941. He was permitted
to travel down to Devon
from Pockleton, Yorkshire,
his Airbase, to visit his
English MADGE, relatives.
L to R: Ellen (Lavis)
Madge, Walter Madge,
Elizabeth Madge his
sister, then Harold Turner.
Walter Madge was a
Carriage Keeper and
driver for the gentry. He
was also the part-time
postma for Exbourne.
“Rosemary Cottage”, Exbourne, Devon,
UK: as it is today. This is the cottage the
group to the right are standing in the
doorway of, in 1942. England + Canada!
In 1942 the author was 5 years old and living with his mother Mary (Nee
Beckham) and his elder brother Peter in the village of Topsham on the eastern
shore of the Exe river, just a few miles south of Exeter. Dad was away at war.
We return to Canadian shore once more for the pictures on the right. They are
all of the the home of Robert and Mabel Turner at their Goderich home. Far
right is obviously a retirement photograph of the parents.
In the near one they are joined by Madge Turner and her brother Roy. It is
thought that both these pictures were take in about 1943 when the WWll and
the Battle of the Atlantic was at its height. Harold was in UK at this time.
Roy married Phyllis Wiermeir and they had two children Sherrill and Kathy.
Sherrill married Rod Pollick and lived in St Catherines, Ontario. Madge
married John Elder and they had William in 1945. William was employed in
the welding business amd married Nancy Lewis. They had a daughter Corinne
who when her turn came married Donald Robertson. They have two children,
Trina and Carly.
Harold was RCAF, in UK at this time, but he and his wife Constance
(Wiseman) had four children, Robert, two grand children, Janice & John:
Jennifer (Baker) with two grand children, Ryan & Colleen: Janice (Forristal)
with four, James, Jill Amanda and Kelly: Regretably little John died a day old.
156

North Amercian address entries there are not dates associated with them,
unfortunately, in the Townsend Farm, Exbourne, Accounts Book 1840 to
1948. This old book has a number of the Canadian address for both Bessie and
Pattie and their children, as they moved about Canada, so the new addresses
was noted in the Townsend Farm Accounts Book. As, presumably, these must
have arrived by mail, it would be so ‘wonderful’ is maybe just one of these
letters could have survived to today: but no, regretably not.
The profit for the whole year of 1870 at Towsend Farm was £203.18s. 3p. This
is approximately £9,000 in todays UK money. Is it any wonder that
emigration to Canada was both considered and taken. The pages also shows
that a £1 per year “Old Age Pay” was given to retired farm or farmhouse
workers every years at the end of March. It is of interest that the annual Tithe
was still being paid to the local Church, but direct to the vicar the Rev DW
Oldham of £7. 16s. 10p in 1891. There is a further reference to Tithes made
in 1955 regarding a Rev (Mrs?) Newman, in biro, I have just found.
And also in 1891, November 5th none other that a Mr Newcombe,
Patties Father-in-Law, cut and bought a number of bundles of reeds
from Townsend Farm for his thatching business. In the next year,
1892 there is an entry for either waggon repairs, but more likely a
waggon or may be a new Trap (pony & trap) of £7 16s 0p to be paid
to the Wards wheel wrights, of Exbourne. And just a line later it
shows the Wards {Walter Madge: 1811-1901; his first wife was
Mary Elizabeth Ward
c.1807-1840} also held the right to issue licences for ponys and traps at a cost
of £1 2s 6p, presumably for the ‘life’ of the trap.
John Madge (1860-1960) is probably the “writter” of the Accounts Book from
about 1880 to may be 1950. He had married Mary Louisa PADDON in 1891
and it was her father that the farm’s corn was sold to every year; this year at
4 shillings a bushel for the barley.
1856 1845
However, the entries in The Townsend Accounts Book are all hand
written and examples have been scanned and are placed opposite. I
feel sure that those living in Canada can, from the resident(s) and the
address, workout which years each address referred to.
It would be equally neat (‘cool’ in today’s terms!) to be able to match
the signatures with the writing in the Townsend Accounts Book and the
Farm Diary: but I will leave that for others to enjoy. In order to enhance
the signatures below the addresses, I have had to give them a little
colour as a background, so that the signatures could be read. These
signature are of MADGE relations who remained in Exbourne and
served on local committes, councils etc., and it is from some of these
old documents that these have been copied.
1863
1870
1860
Far right was photographed in Port Elgin on the shores of Lake Huron
(my wife and family lived just outside Elgin in Scotland 1965-67) when
Mrs Margaret Wiseman, Constance Turner’s Mother, was visiting from
Yorkshire, England. She is looking at her daughter, Harold Turner’s
wife, and is supported by Elizabeth (Turner) Freckleton (1895-1990)
(brunette) who was known as Bess in the family. Her husband Gilbert,
known as Uncle Gil, worked for the Imperial Oil Company while living
in Exeter. It is understood that he died in a car accident. They had two
children Lloyd and Raymond. Lloyd moved to British Columbia, where
son Gilbert still resides, and started a mink farm business. He was a
WWll ferry pilot flying unarmed bombers and fighters across the
Atlantic to Uk. Gilbert’s second son Raymond worked at Wasega
Beach (residing Hamilton) with a shingle manufacturing company
before retiring to Park Hill.
The near photo taken at George and Florence’s farm near the Brunson
Line, close to the Turner Homestead , Stanley Township, South Huron:
6 miles south of Bayfield. Flo carried on farming for many years after
George’s death (1960). Then sold up moving to Hamilton, Ontario to
live wth her daughter, Mary Catherine. Red hair. Mary.C. & Carl Barber
has two sons, Robert and Wayne and both married with children. The
Barber’s lived in Hamilton all their lives; Mary was in Food Services.
Both phots were take 1949 durin the Mrs Wiseman
visit. (Text opposite)
Left Photo. Rear row: George & Florence Campbell.
Margaret Wiseman (from UK)
Robert Turner, Madge Elder and Constance
(wiseman) Turner with baby Janice Turner.
At the Campbell’s farm 1949.
Robert and Bessie Turner had six children, Florence Mabel (1877-1974)
married farmer George Campbell; William Walter (1880-1977) married
Catherine nee Connolly who came from Kincardine, Huron County. William
worked at Ford’s Detroit, living at Windsor, he had red hair. John Philip
(1882-1866). Married Bertha nee Westlake who out lived him by 31 years.
Farmed father’s farm all his life, John P. had red hair. Robert Edgecombe
(1885-1971), married (27 Dec 1910) his cousin Mabel Gertrude Newcombe.
Worked at the Purity Flour Mills for 30 years. Living Goderich in 1928 and
all their working lives. Moved to Stratford when they retired.
Frederick Woolland (1888-1986) married Mamie Johnston. Cleared the land
in order to farm, with his Father and Mother. Sold farm and all moved to
Goderich where Frederick was employed by the Purity Flour Mills. Moved
back to stay with View Nursing Home, in Clinton, where he died 4th May
1986 aged 97. Brunette hair. Frederick Woolland’s cousin in Exbourne, UK;
John Woolland Madge (1860-1960) matched these years but like Frederick
(three years) just failed (three months) to make the century in age.
Elizabeth Hannah (1895-1990) married Gilbert Freckleton and they had two
children. Further details can be seen above.
157

We now need to look at the founding areas of Devon that were Newcombe,
before the younger Newcombe and Madge family emigrated to Canada. This
departure will appear different from all the others as we have been able to
cobble together almost all of the significant factors that made up the decision
to go with the places of residence prior to the “leap into the almost unknown’
on the 9th May 1887.
Martha, known as Pattie, was the sixth child of seven to Walter and Elizabeth
(nee Brock) Madge. Walter (1811-1901) had started as a Butcher (somewhere
within the range 1821-1830’s) in Exbourne (see page 141 for the shop
photograph), and his trade and standing in the village gradually grew so that
by the middle of the century when he took over the running of Townsend
Farm from his father John (1767-1855) he was a man of substance and
authority within the village of Exbourne. But before this he had already gained
some fields for his cattle and sheep, then a house, Addlehole, again with some
fields so that as one of the three village butcher he was sufficently
independent and successful to ‘be his own man’ before he took over
Townsend Farm.
These are the farms and buildings to Yeo Farm (138
acres) and Hill Farm (122 acres), now called Hill farm,
that John and Elizabeth Newcombe, John Newcombe’s
grand-parents, joined as one farm between 1820 and
1860. This land lies on the west side of the Okement river,
about half way between Okehampton and Exbourne. It
was here where our John Newcombe’s father (also John)
was brought up (1825-46) with his eight brothers
and a sister, learning the Farmer’s trade. He was
‘given’ Agistment Farm (below), to the west and
across the valley in order to hone his trade as a
farmer. It was here after their marriage in 20th
October 1880 that they brought up their own
children prior to making the big move to Canada.
Martha and John Newcombe would have been ‘walking out’ from about the
summer of 1876 and would probably have attended the wedding of her sister
Elizabeth (Bessie) to Robert Turner together in the Church at Exbourne. And
if true romance was indeed in the air Martha (Pattie) would have been daydreaming
about the day she too was to marry in this very church. They would
indeed marry, 20th October 1880, in St.Mary’s Exbourne and as a wedding
present John’s parents ‘gave’ them Agistment Farm, previously called
Justnent Farm on land to the east of the Okement river, north of Okehampton.
It was here with the 110 acres a low hill land that they started their lives
together. It was at Agistment Farm that their first three children were born,
John Walter, 27th August 1881, Mabel Gertrude, 15th July 1884, Mary
Elizabeth, 8th December 1886. The next Harold was to be born in Canada.
It was probably the information, returning from Canada, written by Bessie and
her husband Robert Turner about their experiences on the Canadian soil that
finally convinced John and Martha (Pattie), to apply for passage and make the
down payment of 6 guineas per adult, less a £1.15s subsidy given by the
Ottawa Government to each able adult. It is not known whether the children
were ‘free’ or had to pay a nominal amount for their passage.John and Martha
both of 30 years with; John Walter (4), Mabel Gertrude (1) and Mary
Elizabeth (infant), all went down to Plymouth by train early on the Satuday
morning of 7th May 1887. The Steam Ship (SS) Corean had sailed out from
the Port of London, 6th May, to Plymouth 7th May, and was due to arrive in
Quebec on Tuesday 19th May 1887. A passage time of 12 days. But arrival
was actually days longer than the schedule. It was 4th June 1887, at Montreal.
This is an extract from the Townsend Diary for the day of passage to
Canada. This is believed to be in the hand of Walter Madge (aged 75
years) who is the most likely Diary writer of this period. John Woolland
Madge (b.1860), Walter’s youngest child probably took over the
running of Townsend Farm and therefore the authorship of the Farm
Diary sometime after 1880 when the hand writing in both the Diary and
the Accounts Books have been penned by a ‘new’ hand.
Addlehole Cottage.
Exbourne. The fields
are behind, southerly.
The Plymouth Custom’s House wharf in
1830. An alongside berth for the SS Corean
would have been allocated for passenger
embarkation somewhere on this wharf so
that Customs formalities could be
undertaken.
Agistment or Justnent Farm (as it
used to be called): The Newcombe’s
last residence in Devon, UK.
A water colour painted in about 1880 of Drake’s Island
that sits in the centre of Plymouth Sound: gateway to
the Atlantic Ocean. It is viewed from Plymouth Hoe.
A 1865 woodcut of Plymouth Barbican docks.
The Steam Ship SS Corean (built 1881, 3488 gross tons, in Sunderland, UK,
by Wm Doxford & Sons, for the Allan Line), below, would be the 65% steam
and 35% sail/wind power ship that would take the Newcombe family and
some 300 + passangers to Canada. She was 360.1ft long and had a beam of
42.2ft. This passage in May 1887 proved to be, in the eyes of Allans,
uneventful. SS Corean was specifically for the migration, “Canada Trade”.
Plymouth Hoe looking south to Drake’s Isle and
the Sound. Here Walter Madge would have stood
for a last farewell to the Newcombe’s and family.
It is not known whether the Family went ‘steerage’(no cabin), or not as no
mention is made of this; but with the children it is felt that if they could afford
it then some form of on board accommodation would have been purchased.
158

The modern Plymouth
Hoe, today. The Light
House is 2/3rds of the
Smeeton Lighthouse
built in 1759 on the
Eddystone Rocks, 9
miles southwest. The
1/3rd base remains on
the rocks. This part was
rebuilt here in 1882 so
would have been one of
the last things seen
from the SS Corean on
these Devon shores as
they sailed away. The
Hoe is still today,
where wives and
sweethearts greet and
bid farewell to their
sailors, across the seas.
This is the first photograph of the two families, John Newcombe and his wife
Martha, (Pattie, nee Madge) Newcombe: And Robert Turner with his wife,
Elizabeth (Bessie nee Madge). Both families emigrated to Canada, started up
their own farms on ‘virgin soil’ and both proved to be excellent and successful
Farmers in this ‘new world’. It can be fully understood that there are no
surviving written records of these early years as the commitment to the new
farm with its unbroken soil must have been huge, in fact “Total”. But even so
it is a shame that at, say the Turner’s Golden wedding someone did not ask
Robert and Bessie for their early experiences: And so let the coming
generations know of their dedication and seemingly endless hours in order to
provide for their family.
To say that their lives would have been hard in surely an major
understatement, and I for one would be most please to share their trials and
tribulations an d may be gain an insight into these quite remarkable people.
Above is the earliest photograph we have. It is of John Newcombe with
a single horse and a plough very simular to the one opposite; a single
farrow plough, which, at least in UK, it was possible to plough an acre
of land in a single day’s work.
John Newcombe again taken in the early 1900’s, this time with one of his
cows and behind can be seen a “silo” or a storage ‘tank’ of some sort or
another. Unfortunately, it is not able to identify this closely enough to
pinpoint the place and the date. However, it is known to be of John
Newcombe and we can assume that it was taken on his farm 3 miles south or
southeast of Goderich close to Highway 21 and Highway 8. I have a note that
this was ‘next to the cemetery’.
159

After the two earliest photographs, both taken on the Newcombe farm around
the turn of the 20th century, it is now the turn of a formal portrait
photographer to leave us his record of their likeness. The nearest photo taken
in a Goderich studio in 1914 shows John Walter Madge Newcombe with his
wife Elizabeth (Nee Gowan) and their two sons, Walter Cowan and Reginald
(Reg) Howard. They would have a third child, William (Bill) John
Newcombe. The Father John W. had been born in Samford Courtney, Devon,
UK (1881-1971) and had worked in the Western Canada Flour Mills for 45
years retiring as the Shipping Foreman in 1951. He was a Mason for over 60
years. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were Presbyterians and they lived in and
around Goderich all their lives. They married there on, 1st September 1910.
Far right shows three generations of Newcombes, taken in 1928, in Goderich,
It shows from left to right: John Newcombe, born in Northlew, Devon, UK
and farmed there on both sides of the Okement river, north of Okehampton,
Devon, before he emigrated in 1887 with his wife and three children. In the
middle is Walter Gowan Newcombe (1911-1990): After qualifying PHM.B,
he became a self-employed pharmacist in Clinton 1936 to 1986. He retired
from active pharamcy in 1976. He then took up his long time passion, Lawn
Bowls. Was President of Clinton Bowling Club and was still the Secretary
almost to the end. He was a Maitland Lodge member. He married Ruth
Sanderson, nee Caldwell, in Goderich and they had one child Mary Ann
(1941-2002) who was to marry Jim Howson, c.1959. John W.M. Newcombe
is far right in the photo.
The photo to the right is one of the last taken of John Newcombe with his wife
Martha, known as Pattie (1857-1944). John would die in October of 1928,
aged 71 years. He farmed right through until the late 1920’s and his wife
outlived him by 16 years. Both would be joined at rest in the Maitland
Cemetery, Goderich, Ontario. Their children; left to right are: John W.M
Newcombe (1881-1971): Mabel (Maimi) G. Turner (1885-c.1960) Harold
Newcombe (1893-1959) and Mary E. Bissett (1886-1966). Harold (1883-
1959) worked with the “Purity” Flour Mills, was an Anglican and Enlisted
(when under age) in the 161st Battalion & served abroad with the 4th
Regiment, Canadian Army. He was a band member both in the Army and with
the Goderich Bluewater Band. He married Robina/Rubena Nagle/Neagle who
was a Huron County Employee. They had a child, Betty who married Harold
Howden, living in Oakville - 1959. Mary Elizabeth (1886-1966) would marry
Charles Bissett (1884-1953) who devoted his working life to the local Fire
Brigade. A life long Masonic member and both lived in Goderich all their
lives. Mary enjoyed the company at the United Reform Church, Goderich.
They would have five children: Isabele, Edward, Donald, Francis and
Margaret.
Here is the beautiful Rose
Granite gravestone set in
place by five of the six on
the right, in this year of
1828, as a fitting tribute to a
true Farming Pioneer family
in Canada;1887-1928.
On the far right is the Godrich house of Robert and Mabel Turner in 1941.
L to R. John W.Newcombe (1881-1971) the son of Martha (Pattie) who is
holding Mary Ann Newcombe (1941-2002) with her father Walter
C.Newcombe (1911-1990) wearing the white ‘duck’ trousers.
In the near photo is Pattie (1857-1944) now aged 84 holding her great grand
daughter Mary Ann Newcombe with her daughter-in-law Elizabeth Ellen
Newcombe (nee Gowan) standing on the house side of the picture. Again, it is
taken at Goderich. Reg Newcombe (1912-73), Canadian National Railways
for 36 years and a Mason, married Laurie (Nee Julien) and they had two
children Linda.S, who marrried Gary Harding. They then had two children,
Brent James & Stephanie Reagen. The second daughter, Diana.C.(1946-88)
married Tandy Arnold in 1967 and they had two children Tandy Sean (b.1976)
and Drew (b.c.1980)
WWll time, 1943, in the first photograph with the Canadian Air Force uniform
worn by Reginald (Reg) who would by dint of his work with the Canadian
Railways live and work in New York City as he was noted there in 1959. On
the left is the youngest brother William (Bill) who went on to work with the
Imperial Oil Company living in Vancouver and Ottawa (1998/9). Bill married
Helen Elizabeth Black (1917-1998) when she was a Nurse at the local
hospital. She went on to become the Superintendant at Goderich Hospital.
They had a son John W. born in 1952 in Goderich. Holding his daughter is
Walter C. Newcome (1911-1990); Mary Ann would blossom and marry
James (Jim) Howson and have three children. Steven J.(b.1960) who married
Glenda Wood with a daughter Kristic Jane: Ronald Richard Howson (b.1965)
and then Sandra Jane (b.1970) who married Tony Decorte in 1996. They had
two children Jenna Lynn (b.1999) and Emily (b.2001). Far right is Charles E
Bissett (1884-1953) with his wife Elizabeth (nee Livermore,1886-1966),
photographed in 1947 holding two grand children. Elizabeth has Marilyn
Isabel Williamson (b.1947) and Charles holds Donald W(b.1947). Charles &
Elizabeth had a total of five children: Isabel C.M.(b.1909) who was a nurse,
married ‘Jack’ Murray, a Banker in 1941. Donald R.(1915-67) married
Elizabeth M.(Bessie), 1939, and they had three children; Donald.R, died
young, Donald W. (1947) who married Lynn F. (Nee Gayman, 1969) and their
two children-Robert S.(b.1977) & Donald A(b.1980). Patrica A.(b. 1949)
married Henry H.Armstrong, 1971 and Donald M.(b.1975) & Stacy.A
(b.1981), the children. Donald married Tammy L.(nee Hutton1998). A son, JR.
160

Both photographs are of the 1950’s, both taken in Canada,
but unfortunately my notes do not give me the locations. The
near one is probably Goderich with the Bissett family:
Charles (1884-1953) & Elizabeth (1886-1966), Donald
(1915-1967) & Frank (1920-1988) with Isabel (1907-1979)
and Margaret (1920-). Ted (1911-1987) was absent when the
picture was taken. They were Goderich residents.
He married Marion J. (nee Curry1913-2002
) in 1936 and they had two children, John Charles (1942)
and Marion E.(1948). Marion maried John Hinton (1967)
and they had two boys, Todd E.(1968) and Jason J.(1971)
who married Shannon L. (nee Pachal) in 1996.
John (1881-1971) and Elizabeth (1884-1969) “in retirement”
at their Goderich home with about 20 years still ahead of
them in their long lives.
By the look of the flowers beds behind them, at least one
must have been a keen gardener.
These two pictures taken (Stratford) on the 27th December,
1960; the Golden Wedding of Robert and Mabel Turner which
neatly ties together the common strands of Turner, Newcombe
and Madge. For Robert gives us the Turner while Mabel
provides both the Newcombe and through her Mother, Martha
(Pattie); gives us the Madge connection with our Devonshire
roots. It will be recalled that Robert Edgecombe Turner was born
on the Family Homestead, Stanley Township, South Huron,
Ontario and up until the early 1910’s was shown as a farm
Labourer helping on his father’s farm. It can be presumed that
labour was still in short supply even during this early period. The
sad fact of life is that with the opening of the First World War
the shortage of manpower in the western world would become
acute, and made worse year on year by the tragic wastage of the
young men’s lives in the trenches.
A second Golden Wedding celebration, this time on the
Newcombe family side. The date is the 1st September 1960. Here
John and Elizabeth (Gowan) Newcombe are seated, far right,
with their three daughter’s-in-law. Laurie, Ruth, & Helen.
In the photograph on this side, the parents are supported by their
three sons William (Bill), Walter and Reginald (Reg).
The Agricultural Gold Medal, bottom right, came as a real
surprise to me when I first came across it. It was such a long time
ago that I cannot recall to whom it was presented. It was awarded
By Ontario Agricultural College, GUELPH and dated 1886. On
the other side is the name of the person who gained this medal. I
failed to take a photograph of that side so now do not recall who
it was! However, the date gives a good clue and no doubt the
records at Guelph (these are not on the internet), are sufficienty
detailed to provide the answer. I thought it to be a Madge.
I just love the near photograph of young John William
Newcombe (b.12th Sept 1952 in Goderich) taken in 1959 when
he was some 6 or 7 years old. It is also just as nice to try to work
out who is plagiarizing whom! That Uncle Walter has his hands
in his pockets and had his trilby at a rather jaunty angle is so
neatly mimiced by John who also has a simular ‘air of authority’
in his stance as Uncle Walter (1911-1990) has.
Walter is the middle son in the photograph above this one, and
John William’s Father is the youngest brother on Walter’s left. I
now regret that I know nothing further about John William
Newcombe as I have a real ‘kindred spirit’ with him. Indeed it
was a John William Madge, in Exbourne, Devon, UK; who gave
me such a huge ‘push’ (in the right direction I might add!) with
all his local Madge/Newcombe/Turner information nearly 30
years ago, now. It was this injection of new material and the
meeting someone of my own age, a half cousin as well, that
provided the guidance and a real ‘mine’ of information for this.
It was also from about this time and in Exbourne, that the
Townsend Farm Diary and Accounts Book came to light and
which were eventually recovered for this project.
161

During the early years I was researching the Madge’s of Canada, at Long Range so to speak, as I was working
in NATO’s Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Then, I was first sent information of the Madge’s that settled in
and around Virden, Western Manitoba and the two photographs (1919 and 1920) above come from that area.
On the left is Morris Madge (1864-1939) and his son Jack Madge (1894-1975) with their beautiful sturdy. six
horse team. I subsequently found out that this branch of the Madges had come over from around Aylesbeare,
Devonshire, UK: which is 6 miles due east of Exeter, Devon’s County Town. The photograph on the right is of
a year later when they had taken delivery of this lovely tractor which presumably now did most of the heavy
work, and released the horses for other tasks. The caption on this tractor photograph states that it was: “one of
the first in Western Canada. Although there does not seem to be a DNA connection with this branch of the
Madge’s, I felt that these two pictures were just too good not to put in here, as a timely illustration of the “old
and new” in Canada. I have still to fully research this branch of the Madge’s, and feel that time is running out.
Another of the artifacts kindly passed onto me by my kind Canadian mentor, Ken Soloway was this application
form for Frederick Thomas Madge wishing to join the Mounted Police, who I understand are known as the
“Mounties”. I’m afraid it must be taken at face value as I have no historical evidence to support it, except to say
that it is genuine and it is dated 6th February 1900. Frederick was accepted by the Police and presumably with
a little further research in that direction more information will be forth coming.
I have a further “Cadanian Mine” of Family History information about a number of Madges who left the shores
of UK for a better life in Canada. Most are from the 1830s-40s onwards and all are “Devon County Leavers’
during the “poor times” in England. I would hope to publish them in further book. if I have the time.
We continue with the Newcombe
arm and more specifically with
Mary Ann Howson and her branch
of the family. Far right is Mary
Ann with her mother, Ruth (nee
Caldwell b.c.1914) and “Cassie”.
Then Mary Ann with her dog and
on the left are the Four Generations
of Girls in the family: Mary Ann,
Ruth, (the widow of Walter C.
Newcombe) holding baby Jenna
Lyn Decorte (b.1999). And on the
right the baby’s mother Sarah Jane
Decorte (b.1970).
We now come to thened of the Newcombe photographs
I have and they on a sad and a happy note. Sad as 1990
sees the end of the second generation Newcombes in
Canada with the demise of Walter in 1990 as his stone
shows on the right. Ruth however, is still in the picture
at the Christmas gathering in 2001, taken in Mary
Ann’s living room in Blyth, Ontario. Standing: Steve
Howson (b.1960), Brenden Howson (b.1999), Cathy
Howson (nee Campbell), Baby Emily Decorte (b.2001),
Sarah.J Decorte (b.1965), Tony Decorte and Ron
Decorte (b.1965). Seated row, are Mary Ann
Howson+Cassie, Jenna.L Decorte (b.1999) Holly
Decorte (b.1997), kneeling is Megan.R Howson
(b.1987) and Ruth completes the picture with her chair
next to the Christmas tree.
162

But before we leave Canada we can gain a little more insight with reference
to some of the handed down details of the lives of these hardy people.
I’m afraid that this is a very bad copy of a Baptismal cetificate, but as it is
rather important, so I have included it in the book. It is the Certificate for the
christening of Mary Elizabeth (1886-1966) registered at the Hatherleigh Bible
Christian Church, but the Christening actually took place at the “Grand
Parents House, Exbourne”. And this was Townsend Farm, the residence of
Walter (1811-1901) and Elizabeth (nee Brock) Madge (1820-1890). Walter
would have just given up running the farm in favour of his son John Woolland
Madge, by this date as he was now 75 years, and Elizabeth his wife about 68.
One of the really nice things about this Certificate is the “One Penny”,
‘brown’, Queen Victoria, stamp that is signed over by the Minister, George
Daniel.
On the right is the Marriage Certificate, for Charles and Mary Newcombe in
Goderich on 21st November 1908. The surprising thing to me is not that all
the ‘working’ infra-structure was up and running, but that the local Churches
were able to produce such lovely certificate papers such as the one opposite
for Weddings etc. It would be most interesting to find out where this was
printed!
I have, over the years, been given information about the last resting
places for various members of our “Canadian Cousins” and it is set out
here in case it is required for further local research.
The Maitland Cemetry, Goderich.
Loc
Stone
Newcombe, Elizabeth F 237
Newcombe, Elizabeth, E E 19
Newcombe, Harold H 187
Newcombe, John F 424
Newcombe, John W E 19
Newcombe, Laurie Julian E 35
Newcombe, Martha (MADGE)F 424
Newcombe, Reginald, H. E 35
Newcombe, Rubena V. (NAEGLE) H 187
Bissett, Charles E 237
Bissett, Elizabeth (NEWCOMBE) 237
Bissett, Frank 237
163

The George& Florence farm.
The Robert & Elizabeth Farm.
The Walter & Martha Farm.
John & Beertha’s
fBrother Stewarts.
Map of 1924
These cards are not the happiest items in the world but they are part of our
past and indeed of the future as well. I always like to think that when one
recalls your parents, grand parents and others too, the things that you were
able to do with them, this in itself brings them back to earth as ones
recollections show their faces in ones mind.
Well, to research and write family history does this and more: it enables those further down the years, that had no
knowledge of their forebears to gain a little understanding of who they were and what they did. Now it might be
that this information can be painful and indeed sometimes not acceptable, but in the main I believe it helps us to
undersatnd those that went before and maybe (in the future?) find out how the Gene patterns of yesteryear have a
bearing on us, too!
The Sap’s Running! Maple Syrup, in the
pioneering days was known as “sugaring” to
provide a locally produced sweetner for the
kitchen in the early farming days in Canada.
Far right shows an auger being used to drill the
“Sap-Taps” through the tree trunk bark and so
encourage the sap to be release for condensing
down and then crystalising. The near picture show
thid with the pit fires beneath the large cauldraons.
I have had a photograph of SS Sardinian (right) for years but have
been unable to workout either where it came from or indeed who
might have given it to me. Let alone why I have kept ot all these years.
The SS Sardinian was an Allan Line ship, part of their Canadian
Pacific Ocean Services Ltd Line. Built in 1875 (4,349 tons) and finally
scrapped in 1938. I think the Pacific is misplaced here as the majority
of their migration services were to the Atlantic bound seaboards.
Recently I found out why?! John.T.Madge with his family left Exeter
and sailed to Canada,1884, and taking passage in the SS. Sardinian.
164

Continuing the theme of the maple syrup the pictures on
the right show the rest of the process of gaining the maple
‘sugar’ form the sap of the maple trees. Which reminds
me that the leaf of this tree is the most effective Canadian
National Emblem. After the maple tree sap has run, in the
early days of spring, it is collected drop by drop, gathered
in pails and then placed in the large boiling cauldrons
shown on the right. The sketch of the horses pulling a
sledge and showing the collection pails shows how this
would have been done.
The Maples would have been widely spread so the
horses pulling the sledge, (gathering was in early spring
when the snows were still about) would have been
necessary to ‘farm the trees’. Incidently the weather was
a critical factor, as ideal conditions where warm sunny
days following freezing nights. Poor conditions reduce
both the quantity and the quality. The Maple sap is about
97% water, so it is condensed into syrup through the
evaporation process. It takes 35-ish gallons to produce
just one gallow of Maple Syrup. Once syrup, it was
poured into small patty tins to cool and crystalise to sugar.
When cool all was gathered together: thus Maple Sugar!
The intriguing part of this story is during the early years in Canada when the
Maple Syrup business was just starting. There is an earlier photograph of John
Turner, here seated on the left in the group picture, which was said to date
from 1887, but he would have been too young for this, then. So the
photographs here, probably date from about 1908 when John T was 26. He
married Bertha (nee Westlake) April 1920 and after the early Maple Sugaring
work with the Snowdens, John took over the Homestead farm from his father
Robert, at Stanley Township. He farmed successfully all his life with Bertha
(1901-1997) alongside him: John (1882-1966) had red hair which probably
came down to him from The Brocks of Exbourne, Devon, UK on his Mother’s
side.
They had four children; Wilfred (b.1930) who married with children and her
husband worked in construction; Walter W. (b. 1931), who married Lillian A.
(nee Stewart b. 1930); they had three children Debra (b. 1954), Stewart A. (b.
1957) and Wendy D. (b.1962). The third child, Robert (b.1920) married Vera
and they had children. The youngest child, Violet (b. 1922) married a Bayfield
Farmer and they had a daughter.
Debra, Walter & Lillian’ s eldest, worked with 3M, and married David G.S
Fawcett a Hydro Engineer, in 1974. Their offspring are Michelle L. (b. 1976)
who married John A. Schaap a computer man and Mark. A (b. 1979) who is
a Computer Programmer. Stewart A. worked for Ontario Water and married
Kathleen M.A. (b. 1956 nee De Long) in 1978. They have two children, Ryan
C. (b. 1981) who is musically gifted and Shane C. (b.1983) an able working
carpenter. Wendy D., the third child, married Paul J. Cartwright (b. 1962) in
Bayfield 1982 while working as a Book Keeper in the Auto Industry and Paul
is a skilled Intro-Provincial Mechanic in the same employment area. They
have a daughter Kelsy Lynn (b. 1992) and who enjoyed her schooling, before
joining the big wide world of commerce.
It is to the wonderfully good Offices of Debra and Wendy that most of this
Chapter should be decicated. For without their generous assistance,
knowledge, persistance and Grand Ma’s suitcase most of the information and
indeed many of the photographs in this chapter would not be here. I salute
these two fair maidens and would add my most sincere gratitude for all their
outstanding help. Stewart, Debs, Lillian, Wendy, and Walter April 2001.
The Bayfield Cemetery. The final
resting place for Walter and Mary
(nee Medland nee Ward) Madge.
I believe this
photo to be
one of the
last with
P a t t i e
Newcombe,
Mary Q.
Madge and
B e s s i e
Turner, all
t o g e t h e r .
P r o b a b l y
taken in
about 1938.
The unfortunate ‘shortening’ of the
photograph above is nothing to do with the
author, I’m pleased to say, but it is rather
sad for Elizabeth (nee Madge) Turner.
To the right is probably one of the last
pictures of Robert and Elizabeth (Bessie)
Turner, taken maybe, in the summer she
departed, 1938. It is such a fitting tribute
that they should be the couple to close this
chapter on Canada and
all our forebears that had
the emormous courage to
emigrate there in the 19th
century.
These two photos from Grand-Ma’s
suitcase are a mystery. Ring any
bells? Know who they might be?
Sorry I cannot help.
165

Ineed to add, here, that I still
have quite a few slightly later
photographs from various
“Madge-Based” families that
went to Canada, but my limited
research on them has not
enabled me to conclusively
‘marry’ them to our Family
Tree. They are therefore omitted
now, so unless I get a little more
time to process them, they will
be added to one of the later
Madge Books that will
concentrate on the photographic
records, rather than the Family
tree(s) side.
Mrs Mary Q Madge (1842-
1940) then Robert & Bessie
Turner, further to the right.
Above, taken in about the Summer of 1935. The
whole Turner Family: Bessie and Robert with their
children, (LtoR) Florence, Fred, Robert, John and
Elizabeth. First right, Robert and Elizabeth in the
snows of about 1938.
Below, taken in the living room (?): may be 1938.
The Offspring: (LtoR) Fred, William, John, Robert.
Seated: Elizabet with Florence.
Mary Q Madge on the occasion of her 97th
birthday 10 Dec 1939. Mary carried on farming
after her husband Walter died in 1918, then
moved from their Bronson Line farm to stay with
Mr & Mrs George Campbell; her niece and
husband. Widespread interests, beloved by her
relatives and all who came in contact with her.
Always youthful in spirit was mentally alert and
always retained her spontaneous humour. She
lost her sight in later life and loved listening to the
radio.
166

CHAPTER 10
Return to Devonshire, England and the
Madge Families that remained in UK.
1850-55/67 John and Mary (nee Woolland) Madge
1850 to 1901 for their children: John (1805-53), Philip (1806-1854), George (1807-89),
Richard (1809-19), Walter (1811-1901), Mary Grace (1816-79), Frederick John (1817-1902)
Walter (1811-1901) and Elizabeth (c.1820-1890 nee Brock) and their children; Walter
(1846-1918), Philip (1848-1923), John Frederick (1850-1856), Elizabeth (Bessie1853-1938),
Alfred (1855-1943), Martha (Pattie 1857-1944), John Woolland (1860-1960)
H
ere are couple of photographs recovered from Grand-Ma’s suitcase in
Canada and kindly sent back across the Atlantic by Wendy. These will very
neatly bridge the Atlantic gap and bring us back to the comings and goings of
the Madge Families that remained in Exbourne. Although they did not have
the “adventure” of a Canadian life ahead of them they certainly had the
depression in farm prices to contend with, though these did recover somewhat
and during the two wars of this period. But the connection “across the pond”
from the suit case?
A postcard of Exbourne “Square”, shown right with the following written by
Elizabeth, Walter’s wife from Townsend Farm, 1890’s(?): “This is the square,
it is a nice Hall where we have all the public affairs: where the cross is, is the
road leading to our house. That was Miss Peake’s house on the top. Fancy you
remembering after all these years. Will send some views later on.”
The author has enhanced the cross and this is Baker’s Street (handwritten on
the left side of the post card) that leads down to the Townsend Farm, which
of course is the residence that Martha (Pattie) or Elizabeth (Bessie) will know
well. On the right side of the postcard is another marked ‘X’ and handwritten
on the picture white framing is; “Blacksmiths shop”. It is presumed that “Miss
Peake” was referred to in a letter from Canada to Exbourne.
1848 Revolutions in Europe; Public Health Act. Chartist demos in London.
1850's Bloomer Fashion. Short skirt, trousers beneath known as Bloomerism.
1850 England population now 16.5 million. The Railways made Fares less
expensive as all Coach travel tipping (Coachman, Drivers, Ostlers & guard) is
no longer necessary.
1851 Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park.
1854-6 Crimean War, defending European interests in the Middle East.
(France & Great Britain v Russia).
1857-8 Second Opium War opens China to European trade.
1857-8 Indian Mutiny and India Act.
1859 Publication of Darwin's Origin of Species. Paignton railway opened.
1860-70 Telegraph spreads throughout Devon.
1860 Anglo-French 'Cobden Treaty’ extends the principles of Free Trade.
1861 Death of Victoria’s Albert,. HMS Warrior, (1st iron-clad)
commissioned.
1861-5 Amercian Civil War.
Exbourne Methodist Church Decked-out for a Wedding? About 1890?
In reverting to the United Kingdom for the rest of this book, I am
very pleased to say that there are now two books recovered from the
‘past’, that will help us emormously. These two books were held by
George Madge at Yearnwell Cottage until he died. They were then
‘rescued’ by Frank Guy, across the road at the Garage; then they
came to Nikki Bradshaw (nee Guy) who happily allowed Margaret
Weeks (nee Madge) and Paul Madge to view them. In order to
preserve them they have now been restored and will be placed in the
Devon Records Office, Exeter; so all have access to them.
X
X
167

It is somehow ironic that starting in the year, 1887, of the SS Corean passage
to Canada; in May the Accounts Book tells us that John Newcombe’s Father
also John (the Thatcher from Holt Cottage, Higher Bickington,) died in the
March of 1887 and the monies for, or part of the funeral came from Townsend
Farm as is shown as a March entry for £1 5s 0p. Unfortunately there is nothing
else annotated there, as this money was probably just a contribution to the
Newcombe family from his son John and his wife Martha. Incidently the
“running total” for Townsend Farm profits for the year 1887 was a balance of
£131 3s 8p. (which equals £7216 in the money of year 2000). Rear Townsend
It will be recalled that the year 1887 was also Queen Victoria’s Jubilee
commemorating her 50 years reign. The Exbourne celebrations on Tuesday
June 22nd, which presumably was declared a Public Holiday; went as follows:
It started with a Church Service in all the Exbourne Churches (one wonders if
the card/photograph of the ‘floral’ Methodist Church on the previous page
was not part of this celebration), each starting at 3.30:- And to quote from the
Farm Diary: “....after which a Public free Meat tea to all Parishioners together
with athletic sports, a large bonfire and a large quantity of Fireworks closed
the proceedings.” And a comment soon after the entry above shows that spring
to early summer in 1887 was an: “exceedingly dry season scarcely any rain
since February now July.”
“Completed the Harvest by August 13th without any rain. The Chapel Harvest
Festival Service was held on Wednesday August 31st followed by a Harvest
Thanksgiving Tea. The Chapel quite full in the evening.” Try as I might I
have not been able to confirm or otherwise whose hand guides the pen in the
Townsend Farm Diary. We know that Walter, my great-great Grand Father
(1811-1901) who started a butchery business in Exbourne after he left Dolton
village five miles to the north, in about the 1840’s; ran Townsend farm from
about the early/mid 1850’s. However, prior to this, Walter is listed as a
Butcher at Willhay Cottage in 1850 (also see picture, page 144) and prior to
this was in residence at Addlehole Cottage, with fields attached for running his
beef stock, at some stage during the 1840’s. Also in 1851 Walter is listed as
being resident at Part of Bents, a cottage which was (it has been demolished)
just down the road from Townsend Farm, in towards the village, and probably
on land owned by Townsend Farm.The first time that Walter is listed as
residing and farming at Townsend Farm is in 1857, but as the directories I
obtained this information from are normally some 2 to 4 years out of date with
their info; the year 1857 is more likely to be 1854. Without the Farm deeds of
Townsend for this period it is not likely that this will ever be resolved.
The other Madge families in Exbourne are also listed in the same Directories
so this will give us an idea of their places of residence and the businesses they
were running. If we look back to 1832 to 1841 John Madge (1767-1855) was
now running Townsend Farm and in 1841 was assisted by Walter, who had
his children Richard and Mary Elizabeth with him as his first wife Mary E.
(nee Ward) had died giving birth to their daughter in May 1840. In 1850/1
Frederick would also give his strength and abilities to the Townliving fields,
to assist. Frederick would take over Manor Townliving Farm in about 1856/7
for a few years before he returned to work on the main farm from the 1870’s.
By the 1861 census, Walter was firmly established as working Townsend land
and is listed as a farmer of 80 acres and of course with his ‘new’ wife of some
19 years and six of their seven children, Walter (b.1846), Philip (b.1848), John
Frederick(1850-1856), Elizabeth (Bessie b.1853), Alfred (b.1855), Martha
(Pattie b.1857) and John (b.1860). During the period 1858 to 1868 Walters
eldest son Richard (b.1838), from his first wife Mary (b.c.1807-1840 nee
Ward) worked alongside his father and his half brothers in the fields of
Townsend and indeed this farm work experience with his Father would hold
him in excellent stead for later is his life when he would most successfully run
Estrayer Park Farm between Okehampton and Sowerton for 37 years.
The Diary gives a graphic
description of the Exeter
Theatre fire of 1887, right.
Unfortunately 1885 saw the
old theatre ablaze too. But
more unfortunately this year,
most of the audience died as
a result of the fire.
Townsend Diary quotes: “The
Exeter Theatre was burnt down
on Monday evening Sept 5th,
when 150 were burnt or
suffocated to death.”
It records: “The Harvest Thanksgiving at the Church (Authors note: St Mary’s)
was held Sunday & Monday Sept 11th & 12th when a public Tea was held
attended by a large company - Coombed Escu llsion Band was in attendance
and the grounds were lit up by Chinese Laterns. Very fine weather accompanied
the proceedings. But we had the first taste of Winter on October 12th. Snowing
& Raining principal part of day followed by a severe nights frost.
168
Harvest
Supper
The rear of WillHay Cottage. It had a field of an acre, to
fattern a few cattle, prior to slaughter for the butcher’s shop.
WillHay was also the home for Walter and
Mary his first wife. Richard and Mary were
born here. This is also where Mary died.
Walter Madge and his 2nd wife
Elizabeth Brock; married in 1842 they
lived in WillHay for 11 or 12 years and
their first six children were born here.

However, before we go onto the next generation from Walter’s children, we
need to to look back to complete the details of Walter’s father’s children.
John and Mary (nee Woolland) were married at St Mary’s, Exbourne 23rd
August 1804. Mary’s surname was taken by Walter’s youngest son, John
Woolland and the name also went to Canada. She was the daughter of a
wealthy local farmer. He owned amongst others, Townsend Farm in Exbourne
and as explained earlier, (page 143) he gave the farm to his daughter Mary
and it eventually came into the hands of John her husband. It remained a
Madge owned Farm for some 160 years. (right) The Townsend Farm complex
in 1960.
John was the eldest son to John and his wife Mary (nee Woolland) and he
married Elizabeth Medland in September 1827, but unfortunately they had
relatively short lives, John died January 1853 while working at Townliving
and his wife predecased him in 1848. Philip came next but was not married.
He also died whils’t working at Townliving but in October 1845. The Madge
that got away, George (1807-89) was next and his life as part of the “drinks
Trade” in Exeter, is highlighted on page 144. Richard followed George
though he had but a short (1809-1819) life. Walter our common forebear, is
next but we shall look at his family, later, in detail. My favourite Mary Grace,
born unsighted, 1816-1879 did so many things that I feel sure the Victorians
had not seen her like before. Her life, or what little we know of it, is on page
144. The last born was Frederick John (c.1817-1902) and he would marry
Martha Brock (24th Oct 1847) who was a younger sister to Walter’s wife
Eizabeth. Frederick was both Grocer with his wife (see page 145), and Farmer
at Townliving. By 1881 he and his wife had moved down to Garden Cottage
where he farmed some 100 acres. They had a single child, George who would
marry Amelia Ann Rhoda Morris 30th September 1880, St Mary’s. Their
married life had unfortunately to carry the burden of “Lost Children” for
nearly all of it.
Now is the term the following generation of as we move into the lives of John
& Mary’s children, with their off-spring, and as we have covered all of them
previously, except Walter’s and Frederick’s children, it is their turn now.
Walter’s first marriage to Mary Elizabeth Ward in 1837, gave birth to Richard
(1838-1925) and Mary Elizabeh (22nd May 1840-c.1880). Regretably the
Mother, Mary would die giving life to her daughter who was named after her.
The strain on Walter (and son Richard) over this period must have been huge
and it says a lot about the Victorians families that all deemed to be well in the
longer term. Indeed Walter still managed to to do well at his work, bring up
two children and assist with Townliving Farm as well. Later on, the 31st
October 1842 to be precise, the ups and downs of life flatterned out when
Walter married Elizabeth Brock. Thus, a Mother for Richard and Mary
Elizabeth now became part of the Madge household. John, Walter’s father was
still running Towsend Farm at this stage at the age of 75 years and would
continue to do so for a further 8 or so years. The unreliable Directory records
have Walter as running Townsend in 1857, but if we apply the 3 year rule, this
makes it 1853/4. As John died in May 1855, someone would have had to take
it on; and this now looks increasingly as if this was Walter. Regretably the
Diary does not start until 1885 and although the accounts book has records
from 1840, these are still rather to hit and miss to provide any guidance. There
is actually one indication that they were not written up by the Family at all, as
at the end of the financial years of 1849 there is an entry: “for keeping the
accounts, one year £1.1s”. This sum, a Guinea, was also the wage of the time
for a farm labourer over a 12 month period. Later, in 1860 the Accounts
Keeper is being paid £1, only. The only reference to Walter Madge in the
Townsend Accounts book that I can find is in March (12th) 1849 when he was
paid 10/- shillings for “visiting”; which presumable means providing advice,
or more likely doing a days work and giving advice. However, it looks as if
there were 7 Farm Worker employed in 1861: they are James DUNN, Samuel
VANSTONE, Kirham SHOBBROCK, Matthew COOMBE, Samuel MILLS,
Joseph SHOBBROCK and Joseph VANSTONE. there are also enties for
“Paid for Old Age” £1 in numerous places and one wonders if Townsend
Farm had a sort of very early pension system going for its retired Farm
Workers.
Further ahead in July 1872 is an entry for Mrs Palmer, the Mother to the future
Mrs Agnes Hannah Madge who would marry Richard Madge in 1868. The
Mother of Agnes died, probably in Garden Cottage, in December of that year.
It appears that the total cost for her funeral was £3 (£165 in 2000 money). Two
years later there is a written record of Mr Palmer’s demise, again probably at
Garden Cottage, in September 1874. The funeral entry was for £1 5s this time
but presumably Richard and Agnes Madge picked up the rest of the costs of
this sad event, direct. Something that shines like a beacon from the Townsend
Diary and the Accounts Book is the great sense of “Community” and
“Welfare” shown by those running Townsend at the time; to those employed
and the ex-farm workers who were too old to be toiling in the fields. On very
nearly every page of the Accounts Book is an entry or entries providing
monies to the name of a man or men. But not only this there are further entries
for payments to the retired, for funeral costs and further cost for, for instance,
covering the expences (or maybe part of it) for the Jubilee celebrations and
quite a few other “food events” for their own people. In addition there are
payments for “Members Sick Pay”, and, these are fairly large sums too. Quite
wonderful: and as this is nearly 150 years ago, surely exceptional.
1. Pooks.
2. Townsend.
3. Addlehole (Swallows
4. Townliving (Rest)
5. WillHay.
6. Parade House.
7. Quality Square. (Old
Shop & Bakehouse)
8. Yearnswell.
9. Courtlyns.
10. Buskin farm.
I was so surprised to find this ‘signatue block’ in an old Exbourne Paper
that I felt it was of importance. My research has indicated that the W.
Madge signature above is indeed that of Walter (1811-1901), but as I
have only a few Brock records I am unable to say which J Broock this
is. The year of this record is 1895 when Walter was in his 84th year.
A Sketched ‘Map’ of
Townsend Farm and a
couple of its fields. The
small field past the
stream is still in Madge
hande, today.
169

Now it is the turn of Walter’s children and I will take the “Exbourne” children
that were the issue of the Madge/Brock marriage, first. Although this is
Walter’s second marriage, I will leave the first union with Mary Elizabeth
Ward until later. Hannah Madge with son Philip, in Shebbear Coll. clothes 1898
Their eldest, Walter and their two daughters Elizabeth and Martha all went to
Canada and have been ‘covered’ in Chapter 9. After Walter’s birth came
Philip (1848-1923) and in 1877 he married Hannah (nee Dufty) from
Beaworthy, some nine miles WNW from Okehampton. It is assumed he
married her during the Spring of that year in the Beaworthy Church. St Albans
church is a very old structure mostly built in the 12th or early 13th century,
has a short tower with three bells, and inside an ‘aisleless’ body to the church.
Fortunately it still has a south door adorned with ‘built-in’ Norman capitals.
Regretably the Victorians ‘re-furbished’ the church in 1881 so most of the
Norman feature were somewhat inappropriatedly removed or updated. But in
1887 it saw the bells ringing for the wedding of Philip Madge and Hannah
Dufty. They would have eleven children, both know sadness almost beyond
reason but by dint of hard work they were a remarkable family. Philip was the
trading Butcher with shops in Jacobstowe and North Tawton (pictures page
145); and most successful he was too. As he had done his meat trade
apprentiship under his Father, who was also juggling farm work throughout at
both Townsend and Townliving, his enterprise is commendable and of course,
understandable. Philip is often memtioned in the Farm Diary as he was nearly
always the supplier of butchery products to Exbourne Parish Council,
sometimes to the farm itself and often to the various village public functions.
Another Philip and Hannah family photograph of is on page 148.
The detail of Amelia’s address can be seen on the right, above Townsend.
Philip and Hannah first two children were Amelia Dufty (1878-1895) and
Frances Hannah (1880-1895). Amelia is known to us, as we have a
photograph of her outside Townsend Farm beautifully dressed. She: “Lived at
79, Okehampton street (now Fore St.). She died of Typhoid on the 21st
September 1895 that swept through the North Tawton, being caused by the
street drains being opened up in mid-September 1895 as they had to be redug,
laid and then connected. Amelia was a budding pianist and a ‘good’ user of
words. She went to senior school at Edgehill College, Bideford, North Devon
and shortly before her most untimely death she gave an address to the Chistian
Society at Edgehill. The photo of the front of Townsend Farm, taken in 1893 shows John
W Madge (1860-1960) leaning against the wall, Mary Louisa (nee Paddon) Madge (1868-
1938) holding baby Walter (1892-1966), then Amelia Dufty (1878-1895) with Walter Madge
(1811-1901).
Her younger sister, Frances Hannah also died of typhoid. Frances was a
promising artist with the brush in her own right, but her gifts were not to
flourish. Frances preceeded her elder sister to the grave yard, dying on 16th
September 1895. These two deaths had come on the top of the passing of
Bryan John, born 18th February 1882, died 23rd November 1884 and Alfred
John born 12th April 1886, died 2 September 1887. So in the space of just
over ten years Philip and Hannah had lost four of their first seven children. In
our days the tradegy to loose a single child must be dreadful but to loose so
many in such a short passage of time must have been nearly unbearable. It is
such a pity that we know so little about Philip and Hannah, for I believe they
must have been both remarkable people and parents. Philip became the “Local
Methodist Preacher” in 1898 and was very good at it and greatly liked by the
villagers. Philip and his wife Hannah retired to Exmouth in their later years
and both died away from North Tawton. Philip in Windsor Square, Exmouth
(1923) and Hannah (1932) at Exeter Hospital. Philip’s N.Tawton shop - 1900
Their eldest son, also Philip, known as “Pops” all his adult life had an unusual
start to his adult life. He had always wished to serve the Methodist Church and
this he achieved, but with some ‘flamboyance’ to start with! In adult life he
was tall, 6 feet, with a commanding presence. Dark hair with a right parting.
and a long neck. He had been educated a Shebbear College, as with Edgehill
College, both Methodist Foundation Schools that educated many a Madge
pupil over the years. Sadly Edgehill has now closed, but Shebbear is still
going strong. Far right Philip & Hannah’s Ruby Wedding Anniversary, Spring 1907
By the time Pops had gained adulthood he was already known as a fearless
exponant of the Christian Gospel. And when he became a Methodist Minister,
it was as an Evangelist holding strong views. Well loved and respected by all
who knew him. In a way his very strong views got in his way, for in 1911/12
he met Priscilla Richards from Penzance and became utterly determined to
marry her. 1912 Sculcoates Wedding day. Philip (Pops) & his bride Priscilla (nee Richards)
Unfortunately, his parents did not see this as a good match and were strongly
against nuptials. Not to be deterred, Pops arranged, presumably with a
Methodist Minister he had met previously, to ‘flee’ to the Stepney Chapel,
Sculcoates, near Hull and be married there on the 31st July 1912! None of his
or her family are known to have attended! They were to have two daughters,
Violet Amelia (Vi,1916-1972) who qualified to be a Lecturer at Exmouth
Training College, and Rose Priscilla (b.1918) whom I had the priviledge to
meet and know, a lovely Lady. She married Donald (known as, Pops) Smith,
a remarkable man, well liked by all and someone you would never ever guess
was a World War II member of the Parachute Regiment. Their children are
Glen David (b.c.1945), Julia (b.c.1946) and Roger Philip (b.1953). All
married and have children. Inset Don Smith 20.2.1920-15.6.2011
170

The photograph on the right was taken at 79, Okehampton Street (now
Fore Street), North Tawton and dates from 1907. There is a suggestion
that it is their Ruby Wedding celebration picture, but I am not sure,
though it might be the “evening gathering” of that day.
The people seated (L to R) are: George Ernest (1887-1959), Philip
(1846-1923), Francis Dufty (Frank b.1897), and Hannah (nee Dufty
1853-1932). Standing (L to R) are: Katharine May (Kathy b.1893),
Bryan Walter (1885-1955), Mary Elizabeth (Polly b.1884) John Wallace
(Wallace 1891-1982), Philip William (Pops) (1881-1963) standing
behind his Mother.
The next childern of Philip and Hannah are Mary Elizabeth (Polly, below)
(1881-1963) and she married William D.Gibbings. I have a note that William
Gibbings was Town Clerk, 1910, 15, 20 & 25 and therefore part of Local
Government, but regretably my records do not say where this was, though
some vague recollection in my mind seems to suggest St Austell in Cornwall,
though to be truthful I am not at all sure. There was a single daughter, Mary
Margaret, known as Trixie (b.1917) who became a Hospital Operations Sister.
Lived in Holt, Norfolk. She married John Forsyth and they have two children.
Pops with Rose
and Don Smith:
engagement July
1941. Don left
after a few days
leave for the
Paras and WWII.
The Family group
in 1932 when
Rose was 14 and
Vi 16. Far right is
the “Hallelujah
Bus” as the Ford
car was called,
taken on holiday
in Exmouth
It is 1928. Rose is
in the car door,
Pops, Violet, then
his wife Priscella
& Hannah Madge,
aged 75 years.
Here are two fairly unusual
posters. The near one is an
Advertisment for a Property
Auction showing the name
Madge and August 1913. The
Madge in question is George
Ernest Madge (1887-1959) and
the auction site is North Tawton.
The one further to the right is an
early ‘protest’ poster advertising
the “Sale of Goods” for the
“Recovery of Poor Rates”,
March 1904 and appears to
indicate the Rev. Taylor & Philip
Madge, Butcher, both of
NorthTawton. It is noted that:
“The Passive Registers felt the
same way about their charges
as the notice shows. The
culprits in this case are the
“Congregational Minister and
the local Butcher”. Not verified.
The above picture
shows Mary
E l i z a b e t h
Gibbings with her
daughter Trixie in
1917. Note the
prominant nose.
This is a ‘feature’
of this Madge
family line.
Bryan M and his No. 32, Union St., Butchers shop,
Torquay. Photo taken in the 1920’s. First right
Bryan Walter (1885-1955) married Albena nee
Searle (was known as Bena) in Okehampton 1912.
They would have two daughters, Albena Mary
Hilary (b.1913) and Hilary Joan (b.1920) Albena
married Ronald Stephenson and they had two
children, Beverely and Francesca. The second,
Hilary Joan, went to Torquay Grammer and
Edgehill College before going up to Exeter
University. Hilary married StJohn Davis, I believe
without issue. Tragically both the daughters would
die of cancer. Bryan was an Auctioneer in the
cattle markets of Newton Abbot and after the
tragedy of his daughters, married Grace (surname
not known). I do not believe there were children.
Bryan, apart from “banging the gavel” owned and
ran Butchers shops in the Torquay region so
continued his father’s and grandfather’s trade
having been taught the business by his father.
George E. with Carrie and their 1st born, Irene 1912.
171

George Ernest (1887-1959) was educated at Shebbear College and in January
1912 married Caroline (Carrie, nee Harfoot) a farmers daughter from Liskard
in Cornwall where the wedding was held. They would have two children Irene
Carrie (known as, Renee 1912-2001) and Philip George (1916-1973). George
Ernest started as with Durant the Auctioneers, then took over his father’s
Butchers shop in N.Tawton. It is also said that he took over ‘the’ farm in about
1932, as well, but I have nothing in the farm documents that upholds this.
Before then he was in partnership with Durants in North Tawton.
Right, George Ernest (Madge nose?) in 1937 with an unknown “Chain of Office.”
Far Right: George Ernest at the N.Tawton Butcher’s shop in North Tawton. He is
the 3rd generation Madge to run this shop and the 4th in the local meat trade.
It is recorded that George Ernest was: ”Very dark, short in stature, about 5’7”
tall. All his brothers were over 6’. Had problems with his nose when young.
Known as a really nice gentleman and very business like. As a butcher he used
to boil the tripe for “all day & most of the night”. Made good “hogs Pudding”
too. Retail Meat trader in 1927 living at 4 High Street, N.Tawton. Shop closed
1944/5. He is listed as Parish Councillor 1930, 35, 40 & 45. Carrie his wife
died in 1961 both having moved down to Liskard in Cornwall in retirement.
They died there but both returned to be buried in North Tawton.
Right: Pops with, I think, Bryan sitting on a park bench.
Far Right: Father, Mother & Mum-in-Law, Pops, Wallace & Frank.
The eldest daughter ‘Renee’, went to N.Tawton School then Edgehill College,
Bideford where she learnt to play the piano. She never married and lived in
Liskard, Cornwall. Regretably she was ‘fleeced’ in old age by an Insurance
salesman, who was sent to prison. The monies were never recovered.
Philip George (1916-1973) was born at “Stoats” in North Tawton and farmed
Pomeroy Farm near Trowbridge, Wiltshire. It is said of him: “6 foot tall, dark
brown curley hair with dark brown eyes. Sent his four sons to Public Schools
but his financial position was such that this “broke the bank”. He,
unfortunately, ‘lost’ Pomeroy Farm as a result. Philip seated right, in 1947.
Philip George was good at sketching and drawing animals. He was most kind,
very ‘go-ahead’, and considerate, but the brain embolism changed his
character. Then, he needed lots of sleep, and became depressed at not being
able to physically run the farm. Philip died as a result of the brain cancer.
He had married Molly Scammell (b. 1917: and later, nee Gibb) at Little
Badminton, near Badminton on the 23rd September 1940. What a time to be
married! Molly had had to “start life very early in her years”: Her Mother died
when Molly was two leaving her as the only child. From that day onwards she
was ‘brought up by men’. Loved riding and did so from an early age.
In 2002, Molly was living at The Acorns, Stoke St Mary, where I meet her and
her sons. Then, the relationship between us was not known, but further research
has revealed that we share a common great-great Grandfather; Walter Madge
(1811-1901), nice too. In later life Molly still kept her bright, welcoming view
on people and the world, dispite problems with her hips. They had four
children; Simon Philip (1943), Stephen George (1944-1998), Roger William
(1946) and Clive Hamish (1948). Simon farms and went to Trowbridge School
and then St Peter’s Weston-super-Mare. He had very bad fortune on the farm
when he lost both legs below the knee in a farm tractor/grinder accident. 5’10”
tall, Light brown hair, hazel eyes. He is very ambitious, hardworking, sensitive;
but not a risk taker. He married Wynn (nee Sanson) in 1970 at Grittleton, near
Chippenham. I have a record of two children, Clare (b.1873) and Sheridon.
The Philip & Molly family at Pomeroy Farm, 1956.
Stephen George born in Trowbridge, Wilts apparently had the ‘Madge’ nose
when young: went to Trowbridge School, then St Peters, Western Super
Mare.He was 6 foot tall, had brown hair and brown eyes. Looked like his dad,
Philip. Forthright, very business like, kind and fun loving, good with a sketch
pad, hardworking, family orientated, looked after Mum. Loved all sports and
excelled at rugger, cricket, hockey, golf (14) and tennis. He was a Property
Developer, then ran a Tile business in Taunton. His life was cut short on the 27
Nov 1998, when he died of liver cancer in Taunton. He married Jean M (nee
Bailey) in November 1979 and they had three children; Oliver, Ester and
Sophie the twins. After Stephen died, Jean continued to live in Stoke St Mary
and after completeing the up-bringing of their children helped to look after
Molly when her ‘hips went wrong’, who had a bungelow near by.
Roger William (b.1946) was educated at Trowbridge School and St Peters,
Western Super Mare. He is a hardworking person with very good ‘clarity’ in
lateral thought, something that the Madge’s in general are known for: i.e. the
ability to think outside the ‘box’. He worked in an Engineering Consultancy.
Roger married Margaret (nee Bowron) in Jun 1972 and they have three
children. Jennie (b.1973), then Helen and Jason.
Clive Hamish (b.1948) was educated at Trowbridge School and St Peters,
Western Super Mare. 5’11” tall with dark brown hair and Hazel eyes. Hard
working. He is a Partner in Thorn & Carter, Estate managers and is based in
Cullampton, Devon. He married Jacqueline Ann (nee Clark) who is 5’4” tall,
has black hair and brown eyes. They have three children Jolyon Philip
(b.1976); read Geography to degree level; Likes travelling and is a practical
person; undertook Human Studies. Has good lateral thought. He is 5’10” with
dark brown hair and brown eyes. Jessica Holly (b.1978) and Holly Rowena
(b.1988), she has fair light brown hair and brown eyes. She is ‘beautifully’,
musical. Simon, Clive and Roger, taken at Molly’s home a few years ago.
172
Pops, with Wallace and Frank’s(?) families at
Corbyn’s Head beach Torquay, in August. 1923

After George Ernest came John Wallace (1891-1982), who was known as
Wallace all his adult life. He also was educated at Shebbear Colledge where
he found his passion for firstly the piano and then the organ. Indeed both these
instruments had a profound effect on the rest of his life. After he graduated he
found that a living could be made from his skill as a pianio tuner and this he
undertook to the rich and landed. But his love for the organ and organ music
was always uppermost in his mind and no matter which Church he attended,
his services as the Church Organist were always in high demand. He married
Ella Martha (nee Elliott 1888-1974) at the Stoke Newington, Kingsland
Congregational Church in 1919 and thereby joined with a lady of both high
and strong principles. It is said of Ella: “Worked in the Suffragettes London
Office before 1914. She ‘issued’ flags for the Suffragettes and was asked to
provide: “An old one (flag) will do”; for Emily Davison who died after
throwing herself beneath the King’s horse at the Derby meeting, Epson on
June 4th 1913.
They would have two children Thornton Wallace (Tom b.1921) and Evelyn
Ella (b.1926). Tom qualified as a Post Office Engineer and: “Ran the 10
Dowling St. telephones for the Prime Minister’s Office from Attlee to
Thatcher (1950’s to 1980’s). He was awarded the British Empire Medal
(BEM) when he retired. Tom married Edith Maud (“Georgie” b.1922 nee
George) in 1943 at Church End Finchley and they have a son, John Peter
(b.1944) who took up his Father’s trade as a BT Engineer. He married Wendy
Anne (nee Furlong) on 7th October 1967, in, Barking Essex. Wendy was
exceptionally adept at dress making. They have two children, Nicolas Jon
(b.1972) and Kirsty Anne. Nicholas married Samatha (Sam, nee White) in
Ardeigh, Colchester and they have two children Andrew James (b.1993) and
Rebecca (Becky b.1995). The second child, Evelyn Ella married Hugh Anwyl
in c.1946. Dolton from the SSW with the road to Woodtown Farm, arrowed.
Katharine May (Kathy b.1893) was born in North Tawton but had an
unfortunate, and bad, accident as a child. The details of the fall indicate that
she was a lively, outgoing child who, maybe as a bit of a “tomboy” was
prepared to enjoy her young life. She remained single. Had a bad fall in her
youth from the hay loft onto a pig that broke her fall. However, she was never
‘right’ afterwards. Tall, about 5 9” to 5’ 10”. Rather plain with dark hair.
Dispite the fall she had a good childhood and was an excellent “play” friend.
Stayed to look after her Mother in the latter years and then reminded in the
family North Tawton home until her ‘services’ were no longer required. She
then retired to 7, Rhyll Gardens, Exmouth, where she passed away.
The last child in the Philip (Pops) and Hannah Madge family, Francis Dufty
(Frank b.1897) was born in North Tawton and spent his early life there. He
was known then as: “Always without money (brothers lent him some), but
was good company.” He married Grace in 1921 in Exmouth, and they had a
daughter Joyce E, (b.1925) who went to live in the States. Eventually Frank
went to the USA “to seek his fortune”, and married Doris. They had two boys.
It would appear that the ‘fortune’ never transpired and he died in the USA,
possibly in Florida.
The offspring next in line for Walter and Elizabeth was John Frederick who
was born during the third Quarter of 1850. Regretably his was to be a short
life as he died on the 18th June 1856. Although the Farm Accounts Book has
entries for this year there is nothing about young John F’s demise shown
there. The date is too early for the Diary. Alfred was born in 1855 the last but
one in the family. He was a man of short stature, who as he aged, lost most of
his hair. He married Elizabeth Anne (b.1859 in Dolton, nee Budd). Elizabeth
had a most unfortunate ‘reputation’ with the Madge side of her family. This
following piece was given to me many years ago and I have not reason to
doubt it validity. “Was not liked nor respected by the family she married into.
The term “slatern” being used to describe her house keeping. What is known
is that she, (probably) brought the tenancy of Lower Woodtown farm, on the
Dowland road coming southwest, out of Dolton. She and her husband
‘managed’ this farm for but a short time as it appears the running of a farm
was outside Alfred and Elizabeth’s capabilities. Of Alfred it was said:
“Known as ‘King’ Alfred to his children. Farmed Woodtown farm, Dowland
road, Dolton, Devon for a short time. Apparently he & his wife could not
cope, so moved back to Townsend farm, Exbourne with Father, Walter;
retiring to Rosemary Cottage, Exbourne. They had two children, Walter
(b.1880) and Elizabeth Anne (b.1882). Young Walter gained work in
Exbourne as the Carriage keeper and Driver for the landed gentry. He was
also a part-time postman in Exbourne and was, like his father the Western
Times Agent for Exbourne and District. He married Ellen (b.c.1887 nee
Lavis) in 1910. Ellen was short in stature with black hair. They had two
children, Sidney Alfred (b.1911) and Evelyn Nellie (b.1919). Sidney worked
as a carpenter in and around Exbourne but unfortunately was restricted by
breathing problems all his life and he died in 1998. Evelyn Nellie married
HenryJ Westaway(1917-74) and they worked Burrow Farm,
Monkokehampton of 60 acres, dairy and beef & sheep from 1941 to 1974.
Evelyn, educated at Exbourne and Okehampton schools, was a vibrant lady
full of life who had thoughly enjoyed her life as a farmers wife to Henry for
34 years. It came as a great shock when Henry died at the age of 57 and
Evelyn had to leave the farm. They had a daughter, June Patrica(1942-). She
married a Mr Phillips?
Tom W. Madge, BEM, above right,
with his wife Georgie, visiting his half
Cousin Paul RP. Madge (the Author),
in Somerset, late 1990’s.
To the right is Tom Madge’s father
Wallace who had a musical career
from his School years to the very end
of his days; and loved all of it.
The newspaper cutting of 1930, shows Alfred and Elizabeth on their Golden
Wedding day. The large picture of Rosemary Cott taken in 1905, shows Alfred
and Elizabeth in the door with their daughter-in-law Ellen, and by the railings,
Walter, Ellen’s husband. See also page158.
The front entrance to Taylor
Down Farm,
Monkokehampton with
Evelyn Westaway (Nee
Madge) standing proudly
beside it in 1994.
173

The last of Walter and Elizabeth’s children is the one that I have come to
associate Townsend Farm with and indeed most of Exbourne as well. He was
fortunate to have been given the names John Woolland at birth, the latter
reflecting where the farm came from in the first place; he worked well,
alongside his father Walter for at least 30 or more years: And in the
photograph on page 172 is shown to have a lovely, (Near Right,1893 @ 33)
“devil may care attutude”, though this was NOT reflected in his prowess as a
farmer. John Woolland , the last born to Walter and Elizabeth, was probably
going to farm whether he liked it or not; and this was probably decided before
he was even born. (Far Right, Mary Louisa nee Paddon in 1893)
His eldest brother Walter went to Canada in his 26th year, and got to know the
Turner family there quite well; his sister Elizabeth would marry a Turner and
go to Canada as well. So would another sister, Martha. Thus three of the
children would not take on Towsend Farm and a further three were not able to
for one reason or another. John W’s destiny was set for him from the day he
first opened his eyes in the Autumn of 1860. Even from a very early age he
apparently showed considerable promise as a farmer whilst he learned and
worked alongside his father Walter in the Townsend fields. There is no
mention of John’s arrival in the accounts book and its too early for the Diary.
On June the 24th, 1875 the accounts book tells us that Townsend Farm laid on
a huge dinner for 86 men, at a cost of 2s 31/2d each. A Band of 8 were hired
for the evenings playing, and paid £1.15s plus a dinner each at 2s 8d. No
reason is given for this and apart from young John now being 15 years old I
cannot see anything else that might ‘ignite’ such a celebration. Meanwhile:-
1861-5 Amercian Civil War.
1865 Death of Palmerston (October). President Lincoln assassinated.
1866 Eggs cost 1/- for 15 eggs.
1867 Food Riots. Teignmouth, Exeter, & Exmouth. Food shops in Exeter emptied.
1867 Dominion of Canada Act. Charles Darwin sails in HMS Beagle.
1869 Suez Canal opened;(Picture, Right) Irish Church disestablished.
1870 Elementary Education Act. Married Women's Property Act.
Ice-cream soda on sale in Exeter.
1872 Working men permitted to vote.
1875 UK buys Suez Canal shares, gain controlling interest for Britain.
1875 Agricultural depression deepens. Tweed trousers 26/- a pair.
1876 Victoria proclaimed Empress of India.
1878 Afghan War begun.
1879 Trade depression; Zulu War: British defeated at Isandhlwana.
1880-1 First Anglo-Boer War.
By the time John was 20, his father Walter was 69 years old and his Mother
in her 61st year. It is 1880 and the country is in deep depression.
Father, Walter was still, as far as we can tell, running the farm on a day to day
basis and would continue to do so for a few more years yet. He had already
found out that Philip would leave the farm and that Alfred was just not able to
run a complex farm business. So it just had to be John W. However, I would
think by this time Walter would have already made up his mind that
Townsend farm would eventually go down to John W as he would already
have been ‘nursemaiding’ him for some 10-14 years thus far. He must also
have realised that john W was the man for the job. And I suppose that
Elizabeth his Mother, would be on the lookout for a likely lass to be his bride.
(Right: Miss M.L.Paddon’s Winkleigh Church christening Font and The Church Altar & Screen.)
It just so happened that in 1868, some 8 years younger that John Woolland,
Mary Louisa Paddon was born in the village of Winkleigh just seven miles
north east of Exbourne. Indeed the old road that bisects Townsend Farm’s
fields leads to Corstone Moor and then onto Winkleigh. By the time Mary
Louisa was fourteen years her parents would have been trying to gain a place
for her, preferably on a farm, as an indoor domestic help/servant. Although we
do not know exactly when Miss Paddon arrived at Townsend, we do know
that as she was only seven or so years younger than John by the time she took
up her post at the farm. It would not be too long before there was a liaision
between them. It should be remembered here that the situation with regards to
farming and indeed the country was one of Depression. Therefore the need to
cut costs at Townsend Farm and to keep ‘known’ cost down would have been
uppermost in the experienced mind of Walter. It should also be noted that
farming in the 1880’s was still very ‘static’ in its outlook. Known local
markets would have been used and all products, with the possible exception
of some livestock end products, would have been sold through nearby vendors
and shopkeepers, with farms ‘feeding’ local farms on a quid pro quo basis.
But certainly Walter’s mind would be firmly centred on the farm’s need first,
so that ‘buying-in’ costs were kept to a mimimum. So with this in mind and
the fact that farm work then was for ‘every daylight hour’, with only time for
Church on Sundays, it can be seen that John’s chances of finding, meeting and
then courting a fine local lass were slim at best. Thus the entry of Miss Paddon
not only onto the farm but as a ‘live-in’ girl too; must have been pure manor
from heaven. And so it indeed was! Mary Paddon is not listed in the 1881
census, but is in the 1891 and is shown as “House Keeper”. The person
signing the Census is none other than John Woolland Madge, who is shown
as the Exbourne and District, Enumerator, and the date is mid April 1891.
Thus it was in the May of this year that the following came about.
“Mary Louisa Paddon was the domestic servant (House Keeper: see above) at
Townsend Farm, and that is how she met John. They got on too well. They
married late in 1891, in Exeter, and their first born, Walter arrived before the
174
Townsend Farm from the northend of Holebrook Lane locally called “Over &
Under”, just before it joins Hayfield Road. The main farm is far right and the long
white wall with the aperture, above, are the old structures that surround the farm
yard. Part of this contains a most interesting “Farm Cottage”, to be explored later.

spring of 1892. It was a good and lasting marriage, producing 10 children to
adulthood.” Just wonderful how it all worked out. John gained an outstanding
young wife and their children an excellent Mother and farmer’s wife And so
began the ‘golden years’ for Townsend Farm and indeed for the Madge’s of
Exbourne. The foundations were definitely laid by John Madge whose move
to Exbourne, to marry a new wife, with a wealthy Father, initially, marked him
as somewhat ‘adventurous’. However, he would soon prove his worth for his
family as an astute farmer of TownLiving farm. As Townsend farm also came
to the family this finally give Walter Madge his own farm after he had started
out in the butchery trade. And then from Walter, after some moves about, for
John Woolland his son would farm TownLiving for a number of years while
his father Walter carried on with Townsend. Walter’s wife Elizabeth (nee
Brock) was taken ill with back pains whilst in Okehampton on 31 May 1890.
Thought to be a tumor. Was ill for 11 weeks. Had some pain, but could eat
little; had water only for the final week. Elizabeth was the elder sister to
Frederick’s wife. Walter would remain active for a further 11 years before he
too, departed. I think, but do not know, that John Woolland finally took over
Townsend farm when he was in his early 30’s, probably about the time that
Walter lost his wife in 1890. Right, Walter and Elizabeth’s gravestone.
Madge Land Holdings 1873/4 Devon)
Madge Land Holdings 1885
Madge A, Hatherleigh 1 Acre (These are listed in the Farm Diary)
Madge Ann HoleLane 30 Acres WalterMadgeTownsendHo.&Sand 13Acres
Madge Fred. Exbourne 32 Acres W Madge WillHay Sand Half Acre
Madge Miss Ann Crediton 384Acres W Madge Addlehole Sand 16Acres
Madge W Showell 12Acres Alfred Madge Addlehole Ho. Half Acre
Madge Miss Jane Crediton 384Acres Madge John Townliving Ho. 6Acres
Madge JT Dolton 24Acres Madge & Sons farmed the Ho & Land of:-
Madge Mary Exbourne 36Acres Homeliving 6 Acres, Mill Down 33 Acres,
Madge Mrs Pinhoe 35Acres Birchwood 4Acres & Townliving 22Acres.
Madge Robert Chi-hampton 1381Acre JohnWMadge farmed land @ Homeliving
MadgeThoW Brushford 110 Acres 6Acres, East Park 4 Acres & Plantation 8Acres
Madge Exbourne
6Acres Mary Coombe Briny Cottage and garden.
Madge John Gittisham 108+10Acres Notes. Parts of Court Barton excepted.
Madge John Awliscombe 53+82Acres
It just so happen that in 1890 the format of the Accounts book changed, for the
better. It still retained the “in&out pages” opposite each other, but now each entry
can be seen for what it is, rather than, as previously, just a writers note to remind
him of the reason for that payment entry. Much more is explained and most line
entries are now self-explanitery. So the actual farm trading, various repairs,
sundry purchases and all the major outgoings:- Rates, Tithes and Rents are
shown. From the first day of January 1890 the next twelve months shows us the
following; J.Madge £8.10s Land rental. Mr JW Ward bill for (cart?) repairs £3
18s. B.Parker 16s 6d harness repairs. W.Rattenbury, Land Tax £4 19s 5d. Rev
DW Oldham, Tithes £8 2s 9d. W.Rattenbury, again, Poor & Highway Rates £3
19s 101/2d. G W (cousin George in Exeter) Madge, spirits 12s. E.Issacs for 4
Slip Rigs £2 8s. I.Folland. baskets 6s 2d. C Turner 3 guineas for a suit of clothes.
A (Alfred) Madge a single steer £12 10s. Messrs Crocker & Palmer (A Palmer
daughter would marry into the family in the next generation) for lime £4 16s 8d.
S Coombes for Mason work £4 1s 6d. Weeks, Middleton & Newcombe wages £
4 18s 6d. Miss Kelland half years rent £16 10s. GL Fulford Insurance £1 3s 9d.
Daniel Newcombe half years rent £12 10s. J Luxton & Co. repairs to the turnip
cutter 16s 0d. And so it goes on with a wondeful record of the “life” of Townsend
farm and its interaction with Exbourne. But there are a couple more entries that
also require noting, as they reflect the times rather well.
The first is that a E.Frith was paid £2 1s for a ‘Cad of Tea’ (and that equals
£111 87p in 2000 currency!) and secondly, Payment to the “Indoor Servants”,
wages for the first six months of the year £4 15s 4d. This of course would have
included Miss Mary Louisa Padden as the House Keeper who by this date
would be carrying John Woolland’s first child, Walter, to be born early in
1892. A later entry show that a “Cad of Tea” lasted the farm just four months.
On the Credits page, opposite the Debit Entries above, are also some
interesting notations. Indeed there seems to be a “counter claim” for monies
where certain services have had to be paid for. Anything to do with horses
seems to invite an Invoice back again for repayment. Take the first one where
the Wards have made repairs to, it is thought a cart or carts. Townsend has
sent an invoice to the Wards for; “Horse Labour” £3 8s 7d. And again with the
Brocks where an Invoice is raised for £1 9s 5d, against the Brocks bill for £3
18s 7d. So it would appear that rather than too much money changing hands,
Services are exchanged to keep the passage of money down to a minimum.
Also on the credit side are the Farm Sales. These include 11 fat Hogs to JS
Bullied £34 3s 3d.; a single steer to W Brown at £18 and later two steers for
£32; 88 bushalls of Wheat sold to Mr Johns for £17 12s. Philip Madge the
butcher in North Tawton and Jacobstowe get a number of entries. 3 fat Ewes
for £7 19s, 2 pigs £3 0s 9d, Fat cow 16 guineas, 4 fat lambs £8, fat pig 2
guineas. Then a rather sad note, “Sold old mare ‘tidy’, £8 10shillings. The
final entry on the debit page for 1890 is a tragic way to the end that year, as it
shows 2 guineas were paid to Doctor Budd for his; “attendance for visiting
Mother”. However, this now shows that the writing for 1890 in the accounts
book is definitely done by a family member. And as the writing matches the
signature on page 176, this can be confirmed as, John Woolland Madge.
Two lines up in the above accounts book page reads: Mother’s
Funeral Money £7 2s 0d: which equals £373 in year 2000 monies.
175

All the images on the right are ‘modern’ photoraphs of the inside of
Townsend Farm taken by me with kind permission of the current
owner.These start with the picture of the rear of the farm that will serve
as a ‘locator’ for the interior pictures that follow. The main farmhouse,
between the two chimneys; the left hand one being the one with the TV
aerial attached, to the one on the right of the photo; contains all the ‘old’
living, eating and the bedrooms spaces. However, the original structure
is old enough, (see also pages 99 and 138) to be of about the 15th or
16th century, and to still contain traces of the old building’s origins in
the walls and floors. The main noticeable feature for this being the
curved floors of the upstairs rooms where the hay and straw for
cattle/sheep feed used to be stored. Why curved, or bowed? So that
the centre of each floor was higher than its edges? This is to allow any
moisture to be ‘channelled away’ from the feed so that it would dry out
and not root before it was fed to the cattle and sheep.
1 = The Byre. This was built as an extention to the farm house as the “Byre” for
the cattle as a cow-shed when the original room for the livestock was converted
for human use. The pictures to the right show the Byre as it is today.
2 = The main Farmhouse, now ‘“all in one” as the old Milk Parlour and the
Creamery were incorperated into the main house.
3. = Convesion of old Milk Parlour and the Creamery into rooms that
are now the kitchen, breakfast room and scullery.
So we can now start the ‘new era for Townsed Farm’ with John
Woolland firmly at the helm, but with his Father Walter still
available to provide advice for another decade, when it was needed.
As John Woolland had been ‘waiting in the wings’ for a number of
years no doubt he would have already settled upon his ideas to
provide the “Way ahead for Townsend”. It is in this area that the
majority of changes were made; dragging, if that is the right word,
the farm out from under the old (in most cases, pre-Victorian) ideas
and trying, in the middle of a Farming Depression’, to not only save
expenditure and become more dated but to think in the longer term
in order that the farm’s future would be secured. It would be lovely
to know where JohnW got his ideas from for Townsend, as he
would make numerous fundemental changes to the way the farm
was run, the crops to be planned and planted and most of all
introducted a full scale breeding programe for the two main “cash”
animals on the farm: The Devon (Exmoor) Long Wool Sheep and
the Devonshire Cattle breed.
It is well worth noting here that the “Directories Listing for Townsend Farm”
are:-1890 Walter Madge, 1891 Walter & John Madge, and 1893 Walter &
John Madge, once more. As 1893 is the last time that Walter is mentioned as
the Owner/Farmer of Townsend we can safely assume that he had “let go of
the reins completely”, by this year. Recalling that the Directories were always
‘behind the times’.
In 1890 both Frederick and Alfred were listed at Townliving farm and George
Madge has Buskin Farm after his name. This then is really the end of the fine
Walter and Elizabeth Madge era, of between1851-1892 at Townsend Farm
and the beginning of the Madge off-spring’s farming in and around Exbourne.
But it should not be forgotten that 1890/1 was also very much John and Mary
Louisa’s years too. For it was the time they first came together, got to know
and respect each other and then finally married in Exbourne during the early
winter of 1891. The event is not listed in St Mary’s Church records and I
believe the reason for this is that they ‘tied the knot’ at the Methodist Church
instead, though I have no documemntion for this, except the belief that their
last resting place is in the Methodist cemetery in the village.
The accounts book tells us that the supply of “meat on the hoof” to Philip
Madge in North Tawton seems to have increased this year and possibly
through John W’s influence, with a view of replacing the current Cattle stock
with animals that have a better pedigree to improve the Townsend blood lines.
A further comment tells of selling the 88 lbs of sheep fleeces to a Mr T Paddon
for a tidy sum of £25 13s. Would he be the father of Mary Louisa, I wonder?
There is a further most interesting entry on the buying side of the book, which
clearly shows that a “new broom was sweeping through the Farm”. This is an
entry for the purchase of Nitrate Soda fertilizer not noticed before. Further
there are entries for over a ton and a half of bone meal for the fields and almost
a ton of ‘super-phosphate”, again for the very first time. John W was getting
‘modern’! In 1891 there are entries of young apple and pear trees to be
planted, with the sale of 67 galleons of cider at 8d per pint; the purchase of a
new turnip Drill and Bill to be utilised. The main seed crop still appears to be
wheat but now clover is being planted as a ‘cash’ crop. But there is no entry
to do with the ‘quiet’ wedding of John W & Mary Louisa that year. However
the event is fully acknowledged on May 7th 1892 when the purchase of a
“Jessops Perambulaton” is made for the now 4 month old Walter, their first
child. And I feel sure that the next 9 children would also find their way into
this “perambulaton” over the 13 and a half years of children. Maybe not all of
them for perambulation for, as the pram aged with the earlier children, I would
be surpirsed if it did not eventually become a item of play for them.
176
1.
2.
3.
Left is the new kitchen, below the
modern scullery, at the back of
Townsend farm. Above right is what the
old, 1820, dairy & creamery would have
been simular to, prior to conversion.

With the birth of their first child Walter, and the new beginings out in and on
the fields of Townsend farm things should have appeared to be rosy for them.
But unfortunately the general situation in UK then was not at all bright.
1880-1 First Anglo-Boer War. South Africa.
1881 Irish Land and Coercion Acts.
1882 Britain occupies Egypt; Alliance between Germany, Austria,
and Italy.
1884-5 Reform and Redistribution Acts. Caused major riots.
1885 Foundation stone laid for the new Vestry (St Mary’s?).
1885 Bumper Potato crop at Townsend.
1886 First lambs at Townsend were twins on Sunday 31st January.
There were a total of 49 lambs born of which 7 were lost. 28 singles, 8
doubles and 1 triple. St Mary’s Church reopened after a Victorian refit
followed, by a public luncheon.
1886 Royal Niger Company chartered; gold found in Transvaal.
1870 French Emperor resigns. Right a 1890’s picture of a North Devon
Village. The clothes are, “period”.
1870 Education Act.
1870 Oct. Siege of Paris. Prussian/French war.
1876 Last Sultan of Turkey is deposed and dies.
1870-1900 Depression.
1884 & 86 Earthquakes in England.
Panama Canal (De Lessops) Company crashes in France,
brings the Government down and causes a European wide “depression”.
1889 Electricity comes to main towns in Devon.
1895 Very cold winter caused thousands of birds and poor to die.
1896 Sudan conquered
1897 Queen Victoria celebrates her Jubilee with a pageant.
1898 German naval expansion begins.
1899-1902 Second Anglo-Boer War.
1899 British disasters in South Africa. (autumn)
With the country wide depression period of 1870 to 1900 life on the farm must
hsve been very tight indeed, but the accounts book tells us that life went on
and the various improvements put in by John W started to bear fruit and he
was able to not only continue them but to introduce others as the years rolled
by. It appears that John W had got a horse breeding programme in place as
well as other improvements. In the middle of this depressed period he
managed to sell a young ‘donkey” mare for £42 (£2276 in 2000 monies). John
had a new ‘well’ sunk, but we do not know where; which cost Townsend £4
10s (about £250 in 2000 money); but a couple of days after the well had been
dug a “Cornish New Pump’ (Watts Steam?) is installed at the well head for
four guineas; £230 in 2000 money. Again the ‘modern’ fertilizers, but this
time five different types, are ordered and spread. There is a James Weeks
wages for 12 weeks, shown in June 1892. There is another first: when half a
ton of coal is ordered and paid for at 12s 6d..
On the accounts books selling page, Steers, Heifers, Hogs and Sheep are all
listed as sold but also Wheat, Barley, Reeds and Spars, Willows and large
quantities of Peas to four different buyers. The year in year out stables are
mangolds for the cattle, but turnips and sweedes are now also used with
potatoes for a selling crop. The summer of 1886 being a bumper year for
spuds. The Diary now tell us that ‘winter wheat’ is being utilised and sown
14th October to 21st November for the early wheat crop. Not that I would
know, but I had always assumed that wheat planted well before Christmas for
the early summer harvest was a present day “invention” having no idea at all
that the Victorians came up with the crop! Also that years, oats has been added
to the list of cash crops planted and harvested on the farm. It is also an
excellent year for cider with 320 gallons sold in November; further cider is
sold just before the New Year, ready for the village celebrations, one
presumes. On the buying side more apple trees are bought for planting and a
new pair of boots for Father at 11s 0d, with more coal and more fertilizer.
Maize is bought in with linseed cake for animal feed. Clover grass is now
being regularly sown in order to gain a better hay crop, rather than a cash crop.
But the Tithe payments rumble on no matter what the financial climate is. A
further repeat of coal, fertilizer to be bought in, but also a Hog Ram,
presumably what we now call a Boar, with a pig from a separate breeder, and
three young piglets all for breeding. And by 1892 the railway, with the station
at North Tawton just 4 miles away, was also a useful partner for farming as
sales as far as Plymouth were now possible with two “fat steers” fetching £39
10s towards the end of the year. It is hard to decern if the farm profits are
good, bad or indifferent, but the accounts book gives one a lively feel about
the farm and the progress made in these most trying times.And if anyone
reading this feels that they might like to live in these times I have just come
across the entry: “Time to hoe the mangolds, 6th to 8th July, weather very
bright and hot”. Any takers? North Tawton Railway Station: the ‘cart unloading side.
The first mention of disease comes in the Diary here with 2 hiefers sick with
“red water down” possibly a tummy problem, but it was fatal as one had o be
put down and the other died. Back in the fields the mangolds last hoed in early
July and sowed on the 15th May were lifted 22nd to 29th October; with a
splendid crop of over 120 loads (carts this would be) from ‘long close’ field.
Above is the “Cottage” at the back on the left side of the yard. The backwall,
above, backs onto Holebrook Lane (p.176), but the ‘front-door’ is into the yard. I
believe that this may well be the accommodation for the House Servants,
downstairs witha decent fireplace and up the “now” rickety steps to the bedroom
above. None of the other outhouses around the yard are ‘domestic’ in design and
as ‘board’ was given as part of their jobs I think this is where Mary Louise slept.
177

Drama in North Tawton at Philip Madge’s butchery small holding:- “Philip
had a fire on Monday evening December 13th which consumed the Shippens
(stock barns, see page 101) and Pig House but fortunately saw it in time and
so released 5 Bullocks and 4 fat Pigs which were in the Houses - it was
believed to be set on fire as Philip met a man coming out of the back entrance
when he came home from here, but was not aware of the fire then otherwise
he would have seen who the man was.” Dartmoor sheep+shepherd 1830.
“Christmas that year was 2 to 3 inches of snow which continued up to 12th
January, Snowing, thawing, freezing, thawing; very severe. Charity is never
far from the Diary and something called the “Christmas Tree effort” raised £8
17s 21/2d which besides the Hatherleigh Bazaar held on Monday January 3rd,
“which enabled the Trustees to pay off 200 guineas of the debt.”
Far right: 19th century woodcut: Drover taking sheep to Market.
There has been reference to the Trustees before but I have not been able to
workout the meaning/background of this Trust; but to be able to pay off that
amount at a time like the 1880/90’s from the farming community means that
astute brains were at work here. Next is a Lecture given by a Mr Ready about
London Life and “from London Life, to the Pulput”; to a large appreciative
audience and held them spell bound for an hour and twenty minutes. That
Sunday Mr Ready’s last as the Methodist Minister in Exbourne, he gave his
farewell Sermon on Wednesday evening for 55 minutes to a large
Congregation after which he was presented witha purse containing 3
Sovereigns as a token of our high esteem for his Services. “Special Services
are being held commencing on Sunday last, great good is being done”.
Unfortunately this last sentence is not explained.
The Hayes Barn was the location for: “A Concert on Monday January 9th
when Mrs Wright, Miss Fulford and Mr GS Fulford & another gentleman
assisted. About £3 10s was raised with the admissions which will go towards
Church expenditure. First lamb Jan 30th; last lamb, after a very heavy fall of
snow was obliged to keep the Ewes and lambs indoors from February 14th.
Last lamb on March 7th. Total of 63 lambs born but we lost 9.
“Sunday School passed of very satisfactory, 110 Adults to tea besides the
children and Teachers.
Right: Hayes Barn, today. This used to be the venue for Village Concerts etc..
A new field innovation is shown here in the Diary when Rape Seed is planted
for the first time; another John W introduction I would think. However, it took
three whole days to complete the sowing the seeds of this crop. Target practice
is undertaken (it does not say where) and after a few shots at 500 yards; “when
he accidently shot a cow for Mr Holmes valued at £12 which Major Peake
paid, shot through the kidneys.” The main rifle shoot challange took place (it
does not say where, but there is an open rifle range on a hill above
Okehampton, so it might have been there. It was won by a Mr William Ward
from Exbourne. John W is ill for a few days and has to call the doctor out with:
“me suffering from enlargement of liver and derangement of the stomach.” As
John is out in the fields very shortly afterwards, it does not seem too serious.
However, it was a poor summer that year and the ‘corn very bad to cut, only
cut some on the ‘Two&Three”. This weather problem probably added to the
loss of 8 lambs to “Hush & Scour”, and a further two ewes which were drown,
one in the Mill Leat & the other stuck on its back with its head above a puddle.
Shebbear College & Exbourne School, both strong influences on Madge children.
Some more entertainment for the local community was provided in the
Sunday afternoon after Chapel when the sermon was given by a Mr Tiller an
Australian on the staff of Shebbear College. “After a Tea for about 90, the
evening address was given by Mr Tiller aided by Mr E Hawkings, Rev
Rattenbury; Miss Waller presided at the Harmonium and the singing was
excellent.” Again the “Annual Christmas Tree” was held and £10 raised.
“John W won a cushion made by Miss Westlake, a scarf for Mother and a pair
of watch pockets for Miss G Walker”.
“Our School anniversary passed off very successfully, over 100 took Tea,
collections in advance of last year, fine weather. Great Indignation was felt
among the members and others owing to neither of our ministers being
present; it being the third public tea In succession that they had not attended.”
Townsend Farm Yard with the “cottage accommodation” to the right of the entry.
John W went to the Bath & West Show which was held in Exeter 5th, 6th,7th,
8th & 10th June 1890 “I went to Lympstone on the tuesday evening and came
into the Show on Thursday and went bak to Lympstone again before Saturday,
then back home.” Unfortunately John W does not tell us anything about the
Show, nor of any poits he may have gleened there. In the next entry it shows
that he had to be back in Exbourne on Sunday 9th as the new Methodist Hymn
Book was introduced that day. This year was another for a bumper crop of
potatoes. There were 11 cart loads this time with the size of each tuber well
above average size. The current farmer of Lower Woodhall farm, a George
Luxton Esq., died aged 86 25th September. Lower Woodhall farm would be
farmed by Madge’s in the next generation. The Diary does indeed reveal why
John W went to the Bath and West Show. It was so that he could have a look
at cattle being ‘shown’ so that he would know whart and how to do it for the
North Tawton Fay Stock Show. John W showed ‘Chandler in Class 5 for the
farming under £200 a year and was successful in securing the Blue Ribbion.
The first prize of 2 guineas. Father gave me permission to enter her if I would
pay the expenses. I should have the prize should she win.”
178

The summer of 1890 was a fine one with the comment: “Took my first potatoes to Market 5th July
making 1/- per score.” “Finished the harvest September 10th, rather showery at first but then came very
fine weather and the whole of the corn has been secured in fine condition.”
There is a lovely, moving entry for the death of Elizabeth Madge, it reads: “My dear Mother was taken
Ill on May 31st at Okehampton with pains in bowels and continued to get worse so that we had to fetch
the Dr at midnight and she continued Ill for seventeen weeks sometimes a little better then a little worse.
Dr Burd said it was an abscess in the back but mother wishing to have Dr Budd a course that I proposed
sometime before, but mother kept putting it off and his opinion which Dr Burd agreed with was that it
was a tumour just on the wing on the right side about five inches in length with a quantity of liquid at
the back. She died on September 20th and was buried on the 24th. her illness was very peculiar in as
much that she had no pain scarcely she took in nothing whatsoever for the last three days but drinking
a little water once and she retained her faculties up to the last and she died without a struggle never
moved hand or foot.” Then comes the second “Show” and John W explains: “We showed a Cow at
North Tawton Show December 2nd and took second prize of one Guinea. She was much the best in
symetry but niot quite so heavy or fat as her opponant who made £20; we did not think of showing her
only just a month previous as we thought her too small a point which proved only too true.” So even at
this time in John W’s farming life, just before he started to run Townsend farm he already knew what
was in the Cattle Judge’s minds on the finer points of showing and therefore breeding.
There is a very topical, for the 1890’s, comment made about the village school. By the way it consisted
of only the left hand (older) of the twin school buildings shown on page 180. Permission was sort to
hold Public meeting in the school which included entertainments but not political meetings. Payment
would be 10/- for this. The first to be held in the school room, was on the 13th January with the
Exbourne Negro Troupe provided the entertainment followed by a dance, that was ‘fairly’ successful.
Far right the early “assisted” Hoe
Right. Hoeing was usually done by the ‘ladies’ 1890’s
However, a further public meeting decreed that Political meetings were
allowed and the first one was held a couple of weeks later. It should be
remembered that the old school building was funded by the residents of
Exbourne so the hire of it was not restricted as it would be today.
The weather added little to the gloom of depression as 1890 became 1891 as
the month of December to the 19th January were held the worst weather that
could be recalled in living memory. “..the Frost being so severe as to freeze
New House Brook right over and so hard as to bear me up in the centre.” In
March the weather decided to set in again; “ Winter again commenced on
Monday March 9th with heavy snow and very high wind so that the snow
drifted very much so that the snow drifted very much so that the roads became
quite full form 10 to 12 feet deep, and not being all removed by Saturday we
could not go to market unless we went to North Tawton Station, something
which we hardly thought worth doing the rail=roads (as it was written)
became blocked that no trains arrived from Plymouth after Monday before
Saturday morning.” “We had our last lamb April 5th”. But there is no
information as to how the lambs and ewes got on over this pleak period, just
the surviving lamb numbers: “27 doubles, 2 triples and 13 singles this year.”
So a total of 73 lambs. From the spectrum of the lamb births the success of
John W’s sheep breeding programme can be gauged. It will be recalled that in
1886 it was 28 singles, 9 doubles and 1 triple, giving a total of 49 lambs.
Obviously we do not know the overall number of breeding ewes, but in 1886
an estimate would indicate 38 ewes produced 49 lambs. In 1891 their 42 ewes
gave birth to 73 lambs a 25% increase in only five years. There is also a
comment here for our Canadian Newcombe’s, as John Woolland states: Mr
Newcombe began building New House at Stone Farm, 5th April 1891; but I
have been unable to locate Stone Farm. It was a quiet fine start to the summer
that year, so good in fact that heavy thunder storms broke out late in June. But
in August they attempted to ‘bring in the harvest’ only to be baulked by “very
wet & showery, one scarcely had two dry days together.” Another ‘first’ for
John W. He had obviously hired or bought a “Horse Hoe” to hoe the swedes
this year, for the frist time. Unfortunately, although we know this took three
days in previous days he does not tell us the time saved with the horse hoe.
Right the Horse Hoe of the 1890’s
More social comment here with a local wedding on Tuesday October 20th: “Miss Mahala Smale was
married to Edwin Hill at Exbourne Church. Carriage and Pair from Mr Ware’s Temperance Hotel, North
Tawton; a large number of people attended the Church (St Mary’s) and everything passed off A1.” This
entry gets a much greater statement in the Diary than his own Wedding, which is the next item.
It reads:- “I was married to Mary Louisa Paddon Nov. 6th at Exeter.” Although we know a little more
about this it is worth putting down here what I was told all those years ago when I started with this Family
History. The record I have on the various databases is:- “Mary L. was the domestic servant at Townsend
Farm, and that is how she met John. They got on too well. They married late in 1891, in Exeter, and their
first child, Walter, was born before the spring of 1892. It was a good and lasting marriage, producing 10
children to adulthood.
There is a gap of over two months in the diary entries after the wedding.
John’s Wedding to Mary Louise would not have been ‘showey” like the one above, but quite, right.
It should be remembered that Elizabeth, Walter’s wife had died earlier and the real need for a lady to run
the household, tend to the yard stock with the chickens and generally run the catering for all That is both
those of the family living in the house but also catering for the farm workers who would also need
sustenance from time to time. That of course does not mention the fact that the dairy with the creamery
would not run by themselves, so John marrying Mary Louisa was a very good for him and for Townsend
in general.
179

Although we will never actually know, I would think that Walter, not too soon
after Elizabeth died, would have given up the Master Bedroom in Townsend
Farm in favour of his so John W. If this was so then the bedroom opposite
would, after John had married Mary Louisa, have been theirs to keep. This
room is part of the “winter fodder space” origionally put in over the cattle’s
winter’s quarters that would have been below. It natually have the lovely
“barreled floor” in a downwards direction, so that in the olden days, any fluid
in the hay etc., would naturally find its way out of the fodder, thus allowing it
to dry out. If you look at the front of Townsend Farm, this bedroom window
is the one in the upstairs middle of the farmhouse and straight above the front
door. Although the upstairs window frames have been replaced over time the
windows will have only been enlarged to a small extend. It is only the
downstairs windows that, ”unfortunately”, bear little resemblance to the
original window sizes. A quick look at the drawings on pages 99 and 138, will
confirm this.
The farm Diary has but three years left to give its information to us, but
fortunately the Accounts book has entries right up to 1948 and a few notes
beyond this year. The summer of 1892 turned out be be fine, save for a week
during the harvesting, when it got just too wet. But the comment was: “..but
we much needed it for the Roots and Grass.”
Apart from this one week the grain harvest went well and was completed on September 6th.
The potatoes also provided a “very good crop”, with all lifted by Sept. 29th.” The ground was
friable enough to start the winter ploughing as early as October 17th and the winter wheat had
been sown by November the 18th. This one month gap was caused by the cropping of the
mangolds in late Octiber, early November. Right, Horse drawn Hay cropper of the 1890’s.
“Had our first fall of snow December 5th about 2 inches deep good tracing in grass fields I
knocked down 1 rabbit.” And some of the “Joys of Farming came next” with the turn of the
New Year 1893:- “I had 25 Bullocks of Mr Rattenbury’s in my plot on Sunday April 2th and
they eat nearly the whole of my seed mangolds that I had planted out so that I had to replant
them. “ There is no comment about how this was dealt with! Spring 1893 seems to have been
particularly dry as; “...ground working bad for want of rain.”
“Commenced cutting the Clover Grass June 10th, finished Saving the Clover Grass 16th;
shears as a mule are exceedingly light bright lot.” I believe the last sentence was meant to read:
‘shears and a mule are exceedingly light bright for this lot’.
Took potatoes to market 17th June 1d per lb (one penny per pound) retail and
a 1/4d per score wholesale. (a farthing per 20, wholesale). “Club Festival held
June 26th Mr P (Philip of N.Tawton) Madge Supplied the Dinner at 1s 51/3d
each as Mr J.Shobbrook (Exbourne butcher) refused to do it less than 1s 10d.
Father, (Walter Madge a month short of 82nd birthday) was taken ill July 1st
1893 with Bronchitus and slight conjestion of Lung. The Accounts book tells
us that the visit(s) of Dr Burd to attend Walter, cost £3 13s. The weather is not
behaving itself; “We have had an exceedingly dry Summer only just 2
Showers of rain before 26th June. Shears of grass exceedingly light.
“The Duke of York and Princess May was married July 6th 1893. A Free tea
to all those over 14 years of age was given in the Rectory grounds by Rev.
D.W.Oldham & Rev Bussell of the Manor House. Grand fireworks
afterwards.” Unfortunately the rains returned for a Wedding (Mr F.J.Lewis &
Miss Stoneman) at St Mary’s Church with the comment: “ ...weather very wet
at Exbourne Church.” There is nothing further about Father, Walter, so one
presumes that a full recover was made. Although the weather for 1893 was
wet-dry-verywet-dry; it is noted that: “Finished Saving the wheat July 31st; I
have never knew it so easy before.”
Mr WJ.Brock (Walter’s wife’s family) was married to Miss JS Watts of
Minehead August 22nd. After farm cropping items in the Diary for the rest of
1893 the year obviously ended quietly.
But following this, with the next year came real sadness for the Exbourne
Madges. By March, the year had been a average one with not too much to
comment about except that Miss Amelia Ward (relative of Walter’s first wife
Mary Elizabeth, nee Ward (c.1807-1840) died of consumption March 4th
1894. But later in March the following is written:
“Frederick John Madge was killed March 24th 1894, he had been to
Okehampton after various articles for the sale (Father’s live stock sale see
below) with the horse and Butt cart and when close to the Court gate, By some
means started off, at Buskin, it is supposed he fell down between the horse’s
hind legs & the Butt and broke his neck but no person saw it. George (his
Father) held his sale for live stock at Buskin Farm March 27th and Freddie
was buried on the 28th at the age of 12 years 11 months.”
Miss Bassell was married to Mr Pemberton on April 2nd 1894. The year was
not, apart from Freddie’s untimely death, one of note and of course it proved
to be the last year that a permanent record of the Townsend ‘goings on” was
made. I wonder if this is because a different hand commences writing up the
Diary from August 20th, may be John W had delegated this “elsewhere”. So
the final entries include the summer and harvest, which was late, of the year
with the comment that: “The weather was very wet first week but fine after.”
We lost a calf 6 months old being stung by an adder in the throat - Sept 10th.
John Weeks married Lucy Lewis Sept 20th 1894 at Tavistock. George
Granville was married to Millie Fairchild at Hatherleigh B.C.Chapel Sept
22nd. Edwin Guy (the family who saved the Townsend Diary & Accounts
book) married Nellie Frost at Sampford Courtney church (right) on Sept 18th.
180
An early photo of Buskin Farm,
Exbourne, with its still thatched
roof. Also, taller chimney stacks.
Left , is Buskin Farm gateway where
Frederick John Madge lost his life aged
12 years in 1894. He somehow fell
between the horse and his cart on his
way back from market at Okehampton,
unfortunately breaking his neck.
Sampford Courtenay, locally
known at the ‘Honey Church’, is
one of the very few that remain in
virtually its origional condition,
having avoided the rapacious
restorations of the Victorians.

Although that is the end of the farm Diary, I feel sure we will be able to gleen
more useful information from the Accounts book and so try and ‘live on’ with
John W. There are a few other nice pieces about Walter’s wife Mary Louisa
that have come to light: The romance probably started in 1887-8 when I
believe Mary Louisa may have started work at Townsend, aged about 17 or
18. In her early months and probably for the first year working there, she
would have been practically ‘tied’ to Walter’s wife, Elizabeth’s, apron strings,
as she got to know the routines and wishes of her new employers. And it
would have been Walter that paid her wages too, not John W. The notes I
have, continue: “...1887/8 when John was the only eligable bachelor in the
house. John W. was about to take over the farm from his Father; but during
this tme John and Mary got on too well. Their first child Walter, was born in
the Spring of 1892. But they were well suited and lived a happy, full and
industrious life together, bringing 10 children to adulthood during their
marriage. They were well loved by their children.” This information I
managed to gain from Annie Amelia (Millie) a few years before she passed
away as she had spent her young life at Townsend in the company of her much
older siblings who could recall their parents early years together; so this
information was passed to Millie by her elder brothers. During John W’s latter
years my Father (William RP Madge 1905-1990) used to pay him a visit at
Townsend Farm from time to time, and once took my elder brother, Peter
(1935-) along too: but regretably not me.
George Madge gets a mention on the first line of the Accounts book for 1894
as some ‘spirit’ was bought for 18/- shillings. And just beyond this are the
Tithes of £4 15s 1d for the half year, but paid in advance. Suttons for seeds a
payment of 16/- shillings, but it does not say what the seeds are. However
further on is another payment to Suttons for the same amount and this time it
is for a purchase of “Garden Peas” for planting. George Madge is paid £4 3s
6d “towards grass”; so presumably Townsend is cutting some of Buskin
Farm’s grass for their own Hay crop and paying for the privilege. The same
amounts of ‘modern’ fertilizer are being purchased for the farm and the
“Cady” of tea: but now tea is being bought from E.J.F Coles & Co at £1 15s
8p, a saving of 14s 4d from a few years ago. On the money ‘in’ side there is
now a flourishing ‘flow’ of farm stock being sold regularly, both within
Exbourne and further a field. Regular outgoings for the Farm are; Poor Rates,
School Rates, Tithes, servants wages, and now Insurance (£4 per annum),
invoices to be paid from the carter, smithy and other local tradesman for
repairs and services. However, still the apple trees are being bought so the
orchards are being replanted as the years pass. It was an excellent year for the
sheep and their wool sold well to Mr Paddon. The number of ewes, lambs and
hogs also got good money showing a balance of just under a £1, profit for the
year. As none of the farmhouse expenses are noted in the accounts book it is
very hard to tell how it all goes overall. Also, it will be recalled that Mary
Louisa (since 1890) was now the sole custodian of the milk parlour, the
creamery and the yard animals. As none of these transactions are passed
through the accounts book, it will have to be assumed that “one paid t’other”:
and it was up to Mary Louisa to make sure everything balanced.
1895 starts with a ‘dark’ entry as the interest £20 on a loan from Mr J W
Palmer had to be paid; surely indicating that the farming cash surplus was
insufficient to meet all the needs. Dr Burd attended the farmhouse in March
causing a bill of £2 7s 6d and this would have been for the birth of Florance
Maud, John and Mary Louisa’s 4th child. There is a wonderfully unusual
entry for a Mr Stinchcombe in July when £3 is paid for a watch; also a suit
was earlier purchased from Mr W Lewis for 3 guineas. On the plus side Philip
Madge the butcher in North Tawton is now taking really quite large numbers
of stock for his trade and the financial return from the wool fleeces increases
markedly this year, with nearly a quarter more in revenue. This probably
means that the lambing has been increasing with the years and the Devon
Long Wool sheep that John W was to become famous for as a breeder were
now much more successful and there more numerous. At the end of the year
the loan from Mr Palmer was still outstanding as a further payment of interest
was paid.The ewe and her lamb are Devon Long Wools. Sheep that John W
Madge reared, gradually improving the stock until he had a “prize winning flock”.
1896 shows that horses are still high demand on the farm and an in foal mare
is bought from a Mr Budd for £17 10s. Another suit is bought from Mr Lewis
but this time for £1 10s. and some form of buildimg work is being undertaken
ad bricks and corrugated iron have been purchased. Walter was taken ill again
in November with a fever, as a Dr Norman attended him at a cost of £2 12s
6d. In January 1897 Dr Burd came to the farmhouse again this time to treat
“Maude’s finger” (aged 2). A little later a major horse purchase was made
when “Brandy” was bought for £33, which I feel is probably a field working
horse for that money. I did not realise that a “Mackintosh” was as old as 1897,
but is is because one is listed here as purchased from Mr Brock for 10/-
shillings. Thrashing gets a mention for the very first time in this year and on
the ‘profit’ side, by/for a Mr Heener of Keener at 13/- shillings better off. Mr
Paddon and Mr Palmer are still buying the wool and the financial return on
this is increasing too. More apple trees and another suit are amongst the items
purchased towards the end of the year. As there is another entry for Mr L
Palmer’s loan this year, I’m afraid that the full amount is still outstanding.
Right: The “New” wheat reaper, circa 1851 will have reached Devon by now.
The sheep shears above are the ones
I call the Madge Shears. These were
given to me by my Father William RP
Madge, (1905-1990) who in turn had
been given them by his Father, John
Samuel Madge (1870-1941), who had
got them from his father, Richard
Madge (1838-1925) who in turn, we
think, got them from his Father, Walter
Madge (1811-1901). I regret to say
that this can only be confirmed to go
back to Richard Madge as he utilised
them on Eastayer Park farm, Sourton,
(just 3 and a half miles southwest of
Okehampton) while he was farming
there. Whether they came from
Townsend farm of not we shall never
know. But it is certain that John
Woolland Madge and his father
Walter, certainly would have used
shears exactly the same as these
both when the shearing was to be
done and for general use during the
rest of the farming year.
181

More seeds from Suttons in 1898 and now I often see ‘Wages for Mr Weeks’
shown in the accounts, as a regular farm worker. This year seemed to have
been the year that Townsend started to expand its wheat planting and
harvesting, see page 183 for the 1851 “Corn Reaper”. In the previous few
years little or no wheat, or indeed any corn appeared to have been surplus for
selling and profit. Now, this year large quantites of it become available and are
sold. The same can be said of cider as small amounts have gone out over the
past couple of years but this year there are eight different entries for the sale
of cider. The young apple trees, planted over the previous years, must be
giving the friut, now. Devon cider Orchard above Axmouth c.1910: by Palmer.
For some reason, not known, this (a/c book) page is full of local names. These
is mainly to do with services paid for by the farm but also suppliers of goods
and seed. The list is long but as it clearly reflects those living within the
Exbourne/Okehampton area so I will record them here: B.Cockwill, “Bill”
(invoice); P Madge, meat; W.Heale, “Smiths”; W.Yeo, Maize; J.Weeks 12
weeks wages; Underdown sale of Drags(?); Ward & Cann, Coal & Lime;
Vanstone 2 pigs; W.Rattenberg Poor/School Rates; G.Madge, Ram Hogg; J
Pike, Underdown Grass; SJ Westlake, Trefolium Seed; G.Fulford, half year
Tithe; Insurance; J Glass, “Bill”; TW Ward “Bill”; W Yeo, Maize;
B.Cockwill, “Bill”; E Rudland, Manure & Nitrates; E Muriun Heifer calf; T
Woods & Sons, Calf; Ward & Cann, Coal; T Palmer, Calf; S Boundy Cider;
T Westlake, rent; JW Palmer 12 months interest; SJ Westlake, Apple Trees &
Gooseberry Bushes (another ‘new’ item); Mr Heale, “Bill”; T Fairdilas (?),
“Bill”; J Madge 12 months rent; W. Rattenbury, Poor Rates.
And then on the “profit” side: Mr Rowle, wheat; P Madge, Shop rent and
small fat pig; J Ruby, cider; Sir RW Thomson, cider; J Willing, cider; Wilson
Saunders, cider; J Dustant, cider; E Worden, cider; T Palmer, ewes & ram
lamb; TW Ward, “Bill”; P Madge, heifer; TG Hooper Esq., wheat; T Paddon,
wheat; S Boundy, wheat; T Palmer, hogs; WC Howe, cider; Medland
(Brentor), cider; F Granville, ewe; T Paddon, Wool; W Rowse, wheat; S
Boundy, wheat; W Rogers Slip dig; W Knapman, wool, S Westlake, Slip; E
Warkins, steers; J Horn, Slip dig.
Now we move into the last year of the century, 1899: With the start of the
Second Anglo-Boer War; and a series of British disasters in South Africa. The
accounts book seems to have yet another “slant’ to it. It now appears, from this
year onwards, to be a mere record of Bills & Invoices on the left page and
Receipts of the right. There are a few ‘subtle’ changes though, which are
worth noting.
There is the purchase of “threshing corn’ from JF Arscott in April, presumably
bought as a cattle feed, but not seen before. Suttons have lost the ‘seed’
contract for the farm as all the large amounts have been purchased from
Webbs (£2 12s 3d) with Suttons a mere 10s 4d. The Cad of Tea from FJ Coles,
continues its downward cost, now to £1 15s 6d. Horses are now being breed
at Townsend as a J Jones is paid a £1 for “breaking a Colt”. Cattle Cake had
to be bought into the farm in July and September which probably means that
the summer was very dry, or the available meadow grass was being cut for
winter fodder. There is an intrigueing item: “New Lamps and Stamps”, but
without a supplier unfortunately (Hawker at the door?); so we cannot gain any
more information on these items to try and work out what they are. Futher on,
late September, grass is being bought in so the comments above referring to
the cattle cake obviously apply here too. There is a huge “hole” in the Receipts
page for 1899 as all the entries June to October are missing and ALL the
entries for 1900 failed to get entered into the accounts book at all.
It is worth speculating that the Accounts book was still being kept by Walter
Madge, who, although in his 89th year, would have been pleased to do this.
However, on the May (29th) of 1901, Walter passed on to the next world
ending an era of over 50 years of his farming Townsend Farm and of course,
finally, and completely, handing over Townsend to John Wolland. Although
John W would no doubt have been most unhappy to see the demise of his
Father, at least now it was up to him to make all the farming decisions and get
on with “everything” himself, from now onewards. Probaly the one area that
John W missed advice on was the long years of experience Walter had with
the land and the huge encyclopaedic knowledge he had stored up over the
years. There a very sad entry for June 1901, after the missing double pages for
1900 when by implication Walter was much less than true himself for this his
last year, that reads; Dr Burd: Father’s Bill £3 7s. Walter Madge 1811-1891.
1901 is also unique as the entries in the Accounts book, change sides! I
wonder if the Institute of Accounts had just been formed and they brought out
these new “Rules”? Before, the Receipts were on the right page, but now they
have been changed to the left and the Expenditure which was always on the
left side, is moved to the right. Also the first line for the Expenditure gives “J
Weeks” his christian name here; it is James Weeks. There is a most unusual
entry on the Expenditure side for late May when a W. Easterbrook supplies
“Dress Material” for the sum of £2 3s 6d. A large amount of money in these
days and also its the very first entry for this, a ‘domestic’ item that has never
featured before. Reading between the lines, I wonder if Walter, having had a
bad year during 1900 (with health problems, we presume), was gradually
getting weaker and weaker and the dress material was purchased for John W’s
wife, Mary Louisa and their two daughters, Florance Maude, aged 6 years and
Frances Mary aged 5 years for Walter’s funeral. Where Walter’s coffin rested.
182
History suggests to us that the “Great Trek” was a root cause of the Boer Wars.
However the tirades of Cecil Rhodes, his Cape to Cairo railway ideas and the
so called “Jameson Raid” led to warfare; Boers v Brits. This was as the Times
put it: “They (the Cape Brits) have declared war on the British Empire”.
The Exe river at Countess Weir just below Exeter. In my early days it was a
magical place, but no more as the roadways have lost all this lovely scenery, now.

This is where we will leave Townsend Farm, firmly in the hands of John
Woolland Madge (known as Uncle John to my Father and Grandfather) in
1901, and look at the Madge families who remained living in and around
Exbourne and look briefly into their lives.
The Exbourne farms listed in the Directories of these years give us the
following information:
Year Farmer/Owner(age) Farm/Property Notes
1878 Walter Madge Townsend Farm Farmer
1878 Frederick Madge Townliving Farm Farmer
1878 Philip Madge North Tawton Butcher
1881 Walter Madge(69) Townsend Farm
1881 Samuel Palmer(86) Garden Cott. Wife died 1872
1881 George Madge Townliving Farm hand.
1881 Frederick Madge(63) Garden Cott.
1883 Alfred Madge No further information
1883 Frederick Madge(65) Garden Cott.
1883 John Madge No further information
1883 Walter Madge Townsend
1890 Alfred Madge No further information
1890 Frederick Madge No further information
1890 George Madge Buskin Farm
1890 Walter Madge(78) Townsend Farm
1891 Walter Madge(79) Townsend Farm
1891 John W Madge(30) Townsend Farm Farm hand?
1891 Alfred Madge Quality Street Dairyman
1891 Frederick Madge Garden Cott.
1891 Mary Ann Palmer High Street Sam Palmer’s daughter
1893 Walter&John Madge Townsend Farm
1893 Alfred Madge Dairyman
1893 George Madge Buskin Farm
1893 Frederick Madge(75) Garden Cott
1893 Mary Ann Palmer Rose Cott. Unmarried
1894 Frederick John Madge Buskin Farm Killed aged 12
1902 Alfred Madge Dairyman/farmer
1902 George&Frederick Madge Garden Cott.
1902 John W Madge Townsend Farm
1902 Mary Ann Palmer(61) Chapel Cott.
So let us start with a look at John Wolland and Mary Louisa’s children.
Walter, was their first born (1892-1966) was raised at Townsend Farm and
from a very early age, probably about 5, started to be taught and learn the art
of Farming. However, we know that he attended Exbourne School, so his
education would have been looked after, too. By all accounts he was good at
this and managed Lower Woodall farm, just to the north of Exbourne, for most
of his adult life. He married Susie Turner(1888-1972) c.1913, but
unfortunately I have no idea if Miss Turner was part of the same family that
had married into this Madge branch in the previous generation. My notes read:
“Farmer, Lower Woodall farm, just to the north of Exbourne. c.1923-1940.
Was said to have farmed ‘Wood Green’ as well.” Further, I have a note: “Was
a rather ‘aloof’ man with a not too friendly disposition.” Unfortunately I
cannot recall who gave me this information but I feel it must have been one of
his younger siblings who I met very late in their lives. Susie died 6 years after
her husband in 1972 at Whipton Hospital, Exeter and was buried alongside her
husband in the Chapel Churchyard, Exbourne. They had but one child,
Frederick, born c.1914 and he married, late, to Hilda (nee??) with no children.
Frederick’s wishes were that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in
Exbourne Churchyard. These were carried out.
The second son, John Woolland (1893-1965), presumably would have
attended Exbourne school too, though I do not have a note of this. Then as
with Walter his elder brother, learnt to be a farmer at his Father’s side in the
fields of Townsend Farm. He married Martha (Mattie) Ellen Frost (c.1889-
1967) at Okehapton Church in 1910. They spent most of their married lives
farming in Exford, Somerset, six miles south of Porlock Weir up on Exmoor.
Regretably the farm itself is not known, nor the length of time he and his wife
spent working there, but by all accounts they made a success of it. They had
two children Stanley Ronald George (1911-??) and Caroline (1927-c.1992),
Stanley was born on Townsend Farm, where his father must have been
working at that time (1911) and I am told that he farmed until 1960, but I do
not have the location. He married Vera ??? but had no children. The notes I
have here are: “Stanley was a keen fly fisherman. Had a stall at Okehampton
Market and was known to sell, amongst other things, gladioli.” This indicates
to me that he and his wife probably had a Small Holding and they: “Worked
the Markets” as ‘part’ of their business. Their second child Caroline (1927-
1992) married, c.1945, Thomas (Tom) Knott and they lived and worked in the
Dolton area of north Devon. They had two children, Raymond (c.1947/8-??)
who married three times, details not known, and Marylin (c.1948/9-??) for
whom I have no notes at all. My apologies. Their third son, George (c.1894-
1960’s) married Vera Orchard (1890’s-??) in 1915 (Okehampton District).
Unfortunately they had no children so Townsend Farm where George farmed
most of his life, was sold out of Madge hands in the 1960’s. Our family had
A Devon map based on a survey of 1839 showing all the towns and villages of
these Madge years. It even shows the next stage of our family’s journey down to
Okehampton and beyond, to Wigney Farm from whence the Palmer connection
came then onto, Estrayer Park Farm, just to the west of the town.
The grave stone for Walter and Susie
Madge in Exbourne Churchyard.
Walter was first born (1892) to John W
& Mary L Madge, of Townsend Farm.
The Wedding of Tom
Knott and Caroline
Madge c.1945 in
Dolton, Devon.
L to R: The Knott
Parents. 2 unknown.
Tom & Caroline Knott,
just married; unknown
bridesmaid. John
Woolland Madge and
Mrs Martha Madge;
Caroline’s parents.
Tom & Caroline
(Carol) stayed in
Dolton working &
raising their children.
The grave stone for John W and
Martha (Mattie) Madge in
Exbourne churchyard. They
farmed in Exford, up on Exmoor.
Okehampton stretching away to the east. The Church can be seen in amongst
the trees, centre foreground. Most unusually this Church was built well away
from the town centre up the hill out to the west of the main part of the town.
183

een the custodians of Townsend Farm for over a century and its farm house
and fields had weaned the children of each passing family generation with the
extensive knowledge of farming in all its forms. And most successful they
were too. It should be remembered that it was through the thoughtfullness of
George and Vera that the Townsend Farm Diary and the Townsend Accounts
books were saved when they finally moved out of Townsend in the 1960’s.
They were eventually recovered from Yearnswell Cottage, but it was the
action of George that made sure they were not lost much sooner.
The next child born, in 1895, at Townsend farm was Florance Maud who in
1919 married William Brook who was a farmer. They had twins but
unfortunately only Evelyn (b.1920) survived.
She married Frederick Read in 1941 and they had two children Marion
(1945-) who married Colin Vanstone, a Farmer at Clarkstone, Broadwood
Kelly. Ruth (b.1949-1988) was the second daughter and she married Peter
Daniel.
Ruth died aged 39 in 1988. There were no children.
Frances Mary, also born at Townsend, arrived in 1896 and would marry
Walter Gove in 1928. They lived in “Crystal Way” and had one child, Cicel
Gove.
We now come to one of the, if not the most poignant passage in the lives of
John Woolland and his wife Mary Louisa. Their next, sixth, child was a boy,
Frederick William Paddon Madge who was born at the farm on 27th
November 1898. He would be killed before his 20th birthday. He was brought
up on the farm and I have been able, because of his closest sister, Millie, to
obtain a little family information. Frederick William was the only “fully fit”
son of the ten children. He attended Exbourne village School for eight years
before moving on to Okehampton Upper School. Frederick left Ochampton
School 9th April 1914 aged 15. His father, John Woolland had informed the
school that he was “required on (the) farm”, and this is what his final school
report registered. Millie did not know whether Frederick resented this
“direction” from his Father or not, but as a healthy 15 year old boy it certainly
would have not only changed his way of life but limited his future horizions.
Fred enjoyed farming, was very fit and had a “zest for life”. However, the only
known “upshot” of the ‘leave school’ decision was that within a year or so
Frederick had put his name down for the local Territoral Army Unit and
begain training with them.
Although Frederick may not have seen the implications
of his actions his father certainly could and it is
understood that there were extended discussions about
this and what the future might hold for them. Frederick
William Paddon Madge, was called up to joined in TA
reserve evening training for the Territoral Reserve
Battalion, No. 8/1637, in Exeter in 1916.
This caused a “ruckus” in the family and
strong arguements were recalled by Millie,
his sister. In August 1916, Frederick
William Paddon Madge was called-up to
join The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry,
Training Battalion, at Freshwater Bay on
the Isle of Wight.
On the day that he was due to depart he was to board an
Army lorry beside Exbourne Church gate so the
farewells were to be said there. During this, or possibly
at Townsend, there was an unfortunate altercation of
some kind, as either his Father refused to say goodbye,
or Frederick asked his parents not to come along to the
departure point. It was a most unhappy beginning to an
extremely sad passage of time in their lives. Remembering, of course that two
of John W’s sisters were now in Canada having emigrated with their
husbands.
Frederick William Paddon Madge arrived in France during November 1916
and was sent to the Somme region of France. He joined the 7th Battalion,
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
It is thought that he was made a very
junior member of “A” Company.
This was Frederick’s first
introduction to Trench Warfare, and
remembering that it was now
November, with all the driving rain,
frost and snows to come. Then, to say
nothing of the German Artillary
shelling, No Man’s Land Patrols and
sheer tiredness with fatigue of
everyday ‘battle’ life can hardly be
imagined, in these days. Frederick
would survive this hell for 17 months
before the Allied Lines crumbled and
the Germans poured through.
184
Shown on the map, above right are the
Defence Lines of the 21st March, 22nd
March and the night of the 23rd March
1918.
Troops from the German Battalions (68
Battalions in all) Spring Offensive of
1918, were pouring through the gap
made initially at the juncture of the
French/British positions along the St
Quentin Canal to the southwest of St
Quentin. It is believed that Frederick’s A
Company was in the sector of the
German breakout and this is why
relatively little is “factual” when trying to
piece together what happened over this
dreadful nine day and ten night period.
The above notations are entries on the second “Fly page” at the start of the
Townsend Farm Accounts book and appear to have been made on the 3rd
January 1856, a year after the death of John (1767-1855). The writer is therefore
most likely to be Walter his son (1811- 1901), doing the “sums” in gold and silver.
Little will have
changed within
the scene shown
to the right. On
that day in
August 1916,
when the Army
lorry of the Duke
of Cornwall’s
Light Infantry
drew up to collect
the newest
recruits for the
7th Battalion.
Here would have
been a crowd of
well wishers, to
say a heart felt
“Good Luck” and
a fond farewell to
all the village lads
joining the DCLI.
The South Eastern Somme Battle area March 1918.
A few kilometres south of HAM, running approx East/West, was
the boundary of the British/French battle group areas. It was at
this joining point in the Allied Lines that the the German Forces
first launched their Spring Offensive. 68 German Divisions were
deployed, advancing on 21st March 1918.
This area is some 120
Kms north of Paris.

From the records of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, a short personal
memory was written: “The shelling was bad. You could hear the big shells
coming, although if you could hear them that was all right, they’d gone over.
You never heard the whizz-bangs coming, they were just there. And you
never heard the shell or the bullet that hit you. Of course the whizz-bangs
were shrapnal and that was worse than a bullet. A bullet was clean, shrapnel
would tear you to pieces. It was a whizz-bang that killed my three friends and
wounded me, it was just bad luck. They had those four magazines over their
shoulders, fully loaded. that’s why they got blown to pieces.”
There is a personal record, written soon after the retreat -or- “retiring’ as this
period was later referred to. “We knew what orders were; they must not break
through. If retirement, and it will be necessary, retire but don’t let them break
through. That was all the our orders and that what we did, that’s what we did
from 21st March, nine days and ten nights of scrapping and retiring, scrapping
and retiring round the villages. We got to Ham eventually. That was the
biggest town there was outside St Quentin. When we got into there nobody
knew nobody. We were a nondescript pool of all sorts of regiments, bits and
pieces, anybody at all; sanitary people, cooks, everybody, they were all in it.”
From the Devonshire Regiment Records: “Then we halted, stayed where we
were. We did as much defence work as possible and waited for them to come.
Then they’d come on and we’d get the order - after we’d shot and killed quite
a few - to retire. Well, we were retiring and retiring and we were never still.
You never knew where you were going to pick up any food, where you were
going to pick up ammunition, and some of the men got windy and really
would have run. Now if an officer or a sergeant had behaved like that, the
whole lot would have panicked. The only thing that kept them there was
respect for your bravery and your attitude; you knew what you were doing and
you were saving them all you could. And that kept them steady.”
During our visit to the Somme in 1994 we tried to workout, and then follow,
the line of ‘retiring’ that the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, ‘A’ Company
with Frederick Madge as a Private, also followed. To help us do this we had
the information kindly supplied from the DCLI and the Imperial War
Musuems, local maps and maps made redrawn after WWl, showing both the
trench systems of March 1918 and the British daily “Retiring Lines” in the
face of the German Spring Offensive. Incidently these “retiring Lines” were
draw on maps well after the event and were pieced together using all the
‘debriefed’ material, and there was masses of it, gained from the personal
experiences of the soldiers themselves who had been part of this “helta
scelter”, terrifying period. In the Townsend Farm Accounts book is the
information presumably from the War Office in London, that gave Private
Frederick William Paddon Madge, Regimental Number 29925, Identity No.
WWC 2110; place of death as: Flavy Le Martel, a small village between Jussy
and Noyon. We do not know this part of the information until well after we
went over the Somme region and indeed it would not have assisted as it’s an
area of some 15 square miles. However, it does give a confirming guide to our
earlier estimations. As we were using all the information from the sources
above and came to a roughly simular conclusion, i.e. within this 15 square
mile box. We felt ours would be more likely to be realistic given the “Over
the actual ground followed by Private FWP Madge and the remains of ‘A’
Company DCLI”, that we were able to emulate deep in the Somme
countryside during the quiet of a French summer. It was a lovely few days and
as you can see from the photographs of this region, the sun blessed our
endeavours the whole time. It was, of course, most pontiont as the whole time
we were thinking about, talking of and indeed searching for Frederick. The
horrors that he and his colleagues had to suffer over this period mixed
awkwardly with our bright sunshine and calm days. The whole experience
was one of those rare occassions where a long lost person, not meet or known
by any of us, or indeed of anyone alive today; that formed an lasting
impression during this searching period that lay deep in our minds. It was
lovely to do and most rewarding, but somehow ‘terrible’ at the same time.
This is the bridge over the St.Quentin Canal at Tugny-et-Pont and it was here
straddling the Canal, that the 7th DCLI had its defensive positions during the
21st March 1918. The Canal joins the river Somme just to the west of Tugny-et-
Pont so the 7th DCLI defensive ‘line’ was all the way along the Canal and then
the Somme river until their troops ‘Butted Up’ against the French Forces to the
west. It was against this ‘Butted’ joint of Allied Forces that the German Spring
Offensive was aimed with such devistating effect. Frederick’s ‘A’ Company
would, most likely, have been the adjoining Company of troops right alongside
the French. The 7th DCLI held these positions until the enemy was getting
behind them. The DCLI then retired, giving ground so they would not become
surrounded. The bridge is c.1922 as it was ‘blown’ during WWl.
W
E
S
T
E
A
S
T
This is St Simon village which was the eastern extent of the DCLI Defensive
Lines and joins with the western end along the St.Quentin Canel and the
Somme river. Although this Defensive line was only some 2 kilometres long
and the Canal bridges had all been blown up to deny them to the enemy, the
troops of the DCLI, however, were on BOTH sides of the Canal thus causing
fragmentation of Troops even before the German Spring Offensive started.
Now, dusk 22nd March and the initial position next to the French have been
abandoned long ago. The DCLI have retired to the railway line at Ollezy, running
almost east/west, to form a defensive line against the onrush of German troops.
As can be seen from the photos above there are no cuttings to give cover,
nothing; so when the enemy troops arrived early the next day, “fight and retire”
was the order given. The DCLI were on their feet again heading south then
southwest past Flavy-le-Martel, and still within the range of German Artillery, too.
185

Ever in our thoughts were Churchill’s words: “When you
go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we
gave our today.” This then is our recognition and
gratitude for, Frederick William Paddon Madge ; born
27th November 1898 at Townsend Farm, Exbourne;
killed by enemy action near Flavy Le Martel, on the
Somme, France: 24th or 25th March 1918. His remains
were never found but his memorial is at the Pozieres
Memorial Cemetery. This is four miles northeast of the
town of Albert on the D929 road.
WEST
EAST
And yes, there are red popies here in early summer.
How I had wished that we had been able to impart all the
information of this journey to John Woolland and Mary
Louisa Madge, Frederick’s parents, and somehow
explain the lasting effect it has had on us. And tell them
of the sights we saw, the experiences we had and show
them the pictures we took of this area of France. John
Woolland died in 1960, so well within my lifetime, but
unfortunately I did not know of him, nor his family, and
I was 23 at this time.
This small ditch running nearly East/West is the last known place where the Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry, 7th Battalion, made a defensive ‘stand’ against the German Spring advance on the night of
24th and day/night of 25th March 1918. It does not look to be much of a defensive postion but back
then the ditch, a brook bed, was probably deeper and more clearly defined. But note how open the
countryside is and how, apart from the wooded areas there now, there seem to be no real strong
defensive points. Again, after a period of preperation of the trenches the Germans were seen to be
advancing in overwhelming numbers: From here it was “everyman for himself”, (it is thought) after the
position whad been overrun. If Private Frederick Madge was still able to move after this, and it has
always been suggested that he remained alive for the first 4 days/nights of the Offensive then he
would have had to leave this position on the 25th March & retire along the D937 road towards Cugny.
Thus, we now come towards
the end of Private
F.W.P.Madge’s story that ended
on or about on the 25th March
1918. This was the area, the
D937 which joins the D56 at
Cugny, that he would have
retired along or ran over as he
and his comrades at arms
escaped the terrible,
overwhelming German artillary
and Infantry, during that hellish
day and night.
In these late March days the
DCLI, 7th Battalion was “heavily
engaged both night and day”
with the situation becoming
“chaotic” with every Battalion
Unit in continious action. After 5
days and nights of persistant,
mind numbing noise, utmost
danger and with the
pandemonium upsetting all
routines and plans; all the while
the building of deep dread of
fear that each and every man
must have experienced and
never come to terms with.
Frederick’s remains were never
found, so he has no ‘final’
resting place.
The Pozieres Memorial Cemetery.
The cemetery lies some 4 miles to the northeast of Albert, on the
D929 road. It is a quiet place full of poignant charm filled with
deep sadness. Frederick William Paddon MADGE does not have
a grave stone as his remains were never found, so his name is
honoured on the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Plaques
(Number 45) that can be seen either side of the cross (north side)
above. Frederick is remembered with 141 comrades of the DCLI.
By this gate, FWP
Madge said
goodbye to his
parents in 1916.
And here is the
war memorial in
E x b o u r n e
churchyard.
The last known “complete” record of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
Battalions during the German break though of March 1918, states that over this
short (6 day) period they suffered over 456 causalties, killed, wounded or
missing. Should you the reader, ever be in France, please make a detour to go
and say hallo to Frederick, to tell him now that he is remembered; please.
186

After the sadness of the previous pages, it is now the turn of Annie Amelia Madge (1903-1999), known as ‘Millie’ to all, to take the ‘stage’. My wife and I met Millie
when she was resident at Calverhayes, Samford Courtenay, in 1994. She spent her days there in full contentment, but when she was asked to come out to see ‘some
old places’, the joy was immediate. We had such ‘fun’ with her during that summer. It was on a number of occassions that we drove down from Somerset to ‘collected’
Millie Brook (her married name) from Sampford Courtenay and as we passed through Crediton we had already gathered-in Evelyn Westaway (1919- nee Madge: see
page 175) and she kindly accompanied us on our Madge travels as well. So a car full of Madge’s or ex-Madge’s made its way to Exbourne. Of course everything that
Millie and Evelyn reminisced about was news to me. It was wonderous ‘food’ for the Madge books but very hard to recall or write down: indeed, just trying to
rememeber the wealth of information they kindly talked to us about was hard enough. I’m sure most of it slipped passed us but all the earlier information, about John
Woolland, Mary Louisa and Townsend Farm towards the end of the 20th Century, can firmly and most gratefully be laid at their doors. It was their recollections that
have made this part of our story “straight from the shoulder”, though of course, some was lost, trying to record them in a moving car! My wife Pamela was tasked
with the record taking while I drove round the local area seeing what memories Millie and Evelyn would come up with. Now and again the brakes would screech the
car to a halt to make sure what had just been said was recorded. It was quite often that we stuttered along the country lanes while we were doing this; so thank goodness
for quiet roads, then. After a couple of hours we would find a Pub for lunch and needless to say the memory recall continued during this as well. These were wonderful,
happy times for all four of us and of course we made sure that we all visited the farms that Millie and Evelyn had devoted their lives too, close by Exbourne.
Annie Amelia (‘AA’) loved Townsend Farm where she was born, and thoroughly enjoyed her schooling, initially at Exbourne and later, I believe, in Okehampton.
But like so many of her generation the First World War had taken such a huge toll of young manpower, that even teenage daughters were; “Required to help on the
farm”. So in 1917/8” young “AA”, had to give up her School work for the Dairy. Actually, one always got the feeling with Millie that she thought this was ‘OK’, for
I am sure she had envisaged the role of a Farmer’s Wife for herself, during adult life. Now, at the age of 15 summers she would certainly be in a position to gain
masses of farming knowledge from her Mother, Mary Louisa and of course just as much again, about the field side of agriculture from her Father and Brothers. From
her school reports she certainly seemed to be a quick and attentive learner and I can well imagine her “lapping up” this dairy and farming information, for later use.
Millie married John Wilton Brook from Monkokehampton on the 13th
September 1928 at Exbourne but I do not know whether it was at St Mary’s or
at the Methodist Church. Later in her life Millie decided that she should be
buried in the Exbourne Methodist Churchyard, so it may have been the latter.
When we went out to her beloved home at Taylor’s Down Farm,
Broadwoodkelly close by Monkokehampton, Millies eyes would begin to
sparkle with memories and the ‘joy’ of being “Home” again. Millie was 25 years
old when she tied the knot with John and as it was at the beginning of the “Great
Depression” there is little doubt that she had to work extremely hard. But as she
said, hard work came naturally to her so this was by way of a bonus and certainly
not a hardship. After the Great Depression came the Phoney War and then the
real thing in the shape of World War ll. Certainly, for the first year or so
Devonshire was not really ‘touched’ by the conflict. However, after the bombing
of Exeter, the gradual removal of local farm manpower and the desperate need
to bring ALL available land into cultivation and so increase food production,
times were becoming desperate. John and Millie Brooks had managed to gain an
agreement for a part-time farm worker to continue helping with Taylor’s Down
Farm up until this time but with the ‘stategic withdrawal’ from Dunkirk even this
man was removed from the farm for the Forces. Millie illustrated the reality of
the situation to me, by saying; that she was then forced to go out into the fields
with their son William (Bill 1938- ) half lying half sitting, in a “Shawl Sling” tied
to her upper body so that both her hands and arms were free for “field work”.
This then allowed her to undertake the weeding/hoeing and light digging tasks in
the fields thus releasing her husband John for the heavier work. This of couse
went on for all of the next four years, though once William (he prefers ‘Bill) was
too large for the “Shawl Sling”, other arrangements had to be made. The
neighbouring farmers wives used to share their children about so that at least
some of the farmer’s wives could work while one held the children in a creche
for the day.
Millie’s Farm: Taylor’s Down, south of Broadwood Kelly. It is seen above as the
apex of a triangle with Exbourne and Sampford providing the uprights, halfway
up to the village of Winkleigh. It is part of an Ordnance Survey map series, of
1930, about the same time as Millie & John Brooks took over running the Farm.
Millie was 90 years old when we first met her to ask if we may share her
company and, of course memories. She was a really lovely lady with a sparkle
in her eye and fun in her way of life. She and Eveyln dovetailed well together
and certainly our lives have been the richer because of this association. As a
final tribute to Annie Amelia Brook (Millie) let me add here that when her
Husband John died in the 1980’s he was cremated at his wish and Millie kept
his ashes so that they could be buried alongside her when she finally passed
away. And so it was; and just wonderful to be so. I attended Millie’s funeral
and met some of her family, there. Lovely, lovely Millie; thank you.
John and Millie Brook had one child, William (Bill) who started in farming
but decided to be a Farmer’s Supplier as this seemed to be better suited for
him. William married Jennifer nee DEEN in the 1960’s and had two children,
Alsion (b.1968) and Clive (b.17 Feb.1975). Alison married Mark Rickerby,
c.1988 and they had Jane (c.1991) and Cameron (c.1992). Next after Amelia,
came Hubert Harold (1904-1984) also born at Townsend farm and brought up
there and, of course, in the fields helping his father. Like Millie, Hubert would
have been “Required on the Farm” before WWl was over because of the
chronic manpower shortages. In his working life he; “Turned his hand to most
“farming” trades. But ‘lost two fingures from one hand, sheep shearing.’ He
had the Brock ginger hair, and was respected locally as a ‘lovely man’. Hubert
is listed as a Farmer in 1952 but by this time he had been the grave digger for
Exbourne and Jacobstowe for sometime and provided all manner of ‘game’
being a dab-hand at catching rabbits and anything larger that happened along!
He was Home Guard during WWll. He and his wife Ivy Irene, a wonderful
seamstress, (nee Chasty c.1908-1970) lived in Hayfield Road. Both are buried
in St Mary’s Churchyard. They had three children Clifford Harold (1931-
1978), Basil Colin (b. 1935), who is the same age as my elder brother Peter,
and William John (1935-2005) who was born within a few months of the
author. Basil and William provide a remarkable coincidence, but our parallel
lives have been “poles apart”, though sibling Peter did farm, in Africa.
A beautiful Devon
redsandstone Farm
H o u s e : Ta y l o r ’ s
Down & Millie 1994.
187

It was William John who as one of the very early close relations I
met, helped me greatly when I first went to Exbourne researching
our Family and started to pose Family History questions. I bless
him for his kindness and for the mass of information he imparted in
my direction, and well supported by his wife Marcia, I might add.
Marcia Rita and William J. married at St Mary’s in September 1962
(I married in 1960) and they were given a daughter, June Marcia,
17 June 1967. William J started out as a General Farm worker,
initially helping farms locally (1959-74) and after this found a niche
with a local Cheese producing and packaging Company, ‘down the
road’. He decided to retire in 1959 after over twenty years in the
trade. Marcia continued to help in Exbourne and I met her, a little
later, providing much needed help supporting Exbourne School. I
would also add that William John made very good company and it
was always a pleasure to meet up with them again in Exbourne,
during later visits. It was during one of these visits that William J
kindly “walked me round Exbourne”, indicating what was what and
who had/was the relative who resided in that particular property.
Towards the end of this very good guided tour he knocked at the door of an
Aunt and Uncle that resided there and kindly introduced me to them. We all
chatted away for some time and this included passers by and a passing car
driver who stopped for a natter, too. It was great fun but I could tell, as it was
near lunchtime that the house owner wished to curtail this “multiconversation”
to have something to eat. So at the next conversation gap it was
thought that all could be concluded by giving the first beginnings and meaning
of our name, Madge when it was first ustilised as a surname. This I did and as
the front door was closed I assumed it was time to leave. On the way back
William J only made one comment, as he had heard this explanation
previously and that was : “I’m not sure you should have told they that as they
be a bit Religious.” Well, what is in a surname? Actually quite a lot when it is
Madge!
Clifford Harold was the eldest son of Hubert Harold and Ivy who started work
on Townsend farm and was there when he married Jean nee Bird on 7th
November 1952. He was listed as a ‘farm worker’ on his wedding certificate.
Soon afterwards he moved away to Didcott in Berkshire and worked in that
area. Unfotunately he had a fatal car accident near Swindon on the 17th
February 1978 when he and his son were travelling to a football match. I
suppose it was, in a way a return to the olden days when some children would
not necessarily be expected to survive into adult life, as we have seen in the
earlier pages of this book; but even with this in mind, there is the stark
harshness of reality here that makes it very hard to bear. I salute the family for
their courage and resilience.
Clifford & Jean 1952.
Wedding, 7th Nov.
1952 L to R:
Ivy & Hurbert Madge,
bridgroom’s parents,
Iris Hatten (head
bridesmaid), Ron
Chasty (brother),
Clifford & Jean (nee
Bird) Madge.
Kelly Chasty & Violet
Bird, (bridesmaids),
Kenneth & Violet
Bird, bride’s parents.
1926
Two Photographs of Hubert Harold
Madge (1904-1984), by all accounts
a, ‘Lovely Man’. He was ‘jack of all
(farming) trades” working on or with
the land all his life. Hubert is also a
Madge rarity, with major hair loss. 1970
Their third son, George (c.1894-1960’s) married Vera Orchard (1890’s-??) in
1915 (Okehampton District) unfortunately they had no children so Townsend
Farm where he farmed most of his life, was sold out of Madge hands to a
London Publican. My notes tell me: “George had Townsend farm to himself.
Was the last Madge to farm this land. All sold after he died (I don’t think this
is true as I believe Townsend was sold earlier than that) to a London publician.
Apparently the purchaser was of; “Popes Grotto”, Twickenham. His christian
name was thought to be Steve? It has sold again since this date. George ended
his days retiring to Yearnswell Cottage opposite Exbourne Garage, on the
western side of the A3072. It was from a skip at Yearnswell that the owner of
the Garage noticed and recovered the Accounts Book and Diary of Townsend
farm. We are forever in his debit; for without his timely intervention both
would have been lost.
Clifford and Jean had four children all boys; Chris b. 1953, Garry b.1955,
Philip b. 1956 and Johnathan b. 1958. I am not too sure who of these sons runs
the butcher’s shop nearly opposite Mum’s house, but I can be sure when I say
that it will be run along the lines of Walter Madge’s in Exbourne all those
years ago.
Clifford’s body was returned to Exbourne for burial in the Churchyard there.
The raft of photographs I have opposite are all due entirely to Jean with I
might add, all the information gleened and copied from the Madge family
Bible that resides with them. Her assistance, and dogged ‘transcription’ of the
“old” writing in this Bible has been a huge help. My most sincere thanks,
Jean.
It is now the turn of the second son, Basil who still resides in Exbourne and
has been working there or nearby, all his adult life. He is also well known as
the local graved digger for Exbourne and some of the surrounding Parishes,
and is, like his forebears, able to turn his hand to almost any task that is
required of him. He married Jennette Yvonne (nee Barriball) from
Sheepwash, Devon on the 19th November 1961 in Exbourne. They gave life
to Susan Joyce who first married David Alan Bourne a local
Bricklayer/Builder but who died c.1988. They had two children Ashley
b.c.1986 and David b.c.1989. Paul Fewings married Susan Joyce some years
later and they have a daughter Charlotte b.c.1991. Wendy Jean was the second
daughter of Basil and Jennette, born in Exbourne, 31 March 1966.
188
1930’s
1950’s
Vera, left at Townsend’s front door:
George, right at the garage door.
This is the Butcher’s shop owned and run by Jean Madge’s four boys, Chris,
Garry, Philip and Jonathan, in Sutton Courtnay, near Abingdon. Taken in 2009.

After Hubert Harold, Phyllis Constance Brock came along on the 12th
September 1915. These were still “trying time” with the First World War just
entering its second year and the country well past the ‘euphoria’ of “We’ll be
home by Christmas”: as the second Festive Period of the War looms large a
few months ahead. In some ways all was not ‘quite as bad as it had been
earlier in the year,’ at least on the Home Front. The flow of German prisoners
of war (PoWs) from the Western Front back to English shores, though initially
still in small numbers, meant that at least some able bodied males were
available to assist on the farms. 1914 -18 German PoWs worked all over
Devon (and UK), mainly on farms. There was an Old Devon man venting his
spleen about the War sayng: “It be a terrible thing, this War; proper terrible it
be. I never known bacon such a price!”
1918. The first aeroplane was seen flying over rural Devon. Other Southern
Counties would have seen them much, much earlier than this as the Royal
Navy and Army aircraft flew across the Channel direct to the Western Front.
It was in 1908 for the first Motor Car seen in Devon, but way back to 1840 for
the first railway train, though the lines had been laid well before this.
Phyllis Constance Brock did not get married until she was 30 years old,
marrying Percy Kelly just at the start of the Second World War. Percy and
Phyllis farmed Coxwell Farm, just under a mile north of Exbourne, passed the
Narracott holdings. The deep black line on the 1885 map is, regretably, a tear.
John Woolland and Mary Lousia’s 10th and last child was another girl,
Kathleen (Kit) Joyce Madge born on the 12th of September 1915. Kathleen or
“Kit” as she was known, was born and brought up on Townsend Farm and
would eventually become a Farmer’s wife. Thus, the excellent grounding that
May Louisa was able to impart to Kit, and of course to all her children, during
their farming up bringing, kept both Kit and her future husband with their own
children in very good ‘stead’ all their working lives. Kit married Ernie Trickey
in December 1941 and apart from some of the early World War II years when
Ernie worked for Millie and John Brook at Taylor’s Down Farm; Ernie and
Kit ran and farmed Collacott Farm. This land is a mile and a half to the east
of the village of Winkley and has Bullow Brook running just to the south of
it. I had the priviledge to meet Mr & Mrs Trickey in Exbourne and later meet
up with their eldest daughter, Margaret Joyce when she was living in Yeovil.
It was through Margaret Joyce and her kindness, that most of the family
history I had access to that this time, came from her recollections and the
information she had at home. My considerable thanks. They were blessed
with four daughters, the first two of which were born at Taylor’s Down farm
when Dad worked there. Mrs Trickey had a very hard/unhappy time with her
first child Margaret Joyce (b.1942). So much so that Margaret was brought up
by her Grand Mother Millie (dear Millie again) and Margaret stayed on the
Taylor’s Down farm with her and always considering Millie as ‘Mum’.
Margaret Joyce first married a Mr Baker and they had four children. Philip
John (b.1960), unmarried, then Margaret Ruth (b.1962), who started out
working for a Bank but turned to teaching later. They have three children
Gemma (b.c. 1984), Lora a twin with Tania (b.1989). Then Stephen (b.1964)
who was working for Olds Motors and finally Kevin who joined the Army and
was serving in 1999, in Yorkshire. Margaret Joyce’s second marriage was to
John Michael Guest a leather worker in Yeovil. They had a single child,
Charlotte Joy who I was fortunate to meet with her Mother some 13 years ago,
so Charlotte will now be a radiant 27 year old, young lady. After Margaret the
eldest, came Christine (b. 1946, but she unfortunatey died in Torquay Hospital
in 1994 at the age of 47). Marion (b. 1947) was the third child and she who
married David Peters in Totnes c. 1968 and they had two children, Martin
(b.1973) and Rachel (b.1978). Kathleen, known as Kathy (b.1955).
I suppose the parallels between my elder brother Peter and myself, Paul, and
Basil and William J can easily be summed up by “travel”. As will be seen
later, our great Grandfather Richard Madge the first born of Walter and Mary
Elizabeth (nee Ward), moved away from Exbourne to marry and then farmed
southwest of Okehampton most of his adult life. This meant that his son John
Samuel, our Grandfather had a slightly wider horizion on life that markedly
increased when he decided not to farm and his work took him away from the
land. This would increase with the next generation, my Father William (Bill)
RP Madge who started work in Devon, but London soon afterwards, had
World War II to contend with for over four years before returning to the City
and Banking, which, incidently, he hated. But more about that later.
The circumstances and the way of life of Basil and William J were the
opposite to ours. They were deeply entrenched in the lovely Exbourne
countryside all their lives and of course, remained there. They were thus able
to make the most of our lovely Devon landscapes and rural repasts.
I regret I have no further information about the children of John Woolland and
Mary Louise Madge who lived and worked at Townsend Farm, Exbourne. For
John W, all his life; 99 years and nine months. And for Mary L, initially as a
‘domestic servant’ for a few years, then for all her married life: 1891 to 1938.
So it was, with the upbringing of ten children; a total of 53 years on Townsend
farm. However, it still remains to explore the rest of the Townsend Accounts
Book and the Farm Diary in order to gleen information over the time the
ownership fell to John Woolland Madge; between about 1892 and 1960.
The Wedding of David and Marion (Nee Trickey) taken in Totnes, Devon in
1968/9. From left to right: Mr & Mrs D. Peters, David’s parents. David’s brother
and neice, then the Groom, David Peters and the bride, Marion Peters (Nee
Trickey). Fred and Kathleen (Nee Madge) Trickey the bride’s parents, Ruth
Trickey with Mr A Peters and his niece.
Townsend Farm summer, 1893, John & Mary L. + baby John Woolland & Walter
189

1901 Death of Victoria; accession of Edward VII.
1902 Balfour's Education Act; Anglo-Japanese Alliance.
1902-5 Balfour's Unionist government.
1903 Chamberlain's Tariff Reform campaign starts.
1904 Anglo-French Entente, (understanding).
1905-8 Campbell-Bannerman's Liberal government.
1906 Liberals win general election (January); Labour Party formed.
1907 Anglo-Russian Entente.
1908-15 Asquith's Liberal government.
1908 Asquith's Old Age Pensions plan introduced.
1909 Churchill's Employment Exchanges introduced; Lloyd George's
budget rejected by Lords; Union of South Africa Act.
1910 (January) General election: Liberal government retains office
(May) Death of Edward VII; accession of George V.
(December) General election: Liberal government again retains office.
1911 Parliament Act curtails power of the House of Lords, establishes
five-yearly elections; Lloyd George's National Insurance Act; Moroccan
crisis.
1911-12 Railway, mining, and coal strikes.
1912 Anglo-German navy talks fail.
1912-I4 Third Home Rule Act (for Ireland) and Welsh Church
Disestablishment Act, passed, but suspended
19I4
(28 June) Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo
(4 August) British Empire enters the First World War
1915-16 Dardanelles expedition, ending in British withdrawal from
Gallipoli.
1916 Battle of the Somme; Battle of Jutland; Lloyd George succeeds
Asquith as Prime Minister
1917 Battle of Passchendaele.
1918 End of First World War (11 November). The German Emperor
abdicates. Lloyd George coalition government returned in 'coupon election'
(December).
1919 General election; MacDonald leads second Labour government.
Treaty of Versailles establishes peace in Europe
1921 Miners seek support of Dockers' and Railwaymen's Unions (the
'Triple Alliance') in major strike. On 'Black Friday' the dockers and
railwaymen back down, and the alliance was broken; Lloyd George
concludes treaty with Sinn Fein.
I925 Britain goes back on the gold standard.
1926 General Strike (3-I2 May).
1892 was a very good year for the harvest and Townsend Farm obviously
shared in its bounty that year. The corn harvest of Barley, Oats and Wheat had
all been cut, dried and trashed by the end of August not with standing nearly
a week of rain in the middle. The lovely ‘farmers’ comment on this rain was
that it was good for the roots! Following this is a note that Miss Alice Maud
Gay died of ‘Galloping Consumption’, aged 22 years and that the writer was
a Bearer at the funeral. As Walter would have been 81 and John 32 it seems
far more likely that John would have been the pall bearer and if so, then the
author of the Diary at this time. Potatoes were a, “very good crop this year”,
all having been lifted by the enf of September. However the Accounts book
shows that extra animal feed had to be bought in during the autumn, so may
be the hay cutting was poor that year. Right: Threshing in the 1880’s
It must have been a ‘fair’ autumn as well as the ground was ready to be broken
and ploughed for winter wheat by the middle of October; however the first
snow was to fall before Christmas (5th December), which led to “good tracing
in grass fields; I was able to knock down one rabbit.” A new “suit of clothes
was purchased in September (possibly for Miss Gay’s funeral) and a new pair
of boots for ‘father’ a little later. The financial loan from Mr Palmer was still
outstanding so the interest payment was made at the end of the year.
1893 started poorly for Exbourne with the death of Mr Easterbrook and Mr
Voaden before the spring. Then in early April: “Mr Ratterbury’s 25 bullocks
invaded my plot and ate the whole of my seed mangolds that I had planted out,
so had to replant them!” An calf was also lost, earlier, in March.
Early potatoes were obviously a cash crop in 1893 as the new potatoes were
dug and marketed in mid-June fetching a 1d per pound retail, and a farthing a
score, wholesale. A different hand has taken over the Diary in April 1893 for
a couple of months, so it is no longer John Woolland. He or she, must have
been a person employed by Townsend as none of John W and Mary L’s
children would have been old enough to take on this task, yet.
“Father (Walter) was taken ill July 1st, with Influenza, cold with bronchitus &
slight conjestion of lung”. This tells us that John W had taken up the pen once
more, and also tells us that 1893 was a very dry summer giving a poor hay
crop again. In the accounts book 1893 starts with a purchase of spirits from
George Madge in Exeter and sundry other items including the tithes at £4 17s
5d per quarter. Mr Shobbrook, Father’s trousers 15 shillings and more ‘spirits’
in May from George Madge. Poor Rates had to be paid, £1 12s, in June, with
the medical (Doctors) bill in July for attending to ‘Father”. Insurance of £4
was also an annual expense. Townsend Farm windows got a ‘lick of paint’ in
September applied by Mr Ward, but no indication of colour is given.
190
Queen Victoria’s State funeral. The end of the Victorian Age. Her son “Bertie”,
King Edward Vll to be, had no State knowledge having been denied access to
State papers by Victoria who had said: ”It quite irritates me to see him in the
room”. So he never had access until after Victoria’s Funeral.
1910. London’s Oxford Street, just east of Marble Arch, showing the changing
face of the capital’s transport.
The workhorse Wagon of farming.
Thrashing with steam, 1930’s, Horse Thrashing 1870’s
and Hand thrashing with the Flail, well, forever, really.

There are a couple of interesting entires in December of 1893 as I feel that
these are “Book Balancers” for expenditure against income. The Loan monies
to Mr Palmer are paid, as usual, towards the end of December, but on the
Receipts side, a couple of weeks earlier 2 fat steers are sold at the Plymouth
market for £39 10s. It will be recalled that cider has been a ‘nice earner’ for
Townsend Farm earlier in the A/Cs book. Well. this year during late
November and early December, a total of nearly £10 was brought to the
coffers by the sale of this “liquid gold”. The overall mini-written statement in
the accounts book shows that this year was a fairly good one, with a surplus
nearly £60 carried over to 1894. That’s about £3400 in today’s money, but not
much to “work with’ for the coming years early purchases.
1894 is the last year that we have for the Farm Diary. It rather looks as if a
new Diary book was started after the completion of 1894, but this more recent
part of the Diary, indeed none of the rest of the Townsend Farm Diary has
survived. There is a large entry of £3 13s for Doctor Burd’s services on the
3rd March, but nothing giving the reason. I have not been able to find the
reason for this during my research. The death of John Fredereck Madge at
Buskin farm entrance is recorded here, but as this is covered in detail on page
182, I will leave it by saying how dreadfully sad this death must have been for
the family and the Madge’s of Exbourne. A point of interest here is that a
“School Rate” has now been added to the expenditure for Townsend Farm, for
the very first time. So the Village school must have been up and running, with
local funding by 1894. There is little about cash crops in 1894, though there
must have been quite a number. The wheat harvest was “just alright” without
anything suggesting the scale of the croping. A young calf was lost on
September 10th, 6 months old having been stung by an adder in the throat. It
was an Autumn for marriages, with John Weeks (John was a permanent
worker on Townend Farm) marrying Lucy Lewis September 24th at
Tavistock; George Granville to Millie Fairchild at Hatherleigh BC Chapel
September 22nd, and Edwin Gay marrying Nellie Frost at Sampford Church
the same day. The final crop entry for 1894 is that there was a very fine crop
of Mangolds from “Brimbleland” (Field name?) which took a week to lift and
cart in 87 loads; all grown in 1 & 3/4s of an acre. Fortunately the Accounts
book will now take over and provide the information for the next 52 years,
closing in 1948, still 12 years short of John Woolland Madge’s life. Worthy
of note for 1894 is the sale of cattle, sheep and hoggs during the early part of
the year. These gave a return of £79 15s 11/2d, for the first six months, with
a further £68 11s 91/4d up until Christmas. There was a better surplus this
year as well, up about one fifth on 1893, but this is almost cetainly because
the loan interest for Mr J. W.Palmer was not paid until mid-January 1895!
There is a Doctors Bill for £2 7s 6d on the 2nd march mirroring that in 1894,
but unfortunately I am unable to explain this entry, unless it is for the “Mid-
Wifery” to their son George born in 1894 and Florance in 1895. A new watch
was purchased from Mr Stinchcombe for £3, July 6th 1895. The School Rates
appear to have doubled this year unless they were paid 6 monthly, and an
entry has been missed. The income from the sale of home grown cattle, sheep
and hoggs is high again this year. We know from information passed down
about the time of John W’s ownerhip of Townsend Farm he gradually moved
the bias away from arable farming and concentrated on improving his stock
Blood Lines so that more money would be made at Market time. The
Townsend insurance still goes out each year but it has been increased by over
a quarter now, to £5 3s 9p up from £4. The interest on Mr Palmer’s loan is
paid “on time” this year, so may be times were easing for John and Mary L.
It was also a much better year for cider with sales well up on the previous
year. In 1896 the entry for the Poor Rate and the School Rate has been
combined into a single payment, and will presumably be made into the Local
“Rates Payment” that we all now know so well. 1896 stock sales are doing
well with £111 19s made in the first half year. Father Walter is ill with “So
Fever” in November (£2 12s 6d), but the Doctor is now Dr Norman. In
December “Father gets a new Jacket”, so he has obviusy recovered from his
“So Fever’.
1897 again shows the changing Townsend Farm preferences from the growing
of cash crops to the rearing of farm stock for sale. This policy appears to be
working well with the sale of mainly Cattle, sheep and pigs bringing in more
money each year, and making the farm’s books look much more healthy. An
unusual item purchased from a Mr R Brock in September is a Macintosh
overcoat for 10 shillings. Another aspect of the sale of farm stock is that these
animals are now being sold in areas that have not been mentioned before, ie.
outside the area local to the farm and includes a Mr Daniel of Sourton (more
will be heard of this in the next chapter) and Chagford up on the Moor. Mr
James Weeks is spelt out in this years wages bill so now we know that it was
James who worked so hard for John W, during these years. An entry in April
notes: “Walter and Woollands Clothes” £1.0s. I wonder who the Woollands
was, unless it was John Woolland their son born in May 1893 who would be
about 3 years old now. 1897 was a good year for Wheat as John W had a
surplus to sell in November. This was sold to farmers in the Exbourne area.
1898 shows a large invoice from the Wards who were the wheelwrights in
Exbourne, so presumably a number of carts and wagon required repairing and
all was undertaken for £6 10s 6d. Coal is still being purchased each year so
the boiler is still functioning correctly!
Hatherleigh from the air probably taken from a balloon around 1900. The church
spire is readily seen, and the Bible Christian Chapel (BCC) is not too far away.
Unfortunately the BCC suffered major structural defects and is no longer standing
Prize cattle taken from a painting c.1849. Note the shape of the animals has been
‘stylized’ to exagerate their good features. Developments in farming and farm
equipment during this era would have a profound effect on rural life in England.
This is not the Wards (The Exbourne Wheelwrights) of our village but F.Tucker
and Sons, Agricultural Engineers of Market Street in Hatherleigh.
The firm survives in the same family today, on the same premises, but there is
only work for a single man. All the Carts, Wagons and Traps shown above were
built on these premises over the years, while the foundry within the main building
behind, produced many items of farm machinery and many many replacement
parts for all types of farm implements. They kept the local farm machinery going.
191

Wheat was again sold after the harvest and it was also a very good year for
apples as the cider making and selling did very well once more. 1898, a so-so
year, moves quietly away letting 1899 take its place which appears to be
another year that gains enough monies to ‘balance the books’ with some left
over for the next. One of the few entries that standout concerns “New Lamps”.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to know where these lamps were to be used and what
they looked like. No such luck I’m afraid as it does not even say whether they
are for the interior opr the exterior. The sale of “meat on the hoof” continues
and it is still this aspect of the farm that brings in the cash. Cider adds to this
but only on a small scale. It appears that some of the farm workers, there used
to be five or six besides James Weeks have left Townsend farm, as their wages
have not appeared in the accounts book for 18 months.
For some reason 1899 goes straight into 1901, without even a page for 1900;
the accounts book layout is also changed to Receipts first, left, page and
Expenditure second, right page. But 1901 is a sad year for John W. and his
wife Mary L. as in May John’s Father Walter died at the age of 89 years.
Walter’s headstone is mentioned here, carved and set in place at a cost of £8
10s but was not ready until December 14th. Walter was the man that brought
Townsend Farm into the “Modern Era” with the introduction of various pieces
of Victorian agricultural machinery inventions to assist the farmer. He was the
‘guinea pig’ so to speak in harsh times, too, but it was John Woolland who
went on to develop Townsend as a business; able to look ahead and then
realise the potential he had. I have two sources of first hand information about
John Wolland Madge. The first was from Annie Amelia (“Millie” as my Wife
and I came to know her”) Madge. She as the seventh child in the family
obviously knew and grew up with her Father and Mother. But as a girl, would
and did, know her Mother, Mary L, much better that her farming Dad. Millie
stayed at her Mother apron strings most of her young life learning the farming
skills that she would need after her marriage to John Wilton Brook on the 13th
September, 1928 and more especially when she and her husband took on
Taylors Down Farm. So Millie learnt all her household farming skills from
her very able Mother and relied on her older brothers who worked every day
with John W. for their knowledge of him. John W. was a hard working,
likeable man, a little flamboyant, dressed smartly when at Market or out and
about. He had an excellent farmer’s brain going on the develop Townsend
Farm, its fields, stock and potential all his long working life. He was very
highly respected in the local farming community.
So here is the 4th son John W. (1860-1960), of Walter (1811-1901) and
Elizabeth (Nee Brock 1820-1890) who was given the task of taking on the
farm when Walter retired. As far as Millie is concerned she respected and
loved her Father, who did a wonderful job gaining many well deserved
accolades from the farming community including many Agricultural Show
Prizes for his Cattle, Sheep and Hoggs. The other first hand information I had
was from my father William (Bill) Madge who would go down to Exbourne
from time to time and spend some time with John Woolland. It was from him
that I first gained the information about the farm breeding programmes that
had been introduced and the “raft” of prizes that had been won with the fine
results. There are a few notes of these in the Accounts book and in one place
towards the back of the book there is a list which is reproduced below:
Mr J Woolland MADGE has won the following Prizes for his
Exmoor Sheep up to January 1st 1943:
8 Champion Prizes
30 First Prizes
25 Second Prizes
10 Third Prizes
With the above have also been awarded the following Cups.
The cider barrels, the wooden, leather, stone and horn drinking cups; the stone
cider jar that would be taken up into the fields ready to refresh the farm workers
eating their break-food, under the noon day sun: all smack of the days gone bye.
On the far left and far right are two “Flail Basket” that were sometimes used to
carry the ‘grub’ up to the men working in the fields away from the farmhouse.
I guess that I am rather slow on the uptake, but until I had seen this wonderful
picture of Farm Lanterns, some dating back to before the 1750’s; I had never
really thought about barns being light for work after daylight had faded. Indeed,
my only thought along these lines was to ‘fear’ the fire hazzard these lanterns
would produce. “Inside work” must have continued so lanterns were necessary.
A Devon Steer, above, of about 1850’s and right is a prize winning Devon Red
of 2008. These are the cattle that John Woolland Madge raised and ‘perfected’
over the many decades he breed the Devon Reds, at Townsend. Devon Reds
are still in Exbourne fields, with local farmers carrying on where John W left off.
The Hilsboro Cup
The Dutchy Cup (presented by Mr T King)
Exmoor Challange Cup ( by R. Paltridge, Esq.)
The Stanley Andrews Cup
The J.B. Cole & Sons Cup
The Me’ssrs Sanders & Sons Cup
Unfortunately this is the only record present in the accounts book and it is of
course in 1943 and probably covers the ten or so years before this; ie. about
1930. Well, as it is known that John W had already gained a considerable
reputaion for animal stock breeding as early as 1900 there must be a lot more
to be found out about this side of Townsend Farm. One noticeable item that
keeps recuring is the sale of cattle, sheep and hoggs to Philip Madge for his
butcher’s shop in North Tawton. He also would supply all the meat for the
annual Exbourne Club Festival, held each summer, by neatly under cutting the
opposition Butchers if need be! The interest on monies lent, is still being paid
to Mr Palmer each year, so this loan goes on.
As we progress into the 20th century the entries in the accounts book deminish
192
It would appear that the list of Prizes shown opposite, thought to be for
J.W.Madge (1860-1960), may be for John Woolland Madge(1893-1965) his son.
Recent research indicates these Cups were for the Exmoor horned sheep of the
son rather than Dad, but they may also be for both Madge farmers, as the
Breeders Association Flock Records for the Exmoor sheep, only started in 1906.

in number and it is as if all the “regular” annual expenditure and receipts are
being left out and only the more irrregular and unusual ones are being noted.
In 1903 the number of hoggs sold has markedly increased and it is now
apparent a more modern method of raising pigs is being ustilised. This is
evident from the sale of the young pigs as they are now sold in ‘litters’, with
each pig (piglet?) just having a number to identify it. They are sold to a Mr
W.B Palmer and gain about £1 14s each for the farm. They must be very small
and ready for a life of foraging. 1903 also heralds in another ‘new beginning’
for Townsend farm. The first entry for the payment of wages to a female, a
Miss S Rogers is made in October and there is no reference to her type of
employment, either. I note that Suttons Seeds are still being purchased each
year. Wool is also being sold once more after a break of about 4 years. 1904
show the purchase of two suits of boys clothes from a Mr Edgcumbe for £1
17s 11d. So Walter the eldest boy will be 12 years old and his next brother
Jonh Woolland will be 10 years.
Entries are now becoming rather hit and miss. Half of 1905 is missing and the
next year that gains entries is 1908. However, in this short period the fact that
hoggs were being sold off for rearing now adds further income to the lambing
side of the farm as well. In fact almost all entries are now concerned with the
sale or movement of farm stock with ever increasing sums of money being
recorded. 1908 sees a simular increase in the sale of cattle, mainly steers and
young hiefers to increase the farm’s coffers. and with this the increase of
actual cash that is transacted with all these sales has markedly increased. The
Accounts book has now become a record of Stock sales and purchases and
little else. One rather interesting entry is that of the sale of 3 steers to Mr
E.G.Madge on 9th March 1910. I have a susption that the two book entry
system for accounts may have been introduced about this time 1908 to 1912
as ALL the entries on both sides of the accounts book pages are concerned
with sales and the amounts of monies these sales raise. There is now nothing
about outgoings. So we thought we had got the Accounts Book when actually
it is now the Sales ledger only from about this time. But no matter, as it still
gives a mountain of information and is the only information we have for
Townsend Farm for the next 50 years!
1913 and 1914 shows quite a few further entries for Mr E.G. Madge while also
the sale of farm stock is seemingly increasing all the time. But as the First
World War is about to start I suppose these increases reflect the international
situation. The lambs and hoggs are still progressing well and indeed the
overall stock sales are very healthy. There is, about once a year, the sale of a
horse from the farm, so may be a certain number of horses are also being breed
for sales. Horses would soon be required by the thousand for the military, so
they will shortly be in very short supply. It is interesting to note that the
number of Markets that are being used for stock sales has diversified during
1913-14 with many different market areas being used for the first time in order
to maximise financial gain at the most profitable sales point. Okehampton (3),
Exbourne (2) but Eggesford on three ocassions as well.
1915 and 1916 are at the turn of one page here and the interesting fact here is
the reckoning has been made for the first time in the Accounts Book for a
number of years, now. Well, it very neatly shows the large increase of Farm
monies turnover that will have transformed the financies of Townsend,
certainly for the first 20 years of the 20th century. On the 1916 and 1917 page
the Farm turnover has increased from £60 of a few years ago to well over £600
now. Also here is the first and second entries of wool sales not to locals such
as Mr Palmer who has been buying it for years but it is now sold direct to:
“The Government”. It also appears, but I cannot be sure, that the whole
animal, meat as well as the wool is part of the same deal. 1917 concludes with
figures, up, as follows: £620 9s.
In 1918 Hatherleigh Market is used six times in the first few months of the
year then Okehampton followed by the sales to ‘the Government’ (July)
before a simular pattern is followed with Eggesford Market taking the Farm’s
sheep and lambs sales. Presumably, as the Eggesford Market takes some of the
Exmoor breed sheep and lambs for sale it would provide a greater number of
buyers looking for sheep and thus give better prices, overall. It is also on a
main ‘A’ road which would help with the transportation. However, it
concludes with Okehampton then Hatherleigh once more. The year ends with
the accounts total now, £837 3s 2d.
1918 was the year that Frederick Paddon Madge (1898-1918) lost his life in
the Germain Spring Offensive of that year. The detail is covered on pages 186
to 188 but there is a poignant entry in the back fly leaves of the Accounts book
that reads: “The Place where Fred was killed In France: Flarry Le Martel,
between Gussy and Noyon.”
Regimental Number 29925
Identity Number NU W.W.C 2110.
There are no other comments about this information alongside it and no record
of where the information has come from. It is just stark, lonely and foreboding
and of course terribly saddening.
During the period 1900-1918 the Madge’s listed in the Accounts book
include: P. Madge; G. Madge; E.G.Madge, with Philip Madge decreasing and
Ernest George Madge increasing. The Palmer’s listed are: J (or T.).Palmer;
W.B.Palmer; W.Palmer: B.Palmer; J.W.Palmer.
Amount of Wages as Returned to Insurances for the year, 1932.
2 Regular farm hands Wages £57.12s .8d, full year.
2 Casual labourers employed on the farm £1 .3s .0d
3 Tradesmen for buildings, farm equipement repaires £16 .os .0d, full
year.
A typical farm family with their field workers. The farmer is in the centre leaning
on his walking stick, with his wife on, his left and their three children further left.
The two farmer workers are shown wearing their working smocks, boots, hats,
etc. while the farm boy, with his hands in his pockets stands behind them with the
horse & cart in the background. This is taken from a country sketch of the time.
Returns for Wages for the year, 1935.
All the ‘mens’ (their own Farm Workers) Wages £63 .0s .0d, full year.
Tradesmen for buildings, farm equipement repaires £7 .5s .0d, full year.
Butter making in the 1900’s: parafin lamps, stone floor, the ‘range’ behind the
farmer’s wife and even the scales to show that the butter will be for sale, locally.
Returns for Wages for the year, 1937
All the ‘mens’ (their own Farm Workers) Wages £46 .16s .0d, full year.
Casual labourers employed on the farm £2 .0s .0d
Tradesmen for buildings, & farm equipment repairers £7 .5s .0d, full year.
Returns of Wages for whole year,1940.
One Man; 1 Day’s work, weekly. £21 .5s .4p wages for the year’s work.
Tradesman for repairs of buildings £17 0s 0p for the whole year.
Returns of Wages for whole year,1941.
Men; Casuals. £21 .11s .5p wages for the whole years work.
Tradesman for repairs of buildings £15 .10s .0p for the whole year.
Harvest cart, left, built to carry the cut corn from the fields to the threshing barn.
Devon Wain, right, mainly for hay, but also a general purpose cart about the farm.
It is worth noting that as labour was so short because of WWII, the one farm
labourer employed was all that was available. However, their 5th son, Hubert
Harold was unfit for Service and available to assist during most of the War.
193

With the end of the First World War came the gradual decrease in revenue
gained by the coffers of Townsend farm. The total for 1918 of £837 3s 2d
(about £18,301.20p in today’s £s) would be the highest ‘profit line’, in real
money, for a number of years as it is now known that the Great Depression
was not that far away. The 1919 total was £771 2s 8d but 1920 it was up again
to, £902 only giving £17,047.80p as inflation has set in.
The Rates of Farm Workers Wages issued (March 1st 1921) by the “Ministry of
Pensions”, Regents Park London NW1. (For men under 21 years).
20 under 21: Weekley 43/- Summer. 1s 5d per outdoor hour.
19 under 20: Weekley 40/6d Summer. 1s 2d per outdoor hour. 1s 3d for overtime.
18 under 19: Weekley 38/6d Summer.11/2d outdoor hour. 1s 2d overtime.
17 under 18: Weekley 30/6d Summer. 91/2d outdoor hour. 11d overtime.
There does not seem to be a reduction in the numbers of cattle, sheep and
hoggs sold, as trade is fairly constant, so the overall situation for John
Woolland over the period 1920 to 1928 was stable but being degraded by
inflation. A Walter Madge is seen in the 1923 entries buying sheep and wheat
however the profit lines are now down to about half that of 1918. And profits
are getting tighter and tighter as we approach the 1930’s with the amount now
at £339 4s 7d (1928), £538 19s (1929) but dropping down to £451 8s in 1930.
All the local markets are still being used for the sales of farm stock so it must
be presumed that prices were now about the same, or simular, across Devon;
so transport costs had thus became a factor. 1931 saw it down to £328 9s, 1932
now £241 17s 6d with 1933 a better year at, £313 15s 6d but 1934 appears to
have been the worst year yealding just £180 3s 71/2d. 1935 gave £198 15s 7d:
1936 just a little better at £225 13s 2d.
I had not appreciated how badly farming came into and out of the great
Depression. Most of the information about these times concerns itself with
Banks, money, manufacturing and how the depressed economy was dragging
these sectors down. Little about Agriculture, though. The poor Farmer was, if
anything, having a harder time than almost everyone else. His position of
always having to, initially, “Buy the Seed”, spend some four or five months
planting, tending, weeding and eventually harvesting the crop; always placed
him in the position of “Catch-up”. His income largely depended on favourable
weather, good farm labour, timely decisions tied in with the soil conditions; a
neat quick harvest and favourable markets. Phew, not at all easy in hard times.
1929 General election; MacDonald leads second Labour government.
I931 Financial crisis and run on the pound; Britain abandons the gold
standard; MacDonald resigns but returned in the election to head National
government.
1932 Ottawa conference on imperial trade institutes protective tarriffs.
1935 Conservatives win general election: Baldwin succeeds MacDonald
as Prime Minister; Hoare-Laval pact on Abyssinia; Government of India Act.
1936 Death of King George V; abdication of Edward VIII: George VI
becomes king.
1937 Neville Chamberlain succeeds Baldwin as Conservative Prime
Minister.
1938 Chamberlain meets Hitler at Berchtesgaden, Godesberg, and
Munich.
1939 British guarantee to Poland; British Empire declares war on
Germany (3rd September).
1940 Churchill succeeds Chamberlain as Prime Minister; withdrawal from
Dunkirk (27th May-4th June); Battle of Britain (10th July-31st October).
1939-45 The Battle of the Atlantic
The last regular entry in the Accounts book is for 1940 when it is quite
obvious that the Government Farm Inspectors had really taken charge of the
Farming sector and rather than Accounts books (the very last entry, 1940,
shows £473 16s 4d), being the sole entries for the farm, most of the paperwork
was directed by the civil servants of the Ministry of Agriculture. So our hand
written records come to an end in 1940, except for the last few ‘fly pages’ of
the book that record addresses of relatives. These are listed below:
Mrs Sparke, Cove Cottage, Combe Martin, N.Devon.
Mrs Sparke, 1 Meadow Villa, Plymouth Rd., Tavistock, Devon.
Mrs M.M Sparke, (Son’s address), The Oakeries, Gt.Barton, Bury St
Edmunds, Norfolk.
Mrs M.M Sparke, (Daughters Address), 1 Mobeley Road, Salisbury.
Mrs M.M Sparke Beulak, 7, Park Road, Felixstowe.
Mr F Madge c/oMr Johnson, Glenmark Station, Waipara, N.Canterbury, NZ.
Mr C Turner, Hill Kiln, Sampford Peverall, Tiverton, Devon.
Mrs R Turner, Rosewell farm, Willand, Devon.
Miss Madge, West Hagginton, Ilfracombe, N. Devon.
Mr W.B Palmer, Rathnon, Hatherleigh.
J.Woolland Madge, Whitchapel Barton, South Molton, Devon.
Mrs R Turner, Mount View, Sompford Peverell, Devon.
Mrs Ellis, “Southbourne”, Brandis Corner, Devon.
Mrs W. Grove, Northwood, Bridford, Exeter.
Mrs Kathleen, Trickey, Cotes Bridge, Winkley, Devon.
John Woolland Madge, Girt Farm, Combe Martin, N.Devon.
Mrs J Knott, Hackwell Cottage, Dolton, Winkleigh, N. Devon.
Mrs EJ. Cleverdon, Hatherleigh, Devon
194
The Farm workers rest, mid-day with their cheese, bread and cider. Below the
wife milks, then get their parlour maids to go out and sell their lovely fresh milk.
Yes an old wooden plow and they say to be sure
The wide awake farmer must use them no more,
They must be of iron, for wood there’s no trade,
What do the fools think God made ash trees for?
Rich and rare were the gems she wore
But that I believe you to have heard before,
The gems may be rich & the gems may be rare
But this I solemnly do declare
That nothing on earth or in poet’s dream
Is so rich or rare as Devonshire cream.
Devonshire: “The County of
red earth, ruddy apples, rosy
cheeks and honest men.” So
said Sir Walter Raleigh.
The passing of the wooden
plough, to the ‘new’ one made
from iron and then steel.
With the gradual passing of
the horse making way for the
man made and driven, tractor.

As the Accounts book made its way through two World Wars and a number
of wars before this as well I thought it appropriate to do a little research into
Madge’s that had responded to the ‘Call of the Colours’, giving Service in
1914 - 1918, WWl, and 1939 - 1945, WWll. Unfortunately these lists below
of who Served their Country are quite a lot of the Madge’s short; as the three
Brothers: William Madge (my Father) was TA and then Royal Artillery (Anti-
Aircraft), his brother Lisson Madge, also RA and Richard Madge RA too, all
served throughout the war, fortunately coming through it unscathed: but are
not listed. Much more research is needed to gain all the Madge names who
served in these Wars, so I leave that to some future Madge Family Historian.
First Name Surname Rank Record Year
1 Cecil Maurice Acland Madge Temp. 2nd Lieutenant 1919
2 Cecil Walter Madge Gunner 1918
3 Cecil Walter Madge 1915
4 Charles Albert Madge Lt Colonel 1916
5 Charles Sidney Madge Gunner 1918
6 Ernest Edward Madge Lieutenant 1916
7 F.G. Madge 2nd Lieutenant 1917
8 F.G. Madge Captain 1918
9 Frederick Walter Smith Madge Private 1917
10 Frederick William Paddon Madge Private 1918
11 George Madge 1918
12 George Madge Private 1918
13 George Madge Private 1918
14 George R Madge Captain 1919
15 G H Madge Private 1917
16 Harold Thomas Madge Private 1918
17 Henry Leslie Madge 1917
18 Henry Thomas Madge Private 1917
19 I.R. Madge Captain 1917
20 Ivan Robert Madge Temp. Major 1919
21 Jack Smith Madge Private 1916
22 Morris Hubert Acland Madge Temp.2nd Lieutenant 1918
23 Quintus Madge Temp. Major 1919
24 Robert Madge Rifleman 1916
25 S W J Madge Gunner 1917
26 Stanley Waldron Madge Signaller 1918
27 Walter Madge Private 1917
28 William Madge Second Engineer 1917
29 William Madge Serjeant 1916
30 William Henry Robert Madge Petty Officer Stoker 1916
31 William John Smith Madge Ordinary Seaman 1916
32 William Thomas Madge Second Lieutenant 1918
33 W T Madge Private 1918
34 Madge Serjeant 1920
35 Madge Serjeant 1917
36 Madge Chief Engineer 1916
These are the Madge names that come up from a Data Search from:
www.forces-war-records.
There are many many others missing, including all our Family members, in
both wars.
First Name Surname Rank Record Year
1 A J Madge Flt Lieutenant 1940
2 A.J Madge Flying Officer 1940
3 C.E Madge Flying Officer 1940
4 C Madge Temporary Captain 1945
5 Derek George Madge Corporal 1943
6 Donald Crawshaw Madge Sergeant 1944
7 Eric Arthur Madge Sergeant 1944
8 Ernest John Madge Able Seaman 1942
9 Ernest John Madge Able Seaman 1942
10 E A Madge Sergeant 1944
11 Henry Leslie Madge Flight Lieutenant 1942
12 H.L Madge Flying Officer 1940
13 Jean Madge 2nd Officer 1943
14 John George Madge Warrant Officer 1944
15 John James Madge Chief Engine Room Artificer 1942
16 J G Madge Warrant Officer 1944
17 J G Madge Warrant Officer 1944
18 Maitland Madge Private 1944
19 Raymond Corlett Madge Sergeant 1942
20 Roy Gibson Madge Flying Officer 1943
21 R C Madge Sergeant 1942
22 R G Madge Flying Offic 1943
23 Stanley Graham Madge Temp. Captain 1945
These are the Madge names that come up from a Data Search from:
www.forces-war-records.
There are many, many others missing, including all our Family members, in
both wars.
During the late 18th most of the 19th and over half of the 20th centuries many
farms in and close to Exbourne, were either owned or run, sometimes both, by
our Madge family. Those that have already been covered are Townliving Farm,
Townsend Farm, Hayes Farm and Buskin Farm, south of Exbourne.
Others have been missed so here to put the records straight, are these farms.
Narracott Farm
Lower Narracott Farm
Coxwell Farm
Yearnswell Cottage & small holding. The photograph, taken about 1960, was the
time when George Madge moved over here, after retiring from Townsend Farm.
195

On page 194 are a list of cups
and prizes won by the
Exmoor Horned Sheep bred
by John Woolland Madge
(1860-1960), and I thought, at
Townsend farm. After
making contact with the
Devonshire Exmoor Horned
Sheep Breeders Society and
gaining their most kindly
given sheep flock information
I now realise that these prizes and cup were indeed won by John Woolland
Madge, but by the son: also called by the same names:- John Woolland Madge
(1891-1965).
As the, John Woolland, he was known as Jack Madge during his farming
lifetime, story unfolds it appears that Jack had not only listen to his father’s
advice about sheep, learning this ‘trade’ at Townsend farm; but had gone on
the learn and fully understand the many facets of successful sheep breeding
with these hardy sheep.
So much so that he started his own Flock in 1923 and by 1935 had been given
the Pedigree Exmoor Horned Sheep annotation for this Flock, allocated Flock
number 78, by the Breeders Society.
It was during the year of 1935 that Jack started a most unusual, but very
rewarding “Shephard’s Career” using his own Flock’s pre-eminence to
‘advertise’ his high expertise in the flock breeding programme he had
instituted in 1923 and had carried out eversince, to such success.
Townsend Farm was still in the
capable hands of Jack’s father,
John Woolland Madge (Uncle
John, to my Father), who was
still fully able to run the farm on
his own, he would have been 63
years old in 1923. Thus, Jack
would have needed to find his
own farming business in order
to look after his family. Jack had
married Martha (known as
Mattie) Ellen Frost in 1910 at
Okehampton church and the
family remained at Townsend
Farm until well after their
second child, Caroline was born
in 1927. This would neatly tie in
with the Exmoor Horned sheep
flock being started in 1923 and
once the flock had gained Pedigree status, in 1935, Jack with his wife and two
children would be professionally set-up to ‘trade’ on, and with his own sheep.
An aerial photograph of Grendon Farm, a mile east of Whiddon Down,
(J.W.Madge and his family were resident here from 1935 to 1944). This picture
was taken in the 1960’s. It is a farm of about 100 acres with the new A30 road
cutting off and now bordering the southern section of fields. The farm house,
mentioned in the Doomsday Book, is wonderfully old world with Cob walls and
stone chimneys, but with the grand ‘warm’ feeling to it, once you are inside.
1944
The initial move away from Townsend farm
was made sometime in 1935 when he and his
son Stanley Ronald George and known as
George, (b.1911), would have used the
droveways to walk the sheep the 15 or 16
miles down to Grendon Farm. The farm is just
off the northern side of the old A30, a mile to
the east of Whiddon Down. As there are no
known written reports of this or any other
move Jack and his family made, we can but
follow the entries made in the Exmoor Horned
sheep Flock records to guide us to their
movements between farms. It is believed that
one of the reasons Jack Madge took on the
Grendon Farm undertaking was because the
Farm’s owner wished to purchased the whole
his No.78 Exmoor sheep Flock in order to get
Grendon’s new flock off to a flying start and
gain Jack Woolland Madge’s expertise at the
same time. Jack and his family, (it is felt that
the family would have gone too), remained at
Grendon Farm for 9 or so years until late in the
Second World War, leaving Grendon for
White Chapel Farm, in 1944. As this farm was
a few miles from S.Molton the reason that Jack
was asked for can be seen in the 1942 show
results.
196

White Chapel farm is 1 mile Northeast of
South Molton some 25 mile just East of North
from Whiddon Down, and Grendon farm.
As a direct result of the reputation he had
gained within the circles of his farming peers
he obviously gained numerous ‘invitaitions’
from farm owners who ran simular sheep. All
wishing their flock to gain the status and
prestige won by Flock 78, over the years.
I thought long and hard as to why the Flock
should have been sold, after all it had taken
Jack Madge 12 years to get to Pedigree status
and then a further 9 years improving it and
gaining all the Prizes listed on page 194. So
why sell it? I believe that it was sold for two
reasons. Firstly, to gain capital as this would
give Jack and his family a degree of
independance and enable them to follow a
course they wished to do rather than that
dictated by family necessity. But, far more to
the point, I believe that Jack Madge’s life and
most important his status within the farming
community, had year on year with 73 prizes
and a fair number of cups with his champion
Exmoor horned sheep had been changed
forever. Rather than being the “shephard”
taking his flock with him, he had now become
“the acknowledged breeding expert for
Exmoor horned sheep in central and north
Devonshire”. Thus, he no longer needed to
prove his worth in this field, as he had already
achieved it by the very high quality track
record with his first Flock, number 78.
As he now had no flock of his own to look
after, he could undertake, full time, the
rebuilding of White Chapel’s Exmoor Horned
Sheep flock. The current flock, when Jack
arrived, was of non-Pedigree standard,
without a Flock breeder’s number so he would
have had quite a job in 1944 to gain the right
Exmoor sheep to set up the up-grading
breeding programme. It is because he now has
no Flock of his own that I am convinced John
(Jack) Woolland Madge was taken on as
“Flock Master”, with a free rein to gain the
Pedigree status for his new flock at White
Chapel. It was during my visit to photograph
White Chapel farm that I met the current
owner who had purchased it in 1971. And
during our conversation it was he who told me
that John Woolland Madge was known as
“Jack” to the farming community, all his
working life. They left here in about 1949.
The gate on the right is the connection to the photograph,
above right. This is the old Coach House with accommodation
above, for the grooms and coachmen, with families I presume.
These photographs of White Chapel farm yard, shows the
“Farm Courtyard” with its most impressive and modern
(Victorian) farm buildings. It could well have been this
impressive set-up which lent at least one of the reasons to
convinced Jack Madge that this was the next Farm to work for.
Above is the Farm House of White Chapel Barton farm as it is now
called. The Barton title was missing in Jack Madge’s time. The
whole complex was owned by the White Chapel Manor owner of the
time who apparently gave Jack Madge “free rein” with the nonpedigree
Farm flock of Exmoors. The farm is impressive, see below.
To the left is the picture of a prize Exmoor Horned Ram that won first
prize in its Show catagory in,1935. It would be grand to be able to
confim this as one of Jack Madge’s show sheep but unfortunately I
cannot confirm or deny this; however nice this would be!
This is part of the old ‘farmyard’ . It shows a barn
with stock pens, right. The old water mill-house
in the centre, (the wooden wheel used to turn on
the right side of the building) with the leat once
flowing down through the gap on the right.
Above: This is the ‘follow-on’ barn from the
photograph on the left. The Leat pond, now a
neat and modern ‘round’ can be seen in both. In
older times there would be flowing water right
through the farm yard as a stream.
This was the prize! This Exmoor horned sheep is the modern
result of all Jack Madge’s hard work with the breed improving it
over the years and gain a fine reputation as well. The sheep’s
identity is engraved on one horn and its flock number is placed
on the other. This photo is of a yearling ewe of the breed.
Left is the now, rather too grand entrance to the
yard, as it was re-built in the last decade to cater
for the growing tourist trade in this area.
197

Townsend Farm field names as recorded in the (thought to be)1930’s.
Homestead, originally called Towns Tenenement. Moorey Meadow, Townsclose,
Barton Head, Brimbledown, Little Park and the two Orchards. It then goes on to
record “attached fields” that are recorded beneath two lines drawn across the
whole page. Note: All the spellings used are those in the Accounts Book.
Parts of Addlehole and Will Hay, West Park, Roundwell, Hole to Oak Meadow,
Broad Hay, Ash Meadow, Brimanay (spelling may be incorrect) Lodge Plot.
Herswell Meadow.
Townsend Farm field names as recorded in the (thought to be)1940’s.
Town Map No: 483. House Yards, Garden, Orchard plot. = 1.525 acres
Town Map No: 484. K(or)Herswell Meadow. = 6.451 acres
Town Map No: 494. New House Orchard. = .474 acres
Town Map No: 454. Ash Meadow. = 1.287 acres
Town Map No: 448. Broad Hay. = 3.476 acres
Town Map No: 452. Little Park. = 1.264 acres
Town Map No: 427. Pt.Hole Downs Meadow across Brook= 1.250 acres
Town Map No: 428. Pt. ~ “ ~ “ ~ “ Road side of Brook= .788 acres
Town Map No: 414. Round Land. = 5.836 acres
Town Map No: 410. Townsclose. = 2.490 acres
Town Map No: 375. Brimbleland. = 1.779 acres
Town Map No: 174. Moorey Meadow. = 3.051 acres
Town Map No: 71. Barton Head. = 2.782 acres
Town Map No: 117. West Park. = 2.962 acres
Take Average 35.738 acres
Note: 428, 427 & 454 were ‘rough grazing only’.
Briney Lodge
Town Map No: 413. Yearnswell.
= 3.529 acres
Town Map No: 399. Small Yearnswell.
= 2.408 acres
These are the fields that were owned by John Woolland Madge as part of
Townsend Farm, but he also rented out other land to increase his yields.
Thus, we near the end of the Madge farms in and around Exbourne, and if I
have missed any I can but apolgise to their descendants.
I feel that John Woolland Madge (1860-1960) and his wife Mary Louise (Nee
Paddon c.1868-1938), in more modern times, are the two to whom my
admiration has been focused during the years of Madge research I have
enjoyed. They lost a son in the First World War, had to farm through the
Depression and John Woolland himself at the age of 79 years still remained
the guiding light behind Townsend Farm, even though his wife Mary Louise
had died two years before the Second World War started. He must have been
a remarkable man, and is known to have had a “lovely” disposition. I still
remain saddened though, that although I could have meet him, I never did.
Grit Farm, up the hills above Combe Martin was Jack’s and Martha’s (Mattie)
farming project. He was again employed as Flock Master for the Exmoor sheep.
It is thought he remained here 1944-5 until about 1949. Then a move westwards
to the Tregrylls Farm just outside Boscastle, where they stayed but one year.
From Tregrylls Jack went to Lanacre Farm, Withypool for a year. 1956 to 1957.
Unfortunately we do not have a photograph of his last Exmoor Horned sheep
farm, but we do know that it was Yealmscombe Farm at Exford. He would stay
here for three years, 1956 to 1959. He died in 1965 and is buried in Exbourne.
There is however, a rather nice post script to this look at John (Jack) Woolland
Madge’s life with his sheep, as we have the record of another Madge, John
Rothery MADGE. He was a cousin of Jack’s from the Acland side of the Madge’s.
John Woolland MADGE 1860 to1960 Mary Louise MADGE c1868 to1938
The final chapter to the Madge’s at Townsend farm:- It is believed that
George Madge (1894-c.1960’s), John.W. and Mary. L.’s third son took over
Townsend Farm from his father sometime after the end of WW II, probably
in the late 1940’s. He then retired from farming and Stanley Ronald George
Madge (pictured below showing his, from his Father’s breeding, Devon Long
Wool sheep, 1950’s) and his wife Vera, he being John (Jack) Woolland
Madge’s son took on Townsend. They then farmed the land for a further
decade or so before retiring to Yearnswell Cottage. Townsend Farm was sold
in the 1960’s.
This is Great Bradley farm about a mile to the Southeast of Withypool. Here
John Rothery MADGE and his wife, Elizabeth (Nee Ball) took up residence in
1954 and remained until 1961 with his flock of Exmoor Horned sheep, Flock
number 92. As John R Madge had his flock with him at Great Bradley it is
presumed that he was the “Farmer in residence” at this farm for the years above.
There is one more farm that needs to be noted here and that is Collacott Farm
just over a mile to the east south east of Winkleigh, This too was a Madge farm,
with Ernie and Kit (Nee Madge) Trickey in charge here. (See also Page 191)
198