Wembworthy, a pleasant village and parish, 4 miles S.S.W of Chulmleigh has 418 inhabitants, and 1934 acres of land, mostly the property of the Hon. Newton Fellowes who has lately erected a neat mansion on the site of the old Barton of Heywood, in lieu of his former seat of Eggesford House.  Heywood was anciently the seat of the Espeke or Speke family, and was leased by Sir George Speke to Sir John Doddridge, one of the justices of the King's Bench, in the reign of James I and Charles I.  J. H. Mayne Esq. has an estate in the parish.

The church (St. Michael's) is a small antique structure; and the rectory, valued in the King's Books at £11. 13s. 4d and in 1831 at £146, is in the incumbency of the Rev. Peter Johnson B. D. and in the patronage of himself and others. The Parsonage is a neat and pleasant residence and the glebe is 55½ acres. The tithes were commuted in 1845 for £166 per annum.

RESIDENTS

Fellowes, Hon. Newton, Heywood House and West Anstey

Grubb, John George, schoolmaster

Hosegood, John, miller, Rashleigh

Johnson, Rev. Peter, B.D., Rectory

Line, Elizabeth, beer seller

Pearen, John, wheelwright

Snell, William, blacksmith

Symons, William, wheelwright.

FARMERS

Darke, Richard, Paddons

Davey, John, Wembworthy Down

Cole, Samuel, Yellands

Grendon, John, Labdon

Hillier, John, Bidbeer

Saunders, George, Rashleigh

Shillson, William, Lower Upcott

Underhill, Betsy, Gosses 

Underhill, Robert, Sauls