South Brent in the Great Universal Directory of 1794

SOUTH BRENT IN THE GREAT UNIVERSAL DIRECTORY OF 1794

South Brent is a small town situate in a valley, encompassed by hills, and is a great thoroughfare from Plymouth to London. On the north east side is a very high hill called Brent Hill, about a mile from the town, adjoining the turnpike road that leads to London, on which there is a monument erected by Mr Tripe, surgeon of Ashburton, to the memory of an ancient chapel which was first demolished by hard winds, and not being re-established, became quite ruined.

It is an ancient borough, governed by a court leet and baron of the lord of the manor; likewise two constables and a sealer of leather. It had anciently a market held on Wednesday, which has long been disused; the shambles are now standing, and the market bell which stood on the top of it fell down in 1790 and broke in several pieces. There are two fairs annually, the last Tuesday in April and last Tuesday in September.

Two stage coaches pass through it from Plymouth about 11 o'clock every day, on their way to Exeter, and there are two from Exeter which pass through about one o'clock to Plymouth. Russel's stage waggon from London passes through on its way to Plymouth, Thursday mornings, and Abbott's wagon from Exeter to Modbury.

There are very few freeholders in the place; the town is under the general tenure of lease for life and so is the major part of the parish, under the Right Honourable Robert Edward, Lord Petre, baron of Writtle.

South Brent is distant from Plympton 11 miles; from Plymouth 16; from Modbury 7, Totnes 8, Ashburton 7 and London 200 miles.

The following are the principal inhabitants:

CLERGY

Amyatt, Rev. John , Vicar

PHYSICIANS

Goodridge, Philip, surgeon

Langworthy, George & Son, surgeons

Parnell. John, surgeon

TRADERS &c

Andrews, Richard, farmer

Andrews, Peter, tailor & shopkeeper

Bickford, John, victualler

Caril, John, paper maker

Cumming, Robert, mason and Clerk

Cumming, Robert jun. farmer

Foot, Agnes, shopkeeper

Foot, William, blacksmith

Fored, Peter, mason

Gidley, Othniel, farmer

Hannaford, Richard, butcher

Hocking, John, cordwainer

Hocking, R B, schoolmaster

Langmead, William, constable

Manning, William, butcher

Pethyjohns, Francis, blacksmith & portreeve*

Pierce, Joseph, butcher

Stidston, Richard, farmer

Stidston, Richard, jun, glazier

Thuell, M. John, farmer

Trust, William, woolcomber

Thompson, William, victualler

Wyatt, John, baker.

*An Anglo-Saxon public office akin to that of a mayor. A ceremonial form of the office is still continued in some parts of Devon - Ashburton, Holsworthy, Modbury etc.l elect a Portreeve annually.