This is a matter of great significance as we trace the movement of our ancestors across the countryside to the east of Sampford Courtenay. The evidence points to the fact that a single family, whose name continued to be variously spelt "Stediford" and "Stedeford" came to the village from elsewhere, put down roots and remained for a long period of time.

Atherington Church

Professor Hoskins in his comprehensive study of  Devon has little to say about Atherington beyond it being high up, commanding magnificent views of the surrounding countryside and having an interesting church. 

But there must have been a better reason than living with a good view for William and Mary Stedeford to go there in the first place. For the answer, we must return once more to Devon's Wool Trade*. In the years before 1732, there had been enormous changes in the woollen industry in Devon as serge became its prime product. Instead of relying entirely on wool from Dartmoor sheep, a very lucrative import trade opened up, shipping in raw wool from Spain and from Ireland, and this trade centred on the booming port of Bideford. Shorter than Dartmoor wool, this imported wool was ideal for weaving the new fabric and the little villages surrounding Bideford attracted spinners and weavers from far and near. Trains of packhorses brought raw wool to the cottages and took away finished pieces to the markets in Bideford and Barnstaple - and Atherington became a centre for this cottage industry.

It was a short-lived prosperity. There were continual wars in the 18th century making it very difficult to trade overseas but the greatest disaster came with the arrival of mechanisation into the Yorkshire woollen trade, leading to mass production in factory conditions of high-quality cloth which could be sold for a fraction of the price of hand-woven pieces.