Harberton is a village,

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

and former manor 3 miles south west of Totnes, in the

South Hams South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Services divide between those provided by its own Council headquartered in Totnes, and those provided by Devon County Council headquartered in the city of Exete ...

District of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. The parish includes the village of Harbertonford situated on the main

A381 road A381 may refer to: * The A381 road in Devon, England * The Autovía A-381, a motorway in Andalucia, Spain * The RMAS ''Cricklade'' (A381), a fleet tender to the United Kingdom's Royal Navy {{Letter-NumberCombDisambig ...

. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,285. The village is a major part of the

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

of Avon and Harbourne. At the 2011 census the ward population was 2,217.

Etymology

The village takes its name from the

River Harbourne The Harbourne River is a river in Devon in England. Its estuary is known as Bow Creek, and flows into the River Dart near Stoke Gabriel. The river rises on the slopes of Gripper's Hill on Dean Moor on Dartmoor. From the source it flows generall ...

, which flows through the parish.

Church of St Andrew

The Parish Church of St Andrew is a fine building of the 14th to 15th centuries with a handsome tower. The late medieval

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...

is a notable example with richly carved cornice and vaulting. The font is a very fine piece of Norman work and the pulpit is 15th century.

Harberton Croquet and Social Club (HCSC)

Harberton is home to the

Harberton Croquet and Social Club Harberton is a village, civil parish and former manor 3 miles south west of Totnes, in the South Hams District of Devon, England. The parish includes the village of Harbertonford situated on the main A381 road. In the 2001 census the parish h ...

, which was founded in 2002 and hosts the popular Summer Cup. This is the only club in the country that plays by

Harberton Croquet Rules Harberton is a village, civil parish and former manor 3 miles south west of Totnes, in the South Hams District of Devon, England. The parish includes the village of Harbertonford situated on the main A381 road. In the 2001 census the parish h ...

, rather than the more commonly played variations of croquet rules.

Harberton, Tierra del Fuego

Harberton was the home of Mary Ann Varder (1842–1922), who married Thomas Bridges on 7 August 1869 and moved with him in 1871 to

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...

. There they established an

estancia An estancia is a large, private plot of land used for farming or raising cattle or sheep. Estancias in the southern South American grasslands, the ''pampas'', have historically been estates used to raise livestock, such as cattle or sheep. In Pu ...

in 1886, which they named

Harberton Harberton is a village, civil parish and former manor 3 miles south west of Totnes, in the South Hams District of Devon, England. The parish includes the village of Harbertonford situated on the main A381 road. In the 2001 census the parish h ...

after Mary's birthplace.

History

Anglo-Saxons

According to Risdon (d.1640), Harberton was the residence of ''Alric the Saxon''.

Normans

was one of twelve

feudal baronies in Devonshire According to Sanders (1960) there were eight certain or probable English feudal baronies in Devonshire: *Feudal barony of Bampton *Feudal barony of Bradninch * Feudal barony of Great Torrington *Feudal barony of Okehampton * Feudal barony of Totnes ...

said to have existed according to Pole (d.1635). It was not however recognised as such in the 1960 work by Sanders, ''English Baronies''.

Domesday Book

Harberton is not mentioned in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

of 1086, as it was then a constituent estate of the manor of Chillington, which is listed.

Bigod

According to Risdon (d.1640), Roger le Bigod (d. 1107), was seized of lands in Harberton.

de Nonant

*Roger I de Nonant (d.pre-1123). The estate of Harberton was granted out of the royal manor of Chillington (in the parish of Stockenham) by King Henry I (1100-1135) to Roger I de Nonant (d.pre-1123),

feudal baron of Totnes {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 The feudal barony of Totnes was a large feudal barony with its caput at Totnes Castle in Devon, England. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed in the mediaeval era. The first feudal baron w ...

*Guy de Nonant (d. pre-1141) *Roger II de Nonant (d.''circa'' 1177), a supporter of

Empress Maud Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

. *Henry de Nonant (d.1206). *Roger III de Nonant, who married a certain Alice, but without consent of King John (1199-1216), who seized his barony of Totnes back into crown lands.

de Vautort

The feudal barony of Harberton was granted to the de Vautort family, feudal barons of Trematon, Cornwall. Surviving sources (i.e. Pole, Risdon and Sanders)Pole, p.21; Risdon, p.165; Sanders, p.90 confuse between themselves the names Roger, Reginald and Ralph de Vautort, leading to disparate and irreconcilable accounts of the true descent of the family. All accounts however agree that it was held for several generations by this family, which died out in the male line in the 13th century.

Notable residents

John Huxham John Huxham (1692–1768) was an English physician, a provincial doctor notable for his study of fevers. In 1750 Huxham published his ''Essay on Fevers'' and in 1755 received the Copley Medal for his contribution to medicine. Biography Huxham ...

, the surgeon and doctor, was born here in 1672.

References

External links

Village website
{{South Hams parishes Villages in South Hams Civil parishes in South Hams