Document Archive

WEST WORLINGTON PARRISHE

Presenters sworen : Austin Ware, William Clotworthy

Who do presente as bifforsaid And that Lewes Stucley Esquyre hath one parke of 2 myles compas etc furnished accordinge to the statute etc

Lewes Stucley Esq L 5 George Morishe 1 caliver,l morion

The Inhabitants not particlarlie chardged by the Statute are acessed to fynde etc 1 corslet, 2 almen rivets, 3 murrions, l caliver

The names of all thabell menne within the saide parishe of West Worlington mustered

Description of Sir Judas of Affeton castle, also mentions Sir Lewis Stucley (or Lusty Stucley) and is a description of the Stucleys involvement in the arraignment of Sir Walter Raleigh 1602.

As part of the Heritage Project pupils of East Worlington School collected favourite family recipes and published these in an A5 booklet. The children inherited these recipes from older members of their families.

The children love them! They also chose recipes that they particularly liked and would like to pass on to younger relatives.

An illustrated booklet describing the villages of East and West Worlington and their environs. Photographs provided by local residents; watercolour images by Brian Percival, a local artist.

Extract: Heritage Appraisal and Impact Assessment for Down Cottage.

A small booklet written in 1967 by John Stucley (1916-1988) giving a brief history of Affeton village, the manor house and gatehouse (now known as Affeton Castle), some brief information about some of the Affeton and Stucley family members and their coats of arms.

Colin Humphreys and associates and subsequently South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) were instructed to undertake an archaeological desk-based study and building survey of East Worlington Farm.

The purpose of this study and survey was to place the house in its historical and landscape archaeological context, to understand the development of the buildings and to draw out any implications for future developments. This report was later extended with further historic building recording and an archaeological watching brief undertaken in April 2008 and January 2009 during various ground works associated with an extension and other alterations to East Worlington House.

It would appear that at the core of the house are remnants of a late medieval building. On the evidence of the smoke-blackened roof timbers and the presence of an upper chamber with elaborately decorated timber work (the fragment of elaborate moulding on the underside of an arch brace) which may have been heated by a fireplace in the east wall, this could have been a chamber block and subsequently a hall/house of some standing. Therefore, despite the lack of documentary evidence that this was ever the manor house of East Worlington, the physical evidence might suggest some seigneurial status at an early date. The documents indicate that by the later 16th century the house was serving as the rectory.

Compiled from various sources by H J Hodgson 1924.

Following a visit in 1967 by architects on behalf of Listed Buildings and a further visit in 1988 I did some research in The County Archives. It would seem that Hodgson's assumptions in the Architects' report (see back) are not correct. [Ed. there are no notes on the back of either this or Hodgsons 1924 drawing].

There are few known church records earlier than those held by the Church Commission; Small rural parishes often looked after themselves. It is possible that after the Restoration [Ed. Charles II 1660s], when Anglican services were again permitted in the church, and a new Rector was appointed, he, having a wife and family, needed a larger place than the old Church House; so the farmers who had had a difficult time during the Civil War agreed to hand this farm to the church in lieu of undelivered tithes. I have found no record of this transaction.

All rectors here until 1937 kept animals and farmed their glebe.

F.A.S. East Worlington 21/2/96.

Research carried out by Colin Style who was presumably part of a history group in Axminster called Family Faces.  The document was given to Mr Barry Smith who was the occupant of South View (The Old Poor House) in West Worlington in 1994.  It includes a 3-page summary of Colin's research which was pretty extensive followed by references to the research records used.  The original document contains some very bad photocopies of census pages which have been omitted due to their poor quality.  Census information for the West Worlington Poor House can be found here Census Records for South View. 

The document also contains an interesting photocopy of a Land Tax record which lists land owners and occupants of West Worlington in 1780.

Originator of letter is R.R. Tucker from presumably the Affeton Estate Office and references a report of overcrowding in what is now South View Cottage.  The letter is requesting that a room attached to the cottage that was once used as a library and is under the control of the church be relinquished so that it can be used as accommodation. 

It is uncertain if the presence of a library in West Worlington has been known prior to the mention in this letter.

Sir Hugh Stucley's will who died 25th Oct 1956.  It has a lot to say about the bequeaths of small items of money and furniture, but in the main part and in a codicil there does not appear to be any mention of the Affeton Estate.  There is a final hand written memorandum on last page added in 1959 (three years after Sir Hugh's death) which refers to the Vesting of certain farms and lands known as Roundash Farm, Cobley Farm, Town Farm, Affeton Barton, West Lutworthy, Little Witheridge, and Stucley Arms in the Parish of East Worlington.

This is an abstract made in 1972 of a previous 1944 Conveyance and Vesting Deed made between Sir Hugh Nicholas Granville Stucley and Mjr. Dennis Frederick Bankes Stucley to lands and properties forming part of the Affeton Estate.  A vesting deed is legal document used in the transfer of ownership of property.

It refers to the following: West Lutworthy, East Lutworthy, Roundash, Cobley, Affeton Barton, Town Farm, Woodpark, Little Witheridge.

Notes about Horseford farm and residents from 1996 including descriptions of witches marks and ordnance survey benchmarks.

Names of people in EV1a "Beating the Boundaries 1970" written on the back of the photograph.

Back Row: Les Jones Cuddenhay, Johnny Stevens Worlington House, Janet Symons Halse, ?, Margaret Nott, Bert Wills, Jim Partridge (with tie) ex Prison Farm (East Burrow), man (back), boy, Marian Crane(?), lady back, Reg Nott, Rev Alan Jones, Lilla Wall, ? curly hair, ? middle row, ? boy behind, ? at back, ?, Cynthia Pullen, man at back, ?, Brenda Cole

Front row: Peter Symons, John Symons, ?, Aubrey Hosegood (age 7y11m, walked 12 miles, 5th home), boy with glasses, Mrs Chudley, Mrs Troake. Children: ?, Alice Wall (age 9), ? boy

Names on a card displayed with the photo WW4a Home Guard.

This document can be found in the Parish Hall archive.

Modern map showing probable location of WWII searchlight camp.

Names on back of photo WW9 Kitcheners Army.

This booklet is a description of East Worlington house from 17th to 19th centuries.  Date of this booklet is unknown, but the typeface would seem to place it in early 20th century.  The latest date referenced in it is 1920.  There are hand written notes by Rev H.J. Hodgson, Rector of E&W Worlington with the dates 1918-1937. 

The booklet was among papers left with the Hurst-Bannisters by Lady Stevens, the previous owner of East Worlington House. 

Request to the Lord Bishop of Exeter for permission to replace a shed with a coach house.  It includes two letters and plan written by Rev Hill.

Plans drawn by presumably Lady Stevens.  Accompanying note from Paula Townsend to Campie Hurst-Bannister.  Paula may have more information.

Letter to Lady Stevens, occupant of East Worlington House saying that there is no record of the house in the Records Section of the Church Commissioners.  However, there is an interesting hand written note (presumably by Lady Stevens) which says:

Note Small "Church House" - now school house - had probably been used by visiting R.C. priests before the Reformation. It is possible that the farmer of E.W. House & land handed the property over to then Parish in the mid Cxvii in lieu of Tithe.  Perhaps he had no son or had got into financial trouble during the civil war.

The is unfortunately no reference for the origin of this.

This is a copy of the listing on Historic England website for East Worlington house.  The date of the document matches the date of the original listing.  It has some hand written comments (presumably by Lady Stevens) that indicate errors or items that may be inaccurate.  These have not been corrected on the official listing.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1107333?section=official-list-entry

Nicholas Orme has no information to add about East Worlington House.  However he does make a plug for his soon to be published book and states that West Worlington Church was not originally dedicated to St Mary - but does not say to whom the original dedication was.  He also has found the dedication of the now vanished church at Affeton but again declines to say so we have to get the book English Church Dedications to find out.

Note written by F.A.S. who appears either to have been a local Worlington resident (as they refer to the church as "our little one" or someone who was very familiar with the church or area.

The note was sent to Lady Stevens who appears to have carried out some research into both East Worlington House and obviously the Church of St Mary's in West Worlington. 

Interestingly FAS are the initials against the corrections to the listing for East Worlington House.

https://ewph.uk/document-archive-form/?archive_action=View&photo_id=409

Has sentence on bottom referring to the stone cottages in West Worlington having been constructed from the demolished Affeton Castle.

This appears to be preparation for a history lesson on East Worlington for 10yr old pupils of East Worlington School.  Author unknown.

It interestingly also refers to the the School House being given to the Church in lieu of Tithes that is referred to in a note to letter to Lady Stevens. 

https://ewph.uk/document-archive-form/?archive_action=View&photo_id=408

It also suggests that East Worlington House replaced the School House because protestant rectors needed a larger property to house their families.