Torbrian (Holy Trinity)
TORBRIAN (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the union
of Newton-Abbott, hundred of Haytor, Teignbridge
and S. divisions of Devon, 4 miles (S. W. by S.) from
Newton-Bushell; containing 264 inhabitants. The
parish comprises 1972 acres, of which 200 are common
or waste land; it abounds with limestone of excellent
quality. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £20. 14. 7., and in the gift of John Wolston,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £340, and
the glebe comprises 14 acres. The church contains
three sepulchral chapels, and has an elegant wooden
screen, an enriched pulpit of wood, an ancient font, and
a piscina; the porch is ornamented with sculptured
angels, and in the churchyard is a cross.
Torkington
TORKINGTON, a township, in the parish and union
of Stockport, hundred of Macclesfield, N. division
of the county of Chester, 4½ miles (S. E.) from Stockport; containing 345 inhabitants. It comprises 670
acres, the soil of which is partly clay.
Torksey (St. Peter)
TORKSEY (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of
Gainsborough, wapentake of Lawress, though locally
in the wapentake of Well, parts of Lindsey, county of
Lincoln, 3 miles (N.) from Newton-on-Trent; containing, with the chapelry of Brampton, and the township
of Hardwick, 615 inhabitants, of whom 420 are in
Torksey township. This place formerly enjoyed many
privileges, on condition that the king's ambassadors,
when travelling this way, should be conveyed by the
inhabitants, in their own barges, down the Trent to
York. A priory of Black canons, in honour of St.
Leonard, was founded here by King John, which at
the Dissolution was valued at £27. 2. 8. per annum.
The parish is situated on the road from Gainsborough
to Lincoln, at the junction of the Fosse-dyke with the
river Trent; and comprises by admeasurement 1487
acres, of which 530 are arable, 945 grass-land, and
about 12 wood. The soil in some parts is sandy, and in
others clayey. The living is a perpetual curacy; net
income, £42; patron and impropriator, Sir A. Hume,
Bart. The body of the church was rebuilt in 1821.
Tormarton (St. Mary)
TORMARTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Chipping-Sodbury, Lower division of the hundred of
Grumbald's-Ash, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 4 miles (E. S. E.) from Chipping-Sodbury; containing 620 inhabitants. The parish is intersected by
the road from Bristol to Malmesbury, and consists of
2616 acres. The living is a rectory, with the vicarage
of Acton-Turville united, valued in the king's books at
£27; net income, £800; patron and impropriator, the
Duke of Beaufort. There is a chapel of ease at West
Littleton.
Tor-Mohun, or Tor-Moham
TOR-MOHUN, or Tor-Moham, a parish, in the
union of Newton-Abbott, hundred of Haytor, Paignton and S. divisions of Devon; containing, with the
town of Torquay, 5982 inhabitants. The living is a
perpetual curacy, with that of Cockington annexed;
net income, £270; patron, C. Mallock, Esq.; impropriators of Tor-Mohun, Sir L. V. Palk, Bart., and H. G.
Cary, Esq. The church has an elegant wooden screen,
formerly painted and gilt; and an ancient stone font.
At Torquay are two other incumbencies. Of 32 Praemonstratensian monasteries in England, that of Torre,
founded and endowed by William de Brewer in 1196,
was by far the richest; it was dedicated to Our Holy
Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Trinity, and at
the Dissolution had a revenue of £396. 0. 11. The
situation of the abbey is most beautiful; and the remains of the church (which is said to have been richly
furnished with cloth of gold), the chapter-house, &c,
evince the former magnificence of the buildings: the refectory was, many years since, converted into a Roman
Catholic chapel, still existing. One of the three gateways mentioned by Leland is still remaining, and is
much admired for the beauty of its proportions. The
modern mansion of Torre Abbey is the seat of Mr.
Cary, in whose family it has continued since 1662. On
a hill about half a mile from the church, are the remains
of a chapel dedicated to St. Michael.
Torpenhow (St. Michael)
TORPENHOW (St. Michael), a parish, in the poorlaw union of Wigton, Allerdale ward below Derwent,
W. division of Cumberland; including the townships
of Bewaldeth with Snittlegarth, Blennerhassett with
Kirkland, and Bothel with Threapland; and containing
1067 inhabitants, of whom 315 are in the township of
Torpenhow with Whitrigg, 2½ miles (W. by N.) from
Ireby. This parish, which is bounded on the north by
the river Ellen, abounds with freestone and limestone.
The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£33. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Bishop of Carlisle: the
tithes were commuted for land under inclosure acts, in
1807 and 1814. The church is principally in the Norman style; the roof of carved oak, is painted and curiously embellished, On a hill called Caer Mot, are the
remains of a square double intrenchment, intersected
by the old road from Keswick to Old Carlisle; near it
is a smaller encampment, defended by a rampart and
fosse.
Torpoint
TORPOINT, a chapelry, in the parish of St. Anthony, union of St. Germans, S. division of the hundred of East, E. division of Cornwall, 3 miles (W.)
from Devonport. The village occupies a peninsula
formed by the river Tamar, the Lynher, and St. John's
Lake, from which the inhabitants derive an abundance
of fish. Though small it is highly respectable; and in
the vicinity are many genteel seats, of which Trematon
Castle is the most distinguished. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £124; patron, the Vicar of
St. Anthony. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. Sir Coventry Carcw founded a
small free school here.
Torquay
TORQUAY, a chapelry, in the parish of Tor-MoHun, union of Newton-Abbott, hundred of Haytor,
Paignton and S. divisions of Devon, 7 miles (S. E. by
S.) from Newton-Bushell, and 23 (S.) from Exeter; containing 4085 inhabitants. This town, about half a century since an insignificant fishing-hamlet, is now a
fashionable and attractive watering-place, situated in
the most northern cove of Tor-bay, and occupying a
somewhat irregular but singularly beautiful site. The
first great improvement was the erection of a pier and
quay, for which an act of parliament was obtained by
Sir Lawrence Palk, to whom the town is greatly indebted; it was commenced in 1803, and completed in
1807, and another pier has since been constructed, forming a secure basin 500 feet long and 300 broad. A
considerable portion of the town, consisting of neat and
comfortable residences (principally lodging-houses) and
shops of the best description, is built at the sides of the
basin and on the strand. On the north, east, and west
sides, the town is completely sheltered by hills, on
whose declivities are terraces and detached houses,
some of them very handsome buildings; and the heights
being richly clothed with wood, their appearance from
the pier-head is strikingly beautiful. A regatta takes
place about August, at which the principal prize is a
gold challenge cup, of the value of £100, with an accumulated fund added. There are two excellent hotels,
some warm and cold baths, and a library with billiard
and news rooms. An assembly-room, erected in 1826,
is much frequented during the season, which is from
September to May. The salubrity and mildness of the
air of Torquay, arising from its contiguity to the sea and
its sheltered situation, render it a most desirable winter
residence for persons of a consumptive habit, or others
for whom a mild climate is necessary; and it is usually,
at this period of the year, very full of company. It is
adequately supplied with water.
Torquay has a trifling share in the Newfoundland
trade; and in addition to several coasting-vessels employed in the importation of coal and other commodities,
it has a weekly communication by water with Loudon,
and the advantage of steam-boats passing four times in
the week. An act was passed in 1846 for a branch to
Torquay, four miles in length, of the South Devon railway. There is a small but very convenient marketplace, well furnished with provisions at the customary
markets, which are on Tuesday and Friday: a fair is
held at Easter. The living is a perpetual curacy; net
income £204; patron, the perpetual Curate of TorMohun. The chapel, dedicated to St. John, being found
insufficient to accommodate the increasing population,
and, from its confined situation, being incapable of
enlargement, another dedicated to the Holy Trinity, has
recently been erected; they are both handsome structures. The living of Trinity chapel is in the gift of the
Rev. R. Fayle. There are places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists and Wesleyans; and a national school.
In the cliffs in the neighbourhood are some remarkable
fissures, or openings, particularly one of extraordinary
magnitude, called Kent's Hole, comprising numerous
caves of various elevations, to which are several openings, one of them 93 feet deep, 100 wide, and 30 in
height, containing many interesting specimens, both
stalactital and organic, and fossil remains of the elephant and other animals. Druidical knives have also
been discovered.
Torrington, Black (St. Mary)
TORR1NGTON, BLACK (St. Mary), a parish, in
the union of Holswortuy, hundred of Black Torrington, Holsworthy and N. divisions of Devon, 6
miles (W. by N.) from Hatherleigh; containing 1252
inhabitants. This parish, which is intersected by the
river Torridge, comprises 7200 acres of land, chiefly
arable; 708 acres are common or waste. The living is
a rectory, valued in the king's books at £22. 8. 9.;
patron. Lord Poltimore: the tithes have been commuted
for £450, and the glebe consists of 191 acres. There
is a place of worship for Baptists.
Torrington, East (St. Michael)
TORRINGTON, EAST (St. Michael), a parish, in
the union of Caistor, W. division of the wapentake of
Wraggoe, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 4
miles (N. N. E.) from Wragby; containing 113 inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, with the
vicarage of Wragby united in the year 1735, valued in
the king's books at £7. 10. 10.; net income, £327;
patron, C. Turnor, Esq.
Torrington, Great (St. Michael)
TORRINGTON, GREAT
(St. Michael), an incorporated market-town and parish, and the head of a union,
in the hundred of Fremington. Great Torrington and
N. divisions of Devon, 34
miles (N. W.) from Exeter,
and 202 (W. by S.) from
London; containing 3419
inhabitants. The name of
this place is derived from its
situation on the river Torridge; and its antiquity as a market-town is evident
from various old records, in which it occurs under the
appellation of Cheping- Toriton. At a very early period
it gave the title of Baron to its lords, who had the power
of life and death throughout the lordship. In 1340,
Richard de Merton, in whose possession it then was,
erected a castle here, of which the chapel was remaining
about the close of the last century. In 1484, Bishop
Courtenay was tried at the sessions here, on a charge of
treason against Richard III.; and in 1590, the countysessions were held at this place, on the appearance at
Exeter of the plague, which malady afterwards extended
to Torrington. During- the civil war, Colonel Digby,
who had fortified himself here, was attacked in 1643, by
a party of the parliamentary forces (strengthened by
the garrisons of Barnstaple and Bideford), whom he
defeated and put to flight. In 1646, the royalists, under
Lords Hopton and Capel, and Sir John Digby, having
taken possession of and fortified the town, were besieged
by some troops under Sir Thomas Fairfax, who, after a
severe contest, drove them from their post, and obtained a victory which put an end to the power of the
royalists in this part of the country, and which was
celebrated by a thanksgiving sermon preached in the
market-place by the noted Hugh Peters. Fairfax, however, was frustrated in his intention of prolonging his
stay here, by the accidental explosion of eighty barrels
of gunpowder deposited in the church, by which the
south-west angle of that building was destroyed, and
200 prisoners who were confined in it, together with the
soldiers on guard, perished. In 1724, the place suffered
from an accidental fire, by which about eighty houses were
destroyed, and the records of the corporation burnt.
Arms.
The town occupies a singularly bold and picturesque
situation on the summit and declivity of a lofty cliff,
washed at its base by the river Torridge, over which is
a bridge connecting this parish with that of Little Torrington. It is lighted with gas, and consists of several
good houses surrounding the market-place, and of two
streets respectively on the ridge and the declivity of
the cliff, with gardens sloping towards the river; the
banks of the stream are crowned with finely-varied
scenery, and in its winding course, a little above the
town, it passes beneath some of the richest hanging
woods in the kingdom. The woollen-trade, which was
formerly considerable, is now confined to the manufacture of a few serges, blankets, and some coarse woollencloths. The principal business at present is the making of kid, chamois, beaver, and other gloves, for the
London and foreign markets. The beaver gloves are
the same as those called Woodstock, and the preparation
of the leather affords employment to a large number of
men; great quantities of gloves are also sewn by commission, and in the trade altogether 3000 girls in the
town and neighbourhood are engaged. There are two
tan-yards, and on the river is a corn-mill. A canal constructed by the late Lord Rolle, at a cost of more than
£40,000, extends from the town to the sea-lock near
Bideford, and runs in a direction nearly parallel with
the river, which at that place becomes navigable for
sloops. The market, held by prescription, is on Saturday; and on the third Saturday in March is one of the
largest cattle-markets in the west of England: there is
a smaller cattle-market in November, and fairs are held
on May 4th, July 5th, and October 10th. An act was
passed in 1842, for the erection of a market-house, and
for regulating the market.
Charters of incorporation
were granted to the inhabitants by Philip and Mary in
1554, by James I. in 1617,
and by James II. in 1686.
The corporation now consists of a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors,
under the act 5th and 6th
of William IV., cap. 76;
the mayor and late mayor
are justices of the peace, and
hold a court of petty-sessions
every three weeks. The county magistrates have prettysessions for the division every Saturday. The powers
of the county debt-court of Torrington, established in
1847, extend over the registration-district of Torrington.
The place sent representatives to thirteen parliaments
in the reigns of Edward I. and succeeding sovereigns,
but the inhabitants were released on their own petition.
They enjoy the right of pasturage on a large common,
granted to the occupiers of ancient messuages by William Fitz-Robert, lord of the manor of Great Torrington: of this tract, fifty acres were inclosed a few years
since for cultivation by the poor. The town-hall is a
neat modern edifice of brick ornamented with stone,
supported on arches affording a covered area underneath. There is a small prison.
Corporation Seal.
The living is a perpetual curacy, valued in the king's
books at £20; net income, £162; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford. The church, owing to its partial destruction by
gunpowder in 1646, was rebuilt in 1651; and the present structure, which in the interior is of the Tuscan
order, includes suc h portions of the original edifice as
escaped destruction. In 1831, a south transept was
erected at an expense of £130 on the site of the old
steeple, and a western tower surmounted by a spire was
built at a cost of £1600, of which £700 were defrayed
by the feoffees of the town lands, and the remainder by
a rate. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyans. The Blue school, in Wellstreet, was established in 1709, by Denys Rolle, Esq., who
endowed it with a messuage and with £200 in money,
which sum was increased by the Rolle family to £950.
An almshouse for eight persons, since increased to
twelve, was founded and endowed in 1604 by John
Huddle. The poor-law union comprises 23 parishes,
and contains a population of 18,188. On the restoration
of Charles II., General Monk, among other honours,
was made Earl of Torrington: at present the place gives
the title of Viscount to the family of Byng.
Torrington, Little
TORRINGTON, LITTLE, a parish, in the union of
Torrington, hundred of Shkbbear, Black Torrington
and Shebbear, and N. divisions of Devon, 2 miles (S.)
from Great Torrington; containing 588 inhabitants.
The parish comprises 2597 acres, of which 227 are common or waste. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £14. 18. 11½., and in the patronage of
the Rolle family, Mr. Buckingham, and Mrs. Stephens:
the tithes have been commuted for £460; there is a
parsonage-house, and the glebe comprises 44 acres. At
Taddiport, in the parish, is an hospital with a chapel
attached, appropriated to the poor.
Torrington, West (St. Mary)
TORRINGTON, WEST (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union of Horncastle, W. division of the wapentake of
Wraggoe, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 2¾
miles (N. by E.) from Wragby; containing 138 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £4; patron and impropriator. Sir
R. S. Ainslie, Bart. The tithes have been commuted for
£84. 8., and the glebe contains about an acre.
Torrisholme
TORRISHOLME, a hamlet, in the township of Poulton, Bare, and Torrisholme, parish of Lancaster,
hundred of Lonsdale south of the Sands, N. division
of the county of Lancaster, 2½ miles (N. W.) from
Lancaster; containing 217 inhabitants. This place, in
Domesday book Toredholm, was the residence, in the
reign of John, of the family of Thoroldeholm, and afterwards of the Paries: in the 23rd of Edward III. the
manor was held by Margaret, wife of Robert de Holland.
The hamlet comprises 640a. 3r. 33p. of land, and lies on
the road from Lancaster to Poulton-le-Sands. The Hall
is a large ordinary building.
Tortington
TORTINGTON, a parish, in the hundred of Avisford, rape of Arundel, W. division of Sussex, 2½ miles
(S. W.) from Arundel; containing 75 inhabitants. It is
bounded on the east by the river Arun. The living is
a vicarage not in charge, endowed with the rectorial
tithes, and in the gift of the Duke of Norfolk: the
tithes have been commuted for £175. The church is a
small structure in the early English style, containing
portions of Norman architecture; an arch of rich workmanship forms the south entrance, and another arch,
separating the nave from the chancel, is ornamented with
a curious moulding: figures of the Four Evangelists in
stained glass were put into the east window in 1835.
A priory of Augustine canons, in honour of St. Mary
Magdalene, was founded here by the Lady Avicia Corbet,
before the reign of John, and at the Dissolution possessed
a revenue of £101. 4. 1.
Tortworth (St. Leonard)
TORTWORTH (St. Leonard), a parish, in the
union of Thornbury, Upper division of the hundred of
Grumbald's-Ash, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 4 miles (W.) from Wotton-under-Edge; containing 240 inhabitants. The parish is intersected by
the road between Chipping-Sodbury and Berkeley, and
comprises 1523 acres, of which 50 are common or waste.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£16. 3. 9.; net income, £428; patrons, the Provost and
Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford.
Torver
TORVER, a chapelry, in the parish and union of
Ulverston, hundred of Lonsdale north of the Sands,
N. division of the county of Lancaster, 6 miles (W.
S. W.) from Hawkeshead; containing 199 inhabitants.
The manor of Torver, which takes its name from the
river Torver, belongs to the noble owner of the liberties
of Furness. The chapel was erected before 1661. The
living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £59; patron,
T. R. G. Braddyll, Esq. The interest of £200 was given
by John Fleming, in 1777, in support of a free grammar
school, for which a house has been built by subscription. The Baptists have a place of worship.
Torworth
TORWORTH, a township, in the parish of Blyth,
union of East Retford, Hatfield division of the wapentake of Bassetlaw, N. division of the county of
Nottingham, 4¾ miles (N. W. by N.) from East Retford; containing 252 inhabitants, and consisting of 1362
acres. A rent-charge of £420 has been awarded as
a commutation for the impropriate tithes, payable to
Trinity College, Cambridge; and one of £80 for the
vicarial tithes.