The WILLS Family of Lustleigh
3. Ilsington Farms
3.1. Narracombe
Located in the village of
Ilsington the name originates from Northacombe. Its origins probably go back
to Saxon times. Was owned by our ancestors in the LEARE and NOSWORTHY families
from the 1500s and entered into the WILLS family as a result of the marriage
of George
WILLS, of Higher Brimley, to Mary NOSWORTHY in September 1808. It was farmed
by the late Dick WILLS who was the major historian of the family, with his colleagues
Hugh PESKETT and Bill AMERY he is responsible, in over 60 years of research,
for the vast amount of knowledge available on the family. The large ancient
fireplace still exists inside the house and the original longhouse stucture
was overbuilt by the new facade and upper floors which were added in about 1836
after George WILLS married Susanna CROCKWELL. The external steps on the right
of the picture lead to the upper floor of what was once the cottage where the
NOSWORTHY sisters Sarah and Elizabeth lived untill they died in the early 1820s.
The old barn on the left housed the cider press.
In the 1851 census George WILLS, age 37, was farming
219 acres and employing 6 labourers.
3.2. Town Barton
Town Barton in the village centre of Ilsington. The above photgraphs taken in 2002 show the farm house
and the adjoining barn now converted into living accommodation. It was owned
as a farm by Charles WILLS who was baptised in Lustleigh in 1743, he also purchased Herebeare
Farm in 1786. It was passed to his son Charles and grandson Charles Corbyn WILLS,
unmarried, who sold it in 1844.
3.3. Lenda
Southeast of the village centre its land is adjacent to Narracombe. George WILLS, baptised in Lustleigh in 1706, purchased one half of Lenda from J
and E BOWDEN and the other half from Charles CORBYN it stayed in the family
until his g grandson sold it in 1838 to, a cousin, Charles Corbyn WILLS of Town
Barton.
In 1838 the Charles WILLS who was living
in it when it was sold emigrated to South Australia with his wife Mary nee KNIGHT
and two sons. Alfred a third son born in Australia brought news to Adeleide
of the discovery of Copper and received a reward of 100 guineas. The Australian
family story is that they left their home after a fire. This is confirmed by
family stories told years ago to Dick WILLS of Narracombe, also by the discovery
of burnt timbers in the roof of the farmhouse during recent rebuilding. Today
the old cottage has been restored and is the low roofed part of a large house.
An old cob walled barn remains in the farmyard. Like many other areas of Dartmoor
there is evidence of past mining activity on this farm.
The 1881 census shows John WILLS living in Lenda with his wife son and 3 daughters farming 65 acres.
3.4. Smallacombe
In
1723 John WILLS sold Smallacombe to Joseph WILLS, born in Lustleigh in 1675 the son of George of Rudge, who passed
it to his son Joseph.. It stayed in the family through 4 more generations until
Joseph, who was baptised in 1821 at the Bovey Tracey Baptist Chapel, sold it
in 1860 to Sarl & Co. Open cast iron ore mining was carried out here in
the 18/19th centuries.
In the 1851 census it was
farmed by John NORTHCOTT with his wife and a total of seven children and grandchildren,
the acreage was 167 and one labourer was employed.
3.5. Higher and Lower Sigford
One of several farms in a small hamlet in the south of Ilsington parish. Lower Sigford shown in the photograph was purchased in 1780 by Joseph WILLS of Smallacombe who was baptised in Lustleigh on 12 Dec 1731 the grandson
of George of Rudge, it was inherited by his son Thomas and then passed to his
nephew John WILLS, born 1801, who sold it to Francis BERRY in 1842.
Charles WILLS born 1743 in
Lustleigh acquired North (Higher) Sigford, possibly as a marriage settlement,
from his brother in law Charles CORBYN. This was inherited by his son Charles
and then his grandson Charles who sold it in 1860
Updated 12 May 2003 by Mike Wills