CORNWOOD, a small village (commonly called Cross,) in the Yealm valley, on the southern borders of Dartmoor Forest, 4½ miles N.E. of Earl’s Plympton, has in its parish 1080 souls, and 10,680 acres of land, including 700A. of woodland, and 7438A. of common, extending six miles northward, among the hills and dells of Dartmoor, to the sources of the rivers Yealm and Erme. This large parish includes many scattered houses, the small hamlets of Cross, Lutton, Torr, Waterleet, Houndle, and Dunaton, and part of the large village of Ivybridge, which has a post office, a district church, and a railway station, as afterwards noticed. (See Ermington.) There are cattle fairs at Cornwood on the first Monday in May, and the last Monday in September. Wm. M. Praed, Esq., is lord of the manor of Cornwood, and has a pleasant seat here, called Delamore, which formerly belonged to the Coles, who built the present mansion, and afterwards to the Belmaine, Maynard, Treby, and Hayes families. Slade is the seat of W. Pode, Esq., and formerly belonged to the Coles, Saverys, and Spurrells. Fardell, an old farm-house, was formerly a seat of the Raleighs, and is said to have been the occasional residence of the great Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir F. Rogers, Bart., is lord of the manor of Blackford, and resides at Blackford House, a large substantial mansion, in a delightful situation, commanding fine views. Some of the apartments are large and elegant, and graced with many good paintings, some by Vandyke, Canalitte, Vanloo, and other eminent masters. He is also owner of South Hele and Wisdom estates. John Rogers, who resided at Wisdom Barton, was created a baronet in 1699. The old farm-house, called Colwich town, was the original seat of the Colwich family. The Earl of Morley and a few smaller owners have estates in the parish. The Church (St. Michael,) is an ancient structure, with a tower and six bells. It is chiefly in the perpendicular style of the 15th century, except the tower and part of the chancel which are much older. It has lately been renovated, and has many mural tablets, belonging to the Rogers and other families. Sir Frederick Rogers, who died in 1777, was recorder of Plymouth, and his son, Sir F. L. Rogers, who died in 1797, represented that borough in Parliament. They were desendants from Dr. Rogers, who suffered martyrdom in Queen Mary’s reign. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £33. 4s. 7d., and in 1831 at £350, is in the patronage of the Bishop of Exeter, and incumbency of the Rev. H. G. Adams, B.A., who has a good residence and about 60A. of glebe. Sir F. L. Rogers, Bart., is impropriator of the great tithes, which were commuted in 1842 for £280. In 1700, £150, derived from the sale of some old poor’s land, was laid out in the purchase of a farm 27A. 3R. 2P., now let for about £40 a year, which is distributed in blankets and clothing among the poor parishioners. There are, belonging to the same trust, two houses, occupied rent-free by poor persons. The Parish School, with a house for the teacher, was built about 1818, at the expense of the Rev. Duke Yonge, except what was derived from the sale of an old cottage belonging to the poor. In 1811, the same Rev. D. Yonge gave the reversion of a house, garden, orchard, and two meadows at Lutton or Leeton, in trust to apply one-half of the rent in providing medical aid for the poor parishioners; £10 a year in schooling poor children; and the residue to be distributed in bibles, prayer books, &c.
