CORNWORTHY, is a small village, in the picturesque and well woody valley, near the confluence of the Harbourn river with the estuary of the Dart, 4 miles S.S.E. of Totnes. Its parish contains 554 inhabitants, and 2575 acres of land, including the small hamlets of Allaleigh, East Cornworthy, Tideford and part of Tuckenhay, where there are quays on the river Harbourn, and paper and corn mills in the adjoining parish of Ashprington. William Newman, Esq., is lord of the manor of Cornworthy, or Concorde; and George Strode, Esq., is lord of the manor of East Cornworthy; but a great part of the parish belongs to Sir J. L. Duntze, the Rev. Jacob Ley, J. F. P. Phillips, M. P. French, Pp. Michelmore, John and Edw. Holditch, and a few smaller freeholders. The surface is rather hilly, and the soil is generally light and fertile, resting on slate and dunstone, and in some places on limestone. The land is mostly in tillage, but has a fair proportion of pasturage, and a number of extensive orchards, producing excellent cider. Cornworthy is spoken of as a borough in ancient records, and Allaleigh is said to have formerly had a large village and tannery. Cornworthy Priory, for nuns of the order of St. Austin, was founded at an early period by one of the lords of Totnes, and was valued at £63 per annum at dissolution. The venerable gateway of the priory is still standing near the farm-house of Court Prior, and some remains of the chapel may be seen in the barn. This estate was long held by the Harris family, but now belongs to Mr. John Holditch. The Church (St. Peter,) is an ancient structure, in the early perpendicular style, with a tower and six bells, but the stone mullions have been replaced by wooden frames. The rood screen and the old Norman font remain. In the chancel is a monument, with effegies of Sir Thomas Harris, his wife, and four children, erected about 1610. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £10, and in 1831 at £220, is endowed with the great tithes of Abbotskerswell and has a good residence and 35A. 38P. of glebe. The Rev. W. K. Sweetland, M.A., is patron and incumbent. The unredeemed tithes of Cornworthy (on 1012A.) were commuted in 1845 for £195 per annum belonging to Mrs. Tucker, Edw. Holditch, and John Peeke, but subject to a yearly stipend of £10 for the vicar, and the yearly payments of 40s. for the poor of this parish and £18 for the poor of 18 other parishes, left by John Peter, in 1570. The Church House, which has long been vested for the use of the poor parishioners, was used as the workhouse, but is now divided into tenements, let, with a garden, for £12 a year. It has lately been much improved, and part of it is now the parish school. There is a stable for the use of persons riding to church on Sundays. In 1633, Elizabeth Harris left £100 to be invested in land, &c., for the poor of the parish, and for other good and religious uses. The property purchased with this legacy, now consists of a house, two cottages, three orchards, and about 21 acres of land, let for £37. 10s. a year, of which £20 is paid for schooling poor children, and the remainder is distributed among the poor at Easter. The vicar and others are trustees. The late vicar, the Rev. Chas. Barter, held the living for 70 years, and died in 1846, aged 95. Near the confluence of the two rivers is an entrenchment, partly covered with wood, supposed to have been a Roman encampment, and still retaining part of the fosse, 30 feet deep.
