Lifton from the Kelly’s Directory of 1902

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LIFTON is a parish and village and head of a petty sessional division, pleasantly seated near the Cornish border, in the valley of the river Lyd, about a mile from its confluence with the Tamar, and on the road from Okehampton to Launceston, with a station on the Launceston and Tavistock branch of the Great Western railway, and is 4 miles east from Launceston, 7 miles north from Tavistock and 275 from London, in the Western division of the county, Lifton hundred, Tavistock union, Lannceston county court district,
rural deanery of Tavistock, archdeaconry of Totnes and diocese of Exeter. The church of St. Mary is an ancient structure in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, separated from the nave and chancel by an arcade of 6 arches, north porch with parvise and an embattled western tower,with crocketed pinnacles, containing a clock and 8 bells, all recast by Taylor,
of Oxford, in 1827; the tower and bells were renovated in 1881 at a cost of £259; the clock was presented by the Rev. A. H. Simms and his mother in 1883 at a cost of about £110, and in 1885 the pinnacles of the tower were repaired at an expense of £34 : in the church are several monuments to the Harris and Dynham families, one of m which, on the north side of the chancel, has three lifesized kneeling effigies, in the costume of the period, representing members of the Harris family, with the dates 1590, 1618, and 1631 ; this monument was restored in 1742 and 1795, and again in 1871 : in the south chapel is a richly
illuminated mural monument to John Dynham, dated 1649; and there is an interesting Norman font: the north window in the chancel is a memorial to the Tucker family ; two of the windows in the nave are also stained : the chancel retains a piscina, and there is another in the south chapel, which also contains a brass to John Harris, ob.1657 : in 1871 the church was thoroughly restored and re-seated, and in 1888 an organ-chamber was erected at a cost of £133 : there are 350 sittings. The register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 1653; marriages, 1654. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £322, exclusive of 20 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Frank Bradshaw esq. J.P. and held since 1900 by the Rev. Richard Witherstone Buller ‘M.A. of New College, Oxford. The Rectory House, formerly the manor house, is a substantial mansion, with walls of extraordinary thickness. King Charles I. slept here on the 3ist of July, 1644. The Rectory House was anciently situated at Cross Town, about 1 1/2 miles distant from the church, but on the purchase of the manor of Lifton by William Harris esq. of Hayne in
1555, it is probable that the present house was assigned as a residence for the rector ; it was certainly so described in a terrier of the living in 1613. There is a Baptist chapel in the village, a Bible Christian chapel at Tinhay, built in 1876, and a Wesleyan chapel at Lifton down. In the village is a literary institute and reading room. A fair is held here on the i3th of February. In the parish are two lime quarries and a manganese mine, but none of these are at present being worked. Lifton Park, the seat of Frank  Bradshaw esq. J.P. is a large, modern mansion in the Tudor style, situated in the valley of the river Tamar and commanding delightful views : the estate covers 7,000 acres, about 5,000 of which are in Lifton parish and 2,000 in the neighbouring parishes. Frank Bradshaw esq. who is lord of the manor, the Hon. Mrs. Tremayne, of Sydenham House, Lew Down, and the Rev. Maitland Kelly M.A. of Kelly, are the chief landowners. The soil is various; subsoil, limestone and clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, and some land is in pasture. The parish comprises 5,330 acres of land and 46 of water ; rateable value, 6,464; the population in 1891 was 1,195 in the civil and 1,264 in the ecclesiastical parish.
By Local Government Board Order 15,034, which came into operation March 24, 1884, a detached part of this parish (the hamlet of West Week) was amalgamated with Broadwood Widger in Launceston union for civil purposes. Deputy Sexton, Frederick Creber. Post, M. 0. & T. 0., T. M. 0.. S. B., Express Delivery, Parcel* Annuity* Insurance Office (Railwav Sub-Office. Letters should haveR.S.O. North Devon added). Wm. Henry Teague, postmaster. Letters received from London & Exeter at 6 a.m. & 7 p.m. 12.30 & 6.35 p.m. ; Sundays, letters received 6 a.m. dispatched 6.35 p.m. Wall Box, opposite the Railway station, cleared at 5.45 p.m. week days only Wall Letter Box, Lifton Down, cleared at 5.30 p.m. week days only
COUNTY MAGISTRATES FOR LIFTON PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION.
Chairman The Senior magistrate present.
Byng Col. The Hon. Charles Cavendish George, Edymead house, Launceston
Baring-Gould Rev. Sabine M.A. Bectory, Lew Trenchard, Lew Down R.S.O
Bradshaw Frank esq. Lifton park, Lifton R.S.O
Bradshaw James Buller esq. Lifton park, Lifton R.S.O
Coode Richard Carlyon esq. D.L. Polapit Tamar, Launceston
Macbeth Alexander esq. Fernhill, Broadwood Widger, Lifton R.S.O
Oag James esq. Thorndon, Ashwater, Beaworthy B.S.O
Spear John Ward esq. M.P. Eastcott, Dunterton, Tavistck
Spry Tredenham Hugh esq. Witherdon, Lew Down R.S.O
Clerk to Magistrates, C. R. Gerveys Grylls, Launceston
Petty Sessions are held at Lifton the first thursday in every month at 11 a.m.
The following places are included in the petty sessional division: Bradstone, Bratton Clovelly, Bridestowe, Broadwood Widger, Coryton, Dunterton, Germansweek, Kelly, Lew Trenchard, Lifton, Marystowe, North Petherwin, St.Giles-in-the-Heath, Sourton, Stowford, Thrushelton, Virginstowe & Werrington

County Police Station, Lifton sub-division, Thos. Hill, sergeant & 8 constables

National School (boys, girls & infants), erected in 1871 by Henry Bradshaw esq. for 330 children ; average attendance, 63 boys, 60 girls & 51 infants; Henry Buckingham, master; Miss Ellen Caddy, mistress; Miss Mary Ann Richards King, infants’ mistress

Railway Station, John Bowden, station master Carrier. Hy. Yole, to Tavistock, fri. ; to Launceston, sat

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