St. Giles in the Heath in 1902

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Taken from the Kelly’s Post Office Directory of 1902.

ST. GILES-IN-THE-HEATH is a village and parish near the river Tamar and the road from Holsworthy to Launceston, 1 1/2 miles north-west from Tower Hill station on the Launceston branch of the London and South Western railway, 5 north-east from Launceston and 9 south from Holsworthy, in the Western division of the county, Black Torrington hundred, Lifton petty sessional division, Launceston union and county court district, rural deanery of Trigg Major, archdeaconry of Bodmin and diocese of Truro. The  river Tamar flows through the parish. The church of St. Giles is a small but ancient edifice, principally in the Perpendicular style, with Early English remains, and consists of chancel, nave of five bays, south aisle, south porch and a low western tower with pyramidal roof, containing 5 bells, all cast in 1740, except the tenor, which dates from 1793: the chancel retains a piscina and the east windows have Decorated tracery : at the east end of the aisle is a mural monument to the Cary family, dated 1565, and above this a memorial window to the Johns family, erected in 1877, when the church was entirely rebuilt (with the exception of a part of the north wall, which is Early English), at a cost of 1,050 : there are 140 sittings. The register dates from the year 1653. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value 122, with 7 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Duke of Bedford, and held since 1888 by the Rev. David Edser of St. Aidan’s. Here is a Bible Christian chapel. A charity, of the annual value of about 11s. is given to the poor. The Duke of Bedford, who is lord of the manor, Mrs. Ford and H. Fairfax Harvey esq. of Highcroft, Heavitree, Exeter, are the principal landowners. The soil is chiefly clay; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat and oats. The area is 3,130 acres of land and 17 of water; rateable value, 1,713; the population in 1901 was 258.
Letters through Launceston, the nearest money order office, arrive at n a.m. The postman collects letters
The nearest telegraph office is at Tower Hill railway station, 1 1/2 miles distant
A School Board of 5 members was formed March 29, 1879 ; Sidney Dockett, Ashwater, clerk to the board
Board School (mixed) (formerly National), for 65 children; average attendance, 58 ; Mrs. Ellen Savage, mistress; a new school is now (1901) in course of erection.

Visits: 193