ON THE OPENING OF THE NORTH DEVON RAILWAY (Written circa 12th July 1854) Dear Ellen, - I promis’d I’d write you this even, And tell of the wonders I’ve witnessed to-day. I came in the morning, at half-past-seven, And never saw Barum so gaudy and gay. High-street was full of attraction, and really A vista of beauty it form’d to the eye; Banners were flying and floating so gaily, With arches triumphant so gracefully by. I thought that their number would never have ended, With festoons of flowers so prettily crown’d: Trace, Agriculture and Commerce were blended On flags that were streaming abundantly round. The town was all over alive and alert, And happiness seem’d to possess every heart; With joy and delight every bosom was warm’d, When down by the “North” the procession was form’d. The soldiers came first in their gorgeous array, And none had for me such attraction as they; The officers really look’d splendid – but then I will not be quite so profuse on the men. If I have to select, why I’ll name, by the way, A captain who rode on a spirited grey. While he was commanding, and proud as a lord. He was graceful and easy and keen as a sword. Then a body of men, and I never before Saw such handsome and strange silver things as they bore. I forget now the name that the people did tell us, But they certainly were such a lot of “Odd Fellows.” Then came the brave workmen who live by their toil, And to them I could give an affectionate smile. Next some banners I think – and then in their place, Came the men who supply you and I, dear, with lace. Then the sons of old Neptune, so brave and as free As the billows that roll on their own native sea. Now came in a body, good natured and hale, The parties who have control of the rail. The farmers and tradesmen uniting together, Like sons of one parent, they walked with each other. And you always have said there is no other charmer Can win like a right hearty, gallant, young farmer. Then the clergy appear’d, but a somewhat small section, With the people who keep naughty folks in subjection. A lot of strange beings, with gowns and gold lace, I believe I have to give those the next place. And now quite a contrast – my tale to pursue – Came children with stockings and jackets of blue. Then the grace and delight and the charm of the whole, The members who join the Freemasonry roll. And now, at the very tail-end of the train, My dear I’ll peep at the red coats again. In this order they kept walking up hill and down, Until they had traversed the whole of the town. Then went to the Station, and, wheeling about, Came back by the very same way they went out. And now, quite in order, still keeping their line, Marched to the new Market and halted to dine. Where eight hundred sat down to a dinner, no more Than barely sufficient to satisfy four. What a shame to the host! – now tell me, my dear, What shall be his punishment? Pray let me hear. Shall his sentence be this? No, listen; perhaps, The best sentence would be, Let him live on the scraps – The food that was left; and, with safety I say, If he had nothing else, he would starve in a day. - Well, the even was spent very gaily by all: Some went to the Theatre, some to the Ball; But I think that the latter had greater éclat, I judge by a handsome young captain I saw, With his splendid attire and benevolent face, He’s the very perfection of manhood and grace. And I thought, Nell, how much I should like to be led By a partner like him in the maze of the dance. For you know – but, gracious, it must not be said – How such kind of partners our feelings entrance. ‘Tis two in the morning, and I must cease writing; My candle’s burnt down and my eyelids are closing, The day hath been long and so very exciting. And now, left alone, I cannot help dosing – I’m drowsy, and tired, and stupid and dizzy. So no more from me. Your affectionate Lizzy. People: Ellen Lizzy (the writer Elizabeth Parminter) Participating in the parade: The Military: The writer was much impressed by the officers on parade, particularly the commanding captain, but was not so impressed by the other ranks it seems. sons of old Neptune = sailors, referred to as brave and free Lacemakers Controllers of the Railway Farmers Tradesmen the clergy (only a few) people who keep naughty folks in subjection (police or judges?) A lot of strange beings, with gowns and gold lace (academics or town Councillors?) children with stockings and jackets of blue (schoolchildren? – Blue Coat School?) Freemasons (the writer was impressed by them) the Red Coats (soldiers) Places: Barum = Barnstaple, Devon In 1498 Richard Parminter was Mayor of Barnstaple and members of the Parminter family have long been associated with the town. My great grandfather James Churchward Parminter was born there in July 1848 later emigrating to Ireland and marrying Edith Burke Kellett of County Meath. Barnstaple is a former river-port, civil parish and largest town of the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete. The name is first recorded in the 10th century and is believed to derive from the Old English bearde, meaning battle-axe, and stapol, meaning pillar, referring to a post or pillar set up to mark a religious or administrative meeting place. The belief that the name derives from staple meaning market, indicating that there was a market here from the foundation of the settlement, is incorrect, because the use of staple in that sense is not recorded in England before 1423. Barnstaple was formerly referred to as Barum, from a contraction of the Latin form of the name (ad Barnastapolitum) in Latin documents such as the episcopal registers of the Diocese of Exeter. Barum was mentioned by Shakespeare, and the name was revived and popularised in Victorian times, when it featured in several contemporary novels. The name Barum is retained in the names of a football team, brewery, and of several local businesses. The earliest settlement in the area was probably at Pilton on the bank of the River Yeo, now a northern suburb of the present town. Pilton is recorded in the Burghal Hidage (c. 917) as a burh founded by Alfred the Great, and it may have been the site of a Viking attack in 893, but by the later 10th century Barnstaple had taken over its role of local defence. Barnstaple had its own mint before the Norman Conquest. The large feudal barony of Barnstaple had its caput at Barnstaple Castle. It was granted by William the Conqueror to Geoffrey de Montbray, who is recorded as its holder in Domesday Book. The barony escheated to the crown in 1095 after Montbray had rebelled against King William II. William re-granted the barony to Juhel de Totnes, formerly feudal baron of Totnes. In about 1107, Juhel, who had already founded Totnes Priory, founded Barnstaple Priory, of the Cluniac order, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. After Juhels son died without children, the barony was split into two, passing through the de Braose and Tracy families, before being reunited under Henry de Tracy. It then passed through several other families, before ending up in the ownership of Margaret Beaufort (died 1509), mother of king Henry VII. In the 1340s the merchants of the town claimed that the rights of a free borough had been granted to them by King Athelstan in a lost charter. Although this was challenged from time to time by subsequent lords of the manor, it still allowed the merchants an unusual degree of self-government. The towns wealth in the Middle Ages was founded on its being a staple port licensed to export wool. It had an early merchant guild, known as the Guild of St. Nicholas. In the early 14th century it was the third richest town in Devon, behind Exeter and Plymouth, and it was the largest textile centre outside Exeter until about 1600. Its wool trade was further aided by the towns port, from which in 1588 five ships were contributed to the force sent to fight the Spanish Armada. Barnstaple was one of the privileged ports of the Spanish Company, (established 1577) whose armorials are visible on two of the mural monuments to 17th century merchants in St Peters Church, and on the decorated plaster ceiling of the former Golden Lion Inn, 62 Boutport Street (now a restaurant next to the Royal and Fortescue Hotel). The developing trade with America in the 16th and 17th centuries greatly benefited the town. The wealthy merchants that this trade created built impressive town houses, some of which survive behind more recent frontages—they include No. 62 Boutport Street, said to have one of the best plaster ceilings in Devon. The merchants also built several almshouses, and they ensured they would be remembered by installing elaborate monuments to their families in the church. By the 18th century, Barnstaple had ceased to be a woollen manufacturing town, but this business was replaced by the import of Irish wool and yarn, for which it was the main landing place; the raw materials were carried by land to the new clothmaking towns in mid- and east Devon, such as Tiverton and Honiton. However, the harbour was gradually silting up—as early as c. 1630 Tristram Risdon reported that it hardly beareth small vessels—and Bideford, which is lower down the estuary and benefits from the scouring action of the fast flowing River Torridge, gradually took over the foreign trade. Although for a time between 1680 and 1730, Barnstaples trade was surpassed by Bidefords, it retained its economic importance until the early 20th century, when it was manufacturing lace, gloves, sail-cloth and fishing-nets, it had extensive potteries, tanneries, sawmills and foundries, and shipbuilding was also carried on. Barnstaple was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. Barnstaple has an eclectic mix of architectural style with the 19th century probably now predominant. There are some remnants of early buildings to enjoy as well as several early plaster ceilings. St. Annes Chapel in the central churchyard is probably the best of the ancient buildings to survive. Queen Annes Walk was erected c. 1708 as a mercantile exchange. The Georgian Guildhall is also of interest as well as the Pannier Market beneath. The museum has an arts and crafts vibe with its tessellated floors, locally made staircase and decorative fireplaces. A wooden castle was built by Geoffrey de Mowbray, Bishop of Coutances in the 11th century, clearing houses to make room for it. Juhel of Totnes later occupied the castle and founded Barnstaple Priory just outside its walls. The castles first stone buildings were probably erected by Henry de Tracey, a strong supporter of King Stephen. In 1228, the Sheriff of Devon ordered the walls of the castle to be reduced to a height of 10 feet (3 m). By the time of the death of the last Henry de Tracey in 1274, the castle was beginning to decay. The fabric of the castle was used in the construction of other buildings and by 1326 the castle was a ruin. The remaining walls blew down in a storm in 1601. Today only the tree covered motte remains. St Annes Chapel was restored in 2012. It was an ancient chantry chapel, the assets of which were acquired by the Mayor of Barnstaple and others in 1585, some time after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The deed of feoffment dated 1 November 1585 exists in the George Grant Francis collection in Cardiff: i) Robert Appley the elder, Robert Cade, Hugh Brasyer and Richard Wetheridge of Barnestaple to: ii) William Plamer, mayor of Barnestaple, Richard Dodderidge, Roger Cade, Symon Monngey, Robert Appley the younger, Robert Pronze (Prouse?), Roger Beaple, George Pyne, gent., Jacob Wescombe, Gilbert Hareys, Robert Marlen, Thomas Mathewe, James Beaple, George Baker, James Downe, William Bayly, John Collybeare, Robert Collybeare and John Knyll of Barnestaple; 1 Chancery and Chapel of St Anne lately dissolved in Barnestaple with 1 house with land belonging to the late Chancery and Chapel; also 1 house and land in Barnestaple which John Littlestone of Barnestaple, merchant and John Buddle, potter granted to Barnstaple has been the major market for North Devon since Saxon times. Demands for health regulation of its food market in Victorian times saw the construction in 1855 to 1856 of the towns Pannier Market, originally known as the Vegetable Market and designed by R D Gould. The building has a high glass and timber roof on iron columns. At 107 yards (98 m) long, it runs the length of Butchers Row. Market days are Monday – Crafts and General (April to December), Tuesday – General and Produce (all year), Wednesday – Arts Collectables and Books (all year), Thursday – Crafts and General (all year), Friday – General and Produce (all year) and Saturday – General and Produce (all year). Built on the other side of the street at the same time as the Pannier Market, Butchers Row consists of ten shops with pilasters of Bath Stone, and wrought iron supports to an overhanging roof. North Devon Railway The North Devon Railway was a railway company which operated a line from Cowley Bridge Junction, near Exeter, to Bideford in Devon, England, later becoming part of the London and South Western Railways system. Originally planned as a broad gauge (7 ft 0¼ in, 2,140 mm) feeder to the Bristol & Exeter Railway, it became part of a battle between the broad gauge group and the standard gauge railway interests. In this context, standard gauge lines were often described as narrow gauge. The original construction in the middle of the nineteenth century was significant in giving rail connection to the important, but remote towns of North Devon that had hitherto relied on the packhorse and coastal shipping. The Exeter to Barnstaple section followed the rivers Yeo and Taw, passing through pleasing countryside, and meandered with the valleys, but passing only very small settlements. It remains open between Exeter and Barnstaple, and passenger trains on the route are branded the Tarka Line for marketing purposes. The northern extremities turned south to Bideford and Torrington following the coast of the Bristol Channel before turning inland. Part of this section is now a cycleway known as the Tarka Trail. In the 1830s, it began to be apparent that railways could substantially improve the prospects of connected towns. Most existing transport was by coastal shipping, by rivers and canals, or by pack horse. In 1831 promoters in Crediton decided that rail connection to a dock on the tidal River Exe at Exeter was needed, and Parliamentary powers were obtained by Act of 23 June 1832. However no construction actually took place and the powers lapsed. A public meeting at Barnstaple came to a corresponding conclusion for their town, and proposed a railway to Fremington, and to construct a dock there, avoiding the difficult passage of the River Taw to their town. They obtained the Taw Vale Railway and Dock Act on 11 June 1838, but this scheme too resulted in no actual construction. However there was enough interest to get the Taw Vale Amendment Act on 21 July 1845 extending the powers and authorising certain additional works. The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) reached Exeter, opening on 1 May 1844, putting the city directly in rail communication with London. At this time it was realised everywhere that railways were needed to connect with the beginnings of a national network. High dividend distributions among the earlier companies provoked a vast number of railway schemes, at a time when it was believed that any district could only support a single railway, and the frenzy this created is known as the railway mania. At the same time, the Great Western Railway (GWR) and its ally the B&ER were built using the broad gauge, while nearly all large competing companies used the standard gauge (often referred to as the narrow gauge in contrast). If a new independent local scheme was being promoted, securing its chosen gauge to be broad or narrow also secured its allegiance to one or the other of the larger companies, and in turn this might secure further territorial exclusivity for the winner. This continuing process became known as the gauge wars. In 1845 the railway mania resulted in a huge number of competing schemes being proposed in Parliament, which arranged for a Railway Commission led by Lord Dalhousie to review competing proposals and recommend a selected scheme for each area. The Commission was informally referred to at the time as the Five Kings. In addition, because of difficulties in operating a national network with railways using different gauges, a Gauge Commission was set up to propose policy on the gauge question. Schemes put forward for the consideration of Dalhousies included a new Exeter and Crediton Railway (to join Crediton to the B&ER at Exeter) and a North Devon Railway to run from Crediton to Barnstaple. The Commission rejected all other proposals for the area, and in a report dated 4 March 1845 they recommended postponement of a decision on these two in order to appraise an alternative route suggestion, to run from Tiverton to Barnstaple instead of Exeter to Barnstaple. The Taw Vale Dock and Railway from Barnstaple to Fremington was of course already authorised. Crediton had observed the arrival of the B&ER at Exeter and developed a scheme to run from their town to join the B&ER at Cowley Bridge. Surprisingly in view of Dalhousies recommendation, they got their Act of Parliament on 21 July 1845, with authorised capital of £70,000. The track gauge was not specified. The new Company intended to lease their line to the B&ER. With the Taw Vale line (from Barnstaple to Fremington) and the Exeter and Crediton line authorised, thoughts turned more urgently to connecting Barnstaple to the emerging national network; two projected lines sought to do this in the 1846 session of Parliament, and they polarised in their obvious allegiance to other lines. A North Devon Railway Company was promoted to build a broad gauge line from Tiverton, where the B&ER was building a branch line, via Bampton and Dulverton to Barnstaple and Bideford. Several directors of the B&ER and Great Western Railway were on the provisional committee, together with the Lord Lieutenant of Devonshire and other worthies; and the scheme became inflated with lines to Taunton and Plymouth, and the estimated cost rose to £1.75 million. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the engineer. However the deposited plans were submitted to Parliament late, and the Bill was rejected as not complying with Standing Orders; no more was heard of this North Devon Railway and £38,668 had been expended on surveys and designs fruitlessly. The second was the Taw Vale Railway Extension and Dock Company. The capital was to be £700,000, to build from Barnstaple to Crediton; in effect the route of the 1845 North Devon Railway that had been postponed by decision of Dalhousies committee. The difference from the previous scheme was that the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) was heavily supporting the proposed line, seeing the chance to capture a large area of territory. The engineer was Joseph Locke, the engineer of the LSWR. This was evidently a long term aim, for at this time the LSWR Was still building its Salisbury branch, 90 miles away. The TVER was to take over the Taw Vale Railway works, and to have new capital of £533,000, and it got its authorising Act of Parliament on 7 August 1846. The new Company was usually referred to as the Taw Vale Extension Railway, (TVER), or simply the Taw Vale Railway. The following session saw the TVER get an authorising Act (on 22 July 1847) for branches to Bideford and South Molton. When the broad gauge interest lost their proposed North Devon Railway, they lost no time in negotiating with the TVER promoters, and provisionally agreed a lease of the line to the B&ER; there was already a corresponding provisional agreement for the B&ER to lease the Exeter and Crediton line. These provisional leases had to be ratified by shareholders, and the allegiance to the B&ER and the broad gauge, or to the LSWR and the narrow gauge, was a contentious issue. It was known that many E&CR shares had been bought up by persons favourable to the LSWR and at the E&CR shareholders meeting on 11 January 1847 the provisional lease was rejected. A week later the provisional TVER lease had to be put to its shareholders meeting for ratification, and it was rejected unanimously. A more favourable lease to the LSWR was negotiated and ratified by shareholders on 18 January 1847. The Exeter and Crediton line needed to lease its line, and the shareholders now ratified a lease to the TVER on 24 February 1847. This was to be guaranteed by the LSWR and was in effect a lease to them. J W Buller was chairman of the E&CR board and he and other directors aligned to the B&ER were in the majority; but it was very plain that the huge majority of shareholders favoured the LSWR. To frustrate further alignment to the narrow gauge, Buller signed a two-year contract with a George Hennett to work the line on 7 April 1847. The minority Taw Vale directors called an Extraordinary General Meeting on 12 April 1847, and proposed removal of Buller and three other B&ER directors, and proposed prohibiting the opening of the line on the broad gauge. Buller as Chairman declared the proposition to be illegal but it was carried. Amid angry scenes and a scuffle, Buller and his friends departed the meeting, taking the minute book with them. At subsequent legal hearings, the takeover by the Taw Vale directors was declared to be legal, and a director called Thorne was properly the Chairman of the Company. Complaints were made to the Railway Commissioners, and they found that the LSWR had improperly funded share purchases by local individuals to gain a majority at the votes, but the B&ER had done a similar thing over the E&CR vote. Taw Vale and Exeter & Crediton construction While all this had been going on, some actual construction had also been worked on. The Taw Vale had started construction on 5 January 1846, and the Exeter and Crediton had started work at the end of 1845. In fact at the shareholders meeting of 24 February 1847 referred to above, Buller had reported that the line was complete and ready, excepting the connection to the B&ER at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, which could not be made until some formal agreement with the B&ER had been made. By March 1847 the original Taw Vale line from Barnstaple to Fremington was substantially complete, and the first sod of the extension was dug, and contracts for it let. However the financial collapse following the railway mania led to scarcity of money, and in November work on the Extension had to be suspended. The authorising Act for the Taw Vale Extension had left the crucial question of the gauge of the new line to be determined by the Board of Trade. The TVER now on 27 August 1847 asked for approval for laying standard gauge track. The authorising Act for the Taw Vale Extension had left the crucial question of the gauge of the new line to be determined by the Board of Trade. The TVER now on 27 August 1847 asked for approval for laying standard gauge track. Following the rejection of the E&CR lease to the B&ER, the directors of the E&CR now saw themselves as aligned to the LSWR. The railway had been fully completed, except for the connection to the B&ER at Cowley Bridge. Believing that this connection was now impossible, on 3 December 1847 the Board ordered the broad gauge track to be converted to narrow gauge. Reaching Exeter over the B&ER would be impossible, so they started work on a station at Cowley Bridge near the turnpike road: Cowley Bridge was to be their railhead for Exeter. This arrangement would be hugely inconvenient, for traffic from Barnstaple and North Devon, as well as Crediton. The Railway Commissioners of the Board of Trade now on 8 February 1848 gave their decision on the gauge of the TVER: it was to be on the broad gauge, because of the dominance of the broad gauge on the main lines in the area: the B&ER and the South Devon Railway, open from Exeter to Totnes, and building on to Plymouth. The decision only applied to the TVER: the section from Crediton to Barnstaple. The E&CR and the original Taw Vale line to Bideford had been authorised without the requirement to get Board of Trade approval for their gauge. Four days later, on 12 February 1848 the E&CR directors announced that they had changed the gauge of their line to the national gauge. They had now exceeded their authorised capital and borrowings, so they obtained authority in an Act of 10 June 1850 to increase the capital by £20,000 in what would nowadays be called a rights issue. Their Act also authorised enlargement of their Cowley Bridge station. Finally the LSWR had promoted, with its allies, a line from Salisbury to Exeter, which was approved, but on 28 June 1848 a link line from its independent Exeter station to reach Cowley Bridge was rejected. For the time being the E&CR, and therefore all the North Devon lines, were isolated. Achievements to 1850 With work on the TVER at a standstill for lack of cash, and the double track E&CR line completed but not operating, there was little to show for all the frenzied activity, and huge expenditure, of the preceding years. In fact the sole tangible outcome was that the original Taw Vale line from Barnstaple to Fremington had opened on the narrow gauge in August 1848; it was operated by horse traction, for goods traffic only. His lease expired on 18 May 1850 and the Taw Vale board did not permit its allocation because of damage to the track by horses. For the time being, the broad gauge interest was the only network with the resources to assist the North Devon lines. The E&CR, chaired by William Chapman, who was also the Chairman of the LSWR, obtained the shareholders approval on 28 February 1851 for a lease of their line to the B&ER; the B&ER would do everything necessary to work the line; and the lease would expire seven years after the opening of the Crediton to Fremington line. The E&CR was to reinstate broad gauge on one line of the double track, and pay the B&ER to install the essential junction at Cowley Bridge. This was quickly done, with the second narrow gauge line being left disconnected. Captain Mynne of the Board of Trade inspected the line and approved it, and a ceremonial opening took place on 12 May 1851. A passenger service of seven trains each way started immediately. The stations were St Cyres and Crediton; the Cowley Bridge station was not now required and was never opened. The TVER had suspended work due to lack of cash, and it was now time for it too to reappraise the situation. 20% of the shares had been forfeited, but many landowners had been induced to accept shares for the purchase of necessary land; it was proposed to return to Parliament to reduce the capital of the company and to authorise numerous deviations, so that the line could be opened as a single broad gauge line. This was approved and the Act was obtained on 24 July 1851, and the Companys name was changed to the North Devon Railway & Dock Company, generally referred to as the North Devon Railway (NDR). £50,000 in new shareholdings was required and the directors exerted themselves considerably to canvass for this, finally being successful in December 1851. The first sod of the new construction was cut on 2 February 1851; Thomas Brassey was the contractor, and the line was to be leased to him, but hiring in rolling stock from the B&ER. On 30 June 1854 Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade made his inspection of the Crediton to Barnstaple section; it was not proposed to open the Barnstaple to Fremington line until the continuation to Bideford was ready. (In fact the powers for this had not been renewed, and they lapsed.) He made some comments regarding signal positions and observed that the track was broad gauge on cross sleepers with double I rails: flat bottom rails. It was single line broad gauge throughout, with the electric telegraph installed throughout the line. Opening ceremony of the North Devon Railway at Barnstaple A ceremonial opening from Crediton to Barnstaple took place on 12 July 1854, but due to Tylers requirements, the full public opening was delayed until 1 August 1854. There were four trains each way on weekdays, and two on Sundays. The stations were: • Yeoford • Copplestone • Morchard Road • Lapford • Eggesford • South Molton Road • Portsmouth Arms • Umberleigh • Chapelton siding; became a passenger station 8 June 1857, and closed 19 April 1860. Reopened 1 March 1875. There have been several alternate spellings, including Chapeltown and Chappletown. • Barnstaple Brassey operated the line, at first using the B&ER rolling stock contracted in by the NDR directors, but after 28 July 1855 he provided his own stock. Engines were changed at Crediton on through trains. (source Wikipedia 16 Dec 2014).
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:39:53 +0000
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