White's History, Gazetteer and Directory
of the County of Devon, 1878

ST. GILES-IN-THE-WOOD, or Stow St. Giles, a parish and pleasant village 3 miles E. by S. of Great Torrington, is in Torrington union and county court district, Great Torrington petty sessional division, Fremington hundred, Northern division of the county, Barnstaple archdeaconry, and Torrington rural deanery. It had 977 inhabitants (478 males, 499 females) in 1871, living in 188 houses, on 4827 acres of land. The parish includes the hamlets of Kingscott, High Bullen, Dodscott, and Healand. A great part of it is in the manor of Stevenstone, which belongs to the Hon. Mark G. K. Rolle. He resides at Stevenstone House, which was almost entirely rebuilt and enlarged in 1868-72. It is in the Victorian style of architecture, and stands in a park of about 370 acres, which is well stocked with deer and contains fine timber. The Hon. Mark Rolle also owns the manor of Winscott, once held by Risdon the antiquary. Way Barton belongs to the Rev. C. W. Furse. Stevenstone is lighted with gas from works erected in 1873. Many good cottages have been erected during the last ten years, thus much improving the village. The Church (St. Giles the Hermit), built in 1309 as a chapel to Torrington, and now consisting of nave, chancel, aisles, transepts, and tower containing six bells and a clock, was restored, in 1862, by the Hon. Mark Rolle, at a cost of £2000. Several of the windows are enriched with stained glass. The lych gate was erected by the patron in 1877. The benefice is a vicarage, valued at £120, in the patronage of the Hon. Mark Rolle, and incumbency of the Rev. H. J. Wilmot Buxton, who has a good parsonage house at Kingscott. The Dean and Chapter of Christ Church College, Oxford, are appropriators of the tithes, which are commuted at £479. There is a glebe of 29 acres. The Baptists have a chapel at Kingscott, and theWesleyans one in the village; the latter was erected in 1854 (in lieu of one built in 1833), at a cost of £150; it will seat 130 persons, and contains a good organ. The National School, with teacher's residence, was erected in 1800 by Mr. Rolle, and is attended by 220 children. In the village is a Reading Room, also provided by Mr. Rolle, established about 1870, which is well supplied with newspapers, and has a library of 220 volumes; there are about 55 members, and Mr. William Knott is the secretary. Here are four Almshouses, founded by Sir Henry Rolle, and endowed with £5 a year. The parish has several tenements for the poor, and two cottages for the clerk and schoolmaster. The poor have the interest of £200, given by various donors, and an annuity of 10s., left by Charles Beer.

Post Office at Mr. Walter Trick's. Letters are despatched at 5.30 p.m. to Torrington, which is the nearest Money Order Office. There is a Wall Letter Box at Kingscott, cleared at 5.25 p.m. week days only.

Ashplant Francis, farmer, Lower hill
Ashplnnt William, bootmaker
Balman William, farmer, Ward
Balsdon James, farmer, Way Burton ; h Great Torrington
Barrie James, forester
Bowman John, farmer, Little Huish
Brinsmead Thomas, machinist
Buxton Rev H. J. Wilmot, vicar, The Vicarage, Kingscott
Clarke Thomas, farmer, Dodscott
Clarke William, farmer, Dodscott
Clements Thos. blksmth. High Bullen
Cock Mrs Jane, shopkeeper
Cole William, corn mllr. Stoneyford
Couch John, bootmaker, High Bullen
Couch Thomas, bootmaker
Friend John, carpenter, Kingscott
Goode William, stud groom
Gould William, head gamekeeper
Hookway Jno. frmr. Higher Kingscott
Hookway John, jun. victualler, Rolle Arms, Kingscott
Jewell Henry, farmer, Lower Healand
Johnson Miss, Rose mount
Kelly Richard, shopkeeper, Kingscott
Knott Miss Annie, schoolmistress
Knott William, schoolmaster
Lemon Thos. bootmaker, Dodscott
May Francis, blacksmith
May Robert, farm bailiff, Peagham Barton
Norman Christopher, frmr. Winscott
Oatway Anthony, farmor, Crandford
Page John, farmer, Whitsley Barton
Passmore Hy. flour, dlr. High Bullen
Percival Frederick, huntsman
Rolle Hon. Mark George Kerr, J.P.,Stevenstone
Row Lawrence, farmer, Kingscott
Row Joseph, farmer, Higher Healand
Scott Thomas, bootmaker, Kingscott
Sharpe William, head gardener
Snell William, farmer, Little Dodscott
Squire William, farmer, Dodscott
Symons Richd. farmer, Higher hill
Tanton Thomas, farmer, Ley
Thome Thomas, bootmkr. Kingscott
Tile Thomas, clerk of works
Tout John, tailor
Trick John, tailor, High Bullen
Trick Thomas, farmer
Trick Walter, grocer & postmaster
Vodden Lawrence, farmer, Beara
Vodden Robert, farmer & timber merchant, Kingscott

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