Links to other local history websites
Bere Peninsula
Church and Family History and Graveyards – “historical information relating to our two [Anglican] churches and the United Church, along with past churches on the peninsula. Also a detailed plan of St Andrew’s graveyard with a list of those named on gravestones, and information on Bere Ferrers War Memorial.” It is part of the excellent ‘Parish of Bere Ferrers with Bere Alston‘ website.
Church of St.Andrew’s, Bere Ferrers: British Listed Buildings – detailed if rather ‘dry’ description of the archistectural and historical features of the parish church, , which is listed Grade 1.
Bere Alston in the Universal Directory of 1794 – Devon Heritage website
Bere Alston in the Tavistock Directory of 1918 – Devon Heritage website
Bere Ferrers in the Tavistock Directory of 1918 – Devon Heritage website
Bere Ferrers Parish Register Deaths 1837-1850 – Devon Heritage website. Reveals the devastating effect of the cholera epidemic of 1849.
Bere Ferrers Parish Register Deaths 1850-1860 – Devon Heritage website.
Protestation Return of 1641 – Devon Heritage website. Remarkable record of most adult males living in the parish in 1641, when they were required to sign an oath of allegiance to the Crown.
The medieval silver mines at Bere Ferrers – Mining History Information Pages
The Tamar Smelting Works (at Weir Quay) – Mining History Information Pages
Bere Alston Silver-Lead Mines – by South West Branch of the Open University Geological Society. Detailed account of the geology and minerals of the old mine sites on the Bere Peninsula.
Distribution and relative size of settlements in Bere Ferrers parish in the late 15th century
Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers War Memorials 1914-1918 – Devon Heritage website
New Zealand (soldiers) Deaths at Bere Ferrers station, 24 September 1917 – Devon Heritage website.
Bere Alston: an outline history of the railway station – includes some old photos.
Tamar Belle – the railway heritage centre at Bere Ferrers station.
Understanding Landscapes – important project based at the University of Exeter, which ‘uses field-based and desk-based heritage activity days to enable communities… to investigate and analyse the origins of their surrounding historic landscapes, as well as contribute to their ongoing management. Bere Ferrers is one of the project’s key sites.
Tithe Maps and Apportionment for Bere Ferrers parish – provided by Devon County Council. ‘…. an important source of information about the history and topography of a parish. They provide details of land ownership and occupation, and the type of cultivation of the land’.
Listed buildings in Bere Ferrers parish – British Listed Buildings. Includes interactive map showing the 30 listed buildings and other structures in the parish.
Other Local History Organisations
Calstock Parish Archive – details of the extensive collection of materials in the Calstock Parish Archive, as well as publications and events.
Tavistock Local History Society – features TLHS events, the archive of photos taken by the legendary Tavistock-based photographer, Jim Thorington, and articles on historical topics.
Rame Peninsula History Group – aims to ‘research, record and promote interest in the heritage of the Rame Peninsula’. Website offers a fine range of resources about this very interesting area.
Saltash Heritage – ‘… aims to collect, conserve, display, and make available for research, material relevant to the history of Saltash and the PL12 postal area, and to maintain a museum’.
Yelverton & District Local History Society – aim to ‘bring local history to life in Buckland Monachorum, Clearbrook, Crapstone, Dousland, Horrabridge, Meavy, Milton Combe, Sampford Spiney, Sheepstor, Walkhampton as well as Yelverton itself.
Old Plymouth Society – offers a programme of events relating to the rich history of Plymouth. The OPS has a good range of publications on the city. Website includes articles and maps.
Salcombe History Society – a lot of information on the rich history of this port in the South Hams.
Ivybridge Heritage & Archives Group – ‘aims to celebrate the rich history of Ivybridge and is dedicated to promoting a lively interest in the Town’s background and development by researching, collecting and preserving archives and photographic records of this unique Mill Town’.
Wembury Local History Society
Other Sources of Local History in Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall
The Box, Plymouth – besides the extenive range of exhibits on Plymouth and its surroundings, The Box houses the Cottonian Research Room, the important archives section containing the former Plymouth and West Devon Record Office materials. It can be visited by appointment.
Devon Heritage Centre, Exeter – ‘holds all types of historical archives relating to the county of Devon and the City of Exeter (excluding Plymouth.) They include records of churches and chapels, of county, district and parish councils and of many families, estates, schools and other organisations.’ Also houses the West Country Studies Library, which ‘holds published works relating to all aspects of Devon life and on the wider west country, including books, pamphlets, maps, journal articles and illustration’.
Devonshire Assocation – ‘was founded in 1862… an educational charity dedicated to the study and appreciation of all matters relating to the county of Devon. It is the only society concerned with every aspect of Devon and is the only one of its kind in Britain.’ Includes back copies of the DA Newsletter, the Devonshire Dialect Dictionary, many online articles relating to Devon, and details of events arranged by the various DA branches.
Devon Family History Society – ‘promotes the study of genealogy and history, especially of Devon families and places’, giving ‘advice and instruction’, and ‘encourages the preservation and transcription of relevant documents and records’.
Devon History Society – important county-wide organisation that ‘…promotes the study of all aspects of Devon’s history’ through research projects, talks, lectures, visits, workshops, publications and more. Currently co-ordinating the ‘Devon in the 1920s’ project.
Devon Rural Archive – ‘an independant heritage centre for the study of our county’s buildings and landscapes’. Located at Shilstone, near Modbury, South Hams.
Kresen Kernow – Cornwall’s county record office in Redruth. They hold many items relating to the Bere Peninsula, including the remarkable 1737 map of the Bere Peninsula surveyed by James Corbridge for the lords of the manor, the Hobarts of Blickling, Norfolk.
South West Maritime History Society – ‘aims to encourage interest in all aspects of our maritime heritage and to promote research in these fields. Includes outline histories of ports in the South West.
Tamar Valley
Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the whole of the Bere Peninsula lies within the AONB (see map).
Tamara Landscape Partnership – ‘a five year project that aims to bring local communities in the Tamar Valley together and strengthen and conserve the landscape character and natural beauty‘, based on ten projects.
Tamar Community Trust – promotes sustainable development and regeneration in the Tamar Valley. Among its aims are to educate the public ‘about the landscapes… and history and heritage of the Tamar Valley’.
Tamar Tender Loving Care (TLC) – ‘has been set up to raise, manage and distribute funds to enhance, conserve and protect the Tamar Valley AONB’.
Tamar and Tavy Apple Group – ‘a non-profit group of local people passionate about apple trees, juice and other kindred liquids! They encourage the rejuvenation of local orchards through best practice and sustainable management’. Website features some very attracive photos.
West Devon and Dartmoor
Tavistock Guildhall Heritage Centre – ‘eastern gateway to the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site… where you will discover stories about the people who built Tavistock and the surrounding area and why this is such an important part of a much bigger international story.”
Tavistock Subscription Library – ‘… in Guildhall Square, Tavistock. Subscribing members have 24/7 access to the collections; free public access most Fridays 10-12 and selected events. Online you can search the catalogue to enjoy free reads about Tavistock, Dartmoor, Tamar Valley and much more. Join the Online Library for free downloads.’
A Walk in English Weather: Dartmoor, Devon and beyond – Excellent, fascinating website by geographer Sharon Gedye: “… a blog about exploring. Not in the long haul, exotic, extreme sense; but in the local, pottering, nosey sense. It is mostly a blog about Dartmoor because that is my patch. It is partly a blog about the south-west of England, because that is my region. I like all the things that go into making landscape – the physical and human environment – so expect these to feature in my physical and written ramblings.” Lots of interesting content. Despite Sharon’s modest claim “I am not an expert. I write to learn,” the material is superbly researched (and illustrated).
Dartmoor Trust Archive – the ‘online archive contains tens of thousands of amazing images, audio recordings and video of Dartmoor’s past’. It is ‘a home for the rich history of Dartmoor including material from priceless collections including Chapman, Burnard and more recently, Hansford Worth.’.
Robey Trust – based in Tavistock, with central aim of preserving and celebrating the stationary steam engines, traction engines, steam rollers etc manufactured by the Robey company.
Cornwall
Launceston Then! – a comprehensive ‘archive’ of information about this fascinating Cornish town. Once you understand how to navigate the website, it is a wonderful resource for appreciating Launceston’s history. Find the main index, with links to many detaled web pages by scrolling down ‘The Place’. Also navigate via highlighted links within the texts).
Cornish Studies Resources – excellent source on Cornish history, surnames and society, by well-known Cornish historian, Bernard Deacon.