Kingsbridge, Devon

Description
Kingsbridge, a small town and a parish in Devonshire. The town stands on a declivity at the head of Salcombe Haven or estuary, 6 miles N of that haven's mouth at Bolthead, and 12 SW by W of Totnes. There is a railway station on the G.W.R. A line from South Brent to Salcombe was opened as far as Kiugsbridge in 1894, and steamboats run at frequent intervals between Kingsbridge and Salcombe on the Salcombe estuary. There is a post, money order, and telegraph office. Acreage of civil parish, 56; population, 1576; of ecclesiastical, 1888. Kingsbridge was a place of some consequence in 1260; is said to have derived its name from a bridge connecting it with its suburb, Dodbrooke; comprises a principal street of considerable length, running south-eastward to a quay at Dodbrooke; presents a very clean and respectable appearance; is a seat of county courts and petty sessions; publishes two weekly newspapers, and has banks, hotels, a town-hall, a church, four dissenting chapels, a grammar school, a workhouse, and charities. There are also a Masonic Lodge, Young Men's Friendly Society, Girls' Friendly Society, Constitutional Club, and Musical Society. The town-hall was built in 1850 at a cost of s£1500, is in the Italian style, and contains public reading-rooms and an interesting natural history collection. The church is ancient and cruciform, with tower and spire, and has undergone extensive restoration. The grammar school is endowed, and has several exhibitions and scholarships. The workhouse stands on the W side of the town, within Churchstow parish, was built in 1837 at a cost of £6000, and has accommodation for 350 inmates. Pindar Lodge, on the quay, was the birthplace of Dr Wolcott, better known as Peter Pindar, and a house in Fore Street is said to have been the occasional residence of the Abbot of Bnckfast-leigh, and contains some finely-carved wainscoting. A weekly market is held on Saturday, and a large cattle and pleasure fair is held on the Thursday after the 20 July in every year and extends to the end of the week. Industry is carried on in corn mills, tanyards, and agricultural implement manufactories, and considerable business is done in corn, timber, and coal. The manor was given by Queen Mary to John and Barnard Drake, and went by sale in 1793 to Sir John Petre and afterwards to the Scobells. The living is a vicarage, annexed to the vicarage of Churchstow, in the diocese of Exeter; gross value of the united benefices, ££240 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Exeter. David Tolley, a distinguished scholar of the time of Henry VIII., was a native.