Harford
Harford is located within South Hams local authority area. Historically it formed part of Ermington Hundred. It falls within Plympton Deanery for ecclesiastical purposes. The Deaneries are used to arrange the typescript Church Notes of B.F.Cresswell which are held in the Westcountry Studies Library. The population was 142 in 1801 198 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 64 adult males signed the Protestation returns.
A parish history file is held in Ivybridge Library. You can look for other material on the community by using the place search on the main local studies database. Further historical information is also available on the Genuki website.
Maps: The image below is of the Harford area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765.
On the County Series Ordnance Survey mapping the area is to be found on 1:2,500 sheet 119/10 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 119SW
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SX638595. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SX65NW, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Outdoor Leisure 28, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 202. Geological sheet 349 also covers the area.
Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:
HARFORD is identical as a name with Hereford, the first element being the OE word here, "army." But the history behind this "army ford" is quite lost. The church stands almost alone beside the Erme, where it leaves the Moor, and is indeed the gateway to one of the most interesting and beautiful parts of Dartmoor-the upper Erme valley. In this valley is to be found one of the densest concentrations of hut-circles, pounds, stone-rows, and other remains of the Bronze Age to be seen anywhere on the Moor. The exact sites will be found on the 2t-inch maps (sheets 20/65, 20/66). Piles Copse is a wood of stunted and contorted trees, somewhat similar to Wistman's Wood. Near it is a bee-hive hut; and another stands a little higher up the valley on the other side. These are medieval erections put up by tin-miners. Higher still up the valley are the remains of a blowing-house for tin. At this point the Bronze Age remains also are particularly concentrated.
The church is an attractive little moorstone building of late 15th century to 16th century date. It is said to be dedicated to the Celtic St. Petrock, but Oliver gives no dedication, and Brooking- Rowe gives St. Patrick. The wagon-roofs have carved ribs and bosses. On the wall-plate on the N. side of the chancel is the inscription: I.H.S. helpe us. Amen. Walter Hele p'son 1539. I.H.S. Salus. Below this is the altar- tomb, with two brasses, of Thomas Williams (d. 1566) who was born at Stowford, in this parish, and became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1563. Stowford was practically rebuilt early in the 19th century but some portions of the 16th century house remain. There is also a brass to John and Agnes Prideaux, the parents of John Prideaux, rector of Exeter College, Oxford, and bishop of Worcester (1578-1650), who was also born at Stowford. Hall, 1 m. W. of the church, was the seat of Col. Thomas Chudleigh, father of Elizabeth Chudleigh, the notorious Duchess of Kingston (1720-88), who was born here. The manor house is now a farmhouse. At Lukesland there are the remains of a "mansion."
Harford bridge existed in the 16th century Parts of the existing bridge of two semi-circular arches may be of that date.
