General History Odd Bits Which will be added to.

The site has  pages of  family history therefore please email any to the webmaster
The family should have had one or more children born while in Westleigh/Eastleigh
Example  See  STEVENS,  on  Family trees

In 1824 Thomas Boys soon followed up Bishop Jebb by publishing his Tactica Sacra, and in 1827-30 his Key to the Book of Psalms.*

* This was only a description of his principles of Correspondence, which he applied to some sixteen Psalms. It was the privilege of Dr. Bullinger to edit Thomas Boys's manuscript; and, from pencilled notes in Boys's Interleaved Hebrew Bible (Boothroyd's Edition with Commentary), to complete and publish, in 1890, the whole of the Psalms with a Preface, and Memoir by his friend the Rev. Sydney Thelwall (who had been a personal friend of Boys), then Vicar of Westleigh, North Devon.

EDWARD CAPERN "The Bideford Post"
Postman-Poet 1819 - 1894.

Thrown out of employment in September 1849, in consequence of an alteration in the post, he was re-appointed on 27th December, 1851 as Messenger between Bideford and Westleigh, and subsequently transferred to the walk between Bideford and Buckland Brewer. Having become the father of two children, Charles and Milly, Edward and his wife we re in poor circumstances, but little did they know that their lot was to improve. For seven days a week Edward would set out from Bideford Bridge, armed with bell and posthorn. He would walk 13 miles to Auckland Brewer, though later he was provided with a pony and trap. The bell would be rung to warn the cottagers of his approach and the horn blown so that the valley dwellers would prepare their mail for collection.

There arose in Capern a desire to compose poetry and his contributions to a local journal drew the attention of Mr. F. Rock, a stationer of Wallbrook, who in 1856 secured subscribers for him to launch a fist book of poetry. It is interesting to note some of the names of those who subscribed. These included the Duke of Wellington, Lord Viscount Palmerston (Prime Minister), Charles Dickens, Charles Kingsley and Rowland Hill.

First Edition of one thousand copies showed a profit of L150 for Edward and his family, So successful was the first book of poems that a second and third edition followed.

... My great-grandfather, the Reverend Joseph Harris Wills, was born in Plymouth in ... of
Northam, Devon who were married in 1694 at Westleigh-by-Bideford, Devon.

... born, 1559 at Eastwood, Devon ENG [note: had his first child at the age of 8?!].
married, to Katherine Orrels at Westleigh by Biddeford, Devon ENG. died, 1620. ...

... of Births for the surname of MADGE recorded locally in Devon. ... Died/Buried, Father,
Mother, Parish, Where Born, Fathers Occ. John, 1579 18 Mar, John, Westleigh, Bideford, ...

... son of Enock Bellew, born 1821 at Westleigh (near Fremington ... He was born in 1824 and
died in 1864. ... Holmacott Barn Census Place: Fremington, Devon, England Source ...

... 1777 07Jul Clifton James - 'Southcott' Westleigh nr Bideford ... 24Mar Collins Mary -
stole petticoat Devon assizes 1777 ...