Memories of Old Combe Martin

(Shamwick)

Growing Up in Shamwick at the Turn of the 20th Century

Oral History

Told by Mrs E.D. Parsons at the age of 84 in 1979

Published by Combe Martin History and Heritage Project on May 01, 2025

Last modified on May 18, 2025

Based on an Article in The Devon Historian (October 1979)

Combe Martin History and Heritage Project Content is Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

For More Information Visit Combe Martin Museum and Information Point

Combe Martin History: Victorian and Edwardian Village Life

Mrs E.D. Parsons, a lifelong Shammickite villager, recalls life in Combe Martin (locally known as Shamwick) during the late Victorian era through to the years following the First World War.

Mrs Parsons lived in a Seaside cottage which was in the family for generations, near the Fo'c'sle Inn.

Historically, the terms "Shamwick" and "Shammick" have been used to describe Combe Martin, and the locals were called "Shammickites".

Victorian and Edwardian travelogues, as well as local publications, mention these archaic terms.

"Shammick" was originally a derogatory nickname, meaning a slum or mess, given to Combe Martin by journalists during the Industrial Revolution.

Over time, locals adopted "Shammickite" with pride, and today it is used affectionately by residents.

The origins of these terms may lie in old Cornish or local dialect, yet their exact derivation is not known.

Industry and Craftsmanship

• Combe Martin's industries included several lime kilns, with Berry's Lime Kiln (owned by Mr. H. Jewell) being a memorable one at the upper end of Combe Martin.

• A water-powered corn mill operated using water collected at what is now Loverings Coach Park site, on Borough Road. This fed a mill leat running along the embankment of the "Old Road."

• Lower Mill was owned by Mr. William Somerville.

• Another corn mill, fed from Cormelle's ground, operated near the Pack o' Cards Inn on High Street.

• Victorian Combe Martin was known for its skilled craftsmen, sailors, and master mariners.

• Mrs E.D. Parsons recalled boat-building taking place on Combe Martin's Newberry Beach, which also happened a few miles west, at Hele Bay in Victorian times.

• The village worked its ‘Silver Mines Royal’, with dramatic stories of miners fleeing for their lives when sudden water inrushes flooded the mines.

Working Conditions

• Working conditions in the village were demanding. Skilled workers earned approximately £1 weekly, with workdays starting at 7 a.m. and continuing until 5:30 p.m. with specific breaks.

• A half-hour breakfast break at 8:30, an hour for dinner after working from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Saturday was a half-day, working from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a half-hour breakfast break.

Local Establishments

• Grove House in High Street was formerly "The Jolly Sailor" public house.

• The first Police Station was located at Home Place in High Street before being relocated to 3 Springfield Terrace.

• Mr. Shapcott served as both dentist and chemist, residing at Lonsdale House.

• Dental treatments were primitive - milk teeth were often extracted using brass wire without anaesthesia.

• Dr. Manning served as the physician and surgeon for Combe Martin and surrounding areas, travelling by horse (when tethering was possible) or on a solid-tyre bicycle.

• The first public motor transport was an ex-army lorry nicknamed "Jumbo," operated by Mr. Shapcott between Combe Martin and Ilfracombe after World War I.

Education System

• The Infants School operated in the Baptist Chapel Sunday School Room, with a "Babies" class separated from two older classes by a large maroon-coloured curtain.

• Miss Robins, daughter of the Registrar, taught there, while Miss Land served as the strict Headmistress.

• Combe Martin's Boys' and Girls' Schools were housed in what later became the Community Centre, with gender-segregated entrances.

• Girls entered in Castle Street and Boys entered from Church Street (locally known as "Figgy" Street).

Apprenticeship and Commercial Life

• Combe Martin's young people often entered apprenticeships after leaving school at 14, as illustrated by one resident who, despite wanting to train as a nurse, was apprenticed by her dressmaker mother to G.H. Creek & Son at London House on High Street.

• Apprenticeship conditions were demanding - working from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with minimal breaks and no payment, only a small discount (2d in the shilling) on shop purchases.

• Before the Shop Act of 1911, shopkeepers determined their own closing times, with shops typically remaining open until 10 or 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays before closing until Monday morning.

• Sunday trading was prohibited except for milk delivery.

Religious and Social Customs

• Beach visits on Sundays were considered inappropriate and "unheard of."

• Religious services attracted large congregations, with chairs sometimes placed in aisles to accommodate overflow attendance.

• For residents at the seaside end of the village, a corrugated iron structure known as the "Iron Church" was erected where 'Monica's' car park later stood.

• The Iron Church was eventually relocated opposite the Council houses, before being demolished when the present Church Hall was acquired.

Who Told This Story?

The account "Growing Up in Shamwick" was given by Mrs E.D. Parsons to Norah Gregory, as listed in the contents of the October 1979 issue of The Devon Historian.

Born around 1895, Mrs Parsons was a native of Combe Martin, descended from generations of seafarers on her father’s side.

She lived in a family cottage dating back to 1820 and attended the village school, leaving at fourteen to apprentice as a dressmaker.

Her vivid recollections and keen interest in local affairs bring to life Combe Martin -nicknamed Shamwick-at the turn of the 20th century, particularly the years around 1900 and the period before and just after the First World War.

The narrative highlights the absence of modern amenities, traditional occupations, and local customs of that era.

Everyday Life in Combe Martin at the Turn of the 20th Century

Roads and Turnpikes

Several side streets in Combe Martin once led down to Seaside Hill and beaches, with another route beginning at Newberry Road, passing through the Woodlands to join the old road by the camping ground.

The Umber River was covered over to form Borough Road, between the site of the 1979 Seaside Stores to the bottom of Seaside Hill.

The Umber River banks in the Seaside quarter were lost along with John Dovell's shipyard, and the mills, weirs and leats in this part of the village.

A small cottage at the top of Seaside Hill served as the Turnpike House, where Lizzie Lovering once resided.

Combe Martin had three turnpike roads: Higher Leigh Turnpike (now Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park), Church Turnpike, and Seaside Turnpike.

According to Frank Rook, his mother was the last toll-keeper to live in the seaside cottage.

Village Streets and Lighting

Combe Martin's long main street remained untarred until after the Great War. Before that, it was simply hardened with stones and occasionally rolled by a steam roller.

After heavy rain, the street would become thick with mud, which road-men scraped into heaps beside the gutter. People walking in the dark would often step into these piles and find themselves ankle-deep in mud.

Street lights were originally paraffin lamps, later replaced by gas lamps. These were only lit when there was no moon, and were tended by a lamplighter who carried his ladder from one end of the village to the other.

The first round occurred at dusk and a second at 10 p.m. to extinguish the lights.

Village Life and Self-Sufficiency

Combe Martin was a charming village at the turn of the 20^th century. Although residents were not well-off, many kept pigs and hens at the bottom of their gardens. Combined with garden produce, many villagers were nearly self-sufficient.

There was also a plentiful supply of locally caught fish, especially herrings in season. A catch of several "mease" (630 herrings) would be brought ashore and often sold at 24 for a shilling.

A mease is an old English unit of quantity specifically used for herrings. Historically, "mease" was used in English fishing communities as a specific measure for counting fish, especially herrings.

• One mease = 630 herrings

• So, "several mease" would mean several times 630 herrings (for example, two mease would be 1,260 herrings).

Shop food was inexpensive

• Sugar: 2 lbs for 4½d

• Ham: 1¼ lbs for 6d

• Tea: ¼ lb for 4d

Milk was delivered daily by horse and cart, with two large galvanized churns-one for 'raw' milk (1d a pint) and one for 'scald' (½d a pint). Coal arrived directly from South Wales, unloaded on the beach, and sold at £1 a ton at the coal stores.

Markets and Local Characters

Early on Saturday mornings, horses' hooves could be heard clattering through Combe Martin, as market gardeners made their way to Ilfracombe with flowers and vegetables.

The weekly market was held in the lower part of Ilfracombe Alexandra Theatre (called 'Top of the Town' in 1979), where villagers sold fresh produce picked just hours earlier.

A notable local resident was Betsy Bushen, who lived in Beach Cottage on Newberry Road.

Every Saturday, Betsy would walk to Ilfracombe carrying baskets of fruit and vegetables -one on her back and one in front- sell her goods, and return home.

Mrs Parsons said that Betsy's regular exertions left the woman bent nearly double in later years.

Home Life and Amenities

Many modern conveniences were absent in this period. There was no gas, electricity, or mains water. Wash day, usually Monday, was a laborious process: water had to be pumped and carried to fill the copper, which was heated with coal or sticks.

Whites were washed in a large galvanized bath, wrung out, and boiled, then rinsed in clean and blue water (using a cube of Reckitt's Blue tied in a flannel, which also served as a remedy for wasp stings).

Clothes were wrung out by hand or put through a mangle, if available, before being hung out to dry. Coloured items were washed separately afterward.

Banks and the Post Office

The village had two banks. The National Provincial operated an agency once a week at Mr. Sloley's shop, while Fox & Fowler had a room at Mrs. Adams' house, which also functioned as a greengrocer's.

Their cashier travelled from Ilfracombe by dog cart. Fox & Fowler were later acquired by Lloyds Bank, who developed the property further.

All mail arriving at Combe Martin Post Office -a Royal Sub Office- was franked with the date and time of receipt before delivery. Telegrams were delivered on a pony by George Dendle, father of Caroline Andrew, the sub-postmistress.

At the time, George Dendle was recognised as the oldest telegraph boy in the United Kingdom.

Walking in the Footsteps of Shammickites

Many of the places Mrs. Parsons describes —the silver mines, the site of Berry's lime kiln, and Monika's old High Street shop premises— are still recognisable in Combe Martin today.

Next time you stroll down Combe Martin High Street or visit Newberry Beach, imagine the bustling shops, market gardeners, and the sound of the lamplighter’s ladder.

[Old Shops of Combe Martin]

Citations:

The Devon Historian (1979): "Growing up in Shamwick". Mrs E.D. Parsons (as told to Norah Gregory). Issue 19, October 1979, pp. 22-27. Torquay. Devon and Exeter Institution.