The following is a list of the births, deaths, and marriages for the ten years from 1887 to 1896, both years inclusive, for the borough of Barnstaple. For the ten years from 1887 to 1896, both years inclusive, the number of The average number of deaths in each year would be 2491; the number was exceeded in the years 1887, 1890, and 1893. In 1887 there was an epidemic of measles, which accounted for forty deaths. In 1890 whooping-cough was very prevalent. In 1893 there was a severe outbreak of diphtheria, which was accountable for thirty of the deaths. Dr. Jackson, in his report for 1898, calls attention to the falling-off in the number of births, but this is not peculiar to this district, but is general throughout England. The number of marriages has also decreased of late years. NICHOLAS MONK, THE KING'S MESSENGER, AND THE HONEST CLERGYMAN. BY FRANCES B. TROUP. (Read at Great Torrington, August, 1899.) It often happens that a man of towering strength entirely overshadows the other members of his family, and although they, through him, attain a certain prominence, it is rather with reflected glory that they shine; they are remembered only as the kinsmen of the greater man. Yet, withal, they may have been themselves largely instrumental in his elevation, they may even have acted as stepping-stones in his path to fame. Such has been the fate of Nicholas Monk, who aided his brother, "the great Duke of Albemarle," to attain the eminence he occupied, and although he took an active part in the events that raised that hero to the pinnacle of his fame, but few people of this era have ever heard of him. Nicholas Monk was the fifth son of Sir Thomas Monk, of Potheridge, Devon, by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir George Smithe, of Maydworthy, near Exeter. He was born about 1609, and his early life must have been similar to that of the future duke. After "Sir Thomas had succeeded to a heavily encumbered estate, and his attempts at economy had done little or nothing to better his position. An increasing family added to his difficulties and his sorrows. Ten children had already (in 1625) been born to him, and four, including his two eldest boys, were in the grave. Thomas was now the future heir, and then came George. him was his favourite brother, the quiet, studious Nicholas, who was to be a parson; and then little Arthur, the baby, who became a soldier, like George." Nicholas "was born in the heart of the country which bred the greatest of the Elizabethan heroes. The soldiers and sailors who most adorned the great Queen's age were living memories in his childhood, their exploits were the tales of his nursery, their names the first he learnt to lisp. Hard by lived his aunt Grace, who had married the brilliant young Bevil Grenville, heir and grandson to the immortal Sir Richard himself. His aunt Elizabeth was wife to Luttrell, of Hartland Abbey, and through her he could claim kinship with the Howards; while all around the home by Tor and Torridge were clustered the old North Devon families with whom Kingsley's undying romance has made us so familiar." 1 Nicholas was doubtless a frequent visitor at his grandfather's house, Maydworthy, where his brother George went to reside at an early age. Not far from this was Larkbeare, the home of the uncle whose name he bore. Here "the lad found endless cousins to foster the dreams of Devon boyhood. But all his games and stories were tame beside the attractions of his aunt Frances's house at Farringdon. For Frances Monk had married Sir Lewis Stukeley, Vice-Admiral of Devon, and there must he have found for a playfellow little Tom Rolfe, the child of Pocahontas, whose guardian Stukeley had become since the Indian beauty's death. Sir Lewis, too, was a cousin and intimate friend of Raleigh himself, and he must have seen in the company of his uncle that latest born child of the sixteenth century, and even heard his stirring adventures from his own lips." 2 For the rest Nicholas must have spent his boyhood in that "high-perched manor house" that looked down "over the lovely valley of the Torridge, just where the river doubles upon itself in three majestic sweeps as though it were loath to leave a spot so beautiful." Soon after his brother George had made his first appearance in public by thrashing the Under-Sheriff of Devonshire to within an inch of his life in the streets of Exeter, the time came for Nicholas to make his way to Oxford, to that foundation of worthy Devonians, Wadham College, and there we find him in the year of grace 1628.3 While at the University he lived in "the Little Chamber in Buller's Inn" and in the "Upper Tower Chamber." Here he pursued his studies quietly, though keeping an anxious eye upon the movements of his favourite brother 1 CORBETT'S Monk, p. 3. 2 Ibid., p. 4. I can find no authority for Mr. Corbett's statement that Stukeley resided at Farringdon. 3 Several authorities give the date of his entry at Wadham as 1626, but according to Gardiner's Register of Wadham College, Oxford, his caution money was received May 25th, 1628, and returned December 25th, 1636. The same writer describes Nicholas Monk as "fil Thomae Monk de Martin, arm," This should be Merton, in which parish Potheridge is situated. I am indebted to the late Rev. J. Ingle Dredge for this information. George, who at this time was engaged in fighting for the Prince of Orange. In due course he took his degrees, and then we lose trace of him for a few years. But by 1640 he was back in Devon, for on July 23rd of that year he was instituted to the little parish of Langtree, some five miles from his home at Potheridge. It was in the patronage of the King, but some local or family influence probably obtained it for him on the resignation of Thomas Baylis It is to this living that Skinner refers in his Life of General Monk, when he asserts that Nicholas Monk "was already settled in the Country, about twelve miles from Kelkhampton, in a moderate living, where he had married a Widow with some accession of Fortune." The parish records of Langtree of this period do not now exist, so we cannot tell whether his marriage took place there, but he obtained a licence to marry on October 7th, 1642. It was granted for "the marriage of Nicholas Monk, Rector of Langtree, and Susanna Trosse, widow of Plymtree, to be married at either place." The Plymtree records are also silent on this point, no marriages during the year 1642 being entered. 4 His wife, Susanna, was the daughter of the Rev. Thomas Payne, Rector of Plymtree, who held that living for over fifty years. She was the eldest daughter by his second wife, and was born in January, 1606-7, consequently she was a few years the senior of Nicholas. She had married on August 11th, 1631, Mr. Christopher Trosse, by whom she had two sons. She was left a widow in January, 1634-5, and continued to reside at Plymtree. It is asserted by Walker in his Sufferings of the Clergy, that her father was ejected from the living in the early days of the Rebellion; but on the contrary, he continued to hold it until his death. Nicholas Monk probably acted as curate to his father-in-law, who was by this time an aged man. It was here that their son Nicholas was baptised on August 3rd, 1643. The old rector was buried on October 24th, 1646, and shortly after Nicholas Monk was instituted to the living, while still retaining Langtree. No record of his institution is known to exist, but in 1648 he describes himself, when opening a new parish register, as "Nicholas Munke Rector." On the authority of Wood" it is asserted that Monk also was ejected from this living; but as his name constantly appears on the list of 4 Marriage Licences, Dioc. Exon. 5 WALKER'S Sufferings of the Clergy, p. 327. Church Rates at Plymtree in the place of the rector, and as there is no record of the intrusion of any. other person, this cannot be true. Whether his immunity was due to his brother's influence or to his own merits it is unnecessary to decide. Through all these trying times Nicholas carried himself uprightly, and avoided giving offence to those who held different opinions from himself. The living of Plymtree had fallen vacant at a convenient moment, for it was about this date that Theophilus Powell, who was evidently a friend of Monk, had been ejected from the living of Great Torrington for preaching a sermon on the text "Fear God, honour the king." He had been but recently married, and Nicholas was moved to assist him by appointing him Curate-in-Charge of Langtree, and eventually Powell was instituted to the living on the death of his benefactor. In 1649 Parliament ordered a survey of Church lands, and from the records still extant we extract the following entries:-"Langtree, A Parsonage. Nicholas Moncke Incumbent, a preaching Minister, the tithes worth eighty pounds p ann. the Glebe fifteene pounds per ann. The parishe served commonly by Theophilus Powell a constant preachinge Curat his salary fortie pounds p ann. noe Chappells, the Church and parish fitt to stand as it is."7 'Plimtree, Mr. Nicholas Muncke, a preaching Minister supplying the Cure being a Parsonage which together with the Gleabe is worth per Ann. one hundred pounds."8 [A preaching minister was one who was authorised to preach, while a reading minister was only allowed to read homilies. Owing to the strange doctrines that had been preached after the Reformation, many restrictions were laid upon the clergy as to the preaching of doctrinal sermons. Nicholas Monk, it is evident, was qualified to preach. It is worth noting that in 1896 the net value of Langtree, with glebe, is entered as £350, and of Plymtree £256.]* From this it is apparent that Nicholas Monk was allowed to retain possession of both his livings undisturbed. His life in the secluded parish of Plymtree must have been quiet and uneventful enough, though it was saddened by the death of his only son Nicholas, who was buried in February, 1651-2. Two daughters were left to console him, and no doubt his stepson, Thomas Trosse, whose property he managed, formed one of his household. Here he performed |