Old Homes and Homesteads – Part 3 – Lutton, Cornwood Parish, Devon, England

My 4^th great-grandparents, John and Jane Treby Shepheard, lived in Cornwood parish all of their lives. They are shown on two censuses, 1841 and 1851, in the village of Lutton. John was a carpenter by trade.

John and Jane Treby were first cousins. Jane’s father, Nicholas Shepheard, my 5^th great-grandfather, owned the East and Middle Rooke lands, discussed in my last post, which were passed down to his sons, Nicholas, Sampson and Arthur. Middle Rooke was eventually inherited by Richard Shepheard, the youngest son of John and Jane Treby Shepheard.

Their home was near the bottom of Gibb Hill Road, (parcel number 890 on the 1841 tithe map shown below). Their son, John, and his family lived further up the same road (parcel number 903 on the tithe map). Another son, Richard, and his family lived a short distance away (parcel number 864). Both John Junior and Richard were also carpenters and it is interesting to speculate about whether they worked together on various projects in the area. The individuals were all renting their homes from Sir John Leman Rogers, Baronet.

Portion of 1842 tithe map showing Lutton Village, Cornwood Parish, Devon, England

Satellite photo of Lutton Village, Cornwood Parish, Devon showing location of homes of Shepheard family members

Gibb Hill Cottage, as it is called now, the former residence of John and Jane Treby Shepheard, is pictured below. Like many houses of its era, it was constructed largely of stone and probably originally had a thatched roof. With a fireplace on only one end, this building appears to have been a single family unit. A good image of the house, with its stone walls, can be seen on Google Street View.

Gibb Hill Road in Lutton Village – Gibb Hill Cottage, former home of John and Jane Treby Shepheard is in the centre of the picture (photo taken by Wayne Shepheard, 2004)

Gibb Hill Cottage, former home of John and Jane Treby Shepheard is in the centre of the picture showing stone used in wall construction of the house (photo taken by Brenda Gregory, 2007)

John died on November 17, 1845. He was buried in the parish churchyard on November 23^rd. Jane spent the last few years of her life living with her son, John, and his family in their house in Lutton. She passed away on September 10, 1851. She was buried with her husband on September 14^th.

Gravestone Inscription, St. Michael & All Angels Churchyard:

In hope of a joyful resurrection

HER LIETH THE BODY OF

JOHN SHEPHEARD

FOR MANY YEARS A CARPENTER

OF THIS PARISH

who departed this life Novr 17th 1845

Aged 77 Years

---------

ALSO

JANE TREBY SHEPHEARD

wife of JOHN SHEPHEARD

who departed this life Sept 11th 1851

Aged 85 Years

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Blessed are the dead which die in

The Lord even so saith the Spirit

For they rest from their labours

--------

Afflictions sore long time I bore

Physicians were in vain till God did

please death should me sieze

and ease my pain.

Wayne Shepheard is a volunteer with the Online Parish Clerk program, handling four parishes in Devon, England. He serves as the Editor of Chinook, the quarterly journal of the Alberta Family Histories Society. Wayne also provides genealogical consulting services through his business, Family History Facilitated.