A branch of my family is reputed to have moved from Coleford to Barnstaple (I'm still trying to research who they were). I am assuming they moved in the 1800s-1900. Did anyone else's family move there and if so what would be the reason? Was there a shared industry? Though judging by the movement around the country at that time it might just be because of the Industrial Revolution, but Barnstaple sounds an unlikely place for heavy industry.

There are "forest folk" in Devon and Cornwall.

The most common link is Tin mining, although other occupations crop up, such as Ag Lab, etc.

I'm sure there was a coastal trading route taking in Lydney and Barnstaple ports, so it may just have been a passage and Barnstaple was not the end destination.

an example in 1901

1901
Ernest Wm Poole abt 1874 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Son Barnstaple, Devon

his father is a commercial traveller in Jewellery !

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Yes, I've noticed this too. It was a two way traffic though. My GGGrandmother Susan(nah) Griffiths/Carpenter was born Illogen, Cornwall 1788/89 although her younger siblings were born between Chapel Hill, Mon. and Lydney, Glos. Her sister Mary (1793-1864) was married to James Morgan (1787?-1874) at Wedmore, Somerset. They lived at The Incline, Redbrook and are buried at All Saints, Newland. Stone is visible and legible at roughly 4 o'clock between the Church and the main road.

The Morgan family, two branches I think, are what makes the IGI magic. The family jumped off the 2 or 3 pages at me right back to 1536 or nearly so, Wedmore, Somerset. I know Somerset is not Devon but Wedmore is quite far down.

Roger

Thanks for these two responses. I know they lived somewhere near Barnstaple and I know that some journeys were made to Ilfracombe too. I'm going there later this year to investigate further.

Hi

I also have a family member moving to the Barnstaple area.

Pete

Mine came up from Devon to the Forest. My gggrandfather was born in Starcross in 1822 and apparently moved into the Forest in 1838. His father's occupation is given on a marriage certificate as "steward" (which could be a marine or a land steward)which might have something to do with the move, though it could equally be the result of declining work in one area and a tramp to find somewhere with more. After all, when the Forest's industry started to decline in the 1880s, he moved on again into Wales, in common with many others.

Regards,
Sian.

That's interesting, do you know why they moved? They weren't called Rook, Rooke, Pritchard, Prosser, Steade or Morgan by any chance were they?