COMBE-MARTIN, a market-town and parish in
the hundred of BRAUNTON, county of DEVON, 4 miles
(E.) from Hfracombe, and 176 (W. by S.) from London,
containing 1032 inhabitants. This place derives its
name from its situation in a deep valley, and its adjunct
from its proprietor at the time of the Conquest. In the
reign of Edward I. some mines of lead, containing a
considerable portion of silver, were discovered, which
in the reign of Edward III. produced such a quantity of
that metal as to assist him materially in defraying the
expense of carrying on the war with France. These
mines, after remaining in a neglected state for many
years, were re-opened in the reign of Elizabeth, and
worked with considerable advantage under the direction
of Sir Beavis Buhner; a cup made of silver found here
was presented to William Bourchier, Earl of Bath, and
another, weighing one hundred and thirty-seven ounces,
to Sir Richard Martyn, Lord Mayor of London. They
were unsuccessfully explored in 1790: in 1813 a more
profitable attempt was made; but after four years,
during which time two hundred and eighty tons of silver
were extracted, the works were discontinued. The
town is situated in a deep romantic glen, extending in a
north-west direction, and opening into a small cove on
the Bristol channel, which formed a convenient port
for shipping the mineral produce, and still affords the
inhabitants the means of conveying coal and lime to
other towns, from which they receive corn and bark in
return. The houses, many of which are in ruins and
overgrown with ivy, extend for nearly a mile in an
irregular line along the side of the vale: the surrounding
scenery is strikingly magnificent, and in many points of
view highly picturesque. The market has been discontinued;
but the charter, granted to Nicholas Fitz-
Martin by Henry III., in 1264, is still retained by the
exposure of some trifling article for sale on the market
days; the market-house is rapidly falling to decay: a
fair is held on Whit-Monday. The county magistrates
hold a petty session for the division, on the first Monday
in every month, at a small inn. The living is a rectory,
in the archdeaconry of Barnstaple, and diocese of Exeter,
rated in the king's books at £39.8.9., and in the patronage
of the Rev. William Toms. The church, which is a
handsome structure, is dedicated to St. Peter. There is
a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. A school
for teaching forty children reading, writing, and arithmetic,
was endowed, in 1733, by George Ley, Esq., with
a house and land producing £25 per annum: the premises
have been lately rebuilt. Thomas Harding, a
learned Roman Catholic divine and controversialist, was
born here, in 1512.