WITHERIDGE, a parish in the hundred of WITHERIDGE,
county of DEVON, 8 miles (E.) from. Chulmleigh,
containing 1121 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage,
in the archdeaconry of Barnstaple, and diocese
of Exeter, rated in the king's books at £23. 10. 5., and
in the patronage of the Rev. W. P. Thomas. The church,
dedicated to St. John the Baptist, has a stone pulpit
highly enriched. This is a decayed borough and market
town. A fair for cattle is held on June 24th; and
there are still great markets on the Wednesday after
September 21st, and the first Wednesday in November.
Richard Melhuish, Esq., in 1799, gave £500 stock, the
dividends arising from which are applied for the instruction
of forty poor children. William Chappie, the
antiquary, was born here; he died in 1755.