Historical Notes on Hollacombe
Hollacombe is a small parish in Black Torrington Hundred 2½ miles east of Holsworthy, bounded by Holsworthy, Cookbury, and Ashwater. It is named in the Doomday Book as Holecoma, possibly the Hollow Valley.
The Manor and Church were originally held by Bodmin Priory until the dissolution when the manor was the given to the Prideaux family. Lysons' county history of 1823 says "it was then divided into small holdings none rated above £12". A terrier of 1679 mentions the lands of Mrs Gilchester in the possession of George Davy and Robert Pearce bounding the glebe lands. Mary, the daughter of George and Sibeth Davy was married to Thomas Davis and appears on the 1723 list of oath-takers. According to Pearson the land tax for the parish in 1692 was £27 8s.0d.
According to Pevsner the Church is dedicated to St. Petroc and dates back possibly to the seventh century. The three bells are dated 1662, 1608,and 1684. The last is inscribed "John Metherell Ch Warden, IO Browne I.P.1684." This is John Metherell sen, listed on the oath-takers, 1723. The Rector Henry Newberry (inst.1700, died 1762) did not live in the Parish. The 1744 Visitation Queries signed by William Webber BA gave the population as nine families, the number of communicants were about six.
The Rector Samuel Cory did not live in the Parish. The 1779 Visitation Queries were signed by Owen Lewis Meyrick, the Rector of Holsworthy and officiating minister of Hollacombe. He gave the population as eight families, the communicants not above three or four. He described the church and chancel as being in indifferent repair, but "the Rural Dean has admonished them to repair them, and the Parishioners are preparing to do so." Both Queries state there are no schools, no alms-houses, or any charitable endowments. Hollacombe's total population for 2001 was 47, so not a lot has changed.
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