Site of the old Exe Bridge
Featuring the Exe Bridge in the 1400s
As told by Felicity Shillingford to Daniel Cray
What I like about Alphington is that it has the characteristics of a village. It's very near Marsh Barton, so it's both industrial estate and country. You can access both easily.
I moved here (Alphington) two years ago. I moved down to the South-West six years ago and through working at the museum I discovered about an ex-mayor of Exeter, John Shillingford (in the 1400s.) I also became aware of places that had my surname- Shillingford St.George and Shillingford Abbott and am interested in the connection between places and surname e.g. did John Shillingford live there?
I've also recently started getting deliveries from Shillingford Organics. Their farm is based at Shillingford Abbott.
Various relatives such as Sue Corker (father's cousin) and Suzanne Shillingford (stepmother) have helped. Also, Peter Edwards, a former redcoat who works at the museum, drew my attention to the Shillingford letters, found upstairs at the Guildhall. I've also got a copy of a document from the local records office.
Here is a quote from one of John Shillingford's papers, describing the poor state of the Exe Bridge in 1447-50:
"The whiche brigge grete part thereof by divers tymes hath fallen adoun and made up ayen with tymber as now is and ofte tymes with grete waters falling adoun ayen. By whiche perillous waters and so fallynges adoun ayen of the brigge puple have be yn grete perill and and meny oon and dyvers y lost and ded and withoute better remedy moo is like and the brigge all to falle adoun and a fery bote to be as of olde tyme grete perill and charge to the comyn puple."
-Extract from "A petition for a relyff to the buyldingsof Exebrydge." (Exeter City Library Deeds & Documents DD.50493)