Brand new Port Books collection at FindMyPast highlight Devon ancestors

A new collection covering over a century of ships administered in Devon ports is part of a new tranche of Devon records released by FindMyPast.

Devon Port Books

Devon Port Books covers ships administered in the Devon ports of Appledore, Barnstaple and Bideford between 1595 and 1705. The records reveal:

• The names of the ship's masters and merchants
• The ship's name and the year it was entered in the port book
• The ship's cargo, tonnage and trade type

These port books are not only valuable from a family history perspective, they also act as evidence of the development of global trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were used by different types of customs officials including Collectors, Controllers and Searchers.

Devon Baptisms

FindMyPast's collection of Devon parish registers now includes extra baptism records covering four parish churches in the county:

• Appledore, Independent Chapel
• Appledore, Ebenezer Baptist Chapel
• Appledore, Methodist Chapel
• Bideford, Methodist Circuit

Baptism records give you the detail behind one of the biggest milestones in your ancestor's early life including where and when they were baptised and their parents' names. The latest additions date back to the 1750s, with much of this collection stretching as far back as the 1500s.

Devon Land Tax & Valuation Records

Did your ancestors own a public house or live and work in an orchard? Land tax records could help you find out. New additions from Northam and Clovelly have been added to this collection.

In the records you'll find information on:

• The land owner's and occupier's names
• The year or year range that the events were recorded
• The year the valuation took place
• The sum of money paid on the property

This unique record collection is available through our ongoing partnerships with the Devon Record Office and the Plymouth & West Devon Record Office.

QUICK LINK: Expert blog - working in Devon FHS research centre

(image copyright Tuck DB Postcards)