Western's and Winsbrough's Tiverton, Devonshire, England

2nd Great Grandfather

Samuel Western and Ann Winsbrough immigrated from Tiverton, Devonshire England.  I believe the Western's were roof thatchers. 



http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/devon/tiverton.php
Tiverton can be found at the junction of the Rivers Exe and Lowman some 11 miles (17.7 km) north east of Exeter. The easily defensible site was chosen by the Normans for their dominant Motte and Bailey castle. A small settlement soon sprouted up around the castle and later the town grew in importance and prosperity on the back of Devon's burgeoning wool trade, the fast flowing rivers proving ideal for powering the local mills. In the 18th Century the wool trade declined but in 1815 the industrialist John Heathcoat set up a lace making factory. This industry really took off and Tiverton again flourished to become one of Devon's prime industrial centres. The Heathcoat lace factory, which dates from 1816, is still producing fine lacework. Samples of local lace can be seen in the the Tiverton Museum and also at the Allhallows Museum in Honiton.




Today, Tiverton is the largest town in mid Devon and has a small but busy shopping centre. The imposing structure of the parish church dedicated to St Peter dates from the 15th century and reflects the prosperity brought to the town by the wool trade. There are fine carvings of anchors, waves and ships of all types and even Barbary apes. The town has some well preserved old merchant's houses. Blundell's School was founded by back in 1604 by a local merchant and converted to dwelling houses in 1880.