Totnes in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Totnes, muu. bor., market town, and par., Devon, on river Dart, 22 miles SW. of Exeter and 223 miles from London by rail - par., 1043 ac., pop. 3525; bor. (including alar, Bridgetown, in Berry Pomeroy par.), 1405 ac., pop. 4089; P.O., T.O., 3 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-day, Saturday. Totnes dates from very ancient times, and has aspects of antiquity in many of its houses. It has, besides the keep of the Norman castle built at the Conquest, two gateways of the old walls, a quaint guild hall, a fine church rebuilt in the 15th century, and a grammar school founded in 1554. A handsome bridge of three arches over the Dart connects Totnes proper with Bridgetown. In the square is a monument of William John Wills, the Australian explorer, who was a native of Totnes. There is a considerable fishery, but there is little trade beyond the importation of coal. Totnes was incorporated by King John, and sent 2 members to Parliament from the time of Edward I. until 1867.