Early Life & Lineage
According to a family tree compiled by my Great Aunt, Nicholas Worth was born or baptised in 1685, the son of Nicholas Worth (1655–1699) and his wife Mary.
Although direct parish baptism records have not yet been located to confirm his birth year, strong circumstantial evidence supports his lineage. Local research by Mike Brown of Dartmoor Press links Nicholas to two siblings:
- Amy Worth (1676–1758): Confirmed directly as the daughter of Nicholas and Mary via parish baptism registers.
- Michael Worth (1679–1746).
Land & Tenancies on Dartmoor
In 1700, Nicholas and his brother Michael appear in manor rent records as the first documented tenants of Lower Stenlake (Walkhampton’s Abandoned Farms, Vol. 5: Stenlake, p. 1 – Dartmoor Press). Because they are the initial tenants on record, researcher Mike Brown theorises that the brothers may have built the dwelling themselves. Lower Stenlake formed part of the wider Stenlake farmstead, which encompassed multiple dwellings shared by several families.
Civil Records
While there are no entries for Nicholas in the parish register regarding marriage or children, he does appear in local civil administrative records. He is listed in the Walkhampton Overseer’s Accounts and Rates in both 🔒1702 and 🔒1708 (Plymouth & West Devon Parish Chest Records 1556–1950, Plymouth & West Devon Record Office).
Death & Succession
There is no surviving parish record of Nicholas’s exact burial date. However, by the time the 1740 manor rent records were taken, he was no longer listed as a tenant at Lower Stenlake, placing his death prior to or around that year.