When Richard was baptised at Lamerton in 1821 his family were resident in North Brentor, Lamerton. In 1841 he is still with his parents in South Brentor, Brentor & is employed as a Manganese Miner. A note in the Car Park of Brentor Church states that there are the remains of Manganese Mines south-west of the church. There were also major Manganese mines in nearby Coryton. He was a Miner resident in Mary Tavy when he married Elizabeth Mortimore, a dressmaker, in 1849 at Coryton, her parish. The marriage was conducted by the Rector, Richard Newman to whom Elizabeth's father Christopher was servant. The witnesses were William Vigars (most probably his younger brother, also a Miner, who witnessed his Will) & William Prout (probably the same who was appointed sole Executor by his Will & was husband of his sister Susan/Susanna). By April 1851 Richard & Elizabeth are resident at Willestrew, Lamerton & he is a Copper Miner. To the rear of Willestrew there are the remains of mineral workings. Their first child William Henry was baptised at Coryton in July of the same year. Presumably Elizabeth finished her confinement with her mother as when the next child was baptised at Lamerton in 1855 they were resident at Little Willestrew. The next two baptisms record their residence at Lamerton (1857) & Trevenn, Lamerton (1860). Richard's occupation throughout is given as a Miner. In 1861 the family is resident at Hill, Lamerton & Richard is a Copper Miner. However, by 1871 they are all at the Sportsman's Arms, Heathfield, Lamerton where Richard, still a Miner, is a Licenced Victualler. Kelly's 1873 and Harrod's and White's 1878-9 Trade Directories record him as a Publican at the Sportman's Arms. The Sportman's Arms is at an isolated crossroads above Lamerton. By 1889 a new licencee John Kingsland is in residence (Kelly 89;93 White 90). By 1902 the Licencee is Nicholas Simmonds or Semmens (Kelly 02;06;10;14) but in 1919 it is Edwin Barber (Kelly 19). In 1923 the Licencee is Thomas Palmer but by 1926 there is no Public House recorded in Kelly's Directory. It certainly became a private dwelling at some point and two distant single cousins of Richard (brothers Edward Sydney Reddecliffe Vigars & Francis William Vigars) lived there in the 1950s. When I first visited it in 1983 it was still a private dwelling called just "Sportmans", but by May 1987 it had re-opened as a Public House with a camping site at the rear. I was told by the then licencee that it had been a Drover's Pub taking their stock to & from market at Tavistock. They would leave their animals in the nearby pen, still visible on the other side of the road, and refresh themselves at the Pub. There was apparently a mushrooming of beer-houses in the 1860s in opposition to the so-called "gin-palaces". By August 1999 it had again shut down as a Pub and had been renamed "Acorn Cottage" offering Bed & Breakfast with Camping at the rear. The Book of Lamerton (Halsgrove 1999): "The Sportsmans was built around 1860 when Richard Rowe of Great Haye leased it to Richard Vigars for 60 years for the sum of £1 10s per annum. In 1890, John Kingsland was landlord and by 1898 it was owned by Plymouth Breweries who sold it later in the year to Tavistock Breweries. In 1899 a Mr Wilson bought the property, transfering to the Bedford Brewery of Plymouth. The landlord in 1902 was Nicholas Simmonds and in 1920 Mr Thomas Palmer of Four Winds bought the property, building an extension at the rear. Because the extension took a long time to build the licence lapsed and was lost. Mr Palmer then proceeded to store wool in the newly erected bathroom and on the landing. The Sportsmans continued to sell cigarettes and teas, but did not continue as an inn. It then went into private occupation until the 1980s when it reopened as a public house once more for a short period of time. It has now become a private house once again and is known as Acorn Cottage." This is the last Will and Testament of me Richard Vigars of the Sportsman's Arms in the Parish of Lamerton Publican. I give devise and bequeath unto William Prout his Executors Administrators and Assigns All my real and personal estate whatsoever and whosoever and to which I may now or hereafter become entitled and whether in reversion or remainder or otherwise howsoever In trust to sell and convert the same into money or such part thereof as shall not convert of money and in the first place out of the proceeds of such sale and conversion to pay my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and Upon trust as to the residue thereof after such payments as aforesaid to invest the same and out of the Income arriving from such Investment to pay the sum of Seven Shillings per week to my wife Elizabeth Vigars for her life provided she so long remain my Widow and unmarried and upon further trust to apply the Principal for the purpose of paying such weekly sum if the Income should be insufficient And upon further trust after the decease or second marriage of my said Wife Elizabeth Vigars whichever shall first happen to divide the Principal in equal shares amongst all my children who shall be living at the decease or second marriage of my said Wife And I appoint the said William Prout sole Executor of this my Will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this second day of January One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine. Signed and declared by the said Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses (the words "And upon further trust to apply the Principal for the purpose of paying such weekly sum of the Income should be insufficient" having first been inserted between the twentieth and twenty first lines and to which our initials are placed) Richard Vigars Henry J Phillpotts Vicar of Lamerton nr. Tavistock William Vigars Miner Tavistock Proved at Exeter the Seventh day of February 1879 by the Oath of William Prout, the sole Executor, to whom Administration was granted. The Testator Richard Vigars was late of Lamerton within he County of Devon Publican and died on the fourth day of January 1879 at the Sportsmans Arms Lamerton aforesaid. Under £200 Extracted by the Executor in person. Richard was obviously a friend of the Vicar of Lamerton, who witnessed his will when he was on his death-bed & judging by the prominent position of his grave near Lamerton Church's south porch. This Gravestone recorded the ages & dates of death of Richard, his wife Elizabeth & their eldest son William Henry. The church itself had been gutted by fire on Monday 19th November 1877 and not reopened until 29th January 1880 during which period Richard was buried. Richard does not feature in the lists of subscribers to the Building Fund, however, included are John Vigars 2/6 (Richard's son?); Jonas Vigars £2; and A. Vigars 10/- (Richard's other son Alfred?).