Langdon deacon 5th
July 1625." He seems to have brought peace to the troubled mind of his
vicar, whose tombstone declares:

"Many are the troubles of the Righteous
But the Lord delivereth out of all."

Langdon used to keep the registers, and he began to record in them a
series of notes on passing events which add greatly to the interest of
such volumes. Thus we find an account of a grievous fire at Tiverton in
1595, a violent storm at Barnstaple in 1606, and a great frost in the
same year; another fire at Tiverton in 1612, and the scraps of Latin
which appear show that he was a man of some education.

Anthony Baker reigned from 1625 to 1646, who had also been ordained
deacon prior to his appointment to Barnstaple, and belonged to an old
yeoman family. He was popular with the people, who presented him with a
new gown. He saw the suspension of his vicar by the Standing Committee,
and probably died of the plague in 1646, when the town found itself
without vicar, deacon, or clerk. The plague was raging, people dying,
and no one to minister to them. No clergyman would come save the old
vicar, Martyn Blake, who was at length allowed by the Puritan rulers to
return, to the great joy of the inhabitants. He appointed Symon Sloby
(1647-81), but could not get him ordained deacon, as bishops and
ordination were abhorred and abolished by the Puritan rulers. Sloby was
appointed "Register of Barnestapell" during the Commonwealth period. He
saw his vicar ejected and carried off to Exeter by some of the
Parliamentary troopers and subsequently restored to the living, and
records with much joy and loyalty the restoration of the monarchy. He
served three successive vicars, records many items of interest,
including certain gifts to himself with a pious wish for others to go
and do likewise, and died in a good old age.

Richard Sleeper succeeded him in 1682, and reigned till 1698. He
conformed to the more modern style of clerk of an important parish, a
dignified official who attended the vicar and performed his duties on
Sunday, occupying the clerk's desk. Of his successors history records
little save their names. William Bawden, a weaver, was clerk from 1708
to 1726, William Evans 1726 to 1741, John Taylor 1741 to 1760, John
Comer 1760 to 1786, John Shapcote 1786 to 1795, Joseph Kimpland 1795 to
1798, who was a member of an old Barnstaple family and was succeeded by
his son John (1798-1832), John Thorne (1832-1859), John Hartn