A FAMILY which originates from Inwardleigh is having a reunion later this month in Plymouth. Following the success of earlier gatherings of the Speare family in Exeter and Illinois, USA, there will be another get together between October 20 and 22 at the Copthorne Hotel. It will be open to anyone connected or interested in the Speare family. There have been various spellings of the name over the years including Spear, Spears and Speer, but the family researchers have traced many of them back to the mid 18th century in North Devon and particularly Inwardleigh. Visitors will be able to drop in to the Holiday Inn meeting room between noon and 4pm on October 20 to view the family tree to date, parish records for related villages and Devon Census information for 1851 and 1881 and meet other family members from around the UK, Canada, Norway and Australia. On the morning of October 21 there will be a visit to St Petroc?s Parish Church, Inwardleigh, the focal point of Speare births, marriages and deaths in the 18th and 19th centuries. For further information, contact Thomas Peake on 01865 761070 or 07879 634211.
