Early evidence suggests that Normans and Irish were living and working in the town.

As early as 1440, 1 Irish and 6 Norman men are recorded as living in the town. 

Around the same time, in 1447, All Saints Church in Okehampton was also rebuilt. It is difficult to establish the link between these newcomers and structural changes in the town, but it is certainly possible that foreign workers were recruited for their skill as craftsmen, just as they were in 20th century Tavistock. Economic migration is certainly not a new phenomenon.