Part 1

Transcriber’s Note: ###################

This e-text is based on the 1908 edition of the book. Minor punctuation errors have been tacitly corrected. Inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling, such as ‘ale-house’/‘alehouse’ and ‘Mary Wilcocks’/‘Mary Willcocks,’ have been retained. The asterism symbols in the book catalogue at the end of this text have been inverted for presentation on electronic media.

The following passage has been corrected:

# p. 126: ‘1852’ → ‘1825’ # p. 685: ‘fro mthe’ → ‘from the’

Italic text has been symbolised by underscores (_italic_); forward slashes represent small caps (/small caps/). Caret symbols (^) signify superscript characters; multiple characters have been grouped inside curly braces: ^{superscript}.

DEVONSHIRE CHARACTERS AND STRANGE EVENTS

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

YORKSHIRE ODDITIES TRAGEDY OF THE CÆSARS CURIOUS MYTHS LIVES OF THE SAINTS

ETC. ETC.

DEVONSHIRE CHARACTERS AND STRANGE EVENTS BY S. BARING-GOULD, /M.A./

WITH 55 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS REPRODUCED FROM OLD PRINTS, ETC.

O Jupiter! Hanccine vitam? hoscine mores? hanc dementiam?

/Terence/, _Adelphi_ (Act IV).

LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMVIII

PLYMOUTH: WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LIMITED, PRINTERS

PREFACE

In treating of Devonshire Characters, I have had to put aside the chief Worthies and those Devonians famous in history, as George Duke of Albemarle, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Coleridges, Sir Stafford Northcote, first Earl of Iddesleigh, and many another; and to content myself with those who lie on a lower plane. So also I have had to set aside several remarkable characters, whose lives I have given elsewhere, as the Herrings of Langstone (whom I have called Grym or Grymstone) and Madame Drake, George Spurle the Post-boy, etc. Also I have had to pretermit several great rascals, as Thomas Gray and Nicholas Horner. But even so, I find an _embarras de richesses_, and have had to content myself with such as have had careers of some general interest. Moreover, it has not been possible to say all that might have been said relative to these, so as to economize space, and afford room for others.

So also, with regard to strange incidents, some limitation has been necessary, and such have been selected as are less generally known.

I have to thank the kind help of many Devonshire friends for the loan of rare pamphlets, portraits, or for information not otherwise acquirable--as the Earl of Iddesleigh, Lady Rosamond Christie, Mrs. Chichester of Hall, Mrs. Ford of Pencarrow, Dr. Linnington Ash, Dr. Brushfield, Capt. Pentecost, Miss M. P. Willcocks, Mr. Andrew Iredale, Mr. W. H. K. Wright, Mr. A. B. Collier, Mr. Charles T. Harbeck, Mr. H. Tapley Soper, Miss Lega-Weekes, who has contributed the article on Richard Weekes; Mrs. G. Radford, Mr. R. Pearse Chope, Mr. Rennie Manderson, Mr. M. Bawden, the Rev. J. B. Wollocombe, the Rev. W. H. Thornton, Mr. A. M. Broadley, Mr. Samuel Gillespie Prout, Mr. S. H. Slade, Mr. W. Fleming, Mrs. A. H. Wilson, Fleet-Surgeon Lloyd Thomas, the Rev. W. T. Wellacott, Mr. S. Raby, Mr. Samuel Harper, Mr. John Avery, Mr. Thomas Wainwright, Mr. A. F. Steuart, Mr. S. T. Whiteford, and last, but not least, Mr. John Lane, the publisher of this volume, who has taken the liveliest interest in its production.

Also to Messrs. Macmillan for kindly allowing the use of an engraving of Newcomen’s steam engine, and to Messrs. Vinton & Co. for allowing the use of the portrait of the Rev. John Russell that appeared in _Bailey’s Magazine_.

I am likewise indebted to Miss M. Windeatt Roberts for having undertaken to prepare the exhaustive Index, and to Mr. J. G. Commin for placing at my disposal many rare illustrations.

For myself I may say that it has been a labour of love to grope among the characters and incidents of the past in my own county, and with Cordatus, in the Introduction to Ben Jonson’s _Every Man out of his Humour_, I may say that it has been “a work that hath bounteously pleased me; how it will answer the general expectation, I know not.”

* * * * *

I am desired by my publisher to state that he will be glad to receive any information as to the whereabouts of pictures by another “Devonshire Character,” James Gandy, born at Exeter in 1619, and a pupil of Vandyck. He was retained in the service of the Duke of Ormond, whom he accompanied to Ireland, where he died in 1689. It is said that his chief works will be found in that country and the West of England.

Jackson of Exeter, in his volume _The Four Ages_, says: “About the beginning of the eighteenth century was a painter in Exeter called Gandy, of whose colouring Sir Joshua Reynolds thought highly. I heard him say that on his return from Italy, when he was fresh from seeing the pictures of the Venetian school, he again looked at the works of Gandy, and that they had lost nothing in his estimation. There are many pictures of this artist in Exeter and its neighbourhood. The portrait Sir Joshua seemed most to value is in the Hall belonging to the College of Vicars in that city, but I have seen some very much superior to it.”

Since then, however, the original picture has been taken from the College of Vicars, and has been lost; but a copy, I believe, is still exhibited there, and no one seems to know what has become of the original.

Not only is Mr. Lane anxious to trace this picture, but any others in Devon or Ireland, as also letters, documents, or references to this artist and his work.

CONTENTS

PAGE

/Hugh Stafford and the Royal Wilding/ 1 /The Alphington Ponies/ 16 /Maria Foote/ 21 /Caraboo/ 35 /John Arscott, of Tetcott/ 47 /Wife-sales/ 58 /White Witches/ 70 /Manly Peeke/ 84 /Eulalia Page/ 95 /James Wyatt/ 107 /The Rev. W. Davy/ 123 /The Grey Woman/ 128 /Robert Lyde and the “Friend’s Adventure”/ 136 /Joseph Pitts/ 152 /The Demon of Spreyton/ 170 /Tom Austin/ 175 /Frances Flood/ 177 /Sir William Hankford/ 181 /Sir John Fitz/ 185 /Lady Howard/ 194 /The Bidlakes, of Bidlake/ 212 /The Pirates of Lundy/ 224 /Tom D’Urfey/ 238 /The Bird of the Oxenhams/ 248 /“Lusty” Stucley/ 262 /The Bideford Witches/ 274 /Sir “Judas” Stukeley/ 278 /The Sampford Ghost/ 286 /Philippa Cary and Anne Evans/ 292 /Jack Rattenbury/ 301 /John Barnes, Taverner and Highwayman/ 320 /Edward Capern/ 325 /George Medyett Goodridge/ 332 /John Davy/ 351 /Richard Parker, the Mutineer/ 355 /Benjamin Kennicott/, /D.D./ 369 /Captain John Avery/ 375 /Joanna Southcott/ 390 /The Stoke Resurrectionists/ 405 /“The Beggars’ Opera” and Gay’s Chair/ 414 /Bampfylde-Moore Carew/ 425 /William Gifford/ 436 /Benjamin R. Haydon/ 457 /John Cooke/ 478 /Savery and Newcomen, Inventors/ 487 /Andrew Brice, Printer/ 502 /Devonshire Wrestlers/ 514 /Two Hunting Parsons/ 529 /Samuel Prout/ 564 /Fontelautus/ 581 /William Lang, of Bradworthy/ 594 /William Cookworthy/ 600 /William Jackson, Organist/ 608 /John Dunning, First Lord Ashburton/ 618 /Governor Shortland and the Princetown Massacre/ 633 /Captain John Palk/ 700 /Richard Weekes, Gentleman at Arms and Prisoner in the Fleet/ 709 /Steer Nor’-West/ 718 /George Peele/ 726 /Peter Pindar/ 737 /Dr. J. W. Budd/ 754 /Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Chichester, Bart./ 772

ILLUSTRATIONS

/Maria Foote, afterwards Countess of Harrington/ _Frontispiece_

From an engraving by Thomas Lupton, after a picture by G. Clint, /A.R.A./ to face page

/Hugh Stafford/ 2

From the original painting in the collection of the Earl of Iddesleigh

/The Roasted Exciseman, or the Jack Boot’s Exit/ 4

From an old print

/The Tyburn Interview: a New Song/ 8

By a Cyder Merchant, of South-Ham, Devonshire. Dedicated to Jack Ketch

/The Misses Durnford. The Alphington Ponies/ 16

From a lithograph

/The Misses Durnford. The Alphington Ponies/ (Back View) 18

Lithographed by P. Gauci. Pub. Ed. Cockrem

/Maria Foote, afterwards Countess of Harrington/ 22

From an engraved portrait in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.

/Caraboo, Princess of Javasu,/ _alias_ /Mary Baker/ 36

From an engraving by Henry Meyer, after a picture by E. Bird

/Mary Wilcocks, of Witheridge, Devonshire,/ _alias_ /Caraboo/ 44

Drawn and engraved by N. Branwhite

/Arscott of Tetcott/ 48

From the picture by J. Northcote, /R.A./

/Old Tetcott House/ 54

/Mariann Voaden, Bratton/ 74

/Mariann Voaden’s Cottage, Bratton/ 74

/A Village “Wise Man”/ 78

/Manly Peeke in his Encounter with Three Adversaries Armed with Rapiers and Poignards/ 90

/James Wyat/, /ÆTAT./ 40 108

Reproduced from the frontispiece to _The Life and Surprizing Adventures of James Wyatt, Written by Himself_, 1755

/Rev. W. Davy/ 124

From an engraving by R. Cooper, after a picture by Wm. Sharland

/Slanning’s Oak/ 188

From an oil painting by A. B. Collier, 1855

/Frontispiece to “The Bloudie Booke; or the Tragical End of Sir John Fitz”/ 192

/Lady Howard/ 194

/Bidlake/ 212

/Thomas D’Urfey/ 238

From an engraving by G. Virtue, after a picture by E. Gouge

/Frontispiece to “A True Relation of an Apparition,” etc., by James Oxenham/ 248

/John Rattenbury, of Beer, Devonshire, “The Rob Roy of the West”/ 302

From a lithograph

/Edward Capern, the Postman-Poet of Devonshire/ 326

From a painting by William Widgery, in the Free Library, Bideford

/Charles Medyett Goodridge in his Seal-skin Dress/ 332

/Richard Parker/ 356

From a drawing by Bailey

/B. Kennicott/, /S.T.P./ 370

From the portrait at Exeter College, Oxford

/Captain Avery and his Crew taking one of the Great Mogul’s Ships/ 376

From a drawing by Wm. Jeit

/Joanna Southcott/ 390

Drawn from life by Wm. Sharp

/Silver Pap-boat prepared for the Coming of Shiloh, presented to Joanna Southcott in June, 1814/ 402

From the original in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.

/Crib presented to Joanna Southcott in anticipation of the Birth of the Shiloh by Believers in her Divine Mission as “A Goodwill Offering by Faith to the Promised Seed”/ 402

Reproduced from the original print in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.

/Mr. Gay/ 414

From an old print

/The Grammar School, Barnstaple, where Gay was Educated/ 416

/Gay’s Chair/ 422

/Bampfylde Moore Carew, “King of the Beggars”/ 426

From an engraving by Maddocks

/W. Gifford/ 436

From an engraving by R. H. Cromek, after a picture by I. Hoppner, /R.A./

/B. R. Haydon/ 458

From a drawing by David Wilkie

/Captain Cooke, 1824, aged 58/ 478

Drawn, from nature, on the stone by N. Whittock

/The Noted John Cooke of Exeter, Captain of the Sheriff’s Troop at Seventy-four Assizes for the County of Devon/ 482

From a lithograph by Geo. Rowe

/Thomas Savery/ 488

/Sketch of Newcomen’s House, Lower Street, Dartmouth, before it was demolished/ 494

/The Chimney-piece at which Newcomen sat when he Invented the Steam Engine/ 494

/The Steam Engine, near Dudley Castle./ Invented by Capt. Savery and Mr. Newcomen. Erected by y^e later, 1712 496

From a drawing by Barney. Reproduced by kind permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

/Andrew Brice, Printer/ 502

Reproduced by kind permission from a print in the possession of Dr. Brushfield

/The Wrestling Champion of England, Abraham Cann/ 518

From a drawing

/Rev. John Russell/ 530

Reproduced by permission of the Editor of _Bailey’s Magazine_

/The Rev. John Russell’s Port-wine Glass, Chamberlain Worcester Breakfast Service, and Barometer/ 558

Purchased at the sale of his effects in 1883 by Mrs. Arnull and presented by her to Mr. John Lane, in whose possession they now are

/Samuel Prout/ 564

From a drawing in the possession of Samuel Gillespie Prout, Esq.

/William Cookworthy of Plymouth/ 600

From the original portrait by Opie in the possession of Edward Harrison, Esq., of Watford

/Mr. Jackson, the Celebrated Composer/ 608

From an engraving after J. Walker

/Lord Ashburton/ 618

From an engraving by F. Bartolozzi, after a picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds

/Horrid Massacre at Dartmoor Prison, England/ 648

From an old print

/Plan of Dartmoor Prison/ 650

/North Wyke/ 710

/Dr. Wolcot/ 738

/Dr. John W. Budd/ 754

From a photograph by his brother Dr. Richard Budd, of Barnstaple

/Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Chichester, Bart./ 772

DEVONSHIRE CHARACTERS AND STRANGE EVENTS

HUGH STAFFORD AND THE ROYAL WILDING

Hugh Stafford, Esq., of Pynes, born 1674, was the last of the Staffords of Pynes. His daughter, Bridget Maria, carried the estate to her husband, Sir Henry Northcote, Bart., from whom is descended the present Earl of Iddesleigh. Hugh Stafford died in 1734. He is noted as an enthusiastic apple-grower and lover of cyder.

He wrote a “Dissertation on Cyder and Cyder-Fruit” in a letter to a friend in 1727, but this was not published till 1753, and a second edition in 1769. The family of Stafford was originally Stowford, of Stowford, in the parish of Dolton. The name changed to Stoford and then to Stafford. One branch married into the family of Wollocombe, of Wollocombe. But the name of Stowford or Stafford was not the most ancient designation of the family, which was Kelloway, and bore as its arms four pears. The last Stafford turned from pears to apples, to which he devoted his attention and became a connoisseur not in apples only, but in the qualities of cyder as already intimated.

To a branch of this family belonged Sir John Stowford, Lord Chief Baron in the reign of Edward III, who built Pilton Bridge over the little stream of the Yeo or Yaw, up which the tide flows, and over which the passage was occasionally dangerous. The story goes that the judge one day saw a poor market woman with her child on a mudbank in the stream crying for aid, which none could afford her, caught and drowned by the rising flood, whereupon he vowed to build the bridge to prevent further accident. The rhyme ran:--

Yet Barnstaple, graced though thou be by brackish Taw, In all thy glory see that thou not forget the little Yaw.

Camden asserts that Judge Stowford also constructed the long bridge over the Taw consisting of sixteen piers. Tradition will have it, however, that towards the building of this latter two spinster ladies (sisters) contributed by the profits of their distaffs and the pennies they earned by keeping a little school.

I was travelling on the South Devon line some years ago after there had been a Church Congress at Plymouth, and in the same carriage with me were some London reporters. Said one of these gentry to another: “Did you ever see anything like Devonshire parsons and pious ladies? They were munching apples all the time that the speeches were being made. Honour was being done to the admirable fruit by these worthy Devonians. I was dotting down my notes during an eloquent harangue on ‘How to Bring Religion to Bear upon the People’ when chump, chump went a parson on my left; and the snapping of jaws on apples, rending off shreds for mastication, punctuated the periods of a bishop who spoke next. At an ensuing meeting on the ‘Deepening of Personal Religion’ my neighbour was munching a Cornish gilliflower, which he informed me in taste and aroma surpassed every other apple. I asked in a low tone whether Devonshire people did not peel their fruit before eating. He answered _leni susurro_ that the flavour was in the rind.”

Cyder was anciently the main drink of the country people in the West of England. Every old farmhouse had its granite trough (circular) in which rolled a stone wheel that pounded the fruit to a “pummice,” and the juice flowed away through a lip into a keeve. Now, neglected and cast aside, may be seen the huge masses of stone with an iron crook fastened in them, which in the earliest stage of cyder-making were employed for pressing the fruit into pummice. But these weights were superseded by the screw-press that extracted more of the juice.