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 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028089435 
 
SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LITERAEY HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 BARNSTAPLE, 
 
 BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF 
 
 A SERIES OE PAPERS 
 
 :eEAD AT THE LITEEAET INSTITUTION, BAENSTAPLE, 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN ROBERTS CHANTER, 
 
 TO WHICH IS APPENDED THE 
 
 DIARY OF PHILIP WYOT, 
 
 TOWN CLERK OF BARNSTAPLE, 
 FROM is86 TO i6o?. 
 
 BAENSTAPLE : 
 PEINTED AND SOLD BY B, J. ABNOLD, HIGH STREET. 
 
 
TO 
 
 WILLIAM FREDEEICK ROCK, 
 
 PRESIDENT OP THE BARNSTAPLE LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC 
 INSTITUTION, 
 
 AS ONE WHO HAS DONE MORE THAN ANY OTHER PERSON 
 
 TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE LITERARY TASTES 
 
 IN HIS NATIVE TOWN OP BARNSTAPLE, 
 
 THESE SKETCHES OP ITS LITERARY HISTORY ARE 
 INSCRIBED BY 
 
 J. R. CHANTER. 
 
At the request of many Mends, " Jealous for the honour and 
 history of their native Town," I have submitted these sketches 
 of its Literary history to the public. 
 
 In putting together my notes on the subject collected during 
 many years reading, I had simply the intention of providing an 
 Evening's reading as part of the winter course of lectm-es at the 
 Literary Institution ; but I soon found that the materials for a 
 literary history of Barnstaple, far exceeded the ordinary limits of a 
 a Lecture, and although subsequently divided into two papers, 
 a considerable portion was omitted in the delivery. It is, how- 
 ever, now published in precisely the same form as first written, 
 mere sketches and notes, which may be usefiil as materials for a 
 Chapter in the History of Barnstaple, 
 
 I have to thank many Mends, and particularly Mr. Godwin of 
 Bath, for notes and information, and for their assistance in my 
 endeavours to make the list of Barnstaple Worthies and Barnstaple 
 publications, as accurate and complete as possible. 
 
 The Catalogue of Books and Pamphlets printed at Barnstaple 
 is not suggested as at all complete. No doubt many omissions 
 may be discovered, but it only includes Books or Pamphlets of a 
 Public Character, and not mere single Sermons or Lectures, nor 
 private or trade compilations. 
 
I hare taken this opportunity of giving to the Public, Philip- 
 Wyot's journal, well known in name to all readers of local history,, 
 but which has never before been printed. 
 
 For particulars as to the Author, and as to its age and 
 authenticity I refer to the introductory note. 
 
 J. R. CHANTEE. 
 Fort Hill, Barnstaple, June, 1866. 
 
SKETCH OP THE 
 
 Sitqarg gtBtcrrs of latin^tapl^. 
 
 It has been well Baid that "Rome, Athens, Sparta, lived, 
 " and have lived, in the memory of succeeding ages — not so 
 "much, that they became cities of monumental fame, as because 
 "man, aye even heathen man, gave to them the priceless 
 "legacy of his intellect." 
 
 The history of nations, of petty states or communities, 
 and equally of remote provinces, districts and towns, depends, 
 so far as the world at large or succeeding ages are concerned, 
 not so much on the mighty acts or deeds of virtue or renown 
 to which they gave birth, as on having found men of intellect, 
 who have recorded and transmitted those acts to posterity. The 
 words of Horace, " Vixerunt fortes ante Agamemnon multi,"^ 
 "Many brave men lived before Agamemnon," have passed into 
 a proverb ; but they did not also find a Homer to record heroic 
 deeds in burning words, which will live to all time. 
 
 Many an obscure village, many a remote district may have 
 borne witness to deeds of valour, of devotion, or of intellect, as 
 great in their degree, as those chronicled in the imperishable 
 
pages of Hfitory ; or, as Gray in his exquisite elegy in a country 
 churchyard expresses it : 
 
 " Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid 
 
 " Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire ; 
 
 " Hands that the rod of empire might have sway'd, 
 
 " Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre. 
 
 " Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast, 
 
 " The little tyrant of his fields withstood, 
 
 " Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest, 
 
 " Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood." 
 
 But, for lack of literary record, their history has been lost to 
 
 posterity. This was especially the case before the invention of 
 
 printing. Learning and literature were in the middle ages for 
 
 the most part confined to the clergy, and literary pursuits 
 
 followed almost exclusiyely in the universities and seats of 
 
 learning scattered throughout Europe, or in the monasteries and 
 
 religious houses, and so rare was it for a layman to possess even 
 
 the simple accomplishment of reading, and so highly was it 
 
 prized, as to extend to the possessor the privileges and immunities 
 
 from punishments for crimes, which appertained of old to the 
 
 priestly office ; " Legit ut Clericus," was the watchword which 
 
 relieved the layman who could spell a few words in a missal from 
 
 many punishments and penalties, and this anomaly in our criminal 
 
 law remained in name " Benefit of Clergy," to a very recent 
 
 period. 
 
 We must not, therefore, expect to find any literary productions 
 
 or recollections in remote and little known districts, such as ours, 
 
 during the earlier periods of British history. The few records 
 
 we possess of Barnstaple previous to the fifteenth century are 
 
 national rather than local ; the notices contained in the pubhc 
 
 records, and in our early topogTaphers and historians, not coming 
 
 within the scope of our present subject. The literary history of 
 
 a town, may however, be considered as including not only the 
 
 publications or literary works emanating therefrom, but likewise 
 
 the biography of men of letters, or of literary fame, who have 
 
 been connected with it by birth, residence, or associations, and 
 
 many an obscure town or village has acquired renown from the 
 
 reflected lustre of its sons. The wretched town of Stratford- 
 
 on-Avon has obtained an immortal name as the birth place of 
 
its wondrous Shakespeare, and this, although perhaps the most 
 brilliant, is certainly not a solitary instance. 
 
 Next to actual celebrity as the scene of important events, or 
 its connection with celebrated men, is the importance given to a 
 place by being made the scene of works of fiction of noted 
 authors, or of poets, who " give to airy nothings a local habita- 
 tion and a name," and in this respect Barnstaple or its im- 
 mediate neighbourhood can boast of but scanty notice. Ilfracombe 
 from its attracting so many literary visitants during the summer 
 months has found numerous writers on its history, its beauties, 
 and its legends. Bideford has found a Kingsley to make it 
 famous, and its churchyard was the scene of Hervey's Meditations. 
 We, however, have few or no associations which would render 
 Barnstaple a place of pilgrimage. Still a few writers have 
 noticed it. 
 
 A clergyman, named Potter, in the last century, wrote a potter's curate oi 
 novel called the " Curate of Coventry," which referred to Bam- Coventry, 
 staple, and iu which he invented the story, that the Corporation 
 had the choice of having their, portraits taken or the river Taw 
 made navigable for larger vessels, and that they chose the former. 
 A pure fiction, which some persons unfortunately have assumed to 
 be fact. 
 
 A recent incumbent of one of our district churches has also pycroft's 20 years 
 given to the world a volume in which, under the name of Lachford, "" "^'^ cimrcii. 
 he describes scenes in Barnstaple, and satii'izes its iahabitants and 
 their doings in no very kindly spirit, the only remark on which 
 I would make is, that people and things appear in very different 
 lights when viewed by different eyes, and if the sketches and 
 characters drawn by the reverend gentleman were intended by 
 him as real and not imagiuary, he would probably stand alone in 
 his conceptions of the actions and motives of his characters when 
 viewed by impartial eyes. 
 
 It has generally escaped notice that Sir Walter Scott fixes a sir miter scott's 
 
 ^ •> >■ Keuilworth. 
 
 scene iu one of his most enchantiag historical novels, "Kenilworth," 
 in our immediate vicinity, as the residence of Amy Robsart. Both 
 the name and description tally very exactly with the reality. It 
 
commences " The ancient seat of Lidcote Hall was situated near 
 " the village of the same name, and adjoining the wild and ex- 
 " tensive forest of Exmoor. The old mansion was a low 
 " venerable building, occupying a considerable space of ground, 
 " which was surrounded by a moat." The name " Lydcote Hall," 
 still continues, and there may still also be traced the remains of 
 heavy ancient walls, now incorporated with the farm buildiags. 
 An old inhabitant of the tovra once narrated to me, how, when a 
 young man, now some 70 years since, he was hunting on the 
 moor, and came late in the evening on the old mansion, with its 
 heavy and moss grown waUs, and the moat still partly remaining. 
 He was much impressed vnth its grim and solitary aspect at that 
 time, and in after years on the publication of the Waverly Novels 
 at once recognized the accuracy of the description. Little now 
 remains, as the enclosm'e of Bratton Down and the erection of 
 new farm buildings have quite swept away all illusion and 
 romance from the spot. 
 
 In attempting a sketch of the Literature and Literary History 
 of Barnstaple, I have been reminded that I am ploughing a sterile 
 field, and in comparison with larger and more important towns, 
 such may be very much the case. The materials may be scanty, 
 but such as they are, I believe no attempt has lutherto been made 
 to collect them, certainly the materials I have been able to procure 
 in a long course of reading, and those I have obtained from others, 
 are not sufScient to enable me to lay claim to a perfect or complete 
 history, but there is much that is curious and locally interesting. 
 I therefore now only propose to give sketches or descriptions in 
 chronological order of men of mark, books, or publications, with 
 which Barnstaple or its immediate neighbourhood has been in 
 any way connected or concerned. 
 
 Most of the books and publications I shall notice have come 
 under my own personal inspection, but in some few instances I 
 am dependent on information fr-om others, and from catalogues. 
 
 The first eminent person and distinguished public character 
 that Barnstaple claims the honour of being the birth place of, 
 
was the Lord Chancellor Fortescue, an eminent English lawyer Lord chanoeiiot 
 in the reign of Henry VI., the author of the celebrated book ^'^'^^' 
 " De Laudibns Legum Anglise," and a variety of legal and con- 
 stitutional works. He was bom about the year 1390, and died 
 in 1471. But little is known of his life beyond his literary 
 remains, and in one work only have I found it stated that 
 Barnstaple was has birth place.* 
 
 About the year 1530, two boys were receiving their education 
 at Barnstaple Grammar School, John Jewell and Thomas Harding, 
 schoolfellows then,^they grew up to be world famous polemical 
 antagonists thereafter. One became Bishop of Salisbmy, distia- 
 guished as one of the ablest and most eloquent writers against 
 the Romish Church. The other equally distinguished as a 
 scholar, became Hebrew Professor at Oxford, and ultimately went 
 over to Rome. 
 
 Dr. Jewell was born at Berrynarbor, in 1522, and was jjj j^^^,], 
 early sent to Barnstaple for education.f He was a man of l^bfuy. 
 great learning. His apology for the Church of England is the 
 work by which he is best known, but he was also the author of 
 many controversial treatises, equally learned and judicious, and 
 most of them are rendered agreeable reading by the historical 
 and antiquarian notices dispersed in them. The most im- 
 portant of these is the controversy with Dr. Harding, arising 
 out of a sermon preached by Bishop Jewell, at Paul's Cross, 
 and usually called his challenge sermon. This sermon and 
 controversy were printed in one volume, folio, in 1560, and 
 were in such esteem that Queen Elizabeth, James I., Charles I., 
 and four successive archbishops, ordered the book to be kept 
 chained ia all parish churches for public use. He died in 1571, 
 aged only 50, but some members of his family settled in the town 
 and have stUl descendants here. His daughter Agness married 
 Mr. John Delbridge, who was Mayor of Barnstaple in 1600, and 
 a tombstone erected to her child notifying the fact may be still 
 seen in the churchyard. 
 
 * Comisli's sketch oJ the rise and progress of the principal towns of the North of Devon, 
 t Prince's Worthies of Devon, p. 528. Eioh's General Biography, p, 858. 
 
rrotessor Di'- Harding, professor of theology at Louvain, was born at 
 
 ar mg. Oombmartm, in 1512, and was also educated at the Grammar 
 School at Barnstaple. He became Professor of Hebrew at Oxford. 
 He is stated to have applied for and^ obtained from Bishop Cover- 
 dale, the appointment to the Arclideaconry of Barnstaple, but 
 owing to the death of the King (Edward VI.), this arrangement 
 could not be completed, and Harding soon after became a Papist, 
 and went to Louvain, where he began his famous controversy with 
 Bishop Jewell. Prince says of him, " that he was undoubtedly 
 " a very great scholar, and as well read in controversial matters 
 " especially, as the Church of Rome ever had, and if his stead- 
 " fastness in his religion had been answerable to his eminent 
 " learning, he would have proved a much greater ornament to his 
 " country." He died in 1572.* 
 
 D^Merid^e '^^ ^^^^ eminent person connected with our town was Judge 
 
 Dodderidge, who was bom at Barnstaple in 1555, and one of a 
 family long settled in the town, where he also received his early 
 education.! He is described by Prince as a very learned and well 
 read gentleman, and that 'tis hard to say whether he was a better 
 artist, divine, common, or civil lawyer. He rose to great dis- 
 tinction in his profession, served the ofiBce of Solicitor General, 
 and was then appointed one of the Judges of the Queen's Bench. 
 He pubhshed a history of the Principality of "Whales and Duchy 
 of Cornwall, and many legal and constitutional works.J He 
 appears to have lived here in early life, and to have served the 
 office of Mayor in 1579, when he was only 24 years old, and he 
 subsequently entered on political life, as member for the borough 
 in 31st Elizabeth, 1589, which led to his successfal legal and 
 literary career. He would also appear to have returned and 
 resided here occasionally in the latter part of his life, as on his 
 death in 1628, he left his house, at Barnstaple, to his brother, 
 Pentecoste Dodderidge, merchant, a name well known in our 
 annals, and who thrice served the office of Mayor, in 1611, 1627, 
 
 * Prince's Worthies, p, 463. 
 t Prince's Worthies, p. 301, 
 t Lyson'B Devonshire, vol. 2, p. 138. 
 
also obtained considerable JolmD^deridge, 
 
 and 1637, and was thrice elected member of Parliament for the 
 borough in the reigns of James I., and Charles I. 
 
 His son, John Dodderidge, Esq, 
 eminence in literature. He was bom and resided here through 
 life, was Recorder of the borough, and also (as his father and 
 uncle had been before liim) Member of Parliament, having been 
 returned with Philip Skippon, in 1641. He was the author of 
 the celebrated standard work on the antiquity and power of par- 
 Kaments, still referred to as an authority, and became very 
 eminent in his time for learning. He died in 1660, without issue. 
 John Dodderidge has a further claim on our respect, as the- 
 founder of the Parochial Library, which I shall refer to in its 
 proper place. 
 
 I have before mentioned that Barnstaple and its neighourhood 
 had received scant notice from om- early EngUsh poets. I must 
 except Drayton who flourished about the end of the 15th centm'y, 
 and was one of the most popular and volumiaous of om* old English 
 poets. In his lengthy poem, " Polyolbion," a poetical tour and 
 description of England, particularly its rivers, he devotes several 
 songs or cantos to the Taw and Torridge, and especially to Lundy 
 Island, and a long and labom'ed argument, whether it properly 
 belonged to Devonshire or Wales. 
 
 " England and Wales strive in this song 
 " To whether Lundy doth belong, 
 " When either nymph to clear the doubt, 
 " By music mean to try it out."* 
 
 The whole style of the poem is stilted, and according to modern 
 tastes, heavy and uninteresting, — as a specimen — 
 
 " The Taw, which from her fount forced on with amorous gales, 
 
 " And easy ambling down Devonian dales, 
 
 " Brings with her Moul and Bray her banks that gently swathe, 
 
 " She bears into that bay which Barstaple beholds 
 
 " How her beloved Taw clear Towridge there enfolds." 
 
 About this time flourished Philip Wyot, a Town Clerk of p^j^p^y^t^ 
 Barnstaple, whose MSS. Diary has proved not only a most 
 
 Drayton's 
 Polyolbion. 
 
 * Polyolbion, 4th Song— argument. 
 
10 
 
 valuable document to all subsequent historians of Barnstaple, but 
 has much general interest as a curious deliueation of habits of 
 life and manners at that early period. It commences in 1586, 
 and is entitled in barbarous Law Latin "A book of matters 
 " carried on about the town of Barnstaple, and in various other 
 " places, subsequently to Easter, 1586, set down in English as 
 "follows." It is somewhat in the style of the diary of Mr. 
 Pepys, chronicling private and public occun-ences, sometimes in 
 very quaint language, for 22 years. In a former paper which I 
 read in this room, on the militaiy and naval importance of 
 Barnstaple, I quoted many entries on those subjects from this 
 curious diary, but there is little in it to illustrate our Literary 
 History, though much that is curious and interesting. It certainly 
 shews us that ordiuary scholarship was at a low ebb here among 
 the local magnates. " Mr. Hugh Horsham, Maior, could not 
 write his name." 
 
 Though there were some learned men here even in those days. 
 
 ciementoBui-ton. " 1593, Nov. XII, — dyed Clemente Bmion, was some time 
 "Secretarie to the old Sir John Chichester, Kt. He lived 
 "a bachelor, he was accounted a wise man, and would buy 
 "and have the most of all new books made, whereby he had 
 " a great library, and was buried in the Juyld at Pylton." 
 
 The entries of the varying price of corn as well as many notes 
 on public matters, are historically valuable. I quote one or two 
 quaint passages. " 1595, Aug. 3rd— Ld. Bpp. came to town, 
 " was met in Southgate Street, by the Maior and Maisters in their 
 "scarlet gowns, a skolar made a speech, afterwards the Bp. 
 " dined with Mr. Maior. He confirmed divers children at Castle 
 " Green. The second day such a multitude came in from the 
 "country that he cd. scarce pass the street. On a sudden he 
 " turned up Crock Street to his lodgings, and went out of town 
 "almost forthence. The people lamented they had lost a fine 
 " harvest day." 
 
 1596. "Mr. John Trynder, vicar, inveighed in his sermon 
 " against the aldermen for not coming to ehurch, whom he said 
 
11 
 
 "were like two fat oxen, that tliey would not hear when Xt 
 " called unto them, but drew backwards and drew others from Xt." 
 , " The Aldermen were present but unseen, for this, and for his 
 " indecent behaviour, on being questioned, he was committed to 
 "warde." And again — 
 
 " Friday, XIV. Nov. " Mr. Mayor and Aldermen going upon 
 "their search in the evening, as usual, found the vicar. Mi-. 
 " Trynder in John "Williams house, being a tipler, with other 
 " company, and having amongst them a pipe, with a taber, a 
 " little after nyne, and because Mr. Trynder would not come down 
 " to Mr. Maior from the chamber, upon commandment was com- 
 " mitted to warde, where he abode until the morning." 
 
 " Sunday following he preached two hours, being a cold day 
 " he weryed all his audience." 
 
 On a former occasion, I gave the particulars of the Assizes 
 being held here, and Philip Wyot's remarks thereon.* These 
 entries serve to throw light on a disputed point in traditional 
 history, the statement of one of our Judges (Judge Glanville) 
 having pronounced sentence of death on his own daughter for 
 murder. The event was one which made a great sensation at the 
 time, and gave rise to a drama, and likewise to a gi'eat number of 
 ballads and broadsides, published in all parts of the kingdom, 
 "The lamentable tragedy of Page, of Plymouth." 
 
 The story runs that Judge Glanville, who resided near V»gefo/° 
 Tavistock, had a daughter named Ulalia, who became attached 
 to a young man of Tavistock, named George Strangwidge, 
 lieutenant of a man of war, whose letters the father, dis- 
 approving of the attachment, intercepted. An old miser, 
 of Plymouth, named Page, availed himself of this apparent 
 neglect of the young sailor, and on settling a good jointure, 
 obtained her father's good graces and her hand. She took 
 with her a maid servant from Tavistock, but the husband 
 was so penurious, that he dismissed all the other servants, and 
 compelled his wife and her maid to do aU the work themselves. 
 
 » StriMlig Incidents, p. 37. 
 
 Plymouth. 
 
12 
 
 At this time George Strangwidge returned from sea, had an 
 interview with Mrs. Page, at which, after mutual upbraidings, 
 they found that the letters had been intercepted. The maid and 
 the mistress then plotted to get rid of the old gentleman, to 
 which Strangwidge with great reluctance consented. Page lived 
 in Woolster Street, in Plymouth, and a woman who lived opposita 
 hearing at night some sand thrown against a window, arose, and 
 looking out, saw a young gentleman under Page's window, and 
 heard him say, "for God's sake stay your hand!' A female voice 
 replied, " ' Tis too late, the deed is done." On the following 
 morning it was given out that old Page had died suddenly in the 
 night, and he was buried. On the testimony, however, of the 
 neighbour, the body was disinterred, and it appearing that he had 
 been strangled, his wife, the maid, and Strangwidge were arrested, 
 tried, and executed ; and it has since been commonly said that 
 Judge Grlanville, her own father, tried her, and pronounced her 
 sentence.* Philip Wyot not only confirms the truth of the 
 legend, but incidentally proves that her father did not try or 
 condemn her. It appears that owing to the plague being that 
 year at Exeter, the assizes were held at Barnstaple, and that but 
 one Judge Lord Anderson came, who tried the prisoners, and he 
 writes, " The gibbett was set up the Castle Green, and XVIII 
 "prisoners hanged, whereof III of Plymouth, for a mm-der." 
 TMs execution is corroborated by our parish registers, which have 
 entries of the names of " those who died in the assize week," and 
 among them appear the names " George Strang-with," " Ulalya 
 " Page." A number of Ballads founded on the event, are in the 
 British Museum, entitled as follows : 
 
 " The lament of Master Page's wife of Plymouth, who 
 " being enforced by her parents to wed him against her will, 
 "did most wickedly consent to his murther, for the love of 
 " George Strangwidge, for which fact she suffered death at Bam- 
 " staple. Written with her own hands, a little before her death." 
 
 Another was entitled, "Mr. George Strangewidge's lament, 
 "for consenting to Mr. Page's death, for the love of Mrs. 
 "Ulalia, Mr. Page's wife." 
 
 * Mrs. Bray's Traditions of DevoneMre, vol. 2, p, 316. 
 
13 
 
 Another, "The sorrowM complaint of Mistress Page for 
 " causing her husband to be murdered for the love of George 
 " Strangwidge, who were executed together at Barnstaple." 
 
 There are eight or nine different ballads on the same subject 
 in the British Museum* On reading these old broad sheet 
 ballads I was struck by the extreme similarity, both of their style 
 and matter and getting up, to the broad sheets that are even now 
 frequently priated and hawked about for sale, in markets and 
 country places. I give the name of one which lately fell in my 
 way, and which was printeff in Barnstaple very recently : " The 
 " deserted lover, of Barnstaple, betrayed by a gentleman of South- 
 " molton, with a copy of verses on the distressing occasion." 
 
 Broad sheets of this character, unfortunately, are still in great 
 request among the younger population of our rural parishes,, and 
 form what is commonly called " Seven Dials Literature," and it is 
 only surprising that purchasers should still be found for such 
 consummate trash. 
 
 In the Library of the British Museum may also be found Broad sheets. 
 several other curious publications, of a similar character, of this 
 early date, referring to Barnstaple. I append the titles of a few 
 of them. 
 
 " Five wonder scenes in England : two at Barnstaple, one 
 " at Kirkham, one in Cornwall, and one in Little Britain, in 
 " all which places several miraculous accidents have hapened to 
 " the amazement of all those that have been eye witnesses thereto. 
 «4th London, 1646."t 
 
 " Strange signs from Heaven. Miraculous wonders, scene at 
 " Barnstaple, whereunto is annexed several apparitions scene in 
 "the air. London, 1646.$ 
 
 "An elegy on the death of Sir Arthur Chichester, Kt., in 
 "verse. London, 1643."§ 
 
 » BibliotMoa DevoniensiB, p. 120, 122, and Appen. p. 22. 
 
 t Bibliothica Devonienflis, p. 86. 
 
 t Bibliothica DevoniensiB, App. p, 16. 
 
 § Idem, p. 123. 
 
14 
 
 "A Munition against Man's Miseiy and Mortality, by Richard 
 "Smith, of Barnstaple, Devon. Oxon, 1612."* 
 
 These four publications I have not inspected inyself, but am 
 indebted for their titles to catalogues. 
 
 In the late Dr. Oliver's copy of the Memorials of Barnstaple, 
 there is a MSS. note as to a scholar, probably an inhabitant of, or 
 who took the name of our town as his cognomen, but all record 
 of v?hom is otherwise quite lost. In referring to a work in Latiu, 
 in which the author calls himself Robert, of Devon, orator and 
 philosopher, he remarks : " This author is the same person who 
 " under the name of Obertus Bamstaplensis, wrote in defence of 
 " Mary Queen of Scots, to whom a long letter in this collection is 
 " addressed." 
 
 Owen Feitham. Coming down in chronological order, the next , person of 
 literary note, connected with the town, was that well known name 
 among British authors, Owen Feitham, although the only asso- 
 ciation I can attempt to shew is, his having property and probably 
 residing here in his elder days. As no mention has ever been 
 made of his being connected with Barnstaple, I give the groimds 
 on which I base the claim. All biographical notices of him, I 
 have seen prefixed to his works, or elsewhere, give no particulars 
 of his private life, family, or place of residence, except that he 
 was of a Suffolk family, and private secretary to the Earl of 
 Thomond, iadeed they state explicitly that little or nothing is 
 known of him. He is conjectured to have been bom about 1610, 
 and to have died soon after 1677, when he printed an eighth 
 edition of his principal work. I, however, find it recorded in 
 the list of vicars of Barnstaple, given by Dr. Oliver, that in 1673 
 " Michael Ogilby was inducted vicar, on the presentation of Owen 
 Feitham, of Grays Inn, Esq., the true patron thereof, f" and 
 some years since I was examining some ancient title deeds 
 relating to the Rack Field and other property in Barnstaple, when 
 I found that previous to 1680, they belonged to one Owen 
 Feitham, and that in 1688, a decree was made and enrolled in 
 
 * Bodleian's Library Oat, 
 
 t Oliver's Ecclesiastical Antiquities, vol. 3, p. 31. 
 
15 
 
 Chancery, for winding up the affairs of Owen Feltham deceased, 
 and in pursuance of such decree, Mary Feltham, described as of 
 Barnstaple, widow of Owen Feltham, deceased, sold and conveyed 
 certain properties ia Barnstaple to Eichard Barnes and Richard 
 Cornish, whose successors still possess them. 
 
 Owen Feltham was also owner of the site and ruins of the 
 Priory House of St. Mary Magdalene— the descent thereof was 
 traced out for Dr. Oliver, some 20 years since, to assist in the pre- 
 paration of his gTcat work " The Monasticon of the Diocese of 
 Exeter," and the particulars axe set out ia that work.* 
 
 We thus find a person of the unusual and peculiar name of 
 Owen Feltham, the patron of the living, and owner of considerable 
 property here, at the time he flourished, and a suit instituted for 
 winding up his affairs just at the period that it is supposed the 
 celebrated Owen Feltham died ; thus leading to the fair inference 
 that it was the same person, and not only the ownership of pro- 
 perty here, but his widow beiag described as of Barnstaple, serves 
 sufficiently to connect them with the town, and gives us the right 
 to suggest the claim in the absence of all other evidence. 
 
 Any quotation of his celebrated work is here unnecessary ; 
 both the subjects and the style are now out of date, though in its 
 day aud for the succeediag century, it was probably more popular 
 and ran through more editions than even the most celebrated works 
 of modem times.f 
 
 I would also here introduce in connection with our town, the phiup skippon, 
 renowned General Skippon. In a former paper on the miUtary 
 history of Barnstaple, I named his being in command here during 
 the civil wars. He also represented this borough in Parliament, 
 in conjunction with John Dodderidge, in 1641, but it is as a 
 Hterary man I here notice him. Mr. Godwin, a late vice-president 
 of our Institution, has two very rare volumes written by Skippon, 
 
 » Oliver's Monastioan, p. 197. 
 
 t Since tlie above was written, I liave liad a communication from a friend, Mr. Oodwin, 
 that tte Owen Feltham connected with Barnstaple, could not have been Owen Feltham the 
 anthor, as the latter died before 1668, his will having then been proved, and that he left no 
 issue. This is, however, not in accordance with the statement in the life of Feltham, prefixed 
 to a late edition of his works, which CKpressly states that ho is himself supposed to have 
 superintended the printing of the 8th edition of his principal work in 1677. 
 
16 
 
 the one entitled in the puritan language of the era " A Balre for 
 " every sore, or a collection of promises out of the whole Book of 
 " God, and is the Christian Centurion's infallible ground of confidence 
 " or his poor soul's most comfortable companion at all times and 
 " in all things, and is for more brevity and better portage a brief 
 " extract out of a much larger written copy by Philip Skippon 
 " Serjeant Major General. — London, printed for Samuel Enderbi, 
 "living in Popes head Alley, at the sign of the Starre, 1643. 
 
 The other, a very 
 curious and rare little 
 book, in 24mo., pp. 
 383 — the title page of 
 which is reproduced 
 opposite. 
 
 SMppon's connec- 
 tion with the town 
 appears to have been 
 no more than des- 
 cribed. I need not, 
 therefore, say more 
 here about him. He 
 was a prototype of 
 "Stonewall Jackson," 
 — enough of him, 
 perhaps, is not known, 
 and certainly has not 
 been transmitted 
 down to us. It has 
 been the fashion to 
 decry such men, but 
 they were the "thun- 
 derbolts of war." 
 
 The Christian 
 
 CENTURION. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS, ADVICES, 
 AND RESOLUTIONS, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 MATTERS, DIVINE AND 
 MORALE. 
 
 Collected according to his own 
 
 experience, 
 By Philip Skippon, 
 
 Serjeant Major Generale, &c. 
 
 ExoD. 23 : 13. 
 Phil. 4 ! 9. 
 IsA. 20 ! 8. Phil. 4 : 10. 
 
 London : Printed for T. B., for Samuel Enderby, 
 at ye Lurine, in Pope's Head Alley, 1645. 
 
 There is a portrait and notice of him in an old book, "A 
 " Survey of England's Patriots and Truths faithful Champions," 
 with this epitaph — 
 
17 
 
 " Mpre things to inake a soldier compleat 
 
 " Aie required than a valiant heart; 
 
 " Time, travaile, art, experience great, 
 
 "And scars make up the whole of every part 
 
 " Of warlike worth ; these requisites and more 
 
 " Stout Skippon had, and piety good store, 
 
 " Which made him sleight death at Nasby field — 
 
 " Which he deserted not till foes did yield. 
 
 '■ Edghill, Newbry, Devon and Cornish ground, 
 
 " This champion's fame for evermore wiU sound." 
 
 I will next name Dr. Musgraye, the celebrated antiquary, who 
 flourished about 1680, who was either bom here or at all events 
 received his education in the Barnstaple Grammar School, and 
 subsequently resided at Exeter;* and in the same school was 
 educated Aaron Hill, a celebrated poet and dramatist, bom in 
 1685, and here his biographer informs us that under the care of 
 Mr. Earner, he imbibed the rudiments of learning, and of whom 
 it was said that no writer perhaps ever passed a life of greater 
 activity, either physical or mental.f His poems have long passed 
 into oblivion, but some of his plays still remain stock pieces on 
 the stage. 
 
 In 1733 a pamphlet was published, which obtained considerable 
 circulation, entitled " The "Woollen Labourers' Advocate, being a 
 " defence of their Tragical Case against their Masters' cruel and 
 " detestable practices of oppression, by Charles Peard, of Bam- 
 " staple, Devon." Our town was well known at that period as 
 one of the chief marts and manufactories of woollen goods in the 
 kiugdom; and a light is thrown on Mr. Peard's book by an entry 
 in our parish books imder the date of March 1, 1758: — 
 
 " Ordered, that all woollen manufacturers paying their men in 
 " goods, or by way of truck bill or note, or any other manner than 
 " money, be prosecuted by the parish." 
 
 In 1756, a volume of poems was pnblished by Eobert Luck, 
 Master of Barnstaple Grammar School : whether he was a native 
 of the town we know not, but at all events he lived here the greater 
 part of his life and died here. He appears to have been a man 
 of considerable talent and classical attainments, a large portion of 
 
 » Lyson, vol. 2, p. 38. 
 t Davenport" s Life of Hill. 
 
 Dr. Musgrave. 
 
 Charles Peard. 
 
 Hev. E. Luck. 
 
18 
 
 his vmtings being in elegant Latin. His English poems were 
 but mediocre, although they obtained high patronage. He is 
 chiefly now known as the master and early patron of Gay, and as 
 haTiag foreseen his after fame as a poet. In one of his short 
 pieces entitled the " Female Phaeton," addressed to the Duke of 
 Queensberry, occurs the following stanza.* 
 
 " Queensberry, could happy Gay 
 This ofEering to thee bring, 
 'Tis his, my Lord, he'd smiling say, 
 Who taught your Gay to sing." 
 
 I can scarce find any of the poems in this Tolume sufficiently 
 short and interestiag as to repay quotation, but the piece I have 
 already referred to, is perhaps as good an instance as any of his 
 livelier strains, " the " Female Phaeton," a pretty fashionable of 
 those days, whose ideas were rather faster than her mamma ap- 
 proved of. 
 
 " This Kitty, beautiful and young, 
 
 And wild as colt untamed, 
 Bespeaks the fair from whom she sprung, 
 
 "With little rage inflamed. 
 Inflamed with rage at sad restraint, 
 
 "Which wise mamma ordained, 
 And sorely vexed to play the saint, 
 
 "Whilst wit and beauty reigned. 
 Shall I thumb holy books, confined, 
 
 "With Abigails forsaken, 
 Kitty's for other things designed. 
 
 Or I am much mistaken. 
 Shall Lady Jenny frisk about. 
 
 And visit with her cousins, 
 At masks and balls make all the rout. 
 
 And bring home hearts by dozens. 
 What has she better pray than I, 
 
 What hidden charms to boast 
 That all MANkind for her must die, 
 
 "While I am scarce a toast. 
 Dearest mamma for once let me, 
 
 "Unchained — my fortune try, 
 I'll have my Earl as well as she, 
 
 Or know the reason why. 
 With Jenny's pride I'll soon quit score. 
 
 Make all her lovers fall. 
 They'll grieve I was not loosed before, 
 
 She — I was loosed at all. 
 
 Fondness prevailed — mamma gave way, 
 Kitty at heart's desire, 
 
 Obtained the chariot for a day, 
 And set the world on fire. 
 
 • Luofs Poems, p. 9. Loudon, 1736. 
 
19 
 
 We now come in order of time to the author, whose name 
 beyond all others, has been popularly identified with Barnstaple, 
 John Gay, the author of the " Beggar's Opera." His life has 
 been so frequently written that it is unnecessary to occupy our 
 time with any full account of a career which is so well known to 
 every reader of poetry. I will, therefore, confine myself to his 
 early life and connection with our town. The best account of 
 this appears in a little work edited and published by a townsman, 
 Mr. Henry Lee, in 1820, entitled " Gay's Chair," it contained a 
 brief but interesting biography of Gay, penned by his nephew, 
 the Rev. Joseph Bailer, and also some poetic effusions, which have 
 not appeared in any general edition of his works. 
 
 The Gay family were long settled in Barnstaple. In the years 
 1533 and 1542, Richard Gay, was Mayor of Barnstaple, and in 
 the year 1638, his grandfather, Anthony Gay, was elected to that 
 ofBce. 
 
 In the list of charitable donations we find that William Gay, 
 in the year 1613, gave by will, £30 to the poor of Barum. In 
 Mr. Penrose's will, dated 14th June, 1624, is the followiag : " I 
 " give and bequeath unto William Gay, son of my brother-in-law, 
 " Anthony Gay, the sum of £100, and all my imprinted books." 
 
 The poet himself was the youngest son of this William Gay, 
 and was bom at Barnstaple, in 1688. His father died in early life, 
 and while a boy he resided with his mother, in a house at the 
 comer of Joy Street, facing Holland Street, and became a pupil 
 of Mr. Rayner, and subsequently of Mr. Luck, under whose 
 tuition Gay continued some time and made considerable progress. 
 When he left school he was bound apprentice to a mercer in 
 London, but not being able to bear the confinement of a shop, 
 soon felt a remarkable depression of spirits and consequent 
 decline of health ; he was therefore obHged to quit that situation, 
 and retire to Barnstaple in the hope of receiving benefit from his 
 native air. Here he was kindly received at the house of his uncle, 
 the Rev. John Hanmer, the celebrated nonconformist divine. 
 After continuing some months in Barnstaple, his health became 
 reinstated and he returned to London, He never again revisited 
 
 John Gay. 
 
20 
 
 Barnstaple ; but shortly previous to his death, whicli occurred 
 4th December, 1732, when he was only 44 years old, he took a 
 house near Coddon Hill, with an intention of retiriag there, but 
 his iUness prevented him. Gay not only distinguished himself as 
 a poet and dramatist, but he attained the friendship and patronage 
 of the noblest and wisest of the land, and even of royalty itself. 
 He was secretary to the Duchess of Monmouth, and accompanied 
 Lord Clarendon on his diplomatic mission to Hanover, in 1714. 
 His works are very numerous, those by which he is now most 
 recollected are the "Fables" and the "Beggar's Opera," the ex- 
 traordinary success of which gave rise to a clever pun. The 
 manager of Lincoln's Inn Theatre, where it was first produced, was 
 named Eich. Business had been very slack and the manager in 
 difficulties, until the extraordinary success of the "Beggar's 
 Opera " set him up in cash, on which it was said—" That it made 
 Gay rich — and Eich, gay." His character seems to have been 
 very amiable, of a sweet affable disposition, generous and pleasant 
 in conversation. It would be superfluous to say anything as to 
 his genius, or to quote any of his works, as they are in the hands 
 of every reader of taste. His character is finely summed up in 
 his epitaph in Westminster Abbey, written by Pope. 
 
 " Of manners gentle, of affection mild, 
 
 " Iji art a man, simplicity a child, 
 
 " Above temptation in a low- estate, 
 
 " And imcorrupted even among the great, 
 
 " A safe companion and an easy friend, 
 
 " Uublamed through life, lamented in the end. 
 
 " These are thy honours — not that here thy bust 
 
 " Is mixed with heroes, or with kings thy dust ; 
 
 " But that the worthy and the good shall say, 
 
 " Striking their bosoms, ' Here lies Gay.' " 
 
 I have had through an eye-witness an interesting account of 
 a tribute paid to his memory, in this his native town, half a cen- 
 tury after his decease. Incledon, the celebrated vocalist, was on 
 a professional visit here in his pahny days, and on having the 
 house in which the poet had been bom and passed his early days 
 pointed out to him, at a late hour of the evening, astonished and 
 delighted the neighbours and passers by, by breaking out into 
 song in the open street in front of the house, and warbling all the 
 
21 
 
 most celebrated airs from the " Beggar's Opera." 
 
 For a long lapse of time after Gay, the poetry of Barnstaple 
 was dumb. Dmring the remainder of that century I can find but 
 one cultivator of the muses. It is a Uttle volume published by 
 Syle, Barnstaple, in 1797, entitled " Juvenile Essays in Poetry, by 
 J. Donoghue." There was a copy among the papers of Brooke 
 Keate which came to my hands. It consists of a number of 
 fugitive pieces, many on local subjects, and referring to the 
 CMchesters, Incledons, and other families of the neighbourhood, 
 who appear to have assisted a young and struggling genius. 
 They are mostly of a tame and sombre cast, that will not repay quo- 
 tation. He says iu his preface, that "placed by the hand of 
 " Providence at a humble distance from the great, and with no 
 " merit to plead, and no patronage to ensure success, he takes up 
 " the pen with a boldness, which necessity alone could inspire, to 
 " contribute to the support of a precarious existence, and that if 
 "disappointment should teach him wisdom and humihty, he 
 " would drop submissive into the ocean of oblivion." 
 
 It would appear that this latter was his fate, as I have found 
 no other notice or record of him, and I should not have done more 
 than merely give the volume its place among our local publica- 
 tions, had I not been struck by the mournfiilness of the language 
 of the young and unknown poet. 
 
 We are now come down to the present century, which affords 
 far more materials for the Literary History of Barnstaple ; but 
 before continuing the roU of Hterary men and literary works, I 
 must turn aside to bring up another phase in our literary history 
 to the same period. 
 
 In earlier times, literary and poetic talent was much employed 
 in the production of epitaphs and mortuary notices, and in this 
 line our parish church is, or was, unusually rich. Old monuments 
 and their inscriptions have always been a favourite study to 
 historians and antiquaries; but, unfortunately, the effusions which 
 their authors hoped would be transmitted to succeeding ages, en- 
 graved on imperishable marble, have not always been preserved 
 
 J, Donoghue, 
 
 Kpltaphs. 
 
22 
 
 even for a few generations. Many of the monuments in our 
 chmrch wHch excited notice in former times have either disap- 
 peared in the course of the successive alterations and enlargements 
 which have taken place, or have had their inscriptions eifaced, or 
 become illegible. I have a record, written by an ancestor of niine 
 70 years ago, of all in the church at that period ; and even since 
 then I note that many are now found wantiag. It will, therefore, 
 be interesting, and to our subject, to notice a few of the most 
 interestiag — some poetry, and some prose. It will be observed 
 that there is a quaintness and peculiarity of style and language 
 in all of them that might excite a smile, were there not hidden in 
 the quaint setting, gems of truth and beautifal conceptions. 
 
 Eioiiard Beapie, The first I shall notice is that on one of the curious and 
 elaborate monuments in the Mayor's aisle, to the memory of 
 Richard Beaple, who died in 1643, and whose name is well known 
 in our history, for his many charities: 
 
 " Where't not more wisely done — if with consent 
 
 " We joined to batter down this monument, 
 
 " Lest when the sorrowing poor lift up their eyes, 
 
 " They diowne the voice o' the sermon with their cryes ; 
 
 " Let that bee others' doome, such as can give 
 
 " With liberal spirit, but only whiles they live. 
 
 " As for this senator, his nobler minde 
 
 " Within one age did scorue to be confined; 
 
 " For which to future ages he convayed 
 
 " So rich a portion duly to be payed, 
 
 " That henceforth, tears being banisht, it might bring 
 
 " To the orphan joy, and make poore widows sing. 
 
 " Let those who'd have their monuments to stand 
 
 " Take fair example from this bounteous hand." 
 
 Riohaid Ferris. I^ the north gallery, just over the stairs, is a large and singular 
 monument, to the memory of Richard Ferris, who died in 1649, 
 headed " He is not dead, but sleepeth." 
 
 " Eeader, if thou wouldst know this gemme that lyes 
 
 " Caa'd in this marble, first ask the poor's eyes, 
 
 " Who, that they may preserve their deere losse safe, 
 
 " Write in their lasting tears his epitaph. 
 
 " Then reade the schole by him endowed, t' advance 
 
 " Arts 'bove our monster teeming ignorance. 
 
 " If next you'd leame the prudence of the gowne, 
 
 " And how he held the scales, ask the whole town. 
 
 " But lastly, view this place, which, tho' it is 
 
 " God's house by right, his zeale hath made it his, 
 
23 
 
 " Here he would live— here he full oft hath been 
 " To speak to God, and hear God speak to him. 
 " So that, to write his epitaph, must be 
 " To picture justice, arts, faith, charity. 
 " Let marble quarries then elsewhere be spent — 
 " Not stones, but deeds build up his monument. 
 " Header — ^this tomb speaks not unto thy eyes, 
 " But to thy hands — go thou and do likewise." 
 
 The inscription on the monument of Thomas Horwood, an 
 
 , n • .,■,-,, . . , . . , XhomaeHorwood 
 
 ancestor ot mme, in the Mayor's aisle, is quamtly argumentative. 
 He died in 1658. 
 
 " Sleeping awhile in dust this body lies, 
 
 " Who living here was taught the exercise 
 
 " Of faith and hope and love, the graces three, 
 
 " Wherein consisteth Christianitie. 
 
 " His faith did eye the promise from above, 
 
 " His hope, the just performance, and his love 
 
 " Made haste to feed upon these heav'uly dishes, 
 
 " Which faith and hope presented to his wishes. 
 
 " Thus all concurred, and now through love alone 
 
 " Possess those pleasures which attend the throne, 
 
 " Tet neither faith nor hope do thereby miss, 
 
 " Of their reward, seeing that very bliss 
 
 " Which love enjoys so lulleth them in peace, 
 
 " That though to act as formerly they cease, 
 
 " Yet they are laid to rest in this condition, 
 
 " That faith to vision turns — hope to fruition. 
 
 John Wheatley. 
 
 All in passing the churchyard must have read the inscription 
 against the porch, " To the memory of John Wheatly, who died 
 " an unprofitable servant, 27th September, 1774." Few words but 
 pregnant with meaning. I trust this stone will be replaced in 
 some equally prominent spot, after the alterations now progressing 
 are completed. 
 
 The inscription and verses on Susannah, the wife of John 
 Wheatley, do not show so much humility. 
 
 " Midst all the racks of life her soul, 
 
 " StOl did to heaven aspire, 
 " Which now releast — one angel more, 
 
 " Hath added to its choir." 
 
 The iQScription on Mr. Thomas Westlake's tomb, who died in t. westiake. 
 1 623, by whose bounty jnany hundi-eds of the poor have coal 
 supplied to them each winter, and assistance is still given to 
 sempstress's apprentices, is as follows : 
 
24 
 
 " Nor wealth, nor friends, nor town preferments, 
 
 " Could keep off death nor sickness torments, 
 
 " Therefore I left these and made haste, 
 
 ' 'To get me hence and be at rest. 
 
 " I had great store of earthly things, 
 
 " But none of that contentment brings, 
 
 " ' Tis God's good favour, and hope of glory, 
 
 " That cheers the heart and makes me merry." 
 
 Gertrude Lngg There was a monument in the south aisle to Gertrude, wife of 
 Adam Lugg, merchant, and daughter of the WorsMpfal Roger 
 Fortescue, who died in child birth, and is described as bmied with 
 her young Theophilus, in 1632. 
 
 " Man loving woman — woman loved of man, 
 " Both turn to earth, from earth they first began, 
 " But if from death, grace might a saint reprieve, 
 " Then thou, O saint, as yet had been alive, 
 " But saints are partly flesh and partly spirit, 
 " That must to earth, again this heaven inherit. 
 " Though death at first bereave thee of the breath, 
 " Thy plea is good against the second death. 
 " Thy lovely port a good report hath wonne, 
 " Both farre and neare thy sweet perfume hath gone, 
 " Thy life was gracious vrith each mortal wight, 
 " Thy death is precious in Jehovah's sight." 
 
 Bev.M.Biato A most touching inscription is one addressed by the Eev. 
 Martin Blake, " To the precious memorie of my deare son, who 
 " fell asleep in Clirist, February, 1634, aged 9." Part of it is in 
 Latin, and runs thus — " Eest, my son, rest in peace. To be 
 " loosed in death, and to be with thee in the presence of Christ, 
 " is the wish of him who is oppressed on every side. Thy father, 
 " Mai-tin Blake, L.L.D., the unworthy mioister of this church of 
 " Barnstaple, whose time will arrive in due season." 
 
 There are many Puritan iascriptions in the church, most of 
 them in Latin. Some families appear to have had a traditional 
 fondness for siagular inscriptions. The Peard family, for 
 instance, who for several generations were eminent merchants of 
 the town, Puritans at the time of the Eeformation, and afterwards 
 founders of one of the nonconformist congregations. I extract 
 portions of three of their monumental notices. 
 
 George Pearfl " Here lieth the body of George Peard, a soldier of Christ, 
 
 under whose banner he fought against the world, the flesh, and 
 
25 
 
 the devil, who having finished his wai-fare, under a Captain who 
 was witness of the battle and author of the ■ victory, now lires 
 crowned with happiness, supplicating for a victory to the arms of 
 his fellow soldiers in the flesh, that in their success his joy might 
 be perfected. He put on his triumphal robe in the year of his 
 Captaia, 1644, of his warfare, 50." 
 
 The next is " To the memoiy of John Peard, who having ^°^ '^^^ 
 " delivered up his worldly concerns to oblivion, his soul to God, 
 " his body to death, and the example of his hfe to mankind, hath 
 " ascended unto Christ, and is now in the full enjoyment of those 
 " things, which in life were tasteless and insipid to him, for the 
 "trifling pleasures of mortals were not able to delight a soul 
 " whose country was in heaven. He retui'ned to it in the year of 
 " his Lord, 1632, of his pilgrimage, 59." 
 
 The last of them is partly in Latin, which translated would ^^er Peai 
 be " Stay, traveller, under this marble lies intended the body of 
 " Koger Peard. He was whilst living the protector of the poor, 
 " when dead was their support. Envy cannot detract from his 
 " virtues, praise cannot add to them. He hath obtained the long 
 " wished for jewel, and is raised to heaven. 
 
 " Happy Merchant I 
 " Lo, still flow the tears of thy wife, 
 " Still are treasured up in her memory, 
 " These thy most amiable virtues. 
 
 " Here by this marble lies enshrined, 
 " Peard's earthly part, his purer mind, 
 " Now soars on high, 
 
 " Above our view or elogy, 
 
 " Goodness and bounty flourished here, 
 
 " Like virtues in these proper sphere, 
 
 " The poors' relief. 
 " And now he's gone their wish and grief. 
 
 " Bead not then this stone but see, 
 " Him in himself his own trophie." 
 
 N.B. — The remaining lines are obliterated by age. 
 
 I cannot pass by the inscriptions without saying a few words Monumen 
 on the monuments themselves. There are many in om- parish 
 church which are curious as works of art, and singular as instances 
 of sermons in stones, in the effigies, cartouches, and descriptive 
 
26 
 
 or allegorical medallions attached to some of them. About 20 of 
 the monuments have heraldic emblazonments. These were inves- 
 tigated and described, in 1852, by the Kev. W. Sloane-Evans, 
 incumbent of Holy Trinity Chm'ch. He was the author of a 
 Grammar of British Heraldry, which I believe he published while 
 a resident in this town. A full description under the title of 
 monumental inscriptions and coat armour of Barnstaple and its 
 neighbourhood was furnished by him, and published in a series of 
 articles in one of the local newspapers. 
 Mr. Fends. The largest and most gaudy monument in the church, is Mr. 
 
 Ferris's, dated 1649, in the north gallery, which is highly 
 decorated, and has a recumbent life size effigy, costumed in the 
 full mayoralty robes, holding a palm branch. The cartouches are 
 decorated with groups of emblems. The whole brilliantly coloured. 
 ThomasHorwooa More peculiar and interesting are the three monuments of 
 Thomas Horwood, 1658, Richard Beaple, 1643, and Walter 
 Tucker, 1653, which are all in the same style. They are pillared 
 and canopied monuments, with half length efSgies, full life size, 
 quaintly costumed, and in very high relief. There is reason to 
 believe they were intended as correct likenesses of the defuncts, 
 but the attitudes of the figures are most singular and unusual. 
 They are all represented in their mayoralty robes, with a profusion 
 of emblems, and are in marble tinted, but apparently the original 
 colours were more subdued than the taste of modem restorers has 
 now exhibited them in. On the sides of Mr. Beaple's monument 
 
 Eichard Beaple. . , . 
 
 are two oval medallions, with quamt relievo carvings, representing 
 on one side a fleet of vessels approaching the quays in full sail, 
 and a group of merchants waiting on the quay to welcome them, 
 on the other side the facade of Litchdon Almshouses, with five 
 figures in front laden with bales. It is difficult to say whether 
 this is intended to represent can-ying stores for exportation or 
 importation, or to typify the gifts and benefits, which Mr. Beaple 
 so liberally bestowed upon the almspeople. 
 Walter Tucker. j^ Walter Tucker's monument there is also a recumbent 
 female fig^ure beneath, and a swaddled infant, with a medallion of 
 the allegorical Phcenix arising from a flaming fire, all carved in 
 
27 
 
 the marble, with the motto " Exspu-ans Spire." This is explained 
 by the iascription, which, after apostrophising his talents and 
 family connections, goes on quaintly to say "that he liTed in good 
 " account with all good men— a liberal housekeeper— a bountiful 
 "reUeyer of the poor — a constant helper to poor tradesmen — and 
 " so deceased in 1653 ;— but which adds to our grief is this sad 
 " narration. Aima, his beloved daughter, who much honoured and 
 " reverenced her father living, would needs also follow him to this 
 " place of rest, most comfortably departed hence, in her child-bed, 
 " when she had brought forth. Phoenix like, another Amia to succeed 
 " her, and thus she also sweetly fell asleep, and was laid unto her 
 " father." 
 
 Another type of monument is represented by those raised to ^^^^^ 
 Elizabeth Delbridge in 1628, and Ealeigh Clapham in 1536. 
 These have full length effigies in marble, also tinted, whieh is a 
 peculiarity of so many in the church. In the first case, the de- 
 ceased is represented kneeling at a lectern, costumed in a peculiar 
 fashion, with a little round hat of a character which would now 
 be described as fast, and an infant beneath in swaddled clothes. 
 
 Raleigh Clapham's monument is very elaborate, and has Eaieighoiapi 
 efiSgies of himself and wife above, facing each other, and nine 
 children in a row beneath, all kneeling. In his hand is a book, 
 in her's a book and hour glass, and each child holds a skull and 
 other emblems. 
 
 The most remarkable monument, however, in the chm'ch, is Martin Biai 
 one erected by Eev. Martin Blake, in his life time, to his children. 
 I shall hereafter refer to his own sufferings, which he appears to 
 allude to in this work of art, and it is not only a work of art, but 
 of allegorical literature and imagination, telUng its tale as fully, 
 in its medalhons, cartouches, and sculptured mottoes, as if written. 
 It is difficult to describe this monument without the aid of a 
 drawing, which is essential for a thorough comprehension of its 
 minute details. It is not, at first glance, so striking as many 
 others in the church, not being in such high relief, though the 
 general design is much the same, — pOlared and canopied, with 
 florid heraldic embellishments at the top and a half length effigy 
 
28 
 
 in alto relievo in an oval recess in the centre, representing, not as 
 is usual, the deceased, but Martin Blake himself, who erected the 
 monument, " To the honour and glory of God, in the pretiouse 
 " memorie of my deare Sonne, Nicholas Blake, vrho fell asleep in 
 "Christ Feb 7, XII., A.D. MDOXXXIIII. ^tctis snce, IX." 
 There is likewise a reference to fom- other children who died in 
 infancy. I have already quoted the inscription,* and there are 
 also some ordinary verses ; but the singularity of the monument 
 consists in the numerous and quaint allegorical medallions and 
 decorations, and the mottoes or texts with which it is loaded, and 
 the extreme minuteness of the sculpture and workmanship. 
 
 At the four corners, between the oval recess and the pillars, 
 are triangular cartouches, illustrating latin texts. — " Cum foenere 
 etflore reddit," — the sculpture being a hand sowing corn, with the 
 ears of wheat springing up around. 
 
 — " Sphndelunt ut Stellce eryntg, sicut Angeli," — a cherub 
 smmounting four stars. 
 
 — " lit fios simul ae egressus est, Succiditur," — a flower in 
 bloom, a hand stretched forth to pluck it and casting it into the 
 fire. 
 
 — " Dies hominis palmares, et homo bulla," — a hand with the 
 finger and thumb stretched out representing a span, with a bowl 
 and pipe, and a series of bubbles blown from them. 
 
 To the right and left are medallions about six inches in 
 diameter, with figures of four children or angels bearing palm 
 branches, with a double inscription round each, the outer ring of 
 one giving the names, Elizabeth Blake, Agness ^ Blake ; and the 
 inner riug the motto, " JVbn esurient ampUus neq, sentient." The 
 other, William Blake, Mary Blake, and the motto " Sequuntur 
 Agnumr 
 
 At the bottom is a larger central medallion, with another 
 figure of Martin Blake, in full canonicals and a skull cap, point- 
 ing to two sculptm-es right and left of him — the one, typifying 
 five cherubs in the presence of the Deity, and the other a church 
 
 • See p. 24. 
 
29 
 
 with a crowded congregation but an empty pulpit, the mottoes 
 round each of which are shewn, by the usual devices of a line 
 drawn from his mouth, to be the words of Blake, " Quantum ad 
 " hoc mihi lucrum est mori," — the other, " Quantum ad hos 
 "permanere in Came majis neoessarium" The design, as well as 
 the execution of this monument, is of the most miaute and per- 
 fect character. It is now fixed within the rails of the communion 
 table, but it is placed so high and so much out of view, and is so 
 incrusted with the accumulated dust of ages, as to render it diffi- 
 cult to decipher any part. 
 
 Another very unobtrusiye monument, in the stairs leading to Amy Took 
 the north gallery, "To the memoiy of Amy Tooker, 1656," will 
 be found, on close examination, to have three very curious 
 medallions, typifying three texts of scriptm'e. Proverbs iv. 18, 
 Matthew vii. 25, Psalm xviii. 16, with Latin mottoes. These 
 consist of pictm'es sculptured in marble, representing the house 
 founded on a rock, with the rain falling and the floods beating 
 against it —the path of the just — and a boat tossed in a stormy 
 sea, with a pilgrim in it ; and all are equally curious for their 
 quaintness of conception and minuteness of execution, 
 
 As respects these and other fine monuments, in which our 
 church is unusually rich, I have here to express a hope that some 
 arrangement may be made, consequent on the alterations now 
 proceeding, to restore and place them in conspicuous positions. 
 They will not only prove of great interest to the inhabitants and 
 to visitors, but can likewise be arranged to add most materially to 
 the beauty of the church, as actual and appropriate decorations, 
 instead of being, as they now are, not only lost to view, but actual 
 deformities, from the cramped and out-of-the-way positions in 
 which they have been placed, and the state of dui and dilapida- 
 tion they have been allowed to fall into. 
 
 Whilst on the subject of our parish church and ecclesiastical 
 literature generally, I may properly notice that several divines 
 connected with the town have been distinguished for literary talent 
 and pursuits, and several cmious sermons preached in the town in 
 early times have come down to us. 
 
30 
 
 William William Crompton, educated at Brasenose, Oxon, was, about 
 
 crompton, ^-^^ ^^^^ ^^g^g^ ^ resident and lecturer here. Previous to Ms 
 coming to Barnstaple he had published two books on the theology 
 of St. Austin and the conformity of his doctrine with that of the 
 Church of England. These books brought him, it would seem, 
 into some trouble, as the pedantic king, James I., did not approve 
 them. And whilst here he published an explication of principles 
 of the Christian religion, printed in 1633. He also preached and 
 published here two very remarkable sermons ; one of these was 
 entitled " A lasting jewell for religious women, in the smnme of a 
 " sermon preached at Barnstaple at the funeral of Mistress Mary 
 " Crosse, the wife of Henry Crosse, of Barnstaple, merchant, 
 "Nov. 13, 1628, with a brief description of her life and death, 
 " by William Crompton, preacher of the word of God at Barn- 
 " staple."* 
 
 The sermon was on Proverbs xxxi. 10,— very quaint and curious 
 — he lays out his subject, for instance, as follows: — 
 
 I. Who they are that must be praised? Woemen. 
 
 II. For what? The fear of the Lord. 
 
 III. How they must be praised ? By the fruit of their hands 
 
 and their own works. 
 
 rV. By whom! By their children, husbands 
 
 and neighbours — all are 
 enjoined to give good 
 woemen their due praise. 
 
 This sermon, singularly enough, is dedicated by the bereaved 
 husband, Henry Crosse, to the Worshipfal Christopher Blackball, 
 and to the virtuous gentlewoman his wife, by his worship's kins- 
 man. 
 
 Another sermon was preached and published by him here, 
 called "The wedding ring fitted for the finger," preached at 
 Barnstaple at a wedding, July 20, 1630, from Proverbs xxxi. 31, 32. 
 
 Crompton afterwards removed to Launceston, and died, and 
 was buried there in 1641. 
 
 * London, Edward Blimt, 1630. Bibb, Devon, p. 150. 
 
31 
 
 The Eev. Jonathan Hanmer, the eminent Nonconformist 
 Divine in the time of the Commonwealth, was bom at Barnstaple 
 in 1605. He was first rector of Instow, and afterwards appointed 
 vicar of Bishop's Tawton and lecturer at Barnstaple, which situa- 
 tion he held until superseded by the Act of Uniformity. He was 
 a fine scholar, and considered one of the most able and eloquent 
 preachers in the west of England. Calamy, the well known 
 biographer of the ejected ministers, says of him that his lectures 
 at Barnstaple were greatly thronged, vast numbers of all condi- 
 tions repairing to them firom all parts of the country.* He wrote 
 and published many works : among others an exercitation upon 
 Christian Confirmation, the title to which, as was the custom in 
 those times, is very lengthy. It is dedicated to the Right Wor- 
 shipfal Sir John Chichester, Kt., the Worshipful John Fowell, and 
 the rest of the inhabitants of Tawton Bishop, Devon. This work 
 went through several editions, and is quoted and recommended by 
 Richard Baxter, and other eminent divines. 
 
 Another curious work of his has come to my notice. It is now 
 in the possession of Mr. Godwin, and is entitled, " A view of 
 " antiquity, presented in a short but suificient account of some of 
 "the fathers, men famous in their generations, who lived within 
 " or near the first thousand years after Christ, serving as a light 
 " to the studious, that they may peruse with better judgment, and 
 " improve to greater advantage, the venerable monuments of those 
 " eminent worthies, by Jonathan Hanmer."t 
 
 A catalogue of his other works and MSS. is given by Calamy.J 
 He was one of what was commonly called the ejected ministers, 
 and after leaving the church he laid the foundation of the present 
 body of Congregational Dissenters here, for whose use and govern- 
 ment he drew up a lengthy document — " A confession of faith and 
 regulations" — which, I believe, are ia existence and used and 
 considered as an authority at the present time. Mr. Hanmer died 
 and was buried here 16th December, 1687. 
 
 » Biographical Life of Hanmer, by H. W. Gardiner. BamBtaple, 1828. 
 t London, printed for Thomas Parkhnrst, at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the lower end 
 of Cheapside, and at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1677. pp. 432. 
 } Calamy, p. 340. 
 
 Jouathe 
 Haniuei 
 
32 
 
 John Hanmer 
 
 Er. George 
 Hake will. 
 
 Rev. Martin 
 Blake. 
 
 He has another claim on our attention as grandfather of Gay, 
 the poet. 
 
 John Hanmer, the son of Jonathan Hanmer, who was bom, 
 resided, and died here, was also a man of great literary attain- 
 ments, though he never published any works, nor left other than 
 manuscript records of himself. In a short biography of him by 
 Mr. Bowcher, he says of Mm " that he was an uncommon scholar 
 " both in arts and tongues, and generally versed in other Mnds of 
 " leamiag. His work was his delight, tho' he plied it close, and 
 "upon this accoimt, perhaps, went the sooner irom us." Mr. 
 Gardiner also fully sets out his literary acquirements.* He died 
 in 1707. A funeral sermon was preached on his death by the 
 Eev. George Bowcher, which is quoted ia Calamy, vol. iii., and an 
 extract there given of it. 
 
 About the year 1630, the learned Dr. George Hakewill, Arch- 
 deacon of Surrey and Eector of Exeter College, was Eector of 
 Heanton Punchardon, and much connected with Barnstaple, having 
 recommended Mr. Crompton to the lectureship here. He was 
 the Author of many celebrated and learned works, a list of which 
 is given in Prince ;t and among them, a sermon preached at Barn- 
 staple, in 1632 on Judges v. ; and another on the funeral of Mr. 
 John Down, from the text Daniel xii., "and they shall shiae as the ■ 
 brightness of the firmament." He lived the gxeater portion of his 
 life at Heanton, and died and was buried there. Prince says that 
 his effigies, drawn to the life, still remained in the parlour of that 
 his parsonage house. I find in my copy of Prince, a note " now 
 a bedroom." 
 
 The Eev. Martia Blake was vicar of Barnstaple, in the troublous 
 times of the Commonwealth. He was not only a learned but a 
 noted man ia his day ; having been one of those exposed to great 
 persecutions, from his adherence to the Eoyal cause. His bio- 
 graphy is fully written in Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy.| He 
 was minister of the Chm-ch certainly as early as 1622, when there 
 
 * Gardiner's Lives of the Hanmers, p. 35. 
 
 t Prince's Worthies, p. 452. 
 
 t Walker's SufEerings oJ the Clergy, 17U, p. 195. 
 
33 
 
 occurs an entry in the parish register, of the burial of one of his 
 children — ^was first dispossessed of his vicarage in 1646, and after 
 several years of trial and pei-secntion, was, at the restoration in 
 1660, quietly reinstated in his living, and died, and was buried 
 here, in 1673. It was during the period of his persecution that 
 he erected the extraordinary monument in the church, before de- 
 scribed, and on which he alludes to his troubles and sufferings. I, 
 however, now only again refer to him in his literaiy aspect. One 
 sermon of his has come down to us, entitled " An earnest plea for 
 peace and moderation," in a sermon preached at Barnstaple, in 
 Devon, to the ministers and others occasionally there assembled, 
 Oct. 17, 1660, by Martin Blake, B.D. This sermon is dedicated 
 to John, Lord Bishop of Exon, the text from Psahn cxxi. 8, 9.* 
 
 In a letter from Sir Hardress Walker, to the " Grand Com- 
 mittee of the West," he speaks of Blake, as being "singularly 
 gifted;" and Waller describes him as a learned man, and a very 
 frequent, laborious, and most useful preacher. 
 
 Nathaniel Mather, who was put into the hving by Oliver Nathanj 
 
 ■^ ° •' Mather 
 
 Cromwell, in 1656, during the time Blake was dispossessed, f was 
 an author, but chiefly of single sermons, he also published a 
 course of lectures at Prince's HaU and other places. After leaving 
 here he was pastor of the EngUsh congregation at Kotterdam, and 
 died in 1697. A latin epitaph to his memory may be found in 
 " Dr. Watts's Lyric Poems," proclaiming his talents and virtues.| 
 He was one of the great Puritan family so well known in the 
 days of the pilgrim fathers. 
 
 The Rev. George Bowcher, who succeeded Mr. Hanmer, as Eev.o-. 
 
 , Bowohei 
 
 pastor of the congregation in 1706, and so contmued for 43 years, 
 was also a literateur of great reputation. He published several 
 discourses, one of which I have already referred to as the funeral 
 sermon on the death of the Rev. John Hanmer. His common 
 place book is an extraordinary volume, full of theological 
 
 * London, printed tor Francis Bglesfleld, at the Marigold, in St. Paul's Cliuroliyard, 1661. 
 4to. pp. 24. 
 t Walker, p. 196. » 
 t Watts's Horcs Lyricoe, Book 3, vol. 46, p. 64 of British Poets. 
 
84 
 
 researches, and alphabetically arranged, in divinity, ecclesiastical 
 history and sacred literature, and fuUy attests his attainments in 
 literature. 
 
 Key. B. Luck, I have before referred to Mr. Luck and his poems. I have 
 also a sermon published by him, entitled " The Orphan's Legacy, 
 a sermon preached in the parish church of Barnstaple, on Sunday, 
 May 5th, 1734, occasioned by the death of the Eev. Mr. Samuel 
 Thomson, late vicar there, by R. Luck, A.M., vicar of W. Downe, 
 and Mastel- of the Grammar School at Barnstaple," on Psalm 
 cxii. V. 2. Printed at Exon, and sold by A. Gaydon, bookseller, 
 in Barnstaple. It contains a dedication to the mayor, aldermen, 
 and other members of the ancient and loyal corporation of 
 Barnstaple, and all the parishioners. 
 
 Hcv. s. Badoook. Another noted divine was the Rev. Samuel Badcock, who came 
 to Barnstaple in 1770 ; he was at first minister of the United 
 Independent Congregation, but conformed to the established 
 church, and was ordained by the Bishop in 1777. Mr. Badcock 
 ranked high as a literary character. He was the writer of a con- 
 siderable portion of " White's Bampton Lectures," and greatly 
 distinguished himself by his talents as a reviewer.* 
 
 B6V. H. w. I would here also record, though not quite in its place chro- 
 
 nologicaUy, that a subsequent minister of the Cross Street 
 Congregation, Eev. H. W. Gardiner, A.M., published here in 1828, 
 " A View of the Lives of the Eev. Jonathan Hanmer and John 
 Hanmer, with the times in which they lived," to which I have been 
 mainly indebted for my information as to their lives and works. 
 
 I, of course, have not attempted, and do not intend to record 
 the numerous single sermons or lectures on religious and polemical 
 subjects, which have from time to time been published here, the 
 few I have quoted being only named on account of their antiquity 
 oidwoma ' °^ curiosity ; but one pamphlet I would notice, it being rather 
 Letter. ^ singular one, it is termed " The Old "Woman's Letter to her 
 respected and valued friends," was printed by Syle in 1819, and 
 
 ♦ Gribble, p. 611. 
 
35 
 
 was an argument in favour of the Established Church, as against 
 Sectarian Chapels. There is a poetical induction "From her 
 Comer :" 
 
 " Confined to her circle, th' old woman perceives 
 
 " Some changes and turnings, at which her heart grieves; 
 
 " She calls to her friends, and she bids them look round, 
 
 " Take heed to their ways, and examine the ground, 
 
 " Nor forsake the old paths, where stands the stone strong, 
 
 " For self set up posts, thickly scattered along, 
 
 " Misleading, bewildering the poor feeble minds, — 
 
 " Ah! true may be said ' the blind leading the blind.' 
 
 — " From her comer," 
 
 I would here notice that a series of lectures or sermons Newnam' 
 delivered at the Music Hall, iu 1857 and 1858, by the Rev. Mr. ''^ 
 
 Newnam, Baptist Minister, and then separately printed, have 
 recently had a new and collected edition called for, which has 
 been printed and published by Searle, in one volume 8vo., and the 
 same printer in 1857, got out a volume in 87 pages, by Mr. 
 Charles D' Alton, purporting to be specimens of a new translation 
 of the Bible, with new constructions of many texts, the author ''i^H^s^te 
 not approving the correctness of the authorized version. I need **"* ^^^^' 
 say nothing as to Mr. D'Alton's views, but the book is noteworthy 
 as the first essay of a country printer to set up Hebrew and Greek 
 in type. 
 
 Before closing the subi'ect of eminent local divines, I should Arohdea<»i 
 
 ° •' ' Hunter. 
 
 not omit to name one who has probably higher claims than any 
 other to a prominent rank in our literary annals. One who has 
 not only achieved distinction as a divine, but who has performed 
 the feat of translating a large portion of the Bible, into what was 
 previous to his time, an almost unknown and savage language, 
 I mean. Archdeacon Hunter. Bom and and entirely educated in 
 this town, he was in early manhood sent out on a mission to the 
 Indians, occupying immense and unexplored tracts of British 
 North America. Of the success of that mission, and how by his 
 own unaided talents, labours and perseverance, he gradually rose 
 to the eminent position in the church which he now occupies, it 
 is not now the place to dilate, but his literary labours it is proper 
 here to record. The language or dialect spoken by the natives 
 
36 
 
 over a vast extent of country, "The Cree language," was of 
 course a mere oral or unwritten one, and to enable Mr. Hunter to 
 extend to them the benefit of the word of God, he had to form it 
 into a written language, to invent a grammar, rules and parts of 
 speech suitable to the strange and almost unpronounceable sounds 
 which these savages made use of, to communicate with each other. 
 This Herculean task he performed with no other aid than that of 
 his wife, and having created the written language, and taught the 
 natives to read it, he then proceeded to translate the Bible into 
 that language, thus making it accessible to the widely spread 
 Cree nation. He commenced by publishing, in 1853, the Gospel 
 according to St. Matthew, under the auspices of the Church 
 Missionary Society, and he has since completed the New Testament 
 with the Prayer Book, and some portions of the Old Testament. 
 
 I feel great interest in recording this literary achievement in 
 connection with the Literary History of Barnstaple, and the more 
 so, that I was much associated in early Ufe, with one who in every 
 way has redounded credit on his native town. 
 
 I will now return to a chronological record of local authors, 
 and their works during the early part of the present century. 
 HiBtoiicai Poems Jq 1801, an anonymous volume of poetry was published by 
 Syle, entitled " Historical Poems, Mary Queen of Scots, and 
 " David King of Israel," two long poems in well rounded hex- 
 ameters. I am unaware of the author, but whoever he was, he 
 was not devoid of talent. 
 Eev. Charles Hiu In 1803, the Rev. Charles Hill, who resided here, and whose 
 family were long connected with the town, pubHshed a lengthy 
 The Banks of the descriptive poem, called " The Banks of the Tawe." He addresses 
 ^a^' the poem to the worthy resident of the ancient family at Hall, 
 and states "that Mr. Badcock had incited him to proceed in 
 " poetry, and in defiance of diffidence to pursue those deUghtfal 
 " regions of fancy, and if possible to glean some honey from the 
 " flowers which remained unexhausted by the soaring swarms of 
 " his lofty predecessors." [Rather grand verbiage.] The poem 
 which runs to many thousand lines is entirely descriptive of the 
 Bcenery, natm'al history, rural sports, and annual diversions of 
 
37 
 
 North Devon, and appears in its original form to have fallen stiU 
 born from the press, as I have never seen but one copy, but 
 selections of the work, under the names of " The Stag Hunt,"* 
 " Eules for Fly Fishing," &c., were afterwards printed separately, 
 obtained some notice, and may still be frequently met with. 
 
 The same author subsequently published another volume, Oxonia. 
 called "Oxonia," a descriptive poem on a summer evening's 
 amusement, as spent by the students of that university — likewise 
 a collection of hymns and sacred odes, to be used at grand ^^"oa^f"* 
 festivals of the church, both these were printed and published in 
 Barnstaple. 
 
 About this period Barnstaple possessed many residents of joimRanda 
 literary tastes. Mr. John Eandall, a well known old inhabitant, 
 and a clerk in the custom house, had a great aptitude for Kterary 
 composition, particularly satire. I have heard of several brochures 
 attributed to him, but the best was a mock heroic poem, " The 
 
 ^ . -, . . , T, 1 ■■ . ., ,. „ -r. , The Dapiad 
 
 " Dapiad, m six cantos. It was a burlesque imitation of Pope's 
 Dunciad, satirizing one of the local officials of the time, who was 
 nicknamed " Dap." It was printed and published in 1806, and 
 was unusually well printed and got up. The author dedicated it 
 " To the inhabitants of Barnstaple, on a presumption that they 
 " would graciously receive this humble attempt to add lustre to 
 " that high dignity to which our town is already elevated, by 
 "transmitting to posterity the brilliant achievements of heroic 
 " Dap." Each canto narrates some escapade of the hero, though 
 much of the point is now lost from not knowing the circumstances 
 and persons referred to. As an illustration, I quote part of the 
 sixth canto, on the hero sleeping in church — 
 
 " I sing with muffled voice how Dap 
 " Sat in the aisle to take a nap, 
 " TJpon a sacred day. 
 
 " Sonorous thro' the vibrous air, 
 
 " The bell announo'd the hour of prayer, 
 
 " The Church her guests receive ; 
 " The Organ too, with solemn sound, 
 " TeUs all the laity around, 
 
 " The Priest and Mayor arrive. 
 
 * Bibb, Devon, p. 129. 
 
38 
 
 " The music now had ceas'd to play, 
 " And in soft wMspers dies away, 
 
 " The bells no longer sound ; 
 " The Minister his pew ascends, 
 " The Clerk his duty too attends, 
 
 " Keigns silence most profound, 
 
 " This awful pause a moment held, 
 " A moment saw the calm dispell'd, 
 
 " And anarchy prevail I 
 " For dismal sounds they sudden hear, 
 " They start alarm'd 1 affrighted stare, 
 
 " And dread their hearts assail. 
 
 " Some view the Organ with suspense, 
 
 " And thought the sounds proceeded thence, 
 
 " But saw with deep surprize 
 " Affrighted P-x-L stand aghast ; 
 " Again they hear a dreadful blast, 
 
 " And lift their wond'ring eyes. 
 
 " ' Some Imp ' they cry ' hath burst hia chains, 
 " And, rous'd to fury by his pains, 
 
 " His flaming goal hath fled ; 
 " Here he conoeal'd Ms hydra form, 
 " But now by furies howling torn, 
 
 " Hath Stygian odours spread.' 
 
 " Some, less perturb'd, boldly declar'd 
 
 " The sounds were nasal which they heard, 
 
 " And 'twas a hideous snore ; 
 " Again the sacred pile it shook ; 
 " They then protest, with daring look, 
 
 " It was a monst'rous Boar ! 
 
 " Others (how strong the effect of fear !) 
 " Amaz'd, for instant iiight prepare, 
 
 " Nor hats nor sticks regard ; 
 " '0 save yourselves 1' they cry amain, 
 " ' A Bear 1 a Bear I you'll all be slain I 
 
 " Make way, nor us retard.' 
 
 " Dismay and terror mark'd each face, 
 " And dire confusion fiU'd the place, 
 
 " They knew not where to run ; 
 " The din of voices buzzing round, 
 " Was by Dap's bombulation drown'd; 
 
 "(And some enjoy'd the fun.) 
 
 " They soon perceiv'd twas from the north 
 " Those horrid sounds came bursting forth, 
 
 " And thither straight repair ; 
 " Then to the aisle direct their eyes, 
 " But, petrifled with stern surprize, 
 
 " They see nor Boar nor Bear, . 
 
 " Nor brutal shape, nor human form, 
 
 " Was seen, that could such tunes perform ; 
 
 "A globose mass of Hair, 
 " Huge, swelling high above the seat, 
 " With tiers of curls profusely set, 
 
 " Was all that did appear. 
 
39 
 
 " They doubtful stand ! nor can suppose 
 " It Could a human scull enclose, 
 
 " And strange opinions fly ; 
 " Some gravely said ' a restless Fiend 
 " Doth, Ourang-Outang-like, attend, 
 
 " Or Hedge-hog in a sty.' 
 
 " But one more daring than the rest, 
 " Kesolv'd to put it to the test, 
 
 " And touch'd the roaring sphere ; 
 " It moT'd I it rose I spare the tale, 
 " Nor force my fault'ring pen to tell 
 
 " That Dap was sleeping there ! 
 
 " Say, what shall innocence confound? 
 " He roU'd his blushless eyes around, 
 
 " The pond'rous lids half-rose : 
 " Unruffl'd saw the gath'ring throng, 
 " Unconscious that he'd acted wrong, 
 
 " Or broke their grave repose, 
 
 " They loud vociferate his name, 
 " And to his high, illustrious fame, 
 
 " Apply this deadly bane ; 
 " While clam'rons voices spread the tale, 
 " And one united rage prevail, 
 
 " Throughout the sacred fane, 
 
 " Dap calm beheld this threat'ning cloud, 
 " Nor heeds the fury of the crowd, 
 
 " No stranger to alarms ; 
 " And as he saw resistance vain, 
 " Did all his glowing fires restrain, 
 
 " Nor dar'd a host to arms, 
 
 " The victim of their rage they seize, 
 
 " Nor can mUd words their wrath appease, 
 
 " They drag him from the seat ; 
 " Then thrust him furious from the aisle, 
 " And with a cruel pleasure smile, 
 
 " At Dap's profane defeat, 
 
 " ' Begone, base wretch,' they cry, ' away, 
 " Let this thy future doom display, 
 
 " Hence learn thy awful fate ; 
 " Thus shall thy guilty spirit fly, 
 " Hurl'd dreadful thro' a flaming sky, 
 
 " To a tremendous state.' 
 
 " 'Devil fly away with state,' cried Dap, 
 " Catch Corporation in his trap, 
 
 " And have ye all below, 
 " Can't let alone quiet, honest man ! 
 " Fath-and-soul I strive, do all I can, 
 
 " Upright and straight to go.' 
 
 " Pathetic pleader, all who hear 
 
 " Thy matchless eloquence must bear, 
 
 " Thy feelings to their heart. 
 " Peace to thy dust I Thy name Renown, 
 " Living my song thy deeds shall crown, 
 
 " Fame to thy shade impart. 
 
40 
 
 " The greatest heroes were but men, 
 
 " Unknown had not the poets pen, 
 
 " Immortalized their name. 
 ♦ * * * 
 
 " The mighty DAP though mortal shines, 
 " His radiant glories through these lines, 
 
 " Faintly the hero shew, 
 " Nor shall the brilliant flame decay, 
 " But rising ever from my lay, 
 
 " Make Dap immortal too." 
 
 The hero was a Mr. Oram, who held a situation in the Custom 
 House, and commonly went by the cognomen of Dap Oram. He 
 used to carry a large walking stick, and had a trick of setting it 
 down heavily as he walked, with a dap, hence the nickname. 
 
 Tom Biiiinger. Another canto of his poem, contains an account of a battle 
 between Dap and Biiiinger, very cleverly written. Tom Biiiinger 
 was for many years, in the early part of the present century, a 
 well known character in the town. He had a facility for scribbling 
 poetry and lampoons, and writing songs on any persons and on 
 any subject, and used to chant and sell his songs and productions 
 through the streets. He died about 1811. 
 
 Barnstaple, a In the year, 1806, the Rev. Richard Taprell printed and 
 published here a poem, called " Barnstaple." It was a lengthy 
 affair of 115 closely printed pages, but it had this great difference 
 from Mr. Randall's book, that while the Dapiad professed to be 
 a burlesque, it was really a very clever composition. Mr. Taprell's 
 " Barnstaple," on the contrary, professed, to be a dignified composition 
 in blank verse, but was written in such an absurd and stilted 
 style as really to be a burlesque. He states in his preface, that 
 the plan of his work is simple. " A few friends are supposed at 
 " different times to pass through the streets of Barnstaple, to 
 " examine some of its public buildings, to visit its public walks, 
 " to consider and admire its different views, and to draw such moral, 
 " religious, entertaining and improving reflections fr'om the whole, 
 " as such a variety is in its own natm-e calculated to suggest." How 
 he carrried out his views will be seen by a few extracts. He 
 opens with an apostrophe. 
 
 • p. 21. 
 
41 
 
 " Oh Barnstaple, how favourably thy 
 " Situation — ^thine unborrowed native 
 " Essential excellencies how great, 
 " How grand, how numerous, how important, 
 " Rescued shalt thou be from the slander of 
 " Ignorant or designing tongues, which take 
 " Unjust delight in pronouncing thee low 
 " And dull — a foe to health, but friendly to 
 " Vapour and disease." 
 
 He then proceeds to describe the streets and town, and first 
 commences with Litchdon. 
 
 " With the bright regent of the day from the 
 " East we enter, but neither brightness nor 
 " Beauty here our course attends. Much am I 
 " Grieved Litchdon, that I cannot praise thee as 
 " My heart inclines, an entrance too rough and 
 " Dirty dost thou furnish, to a town so 
 " Rich, so good, so large, so full of fame as 
 " Barnstaple, The porch too narrow is for 
 " The spacious building to which it leads." 
 
 He at length reaches the Square, which he describes — * 
 
 -Eail'd in and 
 
 " Guarded from the intrusive hurtful feet 
 
 " Of cattle, this Square a convenience is, 
 
 " And, if fully trusted my eye may be, 
 
 " 'Tis not devoid of beauty. Beauties of 
 
 " The highest class it boasts not, except when 
 
 " Barum's fair inhabitants enter it, 
 
 " And its walks adorn. But himible beauties 
 
 " Of its own it has — its figure, its trees, 
 
 " Its relief from the public road, its walks, 
 
 " Turning you round in several pleasing 
 
 " Directions — its agreeable prospects, 
 
 " And its appearance whole and entire, must 
 
 " Ornamental be declared — ^neither by 
 
 " Native nor gay stranger to be despised." 
 
 If this is blank verse, I think it will be allowed that it is 
 very hlanJc. It goes on for 20 parts — above 4,000 verses, much in 
 the same style, much of it certainly veiy amusing for its very 
 absurdity, but still of some interest as recalling how our town 
 appeared 60 years ago. One quotation describes a grievance then 
 which is not quite removed even now. 
 
 * p. 19, 
 
42 
 
 " Barum, 
 
 " Eough are thy streets, to tender feet, hard and 
 " Stubborn foes. To all uncomfortable , 
 " Turning what wotQd be a pleasure into 
 " Actual pain, since none can wait on them 
 "With ease."* 
 
 In closing the notice of this strange production, I cannot help 
 quoting a line or two from the last part describing the loeal 
 goTernment and representation of the town, including a yeiy long 
 panegyric on the High Steward, the then Earl Fortescue, of the 
 Countess and of their family .f 
 
 " That Ebrington young lord of such parents 
 
 " Illustrious wiU himself worthy prove. 
 
 " Who that knows him a doubt can cherish. Well 
 
 " Didst thou, Barnstaple, when him for one 
 
 •' Of thy representatives wisely didst 
 
 " Thou choose. His ofier thy vacant seat t'fill. 
 
 " Hadst thou refused much should I have blamed thee. 
 
 " Freemen, your choice as often as occasion 
 
 " Calls, glacUy repeat. Freely choose him, for 
 
 " He is your neighbour and your friend." 
 
 " But in your zeal for him, 
 " Sober and decent be — ^profane, drunken, 
 " Or disorderly were you — to the heart 
 " T'wonld pierce him sore, and his noble parents, 
 " Over your vices, would with him the tear 
 " Of sorrow shed." 
 
 Which is clearly demonstratiye of certain convivial failings 
 in the free and independent voters of those days, as well as the 
 present. 
 
 The Barnstaple In 1809, what was termed " The Jubilee," the commemoration 
 of George III. having completed the fiftieth year of his reign, 
 was celebrated throughout the kingdom, and by Barnstaple as 
 loyally as is its wont. It gave rise to a variety of odes, songs, 
 and literary brochures. The best of them that has come to my 
 Mr. Harrop. notice was an ode by Mr. Harrop, a retired East India nabob, 
 who lived many years in the town, and which is now interesting 
 as recording in verse all that was done in Barnstaple on the 
 occasion, with some very clever criticisms upon the inhabitants, 
 particularly of the ladies who attended the ball. It is difficult to 
 
 » p. 88. 
 
 t Barnstaple, p. HI. 
 
43 
 
 select-a quotation giving any separate subject, but a few lines shew 
 the style : 
 
 " At two I'd the honour to dine with the Mayor, 
 
 " Then we filled up our glasses and this toast was given, 
 
 " Here's health and long life to the king of Great Britain. 
 
 " The dinner concluded we rose one and all, 
 
 " And walked in procession quite grand to the hall, 
 
 " Where the Mayor took his seat in rohes that were red, 
 
 " And the muse shall in candour relate what was said :" 
 
 " His worshipful arose, and then 
 
 " He bowed and uttered, 'Gentlemen, 
 
 " We are assembled in this hall, 
 
 " (A truth assented to by all) 
 
 " But, gentlemen, I'm loth to say, 
 
 " I've no address for this here day. 
 
 " If any man has one to give, 
 
 " I'm sure our thanks he wiU receive.' " 
 
 In 1809, and for many years subsequently, Mr. Henry Lee ^^^^ j^_ 
 was the proprietor and manager of the Barnstaple Theatre. He 
 was a man of very considerable literary attainments, apart from 
 his reputation as an actor. Many of his literary productions were 
 printed and published in Barnstaple by Mr. Syle. In 1809 he 
 published here his celebrated operatic farce, " Caleb Quotem, or 
 Paint, Poetry, and Putty," 
 
 " I'm parish clerk and sexton here, 
 
 " My name is Caleb Quotem ; 
 " I'm painter, glazier, auctioneer, 
 
 " In short, I am factotum," 
 
 The characters in this piece were plagiarized by Colman, the 
 dramatist, and brought out at Covent Garden under the name of 
 " The Eeview, or the Wags of "Windsor," which is still a stock 
 piece on the stage. This plagiarism gave rise to considerable 
 literary discussion, which Mr. Lee fully sets out in the edition of 
 his farce printed here, and which has the punning motto, " See 
 " how he steals," 
 
 Mr. Lee subsequently published here " The Manager, a melo- 
 " dramatic Tale;" "Echoism, a poem;" " Canting— Poetic Im- 
 "pressions;" "Dash, a poem;" and « An Address to the Friends 
 " of National Improvement." But he is chiefly connected with 
 our literary history by having edited and published a work called 
 
 Caleb Quotem. 
 
44 
 
 Gay-s ciioir, " Gay's Chair," which contained a life of Gay dt-awn up by his 
 nephew, Mr. Bailer, from family and private MSS., and a number 
 of poems of Gay's, never before printed. 
 
 The history of this publication is curious. It has frequently 
 been nai'rated, and indeed is fully so in the introduction to the 
 work itself. At the sale, in 1818, of the effects of a Mr. 
 Gay's daaii-. Clarke, then recently deceased, and who kept an old clothes and 
 curiosity shop in High Street, an antique chair was sold. It is 
 described as of mahogany, with the seat, back, and arms stuffed, 
 and covered with brown leather, and studded with brass nails. 
 There was a large drawer under the seat, and two other drawers 
 were fixed on pivots, so as to turn back under the ai'ms, and were 
 fitted for writing materials, with a brass candlestick attached to 
 each, and a wooden leaf for reading or writing, capable of beiag 
 raised or depressed. It was a curious relic of antiquity, and 
 fetched but a few shillings, and being rather dilapidated was sent 
 to Mr. Crook, cabinet maker, to be repaired. Whilst doing so he 
 found that the drawer under the seat only extended part way to 
 the back, and on knocking it about, he found the remaining space 
 occupied by a secret drawer of some size, cleverly fastened by a 
 small bolt, not perceivable until the front drawer was removed. 
 This concealed drawer was quite fall of papers and manuscripts. 
 
 Mr. Lee was then lodging in Mr. Crook's house. I am not 
 certain whether he was previously the purchaser of the chair, but, 
 at all events, he then obtained it and its contents. They were 
 submitted to inspection and proved to consist of a variety of un- 
 published poems and other documents of Gay. Of course it made 
 much sensation at the time, and the matter was thoroughly in- 
 vestigated. It was found that the chak had some years previously 
 been purchased at a sale of the effects of a Mrs. Wilhams, a de- 
 scendant of Katherine Bailer, Gay's sister, who had possession of 
 his effects as next of kin, and it was then considered as proved 
 beyond all reasonable doubt that it had been Gay's property. Mr. 
 Lee edited the poems and gave them to the world with a bio- 
 graphy, which had been written by Mr. Bailer, Gay's nephew, 
 under the title " Gay's Chair." 
 
45 
 
 Now all this seems very like a clever fiction introductoiy to a 
 book; indeed, the idea of finding a roll of ancient M88. in a con- 
 cealed drawer or cabinet has been used so often by writers of 
 fiction as to have become threadbare. I have, therefore, taken 
 some pains to verify the truth of the story, and, fiction-like as it 
 appears, it is strictly and literally true. 
 
 The book is now scarce. It had an engraved frontispiece of 
 the chair, with evidences andi certificates of the facts, and a fac- 
 simile of Gay's handwriting, the four first lines of the principal 
 piece, entitled "The Ladies' Petition to the Honourable the 
 " House of Commons." 
 
 As this is rather clever, and undoubtedly Gay's production, and 
 has never appeared in any collected edition of his works, I give 
 some extracts from it. 
 
 " Sirs,— The LiuHes 
 
 " We, the maids of Exon city, PeUtion. 
 
 The maids ! good lack, the more's the pity I 
 Do humbly offer this petition 
 To represent our sad condition, 
 Which, once made known, our hope and trust is 
 Your honoured house will do us justice. 
 First you shaU hear — ^but can't you guesa 
 The reason of our sad distress. 
 A maiden was designed by nature 
 A weakly and imperfect creature, 
 So liable to err or stray 
 She wants a guide — ^requires a stay; 
 And then, so timorous of sprites. 
 She dreads to be alone at nights, — 
 Say what she will, do what she can. 
 Her heart still gravitates to man. 
 From whence 'tis evident as light 
 That marriage is a woman's right; 
 And, therefore, 'tis prodigious hard 
 To be of such a right debarred. 
 Yet we poor souls can't have the freedom 
 To get good husbands, tho' we need 'em. 
 The widows, sirs — their art denotes 
 Them MachiaveU in petticoats. 
 These plagues, with heads on mischief running, 
 Exceed by far the fox in cunning. 
 They cut us out, are still before us, 
 And leave no lovers to adore us. 
 » * * * 
 
 For when by force of all our wits, 
 Kind looks, soft words, and fainting fits. 
 We've brought our beaux just to the lure, 
 And think our captives are secure, 
 
46 
 
 When the ring glitters in our eye, 
 The lawyer called, the parson nigh, 
 Up starts a widow in the way. 
 And disappoints us of our prey. 
 Besides, what makes it more provoking, 
 The dames oft wound us by their joking. 
 Calling us, sueeringly, old maids — 
 Old maids, indeed, — * * 
 
 * * * * 
 
 While thus the widows interlope. 
 How can we maidens live in hope 1 
 Your honoured house will then debate 
 On our most lamentable state, 
 And after hearing this as fact, 
 Will guard our rights by legal Act. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 But, lest your honours should surmise 
 That we, more resolute than wise. 
 Make 'gainst the widows an invective, 
 When 'tis ourselves are most defective. 
 We state (and thus for favour sue), 
 That all that can be done, we do, 
 We plot, devise, try every plan. 
 To win the fickle creature man, 
 Contriving or pursuing schemes, 
 Not more in waking than in dreams; 
 At evei-y moment, every place. 
 Our lures we're throwing with a grace. 
 In curtsying, smiling, nodding, talking, 
 In laughing, singing, dancing, walking. 
 In romping, frowning, ogling, dressing. 
 And fifty things that want expressing. 
 At home, abroad, by night, by day, 
 We various stratagems display. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Tet, sirs, in spite of all our cares, 
 
 Our melting eyes and plaintive airs, 
 
 We must allow, when pressed thus far. 
 
 Just where we were at first, we are. 
 
 All means have failed, all plans miscarried. 
 
 And we, alas! are still unmarried. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Since, then, 'tis not our fault, but fortune, 
 We take the freedom to importune 
 Your house wUl let it be enacted 
 That not one widow be contracted. 
 Or that it henceforth may be reckoned 
 ' She kill'd the first, who weds the second.' 
 Till every maid is in the way 
 Of wedlock's life, as well as they. 
 
 * • * * 
 Grant then this suit, Exonian spinsters say. 
 And your petitioners will ever pray," 
 
 The volume contained, in addition to this and a few other 
 pieces attributed to Gay, several poems of Mr. Lee's own wiiting. 
 
47 
 
 Nearly all Mr. Lee's family made the stage their profeesion, 
 and were well known both on the provincial and London hoards. 
 
 I may here remark that Barnstaplfe has given to the world 
 many theatrical celebrities, and a good deal of theatrical literature. 
 A regular theatre having existed here for above a century. Miss Miss Burton. 
 Burton, whose epitaph I have quoted, was a celebrity ia her time. 
 Edmund Kean first appeared before a Barnstaple audience, though Edmund Kean. 
 in a different rdle from his after fame. Bills are still existing in 
 which he is announced to dance a hornpipe in fetters, and he was 
 great as harlequin and such like characters, and as the monkey in 
 a pantomime, in both which capacities he appeared in our theatre. 
 One of these bills was presented to Charles Kean, at his visit here 
 a few years siace. The VandenhoflPs, Mrs. Egerton, and Incledon, vandenhoft. 
 
 Mrs. Egerton. 
 
 the vocalist, were more or less connected with the town, either moiedon. 
 professionally, or by birth and family. I have a number of 
 pamphlets and broadsheets printed here from 1808 to 1843, on 
 theatrical subjects, mostly in defence of the drama and the stage, 
 where well conducted, as not only an intellectual amusement, but 
 as promoting civilization, morality, and charity, and supporting it 
 against the denunciations of a certain section of the religious 
 community, by quotations and examples from some of the most 
 eminent and pious men of all ages. 
 
 The years 1823, 1824, and 1825, were periods of great 
 literary activity in Barnstaple, during which there was a flood of 
 magazines, or periodical literature. It commenced with the pub- Periodicals. 
 lication of the Barnstaple Miscellany, the first number of which The,Bm^tapie 
 was issued October 3rd, 1823. It was printed and published by 
 Syle, every alternate Friday, price 2d. Mr. Syle was the nominal 
 editor, but it was really planned and conducted by Mr. John 
 Randall, Mr. Pine, Mr. Cridge, Capt. Hole and others. Judging 
 by present tastes its contents were not of a very attractive or 
 interesting character, they consisted mainly of short pieces of 
 original and selected poetry, moral reflections, a serial tale in very 
 short chapters, enigmas, and rebuses, some of which were on the 
 names of ladies and gentlemen of Barnstaple, a few lines of local 
 news, and (in the absence of newspapers) notices of births, mar- 
 
48 
 
 riages, and deaths, shipping, and market prices, and on glancing 
 my eye over these, it occurred to me that if the present generation 
 of housekeepers conld at the coming Christmas market reproduce 
 the prices of the Christmas market of 1823, they would be gra- 
 tified : Beef, per lb., 4d. to 5d. ; mutton, ditto, 3^d. to 4|d ; 
 pork, ditto, 4d. to 4|-d. ; wheat, per bushel, 7s. lOd. ; barley, ditto, 
 2s. lid. ; oats, Is. 9d. One of the most clever things in the 
 Miscellany was the Dedication : 
 
 To the 
 
 INHABITANTS OP BARNSTAPLE AND ITS VICINITY, 
 
 and to all who may honor it with their 
 
 Patronage, 
 
 This Pullieation is 
 
 BEBICATEI), 
 
 more particularly to the 
 
 LADIES, 
 
 whose refined taste, elegant manners, and accomplishments, 
 
 entitle them, in an eminent degree, 
 
 to the first consideration; — 
 
 TO THE LEARNED, 
 
 in hope that they will aid it ly their contributions :^ 
 
 TO THE UNLEARNED, 
 
 as a cheap and pleasant source of improvement ; — 
 
 TO THE LEISUEABLE, 
 
 hoping that it will afford them amusement ; 
 TO MEN OP BUSINESS, 
 
 who may, in a small space, possess the means of 
 a gratifying relaxation ; — 
 
 TO BACHELOSS, 
 
 who can herein display their abilities to amuse the Fair Sex; — 
 
 TO SPmSTEES, 
 
 that they may appreciate the mental abilities of 
 
 their future Husbands ; — 
 
 TO HUSBANDS, 
 
 that with it they may entertain their Wives and Families ; 
 
 TO WIVES, — 
 
 that it may afford them an agreeable chit chat, 
 
 and furnish them with a valuable, elegant, and cheap 
 
 present for their chiliren. 
 
49 
 
 This periodical only attained 22 numbers, forming a volume 
 of 352 pages, and is become very scEtrce. 
 
 The publication of this magazine immediately gave rise to a tuo Gossip. 
 rival, the Gossip, said to be under the direction of Messrs. Weeks 
 and Tris. It was published by Purchase, and had a very transient 
 existence, the first number appeared December 10th, 1823, the 
 last on the 24th, three numbers only. It contained some well 
 written articles. A rival and contemporary says of it* " that 
 " from the specimen afforded of its editor's powers, in his intro- 
 " duction and critique, we are decidedly of opiuion that if he had 
 " drawn more from his own stores, iustead of depending so much 
 " on selections — his efforts would have been crowned with success." 
 
 The Universal Medley next appeared, also published by Syle. UnivereaiMediey 
 The first number was issued on the 12th January, 1824. It was 
 edited and mainly written by Mr. Thomas Mortimer, and was of 
 greater literary pretention as well as execution, than the Miscellany, 
 though of much the same style and character. It is interesting 
 as containing what I believe were the first literary efforts of our 
 president Mr. Rock, inserted anonymously ;t but after three 
 numbers the Medley coalesced with the Barnstaple Miscellany, 
 and a new publication under joint management, took the place of 
 both, called The North Devon Miscellany, or Magaaine of the 
 Muses. The first number came out the 26th of March, 1824, 
 and gave rise to a clever impromptu ■.% 
 
 " Two little books at one printers put forth, 
 
 " Convinced aU the town of their wit and their worth. 
 
 " The first in its morals majestic surpast, 
 
 " The next like an amaranth nosegay would last, 
 
 '■ But nature had now run the length of her tether, 
 
 " And stitched up a third from the two put together." 
 
 This United Magazine, however, did not last over the year ; 
 all of them were probably much more interesting to their writers 
 than to their readers, but they certainly tended to foster the 
 literary taste then rising in the town. 
 
 * Medley, p. 2S. 
 t Medley, p. 38. 
 t Cave, p. 171, vol. 1. 
 
60 
 
 The ciaokiing Another kindred publication appeared about the same time, 
 '^^' called " The Crackling Goose, a fragment of the backward age." 
 It was occasioned by a book that had then recently been published 
 at Hfracombe, entitled " Barum a fragment, by Tom Thoughtful 
 the younger." The first number was entirely occupied by a 
 lashing critique on this book, in very clever verse. The second 
 number took up the same subject, finishing off " Tom Thoughtful," 
 and suggesting his epitaph : 
 
 " Tom died as other Toms must die, 
 " Tom lied as other Toms may lie, 
 " Tom squalled as other Toms do squall, 
 " Tom soared too high and had a fall, 
 " Tom was of Barum's vale the pride, 
 " Tom lived a goose — a goose he died. 
 
 The crackling goose expired with the subject that gave it 
 . birth, only two numbers having been issued, but they were so full 
 of wit as to cause regret the publication was not continued. 
 
 ^dy Eevtem But by far the most scholarly as well as successful periodical 
 of the time, was the Cave and Lundy Eeview. This was com- 
 menced in January 1824, and was published by Mr. Searle in 
 monthly numbers under the editorship and management of a club 
 of literary gentlemen, of whom the most prominent was Dr. 
 Morgan. It origiaated in the periodical visits of the club to the 
 cave at Saunton, which meetings involved the usual business of 
 a literary society, papers and articles mostly of a light and hu- 
 mourous style being communicated and read at their weekly 
 meetiugs, and when these were given to the public the new 
 periodical was advertised as the printed series, under the name of 
 ^Ma^azta™ " The North Devon Magazine, containing the Cave and Lundy 
 " Eeview or critical revolving light. " The introductory article, 
 purporting to be " a valedictory epistle from Dryden Beauclerk, 
 " late editor of the Cave, to the readers of that old established 
 " periodical, and introducory to the public in general, " was very 
 clever and witty, and concluded by stating " that there would be 
 " a box in theii- printer's window in Barum, for light articles, which 
 "would be duly forwarded to the editor at Saunton Cave, while 
 " for heavy articles arriving by sea there would be a crane erected 
 
51 
 
 " at Down-end." This magazine was continued for nearly two 
 years, and extended to two goodly-sized volumes with indexes 
 complete. They not only contain many good literary articles and 
 poetry, but also include a great many yaluable scraps of local 
 history that are not to be found elsewhere, and a considerable 
 amount of classical erudition. As a specimen of its poetry, I 
 quote an ode on the loss of H.M.'s ship "Weazle, in om- Bay, in 1799. 
 
 Loss of the 
 Weazle. 
 
 "A DIRGE. 
 
 ■ Lament for the Weazle, 
 
 The joy of our bay, 
 Whose trim Tvas so gallant, 
 
 Whose crew were so gay. 
 Hearts that never knew fear, 
 
 Yet confessed beauty's eye. 
 Then vain beauty's tear. 
 
 For the day dream gone by. 
 
 2. 
 Lament for the Weazle, 
 
 The grace of our pool, 
 Oh where is her sceptre 
 
 Of wide ocean rule 1 
 The waves in their madness. 
 
 To freedom awoke, 
 And the sea queen o'erwhelmed 
 
 As her sceptre they broke. 
 
 3. 
 
 Lament for the Weazle, 
 
 Her voyages o'er, 
 She hath made her last port. 
 
 She is on her lee shore. 
 Low down in the deep. 
 
 When the sunbeams are sheen. 
 And the waters are calm. 
 
 May her ruins be seen. 
 
 4. 
 Hope breathed on her sail. 
 
 As she went o'er the bar, 
 Pride waved in her ensign. 
 
 Seen flying from af ai. 
 But her sail it was struck, 
 
 Ere the bay she had crossed. 
 Her ensign was lowered, 
 
 Her glory was lost. 
 
 5. 
 
 Tho' the tear fell at parting. 
 
 When love bade adieu. 
 There was welcome to ocean. 
 
 From all her bold crew ; 
 And the wine cup was spilt 
 
 As it circled her deck. 
 But the blood of the gay 
 
 Is now red on her wreck. 
 
 6. 
 Who hath escaped 
 
 From the tempest's fell sweep. 
 From the crash of her timbers. 
 
 On Baggy's dark leap 1 
 Not a soul — there was one 
 
 Left behind on the shore. 
 His fortune to thank. 
 
 But his friends to deplore. 
 
 7. 
 Comrades in danger. 
 
 Companions in mirth. 
 Some sleep their last sleep 
 
 In a watery berth ; 
 And one whom the tide 
 
 Hath restored as it rose. 
 By Braunton's grove altar 
 
 Is gone to repose. 
 
 8. 
 Lament for the Weazle, 
 
 Her voyages are o'er. 
 From the port she last made. 
 
 Came there ship never move. 
 And tho' memory long 
 
 Our lament will renew. 
 Fill it up — ^but in silence, 
 
 A glass to her crew." 
 
 This event excited great attention at the time, and made 
 a deep impression on the inhabitants of Barnstaple and North 
 Devon, partly owing to the suddenness of the tempest that over- 
 
 * The Cave, vol. 1, p. 4G. 
 
52 
 
 whelmed the ship, which went down suddenly with all on board, 
 one being a woman, but principally owing to the Weazle having 
 been stationed here and long laid in the pool, and the officers and 
 crew having made numerous friends and acquaintances among the 
 inhabitants of the neighbourhood, by whom they were entertained 
 at a grand ball at Appledore, the night of their departure. She 
 sailed safely over the bar at midnight, February 10th, 1799, but a 
 sudden hurricane canie on, and she got embayed and went on 
 shore under Baggy, where she was dashed to pieces, and none 
 saved. As described in the log of the sea minstrel, 
 
 " The tale is briefly told — a gallant bark, 
 " Embayed, and by the tempest overtaken, 
 
 " When midnight heavens were glooming pitchy dark, 
 " And wave and shore by the loud storm were shaken, 
 
 " Drove upon Baggy's horrid leap — and hark ! 
 " The seaman's cry that never more shall waken 
 
 " And for her fate a long lament arose." 
 
 This was the wreck that gave rise to a peculiar expression of 
 a local author, that she went down with 105 souls on board, and 
 one woman. 
 
 Since 1825, there have been but few attempts at local Maga- 
 ziaes, or periodical literature. 
 
 In the Spring of 1850, Mr. Jones commenced a cheap weekly 
 N.D.Misoeiiaaiy. Serial, called the N". D. Miscellany, the introductory address in 
 which noticed the former magazines, and proposed a new periodical 
 to gather up reminiscences of the past and literary matters, not 
 within the scope of an ordinary newspaper. It was discontinued 
 after six months, but it very soon abandoned its professed literary 
 character, and became in fact, a small newspaper, and in conse- 
 quence, came within the provisions of the Stamp Act, and was 
 stopped by the iron hand of the Inland Eevenue Office. 
 
 Just before Christmas 1852, Mr. Jones published a somewhat 
 pretentious quarto, with a notice of its weekly continuance, called 
 BM^to'f " P^i^ch in Barnstaple. " It was heralded, and curiosity excited 
 by several preliminary hand biUs and puffs. It proved to contain 
 some really clever and amusing articles with wood cut illustra- 
 tions, but no second No. ever appeared. 
 
53 
 
 We have had no further attempts at magazine literature ; and at 
 the present day, with the multitude of cheap national periodicals, 
 embracing, many of them, the highest talent, I doubt whether any 
 farther attempt could be successfal, eyen if desirable. 
 
 I noticed just now that our President Mr. Rock's, first essays w. r. Eocfc. 
 in Literature, appeared in the Medley and Miscellany, and during 
 the long intervening period, of more than 40 years, he has con- 
 tinued to throw off a vast amount of fugitive poetry and literature, 
 mainly I believe in magaziues, newspapers, and illustratuig or 
 adorning his own nimierous trade publications and manufactures. 
 This is not the place or time, to comment, praise, or criticise his 
 literary works, but I must add that I hope to live to see his works, 
 both prose and poetry, published in a collected form, and the life 
 of a man, eminently useful in his day and generation, written. I 
 know that the members of the Institution, will be gratified at my 
 quoting some of his youthfal efforts, of which a contemporary critic 
 wrote, " that he could not forbear expressing his admiration, and 
 " predicting that the juvenile author of them would one day hold 
 " a distingTiished rank among English Bards." 
 
 A FABLE. 
 
 " A golden fount in days of old,* 
 
 Impetuous poured its stream along, 
 Its banks, gay flowerets studded o'er. 
 
 The praise and pride of ancient song. 
 It wandered on through verdant bowers. 
 
 And was of every tongue the theme, 
 Its soft — its sweet attractive powers, 
 
 Obtained the name of pleasure's stream. 
 But gathering ordure in its course. 
 
 Its sUver current soon was stained. 
 And losing aU its native force. 
 
 It e'er the fatal dye retained. 
 Not distant far, a simple stream 
 
 Oozed from a stone its rustic head, 
 It gently glided on serene. 
 
 And dimpling kissed its mossy bed. 
 Its modest surface spoke content. 
 
 But still it sought the neighbouring rill, 
 It seemed to visit pleasure bent, 
 
 But prudence whispered — ^peace be still. 
 One fatal day while prudence winked, 
 
 The brook resumed its idle dream. 
 It risked a sip at pleasures brink. 
 
 And mingled with the tainted stream. 
 » Medley, p. 36. 
 
54 
 The next specimen is in a different style* — ' 
 
 " See you tlie eastern orb which glows, 
 So pure, so beautiful, so bright. 
 The bird which hailed it as it rose. 
 Shall sing its farewell song at night. 
 
 See you the gems which deck the rim 
 
 of evening's sparkling coronet, , 
 The twilight beams — their glow is dim. 
 
 The morning smiles — ^their ray is set. 
 
 See you the new blown summer rose, 
 "VVhich spreads its blossoms on the bough. 
 
 The winter frowns — the night wind blows. 
 Where are its fragrant beauties now ? 
 
 There's not a smile on maiden's lips, 
 
 A gleam of love from beautie's eye. 
 But soon from its possessor flits. 
 
 And is succeeded by a sigh. 
 
 There's not a heavenly thrill of love. 
 
 But rises but to sink again. 
 Scarcely to joy our senses move, 
 
 Ere they subside again to pain. 
 
 There's not a tree — a leaf — a flower, 
 
 A dancing moonbeam on the wave, 
 But calls for pity's sigh to pour 
 
 Untimely requiems o'er its grave. 
 
 The brightest ray which pleasure throws 
 
 Is but a meteor gleam displayed, 
 For all that's sweet its charms must lose. 
 
 And all that's beautiful must fade, 
 
 I quote these not as specimens of Mr. Eock's powers, but simply 
 as 'im first essays in early youth ; but the most substantial and 
 valuable effort of his pen, that I am aware of, is a Rmal Poem, or 
 Sketch of North Devon manners and habits, written in our local 
 dialect, not mere mis-pronunciations calling them Devonshire dia- 
 lect, as is generally done in professed works on the subject ; but 
 introducing at least one real Devon word in each line of the Poem 
 or Rhymes, as Mr. Eock prefers to call them, to the extent of 700 or 
 800 words. I have had the pleasm-e of hearing extracts from this 
 work read, and though not printed, I am induced to name it, as I 
 consider it would prove of so much use to Philologists generally, 
 and so valuable, as a record of a provincial language, fast dying 
 out, that I trust Mr. Eock may be persuaded to publish and give 
 it to the world. 
 
 * Medley, p. 37. 
 
55 
 
 Mr. Syle, whose name appears as the publisher of the works w. Syie. 
 before mentioned, and who, by the assistance and encom-agement 
 he afforded to j^oung authors, and in helping forward the literary 
 aspirations of that day, may well be called, the " John Murray " 
 of Barnstaple, was also a cultivator of the muses himself, having 
 contributed several poems and sketches to the pages of the 
 periodicals he published, and the newspaper he subsequently edited. 
 He was the principal bookseller here for a long period of years. 
 
 In connection with Mi-. Syle, I would here introduce an inter- 
 esting local Episode, refemng to that exquisite Poet and wild 
 dreamer, " Percy Bysshe Shelley. " P«i^y Bysshe 
 
 About the year 1812, just after his ill-omened marriage with 
 Harriett Westbrook, Shelley and his wife took up their residence 
 at Lynton. He was then notorious for favoming the most wild 
 and absurd ideas on religious and political freedom, and had been 
 expelled from Oxford, for publishing a pamphlet " on the necessity 
 " of Atheism." During this period, Shelley came into Barnstaple, 
 and called at Mr. Syle's Printing OflEice, bringing with him a 
 bundle of MSS. of which he desu-ed Mr. Syle to have 1,000 copies 
 printed. This was done, Shelley coming in from time to time, to 
 read the copy, and con-ect the press. The pamphlet was entitled 
 "A Letter to Lord Ellenborough, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, 
 " on the prosecution of Daniel Isaac Eaton for the publication of 
 " Paine's Age of Reason." 
 
 This Daniel Isaac Eaton, was a bookseller ; he was sentenced 
 to stand in the pillory for one hour, which sentence was earned into 
 effect. The contents of the pamphlet, were of the most extreme, not 
 to say violent character; but the language was, as is the case in all 
 Shelley's works, forcible and grand, and full of strong and indignant 
 remarks on the prosecution, or as Shelly considered it, persecution 
 of the mere publisher of a work on a theological subject. I am 
 enabled by the kindness of Mr. Barry, to give a line as a specimen. 
 The writer is drawing a contrast between eiTor and truth, and at 
 the close of it exclaims, " Error skulks in holes and comers, letting 
 " I dare not, wait upon I would, like the poor cat i' th' adage, but 
 " the eagle eye of truth, darts through the undazzling sunbeam of the 
 
56 
 
 " immutable and just, gathering wherewith to yivify and illumine 
 " the universe !" Shelley had about 50 copies, as they were printed, 
 but before pubHcation a strange circumstance occmi'ed. A poor 
 labom-ing man of the neighbourhood was taken up for posting 
 bills about the town and neighbom-hood headed " Government 
 " has no rights." It being seditions, he was tried and sentenced 
 to three months' imprisonment. His defence was, that a gentleman 
 between Lynton and Barnstaple had given him the bills to pqst, 
 and paid him 2s. 6d. for doing the job. This gentleman was 
 Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mr. Brooke, who has famished some of 
 these particulars, and who superintended the printing of the 
 pamphlet, has one of these bills which was printed in London, 
 and brought down here by Shelley, who had at that time veiy 
 wild and crude notions as to government and the regeneration of 
 society. 
 
 This circumstance naturally alarmed Mr. Syle, as the pamphlet 
 was quite as seditious in its tone and contents. He at once sup- 
 pressed and destroyed the remaining sheets, and had several 
 interviews with Shelley, to endeavour to get back the ones pre- 
 viously delivered, but unsuccessfully, as they had been mostly 
 distributed. One copy came into the hands of Mr. Barry, and 
 was given by him a few years since to Leigh Hunt, the friend and 
 biographer of Shelley, though I believe, neither the cu'cumstances 
 I have narrated, nor the pamphlet itself, have ever been noticed or 
 included in any biogxaphy of the poet, or collection of his works, 
 but the incident as stated is strictly correct. 
 
 Jane Taylor. Jane Taylor, an authoress well known by her " Essay on 
 
 " Khyme, and various verses for the young," passed the winters 
 of 1812 and 1813 in North Devon. Her brother, Isaac Taylor, 
 who died in June, 1865, a man of eminent attainments in meta- 
 physics, theology, and other hterature, accompanied her, and was 
 then much at Barnstaple. Isaac Taylor, at that early period of 
 his life, was of some note as an engraver and artist, and in the 
 latter capacity executed here a number of miniatures and portraits, 
 which are still to be seen in the town, and he was well known to 
 many here. Since then he has achieved a world wide fame as a 
 
 Isaac Taylor. 
 
57 
 
 scholar and literateur, and his writings are both numerous and 
 important, comprising translations of Herodotus and Theopkrastus, 
 " Ancient Christianity," "Natural History of Enthusiam," &c., &c. 
 
 In a note appended to the memoir of his sister, Jane Taylor, 
 he says, " Although it is foreign to my subject, I cannot pass the 
 "subject of my first visit in Devonshire, without a grateful 
 "reference to the kindness of the friends with whom these agree- 
 " able months were passed, the hospitaUties then and subsequently 
 " received will always live in my recollections." 
 
 I have but few more local poets or authors to notice before 
 comiug down to the present time. 
 
 In 1825, Mr. Thomas Mortimer published a small volume, ^Ser. 
 " Hypocrisy and other Poems,"* and in 1853, he published here 
 a strange little semi-political tract in verse, I will not call it 
 poetry, called "The Court of Sin and Death, a Vision." Mr. ^ and" ""' 
 Mortimer has through life been a cultivator of the muses, and 
 contributed largely to the newspapers and periodic literature of 
 the neighbourhood, and is also author of a series of pamphlets 
 addressed to worMng men, and some lectures. 
 
 In 1826, Mr. John Barry printed for private circulation, or iir. Barry, 
 rather his friends printed with his consent, a little volume of 
 TDoetrv called "Weeds of Idleness." It contained some forty short weeds of 
 
 r J •' Idleness. 
 
 pieces of poetry, songs, aud, sonnets in two parts, the first being 
 chiefly local sketches, entitled " The Banks of the Taw," the 
 second part entitled "Trifles." As a specimen I give a few 
 stanzas on the family who died of the plague in 1646, and gave 
 name to the Seven Brethren Bank,* they having been buried under 
 seven elm trees by the river. 
 
 " Their life current dies as it loiters along, 
 
 " Aud all but their fate seems to shun them. 
 
 " They totter, they fall, once the mighty and strong, 
 
 " For the pestilent curse is upon them. 
 
 " The sweet voice of comfort is sternly denied, 
 " As parched on their couch they are lying, 
 " And a requiem groan for the last one that died 
 " Is knelled by a brother now dying. 
 
 » Hypocrisy. London, 1823, 8to. pp. 103. 
 t Striking Incidents, p. 33, 3G. 
 
58 
 
 Mr. Latey. 
 
 Douglas 
 Thomson. 
 
 Mrs. Eooke. 
 
 Mr. Neale. 
 
 " Frail friendship recoils frora its foe spotted prey, 
 " Though the slumber of death they are sleeping, 
 " The west wind alone wafts a sigh o'er their clay, 
 "And evening its dew drops are weeping. 
 " Oh lay them at rest where yon elm branches wave, 
 " And there let the green sod spring o'er them, 
 " The pilgrim that lingers around their cold grave, 
 "Will hear their sad tale and deplore them." 
 
 In 1830, a Mr. Latey, a bread baker, lived here, and on his 
 death, his son John Lash Latey, who had been brought up as a 
 printer, came here to carry on the business, and resided here some 
 years. He was a man of considerable literary taste and ability, 
 he had previously, whilst at Tiverton, printed and published " The 
 " Earthquake and other poems," and dm-ing his residence here, he 
 contributed a series of interesting ai'ticles, written in the Devon- 
 shii-e dialect, signed Roger Clodpole, and other contributions, both 
 prose and verse, to the North Devon Journal. 
 
 In 1839, a small work was printed and published by Brightwell, 
 " Songs of the Stars," by G-. Douglas Thompson. These were 
 short, but of great merit, and have I believe been since set to 
 music. 
 
 In 1854, a small work of fiction, by Mrs. Rooke, of Trafalgar 
 House, called " The Eetreat," " for talking age and whispering 
 lovers made," was pubhshed, Mr. Hearson being one of the 
 publishers. 
 
 As the three last named volumes are not of local interest, and 
 have no further connection with the town, than as being the work 
 of residents here, I do not give any quotation, nor dwell thereupon. 
 
 In 1857, a little book of poems* privately printed, was pre- 
 sented to the library of this Institution, accompanied by the 
 following note to me as honorary secretary : " Some time since I 
 put a few thoughts into verse, and at the request of some friends, 
 a limited number were printed for private circulation only. The 
 value consists not in any merit of their own, but simply in their 
 being a personal reminiscence of the writer. Nevertheless, I am 
 vain enough to wish that one of those small books should find a 
 
 * Poems, by W. E. U. Eseter, 1857. 
 
59 
 
 place in the Barnstaple Literary Institution, as two of the subjects 
 referred to in the poems are local, and as I myself, by adoption, 
 may also be considered as belonging to the North of Devon. At 
 any rate I have left a pretty tangible proof of my existence, in 
 the North Devon RaUvray, on which ten of the best years of my 
 life were spent. To this work of fact, I am now desirous to add 
 a far less important one of fiction. "Will you kindly as the hono- 
 rary secretary give my book as presented by the author, as I do 
 not wish my name to appear, &c., &c. Yours very truly, 
 W. R. Neale." 
 
 Mr. Neale has siace that period republished all his works, 
 including those privately priated previously, in a volume dedicated 
 to Earl Fortescue, under his own name.* The injunction to 
 privacy is therefore withdrawn, and I have now great pleasure ia 
 placing here upon record this characteristic letter, and also of 
 quoting a specimen of the writings of a most talented and 
 honourable man, whose prospects of futm'e eminence, and whose 
 progress in that tide of human affairs, " which taken in the 
 flood leads on to fortune," were only stayed by the intervention of 
 lingering and paiufiil Uhiess, his reflections on which he 
 beautifally expresses.f 
 
 " Weary and sad upon the couoli of pain, 
 
 A lonely watclier midst the wastes of night, 
 I ask the solace of repose in vain, 
 
 And chide the tardy dawning of the light, 
 While o'er my vision pass in solemn gloom, 
 
 The shadows of the days that are no more, 
 Speaking like voices from the silent tomb, 
 
 Of hopes decayed and joyous friends of yore, 
 Swept by the waves of time from life's eventful shore, 
 
 And more — ^remembrance does to me unfold 
 
 All I have left imdone of duty's part. 
 How unfulfilled the high resolves of old ! 
 
 How fnU of weeds this unproductive heart ! 
 And I resemble one who stands alone 
 
 Amidst the reapers on an autumn mom. 
 Seeking to bind the sheaves in spring time sown 
 
 But finds instead of fields of waving com, 
 The harvest of remorse — the thistle and the thorn. 
 
 * Time the Avenger, and other poems, by W. R. Neale. London, 1860. 
 t Poems, p. 21. Time the Avenger, p. 119. 
 
Edward Capem, 
 
 60 
 
 Restore blest health my manhoods languid prime, 
 
 Whilst o'er the misspent past I hopeless grieve, 
 So will I snatch the fleeting gift of time. 
 
 And moments lost by heedless thoughts retrieve, 
 Again the feeble fires of life renew. 
 
 That I may yet mth resolution keen, 
 And purpose firm the nobler path pursue. 
 
 To keep with deeds of worth my memory green, 
 Ere I depart from hence and be no longer seen." 
 
 There are two more poets yet among us, whom I camiot omit 
 to notice, and who though neither of them natives of Barnstaple, 
 nor yet actually resident in the town, have been closely connected 
 with it, are well known to us all, and have shed a lustre upon the 
 entire district of North Devon. Edward Gapem, the rural post- 
 man, and Mr. Maxwell, of Bydo'U'n, near this town. 
 
 To the first — the poet of nature and of the fields, we can lay 
 some claim, as though born at Tiverton, he came here iu early 
 life and received here such poor education as was allotted to him, 
 was apprenticed here and made his first essays in the labours of 
 hfe in the humble avocation of a shoemaker and then a cabinet 
 maker, and he was for many years a free member of the institu- 
 tion on Mr. Eock's foundation. But in him was a true illustration 
 of the adage, " Poeta nascitm- non fit," and the happy occurrence 
 of a tradesman at Bideford, for whom he worked, being also 
 postmaster, led to his appointment as rural postman, which took 
 him from the close workshop, to natm'e and rural scenes, and thus 
 gave him both time for the poetic germs within him to expand, 
 and a subject in the birds, flowers, and rural objects around him 
 in his daily walk, to which to attune his thoughts, and in him the 
 deficiency of early education, or rather his self education, has pro- 
 bably not proved a disadvantage, as it has confined his productions 
 rather to the sweet and melodious freshness of nature, than to 
 the polished and affected style of more highly educated men. It 
 is scarcely necessary for me here to quote any specimen of his 
 lyric efPusions, as they are in every ones hands, and have acquired 
 a fame not limited to the district in which he lives. He first 
 came before the world in 1856, with a small volume of poems 
 introduced by Mr. Eock. These were so well received, that in 
 1859 he published a second volume, " Ballads and Songs," 
 
61 
 
 dedicated by permission to Miss Burdett Coutts. This was fol- 
 lowed by another volume "The Devonshire Melodist," with 
 musical accompaniments, some of which it is stated are of 
 Capem's own composing. His last effusion, " "Wayside Waa-bles," 
 is only just published. The first portion of which has for the 
 most part much the same style and turn of thought and imagery 
 as his previous pubHcations, with a poetical dedication to Mr. 
 Eock ; but the latter portion of the volmne, called " Willow 
 " Leaves," is of a more than ordinary touching and mournful caste. 
 He explains in his preface the circumstances which gave rise to 
 them, and as they are within the experiences of all, so they must 
 be felt by all. One of these I will quote.* 
 
 "BY HEE GRAVE. 
 
 " How much loTe I buried, 
 
 My precious child, with thee; 
 A never-failing comfort 
 Thou ever wert to me. 
 
 And life's severest battle 
 I greeted with a smile, 
 
 For thou could ease each trouble, 
 And darkest hours beguile. 
 
 Thou little blessed spirit, 
 
 A seraph in disguise, 
 "With joy upon thy forehead. 
 
 And heaven within thine eyes. 
 
 Why didst thou come, my sweetest. 
 Just like a thing of light ? 
 
 A sudden flash of glory, 
 Bewildering our sight. 
 
 The day is dark without thee, 
 No eye with gladness beams; 
 
 My harp is hanging sUent, 
 And gone my fairy dreams, 
 
 I miss thee, yet I meet thee. 
 
 Wherever, love, I go. 
 But grasping at a shadow 
 
 Adds only woe to woe. 
 
 The other N'orth Devon worthy to whom I referred is Mr. 
 Maxwell, of Bydown, near this tovm, whose long connection with 
 some important mining schemes in North Devon, and whose cha- 
 racter as a fine old English gentleman is well knovm to us all, 
 though probably his literary and poetic powers may not have so 
 wide and general recognition : I will therefore here give a specimen 
 of his poetry. The volume fi-om which I quote is entitled " Sighs, 
 " Smiles and Sketches,"! and is dedicated " to the men and 
 " women of Devon, amongst whom the author has passed the last 
 " thirty years of his Hfe, and learned to appreciate the beauty of 
 " their county, and the urbanity and kindness of its inhabitants." 
 
 » Wayside Warbles, p. 132. 
 t Sighs, Smiles, and Sketches. 
 
 J, G. Maxwell. 
 
 London, 1860. 
 
62 
 
 "MORIBUNDA. 
 
 ' Father, carry me out of the town, 
 Let me breathe on the fresh green down; 
 I loathe the street and its stifling air, — 
 I pine for the fields and their wild flowers fair. 
 
 I watched the sparrows from over the way 
 
 Fly o'er the wall with some feathers to-day, 
 
 And I thought on the birds in our own dear lanes. 
 
 How they gladdened my heart with their sweet spring strains. 
 
 And I slept, and I dreamt of the roses wild. 
 That you gathered in summer to please your child, 
 And I revelled again in the bean field's bloom. 
 But I woke, with a sigh, in our close dark room. 
 
 And again I slept, and I dreamt again. 
 And I heard the plash of the summer rain, 
 As it used to sound from our cottage eaves. 
 When it fell drip drop on the ivy leaves. 
 
 And again I dreamt I was out at play 
 With my two little brothers, among the hay, 
 And we made sweet hay by the clear bank side. 
 Just as we used before mother died. 
 
 Father, dear, am I dreaming now? 
 
 Look I there's a smile upon mother's brow; 
 
 Seel she beckons me; mother, I come; 
 
 Father, I'll bring you bright flowers from home." 
 
 These are sweet but mournM, — I therefore giye as as an anti- 
 dote, a humorous eflfusion, paraphrasing an old nursery rhyme, 
 entitled 
 
 "MT PIPE. 
 
 " In vsdnter, when the north wind blows. 
 And bright drops hang on many a nose, 
 And chilblains itch on schoolboys' toes. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 
 When times are dear, and friends get cold. 
 And butter's dear, and women scold, 
 And half my woes cannot be told. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 
 When discount's up to ten per cent., 
 And next week I must pay my rent. 
 My last pound to my tailor went. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 I must sell out, and funds are down, 
 And Polly wants a new silk gown. 
 And I've just changed my last half-crown. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 The tax collector calls again 
 To trouble me for two pounds ten, 
 I swear I'll pay, but can't say when. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 
63 
 
 When wife's mamma, who came to stay 
 A month, forgets to go away, 
 And gives me good advice all day, 
 
 Give me my pipe, 
 /When Jack has got the whooping cough. 
 And Tom has tumbled in the trough. 
 And James has puUed his thumb-nail off, 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When gout torments me for my sins. 
 And nurse comes down with horrid grins, 
 And, ' Please, sir, missus has got twins,' 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When in the kitchen there's a row, 
 And wife comes in, with troubled brow. 
 To say that cook is going now. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When 'tis our weekly washing day, 
 And wet white linen blocks the way, 
 And starch and steam and soap hold sway. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When shooting 'neath October skies, 
 A brace of pheasants near me rise, 
 Slap comes a twig across my eyes, 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When all day fishing I've been out, 
 And have not caught a single trout, 
 With pannier crammed I meet a lout. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 I'm off to cover on my hack. 
 When half way there he comes down crack. 
 And I've to lead him six miles back. 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 When, after dining with the Mayor, 
 I catch my toe against a stair. 
 My wife says ' Well, I do declare," 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 Presumptive heir to TJncle Ned, 
 A letter comes to say he's dead. 
 And left his all to Cousin Fred, 
 
 Give me my pipe. 
 Thou soother of my grief and care. 
 Though thou art old, and black, and bare, 
 To me thou art a friend most rare. 
 
 My pipe." 
 
 I now proceed to another part of my subject, our local histories, j^^^ Historiea. 
 and those who have assisted in perpetuating memorials of the past 
 by their literary collections or remains ; and here I would observe, 
 that I do not here include historians, or topographers, who have 
 simply noticed Barnstaple as part of a general scheme of national or 
 county history, from Leland downwards, as these are not within 
 the scope of our present sketch. 
 
Borougli Records 
 
 64 
 
 Up to comparatively recent periods, there were few attempts, 
 that I am aware of, at local chronicles. The earliest we have, is the 
 Private Becords. joumal of Philip Wyot, who kept a diary of remarkable occurences, 
 ^^"'■^'"'^^'irom 1586 to 1608.* 
 
 Wood's Mss. Eichard Wood, a vicar of Fremington, but who resided in 
 
 Barnstaple, left behind him a journal, containing a few scraps of 
 local information, extending down to 1660, to which a few notes for 
 18 years, have been added by a Mr. Frayne, a receiver of the Cor- 
 poration. These are still in existence, and have frequently been 
 made use of, as materials for history. 
 
 There appear also to have been some other old journals, to which 
 Mr. Gribble had access in preparing his Memorials of Barnstaple; 
 but as he, unfortunately, gave no particulars or clue to find them, 
 I have not succeeded, in finding any other trace of them.f 
 
 The Town and Borough Records, are of very little literary 
 importance. They consist mainly of the ancient Charters, now 
 mostly obsolete, or superseded by the Municipal Eeform Bill, and 
 the local Markets and Improvement Acts, Records and accounts, 
 relative to the Charities, which were investigated by the Charity 
 Commissioners, and given to the world in their valuable report, 
 and a great mass of Corporation accounts and documents, all un- 
 arranged, unindexed, and in inextricable confusion, in huge chests. 
 These, no doubt, would furnish many cmious and interesting par- 
 ticulars, of the olden time; and indeed some extracts throwing 
 Ught, on ancient usages, and customs of our forefathers, have been 
 printed in Cribble's memorials ;% and appear to have been the 
 gatherings of Brook Keate, who, having been an assistant in the 
 Town Clerk's Office, had facilities of access thereto, and gathered 
 many incidents for history, which Gribble afterwards made use of. 
 There is, however, a traditionary story, that the more valuable and 
 curious of the papers, in the Corporation Archives, were abstracted 
 by a Deputy Recorder, in the last century, to which story, after cir- 
 cumstances appeared to shew some foundation. 
 
 * See p. 9. Tliis Diary is printed in fuU in the Appendix, 
 t Gribble's Memorials, p. 457. 
 t lb. p. 271. 
 
65 
 
 The Parochial Records consist of old accounts, for 2 centuries, bJot;^";^ 
 and the Registers of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, which com- 
 mence in 1538, and which, with the exception of a lapse of of fiye 
 years, during the stormy period of the civil war, have been kept 
 to the present time, and are on the whole in wonderfully good 
 preservation. They incidentally render some assistance to local 
 history, not only by the descriptions occasionally added to the 
 names recorded therein, as vicar, lecturer, schoolmaster, the 
 dtunb boy, &c., and frequently the causes of death, such as 
 " drownded" " killed," " leg cut off," &c., but also by the occur- 
 rence of entries here and there, of induction of vicars, appointment 
 of parish, clerks, and proclamation of sovereigns. 
 
 One parish clerk, John Sloly, has made some quaint entries 
 in the style of Philip Wyot. " 1676. In December the frost was 
 " so great that the oldest man then living did never know the 
 " like, for it was so hard frozen that many were faine for to roste 
 " their meat for to eat it, because they could not get water for to 
 "boylethepot." 
 
 1678, November. "Mrs. Elizabeth Horwood, widow, buried 
 " in woollen the 27th day, and she made her will and gave me 
 "five pounds. I wish that all good people that are buried in 
 " Barnstaple, would do the like if they are able. John Sloly, 
 " Clarke." 
 
 He has another similar entry of a Mrs. BosMt having given 
 him 20s., and expressing the same wish. There a few more curious 
 entries in the register of burials, one of which I here transcribe. 
 " The 1st July, 1664. This town was most wonderfully preserved 
 " from the Irish and French, which came against them for to 
 " destroye the towne, which is a day to be remembered of us of 
 " this towne for ever." 
 
 The same circumstance is narrated more fully and cii'cum- 
 stantiaUy in Richard "Wood's joiumal.* Mr. Gribble throws doubt 
 on the fact altogether, but he does not appear to have been aware 
 of the confirmation of Mr. Wood's journal by the parish register.f 
 
 * See Wood's Journal, end of this vol. dated Ist July, 1664. 
 t Gribble's Memorials, p, 451, 452. 
 
Thomas Burke 
 Keate. 
 
 66 
 
 Benjamin Benjamin Incledon, Esq., wlio was elected recorder of the 
 
 oiedon. borough in 1758, was a man of great learning, and a zealous an- 
 tiquary, having communicated many papers on local antiquities 
 to the Gentleman's Magazine. He took great interest in the 
 borough records, from which and from his researches in the tower 
 of London, he compiled a list of the Mayors of Barnstaple from 
 1303, nearly 500 years, and of our parliamentary representation 
 from 28th Edward I., 1295, both of which are very curious as 
 shewing how "names" have stuck to a neighbourhood. His 
 collections of local history and traditions are also said to have 
 been very considerable, but ai-e now again scattered. 
 
 Thomas Brooke Keate, a lawyer's clerk, was the fii-st person who 
 conceived the plan of viritiiig a history of Barnstaple ; for which 
 purpose he was engaged in collecting materials for two or three years, 
 and made many notes and valuable references. His premature death 
 in 1816, put an end to the scheme, and his materials became 
 scattered ; but Mr. Gribble acknowledges his obligation to Keate 
 for much valuable matter which he succeeded in recovering and 
 incorporated in his memorials. Some of Keate's papers have since 
 come to my hand, but the bulk of them are, I fear, irretrievably 
 lost. 
 J. B. Gribble. In 1830, Mr. Joseph Besly Gribble published the first part of 
 his well-known memorials. He states that it originated in some 
 questions as to the prison, and the respective liabilities of the town 
 and corporation to rebuild it ; and the search after documents and 
 evidences to throw light on this, and also as to the state of the 
 public charities, led the way to a more extended publication, which 
 ultimately resulted in a bulky volume of 640 pages. 
 
 This has ever since been the text book on all matters of local 
 histoiy, and it certainly bears evidence to a vast amount of indus- 
 try and painstaking research ; and looking at the limited sources 
 of information then open to him, was a wonderful production for 
 a single individual, who was, at the same time, deeply occupied 
 with the labour of every day life. But as a history, it has great 
 defects, which Mr. Gribble himself admitted in his prefatory 
 address. 
 
67 
 
 The main deficiencies are, a -want of system and arrangement, 
 and the absence of any index or analytical table of contents, which 
 not only prevents the book being, what is commonly called readable, 
 but causes great diificulty in tracing up any particular subject. 
 Some of the most valuable facts and details are found in foot notes 
 and other parts of the volume where they would be least expected, 
 and this difficulty is increased, by the large space devoted to copies 
 of old charters, and reprints from the reports of the Commisioners 
 on Municipal Charities, and Rentals. The defects are, the 
 absence in most cases of any reference to authorities either 
 historic or MSS., and the mingling in two distinct but cotem- 
 poraneous chronological records, of "matters obtained from 
 "different sources," without giving any information what 
 those sources were. He also refers to having "voluminous 
 " extracts from town records, too diffuse to be inserted at leng-th." 
 He then quotes " An ancient Record " as to assessments for ship 
 money, and " two or three private records of importance," relating 
 to the civil war.* Had these different documents, been printed in an 
 appendix, or even some description or account of them, with evi- 
 dences of their authenticity given, they would indeed have been 
 most valuable. 
 
 Another defect is, the undue preponderance given to matters 
 bearing on Mr. Gribble's own peculiai- tenets, while he either did 
 not notice, or passed lightly over many subjects on which others 
 would have liked fuller information. 
 
 But notwithstanding these defects, the Memorials of Barnstaple 
 still form a most valuable book, worthy of the study of every one 
 interested in our history and antiquities. I would however remark 
 that on the subject of the present Essay, " our literary history," the 
 Memorials are almost altogether silent. 
 
 The other and subsequent publications on local subjects are of 
 trivial interest. 
 
 A pamphlet was published in 1828, by Mr. Thomas Hartree 
 Cornish, entitled, " Sketches of the rise and progress of the prin- t, h. Cornish. 
 cipal tovms of North Devon." This contained a short notice of 
 
 » Gribble's Memorials, p. 43, 271, 441, 457, 614. 
 
C8 
 
 Barnstaple, and of its distinguished public characters, with full 
 BiogTaphies of Gay and Lord Chancellor Tortescue, but in other 
 respects gave little local information. Mr. Cornish had some years 
 before, printed another local attempt, a poem called "Barum, a 
 Fragment,* a farrago of high flown nonsense in verse, descriptive 
 of Barnstaple, which was most severely criticised at the time, par- 
 ticularly in the " Crackling goose" which I have before refen-ed to. 
 I have already quoted the absurd descriptive poem of Mr. Taprell, 
 in 1806, on Barnstaple ; but far worse than that, and somewhat on 
 a par with " Barum a Fragment,"* is a wretched attempt at verse, by 
 a person called Stavely, entitled " Barum in North Devonshire, a 
 poem."f 
 
 I should not have mentioned it liere, or certainly not as a 
 literary production, were it not my desire to leave no BarnsTaple 
 publications whatever actually unnamed, and the author's 
 perseverance in collecting shillings in exchange for liis work, has 
 no doubt placed it in the hands of many ; but following the 
 principle I have adopted in other cases, I will also give a specimen 
 of Mr. Stavely's muse. He begins : — 
 
 " Midst the Taw valley of a lovely scene, 
 " Stands the metropolis of the north between 
 
 And then he visits the neighbourhood, 
 
 " Newport and Pilton with their flowery vale 
 " And genial breezes which you thence inhale, 
 " Or Barum's bridge then start for Anchor Wood, 
 " Along the banks near which it long hath stood. 
 
 I presume a worthy friend of mine must have patronized his 
 book, as he hands him down to posterity in immortal verse, as 
 
 " Well known as generous and kind hearted, 
 
 " South Molton folks ne'er wish'd they should be parted, 
 
 '.' His name John Russell, whose Churches placed, 
 
 " At Landkey and by Swymbridge also graced. 
 
 " No other testimonial would he need, 
 
 " If once Her Majesty could hear him read, 
 
 " Lord Palmerston might then with sacred mien 
 
 " Appoint him chaplain to our gracious Queen. 
 
 * Banim, a Fragment. Banfield, Ilfracombe, 1823. 
 
 t Barum or North Devon, a Poem by Henry Miles Starely, S.C.L, Wilson, BideJord, 1860. 
 pp. 20. 
 
69 
 
 I know no other local history or sketches, beyond those 
 contributed to Murray's, Besley's and other handbooks, except a 
 short historical sketch of the town of Barnstaple, including its 
 manufactures, trade, and commerce, ancient and modern, by Charles 
 Wills, published in 1855, but with nothing original, and little of wuis' Historical 
 interest ; and another small volume just published by Hearson, 
 called " Eambles Roimd Barnstaple," a sketchy but lively little book Ramwes Round 
 devoted principally to a description of Tawstock, of the Banks and 
 other walks round the town, and the Dripping "Well at Anchor 
 Wood. 
 
 I cannot, however, close this resume of Barnstaple Historians, 
 
 '■ lord Dunboyne. 
 
 without notice of the curious collection of Lord Dunboyne, who 
 resided here some twenty years since ; he was in the habit of 
 carefully collecting and arranging in volumes, the proceedings of 
 all our local Societies, with all handbills, reports and loose 
 publications relating thereto, Efeports of Meetings and Charities, 
 and of cutting out from newspapers, and arranging under distinct 
 heads, all matters of local interest ; pasting all together in volumes 
 and connecting and supplementing the matter with MSS notes. 
 He thus formed a large number of volumes, all boimd, paged and 
 indexed, and which form a most valuable repository of all that 
 occurred in the town and neighbourhood from 1843 to 1850, the 
 time over which the records extend, and may prove to be most valu- 
 able materials for future history. When Lord Dunboyne, then Hon. 
 Mr. Butler, left the town, these books were sold, some were 
 purchased by parties interested in the subjects, , one containing 
 seven years records of the North Devon Infirmary was given to 
 that Institution, but the remainder came into my hands. 
 
 While on the subject of materials for history, I should notice 
 that the discussions on improving the navigation of the river ; on 
 the proposed introduction of the public health act ; and the water 
 supply ; gave rise to a number of pamphlets, which are locally 
 valuable. Among'these I would name the two reports on the 
 navigation of the river Taw by Charles Vigiioles in 1835. The yjg^oi^s ji^p„rt. 
 elaborate report of the Board of Health Inspector, Mr. Eammell, in Heport tx) the 
 
 T , . /. T-» IT -i Board of Health 
 
 1850, on the sanitary conditions of Barnstaple, its sewerage, by w. Kammeii. 
 
70 
 
 A. Eowe. 
 
 Ne-\vspapers. 
 
 N. D. Joiu:ual. 
 
 drainage and water supply, with maps and plans. And suggestions 
 for improving the supply of water and for improving the sewerage 
 of Barnstaple, by A. Rowe, in 1849. The scheme here first 
 propounded by Mr. Rowe, was afterwards successfully carried out 
 to the great advantage of the town and profit of the promoters. 
 
 The public press in Barnstaple next claims our attention. 
 I have before remarked that the Magazines which appeared in 
 1823 and 1824, contained some articles of local news, and these 
 appear to have given rise to the idea of establishing a Newspaper. 
 
 The North Devon Journal was the first of its class, it was 
 projected, published and edited, by Mr. John Avery, assisted by a 
 Mr. WilUams, who wrote the leading articles for a few years ; the 
 fii-st number appeared Friday, 2nd July, 1824. It commenced 
 modestly, a small sheet of four pages, one of which only beihg for 
 some months printed at Barnstaple, and the rest at Exeter ; then 
 two pages for a few years, and ultimately the whole was printed 
 here. As this paper was the first, so it is the only one which has 
 maintained its ground without interruption, and it has been 
 gradually enlarged to its present size. It may be interesting to 
 quote a cotemporary critique. "Bravo, another attempt at any rate, 
 well, if wishing were ensuring, the North Devon Journal 
 would have to thank us for its success; we have expressed our 
 opinion against a newspaper in Barnstaple, but what then ? we 
 are not like some of our soi disant friends, who having expressed 
 an opinion, lose their tempers if they are mistaken, and would ruin 
 their neighbour, rather than have his scheme prosper in spite of their 
 prophecies. Good luck to the Journal say we, and we have a great 
 mind to send it an advertisement ourselves. We think the first 
 number particularly well got up, although we really avoided all those 
 parts which might be declaratory of politics, hating all politics 
 except our own, which are sui generis and perfectly eclectic and 
 Utopian." * 
 
 The paper was conducted by Mr. Avery and his son, Mr. "W. 
 Avery, until 1852, when it was transferred to the present 
 proprietor. It has throughout advocated liberal principles in 
 
 * Caye, vol. 2, p. 2. 
 
71 
 
 politics, but as it is not my intention to criticise either the 
 principles or management of any local papers, it is enough, with 
 reference to the North Devon Journal, to notice the fact of its 
 continued success for above forty years. 
 
 It was followed about a year after, by a second paper, the 
 Barnstaple Herald, the first issue of which was on Thursday, 18th 
 August, 1825, published and entkely printed in Barnstaple, by 
 Mr. "W. Syle, but it was understood that in editing it, he was 
 assisted by several gentlemen of literary talent, and the leading 
 articles were written by a Mr. Chadwick, the father of a gentleman 
 now somewhat celebrated as a literary man and as a sanitary 
 reformer, Edwin Ohadwick, Esq. On a comparison of the early 
 numbers of the rival papers, it cannot be gainsayed, but that the 
 Herald was the most scholarly and best got up, but notwith- 
 standing this, and either from its financial mismanagement or 
 other reasons, its circulation rapidly fell off, and it was discon- 
 tinued after an existence of exactly a year, and for many 
 subsequent years the Jom-nal was the only local newspaper. 
 
 In May, 1832, another paper was started called the " County 
 and North Devon Advertiser, and Tiverton Chronicle," this was 
 projected and edited by Mr. Thomas H. Cornish, an en-atic genius, 
 well known in the town thirty years since ; he was a native of 
 the town, and served his apprenticeship here as a printer, he then 
 went to London, and after trying various employments, became a 
 partner in the firm of De la Eue, Comish and Eock, on retiring from 
 which, he retm-ned to Barnstaple, and established the paper. He 
 was a man of great literaiy aspirations, some talent, but greater 
 eccentricity. His first literary attempt was " Barum a Fragment," 
 which I have before refen-ed to, he subsequently published many 
 other works, chiefly compilations, the best of which were " the young 
 gentlemen's book" and "young ladies' book." The Newspaper started 
 and edited by him was well got \xp, but its principles were 
 undecided and wavering, and it proved a financial failure, and 
 after a feverish existence of a little more than a year, it was 
 transferred in 1833, to Mr. George Harris and Mr. William Thome, 
 who at that time took a leading part in political and public 
 
 Barnstaple 
 Herald. 
 
 North Devon 
 Advertiser. 
 
72 
 
 matters, and who undertook to conduct it as a Conservative paper, 
 maintaining and upholding High Church principles ; it was printed 
 for them by Mr. W. Brooke, and under their management, it 
 rapidly improTed and was successfully carried on until October, 
 1836, when in consequence of Mr. Thorne becoming Manager of 
 the West of England Bank, he relinquished the direction of it, 
 and the cop}T:ight was transferred to Mr. John Jones, who solely 
 carried it on, on the same principles, until December, 1848, a 
 period of twelve years, when it was discontinued. 
 
 In May, 1851, Mr. Jones again issued a small weekly news 
 sheet called the " Barnstaple Times and Devon Advertiser," which 
 after an existence of just six months shared the fate of the others, 
 and was discontinued. 
 
 On the 16th April, 1852, Mr. Searle started a new weekly 
 paper, advocating conservative politics called the " Western 
 Standard and North Devon General Advertiser." This paper 
 obtained a fair circulation, but was only continued until the 
 following September, as it did not prove remunerative. 
 
 About 1853, a prospectus was issued of a new paper to be 
 North Deyon called the " Bamstaple and North Dcvou Weekly Ohronicle, " to 
 be printed and pubhshed for the Proprietors, by Hearson and Knill, 
 at their general printing office. High Street. The prospectus 
 promised something of a veiy attractive character, but I am not 
 aware that it did more than promise, or that the paper itself ever 
 made its appearance. 
 
 Barnstaple 
 Times. 
 
 Western 
 Standard. 
 
 Barnstaple and 
 
 North Devon 
 
 WeeklyChronicle 
 
 Mercantile 
 G-azette. 
 
 In January, 1854, Mr. Searle commenced the issue of a 
 monthly news sheet called the "MercantileG-azette,"half of which 
 was printed in London. It professed no party politics, but to be 
 entirely devoted to local news and trade purposes, and among other 
 matter, published a very fair directory of the town. It obtained a 
 considerable circulation, neai-ly 1000 a month, but was only 
 continued until September, 1855, a year and three quarters. Mr. 
 Searle however stated that private reasons, and not want of 
 success, were the cause of its discontinuance. 
 
73 
 
 In Mai'ch, 1854, Mr. Jones made another essay in journalism, 
 in a small paper called the " Barnstaple and Bideford Miscellany 
 and North Devon Advertiser," but in this form it did not appear to 
 find favour, and was soon discontinued, and Mr. Jones substituted 
 for it, a new series of the North Devon Advertiser in its present 
 form, one portion of which containing the general news and 
 literary matter is printed in London, the remainder containing 
 local news and advertisements being printed here. This is now a 
 common an-angement, as the London portion does duty in various 
 towns and places, under local names, but the plan, though working 
 well in some respects, is objectionable, as giving but scant room 
 for local news, which is what is mainly required in a provincial 
 newspaper, the cheap penny London papers being now in every 
 one's hands for general news ; but, such as the " North Devon 
 Advertiser " is, it is, I believe, the most flourishing and permanent 
 of Mr. Jones' ventm-es, and has, I understand,' a large weekly 
 circulation. 
 
 In 1859, a section of the liberal party, projected a new weekly 
 paper to be called the " Barnstaple Times," to advocate advanced 
 and independent liberal principles. It was under the dh-ection of 
 the proprietors, Messrs. Tatham, Hearson and Harris, and printed 
 and published, by Mr. T. Hearson. A gentleman experienced in 
 the duties of the press, was engaged as responsible editor. The 
 first number appeared on the 25th October, 1859, and for a time, it 
 was well conducted and prospered ; but the usual fate of divided 
 ownership and divided interests befell it. Changes of editors also 
 occurred, not always for the better. It struggled on for some time, 
 was transfeiTcd altogether to the last editor, Mr. Hales, for a 
 short period, and ultimately it silently expired in February, 1865. 
 
 A literary histoiy would be incomplete without some account 
 of Institutions having the promotion of literature in view. 
 
 The first instance of this in Barnstaple, was the formation and 
 establishment of a Parochial Library, by Mr. John Doddridge, 
 in 1665, just before his death. He commenced by presenting to 
 the town 112 volumes, which were almost exclusively ponderous 
 
 Barnstaple and 
 
 Bideford 
 
 Miscellany. 
 
 North Devon 
 
 Advertiser. 
 
 (New series.) 
 
 Barnstaple 
 Times. 
 
 Parocliial 
 Library. 
 
74 
 
 Latin works on divinity, then of great value. On receiving this 
 gift, the Corporation set about preparing a suitable room for their 
 reception, immediately adjoining the church, and in the old 
 Eegister Book of the Library, from which the present catalogue 
 was transcribed in 1824, is the following record. "This library 
 " was begun to be builded by the Corporation of Barnstaple, in 
 "the year 1665, and finished in 1667, by Richard Crossing, John 
 " Lovering, and John Martin, executors of that worthy and pious 
 " benefactor, John Doddridge, Esq., by whose bounty it was fiir- 
 " nished with many worthy books. The foundation thereof was 
 "part on the churchyard, and about 16 feet on the north end 
 "thereof upon the garden wall of Jolm Frost and Nicholas 
 " Thorne, of Barnstaple, who are to have a wheat corn a year for 
 " granting the same, to be payed to them by the Mayor and Alder- 
 " men for the time being for ever." 
 
 This written record is supplemented by a relievo medallion in 
 the wall of the library, with the initials of John Doddridge and 
 his tln:ee executors, and the date 1667. 
 
 This room stiU shews remnants of its original character and 
 decorations, in the enriched mouldings and pendant in the centre 
 with hook for lights, but it was sadly curtailed in size, and its 
 j)roportions and decorations destroyed, when the chm'ch was 
 altered in 1824, a portion being taken for a staircase and entry to 
 the N".E. gallery. 
 
 Mr. Doddridge's worthy example was followed by others. 
 j\Ir. Joseph Ayres, perpetual cm-ate of Pilton, presented 67 vols., 
 Mr. Doddridge's executors 31, and above 100 were given by other 
 benefactors, whose names are recorded in the register. The great 
 bulk of these books were on divinity, but some few were valuable 
 histories and treatises, and although in the present days of cheap 
 reprints they are of little use to the majority of readers, yet to 
 the antiquary and book collector they still retain their interest, 
 and some indeed are even now of great pecuniary value for their 
 rarity, as they have the imprimatm* of Leyden, Mentz, and other 
 celebrated continental presses, and were produced in the early 
 
75 
 
 days of printing from 1530 downwards, and are in very good 
 preservation. The present number of books in the library is 271. 
 They were cai-efully examined and collated with the old catalogue 
 in 1824, by our late vicar, Eev. H. Luxmoore. The old Eegister 
 was not only imperfect, but had become nearly illegible from age, 
 and the existing excellent catalogue was then compiled by him. 
 It is quite a literaiy work of itself, giving not only the title, 
 author, date, place of production, and donor of each volume, but 
 likewise a column of valuable observations and notes, on the his- 
 tory or contents of many of the books. He notices that at that 
 time 57 of the books catalogued in the old register had been lost 
 or destroyed, a list of which Mr. Luxmoore also gave, and which 
 were of such value as to render their loss greatly to be regretted. 
 
 This library still continues as a memorial of the literary tastes 
 of our forefathers, and I have been thus full on the subj'ect, as its 
 very existence is scarcely kno^vn in the town. 
 
 Of schools, little is to be said. In the different charity schools, 
 the education afforded was, until recently, of a very elementaiy 
 character. 
 
 The gram mar school aimed higher ; to open the gates of leamirig 
 and literatm'e, to the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, 
 by instructing them in the dead languages; Latin, being in the 
 earlier periods of our history, the common language of literary 
 composition in all works intended for the educated classes, and it 
 was the language of religion tlirough the whole western world, as 
 it still is in catholic countries, and the classic authors were then 
 the main objects of study, and the sole criterions of taste. 
 
 The gTammar school of Barnstaple is of great antiquity, though 
 it is not known at what period, or by whom it was founded. It 
 is traditionally said in early times to have been in connexion with 
 the chauntries of St. Mary and St. Mcholas, and to have been con- 
 ducted by the ecclesiastics on those foundations. But as an endowed 
 school, its history only goes back to 1646. The first master, whose 
 name is recorded, was Walter Bowen, who appears to have been 
 master of the Grammar School in 1536, when Jewel was a pupil 
 
 Schools, 
 
 Grammar School 
 
76 
 
 George Hume. 
 
 E. Luck. 
 
 Literary 
 Societies. 
 
 there. It is stated in a life of Jewel, that " Bowen was a man, 
 " whose care was so gratefully ackaowledged, that for his sake, 
 " the very name of Bowen was always a suificient recommen- 
 " dation to Jewel's favour to those who bore it." Philip "Wyot has 
 a note in 1597, "Eichard Symons, master of arts, was admytted 
 " skolem"' of this towne, and the other Symons was put out," and 
 he also notes the appointment of a master by the bishop, in 1601. 
 
 Its endowments are but small : nevertheless, it has educated, 
 and given to the world many men of eminence, some of whom 
 I have already noticed. 
 
 Carlisle, in his endowed gTammar schools, gives a list of 
 
 masters from an early date. One of these, G-eorge Hume, who 
 
 was appointed master, in 1669, and died in 1693, aged 80, appears 
 
 to have been a man of some literary attainments. Nothing, I 
 
 believe, survives of him, but in the singularly elegant inscription 
 
 on his tomb, in Pilton Chm'ch, where, amongst his other merits, 
 
 he is described as " viri Uteris conspicui." 
 
 Another master, E. Luck, I have already described as a poet, 
 
 and two others, Edward Allanson and William Rayner are recorded 
 
 as contributors to the libraiy. Of a master, some century since, 
 
 an anecdote is still current, that having to visit one of our 
 
 neighbouring magnates on a winter day, he was she^Ti into, and 
 
 kept waiting in a cold room, which overlooked the parish pound, 
 
 and no refreshment offered him, after his long walk, (in those days 
 
 of hospitality, an unheard of offence,) whereupon he scratched these 
 
 lines on the window, with his ring. 
 
 " How well the parlonr with the pound doth suit, 
 " Here fasts the stranger, there starves the brute. 
 
 The pane of glass with these lines is still, or was very lately in 
 place, I do not therefore name the inhospitable mansion. 
 
 Literaiy Institutions in their present acceptation, are entirely 
 the creation of the present century. Those of former periods 
 were, either what are now termed societies, such as the royal ; or 
 those of arts, antiquaries, geological or otherwise, with stated 
 meetings at which papers are read ; or mere social literary clubs, 
 of the latter we have had several instances. 
 
77 
 
 I find in 1752, a series of lectiu-es on philosophy being de- 
 livered here, to which an ancestor of mine names in his diary 
 having subscribed ; and in the same diary, under the date, January 
 29, 1767, he says, " Entered into the Literary Society, and was 
 " chosen treasurer by lot, the meeting to be held at the Lion, the 
 third Monday in each month." 
 
 In 1823, a scheme was put forth for the formation of an 
 institution to be called the Barnstaple Philosophical Society, to con- 
 sist mainly of a public library and lectures, but it was not carried 
 into practical effect nor anything done until 1830, when the Barn- 
 staple Mechanics' Institute was formed. It commenced under the 
 most favourable auspices Avith a large number of ordinary and hono- 
 rary members, and maintained a library, reading room, lectures, and 
 debating class. For a time this society flourished, and bid fait- to 
 meet the gTOwing requirements of the age,; many men of talent 
 gave it their support, and at one period it em'olled nearly 200 
 members. 
 
 The inaug-ural lecture was delivered by Mr. Thomas Mortimer, 
 on the 4th November, 1830, an able production combating and 
 explaining the assertion of Pope, that " a little learning is a dan- 
 gerous tiling," and laying down rules for ensuring the success of 
 such institutions. The subject at that early period had the charm 
 of novelty, and the lecture was by the desire of the inhabitants 
 printed ; but unfortunately the demon, party politics, crept in, 
 which soon led to the disruption of the society. A certain section 
 were warped in the election of members by mere party views, 
 others seceded in consequence, and the institute, after dwindling 
 and languishing for a few years, was finally wound up in the 
 year 1837. 
 
 The Barnstaple Literary and Scientific Institution has wi-itten 
 its own histoiy in the town. It has stood firmly to the principles 
 on which it was founded, and though it may not in all respects 
 come up to the sanguine — ^too sanguine expectations of its original 
 promoters and supporters— it has unquestionably effected great 
 good, and afforded most important advantages to all classes of 
 
 Mechanics' 
 Institute. 
 
 Barnstaple 
 
 Literary and 
 
 Scientific 
 
 Institution 
 
78 
 
 society. In the Journal of April, 1845, an impromptu on the 
 institution appeared, — 
 
 "Formed to withstand the tempest'.s roughest shock, 
 " An institution founded on a Kock." 
 
 To this I may add that it has hitherto avoided the rocks and 
 shoals on which such institutions have frequently been -wrecked. 
 Although it has now subsisted more than 20 years, I consider it 
 still far too young to write its history, neither should I, who have- 
 been so interested and mixed up with its doings, and of which I 
 may say " quorum pars magna fui," be sufficiently unprejudiced to 
 do so. It may, however, be here desirable to record a few facts 
 connected with its formation. It originated in a public meeting 
 convened by the Mayor, 7th November, 1844, in compliance wjth 
 one of the most influential requisitions ever got up here. At this 
 meeting a series of resolutions were passed recognizing the prin- 
 ciple and the necessity of an institution, and appointing a com- 
 mittee for carrying it into effect. It was at this meeting that 
 Mr. Eock's co-operation was first announced, and I then had the 
 pleasure of reading Mr. Rock's letter to me, offering an annual 
 subscription of £100, towards the projected institution, if it were 
 set on foot on a basis which would ensure its advantages to all 
 classes. Of this original committee only three now remain ; but 
 they spared neither time nor trouble to arrange details and settle a 
 scheme which should be agreeable to all parties. There was at 
 the outset considerable difference of opinion, principally on the 
 questions of erecting a suitable building, and of raising funds by 
 shares. The committee had not only the co-operation, but the 
 personal assistance of Earl Fortescue and also of Mr. Rock, who 
 solved the diificulty as to a building, by taking the premises in 
 which the Institution has ever since been located, and repairing 
 and fitting it up at his own expense ; and on the 26th March, 1845, 
 another very large and important public meeting was held, at 
 which the committee presented a long and elaborate report, and 
 the Institution Avas thenceforth established. 
 
 It does not befit me to dilate on its progress, present state, 
 or prospects, neither will I now say anything as to the public 
 
79 
 
 spirit, exertions, and extraordinary mnnificence of its patron and 
 president. Deeds speak for themselves. But I may say, that 
 this Institution has called forth tastes and requirements, which 
 did not before exist. What were formerly luxuries for the few, 
 are now become actual necessaries for the many. Before the 
 establishment of om- Institution, there were neither reading rooms, Reading Rooms. 
 nor anything worthy the name of a library in the town. Many 
 attempts had been made at Reading Eooms, but all failed. The 
 Gentlemen's News Room, at the Assembly Rooms, in Boutport 
 Street, had the longest existence of any, but that ceased more 
 than 30 years siace ; subsequently one was started on the quay, 
 • and several of our booksellers tried the experiment for limited 
 periods, but unsuccessfully. I need not suggest how great would 
 be the outcry, how immense the inconvenience, if our News Rooms 
 were closed. 
 
 As respects a Library. "We had actually nothing, except the 
 parochial library before described, and the miserable circulating 
 libraries of a few stationers and booksellers, consisting almost 
 exclusively of novels. The few who required more healthy, and 
 less stimulating mental food than novels, united to form Book 
 Clubs, but as these were in the days in which Mudie was not, the 
 supply was miserably deficient. An attempt was made at the 
 formation of a public library, in 1822, of which I can find no 
 further record, than a remark iu one of the periodicals of the time 
 " It is not at all creditable to the inhabitants of an extensive and 
 " opulent town, that the late public library, the only establishment 
 " ever formed in it connected with letters, should so speedily have 
 " fallen to the ground."* 
 
 The literary institution has not only fostered the taste, but 
 has supplied the want. It has also given rise in various other 
 ways to literary advance, not only by the system of class 
 instruction and lectures, but by debating and other societies, which 
 it has encouraged and assisted. One of the most interesting of Literary and 
 these, was the Hterary and archceological club, which iu the years, ■^°c^b.^° 
 1856 and 1857, had meetings here, combining social intercourse, 
 with the cidtivation of literary pursuits. At each of these meetings 
 
 * Tlie Gossip, p. 3. 
 
 Public Library, 
 
80 
 
 valuable papers were read, chiefly on local subjects, objects of 
 interest exhibited, refreshments in the form of tea, coffee, &c. 
 provided, and general conversation on subjects of literary and 
 scientific interest promoted. I much regret, that this interesting 
 association has now closed, as the meetings were unusually 
 agreeable, being quite free from the stiffness attendant upon the 
 ordinary meetings of scientific societies, and were more of the 
 natm'e of soirees. 
 
 I remind those, who would wish to trace the progi-ess of the 
 literary institution, that the council have each year published a 
 valuable summary in the shape of a report, which now forms a 
 bulky volume of statistical and general information. 
 
 In bringing this sketch to a conclusion, I would remark that 
 I have refrained fi'om all allusion to party or politics, though these 
 have ft-equently given rise to bright flashes of wit, and literary 
 effusions and publications. 
 
 I have also not attempted any account of the numerous 
 pamphlets, lectures, and other issues on private, professional 
 or ephemeral matters, beyond giving such as have come to my 
 notice a place in the catalogue of local publications appended 
 hereto, but, I cannot refrain from mention of an old townsman 
 bom and bred here, and who has returned to pass the evening of 
 ■'^"'"'e^™''^' his days among us — John Tamlyn, Esq., who has been a 
 volumiaous writer, in his own professional line — but I do not quote 
 his works, as mere law books, however valuable in themselves, 
 would certainly in the acceptation of most persons, not come under 
 the heads of polite literature, poetry, or romance. 
 
 There are probably also many instances of literary productions, 
 by natives or residents of Barnstajjle, published elsewhere, and not 
 of a local character, such as the guide book to New Zealand, 
 written by Mr. J. B. Jones, son of the proprietor of the 
 " Advertiser," and which has passed through three editions ; and 
 also of literary men, connected mth our immediate vicinity, but 
 not of the town, or now resident near us. And here, I would 
 particularly specify, Lieut. Col. Harding, a member of the ancient 
 
 Mr. J. Jones. 
 
 Col. Harding. 
 
, 81 
 
 family of TJpcott, who has devoted a great portion of his life to 
 literary pursuits, and who ranks very high as a local archceologist, 
 and student of ecclesiastical architecture, and has contributed, and 
 published largely on these subjects, and has moreover published 
 in two bulky volumes, a complete and valuable history of Tiverton, 
 where he for a time resided. 
 
 Others, connected Avith literary pm'suits, may probably claim 
 a place in our recollection, for instance a townsman, who now 
 conducts one of the most well known and extensive publishing 
 houses in the world, Messrs. Cassell, Petter and Co. Neither have 
 I included various men of mark, scientific, artistic and professional, "^'co." 
 connected with Barnstaple, such as Dr. "Wavell in the last 
 generation, and Frederick Lee, K.A., in ours, and many others, 
 who in the retirement of their studies, are cultivating literary or 
 scientific tastes. All these I have been compelled, by a desire to 
 adhere strictly to the programme I sketched out in the early part 
 ofthis paper, to refrain from further notice of. Though I have 
 mentioned them to shew how large an unexplored mine of local 
 talent, yet remains to be worked. 
 
CATALOGUE 
 
 OF BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, &c., OP PUBLIC INTEREST 
 PEINTED AT BARNSTAPLE. 
 
 Information for the Ignorant and a Caution to the Unwary. 
 
 Broad Sheet. Murch, 1778 
 Plan for Supplying the Town of Barnstaple with River "Water. Syle, 1797 
 Juvenile Essays in Poetry, by J. Donoghue. Small 4to., pp. 48. Syle, 1797 
 Historical Poems, — Mary Queen of Scots and David King of Israel. 
 
 8vo., pp. 50. Syle, 1801 
 Barnstaple, a Poem, by Rev. Richard Taprell, 12mo., pp. 115. Syle, 1806 
 The Dapiad, a Mock Heroic Poem, in six cantos, by J. Randall. 
 
 small 4to., p.p. 75. J. Avery, 1800 
 Oxonia, a Descriptive Poem, or a Summer Evening's Amusement, as 
 spent by the Students of that University, by Rev. Charles Hill. 
 
 4to. pp. 24. Syle, 1811 
 Hymns and Sacred Odes, by the Rev. Chai-les Hill. 8vo., pp. 24. Syle, 1812 
 A Letter to Lord Ellenborough on the prosecution of Daniel Isaac 
 Eaton, for the publication of " Paine's Age of Reason," (Percy 
 Bysshe Shelley.) Pamphlet. Syle, 1812 
 
 The Stag Hunt and other Poems, by Rev. C. Hill Syle, 1813 
 
 The Town Disappointed, by R. March (relating to the Square.) 
 
 Sheet. . J. Avery, 1813 
 An Epitome of Observations on the Corn Laws, and the Revival of the 
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THE DIARY 
 
 OF 
 
 PHILIP WYOT, 
 
 'Town Gierke of Barnstaple, 
 
 From 1586 to 1608. 
 
89 
 
 INTRODUCTOKY NOTE. 
 » 
 
 Philip Wtot, whose cm-ious Journal is here for the first time 
 printed in extenso, appeal's by an entry in the Borough Eecords to 
 have been appointed Town Clerk of Barnstaple, in 1558, though 
 I can find no further reference whatever to him. He must have 
 been of a good and well-educated family, originally from Braun- 
 ton, as he notices his father dying there in 1592, and his brother, 
 John, in 1598. One of his brothers, Nicholas Wyot, was Judge 
 of the Admiralty ia 1596, and it is recorded that " Nicholas Wyot, 
 " as Judge of the Admiralty of Devon, presided at an Admiralty 
 " Court, held here by the Earl of Bath, Vice-Admii-al, 6th June, 
 1605." Another brother, George "Wyot, lived at Leigh, and was 
 of sufficient consequence to entertain the Judges who held As- 
 sizes here in 1588, and who on Sunday " dined at Leigh with Mr. 
 George Wyot." A fourth brother, Hugh, was a lawyer and coun- 
 sellor, who, we are informed, "came hytherin 1599 to investigate 
 " and compromise injuries done to the Lord of the Town." 
 
 A person of the same name, " Philip Wyot," probably a de- 
 scendant of the Town Clerk, was appointed Deputy- Recorder in 
 1653, and thi'ee years after, August 12, 1656, there is an entry in 
 om- Borough Eecords " Philip Wyot, Deputy-Eecorder, dismissed 
 for imbecility of mind and body and age." 
 
 The original Journal has been long lost, but two or three copies 
 are stated to have been in existence in 1810, when Mr. Lysons 
 visited this neighbourhood, preparatory to the publication of his 
 
90 
 
 valuable History of Devon, in which he quotes largely from Wyot's 
 Joui-nal, and refers to it as a curious and remarkable work. 
 
 The copy from which the following pages ai-e printed, is itself 
 A'ery ancient, but in good preservation. 
 
 There is a note by the transcriber as follows : — "Extracts from 
 " an old manuscript, in the possession of "William Palmer, of 
 " Barnstaple, made by Philip Wyot, Town: Clerk, of Barnstaple, 
 " beginning at the year 1586." 
 
 WilHam Palmer was Mayor of Barnstaple in 1631 and 1642. 
 The copy has numerous contractions, and some apparent errors in 
 transcribing, all of which, and also the spelling, are, as far as pos- 
 sible adhered to in the print. 
 
 It would appear that the original Journal was much longer, 
 and that the transcriber only copied such portions as were of 
 public or general interest. This is shewn by the mar- 
 ginal numbers, the folios being set down fi'om which 
 anything was extracted ; and it will be seen that in some cases 
 only a line or two of the folio is taken and many altogether 
 passed over, the last folio of the original being 169. 
 
 The copy referred to is, as far as I am aware, the only perfect 
 one now in existence, though there are several imperfect and 
 partial ones. It belonged to Mounier Eoch, a scholar and anti- 
 quarian, son of one of the French refugees who settled here ; and 
 was at his decease given to my grandfather above 60 years since. 
 It is the same copy as was used by Lysons. 
 
 "Wyot's Jom-nal ends in 1608, but there is a sort of continua- 
 tion in the same handwriting, with a note " abstracted from an 
 old MSS., wi-itten partly by Richard Wood, "Vicar of Fremington, 
 and partly by — Frayne." The latter is chiefly a hst of receivers 
 and other officers down to 1678. Only the few entries therein of 
 general interest are here printed, but Philip "Wyot's Journal is 
 given without alteration or abridgment. 
 
 J. R. CHANTER. 
 
91 
 
 Liber de Rebus gestis circa villa de Barnestap — in com. 
 Dev° et quibusdam aliis locis post fera Pasche Anno 
 Dm. 1586, prout anglicis verbis sequuntur. 
 
 Fol. I. 1586. 
 
 — By the infection of the prisoners that were arraynd at the 
 assizes at Exon, before Easter last, among others died of the Gaoll 
 sickneff — died to wit one of the Justices of Assize, Mr. Fflowerdewe, 
 Sir Barnard Drak, Mr. Welrond, Mr. Gary of Clovelly, Mr. Gary of 
 Hackome, Mr. Fortescue, Mr. Rysdon, Justices of Peace, Sir John 
 Chichester, K'. 
 
 — Sir Arthur Baflett died at Omberley, and was byryed at 
 Adryngton. 
 
 — Easter day, dyed at Tawstock, Lady Fitzwarren, mother to 
 the Earl of Bath. 
 
 — 16 Ap. year afores'' Sir Richard Greynvylle sailed over the 
 barr with his flee boat and friget. but for want of sufEc'. water on the 
 barr being neare upon neape, he left his ship. This Sir Richard 
 Greynvylle pretended his goinge to Wyngandecora, where he was 
 last year. 
 
 2. Gome is very deare. Wheat sold for viij. Rye for vi. 
 Barley v. iiij'' p"' bshel. 
 
 3. The Wednesday before Whitsonday this year died Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Chechester, late wife of Mr. Philip Ghechester, and was 
 buryed at Braunton, by her say^ husband. 
 
92 
 
 About this time commandment given that the* beacons sh<* be 
 reedified and diligently watched day and night, and that post horses 
 sh'' be p.vided in ev^ towne, and that ev^ pson sh^^ p.vide in rediness. 
 his armour. 
 
 A ship of Sir W". Courtnay, who went to sea by force of 
 
 letters of reprysals, and about May day tpok a French ship of I2 
 Tonnes laden with oyles, and in her dyvs. barrells of Coucheneall 
 besides xxiiij bagge of Ryalls of plate and money cont in ewy bagge 
 iiij or 4° Ryalls, and arryved at Saleombe. 
 
 4. George Pine chosen Mayor for the year ensuing. 
 
 5. Very high fflood in September wind at W. 
 
 7. October, 1586. Thomas Hinson and Lewes Darke, gentlemen, 
 were elected and chosen for the burgeffes of this town of Barn* for the 
 Parliament next comyng. 
 
 — = On S'. Luke's day this yere there was a trental of sermons at 
 Pylton, so that divers as well men as women rode and went thither, 
 they called it an exercise or holy faste and there some offerd as they 
 did when they went on pilgrimage. 
 
 — And the like was kept at Sherwill to the admiracon of all 
 Ptestants. 
 
 — In december this year Sir Richard Greynfild came home 
 bringing a prise with him, laden with sugar, ginger & hyds. 
 
 8. 7 Feb. 1586. My Lord of Bath & Mr. H. Ackland, Justices, 
 sat here at this towne for the direction of come to be brought to this 
 market and the maintenance of the poor within their own pshes. and 
 none to go abroad, so that somme of evy. psh. appointed to view 
 barnes and mows and to take a note what store of corn their was and 
 what people were in sueh houses as had corne to spare, and allowing 
 evy. pson a peck a weke to certify the overplus to the said Justices, 
 
 but what good this order will do the comon buyers of corne 
 
 many stand in doubt, beause now corne being deare, viz., wheate at 
 viij the bushel, they feare this order may make it dearer as it did 
 last yere. 
 
93 
 
 g. 24 Feb. A general muster here at Barn, before my Lord of 
 Bath, S'' Richard Greynfild, Mr. Hugh Acland, and Mr. George Wyot, 
 Justices, of all the able men with a shew of their arms and furniture 
 of the hundred of Braunton Shyrwill and Fremyngton. 
 
 — And on Wednesday following the inhabitants of this town and 
 parish mustred before the s*" Justices in the Church with a shewe of 
 their arms and artillery. 
 
 10. The xi"" of March Lorde Fitzwarren, eldest son and heire of 
 Lord Bathe, died at Tawstock suddenly, but xvi months old. 
 
 1587. 
 
 — At Lent Affize only one Judge, viz., Mr. Baron Gent. 
 
 1 1 . The dearthe of come yet remains, wheate at viij^ and yet 
 this countrye is daUey further charged with ammunition and harneff, 
 expecting and providing for invasions and warrs which maketh the 
 common sort fall into poverty for want of trade, so that div^ fall to 
 robbynge, and stealinge, the like hath never been seen. 
 
 About May. 
 
 — Little or no raine hath fallen for vi or viii weeks whereby more 
 dearthe and scarcity is to be lookt for. 
 
 12 May. cccc bushels of rye arrived — not above lxxx bis. 
 sold — wheat rose next market day to ix= — girts, vi= viij — barley, 
 vi^ viij. 
 
 — June, ccccccc bis of rye at the pcurement of some of 
 this town were brought here, whereby wheat fell from x^ a bushel to 
 viijs vi^ — which rye was sold for vi* a bushel. 
 
 • — At Assizes at Exeter, before Lord Anderson and Baron Gente, 
 one Menarde, of Exon, had his ears cut of, his nostrils slutteand burnt 
 in the face with an hot iyron w"" the Ire. f. 
 
 — August. Wheat sold for iv'', rye for ij= viij, barley ij= iij"^, by 
 reason of the plenty of new come. 
 
 14. Lord Bath and the Countess his wyfe dyned at the new Mr. 
 Maiors — the women this yeare were not bidden wherefore there was 
 much chatteringe among them. 
 
94 
 
 October. A pcept from L"^ Bath to the maior to warne those 
 
 sette to light horses to appear at Torrington with ryders and necessaries, 
 &c., before Mr. Lewes pollard. 
 
 15. Mr. Hugh Fortescue and Mr. Robert Dillon kept their Christ- 
 mas here belike for saving of Charges, &c. 
 
 — Wheate sold for iij= vi"^, barley ii"^. ij, oats x'u}^ 
 
 — xxvi february went to see the workinge of the silver mynes at 
 Combmten. 
 
 — This day L"" Baths son was Xtned, called Roberte, godfa"' S"^ 
 Rich"^ Greynfylde for L'' Chancellor, Sir Williem Mown for the E. of 
 Essex, Lady Denys for the old Countess of Bedford. 
 
 1588. 
 
 1 7. Fine weather in March. 
 
 — Wheat sold for ij= viij barley xx'', rye xxii, ots xi'' 
 
 1 8. 5 ships went over the bar to join S'' F. D. at plym°. 
 
 — 200 trayned souldiers of Braunton and Fremington Hds. 
 viewed in the Castle Green by Mr. H. Fortescue their capt. 
 
 1 9 Mr. Hugh Fortescue removed his household again to Weare. 
 
 — Wheate sold for ij= iv*, rye xx"*, ots xi, barley xvi. 
 22. Much afraid of a Spanish Invasion. 
 
 — 3 August. S"" Ed. Anderson, Ch. Justice of com. place and 
 Mr. Baron Gente, dyned with Mr. Maior, supped with Mr. Lewis 
 Darke — Sunday dyned at Leigh with Mr. G. Wyot, lodged at Ackland, 
 from thence went to Clovelly and staid with Mr. Carye, sherif of 
 Devon in their way to Ireland. 
 
 25. The fair this year was kept Monday the ix September, 
 because there sh*" be no buying and selling Sunday. 
 
 — xvii'' Ocf. Mr. Thomas Leigh, gent., an utter barrister, was 
 sworne deputy recorder to my Lord of Bath. 
 
 27 Thomas Hinson, Esquyer, and John Dodderidge, chosen bur- 
 geffes for this town to be at parliament. 
 
 — continual rayne. 
 
 — Wheat rose to iiij v'^. 
 
95 
 
 zg. victuals and grayne very plenty, best beef for i'' p"' pound, 
 wheat iij% rye and barley xviij'' p"^ b'. 
 
 — no fat oxen in the market one day, the like never seen before 
 on Friday before Easter. 
 
 1589. 
 
 Order from L"* Bath to the Con'''"'^ of Braunton hundred to pvide 
 v'= bushels of wheate, and so much butter and cheese conveniently to 
 be got in h. of Braunton, to be sent after S'" F. Drake's ffleet. 
 
 32. Mr. Henery Chechester of Arlington, died at Exeter in July, 
 of a squinzie in his throat, he v?as a notable, wise, and discreet gentle- 
 man, and did appease many controversies among his neig*"*"^^, and his 
 death greatly lamented. 
 
 — North peere (called maiden arches), of the great bridge built 
 on wood taken down and rebuilt in three weeks on an arch cost xxvi 
 pounds. 
 
 33. Unicorn, a reprisal ship of this town sent in a price. 
 
 — John Norrys with his bark returned having been a reprising. 
 
 34. Vicar is excommunicated. 
 
 — Mr. Robert Appley, the elder, by his will gave great charity 
 to this towne. 
 
 35. About this time [March] great wain of rain — none in vi 
 weeks. 
 
 1590. 
 
 36. dyed Sir John Clarys Clarke, vicar of Barnestaple. 
 
 — 22 Maye. Edward Chechester, of Arlington, was stabbd with 
 a dagger by one Gamon a capt". of a ship and was killed. 
 
 — Wheat vi'. viij**. Vituals dearer. 
 
 — A pickard loden with barley malt from the iForeste, arrived to 
 sell for iij' the b'. 
 
 — July. 8 ships saild over our bar for Rochelle. 
 
 — Masers and cherries very plenty. 
 
 — divers have cut corn before S'. James Day. 
 
96 
 
 — Harvest ended in many places before midst of August. 
 
 37. On account of plague of pestilence, assizes held at Honyton, 
 before C. Justice Anderson and Gente — Gente went to Exeter opend 
 com" at Castle and adjourn to Honiton — xvii prisoners executed, the 
 most part for murder. 
 
 — plague much at Totness. 
 
 39. the prudence, a ship of 100 tons, belonging to Mr. Dodderidge, 
 of this town with fourscore men, saild over the bar on a reprisal voyage. 
 
 — Michaelmas Sessions held at Great Torrington, the plague 
 being much at Exeter. 
 
 40. arrived the prudence with a price taken on the coast of 
 Guinney having in her iiii chest of gold to the value of xvi thousand 
 pounds and divers chaynes of gold with civet and other things of 
 great value, such a price as this was never" brought into this_port. 
 
 — price about Exxx ton brought to key head at Barn : chests and 
 baskets of gold weighed cccxx pound. 
 
 B =— March, great pvision making for holding the assizes in 
 this towne. 
 
 41. — the places for the judges to sit it, one against the keyhall 
 and the other by the north end of Mr. CoUibear's house both coverd 
 with reede. 
 
 42. There came hither but one judge, L"*. Anderson, he came 
 to town the Monday in the afternoon to the keyhall place there, 
 where he sat all the assizes, read the commission, charged the grand 
 jury and adjourned. 
 
 — the tuesday, the Judge L"*. Bath and other Gent, dind with 
 Mr. Mayor. 
 
 — Martyne, the gaoler, kept some of his prison''^, in house late 
 Bailiifs in this towne, and others in Castle Green under tylts with 
 sayles. 
 
 — Judge lodged at Mr. Doddridge's. 
 
 — Sherif at Mawdlene. 
 
 — Serj'. Drue at Gilb. Harris'. 
 
 — Serj'. Glandyl at Rog. Cades. 
 
97 
 
 — Serjt. Harrys at Mr. W. Collibears. 
 
 — Mr. Heale at Mr. Welshes house. 
 
 — Rest of the lawyers well accommodated elsewhere. 
 
 — Tuesday sat on nisi prius. 
 
 — Wednesday, by 5 o'clock, the judg tried ii or iii causes of nisi 
 prius and then upon the gaol, continued the Wednesday, and gave 
 judgement upon those who were to be executed. 
 
 — Friday and Saturday sat on nisi prius and ended. 
 
 — The gibbet was sat up on the Castle Green and xviii prisoners 
 hangd, whereof iiij of plymouth for a murder. 
 
 1591. 
 
 44. March, vituals about this time very dear. 
 
 — about witsontide xix nobles was given for a heifer that had 
 new calf. 
 
 — Plague of pestilence, at Southmolton & Torrington. 
 
 — the last of June the wief of Ambrose Wilkey, of Pilton, tanner, 
 leapt over Barnestaple Bridge, was seen by William Davy, who swam 
 to her, the tide being half out, and savd her, and deliverd her to her 
 husband. 
 
 — pease and beans sell in their cods for xii*^. a bushel. 
 
 — This somer Assizes held at South Teavistock, the judges were 
 L''. Anderson and Mr. Gente they held it in Abbey Green under a 
 tylt — also the Quarter Sessions held there — xiij pris''^. executed at the 
 Assizes. 
 
 46. The prudence of Barn^. sent home z prices. 
 
 — Watchmen continually to prevent suspected folks of the plague 
 from coming into town. 
 
 — Mr. Mayor all this yeare at every courte holden at the 
 Guildhall kept a dynner for the aldermen and others that there 
 resorte of the messes not being bound thereto but of his own 
 liberal! tie. 
 
 — Mr. Maior hath taken, great pains and travayle to preserve 
 this towne from infection of the plague. 
 
98 
 
 48. — Great store of sider this yere w'"" maketh cask deare 
 a hoxede is sold for iij^ and a pipe for vi^. 
 
 I2''' Oct"", a bark of this town w'^'' had been a reprising 
 
 called the White Hart put into Ilfordcombe broiight home som 
 elifants' teth. 
 
 — same day report came that her Majesty^ ship at sea S' Richard 
 Greynfild Captaine was taken by the Spaniards after encountring the 
 whole Spanish Fleet for z dales. 
 
 49. — Corn is somewhat reasonable I bought wheat for ij^ viij"*. 
 
 — a pinnace called the fortmouth a reprisal ship of this harbour 
 brought in a price laden with wynes. 
 
 — xxv'' January the prudence brought in over this Bar a price 
 worth X thousand pounds. 
 
 50. — _ proclamation to make Kersies xv yards in length and 
 xv"'. in weight. 
 
 1592. 
 
 55. — In September October and November was the church 
 thoroughly painted within and divers texts of scripture wroten on 
 the pillars, and the juylds began to be painted. 
 
 — died my father Philip Wyat at Braunton. 
 
 — the Knights of the Shire were chosen at Exeter Sir Thomas 
 Dennys K'. and Mr. Seamor esquyer. 
 
 — xii february Mr. Geo. Chippinge a gentleman of my Lord of 
 Bath and Richard Leye were appointed by common Counsell to be 
 Burgesses for this parliam' and so returned by indenture to the Sherif. 
 
 1593- 
 
 — iij subsidies and vi fifteenths granted by parliam* to be paid 
 her Maj'y with iij yeares. 
 
 — the white Hart is taken. 
 
 — because of the long drieth this yere people from Hartland 
 came to Rayleigh and Brodeford Mills with griests. 
 
99 
 
 — the Gifte a reprisal ship of this towne belonging to W. 
 Morcomb of this towne and others carried a rich price into Ilford- 
 combe. 
 
 — Sir John S'. leger and others Justices of this North Division 
 met about rating the subsidy. 
 
 — i subsidy and ij quindecims to be paid out of hand. 
 
 57. — later end of September the river at Bradiford was frozen 
 over. 
 
 — xij nov' dyed Clemente Burton was sometime servante and 
 secretaire to the old S"'. John Chechester K'. and livd a batchelor he 
 was accounted a wise man and a good scholar and would buy and 
 have the most part of all new books made whereby he had a great 
 librairie and was buryed in the juyld at pylton. 
 
 1593- 
 
 — The Chayms now going w'^'' coste besides the bell that was 
 had before xxv'. — a great charge to small effect. 
 
 — Rain and violent winds every day in March, the shyppyng 
 co'^. not go to Newfondland or Rochelle or those at RocheUe come 
 home. 
 
 1594. 
 
 — price of corn near at one price. 
 
 — Wheat about v^ barley and rye iij=. ij the bushel, ots xviij. 
 
 — 1 5*'' Sepf. died my bro''. Geo : Wyat at Leigh. 
 
 Mr. John Chechester of Westcott in Marwood had a servant 
 
 maiden hangd herself at the buttery door. 
 
 — proclamation published forbydding the wearing of daggs or 
 pistolles. 
 
 — All the brewsters and tiplers of ale within the H. of Braunton 
 and SherweU app"!. at Barn before Mr. Dyllon and Mr. Acldand 
 justices and bound by recogn to keep good rule &c. 
 
 — in March John Darke of pylton a frysemaker began to erect 
 and buyld a wind mill at the higher end of Pylton be east the priorie 
 there upon the lands of Mr. Henry RoUe. 
 
lOO 
 
 59. — Francis Hawkins was hung in chains at Highbickington 
 for the murder of a Cornishman a sailor. 
 
 — one Cesar brother of D"'. Cesar came from the admiraltri with 
 a commission to scale the beaze and new made cloths. 
 
 60. Orders from the Couneill that on intelligence of 2 or 3 
 Spanish ships being sent into S'. Georges Channel the Maior was to 
 provide a shipp of this harbour to rencounter with them — her 
 Majty w''. bear one half of y^ charge and this country adjoyning to 
 bear the other half, — the justices appointed John Barrett of this towne 
 captayn of a new made shipp of William Morcome for the service 
 which Mr. Major of this town and his brethren do well leke of. 
 
 — Mr. John Chechester eldest son of Mr. John Chechester of 
 Hall came into this towne to dwell from his house at Westcott. 
 
 — By reason of rayn and foul weather wheat is ix a b'. 
 
 — XXX of August L^. Bpp came to town was met in Southgate 
 Street by the Major and Maisters in their scarlet gowns, a skolar made 
 a speech, afterwards the Bp dind with M''. Maior. 
 
 — he confirmed divs children at the Castle Green, on the z^ day 
 such a multitude came in from the country that he co''. scarce pass the 
 street, on a sudden he turned up Crockstreet and went to his lodgings, 
 and went out of towne almost forthence — the people lamented they 
 had lost a fine harvest day. 
 
 70. — 28 nov"' E. of Bath Mr. Pollard, Mr. Carey Mr. Abbot 
 justices sat at the Guildhall where they had calld all the con'''*', of the 
 N*. Division to give notice to those that were sett to arms to be in 
 readyness and that the billes sh"^. be chaungd into pykes, and the bows 
 and arrowes into muskitts and calyvers. 
 
 XI* dec"' John Norrys a burges of this town brought a new charter 
 to town which I red in Englysh before the Major and most part of 
 the comon council. 
 
 — the 2 aldermen the i^'. coroners in town. 
 
 — Thomas Skynner a common counselman elected clerke of the 
 market according to new charter and sworne, &c. 
 
lOI 
 
 — Newfoiidland fishery stoppd by order of High Admiral. 
 
 73- — came to towne the Queens Takers to take vp fat oxen 
 for provision at plymouth and drew tikets upon the high Sherif for 
 payment. 
 
 — The constables of Braunton hundred had orders to levy five 
 marks in money and xii flitchys of bacon @ iiij a pound to be sent 
 likewise to plymouth. 
 
 — In March a commandmant from the privy counsel was brought 
 that this towne sh''. sett forthe the prudence beinge about loo tons 
 burthen presently out of hand in warlike sorte at the charge of this 
 towne unto whiche charge the whole north division being x hundred 
 sh"*. be contrybutaries, a letter to the like effect came to the Earl of 
 Bath and M''. H. Fortescue for the rating the country, and the counsel 
 appointed George Pyne Major of this towne, Mr. Thomas Leigh and 
 Bartholomew Harrys for the purvey" for the victals and other charge 
 of the ship. 
 
 — By the Earl of Baths letter and order there was appoynted to 
 be layd out by this town forthwith one hundred pounds, by Molton 
 forty pounds by Torrington xv' and by Bediford xx', and a meetyng 
 at this time by divers of the said townes who agreed and made 
 proporcon of the charge thereof for five months to be nyne hundred 
 pounds and above, this charge was both for the victualling the xl men 
 that sh"*. go in said shipp, for their wag^ and the wag^ of the shipp 
 and other necessaries. 
 
 1596. 
 
 — came to the Key head an old shipp of Mr. John Delfrigs called 
 the Busse of Cxx Tun to ripd abroad. 
 
 ■]6. — 3 May a sessions held at the Guildhall the first after the 
 new charter and the first ever kept in the town. 
 
 — In the beginning of this month May divers salt petre makers 
 with commission to enter into houses and places to dig and delve upp 
 the earth to make the peter, and do make salt peter thereof and clear 
 salt, they take the earth dug up and cast water thereunto and so 
 
standeth. a certain tyme then they let the water out of the tubb and by 
 a certain tyme after boyl the same in a great furnace a long tyme then 
 they take it out and put in small vessels to cowle, and thereof cometh 
 the salt peter and salt. 
 
 — All this May hath not been a dry day and night. 
 
 77. — 4"". June this year Robarte Gill, John Gill, John Gill and 
 Nicholas Furlong were disfranchised for not paying their rates towards 
 shyppynge of the prudence, and for other dismeanors both in speach 
 and otherwise. 
 
 — wheat at x'. rye at vij barley at vi ots at ii=. iiij. 
 
 78. = — 16 June Ann Kemyns, Nich=. Gay's daughter and one 
 Davy were all carted about the town for their filthie and lascivious 
 life and the next day being fryday they satt all three at the high cross 
 in the stocks. 
 
 79. — my brother Nycholas Wyat Judg of the Admiralty. 
 
 — continual rains wheat at xi^ rye vi iii'^. barley vii^ iiij. 
 
 81. — 8* August arrivd the Prudence which brought much 
 pillage from takeying of Cales. 
 
 — By reason of the continual rain there is great leare of all sorts 
 of corn, but little comes to market. 
 
 — Wheat xi^ rye and barley viij oats ii'. iiij"^. whereupon upon 
 letters sent from the counsels to Earl of Bath he with other justices 
 came to town viewd the market and sat the price upon corn there 
 (to wit) wheat ix^. ry vj^. barley v'. ots ii=. threatning the seller with 
 dures if he sold for above that price. 
 
 — same day proclamation made w'^'' dic^ concerne the rats and 
 taxations of servants waigs made by the justices of the peace for this 
 borough of Barnestaple, &c. 
 
 81. — small quantitie of corn brought to market townsmen 
 cannot have corn for money. 
 
 82. — upon letters to Mr. Maior of this town from Mr. Norrys 
 and Mr. Martyn in London, mentioning the dearth and scarcity of 
 rye and price thereof, that no less than a whole shipps quantity was to 
 be had conteyning vij hundred quarters. 
 
103 
 
 — Mr. Maior and his brethren had a meeting thereon, who 
 debated, but upon the wyllyngness of Mr. Nicholas Downe and John 
 Dellbridge, they were all wyllyng to p.cure a whole shipps lading, divers 
 consented to lend x"" w"^'' extended xii hiindred pounds, George Stan- 
 bury, of this towne, was appointed to travayl to London to assist Mr. 
 Norrys in obtaining this corne ; God speed him well that he may 
 pcure some corne for the inhabitants of this towne in this time of 
 scarcity, that there is but little cometh to the market, and such snatching 
 and catchying for that little and such a cry, that the leke was never 
 heard, 
 
 — People which do wante seede do pay xii shillings for a bushel 
 of wheat and much ado to geate it. 
 
 83. came to the custom house a stay for shippying with a com- 
 mandment from the privy counsellers to advtise them of number of 
 marynes and shippynge with their burdens belonging to Barnstaple. 
 
 84. — not a dry day in November. 
 
 — only barley brought to town and snatchd up presently— 300 
 soldiers in the town to go to Ireland. 
 
 85. — many of the gentlemen shewd their light horses and 
 petronells in this town before the Earl of Bath, and Mr. Lewes PoUard 
 their captayn. 
 
 =— Mr. Robert Appley one of the maisters dyed and was buried 
 in his own tomb in the churchyard adjoining the south wall of 
 the church, which he pcured a little while before his death; he had 
 been iij times Maior and all his tyme was earnest in upholding the 
 liberties of this towne, and had been often burgess of parliament — left 
 considerable lands in Barnstaple and Newport. 
 
 — Barnestaple lands, the Maior and Aldermen to receive the 
 profitts untill it do amount to the sum of one hundred pounds to 
 be lent to poor artificers upon good security, after the one hundred 
 pounds levyed the lands to remain to the Corporacon. 
 
 Newport lands to be received by Maior and Aldermen for 
 
 xii poor people in Alms lane to be divided. 
 
104 
 
 86. Intelligence from Norrys and Stanbery that they had 
 
 bought a quantity of rye and that. 
 
 The justices of peace having set a price upon corn, now gave 
 
 leave to the country to sell at large. 
 
 — hoping the market w^ be thereupon supplied but there cometh 
 less and less, and they aske xv^ a b' for wheat and comorily sell for xii' 
 and vi' and viii^ for barley. 
 
 — continual rain day and night. 
 
 — In the Christmas there was delivered unto his honor (E. of B.) 
 by M'. Maior and the Aldermen a patent under their common seal 
 of the office of recorder of this town, w'*" his honor did willyngly 
 accepte. 
 
 — Mr. John Trender, vicar of this town, inveighd in his sermon 
 ag' the Aldermen for not coming to church, whom he said were like 
 2 fat oxen, that they would not hear when X calld unto them but 
 drew backwards and drew others from X, the aldermen were present 
 but unseen, for this and his indecent behaviour on being questiond for 
 this abuse he was committed to warde for want of sureties — the E. of 
 Bath next day dischargd him. 
 
 — William CoUybear, sen. Ad'man, who during his office is a 
 justice, was bound over by E. of Bath and Mr. H. Ackland, to appear 
 at the next sessions of Barum for behavior. 
 
 — The like was never heerd before, it was all Mr. Ackland's 
 doinge, who prevail'd on E. of Bath to join him in it. 
 
 — M''. Downe and Delbridge, burgesses of this towne, purchasd 
 a quantitie of rie and sold it at i x^ the bushel to the poore. 
 
 — Wheat sells for xiiij a b'., and oten malt @ iii'. and viij. 
 Barley @ ix^. 
 
 — the justices of the countrye levyed contributions on the 
 parishes and C pounds was raised in this town to send to Dansick for 
 rye. 
 
 1597- 
 
 — 8 AprU. Wheat sold for xviij'. a b'., barley xiii, rye xiiij'. 
 ots iiii'. 
 
'OS 
 
 — I o June. Wheat sold for xviii, barley for xii, rie for xv'. 
 
 — arrivd three shippes that were sent from hence to Dansick, 
 with rie. 
 
 — now in Julye by reason of continual raine wheat sold last 
 friday for xx^ a b'. 
 
 — Thomas Hynson and Bartholomew Harris chosen burgesses 
 in parliame'. 
 
 — Wheat x^., rie ix^., ots ij^. 
 
 — afterwards there was some mislyking by the E. of Bath of the 
 choice of B. Harrys to join with Mr. Hynson for one of the burgesses 
 of parliament, a new election was made by the consent of the whole 
 burgesses, and George Peard, of this town, was made a free burgess 
 of this town, and then elected and returned with Mr. Hynson. 
 
 — Souldiers of Barnest., Pylton and Braunton, mustered before 
 Mr. Robert Bassett, their Capt". 
 
 98. — Richard Symons, M^ of Arts, was admytted skolem''. of 
 this towne, and the other Symons was put out. 
 
 1598. 
 
 3'i. April, the towne of Tyverton was adventurd with fyre, began 
 at the wester end, burnt the most part of the town, began about I 
 in the afternoon, and before 5 all was brent, and but a small part of 
 their goods savd, many men and women burnt, CCCC houses and 
 CCC pair of lambes, being market day much corn, apples, butter and 
 cheese, and market horses with abundance of kersies, the report goeth 
 that the rich men of the town were unmercifull to the poor and 
 sufferd them to die in the streets for want, and so it might be 
 Digitus Dei. 
 
 Corn is fallen. Wheat viij, rye vi^, barley 5^., ots xxii"*. 
 
 101. — 18 Aug. Richard Beaple elected a common council 
 man in room of Roger Cade, who was put out for that he dwelld out 
 of this town above one year. 
 
 — 27 dwelling houses burnt at Great Torrington. 
 
io6 
 
 1 04. — Mr. Chechester, of Youlston, kept his audit in this town. 
 
 — xxii decebr dyed my bro"" John Wyat, at Braunton, and buried 
 in his yeld. 
 
 — beginning of Dec'', the old shambels under the Guildhall, the 
 posts and all were pluckd down, and the place pavd, and a new bench 
 set by the north wall, and so 'tis appoynted for a walkying place. 
 
 105. In Innocents week the maior with many of his brethren 
 went to Youlston to visit M"". Robart Chichester, and carry'' unto him 
 some good hansel, they did the same to Mr. Bassets and also to 
 Tawstock. 
 
 1599. 
 
 106. — 2 April. Mr. Robert Chichester, Lord of this towne, 
 beying advertysd of some injuries done him by this town came hyther 
 with M''. Hugh Wyet, lawyer and counseller, and the counsel of this 
 town compromisd the varyance. 
 
 — this month of Maye was the enterclose and the little house in 
 the Guildhall drawne downe, the same hall enlarged, and the wyndow 
 of the same glassed. 
 
 108. — xxix May. one John Symons, a petie skolemaster of 
 this town, not very hardly witted, but one of the anabaptistical and 
 precise brethren had a child brought to the church to be christend, 
 and calld it Doe well, the vicar dislyking it calld it John, which caused 
 a great murmuring among the Brethren, who said it came from the 
 Hebrew word Abdeel. 
 
 — xv'' June. L''. Bathe and other justices had a conference here, 
 and after debatyng they concluded upon having a house of correction 
 at Chumleigh, within the North Division. 
 
 — The Countess of Bath's barque arrivd with much-merchandize 
 of the merchants of this towne. 
 
 — A better harvest never heard of than this, wheat iiij^, barley 
 ii^ vi"*. 
 
 no. — Earl of Bathe, M"'. Fortescue, and M"'. Hugh Ackland, 
 sat concernyng rating of the subsidy. 
 
 III. — Wheat iij iiij''., rye ij vij"^., barley ij iiij''. 
 
107 
 
 — Certain inhabitants of this town, which are no burgesses (viz., 
 pentecost Dodderidge, John Welsh, William Dawkyns, John Garret) 
 
 being rated for bying and selling and opening the shop wyndows 
 
 to the ancyente custome of this towne refused to pay their rates, w*. 
 the resceyvor of this towne took distresses from them for the same, 
 and thereupon the said Dodderidge sent immediately for a writ and 
 arrested the resceyver, who presently put in baile for his apparence 
 at this Michaelmas term. 
 
 — Reciisants combyned together to try this matter w"' the towne 
 — the Maior and his brethren sent to the Earl of Bath, who came to 
 town the xxvii. day of November — sat at the Guildhall with Mr. 
 Maior, the aldermen, and whole counsell — Dodderidge and Darracott 
 appeared — then Mr. Thomas Leigh, one of the learned counsell of this 
 town, opnd the case, setting forth their abuses towards the town to the 
 breach of their liberties and other oiFences, w^'' were pved before his 
 honour. Dodderidge alleged he was rated too much. His honour told 
 him he sh"* have applyd to him beynge recorder. Dodderidge replied 
 he sh"* have done it but that a hundred of the inferior sort w'' have 
 attended hym and thereby gyven his honour a deal of trouble. Mr. 
 Leigh tooke advantage of this, how that he went to raise a tumult and 
 insurrection in the town, whereupon his honour commytted Dodderidge 
 and Darracot to prison, 
 
 — After dinner his hon"' and Mr. Maior and common counsell 
 went again to the Guildhall, Dodderidge and Darracott being sent for 
 sentence was gyven against them (viz.), that Dodderidge should be sent 
 again to prison till he found sureties for his good behav"', and hymself 
 bound in C to her Majesty for his appearance before the L''^ of her 
 Majesty's privy counsell, the vi. of Feb. next foUowyng, Darracot to 
 remayne in prison vi. days and be bound to his good behaviour and to 
 appear at the next assizes for Devon. 
 
 — Welsh appeard, and standing stout, he was requyrd to take the 
 oth and to be sworne as censer for his allegyance, w<^'\ he refusing was 
 commytted to prison. 
 
 — The Thursday following Dodderidge entered into all the recog- 
 nizances and was released. 
 
io8 
 
 — after vi days imprisonment upon submission Darracot was 
 dismyssed, and so was John Welsh, but by what reason I knowe not 
 so that the most part of this mettal in the refyning went off in smoke. 
 
 — xxiij december. this year a violent tempest of wynde. 
 
 — Stone coal sold for ix''. a bushel, and a load of faggots and 
 wood for XX'*. 
 
 113. — xxvi day of January. Mr. Thomas Leigh and Bartt. 
 Harris began their journey towards London on townes behalf, to 
 p.secute the cause ag'. Pentacost before the Counsel, carrying with 
 
 them y'= new charter and some of our with the booke of the 
 
 composition, and div'. other evidences and records touching our ancyent 
 custom now in question. 
 
 — xxviij Jan. Mr. Maior resceyvd orders from Lords of Counsell 
 to p.vide shyppinge for transporting zoo soldiers into Ireland. 
 
 — If soldiers stayd any time p.vision of vi**. a day for their meat, 
 and the other ii to carry in theyr purses. 
 
 — Wednesday xx feb. M'', Tho. Leigh and Harris returnd with 
 this order that Dodderidge sh"*. pay the xx**. he was sette, and to be 
 made a burgess of this towne paying x'. as others doe. 
 
 1600. 
 
 114. — Monday the xix day of Maye, the new kaye upon the 
 strand, almost in the midst of the other kay, was begun to be buylded. 
 
 — xi Aug*. John Delbridge, merch*., elected Major. 
 
 ■ — On this day, William Collibeare, who had been Major ij tymes 
 of this towne, for that he had by the space of ij yeres or above, 
 dwelt out of towne, and now set out his howse in towne, where he 
 dwelt, and so no hope of his returne to towne agayne, and was dis- 
 myssed of his room in the common counsell of this towne and 
 disfranchifred, &c., and immediately thereupon William Shapleigh was 
 elected in his roome and sworne, &c. 
 
 — This yere at the request of S''. Robert Bassett, one Sharland, a 
 musician, was retained by Mr. Maior and his brethren, to go about 
 the town, about iiij o'clock in the morning with his waits, and is pro- 
 misd viij', began on all saints day and to continue till candlemas. 
 
I09 
 
 — Order in towne that the maister and other of the common 
 counsell sh"* hang out candles and lanterns at their doors in dark nights 
 in the wynter till ix o'clock. 
 
 — This November, the loft over the kayhall vsras new planchd 
 and repaird in order to make a bridewell. 
 
 117. Friday xiv. nov''. M"". Maior and aldermen going upon their 
 search in the evenyng, as usuall, found the vicar, M"'. Trynder, in 
 John Williams house, being a tipler, w"". other company, and having 
 amongst them a pipe with a taber, a little after nyne, and because M"'. 
 Trynder w"*. not come down to M"". Maior from the chamber upon 
 
 commandment and for other his was commytted to warde where 
 
 he abode till mornynge foUowying, in the mean tyme he sent a 
 
 lamentable Ire to the Bp. of Exeter, advtising his Idp that he was 
 wrongfiilly commytted and without any cause, whereupon his Idp. 
 wrote to E. of Bath, who commanded the Maior to come to him w"^''. 
 he did at Tawstock — a day appointed for hearing — vicar releasd — 
 Sunday following he preachd ij hours, beinge a cold daye he weryed 
 all his audience. 
 
 — Tuesday following it was heard and determind that there was 
 just cause for his being detaynd, and to be bound for his good behav^ 
 yet Mr. Maior by his hon^. p.swasion, and his own concern remytted 
 to my Lord of Baths censure. 
 
 — Butler was schoolmaster. 
 
 1 19. Orders for shippynge for transporting 1 50 soldyrs to Kyngsale. 
 
 — M''. Richard Smyth, the hired preacher of this town, and Jo. 
 Smyth, preacher of pylton, were inhibited to preach in this dioces by 
 reason they w^. not wear the surplice. 
 
 izo In hillary, M'. Trynder, the vicar, was p.cepted to appear 
 before the high commessioners in matters ecclesiastical to answer 
 articles exhibited by Richard Ley (but by the instence of Mr. Major 
 and others of this town. 
 
 — so there is no liklihood of good government while such dissen- 
 cons last. 
 
— At the Assizes at Exeter, before M^ Justice Wamsley and M''. 
 Justice Vernier, xviij p.soners rec'^. sentence and were executed. 
 
 1601. 
 izi. — Smyth allowd to preach agayne, and did preach and 
 admynyster the communion in his surples as he was commanded. 
 
 — XXV of Aprill. orders to take up shyppynge for 1 50 soldiers. 
 
 — The sessions and the law court of this towne were kept this 
 yere the iij day of May, 1601. Mr. John Delbridge, maior, being 
 absent in Northamptonshire, or London, on business, no dinner kept 
 at Maior's house, for maisters, steward or otherwise, — towards expence 
 of dinner the jury had each vi'^. and the town clerke viij"*. 
 
 — This order hath no father to any man's remembrance now 
 living, but spronge up of the infected ayr, lately amongst us. 
 
 — the jury save one dynd at WiUiam Clyverdon's, and adding to 
 their allowance, they spent ix'*. apeece, and had good cheer with 
 wyne, &c. 
 
 — G. Stanbury elected maior. 
 
 — Corne continud this yere nere one rate. 
 
 123. — Wheat v iiij''., rye iiij iiij'^., barley iij viij"^" 
 
 = — Mr. Maior returning from London, brought letters that 
 souldyers w<'. be transported to Ireland. 
 
 — p.visions and shyppyng to be p.vided for them accordingly — 
 450 for dublyn, and 975 for Waterford — viz., Cornwall 100, devon 
 300, dorcet 100, Somerset 250, Wilts 125, Southampton 100. 
 
 — 775 Souldyers in this town at one tyme. 
 
 125. xxxi October. Ser Anthony Cook, knyght, came to conduct 
 the souldyers to Ireland. 
 
 126. Edward Handcocke, Esquyre, and Richard Martyn, born in 
 Exeter, and of the inner Temple in London, are Burgesses at the new 
 parliam'. for this town of Barnestaple, the first appoynted by the Earl 
 of Bath, and the other by Mr. Robert Chechester, of Youlston, wJiO 
 at this time had the nomination of them both. 
 
Ill 
 
 — xix day of december, at night, some of the Castle wall was 
 blown down, and blown into the Castle, and did no harme, savying 
 some ij ravens were found dead, and beleke sat within side the wall. 
 
 — 650 Souldyers to be transported into Ireland from hence, and 
 p.vision made accordingly. 
 
 127. — Mr. Butler, the schoolm^ inhibited from teaching till 
 shews by what authority he teaches. 
 
 — The Bp. of Exeter, sent a schoolm"". M'. Mansfield. 
 
 — On Christmas day last past is most certenly reported by such 
 as were at it, that the Lord Dep. of Ireland, not far from Corke, 
 meeting the Earl of Terone in the field gave him an overthrow and 
 killed 1500, took many prisoners and 5 auncyents, 11 of the Spanish 
 and 1 1 of the Irish, but the Earl escaped, whereupon shortly after 
 Don Juan de Argala, chief and general of the Spaniards (by composi- 
 tion) gave up Kingsale and many other places, and had leave to hire 
 shippynge and go away. 
 
 1602. 
 
 1 29. — the Assizes at Exeter held in March, before L"*. Chief 
 Baron Pincim and Justice Venner — no p.soners condemned nor executed 
 — altho' in the gaol were many for notorious crimes, but by report 
 the Lord ch. B. mynde extended to the x.ecution of the recusants, for 
 he sent to the common gaol Mr. Giles Risdon and Mr. William 
 Burgoyne being recusants there to remayne at his pleasure — if they 
 had rather go to goal then to church much good myght it doe them. 
 I am not of their mynde. 
 
 — 200 souldyers sent to Ireland from hence. 
 
 — great thunder and lightenynge in June, the beacon of Mat- 
 tynhoe was brent. 
 
 — ix. of Aug'. Mr. Barth. Harris chosen Maior, and then agreed 
 that the old Maior shall be the elder alderman. 
 
 131. — About the end of this August came to towne one 
 Edward Abbotts, xii. yere paste did leeve with Mr. Robert Prowze, of 
 this towne, and during the service came acquainted with Elizabeth 
 
IIZ 
 
 Morcombe, of this place, who p.mised each other marriage — he went 
 to live in London afterwards with Alderman Spencer, who sent liim 
 in trade unto the streights of Aleppo. 
 
 — he renewed his old love and they were marrid, at w*^*". were 
 present L'*. Bath and the Countess, Mr. Seymor and many other from 
 the Southams — he was supposed to be the bere son of old L"*. Edward 
 Seymor, of Berryspomeroy — he is accounted to be worth iiij or v 
 thousand pounds. 
 
 135. — Wheat holdeth up at viii viiij''. a bushel, rye at viiiij*., 
 barley v''., ots xxii"^. 
 
 1603. 
 
 6 June. The masons began the walls of the new works and that day 
 the great dorns of the gate were sat vp. 
 
 — many barks and trous of corn from the forest arrivd here. 
 
 3 Feb. p.clamation publishd concerning election of knights of the 
 shire and burgesses for parliam'. that they sh"*. be grave men, of good 
 worthe and fit for the place. 
 
 136. — Merchants and shippes belonging to this towne go and 
 traffick into Spain and Portugal as usual. 
 
 137. In this Hillary Term Mr.John Dodderidge in this towne, 
 
 and hath been Maior twice a Serjeant of the lawe, and the 
 
 younge the tayK. that br'. his new robe unto h house at Lon- 
 don the same day was buryed in dayes following, w*. broughte 
 
 some feare those that sat with hym at dinner that day...... 
 
 1604. 
 
 — friday 24 feb. M"^. Thomas Hinson, Esq., was sworne a free 
 burgess. 
 
 XXV of februarie then following the said M''. Thomas Hinson and 
 George Pearde, gent., were elected and chosen for two burgesses of 
 this towne to be at the foresaid p.liam'. in behalf of this towne. 
 
 — The plague entred into this countrye — great quantitie of wheat 
 barley, pooles, and barley malt, about xx thousand bushels. 
 
 — Wheat vi viii. Rye v'., barley iii viij"^. 
 
113 
 
 — xxviii prisoners executed at Exeter this summer assize before 
 Justice Venner and Warberton. 
 
 1 39- — This October the deputy of his Majesty's clerk of the 
 market came about this countrey and made lesse all bushels, pecks, and 
 half-pecks by the third part of the Winchester bushel, countenancd by 
 the justices of the peace to the great admiracon of many, and is 
 thought to be a great grief. 
 
 And so now our clerke of the market being Henry Downe followeth 
 the like fashion within this towne. 
 
 140. — in the beginning of this November the plague entred 
 into this towne — few dyed— many died at Torrington. 
 
 1605. 
 
 141. — on palm Sunday 24 daye of March, dyed at Tawstock 
 the Countes of Bath, and that night following she was buryed — but 
 the solemnization of her funeral was deferrd until some tyme after- 
 wards. 
 
 — The Monday beyinge the vi*". day of May, 1605, was the 
 fimeral of the late Elizabeth, Countes of Bath, solempnized at Taws- 
 tock, there came down from London three deputie harolds of armes, 
 the principal mourner was the young Lady Frances Bowchier, and 
 there were viii other murners of the poorer sort of the same p.sh ; 
 M^ Saunders, the Earl of Bath's chaplayne, did preach that day ; much 
 meate and drinke eat and drank at Tawstock Court, all the poor had 
 iij*^. a piece and loaf of bread. 
 
 6 June was an Admiralty Court held in this towne by the E. of 
 Bath, Vice Admiral, concerning the new work, because the said E. 
 doth much envey ag'. it. 
 
 142. — M''. Nicholas Wyat as judg of the Admiralty of l)evon, 
 kept the court, Mr. Bridgman's son being notary. M"". Hugh Ackland 
 and M''. Hinson sat in the court in the morning, and my L"*. of Bath 
 in the afternoon, when the jury gave up the verdict, which was that 
 it was noysome to passage of boats and barges. 
 
 — M'^. Bar. Harris, John Norris, Ja'. Downe were all 4 indicted 
 for building the new work, supposing the same to be annoyance to 
 boats. 
 
114 
 
 1 2 Aug*. James Woodrough was elected Maior — before the elec- 
 tion he prevaild on 15 to promise that they w**. not ballot for him, 
 but they disceivd him and he was chosen — he was absent and had 
 appointed his voice and ball unto Robert Honey. 
 
 144. — About the middle of the month of Aug*, the Earl of 
 Bathon, S". Ro. Chichester, S'. Hen. Roll, and M'. Hugh Ackland sat 
 in the Guildhall by virtue of certain orders from the counsell to meet 
 about alehouses, drunkers, recusants, &c. — a great cry and little wool. 
 
 1606. 
 
 1 7 May. tTohn Sallesbury elected a common counselman in the 
 room of W™. Shapleigh, who dwelleth at Bideford, and did dwell out 
 of this town above one yere and a day and therefore loosing his freedom 
 and libtie that he had in town, he was likewise dismyssd of his rowme. 
 
 — The Monday mornying tide beyinge as faire weather and as 
 calme as may be two of the Dukes of Tawton havynge laden sande 
 at the rudge ag*. Castle Point, and upward bound did strike the bridge 
 and sunke, and one other boat laden with sande comynge short after 
 them and beyng in some danger in that she went oute over the barge 
 that was sunk took up both men and escapd without damage. 
 
 = — the reason of striking was the boatsmens making his oar so 
 stricte that he co"^. stir the barge. 
 
 Aug*. M"". John Peard elected Maior. 
 
 — the last month the Lady Bassett came to towne to dwell in 
 Mr. Nich^. Downe's new house upon the Kay. 
 
 xiii day of September came Mr. John Dodderidge the King's 
 solicitor and M"''*. Dorathy his wife and staid here some dales with his 
 ffather. 
 
 — this last somer assize came down for judgs L'^. Chief Baron and 
 Justice Tanfild, at w'^''. assize S'. Roberte Chichester had a trial ag*. 
 the towne for Gorton's house by the Castlegreen, w*. passed w"" 
 S"-" Robert C. by reason of three witness w'^''. he brought (viz.) Philip 
 Ley, William Brooke, and Richard Rise that did swear that the house 
 did stand in the dike, altho' it be most apparent that the same is fare 
 withoute, and so verified at the trial by the oths of vii credible 
 witnesses. 
 
IIS 
 
 IS'* — so""! October, 3 persons were apprehended, two on 
 suspicion of counterfeiting ij^^., another for stealing cloaths— one of 
 them digd a hole in the prison wall in got out into the Ch. yard. 
 
 — a very great floud — damage 1 000'. — water came up in South- 
 gate street above the pump to the higher end of Thomas Harris house, 
 and in Wilstreet upp that way untill the Widow Taylors window ; 
 it ceme to Appleys fore door and run out thro the house into the 
 garden there and made great spoyle. 
 
 — The water flowd up more than half way Mayden street and 
 then went into there houses. 
 
 — also it came upp at the lower end of Crockstrete, so far M"". 
 Takles hall door. 
 
 — The tombstone upon the Kaye was coverd clene over with 
 water — by report it was higher by v or vi foote than ever remembred 
 by those now lyvinge. 
 
 — First to digresse westward from the Kaye, it threw down a 
 great part of the utter wall of M"". Collybears house — it cast down the 
 easter wall of M''. Dodridges courtledge upon the Kaye. 
 
 — it has almost cast down a little house of M"". Stanberies stand- 
 ynge there in the east part of the Kay, but it brused it soe that they 
 were dryven to draw it down for fear of falling, and make it upp 
 agayne. 
 
 — It threw down the whole house whereon James Frost did 
 dwell, whereby himself was slayn with the fall of the roofe, and two 
 children lying within bed were slayn with the falling of the walls. 
 
 — All the walls between that and the Castle fell, and the top of 
 the house of the horse mill began to cleave asunder and likely to have 
 fallen down if the spill of the mill w'^''. was very strong had not sup- 
 ported it. 
 
 — it cast down divers walls in Litchdon — it hurted all the walls 
 on the Kay next the river. 
 
1)6 
 
 1607. 
 
 — M^ Rich*. Beaple elected Maior. 
 
 — Orders to the Maior to provide for 200 soldyers for Ireland — 
 100 whereof were Devonshire men, who had their conduct money 
 and apparel (to wit) a Monmouth capp, a coate, a doublet, ii shirtes, a 
 paire of breeches, a paire of stockinges, a paire of shoes, and v^. in 
 money. 
 
 — about a fortnight before Xmas began the hard frost w'^''. con- 
 tinued V weeks — the victuals bought in the market was so frosen it 
 would take no salt. 
 
 158. — The cold meat after it was dressed and kept one night 
 was so hard that it could not be cut to be eaten, for I had a piece of 
 beef that was roasted the day before New Years day and kept it untill 
 the Thursday following, and then was I driven to take a spit and put 
 the end thereof into the fire and heat it redd hot and so got him in 
 the flesh and new rested it by the space of an hour and half before 
 it was thorough hot and then usd the same. 
 
 1 60. — Last Lent M'. Harris and M"'. John Delbridge of this 
 towne by order and consent of this town exhibited a petition before 
 the Lords in Counsell contayning a complaint of the Maior, aldermen, 
 and burgesses ag'. M"'. Hugh Acklande, a Justice of Peace, of divers 
 enormities, injuries, and ill demeanors by him daily commyted ag'. the 
 state and government of the towne, altho he had always among good 
 entertainment, of w*^'". complaint the Lords takying due consideracon 
 wrote Ires to the judges at assizes to bind over M"'. Ackland to appear 
 before their Ldps. or end the controversies. 
 
 161 — the Judge receyving the letters M^ Acland was calld 
 before them and he told those that were present that the Counsell had 
 a great regard of the town of Barn^. that it had done divers services 
 as well to the late gracious Queen as to his present most excellent 
 Majesty in rcceys. of souldyers often tymes sent into Ireland, and 
 therefore their Honours were to uphold the rights — then Sir John 
 Ackland desired that he might have the hearing of the causes in differ- 
 ence, w'^''. the Judg. objected to unless the townsmen agreed thereto — 
 
117 
 
 but by the earnest request of Sir John Ackland M''. Maior and his 
 brethren commyted the whole cause unto S''. John Acklands hands 
 upon promyses that lie and his brother w**. always hereafter bear good 
 affection to the towne and doe any thing for their good, the cause 
 p.ceeded no farther. 
 
 — at the same the new worke was in question and the Judges ' 
 havyng receyvd letters from Lords of Counsel were in a milder censure 
 and conceyt therewith, there was M"'. Hinson and M^ Richard Ley 
 and divers others followed the cause ag'. the town and were earnest to 
 judgm'. wh*. shewd a plott drawn of the new worke, the Judg being 
 commanded to stop judgm'. and to take a view of the work — viewers 
 were appoynted by consent of all parties, Sr. John Ackland, S^'. Amias 
 Bampfield, S'^. Thomas Browne, S''. Henry Roll, &c., elder knight. 
 M^'. Anthony Monck, M^'. Arthur Harris, and M'". William Carie to 
 view and to certify at next assizes. 
 
 162. — Wheat ix iii.. Rye vii.. Barley vi. 
 
 — By reason of sharp cold winter hay sold for viii and ix^. a truss. 
 
 — Many cattle died for want of ffodder. 
 
 25 May. M''. Major rec''. letter by a pursuivant from the counsel 
 for appoynting a stage post from this town to Chumleigh and a poste 
 barke to carry any packet sent hether from my Lord Treasarer into 
 y= province of Munster in Irelande. 
 
 2 July, the Knight and gentlemen about the new worke met the 
 greatest parte and did see the bargs pass the bridge with sand who 
 passd safe except one who struck on purpose. 
 
 — the gent were S^ W™. Strode, ^I''. Seymor, Sir Amias 
 Bampfylde, S"^. Thomas Browne, S^'. Henry Rolle, M^'. Anthony Monck, 
 Mr. Ar. Harris, and M"^. William Gary — after view sat in Guildhall 
 and heard the bargmen — they spoke as they w"*. for they were not 
 sworne. 
 
 — much ado at this Assizes about the new work, the adverse 
 party p.curd the Judg to give his verdict agaynst it — but it was not 
 then entred. 
 
U8 
 
 — friday the xiv of October, upon determinacon agreed by Mr. 
 Maior, &c., to remove the corn market it was p.claimd in the same 
 market place, M"^. Major and the most part of the comon counsel 
 being present, that the s"*. corn market sh"*. be translated, and from 
 thenceforth be kept in the north side of high street, beginning at M''.. 
 Nichs. Downe's house and so northwarde. 
 
 1608. 
 
 — new indictm'. ag*. M'^^. Bar. Harris, John Norris, James Down 
 and others, about the new work. 
 
 — Sheriff ordered to return 48 of the E. and S. Divisions, and 
 24 to be drawn — many witnesses examined before the Lord Chief 
 Baron. 
 
 — 20 Apr. the spire on the Key hal was finishd. 
 
 — 1 70. At this Assize the xxxi day of Julye, the Judges sat at 
 one Bench — exceptions argud by Counsel. 
 
 — the Judges went to Launceston, and the indictees orderd to 
 meet at S''. John Ackland, the sherifs. 
 
 — After conference had about the matter, M^'. Richard Harris^ 
 Major, M'^. Richard Beaple, M'. Bartholemew Harris, and others, met 
 at Crediton, the adversaries, M"^. Hinson, M"^. Hugh Acland, Richard 
 Ley, one Pearse, an attorney. Bar: Berry, Thomas Loverynge and 
 others, but never a lawyer, for so the judge determind. 
 
 — The affair opend by Riley, but interrupted by the judg as 
 they thought he did not tell his tale, as they say he should, and scarce 
 any sentence that came from the Judge, but was a shock to him and 
 the rest of the company, and little said of M'. Delbridge's side, 
 saying that one Pugsley, a poor boteman, was examynd, concerning 
 that one Davy, of Tawton, had sworn before the jurie at exon, that 
 by reason of this new worke could not pass the bridge by night as 
 well as before, whereas in truth Davy passd the bridge by nyght 
 many tymes since, and Pugsley in companie, as Pugsley there 
 constantlie aiBrmd before the judg, w'^'\ the judg did very much 
 consider, and then well thought that matter was carried ag*. the town 
 of malice and displeasure, so thare they award that this busyness 
 
up 
 
 sh"^. go no farther ; then Richard Ley informed the Judg that by 
 reason of this new work the channel there was become so deep that 
 horses-co'* not pass over to fetch sand as they usd. 
 
 Note. — This town of Barnstaple holdeth the Chantery of St. Ann 
 of the crown by Soccage, it was bought of Edw'' 6 and some other 
 Jands by that tenure, for w'^'' by composition the town paid xx'. 
 
120 
 
 Notes copies by the same Transcriber from the Journal 
 of EiCHAED Wood, Vicar of Fremington. 
 
 1619. 5 bells in Barnestaple new cast, Culpepper, Clepham, and 
 and Foulkes Down, churchwardens. 
 
 1628. Henry Downe, George Baker, bridgwardens. 
 
 Neither of them being of the counsel at the tyme, it being 27 years 
 from the tyme of Mr. Baker's being Maior to the time that he was 
 bridgwarden, so that if he had been of the common counsel he must 
 have been Maior long before and therefore cannot plead antiquity that 
 the bridgwardens were always of the common counsel. 
 
 1644. Memd™. That the i day of July, 1644, a day never to 
 be forgotton by the inhabitants of Barnestaple, for God's mercie and 
 favor shewed in that miraculous delivrance of them from that bloody 
 conspiracy of some of our neighbours in inviting and bringing in 5 or 
 600 horse and foot, being French, Irish, and some English ag' the said 
 town with purpose to have put all therein to the sword, and to have 
 possed themselves of the whole town, but were, repulsed and driven 
 away by the small power the townsmen had; our warning and notice 
 was but two days before. On the 9* July, one Howard, a lieutenant, 
 who was taken prisoner in the fight, was hanged at the Highcross of 
 Barnestaple. 
 
 — Memd™. that the .... day of October in the morning, 
 Charles Peard, being Maior, absented himself and w"* not appear to 
 yield up his office, whereupon he was dismyssd from his maioralty and 
 fined by the town and Henry Masson elected, who within three hours 
 surrenderd his maioralty again unto Adam Lugg, who was sworn Maior 
 then presently for the year ensuing. 3 Maiors in one day. 
 
 1 646. Apr., the great plague. 
 
 — July, I and my family went to remayn at Rookebear. 
 
 — Sep"', Mr. Ferris was elected Maior on the marsh on the higher 
 side of Konybridge by ballets. 
 
— Dec, I and my family retornd into our own habitation at 
 Barnes taple. 
 
 164.7. Mr. Rich'' Harris was dismissd two years before his death 
 from being of the common counsel, and Mr. Paige put in for him. 
 
 — Harris took the Vane from the Chappie at Litchdon Almshouse, 
 and placed it on the Keyhall. 
 
 1648. Dec. 26, Richard Wood was actually possessd of the 
 Vicarage of Fremington. 
 
 1650. M''. Hugh Horsham, Maior, co''. not write his name. 
 
 1 65 1. M^ Tho^. Dennys, Maior, was p.secuted by one Daniel 
 Cary, and was outed of his mayoralty for being chosen Capt". of the 
 traind bands, the town being then for the king when he was chosen 
 Capt°. 
 
 1655. My Lord of Bathe died. 
 
 — Aug. Col'. Penruddick and Col. Groves beheaded in the 
 Castle of Exeter. 
 
 1655. 16 Aug. I appeard before the Commissioners at the New 
 Inn, in Exon, and was then outed of my vicaridge. 
 
 1658. no receiver, the Maior Joce Danil Cary, but the town w''. 
 not admit of him, he being a turbtilent and seditious fellow. 
 
 1659. 25 June. I took possession of my church of fremington. 
 1 66 1. Corpor". new modelld according to Act of P. 
 
 — There was removd M"'. Nich^. Cooke, and M''. Paige plac''. in 
 his room. M''. John Cooke, and M'. Xpher Hunt in his room. M"". 
 Tho^. Bisseland and M"". Tho''. Coles in his room. M'. Thomas Cox, 
 and M''. Lewis Rosier in his room. Mr. John Rosier placed in M"". 
 Coz oiEce of Town Clerk. 
 
 1664. Richard Sahsbury Rec'. Seldon no Maior by the act — not 
 having rec''. the sacram'. in one year before chosen. 
 
 — About the beginning of March, wheat was sold in the market 
 for 4 : 10''. and 4 : 8''. p^ b'. but in a fortnight after it was sold for 
 7 : 6 — it was occasiond by reason that one M''. Geo''ge Burgoyne and 
 Giles Bowen and others did ingross corn in the country and carried it 
 away by water. 
 
1665. J March. S''. John Chechester of Rawleigh, was sworren 
 Recorder, Mi'. Basset being put into that place by the Comr. for re- 
 gulating corporations, but not approved of by the corporation, on the 
 1 5 May by M"^. Henry Langford brought a mandamus to shew cause 
 why he sh"*. not be admitted Recorder. 
 
 — M^. Bassett overthrone by a trial at Exon. 
 
 14 Oct'-'. M'. John Palmer sworn Maior, but no receiver sworn 
 at time of his swearing, there was great discution betwixt the 
 majestrates, Seldon, Ackland, Paige and others, forsaking the Bench, 
 and refused to sit at the Maior's table, which gave the Maior occasion 
 to keep no court dinners that year. 
 
 1666. July, they warnd a hall to chuse new magistrates, at w''' 
 time there was great decention began by Mr. Seldon, Ackland, and 
 Paige, concerning their pretended seniority. Ackland, Lewis Rosier, 
 Chr. Hunt, T. CoUes, and Gilbert Paige, being put in by the Com\ 
 for regulating Corp°^. would take place before those w'='' had been 
 antient Magistrates, nay some of them Maior many years before, but 
 the Corporation w"^. not allow of it, the new company protested 
 against it (a deed of insolency) and in former days w"*. have been 
 punishd, either by disfranchisment or binding them over to answer at 
 the Assizes for that there contempt of the power granted by the 
 Charter, but the Maior p.ceeded, and Thomas Harris was elected a 
 Comon Councilman in room of Mr. John Horwood, who died and 
 was buried the 2 1 . 
 
 — W^. John Greade, Maior. 
 
 — John Fairchild, Receiver — Gread was Serj'. at mace many 
 years, and now the Serj'. sits in the Maior's place, and is not this 
 topsyturvy. 
 
 1678. M'^. Rich''. Salsbury, Maier, began the bulding of Pilton 
 Bridge. 
 
123 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 p. 14. Obertus Baenstaplensis. 
 
 I have since obtained fuller particulars of this worthy ; his name 
 was Robert Tamer, a Eomish Ecclesiastic of some celebrity, and 
 nndonbtedly a Barnstaple man. In Dr. Olirer's collectanea 
 illustrating the history of the Catholic religion, (1857) he is thus 
 noticed : " Tm-ner Kobert, of Barnstaple. This ornament of 
 "Douay College was ordained Priest in 1574, and attained 
 " the repntation of superior merit as a rhetorician and classic. 
 "He died at Gratz, 24th November, 1599. I suspect he was 
 "the author of the Latin treatise printed at the end of Sanders' 
 "treatise "De Schismate Anglicano" Cologne, ed of 1627, see 
 " Dodd's Ch. His', vol. ii. p. 94, also preface to Annual Eegister, 
 " 1789, page 25." 
 
 It may be added, that Turner found an Asylum for some years 
 at the Comi; of William, Duke of Bavaria, and was employed by 
 him in several important negotiations, but ultimately lost that 
 Prince's favor. 
 
 Some Commentaries have been perhaps incorrectly ascribed to 
 him as the author, the two foUowing works by him are however 
 Btill extant. 
 
 I. " Maria Stuarta, Regina Scotiee ; Dotana 
 
 " Francise, Hoeres Anghse et Hibemiee ; Martyr 
 " Ecclesise Innocens a Coede Darliana : Vindice 
 " Oberto Bamestapolio," &c. 18mo., Colonias MDCxxvii. 
 II. " Eoberti Tumeri, Devonii Oratio & Epistola de 
 " Vita & Morte Eeverendissimi et lUustrissimi 
 " Du Martini a Schaaomberg Principi & Episcopi 
 " Eystadiani ; illam funere 3 Non Jul. Au. 1590 
 " &c. 18mo., " Ingoldstadii " Anno clolo xxc." 
 
 No. 1 of the above named works is a^reprint of the first edition 
 which was printed at Ingoldsthadt in 1588 ; both editions are 
 noticed by Bruneb (Manuel du Libraire). Of No. II, he does not 
 seem to have any knowledge. Turner's " Oratio Funebris " 
 occupies 40 pages of this volume, and his " Epistola " to Cardinal 
 Allen, extends to 21 pages more. 
 
124 
 
 p. 15. Owen Feltham. 
 
 Further researches appear to negative the supposition, that the 
 Owen Feltham connected with Barnstaple was the celebrated 
 Author of that name. It would rather appear to have been his 
 nephew. In a sketch of Owen Feltham's life, prefixed to 
 Pickering's edition of the Resolves 1840, it states that his wife 
 died before him. His will was dated 4th May, 1667, and was 
 proved in April, 1668. He bequeathed all his property to his 
 nephews and nieces, one of whom is described as "my nephew 
 Owen Feltham of Grays Inn," the latter was doubtless the person 
 I have referred to, as possessing property at Barnstaple. 
 
 p. 29. Paeish Chuech. 
 
 During the progress of the alterations in om* Parish Church, a 
 curious discovery was made, a sort of mural palimpsest. In 
 restoring the inner wall of the Tower which forms the base of the 
 steeple, it became necessary to remove a vast accumulation of 
 successive layers of whitewash, thereby laying bare portions of the 
 texts of Scripture in Black Letter, with which the walls appear to 
 have been decorated in olden times, and beneath them another set 
 of Texts painted in Red Letters in a different character. Philip 
 Wyot notices this as having occured in 1592, (see p. 98), but on 
 carefully scaling off the iragments of these Red Letter inscriptions, 
 there were revealed beneath them, inscriptions of a far earlier 
 -date, painted in large and beautifully formed old English 
 characters, such as were ia use ui the 14th century; with great 
 care, a few sentences were uncovered which appeared at first to be 
 merely moral apothegms, not being in the words of the present 
 authorized version of the Bible, but subsequent examination has 
 shewn them to be texts from "Tyndale's translation of the Bible" 
 in use in the 15 th century, one of them from Timothy had ten 
 lines nearly entire. This discovery was curious and interesting, 
 hut what followed was still more so. By repeating the progress 
 of carefully removing the surface on which the letters had been 
 painted, the first or original stucco was at length arrived at, and 
 this was found to have been covered with fresco paintings or 
 rather sketches in a rough and primitive, though at the same time 
 spirited style. Some of the figures, (portions of a group on the 
 north walk of the tower), were in a comparatively perfect state. 
 The group appears to have consisted of 9 figures, occupying the 
 entire wall of the Tower. The three that were the most perfect, 
 consisted of a central female figure over the arch, crowned and 
 beariag a wand or sceptre, with two others at the right, about five 
 feet high, both wearing crowns, one wielding a sceptre and wearing 
 
125 
 
 a Bword and battle axe, and the other holding up a falcon with a 
 string and tassels. The costumes are singulai-, and in one case 
 the feet are perfect, with, long pointed shoes, which radicate the 
 reign of Eichard II, about 1380, the probable time when the 
 Frescoes were executed. The outhnes, in strong black Knes, are 
 still distinct and some portions of the colouring. There are 
 fragmentary traces of two more figm-es on the right and four on 
 the left ; the third on the right was apparently of a negro type 
 feciag the two others. The first figure on the left of the centre 
 appeared to be kneeliag, but was very imperfect. There are re- 
 mains of a Vandyke edging runniag round the whole as a frame, 
 with an inscription above in very rude old English characters, 
 quite illegible, and beneath the figures at the right, there is a 
 rough sketch of the artist holding up his hands in prayer or in 
 admfration of his work, with an inscription still partly legible, 
 intimating it to be the work of John 0. B. Payer. 
 
 It was much desired that these Frescoes should have been" pre- 
 served, but as from thefr ft'agmentary and decayed state this was 
 impossible, photographs of the three best preserved figures and 
 of one of the inscriptions were taken from tracings made by Mr. 
 Leigh, the clerk of the works, which give a faithftil representation 
 of these curious relics, as they appeared when first uncovered. 
 
 p. 34. Eev. J. Badcock. 
 
 A friend has conmiuiiicated to me that this Divine came from 
 Shebbear, and that an epitaph on an ancestor of his in the church 
 of that parish is so quaint as to deserve record. 
 
 Thomas Badcock died 19th October, A.D. 1656. 
 
 " WitMn tliis bed of dust sleeps a brother, 
 Who, grieving in one head, joy'd in another 
 That he exchanged for this, and now on high, 
 "" Advanced by the head, lies here to die. 
 
 Earth made him red ; ye water made him brown ; 
 
 Blood made him white ; this alone won the crown ; 
 
 He liv'd soe juste with men, that his name had 
 
 No more than one small syllable of bad. 
 
 This cock crows hallelujahs, and shall sing 
 
 Endless hosannahs to ye eternal King ; 
 
 Let not your saints old Dieuel's mortals scare, 
 
 Eare fruits soone plucked, young saints soone glorious are." 
 
 p. 81. Men of Maek. 
 
 Although not attempting to includeln the present sketch any 
 notice of men in other pursuits than " literature," yet, having 
 mentioned one Royal Academician, I would take this opportunity 
 of placing on record that another very celebrated painter has 
 
126 
 
 claimed Barnstaple as his birth place, " J. M. W. Turner." All 
 biographers state him to have been born in London, but in a 
 recent work "Past Celebrities whom I have met," by Cyrus 
 Eedding," he relates a conversation with Turner, in reference 
 to Devonshire Painters, in which the latter informed him, that he 
 also claimed to be one, " and that he was a Barnstaple man," he 
 then proceeds to explain how the error arose, as to his having been - 
 bom in London. Some of Turner's relatives who succeeded to 
 a share in his property, still reside here, and they inform 
 me that the family was originally from Southmolton. 
 
 p. 81. TowusHEND W. Hall, Esq. 
 
 During the progi'ess of ijrinting these pages, the present V.P. 
 of the Institution, T. W. Hall, Esq. of Pilton, has published some 
 Pamphlets of local Interest, one on the Geology of North Devon 
 giving a popular and valuable summary thereof : and also articles 
 in scientific Journals on the flint Tools recently discovered at 
 Croyde, and on Provincial Museums, the latter suggested by the 
 Museum of the Literary Institution, which Mr. Hall has for the 
 last few years taken under his especial charge. 
 
127 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 A. 
 
 Addison, Rev. E 84 
 
 Allanson, Edward 76 
 
 Avery, J 70 
 
 Ayres, Joseph 74 
 
 Archaelogio Club 79 
 
 ArcMves Corporation 64 
 
 Address 43 
 
 Badcock, Eer. S 34, 125 
 
 Bailer, Mr 44 
 
 Barry, Jolm 57, 83 
 
 Beaple, Richard 22, 26 
 
 Billinger, Tom 40 
 
 Blaie, Rev. Martin 24, 27, 32 
 
 Bowcher, Rev. G 33 
 
 Burton, Miss 47 
 
 Butler, Hon. Mr 69 
 
 Burton, Clemente 10 
 
 Ballads 13 
 
 Borough Records 64 
 
 Broad Sheets 13 
 
 Banks of the Taw 36 
 
 Barnstaple, a Poem 40,82 
 
 Barnstaple, Rambles Round 69, 84 
 Barnstaple, Historical sketch of 69 
 Barnstaple, Striking Incidents in 84 
 
 Barum, a Fragment... 50,68 
 
 Barum, a Poem 68 
 
 Barnstaple, Memorials of ... 66, 83 
 Barnstaple Miscellany 47, 83 
 
 C. 
 
 Capem, Edward 60 
 
 Cassell, Petter & Co 81 
 
 Chanter, J. R 84 
 
 Clapham, Raleigh 27 
 
 Cornish, Thomas Hartree ... 67, 71 
 
 Corbishly, Rev. B 83 
 
 Crompton, Rev. W 30 
 
 Cotton, R. "W 84 
 
 Cotton, Sir Arthur 84 
 
 Church, Parish . 22, 29, 124 
 
 Caleb, Quotem 43, 82 
 
 Canting 43 
 
 Cave and Lundy Review ... 50, 83 
 
 Christian Centurion.. 16 
 
 Curate of Coventry 5 
 
 Crackling Goose 50, 83 
 
 D. 
 
 Davie, E - 82 
 
 Davis, B. D 84 
 
 Dalton, Charles 35, 84 
 
 Delbridge, Elizabeth 27 
 
 Dodderidge, Judge 8 
 
 Dodderidge, John 8,73 
 
 Donoghue, J 21, 82 
 
 Dunboyne, Lord 69 
 
 Debating Societies 77, 79 
 
 Dapiad, the 37 
 
 Dash, a Poem 43 
 
 E. 
 
 Egerton, Mrs 47 
 
 Epitaphs 17, 20, 21, 25, 125 
 
 Echoism 43,84 
 
 F. 
 
 Feltham, Owen 14, 124 
 
 Fen-is, Richard 22, 26 
 
 Frayne, Mrs 64 
 
 Fortescue, Lord Chancellor 7 
 
 G. 
 
 Gardiner, Rev. H. W 34, 83 
 
 Gay, John 19, 20, 32, 44, 45 
 
 Gribble, Joseph Besly 66, 83 
 
 Grammar School 75 
 
128 
 
 Gay's Chair 44, 83 
 
 Gossip, the 49, S3 
 
 Goose Crackling 50 
 
 H. 
 
 Hakewill, Dr. G 32 
 
 Hanmer, Rev. Jonathan 31,34 
 
 Haumer, Eev. John 32, 34 
 
 Harding, Professor 8 
 
 Harding, Lieut. Col 80 
 
 Harris, D. H 83 
 
 Harrop, Mr 42 
 
 Hall, To-nmshend W 126 
 
 Hill, Aaron 17 
 
 HiU, Rev. Charles 36, 83 
 
 Hogg, T 82 
 
 Horwood, Thomas 23, 26 
 
 Hume, Eev. G 76 
 
 Hunter, Archdeacon 35, 36 
 
 Histories, local G3, 67 
 
 Historical Poems 36, 84 
 
 Heraldry, Grammar of 26 
 
 Hymns and Sacred Odes 37 
 
 J. 
 
 Jewel, Bishop 7, 76 
 
 lucledon, Benjamin 66 
 
 Jones, Mr 52, 72, 80 
 
 Jubilee Ode 42 
 
 Juvenile Essays 21,84 
 
 Incidents in History of Barnstaple 84 
 
 K. 
 
 Kean, Edmund 47 
 
 Keate, Thomas Brooke 66 
 
 Kenihvorth 6 
 
 L. 
 
 Latey, John Lash 58 
 
 Lee. Henry 43, 47, 82, 83 
 
 Luck, Rev.W 17, 34, 76 
 
 Leworthy, H 84 
 
 Lugg, Gertrude 24 
 
 Luxmoore, Eev. H 75 
 
 Lectures 77, 79 
 
 Libraries 73,77,79 
 
 Literary Societies 76 
 
 Literary and Scientific ) „„ on 
 
 Institution f ''' ®" 
 
 Literary and Archaelogic Club 79 
 
 Local History 63 
 
 Lundy Island 9 
 
 Ladies' Petition 45 
 
 Letter, OldWoman's 35 
 
 Lundy Review 50 
 
 Luck's Poems 18 
 
 Letter to Lord EUenborough 55, 82 
 
 M. 
 
 March, R 82 
 
 Mather, Rev. W 33 
 
 Maxwell, J. G 61 
 
 Morgan, Dr 60 
 
 Mortimer, Thomas,.. 49,57,77,84 
 
 Musgrave, Dr 17 
 
 Mechanics' Institute 77 
 
 Magazines 47 to 52 
 
 Monuments 25 
 
 Manager, the 43,83 
 
 Memorials of Barnstaple 66, 67, 83 
 
 Miscellany, Barnstaple 47, 83 
 
 Miscellany, North Devon-... 52, 83 
 
 Medley, Universal 49,83 
 
 Magazine, North Devon 50, 83 
 
 N. 
 
 Neale, W. B 58 
 
 Newuham, Eev. Mr 35, 84 
 
 News Eooms 1 79 
 
 Navigation of River 69 
 
 North Devon Magazine 50, 83 
 
 North Devon Miscellany ... 52, 83 
 Newspapers, — 
 
 North Devon Journal 70 
 
 Barnstaple Herald 71 
 
 North Devon Advertiser and 1 7, 
 
 Tiverton Chronicle ...J 
 
 Barnstaj)le Times and and 1 „„ 
 
 Devon Advertiser / 
 
 ■Western Standard ..'.. 72 
 
 Western Chronicle 72 
 
 Mercantile Gazette 72 
 
 Barnstaple and Bideford ) _„ 
 
 Miscellany \ "^ 
 
 N. D. Advertiser (new series) 73 
 
 Barnstaple Times 73 
 
 0. 
 
 Obertus Barnstaplensis 14,123 
 
 Old Woman's Letter 34, 82 
 
 Oliver, Dr 14, 123 
 
 Oram, Mr 40 
 
 Oxonia 37 
 
 P. 
 
 Peard, Charles , 17 
 
 Peard, George 24 
 
 Peard, John 25 
 
129 
 
 Peai-cl, Eoger 25 
 
 Pycroft, Eev. J 5, 84 
 
 Page's, Ti-agedy 11 
 
 Parisli Records 65 
 
 Parochial Library 73 
 
 Periodicals 47, 52 
 
 Public Press 70 
 
 PolyolbioQ 9 
 
 Poetic Impressions 43,83 
 
 Punch in Barnstaple 52 
 
 E. 
 
 Eaudall, John 37, 47, 82 
 
 Eayner. Est. W 76 
 
 Eock, "W.F 53, 54, 78 
 
 Eooke, Mrs 58 
 
 Eowe, A 70,84 
 
 Eeading Booms 77, 79 
 
 Records, Town 64 
 
 Eegisters, Parish 65 
 
 Eetreat, the 58 
 
 Eambles round Barnstaple... G9, 84 
 
 Eeport to Board of Health 69 
 
 Report on Navigation of Taw... G9 
 
 S. 
 
 Searle, Mr 72 
 
 Skippon, General 15 
 
 vShelley, Percy Bysshe 55, 82 
 
 Sleigh, EcT. W 83 
 
 Sloane Evans, Eev. W 26 
 
 Sloley, J. Parish Clerk 05 
 
 Smith, Eichard 14,83 
 
 Staveley, Mr 68 
 
 Syle, Mr 55, 56, 72 
 
 Schools 75 
 
 Sermons 14,30,35 
 
 Salve for every sore 16 
 
 Staghunt, the 37,82 
 
 Songs of the Stars 58, 83 
 
 Tamlyn, John 80, 82 
 
 Taprell, Eev. R 40,82 
 
 Taylor, Jane 6G 
 
 Taylor, Isaac 56 
 
 Thomson, G. Douglas 58,83 
 
 Tooker, Amy 29 
 
 Tiicker, Walter .1 26 
 
 Trix, Mr 49 
 
 Turner, Robert 14, 123 
 
 Turner, J. M. W 125 
 
 Theatre 43,47,84 
 
 Taw, Banks of the 36 
 
 Time the Avenger 59 
 
 Translations from Bible 35 
 
 Twenty years in the Church 5 
 
 U. 
 Universal Medley 49,83 
 
 Vandeuhoff, Mr 47 
 
 Vignole's Report 69 
 
 W. 
 
 Walker, Eev. T. H 83 
 
 Wade, Mr 49 
 
 Warriner, Eev. F 83 
 
 i Westlake, Thomas 23 
 
 Weekes, Henry 84 
 
 Wheatley, John 23 
 
 Wills, Charles 69,84 
 
 Wood, Eichard 64 
 
 AVyot, Philip 9, C4, 89 
 
 Weazle, loss of the 51 
 
 Woollen labourers advocate 17 
 
 Weeds of Idleness 57 
 
 Wyot's Joui-nal 91 
 
 T. 
 
 Yates, Jolm 84