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  A BOOK OF THE WEST


  VOL. I.

  DEVON




BY THE SAME AUTHOR


  LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
  THE TRAGEDY OF THE CÆSARS
  THE DESERT OF SOUTHERN FRANCE
  STRANGE SURVIVALS
  SONGS OF THE WEST
  A GARLAND OF COUNTRY SONG
  OLD COUNTRY LIFE
  YORKSHIRE ODDITIES
  FREAKS OF FANATICISM
  A BOOK OF FAIRY TALES
  OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALES
  A BOOK OF NURSERY SONGS
  AN OLD ENGLISH HOME
  THE VICAR OF MORWENSTOW
  THE CROCK OF GOLD

[Illustration: SWEET HAY-MAKERS]




  A
  BOOK OF THE WEST

  BEING AN INTRODUCTION
  TO DEVON AND CORNWALL


  BY S. BARING-GOULD


  VOL. I.

  DEVON


  WITH THIRTY-FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS


  METHUEN & CO.
  36 ESSEX STREET, W.C.
  LONDON
  1899




PREFACE


In this "Book of the West" I have not sought to say all that might
be said relative to Devon and Cornwall; nor have I attempted to
make of it a guide-book. I have rather endeavoured to convey to
the visitor to our western peninsula a general idea of what is
interesting, and what ought to attract his attention. The book is
not intended to supersede guide-books, but to prepare the mind to
use these latter with discretion.

In dealing with the history of the counties and of the towns, it
would have swelled the volumes unduly to have gone systematically
through their story from the beginning to the present; it would,
moreover, have made the book heavy reading, as well as heavy to
carry. I have chosen, therefore, to pick out some incident, or some
biography connected with the several towns described, and have
limited myself thereto.

My object then must not be misunderstood, and my book harshly judged
accordingly. There are ten thousand omissions, but I venture to
think a good many things have been admitted which will not be found
in guide-books, but which it is well for the visitor to know, if he
has a quick intelligence and eyes open to observe.

In the Cornish volume I have given rather fully the stories of the
saints who have impressed their names indelibly on the land. It has
seemed to me absurd to travel in Cornwall and have these names in
the mouth, and let them remain _nuda nomina_.

They have a history, and that is intimately associated with the
beginnings of that of Cornwall. But their history has not been
studied, and in books concerning Cornwall most of the statements
about them are wholly false.

I have not entered into any critical discussion concerning moot
points. I have left that for my "Catalogue of the Cornish Saints"
that is being issued in the _Journal of the Royal Institution of
Cornwall_.

There are places that might have been described more fully, others
that have been passed over without notice. This has been due to no
disregard for them on my part, but to a dread of making the volumes
too bulky and cumbrous.

Finally, I owe a debt of gratitude to many kind friends who have
assisted me with their local knowledge, as Mrs. Troup, of Offwell
House, Honiton; the Rev. J. B. Hughes, for some time Head Master
of Blundell's School, Tiverton, and now Vicar of Staverton; Mr. R.
Burnard, of Huckaby House, Dartmoor, and Hillsborough, Plymouth, my
_alter ego_ in all that concerns Dartmoor; Mr. J. D. Enys, whose
knowledge of things Cornish is encyclopædic; Messrs. Amery, of
Druid, Ashburton; Mr. J. D. Prickman, of Okehampton; and many others.

  S. BARING-GOULD

  LEW TRENCHARD HOUSE, DEVON
  _June, 1899_




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER                             PAGE

  I. THE WESTERN FOLK                    1

  II. VILLAGES AND CHURCHES             30

  III. HONITON                          43

  IV. A LANDSLIP                        60

  V. EXETER                             68

  VI. CREDITON                          79

  VII. TIVERTON                        101

  VIII. BARNSTAPLE                     122

  IX. BIDEFORD                         134

  X. DARTMOOR AND ITS ANTIQUITIES      155

  XI. DARTMOOR: ITS TENANTS            176

  XII. OKEHAMPTON                      208

  XIII. MORETON HAMPSTEAD              225

  XIV. ASHBURTON                       248

  XV. TAVISTOCK                        266

  XVI. TORQUAY                         289

  XVII. TOTNES                         310

  XVIII. DARTMOUTH                     323

  XIX. KINGSBRIDGE                     337

  XX. PLYMOUTH                         352




ILLUSTRATIONS


  SWEET HAY-MAKERS                              _Frontispiece_
  From a photograph by Mr. Chenhall, Tavistock.

  CLOVELLY FISHERMEN                         _To face page_ 16
  From a photograph by the Rev. F. Partridge.

  SHEEPSTOR                                             "   30
  From a painting by A. B. Collier, Esq.

  HOLNE PULPIT AND SCREEN                               "   38
  From a photograph by J. Amery, Esq.

  HONITON LACE                                          "   51
  From specimens kindly lent by Miss Herbert, Exeter,
  and Mrs. Fowler, Honiton. Photographed by the Rev.
  F.