Barnstaple and John Delbridge

by Lauren Gilbert

A view of Barnstaple and its setting at low tide

Some years ago, I surprised my husband with a fishing trip in northwest Devon. We got off the train in Umberleigh, checked into a delightful hotel (with an equally delightful pub), and discovered...there was no fishing due to an unprecedented heat wave. Nothing daunted, we proceeded to explore the area. At dusk one evening, we witnessed the water rushing into a river at high tide, followed by a family of wild swans. The next day, we hopped back on the train and went on to Barnstaple. It was a fascinating town which we enjoyed exploring. My current work in process includes a gentleman who inherits a small estate in the vicinity of Barnstaple, so I decided to read up on its history.

Afred the Great

Barnstaple is what may be the oldest borough in England. The town was known in the 900’s, a typical Saxon stronghold. Known to the Romans as “Tunge abertawe” and to the Saxons as “Beardenstaple,” it was referred to as “Barum”, the Latin contraction, in documents of the era. It was created a burg (borough) by King Alfred. A mint was established, possibly by King Athelstan who also supposedly granted a charter with rights to hold a market and fair (If there were a charter, it has been lost-a charter dated 930 was proven a forgery and no other has ever been found). The earliest known coin was minted during King Eadwig’s reign (between 955-59). The mint was not a particularly active and ceased production in the 13th century.

King Athelstan I

It fell to the Normans about 1068, and the fall is discussed in the Domesday Book. It is believed that an original castle was built by King Athelstan, and strengthened after the Conquest. This may be the site of the known castle, built in wood in the 11th century by Geoffrey de Mowbray, Bishop of Coutances. Stone walls were erected subsequently, probably by Henry de Tracey. By 1326, castle was a ruin; only the motte remains as a mound. It was the only port in the southwest of England, and by 1290, an important trade center located on River Taw; trading with Europe, Ireland and New World. Imports included tobacco, wine, spices. Barnstaple was licensed to export wool from the 14th century and was a member of the early merchant Guild of St Nicholas. Exports included woolen material and pottery.

Other industries included lace making, fishing, and ship building. Barnstaple was the 3rd richest town in Devon in the 14th century (behind Exeter and Plymouth). Its importance as a port grew during the 14th to 16th centuries, and the city was represented in the Naval Council. There was a petition to Mary I to build a quay and merchants' exchange on the river in 1555. Barnstaple was a “privileged port” as a member of the Spanish Company (authorized to trade in Spain and Portugal) in 1577. There were 12 merchants in Barnstaple listed in the charter.

Trade with America was also very important in the 16th and 17th centuries. Barnstaple had a rather exciting military past as well. In 1588, 3-5 outfitted ships, manned by locals, sailed to join Sir Francis Drake to help defend against Spanish Armada. In 1642, when the English Civil War erupted, Barnstaple was originally pro-Parliamentarian, but changed sides four times. Seriously damaged after the war, the city eventually resumed its normal business and trading activities.

Queen Anne's Walk

Queen Anne’s Walk was built in 1708 (a rebuilding of the original Merchants' Walk built in Tudor times) and completed in 1713, as a merchant exchange on the river with its own quay for loading and unloading ships. A statue of Queen Anne was placed on the colonnade. In the 18th Century, the wool trade ended and Barnstaple began to import Irish wool which was sent on for manufacture. The harbour silted up (a process which began as early as the 17th century) and trade gradually moved to Bideford although there was local shipping (agricultural) until the 20th century. However, the town still maintained its importance as a market town. It has been represented in Parliament continuously since 1295 (it had 2 representatives until 1885 when representation was reduced to one member). It remains an important business and shopping site and the main town in North Devon.

Delbridge Arms

A name that recurred in the history of the town during the 16th century was John Delbridge. Who was John Delbridge? He was born in Barnstaple. His exact date of birth is unknown; however, he was baptized July 9, 1564. John was the 2nd son of Richard Delbridge, a merchant of Barnstaple, and his wife Alice. 

John was a Puritan, and was educated at Emmanuel College Cambridge (he enrolled July 3, 1604 as a paying student or commoner, not as a scholar), and later entered the Middle Temple in London May 10, 1606. He was married to Agnes Downe of Barnstable on January 10th, 1585. Agnes was the niece of Bishop Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury. They had five sons and three daughters, but only one son and daughter survived John. He became a successful cloth merchant, importing and exporting goods by 1591. He was involved in the Newfoundland fishing trade and was a member of the East India Company (1611-21), the French Company (1611), the Virginia. Company (from 1612 to at least 1623), the North West Passage Company (1612), and the Somers Island Company (from 1615 to at least 1622). He was also a member of the Council for Virginia (1621). Clearly, he was a man of great influence with fingers in many pies.

John was involved in the American colonies, including providing passage for colonists to Virginia and Bermuda. His ship The Swan took 70 new settlers to Virginia in 1620 and all survived the voyage (he was apparently known for well supplied ships, and few deaths). He was an active trader particularly in imported tobacco. Clearly successful, John acquired property in Virginia as well as in England. He owned a house in Barnstaple and by 1632 had an estate at West Buckland (a manor which included an advowson (right to appoint a clergyman to serve that area)) about eight miles from Barnstaple. He also had an estate at Bishop’s Tawton. John became active in politics. His political career includes: working under Robert Cecil (Elizabeth I’s chief minister) in 1602-1606 (dates approximate); serving as Mayor of Barnstaple three times (1600-1, 1615-16, 1633-4). He was elected Member of Parliament for Barnstaple six times (elections in 1614, 1621, 1624, 1625, 1626 and 1628), in which capacity he served on various committees (with his known expertise in trade matters) and was very vocal on a wide range of bills at least occasionally in open defiance of the king’s wishes. (He served with Pentecost Dodderidge, a fellow merchant, at least three times, and Alexander St. John, Knight as well).

Agnes died in May of 1639, and was buried May 15th of 1639. John made his will on May 27th and died June 24, 1639 at his home at Bishop's Tawton, leaving the bulk of his estate to his surviving son Richard, with bequests to other relatives and to the poor. 

Unrest was brewing, leading to the Civil War which erupted in 1642. The events involving the war and its aftermath left John Delbridge in obscurity. I couldn't help but wonder if his Puritan faith and service in Parliament steered the loyalty of his city to the Parliamentary side of the conflict, at least at the start.

This is not by any means a comprehensive history of Barnstaple or of John Delbridge; it does, however, serve to tickle one's fancy to look further into that fascinating town and its people.

Sources:

Holton, Denise and Hammett, Elizabeth. BARNSTAPLE THROUGH TIME. Stroud: Amberley Publishing, 2013. (Kindle Version); SECRET BARNSTAPLE. Stroud: Amberley Publishing, 2015. (Kindle Version)

The History of Parliament on-line. “Delbridge, John (1564-1639) of Barnstaple and Bishop’s Tawton, Devon.” HERE

GoogleBooks. Willis, Browne. NOTITIA PARLIAMENTARIA: Or A History of the Counties, Cities and Boroughs in England and Wales. 2nd Edition with Annotations. London: Robert Gosling, 1730. HERE ; Tudor and Stuart Devon: The Common Estate and Government : Essays Presented to Joyce Youngs. Edited by Todd Gray, Margery M. Rowe, and Audrey M. Erskine. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 1992. HERE

Barnstaple Town Centre on-line. “History.” HERE

A Vision of Britain. “Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Barnstaple” by John Marious Wilson in IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF ENGLAND AND WALES (1870-72). HERE

Cambridge Alumni Database. “Delbridge, John.” HERE

View of Barnstaple taken by Lauren Gilbert (c) Lauren Gilbert

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Alfred the Great HERE

Athelstan HERE

Queen Anne's Walk HERE

Delbridge Arms HERE

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Lauren Gilbert, author of HEYERWOOD: A Novel, is working on her second novel set in Regency England, A RATIONAL ATTACHMENT. She lives in Florida with her husband. Please visit her website HERE.

Exeter Bread Riots 1854 - part 2

by Jenna Dawlish

Last month I posted about the Bread Riots in Exeter in 1854. I posted a transcript from the newspaper the Exeter Flying Post which described the rioting in detail.

The rioting started because many of the poor in the City couldn't afford bread and their anger tipped over into violence.

This month I posted below a transcript the day after the riots when some of those arrested appeared before the Magistrates Court.

Again, this makes interesting reading, not only the amount of detail described by the journalist (something not done today), but also their opinion on some of the accused is blatant.

I hope you enjoy it.

www.jennadawlish.com

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Jan 12^th 1854 Exeter Flying Post

Magisterial Proceedings

On Tuesday morning the County Magistrates met at the castle, and after some consultation,Mr Bere announced that in consequence of Mr Trood having sustained so much injury as to be unable to attend, the prisoners would not be brought before the bench that day, but that the adults would appear before the Bench this (Wednesday) morning, and those who were under 16 years of age, be dealt with summarily on Friday.

On the same morning a number of rioters were bought before the city magistrate at the Guildhall.

The magistrates present were the Mayor, (John Daw Esq.,) H Hooper, R S Corrish, E Woolmer, J C Sercombe, and J D Osborn, Esqrs.

The consequence of the magistrates room not being sufficiently large to accommodate the public, the investigation was taken in the hall below.

Mr Steel stated that there were two of the prisoners- Amelia Perkins and George Brice – against whom cases which could be brought for disturbances in the county, were much stronger than those in the city. He, therefore asked whether they had not better be handed over to the county magistrates.

The Mayor said he would take the other cases before hearing these.

Mr Steel said as many of the parties had but just been apprehended, he proposed to offer sufficient evidence to justify a remand and then ask that they might be remanded.

JOHN LODGE was the first person charged.

PC Moore stated that he saw the prisoner at half past four o'clock on the Friars. There was a great crowd collected together, and he appeared to be one of the leaders. He had a large stick two feet long in his hand, and was calling out “Come on you b----s.” One of the mob threw a stone at the dwelling house of Mr Sercombe, in Colleton-Cresent, and struck the window blind. There were a great number of stones thrown, and he (the policemen) received one in his thigh. He followed the mob, and they went on towards the Quay, prisoner being at their head.

Prisoner: Did you see me with a stick?

Witness: Yes

Prisoner: That is a lie.

Mr Francis Golsworthy, dairyman, of Holloway Street, offered his evidence. He said that he was at the bottom of Holoway Street, at the corner of Lansdowne-Terrace and saw from 200 to 300 people assembled there. The prisoner was among them, and joined in heaving stones at Mr Bodley's window. They completely wrecked Mr Bodley's house inside and out. The shutters were “ripped down” and the mob then commenced throwing stones at the glass upstairs and down. They did not enter the house and he did not see them take anything. They passed up Holloway-Street but he did not follow them. He advised others not to follow them.

The Mayor: You were quite right.

Prisoner: I can take my oath that I was not in Holloway-Street for the day.

Mr Golsworthy: I have not the slightest doubt that I saw you.

Prisoner: Then what dress had I on?

Mr Goldworthy: The same you have on now.

Prisoner: That is a lie, for I had on a good pair of trousers.

In reply to the Mayor, Mr Steel said that the prisoner always dressed in sailor's clothes, but he believed that he had nothing more of the sailor about him than the attire.

The Mayor said that it was clear from the prisoners appearance that he was not a person that had been suffering from want of food, and he must have acted as he had merely from mischief. The case would be remanded till Saturday, as Mr Steel thought he would be able to make it stronger; but at the same time the evidence was perfectly clear, and there was not the slightest doubt that on Saturday he would be committed for trial. His worship also said the public were much indebted to Mr Golsworthy for attending.

MARY ANN HOLMAN, a woman who appeared to suffer much more from excessive impudence than want, was then placed in the dock.

On the witness against her, P.C. Marton, entering the box, she turned to him and told him that she hoped he would tell the truth, as she had witnesses in court who knew all about it. She was afraid there would be a good deal of false swearing in the case.

Martin said that he was on duty in West-street at about quarter-before four o'clock.

Prisoner: I was then in the Lower Market getting some peas soup.

The policeman continued: There were a great many assembled there, about a hundred, and the prisoner was in front calling to the parties who passed the street to join and assist them as they were “determined to get it and would.” There was a great deal of shouting and halloing.

Prisoner: I was not near Westgate from half-past two till five o'clock.

Martin said he was quite positive that she was the person he saw and she was remanded till Saturday.

EMMA FOWLER was then brought up.

The same policeman (Martin) said that he saw her about half-past four in West-Street. A crowd of persons passed up through Preston-Street into the Lower market, and prisoner was in the front, crying out that they would have bread. They went into the Market.

Prisoner – I have not been to the market for three months.

Martin continued. - On coming from the market the parties cried out: “We don't want their old soup; we want bread, and we will have it.” They went on into South-street.

The prisoner was also remanded till Saturday.

The Mayor remarked that she had not the least appearance from want. In reference to the soup he said he had himself dined upon it, and better soup he never had. The only complaint he could make of it was that it was too good and he was obliged to put some water with it. - (Some hisses from the back part of the hall followed this observation)

The next prisoner was bought before the Bench was GEORGE BRICE, a rough looking fellow, apparently fit for any rough sort of work.

Inspector Fulford said he saw the prisoner in Westgate Quarter, with a crowd of other persons between 200 and 300. They went towards the Quay calling that they would have bread, and that there would be a row before the night was over. He afterwards saw him again on the Friars, near Mr Sercombe's house. He tried to disperse them but could not.

Mr Steel having stated that there was a very strong case against this prisoner, which would come under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate, and it appearing that the county officers were waiting to take him in charge, the Mayor ordered him to be given into their custody.

AMELIA PERKINS was dealt with in a similar way.

MARY HOLLOWAY, a denizen of the West Quarter, was then brought up.

Inspector Ellicombe said, about eight o'clock last night, he saw the prisoner and others in West-Street. There were 300 or 400 present. She appeared to be much excited; and called out “I'm – if I will not have it.” He told her that she had better be careful what she said, but she took no notice of the caution. They passed up Preston-Street towards the Lower Market. He afterwards apprehended her at her own house.

Mr Matthew Barrett baker, of the West Quarter, said that at about five o'clock the mob came and broke in his windows. There were 41 squares of glass broken in a minute or two, but there was nothing stolen. About an hour afterwards the prisoner came with four or five others, declaring that they would have bread. He opened the door to give a loaf to a customer, and they attempted to enter the shop, but he prevented them. He told them that they had better go home, but they made no reply. He tried to close the door, but they pushed against it, and broke it from the hinges. A man named Sergeant was there telling them to go in and take the bread. Mr Upright and Mr Brooking passed the door, and he requested them to look after the shop while he went for the police, which they consented to do. He then went to the police station, and returned with Inspector Ellicombe, who apprehended the prisoner at her own house.

The prisoner was also remanded till Saturday.

This was the last case for hearing.

Mr Steel said that he should have to apply for summonses or warrants, but he should do so privately.

The Mayor said that the Bench were determined to put down riots. For the advantage of the poor themselves they would put them down for it was an utter absurdity to think to get cheapter bread by breaking into bakers shops. All riots would be put down by force.

A considerable number of respectable inhabitants attended to be sworn in special constables, and the mayor told them that the citizens were much indebted to them for offering their assistance, for although he would not hesitate for a moment to call out the ,military when necessary, he would prefer that peace should be maintained by the civil force.

His worship observed that the Bench would retire for a few minutes to consider what course had better be taken.

The bench were, accordingly absent about ten minutes. When they returned to the Hall, the Mayor expressed the great satisfaction he felt reporting that the city was perfectly tranquil, and that there was no reason to apprehend any further breakout. He briefly stated the course which had been taken; observing that the military had been sent for, and that the result was most successful; the mob at once went from Exeter to St Thomas. He said that the Bench had come to the determination of dividing the city into districts and again expressing the thanks of the magistrates to those gentlemen who attended to offer themselves as special constables, he assured them that they should not be led against any mob that they were not quite competent to contend with; for if the mob should be too great for hte, he would send for the military at once. He was determined that there should be no rioting in Exeter."

Exeter Bread Riots 1854

by Jenna Dawlish

In 2011 there was rioting in London. It was a year before the Olympics was due to be held and the world watched as people from all classes rioted and looted. There was much discussion as to why it happened (the shooting dead of a young man by the police was the principle initiating reason).

However, it soon became clear that there was an underlying reason for the rioting, and that there were other soci-economic reasons. Young people were fed up of lack of prospects and money and this spilled onto streets.

Rewind about 150 years previously, to a small Devon town called Exeter. It's 1854 and the lower classes - known as the "underclass" are tired and fed up of the price of food going higher and higher. They end up rioting in much the same way as the Londoners.

I have transcribed the following from the newspaper the Exeter Flying Post. It describes the riots and the authorities' reaction to it. There was much discussion in 2011 about whether or not to bring the army onto the streets to deal with the riots. In 1854 they didn't hesitate!

The journalistic writing is very different to now - they give a full description that would be unheard of today, but it gives us a great insight into what happened. I hope you find it interesting.

Jan 12^th 1854 Exeter Flying Post

Riot at Exeter

A serious disturbance took place in this city on Monday. At about three o'clock in the afternoon a number of persons, consisting principally of women and children, but also comprising a great many men of that degraded class who have the credit, perhaps deservedly, or always being “up for a breach of the peace” when occasion serves, assembled in the West Quarter. They proceeded to the Lower Market, and from thence up <something> street and across South Street to the Cathedral Yard, the number increasing as they passed. There they commenced the work of destruction, the shop of Mr Barrett, baker, the windows of which were smashed, forming the first object of their attack.

Proceeding across the yard they passed up Catherine street, but here they did no damage. The shopkeepers, hearing of the disturbance which had commenced, put up their shutters. The police were also promptly on the spot and from fear of the civil force, whose efforts to keep the peace were most indefatigable, or some other cause, the mob saw fit to change their course, and direct their attention to other parts of the city. They accordingly passed back into South street, and soon after their appearance the shops were closed from end to end. At Mr Norton's the confectioner, a considerable quantity of glass was broken. The shutters had been put up with the expectation of those on the door, the glass in which was completely smashed. Several panes were also broken at Mrs Reed's.

Passing a long the Friars, and by Colleton Crescent they broke a window in Mr J C Sercombe's residence, form whence they went to the Quay, where the windows of Mr Sercombe's stores also suffered. The mob next passed on towards Holloway street. In Melbourne street a hucksters shop was plundered of its bacon , and permitted a freer access of light by the breaking of its windows. The shopkeeper, who is a cripple, could do nothing to prevent the depredation, and his wife, however much help meet, could not afford help enough for so extraordinary an emergency. The shop of Mr Bodley, baker at the bottom of Holloway street was completely devastated. The shutters were pulled down,and this having been accomplished, the mob commences throwing stones, and did not cease till the window had been altogether destroyed. A looking-glass and a watch were also broken by the stones, but nothing, we believe was taken. Passing up Holloway street the mob returned to the West Quarter, where the shop of Mr Barrett, was treated with similar severity. There were then between 200 and 300 persons assembled. The shutters here were also pulled down and broken, and the windows demolished, 41 panes of glass being destroyed. The shop of Mr Clapp, the the West Quarter, also received a visit ad 67 panes of glass were knocked to pieces.

The crowd thence passed on to the Bridge, and bent their fury on the shop of Mr Dann, the baker, of Bridge Street. Here the demolition was complete. The shutters, as in other instances, had been put up as a means of greater security; but they formed but a little obstacle. They were soon removed, the glass destroyed, and the sash broken in. A quantity of bread was also stolen, a great proportion of of the remainder thrown down and trodden on. Happily, Mr Dann's so had the presence of mind to carry off the money drawer, containing upwards of £40, which would no doubt have been rifled had it been left in the shop. While, however, he was doing this, he was exposed to a great danger, for large stones were constantly being thrown at him. The windows of the upstair rooms also sustained great damage. One or two looking glasses were broken, and a considerable quantity of furniture was much injured. 

The parties then proceeded into St Thomas.

There would no doubt have been a much greater destruction of property in the city, had it not been that the Mayor, with the most commendable promptitude, requested the service of the military, in consequence of which a detachment of the Third Light Dragoons was despatched at once from the Barracks to the scene of the disturbance. Unfortunately there was not at the moment a county a magistrate at hand, and they were therefore unable to pass the city bounds and quell the rioters there. A messenger was despatched for Mr Commissioner Bere who hastened to the spot; but in the mean time a great deal of damage was done. Mr Bickford, baker, has 30 panes of glass destroyed, and there were also a few things taken, but not of value; but the scene of the greatest destruction was the shop of Mr Dimond, baker, of Cowick street, which was attacked, by the mob with the greatest possible furor and amidst mingled shouting and yelling. The rioters were here engaged nearly half an hour. The shop door was shattered, and the window shutters having been pulled down, every pane of glass was smashed. A clock was broken, and also a large and expensive mirror. The stones passed through a window between the shop and an inner room; the sash of which was completely destroyed. The bread was also stolen; two or three boys got inside and threw it out to those who were in the street; a quantity of butter was taken, and those who felt so disposed helped themselves to preserves. Within, Mr Dimonds, and his family having been taking tea, the tea things were on the table; a woman came in, took took them up and threw them on the ground, breaking them to atoms. A looking glass was also taken from the mantle piece and dashed to pieces, Large stones were thrown through the windows of the upstairs rooms, and the furniture was greatly damaged. At the house of Mr Kay, in the same street, there was some damage done, and at Mr Norris's there were 42 panes of glass broken and the articles in the shop which were but little, the parties being poor, were taken. At Mr Will's the door having been opened, several of the party entered, and carried off bread; but not content with this, they hurled stones at the windows of the upstairs rooms on coming out.

On the arrival of Mr Bere, the Military having been requested to pass into St Thomas's the greater part of the crowd soon dispersed and dividing into various sections passed on by different roads.

The great went to Ide and Alphington, and thence to Mr Trood's. At Ide they did some mischief. At Alphington, which they reached about six o'clock, they attacked the shop of Mrs Tripe, baker. Notice having been received of their approach, the money and bread had been removed but the glass was demolished, and everything they could get was taken. They then went to Mr Wright's where the shutters were broken open and a quantity of bread was stolen. Some proposed to pass onto Mr Jones's huckster's-shop but others cried “no” and the counsels of the latter prevailing Mr Jones was permitted to keep his own in peace. A number of the most boisterous cried out “Let's go to old Troods; he shall suffer tonight,” and accordingly in that direction the party moved. On the way a few passed inside the gate of Mr Pitt, farmer of Matford; but the premises of Mr Trood appeared to possess a greater attraction for the mob; and at the suggestion of the one or two of the party Mr Pitt was left alone. Others appeared disposed to pay a passing call on Mrs Mallett, miller of Matford; but the idea of Mr Trood's premsises in the distance also served as a safeguard to Mrs Mallett. One or two called “on to Trood's” and the premises of the worthy miller were forsaken. Arrived at Exminster, the fury of the party knew no bounds. The gates of the yard were shut, but they burst them open and at once commenced their old work of glass smashing. They then effected an entrance into the house and ransacked all of the downstairs rooms. In the kitchen they broke the clock and demolished the earthenware. They also stole some silver spoons and seized on what meat they could lay hold of. Some proceeded to the cider cellar, where they partook to their hearts content, and let off a quantity – we heard two pipes – besides. Meantime Mr Bere, having having passed on with the soldiery to Alphington , ascertained the damage that had been there some and that the party had gone to Mr Troods. He accordingly passed on in an haste accompanied by the soldiery. The house was at once surrounded, but nevertheless some effected their escape, passing under the bellies of the horses and the soldiers had to use the flat end of their sword to prevent. Sixteen were taken to Exeter by soldiers and a search having been made after their departure nine more were found secreted and also taken to the county gaol. We regret to state that Mr Trood was to some extent injured but it is hoped that he will be sufficiently well to give evidence this (Wednesday) morning at the castle.

In the city the most active look out was kept by the police in various parts.; and by the end of a detachment of the military force who were headed by the Mayor, the lower part of the city was cleared. The soldiers were then drawn up in form of the Guildhall, and at about seven o'clock, perfect tranquillity having been restored, a portion of them were dismissed to the barracks. A picket only was kept, under the command of two non-commissioned officers; and they were relieved from time to time till morning when it was thought that their services were no longer necessary.

The energetic conduct of the authorities of the city and especially of the Mayor is deserving of all praise. There can be no doubt that it has saved the city form great destruction of property and perhaps from much injury to persons. The prompt exertions of Mr Bere are equally commendable; and the citizens are also deeply indebted to the excellent Superintendent of Police (Mr Steel) for his judicious arrangement of the force, and to the members of that body for their ready and untiring exertions for the restoration of peace.

About 9 o'clock on Monday night, an order was received by Mr Wolland, at the steam saw and turning mills, for 300 staves for the use of the special constables, and these were supplied before daylight the next morning.

The following notices from the Mayor were circulated through the city early on Tuesday morning -

“Exeter – The Mayor requests respectable Inhabitants forthwith to attend at the Guildhall, to assist in preserving the peace of the City. John Daw, Mayor

Exeter Jan 9^th 1854

Bread Riots – Some Riots having already taken place in this City in consequence of the high price of Bread, the Mayor and Magistrates of Exeter give notice, that they shall use the most vigorous measures to preserve the public peace, and to punish all who shall commit any breach of the same;and they call upon all the Inhabitants of Exeter and the neighbourhood, and particularly on all Masters and Heads of families, to afford their active and best assistance in maintaining in the public tranquillity and putting down all tendency to riot and disorder.

Guildhall, Exeter Jan 9^th 1854. JOHN DAW, Mayor.”

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Jenna Dawlish is the author of two Victorian novels partly based in Devon.

www.jennadawlish.com

Coppinger the Dane

Coppinger is a name well known in North Devon and Cornwall, as he has become a folk legend. His name is sometimes spelt "Copinger".

He was believed to be a Danish man, the skipper and only survivor of a ship wreck off the coast of Hartland around 1792-3.  He went on to marry a local girl Dinah Hamlyn and from her parent's home began a career of smuggling and piracy with his gang of thugs.

He was reputed to be a bully and would regularly threaten to beat his wife in order to get his wife's family to do his bidding. It is no wonder then that he became known as "Cruel Coppinger".

"Will you hear of Cruel Coppinger
He came from a foreign land;
He was brought to us by the salt water,
He was carried away by the wind!"

His gang were just as bad and are said to have beheaded a revenue officer in order to scare them away from their smuggling activity on the coast in their infamous ship called Black Prince. He is also said to have controlled large areas and paths by the coast. These became known as "Coppinger's Tracks" of which one led to the edge of a 300 foot cliff. Below was a cave "Coppinger's Cave" only reachable by a rope ladder.

It is said that eventually the Revenue Officers could no longer ignore the activities of Coppinger and his men, and knowing that he could no longer continue, he escaped them in a boat and was never seen again. His final fate is unknown. "He was carried away by the wind!"

It is uncertain how much of what was written about him is real or just folklore, and it is believed that some of the things said about him were the amalgamation of two men who were active in smuggling and piracy around that time.

Of course, folk legends often become the subject of folk songs, and this one below, written by Devon folk artist Seth Lakeman is all about Coppinger and sums up much of what is said about the man. I hope you like it.

Jenna Dawlish

Jenna Dawlish is the author of two Victorian novels partly set in Devon.

Sir Francis Drake and the African Slaves, by Tim Vicary

As a boy, growing up in Devon, I was taught that Francis Drake and John Hawkins were great Elizabethan heroes.  Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world, to return with untold riches and be knighted by Queen Elizabeth on the deck of his ship, the Golden Hind; Hawkins was the founder of the Royal Navy, the man who designed and built the fast, weatherly galleons which sailed rings around the Spanish Armada.

These men were pioneers, adventurers, founders of the British Empire. Everything they did seemed admirable. They had saved the nation once; if England were ever in danger of invasion again all we had to do was to sound Drake’s Drum (which was hidden somewhere in Plymouth) and like King Arthur, he would rise from the dead and sail back to our rescue. As schoolboys, we basked in the reflected glory of these men. The symbol for the county of Devon was an Elizabethan galleon – Drake’s ship - sailing proudly across a blue sea.

It’s different today. Look up Devon County Council on the web and what do you find? No ship – just a logo of two green leaves. Terrific. (So Devon has trees and the rest of England does not?) But it’s a sign of the times. The environment is fashionable, the British Empire is no longer something to be proud of. 

Do today’s school children learn much about Francis Drake and John Hawkins? I wonder. If they do, I’m sure they are taught a different version of British history differently to the one I learned; and to an extent, that’s quite right. For Sir Francis Drake was not just a hero; he was also a pirate and a thief. He was licensed by the Queen to steal, burn and destroy Spanish ships and colonies in the New World. He was as feared and hated by the Spanish just as much as the Vikings once were by English monks, or Somali pirates are by sailors today.  

So what about his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, the founder of the British Navy, the man who built Queen Elizabeth’s galleons to defend us against the Spanish Armada? Surely he was no pirate; he was a respectable merchant, a shipowner,  a businessman, a senior civil servant.

Well, yes. He was all of those things. But he was a slave trader too. That’s where much of his wealth came from.

Oh dear. If there’s one thing that’s really really bad about the British Empire, that has be it: the slave trade. African prisoners torn from their homes, chained and packed like sardines into the stinking holds of wooden ships for month-long voyages across the heaving Atlantic. Then poked and prodded, naked and trembling, in a marketplace where they stood waiting to be sold.

Everyone knows this. I’m sure if there’s one thing that British school children DO learn about in their history lessons it’s the slave trade. And quite right too. It was horrible. It was also one of the greatest forced migrations in history. It’s because of the slave trade that British and American classrooms today don’t just contain white children who can identify with men like Drake and Hawkins, but also black children whose African ancestors were enslaved by men just like them.

You might think John Hawkins was ashamed of being a slave trader, but he wasn’t. Not at all. After all he hadn’t started it; the Portuguese were selling slaves long before him; they regarded the whole of the west African seaboard as exclusively their own, granted to them by the Pope. They sold slaves across the Atlantic to Spanish colonists in New Spain, the part of the New World the Pope had granted exclusively to them. Hawkins was just trying to get some of this commerce for himself, in the spirit of free trade. He made three slave-trading voyages, and he was so successful that he commissioned a coat of arms, proudly featuring – of all things – a black man bound with a rope.

Not very politically correct. Not the sort of public relations we can celebrate in our schools today, where racism is rightly regarded with anathema. And it wasn’t just John Hawkins who was involved with this; his young cousin Francis Drake sailed with him too, on the third and most troublesome of his three slaving voyages.

Clearly, these men were no angels. They were slave-traders, pirates, thieves – how can we possibly regard them as heroes? Surely we should just condemn them outright; and say there was nothing good about their lives at all?

 Well, perhaps. But perhaps not. These men, like most historical figures, were more complex than they first appear.

John Hawkins was both a slave trader AND the Treasurer of Queen Elizabeth’s Navy. He was the man who commissioned and built the ships which defeated the Spanish Armada. And by doing that, he saved many English men from becoming slaves themselves, bound for years to an oar in a Spanish galley, or being burned alive by the Inquisition at an Auto-da-Fe.

Francis Drake was both a pirate AND a great explorer, consummate navigator, circumnavigator of the world. He, like Hawkins, saved England from invasion by Spain.

But the life of Francis Drake also shows us something else. Astonishingly, it seems that it was possible to be both a slave trader AND the friend of escaped African slaves!

Here is the evidence. In 1567 the young Francis Drake sailed to Sierra Leone in a fleet commanded by his cousin, John Hawkins. Here they bought, stole and captured some 500 African slaves which they transported to the Spanish Main and sold to Spanish colonists. But although the colonists were happy to buy the slaves, they were less happy about the vendor; their King, Philip of Spain, had made it very clear that English and French merchants should be kept out of his New World Empire, and treated as pirates.

So when Hawkins’s fleet was caught in a hurricane, and forced to seek shelter in the Spanish port of San Juan de Ulloa, he knew he was in trouble. While he was there, repairing his ships, the new Viceroy arrived from Spain with a fleet of 13 ships. At first, Hawkins negotiated an uneasy truce with the Viceroy: hostages were exchanged, and the Spanish fleet entered the harbor, mooring a short distance from the English. But the Spanish Viceroy had no intention of doing deals with a pirate. The truce was broken, and after a fierce battle most the English ships were sunk or captured. Hawkins escaped in one ship, Drake in another. Hawkins’s ship, the Minion, was so overcrowded with sailors from his other ships that he was forced to maroon several hundred men on land, where they were taken prisoner by the Spanish. When the Minion eventually reached England, only 15 men were still alive on board.

This incident made it crystal clear, as the Spanish Viceroy intended, that there was no possibility of English merchants trading with the Spanish colonists. Over the next few years Hawkins tried to negotiate with Spain for the return of his imprisoned sailors, even pretending, at times, that he was a Catholic. But Francis Drake took a more direct method. Since it was no longer possible to trade with the Spanish colonists, he decided to raid them instead. He set out to steal the gold and silver from the mines of South America which made the Spanish king so rich.

Francis Drake was very successful at this. In fact, he became one of the most successful pirates in all history. Historians estimate that each shareholder in his voyage of circumnavigation round the world made a profit of £47 for each £1 they invested. Queen Elizabeth got more money from that one pirate ship, than all other Exchequer receipts for a year.

But Francis Drake couldn’t have done all this on his own. Many of his most successful raids were due to some very important allies – the Cimarrons. These Cimarrons were escaped African slaves; people exactly like those whom he and John Hawkins had captured in Sierra Leone. Some of them may have actually travelled in Hawkins’s ships. But a lot of the Africans who were sold as slaves to the colonists had escaped. So many of them escaped, in fact, that they became a major threat to the Spanish colonists – just as big a threat as the English and French pirates. But unlike the pirates, the Cimarrons didn’t want gold and silver; they didn’t have much use for it.  They wanted freedom, and revenge, and the ability to defeat their Spanish masters.

All the accounts suggest that Francis Drake got on really well with these people. In a famous raid in Panama Drake presented the Cimarron leader, Pedro, with a gold encrusted scimitar which had previously belonged to Henry II, king of France. A true pirate’s sword! His Cimarron allies also took him to a hilltop in Panama, and showed him a famous tree. They climbed this tree with Francis Drake and his friend, John Oxenham, and showed them a marvelous sight: the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific to the west. It was this vision which inspired Drake’s later voyage round Cape Horn.

Some of these Africans liked Drake so much that they even chose to sail with him. As the wounded Drake was getting back into his pinnace after a raid on Nombre de Dios in 1573, a black man called out to him from the shore: ‘Are you Francis Drake? Then I am coming with you!’ This man, an escaped African slave called Diego, became one of Drake’s longest-serving seamen, and stayed with him until he died on the Golden Hind’s round-the-world voyage six years later. And in 1586, at the siege of Santo Domingo, Drake sent a different black servant to receive a Spanish officer who carried a flag of truce. When the Spaniard, apparently insulted by this, callously ran the black man through with his sword, Drake was so incensed that he insisted that the Spanish hanged their own officer before any further negotiations took place.

So perhaps, even though he was once a slave-trader, we can exonerate Drake from the modern slur of racism. Slavery, after all, was common in the sixteenth century, and not necessarily linked to race. Thousands of slaves were chained to the oars of the galleys on both sides, Spanish and Turkish, at the battle of Lepanto; that was how Mediterranean sea-battles were fought. Moorish sailors from North Africa raided the coasts of Cornwall and southern Ireland for slaves to sell in the markets of Constantinople. For sailors and people who lived near the coast, slavery was an unfortunate hazard of life. It could happen at any time, out of the blue, and transform a person’s life forever.

For someone writing a historical novel about Drake and Hawkins today, what does all this mean? Surely the story can’t, or shouldn’t, be only about the heroic English sailors, as books were when I was young. John Hawkins’s third slave-trading voyage transformed the lives of hundreds of unlucky Africans – more Africans, probably, than there were English sailors on his ships. So in a novel about these events, surely the Africans should have a prominent place too. What was life like for them, as well as for the English sailors who captured them?

In my book, Nobody’s Slave, I try to imagine what this may have been like. Nobody’s Slave is the story of two teenage boys, one African, one English, whose lives collide on John Hawkins’s third slave-trading voyage. I have tried to write an adventure story which, I hope, can be read by anyone, white or black, as part of our shared and troublesome history. It’s a work of fiction, but all the main events really happened; they are based on original sources, and as true and accurate as I can make them.

Sources:  Much of the original source material can be found in The Principal Navigations Voyages Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, by Richard Hakluyt. Hawkins’ own account of his voyage (written and approved by John Sparke, who sailed with him) is in Volume 7; two other very colorful accounts, by Miles Philips and Job Hortob, both of whom sailed with Hawkins and were captured by the Spanish, are in Volume 6.

Links: Amazon US

Amazon UK

Tim’s website

Honiton Pottery

Last month I posted about lace making in the small Devon town of Honiton. This month I am looking at the same town, but different trade - that of pottery.

Honiton is a small market town in the county of Devon. It's on the main road between London and Exeter and therefore was the ideal place for trade before motorways.

Pottery has been made in Honiton for hundreds of years, but it's only the last 70 or so years that it's become famous.

In 1918, Charles Collard, set up his studio on the high street. He was already well known in pottery circles having worked at in Poole, Dorset, another famous pottery town.

Charles Collard worked with his daughter Joan to produce distintive pottery which was exported around the world. Here are some examples of the best known style:

Other styles were also made:

Due to ill health Charles sold the pottery in 1947. But Honiton Pottery continued trading until 1997 when it was sold to Dartmouth Pottery, another famous Devon pottery workshop.

Honiton Pottery Collectors have put together this You Tube video showcasing more of the pottery here.



Jenna Dawlish
www.jennadawlish.com

Honiton Lace

by Jenna Dawlish

Honiton is a small market town in the eastern part of Devon. Just a 20 minute drive outside Exeter, it is most famous for being the historic base of lace-making which dates back to the 16th Century.

Map of major towns in Devon

Lace was made in and around this area for centuries by women for just a few pence a day - by Victorian times a woman could get about 5p a day for her work. Many women would work from dusk to dawn on their pieces. Usually women worked in their home, would complete a piece of lace and take it to a local trader who would then have them sewn together and then sold as a larger piece. A lace-maker could usually produce about an inch square of lace every day.

Although Honiton Lace was the name, the work could come from surrounding towns and villages: Branscombe, Axminster, Beer etc. It became known as Honiton Lace because that is where the merchants who sold the lace to traders were based. Often the work would be sold to wealthy ladies in London. Honiton Lace had a reputation of being one of the best in Britain.

Honiton Lace's most famous customer was Queen Victoria, who demanded her wedding veil was made of it. She also ordered a lace trim for her eldest child's Christening gown which was also used for her other children. Princess Diana also had a small amount of Honiton Lace on her wedding dress in 1981.

Queen Victoria in her wedding dress

The lace was often used for handkerchiefs, for dresses, table decorations, but very often for veils. Not all lace was white - plenty of black lace was made for mourning garments.

Today there is a small museum in Honiton that has a large display of lace. 

All Hallows Museum, Honiton contains a large amount of Honiton lace.

There are still lace-makers in Honiton, though most of the workers do it for pleasure, but there is a strong drive to pass on the lace-making skills so that the skill is not lost forever. 

Tom Faggus - a Devon Highwayman

Tom Faggus is a 17th Century Highwayman who is recalled in Devon with great fondness. He was a Robin Hood-like figure, who evaded capture for a long time, and became something of a hero in his time.

Tom Faggus

In his younger days, he was a blacksmith in North Devon and was so skilled he won an award for his craftmanship at the North Devon Show.

However, later on he got into a legal brawl with a local wealthy family - the Bampflydes. He lost everything, including the girl he was due to marry. Her father refused to allow the marriage to go ahead.

So what was a man to do? He turned to highway robbery and was very successful straight away. However, he set himself apart from other robbers by treating his victim with great courtesy and was not violent unlike others. He also notably only stole from very the wealthy and left poorer folk alone and was known to be generous to the poor.

Many traps were set to try and catch him, but he evaded capture with the help of his horse - a strawberry roan mare called Winnie who would come to his aid when he whistled.

A Strawberry Roan

One time a group of vigilantes gathered to lay wait for him. Tom, realising that they dithered and were unsure who he was, asked the amateurs who they were waiting for. They told him about the famous highwayman and allowed him to join them. Tom inspected their firearms and told them to discharge their weapons because the gunpowder was damp. They did this, and Tom duly robbed them of their purses.

One of Tom's victims was Sir Richard Bampfylde, the man who had left him destitute. However, Tom returned Sir Richard's money to him saying that it was not customary for one robber to steal from another.

Eventually Tom was captured by a trap set for him. In a tavern, a constable dressed as a beggar was offered a drink by Tom. The beggar knocked Tom to the ground and bound him. Tom tried to whistle for Winnie, but the horse had been killed in the stable. It is thought Tom was hanged, but no record of his execution has been found. He was immortalised in R D Blackmore's book "Lorna Doone" as a character who married Jan Ridd's sister and who obtained a pardon from King James II.

Jenna Dawlish

www.jennadawlish.com