Devonshire Characters and Strange Events

by Sabine Baring-Gould

MARIA FOOTE, AFTERWARDS COUNTESS OF HARRINGTON, AS MARIA DARLINGTON IN THE FARCE OF "A ROWLAND FOR AN OLIVER" (1824)

DEVONSHIRE
CHARACTERS

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

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

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

Terence, Adelphi (Act IV).

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

PLYMOUTH: WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LIMITED, PRINTERS

CONTENTS
 

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

ILLUSTRATIONS

Maria Foote, afterwards Countess of Harrington From an engraving by Thomas Lupton, after a picture by G. Clint, A.R.A.	Frontispiece
to face page
Hugh Stafford From the original painting in the collection of the Earl of Iddesleigh	2
The Roasted Exciseman, or the Jack Boot's Exit From an old print	4
The Tyburn Interview: a New Song By a Cyder Merchant, of South-Ham, Devonshire. Dedicated to Jack Ketch	8
The Misses Durnford. The Alphington Ponies From a lithograph	16
The Misses Durnford. The Alphington Ponies (Back View) Lithographed by P. Gauci. Pub. Ed. Cockrem	18
Maria Foote, afterwards Countess of Harrington From an engraved portrait in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.	22
Caraboo, Princess of Javasu, alias Mary Baker From an engraving by Henry Meyer, after a picture by E. Bird	36
Mary Wilcocks, of Witheridge, Devonshire, alias Caraboo Drawn and engraved by N. Branwhite	44
Arscott of Tetcott From the picture by J. Northcote, R.A.	48
Old Tetcott House	54
Mariann Voaden, Bratton	74
Mariann Voaden's Cottage, Bratton	74
A Village "Wise Man"	78
Manly Peeke in his Encounter with Three Adversaries Armed with Rapiers and Poignards	90
James Wyat, ætat. 40 Reproduced from the frontispiece to The Life and Surprizing Adventures of James Wyatt, Written by Himself, 1755	108
Rev. W. Davy From an engraving by R. Cooper, after a picture by Wm. Sharland	124
Slanning's Oak From an oil painting by A. B. Collier, 1855	188
Frontispiece to "The Bloudie Booke; or the Tragical End of Sir John Fitz"	192
Lady Howard	194
Bidlake	212
Thomas D'Urfey From an engraving by G. Virtue, after a picture by E. Gouge	238
Frontispiece to "A True Relation of an Apparition," etc., by James Oxenham	248
John Rattenbury, of Beer, Devonshire, "The Rob Roy of the West" From a lithograph	302
Edward Capern, the Postman-Poet of Devonshire From a painting by William Widgery, in the Free Library, Bideford	326
Charles Medyett Goodridge in his Seal-skin Dress	332
Richard Parker From a drawing by Bailey	356
B. Kennicott, S.T.P. From the portrait at Exeter College, Oxford	370
Captain Avery and his Crew taking one of the Great Moguls From a drawing by Wm. Jeit	376
Joanna Southcott Drawn from life by Wm. Sharp	390
Silver Pap-boat prepared for the Coming of Shiloh, presented to Joanna Southcott in June, 1814 From the original in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.	402
Crib presented to Joanna Southcott in Anticipation of the Birth of the Shiloh by Believers in her Divine Mission as "A Goodwill Offering by Faith to the Promised Seed" Reproduced from the original print in the collection of A. M. Broadley, Esq.	402
Mr. Gay From an old print	414
The Grammar School, Barnstaple, where Gay was Educated	416
Gay's Chair	422
Bampfylde Moore Carew, "King of the Beggars'" From an engraving by Maddocks	426
W. Gifford From an engraving by R. H. Cromek, after a picture by I. Hoppner, R.A.	436
B. R. Haydon From a drawing by David Wilkie	458
Captain Cooke, 1824, aged 58 Drawn, from nature, on the stone by N. Whittock	478
The Noted John Cooke of Exeter, Captain of the Sheriff'sTroop at Seventy-four Assizes for the County of Devon From a lithograph by Geo. Rowe	482
Thomas Savery	488
Sketch of Newcomen's House, Lower Street, Dartmouth, before it was demolished	494
The Chimney-piece at which Newcomen sat when he Invented the Steam Engine	494
The Steam Engine, near Dudley Castle. Invented by Capt. Savery and Mr. Newcomen. Erected by ye later, 1712 From a drawing by Barney. Reproduced by kind permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.	496
Andrew Brice, Printer Reproduced by kind permission from a print in the possession of Dr. Brushfield	502
The Wrestling Champion of England, Abraham Cann From a drawing	518
Rev. John Russell Reproduced by permission of the Editor of Bailey's Magazine	530
The Rev. John Russell's Port-wine Glass, Chamberlain Worcester Breakfast Service, and Barometer Purchased at the sale of his effects in 1883 by Mrs. Arnull and presented by her to Mr. John Lane, in whose possession they now are	558
Samuel Prout From a drawing in the possession of Samuel Gillespie Prout, Esq.	564
William Cookworthy of Plymouth From the original portrait by Opie in the possession of Edward Harrison, Esq., of Watford	600
Mr. Jackson, the Celebrated Composer From an engraving after J. Walker	608
Lord Ashburton From an engraving by F. Bartolozzi, after a picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds	618
Horrid Massacre at Dartmoor Prison, England From an old print	648
Plan of Dartmoor Prison	650
North Wyke	710
Dr. Wolcot	738
Dr. John W. Budd From a photograph by his brother Dr. Richard Budd, of Barnstaple	754
Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Chichester, Bart.	772