Price 50p

No. 38

Summer 2011 Journal of the Ottery St. Mary Heritage Society Including... FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Members had a rare treat awaiting contain ALL the reports and them when they arrived at the documentation. This means you Institute for the group’s May can scrutinise everything meeting. A packed audience were beforehand. transported back to the time when traditional Romany wagons At the meeting itself, committee evolved into some of the most executives will answer any questions on their reports, followed Ottery turns out in 1569 advanced, ornate, decorative and highly colourful means of by the election of Trustees for the horsedrawn transport ever seen. coming year plus AOB. All this They were prized for their should take little more than 15 practicality as well as aesthetic minutes. It’s worth a try! design. Members are asked to be in their Guest speaker, Brian Phelps, first seats ready for a prompt 7.30pm charmed everyone with amusing start. anecdotes of how he was Thanks to all members and guests introduced to the art of modelling who support our monthly Ottery’s Literary connections - the these Romany ‘vardos’ in their meetings, and importantly those full story several design variations. The who help to set out the room, accuracy and attention to detail in assist with refreshments, and put the samples he brought along were everything away at the end. truly amazing. Finally, a word about our ongoing For our June meeting, we shall negotiations to lease part of the welcome back Sue Andrews whose redundant public toilets beneath subject this time will be ‘The the public library at Flexton. The Green Men of Ottery’. idea is to convert the room for use The talk will be preceded by a as a ‘records office’ in which to short AGM – your attention is store our growing collection of Iron made in Ottery - are our local local artefacts, documents and resources ignored? drawn to the word ‘short’. In an attempt to speed up the collectibles, together with our ...plus Letters, What’s on, Talaton’s war proceedings (which I’m sure will memorial pursued, and drinking from a meet with everyone’s approval) the Letters, articles or any other Goose’s Egg... usual paperwork you receive in submissions to the Journal can be emailed to advance of the AGM will this time www.otteryheritage.org.uk [email protected]

1 Editorial Forthcoming Events Unless otherwise noted, all the Society's meetings are The end of local history? held in the Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St. Mary. The Heritage Society enjoys continuing success in providing ongoing events of a broadly educational nature to • 21st June 2011 (Tuesday) 7.30 pm members and their guests. Everything appears to be AGM plus The Green Men of Ottery running very nicely, I think you would agree. This is all set Speaker: Sue Andrews to change. The notes from the chairman follow a familiar • 19th July 2011 (Tuesday) 7.30 pm theme in asking for people to consider giving up a little of Green Lanes of East Devon and beyond their time to help run the Society, but this time there is a Speaker: Valerie Belsey deadline, after which there will no longer be a functioning • 20th September 2011 (Tuesday) 7.30 pm committee, and without that there will be very little in the way of activities and services for members. So the clock is In the Footsteps of Peter Orlando Hutchinson Speaker: Philippe Planel ticking, and you are urged to consider how this problem can be solved, other than suggesting that someone else • 18th October 2011 (Tuesday) 7.30 pm would probably do a better job than you. It’s not true - you Woodbury Castle - The Hill Fort ARE the best person to serve on the committee - it goes Speaker: Bungy Williams without saying. • 22nd October 2011 (Sat.) 12.30pm for 1pm Easily missed Coleridge Anniversary Lunch Guest Speaker: Chris Wakefield Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is, almost (see advert on page 3) on our doorstep, a Saxon village complete with wattle and • 15th November 2011(Tuesday) 7.30 pm thatch houses, and people using pole lathes, people making Bells and Bellringing bows and arrows, or furniture in green wood, or smelting Speaker: Dr Ian Campbell iron (see page 8) - all the things you could want for an active visit to the past. This resource will probably be 2012 familiar to local schools but it had certainly escaped my • 10th January 2012 attention, in spite of it being in existence for some years Thackeray & Larkbeare (Tuesday) 7.30 pm already. I discovered it by chance, in a round-about way Speaker: Betty Williams because of the iron ore I found on the Ottery skatepark site. • 21st February 2012 An Insight into A La Ronde It served as a timely reminder to keep tabs on what’s going Speaker: Salli Carr-Griffin on locally - and if you think you might be partial to a little • 20th March 2012 experimental archaeology, then Escot Education (www.escoteducation.blogspot.com) is a good place to Landscape and History Speaker: Chris Wakefield start. Chris Wakefield Heritage Society Trustees Hon Chairman Robert Neal 813686 Hon Secretary Chris Saunders 812962 From the Chairman (cont from p1) Hon Treasurer Jim Woolley 812176 Hazel Abley heritage reference library. This will mean they can be Vaughan Glanville* 812628 John Pilsworth 812737 made accessible for public scrutiny. The project has Chris Wakefield 815262 been put on hold pending contamination reports and Betty Williams 814044 planning consent for change of use. Let’s hope our Oliver Wilson 813021 Co-opted members problems will soon be sorted. Membership Sec. Judy Mullinger 813019 Meetings Secretary Sylvia Wainwright 813041 ‘Floreat Ottregia’ Articles or letters can be emailed to the Journal at [email protected] www.otteryheritage.org.uk Robert Neal *pending until AGM of 2011

2 Letters

Coleridge at Home - him?). He was also a fine organist Dear Chris with a similar dubious claim! problem solved I was interested to see the photo Anyway, I recall that his generosity taken in Coleridge Cottage in this alternated with visits to churches months newsletter. The man in the with bell practice and my crawling picture is not my father, Alwyne round the dusty backs of various Coleridge but his brother Nicholas old organs looking for some note who was at that time vicar of that had fallen off, or pumping Tatworth near Chard. The photo was taken in 1972 during bellows, and that after a two hour celebrations to mark the 200th bus journey Afterwards he would anniversary of STCs birth. treat me to a cream tea. My Incidentally the poem he is reading greatest reward however, was being is Frost at Midnight. He later Dear Chris invited to be the Best Man on his preached at Ottery church. marriage to my dear Aunt Denise I believe the photograph on page 4 who survives him - a compliment I STC had nine great grandchildren of the Spring 2011 Journal is of my have never forgotten. and many great great grand much loved, respected and missed children and beyond, so there are uncle, the Reverend Nicholas He will always be remembered by several direct descendants about, Francis Domville Coleridge, lately me, and probably by his quite a few of us still in East vicar of Tatworth, who sadly died parishioners, for his terrific sense of Devon. on 10th July 1976 aged 49. There is humour and mischievousness. kind regards a clue in the suggestion of a There are many, many anecdotes, cassock, the garment not quite but one fit for publication was covering his clerical collar when when he was asked to play at a seated and, the date given in your wedding, at short notice, in a article ‘Coleridge at Home’ . church near Newton Abbot, where he was curate. He took me along You will be aware that his father, and put me in the choir. The bride my grandfather, the Reverend was late, the groom was in tears Gerard Hartley Buchanan and the father of the groom was Coleridge (1882-1945), lately vicar pacing up and down. My Uncle, The Ottery St Mary Heritage Society of Cornwood, instigated the public subscription of funds for the without muse or ceremony, started ANNIVERSARY purchase of Coleridge Cottage (a to over play his organ voluntary LUNCH former public house) for the with snatches of Glen Miller and in celebration of the birth of benefit of the nation. Gilbert and Sullivan. The groom's Samuel Taylor Coleridge father sat down and his son Poet & Philosopher Nicholas Coleridge was just eleven stopped crying and, a hush fell at the years older than me and was a upon the loud congregation, as if TUMBLING WEIR regular visitor to my old school, they'd had a reminder of where HOTEL Wellington, from where I much they were. The organ voluntary Ottery St Mary looked forward to him taking me returned when the bride was at the on out for the day and the occasional door. Saturday October 22nd 2011 weekend. Besides dedicating his life 12.30 for 1.00pm Regards and best wishes to the church and his parishioners, Guest Speaker: Chris Wakefield he was an enthusiastic Gerard William Coleridge Tickets £19.95 campanologist claiming to have rung every bell in England! (Who Rothwell Phone ROBERT NEAL 01404 813686 was I at 13 years to disbelieve Northamptonshire

3 For King & Country

In spite of considerable conflict in Ireland, the Elizabethan era is not remembered for large scale land battles. England’s growing naval power moved the theatre of her Europen wars to sea, where most of the historic battles took place. During much of this period however, the tradition of military service (or preparedness for such service) for all adult males remained in place - although it was by no means in a healthy condition, as the following records from Ottery’s muster roll of 1569 demonstrates. Since at least the Anglo Saxon period aristocracy) who paid conscripts to do musket) - but there were only ten (and very likely long before that too), the actual frontline fighting. pieces listed for the parish as a whole. a grant of land by a nobleman to a The mismatch of men and resources is retainer was more than likely tied up At home though, there was technically obvious from the commissioner’s notes with the provision of military services still an expectation of service from all at the head of the lists, which reads to the grantor when he had need of adult males in a national emergency, “The totall of all the geldings armour it. So while you farmed your estate (or and each parish had to find their and weapons within the said hundred got it farmed for you in many cases) quota of eligible men and also the and parish of Ottery Saynte Marye: some of your income had to be cash needed to equip them. five light geldings furnished, 13 deployed in preparing for military This last was achieved through a local corselets (breastplates) 10 pikes, 10 service. This committed you to buying tax (and the records of quite a few of haquebuts, 10 murrians, one almen armour, weapons and a suitable war these exists for Ottery), but those who rivet, 15 long bows, 15 sheafs of horse against the day you would be were eligible for immediate service are arrowes, 15 steele cappes, 5 black bills. called up. The business of warfare in noted in a different document - The the middle ages was an aristocratic The pike was a very long javelin style Muster Roll - and the 1569 list for weapon - up to 15 feet in length, with affair where considerable wealth could Ottery is appended at the end of this. be achieved through the spoils of war, an ash handle. The bill was similar but which was not vastly different to plain The list is of particular interest to somewhat shorter with a flat axe blade thieving. family and military historians, but included below the piked end. anyone with an interest in the town The system continued into the later The notes which the commissioners will find the surnames of interest if made to accompany the list middle ages, but with increasing only because many of them are still in opportunities at home to make money evidence today. The complete 1569 muster roll for through land, trade and commerce, the Devon is in the DRO(1) demands and risks of foreign warfare The roll demonstrates that the turn looked less attractive and military out was a bit shambolic - many of Light Horsemen those with responsibility to turn out service in these areas fell increasingly Roger Courtney gent to a professional military elite (still had no weapons to present. The Henry Beaumont Esq drawn from the ranks of the harquebusiers were supposed to each John Sherman gent have an arquebus (a precursor of the

4 Archers George Hilcombe John Sprake Christopher Sawnder Henry Martyn William Bucklond Rohert Buckley Henry Foorde Robert Hamlyn John Bowcher John Plumer John Stofford William Cruchard Robert Crockhaye edmund Asheford William Axe Michael Turner Robert Gellarde John Hayman John Butston Hugh Salter Thomas Cullyforde William Salter Gawyn Moore Join Horne John Pester John Crabbe Edward Parker Robert Skinner John Searell Charles Wescot Richard Chanon Andrew Bowcher Above: a pikeman. Right: an John Churchehill Gilbert Manley Harquebusier. Both these pictures John Crese Michael Radman postdate the list of Ottery men but Richard Churchehill their appearance is not much altered from that time. Thomas Creyse All pics: Wikimedia Commons John Chanon Mathew Sonnynge John Carnell Thomas Bucknoll Uncovering the Stories of the William Clode jun. James Skeyt John Holwill John Newale Men on Local War Memorials William Tille William Tucke Richard Coppe Roger Ware Pikemen One hundred years ago, men from the neighbouring Harquebusiers John Barret parishes of Escot and Talaton John Clerke Henry White were going about their daily Thomas Harries business in the lengthening Robert Axe Thomas Hallet William Hobbes Jun John Basten shadow of imminent conflict Thomas Colpreste William Baillye between Britain and Richard Searell Edward Peryman Germany. For some, work John Browne William Crucharde went on at Escot, in the Rechart Bucklonde William Wishlake stables or gardens; others Edmond Hendley Thomas Brangwill laboured in nearby farms in John Searell Michael Searell Ottery, Fenny Bridges, Anthony Clerke John Goulde Talaton and Talewater. Some knew each other; others Warren(?) Harries Rfchard Bradden were strangers but within a very short time, they John Kirrudge jun John Sprake John Spurwaye fought and died together in Flanders, Picardy, Italy, Robert Sprake Mesopotamia and on the high seas. Billmen Alexander Northamton John Cole The Men on the Cross and in the Window by William Chaplyn Richard Shebroke Heritage Society member Richard Powell traces the John Swayne Mathew Hayman history of the men whose names are inscribed on the Richard Hallens Walter Pawle War Memorial in Talaton churchyard and the window Thomas Darbye Robert Baston in Escot church. Drawing on the records of their Robert Beste William Crese Michael Steven Jun individual units, the booklet describes the most likely Roger Belmye circumstances of the men’s death and maps their Philip Kyne Richard Carnell Jun William Stanchell Richard Franks tragically brief stories from farm and stable to so many John Hooper Thomas Inglond corners of foreign fields. Christopher Salter Henry Mannynge The booklet, (£5) is available at the Curious Otter in Thomas Venner John Aishe Peter Baker Robert Hutchell Ottery St Mary, the post office and tourist information Michael Salter John Englonde centre and will shortly be available in the shop at Robert Clappe John Trapnell Talaton. Profits from the book, which Richard hopes Bennet Hamond Thomas Babington will be reprinted with further stories of the men of John Lake the two parishes who served in, and came home from, John Crockhaye Chris Wakefield the Great War, will go to the Church of St James in Richard Torren Talaton Nicholas Carye ref: Devon Muster Roll for 1569. John Northcot A.J. Howard (Editor), T.L. Stoate Richard Powell John Norington (Editor)

5 Literary Connections of Ottery St Mary

Coleridge dominates the scene where Ottery’s links with lierature are concerned, but our chairman reminds us that there are a host of other associations that we can celebrate. I would have captioned each picture had I not thought you might wish to identify each character yourself... Ed.all pics wikimedia commons

Ottery has proved to be an inspiration captivated by the beauty and character Ottery’s once famous ecclesiastical for a host of literary greats down the of the ancient town and the richness college founded by Bishop Grandisson centuries. Many have lived in Ottery, of the surrounding countryside. As the in 1337. Whilst here, Barclay translated some holidayed, others merely passed Rev. Richard Polwhele wrote in ‘A Sebastian Brandt's Narrenschiff (1494) through, many returned time and History of Devon’ (1797), “Proceeding into English as The Ship of Fools again. Writers including Dickens, from Exeter to Honiton, we were (1509). His version was a free Christie, Hardy, Austen, Keats, presented within six miles of Honiton adaptation of the original, which had Browning, Kipling, Tennyson, Shelley, with the sweetest scene of cultivation been written first in Swabian dialect Wilde, have all at some time had links I ever beheld. This may be called the and then in Latin, and he intended it with, or made reference to, Ottery St garden of Devonshire.” as a satire of contemporary English life Mary. Some no doubt were drawn out and its corruptions and abuses. It was a of a curiosity for the name, but others Alexander Barclay (1475?–1552), poet, compelling account of the injustice scholar, and divine, was a priest at

6 which lay at the heart of early the local Kings Grammar School Words speak volumes sixteenth century English society before going to Eton, and then Trinity rendering it ripe for political and College Cambridge. He abandoned Keith Turner notes some curious religious changes. He taught at the his legal practice in favour of Devonshire terminology school within the college, and scholars literature. His opus magnum was his now agree that he helped and ‘Invasion of the Crimea’ in 8 volumes l recently came across some interesting influenced the transition from (1863-1887). names for jars, jugs, barrels or bottles. medieval allegory to drama and the They were ‘Field Firkin’ or ‘Virkin,’ English novel. There was certainly Rev. William Keble Martin, Member ‘Costrel,’ ‘Owl’ or ‘Verwood Owl’ a power in his writing and he created of the Royal Society, British botanist ‘Blackbird,’ an ‘Old Thrush,’ ‘Little word pictures in his writings which and botanical illustrator, known for Dick,’ and a ‘Goose Egg’. Sometimes a we still use today: phrases such as ‘skin ‘The Concise British Flora in Colour’ small oak cask would be referred to as deep’, ‘from pillar to post’, ‘robbing published in May 1965 when the a ‘bottle’ It seems as if a mixture of Peter to pay Paul’, ‘making the mouth author was 88. The book was the dialect terms had come together to water’ and many others. create a maze of names for different result of sixty years’ meticulous size containers, although I'm certain Famous poet and philosopher, Samuel fieldwork and exquisite painting skills, that everyone at the time knew Taylor Coleridge was born in Ottery and became an immediate best-seller. exactly what the names represented in on 21 October 1772 at the For a while he lived at ‘Sandrock’ terms of relative size. schoolhouse, the 13th and youngest Ottery St Mary with his two sisters. child of the Revd John Coleridge, How much cider was there in a ‘Blackbird,’ or a ‘Firkin,’ and why did vicar of Ottery parish church Frank Harvey, (1912-1981) was an they have these names? Those of a 1760–81, and master of the Grammar English playwright and screenwriter nervous disposition are next warned who won a joint BAFTA award for School. After his father's death the that my 'concepts' are in pints and young Coleridge received his ‘I'm All Right Jack’ in 1960, and was gallons, as I have not yet fully schooling at Christ's Hospital, also nominated for a second BAFTA converted to metric values. Starting London. His many sonnets include ‘To for ‘Private's Progress’. Most popular with the Field Firkin or Verkin, the the River Otter’ in which he recalls of his plays was ‘Saloon Bar’ and he name suggests a small, quarter size his happy childhood, and fondly penned numerous TV scripts during a cask (vier meaning a fourth part, and remembers the music of the church prolific writing career. He lived in kin, the diminutive for small) probably bells in ‘Frost at Midnight’ (Feb.1798). Ottery St Mary from 1947 until his containing about eight pints - roughly a days allowance at harvest time. A A memorial plaque on the churchyard death in 1981. wall has a low-relief bust and portrays Costrel would have been smaller, for the albatross from his popular ‘The Philip Johnson, 20th century the name suggests it would be hung by the worker's side (old French Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ (1798). playwright, wrote more than fifty ‘costerel’) and may have contained plays, a number of which had long Larkbeare, a residence in the parish of about two pints. The next size up Ottery, is where author and satirist runs in London’s West End and proved from this was the 'Little Dick' at three William Makepeace Thackeray (1809- popular with drama groups pints, followed by the Owl or Dorset 1891) lived with his stepfather during throughout the UK and abroad. His Owl - sometimes also referred to as his vacations from Charterhouse. most memorable was ‘Lover’s Leap’ the 'Verwood Owl,' with a capacity of Ottery St Mary is the setting for a which was later made into a successful four pints. A Blackbird might have been five pints, and last and probably large part of his famous novel film. The author lived at ‘The Owl least a ‘Goose egg’ - a small container ‘Pendennis’ (1848-1850) in which the Pen’, West Hill, Ottery St Mary for of a pint, for child workers. These town is featured as ‘Clavering St many years. containers would not have been Mary’ – the illustrations in his first carried around all day, but placed The family of television comedian, edition are clearly recognisable scenes somewhere convenient, where they from the town of Ottery itself. satirist and writer, Mike Harding were could be visited when needed - in the born and lived in Ottery St Mary, and shade, or if possible left in a stream to The Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834- although family connections were lost stay cool. 1924) – Novelist and Scholar, was in 1940, there was a tearful reunion in vicar of the church at Tipton St John Local and regional names that 1978. in the Parish of Ottery. He composed recognise size and shape were many hymns including the rousing Most recently, J. K. Rowling, who included among container names, and ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’, later became familiar with Ottery whilst at maybe helped inject a bit of poetry into the language. I prefer Old Thrush adopted by the Salvation Army, and Exeter University, has featured the and Blackbird to pints and gallons - the ever-popular ‘Now the Day is town in her Harry Potter books as Over’. which leaves the metric litre a long ‘Ottery St Catchpole’. way behind in third place. A. W. Kinglake, travel writer and historian lived in Ottery and attended Robert Neal Keith Turner

7 Iron made in Ottery What’s on

Members will recall that the last edition of the Journal included an elsewhere article about iron ore located at the 17 October – Monday 7:30: site of the new skatepark just west of the Kings School (Journal No 37 p5). Village at War: By a series of curious events there talk by Sue Dymond & Amanda Statham arose the opportunity to actually use this local ore in a smelting operation - EXHIBITION part of the experimental archaeology work carried out at the Escot 22 - 30 October: BRANSCOMBE’S Education Centre. WAR: The experiment was supervised by Life in Branscombe during WW2 Jake Keen, an experimental archaeologist specialising in worldwide more details: www.branscombeproject.org.uk historic (and prehistoric) iron production, assisted by the staff of Colyton Parish History Society Escot Education. A bloomery in action: Ottery iron ore Wed 28th September: CAPT WILSON Two furnaces were in action, requiring produced plenty of slag and a small quantity constant attention and aeration, one of of metallic iron. The experiment made clear and the PELEW ISLANDS the potential for iron production using them by hand bellows - requiring local ore. non-stop effort over many hours. The Alan Jones 7.30pm Colyton Town Hall ore was first roasted, then broken up into a coarse gravel, which was then base of the furnace forming a spongy Wed 26h October: THE YANKS ARE mass known as a “bloom”. layered into the furnaces with charcoal COMING (also produced mostly at the centre) East Devon has many links with and heated brought up near white The Americans in Colyton 1944 ancient iron production. There are heat, at which point the sandy iron ore pits dating from Roman times Ben Joslin 7.30pm Colyford Memorial Hall impurities melt into a runny vitreous on the Blackdowns, and slag appears slag, which was clearly in evidence in in many local fields. An abundance has both furnaces. The ore used differed Wed 23rd November: RECENT been found in Church Field in for each furnace - one had the Ottery Alfington. This may not always DISCOVERIES AT SHUTE BARTON ore, and the other a mixture of ores indicate the former location of iron from local and more distant sources. Stuart Blaylock 7.30pm Colyton Town Hall furnaces (simply because broken slag In the smelting process metallic iron is was bought by farmers as a fill for more details www.colytonhistory.co.uk released from the compounds that gateways and other wear spots on the form the ores, and this drips to the farm), but the presence of iron ore in Otter Valley Association and Sid a number of places in Ottery parish suggests that local production was Vale Association highly likely at some point during the both run a comprehensive series of local medieval period. walks. visit www.sidvaleassociation.org.uk The results of the smelt were an impressive bloom from the mixed ore, or www.ova.org.uk for details. and a quantity of metallic iron from the Ottery ore, although it did not Letters, articles or any other aggregate into a bloom. Even so, this is submissions to the Journal can be the first time that iron has been emailed to smelted from local ore for many [email protected] centuries. more information at This ore, found at the skatepark site, was used in a recent iron smelt conducted at Escots www.otteryheritage.org.uk Education Centre. cw Articles or letters to the editor can be posted to Chris Wakefield, “Melbury” Longdogs Lane, Ottery St Mary EX11 1HX or emailed to [email protected]. Published by The Ottery St Mary Heritage Society. Printed by John Gaffney Design and Print, Ottery St. Mary tel 01404 815111

8