A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and CornwallBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and Cornwall
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England)
Unfortunately, and to the great regret of the inhabitants of
Moreton, the tree was wrecked by a gale on October 1st, 1891, when
the force of the wind was so great that the ancient elm could
not withstand it, and at about a quarter past two o'clock in the
afternoon most of the upper part was blown down, carrying with it
a large piece of the trunk, which is quite hollow. This latter has
been replaced and securely fastened.
A recent visit to the Cross Tree shows that the old elm is not
prepared to die yet; it has thrown forth vigorous spray and has
tufted its crown with green leaves.
Moreton tree is not the only dancing tree in the West of England. On
the high road from Exeter to Okehampton, near Dunsford, is a similar
tree, but an oak, and this was woven and extended and fashioned into
a flat surface.
The story in the neighbourhood used to be that the Fulfords, of
Great Fulford, held their lands on the singular tenure that they
should dine once a year on the top of the tree, and give a dance
there to their tenants. But this usage has long been discontinued.
The Fulfords are at Great Fulford still, notwithstanding.
Again another dancing tree is at Trebursaye, near Launceston. This
also is an oak, but is now in a neglected condition and has lost
most of its original form, looking merely as a peculiarly crabbed
and tortured old tree. Here anciently a ghost was wont to be seen,
that of a woman who had fallen from it during a dance and broken her
neck, and many stories were afloat relative to horses taking fright
at night and running away with the riders, or of passers-by on foot
who were so scared as to be unable to pursue their journey, through
seeing the dead woman dancing on the tree. At length matters became
so serious that Parson Ruddle, vicar of Launceston, a notable man
in his way, and famous as a ghost-layer, was induced to go to the
tree at nightfall and exorcise the unquiet spirit. The ghost had so
effectually frightened people that the dances on the top of the tree
had been discontinued. They were never resumed.
According to tradition there was again another dancing tree on the
road from Okehampton to Launceston, near the village of Lifton.
This tree was held to be the earliest to put forth leaves in all
the country round. Entertainments were given on it, but it has
disappeared, and the only reminiscence of it remained till recently
in "The Royal Oak" Inn, hard by which the old dancing tree stood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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