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)
Early in the eighth century Indract, with his sister Dominica, Irish
pilgrims, and attendants arrived there, and settled on the Tamar.
A little headland, Halton, marks a spot where Indract had a chapel
and a holy well. The latter is in good condition; the former is
represented by an ivy-covered wall. However, the church of Landrake
(Llan-Indract) was his main settlement, and his sister Dominica
founded that now bearing her name. In the river Indract made a
salmon weir and trapped fish for his party. But one of these was
a thief and greedy, and carried off fish for his own consumption,
regardless of his comrades. There were "ructions," and Indract
packed his portmanteau and started for Rome. Whether Dominica
accompanied him is not stated, but it is probable that she would not
care to be left alone in a strange land, though I am certain she
would have met with nothing but kindly courtesy from Cornishmen. The
party--all but the thief and those who were in the intrigue with
him--reached Rome, and returning through Britain came as far as
Skapwith, near Glastonbury, where a Saxon hanger-on upon King Ina's
court, hearing that a party of travellers was at hand, basely went
to their lodgings and murdered them at night in the hopes of getting
loot. Ina, his master, who was then at Glastonbury, came to hear
of what had been done, and he had the bodies moved to the abbey.
Whether he scolded the man who murdered them, or even proceeded to
punish him, we are not told.
Bere Ferrers has a fine church, with some old glass in it and a
very singular font, that looks almost as if it had been constructed
out of a still earlier capital. Bere Alston was once a borough,
returning two members.
On the east side of Plymouth is the interesting Plympton S. Mary,
with a noble church; Plympton S. Maurice, with a fine modern screen,
and the remains of a castle. Here is the old grammar school where
Sir Joshua Reynolds received his instruction, and here also is the
house in which he was born. He gave his own portrait to the town
hall of the little place--for it also was a borough, and, to the
lasting disgrace of Plympton be it recorded, the municipality sold
it. The old house of Boringdon has a fine hall. The house has twice
been altered, and the last alterations are incongruous. One half of
the house has been pulled down. Above it is a well-preserved camp.
Ermington Church deserves a visit; it has been well restored. It
has a bold post-Reformation screen. Holbeton has also been restored
in excellent taste. On Revelstoke a vast amount of money has been
lavished unsatisfactorily. Near Cornwood station is Fardell, an old
mansion of Sir Walter Raleigh, with a chapel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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