6 KINGSBRIDGE 



seldom now hear of very large " supers " of honey. This 

 may be owing to the increased cultivation of the land, and 

 consequently the lessening of wild flowers, which form the 

 best pasturage for bees. In 1863, G. Fox (who practises 

 the humane system of bee-keeping) took the following 

 large quantity of honeycomb from two of his hives, viz., 

 112 lbs., and 109 lbs. 8 oz. (nett weight of honey). These 

 boxes, or rather glass cases, were placed on the top of 

 the stock hives ; which, after these astonishing " supers," 

 as they are called, were removed, remained untouched and 

 well filled with stores, for the winter use of the industrious 

 inhabitants. It must be understood, however, that this 

 was quite an exceptional year, such surprising quantities 

 never having been obtained here before or since ; so that 

 the wonderful display created quite a sensation when it 

 formed a part of the first exhibition of the Cottage 

 Garden Society. 



Robert Dymond, Esq., F.S.A., says — " Kingsbridge is 

 the smallest parish in Devonshire. Some of the Exeter 

 parishes are smaller, but they are not, strictly speaking, 

 in Devonshire, as Exeter is a county of itself." Hawkins' 

 statement, that "its whole contents are no more than 

 thirty-two acres," was in accordance with the general im- 

 pression, but we have been informed by Mr. William Jarvis 

 that this is considerably below the mark, and that fifty-two 

 acres would be more nearly correct. 



Leland, the librarian of Henry VII., observes of Kings- 

 bridge, in his Itinerary, that it was " sumtyme a praty 

 town." Blome, in 1673, less courteously, mentions it as 

 " a meane Towne, but hath a great market for provisions 

 on Saturdays." 



Nothing is known with certainty regarding the origin 



