AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 83 



G. Fox says, (on the occasion of this, his first visit) "the 

 next day we got to Kingsbridge, and at our inn enquired 

 for the sober people of the town. They directed us to 

 Nicholas Tripe and his wife, and we went to their house." 



These " sober people " appear to have adopted the views 

 entertained by their guests, for G. Fox says afterwards, 

 " and since, there is a good meeting of Friends in that 

 country." 



After passing several months in the pestilential dungeon 

 of Launceston Castle, the two pioneers of Quakerism again 

 traversed Devonshire, on their eastward journey, propagating 

 their views in the central towns of Okehampton, Exeter, 

 and Collumpton, G. Fox's second visit to the county 

 was in 1659, -the third in 1663, when he again came 

 to Kingsbridge. In his journal he says that he went "at 

 Kingsbridge to Henry Pollexfen's, who had been an ancient 

 justice of the peace." This Henry Pollexfen, of West 

 Alvington, joined Friends at an early date, and was 

 imprisoned at Totnes in 1657. 



In 1680, an enquiry was made as to the more prominent 

 oppressors of Friends. It appears, from an old record 

 belonging to the Society, that, at that time, there were 

 but two persecuting magistrates in West Devon : " the one," 

 says this record, "is called by his surname, Champernown 

 of Modbery, and the other is called by surname, Bare, 

 dwelling near Kingsbridge. These are both very wicked 

 to friends, and meetings, in these westarne parts, and, 

 indeed, also to other professors, both priestbiterjans and 

 baptists. The one of the two espetially, namely Champer- 

 nown, he doth glory greatly in his acts of wickedness, 

 who said to a baptist at whose house the said Champernown 

 was, inquiring his name, I am one Champernown who 



