PREFACE 



DEVONSHIRE can scarcely be said, at the present time, to 

 possess a county history according to the modern interpre- 

 tation of that title. Antiquaries and topographers from the 

 early part of the seventeenth century have devoted much 

 time and study to its topography, but they have either claimed to do 

 no more than make a general survey of the county or have special- 

 ized on some particular parish or district. Sir William Pole, who 

 died in 1635, left a large manuscript collection for the history of the 

 county, much of which was unfortunately destroyed during the Civil 

 Wars ; a portion, however, that survived, was published in 1791, under 

 the title of Collections towards a description of the County of Devon. After 

 him came Thomas Westcote, a less careful worker, whose View of 

 Devonshire and Pedigrees of Most of our Devonshire Families, although com- 

 pleted about 1630, were not published till 1845. Tristram Risdon 

 owed much to his predecessors in his Chorographical Description or 

 Survey of Devon, completed in 1630. This work was for some time 

 circulated in manuscript, but in 17 14 an incomplete edition was published 

 by Curll in two volumes, and in 1 8 1 1 a perfect edition with additions was 

 published under the editorship of Rees, one of the publishers, John 

 Taylor, F.R.S., William Woollcombe, M.D., and the Rev. John Swete. 



The Rev. Richard Polwhele did not realize his more ambitious 

 attempt at a History of Devonshire, the first part of which was published 

 in 1793. His scheme was somewhat on the lines of the present work, 

 but his ' chorographical ' descriptions of parishes, arranged under 

 deaneries, are meagre and the general history of the county poor. 



Since that date many valuable works bearing upon the history and 

 antiquities of certain parishes and districts have been issued, while the 

 papers in the 'Transactions of the Devonshire Association are among the 

 best of the publications of local archaeological societies. 



The Editor wishes to acknowledge the great assistance he has 

 received from Mr. J. Brooking Rowe, F.S.A., who has been ever 

 ready with advice and help ; and to express his obligations to Mr. J. 

 Horace Round, M.A., LL.D., for kindly reading the proofs of the 

 Domesday Introduction ; to Mr. I. Chalkley Gould, F.S.A., for his 

 assistance and suggestions with regard to the article on Ancient Earth- 

 works ; and to the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, Mr. R. H. Worth, 

 F.G.S. and the Rev. J. R. Anderson for the loan of blocks for 

 illustrations of the article on Early Man. 



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