Modbury

For the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, see Modbury, South Australia.

View down Church Street, Modbury

Modbury is a village in the South Hams region of the English county of Devon. It is situated on the A379 road, which links it to Plymouth and Kingsbridge. The current population is approximately 1500 . Like many of the small villages in the region, the population is becoming increasingly dominated by temporary residents, who have second homes.

Etymology

The name Modbury is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon name, Moot burgh or "meeting place". This is indicative of its former significance as a place of trading and also as a judicial centre.

History

Modbury is recorded in the Domesday Book.

The population of the town was greatly reduced as a consequence of the Black Death.

Katherine 'Kat' Ashley née Champernowne (? - 1565) governess to Elizabeth I was probably born in or near the village.

John Batterson Stetson, founder of the Stetson cowboy hat company in the U.S., is descended from Modbury natives Robert Stetson and Honour Tucker (who emigrated to Massachusetts c. 1634).

Civil War

It was the site of two battles in the English Civil War. The first battle was a minor royalist victory on December 9 1642, when a small Royalist force put to flight a smaller Parliamentarian force.

The second Battle of Modbury occurred on February 21 1643 when the Royalists forces, expecting an attack by Parliamentarian forces assembled at nearby Kingsbridge, had fortified the town. Outnumbered approximately four to one, and running short of ammunition, the royalists retreated. This victory was largely instrumental in the lifting of the Siege of Plymouth, and the driving of the encircling Royalist forces into Cornwall.

19th century

By 1801, the population of Modbury had risen to 1813, with almost half engaged in the wool trade. The impact of the mechanisation of the wool industry was to have a dramatic effect on the economic prosperity and population of the town in the mid 1820s and later. Many workers left the town and headed to large cities in search of employment; others left the country altogether, emigrating to America.

The railway line bypassed Modbury, contributing still further to this decline. Modbury remained an important market town until as late as 1944 when the cattle market ceased.

Folklore

One of the first incidents of (what would later become known as) a UFO sighting occurred in Modbury, in the year 1211. During a Sunday mass it is said that the congregation saw an anchor descend and catch on a tombstone in the churchyard The churchgoers rushed outside to see a strange 'ship' in the sky, with people on board. One occupant of the vessel leaped over the side, but did not fall: 'as if swimming in water' he made his way through the air toward the anchor. The people on the ground tried to capture him. The man then 'hurried up to the ship.' His companions cut the anchor rope, and the ship then 'sailed out of sight.'

Plastic bag ban

In April 2007 local traders declared that for environmental reasons, they would no longer give customers plastic bags.. This decisive initiative has led to other communities, such as Ilam and Hebden Bridge to pursue similar initiatives.

Sport

Modbury has a recreation field, where you can find the football pitch and tennis courts, as well as a tarmac all-weather surface used mainly for skateboarding. There is a local football team Modbury Rovers.

Plans are currently under debate with regards to the building of a new "pavilion" to be used by the sports clubs and the 1st Modbury Sea Scouts. The project has been delayed due to numerous re-jigs and submissions but a Big Lottery grant application is now being made for funding.

External links

• Modbury Heritage
• Modbury Information