This section is a first attempt at presenting some of the available historical material about the village of Harberton in South Devon on the village website in an easily accessible form. Some method may eventually come into the madness!
Here for starters are transcribed entries from
Kelly's Directory of Devonshire 1856
Kelly's Directory of Devonshire 1866
Morris and Co.'s Commercial Directory and Gazetteer
1870
Kelly's Directory of Devonshire 1889
( thanks to those researchers who have previously made this material available
elsewhere)
Kelly's Directory 1902 full text (OCR'ed?)
https://archive.org/stream/kellysdirectoryo00londuoft/kellysdirectoryo00londuoft_djvu.txt
or view original
https://archive.org/details/kellysdirectoryo00londuoft.
Harberton 'Church Ale' 1606
Quote from "The Rise and Fall of Merry England - the ritual year 1400 -
1700" by Ronald Hutton ISBN 0-19-285327-9
"At times figures of authority actively abetted village festivities. . . . .
. .The South Devon gentleman Walter Wooton appeared before Star Chamber in 1606,
where it was said that he had told the villagers of Harberton that he would get
them a Church Ale and Whitsun Lord and Lady again, plus a ‘fool and his horns’.
Church Ales seem to have become more popular in 15th century . . . .there seems
to have been a tendency for the Ales to become a regular means of raising Parish
funds."
Quote from "Revel, Riot & Rebellion" by David Underdown ISBN 0-19-285193-4
"There were no rates for the poor even in my grandfather’s days; but for
Kington St Michael (no small parish) the church ale at Whitsuntide did their
business. In every parish is, or was, a church house to which belonged spits,
crocks etc,, utensils for dressing provision. Here the housekeepers met, and
were merry and gave their charity: the young people came there too, and had
dancing, bowling, shooting at butts etc., the ancients sitting gravely by,
looking on.
“Such joy and merriment was every holiday” John Aubrey (17th century) and he is
echoed by many other admirers of the country feasts."
Henry Wyse Almshouses 1680-196?
Harberton 1887 Jubilee Reminiscences - The Trist Book
Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee on 21st June 1887. Great
celebrations organised by Major John Fincher Trist of Tristford took place in
Harberton on that day. The Major wrote a book, including an ode which was sent
to the Queen, which captures the events of the day and names many of the
individuals involved. An original copy of this book was kindly lent to this
website.
The Life of Robert Godefroy Harvey - The First
Harvey Book
by His Father (1896)