Devon

A shire in England, Devon is a county that lies west from London and the Bristol Bay. A bastion of trade, many goods flow through its ports and quays.

By the 16th century, Bideford along Devon's coast had become Britain's third largest port. Cod, wool, and tobacco trade were prominent, as well as the trade of indentured servants.

Geography

Costal, the Torridge rivers runs upstream into the Bristol Bay. Flowing hills and temperate forests.

Devon has a wet but mild climate, during the winter Devon experiences a lot of frosty nights and mornings and also gets some snow. During the summer Devon can be wet, but also mild.

Natural Resources

Wheat, Barley, Beans, Potatoes, Squash

Alternative Name(s)

Devonshire

Type

Region

Included Locations

• Bideford

Owner/Ruler

George 1

Owning Organization

England

Related Ethnicities

• Ethnicity: English

Notable Occurrences

The Bideford witch trial in 1682 involved three women, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, accused of witchcraft and which resulted in one of the last hangings for witchcraft in England.

Festivals

Devon has a variety of festivals and traditional practices, including the traditional orchard-visiting Wassail in Whimple every 17 January, and the carrying of flaming tar barrels in Ottery St. Mary, where people who have lived in Ottery for long enough are called upon to celebrate Bonfire Night by running through the village (and the gathered crowds) with flaming barrels on their backs. Berry Pomeroy still celebrates "Queen's Day" for Elizabeth I.

Sports

Hurling - Villages would play games involving hundreds of players, which would last several hours or even days. Injuries were rife in the early form of the game, but this changed dramatically in the mid 1800s with the introduction of the ball, which was due in no small measure to the tireless lobbying of Sir William Arthur Clement, and led soon after to the flattening of the hurley stick, and removal of the notorious 'Claddagh' spikes. The objective of the game is for players to use a wooden (ash) stick called a hurley (in Irish a camán, pronounced /ˈkæmən/ or /kəˈmɔːn/) to hit a small ball called a sliotar /ˈʃlɪtər/ between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points. The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked, or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than four steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick, and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession.