Devon

Devon is a county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. The name Devonshire was once common but is now rarely used, although it does feature in some names and titles (such as the Duke of Devonshire), and is still to be seen on signposts in the county.

History

:Main article: History of Devon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Devon was one of the first areas of England settled following the end of the last ice age. Dartmoor is thought to have been settled by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer peoples from about 6000 BC. The name "Devon" derives from name given by the Romans to the Celtic people who inhabited the south western peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion c. 50AD , the Dumnonii thought to mean 'Deep Valley Dwellers'. The Romans held the area under Military Occupation for approx 25 years. Later the area was a frontier between Brythonic Dumnonia and Saxon Wessex, and some historians claim that this resulted in the effective conquest of Devon by Wessex by 715 and its formal annexation around 805. However this is a matter of controversy. Later William of Malmesbury claimed "that the Britons and Saxons inhabited Exeter aequo jure" ("as equals") in 927.

Related Topics:
England - Ice age - Dartmoor - Mesolithic - Hunter-gatherer - 6000 BC - Roman - Celt - Roman invasion - Dumnonii - Brythonic Dumnonia - Saxon Wessex - 715 - 805 - Exeter - 927

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the ninth century, however, the major threat to Saxon control of Devon came not from the native British but from Viking raiders, and sporadic incursions continued until the Norman Conquest. A few Norse placenames remain as a result, for example Lundy Island, though the Vikings' most lasting legacy is probably the move of the cathedral from Crediton to Exeter.

Related Topics:
Ninth century - Viking - Norman Conquest - Norse - Lundy - Crediton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England since the Norman conquest, including the Wars of the Roses and Perkin Warbeck's rising in 1497, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 and the English Civil War. Perhaps most notably, the last successful military invasion of Britain, the arrival of William of Orange to launch the Glorious Revolution of 1688, took place at Torquay.

Related Topics:
Wars of the Roses - Perkin Warbeck - 1497 - Prayer Book Rebellion - 1549 - English Civil War - William of Orange - Glorious Revolution - 1688 - Torquay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Devon has produced tin, copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through Devon's stannary parliament, which dates back to the twelfth century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748, and it is believed they then adjourned to a pub in Tavistock.

Related Topics:
Tin - Copper - Stannary parliament - 1748

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Devon is also known for its mariners, such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Walter Raleigh, and as the childhood home of psychology pioneer Raymond Cattell.

Related Topics:
Francis Drake - Humphrey Gilbert - Richard Grenville - Walter Raleigh - Raymond Cattell

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~