Women Writing on the Devon Land: A County's Women Who Wrote

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Delving into Devon's Literary Archives in search of Women Who Wrote

By Julie Sampson - March 06, 2020

Archive record of Dorothy Holman at Devon Heritage Centre After rather a long gap posting, during which I’ve been busy catching up with other neglected writing duties, here I am again. This year my main plan is to concentrate on women who have not yet featured in this blog. In this first post I intend to delve into some of the local archives in search of texts by women writers who were linked with Devon. Many of these writings and their authors have virtually disappeared from public awareness. In 2016, Anna Boyd Rioux published an article entitled Erased from history: 'Too many women writers -- like Constance Fenimore Woolson -- are left to languish in moldy archives. What will it take to bring them back?' Rioux continued: 'Feminist scholars have done the hard work of recovering women writers, but we're not there yet. Far from it' ... Two of the books on many of the best-of-2015 lists were written by women who died in virtual obscurity, Clarice Lis

Comments

Dear Julie,
I have just come across your article on HD Hilda Doolittle and your visit to Martinhoe to retrace her steps. I grew up in the farm behind the church in the 50's,60's and 70's. In Hilda's time in 1916 The Old School House in your photo was the school itself. In Hilda's day it was just one room and no upstairs. It was built in 1874 by the then Lord of the Manor at Woody Bay, Sir Robert Throckmorton. My father went to this school from 1925 - 1933. It closed in the 1930's later to be transformed into the house you see today. Ths School house in 1916 was to the left of this house, now called Seaview, and the headmistress Mrs Solman lived here. The letter to HD to c/o Mrs Delbridge - she lived in Ivy Cottage which is to the right of the now Old School House. Woodland Cottage along Martinhoe Bottom is now called The Tucking Mill. As you visited Martinhoe many years ago I thought you may be interested in the names of people living at that time. Even today many of those old families are still there. Hunter's Inn and Heddon's Mouth draws people from all over the world. It now all belongs to The National Trust so in good hands. Kind regards Angela

(See Ma(r)king the Way to Martinhoe)

........

Loved your article about Anne Dowriche's Lapford connections. I am researching Lapford history but can't provide much additional help yet on where Anne may have lived.
I have been curious for sometime as to when the Parsonage (now The Grange) was first used as a residence for the Rector of Lapford. Some answers, as you suggest, may lie in the Kelland vs Dowriche
papers which I hope at some time to get to see myself.
In the Courte Leete there is mention of an Old Halle property. I don't believe this to be Courte Barton or the original Lapford Manor (see
http://lapfordhistory.co.uk/2018/01/09/where-was-lapford-manor/) but this unidentified property could be another option as a suitable residence for Anne. Another possibility is Nymet Parsonage. In
the 1744 visitation return Rev Radford wrote: "I reside on my Parsonage of Nimet Rowland, which is but one Mile distant from the Church of Lapford, and nearer to a great Part of Lapford than their
own Parsonage House; As was certified to the last Bishop, who order’d me to reside There for the more convenient Serving of both Parishes"
I will get back if I come across anything that may be of use.
David Garton

(See Looking Along the Lane to Lapford)

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Women Writing on the Devon Land: A County's Women Who Wrote - circa 1965

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