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The Devonian Year Book, 1913

Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries vol.  VII, (1912-1913), Exeter: James G. Commin. 1913, pp. 223-224.

by

Anon.

Prepared by Michael Steer

National pride in the industrial might of Britain and its growing Empire during the Victorian and Edwardian eras generated an increased public awareness of regional identity. Devon literature of that period became no longer just of interest to antiquarians or tourists. There was a growing market for it among Devonians, including those expatriates who formed Devonian associations in London and elsewhere. The London Devonian Association published a yearbook for many years, of which this is a typical example. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

National pride in the industrial might of Britain and its growing Empire during the Victorian and Edwardian eras generated an increased public awareness of regional identity. Devon literature of that period became no longer just of interest to antiquarians or tourists. There was a growing market for it among Devonians, including those expatriates who formed Devonian associations in London and elsewhere. The London Devonian Association published a yearbook for many years, of which this is a typical example. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Note 160. THE DEVONIAN YEAR BOOK, 1913. - The Devonian Year Book for 1913 will be welcomed by all Devonians. This volume, of which we have received a copy, maintains the high excellence and interest of the three previous issues, and we heartily congratulate Mr. R. Pearse Chope, the able Editor, on its production.

The volume opens with a record of the year's work of the London Devonian Association, and it is satisfactory to note that Colonel Clifford's scheme for the federation of the Devonian Associations scattered over the world has made considerable progress, no less than forty Associations being now in correspondence with the parent Institution.

An interesting account of the celebration of Armada Day on the 20th July, 1912, at the Earl's Court Exhibition, under the auspices of the Association, will be found on page 24, on which occasion Their Majesties, the King and Queen with the Princess Mary, graciously acceding to the wish of the Association, visited the Exhibition, and Mr. Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty, addressed a great gathering of Devonians from the deck of the Revenge - a replica of Drake's famous ship. It is also a matter of congratulation that a National Committee is to be formed to give effect to Colonel Clifford's proposal to raise a memorial to Sir Francis Drake, in London, and that the project already has the support of the London Devonian Association, the Navy League and the London Budget. It is hoped that in a very short time London will have a memorial of this great man.

The London Devonian Association has also decided to form, in conjunction with several local Devonian Societies in London, a Benevolent Fund. Altogether the Association is to be congratulated on the year's record of useful and patriotic work.

In the literary portion of the volume we have reproductions of Lord St. Cyres' presidential address to the Devonshire Association, given at Exeter in July, 1912, and of Colonel Clifford's paper on "Drake's Treasure," read to the same Association at the same meeting, with a valuable additional note by Mr. Pearse Chope on the survivors of Drake's memorable voyage round the world. Mr. Tapley-Soper contributes an interesting article on Miss M. P. Willcocks, the Novelist ; Mr. W. H. K. Wright one on Gay's Beggar's Opera; and Mr. Rhys Jenkins on Thomas Newcomen. We are glad to learn from Mr. Rhys Jenkins' article that the people of Dartmouth are, at last, about to erect a memorial to the inventor of the Steam Engine in his native town. It is a matter of surprise that they should have for so long neglected to have any kind of memorial of this Dartmouth worthy and fellow-townsman.

The volume also contains an abstract of an interesting lecture by Mr. R. Pearse Chope, on The Civil War in the West, besides other useful matter relating to kindred Societies, Libraries in Devon, Recent Devonian Literature, etc. We have much pleasure in recommending this publication to our readers and hope that an Association that does such good work, will receive the support of all Devonians.