MEMBERS of Thorverton History Society enjoyed a talk by Dr Todd Gray, entitled “100 things you need to know about the history of Exeter” at their November meeting.

Todd introduced this as a general talk to inform those interested in the history of Exeter. It covered the period 1500 to 1945 and this report only covers some of the aspects he spoke about. It will cover aspects of cloth, trade, church and law.

Exeter was the primary port in the area for the import and export of trade goods and the construction of the canal began in 1563.

In the 1490’s Perkin Warbeck landed in Cornwall and advanced on Exeter which was seen to be loyal to the crown. He moved on to Taunton but surrendered when he got to Wiltshire.

Henry 7th came to Exeter in 1497 and gifted his hat and sword to the city, although they were required to pay for the items. The sword has been examined by experts and is confirmed as true to the period. The city now had an official sword bearer.

In the early 16th century the Saxon St Mary Major Church is pulled down and rebuilt by the Victorians. The Victorian church was demolished in 1970.

In the 1520’s and 30’s the city was caught up by reformers and went from Catholic to Protestant and then back to Catholic. Mary Boyle faced an inquisition and was burned at the stake in Southernhay by order of Queen Elizabeth. Others faced a similar fate.

Screens from churches are destroyed. Elizabeth Russell marries in Exeter. She is from a leading protestant family and she married a Bouchier, a man from a wealthy family from Bath

It is thanks to John Hooker that Exeter has the best city records outside of London. In 1560 Hooker is appointed to the city payroll and is tasked to raise money. He comes up with the idea of an orphan tax.

Any estate left to an orphan would pass to the council and part of it would be paid back when the orphan reached the age of 21.

Money from this was used to fund the building of the Exeter canal.

By 1660 the city motto was Semper Fidelus – always faithful. It was claimed this was a gift from the Queen.

Some myths – Mols coffee house is claimed to be where Raleigh and Drake met in 1596 to plan their action on the Armarda.

However, the Armarda was in 1588 and coffee didn’t come to Exeter until after their meeting. The Ship Inn claim that it was a favourite haunt of Drake turns out to be a recent invention.

It was claimed a letter existed to prove this, so the late Professor Joyce Youings (who lived in Thorverton) requested sight of it but it was never produced.

Ignatius Jordain followed Hooker and he was a dangerous and unpopular man – a diehard puritan who was continually in court prosecuting people.

In 1610 he prosecuted a man for selling pasties. This is the earliest reference to a pasty. He was against drunkenness and had a man drinking a beer at home arrested. Swearing in public could be punishable by flogging.

Cloth comes in from surrounding areas in various colours. It is not the best but it sells well.

By 1810 the city has Improvement Commissioners to clean up the city and gas street lights are introduced in 1822.

Cholera breaks out in 1832 so buildings are adapted to open up the streets so they can be kept clean. St David’s railway station opens in 1844 and Central railway station in 1860.

In 1878 the city gets the telephone. Hotels and a hospital are built. The old Roman gates are removed to help improve traffic flow.

The city starts to expand, firstly in the Pennsylvania area. The Veitch family run a very successful nursery. Harry Hems is a successful and celebrated ecclesiastical stone and wood carver. A bishop wants total temperance but many others are against it and attack him at a meeting.

In 1887 the Theatre Royal burned down and 186 people died. Most were buried in Heavitree Higher Cemetery.

During WW1 troops passing through Exeter railway stations are provided with hot drinks, sandwiches and cake.

In the 1930’s Oswald Moseley visits the city with his blackshirts.

By 1940 the city is taking evacuees and in 1942 the city is blitzed by German bombers. Looting was an ongoing problem in the war years and it was a segregated city.

Black American troops were kept to the St Thomas area and not allowed to cross the river bridge, by order of the American authorities.

There is now a boom in building student accommodation bringing millions of pounds to the local economy. The one thing that is constant is change as the city continues to reinvent itself.

Robert Turner