- Shebbear, England
Shebbear is a village in
North Devon with a population of about 600.The village is located within
Torridge local authority area. It was once itself centre of the Shebbearhundred .John Wesley laid hands on a young Cornishman calledWilliam O’Bryan who later founded theBible Christian Society in Shebbear. The first Bryanitechapel was built in the village in 1817.Church
The church of
St Michael and AllAngel s dates back to the11th Century . The South doorway is from about 1180.hebbear College
Shebbear College is ancoeducation al day and boardingpublic school for children from 3 to 18 years of age. Famous Old Boys include: Sir Pridham Baulkwill, SirIvan Stedeford and EW Martin.Turning the Devil's Stone
At 8 pm on 5 November each year, while the rest of the country is burning an
effigy ofGuy Fawkes , Shebbear has its own uniquecelebration . The one tonne lump of rock known as the Devil's Stone (or Devil's Boulder), which lies in the village square, is turned over by the village bellringers. The stone is aglacial erratic - not from a local rock formation. According to local tradition the stone needs to be turned over every year or a disaster will fall on the village - the last year it was not turned on November 5th was during thesecond world war when such frivolity was frowned on, but after a few days of bad news someone flipped it over anyway. Supposedly theDevil dropped the stone while passing, before dying of cold in the nearby village ofNorthlew .Famous Residents
The furniture maker
David Savage lives on Rowden Farm, near Shebbear.The eminent potter Clive Bowen has lived near Shebbear for over thirty years.Tudor Humphries, illustrious Illustrator, has documented the surrounding area for the last three decades.External links
* [http://www.shebbearcollege.co.uk/ Shebbear College]
* [http://www.studiopottery.com/cgi-bin/mp.cgi?item=222 Clive Bowen]
* [http://www.shebbearvillage.co.uk/ Village website]
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