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THE DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION
for the Advancement of Science, Literature and the Arts
TAVISTOCK & WEST DEVON BRANCH
The Devonshire Association was founded just over 150 years ago and is dedicated to the study and appreciation of all matters relating to Devon. It is the only society concerned with every aspect of the county and is probably the only one of its kind in Britain.
In 1861 a Cornishman, William Pengelly, advocated the establishment of a local organisation concentrating on Devon and covering all aspects of scholarly enquiry. At that time various meetings of the Royal Society and the Royal Institution were being convened regarding the possibility that the planet earth was thousands and maybe even millions of years old and November 1859 had seen the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species. At this controversial period the Devonshire Association was formed, holding its first meeting in Exeter in 1862.
Membership grew from an initial 69 in 1887 to reach a record of over 1,800 in the Association’s centenary year. Today there are some 1,300 members. The Association is open to all who have an interest in Devon’s exceptionally rich history, natural science and cultural heritage.
Over 100 activities take place each year throughout the county – talks, exhibitions, symposia, concerts, excursions, walks, field trips and courses. Open to all is the three-day Annual Conference traditionally held in a different Devon town each year and including the AGM, a public lecture, research papers, a Dinner and a programme of local excursions. Another major annual event is the President’s Symposium, an event conceived and co-organised by the incumbent President.
The most significant record of the Association’s activities is contained in its annual Reports and Transactions series which has provided an outlet for a wide range of original research, reviews and scholarship on Devon since 1863. How fortunate we are to have, here on our doorstep in the Devonshire Association, the greatest source of information anywhere about the great county in which we live. For additional information please log into our web-site http://devonassoc.org.uk
The Tavistock & West Devon Branch of the Association holds meetings on a monthly basis from September to April attracting highly renowned speakers on a wide variety of topics of local interest from science, literature and the arts to Dartmoor, industrial archaeology and folklore. Great emphasis is placed on the social aspect of our evenings. Over the summer months we enjoy outings to places of interest in the county and guided walks and excursions on Dartmoor. The annual highlight is our social evening – a buffet supper followed by a light-hearted talk, affording us a chance to reminisce and engage with new members.
Our next meeting on Friday, 16th December will be an illustrated talk on the “Discovery of the Sittaford Circle” by the archaeologist, Alan Endacott. You are warmly invited to come to either or both of these meetings. For further details please ring 01822 852 636.