Sta,—Mr. Henry Williamson, writing from Barn- stable—wherever that may be—asks
where Devon- shire is. Is it really next to Cornwallshire? Or is it somewhere near Kentshire, where it seems that one may sometimes buy Devonshire cream?
He will find it mentioned in Domesday Book, though the printed extract before me spells it Devenescire. He will find it also in an epitaph to Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, who died in 1419: 'Hoe! hoe! who lyes here?
'Tis I, the goode Erle of Devonshere,' etc.
These old Courtenay earls do not seem to have known whether they were earls of Devon or of Devonshire. We are more consistent, at least in this matter, today. The present Courtenays are Earls of Devon, although perhaps they would have been of Devonshire if during their abeyance the Cavendishes had not been given that title. Between 1692 and 1929 there have been six HMS Devonshires. The last was a Devonport ship, however, not Devonshireport. The Devonshire Regiment was referred to familiarly as The Devons. We may conclude that Devon and Devonshire are coterminous.
Some people are fussy about Devon. A. G. Bradley, who spent part of his schooldays at Challacombe Rectory apd later wrote books about the county, re- marks that he was rebuked in Canada for speaking of Devonshire. He himself uses Devon and Devon- shire as rhythm or custom dictates. In Devon most of us. Devonshire people have no objection to New- bolt making Devon rhyme with heaven as long as we may still enjoy our Devonshire cream, which, of course, is best from Devon cattle. But it is odd about this new Shell Guide to Devonshire in the series edited by John Betjeman. 1 treasure the old one by Mr. Betjeman himself, the only guide-book known to me which has a discriminating reference to Chittlehamholt. Its title is Devon.—Yours faith- fully,
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