It was an important trading centre even then, and markets and fairs
were held regularly in the town for hundreds of years.
John Batterson Stetson, founder of the
Stetson cowboy hat company in the U.S., is descended from
Modbury natives Robert Stetson and Honour Tucker (who emigrated to
Massachusetts c. 1634)
Modbury was the site of two battles in the
English Civil War. The first battle was a minor royalist
victory on
December 9,
1642, when a small Royalist force put to flight a
smaller Parliamentarian force.
The second Battle of
Modbury occurred on
February 21,
1643 when the Royalists forces, expecting an attack by
Parliamentarian forces assembled at nearby Kingsbridge, had
fortified the town. Outnumbered approximately four to one,
and running short of ammunition, the royalists retreated
down Runaway Lane. This victory was largely instrumental in the lifting of the
Siege of Plymouth, and the driving of the encircling
Royalist forces into Cornwall.
From 1600
to 1800 Modbury was a busy town depending on the thriving wool
industry, growing prosperous on the process of turning raw fleece
into finished cloth.
The wool trade
declined in the 1800's, due to the introduction of power looms. The
problem Modbury had was a insufficient water to drive the new
machinery and as a result by the middle of the 19th centrury the
industry had disappeared. The town remained an important stopping
off place for coach travellers, with 12 inns to its name.
St. Georges churchyard in the town became the burial place of
Admiral John Lewis Gidoin on 15 February 1796.
There is an excellent website detailing the Unique
Heritage of Modbury created by the
Modbury Group.
Modbury
1841 Census transcript and
a description of Modbury in 1836 can be found
HERE.
Devon Historical records including Modbury can be found at
Friends of Devon's
Archives.
Historic photos of Modbury can be seen
HERE
