Modbury
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2008-03-27T08:54:32Z
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{{For|the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia|Modbury, South Australia}}
[[Image:Modbury.jpg|thumb|View down Church Street, Modbury]]
'''Modbury''' is a village in the [[South Hams]] region of [[Devon]] in [[England]]. The current population is approximately 1500.
==Etymology==
The name Modbury is a corruption of the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] name, ''Moot burgh'' or "meeting place". This is indicative of its former significance as a place of trading and also as a judicial centre.
==History==
Modbury is recorded in the [[Domesday Book]].
The population of the town was greatly reduced as a consequence of the [[Black Death]].
[[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).<ref>[http://stetsonkindred.net/history.htm Stetson Kindred/History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Civil War===
It 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. This victory was largely instrumental in the lifting of the Siege of Plymouth, and the driving of the encircling Royalist forces into Cornwall.
===19th century===
By 1801, the population of Modbury had risen to 1813, with almost half engaged in the wool trade. The impact of the mechanisation of the wool industry was to have a dramatic effect on the economic prosperity and population of the town in the mid 1820s and later. Many workers left the town and headed to large cities in search of employment; others left the country altogether, emigrating to America.
The railway line bypassed Modbury, contributing still further to this decline. Modbury remained an important market town until as late as [[1944]] when the cattle market ceased.
==Plastic bag ban==
In April 2007 local traders declared that for environmental reasons, they would no longer give customers [[Plastic shopping bag|plastic bags]].<ref>http://environment.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,,2067577,00.html Welcome to Modbury. Just don't ask for a plastic bag — article in ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref><ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1717476.ece Modbury (pop 1,553) is first to ban plastic bags — article in ''[[The Times]]''.</ref><ref>http://environment.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,,2077992,00.html World asks town that banned the plastic bag: how can we do it too? — article in ''The Guardian''.</ref>. This decisive initiative has led to other communities, such as [[Ilam, Staffordshire|Ilam]] and [[Hebden Bridge]] to pursue similar initiatives<ref>[[Sunday Telegraph]] 22nd July 2007 2, 406 pC12 </ref>.
==Sport==
Modbury has a recreation field, where you can find the football pitch and tennis courts, as well as a tarmac all-weather surface used mainly for skateboarding. There is a local [[Football (soccer)|football]] team Modbury Rovers.
Plans are currently under debate with regards to the building of a new "pavilion" to be used by the sports clubs and the 1st Modbury Sea Scouts. The project has been delayed due to numerous re-jigs and submissions but a Big Lottery grant application is now being made for funding.
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://www.modbury-heritage.co.uk Modbury Heritage]
{{coor title dm|50|21|N|3|53|W|region:GB_type:city}}
[[Category:Villages in Devon]]