Sir Arthur Champernowne's wager

In 1554 Sir Arthur Champernowne exchanged with Thomas Aylworth, Lord of Dartington, St Katherine's Priory at Polsoe, Exeter for the Dartington Estate, which contained the medieval Dartington Hall. By 1560 the construction of a new Elizabethan front on the foundation of the older buildings was underway and this continued for several years. His descendants continued to live in Dartington Hall until it became partly derelict and was sold in 1925. This Devonshire ballad shows how Sir Arthur Champernowne risked losing Dartington Hall in a wager wth Sir George Carew, Earl Of Totnes.

Sir Arthur he raised the bowl on high

And prayed to the Giver of Victory;

Then drank success to himself in the course,

And the sops of the wine he gave to his horse.

Away they rode from the Abbey of Tor

Till they reached the inlet's curving shore;

The earl plunged first in the foaming wave,

And was followed straight by Sir Arthur the brave.

The wind blew hard and the waves beat high,

And the horses strove for the mastery;

Till Sir Arthur cried "Help, thou bold Carew!

Help, if thou art a Christian true!"

"O save for the sake of that lady of mine -

Good Earl of Totnes, the manor is thine!

The Barbary courser must yield to the roan,

And thou art the Lord of Dartington."

The Earl his steed began to restrain,

And he seized Sir Arthur's horse by the rein;

He cheered him by words and gave him his hand,

And brought Sir Arthur safe to land.

Then Sir Arthur, with sickness and grief opprest,

Lay down in the abbey chambers to rest;

But the earl he rode from the Abbey of Tor

Straight forward to Haccombe chapel door.

And there he fell on his knees and preyed

And many an "Ave Maria" said;

Bread and money he gave to the poor,

And he nailed the roan's shoes to the chapel door