THE REVIEW, WOODBURY COMMON, 1800.

The grand county review of our local military defenders, 1800, took place on Woodbury Common and a reporter of The Exeter Flying Post of  3rd July was there to observe it:

"Thursday last the Queen's or 2d Dragoon Guards, the Wilts and Dorset regiments of militia, the Devonshire yeomanry and Volunteer corps, together with some troops of the Somerset yeomanry and cavalry, the whole consisting of nearly 4000 men, under the command of Major General Simcoe, were reviewed, on Woodbury Common, by Lieut. General Grenville, commanding the Western District, in the presence of a very numerous concourse of the gentry and inhabitants of the county."

It was a day out for the citizens of Exeter and for county folk who came to the common to see the troops put through their paces.  The gallant 4,000 fought a mock battle and 'the activity, skill and ardour' of the combatants impressed the reporter from The Post.  The best, however, was yet to come:

"On the summit of this ground stands a Roman encampment, around which the spectators were assembled; to which the troops retired, and fired a feu de joy (sic) in commemoration of his Majesty's late happy escape, when the bands of the different corps assembled in the centre, played God save the King, and the line joined in singing that Loyal Song, in which the late additional verse was emphatically encored.

"The different corps passed in review, and saluted the General; after which a sumptuous collation was given by Gen. Simcoe, to the officers and a numerous assembly of the gentry of the county.

"The serene weather, the grandeur of the situation, commanding a prospect of the delightful vale of Exe, Torbay, and other interesting objects, seemed to give a particular zest to the generous banquet of the Donor; and the day concluded most agreebly by a dance on the green." 

So, in 1800, people thought it was the Romans who had constructed  Woodbury Castle.

Simcoe, still in his forties, had returned from his tour as the first governor-general of  Canada in 1796. 

A madman, one James Hadfield, had tried to shoot George III at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May, 1800.

The 'additional verse' to God save the King, that was composed impromptu by Sheridan and sung in the theatre on the very night of the assassination attempt but was sung also by 4000 west-country soldiers on Woodbury Common, went like this:  

From ev'ry latent foe
From the assassin's blow
God save the King!
O'er him thine arm extend;
For Britain's sake defend
Our father, prince and friend:
God save the King!