Set right at the edge of England, North Devon's rich
and varied history has been shaped by many peoples and cultures. Are we Celts,
like the Cornish, or Saxons? And are there traces of later migrants in our
population? The arrival of Vikings, Normans, Africans and Native Americans are
all recorded in our history, but have they left genetic traces behind?
In modern times, North Devon has welcomed workers from Ireland, Wales, the
Commonwealth and Eastern Europe. We have been a refuge, including in the 18th
century for Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France, in the 19th and
20th centuries Jews from central Europe, and, most recently, a place of safety
for Ukrainian families.
The exhibition 'The Peopling of North Devon' is inspired by research undertaken by the Francis Crick
Institute, a London-based biomedical research centre, which has analysed some
of the Saxon skeletons discovered on the site of the former Barnstaple Castle
as part of its 1000 Ancient Genomes Project. It will showcase objects from the
Museum's collections, which evidence North Devon's ancient and recent migrations and which tell the stories of
some of our local families.
' The Peopling of North Devon' Exhibition
Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, The Square, Barnstaple EX32 8LN
