A blue plaque in honour of the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould has been unveiled at the gates of Lewtrenchard Manor hotel by descendants of the famed writer in the centenary year of his death.

The Rev Baring-Gould, who was parson at Lewtrenchard and lived next door in his ancestral home, Lewtrenchard Manor, is perhaps most famous for penning the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers, although this was just a tiny part of his output. He was also a novelist and a collector of Devon and Cornwall traditional songs.

About 50 people attended the unveiling of the blue plaque by Sabine’s descendants to commemorate the centenary of the death of the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould. The chairman of Devon County Council John Hart and his wife were in attendance with local councillors and SBG figures from around the world. A cream tea was taken at the church after the unveiling and the singing of short hymn of Now the Day is Over at Sabine and his wife Grace’s grave. This was the only hymn for which he wrote both the lyrics and tune.

Members of the Baring Gould family unveiled the blue plaque honouring their forebear. They are Douglas Almond Jnr and his sister Betsy McGregor (from New York and Los Angeles respectively). The are great great grandchildren of Sabine.

The blue plaque in tribute to the Rev Sabine Baring Gould at Lewtrenchard Manor on the centenary of his death.
The blue plaque in tribute to the Rev Sabine Baring Gould at Lewtrenchard Manor on the centenary of his death. (Dr Graham Yeo)

The inscription reads ‘The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould 1834-1924. A polymath and Squareson at Lewtrenchard for over 40 years’.

Dr Graham Yeo, who helped organise the year-long centenary celebrations, said: “The blue plaque wording was chosen because it is so difficult to summarise a person who has written over 1,200 known publications yet has done more for Dartmoor archeology than any other person.

“At the age of 16 he excavated a Roman villa in France and wrote up the work in the Archeological Journal and still has an exhibit at Pau Museum. He was one of the first in England to collect old folk songs such as Widecombe Fair and wrote about folklore including the first known book on werewolves and a story about a vampire at Brentor.

“Also as a clergyman and squire of a Devon estate he corresponded with William Gladstone (Victorian prime minister) about the saints and Christian worship. He wrote hymns like Onward Christian Soldiers so one concludes he isn’t easy to summarise on a small plaque. And before everyone says, ‘that’s a long time ago’ I think that he lived for nearly 90 years which makes a century just a single lifetime and many local readers will know family stories about the great man.”