St Alban's church, Beaworthy

Introduction

The photograph on this page of St Alban's church, Beaworthy by Derek Harper as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

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St Alban's church, Beaworthy

Image: © Derek Harper Taken: 6 Jul 2007

The medieval church seen from a corner of the churchyard. A typed sheet inside connects John Maverick, the rector from 1615 to 1629, with the derivation of the word "maverick". He sailed to America with his wife and 5 children on the "Mary and John" and helped found Dorchester, Massachusetts. Over 200 years later, his descendant, Samuel Maverick, became a successful cattle rancher in Texas. He was notorious for failing to brand his cattle, and stray unbranded calves were considered likely as not to belong to him. Hence a masterless, roving, casual person. This http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/CORNISH/1998-11/0911170737 relates the story but misplaces Beaworthy in Cornwall. Ironically, John Maverick owned just 2 cattle in Dorchester.

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