by Colin Burbidge
View over Higher Murchington farm with Fairview beyond
Murchington Chapel - now a holiday home
The Reverend James George Dangar was a very prominent landowner at Murchington His estate included “St. Johns”, “Woodlands”, “North Down” and “Higher Murchington” farms, 2 small holdings “Fairview” and “Woodlands Farm “in all, a total of 225 acres. In 1890 he also donated land for the building of Murchington chapel.
Dangar was keenly interested in nature, horticulture, and science. On March 24th `1893 he gave a lecture to the Exeter Literary Society which was subsequently reported in the Western Times.
Lecture on the Economy of the Beehive
He illustrated his remarks throughout by means of diagrams thrown on the screen, explaining most clearly actions of the bees, their constitutional habits, and the structure of their hive. In passing he humorously remarked that if people would exercise patience when stung by a bee, the insect would presently remove its sting itself. Instead of so restraining themselves, however people invariably brushed the bee away, killing it and affording themselves considerable trouble extracting the sting. Scientific beekeeping is no longer the occult art that it was only a few years ago; cottagers, as well as others, are now entering more than ever into the economy of the beehive, and with improvements which have been made of late years in apicultural apparatus, and instructions issued in simple leaflets on the subject, there can be no doubt that the move which has been already made will gain in power. In conclusion, he remarked that beekeeping should naturally be preceded by a careful study, not only of the anatomy but also the habits of the bee. An elementary knowledge of Botany was also most useful to enable one to grow the flowers most suitable. Beekeeping, however, was a pursuit, which was most difficult to follow in a large town; for there were not enough hedges, flowers, or orchards to feed the bees. Dr. Dangar also expressed the hope that the time had gone by for the destruction of the bees at the close of the year. Smoking the bees out was not only a most brutal; it was also a most wasteful process—(applause). Dr. Dangar invited the audience to inspect a beehive which he had on the platform with him.
On the motion of Mr. J. Jerman the chairman, Dr. Dangar was heartily thanked for his lecture.
Dr. Dangar’s Beekeeping lectures were much in demand for example, at the Crediton Technical Movement, as Honorary Secretary of the Devon & Exeter Beekeepers Association he gave a course of 5 lectures in Crediton Town Hall, in December 1894 and January 1895, and again in May 1895.
In October 1906 Dr. Dangar retired after 38 years as Principal of Exeter Diocesan Training College (later Saint Luke’s, which is now part of Exeter University).