A CURIOUS DEVONSHIRE SUPERSTITION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 25 February 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

A CURIOUS DEVONSHIRE SUPERSTITION.

On 15th July, 1881 (says-Mr! Pengeliy; of Torbuay, fa Queries); I observed a' broad sUverring on'jthe 'middle finj'er'ofthe ; left hpnd- of a manj fotmetly of'Gtiudleighj 1 town of Torquay, a_ painterfyy trade', worlii&g.army house,at the;iiiia'ei'ln re'fjly io my questions, be stated' that'h'e': seven years of age, and bad worn' the rih'g about seven years, for the purpose' of prot'ictihg 1 himself' from tits, to which' he,' 1 had' long! been,.sucject, .The ring he said; was', made of nine sixpences,;, given to him fot the'purpose' by/.nine.unmarriedTemales, all; as Wasiheces--saty, of the parish,of ChUdleigh, where he resided at the time; i'/The sixpences wers;giyen : in' response to his question, " Wilt you give ]me asiitp'eiice ?'' he'beingcareful nbt to sa^, : j." please to give'rtie a sixpence 1 f and careful also to.avoid saying "Thank you',""on'j ; the receipt of the;coin—either Of Which -would .have vitisited'thecharm, He took the nine 1 coins, to an ordinary jeweller, who. made thein . into a ring) but it was necessary for the siict'ess of thV,chaim,thftt\he should receive notbing for his labour. The giver and the' receiver of : the sixpences must be of different seidS in'd. the .ring,must, be worn on the middle fitiger of the left hand,;, It had not quite kept away, the fits, but they had been much ! 'les's frequent, than they were before he wore -it, •