William Davy (divine)

[1] Davy, whilst curate of St John's church in Lustleigh, Devon, he spent 12 years writing and self-publishing a 26-volume book titled A System of Divinity, in a course of sermons on the First Institutions of religion; on the Being and Attributes of God; on some of the most important Articles of the Christian Religion in connection; and on the several Virtues and Vices of Mankind, with occasional discourses.

He initially printed 40 copies of the first 300 pages of his work, of which just over half were distributed to universities, bishops, and the Royal Society but failed to gain support.

[1] He retired from the parsonage of Lustleigh, and took up his own farm at Willmead on the edge of the village, where he spent a lot of time on his garden,[1] as well as on inventing, including a new type of diving bell.

[7] The charitable objective was "TO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL BURSARY TO SUPPORT A LUSTLEIGH YOUNG PERSON WHO IS ABOUT TO LEAVE SCHOOL AND WISHES TO SPEND A YEAR BEFORE GOING TO UNIVERSITY OR ENTERING EMPLOYMENT, IN THE UNDERTAKING OF A TASK - EITHER AT HOME OR OVERSEAS - TO HELP THE DISADVANTAGED.

THE TASK WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE SOCIALLY, MEDICALLY OR RELIGIOUSLY ORIENTATED BUT ALSO TO HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL CONTENT DESIGNED TO ADVANCE THE LEARNING OF THE BURSARY HOLDER.