The August/September edition of East Budleigh with Bicton Parish News has revealed the news that the Mayor of Salem in Massachusetts would like to forge ‘an official connection in some way’ with East Budleigh.
This
follows the visit of a delegation from Salem, hosted by East Budleigh’s Roger
Conant Club.
On
Wednesday 25 June, 2025, a letter from the Mayor of Salem, Dominick Pangallo,
was delivered to Cllr John Tresidder, Chairman of East Budleigh and Bicton
Parish Council in the light of the forthcoming 400+ celebrations in the
American city.
It
was, wrote Mayor Pangallo, ‘an invitation for our two communities to become
“Sister Cities”, united by the story of Roger Conant, who was born in your
historic village in 1592 and became a pivotal figure in the founding of Salem
in 1626’.
For
the Mayor, the link between Salem and East Budleigh was ‘a connection that
transcends centuries and continents’.
He
added: ‘The timing – again coinciding with our 400th anniversary – makes this
opportunity particularly meaningful and poignant.’
Pictured
is the seal of the city of Salem below an image of the village of East Budleigh
which highlights its rural setting. The motto on Salem’s seal ‘Divitis Indiae,vsque
ad vltimvm sinvm’ has been translated as ‘To
the farthest port of the rich East’. It
reflects Salem's historical connection to maritime trade and its ambition to
reach distant markets.
If you are interested in the history of early America, and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at
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