100 Years Ago

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

100 Years Ago

The front page of the first Bideford Gazette in December carries a reminder to keep buying War Savings Certificates. It is a patriotic duty, we are told – your country still needs money. Seven million soldiers remain under arms and funds are needed for hospitals for the wounded and pensions for the bereaved.

In response to a joint appeal by the Mayor of Bideford and the Chairman of Northam Urban Council, the two communities raised £44,000 in War Bonds and Savings Certificates during Thanksgiving Week. In today’s money this is the equivalent of nearly three million pounds.

On the rationing front, the sugar ration will be increased to ¾lb per person for the week ended 21^st December. The citrus price order has been removed due to large numbers of oranges and lemons now entering the country. The provision that “no bread under twelve hours old may be exposed for sale” has been suspended for Christmas week only. In early December, edible offal became coupon free, also suet and stripped bones. Lard will be coupon free later in the month to registered customers. Tattersill’s announce that currants and raisins are coming to hand very slowly but there will not be enough for the ½lb per customer as had been previously hoped. No sultanas are available as yet.

Perkins and Son, on the Quay, require rhubarb and Lily of the Valley roots, for which prompt cash will be paid.

Six people have been summonsed in court cases arising from the milk price dispute. The price of a quart of delivered milk was to rise from 7d to 8d with effect from 31^st December but some traders had already started imposing the increase on customers. Edward Lott, Gertrude and Rose Pickard, T E M Coull, William H Martin and Herbert W Fulford were all found guilty and fined one guinea each.

This Christmas is billed as “Victory Christmas” and there are plenty of suggestions for presents. Goodenough’s of Meddon Street go with the old favourite – a pair of slippers for the fireside. Meredith’s of 18 High Street suggest English Violet Toilet Soap, Ingersoll watches or electric pocket lamps. W.Woods, trading at 10-11 Meddon Street, state that their Christmas Showroom is now open, featuring Japanese money boxes, work boxes, glove and handkerchief boxes. They also stock antimony goods. On a more practical note, Heywood and Heywood of Grenville Street have a good stock of War Time Standard Hosiery, also Standard Blankets at Government Controlled prices and Civilian Standard flannel, white or blued, at 2/6d per yard.

Getting away from food and rationing, Miss A Littlejohns, typist, will revise and type manuscripts; circulars and programmes can be duplicated and lessons given in the new “touch” method. She also hires out typewriters. Miss Littlejohns lived at York Cottage on Northam Road, Bideford, which used to be the doctors’ surgery.

The boarding house 'The Chalet' is offered for sale. This was a sizeable property on the corner of Bath Hotel Road, Westward Ho!

In early December 1918, one of the first cartoons appeared in the Gazette:

Drawn by Gilbert Morris 'Bertie' Payne who was born in Cardiff in 1897. He was the older brother of A B Payne who created the comic strip 'Pip, Squeak and Wilfred' in the Daily Mirror. His work was extensive between 1900 and the 1920s and he died in Bristol in 1947. It is amusing to compare the notion contained in this cartoon and 100 years later with Amazon experimenting with an online parcel delivery using similar aerial methods.

The volunteers at the Bideford Commnunity Archive wish all our readers a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

Come and see us in the New Year to start your journey into the past.

100 Years Ago - November 1918

In the Gazette of 9th November we learn that President Wilson has transmitted to Germany the Terms of Surrender required by the Allies as reached at the Versailles meeting.

There are reports of a German Naval mutiny; the Naval Commandant of Keil has been shot by his own sailors and in Hamburg and Cuxhaven the red Communist flag replaces the naval pennant. On 12th November the Gazette proclaims “The Doom of Autocracy”. The Kaiser abdicates and there is revolution inside Germany. The Armistice has been signed and Hostilities ceased yesterday.

At the end of the month the German Fleet surrenders and 9 battleships, 5 battle cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 50 destroyers and numerous submarines are escorted across the North Sea to the mouth of the Firth of Forth where they will be taken to Scarpa Flow and sunk. The newspaper also reports that the local Regiment, 2nd Devons, are to take part in the triumphal march to the Rhine.

Nationally, a General Election has been called for 14th December. The Prime Minister Lloyd George and Mr Bonar Law publish a joint manifesto and election meetings are advertised in the Market Hall in Bideford on November 29th at 8pm when Mr C S Parker will address the meeting. (Charles Sandbach Parker, Conservative, failed to be elected in the Barnstaple Constituency, losing by 602 votes). Women electors are holding a meeting in the Town Hall at Bideford at 3pm, moving to Northam at 7.30pm and Appledore at 8.30pm. These meetings will be chaired by Mrs C S Parker and the speaker will be Miss Taylor from Exeter.

With the hindsight that 100 years affords, we know that the War has ended but on the Home Front little has changed; locally more mundane matters make the headlines in the paper. Bideford Fuel & Lighting Committee state that under the terms of the 1918 Fuel Wood Order licences will be needed to sell a maximum of 2 tons per year to domestic homes. Industry is not subject to this restriction. These licences can be obtained from Mr E J Labbett, Local Fuel Overseer.

Readers are urged to register their ration of jam, marmalade and sugar at Tattersall’s and Farleigh’s Stores.

The Western Express and Torrington Gazette reports that the yield of potatoes is far larger than anticipated and in many districts the yield is “extraordinary”.

Alfred Perrin of Barnstaple Auctions offered the Barley Mow Inn for sale. “The property has for some time since reported for compensation and was recently dealt with by the Compensation Committee at Exeter”. Mr John Curtis who owns the adjoining property was the purchaser at £430. (We have tried to research what this Committee did. Can any of our readers help?)

The influenza epidemic is diminishing; 9 deaths were reported this week in Bideford, which is less than half the previous week.

Bideford Fire Brigade, captained by Mr S Lee, was called to a business premises in Mill Street. The fire originated in a gas cooker in the kitchen at Mrs Wilson’s house but the fire was contained and the reported damage amounted to £200.

Thanksgiving Week services are held across North Devon. An open air meeting was held at Bone Hill, led by Rev. G Payne-Cook and W Charlewood, Leader of Northam UDC.

100 Years Ago - October 1918

On October 1st the Gazette proclaims that it has been “The Greatest Week of the War” with the Western Front ablaze and Bulgaria surrendering; the following week we are told that “pincers are closing on the Western Front”; Franz Ferdinand’s successor Charles 1 has “Renounced participation in State affairs”. Towards the end of October we begin to hear hints that Germany is making moves towards peace.

However on the home front, tribunals continue to take place as men are still needed. In fact a Government directive has been issued to all Chairmen of Tribunals warning them to show no favour or deviation from the required replacement soldiers Mr W C Friendship, baker, has been exempted until March 1919 with many other men given 3 or 6 month exemptions.

The many friends of Capt. J Whitefield RNR of Westcroft Bideford will be pleased to learn of the further honour that he has won in the discharge of his duty in seeking the destruction of enemy submarines. He has previously been awarded the Italian Bronze Medal for military valour. He has now had the Distinguished Service Cross conferred.
Alderman J M Metherell, J P and R S Chope, J P ex -Mayor of Bideford will be among those visiting the Western Front this weekend at the invitation of the War Office.

The local food committee notices state that the maximum price allowed to be charged for milk is 7d per quart, with butter capped at 2/4d per pound.

Jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle and honey will be rationed from November 3rd. Children from 6-18 years will receive an extra ration of jam. Perkins & Son, Fruit Merchants of The Quay, Bideford, have been appointed receivers and packers of fruit for licensed jam factories. They will pay 3d per pound for blackberries and £12 per ton for small apples.

A £1 reward has been offered for information regarding the theft of birds’ eggs from the museum.

The Barley Mow Inn in Mill Street, Bideford, is offered for sale.

The North Devon Permanent and Terminable Benefit Building Society based at Bridge Buildings in Bideford (established 1853) offers a rate of 3.5% on deposits. Mortgages are granted on Easy Terms.

Harvest festivals and thanksgivings are being held around the area, including at Instow, Littleham, Little Torrington and Lavington in Bideford.

It is interesting to note that the Swastika was an international symbol signifying good luck until a German Nationalist leader adopted it in 1920 and it has become reviled worldwide.