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 - August 1917

Meetings are held around the district to mark the 3rd Anniversary of the start of the war. Mr W T Charlwood presided over an evening gathering on Bone Hill. The salute was given by the Scout Bugle Band and prayers were offered by the vicar, Revd Gerald Payne Cook. A resolution was passed stating that while regretting the loss of life, they were determined to carry on the war to a successful issue.

Two Grand Promenade Concerts will be given at the Nassau Baths in Westward Ho! in aid of the Nursing Association and Soldiers Teas. If the weather is unfavourable the gymnasium will be used. Mrs Daw of Yeolden House is making arrangement for a series of concerts to be given by the Belgian Artists Committee.

At Bradiven Farm on the Christie Estate Mr Dennis, who is one of the tenants, saw a demonstration of a Strait caterpillar crawler tractor capable of 2½ mph. It can pull a four furrow Ransome plough and at least 10 acres can be done in a day. The plough will be used by all of the estate tenants, a kindness much appreciated in these tough times.

A farmer from Abbotsham has been summoned to appear before Bideford Borough Sessions for selling adulterated milk. The defendant, who had delivered to the Workhouse, was in Lime Grove when apprehended. The witness purchased a pint of raw milk for 2½d which on analysis contained 5.88% added water. The farmer had been busy cutting hay and had left the milking to a boy aged 14 and a girl aged16 as he had no other help for many years. He said the milk supplied to the Workhouse had been analysed recently and found to be satisfactory. A fine of 9/- was imposed more as a warning than a punishment.

Farleighs stores remind readers that it is important to register your name and the number in your household for the purpose of the sugar rations. A card will be issued to enable you to claim your full entitlement. At this time of year many householders would be collecting hedgerow fruits for jam making and this will be a serious restriction to the diet.

In an advert by Mr E Gerrish, Chemist of 9 The Quay, the benefits of Iodized Sarsparilla are extolled. It is described as an excellent and certain remedy for diseases of the blood and skin. The price is 1 shilling per bottle.

Since the formation of the Carpentry Branch of the Bideford & District War Supply Department in April last the workers have made 160 pairs of crutches, 9 back leg splints, 16 Carrs wrist splints, 25 arm splints, 22 leg rests, 7 Bowlbys arm splints, 7 rectangular splints, 7 bed rests, 8 nests of splints, 19 bed tables, 42 plain grooved splints and 52 dropped wrist splints. A creditable record from voluntary workers generously supported by Bartlett & Bayliss & Co, Messrs Cocks of Appledore, Mr C Gibson, Mr H Williams of Royal North Devon Golf Club all preparing the wood for crutches.

100 Years Ago - April 1917

On behalf of Miss Penhale, auctioneers Smyth-Richards, Stapleton and Fox are selling two lots of property:
1. ‘Thornbury and Higher Thorne’,a farm of 140 acres with stone and slate buildings and a thatched cottage.
2. Two arable fields at Horestone Cross, comprising 19 acres.
Miss Penhale is also selling all her livestock and machinery, including 35 good quality growing bullocks, 160 sheep and lambs, a handsome cart mare (5 years old) and 4 fat pigs.
Is Miss Penhale having to give up due to the shortage of labour and horses? The case of a widow with 4 sons at the front, who has land and seed potatoes but no-one to plant them, has prompted Northam UDC to release employees to help with food production, at the discretion of the surveyor.

New prices for eating potatoes have been announced by the Food Controller- retailers can now charge 1¾d per pound. Some farmers and market traders have been heavily fined for selling seed potatoes at “prices beyond the maximum” which police consider a very serious offence. The Master of the Torrington Board of Guardians needs 6 bags of seed potatoes for the garden and says that the present stock of eating potatoes will not last more than 5 weeks.

After the cold spring, the Board of Agriculture advises bee-keepers to use a feeding syrup made up of special coloured candy, unfit for human consumption but fit for bees. The spring mixture should be 1 lb of candy to ¾ pint of hot water, with a less concentrated mixture to be used in the autumn if needed.
Despite the cold spring, salmon fishing by rod and line has opened well, with several fish over 20 lbs being caught. The water of the Torridge is in good condition and fish are plentiful.

Poultry keeping is becoming popular, with several adverts for birds and eggs. The well-known breeds like Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns are joined by less familiar names – LaBresse, Langshans, Wyandottes, Plymouth Rock, Silver Campines and Sicilian Buttercups. Chicks cost 12/- a dozen and eggs for sitting are 5/- a dozen.

Heard Brothers arranged two successful tractor ploughing demonstrations, one in Percy Squires’ 5 acre field at Bowood and a second in Mr Pennington’s field at Ashridge. Over 100 people attended in spite of the short notice. Following the demonstrations, Norman Heard writes that he has instructions from the Board of Agriculture to engage additional men to operate their equipment in a large area to the west of Bideford, Usual rates of pay will apply.

100 Years Ago - September 1918

There are several Court cases this month that are worthy of mention. Brought before Bideford Borough Magistrates was Frank Rendall, 21, a clerk of 15 Victoria Grove Meddon Street. He pleaded Not Guilty to a charge of “riding a cycle furiously” down Bideford High Street at 8.30pm on Saturday August 17th. According to the police report he was doing a least 20 mph and barely avoiding the groups of public walking in the street. He rode around the Bank corner and reappeared from Mill Street and was apprehended. Being found Guilty he was given the option of 14 days imprisonment or a fine and after reflection decided to accept a fine of One Guinea.
The Bench at Bideford County Sessions, made up of Messrs A G Duncan, the mayor Mr A Adams, Rev C H Vivian, F W Bennett, J Henriz-Smith, S Fulford, J Cock and W T Charlewood, hears of 2 youths summoned for using petrol for driving a vehicle under hire that was not properly licenced.
Wm Jenkins of Bay View Northam was fined for failing to obscure a light that could be seen for miles. Fined 6/- as a warning. The owner of 12 Kingsley Terrace Westward Ho! fined one guinea for not keeping a register of lodgers.
A 12 year old boy who pleaded guilty to stealing a pocket watch from a waistcoat in a harvest field and who was recently convicted of cruelty to a horse was ordered to receive 6 strokes of the birch. (In the United Kingdom, birching as a judicial penalty, in both its juvenile and adult versions, was abolished in 1948, but it was retained until 1962 as a punishment for violent breaches of prison discipline.)

Farmers are requested to note that Prisoners of War are available for Threshing at the rate of 5d per hour and can be obtained from the POW camps at South Molton, Charles, Knowstone, Worlington and Shebbear. The men will have to be fetched and returned.

Mid-September sees the following report about Parkham weather “It is now much against any progress being made with the corn harvest. The corn which is not cut is being driven down by boisterous weather and will be very slow and troublesome to cut and will cause a lot of wastage by the ripe corn falling out. The outlook at present is rather serious with much corn waiting to be stacked”.

At Hartland the cottages and blacksmith shop mentioned last month sold to Mr John Goaman for £105.
A W Cock auctioneers have an auction at the Friendship Hotel where Nos 1-4 Clarence Terrace Meddon Street were to be sold. Number 1 sold to Mr George Brend for £245 and Number 2 to Mr Robert Ellis for £260. Numbers 2 & 4 were withdrawn at £240 & £255 but were subsequently sold after the auction for higher prices.
No. 5 Allhalland Street, a double fronted shop and accommodation over was offered at the same auction but failed to make an acceptable bid and was withdrawn and remains unsold.

A Notice appears on behalf of the Local Food Committee regarding Ration Books. The public are asked to fill in and return the Reference Leaf attached to the current book so that new books can be issued as required.