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 - October 1917

The Borough of Bideford announces, under the powers conferred by the Retail Prices Order 1917, the Sale of coal prices for the forthcoming winter months:
Best Lydney House Coal £2.0.0d per ton. £2.2.6d delivered to the customers house.
Lancashire House Coal £2.5.0d per ton. £2.7.6d delivered.
Lydney Nuts £1.18.4d per ton or £2.0.10d delivered.

27 Bridgeland Street Bideford, formerly occupied by Mrs Field is now for Sale by Auction. The Bridge Trust own a lease signed on 26th November 1890 for the next 99 years. The Ground Rent has been set at £10 per annum.
Also for Sale 17 Winterbourne Terrace Lime Grove Bideford. Freehold. A W Cock Auctioneers 7 Grenville Street acting as agents for both sales
In the village of Monkleigh two freehold thatched cottages are offered for sale by R Blackmore & Sons. The auction will take place next month.

North Devon Sugar prosecutions. Before the County Petty Sessions in Bideford is the owner of Rowena Boarding house in Westward Ho! for unlawfully obtaining 88 lbs of sugar for the purpose of preserving home grown crops. Upon investigation no jams, conserves or preserves had been found and on interview the owner admitted that she has failed to realise the significance of her actions. The Court felt that a warning needed to be given regarding the unlawful acquisition of goods in acute shortage and she was fined four guineas.

The Arbroath registered schooner Surprise with Captain and four hands ran aground and was wrecked off Northam Burrows. She was bound for Rouen from Port Talbot and the Captain who was unfamiliar with the estuary was blown onshore by a westerly gale and flood tide. The Appledore lifeboat attended but could not get near to her. One crewman, a Dane, was washed ashore in the Taw estuary 1½ miles from Braunton and another came ashore at Chivenor. The Captain’s body was washed ashore at Woolacombe.

Bideford School Inspectors reporting to the Town Council point out that 33% of the Infants in Geneva school are under weight and across the town’s schools 75% of all girls are undernourished. The War is having an effect upon all levels of the population.

Each month the newspaper records the gifts that are donated to the two local VAD Hospitals at Enderly, Torrington and Commons, Northam. Eggs, milk, vegetables and fruit are commonly given. This month rabbits come from Lord Clinton and pheasants from Lady Gertrude Rolle. Other gifts include playing cards, cake, cigarettes, slippers and ubiquitous socks.

100 Years Ago - November 1917

Children from Bideford schools have collected approximately two tons of horse chestnuts which will save a ton of cereals in munitions work.

North Devon Appeals Courts: Many columns in every edition are given to reporting the proceedings of employers appealing about their staff being taken to go to war. Farmers are protesting that on one hand they are being asked to increase food production yet threshing is not being done because engine drivers and the labourers are being conscripted. Another farm instance this month is William Cole (18) of Bucks Cross who works with his father, Edward, breeding and training farm horses. They have 4 agricultural horses and 9 colts to be trained and this cannot be done alone. His appeal was allowed.

At Parkham the continuous showery weather has allowed very little ploughing to be done but an experiment at Melbury using a tractor saw the land turned and cultivated with some success. However rabbits ate everything that sprouted but continued trapping saw the problem diminished and the crop grew and now sheep can be seen feeding.

R Dymond & Co is offering for sale: A detached villa formerly called The Ferns but now known as Straiton at Buckleigh, 2 Nelson Terrace Westward Ho! House and shop & East Glen, Orchard Hill, Northam.

Another agent is advertising: A two stall stable and Coach House, Torridge Street Bideford, 1 Torridge Street, 33 & 34 Torrington Lane, 35 Clifton Street a corner dwelling & 35 Torrington Lane which has a large frontage and has been re roofed.

The Governors of Edgehill College have purchased Kiltrasna, a large residence with 15 acres high up North Down Road. It will become a hostel for the increasing number of students attending the college.

An alarming accident occurred in Bideford later in the month. The Hartland to Bideford Brake pulled by 2 horses was descending Grenville Street and as it turned down into the High Street the shaft connecting the horses to the coach broke causing the coach to run into the horses. They started off and the entire assemblage careered down the street, narrowly missing several shoppers. The driver, with considerable skill turned the horses around the National Provincial Bank corner onto the Quay towards the Kingsley statue whereupon the coach rolled over onto its side. The horses were unharmed and the driver proceeded to extricate six passengers from the wrecked coach.

100 Years Ago - February 1918

During an air raid on London a Gotha bomber was brought down by Captain Hackwell of the Royal Flying Corps. He is the second son of Mr W H Hackwell of Sudden Farm, Langtree, Torrington and he formerly worked in a Bideford Bank before the war. He enlisted in the Royl North Devon Hussars before transferring to the RFC. He was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry.
British Summertime, introduced in 1915, was discussed in the House of Commons and it was agreed that it should continue again this year so that local farmers could make use of the extra daylight hours. However no decision was made regarding its continued use thereafter or its duration this year.

Bideford Borough Food Control Committee desire to purchase on behalf of the Ministry of Food sound potatoes in lots of not less than ½ ton. Bags will be supplied from Bideford Railway station. Also in a “Notice to the Public”we are told there is a grave shortage of meat especially in the great centres of population. The Government is considering commandeering all killable cattle and sheep. Farmers are urged to send suitable animals to market.

Property for Sale. A W Cock Auctioneers of Grenville Street has to offer the following:
The Hoops Inn. Fully licensed for 6 days per week, comprising of a parlour, bar, breakfast room, kitchen and large cellar, wash house with copper furnace, 3 bedrooms and WC. All recently rebuilt. Also included is Stabling and outhouses, gardens,an orchard in all about ¼ acre.Also for sale the adjacent property known as Coombe Cottage.
At Bideford Borough Sessions on Monday last George Arthur, a youth, was fined 6 shillings for riding a bicycle on the footpath in Mignonette Walk. PC Tuplin stated the facts.
Buyers from a large area attended the Sale of antique furniture at Hazelhurst, Belvoir Road Bideford. The following were some of the prices achieved. An antique oak drawer chest £40, Oakwardrobe £30 jacobean chest £13. Antique oak dresser £15. William & Mary settee £11, Grandfather clock£13 oak corner cabinet £6.7.6d