Commemorative

New Baptist Chapel at Westward Ho!

Laying memorial stones

16 April 1895

In 1887 the Appledore Baptist Church started a mission at Westward Ho! in a cottage placed at their disposal, free of rent, by the late Mr James Taylor. That was the first step.

The mission took firm hold in the little township and the missioners aspired to a building all their own. So they bought a site from Mr Taylor on very favourable terms. That was the second step, and then they had to take a long breathing space.

It became apparent that the undertaking was beyond the powers of Appledore, in addition to other burdens, and Bideford Baptists were invited to assist. This they were all the more ready to do, as from early days they had ‘supplied’ the pulpit with some regularity. A joint committee was formed comprising Rev Luke Crathern, Rev Frank Durbin, Mr G A Hunt, Capt R Harris, Mr J H Lang, Mr H O Thompson, Mr J N Tuplin, Mr S Bennett, Mr W T Goaman, Mr J J Lamerton, and Mr J S Milsom, Capt Harris being hon. treasurer, and Mr T A Goaman hon. secretary. The movements of this committee were accelerated by a notice from Mr George Taylor that he required his cottage hitherto used as a mission hall.

A contract was entered into with Mr Tamlyn, of Appledore, to erect a chapel 48ft 6in by 22ft 6in, capable of seating 140 persons, upon the site near Westward Ho! Post Office, at a cost of about £250, exclusive of furniture, and the work was put in hand at once, Mr George Taylor most generously giving stone and gravel to the cause. The local stone will have Bath stone dressings, and when completed the chapel will look something like the rough pen and ink sketch one has some diffidence in presenting – it does not do either the building or the architect justice. However, the sketch will give an approximate idea, and that is sufficient for present purposes.

Having decided to go ahead, the committee looked up their friends for subscriptions, with a result, announced by Captain Harris at the memorial stone laying yesterday. That interesting ceremony drew a great crowd of friends from Bideford and Appledore, and as the weather was all one could desire, the function passed off brilliantly. Amongst those present, in addition to members of the committee, were Revs G G Owen, David Thompson, T C Williams (Congregational), Messrs T Goaman, JP, C T Morris, J Cock (who is acting as honorary Clerk of the Works), T Brend, Westall, and T Richards. After prayer, offered by the Rev G F Owen, Captain Harris read his financial statement, showing that of the £400 required he had in hand £110 13w 9d, exclusive of the £30 or £40 price of the site, of which the freehold has been bought and paid for. If the balance was not made up that day, said the Captain, with dry humour, it would be the fault of those present. Then the crowd closed in, just when they should have spread out, for the ladies and gentlemen who advanced under the flag festoons to lay the stones were inconveniently pressed. Human nature is evidently strong even at memorial stone layings.

There were seven stones well and truly laid: one for the Committee, laid by Captain Harris; another for Dr Angus, who was represented by Mr H O Thompson; a third by Mr T Goaman, JP; a fourth laid by Mrs J J Lamerton, on behalf of Mrs Ness, of Newton Abbott; a fifth by Miss Thompson, for Rev D Thompson and family; a sixth by Mr S Bennett, representing Rev Samuel Newnam, of Yeovil, one time at Barnstaple; and a seventh by Miss Hunt, who has been a tower of strength to the mission, on behalf of Dr Heywood Smith. Rev F Durbin read suitable passages of scripture as these stones, each representing £5, were fixed. Mr J Norman, of Frithelstock, who sent £5 but declined to have a memorial stone in his name, yielded to earnest solicitations, and spoke a few happily chosen words of approbation and encouragement. He trusted the new Chapel would be a source of comfort and blessing, not alone to residents, but to the many visitors who resort to Westward Ho! Mr Lang, of Appledore, who has done yeoman service for the mission, said he was glad they had got so far, but would be more glad when they met later to rejoice over the laying of the last stone, and the opening of the Chapel, which, one hears, is likely to be soon.

With a hymn and a prayer the ceremony ended, and the company dispersed until half-past four, when they assembled 400 strong in Kingsley College Gymnasium for tea. At 7 o’clock a meeting and entertainment were held in the same hall, when speeches were delivered by Revs W L Crathern, G F Owen, F Durbin, and Messrs Harris, T A Goaman, W T Goaman, and T J Dyer (Torrington), whilst Mrs Tamlyn, Misses Crathern, G Crathern, Burnell-Jones, Harris, Cutcliffe, and Mr Tamlyn, contributed to the entertainment programme. The choir sang an anthem “O praise the Lord.” Time and space will not permit a fuller notice of this meeting, which was a fitting crown to a memorable day. Mr C T Morris, statuary, Meddon-street, supplied the memorial stones, cutting the letters without a fee.

6 August 1895

It only seems a week or so since a report of the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the new Baptist Chapel at Westward Ho! was printed in the Gazette, with a picture of the building to be erected. Now the Chapel is finished and dedicated, and ready to play its part in the battle for the moral and religious regeneration of England. The dedication service was held on Wednesday afternoon, and despite quite an unusual number of conflicting engagements, there was a large and, what was most satisfactory, a thoroughly representative gathering. Congregationalists, Wesleyans, Bible Christians, rejoiced with Baptists in the happy ending of this phase of their mission labour. The chapel was crowded. It is a neat building, well finished and furnished, the chairs, with specially fitted backs, being a praiseworthy departure from convention in these matters. The service …

Mr T A Goamn, who has had no sinecure as hon. sec. to the Joint Appledore and Bideford Building Committee, talked pure business for a while, showing that the liability on Chapel account was over £300, towards which about £112 had been raised, leaving in round figures £200 to be collected. He did justice to the generosity of Mr George Taylor in giving stones for the Chapel, and allowing the Mission to use a cottage of his for seven years rent free, pending the building of a Chapel. Collections were made at both meetings, yielding about £10, which was satisfactory. Special services have been arranged for the next month.

At the service on Sunday, the first in the new Chapel, the congregation numbered over 100, and the collections were good.

Marking the anniversary of D-Day

Devon men who landed in Normandy

30 years ago as liberators returned to mark the anniversary of D-Day and found themselves still regarded as heroes.

At the British war cemetery at Bayeux, Messrs D W Slee and T E Cann, of Bradworthy, and A R Broad of Buckland Brewer

Among the 32 soldiers and sailors who made the pilgrimage were Mr Austin Broad, of Buckland Brewer: Mr Ted Coombe, of The Stores, South Zeal, who landed with Mr Broad on D-Day; Mr T E Cann, of The Square, Bradworthy; and Mr D W Slee, of Higher Terrace, Bradworthy.

Mr Broad, formerly of Shebbear, and now making his home at Galsworthy Farm, Buckland Brewer, told the Gazette: “We had a terrific welcome: it was marvellous. They looked upon us a heroes and just could not do enough for us.” Mr Broad, a builder, was 19 when on June 6, 1944, as a member of the Sixth Airborne Division (12th Devons), he landed behind enemy lines. “Everything happened to go right” he said.

A clearance force had landed three to four hours earlier. They had silenced the enemy guns and captured the bridges leaving those who came later to mop up. “But it was not so good after two or three days,” he admitted.

Mr Broad and Mr Coombe together explored old familiar places. “We passed the spot where we landed, but it has completely changed and we could not recognise it.” Another disappointment was that in the vast cemetery at Caen they had been unable to find the graves of fallen comrades.

The party were taken around in a coach and everywhere found crowds to wave to them in flag bedecked villages and fete them when they stopped, often for a champagne reception. But there were moments of sadness. “It was impossible not to feel moved at such places as Omaha Beach,” said Mr Broad.