Hartland

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.

A coming-out ball given by Sir Dennis and the Hon. Lady Stucley at Hartland Abbey on Saturday night for their youngest daughter, Miss Sarah Stucley, was attended by 300 guest who included Prince Michael of Kent.

Prince Michael was the guest of Lady Margaret Van Cutsem at Castle Hill, near Barnstaple, at the weekend. It was exactly 100 years ago that a coming-out ball was held at the Abbey. This was when Sir George and Lady Elizabeth Stucley entertained there for their daughter Georgiana.
On Saturday the Abbey was floodlit for the first time and presented a romantic picture in its deep wooded valley. Tommy Kinsman's band played in the ballroom and the cloisters below were decorated to resemble an Eastern night club. Over 40 guests were entertained to dinner at the Abbey prior to the ball.

Death of Sir Hugh Stucley

We regret to announce the death, which took place at his home, Moreton, Bideford, yesterday (Thursday) of Sir Hugh Nicholas Granville Stucley, Bart. JP, of Affeton Castle, senior honorary freeman of the Borough of Bideford and one who, when he was accorded the honour 21 years ago, was described as a ‘A Bidefordian of Bidefordians’.

Sir Hugh, who was 83, was a member of a family connected with the borough and district for generations and holding land in Devon for a thousand years. On his mother’ side Sir Hugh was a direct descendent of the Grenvilles who formerly held the Manor of Bideford.
Himself an ex-Mayor of the borough, which office he held in 1912, he is succeeded in the title by his eldest son, Mr Dennis F B Stucley, of Hartland Abbey, who just over two years ago became the 38th member of the family descent to hold that civic office. Sir Hugh, who was the fourth baronet, succeeded to the title in 1927. He had given devoted public service to the town and country. For some 20 years he was a member of Bideford Town Council and he also served as a County Councillor, becoming County Alderman. He was a former chairman of the County Bench, for very many years a member of the Bridge Trust, a governor of Bideford Grammar School with which the family had been identified from its earliest days, and he served on numerous other bodies.
A much respected landowner, Sir Hugh was a keen and skilled landscape gardener. His garden at Moreton, which he created, won, it might be said, almost world-wide renown.
In 1936 Sir Hugh had his right foot amputated but when an artificial limb was fitted he was again seen about, continuing his lively interest in local affairs. His wife predeceased him in 1950. In addition to the new baronet, who is this year’s High Sheriff of Devon, there are two other sons, Lieut-Commander John Stucley DSC, and Mr Bernard Stucley, and two daughters, Mrs Elizabeth Northmore and the Countess Zamoyska.
The funeral takes place at St Mary’s Parish Church, Bideford, at 1.30pm on Monday, followed by cremation at Plymouth. His ashes will be scattered on Affeton Moor.

Men with lives in their hands

With the holiday season now in full swing the coastguards of rescue headquarters Hartland Point, who co-ordinate all rescue work between Padstow and Burnham, are facing their busiest time of the year.

Most of the full time men are relative newcomers to this area, having transferred to Hartland following promotion in the past 12 months. The picture shows (left to right): Station Officer A Gwilliam, coastguards R Clarke, K Gaston, A Arden, B Reynolds and M Jackson, and district officer L Homewood.