Names

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.

Next month Mr Robert de Stapledon Stapledon, youngest son of the late Mr E A Stapledon and of Mrs Stapledon, of Damerels, Northam, becomes Governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria.

On appointment to his new post, the Queen has given direction for Mr Stapledon to be a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, of which Order he was made a Companion last year.
Mr Stapledon and his wife, who is a daughter of the late Col and Mrs R H Radford, of Stanwell, Westward Ho! are at present on leave and are staying at a Bideford hotel.
Chief Secretary to the Government of Tanganyika since 1954, Mr Stapledon was born at Bideford 47 years ago and was first appointed to the Colonial Service in 1931 as a cadet in Nigeria and became an assistant district officer three years later. He was secretary of the West Africa Governers’ Conference from 1940 until 1942 when he was appointed secretary to the West African supply centre in the Resident Minister’s office, West Africa, and in 1944 he was awarded the OBE for his services. Two years later Mr Stapledon became Financial Secretary, Western Pacific High Commission and then, for four years
before becoming Chief Secretary to the Tanganyika Government, was Economic Secretary, East Africa High Commission.
He was made a Companion of the Order of the British Empire in 1953.

Infant son of Major and the Hon. Mrs Stucley christened at Bideford Parish Church

The child was named Hugh George Coplestone Bampfylde.

The infant son of Major and the Hon. Mrs Stucley was christened at Bideford Parish Church on Saturday afternoon, February 17th. The Rev Prebendary W Manning, Rector of Bideford, officiated. The child was named Hugh George Coplestone Bampfylde. He wore the family christening robe, the lace of which was made at Philham, Hartland. The godparents are Lt-Col the Hon. Denzil Fortescue, Major David Wills, Mrs John Ward and Mrs David Barbour.

A reception was held after the ceremony at the New Inn Hotel; the guests included employees of the Affeton Castle, Hartland Abbey and Moreton Estates. The christening cake was made and presented by the Wise Monkey Club, the tenants of Hartland Abbey. Mr W H Jeffery made a presentation on behalf of the employees of the Moreton and Affeton Estates, and Mr H Prouse, on behalf of the Hartland Abbey Estate employees.

The infant was welcomed home to Hartland by a peal on the Hartland Church bells.

In the Footsteps of ‘Dr Johnson and Mr Boswell’

Miss Betty Stucley on her travels.

James Boswell, the biographer of Dr Johnson, who was born at Edinburgh, early showed a penchant for writing and an admiration for literary men. He fell in with the famous Dr Johnson on a visit to London in 1763 and conceived for him a most devoted regard. He made a tour of the Hebrides with him in 1773, the ‘Journal’ of which he afterwards published.
At the present moment, a Bidefordian, Miss E F (Betty) Stucley, literary minded daughter of Sir Hugh N G Stucley, of Moreton, is following in the footsteps taken by that famous partnership nearly 200 years ago. She proposes describing her experiences and one can rely on Miss Stucley presenting stimulating adventures. She has not gone alone, but is accompanied by her adopted son, David, aged 8, and her companion.
The picture shows the disused Bideford motor ambulance which has been effectively converted into a caravan for the tour by Mr V Gears, at Messrs Petherick’s Northam Road garage, Bideford.
The name plate ‘Dr Johnson and Mr Boswell’ has pride of place on the front. Miss Stucley, who is at the moment on the Isle of Skye, left Bideford two weeks ago and plans to end her tour in early September.

Gazette article dated August 15, 1952