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.

HRH, the Princess Royal, great-aunt of the bridegroom, and the Earl and Countess of Harewood, cousins of both bride and bridegroom, were among those attending the wedding at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, on Wednesday of Miss Rosemary Anne Stucley, second daughter of Mr D F B Stucley, High Sheriff of Devon and Mayor of Bideford, and the Hon Mrs Stucley, of Hartland Abbey, to Viscount Boyne, of Burwarton House, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

Also present was the bride’s grandmother, Lady Poltimore, who had flown from Rhodesia to attend the ceremony.
Miss Rosemary Stucley is well known locally as a keen horsewoman and a regular follower of the Dulverton Foxhounds. She has deputised for her mother, the Mayoress of Bideford, at several public functions in recent months.
Lord Boyne has served with the Grenadier Guards for four years and was recently with the BAOR. He is a keen motorist and has taken part in the Monte Carl Rally for the past two years. He carried the Queen’s Colour at her Coronation.
The wedding ceremony was conducted by the Rector of St Margaret’s, Canon Charles Smyth.
Given in marriage by her father, Miss Stucley wore a gown of cream and silver French brocade woven in a rose design, the draped heart shaped bodice embroidered in diamante and drop pearls, and the long train falling from the waist was lined with organza. Her family veil of Brussels lace was surmounted by a diamond tiara belonging to Viscount Boyne and she carried a cascade bouquet of longi-florum lilies, lilies of the valley and white roses.
Behind the bride walked two pages – Viscount Lascelles and the Hon Nicholas Grenfell – attired in uniforms that were replicas in miniature of those worn by Grenadier Guardsmen of the early 19th century. Following the pages were two little girls – the Hon Gillian Forbes and Veronica Hamilton-Russell – and six older attendants – Misses Christine and Sara Stucley, sisters of the bride, the Hon Prudence McCorquodale, Miss Penelope Chichester, Miss Valerie Maxwell and Miss Rose Lycett Green. Mrs Stucley chose a fitting dress of grey wild silk worn with pink accessories.
Mr Michael Colvin, Grenadier Guards, was best man.
Mr and the Hon Mrs Stucley received their guests at a reception at Londonderry House, Park Lane, following which the bride and bridegroom left for the honeymoon which will be spent touring Europe.
Wedding gifts to the bride included a Parker 51 pen from the Alderman, Councillors and senior officials of Bideford Borough Council; a riding crop from the Hartland Abbey staff; a portable wireless set from the tenants of the North Molton estate; a silver rose bowl from the tenants of the Affeton Castle estate; and a tennis racket and set complete from the employees of the Affeton and North Molton estates.

Nearly 400 guests at Hartland wedding

Nearly 400 guests, including employees and tenants, attended the wedding at St Nectan’s Church, Hartland, on Saturday of Miss Christine Elizabeth Stucley, third daughter of Sir Dennis Stucley, Bart., and the Hon Lady Stucley, to the Hon David Lytton Cobbold, of Knebworth House, Hertfordshire.

There was a large attendance of other well wishers extending greetings to the wedding couple who, with the ten bridesmaids in blue followed by the choir in their crimson robes, made a charming and colourful picture as they came slowly down the aisle to the west door after the signing of the register.
Unfortunately the weather was not in a responsive mood. It was raining so hard when the bride arrived for the wedding that a canopy had to be improvised. Under this canopy, held by ushers and her father, the bride walked down the path to the Church entrance. With the rain there was also a high wind and some of the smaller bridesmaids had to be carried into the Church with coats over their dresses.
The Church, which holds nearly 500, was full. It had been specially decorated with flowers, notably chrysanthemums, by members of the bride’s family. Merry peals were rung on the bells.
Lord Cobbold, the bridegroom’s father, is Governor of the Bank of England. The bridegroom, who did his National Service with the Canadian RAF is now in banking and will shortly be appointed to a bank in New York, after experience in Hamburg and Paris banks.
Officiating at the ceremony was the Rev H Williams, assisted by the Rev Andrew Jones, Vicar of Hartland, Dr John Wood was at the organ.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a gown of oyster satin trimmed with Brussels lace, and she wore a family Brussels lace veil with a diamond and sapphire tiara. The senior bridesmaids were: Misses Sara Stucley and Sabrina Longland; and the child bridesmaids: the Hon Caroline Hamilton Russell and Misses Henrietta Hohler, Betka Zamoyska, Harriet Cobbold, Marguerite Raphael, Margarita and Natalia Jimenez, and Lucy Scott.
Duties of the best man were carried out by the Earl of Erne, cousin of the bridegroom, and the ushers were Count Zamoyski, the Hon Roland Cobbold, Mr Clive Wilson, Mr Hugh Stucley and Mr Lindsay Bury.
A reception was held at Hartland Abbey.

Sir Dennis Stucley hands over deeds in 1971

Deeds of the riverside land that he gave to the town to commemorate the addition of his name to the roll of honorary freemen were formally handed over by Sir Dennis Stucley at Monday’s meeting of Bideford Town Council.

Sir Dennis, who is a former Mayor of Bideford, told members that he was glad that they were prepared to take over this area of the East-the-Water coast of Bideford. He felt that in the future it would be of great value to the borough. He recalled that almost 40 years ago he offered to dedicate the Spekes Mill area of Hartland, with its waterfall and access to the beach, to Devon County Council. They said they had no interest at that time in access to the sea and turned down the offer. ‘I am delighted’ Sir Dennis told the Mayor (Cllr Clarrie Metherell), ‘that your Council are prepared to accept this with a view to the future, even if at present the future is not very clear’.
Perhaps not everyone who loved his home town was also able to serve its people and to give something tangible to it. For him this was a happy moment.
Accepting the 8¾ acres with gratitude on behalf of the borough, the Mayor said he was sure that some future council would have ideas as to the use to which the land could be put.