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.

EDWARD CAPERN - POSTMAN POET - 1938

Edward Capern was born in Tiverton, Devon on January 29, 1819, where, at nine years of age, he was sent to work in a factory. He afterwards learned to make shoes and later became a house carpenter. Then he took to portrait painting. By this time Capern had learned to read and write, and the office of letter carrier was obtained for him at Bideford.

He was a Rural Letter Carrier from Bideford to Buckland Brewer and its neighbourhood for seventeen years, covering a distance of thirteen miles daily (Sundays included) for which he received a wage of 10s. 6d. He had a charming wife and two children, and was wont to say that he was "happy where thousands would be discontented, and rich where
many would be in want." He was of sturdy build and no mean performer upon the flute, playing his own songs to his own tunes with enthusiasm and much feeling.

His eyesight becoming impaired, a special selection of his poems was collected and placed before the public to raise funds to assist in the education of his small family, and to providefor the ....... copies was sold within three months of publication. A profit was eventually made sufficient to provide an annuity for himself and his wife of £80 per annum. In addition, the Post Office authorities increased his wage to 13s. per week and relieved him of his Sunday duties.

Most of his poems were written in the open air while on his postal round, some object, incident or conversation providing their inspiration. The rude bar of a Devonshire stile, or field gate, served as a writing-desk; or seated on the side of some friendly hedge, with his post bag resting on his knees, he would pencil out his thoughts in the rough, to be polished up in the little cottage at the end of his outward journey.

He greatly loved the town of his adoption, and at the prospect of leaving it wrote an ode "To Bideford" the verse reading: And mus tI leave thee, my adopted home, Nurse of my inspiration and my vaunt, Thy broad strands silvered with the salt sea foam, Each fairy inlet and each sylvan haunt." And again: "Twas here I felt that sweet oppressive power, Which beauty treasures up in solitude The Godhead's presence in the simplest flower, The poet's passion and his gratitude."

In the Bideford library are copies of his works presented by himself, while upon one of its walls is hung a portrait painting in oils of Edward Capern, the Bideford Rural Postman Poet, one who, although poorly circumstanced, had a genius which earned him the distinction of being recorded in Cooper's work, Men of the Time. He is the author of Poems, which reached a third edition. In 1859 he published Ballads and Songs, which was followed by the Devonshire Melodist, a collection of the author's songs, in some instances accompanied by his own music. In 1865 he published Wayside Warbles, a second edition of which, greatly enlarged, appeared in 1878.

The following are selected quotations (among many) from the Press of his time, as evidence that the works of Edward Capern attracted considerable national attention: "His verse is as delicious in sentiment as it is melodious in utterance. It is what poety was in the sweet days of Burns and Goldsmith; beautiful thoughts, sweetly and elegantly versified." "Mr Capern is one of those few men whom God has endowed with that rare gift, genius."

The Braunds of Bucks and Elsewhere

A cheery, breezy, virile soul blew into the office one day last week and shot a ray of sunshine through the gloom of 'inquest morning', and court-marshal follows court-marshal on the sins of ommission and commission of the preceding week. The visitor was Salvation Army Young People's Sergeant Major, merchant, and real estate agent, Justice of the Peace, R C Braund of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (where the Quaker Oats come from), and a direct descendant of the Braunds of Bucks. Directly I saw him I was struck with his similarity in build and happy countenance to Bideford's stentorian Town Crier, Mr Sidney Braund, of Bucks House, Meddon Street. Subsequent reference to and comparison of photos of our Canadian visitor and our Town Crier in their respective uniforms -
each with ribbons and medals - confirmed the likeness.

Mr R C Braund, who is on a brief holiday in England, having come over on May 1st for the Coronation, was born in Canada, son of Joseph Braund, who, born at Clovelly, emigrated from Kilkhampton to Newcastle, Ontario, in 1868. Joseph Braund's father, Capt. Thomas Braund, a native of Clovelly and Bucks, was born in 1767. He was one of the brothers of Joseph Braund, who lost his sight, and was known as 'Blind Joe.' James Braund, 'fisherman and pilot over Bideford Bar for over 40 years, who never lost a vessel or a life,' whilst he saved at least twelve lives at
sea, and who was known as the last 'King' of Bucks, was a son of 'Blind Joe' and therefore a close relative of Mr R C Braund, our present visitor from Canada. He died in 1808. Thomas Braund had two other brothers besides 'Blind Joe' and two sisters, Betsy, who kept a store at Bucks and married a Mr Cory, and Mary, who married a Mr Jewell.

By the way, belief in tradition very commonly accepted at one time that the Braunds of Bucks are descendants of shipwrecked Spanish mariners was not shared by Mr James Braund. On more than one occasion he told his son Christopher, who died at Bideford in the spring of 1934, that the first Braunds to settle at Bucks came from Holsworthy in which district, as well as at Kilkhampton, there are several of that name. 'Our stay in London (three weeks) being ended, our journey tended toward Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, where our many relations now reside. West Monkton, Barnstaple, Bideford and on to Bucks Mills and Clovelly where the famous line of Braunds have lived for hundreds of years. And still in the village of Bucks it seems that every soul but,
some say three - I would say six - are Braunds. The history I am getting together will be helped by the kindness and patience given me during our stay in the wonder of wonders village of Bucks Mills.

The Braunds of Bucks, the Braunds of Bucks, A race of hardy men, So full of courage that their pluck eternally remain. We pass on to Kilkhapmpton where my father's brother, John Bruand, lived, and our cousins are still holding the fort. Then on to Holsworthy and Chagford where more and more cousins await us. We sail by the Empress of Australia
from Southampton, June 24th: address Canadian Pacific SS Company, Docks, Southampton.

Busy Soldiers
'I might say we are Salvation Army soldiers in Peterborough for over fifty years. My wife is in the Singing Brigade (50 voices) and S.S teacher. I am Young People's Sergeant Major there for the last 41 years and have a Sunday School of 600, including teachers, with four Assistant Y.P.S.M's in four different halls, all carrying on at the same time. I have been on the City Charity and Relief Board for 28 years, 25 years a Justice of the Peace, 44 years in business in the same property. I never used tobacco and neither did I sell it. I am a temperance man and everyone should be a temperate man. My wife and I wish to give our thanks to all kind friends as well as you and your paper, and trust God's blessing will rest on dear old England and its kind a courteous people. Good-bye -
Yours sincerly, R C Braund

New President of Rotary Club

New President of Bideford Rotary Club, Mr W T Braddick

New President of Bideford Rotary Club, 1940

At Thursday's luncheon of Bideford Rotary Club, Mr W T Braddick, who for the last six years has been hon. secretary of the Club commenced his term of office as president in succession to Mr M F Lee.
Few can have been so closely associated, and for such a long time, with local government and other administrative spheres in Bideford and district than Mr Braddick, For over forty years he has been collector of rates for Bideford, a position he still holds. For thirty-five years he was collector of income tax for Bideford and from 1911 until a few years ago he was branch manager of the Bideford office of the Ministry of Labour. For many years he did newspaper correspondence work and, during the last war, he was secretary of the the North Devon War Agricultural Committee for a considerable time. He is senior deacon and secretary of Lavington Congregational Church, Bideford, and for some years has been secretary of the Bideford District Free Church Council. In earlier years he took a prominent part in local sporting organisations particularly the original Bideford Cycling Club and Bideford Swimming Club.