People

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.

Golden wedding links with Frithelstock

Born near to each other 78 years ago at Frithelstock, Mr and Mrs Herbert Gill went to school together, married some years later and have now celebrated their golden wedding.

They now live with their son, tom, at Lower Hele, Bradworthy. Not far away lives their other son, Clifford, who travels each day from Woolsery to his work in a Bideford garage.

Mrs Gill, one of ten children, went into service at a Westward Ho! farm on leaving school at 13 and then returned to Frithelstock. On her marriage she and her husband continued living in Frithelstock and from 1914 to 1922, and from 1939 to 1945 Mrs Gill ran a small shop at Frithelstock Stone.

Mr Gill, one of 11 children, went into farm work on leaving school at the age of 14, and then worked as a roadman with Torrington Rural Council for many years and later branched out on his own buying a horse and using it to cart stones.

In 1922 he took Lower Dunridge Farm, in Parkham parish, and when he sold that in 1927 he purchased Drummetts Mill at Torrington and worked up a flourishing business as a corn merchant. In 1937 he moved to Milton Damerel to live in semi-retirement until he and his wife back to their shop at Frithelstock Stone for the war years.

After the war Mr and Mrs Gill lived in Monkleigh before moving to their son’s farm at Lower Hele nearly 12 months ago.

Gazette article dated 17 April 1959

Golden Wedding At Monkleigh

Mr and Mrs W J G Hearn

Yesterday was an especially happy day for Mr and Mrs W J G Hearn, of The Bungalow, Saltrens, Monkleigh, and their family, for a family party was held to mark Mr and Mrs Hearn’s golden wedding anniversary.

Mr and Mrs Hearn were married at Torrington Baptist Church by the Rev. Franklin Owen. Early in their married life they lived at Torrington, but since 1913 they have been at their present address.

They received many messages of congratulation and good wishes on the anniversary from friends over a wide area.

Mr William James Gribble Hearn, now 71, came from Frithelstock. He learnt his trade with the late Mr W Pope, of Torrington, as an engineer and was later with the Devon Trading Co. at Bideford as a maintenance engineer until his retirement some six years ago. He continues very active in his retirement and still occasionally puts in a day’s work as required, but his principal occupation is his garden.
His wife, who was a Miss Alice Maud Davey, of Torrington, before her marriage, is 68. She learn her trade as a dressmaker and can recall working for a shilling a week during her apprenticeship.

They have four sons: Mr Robert T Hearn, of Buttgarden Street, Bideford, who is an automobile engineer; Mr John Hearn, of Monkleigh, a carpenter; Mr James Hearn, who lives at home with his parents and is an engineer at Weare Giffard; and Mr George Hearn, of Northam, who is employed by a Bideford timber firm.

Asked her recipe for happy married life, Mrs Hearn told the Bideford Gazette she thought the key to it was to be found in realising that it was a partnership and in understanding ‘give and take’.

Gazette article dated 15 June 1956

Instow-Torrington RN Wedding

Married in London

Two serving members of the Royal Navy, who were married on Saturday at St. Stephen’s Church, South Kensington, SW7, united Torrington and Instow families.

The bride, a Leading Wren in the Clerical branch of the WRNS, was Miss Valerie Ann Finnamore, daughter of Mr and Mrs Bert Finnamore, 33 New Street, Torrington. The bridegroom, a radio and radar electrical artificer in the Royal Navy, was Mr Edwin John Martin, son of Mr and Mrs T Martin, Tennis View, Instow.

Mr Ashley Martin, the bridegroom’s brother, carried out the duties of best man.

The reception was held in the Hotel Regina, Kensington.

The full Gazette article is dated 15 April 1955