People

Many Mourn Mr Hobart Braddick

Mr Braddick had loved his business and his Church – “If he could get a new customer for either he was happy.”

Civic representatives and business associates from a wide area were among the large congregation at the funeral at Bridge Street Methodist Church of Mr George Hobart Braddick, well-known business personality and twice Mayor of Bideford, whose death at the age of 84 was reported last week.

Mr Braddick, of Three Elms, Northam, died at the Torridge Hospital.

The service was conducted by the Rev R H Foster. Mr Gordon Richards was at the organ.

Immediate mourners were: Mr L G H Braddick; Mr G J Braddick and Mr I R Braddick. Unavoidably absent were: The widow, Mrs Ada Braddick, Mrs S M Braddick and Mrs J Wicks.

Bearers, members of the staff were Messrs G Jewell, A Galsworthy, R Rendle, J Jennings, W Perry, and M Brown.

Representing Bideford Corporation were the Mayor, Cllr Arthur A Beer; Alderman W H Copp and Mrs E M Cox (also rep. Messrs T A Goaman and C Cox); Cllrs A C Hooper, A E Fulford, T W Sherborne, E D Williams, F Patt, Mrs F Patt, Mrs E J Brown; Messrs P Adams (also rep. the Town Clerk and Cllr C Cann), P Brennan (also rep. Lodge Benevolence 489); F E Whitingand F C Backway, Honorary Freemen.

Representing the staff of Braddick’s Holiday Centre were – Mrs V Leverton, Messrs B Nicholls, H Criddle and H Fowler; Messrs R Galsworthy, W Perry, D Littlejohns, W Hoare, J Jenkins, D Hopkins, L Hunkin, K Leverton, T Cross, D Beer, F Dicker, J Elston, R Stone, C Rendle, R Rendle, S Bonetta and M Brown; Messrs G Jewell, H Shute, L Phillips, R Martin, D Preston, A Galsworthy, D Morgan, J Jennings, K Lowe, Mesdames V Westover, P Paddon, J Miller, N Darby, J Butler, Misses J Cummings, M Harknett, P Green, P Sines.

Others attending included: Mr and Mrs W G Lee, Mr and Mrs W M Pennington, Mr and Mrs Laws, Mr and Mrs R Dalling, Mr and Mrs W E Brooks, Mr and Mrs F Verren, Mr and Mrs P Dack (also rep. Mr and Mrs L Dunn), Mr and Mrs R C Fishleigh, Mr and Mrs G A Jacob (rep. Northam Urban Council and Mr W E Congdon), Mr and Mrs A J Wensley (also rep. F C Perkins), Mr and Mrs E C Midlen, Mr and Mrs J R Chipman (also rep. Mr and Mrs C Brough), Mr and Mrs G Harris (also rep. P K Harris and Sons Ltd and Major Cudmore), Mr and Mrs N Cole, Mr and Mrs G J Hill (also rep. Miss M Hill), Mr and Mrs W D Littlejohns, Mr and Mrs L J Copp, Mr and Mrs Garfield Adams, Mr and Mrs F Sanders, Mr and Mrs E De Rycke), Mr and Mrs A Kivell, Mr and Mrs W Steer (Salisbury, Rhodesia), Mr and Mrs A R Jenn (rep. Mr and Mrs W Babb), Mr and Mrs E Dark, Mr and Mrs A E Hutchings, Mr and Mrs N Cole.

Messrs W H Yeo, R Webb, E Wilkinson, H Thorne, Booth, R D Bradford, S Harris, V F Bowyer (rep Northam Chamber of Commerce and Messrs Lee and Moore), J E Harris, W J Johns, H V Lucas, Jenkins, A R Bryant, C S Morris, K Lowe, H W A Glover, R G Halbert, L Dennis, H Hookway, G Hookway, F G Soby (also rep. Mr and Mrs B E Hockin), M Molland, H Blackmore, E J Dicker (rep. Mr and Mrs F R Garnsey), L E Brown (rep. Mr Percy Browne MP, Capt W H C Daniel and officers and members of the Torrington Divional Conservative Association), R Budgeon, F Farr (rep. directors and staff, F D Newcombe and Co Ltd), R A N Thomson, C V Harvey, W J V Lamey, H N Fulford, W Elliott, F H Rendle, R Mitchell, R Boyle and P J V Fulford, E E Lewis, E W Cox, K R Littlejohns, E Blanchard, Acford (also rep. Messrs Acford and Waldron), W R Braddick, Mackrow (rep. North Devon Journal-Herald), Kibbler, H Bennett, R C Dixon, C S Holland, W Shute, N Beer, W Hill, R A Violet, C Diwell, E C Short, F G Cotter, E D Trapnell, S G Squire (rep. Mr F Burrown, Mr R Hopcraft and Mrs C R Bawden), V Cock, A Glover, R and H Heamen, F Cole, W H Steer, C Wise, W R Tithecott, H Morrish, A S Fogaty, D C B Lang, R A Balls, F Little (rep. Mr G H Little, Mr W E Patt, Messrs G and W Keates and G Renel), A J Joslin, W H Folley, W E Babb, H J Argall, W G Couch, A Hookway, A W Bradley, E H Hopcraft, A E Pridham, J G Heywood, K F Sollis, D Dymond, A C Fulford, J Bater, G N Crowther (rep. Messrs Bazeley, Barnes and Bazeley, and Mrs M W V Richards), A K Chope , A Griffey, A Kivell, R Tomlinson, R Lamey (rep. Messrs E W S Bartletts and Westward Ho! Post Office), B J Cording, C Morris, N Morris, F Blight, A Hambly, H V Cope, N Chope, C T Copp, A H Goodman (rep. Western Counties Building Society), C Cummings (also rep. Mr L Braund), C T Braddick (rep. Mrs W R Braddick and Mr G V Tuplin), E F Day, A P Tucker, H H Andrews, C A Bright, J R Ellis, L C Warmington, C J Welsford (rep Messrs Underwood), C S Bishop, F Butler, H R Cleaver (rep Mr M F Lee), S W Wright, L G Cock, C C Prust, B Hamlyn, W Tucker, V W Littlejohns, W S Boundy, Backway; Mesdames C S F Harding, K Jenkins, A Darch, Plant, W Taylor, A Headon, W H Chubb, Daniels, V Prouse, Mounce, H Sherborne, Withecombe, Tricker, Jennings, Dockett, Dennis, Bewes, Tolley, M Dennis, Backway, L Short, W Pickard, A G Luxton, R Sanders (also rep. Mr and Mrs French), E Heard (also rep. Mr and Mrs A D Kent), S Woolf, S Luxton, F Johns, V Wood, E J Bale, A Ackland (also rep. Mrs Hooper and Monica), E C Withecombe, I Davies, F W Beer, F Wyatt, D Lucas, M Davey, R Galsworthy, K Morgan, F M Ellis, P Hopkins, A C Hooper, C Betteridge (secretary, Bridge Street Sunday School and also rep. Mr A V Garland), J F Garnsey, Misses J Corliss, C George (rep. R H Grigg), Harper, D Hutchings, Friendship, D Glover, H Braddick (rep Mr and Mrs Dayman), W Jewell, F Bird (rep. Mrs A Beer), R Bird, E Bellew, E Brend, G Copp (rep. Mrs Beavis).

Flowers were from: Ada; Les and Sylvia; Graham, Dorothy and family; Janet and Malcolm; Ian and Judy; Bridge Street Methodist Trustees; Marjorie and Ken; Cllr and Mrs F Patt; directors of F D Newcombe (Exeter); Beattie Gent; Messrs Hoover Ltd; Mary, Sidney, Robert and Linda; Gordon; J and W Jennings, Jean and Alan; Bridge Street Methodist Church; sister Maud and family; Walter, Hilda and Marjorie Chubb; Couch’s; Lily and Evelyn, Olive, Wilf and Jean; Mr and Mrs S Cook; Ronald and Barbara; Mr and Mrs W J Cleamonce (The Strand); Mr Vickery and Mr Moseley; Mr and Mrs D P J Cleamence (Lyon Bay Hotel); Dorothy and Hilda; all the Hookway family (Cleave House); Mr and Mrs Alfred Williams and family; Alf and Ethel Jenn; Olive, John, Dorothy and families; members of the staff, shop and Chudleigh works; Miss Ackland; directors and staff, E W S Bartletts (Devon) Ltd; Mrs Withecombe and family (Red Gables, Northam); Charlie and Rose and Roger (RAF); S J Pike (Elizabethan Club); Mr and Mrs H Kivell; Mr and Mrs W Powell and family; Ray and Esther Violet and Mrs E M Violet; Cecil, Margaret, Peter and Carol; Mr and Mrs Gordon Harris; Residents of Braddicks Holiday Camp; G H Little and family; Mary, Arthur, Christine and George; Mr and Mrs Albert Dennis, Reg and family; Mrs A Braddick (Queen Anne’s ); the Mayor and members of Bideford Borough Council; directors and staff of Clatworthys Ltd; Mr and Mrs H R Blackmore; Mr and Mrs A Slee and family; Mr and Mrs A W Bradley; Norman, Helen and Hazel Chope and Bruce and Caroline Hockin; Mrs Emery; Mrs Rendall, (secretary OAP); Mr and Mrs J Kibbler (Grenville Arms); staff of Braddicks Holiday Centre; the Braund and Cummings families; Ada and Monty Lee; Mr and Mrs Arnold (Cross House, Northam); Mr and Mrs S W Wright; the President, officers and members of the Rotary Club, Bideford; Mr and Mrs T Johns and family; Mr J D Gifford, directors and staff of Electrical Wholesalers Ltd; Mr and Mrs Braunton (Bath Hotel); F C Perkins, Phyllis and Bert (Wensley); J W Fulford (Glenburnie); Tolley and Smale; Pearl Powe; Mr and Mrs Wicks and Mrs McKenzie; Alex, May and family; Dennis and Ruby (Dymond); Mr and Mrs R Dalling and family; Gwen, Sofie, Eric, Jill and Roger; Joan and Leon Moore and family.

Funeral arrangements were by Mr Frank Sanders, Market Place, Bideford.

Gazette article dated 21 July 1961

Businessman and Ex-Mayor

Death of Mr Hobart Braddick

One of the leading businessmen in North Devon and one whose enterprise and public service found notable expression in Bideford district, Mr George Hobart Braddick, of ‘Three Elms’, Northam, died in hospital on Wednesday.

Mr Braddick, who was active in the family business until his recent last illness, was 85.

On 1953, Mr and Mrs Braddick, a former Mayor and Mayoress of Bideford, celebrated their golden wedding.

Mr Braddick was one of the 12 children of the late Mr and Mrs J J Braddick. He attended the old Board school at the top of Gunstone in the days when Mr Baxter was headmaster. On leaving school he joined his father in the auctioneering business and about 1905 he established his own furnishing, removals and storage business. Electrical and house agency branches were later added and the business has steadily grown into one of the principal of its kind in this area. Mr Braddick’s progressive personality was widely acknowledged.

In 1939 he was one of the prime movers in the launching of a £50,000 holiday centre at Cornborough Road, Westward Ho! (later sold) and he had played a prominent part in the modern development of Westward Ho! in the form of holiday centre, camping and caravan sites. His business interests extended all over North Devon.

In 1925 he was elected to Bideford Town Council but after a three-year term of office he did not seek re-election. In 1933 he was pressed to stand again and was returned next to top of the poll. He served for 15 years altogether – as did his father before him – and his enterprise and business experience were of great value.

In 1940, he and his wife began two very strenuous war-time terms of office as Mayor and Mayoress, being particularly associated with the looking after a large influx of evacuees.

For nearly 40 years Mr Braddick was leader of the Sunday School at Bridge Street Methodist Church – where he was married in 1903. He served as Society steward and in other lay offices of the Methodist Church and was a Trustee of a number of chapels. Throughout his long, active life he always retained a keen interest in work for young people.

In addition to the widow, he leaves a son, Mr L G H Braddick, two grandsons (Messrs G and I Braddick), all associated with the family business, and one granddaughter, Mrs M Wicks.

The funeral of Mr Braddick takes place at Bridge Street tomorrow (Saturday).

The Gazette's article on the funeral is HERE (opens in new window)

Gazette article dated 14 July 1961