Interesting Function

Those who were privileged to be present at the three hours’ proceedings in connection with the holding of Bideford Manor Court and the subsequent luncheon to which the Mayor entertained a very representative gathering, heard much suggestive matter on a variety of subjects of interest to Bidefordians old and new.

Sunday observance is a subject which has of late been exercising thoughtful people seriously, but it is no new question as far as the interest of Bidefordians is concerned, as is shown by an old petition to parliament which has come into the hands of Councillor H W

A Commanding site in Abbotsham Road

In April 1924 it was announced that a meeting of the General Management Committee fo the Bideford and District Hospital has been held in connection with the steps being taken for the building of a new Hospital. The option of re-modelling and enlarging the present site was found to be ‘excessive commensurate with the result.’ This scheme was abandoned and the Committee was ‘more and more convinced after the years of consideration given to the subject that the erection of a new Hospital on a more suitable site would meet with greater public approval

Why is the road named Windmill Lane?

When I first visited the community archive in Windmill Lane to see the archivist Mrs Pat Slade, this was the first question that I asked. It was also the request of my partner, who tolerates my interest in old things. Mrs Slade advised that the reason was that a windmill could be seen from the lane. The map of 1936 lodged at the archive indicates the position of the windmill and indeed the stump of the tower remain in situ north of Bidna Lane but is very difficult to see from the public

Thomas Tedrake

Forty-eight Mill Street, Bideford , was home to Thomas Tedrake from 1863 to about 1908, as well as being his newspaper office with printing press. His wife also ran a shop there.
He was a man with many interests: he opened a photographic studio in Bideford and also published a guidebook to the area as well as running his own newspaper for many years. He was active on the Town Council for decades and, if he needed a hobby, it must have been issuing and receiving court summons' of which there were many!

Tedrake's original photographic business was started

Hartland Point Lighthouse

Designed by Sir James Douglass, construction began on Hartland lighthouse in November 1873 by contractor Mr Levi Yerward under the supervision of resident engineer Henry Norris. 

Photograph courtesy of Patrick Tubby 

North Devon Gazette dated 21 June 1870 - 'A lighthouse is about to be erected near Hartland Point.'

North Devon Journal 23 June 1870 - ' Proposed new lighthouse at Hartland Point – The necessity of a lighthouse at Hartland Point has more than once being strongly urged, frequent wrecks occurring on that iron-bound coast. Sometime since negotiations were entered into for the purchase of piece of land for the construction of

The History of a Unique Local Industry

Until its closure in 1969, Bideford Black, as it is most generally known, was a mining and manufacturing industry unique to North Devon and possibly in the world; utilising a local mineral deposit, a range of black colouring pigments was produced for use in such widely diversified end-uses as paints, paper, cement, rubber reinforcing and even cosmetics. The mineral in question was related to anthracite, known in Devon as culm, a form of coal which for centuries had been mined as a fuel. Most of the literature on the subject refers to this

Introduction

Northam lies in a quiet corner of the North Devon coast occupying a vantage point overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Taw and Torridge and protected from the wild Atlantic by Bideford Bay.

Northam's neighbour Appledore originally known as Tawmutha in Old English, provides beach front anchorages suitable for shallow draught vessels to be hauled out of the channel.

Can this little known village of Northam together with its neighbour, Appledore, have been pivotal in two battles: one securing the rebuilding of the power of Wessex and one signifying its end? 

The two battles are firstly the defeat of

The history of the Club (with many thanks to Peter Colwill)

The Origins

The Club was formed in July 1946 by a group of friends and enthusiasts who had formerly played on a ‘pay and play’ basis on the Council owned courts in Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!  Agreements with Northam Urban District Council were held leasing the courts for various lengths of time ranging from one to three years. Time limits on court, and always having to leave a court for the use of the public, meant that membership was restricted to 70 senior and 25 junior members. This

D Day – 6 June 1944

The Normandy landings were the  landing operations  and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied  invasion of Normandy  in  Operation Overlord  during  World War II . Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as  D-Day , the operation began the  liberation of France  (and later western Europe) and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the  Western Front .

The  amphibious landings  were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an  airborne assault —the  landing of 24,000 American ,  British, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight . Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the

Commerating a Golden Jubilee

Bideford's Park is a favourite spot for Bidefordians who are pleased to hear that visitors admire it. The flower beds are invariably a mass of bloom throughout the spring, summer and autumn season at at once catch the eye. But read on to find out how the Park came into existence.

In September 1886 at a meeting of Bideford Town Council, the "first business was to receive the report of the Committee respecting the suggested purchase of the marshes adjoining the Pill. The report was to the effect that the Committee were of opinion that

And What it Can Tell Us

The 1838 Tithe map and Tithe Apportionment Book for Northam, Appledore & Westward Ho!

When researching family, property and community history we often turn to maps to show how things were. Early in the nineteenth century a series of maps covering the whole of England and Wales were produced and they can be used to find out who owned the land, who occupied it, what it was used for the size of the field and the rent payable. These maps were the Tithe Commutation Maps.

What were Tithes?

Tithes were a tax which had

The Battle of the Somme – 1 July–18 November 1916

At the outbreak of the First World War, the Devonshire Regiment had 6 battalions - 2 regular; 1 Special Reserve, and 3 Territorials. Combining with 2 Devon Yeomanry regiments, they eventually formed 24 battalions, and 1 single company. Ten battalions of the Devon Regiment fought on a number of fronts – North Russia, Italy, Egypt, Macedonia, Palestine, Salonika, Mesopotamia, Belgium and France. Records detail that more than 6,000 Regular and Territorial men were killed and approximately 18,000 injured. The Devonshire Regiment won sixty new battle honours, 2 Victoria Crosses and over 1,250 other

Westward Ho!

The Foundation of the United Services College

The founding of the United Services Proprietary College Limited, at Westward Ho! was a reflection on the strains and stresses of Victorian society of the time. Army officers were considered to be members of the upper crust yet their salaries did not stretch far enough to allow them to send their sons to the ‘Great’ Public Schools, unless of course, they possessed a private income to supplement their army pay. 

The need for a school, where the sons of officers in both the forces could be given a thorough education at

Bridgeland Street is in the town of Bideford, measuring approximately 201 metres long

There is only one street named Bridgeland Street making it unique in Great Britain.

The following information is from Bideford Bridge Trust – its reports on the condition of the several properties in the street …. At a monthly meeting of the Trustees held in the Bridge Hall on June 25 1890.

1 Bridgeland Street

Known as Garcignes Court in Lease Book, for many years used as the Custom House.

Present leaseholders and occupier Mr T(Thomas) Martin on a lease for 99 years absolute granted February 4th 1888 at a

Why did women need the vote? Fight for emancipation

1856 – Eliza Honey, a widow aged 25 and with a 5-month old baby, took on the running of ‘The Bideford Weekly Gazette and Devon and Cornwall Advertiser’.

1859 – 1st female doctor is registered

When parliamentary reform was being debated in 1867, John Stuart Mill proposed an amendment that would have given the vote to women on the same terms as men but it was rejected by 194 votes to 73.

1869 – women who pay property tax can vote in some elections
1878 – London University allows women to graduate
1881/82 – Married women

Early days

We believe that Northam Church had bells as early as the first half of the 16th century.

In 1549 most of the bells in Devon and Cornwall were dismantled as a punishment after the Prayer Book Rebellion. However the bells were not taken away as a 1553 inventory lists four bells in the tower, probably without their clappers. West Country bells were allowed to ring again from 1553 when Mary became Queen.

In 1562 an account was rendered “for the casting of our two bells”. It would seem that no attempt was made to rehang the original four bells

A HISTORY OF BIDEFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL
BY

MORRIS MARPLES
M.A.(OXON.), F.R.G.S.
Headmaster of Bideford Grammar School 1931-37

WARREN AND SON LIMITED
THE WYKEHAM PRESS, WINCHESTER
1937
MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
BY WARREN AND SON LIMITED
HIGH STREET, WINCHESTER

PREFACE

THIS small volume is the outcome of five and a half years during which much of my thought and energy was devoted to the Bideford Grammar School of to-day. Inevitably I became curious about the Bideford Grammar School of yesterday; and yet it was very difficult to find out anything about the past. The standard histories of the town

World War 1:

The Bideford & District Community Archive Centenary display will be at the following locations:

FULL DISPLAY:
St Margaret’s Church, Northam : Friday 26th October – Wednesday 7th November

PART DISPLAY:
Church, Westward Ho! : Wednesday 7th November – Sunday 11th November

If you are unable to see the exhibition at either of these locations you are welcome to visit the Archive offices in Windmill Lane. Our opening times are: Monday – Wednesday; 9.30 am – 1.00pm

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When thinking about, and planning for, the centenary exhibition I felt it needed to be approaching events by starting from the stories in our local paper, the

Announcements in the Gazette of those who received commissions, were wounded or died, missing in action, and received medals

If you would like a copy of the article, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABBOTT R. C. PTE; ADAMS THOMAS PTE R.N.D.H; ADAMS T PTE; ADAMS T. H. PTE DEVON REGIMENT; AERTON GERALD B. 1ST/6TH DEVON REGIMENT; ALEXANDER ALEC FORTESCUE; ALLIN HAROLD CORP LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS; ALLIN ARTHUR PTE; ALLIN WILLIAM PTE; ALLIN HAROLD 2ND LIEUT LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS; ALLIN A.R. LANC CORP; ANDREW HARRY WILTSHIRE REGIMENT; ARDEN-BOTT JOHN CAPTAIN ROYAL FUSILIERS; ARNOLD WILLIAM DRUMMER; ARNOLD W PTE 1ST/6TH DEVON REGIMENT; ARNOLD HERBERT PTE; ARTHUR E. PTE;  
ARTHUR E. PTE DEVON REGIMENT; ARTHURS E PTE DEVON REGIMENT; ARTHURS E. DEVON REGIMENT; ASH RICHARD WORCESTER

The house where he lived

by Malcolm Low

Memories if a little clouded with time came flooding back as I walked up Honestone Street in Bideford where I grew up with my younger brother Gordon. The names and places mentioned in the following are from a memory which is fading. I apologise if I am incorrect in some instances, obviously there are other contemporaries and acquaintances from the dim and distant passed who are now practically forgotten by name, perhaps someone somewhere will help me to remember.

Number 7 Honestone Street with Osborns Models shop. My memories of living here

Announcements in the Gazette of those who received commissions, were wounded or died, missing in action, funeral reports or received medals

If you would like a copy of the article, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ADAMS LINFORD H. FLIGHT SERGT
ADAMS HERBERT FLIGHT SERGT
ALEXANDER ARTHUR GRENVILLE STOKER
ALLEN A. G. SERGT
AMBROSE HARRY FRANCIS LANC CORP
ANDERSON DAVIS ANGUS SERGT
ANSELL MICHAEL LIEUT COL
ASH F. J. GUNNER
ASH F. J. DRIVER
ASHPLANT WILLIAM LEONARD SERGT OBS.
ASHPLANT JACK D CORP
ASHPLANT J. D. CORP
BACKWAY WILLIAM SYDNEY SERGT GUNNER
BACKWAY W. S. SERGT
BACKWAY PERCY WILLIAM
BAKER KENNETH CORP
BALKWILL

Fifty years of Fashion - 1898 – 1948

Years of Change 1948 – 1973

Foreword

This booklet records in brief the story of Chopes of Bideford, from the establishment of the firm in 1898 to its 75th Birthday in 1973. The first 50 years until 1948 are covered in the first sixteen pages under the title “Fifty Years of Fashion”, and this is an unaltered reprint of the booklet of that title, produced by A. K. Chope and N. H. Chope in 1948. The remaining pages entitled “Years of Change” bring the story up to date. Chopes has always been a “family business”,