Tag Archives: Bideford

Freemasonry in Bideford.

‘Buzz’ has been very fortunate to receive various donations from Bideford’s Freemasons. They are well known for their charitable work and many local organisations have benefited from their fund-raising. I asked Peter Christie what he could tell us about the … Continue reading

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A Nineteenth-Century Bideford Doctor.

William Henry Ackland was born in Bideford in 1825 and was the son of a doctor. His father, also William Ackland, had been apprenticed to a surgeon and apothecary in Bideford, but William Henry trained at University College Hospital in … Continue reading

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Bideford Home Guard, 1943.

Rear row – Ptes S Laird, P Cloke, WE Voden, CMS Gosling, Sgt. R Featherstone, Pte. TD Frayne, Cpl. GR Hill, Ptes FJ Clements, G Waldron, J Lock, Cpl. F Stacey, Pte R Raymont, Cpl. EJ Moyes. Third row – … Continue reading

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More about the Bridge Trust.

Having talked about how the Trust came to be set up and its involvement with property in the town I will now discuss the very wide range of things the Trust has funded.   Trustees have always been interested in … Continue reading

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About the Bridge Trust.

As promised, and following on from my introduction to the Bridge Trust, I will discuss some of the history of the body. No-one knows when the Trust was set up but it must have been soon after the Bridge was … Continue reading

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An 1844 view of Bideford.

“BIDEFORD (ST. MARY), a sea-port, incorporated market-town, and parish, having separate jurisdiction, and the head of a union, locally in the hundred of SHEBBEAR, Great Torrington and N. divisions of DEVON, 39 miles (N. W. by W.) from Exeter, and … Continue reading

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More memories of Bideford Hospital.

There were three wards: male, female and children’s. Off the corridor leading to the female ward were three rooms for private patients. The staff, as far as I can remember, included the Matron, Miss Daymond. There was one Welsh SRN … Continue reading

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My role as Bideford’s Beadle & Macebearer.

In 2009 I had the great honour of becoming Bideford’s first lady Beadle, and later in 2010 of being appointed as the first lady Macebearer. Ever since I was a child I have been interested in the ceremonial and regalia … Continue reading

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The font in St. Mary’s parish church, Bideford.

There is little doubt that the Font in St Mary’s Church is the oldest artefact in Bideford. It has been expertly confirmed that it dates from about the year 1080, and it has been described as an exceptionally fine and … Continue reading

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Crossing the Torridge – 11 bridges between Bideford & Torrington !

It’s surprising how they add up once you set out to count the bridges.! The oldest of course were the pack-horse bridges dating from around the 12th century of which there were three, Bideford, Rothern and Taddiport. All these show … Continue reading

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Memories of St. Peter’s Church, East the Water.

This church was consecrated on Saturday June 28th 1890 by the Bishop of Exeter.    The cost of the site and building, over £2,000, was defrayed by the then Rector of Bideford, the Rev. Roger Granville.     At the conclusion … Continue reading

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Memories of Bideford Hospital.

Bideford Hospital 1962 My father had a chemist’s shop in the High Street and I married a local girl just before my final exams. From a London teaching hospital to Bideford Hospital was a steep learning curve for me as … Continue reading

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Street art.

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Some memories of World War 2 in Bideford.

REME soldiers were stationed at Instow and many families made friends with them. The church in Bridge St on a Sunday evening hosted by various churches would put on a singsong after church services, and somehow provided simple refreshments for … Continue reading

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Bideford Bridge goes to war – part 4.

Peter Christie concludes his history of Bideford Bridge in World War 2 More notes from Frank Whiting’s reports. That the Allies were winning the war is shown from an entry in April 1944 which reads, ‘Now that the Government have … Continue reading

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