Country News Sep 2020

From the Rectory, Christow What will September bring? Will it herald an Indian summer or the beginning of autumn? We hope that children will be able to return to their schools and that life for all of us will proceed safely, if a little differently! Some of us may remember September as a late ‘70s single from the group Earth, Wind & Fire – I seem to remember it was popular in discos! It begins: Do you remember the 21st night of September? Love was changing the minds of pretenders While chasing the clouds away. Well, strangely, 21st September is the day when we remember Matthew, the tax collector turned disciple, who wrote one of the four Gospels in the Bible. He related the story of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection, the Good News of Love coming into our world and changing the minds of people like him, turning him from the pursuit of personal wealth into a messenger of hope for the world. That message of hope is simple: God loves us – our Creator loves us – and that love is reflected in the beauty of all the life around us. We often talk about the beauty of Nature. In September let’s rather talk about the beauty of Creation, as this is the month when we celebrate Creationtide (1st Sept – 4th Oct). We give thanks for the abundance which surrounds us; we express our sorrow for the ways we have marred or wasted that abundance; we resolve to examine how we can live in better harmony with the created world. It seems appropriate that we should hold our Harvest celebration on 4 Oct, the day dedicated to Francis of Assisi, one of the first to “walk the walk,” hand in hand with Creation: everything created was his brother or his sister. He lived in total harmony with all creatures – and was said to have preached to the birds! Now, there’s a challenge! Perhaps we are familiar with Francis’s mention of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Here is a different extract from his hymn of praise to God called Canticle of the Sun, where he gives honour to God our Creator through Earth, Wind & Fire: Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. 2

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us and who produces varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs. Rev Ruth Frampton From the Editors Please note that all information is as provided to us, as known at the time of writing. Please check with event organisers as events are likely to be cancelled or postponed at short notice. Teign Valley & Haldon Hill Mission Community The Teign Valley & Haldon Hill Mission Community includes the parishes of Ashton, Bridford, Christow, Doddiscombsleigh, Dunchideock and Dunsford. Rev’d Ruth Frampton (Priest-in-Charge) can be contacted on 01647 253164 or [email protected]. Pastoral Care If you would like, or know someone who would be glad of, a call or “virtual” visit from Rev’d Ruth Frampton, or another member of the church community, please contact the rectory (contact details above), or the Churches’ Administrator (see Getting in touch… below). Coronavirus Some of our church buildings are now able to open for private prayer and reflection:  Please do not come if you are suffering any symptoms of coronavirus, but contact NHS 111  Please ensure that you clean your hands on entering and leaving the church building  Please observe social distancing and follow all the safety guidance inside the church 3

Private Prayer – Days and Times of Opening: Monday Dunsford 10:00am - 12 noon Tuesday Bridford 12 noon – 2:00pm by appointment* Wednesday Christow 2:00pm – 5:00pm Thursday Dunsford 2:00pm – 5:00pm Friday CLOSED Saturday Ashton 10:00am – 5:00pm Bridford 10:00am – 12 noon by appointment* Sunday Christow 2:00pm – 5:00pm Doddiscombsleigh 12:00pm – 6:00pm (on Sundays only if there has been no service in the morning – see below) * for Bridford please telephone 01647 252180 / 252515 / 253239 to make an appointment Sunday Services Following the recent government announcement, we are also now able to hold services of worship in church, but only with strict measures in place to ensure people’s safety e.g. the wearing of face coverings, increased cleaning, hand sanitisers, social distancing of 2 metres, no singing, communion in one kind only, no refreshments or meeting afterward. You will be asked to give your name and contact details in order to comply with “track and trace” requirements. This information is covered by GDPR and will be destroyed after 21 days. Plans for how our pattern of services following lockdown are still in the process of being finalised, and may change in the light of new guidance. We are planning to continue the phone-in service even when the churches are open for public worship. Details for planned services are as follows: 9:00am Telephone worship – Service of the Word* 10:30am Mission Community Holy Communion: 10.30am 6 Sept – St Thomas Becket, Bridford 13 Sept – St Michael & All Angels, Dunchideock 20 Sept – St James, Christow 27 Sept – St Michael, Dunsford 4 Oct HARVEST – outdoor service in Ashton 11 Oct – St Michael, Doddiscombsleigh 18 Oct – St Thomas Becket, Bridford 25 Oct – St James, Christow 01 Nov – St Michael & All Angels, Dunchideock Dunsford – Service of the Word (when Holy Communion is elsewhere) 4

There is also a telephone service of evening prayer at 6pm each Wednesday evening*. * For telephone services, you do not need internet access, but simply a landline or mobile telephone. Between 5 and 10 minutes before the service begins, please dial 0333 011 0616 and enter the code 334 7721, followed by the # key, when asked. You will also be asked to give your name. The cost of the call is the standard cost for any 01, 02 or 03 number, but will vary according to your telephone contract. It may well be covered by your “inclusive” minutes, or by free evening or weekend calls, but you are advised to check. Giving It is now possible to make a donation towards the general mission and running costs of each of our six churches through an online giving page on the “A Church Near You” website – see https://www.achurchnearyou.com and search for the relevant parish. The “Give Now” button will enable you to make an online donation, which can also be Gift Aided. This national Church of England website also holds a wealth of material about individual churches, including times of services and copies of orders of service, and is a good place to look for up-to-date information. APCMs – Annual Parochial Church Meetings We are now able to hold our annual meetings to elect wardens for the year and members to represent the whole community on the PCC – Parochial Church Council. The election of church wardens precedes the APCM and is a meeting for all parishioners who are listed on the local government register of electors. The APCM is open to those who are listed on the church electoral roll. The meetings will take place in church subject to the usual safety precautions of wearing face masks, sanitising hands and social distancing. Nomination papers for the election of wardens may be obtained from the PCC secretaries. Please support your churches by taking part in these meetings; church exists for the whole community: church is 24/7 not just Sundays! At time of going to press the following APCMs were confirmed: Ashton – Fri 25 September at 3pm (in the church) Bridford – Wed 23 September at 2pm (in the church) Dunsford – Wed 23 September at 4pm (in the church) Doddiscombsleigh – Thu 24 September at 7pm (venue TBC) Dunchideock – Mon 21 September - time tbc (in the church) Please watch your church noticeboard for the official notice of your church meeting. 5

Resources During this time, you may find the following online and telephone resources helpful: Daily Prayer: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer General prayer resources: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance- parishes/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer Daily Hope: a free phone line of hymns, reflections and prayers – 0800 804 8044 Recording of Rev’d Ruth Frampton’s “Reflection” from the previous Sunday: 01647 407047 If you are anxious about the current situation or would like prayer or pastoral support (e.g. because of illness or bereavement), please do not hesitate to contact Rev’d Ruth Frampton or the Churches’ Administrator (Steve Cook) – contact details above and below. There is a separate notice elsewhere in the magazine giving details of how the churches are working together with local parish councils and others to co-ordinate shopping, collect medication etc. for those who need to “self-isolate” or who can’t leave their homes. Teign Valley Larder Please see the separate information in the magazine about the Teign Valley Larder in the porch of Christow church and elsewhere – where people can donate food, and those in need of food can pick some things up for free. Anyone can use it – it’s for the whole Teign Valley area, not just for Christow! We’d like to help reduce food waste, and we especially hope it will help people who are struggling at the moment. This initiative is supported by Dartmoor National Park Authority. From the registers… Funerals: 6 August – Mary Vowles (Dunsford) 17 August – Bill Hogg (Christow) Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones. Getting in touch… If you wish to discuss plans for a postponed or future baptism/christening, banns of marriage, wedding, funeral, interment of ashes or memorial service, or have any other enquiry, please contact Steve Cook, the Churches’ Administrator, on 01392 832332 or email [email protected]. 6

Country News Annual Review Meeting There will be a review meeting for all Country News editors on Monday September 28th at 6.15pm. (Please note earlier time due to potentially being outside). If the weather looks fine you are invited to come and sit in our garden, but if not we will send out Zoom invitations a day or two beforehand. Tina Cook Dunchideock Church APCM 21st September 2020 Some of you may be aware that the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for St Michael & All Angels Church Dunchideock, is to take place at 6.00pm in the Church on Monday 21st September, when the Parochial Church Council, Churchwardens, and Secretary are all to be nominated and elected. If you live in or worship at Dunchideock, and want to see it survive, it is most important that you should make the effort to attend or at least make your thoughts known, as, after many years of service, the current Churchwardens, Ray Mallett and Jamie Cumming are standing down, as well as the long serving Secretary Ann Mallett. All these officers have given sterling service to their positions over a great many years, but as is the way with age, have reached a position in life where they feel it is time to step back and encourage a new team to take up the reins and move our Church forward. As a Dunchideock resident or worshipper, you may see this as an opportunity to play your part in ensuring that the Church is here for you and your children and families for years to come. Being a Churchwarden does not mean that you have to ‘turn your shirt collar around’ or anything like, but it does mean that you are empowered and expected to make decisions and take actions on issues affecting the fabric, wellbeing and presence of the Church. It is very much a team effort, and would be much easier to understand if you were able to draw from the experience of the incumbents. Both Ray and Jamie would be only too pleased to guide and support a new team, but it is important that the new team is established before they are not around to hold your hand. Similarly, a new Secretary does not require dramatic office or typing skills, but they do need to be a point of contact that coordinates all matters affecting our church. Most importantly however, we desperately need new members for the Parochial Church Council, that is the committee that meet, discuss and vote on general matters affecting the running of the church, again, the existing members that are prepared to stay on will be pleased to guide and support any new members. There is of course, as you would expect, certain qualifying criteria for nomination and election to all the above offices, but that should not deter anyone who feels that they could support the Church in its future. If no one comes forward however, sadly it is possible that it could only be a matter of time before we lose what our forebears have strived for for so long, that is to ensure that we all have a Church to call ours, not only for us, but also for those to follow. For more information on any of the above, please contact Ann on 01392 833351 or email [email protected] and take a very important step forward. Ray Mallett (Churchwarden and Safeguarding Officer) 7

Frozen, oven-ready Muscovy duck Delicious flavour and very low fat Weights from 3lb to 6lb + Excellent value at £3.00 per lb Can be delivered locally free of charge (recipe included) Phone: Alexis Swain 01392 833 353 (Dunchideock) 8

Coronavirus – help for those “self-isolating” who need shopping and/or medications collected The situation with Coronavirus continues to change, so these arrangements may well have to be reviewed. We plan to keep this scheme running as long as it is required. Government and NHS advice is available as follows: NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ Government information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus- action-plan/coronavirus-action-plan-a-guide-to-what-you-can-expect-across-the-uk Teignbridge District Council: https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-help-and- advice/coronavirus-updates/ Significant numbers of people in the valley are still having to “self-isolate” or not leave their homes to go shopping etc. The churches and other groups are working together to try and ensure that those who may need practical help with shopping, collecting medication etc. in this situation can receive help if needed. Details are available at the following: A Church Near You websites: Ashton – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8766/page/53729/view/ Bridford – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8767/page/53727/view/ Christow – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8765/page/53726/view/ Doddiscombsleigh – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8793/page/53728/view/ Dunchideock – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8770/page/53671/view/ Dunsford – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8792/page/53725/view/ Christow website – http://www.christowparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Doddiscombsleigh website – https://www.doddiscombsleigh.org/ Dunchideock website – https://www.dunchideock.org.uk Dunsford website – http://www.dunsford-village.org.uk Mission Community Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/tvhhmc/ Each village has a local co-ordinator to link up those offering to help with shopping and/or collecting medication with those who need some assistance. Arrangements are currently as follows: Ashton: John May – T: 01647 252212 or E: [email protected] Bridford: Kathy Fitzjohn – T: 01647 252515 or E: [email protected] Christow: Phil Trotter – T: 01647 252874 or E: [email protected] Doddiscombsleigh: Elliott Fairs – T: 01647 253169 or E: [email protected] and Toby Berry – T: 07764 547556 or E: [email protected] Dunchideock: Steve Cook – T: 01392 832332 or E: [email protected] Dunsford: Karen Morris at The Shop – T: 01647 252330 or E: [email protected] 9

Dunchideock Flower and Produce Show Dunchideock Village Hall (DVH) committee agreed to continue to go ahead with the Flower and Produce Show on Saturday 8th August, and what a day!!!. After researching continual COVID guidelines we produced a one way system, having one entrance and one exit with no entry into the kitchen other than committee members. The dedication of the team made this yet another successful event for both residents and committee members alike. It was brilliant to see the regular faces who support the village hall plus great to welcome new residents with their children also taking part on this beautiful sunny day. The best in show shield was awarded to Luca Duckworth aged 6 for his effort in making a colourful NHS wreath. DVH would like to say a big thank you to: • Ray Mallett for the loan of his gazebo. • Ann Mallett for donating the scrumptious scones for the cream teas. • Peggy Ludbrook, Karen Marshall, Rachel Banks and Helen Ward our independent judging team. • And Ian Turner for issuing and printing the various certificates for First and Second places. Thanks to everyone in the Village who entered or visited our first Event since lockdown and who all adhered to our Social Distancing measures – we know how difficult it has been for everyone but it is heartening to see so many of you again - we really appreciate it – Regards, Karen Robson & Peter Doyle (Chairman & Treasurer) 10

Dunchideock Flower and Produce Show – photos 11

DUNCHIDEOCK PARISH COUNCIL There is a vacancy for a Parish Councillor that can be 5lled by co-op9on Applica5ons are invited from any legally quali$ed person who is willing to serve the community and wishes to be considered for the vacancy If you are interested and would like to know more about the skills and role of being a Parish Councillor, would you please contact the Chairman, Stephen Moor, 01392 832697, [email protected] or the Parish Clerk, Norman Harvey, 01392 422390, [email protected] for further informa5on You must be legally quali$ed on the date of your applica5on as follows: • You must be 18 years or older • You must be a Bri5sh ci5zen, or a ci5zen of the Commonwealth or the European Union • You are not subject to a bankruptcy order or interim order • Within $ve years before the date of your applica5on you have not been convicted in the United Kingdom of any o<ence and not have had a prison sentence (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the op5on of a $ne • You have not been convicted of o<ences involving corrupt or illegal prac5ces • You have not been convicted for the failure to register or declare disclosable interests under the Localism Act 2011 To be eligible for co-op5on you must sa5sfy at least one of the following requirements on the date of your applica5on: • You are registered as a local government elector and con5nue to be so for the parish • During the whole of the preceding twelve months you have occupied as owner, or tenant, any land or premises in the parish • Your principal or any place of work during the preceding twelve months has been in the parish • You have during the whole of the preceding twelve months resided in the parish or within 3 miles or 4.8 km of the parish Applica5on forms are available from the Clerk and the closing date for applica5ons to be returned to the Clerk is Wednesday 2 September 2020*. Candidates will be invited to speak in support of their applica5on at the virtual Parish Council mee5ng to be held on Tuesday 8 September 2020. The successful candidate will be invited to join the Council for the remainder of the mee5ng. *It is possible that this No/ce will not be seen by 2 September 2020. If anyone wishes to express an interest in a vacancy will they please use the contact details on this No/ce. 12

Dunchideock Parish Council Newsletter (14 August 2020) Changes to your Council In May, June and July, three of our parish councillors resigned – Andrew McCarthy, Gervaise Cerio & Robin Bean – for business and personal reasons. We thank them for their contributions during their time in office. Councillor Lewis Oxley was unanimously co-opted at the last meeting on 14 July. There are two other vacancies which may be filled by co-option, so if you are interested to contribute to your community, please contact Norman Harvey our parish clerk (422390) or Stephen Moor our current Chairman (832697) before the deadline on 2nd September. Website Progress A new redesigned website has been commissioned. It is hoped that this will be ready to replace our existing website within the next six weeks or so. It will look different but it should be more accessible to all and capable of being read on a mobile phone or tablet. www.dunchideock.org.uk Parish Council Meetings During the current pandemic crisis, meetings will continue to be held virtually on Zoom, as we are advised not to hold real meetings. Details for joining will be published in the Agenda for the next meeting which can be found on the notice boards, our website www.dunchideock.org.uk or by contacting any councillor or our parish clerk. New Notice Board The existing notice board, situated on the corner of Belvedere Park, is to be replaced with a larger one. It is hoped it will be available before the end of the current financial year. Footpaths The parish council has managed to obtain a grant of £1,100 from Devon County Council for some minor improvements to our four footpaths. It is anti- cipated that these will be completed before the end of the current financial year in March 2021. Forthcoming Road Works The parish council has been informally notified of proposed repairs and main- tenance by contractors for Devon County Council, as follows:- • Blacksmiths Hill – drainage issues and surface repairs • Road between Tower Court and Underdown – road surfacing • Underdown crossroad and Brenton Road junction at Clapham – road surfacing Formal notices giving the timing of these will be placed on our notice boards and on our website, www.dunchideock.org.uk, once published by DCC. 13

Bus Timetables Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Devon County Council are not producing any printed bus timetable booklets this year. Timetables can be viewed at https://www.traveldevon.info/bus/timetables/ and those particularly relevant to Shillingford and Dunchideock are shown below and on the village noticeboards. 14

Shillingford St George Church Calendar Service Duties Tom & Gwen 6 & 20 Sept Patsy 6 Sept Christopher 6 Sept & 4 Oct Liz & Peter 13 Sept Tam 20 Sept Ken & Delia 27 Sept From the Registers Interment of Ashes: 18 July – Iris Carr 21 July – Mavis Titball We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and friends of those who have recently died. Please be considerate dog walkers and pick up your dog's mess and groomings. Thank you. Art Class Resumes at Shillingford Village Hall As we emerge, blinking, from the restrictions of total lockdown, you might consider rediscovering your inner artist at the drawing and watercolour classes at Shillingford Village Hall. All community halls have been deep cleaned, and we will be observing social distancing and other health precautions. This term we will be looking at seasonal landscape subjects, rustic buildings and ruins. All ages and abilities catered for, particularly beginners and those \"testing the water\". 10 week term starts on October 2nd at 9.45am. £70 (or £67 for over-60s) Details from Mike McDonald on 01626 891245 or visit https://www.mikemcdonald.co.uk/ Devon Libraries Details of the planned reopening of Devon Libraries are available on the webpage https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena/coronavirus-updates SHILLINGFORD LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Greetings from Shillingford Local History Society: yes, our society still exists, even though we haven’t been able to meet together for any of our planned talks since February this year. At present we are not expecting to hold our October 2020 meeting in Shillingford Village Hall either; in fact the larger county-based history and family history societies have already replaced their annual Conferences and AGMs, which are always held in October, with virtual meetings to be held online on Zoom or another video- conferencing platform. We’ll keep you posted on our plans for meetings in 2021! In the meantime, please enjoy this story of a young man and his family who lived and farmed near Shillingford 200 years ago. Jan Wood Chair 15

A Farming Family near Shillingford in the early 19th Century In April 1798, a baby boy named Thomas Zeal was born to John and Christian Zeal on the family farm close to Shillingford, and 3 weeks later he was baptised at Shillingford St. George parish church. Thomas was the fourth child in the family, and throughout his childhood his father struggled to make a success of tenant farming and to raise and educate his seven children. Like other tenants of that time who had only a small amount of capital to invest in their properties, and were not the \"bigger men\" on large properties, John Zeal had difficulty making ends meet. The reason we have a much more detailed picture of the life of Thomas Zeal and his parents and family than we have for the majority of ordinary farming families of the early 19th century, is because in 1868, at about 70 years of age, Thomas wrote down his memories of his own life and that of his family, including what he knew of his parents and his ancestors, beginning in his own words “My dear children, I thought a few memoirs respecting our family might afford you some gratification in times to come”. Thankfully, the original manuscript survives with his descendants in New Zealand, and the story of his early years forms part of that. His father John Zeal had been born into a tenant farming family in Knowstone in North Devon in 1764, and had been employed by various farmers in buying and selling cattle, and managing a farm near Bath, but after his own father died, he had found there were no opportunities back at home. After walking all the way to Exeter in search of work, he had heard of a position at Marshalls Farm, close to Dunchideock, but in the parish of Ide, managing the farm for a Mr Oke, who was elderly and crippled. Mr. William Oke was the tenant at Great Marshall Farm from 1734 to 1789, and like most of the land in Ide parish, the farm was owned then by the Dean of Chapter of Exeter Cathedral. En route to Marshalls Farm John had called in at Bowhay Farm near Shillingford Abbot, to ask advice about his prospective employer. At that time Bowhay was being farmed by Mrs Lear and her son John and daughter Christian. Not surprisingly, he had been invited back to Bowhay for dinner after his interview at Marshall’s and after commencing work for Mr. Oke, he had begun courting Christian Lear, and they had eventually married in Exeter St Sidwell parish church in 1791. On marrying, John Zeal took up a small farm called Strongs near the old lodge gate leading to Haldon House, the property and seat of Sir Robert Palk and later his son Sir Lawrence Palk. Sir Lawrence inherited the baronetcy from his father, Sir Robert Palk, on the latter's death in 1798; he lived at the family seat of Haldon House and was M.P. for Devonshire. John Zeal thus became their tenant. Strongs Farm lay below the Palk family seat of Haldon House, and must have been close to Clapham; it disappeared long ago and doesn’t appear on any existing maps, and the reason for its demise was recorded by Thomas Zeal in his later memoirs. He also remembered that his father “… took some additional land near the Belvedere overlooking Doddiscombsleigh. A great part of this land was furze or as we call it in Devonshire, brakes. The land being poor it did father no good service.” 16

Thomas Zeal and his six brothers and sisters were all born at Strongs Farm, and baptised in Shillingford parish church between 1792 and 1805. Their father was apparently a favourite of the Rector, the Reverend Robert Palk Welland, who held the livings of both Shillingford St. George and Dunchideock parishes under his uncle Robert Palk and then his cousin Lawrence Palk of Haldon House. The Reverend Welland lived at Hoppyns, a large house near Strongs Farm and close to Clapham, which was also later demolished. While Thomas Zeal was growing up, his father ploughed the glebe lands, sowed, harvested and sold the crops at Exeter for the Reverend Welland; all without charging commission. This caused him to be well- regarded by the Rector – and no wonder! but Thomas recalled that the parson made his father ample amends in some other way, asking John to represent him at the tithe dinner if he was absent, and to fill the chair at the bottom of the table if he was present. “Dear father was very proud in being thus noticed” Thomas recalled “— it gave him a position of respect in eyes of his neighbours….” Throughout Thomas's childhood, England was at war with France. Admiral Nelson was killed at Trafalgar in 1805, the year he turned seven. Some Devon farmers apparently thrived under the conditions of the war, when corn prices were high, and the army and navy provided a constant market for farm produce. Thomas recalled that “Politicians were very rabid about this time” and also that “The Admiral Vernon Inn at Alphington was the house of call for the farmers on their return home Friday evenings from Exeter market. Parties being heated by their own passions and Blatchfords drink, words ran high. Sometimes there was a regular melee and the peace officers had to make their appearance to turn out the troublesome ones and quelling the disorder.” The Blatchford family were innkeepers at the Admiral Vernon at that time. Thomas described the accidents which befell his brothers and sisters – all due to the hazards of farm life at the time. In 1806, his brother John caught his hand in the cogs of a threshing machine lent to the family by Farmer Hutchings of Dunchideock, and his youngest sister Harriet had a very narrow escape from being burnt to death. That same year, at eight years old, Thomas had a bad accident while playing with a chaff cutter, necessitating regular treatments by Dr. Howell of Kenton over several weeks. He lost the top of one finger, and injured another. Dr. Howell used to meet him at the \"Seven Stars\" Inn at Kennford to treat the hand. With his brother John, he attended old Job's day school, enduring the crippled teacher's punishments and insults with the other pupils because at that time it was the only schooling available nearby. According to Thomas “the farmers’ sons all around were sent to this school. There was no other school nearer than Exeter — the master, old Job professed only to teach the boys just to write, read and to do the first 4 rules in arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division”. In 1807, when Thomas was nearly nine and a half years old, the family were forced to give up the farm. His father received notice from the steward acting for Sir Lawrence Palk to quit Strongs Farm, along with other tenants nearby – Mr. William Carter and Mr. Samuel Bowles of Clapton [Clapham] Farm. Sir Lawrence intended pulling 17

down the old farmhouses and converting much of the farmland to plantations and pleasure grounds. Thomas remembered “As soon as the tenants had left, the old farmhouses and buildings were levelled with the ground, not a vestige now remains”. Tenant farmers had no recourse under such circumstances, and the Zeal family were faced with the search for another suitable farm, and with the help of Christian’s sister and brother-in-law they found one at Whitestone. In the event, the family’s lives were never to be the same, because all did not go well there. Farm owner Mr Sowden proved to be an opportunistic landlord, and the farms were in a poor state, as well as being poor quality land – mostly furze. John Zeal could not make them pay, and had to give up leasing his own farm, so that in 1811, their crop and farm goods had to be auctioned, the family was split up and the children apprenticed or sent out to work. So by 1807, the Zeal family had left the Shillingford area, and never returned, though Thomas’s uncle and cousins were tenants at Shillingford Farm (later known as Place Farm) for decades, and their friend the Reverend Welland remained Rector at Shillingford for many more years. When Thomas’s oldest sister died in 1829, she was buried back in Shillingford churchyard. His aged parents died in St Olave’s in Exeter within a day of each other in January 1836, and they were buried in the same grave as their daughter. Later in 1864, another sister was also buried with them in Shillingford, and the family gravestone still stands next to the parish church. Jan Wood Friends of Shillingford Wood The “friends of Shillingford Wood” would firstly like to thank everyone who took part in our survey which was to establish support in the immediate community for our endeavour to purchase the wood. The results have demonstrated that most of the community is behind us with many offers of help being offered. Progress has however, been very slow and continues to be a little challenging with regards to local politics. We continue with our fund raising efforts and there will be a calendar coming out in October featuring photographs of Shillingford Wood during the months of lock down, these will be on sale locally. There are many other fund raising ideas in the pipe line. As a group we continue to investigate avenues to raise the necessary sum and would like to thank everyone for their support. Claire Dummett 18

Teignbridge District Council funds a Home Improvement Loan Scheme for homeowners and landlords (subject to eligibility). We understand the expense of maintaining your home. We want to help you to take the stress out of funding repairs, improvements or adaptations to your home. We see you as an individual, not a credit score. For a free, no obligation home visit or more information: Contact Wessex Resolutions CIC on 01823 461099 or visit: www.wessexresolution.org.uk 19

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Shillingford St George & District Community Calendar for 2021 in support of The Shillingford Woods Purchase Appeal CALLING FOR YOUR PHOTOS AND ADVANCE NOTICE OF A COMMUNITY CALENDAR FOR 2021 On behalf of The Friends of Shillingford Woods we have volunteered to coordinate the production of a local calendar to help promote fund raising for the purchase of the Woodland. We are looking for nature, landscape and wildlife photos taken in and around Shillingford Woods during 2020 either colour or black and white. Lockdown photos are especially welcome when the woodland, fields, lanes and our gardens meant so much for daily exercise where we watched Spring unfold in our beautiful corner of Devon. If you have photos from your phone or camera and would like to contribute please email them to us in the highest image quality jpegs (most phone photos will be ideal); landscape format to [email protected] by 15th September. Please add your name, title of photo, date taken and location, up to 3 digital photos per person. A small group will then select photos and organise the calendar production which should go on sale in mid October – in time for Christmas gifts perhaps? If anyone can offer a sales outlet for the calendars we would be most grateful as the virus is making usual sales opportunities difficult. Please use the above email address to let us know. You can follow developments on the following Facebook pages; Friends of Shillingford Wood or Shillingford St George Wildlife group. If you would like to help sponsor the Calendar please also use the above email address to contact us. Your help is appreciated. We are looking forward to seeing your pictures. Thank you Anne Whiteley Trevor Ridgers 23

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Shillingford St George and Shillingford Abbot Hedge Trimming Once again this year the Village Hall Committee along with Mr Chris Carr are organising a local agricultural contractor to carry out hedge trimming of house-hold hedges that border roads around the two villages. This has been done successfully over the past few years. This is a quick and easy way to get your hedges trimmed, No trips to the dump, No sweat, it’s all very simple for you. *Please be aware that due to the limited reach of the cutter it may not be possible to cut the tops of very high hedges.* Depending on weather and workload the cutting should be done during September. All we ask for in return is for a donation to be made to us (commensurate with the amount of work involved). The proceeds will then be split on an equal basis with the village church. We do not require your donation until after the work has been completed. This year due to the ongoing issue with the COVID-19 virus we won’t be collecting payment from your door. Payment options include cash or cheque delivered to Trevor Ridgers or BACs payment to the village hall committee (BACs details given upon request). If you have participated in the scheme before and wish to have your hedge cut again you do not need take any further action as we will have your cutting details on file. However, if you wish to withdraw from the scheme, make alterations to your cutting requirements, have your hedge cut for the first time or any other queries please contact via email [email protected] as soon as possible. On behalf of the Village Hall Committee, Trevor Ridgers, Hackers, Shillingford St George Shillingford Village Hall During lockdown, the Hall has been thoroughly cleaned and is prepared for re- opening, hopefully from September. Some classes will resume; some new classes will begin, however we won't be able to hold coffee mornings or Exchanges until restrictions are lifted, because safe social distancing requirements are still in place at the time of writing. We will keep you posted as to any news! Hopefully in the autumn we'll be able to return for Film Nights! Alison Price 25

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Shillingford Village Hall – Notice to all Parents Can we please ask all parents to be aware of what your children are doing, and where they are! Unfortunately we have had a lot of problems concerning the Village Hall, where children, large and small, are running along the flat roof of the hall, yes! they are playing on the roof of the Hall!! pieces of wood have been thrown onto the roof to fill in the gaps, benches have been upturned to be used as ladders, fires have been lit, mountains of rubbish have been left everywhere, and children are riding bikes and scooters down the village hall drive directly into the road. An accident is waiting to happen, either on the road, or falling off the roof of the hall!!!! The village hall area IS NOT A PLAY AREA! There is the green for playing on, and we would therefore ask all parents to please make sure your child/children are aware of where they can play as we do not want accidents!! Village Hall Management Committee Planters by Boyces Nursery, beside the village signboards 27

Rector Shillingford St. George (day off Thursday) Revd. Mike Partridge, The Rectory, Alphington, EX2 8XJ The Parishes of Alphington, Ide and Shillingford [email protected] 01392 491476 or 07751 725306 Churchwarden Mr. N. Mansell (832660) [email protected] Priest in charge Dunchideock (day off Thursday) Revd. Ruth Frampton, The Rectory, Dry Lane, Christow, EX6 7PE [email protected] 01647 253164 Churchwardens Mr. R. Mallett (833351) [email protected] Mr. J. Cumming (832499) Churches Administrator Mr. S. Cook (832332) [email protected] Editor this month Country News Tam Mucklow and Edmund Gooch Editor for October Tom Tompkins (832352) [email protected] Advertising Editor Michelle Saunders (07856 663696) [email protected] Front Cover Judith Travell (832600) [email protected] Treasurer Elizabeth Jenne, Webberton Meadows, Dunchideock (832240) [email protected] Main Distributors Mr. & Mrs. P. Wareham and Mrs. E. Jenne Articles for inclusion in the October edition of Country News please pass to the Editor by 15 September. Classified Adverts: £1 for up to three lines (for one issue). Box Adverts: Full page £16 for one issue or £120 for one year (10 issues), or pro rata for half-page or quarter-page adverts. For all adverts, please contact the Advertising Editor – see above 28