Teignmouth Post and Gazette No 4703 Friday, 6 February 1976

FAMILY LIVED IN SHALDON FOR 500 YEARS

Tuesday was an important day in the history of Shaldon’s oldest family, when Mr. and Mrs. James Bulley, of 21 Broadlands, celebrated their Golden Wedding. He was born in the Shipwrght’s Arms. Ringmore, attended Shaldon School, and met his wife Ruby from Middlesborough when she worked in Shaldon.They were married in Newton Abbot on February 3, 1926.

He played football for Shaldon until a serious leg injury at Newton Abbot, but managed to serve in the Navy through the war. He resumed his trade - painting and decorating - and became a member of Teignmouth Urban Council, and now runs Shaldon Taxi Service.

FEAR OF HEATING BILLS

Because she was concerned at the cost of switching on her electric fires, an elderly Teignmouth widow died at her home this week. Mrs. Linda Bassett aged 84, of 24 Ferndale Road, was found alone and unconscious on Tuesday morning, and died shortly afterwards in Torbay Hospital of hypothermia, with a body temperature of 77*. She was certainly not neglected. She had a home help twice a week, meals-on-wheels and the WRVS. Miss Alice Cross said they could only help if they are notified. Mr. John Hampson, Social Services, appealed to milkmen, postmen and other callers, like newspaper deliveries to knock and ask if the tenant is alright.

"THOUGHT FOR TODAY”

Mrs. A. Foster, president of the Christian Spiritualist Church, urged people to make their New Year’s resolution to look after older friends with an occasional visit, to comfort the bereaved soul, be a good neighbour and take a few flowers to the bedridden. Where was that spirit that allowed a young mother and her baby to lay dead for three months and nobody had bothered?”

MERCHANT SHIPPING

The merchant shipping registered in Teignmouth went into decline during the First World War. The “Alicia”, the last, was sold in 1931, and since then, the ships coming in have almost all been foreign, with rarely a Teignmouth man in the crew.

The Harbour Master had a constant struggle to keep the harbour in repair, and the shifting sand bar made entry uncertain. Some Teignmouth bound arrivals had to dock in Torbay. One young ship’s master committed suicide after his ship had been damaged in a berth here. However, the main reason for the decline was probably that local men were finding easier ways of earning a living. In the late nineteenth century, three men were before the magistrates for refusing to join their ship. preferring prison.

More and more sons of old maritime families chose to take out summer visitors in small boats, or turned away from the sea to less rigorous and hazardous occupations.