Bell, Haydon and Ash families

Hello

I am in Starcross following the trail of my great grandfather (William Henry Bell) who was born here in 1856, and his father John Bell who was born here in 1824. 

John's parents were Richard Bell (master mariner) and Sarah Haydon Ash.  Richard was born in Durham but seems to have settled here in Starcross when he married Sarah, whose family were local shipowners.  Richard, John and Sarah all died here in Starcross.  John’s son William Henry Bell migrated to Australia in the 1880s and there are many descendants, of whom I am one.

I have found a gravestone for Richard and John in the churchyard, and will look more systematically tomorrow to see if there are other family stones.  I am interested in anything that is known of these families, and I wonder whether there are descendants of the Haydons, the Ash family or the Bells still in the area.

I would be very happy to share what I have learned about the families, and have lots of information about the descendants in Australia if that is of interest to anyone.

Many thanks

Jenny Bell

Starcross Drill Hall

Was there a drill hall in Starcross? Whereabouts?

19/01060/FUL – Land Rear of Old Post Office, Bonhay Road, Starcross - Dwelling with associated parking, landscaping and associated works. Planning Inspectorate Reference: 3235779

Teignbridge District Council have decided to refuse permission to build this house which would interfere with the privacy of other houses because of its close proximity to them. Although Teignbridge District Council have refused permission, there's  a further appeal to the Planning Inspectorate
The thrust of the argument will be the former existence of a Drill Hall, which would make this site brownfield and therefore it would be encouraged to build on it. The idea of unlocking brownfield sites for development is for communities to identify brownfield sites for themselves; to encourage development on them for the good of the community. Here's the link which explains the thinking 

The Department for Communities and Local Government is no more.
It has morphed into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governments.
here's the link to what they do  which is to support communities with the provision of housing. Could they help to determine this decision?

Meanwhile, it would be interesting to find out about this Drill Hall. Did it exist or? Was it a hut used by our Home Guard? or was it a more substantial building?
The planning appeal document talks about a map of the 1880s which shows The Assembly Rooms which later became known as The Drill Hall.
but
The Starcross building which was The Assembly Rooms is the former Newclay factory, on Courtenay Corner. Newclay Products have moved to Heathfield.

Ordnance Survey maps of Starcross are held in the Devon Rural Archive at Shilstone  They  have complete Ordnance Survey coverage for 1887 and 1905.

The Devon Archives and Local Studies Centre at Sowton can be visited by catching an Exmouth train from Starcross.

They hold documents and maps about Starcross too. 

Perhaps someone with local knowledge can help with information about The Starcross Drill Hall please?

Show and Tell in the Westbank Charity Shop

Everyone agreed that the carrot cake served in the Westbank Charity Shop was delicious.

The group viewed some photographs of Starcross' yesteryear. These included :

• the demolition of the Royal Western Counties Hospital
• a helter-skelter and a roundabout on Starcross Sportsfield
• flooding outside The Anchor at Cockwood
•  when It's a Knockout came to Starcross
• Starcross snowscenes
• the colourful flowerbeds in the grounds of the RWCH

If you didn't go, you missed some hilarious Starcross reminiscences  and anecdotes, none of which can be published. 

Bobbo the Carousel Horse met Dobbin at the Forge. 
6 carousel horses would be good - so lots more black coathangers are needed. Please.

It's planned to have a speaker at the next Show and Tell event in the Westbank Charity Shop, which will again be from 4pm until 6pm, sometime in November.

The Starcross Gallopers

The plan to follow up on our first prize

for Kattanga the War Horse 

with some carousel horses needed some more research to verify that carousel gallopers featured on the carousel which used to visit Starcross.

There was a fair in Starcross on Whit Wednesday, at least from the nineteenth century; according to Vision of Britain.
Whit Wednesday would be the Wednesday after Whitsuntide, which is the 7th Sunday after Easter (Wiki)

Perhaps its location was where the Starcross Cattle Market took place? Here's a Bernard Chapman postcard of the Starcross Cattle Market.

Many thanks Janet Bowdler for publishing an appeal for information in The Starcross Newsletter  and to Marlene Parr for this response. (more details to follow)
The visiting fair was opposite the school. It was run by Alfred Whitelegg. Alfred's brother Tommy ran the Dawlish Fair, which visited every August Bank holiday. This fair continues, run by the Rowlands. http://www.rowlandsfunfair.co.uk/

Tommy Whitelegg's daughter ran amusements in Dawlish, in the old cinema building, which is now Dawlish Library.

Marlene clearly remembers the carousel which came to Starcross. It featured gallopers, which were horses with both sets of legs extended - like the olde paintings of horse-racing. Here' one from wiki.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg/1280px-Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg

Dimensions for carousel horses are online, by a firm who still make them
 https://fairgroundcarouselhorses.com/

Dingles  Fairground Heritage Centre near Launceston have a carousel gallopers ride. Its history is on this link:
 Edwards' Golden Gallopers

https://fairground-heritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gallopers13.jpg