WE have been contacted by Susan Byrne who was born in February 1943.

Sue was effectively evacuated in 1944/45 with her mother Wyn Sterne to the home of a vicar and his wife she remembers as The Old Rectory, possibly in the Cheriton Fitzpaine area.

Highbury Corner station near where her family lived in London had been bombed and her mother decided they should move to somewhere safer. 

Sue visited Devon a year or so ago and had a sudden feeling that she might be in the same area.

She has such fond memories of that time, she decided she would like to visit it once again.

The name Cheriton Fitzpaine has always stuck in her memory, with visits to market in Crediton, and the possible surname of the vicar as Black or Stock.

However, neither of those was the name of the vicar of Cheriton Fitzpaine at that time, nor can we find a vicar nearby with those surnames.

However, Sue can also remember her mother speaking of Stockleigh English.

She has several photographs taken at the time and it is just possible that someone locally might be able to identify where they were taken.

They do not show any particularly helpful features except the obvious very rural nature of the surroundings. Sue also believes that the woman in one of the photos might be the vicar’s wife. 

Anyone who thinks they can shed any light on this, please contact me either on 01363 774441 or at: [email protected] .

David Nation

Chair

Crediton Area History and Museum Society