Frederick Elford Copleston

He was the last of a long line of his family who were all Rectors of Widworthy and Offwell dating back to 1773. His home was at Widworthy Rectory from 1935 to 1954, when he retired to Littleham near Exmouth, dying in 1959. He had two children, Hermione and John and took in children evacuated into the area. These children called him “Vic” and remember his kindness.

He would have had a huge amount of local contacts due to his family having been in the church for 180 years.

In World War 1 he served with the Royal Fusiliers as Private GS/14901. In 1939 he is an ARP Group Warden and his wife, Joyce, a first aider.