On This Day in Wembury — 23 February 1938
Funeral of Mr A. Rowe Nelder of New Barton Farm
On 23 February 1938, Wembury gathered to pay its respects to Mr A. Rowe Nelder, a well-known South Devon farmer who had lived and worked at New Barton Farm for forty years. He was 77 years old. The funeral took place at St Werburgh’s Church, conducted by the vicar, the Rev. C. ff. Young, and the burial followed in the new churchyard beside the cliff-top church.
The Western Morning News recorded a remarkable turnout of neighbours, tradesmen, and local dignitaries, a measure of Mr Nelder’s standing in the community. Among those present were Capt. R. P. Giles, churchwarden representing the Parochial Council; Commander E. T. W. Church; Mr J. Cochrane, on behalf of Messrs Goldsmith & Peck of Devonport; and representatives from several long-established Devon firms, including William K. Pitts Ltd, Walter & Son Ltd, and Hitchins & Co. Many familiar Wembury names appeared in the list of mourners — Body, Chaffe, Cane, Pearse, Pursley, Jenkins, and Hine — reflecting the breadth of the farming and village community that had known him.
The floral tributes were abundant and personal, some signed simply “His loving children” or “His affectionate pets”, others from neighbours, family friends, and “all at the Jubilee,” referring to the Jubilee Inn (now The Odd Wheel). Funeral arrangements were handled by J. H. Stanlake of Salisbury Road, Plymouth.
Mr Nelder’s passing marked the end of an era at New Barton, one of the parish’s principal farms overlooking the sea. His long stewardship of the land and his reputation for fairness and good humour made him a figure much respected in Wembury life.
Source: Western Morning News (Plymouth), Thursday 24 February 1938 – “Wembury Tribute: Funeral of Mr A. Rowe Nelder.”
Today, New Barton Farm is owned by the National trust and has been renamed as Wembury Barton Farm
