Old Ashburton

From Kelly's Directory of Devonshire 1902:

Places of worship.
St. Andrew's Church, vicar - Rev Richard James Bond

 In 1902 there was a 'Painful incident' at the funeral of a young woman*, conducted by the Rev R J Bond. A coroner's jury had brought in a verdict of 'Suicide whilst of unsound mind', and because of this the vicar refused to allow the body inside the church. Shops and houses were closed - as were the church doors -  as the funeral procession passed through the crowded streets, and large numbers of inhabitants accompanied the mourners. The vicar read a special service at the graveside, but the whole funeral took only fourteen minutes.

The general mood of the town was of 'detestation' for the vicar's behaviour.
Western Times 24 January 1902 p6 col2

*The young woman's name was Rosa Beavis
Western Times 15 February 1902 p7 col3

In 1902 the Medical Officer reported 28 mild cases of scarlatina* in the town. The vicar, the Rev Bond, wrote a letter to the Urban District Council stating that several people from affected houses had come to the Vicarage, and his servants, 'in ignorance', had let them in. Worried for his own children, he asked that a notice be distributed to the households in question, telling them not to go around 'begging and spreading infection.'

No action was taken.
Western Times 8 September 1902 p4 col6
*Scarlatina - another name for scarlet fever, although usually in a milder form
http://www.nhs.uk/ Accessed 30-9-2013

Above: A letter from the Rev Bond to Mr Jones, dated October 1903. It reads: "Dear Mr Jones, I was surprised to find a note dropped in the box late last night, stating you could not come, and addressed to Edith. 

In future, please be good enough to see Mrs Bond, and arrange with her any alterations in the hours of your lesson.

We both think you ought to keep to the hour fixed, during the term, and do not like any departures from it. You do not say why you are obliged to be away today.

Yours sincerely, R J Bond".

From other documents, Mr Jones is probably Harold O Jones, who appears on the 1901 census as a 29 year old professional musician.

Edith is the Rev Bond's daughter - she is 8 years old on the same census, so would be about 10 at the time of the letter.

Harold O Jones later married Amy F J Mitchelmore, in the September quarter of 1913
http://www.findmypast.co.uk
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
Thanks to Linda Phillips for the document

Harold O Jones was the organist when Edith Mary Ethel Bond married the Rev H S T Richardson in 1921. The ceremony, which 'created a considerable amount of local interest' was performed by the father of the bride, and Edith's brother, Mr Arthur J F Bond*, gave the bride away. Mr Jones played Mendelssohn's Wedding March at the close of the proceedings, and the church bells were rung throughout the afternoon and evening.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 11 January 1921, p3 col4*For more on Arthur Bond, see Musicians, Poets and Artists, under Famous Ashburtonians