R J Bilkey (pictured L in Cairo and R. Alexandria with sergeant stripes) from the family collection of Josephine Lilly, a niece of Richard Bilkey. Taken from Tony Dyson’s 2007 research
R J Bilkey’s headstone , Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt (Image copyright TWGPP?CWGC: The War Graves Photographic Project)
Life and News in Devoran as the troops began slowly to come home after WW1, taken from the local newspapers in 1919.
Sadly one of the first mentions of Devoran in Western Morning News (18 January 1919) is of the early death of young Gladys Catherine (“Jimmy”) Edwards, daughter of local doctor Dr. Philip Hugh Edwards. This is the Edwards family after whom Edwards House on Devoran Lane and Edwards Road are named.

Western Morning News Saturday 18 January 1919
Very dearly loved – Monday 20th January 1919 must have been a sad day for many in the Village after the loss of so many young men.
https://devoranwarmemorial.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/devoran-first-world-war-casualties-names-a-to-c/
Corporal R.J. “Jack” Bilkey died aged 26 of wounds or illness in Egypt on 31st January 1919, followed by 49 year old 2nd Lieutenant Richard Stevens at Haslar Naval Hospital later on 7th February 1919. Richard Stevens is buried in Feock churchyard.
https://devoranwarmemorial.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/devoran-first-world-war-casualties-q-to-z/
These two men were the last of the Devoran WW1 Casualties on the War Memorial
Gladys (or Jimmy) and the other three Edwards sisters had done much for fundraising and local public or patriotic events with their musical contributions. Her Red Cross ambulance driving sister Gwendoline would complete writing the Devoran Roll of Honour, probably in 1919 – look for her initials GLB (for Gwendoline Layton Blunt, her married name) in the bottom right corner.
What else was happening in Devoran throughout 1919 as the men came home?
An early life in Australia was the subject of an fundraising talk or lecture in March 1919 at Devoran Council School (the old school, now a private house). Young 21 year old Lieutenant C. Michael Rogers of the Devon Yeomanry was the son of the new tenant at Tregye, where the Boscawen family had been resident before the war.

Western Morning News 18 March 1919

Sculptor and builder H.J. Martin’s name plate at the base of the Devoran War Memorial.
Everyday life of chapel continued, minus some of its younger men. One of the chapel elders mentioned is Herbert J Martin of Belmont Terrace, the mason or sculptor who carved the Devoran War Memorial and also a Mr Richards.

The Cornishman, 31st December 1919
On September 12th 1919, the War Memorial Recreation Ground was given to the Village by Viscount Clifden

Dedication stone of the Devoran War memorial ground
Devoran Recreation Ground
This land was given to Feock Parish Council by Viscount Clifton as a war memorial to the men of Devoran to be used for recreation and enjoyment of the people of Devoran for all times, 12 September 1919
https://devoranwarmemorial.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/devoran-war-memorial-recreation-ground-1919/

Dedicating the War Memorial Recreation Ground 12 September 1919. Headmaster Mr W.R. Cock speaking, surrounded by older men of the parish. Photo from the Restronguet Creek Society website.
Devoran (Penpol and Point) Regatta and Sports took place again in May 1919, the first after the war. All part of getting back to normal or how things were before the war.

Western Morning News, 22 May 1919. Sadly the Illustrated Western Weekly News is not available online at the moment to view Devoran Regatta 1919. Note the call for teachers – is this replacing wartime losses?

Visick’s Yard was no longer busy on war work and munitions but back on light industrial and motor engineering jobs, Western Morning News, 9 June 1919
Always interesting to read what is going on at the time around the world in 1919 from farming schemes for ex-servicemen to proposed equal pay for equal work for women. Some women gained the vote in 1918, all by 1928. I wonder what they would make of this equal pay still not having fully happened 100 years later?

Western Morning News May 10, 1919.
Devoran receives a mention in the article on the early Women’s Institutes in this Western Morning News May 10, 1919 – “A powerful instrument for making the world better and happier”.

The W.I. “Centres of Education, light and life” except in Probus, Western Morning News, May 10 1919
I wonder what was going on in Probus, that the fledgling Women’s Institute failed or fell “out of line” with others “because the feudal system still existed there”!
Devoran W.I. turned 21 in 1940, according to later WI reports in WW2
https://devoranwarmemorial.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/devoran-w-i-in-wartime-as-reported-in-cornish-newspapers/
With the war over, many of the Ladies and local women returned from wartime fundraising and nursing related war work to running peacetime groups such as the W.I. Scouts. Miss Tyacke who lived in Devoran (at Devoran House?) was County Staff Captain of the relatively young Scouts movement in Cornwall.
Devoran Scouts and Guides still flourish today, 100 years on and turned out in strength with their standard bearers for the Armistice 100 service.

St Agnes Scout Rally, reported 29 December 1919 Western Morning News
The tragic loss of 31 lives in the Levant Mining Disaster in West Cornwall in 20 October 1919 brought a strong charitable response through the Western Morning News including a collection by the landlord Mr Blackwell and customers at the Commercial Hotel, Devoran (now the Quay Inn?)

Devoran amongst the subscribers to the Western Morning News Levant Mine Disaster Fund
Feock parishioners also held a Village house to house collection

Help from the village of Feock, Western Morning News, 6 November 1919
Devoran Council School staff and students also made a collection of £4 and 4 shillings towards the Levant Mine Disaster Fund.

Devoran School Headmaster for many years Mr W.R. Cock, mentioned in the Western Morning News November 12, 1919
We are not yet sure when the Devoran War Memorial was erected. Possibly it was erected in time for the first Armistice or Remebrance Sunday in November 1919?

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Happier news – the gentry of the surrounding area were now mentioned in the County Society columns for births, rather than deaths in battle. Mrs Neville Hood at Coosevean gave birth to a daughter.

It’s another girl! Society pages, The Globe newspaper , Tuesday, October 7, 1919

A distinguished title for a father, mentioned in Wednesday Oct 8th 1919 The Cornishman

New baby in the house, more hired help needed at Coozevean, (small house, countryfor the Hood family. Western Morning News, November 17th, 1919

Chapel life in Devoran, The Cornishman, Wednesday December 10th 1919. Note the mention of the Levant Mine Disaster and the RNAS Royal Naval Air Station on Tresco, Scilly.

Blog posted by Mark Norris on 16 January 2019