Theresa, daughter of Martin and Lilian, is in the process of witing down her memories and stories of her parents. Check back for updates.
Martin Stanislaus Henle was born in Germany in 1892. During 1910 at the age of 16 he left Wurtemberg, Germany to join his brother, Don William Henle, priest of St Mary's Abbey at Buckfast, South Devon. Martin lived there as a monk, taking yearly vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He worked as a market gardener and helped with building of the Abbey. During the Great War 1914 he chose to be interned on the Isle of Man instead of the Abbey, where the other German Monks were interned. After returning to Buckfast he married Lilian Beard from Northwood Farm on 18 May 1920 at the Abbey. 27th April 1927 Martin became a naturalised Britian. They had nine children born between 1921 and 1933. John 1921 - 2010, Antonia 1922 - 1997, Cecelia 1924 - 2007, Thomas born 1926 died in infancy, Mary 1927 - 1995, Paul born 1928, Theresa born 1929, Elizabeth born 1931, and Margaret born 1933. The first four children were born in a council house in Buckfast. After the death of their 3 week old baby, Thomas who died of Pyloric Stenosis, a narrowing of the sphincter muscle, which didnt allow him to feed properly, they moved to Dart Bridge Farm bought with 20,000 pounds borrowed from Granny Beard. The house dated from the 16th century and had three stories and eight bedrooms, a great place for a growing family, where the last five children were born. The house was originally a chapel for pilgrims riding from London to the famous St Mary's Abbey of Buckfast before the Reformation in the 17th century. Lilian took in guests and served meals and the famous Devonshire cream teas to the many visitors to the Abbey who passed by their front gate. Queen Mary and Prince Edward were seen driving passed the front gates on their way to the Buckfast races. There are also stories of ghosts at Dart Bridge? Martin ran cattle and sheep on the 90 acres and kept a couple of milking cows in the meadows. When the 2nd World War began in 1939 the visitors stopped coming so Martin grew fields of Hay, Wheat, Corn and Barley to feed the nation. John, their oldest son left the farm to fight in the war. Antonia and Mary both left school to help Martin on the farm, Cecelia joined WRNS. Paul was at the boarding school at Plymouth which was bombed so they moved the school to Buckfast Abbey and Paul returned home. Martin developed Angina problems which resting didnt seem to help. He went to a local chiropractor who worked on his spine and the last 6 months of his life were relatively free of pain. He was able to work on the farm and everyone thought he was cured, although Lilian would massage his back to relieve a sore back. A week before Martin died he went to Mass every morning. The night before he died after spending the day on a tractor pushing down a hedge, he told Lilian, "i am going to turn the corner". This phrase in Germany has the opposite meaning to the English phrase. He slept peacefully that night then woke up, sighed and died on the 15th October 1949 aged at only 56 years old. He was buried on the 18th of October which was Lilians birthday. Heart disease effected many of their children who had bypass operations in their later years. Lilian died at the age of 81 in Buckfast, Devon on the 8th of July 1974.
