The funeral of Ann Widdecombe will take place on Wednesday, August 12, at Buckfast Abbey in Devon. The private Requiem Mass at the Catholic abbey will include a homily from the Right Reverend David Charlesworth, Abbot of Buckfast, and a bible reading from her great-nephew Jem Widdecombe.
Why Buckfast Abbey?
Buckfast Abbey was chosen as the site of Widdecombe's funeral as the politician and media personality was a devout Roman Catholic, and regularly attended services at the abbey church. Buckfast Abbey stated that its local worshipping community knew Widdecombe as "a kind and warm character" and stated that "she will be missed and fondly remembered".
The former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson was discovered dead in her home in Dartmoor on July 9 with serious injuries. Last month, 28-year-old man Joshua Kerry was arrested on suspicion of murdering Widdecombe in a "targeted" attack.
Funeral arrangements and family statement
The funeral's order of service is available to be downloaded from the Buckfast Abbey website. The Right Reverend's Homily will become available at 2pm on Wednesday.
A statement shared on the Buckfast Abbey website reads: "Ann’s family are deeply grateful for the many messages of sympathy and support they have received. The family wish to hold a private Requiem Mass, attended by Ann’s closest family and friends, so that they may gather in remembrance and grief with dignity and peace.
"The family respectfully request that members of the press do not attend, to preserve their privacy, and to avoid disruption to those attending. Buckfast Abbey asks the press for understanding and restraint at this time, to respect the family’s wishes. There will be no access to the Abbey Church on the day of the Requiem Mass."
History of Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast first become home to an abbey in the year 1018, with the original Benedictine abbey being followed by a Savignac (and later Cistercian) abbey that was built on the site of the current abbey around 1134. Although the monastery was mostly destroyed following its dissolution in 1539, it was later bought by French Benedictines in 1882.
The French Benedictines would then re-found a monastery at the site, with newly built monastic buildings incorporating the remaining Gothic architecture. Buckfast Abbey was officially reinstated at the start of the 20th century, while construction of a new abbey church started in 1907 and finished in 1938.
Buckfast Tonic Wine connection
Buckfast Abbey is self-sustaining and is home to a farm that grows vegetables, as well as bees and livestock such as pigs and cattle. There is also a shop that sells products such as honey beeswax, fudge, and wine, in addition to a gift shop, a book shop, and a restaurant.
In Scotland, Buckfast Abbey is perhaps best known for Buckfast Tonic Wine. The fortified wine was first made by the monks at the abbey as early as the 1890s, and it continues to be produced there to this day. Buckfast is still made using a secret recipe that has stood the test of time.
The history of Buckfast begins in 1897, when the nephew of a French monk visited the Abbey and brought with him a recipe for tonic wine. The wine quickly grew in popularity, especially after it was altered from a harsh medicinal tonic to a more smooth medicated wine.
The Buckfast Abbey website reads: "In modern times it continues to be made at Buckfast Abbey along the same lines and according to the same basic recipe as used in the very early days. The main challenge of production lies in the successful addition of inert substances to a base wine—a living and natural entity."
