Joan Millett
Joan was born in Southsea, England, on 28th September 1924. She was the eldest of two daughters of Ross and Dorys Wyllie. Ross had a tea estate in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) so Joan was brought up at Okewell Estate until the age of about 8. She developed a love for horses at an early age and this interest was the principle interest throughout her life. She first sat on a pony aged 2.
When Joan was 8, her mother came back to England with her and her younger sister, Barbara. Joan went to boarding schools and the family of three moved around the country, living in rented houses during the war. They lived in Hampshire and then moved to Devon. When they were living in Sticklepath one night a line of bombs was dropped across the area from there to Gidleigh.
There was always a pony for Joan. Even at one school, Shute, she was able to take her pony with her. The pony travelled to the nearby station by train and Joan met the train and then rode the pony on to the school where it was stabled for the duration of the school term, returning with her for the holidays.
After school, Joan attended Studley College in Warwickshire where she studied cheese making, bee keeping and general farm duties. I am sure that riding was also included!
On 24th July 1952 Joan married Peter Millett. Joan and Peter had met when Peter was directed to Ross Wyllie to find out about working overseas. Peter went to India to work for a few years and on his return they married. Peter then took the position of Manager of a tea estate in Assam, Bohart Tea Garden, Upper Assam in Northern India, where their first two daughters, Diana and Rachel were born in 1953 and 1955. Peter played polo and Joan exercised all the polo ponies, riding far on into her pregnancies. Later the family moved to Kerala, South India, where Peter managed a coffee and timber Estate. Their third daughter, Gail, was born here in 1958.
Life at Pambra Estate was as Memsahib so Joan had a bungalow with about six indoor servants, including a very loving Ayah, Ruth, for the children. There were also four outdoor servants for the extensive rose gardens, large vegetable garden and lawns and the horses. There was no radio, television, telephone or even mains electricity. There was a generator which was turned off each night at 10pm. Communication between India and England was by letter or in emergencies by overnight telegram. It was an idyllic childhood. No rushing for the school bus! Joan was home schooling long before 2020! The children were taught each morning, after the pony ride round the coffee, on the verandah, using the PNEU system. (Parents National Education Union). Exams were conducted with the children dictating to Joan who wrote the papers which were then returned to England.
The timber on the estate was extracted by three elephants directed by their mahouts. Each Christmas Peter and Joan would give a huge party, and Willie, the biggest and oldest elephant would give the children rides up and down the drive to the bungalow. Other planter families would travel many miles, down the potholed, un-madeup road to the Estate. The adults played tennis and the fathers would have a very merry time quenching their thirst before setting off home again. There were no drink/drive laws!
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Peter became a Catholic while in India, and Joan and the three daughters entered the church in 1967 when back in England. Fr Nicholas Coote at Sacred Heart, Exeter instructed them.
In 1963 Diana and Rachel returned to England for boarding school. Joan remained in India with Gail, but in 1965 came back and bought West Underdown at Drewsteignton as a home for the family. Peter remained working in India until 1973 so once all three daughters were at school, Joan came to England for the school holidays and returned to India during the term time. This time travelling by 'plane. Previously travel between the two countries was by P&O liners, taking two weeks through the Suez canal, or much longer round the Cape of Good Hope when the Suez was closed.
In 1973 Peter left India and re-trained as a Probation Officer as a second career. He worked in Plymouth and Exeter.
Joan was very active in the Mid Devon Pony Club. She organised the Prince Philip mounted gymkhana games and received a long service award from the Pony Club. She also enjoyed being involved in the church activities. First of all Peter and Joan attended
St Boniface, Crediton where amongst other duties Joan managed the Guild of St Boniface, organised Pot Luck suppers, sat on the Committee and helped organise the annual church fête, taking along a pony called Benjy to give pony rides. Later, in about 1996 Peter and Joan started attending Okehampton where Joan was a member of the CWL and organised the Guild of St Boniface collection and helped with coffee after Mass amongst other duties. She was always interested in people and liked to get people together. She made lasting friendships.
Peter and Joan were very happy to welcome Fr Darline to Okehampton, it brought back a lot of happy memories of their time in India.
Very sadly their youngest daughter, Gail, died too early, in September 2015. It hit them hard. Peter sadly died on 9th May 2016 but not before he was a Grandfather to seven grandchildren.
Joan continued to live at West Underdown, driving her red car up to the age of 95 and having horses, dogs, geese, chickens, goats around her. Joan died on 23rd March 2021 after a short spell in hospital. The nurses were amazed at her strength of mind and body but her brave heart had worked itself out. Rachel was with her at the end, she had just read Joan's favourite hymn 'Lead Kindly Light', to her and Joan peacefully started her final journey. She was a Grandmother to seven grandchildren (Fiona, Sarah, Charles, Julia, Lawrence, Caroline and David) and a Great Grandmother to five great-grandchildren (Frances, Margot, Archibald, Scarlett and Frederick). She will be greatly missed by many. May Joan rest in peace and rise to eternal life, re-united with Peter and daughter Gail.
