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Funeral at Buckfast Abbey
Around 100 family, friends and colleagues gathered for the funeral service of Ann Widdecombe at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, Devon, where she regularly worshipped and described as her “safe haven”.
“About 100 family, friends and colleagues of Ann Widdecombe have attended a funeral service”
The private requiem mass lasted about 90 minutes and included a homily from the Rt Rev David Charlesworth, Abbot of Buckfast, with police officers and sniffer dogs searching the grounds before the service.
Widdecombe died on 8 July, aged 78, after she was hit over the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon.
Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was charged with her murder on 20 July, and the order of service showed tributes would be paid by the Rev Roger Widdecombe and Christian Sweeting.
The BBC described the service as a Catholic requiem mass where prayers are offered for the soul of the dead, and it said the funeral was attended by mourners dressed in black as they arrived.
Farage stays away
The Independent said it was understood that Reform’s leader Nigel Farage did not attend the event, with the report adding that he was campaigning in Clacton on Wednesday and did not wish to draw attention at the funeral the family asked to be kept private.
In a post on X, Farage described Widdecombe as an “extraordinary woman who left a serious mark on British politics,” and the Independent quoted him adding, “She will be sorely missed,”.
The BBC said the private requiem mass included tributes paid by the Rev Roger Widdecombe and Sir Christian Sweeting, a close friend, and it reported that Widdecombe’s loved ones gathered at Buckfast Abbey.
The homily from Rt Rev David Charlesworth included the line: “In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death, our response is to pray for the repose of her soul.”
The BBC also said a public memorial for Widdecombe is due to be held later this year, and it reported that donations made in her memory are to be divided between the Leprosy Mission and Abound.
Faith, tributes, and next steps
The Guardian reported that the private mass featured a homily from the Rt Rev David Charlesworth, the abbot of Buckfast, who said: “In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death, our response is to pray for the repose of her soul.”
“In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death”
The BBC said an earlier statement from the Abbey Church described Widdecombe as “missed and fondly remembered” and “many in our worshipping community knew her as a kind and warm character”.
The BBC also quoted the Abbey Church statement that “Ann was a woman of profound faith, a faith which found expression in the public forum of politics,” and it added that she was “unafraid to express her unwavering convictions”.
The Guardian said donations made in her memory will be divided between the Leprosy Mission and Abound, supporting the projects of the Christian Endeavour Hostel in India, and it listed planned attendees including the shadow chancellor Mel Stride, Crispin Blunt and broadcaster Iain Dale.
The BBC reported that counter-terrorism detectives led the investigation into her death and that a provisional trial date has been listed for June 2027, after Joshua Kerry was charged with her murder in July.
