General election landslide, Church heating crisis, death of old friends, sale of the cricket pavillion, monitoring the weather and the registers, early close for the school and successful inspections. (note the Bisham Parish Report from 1922 is missing)
My dear friends, this is my twenty-fourth Parish Letter and report and I may for a change, begin with an expression of thanks to all who help the Church and Parish with subscriptions and in other ways. Perhaps some will read the beginning of the letter and thus see that their help is appreciated, who may not find the letter sufficiently interesting to read to the end.
Mr Somerville was returned for our division of Berkshire by one of the largest majorities in England, and he did not indulge in piecrust promises. (he served until 1942)
Mr Young kindly undertook to have the Church heating system examined. This was done and the engineers reported that the whole system was bad and that it would cost £300 or £400. Later in the year Mr Edward Marson very generously offered to give the Church a new boiler. This offer was gratefully accepted from his executors.
Death of Colonel Frank Wethered. “He died in Tenerife in August, his energetic work for the Volunteers and Territorials will not soon be forgotten”. Such men can ill be spared. The Wethered family owned the brewery in Marlow and provided employment for many people. Also Mrs Young will be missed.
A confirmation service was held at Bisham on February 16th 1923, for the first time since 1914, Revd Farrer had expressed his hope for a confirmation service in his last letter. Bishop Shaw confirmed 23 candidates 13 boys and 10 girls, and 8 from Stubbings. The year ended with a balance in hand in the general account, £ 2-19-10 spent on gas mantles and £20-18-0 on concreting the lychgate. All would agree, the less we have to talk about money in church the better. “The sword of St Michael (on the War Tablet) was broken by some careless person one day early in September. It has been replaced, but no one yet has offered to pay the bill.”
The Summer of 1922 was most disappointing. Towards the end of May we enjoyed some really hot days and on the 22nd bathing began. Two or three boys swam across the river and over 20 were learning. The temperature and rainfall have been recorded by the school children during the year: their rainfall total was 24.58 inches, agreeing very closely with the Vicarage total.
It necessary to close the school a week earlier than usual in Summer 1922, as attendance had fallen as low as 44 due to the prevalence of measles. Measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria and whooping cough were the common childhood diseases and they were killers. The number on the school books in April 1923 was a healthy 129 and Nora Ellis, the youngest of 7 sisters in Plumtree Cottage, was the winner of the Bishop’s essay prize.
PS “Since this letter was written, news reached us that Sir Henry was very seriously ill. On Sunday the 6th May he read the Lessons as usual, so the sad news was quite unexpected. The sympathy and prayers of all in Bisham are with him at this time, and also with Lady Vansittart Neale in her anxiety”.
Episode researched, written and narrated by Sheila Featherstone-Clark based on The Bisham Parish Report of May 1923. Revd W Farrer is voiced by Nigel Greenwich
Photo is of Bisham Vicarage from the churchyard.
Sound effects from www.Freesound.org. Bell ringing, Handbell for the school etc.
General election landslide, Church heating crisis, death of old friends, sale of the cricket pavillion, monitoring the weather and the registers, early close for the school and successful inspections. (note the Bisham Parish Report from 1922 is missing)
My dear friends, this is my twenty-fourth Parish Letter and report and I may for a change, begin with an expression of thanks to all who help the Church and Parish with subscriptions and in other ways. Perhaps some will read the beginning of the letter and thus see that their help is appreciated, who may not find the letter sufficiently interesting to read to the end.
Mr Somerville was returned for our division of Berkshire by one of the largest majorities in England, and he did not indulge in piecrust promises. (he served until 1942)
Mr Young kindly undertook to have the Church heating system examined. This was done and the engineers reported that the whole system was bad and that it would cost £300 or £400. Later in the year Mr Edward Marson very generously offered to give the Church a new boiler. This offer was gratefully accepted from his executors.
Death of Colonel Frank Wethered. “He died in Tenerife in August, his energetic work for the Volunteers and Territorials will not soon be forgotten”. Such men can ill be spared. The Wethered family owned the brewery in Marlow and provided employment for many people. Also Mrs Young will be missed.
A confirmation service was held at Bisham on February 16th 1923, for the first time since 1914, Revd Farrer had expressed his hope for a confirmation service in his last letter. Bishop Shaw confirmed 23 candidates 13 boys and 10 girls, and 8 from Stubbings. The year ended with a balance in hand in the general account, £ 2-19-10 spent on gas mantles and £20-18-0 on concreting the lychgate. All would agree, the less we have to talk about money in church the better. “The sword of St Michael (on the War Tablet) was broken by some careless person one day early in September. It has been replaced, but no one yet has offered to pay the bill.”
The Summer of 1922 was most disappointing. Towards the end of May we enjoyed some really hot days and on the 22nd bathing began. Two or three boys swam across the river and over 20 were learning. The temperature and rainfall have been recorded by the school children during the year: their rainfall total was 24.58 inches, agreeing very closely with the Vicarage total.
It necessary to close the school a week earlier than usual in Summer 1922, as attendance had fallen as low as 44 due to the prevalence of measles. Measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria and whooping cough were the common childhood diseases and they were killers. The number on the school books in April 1923 was a healthy 129 and Nora Ellis, the youngest of 7 sisters in Plumtree Cottage, was the winner of the Bishop’s essay prize.
PS “Since this letter was written, news reached us that Sir Henry was very seriously ill. On Sunday the 6th May he read the Lessons as usual, so the sad news was quite unexpected. The sympathy and prayers of all in Bisham are with him at this time, and also with Lady Vansittart Neale in her anxiety”.
Episode researched, written and narrated by Sheila Featherstone-Clark based on The Bisham Parish Report of May 1923. Revd W Farrer is voiced by Nigel Greenwich
Photo is of Bisham Vicarage from the churchyard.
Sound effects from www.Freesound.org. Bell ringing, Handbell for the school etc.