ST MARY THE VIRGIN, HAWKESBURY,
VISITORS’ BOOK 1931-1939

Visitors to St Mary’s at Hawkesbury, like those to most churches in this country, have been invited to sign a visitors’ book and sometimes to add comments. Hawkesbury Local History Society has had the pleasure of reading three such books which have recently come to light. The books span the period 1931-1969 with a gap for the war years.

The first contains nearly one and a half thousand entries dating from June 1931 to September 1939, the last entry being on the 15th of the month just 12 days after war had been declared.

With spaces only for ‘name’ and ‘address’ there are few comments, and from this respect the book is of limited interest. However a more detailed examination provides a picture of who came to see the church from far a field and closer to home and one can perhaps speculate as to the reasons for their visits.

Were the Tandys from Clapham (1932), the Minetts from Godalming, Surrey (1933), the Stinchcombes from London (1934), Taunton (1934) and Washington U.S.A. (1939) and Edith Gertrude Rhind, nee Holborow, from Sussex, (1935) visiting their ancestral home, and was E.S.Morse from Sydney, New South Wales (1938) a descendant of poor John Morse who, along with others, was sentenced to 15 years transportation in 1838 for stealing a sheep? Perhaps M. Dowding from Chipping Sodbury came to take photographs of the church in the tradition of the well known local photographer Murray (June & July 1938)? Could C.Mack & M.P.Mack from Llanelly, Carmarthenshire (1938) have been related to the Rev Devereux Mack whose book “Off the Beaten Track” has become a standard reference book for the history of the parish?

One of the daughters of the Rev William Henry Boothby, vicar of Hawkesbury for 43 years, returned to her childhood home and along with her niece, signed the visitors’ book for 3 consecutive summers (1931,1932 & 1933); named Antonia Rafela (signed ‘A.R.Boothby’), the eldest of Boothby’s three daughters, she was then an elderly spinster and was living in Bath. Her niece was Alys Judith Fenwick from Leighton Buzzard who was the daughter of Eleanor Maud Fenwick, the youngest of the Boothby sisters.

Georgina D.Yeo from Walmer in Kent, brought first her son, J.H.Yeo of South Africa in 1935, and two years later her daughter Helen, to see the church at which her father (and their grandfather) the Rev Edward R.Mosley had been vicar from 1892-1901 as successor to Rev W.H.Boothby. Visitors from much further a field included Alice & Walter Crump from Stratford, Connecticut (1933), Joan Hall from Sydney but “late of The Hawkesbury, N.S.Wales” (1934), H (?) Speaight of the British Embassy, Warsaw (1937), the Hardyman Family from Madagascar (1937), Rev & Mrs W.H.Doke from Johannesburg (1937), Rev A.C.Mackie from Vernon, British Columbia, Canada (1938), the Petters from Heidelberg, Germany (1936), D.Milburne from Assam (1935), Miss Waugh from Kalka, India (1932), Anna Lendrum from Brechin, Angus (1935), J.Roche from Waterford, Ireland (1943) and Roger England from Perth, W.Australia (1938).

Friends of the Rev A.C.Oliver accompanying him on a visit in September 1936 left interesting detail of his 19th C voyages to Australia; “Mr Oliver went out in the ship “Hawkesbury”, 1120 Tons, to Sydney (84 days from London) and returned in the same ship (93 days round Cape Horn) after sailing, while in N.S.Wales, up the Hawkesbury River. Voyage out in 1880.Home 1881”. One wonders whether the 20 members of the Bristol Naturalists’ Field Club enjoyed respite from the July heat or pouring rain at the end of their day’s outing in 1939, and what comparisons the 32 members of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Bishopston, Bristol made between the ancient church and their own (built in 1927 of timber and asbestos sheets) when they visited in May of the same year.

St Mary’s attracted a considerable number of visitors from Bristol in the 1930s; the historic building in such a quiet picturesque setting always open and just a short cycle ride, bus or car journey away from the busy city. Other visitors from the many addresses further a field were perhaps enjoying a holiday in this southern part of the Cotswolds, less well known, but no less attractive, than the northern counterparts. Limited space did not encourage comments, but in 1932 one visitor managed to squeeze in a few words which must echo the thoughts of the many who, over the years, have stepped through the porch of St Mary’s: W.Tanner from Stanton-by-Dale, Nottinghamshire wrote “Fine Old Church”.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS

Although the two earlier books had no space for comments and the third mostly consisted of the “most interesting/ peaceful/ a lovely church” type and even “Oh the beautiful musty smell of dust”, there are several entries where people have indicated a family connection with the church or parish. As some of the names might help to fill in gaps in family trees we thought it useful to produce a list of the relevant comments.

Signatures are always difficult to read so there may well be errors and it should be noted that in the interest of privacy we are not providing full addresses where these were given. The list in is date order as the entries appear in the books.

           Hawkesbury Rectory & Church

Sept. 1952	V.(?) C. Bearsley	Kolijo, Mackay, Australia	Born Kilcott.
July 1953	A. C. Ponsford & F. M. Ponsford	Nottingham	Confirmed in this church (see 1957).
July 1954	M. J. Atherton	Pill, nr Bristol	Daughter of Agnes Tandy of Hawkesbury.
Aug. 1956	Mr & Mrs R. L. Stinchcomb	Norwich	Ancestors Nathaniel & Nicholas of Hawkesbury.
	Mrs Harry Stinchcomb	New Orleans	"               "                "               "
June 1957	Mr & Mrs Chas Ponsford	Nottingham	Mr Ponsford confirmed in this beautiful church 45 years ago by the Bishop of Gloucester.
Aug. 1958	F. F. Thompson	Tewkesbury	Son of Henry F. Thompson born at Hawkesbury.
May 1959	E. A. L. Taylor & E. Parsons	Pill, Bristol	Daughters of the late Agnes Tandy of this parish.
May 1959	John H. Nichols	Bournemouth	Grandson of John Nichols of Chalkly Farm.
	Katie J. Nichols	Bournemouth	Widow of Hedly Nichols late of Lower Chalkly Farm.
	Noel (?) H.(?) Nichols	Bournemouth	Youngest son of Hedly Nichols of Lower Chalkly Farm and nephew of Emmeline Nichols, Downend, Bristol (see 1965).
June 1960	Mrs Hall	Harrow	Old resident of Upton.
Aug. 1960	H. W. Brown	Bridgwater, Somerset	Pleased to visit the church used by my ancestors the Mealing family.
April 1961	A. M. A. Barker (nee Ricks)	Nottingham	Grand-daughter of John & Mary Ricks nee Thompson of Hawkesbury Upton.
May 1961	E. Bromfield	Kingston St Mary, Taunton	Childhood days here.
June 1961	Alan Crozier-Cole, Barbara Crozier-Cole, Patrick & Nicola	Bath	Of the same family as Rev Potter Cole. “Deum Cole Regem Serva” 1 Peter 2:17.
Aug. 1961	M. A. Flooks	Chipping Sodbury	The church my mother attended as a child.
May 1962	Gwendolen Sparks	Charlton Kings, Glos	Great- - - grand-daughter of “Matthew Haviland of Hawkesbury”. Mayor of Bristol 1608.
May 1962 (also Oct 1964, June 1966)	Geoffrey W. Smith	Fishponds, Bristol	To the memory of Hubert John Chancellor.
June 1962	Beryl Haviland	London	Widow of Wilfred Pollen (?) Haviland, descendant of Matthew Haviland.
Nov. 1962	H.(?) Cornock	Cape Town, S.Africa	50 years abroad – memories will never fade.
Mar. 1963	Robin Jenkinson	Miserden, Glos.	Son of John Antony.
Aug. 1964	Mrs V. E. Tuck	Winchcombe	Visited after many years.
Aug. 1964	Ruth Lyster	Compton, Surrey	Niece of Emily Sophie Jenkinson, wife of 11th Bart.
Aug. 1964	Lavinia Jenkinson	Moreton in Marsh	A descendant of your vicar of 1805.
Sept. 1964	F. C. Lowrie	Hobart, Tasmania	My grandmother Sarah Stinchcombe was married in this church to Anthony Smart 117 years past before migrating to Tasmania. I am a grandson of the said grandparents. Visiting Mrs Walt Oldfield, Wickwar.
April 1965	John H. Nichols	Barnet	A place of memories.
	E. M. Nichols	Downend, Bristol	Christened here in 1883. Late of Upper Chalkly.
June 1965	Mr H. Thompson	Broomhill, Bristol	Married here in 1912 to Margaret Daniels.
July 1965	Mr & Mrs P. D. Thompson	Bishopsworth, Bristol	Grandson of David Thompson, late of this parish.
Aug. 1965	Margaret Pritchard & Mary H. Pritchard (aged 18)	Winterbourne	Great grandaughters of Mrs Emily Mundy buried in this church, late of this parish.
	Glyn Pritchard (aged 8)	Winterbourne	Great grandson of Mrs Emily Mundy.
Aug. 1965	John Kenneth Clark	Waltham Abbey, Essex	Grandson of Mr & Mrs Thomas Stinchcombe.
Aug. 1966	John F. Dunn & Reginald Dunn	Coney Hill, Gloucester	Sons of the vicar of 1946.
Aug. 1967	M. E. Baldwin	Melksham, Wilts	Grandparents married in this church.
	P. Taylor	Kington St Michael, Wilts	"               "                "               "
	D. E. Giles	Barnsley, Glos	"               "                "               "
June 1968	Mr & Mrs P. J. Nash	Wembley, Middlesex	Descendants of the Coates family of Upton.
	Evelyn Stainsby	Worthing, Sussex	Descendant   "               "                "
July 1969	Mrs Edna Parejwa (?)	Warsaw, New York, USA	Mother former parishioner living on Common.

Special thanks are due to Don Watts for loan of the Visitors’ Books.

Article by Jill Martin, Bristol.
Hawkesbury Local History Society
February 2008 .