| 1688 |
North East
pinnacle struck by lightning. |
| 1812 |
North East
pinnacle again struck by lightning. |
| 1843 |
South East
pinnacle struck by lightning. |
| 1865 |
South West
pinnacle struck by lightning. |
| 1876 |
The
condition of the Church was such that the drainage from
roof gutters poured through into the Church. |
| 1877 |
First
meeting held for the necessary steps for restoring the
Church early in 1878 – the year previously the fabric
was thoroughly investigated by Mr. J.P. St. Aubyn. |
| 1877 |
Friday July
13th - Confirmation was held by the Bishop of Truro. 6
candidates in all, 5 from Week St. Mary and 1 from
Jacobstow. There had been no confirmations in the parish
for 70 years – an old man, John Fry, remembered it. |
| 1878 |
March 7th, Meeting of parishioners
to support the movement for restoring the Church.
Nov. 8th – South West pinnacle
struck by lightning at 6.45 am. |
| 1879 |
July 6th,
last services in the Church prior to restoration. There
were 8 communicants and the offerings totalled 4/-.
Services were subsequently held in the Board School Room
from July 13th to July 4th 1880. |
| 1880 |
July 8th
Church re-opened. Expenses to that date were
£1,502.16s.9d. Morning prayer and sermon by the Bishop
of Truro, Evening prayer and sermon by Canon Cornish,
the total offerings collected on the day were £24.7s.9d. |
| 1887 |
The Tower
was restored with new roof and new floors throughout and
the basement pointed. The bells were re-hung in a new
oak bell cage and two were re-cast by Messrs. Warner &
Co. This work was done at a cost of £170. |
| 1895 |
The high
winds stripped off some 18 or 20 roof slates and damaged
the lightning conductor.
During the year a tea was given to the children of the
Board School, by the Rector and twice to the Sunday
School.
The Church tower needs pointing, the rain beats on the
bricks and then drains through the joints making the
walls inside very wet. The work must be done soon or the
tower will suffer. |
| 1896 |
A
subscription list has been opened for repairing and
pointing the tower. On 21st September the offertories on
Revel Sunday and at the Harvest Thanksgiving the next
day amounted to £2.7s.3d. besides which a Sale of Work
realised £6.0s.0d. and the sale of the old organ made
another £6.0s.0d.
October – The Parish Room in the Rectory Yard was opened
for games, reading and amusement for men and adults
during the winter months – and a very good number
attends, Popular lectures and tea parties are
occasionally given by way of change, instruction and
sociability. |
| 1896 |
November –
A new public road has been made and opened from the
Tavistock road to the one leading to Bude, coming out by
Haydah so that going down and up those steeps by Haydah
are avoided. |
| 1897 |
May 25th,
the Tower is now finished and looks well able to
withstand the storms once more – a fitting memorial of
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
June 1st, to celebrate the completion of the restoration
work a public tea was held in the rectory rooms and
about 80 people sat down to tea. At 7.30 pm there was a
service of thanksgiving in the Church. The tower was
opened entirely free from debt and a statement of
accounts was printed and sent to each of the subscribers
to the fund. |
| 1903 |
A new two
manual organ by Messrs. Bevington & Sons, Charing Cross
Road, London, was built in the Church on the south
side-aisle, to replace the old organ which stood on the
north side. The original estimate for this organ was
£223.10s. This sum was raised by voluntary
contributions, concerts, etc and the old organ was sold
to Bradford Church, Brandis Corner, N.Devon for £30. |
| 1906 |
March 31st,
The Bishop of St. Germans confirmed 25 candidates in
Week St. Mary Church today.
A surpliced Choir consisting of 11 boys and 5 men was
instituted on Whit Sunday, June 3rd.
The extensive restoration & improvement of the Rectory
was begun April 18th and were completed in 1907. The old
kitchen was converted into the Dining Room, the Hall was
enlarged, the old Dining Room became the Study, the old
Study became the new Kitchen. Bathroom, lavatories etc.
were provided. New windows were supplied throughout and
a new back entrance and steps leading from the road was
made, the old tumble-down cob buildings at the back were
removed and a new stone wall built. The out buildings
were also restored and improved. The total cost was
defrayed by money from private sources.
The old dial was found at the Rectory, it was used as a
step to the old Schoolroom. It was repaired and erected
over the Church door. |
| 1910 |
A clock was
placed in the Church Tower early this year. The clock
was obtained by Mr. N.F.A. Cobbald for a small sum and
he and S. H. Haslam made the face, hands and connecting
parts and erected it in the tower. It has been going
steadily and keeping good time for several months.
King Edward VII died May 6th and was buried May 20th. A
united memorial service was held at the Church according
to the authorized form at 1pm, the time appointed for
the interment, the Church was crowded with
representation from every house in the parish. |
| 1921 |
Early in
1921 Rev. C.J. Whitmell became unwell and resigned on
1st April. Rev. M.V. Hardy came into residence for
Sunday September 11th and was inducted on November 5th.
The Rectory Room, built by Rev. Haslem and bought from
him by Rev. Whitmell has now been purchased from him by
the Church, for £150. |
| 1923 |
Rectory
Room, new stove bought. Boiler house built.
New stoves were put in the Church at Revel, when the
total amount of cost was raised (£25). The new stoves
were made like the old ones, the wisdom of this is
doubtful as they are very small, but supplemented with
two Perfection heaters, they give a fair result.
The Church Army visited the Parish in October. |
| 1924 |
New lamps
were put in the Church at a cost of £40. Some of the old
lamps were put in the Rectory Room. |
| 1925 |
The Rectory
Room was painted on the outside by voluntary helpers led
by Mr. Rowland. |
| 1926 |
As the
chairs in the Church are all very old, worm-eaten and
gradually collapsing it was necessary to re-seat the
Church. £48 was raised on Easter Day to start the
re-seating fund.
There has been a very successful Flower & Vegetable Show
and Garden Fete during this year.
The Church Army van visited the parish in November and
there were some very good services. |
| 1931 |
The Rectory
Room was enlarged by the addition of a room for
refreshments and a gentlemen’s cloakroom. |
| 1932 |
June: Death
watch beetle – the first years treatment with Presolini
carried out on all necessary Church timbers. |
| 1934 |
Death watch
beetle treatment – completed with its third annual
application by workmen of the village.
During the year new sets of Churchyard gates and posts
have been supplied and fitted. |
| 1935 |
Thursday
21st February: The S.E. pinnacle and centre of the
Church Tower were struck by lightning, after a hailstorm
lasting around 2 hours, causing large pieces of masonry
to fall through the Church roof and resulting in a great
deal of damage to the building. This article is reported elsewhere:
click
here
The following telegram was sent to the Ecclesiastical
Insurance Office, 11 Norfolk Street, London WC2, from
Bude at 4 pm., the local telephone service being
dislocated by the storm: “Church struck by lightning;
seriously damaged; immediate inspection suggested;
writing.” A reply telegram arrived from Bude 6pm,
stating that their assessor, Messrs. Ware & Co., Beaford
Circus, Exeter, would visit the Church at once. Mr. Ware
arrived the following day at 12 noon and took charge of
the Church on behalf of the Insurance Office. Services
took place in the Rectory Rooms until January 12th 1936. |
| 1936 |
Re-opening
services were held on Thursday 16th January, the Bishop
of the Diocese preaching and holding a Confirmation. |
| 1937 |
A new piano
was bought for the Rectory Room and the exterior of the
building was painted. |
| 1939 |
At 11 am on
Sunday September 3rd, War was declared against Germany
at its aggression on Poland.
September 17th Sunday Services of Feast of Dedication
held as usual, on Revel Monday the Foxhounds Meet 8.30
am, Tea 4 pm, Evensong 6 pm, Social 7.30 – 10 pm, the
sports etc. having been omitted. Future evensong 3 pm,
Air-raid Signal: two bells, All-clear: Tenor bell. |
| 1945 |
On Tuesday
May 8th Victory was won and proclaimed in Europe against
Germany. The Service of Thanksgiving was Festal Evensong
at 7.30 pm attended by a crowded congregation, greatly
moved at so great an occasion.
Thursday July 5th: Labour Government declared, Mr.
Attlee (Prime Minister), whose brother Mr. T.S. Attlee
is one of the chief laymen of the diocese.
Wednesday August 5th Victory was proclaimed in the Far
East against Japan and the Great War ended. The Service
of Thanksgiving was Festal Evensong and similar to that
held in May. |
| 1946 |
In
considering a stained glass window at the high altar,
the Rector called attention to the fact that all three
East end windows are out of centre to the North, while
the lower arch is out of centre to the South. Apparently
no-one had ever noticed this before. |
| 1947 |
In the
autumn a Sunday School and a Choir were formed.
A Parish Magazine, to be called “The Beacon” was begun
at Advent.
An electric boiler was installed at the Rectory Room at
a cost of £11. |
| 1949 |
Electric
lighting and organ blowing was installed in the Church
in March at a total cost of £200. A grant of £70 was
made by the Rural Churches Fund and the rest of the
money was raised in the parish over a number of years.
A very successful Garden Fete was held in the Rectory
grounds on June 16th, the first one to be held for some
years. The sum of £45.8s.1d. was raised towards the
Church Thanksgiving Fund.
The Churchyard paths were re-laid with tar by voluntary
labour at a cost of £30.
The exterior of the Rectory Room was repainted by Mr. S.
Barber during July and August and some necessary repairs
were done at the same time, at a total cost of
£47.10s.0d. The money was withdrawn from the Rectory
Room repair fund.
A new stove was also installed at the end of the year,
£9.5s.6d. |
| 1950 |
A new
Churchyard gate was made by Mr. T. Pauling and the rest
were repaired and painted. The coal shed was also
repaired. |
| 1952 |
Some
necessary repairs done to the foundations and floor of
the Rectory Room, under the Ladies Cloakroom, at a cost
of £22. The work was done by Mr. Barber of Week St. Mary
and was consequent on extensive rotting of the main
floor beams through faulty pillars and lack of free
passage of air beneath the building.
During the past five years the following improvements
have been made to the Rectory and paid for by the
Cornish Church Thanksgiving Fund: Boiler in the kitchen,
washing up basin in the pantry and electric light in
those rooms before unsupplied and electric pump for the
water supply from the well to the house. The Glebe Farm
buildings in the lower yard were sold. The old
schoolroom was excepted from this sale as it might be of
use in the future and was not subject to dilapidations.
On June 26th a Garden Fete was held in the Rectory
grounds, raising £34. The cost of recasting and
re-hanging of the bells was finally paid off on June
12th.
On February 15th, the day of King George VI’s Funeral, a
Requiem was paid at 8.00 am and a combined Memorial
Service was held at the Parish Church in the evening – a
full Church. |
| 1953 |
The
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by a
broadcast of the Service in Westminster Abbey, in the
Parish Church. The broadcast was most successful and the
congregation, although small, took all opportunities of
joining in with the Service. The rest of the day was
spent enjoying sports, public teas and a bonfire. |
| 1954 |
On the
departure of the Reverend Townsend, the Christmas Crib,
which had been in use in the Church for the past eight
years, was left by him to the Church for future use.
This crib was made in 1945 by German P.O.W’s, to their
own design on R.A.F. Station Upper Heyford. |
| 1955 |
The carol mime
“Nativity” was presented in costume, in the Church, on
Thursday December 22nd, at 7.30 pm, by the Sunday School
children.
It also took place in Whitstone Church on the following
Thursday and again in Week St. Mary Church on Sunday
January 1st 1956.
Just for the record:
That's me (David) extreme left looking quite solemn, of
course, with one of my sisters alongside.
No doubt some of you will either be in the photograph or
recognise some of the participants. |
 |
| 1956 |
The
electrical heating system installed in the Church by
Messrs. Woolacott of Stratton, was switched on for the
first time on Sunday December 23rd. |
| 1971 |
January
1st: The Rectory Room was sold by the P.C.C., Week St.
Mary to the Rector for the sum of £60. (This was signed
by the Rector, W.T. Simpson and by the Treasurer, M.
Cobbledick). |
