St Andrews Garden Party 1949

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XOe^t £u£g«?£

(garden Party in the

Rectory Grounds, Edburton on Saturday, July 2nd, 1949 at 3 p.m.

Souvenir Programme Price Sixpence

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St. Andrews-Parish Church of Edburton-Main Entrance

Rev. N. C. HONY E. H. BISHOP H. S. BUDGEN J. H. C. HUBNER

/f« /flr ) Churchwardens Hon. Secretary

T h e O l d C h u r c h of St. A n d r e w s , W e s t Sussex The wonderful old and historical Church of St. Andrews, Edburton, Sussex in its delightful setting on the eastern boundary of West Sussex, about 9 miles from Brighton still welcomes visitors from all over the world.

Although its architecture and furnishings are in no way pretentious and not perhaps as grand as some of our other churches, yet there is something delightfully naive about it which attracts so many people.

It is said that Princess Edburga, daughter of King Edward the Elder, and a Christian, built the first Saxon Church on the Site where St. Andrews now stands about the year 930 A.D. This original building was overwhelmed by some sort of catastrophe—possibly fire— since we have reason to believe that the present Church dates from about 1180 A.D. Some of the Saxon footings remain and part of the walls are Saxon but the remainder of the fabric dates from the late 12th Century.

Saxon Relics—Mass-Clocks There are several Saxon relics in this old Church the most important being the four " Mass-Clocks," all about 1,000 years old and which are built into the outside walls, three being on the south side and one on the north side.

These clocks are actually vertical sun dials and in Saxon times the progress of the sun during the day was recorded by the shadow thrown on the dial and as the shadow approached certain ' hours ' so the people were called from labour to rest and vice versa by the ringing of the church bell by an appointed person to perform this duty ; all Catholics are aware of the Angelus at noon which is tolled every day.

and entering the Church by

tlli

the interior is most impressive.

T h e lofty roof and its timbers (replaced about 1880 due to the ravages

of

the

Death

Watch

Beetle), the Vestry in the Tower, the

Nave

and

Chancel

all

impress one.

Holy Water Trough behind main door

Old BiblesVestry To the left as one enters is a small desk upon which lie two Bibles one of which is dated 1727 but the other is considerably older : there are also the old chains by which the Bible was, many years ago, secured against theft.

Still

further west is the Vestry at the base of the Tower and the original Oak Timbers forming the roof are clearly visible.

Ancient Tombstone Nearly opposite the South Porch are two most interesting relics : the one being a curious Tombstone and on it in relief is a Crucifix with some details : there are clouds above, representing the Three Hours of Darkness : the Cross, with the Title above, bearing the Saviour, the Halo round the Head and the Crown of Thorns : the marks of the Nails in the Hands and Feet, and the Spearwound in the Side.

On the right of the Figure are the Spear and Scourfe

and on the left are the Hyssop, Sponge and H a m m e r : behind.the Cross is shown the outline of the Hill of Calvary.

Ground Piscina T h e other is a chained Stone which antiquarians sav is the ground Piscina of the Stone Altar in the Ancient Saxon Church : the marks on it are Saxon decorative work and it must therefore be at least 1000 years old.

Holy Water Stoop On the South Wall just inside the Main Door small recess which might easily escape notice it is a is a Holy Water Stoop but unfortunately it has been very badly mutilated.

A simple but

artistic board records the

names

of

*

44 :

Rectors from the

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year 1283

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Early Norman leaden Font and carved Hood

The East Window The " Resurrection " East Window and the Window on the North Side of the Sactuary are stated to be both made at the Munich Glass Works.

The panels along the

Confession Windows 1217-1272

wall below the East Window represent from left to right, St. Andrew (Patron Saint), St. Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Wilfred, once Archbishop of York, who, on being deposed came to Sussex and is credited with making many conversions to Christianity and St. Edburga : the other two panels represent the Two Elements of the Blessed Sacrament.

Confession Windows There are two curious Low Windows on either side of the Chancel which although glazed today were originally open : these are known generally as Confession Windows

because

the

Franciscan

Friars

who

came

to

England

in

Henry Ill's reign (12161272) were forbidden by the Pope to hear Confessions in the Church : so they sat inside and the

" Resurrection " East Windowdecorated Gothic design

penitents had to kneel outside, the

wooden

removed :

shutters the

groove

being into

which the shutter fitted may be seen round each window.

Could there be any North Chapel dedicated to St. Katherine 1300

more ideal setting for a Church, nestling in the shadow of the

" Everlasting Hills," while at the back, stretching as far as the eye can see, lies the undulating Weald of Sussex.

Oliver

Wendell Holmes when he visited, Brighton some 69 years ago* paid a visit to Edburton with which he was much impressed and he wrote as follows : " It seemed to me that Mr. Bunner's young man in search of Arcady might look for it here with a good chance of being satisfied as anywhere I can think of."

Charles G. Mortimer was inspired to write the following verses :â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Though one great heart has hymned it With praises swift and sure And one deft hand has limned it In matchless portraiture.

Yet Sussex of its County Has set one prize for me: Nor would the singer grudge it To my poor Minstrelsy.

For nestling in the coverts Hard by the sweeping Down Far from the smoke and rist Of bustling Brighton Town.

With lustre all unsullied This pearl I came upon Set in an emerald Chalice Sweet Saxon Edburton.

Edburga, of thy planting, There grows in Wilfred's plot This pale Sweet flower of Sussex Pray that it perish not.

Rafters, looking from the ground

1

\

Nave. Rood and Chancel with Altar Rails, the latter presented by Archbishop Laud 1633-1645

^â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

A Familiar Sound we Grieve to miss !

Since

April

30th

1949, the Bells of St. Andrews have remained silent, not for Names of 44 Rectors from 1283

want

of

because

a

bell-ringer,

they

have

but

become

exceedingly unsafe.

H u n g in the Belfry in the Old N o r m a n Tower of St. Andrews, which dates from circa 1375, are three beautiful Bells —beautiful in shape, design and also tone.

Like so m a n y of our really old Churches, the mai n roof structure, bell-cages etc. were constructed of English Oak—exceedingly fine in its d a y — a n d had this timber been prepared with the chemicals known to us through m o d e r n science today, m a n y major re-roofing repairs could have been prevented.

N o d o u b t some of the inhabitants of Fulking can

recall

the re-roofing of St. Andrews 1880 and

we

can

all recall

in the

re-roofing of the T o w e r in 1947, both of which repairs were b r o u g h t a b o u t by the ravages of the D e a t h W a t c h beetle : a n d now, today, the Bellcage a n d m a i n T i m b e r s have fallen victims.

Pulpit, Stuart Carvin

Messrs. Gillett & Johnson Ltd. of Croydon have made a very close examination and besides preparing a detailed report and estimate for the repairs they have also given an interesting account of the Bells and the method by which they are suspended.

' The frame is very old indeed and may quite well have been the original frame : the fittings are not only very old but seriously decayed and are not of any further use.

The Bells are indeed interesting :â&#x20AC;&#x201D; No.

Diameter Founder

1

32|"

unknown

2

34 ÂĽ

B.E.

3

36|"

unknown

Date pre Reformation 1639 pre Reformation

Approx. Wt. Cwts. Qrs. lbs.

6

1

0

7

3

0

9

0

0

T h e initials and date on No. 2 indicate the probability of this Bell having been made by Bryan Eldridge.

Nos. 1 and 3, however, cannot be positively identified.

They

are undoubtedly pre-reformation and may have been m a d e

by Bullisdon, William Smith or William Culverdon

all

circa 1510 or Thomas Lawrence who bought Culverdon's lease a n d implements.

T h e r e are some interesting shields on the bells a n d similar markings have been found on other ancient bells in L o n d o n a n d other parts of the country.

R 11 No. 1. Inscription : " Sancte Katerina Ora Pro Nobis."

There appears to be a shield bearing crossed Keys, above which is a fish and below a lever, on the left a sheaf of corn and on the right a bell.

A second shield bears what

appears to be a capital ' T ' through which passes the first upright of the letter ' M,' the top of which terminates on what, for want of a better description, could be described as two pennants, and the foot of the middle upright stimulates the roots of a tree.

(r=

^ vÂŤ''/

n

0 There is also an octagonal medallion carrying four equally spread fleur de Lys, with a similar but smaller set arranged nearer the centre in the intervening angles of the pattern.

Two concentric circles, the outer of

which is just within the medallion contain the inscription " Thru merci ladi help."

Bell No. 2.

Inscription : " Gloria Des in excelsis " 1639 B.E.

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St. Andrews Church as seen from the Rectory Garden

Southdown Brighton

No.

Fulking

27 Bus Service Edburton

Fulking

Henfield

Brighton

Henfield

Edburton

8.15

8.31

8.34

9.13

11.15

11.31

11.34

12.13

2.15

2.31

2.34

3.13

5.15

5.31

5.34

6.13

8.15

8.31

8.34

9.13

Printed for and published by the Edburton Parochial Church Council Hubners Limited, Figgins Building, Ray Street, E. C. I