Reference
P38/7/4
Title
Vicar's churchwarden's correspondence file.
Date free text
3 February – 23 December 1967
Production date
From: 1967 To: 1967
Scope and Content
All letters from the Rev. Arthur E. Main to Humphrey Whitbread (his warden), except where otherwise noted. Occasional annotations by Whitbread. Most cover a variety of church and personal topics, including accounts, old and new vicarages, church fabric and fixtures, churchyard, liturgy, heating and electricity, parish officers, organist, choir, activities. Other matter includes:
-- re letter and galley proofs from Dr. N. Pevsner, ‘No mention is made of the old or new vicarages, I notice, or the R101 grave.’ (3 February);
-- verger went on Saturday morning ‘so that there will be no question of having him put out.... He took the key with him, so that I cannot get in to see what state the house is in.’ (20 February);
-- confidential note regarding possible formation of a Group Ministry to include Willington, Northill, Caldecote, ‘and—at the Archdeacon’s suggestion—Cople and Cardington’ (19 April);
-- discussion of the Group Ministry meeting, which was ‘entirely exploratory, and, like the Common Market talks, meant to be confidential’ (25 April);
-- complaint of Mrs. Mountain’s borrowing and not paying modest charge for use of crockery, table-cloths, etc., for daughter’s wedding, nor women she asked to ‘wait on’ (20 May); Sandy Murdoch had motor accident, Mrs. Main Senior ‘is now in the shadows, and does not know any of us. It is just a question of time.’ (20 May);
-- ‘Sunday lunchtime and the rest afterwards in your beautiful garden was a refreshing oasis in the stress of the past 14 weeks.’; sister stood up well to the memorial service on Monday (21 June);
-- Mrs. King (elderly almshouse resident) gone into county home for partially sighted; two almshouses empty if Whitbread wants work done to update them; Nurse Miller, previously living in Nurse’s Cottage behind parish room, moving at end October to Cotton End (4 October);
-- brass rubbing: Mr. Illesley had got ‘a Mrs. Keilholtz... to do Sir William Gascoign;... a leisured U.S. citizen, highly cultured...’, should be pleased to entertain again if she could come to do Sir William’s lady; discussion of parish room cottage, difficulty in filling caretaker’s job (note of nominal duties) until modern toilet and bathroom facilities put in cottage, possible arrangement with [Whitbread] Estate for modernisation and rent introduction (18 October);
-- Misses Mann (Sybil and Agnes) of ‘Minota’, Old Harrowden Road, both ill, but generous gift and knitting of dishcloths, lifelong loyalty; churchwarden's 'outburst in the vestry over the introduction of Series I which left me nonplussed and a little distressed', sends copy of letter from churchwarden and his own reply [both present]; wooden chairs behind choir stalls and around font are full of wood-worm, suggests possibly destroy them and rearrange a few pews to compensate (21 October);
-- note of application of Mrs. Pitt for almshouse; Mrs. King now settled at Pirton Hall, suggests asking she formally vacate almshouse; parish hall (room) cottage rent and modernisation question, as received Fickhuss’ formal notice to move to be with daughter on her marriage; frontals have evidence of woodworm (13 November);
-- letter from Simon Whitbread to Humphrey: hopes that Huckles will take Howard Reading Room job, discussion of Estate’s view and note of advice regarding rent charges (14 December);
-- further discussion of rents and possible occupants for Howard Reading Room cottage and Parish Room cottage, Surridge and the Huckles; Mrs. Atfield’s circumstances (currently in tied cottage of Rawlings, though husband had died two years ago), possibility for occupying Parish Room cottage; family Christmas arrangements, daughter’s surgery, son Graham and wife to join them ‘for two hours on Christmas Day, but it will mean being up at 4.30 a.m. Who would be a farmer?’ (23 December).
Exent
18 pieces
Level of description
file