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A collection
of minutes from past official meetings of the church have been kept
in an old cardboard box and have been dragged out for this brief review.
The earliest entry dates from a century ago when A. Frewen Aylward was
the vicar. The meetings were termed 'vestry meetings' back then and
the minutes were very brief. The first minutes are from 1903 and are
transcribed below, including the earliest balance sheet we have. Notice
the fact that only a 'people's churchwarden' was elected, the other
warden was appointed by the vicar, and you can see that pews were rented
in 1903 bringing in an income of over £42, a verger was paid,
as was a blower of the organ and the church was lit by gas.
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As you can see the minutes can provide little chinks of light into the church of that time. The 1904 minutes note "The vicar next referred in feeling terms to the (loss the) church and congregation had sustained in the lamented death of Captain Drummond". The Drummond family have been patrons of the church for many years. The 1905 minutes refer to the church's involvement in schooling in Enderby. The vicar "reminded the meeting of the vast debt they owe to the church schools and appealed to all churchmen to qualify as subscribers by payment of 2/6 per an: to the school funds" The minutes also show that the church comtinued to think about heating problems, "The usual discussion on heating the church then took place" that resulted in a committee being set up. The 1906 minutes show that this committee decided on a low pressure system. In the following vestry meeting "The committee appointed to enquire into the heating apparatus, which was to cost a sum of £125, moved that the congregation accepts the report of the committee, and places the matter in their hands to settle on the best scheme they think fit to and at the same time to take responsibility to social the funds to pay for the scheme, providing it does not exceed £125." It appears from the 1907 minutes that the committees efforts were successful; "The congregation were congratulated on the success of their recent bazaar and the efficiency of the new heating system". It also seems that the parish magazine was making a loss which needed covering by the church accounts. The parish magazine came up again in 1908 when "a considerable discussion concerning the distribution took place", a subject discussed in other meetings. Otherwise, the church now turned its attention to the gas lighting; "Some discussion on further lighting improvement, and upon questions of making all seats free in the church brought a pleasant meeting to an end". The last matter refers to the renting of pews which would not be ended until 1925 (See the parish magazine review for 1925 for more on this). The lighting work was to be tackled in 1909 and the minutes note a proposal "that a committee be formed to make arrangements for a garden fete to be held in the summer to raise money for a) improving the cemetery - leveling and draining, b) completing the lighting in the church". In 1910, it was noted that the church expresses "sincere regret at the departure of Mr. & Mrs. C Lawrie Johnstone from Enderby Hall... It wishes them health, happiness, and usefulness in their new home". "Thus carried it was further decided that this resolution should be engraved, framed and forwarded to Mr. & Mrs. Johnstone". There is little to note until 1914, when A Frewen Aylward retired and a new vicar was sought. "The vicar in opening the vestry meeting alluded to his imminent departure, he hoped they would be much blessed in the new vicar to whom he hoped they would give the loyal support they had accorded to him". |
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