Parish Magazine 1887-1935

 

SURVIVING PARISH records in the form of churchwarden's and overseers' accounts cover a good deal of the 17th and 18th centuries, but there is a surprising lack of such documents for the 19th century. On the other hand the 19th and early 20th centuries are well covered by the ten-yearly census returns, various trade directories, tithe and Ordnance maps and last but not least the parish magazine which made its first appearance in February 1887.

A complete set of parish magazines from 1887 to 1935 is still in existence in the form of bound volumes, and they contain a great deal of interesting material concerning the parish. Choose a date from the menu below or keep reading this page...

Parish Magazine 1887-1935 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1914-18 1919 1920 1921 1922-25 1926-29 1930-35

 

From the beginning the magazine appeared monthly and cost a penny. Alterations to its size and format together with the use of cheaper paper in 1906 enabled it to continue at the same price until 1920 when post-war inflation forced the price up to 3d. per copy. Even then it continued to run at a loss, and in 1922 it was decided to discontinue the magazine in its monthly form after the end of that year. Instead, a less frequent magazine was issued free of charge at three or six-monthly intervals until 1926, and thereafter annually until 1935 when it ceased altogether.

After the wartime paper shortages had eased, the magazine re-appeared monthly in 1947 containing matters of mainly church interest, but in 1961 the adoption of a new cheaper reproduction process enabled the magazine to again encompass matters concerning the parish as a whole, giving a coverage of activities similar to that of the earlier issues.

The following notes are condensed or extracted from the old magazines, but do not include items already quoted in previous sections:

1887

The Bere Regis Football Club had been started during the winter, the team being known as "The Arabs". Football in villages was at the time something quite new,
and when, on Easter Monday the football club played the church choir, it "created much amusement among the spectators, many of whom had never seen the game played before".

The six bell-ringers were J. Lane, H. House, D. Hewitt, Joseph Hewitt, John Hewitt and J. Barnes.

The 1887 Jubilee celebrations on 23 June consisted of a bonfire on Black Hill, church service, procession, sports, fireworks, dinner for 350 and tea for 600-700.

It had been the custom since 1875 to hold a combined harvest thanksgiving service and thanksgiving for the restoration of the church on the first Thursday in October, on which occasion other local church choirs took part, making a combined choir of about 100.

A parish reading room was in use in Butt Lane, probably the old schoolroom which was later converted to the present Congregational Church.

1888

During the winter months the village streets were lit by oil lamps, provided, maintained and fuelled by local voluntary subscriptions. From the published accountsit appears that colliery lamps were used, five of them costing £6 lOs.

January saw the first concert by the newly formed "Bere Regis Musical Society"-a choir, with membership by invitation only, formed principally for the singing of "glees".

Members of the parish lending library were required to pay a subscription of Id. every six months.

In October a sunflower growing competition for boys was won by Fercy Gregory. One of his blooms was 15 1/2 inches in diameter (excluding the petals) and another achieved a height of 11ft 9ins.

The Bere Regis branch of the Womens Union (now the Mothers Union) was formed at its first meeting at the Shitterton Girls' school on 10 December, when 50 members joined.

1889

The church choir at this period consisted of 13 men, 12 boys and 15 ladies making 40 in all.

On Saturday 16 March a two hours long Confirma-tion Service was held, when there were no less than 249 candidates. Thirty-one were from Bere Regis itself and the remainder from surrounding villages.

In April a meeting was held by the newly formed Horticultural Society with a view to holding an annual show, arising out of the wide interest taken in the 1888 sunflower competition. It was to have been called "The Bere Regis Cottage Garden and Home Arts Show," but this typically cumbersome title was subsequently changed to simply "The Flower Show", in which form it survived until relatively recent years. The first show was duly held on Friday 30 August in Court Green, when there were 273 entries and £13 8s. 3d. was taken at the gate-a sizeable sum in 1889, The church bells were rung, and there was music by the lst V.B. Dorsetshire Regiment band.

1890

From the 2nd to the 30th December 1889, the schools had been closed due to an outbreak of diptheria and as the epidemic continued they were again closed in February 1890. Altogether 7 children died frcm the disease in January and February, two families having suftered two deaths in each.

The winter was the third during which the village oil lamps had been in use for street lighting.

In this year Milborne Stileham was separated ecclesiastically from this parish and joined to Milborne St. Andrew. From before the time of the dcmesday survey (1086) the boundary between the Hundreds of Puddletown and Bere was marked by the Bere Stream causing the village of Milborne to be divided, with the St. Andrew portion in Puddletown Hundred and Stileham in Bere Hundred. Although there were many boundary changes over the centuries, it is remarkable that this early arrangement should have persisted at Milborne Stileham where some of the inhabitants, although only a few yards from Milborne St. Andrew church, were Bere Regis parishioners with a church some three miles distant. By the 19th century, however, the people of Milborne Stileham were regarded for all practical purposes as parisnioners of Milborne St. Andrew, but there were many anomalies
and the 1890 parish boundary revision was consequently welcomed by all concerned.

1891

After the longest and coldest winter for 50 years, a heavy snow storm occurred on 9 and 10 March, and the snow lay to an average depth of more than a foot with considerable drifting. Food became scarce as mans roads were completely blocked, and some lanes were still three or four feet under snow a fortnight later.

The 1891 census showed that the population of the parish had decreased from the 1881 figure of 1284 to 1144, and this was attributed to "long ccntinued agricultural depression".

"Bostocks' Menagerie" visited Bere Regis on 7 September, when lions, tigers, wolves, elephants, camels, monkeys, and many other animals could be seen.

November 5th was celebrated by a bonfire and a procession through the village led by the Blcxworth Band.

1892

There was panic in church at Evensong on Sunday 9 October when the vicar, towards the end of his sermon, had just quoted Tennyson's words "the dead are not dead but alive". Immediately, a "tremendous crash was heard in the belfry, then a rumbling and a pause then another roar". Members of the congregation, particularly those at the back, scrambled over one anumer it. their haste to get to the door. 'lhe breaking or a 6-cwt clock weight suspension cord, which had shortly before been wound to its full height, was found to have caused the disturbance. The weight, upon hitting the floor of the ringing chamber, had rebounded with such force that it had broken out through the 2-inch thick wooden casing and finally knocked over a ladder. The incident served to recall a similar panic of some 50 years earlier (i.e. in about 1840) when a piece of masonry from the tower
fell on the nave roof durir.g a service. One woman is said to have hidden under the altar whilst other members of the congregation jumped out of the box pews rather than use the doors.

1893

In June the Parish Clerk, Mr John Lane died, having held the office since 1875 on the death of his Yatner William Lane, who had himself been Clerk since 1840.

The fifth annual Flower Show attracted a record 500 entries.

A large Scots Fir on Rye Hill which had been a prominent landmark for many years, was blown down in a severe gale on 12 December.

1894

The magazine circulation had reached 150 copies monthly. On 2 January the new church hall was used as such for the first time. This was the Drax Hall which had been the Congregational Church before the Butt Lane schoolroom cum reading room was converted to that use in 1893, and church Sunday school classes which had before been held at Butt Lane were from 1894 onwards transferred to the new hall.

November saw the setting up of Parish Councils after which church vestry meetings would be concerned with purely church matters only. Bere Regis Parish Council was to have 11 members, and the election took place on 17 December, when 161 electors voted out of a possible 230, and 22 candidates stood for the 11 seats.

A jumble sale in aid of a fund to renew sections of the church floor raised the incredible sum of E60 3s. 41d.

1895

The oak eagle lectern was presented to the church by Mr. Radclyffe of Hyde House.As was the usual custom, the Itinerant Mission attended Woodbury Hill Fair from Friday 20th to Monday 23rd September. As well as providing open air services, the mission ran a school for the children of fair people, when over 40 attended.

The Parish Council formed a committee to consider the possibility of acquiring a recreation ground for the village, but it was to be a further 10 years before the project could be realised.

During the year the circulation of the magazine had reached 190 copies monthly.

1896

A party of 43 went on a choir outing to Lulworth on Wednesday 15th July by means of "Mr Day's charabanc".

Another jumble sale raised almost £41. Such sums (£60 m 1894 and £40 in 1896) were very large indeed at that time, for even at the present time, jumble sales could hardly be expected to yield such amounts.

1897

New gates and piers were provided at the lower churchyard entrance to match those which had already been placed at the north entrance a few years previously.

The Jubilee celebrations consisted of a bonfire on Black Hill, a procession of various village organisations headed by the Puddletown Band, dinner for 360 (cold meat and hot plum pudding), tea for 500, swingboats, merry-go-round, coconut shies, dancing and fireworks. Altogether £72 3s, lid. was spent on the festivities.

The various winter evening activities included night school, band of hope, choir practice, choral society and woodcarving class. The vicar, the Rev. William Farrer
was a very enthusiastic wood carver and ran the class referred to, and a bread board made by him sometime alter he had left the parish still survives. Its border is elaborately carved with foliage and wheatears, and the inscription "WB from Wf 1913", (to William Bedford from William Farrer).

The harvest festival was held on the usual first Thursday in October, and the custom on these occasions seems to have been for the choir and clergy to process from the vicarage, and to enter the church by the west door.

1898

The magazine circulation now exceeded 200 copies.

Two parishioners had died in 1897, both of whom had reached the age of 97. They were Charles Jesty and William Lugg.

In this year the first group of the Bere Regis Boy's Brigade had been started.

During August some 25,000 troops had been in camp on Bere Heath and on the 24th a mock battle was staged between Black Hill and Gallows Hill.

During the year a wheeled bier had been acquired to ease the burden of funeral bearers, who, since the establishment of the cemetery in 1881, had been required to walk the whole distance to and from the church.

1899

A party of 98 went on a combined Band of Hope and Boys Brigade outing.

On Sunday 23 July a violent thunderstorm occurred, when over five inches of rain fell at Wareham, and a cottage at Buddens was struck by lightning.

1900

The Rev. W. Farrer (who had started the magazine in 1887) left the parish in January, and his successor the Rev. W. E. H. Sotheby was inducted on 13 March.

The parish clerk, Mr. Barnes, had left the parish, and at the Easter vestry Mr. John Battrick was appointed to the post, which he held until his death in December, 1957.

In June the choir which had been hitherto unrobed, were provided with cassocks.

14 pupils were attending wood-carving classes held on Tuesday evenings during the winter.

1901

The custom of combining the harvest festival service with the thanksgiving for the 1875 restoration of the church was discontinued in this year.

From an account concerning the oil-lamps for lighting the village streets, it seems that the lamplighter was paid £4 per year.

At a jumble sale, some entertainment was pro-vided "and the gramophone, kindly brought by Mr. F. Hawkins, gave much amusement".

There was a "Concert and Dramatic Entertainment" on Friday 27 December, and it was stated that "The performers are most of them, coming at considerable inconvenience from London, to oblige us".

1902

It seems that before this time it had not been customary for the congregation to stand at the beginning and end of a service: "I wish to thank the members of the congregation for the ready way in which they have fallen in with the practice suggested from the pulpit of standing when the clergy and choir enter and leave the Church. Some few, I fear, do not quite like the change, but surely its almost universal adoption in other parishes should commend it."

Coronation celebrations were held on Thursday 14 August, somewhat later than planned, due to the king's illness. There were the usual service, procession, amusements and tea for about 650, "and as a finale the National Anthem was sung by the choir boys and others or the Church tower, from whence a fine display of Bengal fires lit up the whole village".

1903

Although perhaps behind the times in the matter of standing at the right time during church services, Bere Regis was at this time very much "with it" in the field of entertainment, for they saw what must have been a very early movie film: "On Thursday, January 15th. Mr. E. Baker, of Salisbury, gave us a fine exhibition of Cinematograph Pictures of the Coronation, of Seaside Scenes, of a Cricket and Football match, and views of Foreign Countries, diversified with musical performances on a phonograph."

There were 200 children attending Sunday school.

1904

A fund had been raised and an association formed for training a nurse to work in Bere Regis and the surrounding villages and Nurse Duke duly arrived to takeup her duties. Unfortunately, a dispute of some sort arose, and it was "found advisable to terminate our agreement with Nurse Duke . . . The salary was necessarily a low one, inasmuch as the entire cost of the 10 months training had been defrayed by the Association." The parish seems to have lost heavily on the deal, being required to pay not only the salary and training expenses, but for lodgings, washing, uniform, bag and requisites, disinfectants and a bicycle.

In July a cricket club was formed, starting with about 40 members.

Each year there seems to have been a Club Feast Day in the summer, when one of the village clubs would act as host and organise the event. This year the Garibaldi Lodge of Oddfellows were hosts to the Court Progress of Foresters, when the festivities took the usual form of a procession of 80-100, dinner for 162, sports from 3-8 p.m. and dancing until 10 p.m.

1905

Another "cinematograph display" was given by Mr. Baker of Salisbury to the older Sunday school children on 13 January.

There had been an outbreak of scarlet fever during December 1904, causing two deaths.

The Rev. W. E. H. Sotheby left the parish in July, and his successor the Rev. M. A. Bere arrived in October.

During the winter work had been progressing on converting two or three fields at Townsend into a recreation ground.

1906

In February a visitors book and collecting box had been placed in the church for the first time, and contributions for the year amounted to £4 Is. 3d.

A rifle club had been started, and in its first match against Halifax, Bere Regis were beaten by 701 points to 686.

The cricket pitch at the recreation field having been completed, the village team was captained during the summer by the vicar, the Rev. M. A. Bere, who is said to have been a great cricket enthusiast.

During the summer a number of London children had been on holiday in the village. Bere Regis was one of 18 holiday centres selected by the Victoria Docks Committee, where such holidays were arranged.

1907

110 communicants at Easter made the largest number so far recorded.

The Oddfeliows and Foresters held their annual fete in the recreation ground on Wednesday 19 June, and the vicar had this to say in the magazine: "We hope that the Committee that organizes next year's Fete will see its way to stop the sale of alcoholic beverages. We suggest that beer should be provided at the luncheon, but that there should be no drinking tent on the field during the afternoon."

A tennis club had been started with a membership of 35, and a court at Roke Down was used until the two courts at the recreation ground were completed.

A visitor to the church had written to the press, commenting particularly on the "neatness and cleanliness" of the church, and stating that the sermon was the best he had heard in Dorset for over 10 years.

1908

In May the cricket club took over the administration of the recreation field, after which time other organisations were required to hire it from them. A cricket pavilion was erected in July and remained in use until relatively recent years.

It is not clear what the people of Bere Regis may have been up to in 1908 sufficient to prompt a personal letter and missionary visit from the Bishop whose letter, published in the magazine and addressed to the parishioners, said: "I have interest in and love for Bere, and have many happy memories of visits to it. But I have lately had reason to fear that some have yielded to temptation, and that there is great need for penitence and humiliation among you."

The flower show on 27 August suffered a setback when the tent was blown down during the night.

For the harvest festival on 30 September "Four dozen large red earthenware vases had been purchased from a pottery at Verwood. These took the place of pickle jars on the pillars, and were stood in the windows. It seems generally agreed that they were a successful innovation. A lady motorist, who visited the church about that date, wanted to purchase the lot."

The choir outing on 5 October was to London, and included a visit to the White City Exhibition.

Sunday school stamps and albums first came into use here on Advent Sunday.

1909

During the first week in February a mission was held, and "on February 7th, Services were nearly incessant. The Bishop and Mrs. Wordsworth motored over from Lulworth ir time for his Lordship to celebrate at 8.30. They stayed with us all day. The Bishop attended six services, preached four times, and confirmed two grown-up persons in the afternoon."

The cricket club members had been equipped with green and white caps and ties "to match the pavilion," and a flag had been given to be flown when home matches were in progress, The team seems to have been very successful at this time, their biggest triumph beingon 3rd July when they beat the Blandford first eleven at Blandford with the highest score the Bere team had so far made "and created quite a sensation among the cricket enthusiasts in the town."

Canon Warre who had been vicar of Bere Regis from 1865 to 1876, visited the church and vicarage during the autumn.

1910

In the March magazine a laundry at Culeaze is referred to.

Referring to the small amounts contributed to church collections, it was stated that at an average Sunday evening service, when the congregation numbered about 200, the collection usually amounted to no more than five or six shillings.

In July the choir outing was to Lulworth where "boating was popular, and stone throwing more so. One boy paid off an old score by landing a stone on the Vicar's head".

Cricket remained popular, there being as many as 200 spectators at a match on 1 August.

The Society of Oddfellows friendly society held a Hospital Sunday in October-"they got together two bands and such a concourse of people as we do not remember to have seen in Church or in the village."

1911

The Coronation of King George V was celebrated on 22 June in spite of rain most of the day. The celebrations took the usual form of church service, children's sports, tea for about 600, and dancing, ending with a torchlight procession to Woodbury Hill where a bon-fire and firework display were staged. Altogether these events cost £40.71, all of which was raised by voluntary subscriptions.

1912

On Lady Day Mr. Farr resigned as keeper of the clock and curfew ringer, a post he had held for many years. He was succeeded by Mr. Arthur Janes who continued to do this work until 1956.

The magazine circulation was 177 copies per month.

It was in this year that the Bishop first inaugurated the custom of presenting the Easter collections to the vicar, when the amount was £7.94, and Bere Regis was the only parish in the Deanery to adopt the suggestion.

As Woodbury Hill fair fell on a Saturday and Monday, open air services were held on the hill on Sunday, when the choir were mounted on a platform "outside Mr. Chipperfield's booth."

1913

At the Easter Vestry, sidesmen were elected for the first time. There were six of them and they made their first appearance as such at a Confirmation service on 12 April.

An arts and crafts class was being run by the Vicar's wife Mrs. M. A. Bere, and several of the members had entered exhibits at the Albert Hall Exhibition in May: "Queen Alexandra bought one of the smocks and a blue pinafore made by Miss Ethel Sheppard. Lord Brownlow, who was conducting Her Majesty round the Exhibition, told her that Mrs. M. A. Bere's class was, he believed, the only class in England at which the real Old English Smocks were reproduced."

1913 saw the introduction of the diocesan quota system, when this parish was required to contribute £12 17s. 6d. which sum was raised by a door to door collection.

1914

Two patrols of boy scouts had been formed with Mr. Bertie Jcsty as scoutmaster, and they made their arst public appearance at a parade and church service on Sunday 11 January.

This notice appeared in the March magazine: "Found. A small piece of wire inside the padlock on one of the almsboxes in the Church, also a hairpin that had been used to try to extract coins from the same. These can be returned to the loser on application at the Vicarage!"

In May the church was visited by government surveyors who valued the building at £9000.

1914-18

The First World War started in August 1914, and although the parish magazine continued as usual, the events at this time are best dealt with collectively for the four year period.

In March 1916 the Rev. M. A. Bere departed for France to take up a chaplaincy to the forces, and during his absence the Rev. Augustus B. Bennett acted as a 'locum tenens'. The vicar continued to write a letter for publication in the magazine almost every month during the war, giving details of his work in France, and at the same time keeping in touch with parish affairs.

At weekends, many troops from Bovington found their way to Bere Regis, and as a result the Drax Hall was equipped and opened as a tea room, staffed by lady volunteers from the village. It was first opened as such on 19 October 1914, and remained open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons until 19 January 1919, during which time 39,899 cups of tea were served together with light refreshments.

From October 1915 onwards, Evensong was at 3 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. in order to conform to the black-out ruling, and in June 1916 "The Daylight Saving Bill," a form of British Summer Time, was first introduced.

In October 1916 a working party was formed to make garments for soldiers, and by 12 March 1917 over 100 shirts and socks had been made.

The Bere Regis branch of the Women's Institutewas formed at a meeting in August 1918.

The war ended on 11 November 1918 when there was a thankseiving service in the church at 7 p m.

1919

In January the Rev. A. B. Bennett who had been deputising for the Vicar, left, although the Vicar himself did not return from France uritil April due to a mild attack of diphtheria.

Public meetings took place to discuss the form and siting of the proposed war memorial, and a com-mittee was formed consisting mainly et near relatives of men killed in action. The memorial, which cost £150 6s., was completed and unveiled at a ceremony on 22 December.

In August the Rev. M. A. Bere left for an appoint-ment at Shanklin, LO.W.. and the new Vicar, the Rev. R. C. V, Hodge arrived the same month.

1920

It had always been the custom for collections to be taken at church services on the first and third Sundays in the month only, but from March 1920 onwards they were taken at every service.

During the winter season Bere Regis had won the Mid-Dorset Village Football League Cup, having won 10 of their 12 league matches.

The first Parochial Church Council was elected on Friday 16 April and consisted of the vicar, church-wardens and three ruri-decanal representatives ex officio, and 25 elected members. At its first meeting in June, Miss E. Percy was elected honorary secretary, and held the post continuously until 1952.

On 19 June, 720 changes were rung on the bells by members of the Ancient Society of College Youths.

The Rev. W. Farrer, a previous Vicar who had started the parish magazine in 1887, preached at the harvest services on Sunday 3 October.

The price of the magazine went up from id. to 3d. and the circulation was 135 copies per month.

1921

The football club again won the league cup, having won 12 matches out of 16.

The Rev. R. C. V. Hodge resigned in October, the new Vicar being the Rev. P. W. Taylor who was in-ducted on 19 December. He had been a master at Marlborough College from 1896 to 1916 and had rowed for Oxford in 1884 and 1885.

A village social club had becn started, and a grant of 5s. for each ex-serviceman in the parish, together with the surplus profit from the war-time Drax Hall tea room, enabled an ex-army hut to be purchased. This was erected on the north side of West Street ad-joining Bi!lt Lane, and has since been converted into living accommodation. The club was officially opened on 23 December.

1922-25

In 1923 the Women's Institute bought a hut which was erected on a piece of land at Southbrook forming part of allotment gardens, and which had been given by Mr. Debenhrm. The but was officially opened on 10 July 1923 with a short dedication service followed by a social evening.

In 1924 the village social club membership had reached 65.

1926-29

In 1927 the Women's Institute membership had reached 55.

A thriving tennis club was in being, whose member-ship in 1928 had reached 30.

In 1929 two changing rooms were added at the rear of the W.I. hut so that it could be more conveniently used for general entertainments.

In 1929 the Mothers' Union membership was 89.

1930-35

On 17 January 1930 an infant welfare centre was established at the W.I. hut, held on alternate Friday afternoons, and at the end of its first year of operation there were 45 children on the register.

By 1930 over £860 had been collected by the Bere Regis branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society since its formation in 1847.

The football team had won both the league cup and the Edmonds and Jesty cup in 1930, and this double success had only once before been achieved by a team in the league.

In 1930 the village social club was beginning to show signs of a decline, the membership having fallen from 56 to 40.

The tennis club with a membership of 30, had begun to use new courts adjoining Court Green, placed at their disposal in 1930 by Mr. Bedford.

In 1933 so many children were attending evening handicraft classes at the old boys' school, that a hut was erected in the grounds to cope with carpentry and engineering classes.

The social club hut in West Street had been closed due to a lack of members, but in 1934 it was re-opened for the use of the British Legion whose member ship was then 138 in addition to 61 in the women's section.

The magazine ceased in 1935 after the death of the Rev. P. W. Taylor who had died on 23 October at the age of 74.

 

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