The lively Church we knew prior to the First World War, could call in
enough for its two Sunday services to three parts fill it. On festival
occasions it was always filled to overflowing, forms had to be brought
in, and placed in the aisles to help accommodate all those who could
not find space in the pews.
The Church boasted a good choir of men and boys, and an excellent team
of Bell ringers. Not only did they ring the big bells, but at
Christmas time, they would tour the village and outlying farms and
ring Christmas carols on the hand bells.
This custom died a natural death many years ago, and it has now become
difficult to muster a team to give us a peal every other Sunday. As
recently as last Sunday (June, 1971) out of a congregation of about
thirty, I was the only one that was born in the village. The
remainder were people who know not our village as we few locals that
are left know it. Today it has very little character, it has lost
most of that, and is now a residential community, in a rural area.
The only trace of yesteryear is the countryside itself, and that
changes very little. When the Church was alive, and active, we also
had a thriving Sunday School, that gathered twice a day on Sundays,
with enough children attending to warrant five teachers, some of
whom are still with us today.
The Vicar at this time was the very highly
respected Reverend Daniel
Spencer, who was a little man of small
physique, and indeed, affectionately endeared to the whole of the
village as "The Little Man". I have heard, hard, rough men, that never
went to any place of worship, boast of the fact, that out of respect,
they always raised their hat to the little man. To complete the Church
roll, we also had a very popular Curate, known as Joe (Joseph Oliver
Evans). He was a young man who was very much to the forefront in the
organisation of all the activities affecting the younger folk of the
parish. He also had a Sexton, an office, which few of the younger folk
would be aware existed in the village, or what his duties were. On top
of this, foreign students came to the Vicarage to be trained in the
laws of divinity. This, I am sure, will show how active the Church was
in those days. The congregational Chapel in Fore Street, was also very
well supported.
Here
they had a resident pastor, living in the Manse. Two services were
held on Sundays. People were married here and burial services
conducted. A very strong Sunday school was again in evidence twice a
day on Sundays. The Sunday School Summer outing, was in those days, a
real treat, and something that was looked forward to for many months.
The destination was Seaton, all the children were taken, accompanied
by some of the parents.
It was a real occasion. It left very early in the morning and two large
farm wagons would turn up, all specially washed the day before, and
all looking spic and span. If my memory serves me right, one was
supplied by Tom Robbins and the other by Farmer Dommett, of Hey Farm,
driven by Jim Grabham. Across the wagon were placed three or four
planks of wood to service as seats, and, after a roll call, off we
went. Everybody would be very excited and many children would be
seeing the sea for the very first time. Others, that had been before,
would be looking forward to putting their feet in the water. I cannot
recall anyone ever being daring enough to actually have a dip, but
never the less it was a great day. Chard Junction, where it is a case
of all change to the puffing billy, that took care of the last leg of
the journey, passing through two stations at Colyford and Colyton,
before reaching Seaton. At last we arrive and there is great
excitement. The day is spent here, before the homeward journey is made
in like fashion. I well remember Mrs Churchill used to come with us,
and always brought back a bucket of sea-water, for Fred, her husband,
in which he would bathe his feet.
I strongly suspect this was the nearest he ever got to the sea, as he
was always too busy, but I shall have more to say about him later.
Not so big in numbers as the other two perhaps, but the Gospel Hall
had its supporters. Two services were held on Sundays, similar to the
opposition, and a very strong Sunday school which always increased its
strength in the months prior to Christmas, as at the Christmas party
all the girls were presented with a petticoat, and all the boys with a
shirt. The man in charge there at the time, was called Matthew Cross,
but who was known to one and all as "Mattie". He was indeed a devout
Christian and the little hall and the children were his life. I have
been there at the Christmas party, when it was a feature of the
evening for all the children, large and small, to either recite a poem
or sing a chorus from Sanky Hymnal. Even the tiniest of them would
perform, and Mattie would spend the evening with tears streaming down
his face.
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