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Old Mitcham A series of papers recording village life and history, 1923 Village Anecdotes, by the late J.R.Chart The builder of the new Church was my grandfather, Mr. John Chart. He found the plaster work of the groined roof a very difficult job, his previous experience having been in the building of houses. Just before the roof was closed in, a man on one side of the Church wanted to fetch a tool from the other side. Instead of coming down the ladder and going up to fetch it, he balanced himself on a scaffold pole that lay across the vault, and crossed and got back safely. The gallery on the North side reaches from end to end of the nave, and the timber upon which it rests is in one piece. This was too long for the saw-pit in the builder's yard, and they had to make a road, of brick rubbish, from the old Church. This road ran from the yard up the side of the meadow, and to a saw-pit dug on purpose at the back of the old Baptist Chapel in Clarendon Grove. The fronts of the galleries were carved in solid oak. The carving done by Mr. Vernon, my grandfather's head carpenter, and took twelve months. An incident in connection with the carving of the heads by the sides of the windows near the top of the Church was told me by my father. The gentleman who was carving these sculptured faces was annoyed for some days by an old lady living in one of the houses opposite, who used to lean over the back of a chair at her open window and make uncalled-for remarks. He said, "I will have you for one of my portraits," and with that he chiselled out her face with a comic expression, leaning over a shield (in place of a chair). It was considered an excellent likeness in caricature. The carved work of the front of the galleries may be seen in a photograph I took in 1861 by the wet process (dry plates were only just coming in). A friend of mine came over from Croydon to take a photograph of the Church. He left his camera in the Church the whole day, coming back for it in the evening, but he only got a very imperfect picture. When the Church was finished, they had no organ, but used a string band. Mr. Vernon, the head carpenter, was one of the violins of the orchestra, and a good player too. Later a second-hand organ was got, and among the organists of the Church at different times were Sir Joseph Barnby and James Coward, while Sir Arthur Sullivan has sung there. I went to Church at the age of six years in 1843, and well remember being pleased when my mother stood me up on the seat so that I might look over the top of the pew. There was my uncle, who was Parish Clerk, in the desk on the left, and he looked at me, and winked his eye. The high pews were not very comfortable, especially for children. A short time after the new Church was finished and in use, an old Mitcham family who were engaged in the laundry business at Commonside East took their baby girl one Sunday afternoon to the Church to be baptised. The Reverend Strensham Derbyshire Myers was then Vicar; he was aged and rather deaf. The party could not make up their minds what the name of the baby should be, one relative wishing it one name, and one another. At last they went to the Church, saying perhaps the parson would read something in the service which would do. The lesson that afternoon was part of the 5th chapter of St. Mark, on the raising of Jairus's daughter, in which the words "Talitha Cumi" ("Daughter, I say unto thee, arise") occur. They at once thought that would do, so when the reverend gentleman said, "Name this child," the mother said "Talitha Cumi." "nonsense," said he, "say Henry," and proceeded, "Henry I baptize thee..." "Please," cried the mother, "it's a girl!" In the end the baby received the name of Emma. The office of Churchwarden was highly respected in those days, and special pew was reserved for them, and the Overseers under the West gallery, with red curtains in front and a staff of office at each end. A certain tradesman of Upper Mitcham was elected Warden, whose wife considered it a great honour, not only for her husband but for herself. On the following Sunday she went with him to Church, and it happened that as they entered the congregation rose for the beginning of the service. "Pray, good people," said she, "do not rise, even for Mrs. Churchwarden K-----." The principal tombs in the Churchyard have already been noticed. There are two, however, of distinguished Bible scholars. Dr. Roberts, one of the authors of the Revised Version, is buried here, and Ferrar Fenton, who a few years ago translated the Bible into modern English. A noted passage (I John iii. I), as given by him, is considered beautifully rendered:-- "Just think what a wealth of love the Father has lavished upon us in order that we might be called children of God--and such we are." |
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This page was last updated on Thursday, 07 February 2002. email me, Copyright © 2000 James Vernon. All rights reserved. |