Badsey (with
Aldington) and Wickhamford
Parochial Magazine
1901
JANUARY
It is worthy of a place in our records that the worst flood known for many years, some say 30 years, occurred on the last day of the century. The houses at the mill and some in Wickhamford were entirely surrounded by water, and a very great inconvenience was caused to the inhabitants in consequence. In some cases the houses were entirely inundated on the ground floor.
MAY
Two Entertainments, which had been arranged by Mrs. Savory, were given in the Old School, on April 17th, and were in every respect an unqualified success. They involved an enormous amount of trouble, and we are under a great debt of gratitude to her. Our best thanks are also due to those ladies and gentlemen who took part in the programme, and to the kind friends who helped to put the stage up and get the room ready. Tea was provided in the afternoon which helped to swell the funds, and we thank those who so kindly gave all the provisions etc. The proceeds amounted to £11 6s. 0d. Out of this £3 15s. 0d. was given to the Aldington Band to pay the balance due for their new instruments and, 8s. for new music; £2 2s. 6d. was paid over to the Churchwardens, to meet certain sums which have become due from the Church funds since the Vestry meeting, and the balance remains in hand for other needs in connection with the Church at Badsey.
JUNE
A meeting of the Committee was held at the Vicarage on April 30th, to re-consider what should be
done with the balance in hand belonging to this fund. It was proposed that this balance should be
used for the purpose of providing a Clock for the Church Tower. Some members of the
Committee felt very strongly that the money had been collected for the bells, and should be used for that purpose.
After considerable discussion a compromise was proposed, and finally it was decided that the money in
hand should be equally divided between the clock fund and the fund for purchasing two new bells.
All the members of the Committee voted for this compromise. Accordingly the sum of £8 11s. 0d.
has been paid over to the fund for providing a new clock. We sincerely hope that this arrangement will
give general satisfaction to the Parishioners. We would point out that the two funds are now quite
distinct, and any person can give a donation towards whichever scheme they prefer. Subscriptions
towards the new clock should be paid into the fund which is deposited in Lloyds Bank, Evesham, and subscriptions
for the two new bells should be paid to the Capital and Counties Bank, or, if it is preferred,
the Vicar and Mr. Savory will be glad to receive any donations to either fund, which shall be assigned
according to the wishes of the donors.
JULY
The chief subject of interest in our parishes during the past month has been the return of Mr.
John Roberts, from the War in South Africa. He left home in November, in 1899, and had been
engaged in active service till he left South Africa. He had seen a great deal of fighting, and had gone
through a good many hardships. He returned home on Saturday, June 8, and received a very hearty welcome from his old friends.
The Aldington Band met him at the entrance to the village, and escorted him in triumph to his home.
The ringers very kindly rang a merry peal in his
honour, and on all sides great pleasure was expressed at his safe return. A general desire was expressed to present him
with some token of the good will which was felt towards him by the parishioners A subscription
was started, and with the proceeds a handsome marble clock was purchased. A public meeting was
held in the Old School on June 24, at which the Vicar presided, and Mr. Sladden in very well chosen
words presented the clock in the name of the parishioners. The clock bore the following
inscription :-"Presented to Private John Roberts, 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry, by the parishioners
of Badsey, Aldington, and other friends, in recognition of his gallant services for his country, in
the South African War, 1899-901." Mr. A. H. Savory also spoke on behalf of Aldington, and expressed
the high esteem in which Mr. Roberts was held, and his pleasure in seeing him back safe and sound.
OCTOBER (with an extract from December)
Mr. C. A. Binyon, who is taking a great interest in the Bells and other historical matters connected
with our Parishes, has sent us the following account of the inscription on the tenor bell in Badsey Tower.
It will form a useful addition to a note on the bells which appeared in our local
magazine of March, 1898. While speaking of the bells we should mention that Mrs. Sladden very kindly had a
Rummage Sale in their barn in aid of the fund for two new bells on Saturday, September 21, when the
substantial sum of rather more than £9 was realised.
The inscription on the Tenor Bell is a very remarkable one. It is in Latin as follows:-
The translation has been given in a former magazine as: " The watchful care of Robert Hill, Vicar of that place, changed us into six. William. Clark did the work by his own skill. In the year--." There is also a monogram IHS about which I shall have something more to say later. At first sight the inscription seems to have been very carelessly done, as some of the letters are very much larger than others, and although ANO (in the year) occurs, there is no year mentioned. But if we look closely at it, we shall see that only certain, letters are made large and these are all letters used in the ancient Roman way of writing numbers, such as those which we still use at the heading of the Psalms in the Prayer Book, and with which we are all familiar. V means 5, X 10, etc. In the inscription we find:- One M which stands for 1,000; one X (10); seven V's (35); eleven I's (11) five L's (250) ; four C's (400) ; these all added together, 1706; the date the bells were cast, as we know from other sources. This kind of inscription is called a chronogram, and is very rare on bells, though there are a few more in this district; one by the same founder, William Clark, being at Hinton-on-the-Green, the only one in Gloucestershire. It is interesting to notice that Robert Hill first appears as Vicar of Badsey in the year 1705. He died in 1730. Robert Hill was Vicar at the time when Rob. Pigeon and Tho. Byrd were churchwardens, whose names appear on the 4th Bell. It seems most likely then, that up to the year 1707 there were only three bells, and that about that time three more were added when Robert Hill was Vicar.
The inscription on this bell is very short. It has an ornamental border and the letters
M. B. F. Between the M and the B, and also on the opposite side of the bell, occurs the same monogram found
on the tenor. It is I. H. S., which may be taken to mean either the first three letters of Jesus in the
Greek, or Jesus hominum salvator, the Latin for Jesus the Saviour of men. On our bells the H is
surmounted by a cross and the whole is enclosed in a square. This furnishes a clue to the meaning of
M. B. F., for at Pebworth an identical monogram is found, and the letters are formed in exactly the same
way on the smaller bells there, one of which is inscribed Micahel Bushell Mad Me 1707. So that
undoubtedly M. B. F. means Michael Bushell founder. Mr. H. B. Walters, of the British Museum, corroborates this, and has given me much additional
information about bells by these founders, Clark and Bushell.