Old Photos of St Thomas’

This is thought to be the oldest surviving photograph of the inside of St Thomas’ Church. It shows 10 pews in the centre row in front of the Font, and uniquely it shows the lost brass lectern which matches the barley-twist candlesticks. (The lectern is barely visible in the centre).

Notice also that the carving on the font appears to have been coloured at that time.

The Jagger memorial on the left-hand side records a date in 1914 and the reading desks visible on either side of the chancel have a 1915 inscription on a copper plaque, so the date of the photograph is after this – but maybe not long after the First World War?

These 2 photographs are thought to be contemporary with each other, note there are fewer pews in the centre and the lectern has been removed. A small Prie Dieux has been brought in.

The next three photographs seem to date from the 1950s, ivy grows on the church walls, the Central Section of the churchyard has been started but the trees appear a little smaller than in the aerial photograph further down this page which is dated 1962.

A number of changes can be seen in this photograph of the churchyard. The “Central Section” of the graveyard is about half used up, there is no “North Section” at this time and there is no Vicarage next to the Church. Within the “Old Church Yard” a winding path can be seen on either side, this has long since disappeared.

The other obvious change is in the trees which have grown so much in the intervening years.

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