The obit for Mackwood Stevens

The newspaper article I found in the records office in Aylesbury about my grandmother's uncle. The paragraph breaks are mine.

ADDINGTON

DEATH OF THE RECTOR

 
Churchpeople throughout the Archdeaconry of Buckingham will regret to hear of the death of Rev. Mackwood Stevens, which occurred on Thursday, May 20, following an illness of about six months. Deceased, who was in his 68th year, leaves a widow, but no children. He was a man greatly beloved by his parishioners, and by a large circle of friends. He became rector of Addington 33 years ago. He was popular as a preacher, possessing rare gifts in elocution and charm of manner, and his services were in request in many parishes.

For some years he held the position of general secretary to the North China Mission, in which his zeal and devotion were ever-present, and in many other ways he manifested that love of duty and good works, even to the extent that during his illness he initiated the fund that was raised on behalf of the wife of the late vicar of Granborough. He also held office of Rural Dean for some time till failing health compelled relinquishment of the position.

On Sunday the customary Whitsuntide services were held in the Parish Church, conducted by Rev. C.H. Badcock, who at both morning and afternoon services made reference to the death of the rector, and the organist (Mr. J.H. Webster) played “O for the wings of a dove,” and “Blest are the departed.”

On Monday morning the body was taken from the Rectory to the Parish Church, and the funeral took place later in the day in the presence of a large concourse of mourners. The burial service was most impressively read by the Rev. A. Gordon, R.D., rector of Middle Claydon;  the cross was carried by Rev. P.F.L. Cautley (Quainton ), and the robed clergy were Revs. W.H. Savile (Buckingham), E. Walmesley (Granborough), S. Wynne (Grendon Underwood), A.H. James (North Marston), C. Greaves (Twyford), A. Brooke Smith (Edgcott), and C.J. Wigan (Winslow).

The chief mourners were Mrs. Stevens,  Mr. Percy Stevens (brother), Miss Stevens (sister), Mr. John Stevens (nephew), Miss Ida Stevens (sister), Rev. C.H. Badcock (brother-in-law, Haresfield Vicarage, Gloucestershire), Mrs. Arthur Badcock, Mr. J. W. Badcock (Port Elizabeth, S.A.), Mr. Frank Stevens (nephew, London), and Dr. E. Badcock (Wandsworth). Amongst the congregation were Lady Addington, Lord Addington, Hon. Ruth Hubbard, Hon. Raymond Hubbard, Hon. Francis Hubbard, Lord Cottesloe, Hon. Cecil Fremantle, Mrs. Gore-Langton, Major J.H. Hooker, Miss Hooker, Rev. E.C. Carmichael (formerly of Padbury), Rev. C. Dawson-Smith (Nash), Rev. L. G. P. Liesching (Little Horewood), Dr. Kennish, Dr. T.F. Vaisey, Messrs. G.H. Thompson, W. Underwood, W. H. Stevens (Winslow), E. Kibble (North Marston), A. Rich (Great Horwood), W. Pratley (Aylesbury), W.S. Pringle (Buckingham), J. Cadd (Hillesden), A. Warr, H. Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Cowell, Messrs. Launchbury, W. Hunt, W. Luck, Mr. and Miss Hunt, Messrs. C. Phillips, E. Ayris, H. Corbett, etc.

The opening sentences were sung to a chant by F. Elmore and the 90th Psalm to a chant by Foster in E. The hymns were "Let saints on earth in concert sing" and "Thy King of Love my Shepherd is," and as the body was removed the "Nunc Dimittis" was sung to a chant by Wickes. At the grave the hymn, "The earth, O Lord, is one wide field of all Thy chosen seed," was sung, and on returning to the sacred edifice (according to the custom of this parish), the remainder of the prayers were read, and the hymn, "Now the labourer's task is o'er," was sung. Mr. J. H. Webster presided at the organ with his well-known ability, and played suitable music during the seating of the congregation - which was carried out by the Churchwardens (Lord Addington and Mr. A. Warr) - and also the voluntaries, "O, rest in the Lord," and "Come unto Me" ("Messiah.")

The grave had been most beautifully lined with fir and blooms by Mr. Saunders, and there was a large collection of crosses and wreaths of flowers. The coffin was unpolished elm, with full-length Calvary Cross, at the foot of which was the inscription – “Mackwood Stevens, Priest, born 3rd April, 1853, at rest 20th May, 1920.” – The Bishop of Buckingham sent a telegram of condolences and sympathy, with regret at being unable to attend the funeral owing to his holding a Confirmation service; and the Hon. Rose Hubbard was unavoidably prevented attending owing to indisposition.

Aylesbury - not my favourite place

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

My plan for the day was to go to the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury because on Wednesdays they have staff on hand. 

Market in Winslow

The outing got off to a good start when I met a nice elderly couple at the bus stop on Vicarage Road in Winslow. How accommodating of bus drivers to give change, and sell return tickets. My return ticket to Aylesbury was a little over 5 pounds. Speaking of money, 75 p. for four potatoes seems awfully cheap. That would have been my entire expenditure on Monday if I hadn't left some money at the Addington church.

Not sure how long the ride was - maybe over half an hour. Buses only run once an hour here, and go south to Aylesbury or northwest to Buckingham.

The bus passed by some incredibly charming buildings - brick, rock, thatched… one covered in wisteria. That all changed in Aylesbury. Ick. It's the kind of place you feel you'd better hang onto your purse. Some creepy looking people around. 

I must say, that as much as I didn't like Aylesbury, everyone I talked to was very friendly, even the young man selling coffee in the bus station. A woman I'd been talking to in the bus line-up kindly made sure I knew where to get off back in Winslow.

AYLESBURY

This sort of building leaves me cold. It reminds me of Nijmegen, Holland, where Glenn and I had spent a few hours, back in 1998.

Market in Aylesbury

Are giant feet a trend in statuary? Somewhere I saw a sculpture in which the men had huge out-of-proportion feet. 
 

I like taking pictures of these towers because they show the time. If it was correct, I must have been finished at the records office, about to head back to Winslow.

The records office is nearly next door to the bus station, so it was easy to find.
My experience at this office was the opposite of that at the awful Guildhall Library in London. Here, the woman behind the desk couldn't have been more helpful. She was terrific. I got lots of wonderful info off microfilm (I'd reserved a reader beforehand), then went next door to look at actual marriage, christening and death records. Those are not easy to get copies of but for 5 pounds you can photograph them.

I discovered that Mackwood and his wife Christiana are buried at Addington! How could it be that nobody knows where? The inscriptions online (including the other four family members) were done by the historian I spoke to on the phone. How he got all that info from those four markers, I don't know, because I was barely able to make out the names. So it would seem that Mackwood and his wife either had markers that became unreadable or chose not to have any at all.

A treasure was found in a newspaper in the form of a lengthy obituary for Mackwood. Also a marriage record from 1901 for the then mysterious Adele, the actress staying at the rectory. I learned that she belongs to Christiana's family. A marriage record for Kate Stevens in 1912 shows her address as the Addington Rectory as well.

It was a very productive afternoon in that office.

Padbury Lodge

When Mackwood died, Christiana not only lost her husband, she would have lost her home at the rectory. One record shows that she lived at Padbury Lodge at the time of her death. (Padbury is not far from Winslow.) I was unable to find out the status of the building at that time. It may have been some sort of care home or still a private house. I believe it was no longer owned by the family shown in the text with this picture which read: Home of the Gore-Langton family for many years. Sidenote: Mrs. Gore-Langton attended Mackwood's funeral and some of the family moved to Vancouver Island.

 * * * * *

I had good chats with people and started feeling part of the community, so I didn't want to leave Winslow.

With more time in the area I could have returned to Addington to take a soft brush to the family gravestones and also lay some flowers there. I should have listened to the signs that were telling me over and over not to book Oxford. But I panicked, not wanting to risk being without a place to stay. Had I not done that, I could have stayed in Winslow another three nights, until Jeff returned. Once again, I wished I had not booked the B&B in Oxford through the travel agent because it involved a third party. Also, I thought that messing with my timing might throw things off for the entire trip, but now I don't think the timing was very important at all. I should have stayed longer in Winslow. Had hoped to return later in the trip but with schedules and the weather, that was not to be.

I considered the options of how to get to Oxford - taking buses, renting a car, or hiring a ride. At many car rentals you have to pre-book… to avoid that I would have had to have gone to Milton Keynes, which I really didn't want to do. Around the corner from the B&B is an office that advertises rides to airports so on the way home I popped my head in their door and wound up having a good conversation with a local woman.

I'd been living pretty inexpensively in Winslow. Hadn't eaten out at all except that first night, so I decided to splurge on a ride, door to door, Winslow to Oxford. I wasn't terribly enthused about going to Oxford except to see a family house. I think I much prefer to be away from cities.

So, I would leave here the next day at noon. 

 

I wrote then that I felt Glenn's presence beside me.

Slowing the pace in Winslow - Tuesday May 1, 2012

I managed to pick the only sunny day (yesterday) for my walk to Addington. Now it was rainy. I must have had a nice relaxing morning in - making breakfast, catching up on email messages, etc. Later, I went for a walk around town and shopped for groceries. 

Looking behind me on a back lane somewhere near the B&B.

St Laurence Church faces High Street where the most of the shops are. As far as I know there is no record of my family being in Winslow, but they must have shopped and passed through here frequently. Since they weren't from Buckinghamshire, I believe they had no connection to the Stevens family of Winslow.

Looking straight ahead from the front of the churchyard.

And the view to the left and right on High Street. The B&B is at the far end of the right hand picture.

My recollection of this field is that it was on Sheep Street.

The sequence of photos aren't making sense to me. Maybe I went back to the B&B for something because this picture is of the market square, just around the corner in town.

This building fascinates me

Sheep Street

This seems an odd place for a well

A lone daffodil

As always, it's fun to look at doors and cottage names in England.

A little history in Winslow

Monday, April 30, 2012

KEACH'S CHAPEL

Jeff had left keys for the yard of a nonconformist meeting house nearby so back out I went. It was fun exploring this place - it felt as if I had been let in on a secret. 

Internet photo

The meeting house was named after Benjamin Keach, a 17th century preacher. From the net:

"Winslow has a strong nonconformist tradition going back to the 17th century. The Baptist chapel now known as Keach's Chapel was built in 1695, and is one of the oldest such buildings in Bucks." 

"Constructed of red brick, it stands partly concealed behind other property, close to what, until recently, had been the cattle market, in a lane known in the 17th century as Pillars Ditch (now Bell Walk)."

A WWII BOMBER CRASH 

Internet photo of a Wellington bomber which crashed in the town in 1943. Four crew members and thirteen residents were killed and some buildings were demolished. From the net:

"The worst plane crash in Buckinghamshire during the Second World War happened in Winslow. A Wellington aeroplane had taken off from Wing airfield at 1.25 am. During the flight the captain decided to return to Little Horwood airfield because the bombsight wasn't working. The pilot couldn't land because another plane had done a 'belly-flop' on the runway. He then tried to make another fly around the airfield but lost control of the aeroplane over Winslow. It hit the roofs of several buildings, 75-77 High Street, before crashing into the Chandos Arms. Seventeen people died in total, including the plane crew's cat, Wimpy, and all but one of the crew. There is a plaque at St. Laurence Church, Winslow, commemorating all those who died in the accident."

Ancestry at the Rectory - Monday April 30, 2012

Addington, Buckinghamshire

As I approached the front gate of the church, a woman came running out from the rectory. She was the owner. She asked if I had left the photos in the mailbox. We talked for a few minutes until she realized she had better get back to her two year old who was playing outside. Then she invited me in for coffee and said that she would show me the inside of the house.

I just wanted to scream. I'd get to walk around in the house that my ancestor lived in for 33 years? And who knows how many of the family visited and even stayed there. They walked in that yard, and on those floorboards. Now I would be too. I couldn't believe my good fortune. Neither could she, at being able to live in this house.

Heading in the driveway to the rectory. It appears to be a staddle stone on the left.

The whole house, inside and out, is being renovated. Hopefully the new owners will take it back to the brick on the exterior walls.

Facing away from somewhere around the front door you can see the church tower next door. It seems fitting that my relatives are buried between the two buildings.

Two photos of my great-aunt Kate's first born, 'Roy' Baker (born Dec. 1912) in the rectory yard. In the first, he is shown presumably with Christiana Stevens, Mackwood's second wife. It would appear that my great-aunt Kate Stevens and her brother Edward Stevens stayed in this house around the times they were married.

I don't want to post a lot of photos of someone's home especially while it's under renovation so I'll just show inside the front door. I sat in the kitchen with the owner, became quick pals with her little boy, and had a most enjoyable visit.

The above photos are from the internet when this house was on the market. It had been listed at £1,650,000; I suspect it sold for closer to £1,300,000.

The back yard from a window - wheatfield in the distance of the top photo.

This seems an odd placement for a hedge. I wonder when it was planted and if the new owners will take it out.

Winslow - Sunday, April 29, 2012

I woke up to the sound of church bells pealing, pealing, pealing. It was quite wonderful.

The weather is terrible. Pouring rain, windy and c-cold. It all worked out well that I got to see Addington yesterday so I don’t feel compelled to hike over there today. I need a day to relax and catch up on things - wash my hair, do laundry, etc. It took a lot of rinsing under the tap to get that mud off my shoes.

Jeff headed off to the airport just before noon so I have the run of the house for the rest of my stay. I can’t believe how well this turned out and am wondering if 5 nights will be enough in this wonderful place. Also wondering if I should rent a car in Buckinghamshire. It will be a bit of a hassle getting from here to Oxford... but the way people seem to drive like bats out of hell is a little daunting.

Addington - my first thrilling view - Saturday April 28, 2012

My plan had been to trek over to Addington tomorrow, Sunday. Addington, for anyone who doesn't know the story, is where my great-great-grandparents and two other family members are buried (actually more than that, I would discover later) and it's where my grandmother's uncle was rector for 33 years, until 1920. Jeff, from the B&B, decided to drive me over so I'd know how to get there on foot - he said he had to get some groceries anyway. Away we went in his Mazda RX8 or whatever. Good thing he showed me where it was because some of the country roads look like driveways. I saw horses being ridden at the equestrian centre in Addington - there is an event on Sunday and Monday which I'd like to see if it's not pouring rain.

The area is quite lovely - green fields, hedges, sheep and some grand old buildings.

I thought we'd just be driving by but Jeff pulled up to the church and stopped the car. It was a huge, huge thrill for me to be here.

We went into the church and he pointed out the glass that is a feature at this church.

And there on the wall was my relative's name: Mackwood Stevens. Mackwood was a 'big deal' in the family by all accounts. Below his name is Laurence Olivier's father's name.

Outside we looked at a few headstones. I knew I was looking for 4 together, but figured I could go back and look tomorrow.

My cousin's information that they were in the northwest area was quite helpful. I looked over and saw the cedar trees and, remembering the picture of granddad standing there at the markers when he visited when he went overseas during WWI... 

...it looked just like that. I beelined over there. Thank goodness the inscriptions are online because the letters are hard to see. Jeff came over and brushed off some moss until we could make out the names. From left to right facing the stones: my grandmother's brother Arthur Vivian Stevens, my great-great-grandparents Thomas Jones Stevens and Mary Maddick (spelled Maddock here) Stevens, and another of my grandmother's brothers, Norman Armidale Stevens. I would like to go and just sit here, if the sun ever comes out.

I became a bit emotional - to be standing in this place I'd heard about for most of my life. Jeff gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. Interestingly, he has family buried here too.

If you backed up from my family's stones, you would come to a marker for Laurence Olivier's dad who was rector later.

Next to the church is the rectory. Mackwood and his second wife lived there for decades and many members of the family had visited or stayed in that house. I wanted to see it.

The rectory is not really visible from the road. For a better view, Jeff strode off through a gate into a muddy wheatfield and I followed. It was a very muddy field. Am I ever glad I didn't buy those more stylish shoes with the holes in the sides. As well as thick and heavy, the mud was slippery. What a disaster it would have been if I had fallen over in my papaya coloured trench coat. I should have taken a photo of the great clods of mud that accumulated on my virtually new shoes. They were a mess.

I got a glimpse of the rectory from afar. This house was for sale not long ago. If I'd had the money, I would have bought it.

Another house in the neighbourhood.

Back at the B&B Jeff started phoning around. I talked to an author of some books on the area who gave me some good tips. I'm really hoping to track down a photo of this relative that, oddly, we have none of.

It was all very exciting.

I wandered around town (Winslow) for a bit, in the rain. The restaurant on the corner wasn't open, so I popped my head in another down the road. Some men were inside the door drinking and talking loudly. The young lady behind the counter was so friendly, so English, that I thought I'd go back when they opened at 6:00.

Went to a shop and dropped back at the B&B where Jeff advised against going to that place. 'Paprika', just a few steps away on the corner, was much better he said, then asked if I'd made a reservation. He phoned and found they didn't have room until 8:30. He asked if I minded if he came along. So he did and during dinner he told me about some of the other people in the restaurant. I felt like I was in an episode of Midsomer Murders - not for the murder part but the Englishness.