January 2018

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7 Buckden Roundabout
January 2018 St Hugh’s and Methodist Church
Catholic Church of St Hugh of Lincoln, High Street,
Buckden
Telephone: 01480 810344
Website: saintshughandjoseph.churchgoers.co.uk
In the pastoral care of the Claretian Missionaries:
Fr. Antony Arockiam cmf
Fr. Jim Kennedy cmf
Fr. Peter Wareing cmf
Fr. Paul Peter Alphonse cmf
Sunday Masses - Saturday evening at 6.30 pm and Sundays at
9.45 am.
Weekday Masses - Monday to Saturday at 9.30 am in the Lady
Chapel.
Morning and Evening Prayer Monday to Saturday at 9.15 am
and 5.45pm in the Lady Chapel.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation every Saturday from 10.00 to
10.30 am.
The Rosary is prayed each Monday morning after the 9.30 am
Mass.
Catechism Classes for school age children each Sunday from
9.00 am in term time. Formal classes for primary age children.
Silent Adoration. There is half an hour of silent adoration be-
fore the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday following the 9.30
am Mass and ending with Benediction at 10.30 am.
Would any newcomers to the Village who are Catholics
please let Fr. Antony know their contact details.
Buckden Methodist Church
Minister: Rev. Paul Beard
(01480 473444)
Stewards: Angie Barnes (810102)
Bob Baxter (810092)
Carol Swepstone (810053)
Services in January
Sunday 7th
10.30 am Dr. B Spencer
Sunday 14th
10.30 am Covenant Service: Rev. Paul Beard
Sunday 21st
10.30 am Morning Service: Mrs Wendy Beard
Sunday 28th
10.30 am Morning Service: Mrs Katy Salmon
Activities in January
Friday 5 th 10 a.m. Coffee Morning
Monday 8th 12.30 p.m. Study Lunch
Tuesday 9th 9.30 a.m. Quiet Time
Friday 12th 10 a.m. Coffee Morning
Friday 19th 10 a.m. Soup and Sweet Lunch
Tuesday 23rd 9.30 a.m. Bible Study (Wesley Room)
Friday 26th 10 a.m. Coffee Morning
Everyone is welcome to any of these events.
The Churchyard, Bellringers, a Census and a Gale (1850-1900)
Part 9 in the story of Buckden Church, celebrating the 800 th anniversary of William de Bugden, our first recorded priest in 1217.
By the 1850s, the churchyard was overcrowded, unsafe and unpleasant, so vicar Daniel Haigh donated his adjacent kitchen gar-
den in the palace to provide a western extension. But, even this could only postpone the inevitable and the churchyard was
closed in 1883, replaced by the present village cemetery. Only 388 monuments are visible in the churchyard today, yet it con-
tains an estimated 11,500 burials.
‘Owing to a misunderstanding’, the bell ringers and Haigh fell out and the ringers stopped ringing in 1863. The bells would not
ring again for 67 years. After a particularly rowdy session, Haigh had banned the ringers from drinking ale in the ringing cham-
ber! His successor, Timothy Jones, was literally short-lived; appointed in 1875, he died the same year. Buckden School Log
Book ambiguously reads, ‘The Vicar died on Friday night, half holiday on Tuesday afternoon’!
Revd. Henry Roxby, the wardens and vestry (parish committee) decided in 1882 to extend the chancel northwards, insert a new
organ and build a new vestry. The organ alone cost £350 in 1884.
An interesting snapshot of the village was prepared by Roxby in 1885 -
• Buckden population: 1042. His comment, ‘I suppose 2/3rds labouring class’. (2017 population = c.3100)
• Attending St. Mary’s church: 540. Church holds 400 of whom 230 pay pew rent. (2017 attending congregation =
average 95 per week)
• Attending Dissenting Chapels (Methodist & Baptist): 350
• Neglecting worship: 152
• Mixed boys/girls school: 94 attend. Infants: 76 attend.
• Gross income £368, declined from £480 in 10 years, owing to poor harvests.
A fierce gale on Sunday 24th March 1895 blew the top of the steeple down into the north aisle; fortunately, the congregation
had just left after the service. The parishioners soon raised the £53 to replace it, and when finished a villager named Collins
performed a headstand on the top stone! Mrs. Linton of Stirtloe House donated the weathercock, which is 2.2 metres long and
1.8m high.