Monday 17 November 2014

Church Register of Burials 1912 - 1992 (reproduced from a register in the church - no records exist before 1912)











SURNAME CHRISTIAN NAME(S) AGE DATE REGISTRAR'S ENTRY NO.
ADAMS Mary Rachel 75 18/04/35 99
ANDREWS Thomas A. C. 67 19/10/62 133
ANDREWS Elsie Lavinia 72 25/02/63 253
ANDREWS Doris Maisie 49 29/11/69 148





BEVAN Sarah Jane 73 10/02/25 87
BEVAN Charles 80 19/12/30 145
BEVAN Dorothy 32 23/06/31 189
BEVAN William 79 01/12/31 89
BEVAN Louisa 87 03/02/33 461
BEARD John Thomas 75 11/06/36 COR.
BEVAN Dorothy Lillian 3 months 18/11/37 60
BEVAN Sidney 70 24/02/46 414
BEVAN Kathleen May 29 06/02/46 404
BENNETT Valerie Ann 21 days 18/03/46 273
BEVAN Michael 30 minutes 03/05/48 113
BEARD Alfred Thomas 57 01/09/50 COR.
BEVAN Harold 62 28/01/52 COR.
BEVAN Harry 58 11/03/55 COR.
BEVAN Edith Blanche 66 08/02/56 _
BEVAN Richard 82 21/08/56 83
BEARD Mary Ann 90 29/08/57 246
BENNETT Keith 12 months 25/12/58 130
BARRETT Horace Albert 85 16/04/68 29
BRAIN Hannah Elizabeth 77 27/06/69 67
BRAIN Bertie Ernest 76 24/08/73
BEARD Eliza Sarah May 80 08/11/74
BARRETT Louisa 105 31/08/79 241





CHILDS Sidney Douglas 7 months 11/01/26 185
CRICHTON Still born child of Dr. and Mrs. 0 06/10/28 6
COOPER Violet May 25 04/05/31 355
CHIVERS Alexander Vleters 58 13/07/42 441
CHILDS Matilda 80 06/04/53 326
CHILDS Sidney 80 05/06/53 372
CARPENTER Emma Jane 84 30/06/54 159
CARTER Harold John 55 29/10/56 COR.
CHIVERS Mary Sophia 85 08/06/69 88





DUBERLEY Joyce Edith 29 18/05/48 309
DUGGAN Edith Hannah 56 11/05/55 465
DAVIES Lilian May 79 07/08/60 34





EVANS Mary Ann 88 26/07/59 275





FLETCHER Samuel E. 47 25/12/15 War Grave
FLUCK Frances Mary 17 months 09/03/25 168
FLETCHER Jean 81 09/07/26 303
FLUCK Albert Kenneth 18 months 09/01/28 452
FRANKLIN Archibald Ernest 52 11/09/37 39
FLUCK Matilda Jane 54 08/01/43 101
FREEMAN William Arthur 48 03/09/46 60
FOX Gladys 32 12/02/47 498
FREEMAN Henry Thomas 55 09/08/47 COR.
FLETCHER Jessie Lydia 77 16/11/52 204
FLETCHER John Isaac 81 31/01/53 257
FEAR Herbert 74 22/02/54 63
FLUCK Albert 71 18/02/57 133
FLEWELLING Eliza Catherine 84 19/07/58 374
FLEWELLING Edmund John 87 25/10/64 162
FLUCK Jane Elizabeth 3 08/11/68 166
FLEWELLING Ada 69 12/04/77
FLEWELLING Kathleen 77 11/05/92 238
FLEWELLING George







GWILLIAM Sarah Jane 82 07/05/55 171
GUNTER James 66 09/01/56 336
GUTHRIE Rosalie Esther 72 22/11/58 88
GEORGE Arthur G. E. 50 06/06/61 280
GUTHRIE Edward John 78 08/02/64 _
GUNTER Emily Agnes 70 05/09/64 337





HUSSEY Joan 9 months 20/03/26 290
HUSSEY Eva 67 18/05/27 496
HYETT Kenneth John Samuel 3 days 10/01/28 453
HARDING Elizabeth 73 25/04/30 5
HYETT Stillborn child of Samuel and Ivy 0 17/03/33 38
HARDING Stillborn child of Frederick and Ellen 0 13/10/35 38
HARMAN Osborne John 3 years 20/03/36 257
HARPER Joseph Thomas Ayland 22 25/08/36 COR.
HARDING John 82 03/07/37 26
HARPER Ethel Flora 57 25/07/39 239
HARDING Alice 84 14/11/39 275
HUSSEY Thomas Henry 88 06/02/42 500
HARMAN John 72 20/12/47 70
HARMAN Sophia Mary 83 02/04/49 259
HUSSEY Oliver 72 22/02/51 246
HALE Joseph Thomas 72 29/01/53 COR.
HARMAN William Leonard 88 14/06/54 101
HARMAN Flora 84 27/10/59 337
HARPER Morgan John 84 04/03/64 14
HATTON Ada 73 24/03/64 CREM: 7022
HUSSEY Clara Elizabeth 77 29/03/65 279
HARMAN W. Alfred John 68 23/02/66 478
HARDING Albert John 79 29/06/66 74
HARRIS G. R. ashes interred in grave of above.

HALE Eva Annie 88 16/09/71 44
HARMAN Florence 79 07/05/78 COR.
HUSSEY William John 93

HARMAN Ellen Louisa 82 02/01/81 279





JONES Annie 37 20/06/24 308
JONES George Rudge 57 24/12/33 49
JONES Albert Raymond (ashes) 55 15/12/62 4/876264
JONES Florence Edith May 78 28/04/66 35
JONES Henry Benjamin 83 31/12/68 197
JONES Marion Louisa 89 06/07/99 1521 (cremation)





KNIGHT Richard 84 14/10/25 233
KNIGHT Charlotte Elizabeth 67 17/01/30 160
KNIGHT Jean Mary 2 years 22/01/31 197
KNIGHT William George 26 04/06/31 184
KEAR Mostyn Donald 6 months 24/10/32 COR.
KNIGHT Gladys Winnie 72 15/05/71 166
KEAR George 78 16/07/72
KNIGHT Robert George 70 12/09/73





LATHAM Mrs. 82 01/02/42 417
LEWIS Edith Matilda 65 21/04/71 182
LEWIS William Leonard 69 29/05/74
LATHAM Marguerite Annie (ashes) 87 29/08/76





MADLEY Isaac 73 18/01/26 261
MARTIN Mavis Keziah 27 17/07/27 397
MAPP Mary Ann 54 29/09/29 126
MADLEY James Lloyd 49 21/10/31 346
MADLEY Margaret Louisa 49 06/07/33 385
MAYO Frederick William 75 23/07/42 58
MASON Joseph Thomas 77 14/08/43 159
MARTIN James Churchill 70 27/07/45 355
MARTIN Gretta Annie 43 08/09/45 180
MASON Priscilla 76 09/08/48 60
MEREDITH Doris Ena Minnie 43 31/10/55 285
MARTIN Stanley 69 14/03/59 204
MORRIS Douglas L. 61 08/09/67 349
MAYO Frances Elizabeth 69 16/05/68 45
MORRIS Frederick Joseph 65 26/09/73 20
MORRIS May Ethel 66 24/12/75
MARTIN Margaret Ann 88 24/12/78
MORRIS Marjorie E. 69 04/01/79





NEAL Bartley 85 24/04/52 53
NEAL Rhoda Eliza 85 19/03/53 425





PHELPS Joseph Herbert 59 18/05/29 326
PHELPS Augusta Alice 59 08/05/33 9
POWELL Charles 70 10/11/42 83
PHELPS Ivy Beatrice 47 21/02/47 16
PRICE Ester (ashes) 53 04/06/47 650
PHELPS Edward Arthur 10 months 22/08/50 66
PRICE Arthur William 47 19/05/51 329
PRICE Mary Jane 88 21/02/56 377
POWELL Elizabeth Kate 85 26/07/56 336
PRICE Gwendoline A. M. 59 24/04/65 293
PHELPS Leonard Joseph 70 15/10/66 130
PHELPS Annie Emily 82 18/07/67 314
POWELL Doris May 69 29/12/67 430
POWELL Leslie Conrad 70 11/01/69 208
PHELPS Arthur 87 02/06/69 44
PRICE Thomas Henry (ashes) 79 11/03/70 13752
POWELL Sydney Ewart 75 30/01/72 142
POWELL William Frank 73 03/12/73 669
POWELL Kathleen Florrie 78 09/06/81 309
POWELL Esther 92 25/06/86 270





ROBBINS Richard 84 25/03/31 147
ROBBINS Elizabeth Ann 85 05/10/33 56
ROBERTS William Henry 59 30/05/50 18
ROBERTS Elizabeth Louisa 62 26/12/54 140
RAY Alfred Stephen 75 ?/10/62 134





SNOOKS Baden Henry 70 18/11/70 8





TAYLOR Thomas A. C. 54 17/12/12 315
TAYLOR Emma 70 11/01/32 COR.
TAYLOR Stillborn child of Thomas A and Kate 0 26/04/35 3
TAYLOR Frank 1 day 19/03/38 99
TURNER Sarah Jane 89 16/10/57 281





WATKINS Margaret Annie 54 30/07/24 470
WILLIAMS Alice 76 05/09/27 48
WHITE Ernest Edward 30 20/07/33 11
WALFORD Ellen Mary 61 01/06/35 182
WILLIAMS Margaret 23 hours 05/04/39 214
WALFORD Dolors 45 22/05/41 COR.
WADLEY John 70 28/08/41 456
WILLIAMS Lena Evelyn 40 03/02/49 144
WHITTINGTON Frederick John 68 16/01/53 COR.
WADLEY Laura 80 27/01/55 203
WEBB Margaret 65 18/06/55 203
WALFORD Winifred 57 29/01/56 475
WILLIAMS Giles 73 18/09/56 13
WALFORD Thomas Richard 86 21/09/57 236
WHITTINGTON Polly 77 22/01/61 158
WOODHOUSE Arthur John 74 26/11/63 419
WOODHOUSE Winifred E. 85 27/12/67 214
WILLIAMS Ethel Louise 87 20/01/70 184
WOODHOUSE A. R. Maxwell (ashes) 47 28/01/68 11031
WEBB James 79 28/08/71 33
WALFORD Grace Kathleen 86 20/09/72

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Thoughts on Remembrance Sunday

This weekend we observe Remembrance Sunday in the centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War. In the burial ground at the rear of our church there is a war grave, housing the remains of Private Samuel Fletcher, who died in 1915, and was buried on Christmas Day that year (I have found details from contemporary records online that state he died 21st December rather that November).


 Sam was born in Pontypridd and had been living in Ystradgynlais near Swansea when he was called up at the advanced age of 46 or 47 to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps (he was apparently a stalwart of the local St. Johns Ambulance Brigade). He was sent to Aldershot for training, and was on the verge of departing for the war in France when he suffered a fatal asthma attack. One wonders if this was brought on by the anxiety of his situation, and also what the authorities were thinking to call someone up who probably had a pre-existing medical condition. It seems a terrible waste of life, that left his wife with six children, the younger of whom would have been dependent, but then one is reminded that there was so many lives unnecessarily sacrificed in that war.

We may wonder why Sam was interred in Lydbrook. This was at the request of his widowed mother, who lived in Lydbrook (though was not well enough to attend the funeral, at which the Rev. Mostyn Jones officiated). Obviously the family had lived in Lydbrook for many years, with a number of Sam's children being born here, and must have worshipped at our church. Sam had worked in the tin plate works in Ystradgynlais prior to being called up, so we may surmise that he worked in the tin plate works at Lydbrook while living here.

This Sunday as we make our act of remembrance we will remember Sam, one of so many men who lost their lives due to the conflict with Germany, one of so many who have lost their lives in wars since then. We remember in the hope that we will learn peace one day.


Thursday 12 June 2014

Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place...All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them Acts 2, verses 1 and 4.

I am always inspired by this passage of Scripture - God intervenes through his Holy Spirit on a massive scale. As I prepared to preach what really spoke to me was the sheer life-giving energy of the Spirit (I was reading an extract from a forthcoming book by Brian McLaren, We Make the Road by Walking). So I brought this into my sermon, how the signs of the Spirit ; water, dove, wind or breath and even fire all have connections with bringing life.

What also struck me is that the Spirit breaks all the rules. Church growth of over 2000% overnight is crazy, as happened that Pentecost Sunday. Today church growth is a topic people write about and teach about and some of that works, but even so how it happens and why it happens defies the rules, and surprises even the experts. There is usually prayer involved, and committed, long term prayer at that. But it all boils down to the fact that it comes from God, and that true growth involves lives changing, not just bodies shifting from one church's pews to another.

Our small Forest churches struggle to hold on in the face of declining attendances and ageing congregations. I believe what we do here has value and worth, and is part of God's kingdom coming to the earth. I also believe that unless we are open to the Holy Spirit, we may be hanging on to the wrong things in our urge to be good servants of our Saviour. Maybe church traditions and church buildings are less important than loving our neighbours and sharing the love of Christ with them.

Thursday 15 May 2014

Listening to the Shepherd's voice

 Last Sunday our Bible passage was John 10: 1 - 10. This is part of a longer passage during which Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. The context of the whole, however, harks back to Jesus' healing of the man born blind, and how this man gained sight and also spiritual understanding, while his questioners, despite having physical sight were blind to who Jesus really was.

The passage talks about two major topics, firstly that those who do not enter by the gate (that is, Jesus) are thieves and robbers, and this would have served as a warning to the early church of fake apostles, who travelled round seeking personal gain from church communities, as well as reminding us that the only way to faith is through Jesus.

Secondly the passage talks about how the sheep recognise the shepherd's voice. Anyone who knows a shepherd will know that, at least for some sheep, this still holds true. So if we are the sheep of the Good Shepherd, how do we hear his voice? We hear him speak through Scripture, in various ways in our worship and also in creation in a variety of ways. Hopefully this week we are all trying hard to hear the Shepherd's voice.

Thursday 24 April 2014

Easter Reflections

 Christ is risen!

I am shortly heading off for a holiday in the Holy Land, but before I go I am trying to gather together my reflections on this Easter season. I enjoyed planning a Maundy Thursday communion service, and there is something very special about sharing communion around a table, a connection back to Christ and his disciples. Going up to Ruardean Hill Baptist church to join in their Good Friday service was also very special (due to other commitments I had to miss what I gather was a very good service of Meditation for Good Friday at our church). Then on Easter Day we had the joy of welcoming Beth our former minister back and those who were able shared a lunch with her afterwards. 


However, there were also moments of sadness. Derek, who was supposed to be leading our service, was not able to be with us due to his wife being taken ill shortly beforehand and our much loved secretary, John, was also not able to attend, due to his and his wife's continued ill health. We missed these special people very much, and it was so sad they could not share in our pleasure at seeing Beth again, and also share the joy that Easter brings.

Due to Derek's absence I was preaching, and my message was that we need to remember how shocking the resurrection actually was. And, when confronted with this risen Lord, what should our reaction be? Like the women who visited the tomb that first Easter (Matt 28: 1 - 10) we should worship, witness and follow.
 The weather over this Easter week has been very disappointing, however spring is certainly here in the Wye Valley. I was in Tintern on Monday and saw this beautiful cherry blossom there. The previous week in Monmouth I saw all the copper beeches coming into leaf and took the snapshot below. This sensation of new life is all around us, and fills my heart with hope and joy, and in awe at the wonderful works of the Creator of this beautiful world.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Walking through the mist

Today as I was out dog walking in the mist (it was mistier than this, and not frosty) I was thinking about how difficult it is to describe what my 'vision' is. Partly this is because I struggle to define myself as a 'leader', so I do not expect to need to have a vision except in terms of my personal walk with God. It also speaks of my awareness that, in my capacity as a leader, I can have all the plans in the world (and sometimes I do, too) but whether they come to fruition depends on whether they accord with God's will and whether the church feels they are feasible. Maybe also I worry that having a 'vision' is a bit too close to having a 'ministry' - it seems to be more about you defining what you are going to do than listening to what God tells you to do and doing it.
As my walk continued, my route took me over an open field, and I followed a faint but unmistakable track across the field, and suddenly I knew this was what I felt vision should be like. It was so misty I could not see the end of the track, but I could get to my destination by sticking to it. So as far as I am concerned, vision is seeing where God is going and following. You do not know what is coming up beyond the next few steps, but you know it will take you home. And I remembered a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King: 'Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.' Maybe vision is seeing that track in the grass, and realising God made it, then following behind.