Odds and Ends
Margaret Clitherow
Margaret Clitherow (1556 – March 25, 1586) is an English saint and martyr. She is sometimes called "the Pearl of York”.
She was born as Margaret Middleton, the daughter of a wax-chandler, after Henry VIII had split the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. She married John Clitherow, a butcher, in 1571 (at the age of 15) and bore him three children. She converted to Roman Catholicism at the age of 18, in 1574. Her husband John was supportive (he having a brother who was Catholic clergy), though he remained Protestant. She then became a friend of the persecuted Roman Catholic population in the north of England. Her son, Henry, went to Reims to train as a Catholic Priest. She regularly held Masses in her home in the Shambles in York. There was a hole cut between the attics of her house and the house next door, so that a priest could escape if there was a raid. A house in the Shambles once thought to have been her home, now called the Shrine of the Saint Margaret Clitherow, is open to the public (it is served by the nearby Church of St. Wilfrid’s and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough); her actual house (10 and 11, the Shambles) is further down the street.
In 1586, she was arrested and called before the York assizers for the crime of harbouring Roman Catholic priests. She refused to plead to the case so as to prevent a trial that would entail her children being made to testify and therefore they would be tortured, and she was executed by being crushed to death – the standard punishment for refusal to plead. She was killed on Good Friday of 1586. The two sergeants who should have killed her hired four desperate beggars to kill her. She was stripped and had a handkerchief tied across her face then laid out upon a sharp rock the size of a man's fist, a door was put on top of her and slowly loaded with an immense weight of rocks and stones (the small sharp rock would break her back when the heavy rocks were laid on top of her). Her death occurred within fifteen minutes; she was left for 6 hours before the weight was removed from her corpse. After her death her hand was removed, and this relic is now housed in the chapel of the Bar Convent, York. The hand, although never having been embalmed or had any form of chemical preservation, is still excellently preserved. After Clitherow's execution, Elizabeth I wrote to the citizens of York to say how horrified she was at the treatment of a fellow woman: due to her sex Clitherow should not have been executed. By pleading the case she would have forced her family to testify against her and have made them lose their inheritance.
As of 2008, a commemorative plaque was installed at the Micklegate end of Ouse Bridge to mark the site of her martyrdom; the Bishop of Middlesbrough unveiled this in a ceremony on Friday 29 August 2008.
She was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and canonised in 1970 by Pope Paul VI along with other martyrs from England and Wales. The group of candidates canonised at that time is commonly called "The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales".
John Clifford
On the evening of Saturday 3rd July we celebrated Choral Evensong with the combined Choirs of All Saints’, Maldon and St Leonard’s, Lexden. Lexden being the former parish of our vicar Stephen. The occasion was enjoyed by all and I print below an article written by a member of St Leonard’s Choir following their visit.
Choral Evensong – Maldon 3/7/10
The sun shone from a relentlessly cloudless sky upon groups of people gathering in tropical attire to the West of Colchester in order to motor a few miles away to a service of Choral Evensong. They had with them their anthem, chant and other books as well as choir gowns. One car with five people - an older Citroen - can overheat but the pressing of a dashboard button (never previously used and marked AC) yielded at once a perfectly cooling air stream.
On, past the ancient towers of Layer Marney; Tiptree, with its fruit and jam processors; and the tidal creeks, whence came sea salt in ancient times, and still does; eventually to climb one of the steeper and more attractive urban streets of Essex to reach the centre of Maldon.
There, to our right, was the Parish Church of All Saints. So, turning right and right again, immediately to the back of the church, lay its splendid 14th Century rectory with its Rector, Stephen Carter, outside, beaming a welcome to us all - just like old times. Patsi Morgans had baked a delicious cake which could not stay in the hot car, so we rang the door bell. Very soon footsteps were heard and Sue was there with delighted and delightful exclamations of joy to see us and whisk the cake off to a cool place.
So to the church for practice. This was for Choral Evensong for the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. We met the organist and choirmaster, Dr. Stuart Pegler, who set the scene musically and otherwise for us. With our Sarah Blake as conductor we soon found rapport with very pleasant and welcoming fellow choristers including Dr. Pegler’s wife and daughter (a soloist) as sopranos, Sue Carter as an alto and our organist, John Barker, singing bass. The joint choir numbered perhaps three dozen voices, roughly 50/50 mix.
Our visit was timely in that much of the refurbishment of the church had been completed, especially that of the beautiful d’Arcy Chapel. The re-build of the main organ was some months from completion. The small replacement pipe organ produced, meanwhile, some interesting sounds.
The canticles, words and responses were all sung: the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis to the beautiful setting by Herbert Sumsion, a former Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral and these were followed by the anthem ‘Blessed be the God and Father’ by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, a great nephew of John Wesley.
Then tea was enjoyed on the vicarage lawn of All Saint’s church, Maldon. ‘No crusts on the cucumber sandwiches’, David Watkins was heard to observe. We were indeed honoured. Sue and her helpers did us proud. This year has seen a steady procession of groups from St. Leonard’s, from SL Juniors to the WI, to support Stephen & Sue in their new parish. This says something about our former Rector and his good lady and it is obvious that they hugely appreciate these and other gestures of support.
Great satisfaction was expressed by all who took part in the shared service and it was hoped that it might be repeated perhaps in Colchester next year.
Lexden Double Bass
NEW PIANO
We are grateful for the gift of a portable electronic piano to use in the D’Arcy Chapel, or any other part of the church. This means we can have music at the Thursday morning Eucharist and at the Prayer and Praise service which we are now planning to hold in the D’Arcy chapel. It was used for the first time at the Junior Church Eucharist on July 18th. Thank you to the kind donor.
HERITAGE WEEKEND
This annual event takes place this year on 11th and 12th September when visitors will be invited to come into the church in order to learn something of its history. The ground floor of the vicarage will also be open to visitors (Saturday only). Along with Stephen I sit on the Heritage Group which is responsible for organising this event throughout the Maldon District. I am seeking volunteers to help in a number of ways – mainly as guides – during the weekend. If you think there is any way you may be able to assist,please get in touch with me by telephone on 01621 858090 or email me at jayeecee@gmail.com. Volunteers have so far been backward in coming forwards. If your concern is that you won't know what to say, don't worry. You will be given a 'script' in good time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
John Clifford
An eleven year old writing an essay on growing up......
"I am now leaving my infancy and entering my adultery"
THURSDAY MORNING EUCHARIST
In order that Sunshiners may resume in September in the D’Arcy Room, the time of the Thursday morning Eucharist will change to 11.00am, from the beginning of September. The Thursday congregation has been consulted. We will continue to serve coffee after the service, and we are grateful to Jean Russell who kindly looks after us week by week.
Thank You
It has meant so much to me to have your prayers supporting me whilst I was in hospital to have my ankle replaced and afterwards whilst I have been recovering at home.
The operation was in Nottingham because that is one of the few hospitals doing this surgery. When my husband left me there the night before, Maldon seemed more than a 150 miles away. The other ladies on my ward were all local but very friendly and helped to keep my spirits up.
It was lucky that I was scheduled for early surgery and the hustle and bustle of the ward kept me occupied before I was taken down. As usual I was pushed down by a jovial porter and accompanied by a ward nurse. So far so good but nowadays they don’t stay with you. You are transferred onto a gurney and left in an ante room holding about ten patients all waiting for operations with about two nurses sitting at the far end chatting to each other. The windows looked out onto the main hospital entrance with life continuing as usual. I have never felt so alone.
Prayer is always the answer at such times and I said my usual “Please help me God”. Immediately I felt as though my hand was being held and that I was being lifted up by the hands of all the people praying for me. The bed no longer felt hard and narrow and by the time they came to fetch me for the anaesthetic I was able to smile and joke with the nurses and doctors.
Thank you every one and please keep praying as I have to do it all over again for the other ankle in the Autumn.
God bless you all Clare Urry
thanks from the Keeble family
Merie, Carl and Helen would like to thank everyone who made Jim’s funeral so special. Thank you to the ministry team, the choir, and to all the people who contributed and served the refreshments. Thank you for the beautiful flower arrangements and also to everyone who came to support the family. It was a very sad day but the knowledge that we were surrounded by such love and support was something which will stay with us all. Jim would have been astounded but we were much comforted and it made the day bearable for us all.
Jim Keeble.
This is an extract from the Eulogy given by Merie’s twin brother, Jim’s brother in law, at Jim’s funeral service.
“When I was asked to make this eulogy I felt honoured but also trepidation that I could do Jim justice.
Brian Thomas Keeble was born on the 10th April 1931 in Maldon, in the very house in which he lived with his parents Florence May and Thomas James Keeble (Pop), and his two elder sisters, Paddy and Pat. He was Christened Brian, but his father used to call him ‘Jumbo Jim’ and so the nickname stuck and he has always been known as Jim.
Jim passed the 11 plus, although he always claimed that it must have been a mistake, and attended the local Grammar School. This gave him a good education which enabled him to converse on many subjects with a great deal of knowledge.
His working life started on a Binders farm but when his father was gored by a bull Jim had to join the family business. Jim worked very hard and made the farm well known, supplying the Co-op and others with meat and Maldon with milk.
Jim was also known in the town for his sailing prowess at which he won many trophies. With a few friends he also formed a water polo team and represented Maldon in many events.
The Keeble family were not only farmers but sea fairing people. In the early years they had 13 barges operating from the rivers Blackwater and the Crouch to and from London. Jim was taught sailing by his father who was also taught by his father. With farming, sailing was in Jim’s blood.
Jim came into my life, and that of my sisters, via a mutual friend who knew that my sister admired the little blue sports car, an MG Midget, that Jim used to drive. This friend arranged a trip in the little blue car, a journey that would end up two years later in 1966, with Merie and Jim getting married.
At first Jim and Merie lived in a caravan, but soon decided to build their own house, Little Wintersleet. They worked from dawn to dusk making the farm work and building their own house and home. They were elated when on 31st August 1972, Carl was born, followed in 1976 by Helen, both of whom made Jim and Merie extremely proud parents.
Jim was also know as a collector of vintage tractors, of which he had many and, with his family, frequently took his tractors to fairs. One trip took him to a convention in Canada and a visit to the John Deere factory.
To Jim life was always a half full cup, never half empty. Even when faced with, what others might seem as insurmountable problems, Jim always kept his dignity and pride to show others that life is worth living and does go on to bring its own rewards.
We are proud to have known Jim and will miss him with his great smile and attitude to life. To each and every one of us Jim was something different, for he truly was a gentleman and a gentle man. The world would be a wonderful place if it were filled with people like him.”
Daffodils
It is thought that the earliest bulbs - the Scilly Whites - were obtained by monks located on Tresco.
It was also said that the first bulbs were given to the young and beautiful wife of the governor of the Star Castle by a Dutch Merchant Captain in return for favours received. The lady thinking they were onions boiled some, and not liking the taste, threw the remainder into the castle moat where they flourished.
ALL SAINTS CE (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
ALL SAINTS’ YEAR 3/4 CHOIR IN CHELMSFORD
After performing brilliantly at our Summer concert, our Year 3/4 choir were asked to perform their renditions of ‘Mo Li Hua’ and ‘Gong Xi’ at the High Chelmer Shopping centre in Chelmsford. Chelmsford Borough Council recently signed a formal sister city agreement with the city of Wuxi in China last year to develop economic, cultural and educational links and this was the first visit of Chinese officials. In a letter to Miss Williams the Council said that “the children were fantastic and really were the highlight of the afternoon”. Congratulations to all who took part on a very hot afternoon!
Some Thoughts on Life
1. Junk is something you have kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
2. By the time you make ends meet, they’ve moved the ends.
3. I have cooked with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
4. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
5. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS
Holy Baptism
July 18th Laila Maisey Frith of Essex Road
"We welcome her into the Lord's Family"
Marriage
July 10th Lee Mason and Samantha Lane
"We wish them a long and happy life together"
Funerals
July 15th Brian Thomas Keeble of London Road
"May his soul rest in peace"
All Saints’ Church
Church Fund Raising
Gold is at an all time high
We all have some odd pieces of broken
or unwanted jewellery earrings, chains,
watches etc
Which alone are of little value,
Lets put it all together to raise money
for our project.
All donations to Gwen Johnson or Rev Stephen Carter
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THE LATEST BARGAINS
Gold and Silver plated lapel pins John Clifford has now received a supply of assorted Christian lapel pins from the U.S.A. These will be on sale at church functions (Fete etc.). Alternatively you can telephone 01621 858090 to make other arrangements to view. These pins are a bargain at £2 each, all of which will go to the church.
Washington Window Dedication Souvenir Programme Get your copy now. Only £2 each, This booklet is an accurate reproduction of the original commemorative programme from July 5th 1928. Available in the church or call John on 01621 858090. The full £2 paid for each copy will be donated to the All Saints' re-ordering fund.
Cook Books, Calendars and Pens We can again offer to you some unique All Saints artefacts for your personal use or as gifts. So what have we got?
2010 Diaries Don’t miss out on those important dates. Look out for this year’s diary which is now on sale. They are only 50p each.
