Interpreting Ampthill s rich history

Transcription

1 Barry Dackombe & Andrew Underwood Interpreting Ampthill s rich history 2002

2 Friends Meeting House and Burial Ground, Ampthill A Quaker meeting was first recorded for Ampthill in October, 1726 when the barn occupied by Christopher Bennell was registered at the Quarter Sessions in Bedford as a place intended for the exercise of religious worships of Protestants dissenting from the Church of England. 1 This is in fact the oldest registration identified for Ampthill, under the Act of Toleration. By March 1752 several Friends were appointed to look for a suitable location for a new Meeting House 2. In June, Michael Morris & Richard Austin reported that they have in some degree fixed on a place in order to erect a meeting house if it can be reasonably purchased 3 After six months Christopher Bennell had reached agreement with the meeting house owners regarding its purchase. Arrangements were set in hand for its demolition and the erection of a 30 foot long by 17 foot wide single storied brick meeting house, at a total cost of The meeting house and associated land were placed in trust in February 1755 with twelve local Friends 5. Within 13 years the meeting house was enlarged with a new 12 foot brick extension at a cost of Local Friends again financed the extension, which was supplemented by the proceeds from the sale of the Biggleswade Meeting House for 21. By the 1880s local meetings had ceased and in the 1930s with the approval of the Charity Commissioners the building was sold on condition that the proceeds were invested within the compass of the Monthly Meeting. The building was used for the rest of the twentieth century as a public meeting space, however, the building is now leased to the adjacent Cottage Bakery. The burial ground and small garden at the rear are under the care of local Friends and contains 26 headstones. These have been identified and plotted (Table 1 & Figure 1). In 1850 the London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends agreed that the graves may be marked by a plain stone, the inscription on which is confined to a simple record of the name, age and date of the decease, of the individual interred. Any headstones bearing an earlier date will have been erected retrospectively. However there have been at least 134 other burials (Table 2), here with the first recorded burial taking place on 20 th May Before this many Ampthill Quakers were buried at Hogsty End Burial Ground, which is now behind the Woburn Sands Library. Updated 18 March 2006 All references are to documents in the Beds & Luton Archives & Records Service at Bedford 1 : QSR 1726, 84 2 FR6/1/1/1, p98 3 FR6/1/1/1, p100 4 Account of expenditure, FR6/1/1/1, p48 5 Trust Deed, FR24/1/3 6 Account of Expenditure, FR6/1/1/2, p38d

3 Figure 1: Plan of Ampthill Burial Ground

4 The Old Friends Meeting House in pictures FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE to 1929 THE CHURCH HALL 1929 to 1969 SAINT ANDREW S HALL 1969 to 1978 thereafter AMPTHILL HALL* Exterior: 1. Between the halls, With the exception of the wooden window frames which replaced the iron/leaded light originals, there is no change in appearance from the 18 th century apart from the paving slabs installed in The original cobbles were re-laid personally, painfully & individually, by AGU (!) and remain in situ beneath gravel. (96S). The picture facing the opposite direction was taken at the same time. The lamp was transferred to the new Chapter House. (4V). 2. From the street in the mid 1950s (69AG). Note the slate roofing. The façade was painted in We toyed with the idea of replacing the present windows with full-length sash ones in Georgian style, but in the end couldn t afford it. (The present white is the wrong shade.) * N.B. the hall is now used by the adjacent Cottage Bakery All image references are to photographs in the Andrew Underwood Collection

5 3. Exterior and graveyard photographed by Peter Chapman from scaffolding around the chimney of 8 Baker Street, mid 1950s. It is just possible to make out the bricked up door and window in the hall wall. (69AL). 4. The graveyard in 1969 (15A) showing some of the gravestones. The graveyard in 1996 [BD21/3] taken from the old meeting house. There are 26 surviving gravestones, which represents the majority of burials since the mid 19th century*. The first recorded burial took place on 20th May 1755 and there have been 134 recorded burials since (see tables 1 & 2) * In 1850 the London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends agreed that graves may be marked by a plain stone, the inscription on which is confined to a simple record of the name, age and date of the decease, of the individual interred. Gravestones bearing earlier dates were erected retrospectively

6 Interior: 5. The only known view as a Meeting House, 1920s. (65L). This is taken across the room looking towards the present entry to the toilets. The window (note leaded lights) was bricked in when converted by the UDC. The two wooden pillars which support the roof are on the left of this picture, supporting a panelled screen which divided the room. (Men and Women were usually kept apart in separate Meetings.) When the UDC modernised the hall the interior was lined with thermalite blockwork and a suspended ceiling hid the delightful original seen here. 6. From a similar viewpoint in 1937 Miss Honora Grimmer (Brown Owl) on the right (73N). Note the emergency exit (it usually had a piano stuck across it in my day) installed by the PCC in 1929, when it became the Church Hall. Outside can be seen the roof of a brick WC intended for use by Gents. Ladies climbed a ramshackle stair in the corner of the kitchen to make use of the facilities there after they had climbed over heaps of leftover jumble and other junk.

7 7. Reg Lawson (churchwarden) saying farewell to Rector Cooper in 1962 (77O), an interesting picture showing the back wall with marks in the plaster and dado rail where the door to the graveyard has been bricked up.

8 Table 1: Ampthill Friends Burial Ground Monumental Inscriptions Grave Name Date of death Age Observation. 1) William Morris Died 5 th Month 3 rd 1843 Aged 89 years 2) [face completely worn] 3) Hannah Wise Died 1 st Month 30 th 1864 Aged 70 years 4) John Pilkington Wise Died 12 th Month 13 th 1840 Aged 41 years Jane Wise Died 7 th Month 13 th 1829 Aged 27 years 5) Jane Walker Died 7 th Month 11 th 1868 Aged 51 years 6) James Mathews Died 5 th Month 20 th 1874 Aged 62 years 7) Th Port.. is Died 10 th Month 1889 Aged 61 years [NB. This is Thomas Porter Morris] Ann Morris Died 4 th Month 12 th 1898 Aged. Years [aged 60] 8) William Stearn Died 12 th Month 1901 Aged 78 years Sarah Ann Stearn his wife Died 5 th Month 1910 Aged 85 years 9) oh r Died [John Clark, died 15 th 1 st 1904, aged 85] Eliza Jemima Clark his widow who died same day Aged 82 years [died 12 th 1 st 1904!] 10) Henry Sparkes Died 1 st Month 21 st 1907 Aged 83 years 11) Maria Brown Died. Month.. Aged. Years [in 1971 the year was read as 1912] 12) James Brown Died 1 st Month 9 th 1908 Aged 66 years 13) Brown Died Aged.. years [19 th 3 rd 1904, aged 65] 14) Ann...roome Brown Died 4 th Month 27 th 1902 Aged 62 years [Ann Groome Brown] 15)..u...d Died 4 th Month..7 Aged 87 years [Susannah Deane, died 5 th 4 th 1897] 16) Mari row Died 9 th Month 4 th 1889 Aged 87 years [Maria Brown] 17) Frances Deane Died 6 th Month 26 th 1890 Aged 75 years 18) George Allen [died 9 th 9 th 1893, aged 80] 19) Thomas Corder [died 10 th 11 th 1873, aged 61] 20) Christopher Bennell Died 3 rd Aged 6.. years [died 30 th 3 rd 1864, aged 67] 21) Crowther Brown Died 6 th Month 5 th 1863 Aged 64 years 22).. Died 5 th Month 25 th 1862 Aged 25 years [NB. In 1971 the first name John was apparently readable] 23) Pumphrey Died 8 th Month 29 th 1824 Aged 24 years 24) Thomas Pumphrey Died [died 6 th 2 nd 1825, aged 65] 25) Samuel Bennell Died 9 th Month ) Bennell Died 5 th Month 3 rd 1855 [NB. This stone is broken & is resting against the Yew tree, having been found buried several years ago]

9 Table 2: Ampthill Burials from Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Quarterly Meeting Digest Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference Adams Nicholas Millbrook Grazier Hitchin MM Ampthill Adams Elizabeth mo. Upper Heyford co. Northampton Daughter of John & Hitchin MM Ampthill Adams Elizabeth Millbrook Widow of Nicholas Hitchin MM Ampthill Albright Alderbury Widow of William, late of Cheshum in Bucks 18 Allen George Ampthill Manufacturing Ashby Ruth Pulloxhill co. Bedford Ashby Pulloxhill co. Bedford Barnes John mo. Darlington co. Northampton Chemist Daughter of William Hitchin MM Ampthill Ampthill BLARS Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 47 Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 53 Son of John & Ruth Hitchin MM Ampthill Barringer James Millbrook Servant to C Bennell Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell William Millbrook (died of smallpox) Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Ruth mo. Daughter of Joshua & Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Susanna Ampthill Spinster Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Ampthill Wife of John Hitchin MM Ampthill

10 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference 20 Bennell Christopher Sherrington, Bucks Ampthill BLARS Bennell John Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill NM Bennell Houghton Conquest Wife of Joseph Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Ampthill Wife of John Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Christopher mo. Ampthill Son of John & Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Lydia Millbrook Wife of Christopher Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell William ½ Houghton Conquest Son of Joseph & Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 85 Bennell Susanna Millbrook Wife of Christopher Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Maria Houghton Conquest Daughter of John & Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Samuel Kempston Farmer Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 75 Bennell wks Daughter of John & Hitchin MM Ampthill Bennell Christopher Ampthill Grazier Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 52 Bennell Daughter of John Hitchin MM Ampthill Bentley Sarah Ampthill wife of Jacob Bentley Ampthill HALS NQ2/5a/41 12 Brown James Ampthill Pharmaceutical Chemist Ampthill BLARS Brown William Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown Ann Ampthill Wife of John Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 73 Brown William Luton Son of Richard & Hannah Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown Elizabeth Ampthill Daughter of John & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill

11 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference Brown Hannah nearly 4 Ampthill Daughter of John & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown Ampthill Ampthill BLARS 14 Brown Ann Groome Ampthill Spinster Ampthill BLARS Brown John Ampthill Grocer Hitchin MM Ampthill NM 5 85 Brown Ruth Ampthill Daughter of Wm & Ruth Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown Crowther Ampthill Ampthill BLARS 16 Brown Maria Ampthill Widow of Crowther Ampthill BLARS Brown Joseph wks Ampthill Son of John & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown William wks Ampthill Son of John & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill Clark Eliza Jemima Ampthill widow of John Ampthill NM BLARS 9 Clark John Ampthill Bankers clerk (retired) Ampthill NM BLARS 19 Corder Thomas Cranfield Miller & Corndealer Ampthill NM BLARS 15 Deane Susannah Ampthill Spinster Ampthill NM BLARS 17 Deane Frances Ampthill Widow of Thomas Deane of Poplar Ellington Eleanor Cranfield (late of Ampthill) Ampthill NM BLARS Spinster Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 85 Ellis William Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton mo. Daughter of George & Hitchin MM Ampthill 32 20

12 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference Exton Robert mo Son of George & Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton George Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 46 Exton Ruth ½ Daughter of George Hitchin MM [blank] Ampthill Exton Elizabeth mo. Ampthill Daughter of George & Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton Ruth Brown yrs 11 mo. Daughter of George & Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton Ampthill Wife of George Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton Woodbourn Wife of Francis Hitchin MM [blank] Ampthill Exton Ampthill Wife of George Hitchin MM Ampthill Exton William wks Son of George & Hitchin MM Exton Francis Woodbourn Husband of Hitchin MM [blank] Ampthill Houghton Sarah Ampthill (a maiden) Hitchin MM Ampthill Humphrey Ann Luton Daughter of Edmund & Judith Hitchin MM Ampthill 1 18 Humphrey William Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Humphrey Ampthill Widow of James Hitchin MM Ampthill Humphrey Clophill Hitchin MM Ampthill Humphrey James Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 27 Humphrey James Son of James & Hitchin MM Ampthill Kent Elizabeth Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill NM 5 43 Kent Sarah Ampthill Wife of Robert Hitchin MM Ampthill Mann John Ampthill Ampthill BLARS

13 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference Mann Ampthill Wife of John Ampthill NM BLARS Mason Jane Clophill (widow) Hitchin MM Ampthill Mathews James Ampthill BLARS May Samuel Ampthill grocer & draper HCRO NQ2/5a/42 May Edward Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 71 May Lewis Ampthill Son of Samuel & Hitchin MM Ampthill May Sophia mo. Ampthill Ann Daughter of Samuel & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill May Samuel junr ½ Brighton Son of Samuel & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill May Ann Ampthill wife of Samuel HALS NQ2/5a/43 May Walter Ampthill Daughter of Samuel & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill May Margaret Sims Leighton Buzzard Morris Sarah Ampthill Daughter of John & Morris William Ampthill Son of John & Ampthill BLARS Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 76 Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris William wks Ampthill Son of Wm & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 34 Morris Grace Ampthill Wife of John Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris Philip Ampthill Son of John Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris wks Ampthill Daughter of William & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris Ann Ampthill Widow of Thomas Porter Morris Ampthill NM BLARS Morris Catherine wks Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 48

14 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference 1 Morris William Ampthill Baker HALS NQ2/5a/44 Morris Ruth Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris Grace mo. Ampthill Daughter of Michael & Dorcas Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris Ampthill Wife of John Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 69 Morris Dorcas Ampthill Widow of Michael Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 79 Morris Ann Ampthill Wife of William Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 86 Morris Edward mo. Ampthill Son of Joseph & Martha Hitchin MM Ampthill NM Morris Michael Son of Michael & Dorcas 7 Morris Thomas Porter Hitchin MM Ampthill Ampthill Ampthill NM BLARS Morris Michael Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Morris Elizabeth Marsh wks Ampthill Daughter of William Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 23 Morris John Ampthill Brewer Hitchin MM Ampthill NM Morris John Ampthill Hitchin MM Pearson Thomas Servant to John Bennell Hitchin MM Ampthill Pryor John Luton Maltster Albans MM Ampthill Pryor Ann Luton Widow of John Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 73 Pryor Stopsley co. Bedford daughter of Chistopher a farmer Albans MM Ampthill Pryor Stopsley in Luton psh Wife of Christopher, a farmer Albans MM Ampthill Pryor John [?] Luton Maltster Albans MM Ampthill Pumphrey Thomas Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 33

15 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference 23 Pumphrey Ampthill Wife of Thomas Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 29 Pumphrey William mo. Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 29 Richardson Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Richardson Ampthill Widow Hitchin MM Ampthill Richardson Rebecca Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Samm Elizabeth Ampthill Spinster Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 23 Samm Sarah Clophill Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 17 Sheffield Abraham ¾ Son of Abraham & Hitchin MM Ampthill Sheffield Ampthill Wife of Abraham, a labourer Hitchin MM Ampthill Sheffield Isaac Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Sheffield Ruth Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill Simms Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill NM Sparkes Henry Mere, co. Wilts Retired Schoolmaster Ampthill NM BLARS 8 Stearn Sarah Anne Ampthill widow of William Ampthill BLARS FR6/9/11/1 8 Stearn William Ampthill Ampthill NM BLARS Strange Priscilla Ampthill wife of Edward Harris HALS NQ2/5a/45 5 Walker Jane Ampthill Ampthill BLARS Wheeler Nehemiah wks Ampthill Son of Thomas Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 48 Wheeler Mercy Ampthill Daughter of Thomas & Ann Wheeler Deborah Daughter of Thomas & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill NM 6 49 Wheeler Thomas Ampthill Hitchin MM Ampthill NM 6 19 Wheeler Hannah Ampthill Daughter of Thomas & Ann Hitchin MM Ampthill 5 129

16 Grave no. Surname First name Date Died Age Residence Description Monthly Meeting Date Buried Burial Ground PRO RG6 Book Page No. No. Other Reference 3 Wise Hannah Ampthill Ampthill BLARS 4 Wise Jane Ampthill Wife of John Pilkington Hitchin MM Ampthill 6 65 Wright Ann Ampthill Daughter of Hitchin MM Ampthill Brown Maria 22 [worn] [worn] Notes: References: NM refers to the buried person not being a member of the Society of Friends (they would have been attenders of meetings) BLARS (Bedfordshire & Luton Archive & Record Service, County Hall, Bedford HALS (Hertfordshire Archives & Library Service, County Hall, Hertford NA (National Archives - formerly Public Record Office) RG6 (Quaker registers of Birth, Marriage & Burials surrendered in now available on microfilm