A History of Clewer

The board in Clewer Church which bears the names of the known Rectors was installed in 1905, being given by Miss Browning, sister of "O.B." and the first carving on it was by Mr. Parkyn, a chorister of Clewer. Miss Browning, commemorated in the Brocas Chapel, kept a private school for girls in Windsor, known as The Beehive.

The earliest name on the board is that of Roger Ciffrewast in 1347 but earlier names have come to light. A record exists of the appointment of Warin, vicar of Cliffware, as Warden of the Hospital for leprous girls in Windlesore on condition that he behave faithfully and honestly." This was in 1251. No doubt the hospital referred to was the one which gave Spital its name. Also, in 1273, we read of "the presentation of Richard de la Rye to the Church of Clyveware..... in the King's gift by reason of the lands of Richard Siffrewast being in the King's hands. "Richard Siffrewast held the Manor of Clewer, though he leased it for a time to one Matthew Bezylles "with all rents, services, customes, as well of freemen as of villeins; meadows, feedings, weirs, fisheries and all other appurtenances, and Advowson of the Church of that Manor. This is dated 1256. Richard must surely have been a forebear of Roger who was Rector in 1347.

Footnote: For the record, Denis Shaw’s name was carved on the board by Mr. A.G. Warner of Wolf Lane, Dedworth.

A glance at the board listing past Rectors of Clewer will show that Jacob (or perhaps James is a better translation of Jacobus) Jones appears to have held office for 36 years: from 1655 to 1660. This is possible, but not very likely when one considers that he must have held office elsewhere before coming to Clewer. It should be noted that Jones appears to have been Rector for a period which includes the years of Cromwell's ascendancy and ends with the Restoration.

During the Commonwealth Period The Book of Common Prayer was made illegal. Local committees of "triers" were set up to determine whether clergy were faithful to the Commonwealth and the Puritan ethos. "Ejectors" were appointed to evict from their livings clergy who did not pass the test. Such evicted clergy were almost invariably replaced by Puritan laymen. It cannot be proved beyond doubt that Jones was evicted though it is known that clergy at St. George's Chapel were Anthony Farringdon, Vicar of Bray and Lecturer at St. George's was evicted. Furthermore, the small brass memorial to Mrs. Lucie Hobson on the south wall of Clewer Church's sanctuary makes it wellnigh certain that the church was under Puritan control. The language of the memorial is redolent of Puritan attitudes. Even more significantly, we know that Colonel Christopher Whichcote, who was Gromwell's Governor of Windsor Castle, appointed "a clerk" to serve at Clewer, as the document still exists. (curiously, 'Whichcote signs his name "Xtopher" as in "Xmas".) The date given for Jones's departure on the list of Rectors makes it apparent that whoever had been set up by the Puritans was swiftly got rid of at the Restoration. In fairness to the Puritans it has to be said that a good many of these evicted held more than one living and were often absentees. On the other hand, it is also true that the "triers" and "ejectors" were often motivated by local, personal malice rather than by the alleged lofty motives.

Jerameele Terrent (1661)

Lionel Gatford was Rector of Clewer from 1677 to 1680. He wrote an account of what happened to his father during the Commonwealth period for Walker's "Sufferings of the Clergy" (an abbreviated title) which was published in 1714. Denis Shaw has a first edition of this rare book.

When Gatford wrote the account, he was incumbent of St. Dionis Back Church, London. "My father, Lyonel Gatford, was seized by Oliver Cromwell (then Captain of Horse) at one o'clock in the night, at Jesus College, Cambridge. He was at that time Rector of Dennington, Suffolk, but was in the College (of which he was a Fellow) for convenience of the Library, he being then preparing a book for the press.

Cromwell brought him thence to London and committed him to Ely House which had been made a prison. There he continued about 22 months and from thence was banished for 7 years from England but to no particular place. His poor wife could get no admittance to him till the day before he was forced away (whom he left with child) with five other small children in a poor thatch house in the parish of Dennington.

When she was within a month of her time to be delivered of that child he left her big with, four or five soldiers came armed to her house demanding to see her husband and threatening to set her house on fire, setting matches to her fingers to make her discover where her husband was, but by God's Providence a Mr. Moore who had been bred a merchant at St. Malo and was there acquainted with her husband, brought a letter from him at that instant, which was the first notice she had of him being alive.

After seven years Mr. Gatford returned to England and found the wife with six children in that poor thatch house above-said..... Upon the happy Restoration of King Charles he took the degree of Dr. of Divinity which he could not do before. Upon his return to his Living he found the Chancel and Parsonage House in such ruins that he could not possibly repair them and live there, and therefore he accepted the Living of Creed Church in London, then, being invited to Great Yarmouth he accepted that, it being but 25 miles from Dennington, and designed, had God not taken him in the common calamity of the Plague, to settle there."

The reference to St. Malo is explained by the fact that Gatford Senior spent part of his exile in France, though he spent an earlier period as Chaplain of Pendennis Castle in Royalist Falmouth. His arrest by Cromwell took place on the night of June 26th 1643. The book on which he was working was certain to have enraged Cromwell: it was a study of Biblical justifications for the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings. During his exile he was befriended by Sir Edward Hyde who was to be King Charles II's first minister and who became Earl of Clarendon. Hyde was "a typical Cavalier, devoted to his master and to the Anglican Church."

Fellow of Eton, Canon of St George’s and Chaplain to King James VII and II.

Thomas Horne was Rector of Clewer from 1702 to 1719/20. His father, also Thomas, was a master at Eton. Thos. Junr. was a scholar of Eton then graduated at King's College, Cambridge becoming a M.A. in 1666. He was a Fellow of Kings, Vice provost of Eton and became, at some point, Chaplain to Charles II and the Earl of St. Albans, presumably Nell Gwynn’s son by Charles II.

The date of this chaplaincy has not been traced but it must be remembered that most clergy held several posts - it could have been while Horne was at Clewer. In 1682 Thomas Junr. became a Fellow of Eton College. In 1692/3 the patronage of Clewer benefice passed to the Provost and Fellows of Eton. Thomas Horne was thus their first appointment.

Going further back into the 17th century we find another Thomas Horne. He was a Canon of Windsor in 1616 and Rector of Farnham Royal from 1629 to 1636 when he died and is buried in Windsor. The dates make it possible that he was the grandfather of Clewer's Thomas Horne and father of Thomas Horne, the Eton Master. The important local associations of all three would seem to support this theory.

There can be few churches which have somebody actually buried under the high altar, but this is the case at Clewer. Henry Justel is buried under the altar. Justel, who was Rector of Clewer from 1720 to 1729 is buried with his infant daughter, Henrietta.

He was the son of a distinguished French protestant divine, Henri Justel, who was secretary to Louis XIV. In 1681, however, anticipating the persecution of non-Catholics, Justel came, with his family, to England and King Charles II appointed him to be Keeper of the King's Library at St. James.

The King was, at this date, still patron of the Clewer living so it was no doubt because of this that the younger Justel got appointed to the parish.

Fellow of Eton and Canon of St George’s.

Fellow of Eton and Canon of St George’s.

What is the sad story hidden behind hints and clues in Clewer Church's records about William Henry Roberts who, according to the list of Rectors, was in office from 1827 until he was succeeded by T.T. Carter in 1844? First, one has to go back to the 18th Century. Roberts' appointment. like so many in the Church, was an example of the operation of "the old boy" network.

"His grandfather, William Hayward Roberts, became Rector of Farnham Royal (like Clewer, in the gift of Eton College) in 1779. In 1781 he became Provost of Eton. He was thus able to appoint his son, William, to the living of Clewer. Willliam left Clewer for Farnham Royal in 1791. Subsequently, William became Vice Provost of Eton and so was able to get the living of Clewer for his son, William Henry, or William III. The registers suggest that William Henry was the first of the Rectors appointed by Eton to devote himself to the parish for he took most of the services himself. Sometimes his father (William II) came to help him out and he always signed himself "Vice Provost of Eton".

"It is possible that a contributory factor in the matter of William Henry's parish work may have been that he was the first Eton appointee who was not also made a Fellow of the College. His name disappears from the registers in April 1840 - four years before the apparent end of his tenure of office. The parish was then put under sequestration for three years before T.T. Carter’s arrival, which means that the management of affairs was taken out of the Rector's hands.

A curate named Robert Gould (who, incidentally, was Carter's brother-in-law) ran the parish and actually moved into the Rectory T.T. Carter’s biographer, W.H. Hutchings, states that things were "in a poor way" in 1844 "owing to the intemperate habits of the late Rector. "Yet, however sadly Roberts ended his days at Clewer, he was in the parish for 13 years, and in that time he did what no predecessor had done: he ministered in the sacraments and statutory services to many hundreds of parishioners.

It should also be remembered that it was during his incumbency that, despite Hutching’s account of the dilapidated state of Clewer Church, it was in sufficiently good standing for the Harcourt family to place a memorial to Lord Harcourt in it. There is also a marble memorial to Mrs. Ann Woods who was for 37 years in the service of Elizabeth Sophia, Marquise d'Harcourt and she died in 1837, during Roberts' incumbency. It was also in William Henry's time that Col. Dare of Clewer Green, had his distinguished friend, Daniel Paterson buried in Clewer Church in 1828.The present writer has suspected that those who wrote about T.T. Carter may well have exaggerated the state of affairs at Clewer Church, Robert’s "intemperance" notwithstanding, in order to give Carter as good a build-up as possible. Furthermore, it should be remembered that Carter was Clewer's first Victorian Rector and the climate in the Church underwent major changes.

Leading figure in the Anglo Catholic Movement in the 1880s. Responsible for the extensive building in the area most designed by Woodyer.

In 1877 the troubles started which were to lead to the resignation of one of the parishes greatest Rectors: Thomas Thellusson Carter. He was the founder of the Community of St. John Baptist and of many charitable institutions. He became Rector in 1844 when the church was in a poor state and he had restored it. He also restored the spiritual life of the parish. His personal holiness was unquestioned and his good works were legion. BUT he was what people called "a high churchman."

In 1877 some parishioners started a campaign against him because of his "papistical" practices. On the walls of the Rector's tithe barn (which stood where Chantry Close now stands) somebody painted the gibe "LOOK OUT FOR HIGH MASS AT CLEWER CHURCH".

"Some parishioners tried to bring an action against him under the Public Worship Regulation Act which had been passed in 1874 to suppress the growth of ritualism and of which Queen Victoria thoroughly approved. Later, a parishioner who did not attend church, one Dr. Julius, took the matter up.

He brought pressure to bear, through the Courts, to force Bishop Mackarness of Oxford to take action against Carter and he won his case. Bishop Mackarness, though not himself a ritualist, was not going to subject a saintly man to vexations at the behest of the Courts. The Bishop took the case to the Court of Appeal and got a ruling in his favour and against Dr. Julius. The doctor then appealed to the House of Lords, but, again, the verdict was in the Bishop’s favour.

Then, in 1880, Carter resigned, and for the very highest of reasons. He had received the protection of the Bishop, he explained, but he still could not abandon practices which, as he knew, met with the Bishop’s disapproval: "The only course compatible with honour was to resign." It was a great act by a great man. He withdrew to live at the Convent as Warden.

What were the infamous practices which, in Carter's own words, had "split the parish?" He himself described a number of things which "went beyond what the Upper Ten of the congregation liked. "For Holy Communion he stood at the centre of the altar facing east instead of at the north end.

He mingled water with the wine in the chalice. He placed a cross on the altar (note: this was not a Crucifix.)He had processions and choral Communions. "But the first movement that made a commotion was lighting the candles at an early celebration."

Carter died on October 28th, 1901. His body was laid out at St. John’s Lodge, Hatch Lane, clad in full vestments and with chalice and paten in his hands. Many filed past to pay respects. The funeral took place at Clewer Church, one of the pall bearers being Lord Halifax. The final blessing, at the graveside, was given by the Bishop of Oxford.

Set in the north wall of the sanctuary in Clewer Church is an exquisite small bronze memorial to Rector T.T. Carter (Rector from 1844 to 1880) It is the work of sculptor W. Bainbridge Reynolds. It depicts Carter lying in state with an angel at his feet. Because when Carter lay dying he asked for the curtains to be opened so that he could see the evening star, a star has also been depicted. A Latin inscription reads: "In affectionate memory of Thomas T Carter who, formerly as parish priest, adorned this chancel: fell asleep in Christ October 28th 1901; and in the neighbouring churchyard he awaits the Resurrection."

Quaintly, one guidebook translated "adorned" as "decorated" which makes one picture T.T. Carter wielding a brush and a can of paint. This tiny memorial is, in fact, a gem of its kind and has been much singled out for praise. In the Chapel of the Convent of St. John Baptist, Hatch Lane, there is a much more grandiose memorial to Carter.

Further information on Canon Carter can be found in the article about him written by one of his successors, Denis Shaw. There is also the text of the Centennial Lecture on the Life and Work of Canon Carter, in the booklets page.

Victorian Clewer is synonymous with the name of Thomas Thellusson Carter who became Rector in 1844. ministered as Warden until his death in 1901.

To follow a great man in any walk of life is difficult; to follow a man like Canon Carter, whose sanctity and humility was attested by the majority of his parishioners, might have seemed well nigh impossible. Such a task was allotted to Roland Errington, whose name, but for the greatness of his predecessor, would be written large in Clewer's history.

Roland Errington was 34 years old when he became Rector of Clewer, but he was no stranger to the district having served his first curacy at Stoke Poges (1870-75), after which he became Conduct of Eton College (1875-80). The living of Clewer was, and still is, in the gift of Eton College, and the authorities were no doubt anxious to appoint a man who would unify the parish and avoid further controversy, yet maintain a tradition of dignified worship. At Errington's institution Bishop Mackarness of Oxford expressed the wish that the people should be of one heart and one mind... no disputings, no strife... that they should be willing to bear and forbear. "He charged the new Rector to be careful of the peoples' feelings, their interests and even their prejudices.

Most of the local clergy had grave misgivings about the new appointment and demonstrated their feelings by staying away from the institution. Despite this rather uncharitable reception (an attitude which would have displeased Canon Carter), Errington's appointment proved a wise one and he slowly won the approbation of his clerical colleagues.

Errington soon settled into the parish. A mild Tractarian, he maintained the tradition of worship centred on the Eucharist, yet throughout his nineteen-year incumbency he managed to steer clear of ritualistic controversy. The wealthy landowners such as Mr. Frances Tress Barry, Mr. E.B. Foster, and Sir Daniel Gooch once more occupied their pews in St. Andrew's Clewer. Most important of all to Errington was the friendship which he won from Canon Carter and from the Clewer Sisters.

The parish was large and diverse, consisting of the scattered villages and hamlets of Clewer, Dedworth Green, Clewer Green and part of Spital. As well as the parish church of St. Andrew there were the district churches of All Saints Dedworth, and St. Agnes' Spital. The latter, though in its infancy, was beginning to flourish under the care of its devoted curate the Revd. Henry Ley, but Dedworth was to be a constant source of anxiety not least because of the apathy of the people. "We should be glad to discover what will interest the people of Dedworth", Errington wrote despairingly in the parish magazine of January 1888.

Roland Errington was a typical Victorian parson and the parish magazines provide plentiful evidence of the stern pastor calling his people to order, but sometimes one can sympathise with him as when a parish concert was very poorly attended. "As an illustration of the apathy and indifference of the Clewer people... no single relative of the boys who took part... was sufficiently interested in its kith and kin to attend and hear them perform."

A further solemn warning was issued in June 1887, "We are sorry to hear that there is a great deal of Sunday traffic going on in the parish. The children come to Sunday school with their pockets full of sweets... Those who sell ought to know better. Those who buy will hear something more about it when the summer treat comes off. Sweets today will have changed into bitters then." Let us hope the warning was heeded for the summer and Christmas treats were the highlight of the year for these poor village children, but they had to be earned by good attendance and conduct during the year.

Though a stern man, Roland Errington was not without a sense of humour which helped him survive many a painful parish concert' He describes such a concert in the magazine of June 1886 thus, "Mr. Hunt's solo was a marvellous piece of execution, a Fantasia on one string for the violin by Paginini... Gymnastics on any instrument are wonderful to behold, but personally we prefer something quieter... "One can almost see the pained expression on Errington's face as he recalled that performance. In fact Errington was himself an accomplished musician not just in a serious vein either, but on a lighter note was a frequent performer at parish concerts when he and his wife sang duets.

He was also the proud owner of a magic lantern and needed no second bidding to brighten up many a parish treat. This was especially popular at the House of Mercy run by the Clewer Sisters when the girls would have their Christmas treat consisting of a tea party, tree with presents and the Rector's lantern show.

There is one incident in particular which above all others shows Errington to be a man of his time, and though we may recoil from it, it speaks volumes about the attitude of the Victorian Church to its neighbour. November 10 1890 was to witness a great novelty in the parish

There was to be a missionary meeting at which "the great attraction will be the presence of a native priest, the Revd. H.M. Joseph, who will give an address". But alas, much to everyone's disappointment he failed to appear.

Later all became clear. "The mistake arose," wrote the Rector, "from his imagining that Clewer was in the Salisbury Diocese (it used to be). As he was engaged to travel through that Diocese... he expected to find himself in due course at Clewer. Mr. Joseph expressed himself as deeply grieved for having disappointed us, and suggests coming to us some other time. We feel inclined to accept his offer. But is he sure to turn up? The warning seems to haunt us 'Nimium ne crede colori" which freely translated means "Do not put too much faith in a Black man". We can only give thanks that we live in a more enlightened age!

It is when we examine the needs of the people within Clewer parish that we really appreciate Errington's true worth. He may have been stern and somewhat intolerant but when his people were in real need he was always there to champion their cause. A number of issues reflect the humanitarian side of Roland Errington.

The growing need for a parish hall became more urgent towards the end of the 1880's. Concerts, lectures, penny readings, and Christmas treats all needed somewhere with ample accommodation for the audiences who, despite their initial apathy now flocked to them.

Both Spital and Dedworth had halls but Clewer was frequently forced to use the inadequate facilities of St. Catherine's Infant School. So it was that in February 1889 the Rector first mooted the idea of a parish room and asked for donations.

A year later the initial target of £400 had been reached. "But will £400 suffice for a really suitable Hall? We must not only think of the present... As the building is for the benefit of the people of Clewer, all classes should contribute. The poor man's pence will be no less welcome than the rich man's gold." The land for the building was given by Sir Henry Gooch in 1890 but raising the extra money presented untold problems and it was another three years before building commenced. By this time Errington was feeling very disheartened, "Is all public spirit gone out of the place?" he asked. In spite of such slow progress the building was opened on October 12 1893 with a concert by the Royal Handbell Ringers.

The Clewer Hall, as it came to be called, consisted of a large hall to seat 300, with a stage at one end. Behind the stage there was a retiring room and a caretaker's room. The cost had been around £800, and later, when more funds were raised, a library and reading room were added. A Trust was set up for the administration of the Hall and therein lay the seeds of doom for in later years, as the result of an unforeseen loophole, the Hall slipped out of parish hands and is now virtually a private concern.

The plight of the poor was never closer to Errington's heart than when it concerned matters of public health and safety. The years of his incumbency saw a growing awareness of the connection between bad water and drainage and the spread of disease, and there were a number of epidemics of scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, and worst of all, smallpox. Errington was an ardent campaigner for a decent drainage and water system for Clewer, and was appalled that as late as the 1890's there were foul ditches and open sewers running along some of the main thoroughfares of the parish.

In April 1893 a severe epidemic of small-pox broke out in Clewer parish. April 21st saw a case at St. Andrew's Hospital and the Clewer Sisters decided to remove all uninfected patients to safety. Two days later the man died but no other cases developed and by April 29 the Hospital was declared out of quarantine by the Sanitary Authority. However, no workman could be persuaded to go in to disinfect it. By this time other cases had developed within the parish and in the neighbouring parish of Clewer St. Stephen, and they were being treated in their homes because there was no isolation hospital. (The local authority had been trying for years to erect such a place but no one would agree to having it in their vicinity). Meanwhile, St. Augustine's Home for Boys, run by the Clewer Sisters, had become infected, so Sister Emma evacuated the boys who were well and gave the Home over temporarily for infected cases who were placed under the care of three experienced nurses. Now the lack of an isolation hospital was felt more keenly than ever as more cases were reported every day. Finally it was decided to erect marquees in the glebe field at the back of Clewer Rectory, and these were occupied until the end of August when the epidemic abated.

In 1978, Michael and Nicholas Shaw, sons of the last Rector of Clewer, excavated part of the present day Rectory garden and discovered crockery marked with an X and a number of bottles amongst many other items. The crockery had belonged to St. Andrew's Hospital, hence the X symbol, and had been loaned for use in the marquees during the epidemic, but had afterwards been broken up and buried for fear of spreading infection. The bottles still contained quantities of coal tar and had been used to treat patient’s sores. These artefacts are on display in the Clewer History Museum together with a photograph of some of the helpers. (see Fig. 2). One helper who is not portrayed is Roland Errington who, we are told showed "great courage and pluck... in doing what no one else was forthcoming to doll by going amongst the sick and assisting with the nursing. This example made a lasting impression on Errington's parishioners and they presented him with an illuminated address and a set of silver dessert dishes in recognition of his 'Iself-sacrifice and courage, and prompt and noble action".

Roland Errington left Clewer in November 1899 after nineteen fruitful years. If his arrival had been met with suspicion and resentment, then his departure was met with universal regret. He became Vicar of Warden in Northumberland until 1905 when he moved to East Tisted, Hants. In 1919 his wife, whom he had married in 1883, died. Errington retired in 1921 and lived in Winchester until his death five years later at the age of 80.

Perhaps Canon Carter summed up Errington's ministry best of all on the evening of the presentation after the small-pox epidemic. "Canon Carter... said a few words referring especially to the Rector's work in the parish, and to the pleasure it gave him to see that work carried on in the way which he had always so much at heart; namely in the true spirit of Church teaching, and in unity among the parishioners".