BODIAM CHURCH

I don't have any photos of Bodiam Church  but if you want to see some click here for a site that has some.

I do, however, have two photos of what looks like a Vicar of Bodiam in action.

Bodiam War MemorialPreaching

Photo from the Weddle Family Album

The first photo shows some kind of service being undertaken at Bodiam War Memorial.  This photo must have been taken from the bank opposite the War Memorial and looks quite old from the clothes worn.  The second photo is a close up of the Vicar conducting the service.

Can anyone help with names, dates or occasions?

Dedication of the Church Bells

In 1961 there was a service of the "Dedication of the Church Bells".  A copy of the souvenir Service Sheet can be found here.

Pen and Ink Sketches of  Bodiam Church

The following three sketches were done by Erica Levett

The Marriage of a Reverend


I was given this photo by Caroline Elsam and told it was of the Rev F W Martin getting married at Bodiam Church.

A keen eyed Julie Dowsing contacted me to say that it did not look like Bodiam Church.  She has an Aunt (Kathleen Rainer) who worked for the Rev Martin and his wife between 1945 and 1947 when they were at Bodiam Vicarage.
  
She has spoken to her Aunt and shown her this photo.  Kath says it is not the Rev Martin or his wife (Grace). She remembers that they were already married when they came to Bodiam in 1943.  [A check of Births, Marriages and Deaths show a F W Martin married Grace Hayden in Romford in the last quarter of 1938.]

Julie has also done some research on Rev F W Martin and has come up with the following from Crockford's.  The first is from 1947 and the second from 1991/2.




Further research by Julie reveals that there is a photo of Rev F W Martin already on this site. It is the second photo down on the Assorted Harvest Supper Photos page and he is on the extreme left.
He is also in the the 1950 Harvest Supper photo on the extreme right.

The Bodiam Campaigners



Following on from the Rev F W Martin (discussed above) this photo from Julie Dowsing shows the Bodiam Campaigners in 1947.  
[If you want further information about "The Campaigners" look them up on Google.]
The lady on the left is Grace, wife of Rev F W Martin, and standing next to her is Julie's aunt, Kath Catt (now Rainer).

The reverse of the photo gives details of all in the photo and is reproduced below..




Does anyone remember the Bodiam Capaigners and can give me some more information?


Celebrity at the Lych Gate


This photo is from the Elsam collection.

It looks like Wilfred Hyde White at the Lych Gate to Bodiam Church

Tim and Jeannie suggest that it may be because he appeared in a 1955 film called "Quentin Durwood" which was shot in part, at Bodiam Castle.
Jeannie's brother, Paul, was very excited at meeting the star of the film, Robert Taylor.