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All Saints Church Speke, Liverpool, UK |
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Church
Village to Estate
Information
Photographs
Church Magazine
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Faces at All Saints Usually when talking to people who have attended All Saints in the past, they will mention singing in the choir, joining the Brownies or Cubs, or a particular minister who was around at that time. Here's a few photographs that might jog your memory, and if you recognise yourself in any, please let me know!
Many changes were starting to take place in Speke, changing from Country Village to Housing Estate, and Rev Paterson mourned the passing of the village as he knew it, in the 1930 Parish Annual
Magazine. I wonder what he'd say if he saw the way the airport is eating up the remaining land today? Not a word appears from any authority of the loss to South Liverpool which is inevitable when green fields, the hedges, the lanes and the undeveloped shore have vanished. But are the lanes and hedges of Speke – these in themselves beautiful and the product of years of attention and labour – even considered in the plans so far suggested? Or is it merely a question of a map and a ruler with the beautiful village Church at the centre, and some of the priceless cultivated land of England to be divided up and covered with straight roads with bricks and mortar in between?’
Here is the Parochial Church Council in 1916, with the Rev Paterson.
The Vicarage was then on the road to Hunts Cross and was know as the Slades. It was rather a grand looking place, in the style of Speke Hall. From the background of the photograph, it looks like it was taken there.
Farmer James Peacop was one of the Wardens of All Saints from 1936 - 1938. He was also the farmer at Speke Town Farm. In All Saints, the family of Mr and Mrs Peacop donated an organ screen in memory of their parents, which is still there today. When Mr Peacop died, Rev Paterson wrote in the 1935 Parish Annual Magazine: ‘We have missed the unfailing kindliness of James Peacop in our Parochial circle but as time passed the marriages of his son and daughter not only kept them settled here but opened up the prospect of two very happy homes as long as their farms are allowed to remain agricultural land.’
The next Vicar at All Saints was Rev William Henry Wade who came in 1939. The next two photographs show him with the choirs of the day. These were probably taken around the 1940's. Sadly, we don't know any of the people on this first photograph, but the younger members would probably now be in their sixties and seventies. The two gentlemen on either side of the choir are probably the wardens. The churchwardens around that time were Aaron Harrison Cartwright, James Peacop (above), John Turton Critchley and E. Brew. UPDATE: Tom Whatmore wrote to tell me some of the people he recognises on this photograph: Mr Cartwright (Churchwarden), ???, ???, Frank Whatmore, ???, ???, Rev William Henry Wade, Mr Blease the Organist, E Coates, Tom Whatmore, Mr Critchley (Churchwarden).
I have managed to find some of the names of the choir in this second photograph. Back row: ? Frazer, ??, Bobby Cross, Terry McCoy, Reg Bird, Ron Roberts, Frank Ruse, ? Frazer, ?? Front row: ??, Mrs Hughes, Barbara ?, Rev Wade, Mrs Timms, Mr Hughes, Mr Proudfoot (Organist & Choir Master)
The next two Vicars of All Saints were Rev John F O S Graham, who came here in 1949 and later moved to the centre of Speke, to take on the new Parish Church, St Aidan's, followed by Rev Frederick W Robinson in 1960.
This is Graham Spiers again with Queenie. I don't know what's going on here so don't ask!
Rector Tony Douglas, Rector in the 1980's in a typical pose....
Rev John Nicholson at his wedding to local girl, Karen. John was the Community minister for the Speke Team working with both Tony Douglas and Michael Plunkett.
Rev Michael Plunkett, Rector of the Parish 1990 - 2005 - with thanks to Brian Reynolds
I'll be adding more vicars to this page as soon as I can so please check back soon. |
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The second window in Church is dedicated to our second Vicar, Leslie Rimmer Paterson (1907 – 1939). Rev
Paterson came in like a breath of fresh air, and renovated the Church, installing a new heating system and floor. He was a very popular man, and some people still remember him cycling around the estate with his broad hat, and billowing cloak. Sadly, it was when he was knocked off his bike in a road accident that he lost his life.
