This history covers the period of 1894-1904 as seen through the parish magazines.Jeff Hughes kindly lent me a bound copy of these magazines which was a thick book to scan, upload and record and I have to say as I looked at it it seemed to get bigger and bigger. It felt like a bridge too far but it is done now and we are gathering a good archive of material about Worfield history. This is the online link to the magazines. http://www.sharehistory.org/projects/80-worfield-parish-magazines-the-turnock-collection The next stage is to scan the magazines from the 1950s with 1989 being the end date. Hopefully this will be completed by Christmas. There are missing periods and I know that Bridgnorth Museum has the magazines from 1905-1909. It may be that their copyright will not allow a straight scanning so the important parts may have to be transcribed. Anyway, this is all very boring detail, so on to the much more interesting subject of Worfield around the turn of the twentieth century.

Mr Nicholas’s successor was the Revd. Louis H. Wellesley Wesley who was inducted on 6th August 1898. Robert Evans in his book, ‘A History of the Rectors and Vicars of

Worfield 1205-1972’ described Mr Wellesley Wesley thus.

Mr Wesley, a good and sincere man, was handicapped by being a very sensitive person. In a rural parish unfortunate lapses are bound from time to time to happen. Mr Wesley was constitutionally quite unable to encounter these disasters with anything like equanimity of mind. His utter horror and detestation of the sin led him sometimes to treat the sinner with undue severity, for instance when some unfortunate girl got into trouble, charity and understanding would have been a much more efficacious manner of dealing with the problem than mere rigid severity. Mr Wesley was never really able to get on terms with, let alone understand, his more rumbustious parishioners.

Louis Wellesley Wesley

Mr Wesley suffered, whilst he was at Worfield, from a good deal of ill health. He resigned the living in 1902 and was appointed to the Nottingham suburb parish of Daybrook. His very considerable talents were no doubt better suited to such a parish.

The curate for some of this period was T.W. Turner. Again, quoting from Robert Evans,

In 1879, The Rev. T. W. Turner ...was appointed headmaster of the Grammar School (Lloyd and Parker’s School), which in 1881 Mr Nicholas caused to be moved to a new building at Roughton (now known as Roughton Manor.) What a fortunate day for Worfield when this truly wonderful man arrived! He was a very able school teacher and beloved by his pupils. When the Grammar School closed, he was licensed as curate...Mr Turner had snow white hair, a fresh complexion and a look of surprised innocence... He invariably wore very old fashioned clerical garb with, in winter, a shovel hat and in summer a clericla boater. His views were definitely high and he like to be called Father Turner (but was more often known as T.W.) He used to preach long and rather involved sermons, the author recalls one on the subject of King Charles the Martyr, which set the cat among the ecclesiastical pigeons!T.W. used to cycle round the parish, visiting parishioners. He rode a rather high old fashioned bicycle. When he got on his bicycle he was a changed man he had only one pace and that was absolutely flat out. ...It must have been an astonishing and indeed a surprising, sight for a stranger to see this mild looking, white haired old gentleman dressed in the clothes of a previous generation negotiating hell for leather the down hill run of the China Bridge Hill. He had the most extraordinary method of mounting his bicycle which necessitated climbing on a bank and jumping in a frog like manner over the back of the bicycle (on which was always strapped a bag of sweets which he used to hand out to the children) and landing on the saddle....Mr Turner left Worfield towards the end of the 1914 War and went to live at Tabley where he died, much beloved.

But in 1895 Mr Nicholas is still the vicar and with characteristic focus on the religious we miss many (probably most) of the events in the parish which we might be interested in. True, he does comment on the weather, which is interesting. January 1895 was a month of hard weather but July one of drought, the worst since 1868 'when some of us can remember the weary months of heat and dryness, the constant expectation of rain, the constant disappointment.' And then it did rain, a glorious thunderstorm, as Mr Nicholas recalls. But the droughts continue. In 1896 the vicar writes that this is the fourth year of dry summers in succession. He also records illnesses in the parish, scarlatina caused the premature shutting of the school in July 1895.

And then,in the Summer of 1898, Rev Wellesley Wesley arrives. He tries hard to understand his wayward parishioners, talking to them about the evils of drink, the wickedness of adultery and the need to live prayerful lives. But through all the haranguing which he does, he comes across as a likable character. I feel I know him better than the Rev Nicholas. He reveals more of himself and his feelings than his predecessor. It is from the heart that he says,’ A priest’s life, even at Worfield, is by no means a bed of roses without thorns.’ He genuinely seems to love Worfield and he is responsible in 1900 for the new gates, planting the line of yew trees and many shrubs and bulbs. Wellesley Wesley comes across as a naive man, too. He provides alcohol to the poor and needy but is surprised when the system is abused and in the January 1900 Parish Magazine he writes to his parishioners.

Louis Wellesley Wesley

I gladly provide wine, whiskey, brandy etc for sick and needy people, but in future I can only give it by the Doctor’s order. People must ask the Doctor for a note, specifying exactly what wine is needed, how much is to be given, and for how long.

The size of the congregation is not what the vicar would like to see. He changes the time of the evening service to 7pm so that people can come after work, dressed in their working clothes. But there is one service which the parishioners have no difficulty finding the time or the inclination to attend and that is Dole Sunday as the vicar notes in January 1902. Even the bitter cold and wet could not keep them away and the vicar is shocked.

The Rev Wellesley Wesley starts a strange question and answer session in the Parish Magazines. Perhaps he made the questions up, I don’t know, but this is an interesting piece in answer to the question, ‘When were churchyards first made?’It was an ancient custom of Saxon nobles to erect, not a church but a ...cross, in their villages. The space around the cross ...(was where) the Saxons met for common worship. Even in early Norman times it was the exception rather than the rule to build churches in small villages...From the very earliest times it was usual, even when a church was not built in a Saxon sacred enclosure, to have a “Garth” or enclosed space about the church, although it was not at first used for burials. Instances of burials within the Garth occur in the 4th century and are (common by the 6th.) One of the laws of Howel (the good), king of Wales, 943, gives the proper size of the Garth. It says: ‘The measure of a burial ground is a lawful acre in length, the extremity of which shall touch the threshold (of the church) and surround it on every side.’ ....This is the origin of the term, “God’s Acre.”

The highlight of 1900 was the visit of the Future King George V and Queen Mary to Wolverhampton and 157 children from Worfield went to see them. Sidney Wilson organised the six waggons, in which seats had been made, and they left Ackleton at 7.45. This meant that those from Worfield had to leave at 6.30am. They went through Pattingham and at the Mermaid stopped for a glass of milk and a scone. Twenty minutes was allowed for refreshment and exercise. They left Wightwick at 10.15 for Wolverhampton, where they stopped at the top of Compton Road and met Mr and Miss Wilson. At 11.45 they drew up in a place specially reserved for them at Chapel Ash.

A water-cart providing water was monopolised by the children, who were very thirsty. At 12.50pm the procession passed and the representatives of  Worfield parish gave every practical expression in their intense loyalty.

At 1pm the whole party was provided with refreshment: sandwiches, cake and  lemonade which was amply appreciated, and at 1.45pm a start was made. amidst much cheering for Mr Sidney and Miss Wilson, to drive through the principal streets, seeing the decorations en route. Wightwick was again reached at 3.15 and tea was provided at 4 o'clock, teachers and friends rendering invaluable assistance. While at Wightwick the Royal Party drove by , and were again welcomed by loud and hearty cheering. At 5.20 the children left, returning through Pattingham to Patshull Pool, after each one had been presented with a book in memory of the event, the gift of Mr Wilson.

On the return journey the Royal Party passed the children, who cheered them loudly, but even more loudly as Lord Dartmouth passed by he waved his hand to them until he passed out of sight.

Louis Wellesley Wesley

All arrived at Patshull Pool at 7.30 and thence went by various routes to their respective homes; some waggons going to Chesterton, Hilton and Worfield, others to the Ackleton District.

Illness may have prompted the resignation of the Rev Wellesley Wesley, and Robert Evans may have rather tersely remarked that he was better suited to a suburban parish, but I like Louis Wellesley Wesley. The poor man tried, goodness how hard did he try to tell his parishioners of the evil of their ways. For all his preaching style he comes across as a good man doing his best and one can ask no more than that.

Louis Wellesley Wesley