Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2022)
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Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
'Hove from the top of Holland Road' by James Bennett c1849. St Andrew's can be seen here in a rural setting dominating the north side of the very small village of Hove. Aldrington Basin and Shoreham Harbour can be seen in the distance. |
Site
To the casual observer in the early 19th century, the location of St Andrew’s Church might have seemed odd. After all it was not situated at the heart of the village as might have been expected; instead it was to be found by itself north east of Hove village whose old flint cottages were built along Hove Street and on the foreshore.
The reason goes back into the mists of time because no church was built without a special regard as to its site. Indeed early Popes decreed that missionaries should build Christian churches on sites that were already held sacred by pagans. It was hoped it would be easier for Christianity to flourish if there were a continuity of site. It is also as well to remember that dear old Sussex was the last county in England to be converted to Christianity.
So what was special about Hove? It seems that going back as far as the Bronze Age, Hove was held in special regard because why else should the splendid barrow of a revered chieftain be built there? It was located in what is now Palmeira Avenue and the chieftain’s regalia included a unique amber cup. It also seems that Hove’s own name may have derived from the barrow being here. Think of Sutton Hoo and the fact that Hove was pronounced Hoove until the 19th century.
There is also the fact that the Goldstone in its original location was situated due north of the church site and there was a stone circle too. The Ancients could pick up the fact that Goldstone Valley had lines of influence emanating from underground steams (hence the modern pumping station). See Ancient Hove.
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| copyright © J.Middleton This photograph of St Andrew’s Old Church was taken in 2009. |
Caen stone was used in the construction of St Andrew’s church as well as Quarr stone from the Isle of Wight.
One tradition maintains that Hilda, wife of Harold Godwin, Earl of Essex, founded the original church on this site. It was his son, also called Harold, who was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Another tradition relates that Richard Poore, Bishop of Chichester, founded the church in 1216.
There has also been doubt as to the church’s original dedication. In 1930 Revd F.K. Meyrick (vicar 1929-1941) appealed for information concerning the dedication because he thought St Peter had some claim to be patron.
He may have been reading J.G. Bishop’s A Peep into the Past (1880) in which the church is named as St Peter’s. Or there may have been some confusion with Preston Old Church, whose parish for many years was joined to the parish of Hove, because Preston’s church actually was dedicated to St Peter.
Revd Meyrick received two replies. One cited a will dated 16 August 1503 in which John Stroude specified his body should be buried in the churchyard of ‘Saint Andrew the Apostill (sic) of Hove’.
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| copyright © J.Middleton St Andrew’s emblem is the saltire, which is seen above the door in this photograph taken on a bright April evening in 2015. |
Mr E.F. Salmon wrote the second reply and he cited a 15thcentury memorandum from the Bishop of Chichester concerning various fairs and markets taking place in his diocese; amongst them was a fair held at Hove on the eve, day and morrow of the Feast of St Andrew, which leads to the supposition the church was indeed dedicated to him.
However, in 1419 a list of chantry chaplains within the Deanery of Lewes was compiled, it was recorded that Robert Loveney ‘was celebrating in the church of Huva’ – no dedication mentioned. Wealthy people endowed chantry chapels so that a priest might say Masses for the repose of their souls.
Pillars of the Church
It seems one of the most interesting aspects about St Andrew’s Church is sometimes overlooked. These are the pillars and there is an astonishing twelve of them. The number does not seem to tie in with the usual template of a small country church of similar date.
For example, St Nicolas, Portslade had only two pillars (the northern pair are Victorian imitations) while St Leonard’s, Aldrington, St Helen’s, Hangleton, St Peter’s, West Blatchington and St Peter’s, Preston did not need pillars at all, consisting originally of just a nave and chancel. St Nicolas, Brighton was rebuilt perhaps in the 14th century.
This must mean that St Andrew’s, Hove was once a church of some importance. It is known that the Bishops of Chichester used to stay at Preston when the two parishes were combined. In Philip Johnson’s opinion, it was because of the bishops’ influence that the magnificent arcades were built.
There is also the important Priory of St Pancras at Lewes to consider. This was because it was the Prior of St Pancras who appointed priests to St Andrew’s and this practice lasted until the Reformation. The last priest appointed to St Andrew’s by the Prior was Guy Rolf in 1508, in the reign of Henry VII.
It is of great
interest to note the contribution of Charles Thomas-Stanford who
wrote that in the 13th
century ‘The men of the Canons of Huue (sic) have to reap in
harvest 15 acres of barley, 15 acres of oats, and 15 acres of wheat
by way of tithe. The Canons of Huue (sic) shall have 12 oxen or other
beasts with the Bishop’s oxen. The Canons of Huue (sic) shall have
half a wey of cheese for tithe, and 12 of the Bishop’s lambs and 16
fleeces for tithes.’
One definition of a ‘canon’ is that he was a
member of a group of clergymen serving the cathedral or church. It
sounds as though there was a religious community living in Hove at
that time, and that the produce of Hove helped to maintain them as
well as the Bishop.
In 1219 the Bishop of Chichester, Richard Poore,
founded the Prebend of Hova Villa and Hova Ecclesia. The question is
why was the Latin word for church used in this context when many
other villages also had churches? It must mean that Hove church (St
Andrew’s Old Church) was of some importance. At that time there
were 30 prebendal stalls in Chichester Cathedral with 16 of them
being on the cantoris side where Hove’s was to be found. It had a
carving of a hooded centaur in a mantle and may have been an allusion
to the derivation of Hove’s name – from the Anglo Saxon for a
hood or shelter. In 1353 Hova Villa et Hova Ecclesia was divided into
two.
The twelve pillars could represent the twelve apostles. It is also instructive to recall that the feast day of St Pancras was celebrated on the twelfth day of May. It was such an important occasion that in 1264 Henry III attended with a large retinue.
St Pancras Priory was founded in around 1081 and by 1391 there were no less than 58 monks in residence. Naturally the cost of the Priory and supporting the monks was enormous. But over the years the Priory acquired a portfolio of lands, patronages, and buildings, sometimes through purchase but often from donations. The Chapel of St Bartholomew at Brighton was a Priory ‘outstation’ but part of it was destroyed in a French raid of 1514.
Might there have been another ‘outstation’ at Hove? Perhaps it was an earlier one because St Bartholomew was not founded until the 14thcentury. J.G. Bishop writing in 1880 mentions the ‘remains of some once beautiful tracery’ in an old barn. It is unlikely that an ordinary farm building would have been so adorned. The barn in question, often mistakenly referred to as a tithe barn, stood not far from St Andrew’s Church, on the south side of Church Road near the junction with Hove Street.
J.G. Bishop described the pillars in St Andrew’s before the rebuilding: ‘There yet remained on each side of the Church four out of the five original Early Gothic arches, supported on cylindrical columns with curiously ornamented capitals.’
Frederick Harrison, writing in 1911, described them thus; ‘There are … two rows of fine pillars and arches in the Transitional-Norman style. The capitals appear to have been re-carved, but the arch mouldings of the nave arcades are original.’
It has been said that the curiously carved capitals resemble those of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances in Normandy. But this does not seem a good match. Nearer to home, there is a passing resemblance to the capitals in St Mary de Haura in Shoreham. The carvings at Hove are supposed to represent foliage. They might best be described using the architectural term ‘stiff-leaf’, which was an early English style of foliage with lobed shapes. In some of the capitals the foliage is so arranged as to resemble a chequer board pattern. These capitals are of course not in the same class as those of St Pancras and there is a beautiful example to be found online from the British Museum. But still the Hove carvings represent a great deal of decoration for an ‘ordinary’ country church.
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| copyright © J.Middleton These photographs show two of the carved capitals that provide a clue to the importance of this church in times past. |
In 1922 during restoration work, paint was removed from the pillars and two marks, which may have been consecration marks, were discovered. One of them is on the pillar immediately in front of the pulpit.
Also at this time under the nave a beautiful gravestone of Norman design came to light.
Benefactions
It is interesting to note some early gifts to St Andrew’s Church.
1498 – John Taillour 3/4d
1500 – John Scrase of Hangleton 10/-
1503 – John Stroude 20/- for general repairs
1517 – John Sommer of Portslade 20d
1540 – Sir Richard Sherley of Wiston 6/8d
1545 – Elizabeth Taylor of Hove 20/-
1545 – Vicar of Preston 3/4d
1546 – John and Gillian Prowte 20/- each
1547 – Richard Colear a demi-quarter of barley
The Elizabeth Taylor mentioned above was a somewhat demanding lady. When she was buried at Hove she required no less than five priests to be in attendance, five priests to offer Mass for the repose of her soul on her first month’s mind (anniversary) and five priests to say Mass for her again at her year’s mind.
Sir George Ashburner was once a curate at St Andrew’s Church. His name appears in official records because he witnessed no less than eight wills drawn up between 1544 and 1551.
Protestant
It appears the good people of Hove were staunchly Protestant by the early 1600s. One woman complained that their minister still went in for the old ceremony of thanksgiving after surviving the trauma of childbirth known as the ‘Churching of Women’. She did not approve at all and commented ‘God deliver us from such a malicious priest’. In her mouth the term ‘priest’ was not a compliment. No doubt she would have been reassured to know that in 1676 it was stated Thomas Brett, the curate, was ‘in all points as by law required, conformable’.
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copyright © Gifford Series
This illustration looks distinctly like a drawing, yet on the back it
states ‘guaranteed real photograph’
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A State of Disrepair
In 1586 St Andrew’s Church was reported as derelict while in 1674 the bells were reported to be in need of repair and new wheels were necessary from which to hang them.
St Andrew’s Church is quite near the sea and was thus vulnerable to foreign marauders. When the foundations were being excavated before rebuilding, scraps of molten lead were discovered. This infers that at some stage the building could have been set on fire. Perhaps it was the French, known to have attacked Brighton in the 16th century and setting it alight. On the other hand, it has been claimed the church was damaged by fire in 1770.
There is a particularly grim report dating from 1686 when the situation appeared desperate. The porch roof had fallen down while the church walls, windows, doors and floors all needed repair. The steeple walls and floors had decayed; there was no font and the pulpit was ‘utterly decayed’. There was no carpet underneath the Communion Table, no linen cloth, no paten, no standing pot. The Ten Commandments were not to be found displayed inside the church, neither was there a table of degrees or Scriptural sentences. There was no book of homilies, neither was there a book in which to record stranger’s names. There was no poor box
In the same year of 1686 there was also a survey of Sussex church bells. The relevant entry for St Andrew’s was brief ‘Hove, bell cracked’. Apparently the bell was marked with a cross and engraved with the letters T.H. that may have referred to a noted bell-founder called Thomas Hickman.
In 1723 John Warburton wrote the following, ‘I passed through a ruinous village called Hove which the sea is daily eating up and is in a fair way of being quite deserted; but the church being large and a good distance from the shore may perhaps escape.’
In 1724 the nave was described as being in ‘tolerable repair’. But the Communion Table and rails were still very bad; there was no chancel and the top of the tower was in a ruinous state.
In the summer Divine Service took place once every three weeks while in winter there was only one service a month. It was claimed that the ‘minister’s discourse was sometimes delivered from the seat of a farmer’s wagon.’
Sometime in the 1720s, presumably after the 1724 report, what was left of the tower fell down. The stones did not remain lying on the ground for long because they were soon appropriated for building purposes elsewhere. One destination for the stones was the pleasure house known as Cairney’s Seat in the grounds of Goodwood Park.
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Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove 1720s drawing of St Andrew's Old Church in ruins |
Smugglers
The sacred edifice of St Andrew’s was so deserted that local smugglers used it as a place to store their contraband. Hove at that time was so well known for its smuggling activities that at length the Government was obliged to build a Coastguard Station in order to keep a closer eye on the situation.
J.G. Bishop relates a marvellous story concerning Hove and its smugglers in his book A Peep into the Past. It dates from the time when there was only one clergyman to take services at both Preston and Hove and there were only occasional services at St Andrew’s.
‘The story goes that one ‘Hove Sunday’ the vicar in full canonicals went to the church to do his office. To his surprise the bell was not ringing, and on his enquiring the reason of the sexton, that artist calmly informed him that he had made a mistake, and that it was ‘Preston Sunday’. The vicar stuck to it that he was right, and the sexton as stoutly maintained that he was wrong. The vicar would not admit that he was in error, and ordered the bell to be rung for service. ‘It’s no use, sir’ said the sexton at last ‘You can’t preach today.’ ‘Why not?’ demanded the angry parson. ‘Because the church is full of tubs and the pulpit’s full of tea.’
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| copyright © J.Middleton On the right of this photograph can be seen the gable and chimney belonging to St Andrew’s School, which shows the proximity of church and school. Note also the jumble of old buildings behind George Street. The trees on the left act as a screen to next-door gas works. |
Gentleman’s Magazine
An early description of St Andrew’s appeared in the Gentleman’s Magazine for 1792.
‘This place (Hove) gives title to a prebend in the cathedral of Chichester, and the living, which is a vicarage united to Preston, is in the gift of the prebendary. Divine Service is only performed in the church once in six weeks, and, by the appearance of the ruinous state in which it at present is, that will soon be entirely neglected.’
A further report in the same magazine was published in 1814.
‘Hoove, a small village consisting of one street having several respectable houses in it, and the ruins of a very ancient and once extensive church, bearing at this time the appearance of little more than a barn. It is entered on the south side by a small porch, and is bereft internally of every curious fragment; both side aisles are destroyed, and the arches, which still appear, walled up. We have some difficulty in speaking with certainty what part of the original church this formed; probably the nave or western portion; its style is neither Saxon or Pointed, but a mixture of both; the columns single cylindrical, with round capitals, curiously ornamented, supporting handsomely proportioned pointed arches of a variety of mouldings. One half of the nave is now used, the other lies in scattered ruins, among which remain two columns with parts of their arches, and fragments of two others.’
Sir Stephen Glynne
Between 1825 and 1874 Sir Stephen Glynne described no less than 181 Sussex churches; St Andrew’s, Hove was one of them. He must have visited it in around 1830 before the rebuilding work got under way. He wrote the church ‘cuts a deplorable figure being much ruinated and curtailed of its original dimensions – the present church consists merely of a portion of the original nave – the west end of which is in ruins – and the aisles and chancel destroyed.’
He did not like the barbarous modern windows but conceded the interior was neat and well paved. He admired the ‘arches, which divided the nave from the aisles (and which) still may be seen on both sides. They are somewhat obtusely pointed and have deep architrave mouldings and spring from circular massive pillars, which have very fine capitals enriched with flowers and foliation.’
As for the font, only the ancient square base remained and there was a wooden bell turret at the west end of the church.
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| copyright © J.Middleton This old view of the church produced by Boots Cash Chemists was posted on 10 August 1906. Note the profusion of ironwork in the churchyard. Was the ironwork removed for the war effort? You can just see a gasholder in the background on the right |
Important Vestry Meeting
On 14 September 1833 it was stated at a vestry meeting that the church was ‘dangerous and unhealthy from its general dampness and state of repair’. George Stevens, churchwarden, was in the chair, and a committee was set up to look into the question of enlargement or rebuilding the church. Among its members were Revd Charles Townsend, curate of Hove, Revd D. Everard, George Basevi (senior) Captain Paine and Mr Mills.
A subsequent meeting was held at the Kerrison Arms (now The Iron Duke) in Waterloo Street.
George Basevi
On 28 September 1833 George Basevi was chosen to be the architect for the project; his parents lived at 37 Brunswick Square. He was asked to produce a survey on the state of the building and helpfully George Basevi (senior) paid the cost of surveying, which came to £56-7s.
Young George Basevi went to work straight away and by December 1883 reported that to rebuild the church to its original dimensions would cost £1,870 plus £300 for pews, pulpit and desk.
The money for rebuilding had to be borrowed with the consent of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Samuel Preston Child of Clapton agreed to lend the sum of £2,000 at 5 % and the loan was to be reimbursed from the church rates.
A Contentious Robert Upperton (1797-1876)
Robert Upperton, solicitor, thought it was an outrageous amount of money to spend and he led a group of protesters against the scheme. Upperton produced a pamphlet dated 26 June 1834 setting forth his views.
He was against the rebuilding of St Andrew’s, both because of the expense and the inappropriate site. He stated the 1831 census recorded some 2,000 people during the dull season but at the height of the season there could be between 3,000 and 4,000 people living at Hove. An average of 2,500 might be nearer the mark but out of this figure not more than 200 (including two schools) lived on the west side of Hove. An illustration of the imbalance of the population was revealed by the amount of poor rate paid. In the west part of Hove it came to around £30 whereas the east part contributed £300.
Upperton considered a more centrally placed church would be far more suitable. This idea was mooted at a previous meeting but was turned down.
(It is important to remember that at this time the only other functioning place of worship at Hove was St Andrew’s Chapel in Waterloo Street, which was dedicated in 1828. But this chapel was frequented by titled and rich people who stayed in Brunswick Town and would hardly have been welcoming for ordinary Hove folk).
However, Upperton continued with his campaign and wrote to the Bishop of Chichester on at least two occasions. On 2 July 1834 there came a reply ‘The Bishop of Chichester presents his compliments to Mr Upperton and begs to express his surprise that no dissents should have been expressed to the rebuilding of Hove Church until some time after the whole plan appeared to be settled and approved at more than one parish meeting.’
A second letter in the same month carries a touch of exasperation. ‘His Lordship cannot help but feel that he is precluded from any further interference in this matter’.
It is amusing to note that it is only because of Upperton’s meticulous stewardship of all relevant documents that details of the various travails attending the re-building of St Andrew’s have survived to this day. Upperton served as vicar’s churchwarden from 1837 to 1875. (For biographical details of Upperton, see Lansdowne Place, number 7).
Further Rows and Troubles
William Stanford of Preston Manor was lay rector of the parish and lessee of the great tithes of Hove. Therefore, he had a statutory responsibility for the upkeep of the chancel. However, at a meeting held on 12 March 1835 he refused to build a new chancel. Quite how he managed to wriggle out of his responsibilities is not clear but probably Hove parishioners felt it was not worth pursuing because of the possible cost of litigation. Perhaps William Stanford felt that because the chancel had been destroyed for many years, he did not see why he should have to pay for a new one. Of course this attitude did not preclude he and previous landlords from gathering up tithes from Hove.
On 18 August 1835 it was decided that if nobody else was going to contribute towards the cost of a rebuilt church then the burden would have to be carried by Hove inhabitants, every one of whom would have to make a contribution with the richest paying around £2.
Rows continued to be a feature of the rebuilding programme. There were three levels involved. At the top was the architect George Basevi, then Mr Davies, clerk of the works, and finally contractors James and Joseph Butler of Chichester.
(It should be noted that these names come from original documents in the record office. But Henry Porter, writing in 1897, identifies the clerk of the works as Joseph S. Anscombe and the contractors as Benjamin Butler & Son of Paddington Green).
James and Joseph Butler experienced endless trouble with Mr Davies and they set it all down in writing by way of explanation as to why the final cost was more than the original tender agreed upon.
They complained of ‘unlooked for, and most unwarrantable trouble, delay, expense and injury in almost every way, occasioned by the vexatious proceedings of the person appointed clerk of the works who had throughout all the business been in direct contravention of the Agreement.’
According to the documents ‘all the old flints, stones, slates, sleepers under Pews, Pews and other materials except the Pulpit, Font and Communion railing (were) to be the property of the contractor and the sound stones may be reused … for such purposes as they are fit.’
But when the contractors came to use the original Caen stone reworked for the purpose, Mr Davies refused to allow it. The Butlers asserted that at least 20 tons was wasted in this way with the greater part being broken up and used in the walls.
Meanwhile, Mr Davies had taken upon himself the task of ordering new Portland stone to form stone bases for the three double buttresses to the angle of the church. The Butlers were unimpressed because they thought the Portland stone was of inferior quality to the old Caen stone. Moreover, they were obliged to charge the churchwardens five guineas for the extra expense.
Then there was the porch problem. There were several alterations to the porch ‘occasioned by the errors and misconduct of the clerk’, which again involved extra expense. Mr Davies insisted that the flint facing was laid regularly as one face flint and one boulder although this was not only contrary to the specification but also contrary to any standard patterns. This cost a further £15. Even the colour of the mortar was the subject of dispute.
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| copyright © J.Middleton You can clearly see the unusual design of the flint-work with a rounded pebble alternating with a knapped flint. The contractors said they had never come across such a design before but the clerk of the works insisted upon it. |
Lastly, according to the Butlers, the architect’s drawings were as good as a sealed book to them because the clerk refused permission for copies to be made. The total extra cost the Butlers claimed came to £310-5s but George Basevi managed to whittle the amount down.
George Basevi had worked with Mr Davies before and he preferred to believe his account rather then the Butlers version of events. In a letter dated 27 February 1836 Basevi wrote that the Butlers had never complained to him about Davies and ‘from my previous experience of Mr Davies I believe Mr Davies’s statement to be true in all respects.’ According to Davies, he only rejected two small portions of plinth because they were the wrong thickness.
Basevi stated ‘the only Items ordered by myself are the repairing of the feet of the rafters of the roof and the addition of two flues and the new plastering of the side wall of the Nave above the arches at the suggestion of the Committee and an alteration to the size of the casements but this Messrs Butler have put into effect in a proper manner.’
On 4 June 1836 Joseph Butler wrote to Revd Edward Everard that he was ‘extremely anxious for a settlement’. He itemised the costs as follows:
Original cost - £1,920
Additions by agreement - £50
Allowed for extras - £16-19-3d
Total £1,986-19-3d, say £2,000 in all.
Butler had received the sum of £1,347 but there was still the balance of £653 due.
On 14 November 1836 Basevi also had cause to write a letter to Revd Edward Everard in which he stated ‘I hope having completed my labor (sic) of Hove Church I shall be considered worth my reward, I therefore enclose my account.’ He also asked for the wages owed to Davies amounting to £30-2s to be paid. The letter was despatched by coach from London to Everard who was living at The Wick, Hove. Revd Everard promptly sent the money to the churchwardens.
Fascinating Information
The Butlers’ extra accounts are useful to historians because they record items of interest that otherwise might have gone unrecorded.
For example, the pulpit, font and Communion rail were removed on 6 June 1835. The Butlers charged £1-7s for this task but again Basevi whittled the cost down to 5/10d. The old Communion rail never returned to its former use but instead was installed in the gallery as a guard-rail.
The bell was also removed at the same time. This involved the efforts of three labourers and one bricklayer during one half-day’s work each; the final charge was 6/10d.
Taking down the royal coat of arms and a hatchment proved a longer operation and lasted from 11 to 14 September 1835. The items were removed to the churchwarden’s house for safekeeping and apparently were never seen again.
The tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer were saved, cleaned, restored and presented to St Andrew’s on Christmas Day 1851. John Hornblow Turner and his wife Sara paid for this to be done ‘in pious memory of their daughter Sara Caroline Turner’ who died the same year. Unhappily, just like the coat of arms and hatchment, these tablets too have since disappeared.
Other points of interest were that the contractors had to remove the west wall and bell turret, take down the porch and other existing ruins and restore the church to its original dimension of 111 feet in length. All the old pillars were retained and all but two of the tie beams. It is supposed to be possible to discern where the stone benches were once fixed to the wall in mediaeval times. This comfort was reserved for the elderly and infirm because the healthy peasant and his wife stood throughout services on a hard floor strewn with fresh rushes.
The east end of the church was floored in tooled York stone laid on an 18-inch bed of lime and shingle.
It was while excavations were going on before the new chancel was built that the old altar stone was discovered although it is not clear what happened to it.
A New lease of Life
On 8 June 1836 St Andrew’s Church reopened with Divine Service.
In 1839 a new gallery was erected at the west end of the church and in 1841 John Fabian built a new vestry to the design of George Basevi at a cost of £116.
Amongst the church documents there is a drawing and a letter dated 13 May 1848 in which a new pulpit with proper handrails was mentioned. Apparently, there were also to be matching but smaller desks, one for the readings and one for the clerk. All three were to be painted with three oil coats, grained and varnished and each structure had a lamp on either side. Perhaps the cost was too much for all three items.
Religious Census
On 30 March 1851 a Religious Census was taken. It is remarkable just how crowded St Andrew’s was on that Sunday. The attendance at morning service came to 697 – that is 506 adults plus 191 Sunday scholars. The afternoon service attracted 264 adults and 97 Sunday scholars, total 361.
The church contained 607 free seats and 293 others. There were box pews and for a period of 40 years Lucy Ann Ingram was the pew-opener. She died aged 77 in 1876 and was buried in the churchyard.
At some stage the church began to enjoy the luxury of gas lighting. But in September 1868 the gas-lights suddenly went out leaving the congregation in total darkness. It was claimed ‘it was so dark that neither minister nor pulpit was discernible’. The cause of the failure was an excess of water in the gas meter.
No More Church Burials
On 30 January 1854 Queen Victoria in Council agreed to make an order for Hove according to an Act in the last session of Parliament to amend the laws concerning the burial of the dead. Henceforth, burials inside the Parish Church were to be discontinued and no burials were to take place within 5 yards of the church walls. Only one body was to be put in each grave with the exception of family vaults.
Sanctuary
In 1888 plans were produced for the decoration of the sanctuary as a memorial to Revd Walter Kelly, the priest at St Andrew’s for 44 years who had died three years previously. His tombstone is to be found in the place of honour at the east side of the churchyard close to the chancel windows.
Messrs Powell undertook the mosaic work and the top part is in shades of green while below the colours are rose and brown. Messrs Minton laid the glazed floor tiles composed of patterns of red and gold bordered by either dull red and brown tiles or by dark blue and brown tiles.
It is pleasing to report that today the chancel decorations remain in an excellent state of preservation.
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| copyright © J.Middleton These beautiful Minton tiles in the sanctuary date from the 1880s and are still in good condition. |
Change of Status
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| copyright © J.Middleton This postcard of the old Parish Church records the arrangement of the sanctuary. Note the splendid lace frontal and altar cloth and the curtains shielding the altar. Most Anglican churches of the time would have had similar arrangements. There are also flowers to be found on the altar; a practice rather frowned upon today. Perhaps the church was decorated for Easter. |
The status of St Andrew’s Church has certainly fluctuated over the centuries. The parishes of Hove and Preston had been united in 1536 and remained that way until 1878 when Revd Walter Kelly retired and the parishes were separated.
But St Andrew’s new found status as a Parish Church lasted a very short time. This was because of the building of the magnificent new All Saints Church that was consecrated in 1891 and which became the new Parish Church of Hove. The old Parish Church became St Andrew’s Old Church to distinguish it from St Andrew’s Church (formerly Chapel) in Waterloo Street.
In 1957 St Andrew’s Old Church was reconstituted as a Parish Church.
Centenary
On 18 June 1936 to celebrate the centenary of the church’s restoration the Right Revd Hugh Hordern, Bishop of Lewes, dedicated a new Garden of Remembrance in the churchyard. In his address the Bishop said there was ‘probably a church here in the time of King Harold, who owned the place.’ Mr A.G. Gorringe, the verger, carried a ceremonial verger’s mace that most probably was last used when the church reopened 100 years ago.
King’s Chaplain
Revd Robert Milner Gibson worked in the Birmingham area for many years. In 1936 he was appointed chaplain to George VI. But the strain of living in London during a time of heavy bombing affected his health and he was obliged to resign in 1940 and become an ordinary parish priest again. He arrived at St Andrew’s, Hove in the 1950s. He was such a fine preacher that many people who wanted to attend services at Christmas and Easter had to be turned away because the church was full.
Lychgate
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| copyright © J.Middleton In this 2009 photograph of St Andrew’s, the lychgate is almost completely hidden underneath the trees. There used to be other trees along the border wall such as a pink may tree and a laburnum. |
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| copyright © J.Middleton The lychgate in the 1950s |
Despite its ancient appearance, the lychgate is a modern structure. It was built as a memorial to the 48 members of the Shiverers Club who died in the Second World War 1939-1949.
Their names are recorded on a copper plate inside the structure. Earle Yeates designed the lychgate and the wood and Horsham slate were some 400 years old. In September 1953 the Bishop of Lewes, Right Revd G.H Warde, dedicated the gate, which cost around £2,000.
At the time Revd Robert Milner Gibson was vicar of St Andrew’s and in his address he said the following, ‘The gate is a joy of design, material and craftsmanship, and will form a beautiful and dignified entrance to a spot hallowed by a thousand years of worship.’
Their names are recorded on a copper plate inside the structure. Earle Yeates designed the lychgate and the wood and Horsham slate were some 400 years old. In September 1953 the Bishop of Lewes, Right Revd G.H Warde, dedicated the gate, which cost around £2,000.
At the time Revd Robert Milner Gibson was vicar of St Andrew’s and in his address he said the following, ‘The gate is a joy of design, material and craftsmanship, and will form a beautiful and dignified entrance to a spot hallowed by a thousand years of worship.’
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| The lychgate's Roll of Honour of the 48 members of the Shiverers Club who died in the Second World War 1939-1949. |
Gates
Alan F. Bone designed the new gates on the west side of the church, which Southdown Construction Company of Portslade constructed in forged mild steel. Two enamel crosses embellish the gates – a blue St Andrew’s cross (saltire) and a red cross for St George. On 28 February 1965 the gates were dedicated.
Pew Cushions
In the 1970s the vicar’s wife, Mary Gooderham, designed the pew cushions and the ladies of the parish carried out the work. The cushions are in a variety of designs and colours. In the nave they have a St Andrew’s cross, in the Lady Chapel there is a motif of three white lilies on a blue ground, in the Baptistery there is the symbol of the Holy Spirit as a dove and in other parts of the church there are fishes, ships and flowers.
Windows
Chancel
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| copyright © J.Middleton Window nos. 1, 2 & 3 A photograph hardly does justice to the beautiful deep blue of the east windows. It should be viewed in person. |
1. In 1844 John Watson presented the east three-light window as a memorial to his deceased wife and two daughters. The colours of the stained glass are particularly vivid and beautiful with the overall impression being of a vibrant blue with touches of red. The central light at the top has an unusual depiction of the resurrection because only the robes and feet of Jesus are visible suspended in the air while the disciples gaze skywards.
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| copyright © J.Middleton window no. 6 There is a matching window to this one in the north aisle. |
2. The subject of this window is Jesus with the children when he said ‘Suffer the little children to come unto Me.’ To the Memory of William Charles Brant, the only and dearly loved … the rest of the text is hidden by the ledge unless you are tall enough to see above it. (Left side of the altar).
Lady Chapel
4. There is a small square stained glass with St Andrew’s cross and some vivid colours of blue, red and gold.
South Aisle
5. Unlike most of the stained glass in St Andrew’s this is not Victorian but a modern depiction of St Francis of Assisi. ‘In Loving Memory of Frederick Sheppard born 20 August 1866 died 2 March 1931.’
6. This Victorian window is particularly colourful. Unfortunately, a wooden box sometimes used as a base for flower arrangements has been placed underneath the window, which obscures some of the detail. A bit of squinting reveals the date 16 October 1845. This window is matched by another stained glass in the north aisle (number 11). Both have an identical design at the top.
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| copyright © J.Middleton window no.7 Harry S. Mileham designed this window |
8. This window is a traditional depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary dating from the 1950s. ‘In Loving Memory of E. Constance Jones died 27 December 1952 aged 90 years. Also Mary Longdon sister of the above died 4 April 1940 aged 79 years.’
North Aisle
9. This is a beautiful window full of colour. The subject matter is the text ‘Consider the lilies’ and Jesus is shown teaching with a woman and a bearded man seated at his feet to represent the multitudes. It is interesting to see the lilies in the background are Easter lilies so often depicted in art as a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel usually carries one at the Annunciation. However, modern scholarship inclines to the view that the lilies of the field were most probably anemones.
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| copyright © J.Middleton window no.10 This window is a memorial to a mother and her two daughters. |
11. Jesus the Good Shepherd is the subject of this window. It is in memory of Caroline Jessy Gosling died 14 April 1888.
12. This window depicts the scene where Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from her sick-bed. It is a matching window to one (number 6) in the south aisle and also has the obscuring wooden box for flower arrangements. The date at the foot is 6 December 1848.
13. It is natural that the St Andrew in this stained glass should be clad in shades of blue because his heraldic cross is blue. The inscription states ‘In Loving Memory of Stephen Easter.’ He was a generous benefactor to St Andrew’s and the window was dedicated in 1952.
East Wall
14. There is a small, square window with a red cross for St George to match the St Andrew window in the Lady Chapel.
Memorials
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| copyright © D. Sharp |
Angelo – To the Glory of God In Loving Memory of my only son Lieutenant Frederick Canning Courtland Angelo 31st P.N.I. Bengal Staff Corps killed in action at Fort Battye Afghanistan 26 March 1880 aged 22. Not lost but gone before / Nevertheless not my will but Thine be done. (Brass tablet, east wall).
Basevi – Emma, beloved and lamented daughter of George Basevi (senior) died 3 December 1848 aged 51
Bathsheba, mother of Emma and wife of George, died in 1849
George Basevi (senior) died on 21 February 1851. (North aisle)
(The Basevi coat of arms has been described thus: per pale sable and argent a two-headed eagle and in chief two crescents counter charged; Basevi impaling or in base two bars gules, on the upper a tree, on the dexter side of the escutcheon and on the sinister side, a lion rampant sable.
The Basevi family were originally Italian Jews and George Basevi’s grandfather came to England from Verona in 1762. The Basevis were a distinguished family being descended from Baron Basevi von Treueburg, the 17thcentury Court Jew of Prague who was ennobled by the Emperor Ferdinand. George Basevi’s grandmother Rebecca Rieti had a genealogy stretching back to Israel Aboub who, after the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, led 20,000 Jews into Portugal. George Basevi’s Uncle Joshua and Aunt Sarah were married to members of the Lindo family whose ancestry was even more brilliant than the Basevis. Thus George Basevi was related to the leading Anglo-Jewish families, the Lindos, Mocattas, Mendes de Costa, Goldsmiths and Montefiores. George Basevi’s aunt Maria Basevi married Isaac D’Israeli and became the mother of Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British statesman and novelist. George Basevi and his parents were not practising Jews and had converted to the Anglican Church; so also did the Disraeli family. At that time it was impossible to attend university or to take any part in public life if you were a practising Jew.
George Basevi, the architect, was born in London in 1794. In 1811 he became a pupil of Sir John Soane and in 1816 he embarked on the Grand Tour. This jaunt lasted three years. He was much influenced by what he saw in Italy and Greece and when he returned to England his first designs were in Grecian style. Among other churches he designed were St Thomas at Stockport and St Mary at Greenwich and he was also involved in some work at Balliol College, Oxford. His most important work was the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. On 16 October 1845 he was inspecting the western bell tower at Ely Cathedral when he slipped and fell to his death. He was buried in a chapel at the east end of the cathedral).
Borradaile – In Memory of Elizabeth Frances, relict of Thomas Borradaile Esq late of Streatham, Surrey died 20 January 1855 aged 76 years. Also of William Borradaile second son of the above died 11 November 1865 aged 66. (South aisle)
Campbell – ‘To the Memory of a Father and a Brother. To Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Campbell CB who served throughout the Peninsular War and at Waterloo with the 52nd Light Infantry and died on 3 May 1850 aged 73.
Also to Colonel Robert Parker Campbell CB who served with the 73rd Regiment in the Kaffir War of 1850-1853, commanded the 90thLight Infantry in the Crimea, and during the Mutinies in India. He died on 11 November 1857 of wounds received at the Relief of Lucknow aged 40 years.
Colonel George Campbell inscribes this tablet.’ (South aisle).
Cunnynghame – To the Glory of God In Memory of our only son Lieutenant James Simeon Cunynghame 2nd Brigade Royal Artillery attached to the 1st Battery RA in the British Army of Occupation who died at Cairo on 24 July 1883 aged 22. For so he giveth his beloved sleep. (Brass tablet, east wall).
Fielding – This must rate as the memorial with longest inscription. It was erected to the memory of artist Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding who died on 3 March 1855 and was buried in St Andrew’s Churchyard. The tablet stated he was resident in the parish for many years and Revd Charles Townsend wrote the lines including the following:
‘Fielding! By common fate tho’ doomed to die
Thou leav’st to us a deathless legacy;
Thro’ thee did nature open and dispense
Her hidden charms of simplest elegance.
The living Waters that o’er the Ocean flow,
Scatt’ring their sparkling freshness as they go...
The space aerial and the tender line,
And swelling beauty of the Downs were thine.
Their breathing Souls in charge to thee were given,
Thou gav’st them us – thyself withdrawn to Heaven.’
(South aisle)
Fitzgerald – Major General E.M. Fitzgerald of the Bengal Staff Corps who died in Calcutta in 1867. (South aisle).
Gabriel – Mary Janet Gabriel died 10 October 1974 and Osman Broad Gabriel died 16 December 1974 husband and wife who worshipped in this church. (North aisle)
(You would never guess from this modest memorial
that Major Osmond Broad Gabriel was a man of wealth and generosity.
He donated no less than three vessels for the use of the lifeboat
service, and when you consider that two of the boats cost in excess
of £50,000, his largesse seems even more extraordinary. The first
donation was a more modest affair – an inshore lifeboat Major
Osmond Gabriel (official number B-505) – that served at
Queensferry, Silloth and Atlantic College station in South Wales from
1972 to 1982. The second boat Osmond Gabriel (official number
998) was built by Osborne’s of Littlehampton and was stationed at
Port Erin from 1973 to 1992, when the boat was sold to the Estonian
lifeboat service. The third boat Mary Gabriel (official number
1000) was also built by Osborne’s and donated to celebrate the
Gabriels’ Golden Wedding anniversary; this boat was stationed at
Hoylake on Wirral from 1974 to 1990, and then spent two years at
Rhyl. Today, the Mary Gabriel is kept in splendid condition at
Tenby in Wales.) Information kindly supplied by Selwyn Smith.
Hobley – There is a plaque to Revd Charles McDonald Hobley dearly loved vicar 1938-1951. (Chancel, north side).
(Apparently, when he came to Hove in 1936 he was still Chief Scout in Chile. His son McDonald Hobley became a famous face in the early days of television. The vicar did not have a television set of his own and when he wanted to see his son on the box he would visit his friends the Broomfields at their Portslade farmhouse called Stonery).
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| copyright © J.Middleton Howell memorial. |
Howell – In Memory of Charles Howell Esq of Old Hove who died December 8 1867 aged 83, erected by his widow Ellen who died at Bath 19 January 1871. (South aisle).
The following obituary appeared in the Brighton Gazette 19 December 1867.
‘A native of Brighton, unlike some men, he never abandoned the place of his nativity but took up residence nearly sixty years since at Hove, in the house where he died and there spent a long life in easy circumstances, devoted to the care of his family, his boats and a farm he rented at Paythorn under the hills near Devil’s Dyke. His quiet habits would have attracted little attention but no one can have passed along the road to Shoreham any time this half century without noticing the cluster of little round white houses with conical and hemispherical roofs, which stand on the beach opposite Hove Terrace and the tall flag-pole in their midst. Here it was that Mr Howell formerly built his little fleet of fishing boats in which in his younger days he delighted in going out to sea for a fishing excursion and here it was he built first and then another observatory in which he at last set up a large equatorial telescope of seven and three-quarter inch aperture with clockwork movement and all the modern improvements by Cooke of York. In these observations he spent much of his time, the watching of celestial phenomena being one of his principal amusements. He could not, however, be considered an astronomer, as being utterly ignorant of mathematics he understood none of the scientific parts of the subject. Nevertheless he was very liberal in showing the moon, planets and other interesting objects through his glass; and very kindly allowed those who occasionally wished to use it for purposes of accurate observation to have free access whenever they pleased, and many interesting descriptions have been given in our columns of celestial phenomena watched through Mr Howell’s equatorial. It is, in fact, the best and most powerful glass in the neighbourhood. One of the little white houses before mentioned also contains a very large camera obscura, the largest we have seen.’
His name is also remembered because in 1867 he erected eight houses on the west side of George Street, Brighton, known as Howell’s Alms Houses. These were intended for ‘the reduced in circumstances at Brighton and Hove that have seen sixty summers and have not during ten years received parochial relief.’
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| copyright © J.Middleton Revd Walter Kelly’s memorial plaque is in the chancel. |
Kelly – To the Glory of God and in loving memory of Revd Walter Kelly this sanctuary was adorned by many parishioners and friends. He was vicar of Hove and Preston from 1834 to 1878 and fell asleep in Christ 22 January 1888 in the 85th year of his age. (Chancel, south wall).
(When Revd Walter Kelly arrived at Hove in 1834, the old church was more or less in a state of ruin. By the time he retired 44 years later, the rebuilt church was thriving and there were large congregations. On 2 March 1840 Kelly married Mary, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel R. Buckner, and the couple had at least four children – Edward, Charles, Persis and Catherine. They lived at 3 Medina Villas. Kelly officiated at two weddings important in local history. On 16 September 1867 he officiated at the marriage of John Olliver Vallance and Emma Kate Livesay and on 1 October 1867 he took the wedding service for heiress Ellen Stanford of Preston Manor and Vere Fane Benett. Kelly was described as an earnest Christian gentleman and a parish priest of the old type. He was a plain matter-of-fact preacher and ‘even went so far in his admiration of bygone plainness of ritual as to retain the melancholy looking black gown for preaching purposes.’ He took a great interest in the local church schools. After his death his children set up the Kelly Fund whereby £140 was given to the Charity Commissioners in shares and dividends, which was to be used to pay school fees of poor children in Hove and Preston).
Knox – Sacred to the Memory of John Sutton Knox second son of Lieutenant Colonel Brownlow Knox Scots Fusilier Guards died 2 March 1845 in the 9th year of his age. There is a draped urn above the inscription. (East wall)
Lamotte – Sacred to the Memory of Martha youngest daughter of the late John Lagier Lamotte Esq of Thorneygrove in the county of Worcester who died 22 May 1844. This tablet is erected by her affectionate niece Lucy of Clapham Rise in the county of Surrey. (East wall).
Langford – This tablet is very difficult to read. (East wall).
Lindo – Sacred to the Memory of Ephraim Lindo Esq who died at Brighton 1838. (West wall) Other words in the inscription have faded. (West wall)
McAnally – To the Glory of God and in tender memory of a good and loving husband Rev David McAnally for 31 years vicar of Penge and for 9 years resident at Hove. A constant worshipper in this church. He frequently assisted in the Holy Communion. After a trying illness borne cheerfully with meek patience he entered into rest on January 14 1897 aged 70. Buried in Hove Cemetery. (Brass tablet, east wall).
McWhinnie – In Memory of John Sidney McWhinnie who for many years was an inhabitant of Brighton. He died at Nice, Sardinia 13 December 1857. (South aisle)
Pecchio – Joseph Pecchio of Milan died in 1835 aged 49. The inscription is entirely in Latin. He was described as a ‘Chevalier’, that is a nobleman. He was a political exile and his wife had the tablet inscribed ‘May England, land of the Free, ever remain a refuge for the political and religious exile.’ The coat of arms has been described as ‘quarterly of four, 1 and 4 Pecci of Milan, 2 and 3 Pecci of Siena. (East wall, near pulpit)
Pyper- Sacred to the Memory of Robert Deverell Pyper MD London who departed this life on the 20th day of September 1851 in the 34th year of his age in full reliance of the merits of his Redeemer after a long and painful illness borne with great fortitude.
And of Robert Daly, the only and beloved child of Robert Deverall Pyper and Harriette his wife who departed this life after a few days illness on the 12th day of September 1850 aged 5 years.
This tablet is erected as a tribute of affection by the afflicted widow and mother. (West wall)
Rooper – Edward Rooper Major of the Rifle Brigade, youngest son of Revd T.R. Rooper of Wick Hill in this parish and sometime rector of Abbots Ripton, Huntingdonshire, who after serving for 20 years was killed in the Crimea where at the memorable Battle of Inkermann, he received a mortal wound in the act of rallying his men and expired on board the Golden Fleece the 10 November 1854. A sincere Christian, a dutiful son, a brave soldier, and endowed with many talents, he was justly endeared to his relatives, esteemed by his brother officers, and beloved by the soldiers under his command.
Revd Thomas Rooper of Wick Hill died in 1865 and his widow Persis died in 1871 aged 87. (North aisle).
Rooper – In Grateful Memory of Revd Thomas Richard Rooper MA of Wick Hill in this parish who after a life of active Christian benevolence, exercised especially in an unremitting endeavour to alleviate the sorrows of the afflicted and distressed and to elevate the religious and moral condition of the children of the poor by improved education. Entered rest 1865. (North aisle).
(Revd Thomas Richard Rooper was the third son of John Rooper of Berkhampstead Castle, Hertfordshire. According to the Brighton Gazette (13 April 1865) Revd Rooper was obliged to move south ‘in consequence of the delicate health of some members of his family’. Rooper’s elder brother was MP for Hertfordshire and died in an accident; his second brother was an Army major but died young.
Revd Rooper lived at Hove for over 30 years and there were few days when he did not visit some house of sorrow or distress. When he arrived at Hove he found there was no parochial school and he was instrumental in setting up the Farman Street Schools. Indeed for six years he paid for children to be educated out of his own pocket. Rooper was a Brunswick Square Commissioner and in 1858 he was one of ten Hove Police Commissioners. He was also a governor of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Rooper lived at Wick Hill, Hove in some state. Three portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds adorned his walls including one of Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). The 1861 census recorded him living at Wick Hill, by that time aged 79, with his wife Persis, 77, son John, a retired Army captain aged 51, daughter-in-law Charlotte aged 42, grand-daughters Alice aged 16 and Lucy aged 10, and grandson Herbert aged 8; there were also nine servants. When Rooper died he left an estate worth £40,000, a considerable sum. It is interesting to note that a Mrs Duthy of The Drive, Hove, celebrated her 100thbirthday in 1946. She was born Georgina Persis Rooper and had been one of the grandchildren living at Wick Hill.
Another of Revd T.R. Rooper’s sons was Revd William Henry Rooper who was incumbent of St Andrew’s Church, Waterloo Street from 1856 to 1863. In 1861 he lived at 17 Upper Brunswick Place with his wife Frances, five daughters and son Thomas; there were six servants. He was one of the trustees of the will of heiress Hannah Brackenbury (see also Adelaide Crescent number 31 and St Nicolas Church, Portslade) and when she died in 1873 she left £300 to his children).
Ross – This is a large memorial to Amelia, wife of Major General Sir Patrick Ross, who was born at Madras in 1878 and died at Brighton in 1847. (South aisle).
Sandeman – Lieutenant Henry Sandeman, resident engineer and private secretary to the Governor of the island of St Lucia, died of yellow fever in 1852. The tablet contains a portrait medallion of Sandeman surrounded by mourning figures. There is more prose plus a verse in the inscription. (North aisle).
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| copyright © J.Middleton The Vallance family had a vault inside the church as well as memorials on the walls. |
Vallance – In Memory of John Vallance who died November 16 1833 aged 74 years. Also of Elizabeth, Relict of the above who died October 7 1844 aged 76 years. (East Wall)
(John Vallance (1759-1833) was the eldest son of John Vallance (c.1732-1793) and his wife Deborah (née Mighel) whom he married at St Nicolas’s Church, Brighton on 29 September 1756. There were five children of the marriage and they were all baptised at Patcham. But by the 1780s they were living at at Hove House. John Vallance owned land at Southwick and in 1781 received compensation from Shoreham Harbour Trustees when the sea flooded part of it. It was this John Vallance who began acquiring land at Hove, which led to the Vallances becoming the second largest landowners in the area. The land was purchased from Revd Henry Michell, vicar of Brighton 1774-1789, Aaron Winton, a bankrupt, and Solomon Greentree.
John Vallance (1759-1833) married Elizabeth Stevens at Lewes on 4 January 1794 and there were three children, Ann baptised 1795, John Stevens baptised 1799 and John Brooker baptised c. 1804. John Vallance and his brothers Philip and James, were all involved in the running of the famous old brewery in West Street, Brighton. The brewery came into their family when Philip Vallance married Maria Fayres-Killick in 1789. Philip and his wife Maria, and James and his wife Ann, had seven children each. It is interesting to note that six of Philip’s, and four of James’s, were baptised in the Chapel of the Countess of Huntington’s Connexion in North Street, Brighton. But John and the Hove Vallances preferred to have their offspring baptised at St Andrew’s Old Church, Hove. John and Philip were famous in local annals for being keen cricket players and were part of the Brighton team in a match played at the Level, Brighton in August 1790 when the Prince Regent (later George IV) was amongst the spectators. It is supposed that John Vallance became acquainted with the Prince Regent through their mutual interest in cricket. At all events the Prince once stayed at Hove House and when he left, he presented his host with an engraved punch bowl, which became a family heirloom).
Vallance – Sacred to the Memory of John Brooker Vallance Esq of Hove House in this parish who departed this life on the 25 Day of December 1851 aged 47. His mortal remains are deposited in the family vault of this church. This monument was erected by his widow as a tribute of affectionate regard to one who was a kind husband, a tender father and sincere friend.
Also of Sarah Duke widow of the above and daughter of the late John Olliver Esq of Lttlehampton who departed this life at the Manor House, Hove on the 28 Day of March 1890 in her 80th year. Deeply regretted. Her mortal remains are interred in the family vault in the churchyard. (Lady Chapel, south wall).
Note that Hove House and Hove Manor House are the same building that once stood on the west side of Hove Street. The name was altered to ‘manor’ when her son John Olliver Vallance purchased the manorial right.
John Brooker Vallance (1804-1851) was the second son of John and Elizabeth Vallance. His middle name derives from his Aunt Esther who married Henry Brooker at St Peter’s Church in 1785. Mr Brooker followed the legal profession and perhaps he was also godfather to his nephew. J.B. Vallance married Sarah Duke Olliver and they had two sons, John Olliver born in 1847 and William Henry born the following year).
Westphal – In a vault within this church are deposited the remains of Dame Alice Westphal the beloved wife of Captain Sir George Augustus Westphal RN who died August 25 1847 aged 71 years.
Also of Anne Elizabeth Whitbread daughter of Jacob Whitbread of Londham Hall, Suffolk, she was for a period of nearly 40 years the inseparable companion and most highly valued friend of the above Alicia Westphal who died January 16 1847 aged 63.
And within a vault in this churchyard are deposited the remains of Admiral Sir George Augustus Westphal RN who died January 12 1875 aged 80 years the last surviving officer of the ‘Victory’ at the Glorious Battle of Trafalgar .
Also of Mary Augusta Beauclerk the only child of Admiral Sir George Augustus Westphal who died April 20 1870 in her 20th year. (North aisle).
(For more information about Admiral Westphal see Brunswick Square, number 2.)
Whitehill – In Memory of Charles Stephen Whitehill late Colonel 109th Regiment who died at Brighton February 19 1882 aged 64, interred at Bethnal Green. This tablet is erected by his widow and brother. Also of Caroline, mother of the above and widow of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whitehill of the Bombay Army who died August 14 1866 aged 78, interred at Hove. (South aisle)
Wright – Sacred to the Memory of Samuel Townsend Wright of Clover Hill in the county of Cork, Ireland died at Brighton 15 September 1858 aged 70. He was an affectionate husband, kind and indulgent father, a sincere friend and a good Christian. (East wall).
Yard – This large memorial is in memory of Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Yard who died in 1836. It is in the Greek revival style and above the inscription there is a roundel depicting an angel taking Elizabeth’s soul to Heaven. (Lady Chapel).
Ledger Stones
1. There are some ledger stones on the floor of the aisle. They usually denote burials underneath or family vaults. The largest ledger stone belonging to the Capon family bears a sad story of a man who saw four children and his wife pre-decease him.
2. Emely (sic) daughter of E. Capon died April 1814 aged 9 years 4 months
Also Elizabeth wife of Edward Capon died 30 June 1814 aged 50 years
E. Capon aged (?) months
Edward Capon died 30 January 1825 aged 22
Also Edward Capon died 2 November 1828 aged 62 years
3. There is a small square stone near the chancel but the writing is indecipherable
4. The Family Vault of George Basevi of this Parish
5. Sacred to the Memory of Mary Shepherd Marshall widow of Samuel Marshall Esq of Dalston, Middlesex who died at Brighton 1 January 1859
The Vault of John Vallance
Links:- St Andrew's churchyard history page & St Andrew's Church website
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| copyright © J.Middleton This photograph of St Andrew’s Old Church was taken in February 2019. |
Parson’s Diddle
Sources
This somewhat unusual name was
applied to a small plot of land situated at the south-west corner of
the churchyard. Since in times past the churchyard extended further
south than it does today, we must assume the plot was on land now
occupied by buildings and pavement on the south side of Church Road.
The word ‘diddle’ is of unknown origin, but according to Chambers
Dictionary it means to cajole or swindle. Therefore, does this name
record an old dispute over land between the parson and a disgruntled
Hove parishioner? The name Parson’s Diddle occurs in a legal
document – an abstract of title dated 17 April 1797.
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| copyright © C. Horscroft
On 14 February 2022 the late afternoon sunlight transforms the tower
of St Andrew into a beacon of faith and hope
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Sources
Bishop, J.G. A Peep into the Past (1880)
Census returns
Daniels, H.G. Hove with its Surroundings (1907)
Farrant, J Sussex Depicted: Views and Descriptions 1600-1800 (2001) Sussex Record Society volume 85.
Harrison, F. Notes on Sussex Churches (1911)
Middleton, J A History of Hove (1979)
Middleton, J Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade
Poole, Helen Lewes Priory (2000)
Porter, Henry A History of Hove (1897)
Reygate, Frank) St Andrew’s Old Church (The Old Parish Church) Hove (1979)
Simpson (Revd F.S.W.) The Parish Churches of Shoreham (N.D.)
Thomas-Stanford,
C. Wick. A Contribution
to the History of Hove (1923)
Local newspapers, on microfilm at Hove Library
Information about the Basevi family from the late David Spector, expert on Jewish history
The Keep
PAR 387/6/17/19 St Andrew’s, closure of churchyard for burials 1883
PAR 387/10/2/1 St Andrew’s, pamphlet against rebuilding
PAR 387/10/3/6 St Andrew’s, dispute about rebuilding
PAR 387/10/3/10 St Andrew’s, dispute about rebuilding
PAR 387/10/5/1 St Andrew’s, rebuilding
PAR 387/10/7 St Andrew’s, Vestry meeting
PAR 387/10/10/1-2 St Andrew’s Specification of work 1835
PAR 387/10/11 St Andrew’s, Butler’s account of extra work, items in red by Basevi
PAR 387/10/12/1-4 St Andrew’s, Basevi’s report of Butler’s extra work
PAR 387/10/13/1-6 St Andrew’s, Dispute between Basevi and Butler over fees charged
PAR 387/10/14/1-14 At Andrew’s, Correspondence James and Joseph Butler
PAR 387/10/15 St Andrew’s, Chronological list of bills paid for rebuilding 1834-1838
PAR 387/10/104 St Andrew’s, Discontinuation of burials within church
Copyright © J.Middleton 2015
page layout by D.Sharp