Post by John on Feb 3, 2009 22:07:14 GMT -5
“The Sewards End Mission Story
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Read by over 400 people on the previous site we used
About the Baptist Mission to Sewards End”1863-1963 Written by John E Maddams
Today Sewards End is a village on the road to Radwinter, It has the status of a Parish within the Uttlesford District and it has a Councilor on that District Council.
One of the larger communities of Uttlesford, the largest in fact, is the town of Saffron Walden. For many centuries it had the status of a Borough and from 1836 a Municipal Borough and Sewards End, Little Walden and Audley End were hamlets within the Borough. From 1974 Sewards End was a ward of Saffron Walden until in this century it became a Parish.
It has an Anglican Chapel of ease and a Village Hall. It is acquiring a Village Green
Earlier in the last century it had 2 pubs and a post office-store, and a Baptist Mission Hall built in 1938.
There have been Baptists since the middle of the 19th century when the place was sometimes called Sewers End and maybe earlier, who worshipped at Saffron Walden or later at Ashdon. In 1898 five Saffron Walden Baptist Church members lived there and others along the road to Walden.
Just as Abbey Lane Congregationalist Church had taken an interest in Little Walden and one of the Player family had provided a Congregationalist Chapel there, which is now a house, so the Baptists worked at Sewards End visiting homes to make contacts, and care for the sick and the dying, tracting, holding open air meetings and trying to interest the children.
Peter Johnson, the Town Missioner ,and a member of Upper Meeting Baptist congregation wanted to set up a regular meeting there and some residents wanted him to read a sermon there weekly.
However the Town Mission committee could not see that as part of their constitution. Peter came from Clerkenwell. He was the first of 4 missioners who served the ecumenical Town Mission set up in 1842, pioneered by Wyatt George Gibson and other Quakers, and Baptist Minister Josiah Wilkinson with support from the other local churches.
Peter listed all the homes he visited and that included two thirds of the home of Sewards End, the poor people’s homes. Later ex-policeman Solomon Barton who lived in London road was appointed Missioner .
In one of his journal he mentions visiting the homes of Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Moore of Sewers End Road. Solomon’s responsibility was to read the Scriptures to people who could not read, and distributed many tracts
The task of the Missioner was to visit the poor in their homes and not to organize meetings as this was regarded as the role of the churches.
However he was involved in 1862 in meetings in a barn at Sewards End belonging to a sympathetic land owner.( Wyatt George Gibson). This had been started at the request of two women who felt that to such a meeting the men might come. Maybe it was these two women Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Moore.
This Barn meeting was visited by people from Painters Farm and Cole End who crowded in on summer evenings including a great number of boys, to hear the Scriptures read, and hear prayer. There were also a number of men of whom Solomon wrote “I dare say never goes to any other place of worship”
Solomon found these meetings rewarding for his people became more willing to discuss religious feelings with him. He planned from his own pocket to buy lamps so they could meet during the winter but after a year working for the Town Mission it was closed down by the committee who gave him 3 months notice in 1863 .
His last monthly report was ignored as unsuitable and not connected with the Mission, for his reports had become filled with references to people in all kinds of moral and physical poverty and the need to help them; whereas he was only appointed to read the Scriptures and distribute tracts. So he had overstepped the mark of his role and displeased the people who funded the Town Mission.
However on October 26th 1863 Peter Smith, shopkeeper of Sewers End, had his house registered and certified as a place of worship for the purposes of the Particular Baptists as a place where weddings could take place. So we assume that those barn meetings were the start of the Baptist Mission congregation there, A ministry that lasted 100 years.
Solomon Barton disappears from our records but the Walden Baptist Church was served by 3 Barton’s as Deacons
In 1862 James Barton became Deacon. In 1878 David Barton of West Road a local men’s outfitter became Deacon and went on to be Church Treasurer. in 1905 a Frederick c Barton became Deacon and then Church Secretary.
There appears to be no other written record or evidence of that work until the early 20th century but by then the old Mission Meeting House was located on land rented from the Gibson Family. It was located on the East side of the road between the Water Tower and the Fox Public House, or as we might say today, the Village Hall. By the later 20th century the dilapidated wooden building was regarded as a small shed.
In 1903 the Walden Deacons heard with concern of the dangerous state of the building, and suspended the Sunday school while team inspected it led by the pastor John Young, and the Church Secretary Mr Nunn, together with Mr Robert Cowell, and representing the Gibson Estate Mr Favill Tuke. As there is no further report of action we assume repairs were carried out.
In 1905 Mr Nunn reported to the Deacons on a successful series of Special Services there and reported that new floor coverings had been laid on the platform and two new lamps obtained. At that same time money was being collected towards buying a portable organ costing £7. The High Street Baptist Young People were eagerly helping the Mission. Mr Nunn appeared to be in charge,
In July 1910 a Mr Rowntree was given permission for a Boy Scouts meeting to be held regularly in the Mission Room, and for the Mothers Meeting to use it both at an apparently annual rent of £1. This may be the reason why shortly afterwards Mr Tuke asked that their Mission Hall rent paid to the Estate be increased to two pound ten shillings per year. (£2.50p) plus rates.
In 1910 two of the Wiseman family were transferred to Radwinter to the newly formed society there - Radwinter Baptist Mission, a “church plant” from Ashdon.
By this time reports about the Mission were given to the Saffron Walden Church by Superintendent Mr Robert Catt (the local PRU Insurance agency collector, who was a Deacon and Church Treasurer at High Street Saffron Walden Baptist Church and later from 1914 - 1957 was pastor of the Hill Street General Baptist Church Saffron Walden, known in later year’s as Catt’s Chapel.)
Another person who reported on Sewards End as Superintendent from 1914 was Mr Joseph Clark. He was the father of Mrs Doris (Dolly) Stalley a deacon at Walden in the mid 20th century, and grandfather of Miss Jean Stalley who died just a few years ago.
The Caretaker in 1912 was a Mrs Archer, Our archives have Minutes for Saffron Walden‘s Baptist Sunday School founded in 1806, from 1904 ( now in Essex County Records Office) and at that time the Sunday School Superintendent at Sewards End was a Mr Cowell and it was run in association with the school at Walden, The children there also joined in with those from Walden Town for their Annual Treat to which they travelled either in a horse drawn wagon or in 1908 in one of Mr Tanner’s wholesale grocery delivery vans.
From 1912 both schools came under the leadership of Mr Lewis Gardiner
In 1914 an epidemic at Sewards End closed down the Mission Sunday School and they had to organise a separate Treat In 1915 Mr Wilson took over teaching there from Mr Austen.
Mr Gardiner had been killed in the Great War 1914-1918 when his troopship was sunk. He went as a Medic. By 1922 Sewards End children were being driven to Treats by motor car and had their own teams in the sports events of the day.
In 1926 Miss Margaret Gibson donated the premises to the Church at Walden, and in 1927 the Deacons of High Street became Trustees of the property.
In March 1929 Mr Joseph Clarke resigned as Superintendent and thanks expressed to him were also extended to Miss Stella Trew the Mission organized. Mr Clarke was presented with 2 books and a walking stick at a social evening with a programme organized by Stella.
The Harvest Thanksgiving that year a traditional event was also organized by Stella. who was assisted too by Beryl Lord and Mrs Beard. Sunday Evening services were changed to afternoons at 3pm.
Early in1931 concern was expressed at the lapse of interest amongst the people in the village and steps were take in co-operation with Mr Bert Clarke for young people from the High Street Church at Saffron Walden to form a Mission Band, a team of workers to help the mission.
In March Pastor Berry gave an interesting talk about life in Africa ( I think he was the father of Kathleen Berry, later a Deacon at the High Street Church who was the Headmistress of Dame Bradbury School, and they lived in Ashdon Road. Kathleen in retirement ended her days at a Baptist Church at Felixstowe ).
From this time attendances began to improve. On July 1st that year Bert’s father Mr Joseph Clarke led an Open Air Meeting at Audley End Village which was appreciated there and two weeks later they held one at Sewards End.
1931 was a poor harvest year with lowered yields but the people at the Mission determined to say a big Thank You to the Lord for his bounty with a fine display of flowers and the fruits of the fields, allotments and gardens, Mr Norden from Newport was the preacher and at the Harvest Home the Pastor Edgar Jackson spoke of “Life’s Necessities “, and Mr Joseph Clarke preached on “Have Faith in God” and Miss Clothier with two Sunday School scholars sang.
The High Street Church made the best of a poor harvest too and were able to distribute 240 eggs to local folk.
In January 1932 the High Street Deacons agreed that a Special Meeting be held at the Mission, the pastor and deacons attending, and all the village invited to consider how the work could be improved upon. They accepted Mr William Cornell in his offer to do all he could to prosper the work along with Mr Bert Clarke’s help and they agreed that they should pray daily for Sewards End.
Later in the year the Deacons decided they would close the building due to it’s dangerous condition and the heavy cost of repairs The repairs were carried out by Mr Faircloth at a cost of over £25, half of which was donated by Mr W Cowell and early in 1933 the chapel was in use again and a Service of Song entitled ”Daddy” was presented by the Baptist Choir with Mr Bert Clarke reading the connecting readings. Earlier it had been presented at High Street and £5 was raised to be given to the Mayor’s Fund for the Unemployed.
In April a successful social took place presided over by Mr Arthur Coote, a name long since associated with Sewards End in Baptist memory. At Whitsun Mr John Banks of the Salvation Army at Wimbish led their worship in a well supported service,
Despite the repairs, in early June part of the ceiling fell down. Clearly a drastic decision lay near for the future of this cause,
Much of the above information comes from some copies we have in our archives of The Monthly Leaflet for those years distributed to all the homes in the Borough of Saffron Walden which included the hamlets of Audley End, Little Walden and Sewards End some 1300 homes in all. During the years of the Depression it was published alternate months.
In September 1937 Arthur Coote and Bert Clarke reported services so poorly attended that they should suspend them altogether during the winter, and just continue morning Sunday School, and that no money be spent on further repairs.
After a visit by the Eastern Area Superintendent of the Baptist Union Mr W H Tebbit the Church assisted by The Baptist Forward Movement Committee of the Essex Baptist Association went ahead with a bold plan to build a new Mission Hall. It was ti be a dual purpose building on land near Lord’s Garage next to the Post Office General store in Walden Road on land donated by Mr T Jarvis free of any charge after attempts to rebuild on the old site foundered for want of planning permission and when Mr Wells, a farmer, was unable to sell land behind it.
The great day of Opening was December 15th 1938 and special coaches were run by Viceroy Coaches ( Moores ) of Saffron Walden to bring folk up from Walden. Dr F M Goadby DCL who lived in a house next to Barkley’s Bank now (2007) the Maze Restaurant opened the building and the Rev’d Bert Savill of Huddersfield, so long a friend of Sewards End, was the Guest Preacher. Tea was served at sixpence each ( 2.5pence ). Greetings were conveyed by the Mayor Alderman Ellis Rooke. JP, the Rev’d M E Gawne representing the Vicar, and the Rev R Edwards, representing the Free Church Council.
The building had been planned by Mr Donald Purkiss, then studying architecture, and carried out by volunteers under the directions of Don’s father Mr E Frank Purkiss a local builder living in Audley Road, Saffron Walden. The Minister, Sidney Gray, laid many of the bricks himself. Sidney loved mixing cement and had already built his own garage next to his home at Walden.
The building was solidly built in brick with cement and red brick dressings, and with an ample tree lined driveway to the road. It was built to sit 60 people, and had a lean to kitchen/storeroom attached. The old property was sold for £30. Evening services were resumed with the Minister presiding once a quarter and the name of the weekly preacher announced at worship at Walden each morning so that the congregation could pray for the preacher and the congregation.
From January 1939 Mrs Jarvis was paid £4 a year to serve as caretaker. The Deacons had to consider a request to use the Mission for refugees in case of invasion or national war emergency; although had it happened it could have been requisitioned anyway.
Self government came in 1944 when a joint committee of Sewards End and Saffron Walden congregations representatives was set up.
The first members of the Committee we re Miss Ethel Newton ( who by 1974 when this was researched had married and was Mrs E Savill) Mr Bert Clarke., Mr Cyril Gayler, Mrs B Wiseman, Mr E Burt, and Mrs Osborne with Rev Sidney Gray as chairman, Mr Bert Clarke was elected Secretary/Superintendent, and Mr E Burt was elected Treasurer. The committee voted the caretaker a 100% rise to £8 a year.
A Communicants Roll was drawn up which at it’s peak numbered 18. But one man was declined in his application to the Roll because of his habitual drinking but welcomed to the Lord’s table like any other.
On August 29th 1945 a special service was held when gifts were dedicated to the work of God at Sewards End. These included a Communion Service set in memory of Mr and Mrs George Savill parents of Rev Bert Savill, of Gold Street, Mr Savill being a baker, along with a Reading Desk , in memory of Mr Joseph Clarke.
The Rev’d Gray led the Service and the Guest Speakers were Rev’d Edgar Jackson, and Rev‘d Robert Catt, the Minister of Saffron Walden General Baptist Church, which was known as Catt’s Chapel, he having been minister there from 1914 and onwards to 1957. 56 people attended including friends from Saffron Walden.
The gifts were given by the families of those they commemorated and were transferred to the Walden Church when this Mission finally closed down.
In view of Bert Clarke’s move to Germany as a missionary to undertake relief work with the Salvation Army, Mr E Burt was on Sept 14th 1945 appointed temporary acting-Superintendent to hold the line and stand in the gap, until Mr Arthur Coote was demobilised from His Majesty‘s Forces to take up this task.
Miss Ethel Newton became Secretary and Mrs B Wiseman became Sunday School leader.
In June 1946 Arthur Coote became Superintendent and Leader of the Sunday School and Mr Bert Cornell succeeded to the secretary-ship. Organists were Mrs Scrimshaw and Mr Percy Swan. A Women’s Own fellowship meeting was begun and Mrs B Wiseman was it’s Leader. ( for readers who do not know of her, she was the mother of Miss Phyllis Wiseman who was very active in our church in the last years of the 20th century as a Deacon and a Pastoral carer). Mrs Hagger became Women’s Own organist, and the Mission had as an organ a harmonium.
In September 1946 a decision was made that hit visitors for many years afterwards and over the platform was painted on the wall in colour the text “ JESUS CHRIST, the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever” At a later date such texts on walls or hanging in frames in people’s homes, went out of fashion and it was sadly painted over.
To the Church Annual General Meeting of 1947 Phyllis Wiseman sent a report of the newly formed Girl’s Life Brigade at Sewards End. At that meeting it was decided to send 20 copies of the New Testament to Bert Clarke in Germany for free distribution ( Bert eventually returned to live in Andover and to retire to Thaxted ).
At the 1948 Annual General Meeting Arthur reported that the Sunday school had again won the Large shield for the Scripture Examination of the Cambridge & District Sunday School Union. From 1947 - 1950 no other Sunday school stood a chance of wining it. In 1948 regular prayer meetings were resumed.
In 1949 Mr Raymond Guthrie of the Caravan Mission to Village Children led a Tent Mission for the children of the village. On St Georges Day 1950 a Scout Parade was held and Miss Mary Turnbull of the Girl’s Life Brigade led the service for that.
In 1950 the Sunday school closed though it was restarted at a ;later date. However for the boys Arthur organized on a Sunday a Boy Scouts Own Meeting. And that provided a valuable ministry.
One of those scouts “Nipper” Richman became a Christian, and became Leader of the Christian Union at Newport Grammar School which in turn influenced the conversion to Christ of me, John Maddams, in 1954 and when I was secretary of the briefly operating Old Newportonian Christian Fellowship Nipper was a member of that and in training to become a teacher and in that career he had influence in the service of Christ to other boys and girls, and later on he became a Deacon of a Baptist Church at Luton.
If Sewards End was ever scoffed over as being a tiny cause it’s influence has been widespread as many can testify.
At the time of opening up the Boy Scout’s Own, Mrs B Wiseman opened up her home to hold a Sunday morning class for the girls. One of the girls from Sewards End later became Leader of the Sunday School at Great Chesterford Congregationalist Church.
In the autumn of 1950 Mr Fred Byatt who had taken on the roll of secretary, resigned, and Mrs Ethel Savill, formerly Ethel Newton, took on the task. In 1952 the Sunday school since it’s reformation had grown to 15 children with Miss V Warrilaw as it’s Leader assisted by Miss Jean Staley (grand daughter of former Supt, Joseph Clarke.) and Mrs Foster was appointed as pastoral visitor to the people who were unwell.
An invitation was made to the North West Essex Fellowship of Baptist Churches founded in 1947, to hold their Annual Rally there. Whether they did we have no record, but they would have needed to make it an open air event as the Mission Hall seated only 60 and the Churches in that Fellowship included Ashdon, Radwinter, Great Sampford, Thaxted, Farnham, Bishop’s Stratford , Matching Green, Potter Street Harlow, and Old Harlow.
In 1952 the Mission Committee began making grants of ten shillings each at Christmas to deserving members of then congregation. Services were sometimes led by Raymond Guthrie or the Salvation Army from Wimbish led by John Banks.
In 1953 they adopted the practice at their worship services of praying in trn according to an issue Prayer Call Rota for all the churches in the Essex Baptist association ) in my 1974 notes I expressed the point that we could well emulate their practice then instead of only selfishly praying for ourselves when it is our turn on the Rota. Now in 2007 we never pray for the other churches of the Association in our normal worship services,
In the Spring of 1954 the Saffron Walden Free Church Federal Council organized a week’s mission at Sewards End led by the Revd Hugh Wrigley of Ashdon ( who later moved to a Strict Baptist Church at Margate) and by the Walden minister Rev Len Addicott. ( who later moved to Earls’ Hall Southend and then Blackheath in London and died at Histon)
From that year onwards a Special Christmas Service was arranged for the young people of the mission with a Christmas Tree and a gift for each one.
In 1955 the Mission received 2 gifts A flower vase from the family of the late Mrs Mares, and a Pulpit Bible from Miss Florence Cornell ( both later used at the Walden Church) Another person who helped Arthur was Faith Daw, later Faith Clayden
Also Mrs Bywaters mother of the more recently late Keith Bywaters was for some years organist to the Women’s Own
In 1956 new efforts were made to stimulate interesting the village with special meetings and invitation leaflets were distributed to every home. These meetings included a visit from Rev J H Poole from Great Sampford who had been a missionary in Trinidad, and later returned there.
Other meetings included Raymond Guthrie with filmstrips, The local Road Safety Officer with films, the Minister Horace Webb with filmstrips about the life of William Grenfell, and the Passion Play. Mr Eric Swan local preacher and local school teacher gave an illustrated lecture about life in Malaya, Some services were led by students of the Saffron Walden Teachers Training College and the Young Peoples Witness Team from Walden.
Members of these two groups included Anne Wright a student from Worcester, and Richard F Coote born in 1941, only child and son of Arthur Coote and his wife Ivy who did so much for the Mission over a 20 year span, These two young people became friends and lovers and married at Worcester in 1962.
After he committed himself to Jesus Christ at the age of 14 at a Relay Rally at Saffron Walden at which he was a choir member in 1955 from the Billy Graham Crusade at Kelvin Hall in Scotland, Richard helped even more at Sewards End Mission, and as Assistant Scout Master of the Free Church Scouts at Walden. He also , served in the Sunday School and Youth Fellowship. He served for a time as Scripture Union Branch Secretary.
At Worcester he was a Leader of the Christian Endeavour Society at Rainbow Hill Baptist Mission and Sunday School superintendent . He went on to follow in his father’s footsteps further as a Lay Preacher and as Deacon of Sansom Walk Baptist Church at Worcester.
When the Mission became an independent BU Baptist Church he served for a time there as Deacon. For nearly 40 years he worked at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company,
He and Anne had two fine children Mary and David both married. Richard and Anne had two grand daughters. Richard was a very good gardener and allotment holder and David took up horticulture as a career. Richard retired at 60 and took up bowling. He and Anne went on a cruise to the Arctic and to other places overseas, including a visit to China. He was noted as a quiet friendly man, generous hearted and with an impish sense of humour.
Richard died in 2007 aged 65.
Leaflets from the Drummond Tract depot and the Epworth Press overprinted with local information were distributed to homes in the village.
Advertising help came from the Runnymede Press in the village, run by Mr Hodgekinson and his son, whose wife and mother was a member of the Mission Congregation. They printed the posters for Saffron Walden District Youth for Christ events and labels for MCC (later Lighthouse Prayer Ministry)
In September 1959 the Women’s Own began their new session with a Rally welcoming women friends from Sampford, Hempstead, Ashdon and Walden. Mrs E G Harris from Langley was the guest speaker, her husband then minister of Langley Baptist Church was Secretary of the European Christian Mission. The Soloist was Mr Ivan Cane a teacher at the Friends school. It was a beautiful day and they had Tea outside under the spreading chestnut trees.
During the 1960’s work at Sewards end floundered but the Mission Hall was renovated and redecorated and it was then that the famous wall text was painted out.
Home Visitation was carried out in the village but people showed little interest in the Mission. John Maddams and Richard Coote distributed “CHALLENGE “ The Good News Paper, and the London City Mission magazine “MESSENGER“.
About that time they also did so at Wimbish, where the United Mission Chapel pioneered by the Walden Baptist and Congregationalist churches foundered. The Walden Baptist declined to take it over as an outreach facility and it was sold as a private home.
A similar fate befell the Friends Evangelistic Band Mission at Hadstock, the chapels at Hinxton, Little Walden, and Radwinter, and the similarly set up Debden Mission. Debden Pentecostal Church ran a Good News Club at Wimbish for time taking over the former Salvation Army Hall. This was a time of retrenchment of Free Churches in many local vacillates. Methodist Churches at Hempstead, Arkesden, Little Chesterford followed the same fate and the Congregationalist Churches at Wenden and Widdington.
So the writing was on the wall for Sewards End. After Arthur Coote retired from ill health George Coston and John Maddams were considered by the Church at Walden as possible successors but finally the Church Meeting by a small
majority decided to close the cause down completely and sell the land,
The Borough Council Rating Officer Mr Aubrey Copping, one of the Walden deacons reported that there would be no more building there in the foreseeable future. The Church’s Insurance Agent Mr T H Powell opposed the move on the grounds that when he had his house built at Walden at the top of Blacklands Close the Council had assured him that there would be no more houses built to block his view of the lovely countryside out towards Shortgrove Park yet now he was surrounded by new homes.
A number of folk died and the congregations had fallen significantly so the final decision was upheld.
MCC (now Lighthouse Prayer Ministry) maintained an adjacent hired advertising site for some time afterwards displaying Gospel Texts.
The MacKay and Wiseman families moved to homes in Walden, and the few remaining congregation members were brought into Walden Sunday by Sunday by car.
In 1966 the Mission Hall was sold to become part of a private home 8 years later
In 1969 money from the sale was used towards the purchase of the new Manse at Walden at 31 Linton Close for successive ministers thereafter.
Mr Copping was proved wrong and Mr Powell’s views were upheld in that during the mid 1970’s many new homes were built at Sewards End and others since, Close to the old earlier mission site is now a fine new Village Hall and land adjacent to it is being created into a Village Green.
The house that absorbed the Mission Hall was bought in the 1980‘s by Trevor and Yvonne Morton, members of the Walden congregation, whose sons passed through the Walden based Boy’s Brigade Company of which Yvonne for over15 years since 1988 served as BB Company Treasurer, and more recently as a Deacon at Walden. Their daughter Rachael now a teacher was also a member of the congregation and helped run the BB Anchor Boys section for some time.
So for some years Boys Brigade and Sunday Club staff social evenings were held at their home partly in what had been the old mission hall. Yvonne and Trevor sold up in 2007 and moved into Walden where they have a business.
The Church presence there for some years afterwards was the Church of England Chapel.
But it closed down for a time but was later restarted. So remains today’s Christian Witness there.
Sewards End Mission lives on in the lives of all who remain alive who were associated in any way with it Until they and all who come to know Jesus Christ through them has died and passed on Sewards End Mission will continue to love.
If anyone reading this can add anything to the story please write by post to Church Archivist Saffron Walden Baptist Church, Audley Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3HD
JEM May 6th 2007
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Read by over 400 people on the previous site we used
About the Baptist Mission to Sewards End”1863-1963 Written by John E Maddams
Today Sewards End is a village on the road to Radwinter, It has the status of a Parish within the Uttlesford District and it has a Councilor on that District Council.
One of the larger communities of Uttlesford, the largest in fact, is the town of Saffron Walden. For many centuries it had the status of a Borough and from 1836 a Municipal Borough and Sewards End, Little Walden and Audley End were hamlets within the Borough. From 1974 Sewards End was a ward of Saffron Walden until in this century it became a Parish.
It has an Anglican Chapel of ease and a Village Hall. It is acquiring a Village Green
Earlier in the last century it had 2 pubs and a post office-store, and a Baptist Mission Hall built in 1938.
There have been Baptists since the middle of the 19th century when the place was sometimes called Sewers End and maybe earlier, who worshipped at Saffron Walden or later at Ashdon. In 1898 five Saffron Walden Baptist Church members lived there and others along the road to Walden.
Just as Abbey Lane Congregationalist Church had taken an interest in Little Walden and one of the Player family had provided a Congregationalist Chapel there, which is now a house, so the Baptists worked at Sewards End visiting homes to make contacts, and care for the sick and the dying, tracting, holding open air meetings and trying to interest the children.
Peter Johnson, the Town Missioner ,and a member of Upper Meeting Baptist congregation wanted to set up a regular meeting there and some residents wanted him to read a sermon there weekly.
However the Town Mission committee could not see that as part of their constitution. Peter came from Clerkenwell. He was the first of 4 missioners who served the ecumenical Town Mission set up in 1842, pioneered by Wyatt George Gibson and other Quakers, and Baptist Minister Josiah Wilkinson with support from the other local churches.
Peter listed all the homes he visited and that included two thirds of the home of Sewards End, the poor people’s homes. Later ex-policeman Solomon Barton who lived in London road was appointed Missioner .
In one of his journal he mentions visiting the homes of Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Moore of Sewers End Road. Solomon’s responsibility was to read the Scriptures to people who could not read, and distributed many tracts
The task of the Missioner was to visit the poor in their homes and not to organize meetings as this was regarded as the role of the churches.
However he was involved in 1862 in meetings in a barn at Sewards End belonging to a sympathetic land owner.( Wyatt George Gibson). This had been started at the request of two women who felt that to such a meeting the men might come. Maybe it was these two women Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Moore.
This Barn meeting was visited by people from Painters Farm and Cole End who crowded in on summer evenings including a great number of boys, to hear the Scriptures read, and hear prayer. There were also a number of men of whom Solomon wrote “I dare say never goes to any other place of worship”
Solomon found these meetings rewarding for his people became more willing to discuss religious feelings with him. He planned from his own pocket to buy lamps so they could meet during the winter but after a year working for the Town Mission it was closed down by the committee who gave him 3 months notice in 1863 .
His last monthly report was ignored as unsuitable and not connected with the Mission, for his reports had become filled with references to people in all kinds of moral and physical poverty and the need to help them; whereas he was only appointed to read the Scriptures and distribute tracts. So he had overstepped the mark of his role and displeased the people who funded the Town Mission.
However on October 26th 1863 Peter Smith, shopkeeper of Sewers End, had his house registered and certified as a place of worship for the purposes of the Particular Baptists as a place where weddings could take place. So we assume that those barn meetings were the start of the Baptist Mission congregation there, A ministry that lasted 100 years.
Solomon Barton disappears from our records but the Walden Baptist Church was served by 3 Barton’s as Deacons
In 1862 James Barton became Deacon. In 1878 David Barton of West Road a local men’s outfitter became Deacon and went on to be Church Treasurer. in 1905 a Frederick c Barton became Deacon and then Church Secretary.
There appears to be no other written record or evidence of that work until the early 20th century but by then the old Mission Meeting House was located on land rented from the Gibson Family. It was located on the East side of the road between the Water Tower and the Fox Public House, or as we might say today, the Village Hall. By the later 20th century the dilapidated wooden building was regarded as a small shed.
In 1903 the Walden Deacons heard with concern of the dangerous state of the building, and suspended the Sunday school while team inspected it led by the pastor John Young, and the Church Secretary Mr Nunn, together with Mr Robert Cowell, and representing the Gibson Estate Mr Favill Tuke. As there is no further report of action we assume repairs were carried out.
In 1905 Mr Nunn reported to the Deacons on a successful series of Special Services there and reported that new floor coverings had been laid on the platform and two new lamps obtained. At that same time money was being collected towards buying a portable organ costing £7. The High Street Baptist Young People were eagerly helping the Mission. Mr Nunn appeared to be in charge,
In July 1910 a Mr Rowntree was given permission for a Boy Scouts meeting to be held regularly in the Mission Room, and for the Mothers Meeting to use it both at an apparently annual rent of £1. This may be the reason why shortly afterwards Mr Tuke asked that their Mission Hall rent paid to the Estate be increased to two pound ten shillings per year. (£2.50p) plus rates.
In 1910 two of the Wiseman family were transferred to Radwinter to the newly formed society there - Radwinter Baptist Mission, a “church plant” from Ashdon.
By this time reports about the Mission were given to the Saffron Walden Church by Superintendent Mr Robert Catt (the local PRU Insurance agency collector, who was a Deacon and Church Treasurer at High Street Saffron Walden Baptist Church and later from 1914 - 1957 was pastor of the Hill Street General Baptist Church Saffron Walden, known in later year’s as Catt’s Chapel.)
Another person who reported on Sewards End as Superintendent from 1914 was Mr Joseph Clark. He was the father of Mrs Doris (Dolly) Stalley a deacon at Walden in the mid 20th century, and grandfather of Miss Jean Stalley who died just a few years ago.
The Caretaker in 1912 was a Mrs Archer, Our archives have Minutes for Saffron Walden‘s Baptist Sunday School founded in 1806, from 1904 ( now in Essex County Records Office) and at that time the Sunday School Superintendent at Sewards End was a Mr Cowell and it was run in association with the school at Walden, The children there also joined in with those from Walden Town for their Annual Treat to which they travelled either in a horse drawn wagon or in 1908 in one of Mr Tanner’s wholesale grocery delivery vans.
From 1912 both schools came under the leadership of Mr Lewis Gardiner
In 1914 an epidemic at Sewards End closed down the Mission Sunday School and they had to organise a separate Treat In 1915 Mr Wilson took over teaching there from Mr Austen.
Mr Gardiner had been killed in the Great War 1914-1918 when his troopship was sunk. He went as a Medic. By 1922 Sewards End children were being driven to Treats by motor car and had their own teams in the sports events of the day.
In 1926 Miss Margaret Gibson donated the premises to the Church at Walden, and in 1927 the Deacons of High Street became Trustees of the property.
In March 1929 Mr Joseph Clarke resigned as Superintendent and thanks expressed to him were also extended to Miss Stella Trew the Mission organized. Mr Clarke was presented with 2 books and a walking stick at a social evening with a programme organized by Stella.
The Harvest Thanksgiving that year a traditional event was also organized by Stella. who was assisted too by Beryl Lord and Mrs Beard. Sunday Evening services were changed to afternoons at 3pm.
Early in1931 concern was expressed at the lapse of interest amongst the people in the village and steps were take in co-operation with Mr Bert Clarke for young people from the High Street Church at Saffron Walden to form a Mission Band, a team of workers to help the mission.
In March Pastor Berry gave an interesting talk about life in Africa ( I think he was the father of Kathleen Berry, later a Deacon at the High Street Church who was the Headmistress of Dame Bradbury School, and they lived in Ashdon Road. Kathleen in retirement ended her days at a Baptist Church at Felixstowe ).
From this time attendances began to improve. On July 1st that year Bert’s father Mr Joseph Clarke led an Open Air Meeting at Audley End Village which was appreciated there and two weeks later they held one at Sewards End.
1931 was a poor harvest year with lowered yields but the people at the Mission determined to say a big Thank You to the Lord for his bounty with a fine display of flowers and the fruits of the fields, allotments and gardens, Mr Norden from Newport was the preacher and at the Harvest Home the Pastor Edgar Jackson spoke of “Life’s Necessities “, and Mr Joseph Clarke preached on “Have Faith in God” and Miss Clothier with two Sunday School scholars sang.
The High Street Church made the best of a poor harvest too and were able to distribute 240 eggs to local folk.
In January 1932 the High Street Deacons agreed that a Special Meeting be held at the Mission, the pastor and deacons attending, and all the village invited to consider how the work could be improved upon. They accepted Mr William Cornell in his offer to do all he could to prosper the work along with Mr Bert Clarke’s help and they agreed that they should pray daily for Sewards End.
Later in the year the Deacons decided they would close the building due to it’s dangerous condition and the heavy cost of repairs The repairs were carried out by Mr Faircloth at a cost of over £25, half of which was donated by Mr W Cowell and early in 1933 the chapel was in use again and a Service of Song entitled ”Daddy” was presented by the Baptist Choir with Mr Bert Clarke reading the connecting readings. Earlier it had been presented at High Street and £5 was raised to be given to the Mayor’s Fund for the Unemployed.
In April a successful social took place presided over by Mr Arthur Coote, a name long since associated with Sewards End in Baptist memory. At Whitsun Mr John Banks of the Salvation Army at Wimbish led their worship in a well supported service,
Despite the repairs, in early June part of the ceiling fell down. Clearly a drastic decision lay near for the future of this cause,
Much of the above information comes from some copies we have in our archives of The Monthly Leaflet for those years distributed to all the homes in the Borough of Saffron Walden which included the hamlets of Audley End, Little Walden and Sewards End some 1300 homes in all. During the years of the Depression it was published alternate months.
In September 1937 Arthur Coote and Bert Clarke reported services so poorly attended that they should suspend them altogether during the winter, and just continue morning Sunday School, and that no money be spent on further repairs.
After a visit by the Eastern Area Superintendent of the Baptist Union Mr W H Tebbit the Church assisted by The Baptist Forward Movement Committee of the Essex Baptist Association went ahead with a bold plan to build a new Mission Hall. It was ti be a dual purpose building on land near Lord’s Garage next to the Post Office General store in Walden Road on land donated by Mr T Jarvis free of any charge after attempts to rebuild on the old site foundered for want of planning permission and when Mr Wells, a farmer, was unable to sell land behind it.
The great day of Opening was December 15th 1938 and special coaches were run by Viceroy Coaches ( Moores ) of Saffron Walden to bring folk up from Walden. Dr F M Goadby DCL who lived in a house next to Barkley’s Bank now (2007) the Maze Restaurant opened the building and the Rev’d Bert Savill of Huddersfield, so long a friend of Sewards End, was the Guest Preacher. Tea was served at sixpence each ( 2.5pence ). Greetings were conveyed by the Mayor Alderman Ellis Rooke. JP, the Rev’d M E Gawne representing the Vicar, and the Rev R Edwards, representing the Free Church Council.
The building had been planned by Mr Donald Purkiss, then studying architecture, and carried out by volunteers under the directions of Don’s father Mr E Frank Purkiss a local builder living in Audley Road, Saffron Walden. The Minister, Sidney Gray, laid many of the bricks himself. Sidney loved mixing cement and had already built his own garage next to his home at Walden.
The building was solidly built in brick with cement and red brick dressings, and with an ample tree lined driveway to the road. It was built to sit 60 people, and had a lean to kitchen/storeroom attached. The old property was sold for £30. Evening services were resumed with the Minister presiding once a quarter and the name of the weekly preacher announced at worship at Walden each morning so that the congregation could pray for the preacher and the congregation.
From January 1939 Mrs Jarvis was paid £4 a year to serve as caretaker. The Deacons had to consider a request to use the Mission for refugees in case of invasion or national war emergency; although had it happened it could have been requisitioned anyway.
Self government came in 1944 when a joint committee of Sewards End and Saffron Walden congregations representatives was set up.
The first members of the Committee we re Miss Ethel Newton ( who by 1974 when this was researched had married and was Mrs E Savill) Mr Bert Clarke., Mr Cyril Gayler, Mrs B Wiseman, Mr E Burt, and Mrs Osborne with Rev Sidney Gray as chairman, Mr Bert Clarke was elected Secretary/Superintendent, and Mr E Burt was elected Treasurer. The committee voted the caretaker a 100% rise to £8 a year.
A Communicants Roll was drawn up which at it’s peak numbered 18. But one man was declined in his application to the Roll because of his habitual drinking but welcomed to the Lord’s table like any other.
On August 29th 1945 a special service was held when gifts were dedicated to the work of God at Sewards End. These included a Communion Service set in memory of Mr and Mrs George Savill parents of Rev Bert Savill, of Gold Street, Mr Savill being a baker, along with a Reading Desk , in memory of Mr Joseph Clarke.
The Rev’d Gray led the Service and the Guest Speakers were Rev’d Edgar Jackson, and Rev‘d Robert Catt, the Minister of Saffron Walden General Baptist Church, which was known as Catt’s Chapel, he having been minister there from 1914 and onwards to 1957. 56 people attended including friends from Saffron Walden.
The gifts were given by the families of those they commemorated and were transferred to the Walden Church when this Mission finally closed down.
In view of Bert Clarke’s move to Germany as a missionary to undertake relief work with the Salvation Army, Mr E Burt was on Sept 14th 1945 appointed temporary acting-Superintendent to hold the line and stand in the gap, until Mr Arthur Coote was demobilised from His Majesty‘s Forces to take up this task.
Miss Ethel Newton became Secretary and Mrs B Wiseman became Sunday School leader.
In June 1946 Arthur Coote became Superintendent and Leader of the Sunday School and Mr Bert Cornell succeeded to the secretary-ship. Organists were Mrs Scrimshaw and Mr Percy Swan. A Women’s Own fellowship meeting was begun and Mrs B Wiseman was it’s Leader. ( for readers who do not know of her, she was the mother of Miss Phyllis Wiseman who was very active in our church in the last years of the 20th century as a Deacon and a Pastoral carer). Mrs Hagger became Women’s Own organist, and the Mission had as an organ a harmonium.
In September 1946 a decision was made that hit visitors for many years afterwards and over the platform was painted on the wall in colour the text “ JESUS CHRIST, the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever” At a later date such texts on walls or hanging in frames in people’s homes, went out of fashion and it was sadly painted over.
To the Church Annual General Meeting of 1947 Phyllis Wiseman sent a report of the newly formed Girl’s Life Brigade at Sewards End. At that meeting it was decided to send 20 copies of the New Testament to Bert Clarke in Germany for free distribution ( Bert eventually returned to live in Andover and to retire to Thaxted ).
At the 1948 Annual General Meeting Arthur reported that the Sunday school had again won the Large shield for the Scripture Examination of the Cambridge & District Sunday School Union. From 1947 - 1950 no other Sunday school stood a chance of wining it. In 1948 regular prayer meetings were resumed.
In 1949 Mr Raymond Guthrie of the Caravan Mission to Village Children led a Tent Mission for the children of the village. On St Georges Day 1950 a Scout Parade was held and Miss Mary Turnbull of the Girl’s Life Brigade led the service for that.
In 1950 the Sunday school closed though it was restarted at a ;later date. However for the boys Arthur organized on a Sunday a Boy Scouts Own Meeting. And that provided a valuable ministry.
One of those scouts “Nipper” Richman became a Christian, and became Leader of the Christian Union at Newport Grammar School which in turn influenced the conversion to Christ of me, John Maddams, in 1954 and when I was secretary of the briefly operating Old Newportonian Christian Fellowship Nipper was a member of that and in training to become a teacher and in that career he had influence in the service of Christ to other boys and girls, and later on he became a Deacon of a Baptist Church at Luton.
If Sewards End was ever scoffed over as being a tiny cause it’s influence has been widespread as many can testify.
At the time of opening up the Boy Scout’s Own, Mrs B Wiseman opened up her home to hold a Sunday morning class for the girls. One of the girls from Sewards End later became Leader of the Sunday School at Great Chesterford Congregationalist Church.
In the autumn of 1950 Mr Fred Byatt who had taken on the roll of secretary, resigned, and Mrs Ethel Savill, formerly Ethel Newton, took on the task. In 1952 the Sunday school since it’s reformation had grown to 15 children with Miss V Warrilaw as it’s Leader assisted by Miss Jean Staley (grand daughter of former Supt, Joseph Clarke.) and Mrs Foster was appointed as pastoral visitor to the people who were unwell.
An invitation was made to the North West Essex Fellowship of Baptist Churches founded in 1947, to hold their Annual Rally there. Whether they did we have no record, but they would have needed to make it an open air event as the Mission Hall seated only 60 and the Churches in that Fellowship included Ashdon, Radwinter, Great Sampford, Thaxted, Farnham, Bishop’s Stratford , Matching Green, Potter Street Harlow, and Old Harlow.
In 1952 the Mission Committee began making grants of ten shillings each at Christmas to deserving members of then congregation. Services were sometimes led by Raymond Guthrie or the Salvation Army from Wimbish led by John Banks.
In 1953 they adopted the practice at their worship services of praying in trn according to an issue Prayer Call Rota for all the churches in the Essex Baptist association ) in my 1974 notes I expressed the point that we could well emulate their practice then instead of only selfishly praying for ourselves when it is our turn on the Rota. Now in 2007 we never pray for the other churches of the Association in our normal worship services,
In the Spring of 1954 the Saffron Walden Free Church Federal Council organized a week’s mission at Sewards End led by the Revd Hugh Wrigley of Ashdon ( who later moved to a Strict Baptist Church at Margate) and by the Walden minister Rev Len Addicott. ( who later moved to Earls’ Hall Southend and then Blackheath in London and died at Histon)
From that year onwards a Special Christmas Service was arranged for the young people of the mission with a Christmas Tree and a gift for each one.
In 1955 the Mission received 2 gifts A flower vase from the family of the late Mrs Mares, and a Pulpit Bible from Miss Florence Cornell ( both later used at the Walden Church) Another person who helped Arthur was Faith Daw, later Faith Clayden
Also Mrs Bywaters mother of the more recently late Keith Bywaters was for some years organist to the Women’s Own
In 1956 new efforts were made to stimulate interesting the village with special meetings and invitation leaflets were distributed to every home. These meetings included a visit from Rev J H Poole from Great Sampford who had been a missionary in Trinidad, and later returned there.
Other meetings included Raymond Guthrie with filmstrips, The local Road Safety Officer with films, the Minister Horace Webb with filmstrips about the life of William Grenfell, and the Passion Play. Mr Eric Swan local preacher and local school teacher gave an illustrated lecture about life in Malaya, Some services were led by students of the Saffron Walden Teachers Training College and the Young Peoples Witness Team from Walden.
Members of these two groups included Anne Wright a student from Worcester, and Richard F Coote born in 1941, only child and son of Arthur Coote and his wife Ivy who did so much for the Mission over a 20 year span, These two young people became friends and lovers and married at Worcester in 1962.
After he committed himself to Jesus Christ at the age of 14 at a Relay Rally at Saffron Walden at which he was a choir member in 1955 from the Billy Graham Crusade at Kelvin Hall in Scotland, Richard helped even more at Sewards End Mission, and as Assistant Scout Master of the Free Church Scouts at Walden. He also , served in the Sunday School and Youth Fellowship. He served for a time as Scripture Union Branch Secretary.
At Worcester he was a Leader of the Christian Endeavour Society at Rainbow Hill Baptist Mission and Sunday School superintendent . He went on to follow in his father’s footsteps further as a Lay Preacher and as Deacon of Sansom Walk Baptist Church at Worcester.
When the Mission became an independent BU Baptist Church he served for a time there as Deacon. For nearly 40 years he worked at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company,
He and Anne had two fine children Mary and David both married. Richard and Anne had two grand daughters. Richard was a very good gardener and allotment holder and David took up horticulture as a career. Richard retired at 60 and took up bowling. He and Anne went on a cruise to the Arctic and to other places overseas, including a visit to China. He was noted as a quiet friendly man, generous hearted and with an impish sense of humour.
Richard died in 2007 aged 65.
Leaflets from the Drummond Tract depot and the Epworth Press overprinted with local information were distributed to homes in the village.
Advertising help came from the Runnymede Press in the village, run by Mr Hodgekinson and his son, whose wife and mother was a member of the Mission Congregation. They printed the posters for Saffron Walden District Youth for Christ events and labels for MCC (later Lighthouse Prayer Ministry)
In September 1959 the Women’s Own began their new session with a Rally welcoming women friends from Sampford, Hempstead, Ashdon and Walden. Mrs E G Harris from Langley was the guest speaker, her husband then minister of Langley Baptist Church was Secretary of the European Christian Mission. The Soloist was Mr Ivan Cane a teacher at the Friends school. It was a beautiful day and they had Tea outside under the spreading chestnut trees.
During the 1960’s work at Sewards end floundered but the Mission Hall was renovated and redecorated and it was then that the famous wall text was painted out.
Home Visitation was carried out in the village but people showed little interest in the Mission. John Maddams and Richard Coote distributed “CHALLENGE “ The Good News Paper, and the London City Mission magazine “MESSENGER“.
About that time they also did so at Wimbish, where the United Mission Chapel pioneered by the Walden Baptist and Congregationalist churches foundered. The Walden Baptist declined to take it over as an outreach facility and it was sold as a private home.
A similar fate befell the Friends Evangelistic Band Mission at Hadstock, the chapels at Hinxton, Little Walden, and Radwinter, and the similarly set up Debden Mission. Debden Pentecostal Church ran a Good News Club at Wimbish for time taking over the former Salvation Army Hall. This was a time of retrenchment of Free Churches in many local vacillates. Methodist Churches at Hempstead, Arkesden, Little Chesterford followed the same fate and the Congregationalist Churches at Wenden and Widdington.
So the writing was on the wall for Sewards End. After Arthur Coote retired from ill health George Coston and John Maddams were considered by the Church at Walden as possible successors but finally the Church Meeting by a small
majority decided to close the cause down completely and sell the land,
The Borough Council Rating Officer Mr Aubrey Copping, one of the Walden deacons reported that there would be no more building there in the foreseeable future. The Church’s Insurance Agent Mr T H Powell opposed the move on the grounds that when he had his house built at Walden at the top of Blacklands Close the Council had assured him that there would be no more houses built to block his view of the lovely countryside out towards Shortgrove Park yet now he was surrounded by new homes.
A number of folk died and the congregations had fallen significantly so the final decision was upheld.
MCC (now Lighthouse Prayer Ministry) maintained an adjacent hired advertising site for some time afterwards displaying Gospel Texts.
The MacKay and Wiseman families moved to homes in Walden, and the few remaining congregation members were brought into Walden Sunday by Sunday by car.
In 1966 the Mission Hall was sold to become part of a private home 8 years later
In 1969 money from the sale was used towards the purchase of the new Manse at Walden at 31 Linton Close for successive ministers thereafter.
Mr Copping was proved wrong and Mr Powell’s views were upheld in that during the mid 1970’s many new homes were built at Sewards End and others since, Close to the old earlier mission site is now a fine new Village Hall and land adjacent to it is being created into a Village Green.
The house that absorbed the Mission Hall was bought in the 1980‘s by Trevor and Yvonne Morton, members of the Walden congregation, whose sons passed through the Walden based Boy’s Brigade Company of which Yvonne for over15 years since 1988 served as BB Company Treasurer, and more recently as a Deacon at Walden. Their daughter Rachael now a teacher was also a member of the congregation and helped run the BB Anchor Boys section for some time.
So for some years Boys Brigade and Sunday Club staff social evenings were held at their home partly in what had been the old mission hall. Yvonne and Trevor sold up in 2007 and moved into Walden where they have a business.
The Church presence there for some years afterwards was the Church of England Chapel.
But it closed down for a time but was later restarted. So remains today’s Christian Witness there.
Sewards End Mission lives on in the lives of all who remain alive who were associated in any way with it Until they and all who come to know Jesus Christ through them has died and passed on Sewards End Mission will continue to love.
If anyone reading this can add anything to the story please write by post to Church Archivist Saffron Walden Baptist Church, Audley Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3HD
JEM May 6th 2007