A Fund Raising Opportunity – GREENSTED PARISH CHURCH 1013-1913 900th Anniversary Commemoration

Greensted Hall,
Ongar, Essex
March 1913

Dear Sir (or Madam)

We venture to ask for your support as a neighbour on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the foundation of Greensted Church. A brief history of the Church, which is probably well known to you, is set out overleaf. It is the desire of the Parishioners to commemorate worthily this historic event in the Church life of Essex. An open air service will be held on the afternoon of St Alban’s Day, June 17th, when the Bishop of the Diocese has promised to attend and preach the sermon. Your presence is cordially invited. It is further proposed to do something towards the decorative enrichment of the interior of the Church, and in particular to place a dossal and hangings at the east end, to restore the stained glass and to erect a tablet commemorating the event. It is estimated that the cost of these and other improvements will be at least £100. The parishioners who number only 92 have guaranteed £40, but inasmuch as large numbers constantly visit the Church from all parts of the County, we venture to appeal to you for a subscription. Any sums may be sent to the Treasurer of the Commemoration fund. Howel J. J. Price, Esq, Greensted, Hall, Ongar, Essex, or paid direct to Messrs, Barclays Bank, at Ongar, and will b gratefully acknowledged.

Yours faithfully,
G. B. Atkinson, Rector
Howel J. J. Price
G. N. Hoare, Churchwardens

The above is taken from a printed four-page document outlining an appeal for funds for the Church. The first page carries a photo’ image of Greensted Church and refers to the 900th Anniversary Celebration. The second page, copied above, carries an open letter requesting subscriptions, and headed 900th Anniversary Commemoration. (I am sure that most readers will know that a ‘dossal’ is an ornamental cloth, usually embroidered, hung at the back of the altar or at the sides of the chancel.) The final page, again repeated below, lists the named subscribers.

The following sums have been guaranteed

£ s. d.
Howel J. J. Price, Esq, and Mrs. Price 10 0 0
Rev. A. G. B. Atkinson 5 0 0
G. N. Hoare, Esq, and Mrs Hoare 5 0 0
E. Heron-Maxwell, Esq, and Mrs. Maxwell 5 0 0
H. G. Garrett, Esq 5 0 0
The Misses Price 5 0 0
The Rev R. D. Budworth and Mrs. Heales 5 0 0

Why the timing of the anniversary? 1913? How precise! On page three of the appeal, an article, written by the Rector. The Rev Atkinson justifies the date of the anniversary. The article is entitled The Last Wooden Church and is reprinted from the Daily News of January 8th, 1913. The justification is well known, as follows:

“The Martyred King – . . . The accredited tradition connects the foundation of the church with the history of St Edmund, the martyred King of East Anglia, who was murdered by the Danes in 870 A.D., in the 29th year of his age. The life and death of this King formed the theme for the songs of many Early English chroniclers. When the Saints body was brought from London to Edmundsbury in 1013, a temporary resting-place was afforded the remains at Greensted where the monks hastily erected a wooden chapel to give them shelter. The ancient road from London into Suffolk lay through Abridge, Stapleford, Greensted, and Dunmow, and this would be the route by which the body of the King was translated.

There is much, however, to suggest that the fabric is of still older date . . . . ”

As it stands there are inconsistencies in the story. The association of Greensted Church with St Edmund was proposed centuries after the murder of Edmund and even considerably later than the ‘foundation’ of Greensted Church in 1013.

Further, it is now known, from the recent application of techniques using dendrochronology applied to the Church timbers, that the origin of the existing Church must be revised. By their nature the dendro’ techniques tend to provide a date range rather than a precise date, and there will generally be a spread of possible ‘foundation’ dates. The current date is likely to be around the middle of the eleventh century. This again is some years later than the ‘foundation’ date assumed by Reverend Atkinson. The conclusion is that the Anglo-Saxon Church of Greensted could well be Norman!

A further inconsistency arises from the dedication of the Church. With an assumed strong association of the Church from King Edmund, it might be expected that the Church would be dedicated to St Edmund. However, the dedication is to St Andrew.

A possible solution to the problem is to assume that there was a church on the site that pre-dated the existing church. That church was dedicated to St Andrew. A new church, possibly replacing a similar wooden structure, was built at a date consistent with the dating analysis. Indeed, limited archaeological investigation of the Church has discovered post-holes indicating the presence of an earlier building on the site. The dimensions of these post-holes would suggest a smaller building than the present Church.

However, well done the Reverend Atkinson for spotting the opportunity to raise funds to enhance the fabric of the Church!