The Old Village Hall, 1950-1976 (possibly in 1955)
Title
The Old Village Hall, 1950-1976 (possibly in 1955)
Subject
Description
For a village that has an Iron Age Hill Fort on it's outskirts (1), which existed at the time of the Norman Conquest, recorded then as having a population of "15 persons, 3 villeins and 2 bondsmen" (2) and a medieval church, founded by the 6th century St. Petrock (3), it could be said that Timberscombe went a long time without a Village Hall.
That small population in 1066 could be a reason. It took centuries for Timberscombe to ever have over 400 residents (4). There are records of meetings being held at the site of the Old Vicarage (which is visible on the left side of this photograph), where a vicarage has been since 1571. The Old Vicarage, as glimpsed here, was the result of extensive renovations between 1855 and 1864 (5).
On 1 September 1913, the vicar of St. Petrock's Church, the Rev. Herbert Henry Bell, called a meeting in the "Old Room", likely at the Old Vicarage. The focus of the meeting was plans to build a Reading Room at Timberscombe. A third of the cost had been already raised and on this evening, Rev. Bell announced that the balance of the needed money (£60) was being donated by Sir George and Lady Mary Farwell and their daughter, Maud Farwell, then living at Knowle Manor on the northeastern edge of Timberscombe. With this good news, a site was chosen on the northeast corner of the "Club Field", part of the Glebe land of the rectory farm at the southwestern end of Timberscombe. A Mr. Harrison was hired to build the Reading Room, which was completed by the end of the year. By the 18th of December, 1936, William Gibbs Morel of Bickham Manor officially flipped on the first electric light at the Reading Room (6).
The Reading Room was not a Village Hall. For one thing, it was men only. Billiards, darts and whist tables were in use and three daily newspapers were always on offer (7). Songs could be sung but only if a majority of the members in attendance agreed. By World War II, the Reading Room became a classroom for evacuees from London, West Ham, Bristol and Kent and later was utilised for military purposes (8). In February 1944, while playing with matches, a local boy accidentally burned down the Reading Room, where school desks were being stored (9).
In 1950, agreements were made to build a new Village Hall, aided by a grant from the National Council of Social Services. A lease was signed with the Diocese of Bath and Wales, to rent 416 square yards of the Glebe land just to the west of where the Reading Room had stood. Because of the nature of the church lease, no games or meetings would be allowed on Sundays, Good Friday or Christmas Day and no betting, gambling, beer or alcohol would be allowed ever (10). But women were to be admitted.
As seen in the photograph, the new Village Hall consisted of two timber nissen huts originally built in World War II, that were connected and placed in an east to west direction. Their positioning and placement in the village can be seen from a distance at SP-003. The Village Hall had a main hall, a kitchen, a billiards room, a card room and two cloakrooms.
A Deed of Trust was signed the 14th September, detailing how the Village Hall was to be run by a Village Hall Management Committee, signed by Lady Adelaide Audrey Anson, from Knowle Manor, where it was witnessed by her housemaid, Frances E. Gould and by Mary Edith Morel and Alexander Dru, successive owners of Bickham Manor, and witnessed by Bryder Gregory, Bickham's House Keeper.
The initial Village Management Committee included:
Mr. Jack Quartly, Timberscombe Parish Council
Mr. Percival Worth Stoodley, The Committee of the Produce Club
Mr. William Winter, The Committee of the Cricket Club
Mr. Frank Huxtable, The Committee of the Youth Football Club
Mr. Harry Cane, The Committee of the British Legion
Mrs. Eva Loveridge, The Committee of the Women's Institute
Mrs. Edith Baker, The Parochial Church Council
Mr. Ivan Henry Burcham, The Committee of the Conservative Association
Mr. Rodney Floyd, The Trustees of the United Methodist Chapel
Mrs. Elsie Veale, The Committee of the Mother's Union
In 1964, the Village Hall Management Committee purchased the hall from National Council of Social Services. In 1977 the land was bought by the Committee. Around this time, after much discussion with the Diocese, the rule of no alcohol was amended.
By the 1970's it was clear the timber huts were not suitable for the long haul and in 1976, they sold to a local farmer to house his sheep and another village hall was constructed. The New Village Hall is photographed at SP-092. Thus the village hall, as seen here with the children at play outside, while only erected in the early 1950's is remembered as the Old Village Hall (11).
It is likely that this photograph, depicting school children dancing at the Old Village Hall, was taken in 1955. On 1st March 1955, Miss Kenyon, a P.T. Organiser visited the Timberscombe School and the Class I students went over to the Village Hall to demonstrate some English Country dancing. Miss Kenyon had also brought some new records "for the children to demonstrate forms of movement", after which she expressed her "pleasure and satisfaction". Miss Kenyon returned on 3 May 1955 with a new P.T. Organiser, Miss MacConochie. Miss Kenyon asked if the students could again show Miss MacConochie traditional English Dancing, which they performed again at the Village Hall "and the visitors spoke of their pleasure and enjoyment" (12).
Great appreciation must be expressed to Lesley Webb and The Timberscombe Village web site for so much of this information.
That small population in 1066 could be a reason. It took centuries for Timberscombe to ever have over 400 residents (4). There are records of meetings being held at the site of the Old Vicarage (which is visible on the left side of this photograph), where a vicarage has been since 1571. The Old Vicarage, as glimpsed here, was the result of extensive renovations between 1855 and 1864 (5).
On 1 September 1913, the vicar of St. Petrock's Church, the Rev. Herbert Henry Bell, called a meeting in the "Old Room", likely at the Old Vicarage. The focus of the meeting was plans to build a Reading Room at Timberscombe. A third of the cost had been already raised and on this evening, Rev. Bell announced that the balance of the needed money (£60) was being donated by Sir George and Lady Mary Farwell and their daughter, Maud Farwell, then living at Knowle Manor on the northeastern edge of Timberscombe. With this good news, a site was chosen on the northeast corner of the "Club Field", part of the Glebe land of the rectory farm at the southwestern end of Timberscombe. A Mr. Harrison was hired to build the Reading Room, which was completed by the end of the year. By the 18th of December, 1936, William Gibbs Morel of Bickham Manor officially flipped on the first electric light at the Reading Room (6).
The Reading Room was not a Village Hall. For one thing, it was men only. Billiards, darts and whist tables were in use and three daily newspapers were always on offer (7). Songs could be sung but only if a majority of the members in attendance agreed. By World War II, the Reading Room became a classroom for evacuees from London, West Ham, Bristol and Kent and later was utilised for military purposes (8). In February 1944, while playing with matches, a local boy accidentally burned down the Reading Room, where school desks were being stored (9).
In 1950, agreements were made to build a new Village Hall, aided by a grant from the National Council of Social Services. A lease was signed with the Diocese of Bath and Wales, to rent 416 square yards of the Glebe land just to the west of where the Reading Room had stood. Because of the nature of the church lease, no games or meetings would be allowed on Sundays, Good Friday or Christmas Day and no betting, gambling, beer or alcohol would be allowed ever (10). But women were to be admitted.
As seen in the photograph, the new Village Hall consisted of two timber nissen huts originally built in World War II, that were connected and placed in an east to west direction. Their positioning and placement in the village can be seen from a distance at SP-003. The Village Hall had a main hall, a kitchen, a billiards room, a card room and two cloakrooms.
A Deed of Trust was signed the 14th September, detailing how the Village Hall was to be run by a Village Hall Management Committee, signed by Lady Adelaide Audrey Anson, from Knowle Manor, where it was witnessed by her housemaid, Frances E. Gould and by Mary Edith Morel and Alexander Dru, successive owners of Bickham Manor, and witnessed by Bryder Gregory, Bickham's House Keeper.
The initial Village Management Committee included:
Mr. Jack Quartly, Timberscombe Parish Council
Mr. Percival Worth Stoodley, The Committee of the Produce Club
Mr. William Winter, The Committee of the Cricket Club
Mr. Frank Huxtable, The Committee of the Youth Football Club
Mr. Harry Cane, The Committee of the British Legion
Mrs. Eva Loveridge, The Committee of the Women's Institute
Mrs. Edith Baker, The Parochial Church Council
Mr. Ivan Henry Burcham, The Committee of the Conservative Association
Mr. Rodney Floyd, The Trustees of the United Methodist Chapel
Mrs. Elsie Veale, The Committee of the Mother's Union
In 1964, the Village Hall Management Committee purchased the hall from National Council of Social Services. In 1977 the land was bought by the Committee. Around this time, after much discussion with the Diocese, the rule of no alcohol was amended.
By the 1970's it was clear the timber huts were not suitable for the long haul and in 1976, they sold to a local farmer to house his sheep and another village hall was constructed. The New Village Hall is photographed at SP-092. Thus the village hall, as seen here with the children at play outside, while only erected in the early 1950's is remembered as the Old Village Hall (11).
It is likely that this photograph, depicting school children dancing at the Old Village Hall, was taken in 1955. On 1st March 1955, Miss Kenyon, a P.T. Organiser visited the Timberscombe School and the Class I students went over to the Village Hall to demonstrate some English Country dancing. Miss Kenyon had also brought some new records "for the children to demonstrate forms of movement", after which she expressed her "pleasure and satisfaction". Miss Kenyon returned on 3 May 1955 with a new P.T. Organiser, Miss MacConochie. Miss Kenyon asked if the students could again show Miss MacConochie traditional English Dancing, which they performed again at the Village Hall "and the visitors spoke of their pleasure and enjoyment" (12).
Great appreciation must be expressed to Lesley Webb and The Timberscombe Village web site for so much of this information.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
possibly 1955
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Children outside the Old Village Hall / Timberscombe / Village Centre
Acquisition Date
2020
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Village Halls / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
12.5 X 18
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) Historic Environment Record, MEM15411 and MSO8313, Exmoor National Park (2) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH", by B. L. K. Henderson and G. O. E. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman & Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (3) celticsaints.org (4) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH" (5) Victoria County History.ac.uk (6) TimberscombeVillage.com/ History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ The Reading Room 1913-1944 (7) TimberscombeVillage.com and as recalled by Maurice Huxtable, a lifelong resident of Timberscombe (8) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 3 April 1910- 25 March, 1947 (9) "50 Years Ago", West Somerset Free Press, Friday, February 18, 1994 and Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, page 471 (10) TimberscombeVillage.com/ History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ Village Hall History (11) TimberscombeVillage.com and as recalled in February 2022 by Wendy Hellewell, an original member of the Timberscombe Village Hall Committee (12) as recorded by Headmistress, Kathleen A Willis in the Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 21 April 1947 -2 April 1965, pages 115 and 117
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-089
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “The Old Village Hall, 1950-1976 (possibly in 1955),” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed April 19, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3408.
Comments