St George's church, Beckington
The parish of Beckington is now part of a benefice which includes: Berkley, Rodden, Lullington and Orchardleigh. The Beckington village website has a section on genealogy with transcripts of birth, marriage and burial registers as well as a list of names from 13 memorials in the churchyard.
There were peaks in deaths in 1742, 1760 and 1769. In 1760, 31 of the 52 burials were for children and there were 11 burials of children in December of that year.
In the mid to late 1700s the burial register entries mainly omit the forenames of children and wives referring to them as ‘child of’ and ‘wife of’.
Some 19th-century sources erromeously refer to the church as being dedicated to St Gregory rather than St George.
From A Topographical Dictionary of England (vol 1) by Samuel Lewis (7th editon 1843):
BECKINGTON (ST.GREGORY), a parish in the union and hundred of FROME, e. division of SOMERSET. 3 miles (.N.E.) from Frome; containing with the hamlet of Rudge , 1190 inhabitants. The manufacture of cloth was formerly extensively carried on, and still exists to limited degree. The living is a rectory, with that of Standerwick annexed, valued in the king’s books at £19. 11.0½ ., and in the gift of Sainsbury: the tithes have been commuted for £464, and there are 72½ acres of glebe. The church contains the remains of Samuel Daniel, poet-laureate and historian, who died here in 1619; and of William Huish, rector of the parish, and one of the editors of the Polyglott Bible, who died in 1688. There are places of worship for Particular Baptists and Wesleyans. Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells, and a distinguished statesman, was born here in 1645.
(The 3rd edition of 1835 had the church as being dedicated to St George. A report in the Western Gazette on 1945 states that the church at Beckington is dedicated to St Gregory.)
From the Bristol Mercury of Sat 11 Mar 1843 p2 col e:
A very splendid stained-glass window has just been completed in Beckington Church, near Frome.
From the Bath Chronicle of Thu 9 Ja 1851 p3 col e:
James Bourne and William Long, old offenders, were committed for trial, charged with having, on the 2d of January inst., stolen nine pounds and a half weight of copper, affixed to Beckington Church.
From the Frome Times of Wed 17 Aug 1859 p4 col c:
It was our duty, as well as pleasure, to notice a few weeks since, a beautiful Lettern manufactured by our neighbour, Mr. Singer. We are now given to understand, that this beautiful specimen of workmanship has been placed in Beckington Church, and is the gift of a lady in this neighbourhood.
From the Frome Times of Wed 18 Feb 1873 p2 col f:
We have much pleasure in noticing the fact that a bazaar in aid of the fund for discharging the debt incurred in the restoration of Beckington Church, is to be held during the ensuing summer at Standerwick Court. The bazaar will be under most distinguished patronage. The announcement is made by a printed circular which also says “the total cost of entire restoration is computed at about £2500; of this sum above £1000 is still wanting. Subscriptions are much needed, and contributions of all kinds for the bazaar will be thankfully received by the Lady Emilie Gray, Standerwick Court, near Frome, and by Miss Langford Sainsbury, Beckington Rectory, near Bath.
From the Frome Times of Wed 18 Jun 1873 p2 col f:
RE-OPENING OF BECKINGTON CHURCH
On Thursday the above Churcn, after thorough restoration of the interior and a partial restoration of the exterior, was opened for public worship. The services have been for some time past held in the parish school under considerable disadvantages, and the residents of Beckington will gladly hail the completion of the restoration. The work was entrusted to Messrs. Brown the well-known builders of Frome, and it is but just to say of these gentlemen that they have fulfilled their contract in a highly creditable manner. The hole of the plastering of the walls in the church have neem removed and the stonework pointed. Two beautiful stained glass windows have been placed in the church. The west window (“Incident in the nativity of our Saviour”), and excellent piece of workmanship, executed by Mr. Horwood, of Frome, was presented by Admiral Edgell in remembrance of Mary Edgell, of Standerwick. A small coloured glass window on the north side of the chancel is a gift of the Rector, Mr. Horwood, of Frome, having carried out this work. The subject of the design if the Evangelists with their emblems. The whole of the old windows in the church have been completely renovated and new mullions have been added to the larger ones, and the whole have been filled with cathedral glass. The smaller ones have been much improved, and the ventilation of the entire building is now, as a matter of consequence, perfect. The ceiling of yhr nave has been removed and a splendid oak roof is now shown. The south side aisle has been similarly treated; in the north aisle the old roof has been removed and a new one inserted to correspond with the others. The roof of the Vestry has also been laid open in the same way/ The roof of the chancel has been panelled and stencilled, Mr. Fricker, of Beckington, was entrusted with this portion of the restoration, and has displayed a large amount of skill in the execution of the work. A new pupil of Bath stone is a decided ornament to this church, and displays some excellent workmanship. The reredos, which is likewise entirely new, is the gift of the Rector, and is executed by Earp, Kennington, London. The arches of the reredos are in alabaster. Supported by short marble pillars. The marble cross in the centre arch is upon a ground of mosaic, and the back ground in the other arches is of a similar material. The beautiful altar cloth was presented by the Lady Emily Grey. New lamps for the chancel―supplied by Mr. Singer, of Frome―were presented by another lady. The tomb of the Lord and Lady Seymour, in the chancel, has been subject to a thorough cleansing. There are also new music desks to the choir stalls, and a new Litany stool. The tower arch, which has been for years blocked up, is now thrown open, while the large organ loft by which it was fronted has been removed. The groined ceiling of the arch has been thoroughly cleansed. The church has been completely repaved with concrete, but the chief improvement is the removal of the old pews, and the substitution of new stalls of a convenient description. An elaborately carved coat of arms, dated 1574, fixed over the South door, has been cleansed and renovated; the other monuments in the interior have also been thoroughly cleansed. There are also entirely new doors at the North, South, and Western entrances; also a new priest’s door into the Vestry. The organ has been entirely rebuilt and enlarged under the superintendence of Mr. H. J. Prosser, of Road, and the work has given complete satisfaction. The tone of the instrument is now all that can be desired. . . . The front show pipes have been decorated in a most effective manner by Messrs. Grant, bros., of Frome and Chapmanslade. The exterior of the church has also undergone general restoration. The tileing (sic) has been removed and replaced. New coping has also been used, and new stone crosses now ornament the ends of the roofing. The decorations of the interior of the church on Thursday ere most tastily carried out by the Rector, and members of his family. At the four roads leading to the church-yard, large arches of evergreen and flowers were erected by Mr. Pople, builder, of Beckington, and were the subject of much admiration. . . .
