THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

BRIDES OF FINDON

OS reference TQ 116 084

Copyright Valerie Martin 2009

Firstly, here is a little unknown fact about the early nineteenth century in the village of Findon.    It was the usual custom at St. John the Baptist Church to practise traditionally strewing the bride and groom on their special day with wheat, sugar-plums as well as petals, as they walked through the church yard.   I often wonder if the wheat could have stung a bit if thrown too hard!  

Even poor folk could walk over a strewn carpet of flowers.  

The local folk employed to do this (c. 1810) were known as Strewers and they duly expected a present from the newly married couple for performing the task!

In May 2006, the late John Pelling showed me a photograph of the author of the book entitled Fragments of Findon.    He was  Hugh Richard Penfold Wyatt J.P.

Hugh Richard Penfold Wyatt was born in 1861 in Hampshire and died aged 78 at his Cissbury Estate in Nepcote in 1938 at the age of 78.  

During his life in Findon he also lived at Holmbush in the High Street c. 1855 and later at Cissbury and re-built each wing of the house.    In 1905 he was made High Sheriff of Sussex.

Here is the Findon landowner, Hugh Richard Penfold Wyatt outside St. John the Baptist Church with his daughter, Joan on 20th July 1927.

 

I then had a sudden idea.   Were you married at St. John's the Baptist Church in Findon... or do you know someone who was?     If so, send me a photograph of your wedding at the church along with the date.....and a photograph of yourself today.

 Let us see how many years we can go back........ will Joan Wyatt's wedding be the earliest I can conjure up.

Search out those photographs for me.... and start scanning.     Don't worry if you're now divorced...... don't despair...you can cut the other half out and just send yourself.  

The only stipulation I make is that the wedding photograph MUST have St. John's the Baptist Church somewhere in the background.   

I will put the Brides of Findon I have discovered in chronological order of their wedding dates...

 

c. 1931 — Chrissy and Arthur Pelling's wedding at Findon Church. (Janet Pelling tells me that two brothers married two sisters,  Chrissy and Arthur and Violet and Harry).

 

Violet and Harry Pelling outside St. John the Baptist Church on 4th April 1933.

 

Here's an email sent to me by Sarah Condon from Leicester in August 2009...."Hi Valerie...In trying to find a good photo of Findon Church, particularly of the Lych gate, I came across your website.

I also discovered the on-line guest book for the church, and have placed an entry for my parents diamond wedding anniversary!

We are so excited about my parents' forthcoming diamond wedding in a couple of weeks , they were married at Findon church on 13th August. I wondered if you may have any photos of the church which you could possibly email to me? Especially showing the lych gate.

The photo attached is only a scanned copy, so quality not too good, but wondered if you could include it on your lovely website?

My wonderful parents, Denise and Deryck Foster, were married in the church on 13th August 1949, and it's hard to believe where the years have gone with their Diamond Wedding anniversary is almost here.

Now in their early and middle 80's respectively, they are both in fantastic health, and have enjoyed the most exciting and varied life, usually involving the water and the sea! living on a houseboat on the Thames with a new baby, the Isle of Wight for our growing up years and life on the Solent and as a crewman with the Yarmouth lifeboat, enjoying Bermuda in the 80s and further progressing a career as a successful and well respected marine artist in America, a home in Jamestown, Rhode Island, retiring to Majorca for some 20 years, and lately settling in Uppingham on the edges of Rutland water.

My parents have a tremendous sense of fun and humour, and continue to enjoy a huge life full of variety. We thank them for being the best parents in the world, and wish them a very happy anniversary and party celebrating this fantastic 60 years. Ps. Some years ago Mummy and I visited the church when we were in the area, and had a wonderful day of nostalgia!


I look forward to hearing from you.

With very best wishes

Sarah Condon, Kibworth, Leicester."


Firstly, Sarah.... fortunately for you there are absolutely loads of fabulous photographs of St. John the Baptist Church on this website so I don't need to send them to you.

Secondly.... a good percentage include the picturesque old lych gate that you are looking for.   Ditto.

Thirdly.... I have not an on-line Guest Book for signing on this website and have never had one..... so I can't imagine where you think you have placed your entry.   You'll have to do a bit of revision on that one.

 

 

But I will put on the photograph of your parents' Big Day on 13th August 1949...and here are Denise and Deryk Foster for everyone to see...

 

 

 

 

Here's a snowy Findon wedding ....what a lovely surprise to receive this one below.  Thank you for another glamorous bride, Gladys.

 

8th March 2007

Dear Valerie,

Brides of Findon

I am sending you copies of photographs of my wedding 29th March 1952.

No photographer, guests just brought their cameras.

The bridesmaid on the right of the picture is my cousin, now Jennifer Wakeford, married at Findon Church 15 years later.    I think you may be hearing from her.

Her father, George Mitchell, gave me away as you can see in the lychgate photo.

I had a truly white wedding as Findon was covered in snow that day.   To keep warm, I wore two vests under my dress borrowed from my aunt who was married in 1934... so a wedding on a shoe string.

The reception was held in the Old School House.

As always, Gladys Lambourne.

Gladys Lambourne, Findon Village, West Sussex.

 


If anyone would like to read more of Gladys' reminiscences of Findon, please click on Gladys Lambourne and Rose Cottage and following the links through, there's lots to read.

 

 

31st March 2007

Findon Brides

June 14th 1958 - the wedding of Miss Patricia Diana Franks to Mr Roger Moulds. So it will be 50 next year.

The smallest bridesmaid in the picture is my baby sister who has just become a grandmother.

Roger

Roger Moulds, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales.

 

Here's another one of Roger and of Roger and Patricia...... with the Reverend Gibson in attendance... and Findon Place in the background....

click to enlarge

I have been unable to find out very much about this Vicar of Findon.    His obituary mentions Lodsworth and Nuthurst as well as Findon.    Also the Community of St. Hilda and some years of ministry in Japan.

 

15th September 1962 under the lych gate.

 

Pam Stepney, Findon Village, West Sussex.

 

I would die for that lovely dress, Pam.  I will not let on how much it cost.

 

Janet and John Pelling's wedding on 4th June 1966 at St John the Baptist Church conducted by the Reverend Brett who used to lodge at Granchester in Nepfield Close.  

 

Janet and John Pelling's wedding.

 

 

24th June 2006

hi valerie,



 

Find attached photo taken of us in Findon church 40yrs to the day we got married,The flowers that i am holding were given to us by the Church on the 4th June 2006.

From Janet Pelling Lower Salvington sx.

 

 

Another super dress....

 

21st March 2007

 

Dear Valerie,  The attached photo is of my wedding taken almost 40years ago on 30th September 1967.

My headdress and veil were borrowed from a friend, the dress I bought off a another friend for £5, and the shoes were borrowed from my mother.

So you see it was all done on the cheap, like my cousin Gladys Lambourne's wedding.

The wedding car was also a friends I went to the church in a new Ford Cortina Mk1, and to the reception in the Village House Hotel in a Austin 12/4 1928 Tourer belonging to the bestman

Regards Jennifer Wakeford ( nee Mitchell).

 

 

What a lovely setting....

 

28th May 2006

Here’s a photo of my wedding to Rita Potten on 8 June 1968 at St John the Baptist.

The wedding was performed by Donald Brett.
 


Lychgate is behind us.

It was rather an overcast day and had been raining in the morning.

Within a couple of years, colour photos had completely taken over from black and white.

Regards,

Neil

 

 

 

 

Neil Rogers-Davis, Angmering Village, West Sussex.
 

 

 

23rd March 2007

Dear Valerie,

Here is a picture of Ian and Helen Wedding at St John the Baptist Findon on the 26th March 2005.

On Monday will be their 2nd Wedding Anniversary".

Janet Pelling, Lower Salvington, West Sussex.


 

 

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.