Debenham Church, South West View

1827 Etching Debenham St. Mary Magdalene
1

Drawn, Etched & Published by H. Davy, 1827. This is held in The British Museum, from " A Series Of Etchings Illustrative Of The Architectural Antiquities Of Suffolk" and bears the dedication "To The Rev'd George Smalley A.M. Vicar of Debenham etc. This Plate is most respectfully inscribed by his obed't. humb. serv't H. DAVY"


1871-1890 Debenham St. Mary Magdalene
2

View of St. Mary Magdalene in Debenham, with the cemetery in front, a woman sitting by a grave to the right, another standing on the path to the left, and two children playing next to the gate in the left; trees behind the church. Etching.

NOTE From Suzie: It is undated, but it must be dated prior to 1900, when the Clock Dial was added.

Both images above © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.

Return from the 1851 Census Of Religious Worship

[Population 1653.]    [Area 3271a]

Endowed with rent charge and glebe, fees and Easter Offering.  Sittings free 300; others 300; children's 120.  Present morning 100 + 120 scholars; afternoon 200 + 100 scholars.  Average (12 months) morning 150 + 100 scholars; afternoon 380 + 100 scholars.   Remarks No endowment inserted as not specified whether gross or net income is desired.  If required a private return can be made.  Signed James Bedingfeld, Vicar.  [Debenham.] (7)

Ownership: Class V.  Small town.  benefice gross income, £282.  Holy Communion twelve times a year; average of 50 communicants.   Vicar inst. 1840; also rector of Bedingfield.  Many Independents.
3

Suffolk Churches

Further details on our Church can be found on Simon's Suffolk Churches Website St. Mary Magdalene, Debenham

Restoration 1871 - 1890

Professionals

CORY, John Augustus: b. 1819 - d. 1887 of Durham and Carlisle

FERGUSON, Charles John: b. 1840 - d. 1904 of Carlisle

GREEN, Herbert John: b. 1851 - d. 1918 of Norwich (Architect)

R. TOOLEY (Contractor)

Notes: For general restoration in phases. File includes three printed circulars. Tooley responsible for reseating & reflooring; Green for walls, windows & roofs; Cory & Ferguson for restoration of nave & aisles.


1871-1890 Debenham St. Mary Magdalene Floor Plan, after the work was completed in 1890
4

1871-1890 Debenham St. Mary Magdalene Floor Plan, after the work was completed in 1890.

NOTE From Suzie: The image above has been digitally enhanced for clarity.

Debenham Public Clock

Extract from The Evening Star, Published in Ipswich on 1st September 1900, Front Page

At the close of the Jubilee celebrations in 1897 a balance was left in the hands of the Committee, at Debenham, which it was decided should form the nucleus of a fund for providing a new public clock for the parish. This fund has been added to in various ways from time to time, until it was thought sufficient money was in hand to warrant the calling of a public meeting to discuss the subject, and decide upon the site where the clock should be fixed. The tower of the church was considered the most suitable situation, and a Committee was chosen to settle the best way of fixing the clock in the tower. The result of the Committee's deliberations is now prominently before the public in the shape of a modern ding-dong quarter clock, with two five-feet dials, enamelled black, with gilt figures and hands, supplied and fixed by Messrs. John Smith and Sons, of Derby. The clock is fixed in the chamber immediately over the belfry, in a case erected by Mr. H. Gooding, and chimes upon the 3rd and 6th of the splendid peal of 8 bells in the chamber above, chiming 2, 4, and 6 strokes at the quarter, half, and three-quarter hour, and striking the hour upon the tenor bell, the weight of which is one ton, thus enabling it to be clearly and distinctly heard all over the parish. The dials are fixed on the West and South sides of the tower. The clock will not only be a permanent commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, but will supply a long felt want in the parish; as the old clock, the framework of which bears the inscription, "Thomas Grimwade, 1706," although it has been a good servant for so many years, had no dial, and its timekeeping qualifications have been of a rather erratic character in recent years.
The work of raising funds was taken in hand and most enthusiastically persevered in by Miss Coombs, of Crows Hall, and it is very gratifying to that lady that her appeal for subscriptions has been liberally, and in many cases, handsomely responded to, and she hopes that the small remaining debt of something like £10 will be speedily paid off. In addition to the clock a brass tablet, mounted on oak (now in the hands of the engravers, Messrs. Scott and Co., of Ipswich) will be placed in the tower, and will bear the following inscription: "To the glory of God, and in commemoration of the 60th year (1897) of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The clock in this tower was erected by voluntary contributions Anno Domini 1900. W. A. Duke, Vicar; L. S. Curtis, H. Gooding, churchwardens." The total cost of the clock and fixing will be about £130, including the brass tablet.
A dedication service was held on Thursday evening, when the Rev. J. Knapton, Rector of Creeting St. Peter, officiated. There was a good attendance, and the reverend gentleman preached an excellent sermon on the subject of "Time". A collection taken at the close in aid of the clock fund amounted to £3 10s. The congregation then adjourned to the churchyard, and the clock was started by Miss Coombs about one minute to seven. After 7 o'clock had struck the National Anthem was sung, and three hearty cheers given for Her Majesty, and also for Miss Coombs.


5

Restoration 1978 - 1981

Professionals

Architect - Charles Peter Cleverley of Page's Green House, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk (FRIBA)

Grant given for repairs.
6

The Old Church Of St. Mary Magdalene

Verse from "Two Voices" written by Mrs. Janet Whitehead, lately a member of this fellowship.


But Debenham, where the river wends
Among the kindly homes of friends,
Where the great Church of eightfold peal
Peacefully crowns her little hill,
From Aspall Road to Cherry Tree Green
Remembers Mary Magdalene.

7

Citations

  1. [S1914] H Davy Debenham Church Engraving "Asset Number 359375001."
  2. [S1914] H Davy Debenham Church Engraving "Asset Number 1613638014."
  3. [S64] T. C. B. Timmins, 1851 Census Of Religious Worship, Page 88.
  4. [S744] Website Lambeth Palace Library (http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk) "Ref: ICBS07313."
  5. [S1915] Unknown author, 'unknown short article title', "1st September 1900, Front Page."
  6. [S744] Website Lambeth Palace Library (http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk) "Ref: ICBS15295."
  7. [S281] Janet Whitehead Two Voices.