Thrale history

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The early English arch leading from the nave into the tower was happily undamaged and still remains, so the tower must have fallen outwards.

The three small bells were not seriously damaged by the fall, so they were removed from the ruins and placed outside the church in Petticoat Lane. The west wall of the church had to be filled up to close the gap caused by the disaster, and in 1699 just over three pounds were spent on taking down the remaining ruins of the lower and "the leads of the steeple was sold for nearly £29 pounds by Thomas Ley the churchwarden, and the money dispersed to the poor".⁸ One of the overseers, Lawrence Jacques, had all the iron that came out of the steeple and the weather cock which he kept at his house. It was one hundred and forty-four years before another tower was built, but John Jacques hung up the bells on a wooden frame in the north aisle in 1701; ropes were provided and it seems that for a number of years the bells were rung inside the church. When the church tower had been down for seventeen years, the nave roof pierced by at least one dormer window was found to be in a serious condition, so that it was hardly safe to go into the church. The roof was covered with lead supported by rafters which were fixed to the chief capital beam called the crown piece. This beam was broken and the rafters were hanging down. John Jacques was a conscientious churchwarden who held office for two consecutive years, and he called two vestry meetings and reported the danger, and during Lent he and some craftsmen set to work. The church roof was saved, but the other parish officers complained about the cost of this work, so that Henry Wilson, the plumber, and other workmen had difficulty in getting paid for their labours. The following is the vicar’s letter to the archdeacon’s registrar reporting this state of affairs:-

                  Sandridge July 22nd 1710

Mr.Brown: Whereas it happened that the chief capital beam in the body of our church, called the crown piece, to which the rafters were affixed, was by length of time or default of officers not taking timely care to keep it well covered, the said crown piece was much perished and broken in the middle, so that the rafters sunk down and had like to have given away, for the whole covering of lead and timber to have fallen upon our heads. Neither could we perform divine service without evident peril to life or limb. Therefore, John Jacques, our churchwarden, calls a vestry and showed some of the principal neighbours that appeared there, their own danger, particularly one who used to sit under a dormer window, which was just ready to drop upon his head, who, never the less, seemed not very forward with a reparation. However after two vestries called, and Easter approaching, and few appearing either to consent or gainsay, therefore the church-warden sets the plummers and carpenters and smith and bricklayer on work, as he did himself too, and was very deligent to see after the labourers and to put his own shoulder to some of the heaviest burdens to my knowledge, and lost many a day’s gainful work by attending to this, which he did not only out of his own good inclination, to the good of the church, but as a sworn officer and guardian of it, as he plainly affirms. Now that the church is well repaired is owing to the care of the said churchwarden, but some of this neighbourhood, to make themselves look like a wise and governing sort of people, since they cannot but deny but that John Jacques has well performed his duty in this matter, and know his power in church affairs, being of their own selection, nevertheless, keep him out of his money, and the workmen too, by a sort of cavilling about the workmen’s bills who, God knows, are not yet paid one farthing on the account, or at least, as I hear of Henry Wilson, the plummer, will swear to the truth and equity of his bill, and I doubt not so will the other workmen also. Therefore I pray your Venerable Court will not let honest wellwishers of the church be run down and defrauded, while they are doing their duty, without your care for their relief. With my humble service to you in hopes of your advice and assistance, both In relation to my churchwarden in particular and the Church of England in general.

I am,
Your very humble servant,
EDM. WOOD.

The churchwarden and workmen are very willing to lay down their bills in your Court, to be censured by such skilfull workmen as shall in your wisdom be appointed to examine them.⁹

Footnotes

8. Steele M.S.↩︎
9. The St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society, in their TRANSACTIONS 1904, p.41.↩︎