Old Parish Magazines

of St James A. & M.

Issue No 

S. JAMES PARISH MAGAZINE
BREAM.
March, 1901 No.319

BAPTISMS.
“ Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God.”— S. MARK, x,14.
February 2, Elizabeth Gertrude, daughter of John and Gertrude Edmunds, Mill Hill, collier (Private.)
February 13 Sarah Victoria, daughter of Albert Rowland and Gertrude Jane Thomas, Bream, collier.
February 16, Harold Joseph, son of Joseph Christopher and Sarah Ann Brookbanks, Lydney Lane, collier.

MARRIAGES.
“ What God hath joined together let not man put asunder.’’ S. Mark, 10.
February 18, by the Vicar, Wallace Watkins, bachelor, and Annie Willetts, spinster, both of Yorkley.
Fe 23, by the Vicar, Richard Edward Mudway, bachelor, and Sabina Bullock, spinster, both of Drybrook, Bream.

BURIALS.
“ Here we have no continuing city, but seek one to come.” — HEB., 13, 14
February 10, Richard Charles Watkins, Mill -Hill, Bream, aged 40 days.
February 13, William Henry Vines, Bream’s Eaves, aged 22 months.
February 14, Gertrude Edmunds, Mill Hill, Bream, aged 21 years.
February 20, William Preece, Bream’s Tufts, aged 66 years.

SPECIAL NOTICES.
March 25—Feast of the Annunciation,
April 5- Good Friday,
April 7—Easter Day.

QUEEN VICTORIA’S MEMORIAL SERVICE.
BREAM.
Memorial services for Queen Victoria were held at the Parish Church on Saturday, February 2nd. At 8 o’clock the Holy Communion was celebrated, with special collects and thanksgiving, and at 2.30 p m. the Litany and Burial service were recited, with small, but significant changes, in the presence of a deeply touched congregation, the service being preceded and followed by the tolling of a knell. In the village all business and amusements were suspended, and almost all blinds drawn down, and the outward marks of mourning well nigh universal. On Sunday portions of the memorial service were used throughout the day, that Victoria’s name might be mentioned once again before the Throne of Grace, ere being dropped for ever from the Liturgy of the church. In the evening, the Vicar called attention to the beautiful Christian humility of the late Queen, as shewn by the hymns which she specially loved.
YORKLEY WOOD CHURCH.
The memorial service for Queen Victoria was used in place of the usual evening service on Sunday, February 3rd, at 3 pm., and an address delivered by the Vicar of Bream.

OBITUARY.
This month we have to record, with deep regret the death of our highly respected friend and neighbour, James Hughes, which took place at Bream’s Cross on February 19th, and the Burial Service was read at Parkend Church on February 23rd by the Vicar of Bream, assisted by the Vicar of Parkend, in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends, most of the latter joining the procession at Parkend or en route. In Bream many blinds were drawn down, and the Church bell tolled as the procession passed through the village.

NATIONAL SCHOOL.
The Managers appeal for liberal voluntary contributions towards the maintenance of the School, and beg to inform the parishioners that now is the time to pay them, before the School year ends.

HISTORICAL SCRAPS.
Five or six monumental stones are to be found in the Parish Church of’Bream. We take them in their order, and add a few words of family history to the earlier ones.
I. POWLETT.—” George Powlett, sprung from the ancient family of the Powlett’s, of Gotehurst, in Somersetshire, worn out by the instability of worldly affairs, departed from amongst the living and went to his heavenly home April 7th 1669, aged 73 years.” Then follows the Powlett Coat of Arms with its device of three daggers, and the motto, “Reader prepare, The journey thou must take is long”. The whole of this inscription is in Latin and very clear. This stone used to lie in the Chancel over George Powlett’s vault or grave, It now stands upright, embedded in the Southern part of the East wall of the Vestry. The Powlett family held the Manor of Goathurst, three miles west of Bridgewater, from the 14th century or earlier until it passed into the possession of the family of Kemys Tynte. George Powlett seems to have been the father of that William Powlett, who became a sergeant at Law and Deputy Constable of St. Briavels Castle and who died in 1703, and was buried in the North Aisle of Lydney. One can only guess at the meaning of the “instability of world affairs,” which hastened George Powlett’s end It is possible that he was a Royalist who hoped great things from Restoration of Charles II. in 1660, but whose hopes were afterwards disappointed by that King’s mal-administration of affairs.
‘ Rudder’ says that William Powlett resided at Bream Lodge. I find no record of George Powlett’s residence.
II. BARROW.—" Here lieth the Body of Powlett Barrow (Esq.) the son of James Barrow, gent., who departed this life the 6th day of October in the year of our Lord God 1695, aged 32 years." There follows a Coat of Arms (undecipherable), and (in Latin) the text, "It is sown,, in weakness, it is raised in power." This stone used to lie in the Chancel, over the Grave; it lies now—north and south—just inside the archway leading from the Vestry into the Chancel. The Barrow’s seem to have been a Woolastone family; at least one branch of the family resided at the Grange, Woolastone. " Rudder," however, says of the above named James Barrow, that his family long resided at Bream Lodge. The Powlett’s and Barrows became connected by the marriage of James Barrow with Beata Powlett, the sister of William Powlett, Sergeant at Law. The above mentioned Powlett Barrow was their son, who probably died at Bream Lodge before his parents.
III. LAWRENCE.—There was a stone bearing the names of "Anthony Lawrence and Mary his wife," part of which is said to lie near the main door of the Church. The home of the Lawrence’s was at Shurdington, near Cheltenham. Anthony Lawrence seems to have come into possession of Bream Lodge through his marriage with Mary Barrow, the sister of Powlett Barrow and daughter of James Barrow and Beata (Powlett) and the estate appears to have remained in the Lawrence family for several generations, the stone dating probably from early in the 18th century.
IV. WALTERS. "Here lieth the body of William Walters, of the Parish of Lidney, who died April 11th, 1742, aged 77 years. Also lieth the body of William Walter jnr. who died November 25th, 1718, aged 27 years." This stone stands upright embedded in the: middle of the East Wall of the Vestry, whither it must have been moved from over the grave in the old chapel. All that can now he said of this family is that they lived at Aylburton.
V. East—"In memory of Robert East died Oct. 1789, aged 63 years. Mary East, his wife, died Oct. 1799, aged 83 years. Thomas East, his son, died May 4, 1823, aged 76 years. Margaret East, his wife, died Oct. 4, 1843, aged 68 years. Robert East, his son, died, June 28, 1820, aged 22 years." This stone lies in the midst of the Nave. The family resided at York Lodge.
VI. PREEST Sacred to the memory of Isaac Preest (gentleman, of Bream), who departed this life December 11th 1838, aged 79 years."This stone lies North and South in the Chancel just inside the South door.
The evidence of these monumental stones makes it quite clear that the Chapel of Bream was used as a Burial Place from as early as A.D. 1669, by the owners of Bream Lodge and other families. Next month clear evidence will be given (D.V.) that the Chapel was used for the ordinary public worship of the Church from approximately the same date. It is only necessary to add now that the Newland Registers appear to contain no references to the above burials.