St Marys C of E Church
From the Seavington News – July 1992
SEAVINGTON ST MARY’S CHURCH
My memories of St. Mary’s Church date from about 1920. l was brought up at
BuckreII’s by my aunt, Miss Rachael Kiddle, who was for many years Head Mistress
of Seavington School (a Church School), and also partly responsible for the music
at both churches; she also ran a weekly Bible Class. So my childhood was greatly
influenced by the religious affairs of the Seavingtons.
We then had a resident Rector, and both churches were fully used; there were also
two Chapels and two Sunday Schools. Every Sunday had its three services - Holy
Communion “at 8.20, Mattins at 11, Evensong at 6.30, held at each church
alternately, so that we knew that if on the previous Sunday Holy Communion had
been at St Mary’s, the following Sunday it would be at St Michaels.
lt is difficult in some ways to differentiate between the two churches. The
congregations were more or less the same at both, and we walked to one church or
the other as a matter of course; most of us attended all three services every
Sunday. There were also weekday services during Lent.
The same verger-cum-sexton-cum clerk was in charge of both churches; and the
same choir sang at each church - men and boys originally, properly tumed out in
cassocks and surplices, but later, as in many churches, infiltrated and eventually
replaced by women and girls. In addition to the hymns, all the versicles and
responses, and the canticles and psalms with the correct “pointing”, were sung, and
at every Festival Sunday Service there was an Anthem, sometimes with a Solo. A
choir practice was held every Friday evening. ‘
St Mary’s was for obvious reasons the”favourite” church, with its tower, its flagstaff,
the long path, the two entrances, the long aisle, and above all the peal of bells. The
team of ringers performed before every service of Matins and Evensong at St
Mary’s and at midnight on New Year’s Eve they rang a muffled peal. At Christmas
they came round the villages to collect money for their annual supper.
ln my early days here, St Michael’s (as now) had only a harmonium, but St Mary’s
boasted an organ. This was worked by a handle which filled the bellows. For one
period of time, l forget why, it became my responsibility to “blow the organ”. I sat
on a hard stool in the farthest part of the chancel, and kept my eye on a tall narrow
slot in which a little weight went up or down, according as to whether the organ
bellows were full or empty. At another stage in my young days I was roped in to
assist at a series of mid-week Lenten services, also at St Mary’s. The service took
the form of a Magic Lantern show. The church was in almost total darkness. The
Rector was in the pulpit, with just enough light for him to read explanatory notes. I
was in the chancel, behind a large reflection screen, in charge of the Magic Lantern,
again with only just enough light to see what I was doing. The Rector in his pulpit
was armed with a ball of string, the other end of which was tied round my arm, and
when he was ready for the next slide, he pulled the string. Sometimes he was
obliged to call out, fairly sotto voice, “That’s the wrong one”, or “We‘ve had that
one”, or “Its upside down.” None of this seemed odd to me at the time, although it
now seems quite extraordinary. I may add that nobody offered me sixpence for this
valuable assistance, nor did it occur to me that anyone should.
lt was a sad day when the last service was held at St Mary’s. As far as I remember,
the choice was left to the residents of both villages, and the general opinion was
that St Mary’ should be closed. It is some comfort to know that the churchyard is
still kept in good order.
Hanging in St Mary’s porch were two tablets of stone, inscribed with the Ten
Commandments. I sometimes wonder what became of them. ,And at Ascension-
tide I think of my aunt, during World War ll I believe - I was not living in Seavington
then -taking a group of children to the top of St Mary’s Tower, to sing an Ascension
Day hymn, with the flag of St George flying above them.
R M AMOS.
Images of St Mary’s can be found here