Meeting Reflections

Bent Bananas & the Macaroni Parson – David Longman

What links cockpits and congregations? Who connects the bananas on supermarket shelves to Bedfordshire? The answers to these and other questions were revealed in David Longman's talk to the History Group in March. This was actually David's third visit to the group, so he must be worth listening to (recordings of his earlier talks can be found on the group's website at localhistory.me.uk).

He started by paying tribute to the sacrifice made during the Second World War by the airmen of the USAAF flying missions over Germany and occupied Europe from airfields such as RAF Poddington - now the site of the Santa Pod raceway. With rudimentary navigation aids, it was recognising the spires of churches like Poddington that assured them they were nearly home, and the church organ was repaired by the airmen as a way to thank the villagers for their hospitality during the war. In planes heavily laden with fuel and munitions, simply getting airborne was dangerous and the church at Yelden (other spellings are available!) contains a plaque commemorating two children killed when a bomber crashed on take off hitting their home. A sobering reminder of the price that was paid by so many during those dark days.

The connection between Old Warden and the Shuttleworth family is well known across the county, and David traced the source of the family's wealth in Victorian times leading to the purchase of the estate and the construction of the house we know today. During the 1930s Richard Shuttleworth led a playboy lifestyle, racing cars and motorcycles, and flying light aircraft. As a trained pilot, Richard joined the RAF Reserve on the outbreak of hostilities until his death in a training accident in 1940 which ended the family line. His widowed and grieving mother Mary established the Shuttleworth Trust in his memory, starting with Richard's personal collection of vehicles and aircraft. The family tomb can be found in St Leonard's churchyard.

Of course, cockpit has more than one meaning, and the church at Knotting, near Sharnbrook, still has a set of spiked iron gates between the nave and chancel which were installed in the 17th century after it was discovered that cockfighting was taking place inside the chancel with the enthusiastic participation of the Rector!

Other clergymen of the past also fell far short of what would be expected today. The misdeeds of the Rector of Sutton church were covered more fully in an earlier talk, but in the 18th century William Dodd became the Rector at Hockcliffe. A flamboyant dresser, he became known as the Macaroni priest, after the contemporary term for an Italianate dandy. Unfortunately his income never quite kept pace with his expenditure and after presenting a forged bond he was convicted of embezzlement and executed.

One Bedfordshire boy who did make good was born at Milton Bryan in 1803. Joseph Paxton grew up to become head gardener at Chatsworth, where he set about transforming the Duke of Devonshire's estate. Glasshouses designed by him were used at Chatsworth to grow tropical fruits including pineapples, much sought after at the time as a sign of wealth. Paxton also set about cross-breeding bananas, eventually developing the Cavendish strain which is still the most widely grown variety of banana worldwide. His experience with the glasshouses at Chatsworth led to his greatest commission, designing the Crystal Palace to house the Great Exhibition of 1851.

The clock on Northill parish church might only have one hand, but it was built by the son of the village blacksmith in the 17th century, when timekeeping was much more approximate than it is today. Thomas Tompion went on to become known as the father of English clockmaking, producing timepieces of extraordinary accuracy including for the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.

The churchyard at Tilsworth in the south of the county contains the grave of an unidentified murdered woman from the 1850s whose body was found in local woodland. No one was ever charged with the crime, but fresh flowers are still placed on the grave by villagers - her name may be unknown, but she is not forgotten.

David concluded his talk with a clarion call for us all to pay more attention to the stories which can be found within and around parish churches.

David Currie