Churches - Bevendean History Project
Stanmer Church Wartime Closure
Notification of the closure of the church under the Clergy (National Emergency Precautions) Regulations 1939
On the 30 Jun 1942 the Bishop of Chichester signed an order for the closure of Stanmer church when the Stanmer estate was requisitioned by the Army.
Text of the document
CLERGY (NATIONAL EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS) REGULATIONS 1939
WE, GEORGE by Divine permission LORD BISHOP OP CHICHESTER DO HEREBY in pursuance of the above Regulations and in particular of Number 2.(1) (i) and 2. (2) thereof GIVE the following Directions with regard to the Parish Church of STANMER in the Diocese of Chichester :-
1. THAT the Church be wholly closed and services therein totally
suspended until further order.
2. THAT the Register Books belonging to the said Church of Stanmer be
removed to the Parish Church of Falmer in the said Diocese.
DATED this Thirtieth day of June 1942.
George Cicestr
| Baptisms in the 1940s at Stanmer | ||
| 17 August 1941 | None from 1942 to 1948 | 18 September 1949 |
| Marriages in the 1940s at Stanmer | ||
| 25 May 1940 | None from 1941 to 1948 | 26 November 1949 |
| Burials in the 1940s at Stanmer | ||
| 19 September 1941 | 26 February 1944 | 20 October 1951 |
This suggests that the church was not used from June 1942 until sometime in 1949, with the exception of the burial of John Buxton Pelham, VIII Earl of Chichester on the 26 February 1944, who was killed in a motor accident while on active service.
While Stanmer church was closed there were about 140 baptisms, 80 marriages and 50 burials at Falmer church.
