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The Exeter 'Comment' from Exeter Memories - 6 February 2010

This site is run by a resident of who loves the city - Previous Comments

The Exeter Local History Day on the 27 February 2010

A local history day will be held by the Exeter Local History Society in collaboration with the Westcountry Studies Library at the Westcountry Studies Library and adjoining music room. The free event will include five talks based on the theme of the Port of Exeter, its trade, industry and the city's water supply. Other local history societies have been invited to display photographs, drawings and artefacts covering the mills, floods and more. There will also be local publishers providing a range of local history books for purchase. Refreshments will be available.

Open Mornings at Exeter Cemeteries - 6 February 2010

Exeter City Council Bereavement Services are holding a series of open mornings at their cemeteries over the coming months. Although the events are aimed at those researching family graves, funeral planning and support following bereavement, the open days will give an opportunity to anyone who is researching the location of graves for local history purposes.

For more information contact: Exeter City Council Bereavement Services, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter, EX3 0BW or phone 01392 265370.

Do You Know of the Whereabouts of this Lectern - 6 February 2010

Last seen at St Petrock’s Church, High Street, Exeter in 1993

Garton & King have a long association with St Petrock’s in Exeter.  The premises of 190 High Street were opposite from the Church in High Street (where McDonalds now are and where the High Street Woolworths used to be before then.)

John Atken, who started the ironmongery that became Garton & King in 1661, became a Churchwarden of St Petrock in 1698. Lewis Portbury, also a one time owner of the business in 1724, became a St Petrock’s Churchwarden in 1721, in addition to being a Bailiff for the City.  In fact the Church records trace the progression of ownership over the centuries. Sam Kingdon senior was a churchwarden and his son William was appointed Parochial Commissioner sometime prior to 1826 and Sheriff in 1842. Iron Sam (William’s brother) became Mayor in 1836.  In the era of Garton & Jarvis, John Garton in 1865 was also a Churchwarden.  Moving on to the era of Garton and his new partner King and the subsequent death of John Garton in 1867 we enter the latter part of the 19th Century.  Mr John Gould-King was not only a Churchwarden but a Feoffee (trustee) of St Petrocks.

Parish records and drawings show that St Petrock’s was extended towards the Cathedral Yard in 1881 with the addition of a new Vestry and Chancel.

In Trewmans Flying Post in November 1881 it is reported that  -  "A handsome Brass Lectern, designed and manufactured by Garton & King was presented to the Church of St Petrocks to mark this extension."

The last known sighting of the Lectern is believed to be 1993. The Church, around that time, was divided, as it is at present, and only the older portion, on the High Street, is accessible to the general public. All attempts to trace the Lectern through the Dioscesan Registry (Michelmores, solicitors) and even the present Churchwardens and also through two well known Architectural Salvage Businesses have failed.

Enquiries with the Exeter based St Petrocks Charity for homeless people who now occupy the part of the Church where the Lectern was fixed (as in the Photo) have also been unable to help. Contact me here - E-Mail

Exeter Memories on Intute - 1 November 2009

A website run by a consortium of Universities has added Exeter Memories to its list of resources for education and research, selected and evaluated by a network of subject specialists. The entry is at Intute entry. Exeter Memories is described : "This website presents a truly excellent array of resources on the local history of Exeter and is run by a committed amateur enthusiast. The simple-to-use navigation system is split into several categories. The 'Memories' section provides access to a number of personal accounts of the experience of a number of events (from the Blitz to a first ride in a motorcar and student memories from the 1990s). The 'Bygone' section provides a number of pictures - arranged by decade - showing and describing the history of Exeter. There are also sections on topics (e.g. buildings, sports, streets, parks); articles (discussion of some major events); people (some descriptions of prominent and important people in the history of Exeter); events; photos; a site map; and a time-line of events. This website is highly user friendly and will prove to be a fantastic resource for those interested in Exeter's history."

The Universities in the consortium are:
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
Heriot-Watt University
The University of Manchester
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford

It is nice to know that my efforts to record people's memories and historical places and events of the city have been noticed – it is a recognition that could only be achieved with the input and help of all those people who have contributed memories, snippets of information and thousands of photographs for use on the site. Thank you to you all.

That's all for now,

David Cornforth - My Contact E-Mail

Why not read or leave a comment in the Guestbook All photos and text in Exeter Memories are © 2005/7 David Cornforth and should not be used without permission. They are available for use by Contacting me for further information. I also have a large library of photos that do not appear on this site. Visitors to site with Statcounter.