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A record of notable events in the church's history....
THE FIRST FIFTY YEARS
- 1886 - A tea and concert committee raise £150 to build a Mission Hall in Locks Heath.
- 1887 - Revd. Mills Robbins is in charge under the Vicar of Hook with Warsash.
February 1893 - Locks Heath created as an Ecclesiastical District.
- 1 June 1893 - T A M Archer Sheppard licenced as first minister. Services held in Mission Hall.
- 24 June 1894 - Foundation stone laid by Augusta Bradshaw whose niece Mrs Hornby left the money for the church to be built and endowed the church with £150 per annum.
- 17 August 1895 - Church consecrated by Dr Awdry, Bishop of Southampton.
- 17 May 1908 - Revd. Archer-Sheppard collapses and dies in the vestry whilst robing for the evening service.
- 27 October 1908 - The Archdeacon of Winchester inducts Revd. Brent Neville.
- April 1909 - Confirmation service attracts congregation of 500 to hear Bishop of Southampton preach.
- July 1909 - Two day fete held to raise funds for decoration, ventilation and lighting of church. A total of £125 was raised.
- 1910 - Church painted and decorated internally in two colours, terracotta and light green, with ventilators in roof added.
- Lent 1911 - Attendance of 400 average recorded for Lantern services on Thursday evenings.
- 23 January 1912 - A Church Army Van Mission is held from 23 Jan to 8 Feb and reports well attended nightly meetings.
- October 1913 - Revd. Brent Neville has to retire on medical advice.
- 26 April 1915 - Revd. J C Robinson is inducted.
- 1 January 1916 - A newly formed Parochial Church Council meets for the first time and agrees to form a Poor Fund Committee.
- May 1918 - A scheme for a Parish Room, subsequently named Memorial Hall, is embarked upon.
- 30 March 1921 - A report from a Choir meeting is received by the PCC and considered to be "irregular and offensive". A subsequent Vote of Confidence in the Vicar is proposed and passed.
- 14 February 1922 - Memorial Hall opens.
- 15 January 1924 - PCC report that for the first time it is impossible to pay any of the quota for the year due to the state of the finances.
- 11 October 1924 - Consecration of new cemetery by Bishop of Southampton.
- 1926 - Church roof is damaged by fall of big tree.
- March 1930 - Electric light installed in church and Memorial Hall.
- January 1931 - PCC agree to provide water supply and electric light to the Vicarage.
- 14 April 1931 - Choirboys are paid for the first time - one-penny for each practice.
- 25 February 1931 - Revd. Robinson retires, and Revd. B Moilliet is inducted as vicar.
- May 1932 - Considerable expenditure on Church school agreed - repairs to roof and playground.
- July 1938 - A piece of Norman masonry (c. 1100 AD) from St. Peter's Titchfield is fixed to the North Wall.
- July 1941 - Church sets up a jam-making centre, makes about a ton for the Ministry of Food, which was subsequently not collected and had to be thrown away.
- December 1943 - Church delights in thriving youth club with 75 members.
- February 1944 - Joint proposal from St. Johns and Congregational churches to approach Fareham Council to make Locks Heath into a separate ward.
- 3 September 1944 - 50th anniversary of church foundation celebrated with a Garden Party and re-enactment of scenes from preceding years. Revd. Moilliet pays tribute to "benefactors of this church who gave services of a personal rather than material sort: Charlotte Hornby, Augusta Bradshaw, Henry Bradshaw, Gladys Paget, Caroline Archer Shepherd, Thomas Shepherd, J C Robinson, Jyoti Nand, William Green, Emily Horsfall and Wilfred Rapley".
THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS and BEYOND
- 9 March 1946 - Institution of Revd. Frank Aker as Vicar.
- 18 October 1948 - Installation of heating in church at cost of £372, to replace coke stoves. A stoker had to be employed to visit the church three times daily to enable heating to be provided all week.
- 1 May 1952 - Pastoral Reorganisation Committee propose Locks Heath and Titchfield be united to form one vicar and vicarage at Titchfield.
- January 1954 - Revd. F Aker resigns.
- 25 March 1954 - Revd. N Miller, Vicar of Titchfield, is appointed as Priest in Charge for two years, whilst the Bishop decides whether Locks Heath should continue as a separate parish or have a union with Titchfield for economic purposes.
- May 1954 - Vicarage let to private tenant.
- August 1955 - Bishop announces to PCC that union will not take place as considered to be unworkable.
- December 1955 - Revd. E Curtis is inducted as Vicar.
- December 1958 - Service of thanksgiving after re-roofing, re-tiling and renewal of drains and guttering.
- November 1959 - PCC resolve to seek and obtain site to build new church for increasing population in the parish (not pursued subsequently).
- 17 April 1965 - Memorial Hall is sold to Fareham Council.
- January 1967 - Revd. Curtis leaves to become Bishop of Mauritius.
- 14 April 1967 - Revd. B Carpenter is inducted as Vicar.
- 21 May 1967 - Family Service televised live.
- October 1967 - part of churchyard set-aside for Garden of Remembrance.
- December 1967 - New Side Altar is consecrated.
- June 1969 - 75th anniversary is marked by World Fair in aid of missionary work.
- July 1969 - New Church Hall is completed at cost of £3000, from sale of Memorial Hall.
- 11 October 1970 - Services at Salisbury Secondary School commences.
- November 1971 - Formation of Locks Heath branch of Abbeyfield Society.
- November 1972 - Proposal to install sound amplification in church.
- January 1973 - Jane Taylor is first member of church to be accepted for training for women’s ministry.
- October 1974 - Revd. Carpenter leaves for Holy Trinity Fareham, Revd. J Snook officiates during interregnum.
- December 1974 - Reconstructed altar consecrated, built by boys of Brookfield School.
- March 1975 - Revd. D Nicholls inducted as Vicar.
- April 1975 - Chancel reorganised.
- September 1975 - Revd. Nicholls leaves the parish hurriedly.
- October 1975 - Induction of Revd. N Chatfield.
- October 1979 - Purchase of 11 Laurel Road to accommodate Revd. M Sheffield - first Assistant Curate.
- May 1980 - Jane Richards admitted as Reader.
- May 1981 - Jenny Lowater admitted as Reader.
- November 1982 - Revd. Chatfield leaves for Alverstoke as Rector.
- 3 July 1983 - Induction of Revd. R J S Evens - from St. Marys Portchester.
- June 1984 - 90th Anniversary Altar frontals presented.
- November 1984 - Church library established Summer 1985 - tape recordings of services introduced. Focus scheme introduced to nominated charities.
- September 1985 - Locks Heath Day Centre Group set up. Group appointed to specify design of new church hall.
- November 1987 - Stone font removed and wrought iron stand installed to support mounted copper bowl font.
- June 1988 - Revd. S Holt installed as curate.
- February 1989 - Family Service (1st Sunday) and Evening Praise (2nd Sunday) with an 11 a.m. Communion on 1st Sunday introduced.
- September 1989 - Planning application lodged for erection of new vicarage and church hall, and development of existing vicarage and car parking.
- November 1989 - Garden of remembrance can no longer accommodate individual stones. Name of deceased to be recorded in Book of Remembrance in church.
- March 1990 - Parish boundaries changed transferring part of parish to Sarisbury, Warsash and Titchfield. Healing service introduced in evening. For first time ever the Apportionment not met.
- September 1990 - Anne Boggust ordained and starts ministry at Hook with Warsash.
- May 1991 - Building Programme Phase 1 commences with church hall - completed November 1991.
- July 1991 - Jonathan Watson ordained as Priest.
- October 1991 - John Maybury licensed as Senior Curate.
- January 1992 - Bob Evens and family move into new Vicarage.
- February 1992 - Opening of new Church Hall by Mayor of Fareham, with dedication by Bishop of Portsmouth. Phase One of development programme completed. Nearly £200,000 given or loaned by congregation.
- February 1992 - Bob Evens take sabbatical for six months in USA and France.
- November 1992 - Revd. Chris Lewis invited to join the staff team.
- June 1993 - Bob Thomas and Sylvia Martin admitted as Readers.
- April 1994 - Dr Henry Rattle joins as lay minister.
- May 1994 - Jane Richards is ordained as priest, Anne Boggust rejoins parish.
- March 1995 - Centenary Reunion Lunch and Service.
- July 1995 - Contract signed for construction of new Church Centre.
- January 1997 - Bob Evens leaves for a position at Bath and Wells; Revd. Jane Richards officiates during interregnum.
- September 1997 - Induction of Revd. Peter Ingrams.
- February 1998 - Church Centre completed, providing meeting rooms and a library. Formally opened by Bishop Kenneth Stevenson at a special service on 21st February.
- July 2007 - Revd. Peter Ingrams leaves for the position of Local Ministry Officer for the Diocese of Canterbury.
- December 2008 - Induction of Revd. Charles Sugden. Charles joins from St. James’ Church, Poole.
To be continued.......
Our thanks go to Peter Jeffs for his historical research.
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