50th anniversary of The Friends of Rochester Cathedral
/On 20th July 1927 The Times published an article by George Bell, Dean of Canterbury, announcing the inauguration of 'a society of men and women to be known as "The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral', , whose object was to gather round the Cathedral in association with the Dean and Chapter a body of supporters who are prepared to take some share in caring for it and preserving it for posterity. (Incidentally, the architect at Canterbury Cathedral at that time was W. D . Caroe, grandfather of the present architect of Rochester Cathedral). This was the first of such bodies among the older cathedrals - The Friends of Builders of the new cathedral at Liverpool was
• existence created for a most an icontical
Fight vears later. on 9th February 1935 Francis Underhill Dean of Rochester, addressed a letter to The Times announcing formation of the Friends of Rochester Cathedral and appealing for members. By the end of that year 622 Friends had been enrolled from all parts of the British Isles and as far afield as Burma, South Africa and Australia. There were also twenty-six corporate members. kH.The Duke or Kent accepted an invitation to be the Patron and the first council included such eminent figures as Sir Herbert Baker, RA, FRIBA, and Sir Eric Maclagan, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The office of the rriends was in the Deanery and the first secretary was Miss D Sandford. whom the Dean described as one of the best known Citizens of Rochester, as well as a most loyal member of the Church'. A badge was designed consisting of a gold scallop shell, taken from the arms of the Dean and chapter. on a red rield. The rriends inaugural service was held on 2nd November 1935. which coincided with the annual service in the Cathedral of the Kniohts Templars The Bishon of Rochester Dr
Martin Linton-smith, preached the sermon and the service was rollowed by tea in the Guildhall
Dean Underhi had stated that the aim of the Friends was 'not only to hand on to future generations the Cathedral with its beauty unimpaired, but also to bring to light some features long hidden sorn mesa in the first undertaken by the Friends. In 1936 they agreed to repair the coping and parapet of the west end gable of the Nave and the parapets of the Nave aisles, to produce printed notices to be placed against various objects of interest in
doorway between the old Chaoter Mouse now known as
'Palm
Court') and the Cloisters. The Friends also undertook to give support to the Dean and Chapter's imaginative decision in connection with the remains of the Norman Cloisters At that time the Cloister Garth
the garden ot
Probenda House built a hundred years
previously as a residence for one of the canons and occupying the corner between the present south gate to the Cathedral and Minor Canon Row Prebendal House was to be demolished, fully exposing the south Cloister with its 3th century doorway and the monks vaulted lavatorium. It was also proposed to put a root on the old Chapter House in 'Palm Court'.
but this was never done.
took
we two vears and resulted in the
ster sarin as we see in
today.
The first Friends' Festival took place in June 1936. On its eve there was a Recital of Music in the Cathedral. The Festival Day itself opened with a Sung Eucharist, at which the Bishop celebrated. The preacher at the Festival Service in the afternoon should have been Foxley Norris. Dean of Westminster, but because ot the funeral of Canon Percy Dearmer, he was unable to be present and Bishop
it for
King. one of the residentiary canons of Rochester, took his place. It was too wet to have tea in the Deanery garden and so it was taken in King's School, and afterwards the friends were addressed by Charles Peers, CBE., until recently H.M. Chief Inspector of Ancient
Monuments. rhe Tolowing year the poet T. S. Eliot gave a lecture to the Friends, on the eve of the Festival, on Religious Drama Ancient and Modern I
A feature of this first Festival was an Exhibition of Pre-Restoration Church Plate from the Cathedral and from churches Textus Roffensis, the Cathedral's oldest manuscript was also on display
Paul A. Welsby
The Friends of Rochester Cathedral were founded to help finance the maintenance of the fabric and grounds. The Friends’ annual reports have become a trove of articles on the fabric and history of the cathedral.
Canons, colleagues, volunteers and staff have shared their memories and reflections in many forms over the years.
