The following details combine Peter Belham’s description which can be found in the church as well as a leaflet on Great Elm from the 1970s, together with Pevsner, and the writer/compiler of this section.

The church seems to have been enlarged in the first half of the 13^th century, when the nave was lengthened to the west and the tower added. There is some fine Early English detail in the tower, and possibly the influence of Hinton Priory was felt there. The probable date of the tower is about 1240. The west door is very good, the label containing a fine ornamental dog’s tooth, and the segmental head is recessed in two orders. A little quatrefoil light surmounts the lancet window over the door, and may be regarded as a very early experiment in tracery.

The tower is saddle-backed and little altered, except for the modern slate roof. The buttresses rake to ground level with a bold string course of roll-section over being noteworthy. The string and plinth is carried on to the junction with the earlier nave, and there the plinth is returned inwards with a square mitre. A similar return of a plinth is visible near the north end of the east wall of the chancel and may point to a widening of the chancel in the 13^th century. In the south wall of the nave are two windows, originally Early English, as the drop arches inside testify, but the tracery in them is of a simple “decorated” order and is modern, probably not a reproduction of old work though some of the jamb stones are certainly old.

In the chancel south wall is a square headed window of three lights of the Early Perpendicular type. It may even be of the 14^th century, as with the porch, with its rudely worked entrance arch.

Inside the church is the western gallery, where the choir and organ used to be, which came in about the time of Elizabeth. A west gallery was a feature of the post-Reformation, providing accommodation for musicians. The gallery is painted pine in imitation of Jacobean and approached by an external stone staircase on the north side, quite a rare feature now. Such an arrangement may still be seen at Cameley. There were formerly other examples at Shipham and Chilton Polden.

The pews are interesting. In the nave they are good Jacobean in oak and rather like those at Mells. Those in the transept are clever imitation in pitch pine.

The covered plaster ceiling of the nave and transept has bosses of different patterns. There are two rooms in the old Rectory with ceilings which match with that roof and which must have been done at the same time.

The pseudo-Gothic of the early 19^th century has obliterated all feeling of antiquity in the chancel. It is possible that the walls of the transept may in part be ancient (probably of the 14^th century), but that part has been entirely modernised.

The are two other Early English features: the lancet window in the north wall of the chancel, near which (on the outside) is a flat buttress, very shallow and rough; and the Early English arch between the nave and the tower, which has unfortunately lost its inner ring of mouldings so that the true proportions are gone, and the corbels project without anything to support. The windows have only recently been opened up.

The 17^th century litany desk was probably removed from a three-decker pulpit and given to the church by Rev. L. D. Campbell Douglas. There is a late 17^th century coffin stool and chair.

In the tower sits a 15^th century chest with three locks. The rector and church warden each held keys and had to be present together to open the chest.

An edict of 1603 ruled that the parchment book housed in the chest should be taken out every Sabbath day so, that the minister should be witnessed by the church wardens as he recorded and dated the names of all those christened, their parents, and those married and buried in the parish in the week before.

A tempera painting on a panel, given by Mabel Campbell Douglas in 1910, is Carl Strauss of Florence’s copy of a Fra Lippa Lippi nativity.

Pevsner records the church plate: Chalice and cover of 1571 and a Paten of 1732.

War Memorial

The war memorial, to the right of the porch of the church, was unveiled in November 1921 by the Marquis of Bath, and takes the form of a Celtic cross with decorated shaft and octagonal base and names

His memorial plaque in the church was erected by his wife Marjorie and his sisters. His wife, Marjorie Vivian Mary Butt, was an American living at Walford, Herefordshire. Their marriage banns had been read at Wickhamford in 1912. They then emigrated on 20 March 1912 to Calgary in Canada on the Empress of Britain, arriving in St John, New Brunswick on 31.3.1912.

The reason for his residence at Wickhamford parish when the banns were read in 1912 is not known but on return from Canada in 1915 he is listed in the ship’s manifest as a farmer. It is surmised that he had been a farm student at Field Farm, working for Benjamin Carter in 1911-12 as Mrs Emily Carter was the younger sister of Alfred George Hayman, senior.

Alfred the son held a commission with the Welsh Regiment from 1906 until his marriage in 1912. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Canadian Mounted Rifles, but returned to Britain arriving in Liverpool on 17 July 1915. He was recommissioned as a Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment on 19 Sept 1915, serving in France and Flanders from February. He is buried in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval in France. He was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for keeping his men together for a week under intense shell-fire and, although wounded on the first day, refused to be sent back for treatment.

In probate records he is described as of Cromarty, Elmsleigh Road, Weston super Mare at the time of his death. His name does not appear on the Weston super Mare war memorial. It was his father who planted a tree outside the village hall to mark the coronation of King George. It replaced an earlier tree, though neither was an elm. Alfred, senior, and his wife, Ellen Dorothy, are memorialised with a twin window light in the south wall of the church.

Sid Williams lived at Hapsford Mill. He was killed in action on 27 March 1918. His daughter, Gert, gave his army clothes brush numbered 30995 to his great nephew, Mike. She lived in the mill, which had no electricity until the late 1960s when she moved to 7 Church Close.

Private Robert Aikenhead – 48^th Highlanders of Canada, also has a memorial plaque in the church, with the words: “Canada will not forget”. Robert was in the 48^th Highlanders of Canada, and died fighting at the 2^nd Battle of Ypres on 24 April, 1915 aged 23. He was Commercial Editor of the Toronto Times and had enlisted in 1914. He has no known grave. He was the son of Brigadier Frank Aikenhead who lived at Rock House.

Private WM Henry Matthews – Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Alberts) Concerning the identity of W Matthews, Mike Rideout, who has provided some of the above information, tells us that the only Matthews that he knows of being killed in action was born in Downhead and had parents living at 52 Butts Hill in Frome. In the 1950s, Bert Matthews who worked at Hapsford Quarry, and his wife who worked at Victoria Hospital in Frome, lived at Church Cottage, and had a son Tony living at Moonsleaze.

Should anyone be able to confirm the identity of W Matthews, we would be grateful to hear from you.

Frederick Russel – Royal Engineers KIA 1916 March 06

Churchyard

There are many buried in the churchyard without memorials. A lancet-shaped window at the east end of the north wall of the chancel, containing stained glass of a crowned Christ with a chalice, honours them. The window had been blocked up but was rediscovered in 1837. A brass plaque below it indicates that the glass work is a gift of the parishioners and friends to the memory of the unnamed dead buried in the churchyard.

There are 40 paupers’ graves from the 18^th century alone in the churchyard, most of them of women. Their names are known (see document below) and work is being undertaken to find out more about them. They include four members of the Fussell family.

In the churchyard itself there is a small tombstone dated 1736 and this is the earliest now existing. Many others favour a celtic cross design.

One notable tombstone inscription, appositely in a beautiful font, celebrates the life of Joe Tanner, who lived at Glebe House and ran the important printers, Butler & Tanner in Frome. (The compiler of this part of our story worked for a national publisher in Edinburgh who regularly sent work to Butler & Tanner for printing during the 1970s – just at the moment when the hot metal type referred to on Joe’s headstone ceased to be used.)

Joseph Tanner
1928 – 2006
Pray stranger, that the forme be resurrected
that’s put to bed, with errors uncorrected

Also Geri his wife
1931 – 2016

ROLL OF RECTORS OF ELME

First, the name of the Rector is given with his installation date and then the Patron’s name as they appear on the chart in the church

Abbreviations:

Date	Name	Patron
1318 April 8	Rog. De Derinton	Will. de Portebrefe
1348 Dec	Joh. Wyldefur 13 Kal.	Will. de Portebrefe
1350 June	Jon. Blaunchekote iv. Id	Will. de Portebrefe
1352 Nov 27	Galf de Causton	Will. de Portebrefe
1401 Dec 7	Rob Combe	Not Given
1418 Feb 9	Walt. Harwode	Isabella Barnabe
–	Will Sadeler	No details
1454 Sept 19	Joh. Tayte	Will. dom. Boneville de Chewton, Mill.
1455 Nov 21	Ric Scayle	Will. dom. Boneville de Chewton, Mill
1457 Nov 5	Joh. More	Humf. Stafford, arm. dom. de Elme
1746 June 3 (1476?)	Joh Hert	Humf. Stafford, arm. dom. de Southwicke
–	Humf. Dyker	No further details
1502 June 13	Will. Clyffe	Rob. Willoughby. mil. dom. de Broke
1566 July 23	Joh. Swinerton	Will. con Pembrochiae
1561 July 30	Rob Hill	Will. con Pembrochiae
1565 Nov 22	Rob Adams	Will. con Pembrochiae
1584 March 4	Tho Manton AM	Not Given
1585 April 6	Tho Manton AM	Not Given
1592 June 10	Will Pearce AM	Will. Atkinson gen. a.c. per Will. Compton
1628 Dec 18	Rob Hode AM	Geo. Hodges
1645 June 23	Jon. Pelling	Maria Pearce Exectrix Rob. Hodges cler.
1669 April 6	Joh Higden	Ric Higden
1712 Aug 25	Joseph Francis AB	Jac. Cook et Tho. Heath ac. per John Strachey, arm
1712 Nov 6	Joseph Francis AB	Jana Strachey, vid.
1764 July 20	Roe King BA	John King of Sherborne
1791 Aug 8	John Griffith M.A., DD	Thomas Griffith of Frome Selwood
1816 July 20	Robert Blakeney LLB	Said Robert Blakeney and Sarah Griffith, of Warminster, widow
1823 June 17	Charles Tapp Griffiths, M.A, D.D.	Sarah Griffith of Bishopstrow, Wilts, widow
1866 June 14	Danile Race Godfrey D.D	William Strachey of the Colonial Office, London
1868 Oct 5	Lord Francis George Godolphin Osborne, B.A., M.A.	William Strachey of the Colonial Office, London
1906 May 13	Samuel Charles Haines, M.A., Ph.D.	William Strachey of Elm
1906 Mar 9	Robert Thornton L Th.	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme
1908 June 10	Leopold Colin Hen. Douglas Campell-Douglas	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme
1913 April 3	Charles Henry Richards M.A	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme
1917 Sept 25	George Frederick Wilgress MA	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme
1924 Aug 13	Arthur Vernon Deanes M.A.	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme

United Benefice of Buckland Dunham with Elme

Date	Name	Patron
1931 Mar 25	Harold Septimus Pugh, N.Mc, M.A, Hon C.F.	Alfred George Hayman, of Hapsford House, Elme and Bishop of Bath & Wells alternate.
1953 Sept 23	Lionel Guy Courtney M.A.	Bishop of Bath & Wells
1970 April 11	Stanley Max Benjamin M.A.	Bishop of Bath & Wells
1978 Jan 26	Jack Cunningham (Assistant Bishop)	Bishop of Bath & Wells

Incumbents Mells with Elme

Date	Name	Patron
1983	Donald O. Pritchard	Bishop of Bath & Wells
1988	Dan Olive	Bishop of Bath & Wells
1997	Martin E. Waymont	Bishop of Bath & Wells
2017	Lt Col Clive Fairclough	Bishop of Bath & Wells

Notes on the Rectors

Geoffrey de Canston became rector in 1352 after being a chaplain of the Chantry Chapel of St Catherine in Frome, where Sheppards Barton now is. It was established by the lord of the manor, William Branch.

The Black Death was virulent in Frome which may account for the swift succession of three rectors from 1348 – 52.

Peter Belham notes that William Clyffe was rector from 1502 to 1556, remaining through all the changes brought about by Henry VIII and Edward VI. Whilst 54 years in harness may be the reason for retirement from office, Peter surmises that he may have objected to the return to Papal authority in Mary’s reign as he was replaced in 1556, with a successor who himself was replaced a year later. By then Elizabeth I had revoked Mary’s attempts to restore Roman Catholicism in England. By contrast, during the later period of political and religious turmoil – the civil war, Cromwell and the Restoration of the 17^th century – the same rector, John Pelling, held office from 1645 to 1669.

Thomas Manton seems to have been installed as Rector in 1584 as well as in 1585. There are no details of the patron in either case which might suggest a period of turmoil concerning this appointment.

It appears that Joseph Francis’ installation in 1723 needed to be reaffirmed by Jana, widow of the lord of the manor, John Strachey , who had, in 1712, passed on his right to choose who should be the rector to others.