St John the Baptist

All the pieces listed below are currently in the church and in use (Breyan Knowles, warden, pers. comm.). There is no indication as to how these commissions were obtained, although Edmund H. Sedding was responsible for the design of the war memorial and the other pieces are probably his work as well.

Chancel Furnishings: Pulpit, Lectern, Litany Desk and Clergy Stall
(Photo: Kirsty Hartsiotis)

Pulpit – Photograph (PWDRO 244/4 & 244/5); 1914

The photograph shows an octagonal, elaborately carved pulpit with figures of the Madonna and child and John the Baptist. The inscription on the pulpit states that it is in memory of ‘Amy Edith Mary Bullivant AD 1914’ (Breyan Knowles, warden, pers. comm.). A death notice states that Amy died in November 1912 at Queen Anne’s Mansions, SW London, the beloved wife of Frederick Arthur Bullivant, who was also of ‘Thatched House, Moulsford’ (Slough Chronicle, 1912 p. 16).

Lectern – Photograph (PWDRO 244/4 & 244/5); probably 1914

The lectern also bears an inscription stating that it is in memeory of Amy Bullivant from ‘her loving children’ (Breyan Knowles, warden, pers. comm.), which strongly suggests it was commissioned at the same time as the pulpit.

Litany Desk – Photograph (PWDRO 116/93, 244/4 & 244/5); probably 1914

The litany desk has no inscription (Breyan Knowles, warden, pers. comm.) but the design is similar in style to the pulpit and lectern and is probably contemporaneous with them. On each of the sides is a figure of an angel, one carrying a scythe and a sheaf of wheat and the other holding a long trumpet, both suggestive of the gathering in of good souls.

Clergy Stall War Memorial (Photo: Kirsty Hartsiotis)

War Memorial – Newspaper article (Western Morning News, 1921) E.H. Sedding architect; between 1918 and 1921

A newspaper obituary for Edmund H. Sedding states that he designed a war memorial for Moulsford church. This took the form of an elaborately carved clergy stall, the seat of which bears an inscription stating that it is in memory of ‘Lieu Charles Gordon Mills 1st Batt Coldstream Grds who was killed in action’ (Breyan Knowles, warden, pers. comm.). The front of the desk features a kneeling soldier (very similar in design to the one on the memorial at St Martin by Looe) before a seated Christ. Crowning either end of the desk is a pair of angels clasping a shield, one of which bears the regimental badge of the Coldstream Guards. On the sides of the desk are shields with the initials ‘CGM’ and ‘AD 1914-18’. Charles was 19 when he died, the son of Charles Antony and Maud Mills of The Manor, Moulsford (cwgc.org). There is no reason not to think that V. Pinwill carved this fine piece of work.

Sources

PWDRO 116/93 Photograph. Moulsford. Litany Desk.

PWDRO 244/4 Photograph Album. Various. Woodcarvings.

PWDRO 244/5 Photograph Album. Various. Woodcarvings.

Slough Chronicle (1912) Births, Deaths and Marriages. Deaths. Bullivant. 22 November p. 16.

Western Morning News (1921) Mr. Edmund Sedding. Plymouth Architect’s Death in London. Work for Churches. 23 February p. 8.