St Matthias, North Hill
Violet Pinwill lived at Queen Anne Terrace and worshipped at St Matthias, a few hundred yards further up Tavistock Road (Newspaper article, 1957). Panelling around the sanctuary was erected as a WWI memorial and plans by Sedding & Stallybrass for such work exist at DHC (1626/B/P154), although the faculty of 1920 includes ones by W.H. May of Plymouth, and these represent what was erected.
Litany Desks (3) – Photograph (PWDRO 116/17) A. Southcombe Parker architect; 1940 (2) and 1945 (1)
The photographs in PWDRO show only one of these three desks, while a faculty exists for the two produced in 1940 (DHC DEX/9/a/2/PlymouthStMatthias/11) but the third is very similar in design. They are all memorials to parishioners: one to Benjamin Tredwin, (died 1940), another to Ellen Mary Bright (died 1940), and the third to choristers who lost their lives in the 1939-45 war, namely M.A. Creber, A.H.D. Day, W.H. Kent, F.H. Stitson and R.H. Woolcock.
Chapel, Children’s Corner and Baptistery – Newspaper article (1957) Plan (CRO AD889/56) Cowell, Drewitt & Wheatly architects; 1948
There is evidence that V. Pinwill was responsible for a font cover, some panelling and a children’s corner at St Matthias, as these are items specified in a newspaper obituary. The existence of plans dated 1948 at CRO for a chapel, children’s corner and baptistery by Wheatly’s firm of architects tends to support this and more of the work carried out at that time may be attributable.
Sources
CRO AD889/56 Plan. Plymouth St Matthias. Chapel, Childrens Corner and Baptistery.
DHC 1626/B/P154 Plans. Plymouth St Matthias. Sanctuary Panelling.
DHC DEX/9/a/2/PlymouthStMatthias/11 Faculty. Plymouth St Matthias. Litany Desks.
Newspaper article (1957) Obituary of Violet Pinwill in un-named newspaper held in Local History Library, Plymouth.
PWDRO 116/17 Photograph. Plymouth St Matthias. Litany Desk.