Lemsford News January 1918

Christmas Services – On Christmas Day, Holy Communion was celebrated at 7 & 8 a.m. and at mid-day. All the sermons were well attended, and the well known Christmas hymns heartily sung. Carols were sung at the Evening Service on Sunday, the 23rd. The Church, as usual, looked very nice and well repaid those who so willingly gave their time and service to the work of decorating it.

Lemsford News February 1918

Lent Services – Owing to the difficulty of lighting and heating the Church in war time, there will be no special week-day lectures during Lent. There will, however, be a series of special sermons on Sundays at Evensong.

Lemsford News April 1918

Everybody will be pleased to hear that Mr and Mrs Ward will shortly be returning to Lemsford but it will be with unfeigned regret that we shall part with Mr & Mrs Moore, who since they have been among us, have entered into all the interests, the joys and the sorrows of the village with so much sympathy and kindness., Mrs Moore especially, has never spared herself, and has been indefatigable in visiting, and in doing her utmost to promote any scheme that might be on hand for the good of the village. All will join in hearty good wishes to Mr & Mrs Moore and their daughter, that they may have every happiness in the future, wherever their home may be.

June 1918 Lemsford News

The Clergy and National Service – As many clergymen as possible are to be used for some form of National Service. The Vicar has been appointed to the Admiralty War Staff, and will in consequence be in London all day except on Saturday afternoons. He very much hopes to be able to take a half day now and again for visiting. The Services will be carried on as usual, except that it may be found necessary to have only one sermon on a Sunday. The only alteration will be to hold the weekly Intercession Service at 7.15 on Wednesdays instead of at 7 o'clock. The Rector of Hatfield (The Rev. J.J. Antrobus) has most kindly consented to undertake any emergency during the week.The Hatfield Clergy will be responsible for occasional services at Lemsford during the week, as the Rev. A.E. Ward is doing work at the Admiralty.

July 1918, Lemsford News

Church Council – The first meeting of the recently constituted Church Council took place on Thursday, May 30th. Mr A.J. Sherriff was elected Chairman, and the Rev. A.E. Ward, Secretary. Among other topics under discussion were the organisation of the Coal and Clothing Clubs. The membership of the Clubs has increased so much, that last year it was found impossible to meet the expense of the bonus out of the existing funds, the subscriptions not amounting to a sufficiently large sum. It was therefore decided that before the commencement of another year, the rules for membership must be revised, and for this year the bonus must be reduced, the available sum being divided equally.

May 1918, Lemsford News

Easter – The Services at the Church, both on Good Friday and Easter Sunday were well attended. The Easter decorations were particularly pretty and spring like, a profusion of lovely daffodils being sent from Brocket and plants and other flowers by Mr W. Horn, Miss Horn, Mrs Holdsworth and Col. Fellows, which were tastefully arranged by the usual helpers.
council.

Obituary – We regret to have to report the death of Mr Titmus of Stanborough, who passed away on Saturday, April 13th. Mr Titmus had not been very long with us, but we were all glad to have him for a neighbour. We deeply sympathise with the family in their great loss, especially as this is the second sorrow they have had in the comparatively short time that they have resided at Stanborough.

Easter Vestry – The Annual Vestry Meeting was held in the Schools on Thursday, April 25th, when Mr W. C. Horn was appointed Vicar's Churchwarden and Mr Horn was elected People's Warden. This is the 50th occasion on which Mr Horn has held the office of Churchwarden. The parishioners owe him a great debt of gratitude for all that he has done for the church, and the interest he has taken in it and the affairs of the parish generally. Votes of sympathy were passed with Mrs John Sear on her husband having been wounded in France, and with Mr & Mrs Ladbury in their great anxiety over their son, anxiety which is shared by everyone of us. Mr William Horn moved a vote of thanks to all Churchwardens for the loyal way in which they have kept things together during the past years. Mr Ladbury and Mr John Sear were the retiring sidesmen, and Mr Walter Titmus was elected to serve instead. It was decided to form a Church Council to manage all Church matters and the financial business of the parish. The Vicar, Churchwardens and Schoolmaster are to be ex-officio members. As anything in the way of an election by the whole parish would be difficult to arrange, it was though best to start with, that the present sidemen should be members of the council, but they are not ex-officio, and do not sit upon the council because they are sidesmen. These are Messrs. Blackstone, Clarke, Cotterell, Hale, J.H. Horn, W.T. Titmus, and White. In addition to these the following were proposed and elected. Mr A. Sherriff, Miss Holdsworth, Mrs John Sear, and Mrs Scott. It is intended that the council should meet quarterly, and a Chairman will be elected at the first meeting. It was also decided that the Vicar should not be eligible as chairman, and that two members should retire each year, so that as many parishioners as possible should serve their turn upon the

August 1918, Lemsford News

Obituary – Through the death of Mrs Tyler, a familiar figure will be missed from Lemsford. She was always wonderfully active for her age, and seemed so strong, that the news of her death, which took place after a short illness, while she was staying away from home, came as a shock to all her friends.

September 1918, Lemsford News

Obituary – We have sustained a very great loss in the death of Mr Walter Titmus, who died suddenly at Stanborough House on Monday, July 28th. He has been taken from us just as we were beginning to know him, and to know him was to like and respect him. He had greatly endeared himself to his neighbours by his many acts of thoughtful kindness. He never spared himself, either in his profession or in what he could do for others. I am sure we all join in offering our respectful sympathy to Mrs and Miss Titmus.

Obituary – After many years of pain and weakness, Mrs King passed away at Handside, on Saturday, August 17th. We feel much sympathy with Mrs Welch in the loss of her sister with whom she has lived for so long.

October 1918, Lemsford News

Harvest Festival – The Harvest Festival is fixed for October 6th. Canon Nairne will be the preacher in the Evening. This year, our Service of Thanksgiving should be a very real one, for the wonderful Harvest which God has given us, in this time of necessity.

November 1918, Lemsford News

Harvest Festival – The Harvest Festival was held on Sunday, October 6th; the Sermon in the morning was preached by the Vicar and in the evening by Canon Nairne, Rector of Wheathampstead. The Church looked very pretty, although owing to a bad season, there were not so many vegetables, nor so much fruit sent as usual. All the services were well attended.

Obituary – We regret to announce the death of Mrs Horn, which took place at Handside early in the morning of Tuesday, October 22nd. For the past seven years she had led a retired life, and was not often seen among us. During that time her sufferings were very great, and her increasing loss of sight was a severe trial. We may indeed thank God that it has pleased him to deliver her from all her burdens and troubles The older inhabitants of this village , who have known her for many years, will realise what a loss they have sustained. They had in Mrs Horn a known and tried friend who never failed to take a deep personal interest in all their joys and sorrows, and was always ready in time of need with generous help and counsel. For all of us there will ever be connected with Mrs Horn the memory of past and happier days upon which it will be a pleasure to look back. We shall think of her dear familiar figure on winter afternoons in the Reading Room at the Mothers' Meeting, on the lawn at Handside in the Summer, on Sundays in her pew in the Church she loved so well. Though much tried in mind and body during her last years, she bravely kept her faith, and through the darkness of great depression put her whole trust in God. The entire neighbourhood will unite in heartfelt sympathy with Mr Horn and his family for their great loss, and thank God for a life that was an example and a blessing to so many.

Obituary –  It is with great regret that we have to report the death, after an illness of some months, most patiently borne of Miss Grace Wren. Though no-one could doubt the serious nature of her illness, the end came sooner than was anticipated.
The editor regrets that owing to lack of space, the obituary notices of Mrs Nichols, and Miss Rose Turner must be omitted. Also the accounts of Corporal A. Wallis, Private Chapman, and Private S. Hawthorne, who have been wounded, must be held over for the same reason.

December 1918, Lemsford News

Obituary – Death has been busy in the parish of late, as the many new graves in our Churchyard testify; and familiar faces are missed. This month we have with much regret to record the deaths of Doris Lines, daughter of Mr & Mrs Lines of Handside, and of Mrs Sammons, wife of Mr Sammons of Cromer Hyde, which took place from the effects of Influenza. Much sympathy is felt for their relatives and friends, and for Mr & Mrs Sear, of the North Road, whose son Ernest, died recently in Hatfield.