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Interesting correspondence took place concerning the font. Fellowes
Prynne wrote:
July 17 1911
Dear Sir,
I have to acknowledge & thank you for your letter - I shall be very
pleased to design a font for your church and would of course try to meet the
wishes of yourself and your committee with regard to the design in every
possible way, and I have no fear whatsoever on this score. But, as I feel true
you will understand, competition in such a matter would be quite out of the
question. If an Artist is not of sufficiently well known ability to inspire the
absolute confidence of an employer the latter should on no account employ him -
but when employed he may be trusted to give the best of his ability, and to work
entirely in the interests of his employer.
I shall be pleased to make a sketch that shall satisfy the committee as
long as it is clearly understood it is not to be in competition.
With kind remembrance
I am yours very truly,
Geo: H. Fellowes Prynne
He was also entrusted in 1913 with the enlargement of the sanctuary. The
following is an extract from the Linslade Parish Magazine, September 1913:
LETTER FROM THE VICAR
MY DEAR FRIENDS AND PARISHIONERS,
I think you will agree with me that the recent enlargement of the Church
makes the Chancel and Sanctuary look small in proportion to the rest of the
building. As soon as I came here I thought how much better the Church would look
if the Sanctuary could be enlarged Eastward. When Mr. Fellowes Prynne visited
the Church nearly two years ago in connection with the work of the new Font, I
consulted him on the subject and it was always my wish to ask him to enlarge the
East end of the Church if the funds were ever forthcoming. Then came the news of
Mrs. Simpson’s benefaction, and the churchwardens and I thought it best that the
Church should first of all be enlarged by the completion of the North Aisle, and
that the work should be carried out by the architect whose father [Ferrey] had
designed the Lady Chapel, vestries and part of the North Aisle. This has now
been satisfactorily done; and as a certain sum of money still remains beside the
capital sum we have invested for the repairs and upkeep of the building, the
Churchwardens have agreed that something can now be done to the East end of the
Church. They have also assented to my personal wish formed two years ago, that
Mr. Fellowes Prynne should supervise the work, having regard to the fact that he
is a noted Church architect who is skilled in the difficult work of adapting old
ecclesiastical buildings to modern requirements.
Mr. Prynne has therefore prepared plans and designs, which have been
approved by the Building Committee and passed at the recent Vestry Meeting. A
faculty is therefore being applied for, and we shall shortly receive tenders for
the work. As the organ will probably have to be removed during the building
operations, and as Mr. Hedges, after consultation with Mr. Gostelow, the
well-known organist, reports that in any case a certain sum must soon be spent
on the organ, the Churchwardens and I hope to take this favourable opportunity
of bringing the instrument more up-to-date, if the money in hand allows us.
Under these circumstances we have reason to hope that the building work will
begin early next month, and be completed early in the New Year. We can then
invite the Bishop to come and consecrate all the additions to the Church, and we
shall, I hope for many years to come, be free from the discomforts with which we
are unfortunately now familiar.
Yours faithfully in Christ,
W. S. MAHONY |
