Archive for 1 September 2007

St. Mary’s Graffiti

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Much to the chagrin of the good citizens of the parish of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin, graffiti has appeared (or I should say more has appeared) on the north door. This is not a modern or ‘new’ phenomenon at all. One should look at the pillars of the door frame on both sides, to see lots and lots of carved graffiti dating back to the 1960s, 1950s, 1930s; even back a hundred years. In churches all around the parishes of Britain, one will find similar graffiti (and going back to 1700 say) Things such as names, love tokens or just dates. The Romans did this too, as did the Egyptians, Greeks, Vikings et al. As the expression goes, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’!

Warner’s Almshouses

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Detail of the rather grand door in to the Warners Almshouses that were originally the parish Poor Houses. Then in 1760, they were rebuilt by Daniel Warner and then again in 1893 (and enlarged too) by funds left by Miss Elizabeth Ann Lucas, formerly of Hitchin who died in 1860. These Almshouses stood (and still stand) within the grounds of St Mary’s Church in the South East corner, by the River Hiz.

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