Twentieth Century Great Glen

Just after completing my article on Great Glen, Max Wade Matthews, author and local historian, kindly allowed me to publish this final chapter of a book he has written.

I decided to share this with you and hope like me, that you appreciate Max's kindness and generosity.

Church Fire

On 30 December 1914 there was a fire at the church. Caused by a stove pipe which had been broken by the recent gales, the conflagration was first noticed by Thomas Capell, the sexton, at 2.30 in the afternoon. Feared that the whole roof would be destroyed were dispelled when it was realised that as the wind was from the south and as the fire was seated on the north side, near the tower, it was sheltered by the ridge of the roof.

Several men (Edward and Hedley Batchelor, Dr Walker and messrs Holt, Walker and Wolmer), who were at home nearby having lunch, immediately went to the church to fight the fire under the supervision of Theodore Walker, churchwarden. Some of the men got onto the roof while others fetched water from the vicarage tanks which fortunately were full. By the time the fire brigade arrived from Leicester, twelve minutes after they had received the telephone call, all danger was over and, due to the prompt action of the men, only about £100 of damage was caused.1

The Vicarage

In October 1927 the Reverend John Orr, a former captain in the Royal Fussiliers, who had been vicar of Glen since 1910, left the village to be followed, some six months later, by George Barclay. The reason for the six month interregum was Barclay’s refusal to move into the vicarage until certain improvements had been made. Having a household of fourteen, including eight children, his main concern was the water supply, or rather the lack of it.2

The vicarage had been a cause of concern for many years. As early as 1855 the Reverend George Boyle had refused the living, when it was thought that Dodds was leaving, complaining that the vicarage house was damp and indifferent. Seventy years later the situation was hardly any better. The vicarage well, which was below the level of the churchyard, had run dry and Orr was compelled to be dependent on the courtesy of a neighbough for his drinking water. Even so, it still had to be boiled and filtered prior to drinking.3 In the event the vicarage was rebuilt and modernised at a cost of over £1,000.4

Barclay did not get on with Packe and it was with little regret that, on 31 October 1932, ill health forced him to resign the living. He

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