Does anyone recall a war Memorial within St Stephen's Church in Watlington Street, Reading? I have contacted the present occupants (Polish Orthodox) who have no knowledge of a memorial. I have also contacted St John's Church which amalgamated with St Stephen's - they have no knowledge either. Does anyone remember the memorial? Do you know what happened to it or where it went when the church was no longer used by the C of E. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. Margaret Young projects@berksfhs.org.uk Projects Co-ordinator http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/ Berkshire Family History Society -- Margaret Young margaret@breadmore.org Breadmore One-Name Study (GOONS 2503) http://www.breadmore.org/

Dear Margaret, This was found on the web at the following address: http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Berkshire/towns/Reading.html There are three parishes in Reading which are both civil and ecclesiastical-viz., St Giles, St Lawrence, and St Mary-the-Virgin; and there are also the ecclesiastical parishes of Christ Church, Grey Friars, Holy Trinity, and St John-the-Evangelist. The church of St Giles, which stands on the E side of Southampton Street, is an ancient building of flint and stone in mixed styles, and consists of nave, aisles, chancel, and porch, with a battlemented western tower and a slender spire of stone. It sustained much injury from the artillery of the besiegers in 1643, but was restored after the war, and was again restored and enlarged in 1873. Attached to the church of St Giles is that of St Luke's, on the Redlands estate, a building of red brick in the Italian style, which was erected at a cost of about £6000 in 1883. The living of St Giles with St Luke is a vicarage, of the gross value of £517 with residence (though the net value is now-returned as nil), in the gift of the Bishop of Oxford. The church of St Lawrence is situated at the corner of Friar Street, near the market-place, and is a handsome building of flint and stone in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, N aisle, with chantry chapel, S porch, and a lofty square tower with turrets. It contains some ancient brasses, many interesting tombs and memorials, and some good stained windows. An ancient sun-dial is on the S side of the church. The living is a vicarage, of the gross value of £200, in the gift of the Bishop of Oxford. The church of St Mary-the-Virgin, which stands. at the end of Minster Street, is said to have been originally built with portions of the abbey ruins, and is an edifice faced with flint and ashlar in chequers, consisting of chancel, nave, S aisle, N transept, S porch, and an embattled western tower surmounted with pinnacles. It has a fine old oak roof, and contains among many other objects of interest an altar-piece-attributed to one of the Caracci, two curious ancient alms-boxes, a Perpendicular font with pyramidal crocketed cover,. some ancient tombs and brasses, the old colours of the 66th (Princess Charlotte of Wales' Royal Berkshire) regiment, and a memorial window to those of its officers and men who fell at the battle of Maiwand, in Afghanistan, 27 July, 1880.-St Saviour's Church, in Coley Street, is attached to St Mary's, and is a building of red brick, erected in 1888, consisting of chancel, nave, side chapel, and western porch. All Saints Church, in Downshire Square, is also attached to St Mary's, and is a building of stone in the Decorated style, consisting" of chancel, nave, aisles, transept, Galilee porch, and bell-turret. The living of St Mary is a rectory, of the net value-of £29, in the gift of the Bishop of Oxford. Christ Church, Whitley, is an ecclesiastical parish, formed out of the parish of St Giles in 1863. The church, which stands at the end of the Kendrick Road, is an edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, N aisle, N transept, and a tower on the NW surmounted by an octagonal spire. The living is a vicarage, of the net value of £230, in th& gift of the Bishop of Oxford. Population of the ecclesiastical parish, 4812. Grey Friars is an ecclesiastical parish which was formed in 1864 out of the parishes of St Mary and St Lawrence. The church was originally built by the Grey Friars on the site granted by the Abbot of Reading. It was afterwards allowed to fall into decay, and it stood roofless for about 200 years, the side aisles being used as cells of the town bridewell. In 1861 it was restored to ecclesiastical purposes, repaired and partly rebuilt by the late-Archdeacon Phelps. It now consists of a wide nave, aisles, and transepts. The living is a vicarage, of the gross value of £83 with residence, in the gift of Trustees. Population of the ecclesiastical parish, 3310. Holy Trinity is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in 1875 out of the parish of St Mary. The church, erected in 1826, is a plain quadrangular structure of brick, with stone front, consisting of nave and chancel only. The living is a vicarage, of the net value of £200, in the gift of the Vicar of St Mary's. Population of the ecclesiastical parish, 6124. St John-the Evangelist's is an ecclesiastical parish which was formed out of St Giles in-1874. The church, rebuilt in 1872-73, is a building of Kentish ragstone, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, transepts, N porch, and a western tower and spire 150 feet in-height. The church of St Stephen, which is attached to St John-the-Evangelist, is a building of brick in the Early English style, erected in 1866, and consisting of chancel,. nave, aisles, S porch, and bell-turret The living of St John with St Stephen is a vicarage, of the net value of £250, in the gift of Trustees. All the livings are in the diocese of Oxford. There is an Episcopal chapel, dedicated to St Mary, belonging to the Church of England, in Castle Street. A Roman Catholic church (1840) stands near the Forbury Gardens and within the ruins of the abbey, and there are five Baptist, four Congregational, one Presbyterian, two Primitive-Methodist, one Unitarian, and three Wesleyan chapels, a Friends' meeting-house, and a Salvation Army Barracks. Kim Townsend Spangrude, Salt Lake City, Utah Descendant of Richard Townsend of Bucklebury, Berkshire 1614-1697 On May 28, 2011, at 7:51 AM, Margaret Young wrote: > Does anyone recall a war Memorial within St Stephen's Church in > Watlington Street, Reading? > > I have contacted the present occupants (Polish Orthodox) who have no > knowledge of a memorial. I have also contacted St John's Church which > amalgamated with St Stephen's - they have no knowledge either. > > Does anyone remember the memorial? > > Do you know what happened to it or where it went when the church was no > longer used by the C of E. > > Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. > > > Margaret Young projects@berksfhs.org.uk > Projects Co-ordinator http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/ > Berkshire Family History Society > > -- > Margaret Young margaret@breadmore.org > Breadmore One-Name Study (GOONS 2503) http://www.breadmore.org/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message