Information about services at the church can be found on the Benefice website – www.boughton-hernhill-graveney-churches.com
Village Fete
Although the blue skies the weather forecasts promised failed to materialize, the fete was well attended with enthusiastic participants in the dog show and circus school. Thanks to their support the church will receive a much needed contribution of just under £2,000. Much needed because work on the church porch will start in May, the cost of which is now anticipated to be about £10,000. See the Projects page for further information on these essential works.
St Michael’s Church 900 Years
Alan Taylor’s book on the history of St. Michael’s Church can now be purchased at the reduced price of £2. It gives a detailed history of the church from its foundation in 1120 through to its 900th anniversary in 2020. The church’s architecture is discussed with colour layouts to explain how it has changed over time. A review of the stained glass and memorials is illustrated with numerous colour photographs. Also included are brief histories of the village and its school.
Carols On The Green December 2022
Pictured on the right are John and Naomi Colmer visiting with their two children from Virgina, America. Naomi grew up in Hernhill and she and John were married in St. Michael’s.
War Memorial Centenary
On 4th December 2021 a service was held in front of the war memorial at St. Michael’s Church to mark the 100th anniversary of its unveiling and dedication. As part of the service, a brief biography of each of the thirty men from Hernhill Parish who lost their lives in the First World War was read out.
At the service part of the address given at the dedication by the Archdeacon of Canterbury was read out. He had spoken of the ‘indelible debt of gratitude, honour and sympathy’ owed to those who had given their lives for their country and asked for remembrance for the many who had survived the war but at great personal cost to themselves and who were in difficulties of all sorts.
The unveiling of the memorial in 1921 had been performed by Brigadier-General Pitt and his address at the time was also read out.
The men who had died while serving during the First World War included six sets of brothers.
James and John Clinch were the sons of Mr Clinch who farmed at Wey Street. It was reported that he was so upset by their deaths that he could no longer bear to walk the fields where his sons had grown up and retired from farming.
John and Frederick Brown’ parents lived at Miles Cottage, Dargate. Frederick died on the last day of the Battle of the Somme in November 1916, as did Percy Arnold who also came from Hernhill.
George and John Pout, whose parents lived at Pleasant View Dargate, died within three weeks of each other in June 1918.
Percy and Sidney Smith lived at Dale Farm, Church Hill before they enlisted. Sidney Smith had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct medal for carrying wounded men off the battlefield when heavy fire prevented stretcher bearers going to their assistance. He died in November 1917 and his brother died in November the following year.
George and John Twrell’s parents lived at Sandhole in Kemsdale Road. John had died in 1916, but George was killed in the last weeks of the war in November 1918.
Alec and Victor Wraight, who lived at St. Michael’s Cottages, died in March and August 1918. Their brother Sidney also served and survived the war but lost a leg in action in 1917.
Two men, William Harvey and Charles Arnold, served on the same ship, HMS Aboukir. They both lost their lives when their ship was torpedoed off the Dutch coast in September 1914.
The churchyard of St. Michael’s has three Commonwealth War Graves; two from the First World War and one from the Second. In addition an inscription has been added for Wilfred Haslam to his father’s memorial stone. Although not a Commonwealth War Grave the churchyard also contains a memorial to Sidney Packman who served in the First World War but died in 1916 and is recorded on the War memorial and at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Further information on all those whose names appear on the war memorial can be found at http://www.boughton-dunkirk-hernhill-warmemorials.com.