Matthias Lucas letters to Church Warden (1838)

Post date: Apr 01, 2015 11:30:17 AM

Originals of the following 4 letters from Matthias Lucas were recently rediscovered by Christine Byron in the library of Wateringbury Local History Society. A transcription follows. The originals are difficult to read. The year, 1838, is not on the letters but taken from the textof the plaque in the vestry of the Church which is referred to in the letters and reproduced for ease of reference below the letters. A discussion of these letters and their background , written by the then vicar Greville Livett, was published in the parish magazine in 1909 and can be read at paragraph 21.

LETTERS FROM MATTHIAS PRIME LUCAS TO CHURCH WARDEN JAMES WOODBRIDGE

Initial Letter asking for permission to erect a new Vestry and Family Vault

My Dr Sir

I was very much obliged by yr call today. Since you left me I find that our Vestry is a mean

lean too against the Chancel of the Church and quite independent of the walls and

foundations of both Church and Chancel.

As this Vestry is most certainly very unseemly and inconvenient I think the Parish

would have no objection to my making my vault under the underside of the present Vestry

and the unappropriated part of this Ch Yd North of it on my taking this Vestry down and all

etc appendages on and out without the wall of both Church and Chancell and making my

family vault beneath and erecting a more convenient and spacious vestry over it at my intire

Expense taking all the materials of what may be taken down in aid of what I shall put up. I

should Hope it will appear to the good sense and sober judgement of the Parish that as

one of them I am most anxious in what ever conveniences I may be seeking for myself and

family that at the same time I am alike desirous that for the Parish that will prove my

willingness to improve this Vestry and to serve their convenience as well as my own.

Perhaps you will have the kindness as Church Warden to call a Vestry or Parishioners

meeting giving notice of it tomorrow as I have no desire to go with this outlay until I carry

the Wishes of this Parish with me.

I remain my Dr Sir very truly Yrs

Matt P Lucas

SUNDAY EVENING

My Dr Sir

As I am going to town at half past 9am in the morning I should like to see you on the

subject of my Notes before I leave as I am to send to Sutton on other matters and I have

promised that he should hear from me on the subject of the Inscriptions to be on the

tablets.

You will excuse my bringing this to your notice as the Season is now approaching for

completing the Vestry.

I propose to put up a superior Chronery? Gloss and I have two appropriate pictures

which when the walls are finished and dry that I intend to send in.

Yours truly

Matt P Lucas

Wateringbury March 31st

Private

MONDAY EVENING

My Dr Sir

I am greatly obliged by yr kindness in seeking to do me justice with the Parish – it has

been my study to be usefull to the Parish and I have lent myself much to better its

population.

In every thing that I have done on this Chancell – or in the Erection of the Vestry etc

I will leave it to them to deal with my conduct as they think it deserves and shall be pleased

and thankfull for any tokens or Testimony they may be pleased to record to my

remembrances.

I am my dr Sir

Yr truly Obliged

Humble Servant

Matt P Lucas

My Dr Sir

I presume there can be no objections to the additions I have made to the

Superscriptions to be written on the tablet – I believe it is always usual to insert the Vicar

or Rector with the Church Wardens.

And as you and I know what I have written is in strict accordance with the

understanding of your self and the Parishioners. As between them and myself I think it

ought to go on the front of the Tablet.

It certainly speaking of the present time is unnecessary but some 50 Years hence

there may be a wrong minded church warden who may take it into his head to say I find no

record of the Lucas Family having the right to take up the floor of our Vestry to get to the

Vault and therefore I should prefer its Insertion.

Yours

Ald M P Lucas

On the wall of the vestry which adjoins the chancel of the church there are two tablets.

To the right of the door from the vestry to the church is a charcoal tablet with the following words

THIS VESTRY

WAS BUILT, ORNAMENTED

AND FURNISHED AT

THE SOLE EXPENSE OF

MATTHIAS PRIME LUCAS

alderman of the city

of London

and of Wateringbury Place

Esquire;

Anno Domini

M.DCCCXXXVIII

______

In grateful acknowledgement of

and to commemorate this act of

Munificene, this tablet is

erected by his fellow

parishioners

______

The Hon'able and Rev'd) Vicar

Jacob Marsham, D.D. )

James Woodbridge )

Richard Harris ) Churchwardens

To the left of the door from the vestry to the church is an ornate memorial giving the names of the

Lucas family members interred in the vault beneath the vestry floor.