Turvey Church Repairs and Alterations
Most of the structural history of the church can be found in detail in Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Volume number 79 of 2000 Bedfordshire Churches in the Nineteenth Century: Part III: Parishes S to Y put together by former County Archivist Chris Pickford from numerous sources some held by Bedfordshire Archives and some held elsewhere or published.
There are some fragmentary churchwardens' accounts of 1551-2. These mention the visit of the Edwardian Commissioners but no 1552 inventory has survived. A dated stone indicates that the vestry in the south-west corner of the church was built in 1593. One of the bells was dated 1609 and the existing bellframe indicates that there were probably about five bells in the tower by 1630. Two of the bells were recast in 1682, another in 1750, and the tenor in 1815 when the former sanctus bell was added to its metal. The plate was given in 1788 by Margaret Mordaunt, the daughter of the Hon. Henry Mordaunt.
In 1790, shortly after he acquired the Turvey Estate Charles Higgins had new pews erected in the nave and built a gallery. The churchwardens' accounts from 1797 provide information on later repairs and alterations. These include a new vestry built on the north side of the church under a faculty in 1804. At this date the old chancel screen was destroyed and a painting or altar piece was presented to the church by the Rev. Erasmus Middleton (who was rector 1804-5). Middleton and his successor the Rev. Leigh Richmond (rector from 1805 – 27) were both noted evangelicals. During their incumbencies the church was furnished as a "preaching box" with triple-decker pulpit, enclosed pews and galleries. Its appearance was recorded in several contemporary illustrations. Richmond also had the monument to Sir John Mordaunt and his wife Edith moved from its original position in the north aisle in 1810 to give room for additional seats. In 1823 the churchwardens paid Thomas Pinkerd "for writing texts of scriptures in the Church". The Higgins mausoleum was erected in the churchyard in 1825, shortly before Richmond's death in 1827.
In 1827 Boissier described the church as "sadly disfigured by pews" but that changed with Charles Longuet Higgins who, unlike his father, was a Tractarian. Improvements began with the gift of an organ (by Hill and Davison) by Miss Ann Higgins in 1838. In 1844-5 the seating in the church was rearranged and parts of the church were rearranged at a cost of over £180 under Richard Sheppard of Newport Pagnell. Chairs, cloth and cushions for the communion table were given in 1846, when Higgins also presented a new organ (by Hill). Further alterations to the pews were carried out in 1849.
‘W.A.’ (John Martin, who wrote a series of articles on Bedfordshire churches) wrote an article on the church in the Northampton Mercury of 7th August 1847 and found that there was still plenty to criticise in the new arrangements. He wrote of a "chandelier better fitted for the ball-room than a church"; chairs that were "not very ecclesiastical" and disliked the whitewashing of columns and of the stalls in the south aisles. In 1852 Higgins sought advice from George Gilbert Scott who suggested the extension of the chancel. Scott's letter indicates that he felt compromised by "so radical a change" because of views he had recently expressed against destructive alterations. Despite this letter he was commissioned to restore the church and rebuild the east end with a new chancel, vestry and organ chamber.
Building took place between July 1852 and October 1854 when the church was re-consecrated. Scott transformed the interior into what has been described as "the finest mid-Victorian ecclesiastical ensemble in Bedfordshire". Richly furnished with Minton tiles, stained glass and brass ornaments by Hardman, polished marble columns and brightly coloured organ pipes, the chancel is a High Victorian period piece. The woodwork including the carved oak choir stalls, pulpit, lectern and the seating in the nave is also of 1854 as are the quarry glass windows by Powell of Whitefriars. The organ was again enlarged and rebuilt by Hill in 1854. The entire cost of this work was met by Charles Longuet Higgins.
Further gifts to the church included an alms dish of 1855 by A. Keith of Westminster (designed by Butterfield), the lych gate erected in 1856, and wooden alms dishes and a sanctuary desk presented in 1859. In 1858 the tower was struck by lightning and its roof was damaged by fire, fortunately it was put out before it could cause any serious damage to the church. Although Scott provided plans for restoring the tower roof, the present pyramid roof and cross on top of the tower were actually put up in 1864 under James Horsford of Bedford. A sixth bell was added to the ring in 1864. In the same year a new heating apparatus was provided.
As organist, Charles Longuet Higgins took a particular interest in church music and Turvey became noted in the 1860s for its choral services and festivals. After his death in 1885 the organ was again restored in 1886, and in 1887 a monument by H. H. Armstead was erected in his memory. Other improvements at this time included a new credence table by the sedilia in 1886 and a tapestry curtain for the east wall in 1887. A new heating system was installed in 1891. In 1893 George Sargent gave a new church clock in memory of his parents. Work on the bells was undertaken in 1896, 1900 and 1906, including the addition of two trebles in 1900 to make a ring of eight. New oil lamps were provided for the aisles in 1903-4.
In 1899 it became necessary to undertake repairs to the roof of the Lady chapel. It had not needed attention when the church was restored in 1852-4. The work was carried out in 1900 by a local builder at a cost of £335 under Matthew Holding of Northampton. In 1909 repairs to the tower were carried out under George Grocock of Bedford, although his proposal for replacing the pyramid spire with an ordinary roof was not pursued.
Later repairs and improvements have included further work on the organ in 1924, the restoration of the wall painting in 1931, the creation of a new choir vestry under the tower in 1934, and Bernard West's modern work of 1962 on the west screen and altar rails and the light fittings of 1975.