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Monday, April 30, 2018


Father John Boughton Knight 1909 - 1994


John Davison,who lived in Oakwood Road from 1936 to 1961, and was married in St Jude's, recently revisited the church, and remembered Father John Boughton Knight who was curate here from 1944 to 1948.

"The priest at the time, back in 1945 was "Pop" John Knights and he was a breath of fresh air after the war and was a regular visitor to the weekly cub and scout nights. He was also very involved in the Whist Drive nights and annual jumble sales both of which were run by the Troop."

John Knight was born in Hove in 1909. His brother was the artist Charles Knight (1901 - 1990) who was Princess Margaret's art teacher.

John








Leigh Hatts JOHN KNIGHT was rarely extrovert in the pulpit, although his well- prepared sermons usually included at least one mention of a stage show, an actor or a film star. But the gentle priest did admit to being 'a frustrated actor and singer trying to get out of a shy exterior' and elsewhere he could do an impressive Liberace impersonation in costume, turn into a Cockney dame or become a Somerset yokel. . . 
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-the-rev-john-knight-1391558.html



John Boughton Knight, priest: born Hove 15 May 1909; ordained deacon 1936, priest 1937; died London 1 February 1994.



http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/alumni-arts/knight,-charles-1901-1990

https://fineart.ac.uk/artists.php?idartlist=132

Monday, April 02, 2018

A Totally Preposterous Parson


Waugh and Bourchier

Earlier in the week, your humble Gazetteer was pleased to attend the launch party for a most interesting exhibition at Burgh House, the beautiful Queen Anne era privately-run Hampstead Museum to highlight the career of the Revd Basil Bourchier, the eccentric, indeed flamboyant incumbent of the church of St Jude-on-the-Hill in Hampstead Garden Suburb, a fine Lutyens building worthy of note. In his time, (the late 19th and early 20th century) Bourchier was one of the best known, and most controversial clerics in Britain. He was an early crusader in favour of the role of women in the church, and a keen anti-vivisectionist, supporting several other socially progressive causes as well as promoting a rather idiosyncratic version of High Church ritual at St Jude's, a fact that caused his one time parishioner, the novelist Evelyn Waugh to describe him as "A Totally Preposterous Parson..".

He became Rector of St Anne's Soho in 1933, taking up residence in Soho Square, where he was to die not more than a year later. in 1937 a narrow alleyway between Wardour St and Dean St, perhaps appropriately, was to be renamed Bourchier St, as it remains to this day.

"A Totally Preposterous Parson.." is the title of the splendidly detailed and lavishly illustrated short biography of Bourchier, focussed in part on his difficult relationship with the ever critical Waugh, written by the Revd Alan Walker, who is the present, and very distinguished incumbent, at St Jude's, and published by the church itself. Alan Walker has also curated with great flair the small but fascinating exhibition dedicated to the Clash of the two Intellectual Titans of Hampstead Garden Suburb, which is well worth a pilgrimage from Zone 1. The Museum is free to enter.

William Ward

St George's Bloomsbury  Parish Gazette for Sunday March 25th 2018 Palm Sunday

EXHIBITION NOTES

EVELYN WAUGH AND BASIL BOURCHIER ESSAY

Sunday, April 01, 2018

Easter Day 2018

All Holy Week photos by Antonio Yap








Easter Vigil 2018