Evelyn Waugh and the 'preposterous parson'

The novelist Evelyn Waugh, author of Brideshead Revisited and the Sword of Honour trilogy, was confirmed at St Jude's on 29 June 1916. His family lived at 'Underhill' on North End Road, and his father was for many years a sidesman at St Jude's.

"St Jude's . . . was then in the charge of the Revd Basil Bourchier. Bourchier, a cousin of the actor-manager, Arthur Bourchier, and satirised as the odious Cyril Boom Bagshaw in A.S.M. Hutchinson's best seller, If Winter Comes, was an actor manque, one of those flamboyant, theatrical priests who in every age are to be found showily performing from the pulpit. Arthur regarded the man as a rollicking joke, enjoying the novelty of each weeks antics. Bourchier put a lot of thought into his dramatic effects: while his flock were taking Communion, a large red, electric cross was switched on over the altar; and the lesson was often acted out with impressive literalness.'

Selina Hastings Evelyn Waugh: A Biography 1994

'[Bourchier] was a man without pretension to doctrinal orthodoxy; a large, florid, lisping man, who was often to be seen in the stalls of London theatres in lay evening dress. No one could have been more alien to the ideals of Dame Henrietta Barnett and of the general run of the inhabitants of his parish. He was a man of wider claims. His name was constantly in the popular newspapers, giving his wayward opinions on any subject about which he was consulted. He professed an extravagant patriotism . . . He was anathema to the genuine Anglo-Catholics of Graham Street, Margaret Street and St Augustine's, Kilburn. His congregation was not exclusively - nor indeed primarily - local. Personal devotees flocked to him from all parts of London. His sermons were dramatic, topical, irrational and quite without theological content. . . .

Mr Bourchier was a totally preposterous parson. When he felt festal, whatever the season or occasion marked on the calendar, he dressed up, he paraded about, lights and incense were carried before him. When the mood took him he improvised his own peculiar ceremonies. Once he presented himself on the chancel steps, vested in cope and bearing from his own breakfast table a large silver salt-cellar. 'My people ,' he announced, 'you are the salt of the earth', and scattered a spoonful on the carpet before us. . . .

Despite all Mr Bourchier's extravagant display I had some glimpse of higher mysteries'.

Evelyn Waugh A Little Learning 1964

The red electric cross can be see in this early painting of the sanctuary by the Belgian artist Karel Verschaeren. It was a replica of one to be found in Milan Cathedral, and for 26 years hung in St Olave's Church, Hanbury Street before the stall of Bourchier's father who was Rector there. It came to St Jude's when that church was demolished in 1913 and remained here until 1932 when it was returned to Bourchier, now at St Anne's , Soho. It is, of course, usual to have an ever-burning red light before a church's principal altar.

Waugh became a Roman Catholic in 1930, and his memories of Bourchier were recorded many years later. The 'wayward opinions' included a concern for animal welfare which would now be seen as prescient. He was actually succeeded by a 'genuine Anglo-Catholic' from Margaret Street, the Rev'd Edward Arundell - although it is clear that the latter was surprised when some from the congregation questioned his 'orthodox' explanations of liturgical practices they had accepted for years .

Evelyn Waugh and the 'preposterous parson'

The novelist Evelyn Waugh, author of Brideshead Revisited and the Sword of Honour trilogy, was confirmed at St Jude's on 29 June 1916. His family lived at 'Underhill' on North End Road, and his father was for many years a sidesman at St Jude's.

"St Jude's . . . was then in the charge of the Revd Basil Bourchier. Bourchier, a cousin of the actor-manager, Arthur Bourchier, and satirised as the odious Cyril Boom Bagshaw in A.S.M. Hutchinson's best seller, If Winter Comes, was an actor manque, one of those flamboyant, theatrical priests who in every age are to be found showily performing from the pulpit. Arthur regarded the man as a rollicking joke, enjoying the novelty of each weeks antics. Bourchier put a lot of thought into his dramatic effects: while his flock were taking Communion, a large red, electric cross was switched on over the altar; and the lesson was often acted out with impressive literalness.'

Selina Hastings Evelyn Waugh: A Biography 1994

'[Bourchier] was a man without pretension to doctrinal orthodoxy; a large, florid, lisping man, who was often to be seen in the stalls of London theatres in lay evening dress. No one could have been more alien to the ideals of Dame Henrietta Barnett and of the general run of the inhabitants of his parish. He was a man of wider claims. His name was constantly in the popular newspapers, giving his wayward opinions on any subject about which he was consulted. He professed an extravagant patriotism . . . He was anathema to the genuine Anglo-Catholics of Graham Street, Margaret Street and St Augustine's, Kilburn. His congregation was not exclusively - nor indeed primarily - local. Personal devotees flocked to him from all parts of London. His sermons were dramatic, topical, irrational and quite without theological content. . . .

Mr Bourchier was a totally preposterous parson. When he felt festal, whatever the season or occasion marked on the calendar, he dressed up, he paraded about, lights and incense were carried before him. When the mood took him he improvised his own peculiar ceremonies. Once he presented himself on the chancel steps, vested in cope and bearing from his own breakfast table a large silver salt-cellar. 'My people ,' he announced, 'you are the salt of the earth', and scattered a spoonful on the carpet before us. . . .

Despite all Mr Bourchier's extravagant display I had some glimpse of higher mysteries'.

Evelyn Waugh A Little Learning 1964

The red electric cross can be see in this early painting of the sanctuary by the Belgian artist Karel Verschaeren. It was a replica of one to be found in Milan Cathedral, and for 26 years hung in St Olave's Church, Hanbury Street before the stall of Bourchier's father who was Rector there. It came to St Jude's when that church was demolished in 1913 and remained here until 1932 when it was returned to Bourchier, now at St Anne's , Soho. It is, of course, usual to have an ever-burning red light before a church's principal altar.

Waugh became a Roman Catholic in 1930, and his memories of Bourchier were recorded many years later. The 'wayward opinions' included a concern for animal welfare which would now be seen as prescient. He was actually succeeded by a 'genuine Anglo-Catholic' from Margaret Street, the Rev'd Edward Arundell - although it is clear that the latter was surprised when some from the congregation questioned his 'orthodox' explanations of liturgical practices they had accepted for years .

Read more about Waugh and Bourchier in A Totally Preposterous Parson by Alan Walker

Available from the Church or Amazon.co.uk

The High Altar

A painting of the high altar by Karel Verschaeren (1881-1928) in 1915 or early 1916 before the installation of the sanctuary gates and the murals of Walter Starmer, and before the organ was moved from the west end (1934).

The sanctuary lamp was given by the first vicar in February 1912 replacing the earlier lamp (consecrated by the Bishop of London in May 1911) which is now in the Lady Chapel. It is of silver-gilt and (he said) "was fashioned more than 350 years ago, and both in style and size . . . is admirably adapted for our Byzantine building". If this date is correct, it is the oldest item in the possession of the church.

The sanctuary chairs (together with a bishop's chair) were given in September 1912. The large brass candlesticks were given in March 1918 (probably by the same donor). These all remain to this day, unlike the hanging illuminated cross. This was originally in St Olave's, Hanbury Street and was brought to St Jude's in May 1913 after that church had been demolished.

The ambo - or "Lectern in keeping with the Byzantine character of the building" - was designed by H. A. Welch and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1914. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Winchester in April of that year in memory of the Rt Hon. Alfred Lyttelton.

This picture (from a postcard) shows the High altar and choir stalls in their original form. The altar is against the original flat east wall. Behind and above it is a fabric baldachino. The altar has a very high rear-table on which stands short candlesticks and a very high cross (not a crucifix) mounted on a twisted wood pillar (this is now the paschal candle holder). The choir stalls are of a simple design and are positioned further back into the space later occupied by the organ. There are no altar rails and the congregational chairs extend much further east.

Below, two paintings of the high altar in February 1960 by J. P. Offley who was sacristan at St Jude's for many years.

The credence table (to the right) was designed by Lutyens, and was an anonymous gift to the church. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Willesden on 30 May 1912 together with the choir stalls.

The stalls (shown in the first picture) (and later the repositioned organ) actually subvert the 'Byzantine' layout of the church by artificially creating a 'chancel' where there is none. In theory the congregational space comes right up to the sanctuary steps, but has now been pushed (too far) back beyond the 'crossing', presumably because of the pressure to make the church conform to Anglican expectations (see plan).

The brass sanctuary gates were unveiled in July 1916 by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, as a memorial to Mrs Cockroft (the probable donor of all the other items mentioned here). These were also designed by H. A. Welch.

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The celebrant in this painting is presumably Father William Mansfield Masters (Vicar 1955-1962). He is assisted by a deacon and sub-deacon. The altar frontal and vestments are all still in use (and were indeed used on the day of posting, being All Saints' Sunday).

The high altar from the History of S. Jude-on-the-Hill (1923). Starmer's murals are complete in the Lady Chapel, but his paint brush has yet to reach the sanctuary. All items (and several more) present and correct. The large, brass alms-dish on the credence table was the gift of Mr A. S. Maynard of Montreal, and was dedicated in February 1912. Between 1916 and 1923 the long green curtains behind the altar have been removed, but not yet replaced with the shorter blue ones (themselves removed in about 1998). The altar still has a high back panel.

In recent weeks we have been using the high altar, rather than the new free standing altar. This is in order to accustom the servers (and the Vicar) to celebrating in the 'traditional' manner for the centenary of the consecration next year.

A painting of the Lady Chapel

On St Jude's Day - 28 October - we celebrate the centenary of the dedication of the Lady Chapel.

The church possesses a painting of the chapel by the Belgian artist Karel Verschaeren. Verschaeren was born in Mechelen in 1881. He fled to England at the beginning of the First World War (August 1914), and lived and worked as an artist and picture restorer in the West Hampstead area. He then moved to the United States where he married in May 1916 and, after achieving some success, died in 1928. Our painting can therefore be dated fairly precisely to 1915/early 1916. It shows how the chapel looked before the introduction of Walter Starmer's murals in 1920.

St Jude's also has another painting by Karel (of the high altar), and one of the nave by his brother Barth Verschaeren (1888-1946) who travelled with him to England and America, before returning to Belgium in 1921 to become one of the best known Flemish artists of the inter-war period.

At this time the Lady Chapel was decorated with a collection of framed paintings. The one above the altar appears to be the copy of Murillo's Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (1678) given by the first Vicar, the Reverend Basil Bourchier, in March 1913. The original is in the Prado, Madrid.

Portrait of the Reverend Basil Bourchier

St Jude's was visited today by Rosalind Henry whose grandmother painted the large portrait of the Reverend Basil Bourchier, the first vicar of the church, which until recently hung in the south-west porch. The artist, Alice Ballard, was born in November 1871. She studied at the Slade School of Art and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897 and 1898. She married Dr James Stewart Mackintosh and they lived at the Corner House, Platts Lane.

Rosalind is seen above in front of the portrait and holding a contemporary signed photograph of it which she kindly allowed us to copy.

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The Vicar is wearing the purple cope dedicated on Palm Sunday 1916 and still in use here during Lent and Advent. The complementary high altar frontal (dedicated March 5, 1916) is also still in use. Clearly visible to the left is the sanctuary lamp in the Lady Chapel given by Lady Battersea in 1913 in memory of Canon Samuel Barnett. The picture on the column has not yet been identified. The spot today is occupied by a plaque of the Virgin and Child. Starmer has yet to be commissioned to paint his frescoes on the walls. The reredos, candles and cross on the high altar are as illustrated in the 1923 History of S. Jude-on-the-Hill but have since been changed. The pictures show brass railings at the top of the sanctuary steps in the style of the present gates which were dedicated by Princess Louise on 16 July 1916. As it is unlikely these have been removed (the present wooden ones are shown in Karel Verschaeren's 1916 painting and in the 1923 History) it must be that the artist included planned or proposed railings which were never in fact installed.

Pasted on the back of the photograph is a cutting from the Daily Mirror of Saturday May 19, 1934 recording Bourchier's will in which he made gifts to the royal family and the RSPCA.

On the back of the painting itself we discovered a label saying it had been presented to Bourchier by the Earl of Lytton on behalf of 1800 subscribers in July 1918.

Another records the 'survey' of the portrait on behalf of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society in 1972 by N. Penny.

This leaflet was bound into our copy of the Parish Paper of June 14, 1918

The Parish Paper of July 19, 1918 reports that the portrait was presented to the Vicar on Friday July 12 in the Institute by the Earl of Lytton. The Vicar himself wrote "I will conclude by once again assuring Mrs Stewart Mackintosh, the originator and fulfiller of the whole idea, that St Jude-on-the-Hill will ever number her among its most kind and valued benefactors. As for myself I will cherish and treasure this gift to the end of my days".

After Bourchier's death in 1934 the portrait passed into the hands of his close friend Miss F. E. Jeffcock who presented it to the church in 1948. Miss Jeffcock (who died in 1949) was also the donor of the Bourchier Memorial (West) window and the original horse memorial.

Another picture by Alice Ballard Mackintosh at one time in the possession of the church and extensively reproduced.