Anna Maria’s Legacy

The day Anna Maria opened this leather-bound bible at Duckenfield House in Morpeth, dipped her pen into her inkwell and inscribed her name inside the front cover, she may have been in a melancholy mood. It was 13 November 1874, and Anna Maria Van Eales (née Gain) (1843-1887), who was mother to five boys, had […]

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A Piece of a Promise

On sunny days, this leadlight windowpane once created shafts of ruby, gold and turquoise light that pierced the darkness inside St James’ Anglican Church, Morpeth. Since the building’s construction in 1837-40, it had been part of a lancet (pointed arch) window installed in the tower, on either the northern or southern side. A lack of […]

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The Vicar’s Vision

Canon Gerrard Baker, Vicar at West Tamworth’s Anglican Church from 1930-1966, was a keen amateur film maker. His respectable standing in the community allowed him to document many local events, including visits made by dignitaries such as Indira Gandhi and Prince Charles. He had an arrangement with the local pharmacy – Cohen’s Chemist – to […]

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