Pentecost, Easter and Arthur Romney Green's legs

It is worth briefly explaining how the St Edmundsbury Weavers' Vineyard Poplin and Arthur Romney Green's Holy Table would have functioned in everyday life in St Christopher's Church, Haslemere.   Following various discussions with various learned people it would appear that the following took place:

St Edmundsbury Weavers' Vineyard Poplin altar frontal,
St Christopher's Church, Haslemere

• The Vineyard Poplin altar frontal would have been the 'everyday' altar frontal, with the grapes and vine leaves and birds in the corn creating a colourful covering for the Holy Table designed by Arthur Romney Green.  The intricate carved legs of the Holy Table would have therefore been hidden from sight.

Arthur Romney Green's Holy Table leg detail,
from St Christopher's Church DFAS record

Holy table by Arthur Romney Green,
(Nicholson, C., and Spooner, C., Recent Eccelesiastical Architecture, Technical Journals Ltd., London, c.1910)

• At Easter the altar frontal would have been removed, just as is done at St Christopher's Church today.  Exposing the carved wooden legs of the altar table by Arthur Romney Green.  

Human Worship of Our Blessed Lord,
by Minnie Dibdin-Spooner 1912-13,
St Christopher's Church, Haslemere

• The doors to the altar piece would also have been closed to remove the painting of Human Worship of Our Blessed Lord by Minnie Dibdin-Spooner (1912-13) from view.  This painting was exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition of November 1912.  The picture was installed at the church on Easter Eve 1913.  The lettering beneath it is by Eric Gill, who himself was a great friend of Arthur Romney Green.

Vineyard by Edmund Hunter
silk and gold thread, by the St Edmundsbury Weavers
The Victorian Web

• At Pentecost, at the end of Easter, perhaps not at St Christopher's Church, but maybe in a different church, a similar altar frontal in design to the 'everyday' Vineyard Poplin may have been put on the Holy Table.  That of red and gold silk.  

Luther Hooper & Edmund Hunter

I have recently discovered that Luther Hooper and Edmund Hunter were in business together.  Both of these weavers had works in St Christopher's Church, Haslemere.  Luther Hooper had silk altar curtains and a wool hanging on the choir vestry, Edmund Hunter produced the altar frontal.  St Christopher's have an old postcard showing the altar curtains by Luther Hooper and altar frontal by Edmund Hunter, albeit they are a bit distant and grainy.

St Christopher's Church, Haslemere c. 1910
with Luther Hooper altar curtains and St Edmundsbury Weavers altar frontal

Luther Hooper was weaving silk and wool at the Greenbushes workshops on Kings Road, Haslemere, and Edmund Hunter was running the St Edmundsbury Weavers from Haslemere until moving to a factory in Letchworth in 1908.  The St Edmundsbury Weavers were established in 1902.  It would appear that this was a new separate venture, following the end of Luther Hooper and Edmund Hunter's joint business, the Haslemere Silk Weavers.   The London Gazette (13 December 1901) reported:

"Notice is hereby given, that the partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, Luther Hooper and Edmund Arthur Hunter, carrying on business as Silk Weavers, at Haslemere, in the county of Surrey, under the style or firm of "Haslemere Silk Weavers," was dissolved as and from the 29th day of November, 1901, by mutual consent.  All debts will be paid by Luther Hooper. - Dated the 6th day of December, 1901.

                                           LUTHER HOOPER

EDMUND A. HUNTER"

The St Edmundsbury Weavers' 'Vineyard Poplin' which formed the altar frontal for St Christopher's Church was also made in silk.  The silk version was exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1912 (according to The Victoria Web).  It is interesting to see the different versions of this design.

Vineyard Poplin by the St Edmundsbury Weavers,
at St Christopher's Church, Haslemere

Detail of Vineyard Poplin by the St Edmundsbury Weavers

Vineyard Poplin, designed by Edmund Hunter,
Art Journal, November 1906

Vineyard by Edmund Hunter,
silk and gold thread,
maunfactured by St Edmundsbury Weavers
The Victorian Web

Luther Hooper and Edmund Hunter would continue to exhibit their works in the same forums.  Hopefully their parting was an amicable one.  In the 28th September 1906 edition of a New Zealand British Art paper  there is a list of items exhibited in the Arts and Crafts sub-section of a British Art exhibit (it's not clear what exactly the exhibition is), it is remarked that "they should be of the greatest value to local designers who are desirous of studying the best models" which includes "Handwoven Dorsel Hanging for a Small Altar, "Vine and Wheat" - Exhibited and designed by Luther Hooper, executed by Percy Hooper."  At the same time, there is an exhibit described as "Woven Tapestry, "The Forest": Chalice Veil, "Kembic" - Exhibited and designed by Edmund Hunter, A. and C., executed by Edmund Hunter and the St. Edmundsbury Weavers."

The Peasant Arts movement 2012 style

A small aside, but I thought the translation of my blog on this site very amusing.  I do not think the description of their movement could have been imagined by the Blounts and the Kings / Sovereigns / Regents in their wildest dreams!

Godfrey Blount overmantle in Haslemere

Godfrey and Ethel Blount are recorded as living on Weydown Road, Haslemere in 1911 at a house called St Cross.  There is currently another house on Weydown Road, Whitethorns, to let which describes in it's particulars "Built in 1902, during the Arts and Crafts period, the property has been extended and modernised in recent years to provide a substantial and comfortable family home. Internally, the property displays a number of characteristics typical of the period, chief of which is enormous attention to detail. The attractive use of exposed timber beams, inglenook style fireplaces and panelled walls in the reception lobby recall the English vernacular style, in addition to ledged oak doors with Suffolk latches and high quality joinery throughout. The element most strongly associating the property with the Arts and Crafts movement in and around Haslemere is the fireplace in the reception hall, with its superb 
moulded plaster overmantle by Godfrey Blount."  

Godfrey Blount overmantle at Weydown Road, Haslemere

The 6 bedroom house is to let for £5,500 per month.  It is possible to see the overmantle in one of the 
photographs, but it is not easy to make out the detail.  It looks like a tree or frond arching pattern.

Godfrey Blount overmantle,
Weydown Road, Haslemere

With 6 bedrooms, a tennis court and 1.5 acres, I wonder if this house is typical of the supporters of the Peasant Arts movement.  

Arts and Crafts house containing Godfrey Blount plasterwork,
Weydown Road, Haslemere

It is interesting to see that Godfrey Blount did work in one of his neighbour's houses.  As there is no plasterwork at Wildwood, the home of Greville MacDonald, a great friend and fellow Peasant Art supporter who lived next door to the Blounts, I had not thought that there would be Blount plasterwork in other neighbouring houses.  I wonder how many other Haslemere houses have uncharted Blount plasterwork?  

The May Garland Vs. Labour Day

In the May 1912 edition of The Vineyard Maude Egerton King shows a reaction against the May 1911 "Remember the Garland" article.  "I do hope that this year the Vineyard will remember that the first of May is Labour Day," said a revolutionary lady recently, "and in the face of these tremendous social and economic crises drop its trivalities about garlanding.  It might just as well tell us to plant primroses round sewers instead of emptying them."

First of May is Garland day, The Vineyard, May 1911

"Please remember the Garland"

Wrote Maude Egerton King in The Vineyard in May 1911.

"In the southern counties of England, it often comes to pass on May morning that the gentlefolk who are still in their beds, or in the act of dressing, or even breakfasting, according to the time-table of the particular house, become aware of children's voices out of doors.  And, if they look, of the children themselves, wearing and carrying floral decorations.  They will hear, spoken or chanted, over and over again: -

          First of May
          Is garland day,
          Please to remember the garland.

When the words reach the ear as -

          First of My
          Is garland dy,

Garland Day in the garden at Sandhouse, Witley
from The Ailing Countryside and prescriptions  for some forthcoming physic by "Home Counties"
c. 1910

There needs no milestone to convince the listener of being within forty miles of Hyde Park Corner (- nb. the 40 miles to Hyde Park Corner milestone stands in Haslemere High Street).  If the district were further removed from that centre of culture, it is quite possible the little chant will be followed by the beautiful May-day song:

          I've been a -wandering all this night
          And some of this day,
          And now returning home again,
          I've brought you a garland gay.

          A garland gay I've brought you here,
          And at your door I stand.
          'Tis nothing but a sprout,
          But it's well budded out
          By the work of our Lord's hand.

Here and there the gentlefolk are dimly conscious that the little group they are looking upon is the very last of a vanishing picturesque past, and, in a sudden stir of pity and pleasure, send out largess.  More often the children are hardly noticed, and if it were not for the servants (who always find something for these and for carol-singers and organ-grinders too) they would clatter away no heavier by a single penny or bun.

detail from embroidered panel,
designed by Godfrey Blount, 1896, V&A Museum

And yet, as sheer matter of fact, these children are the faithful priests of an ancient and universal religion, and their weak shoulders, alone of all to-day, uphold the age-long tradition; of which they know no more than the eternal human heart in their breasts and their unlettered mothers can tell them.  They come from far, and are just the remnant of a great company who have dropped off by the way: whose very names they have forgotten, although they would know and welcome them did they ever meet them again.  They do not know that they are one of the multitude in many lands and ages, but so it is.  The fellows of these little people in pinafores and clumsy boots, sang love-songs of rapturous welcome to the swallow two thousand years ago in Greece.  And to-day, over the same ground, they pass in little companies, carrying a wooden swallow from door to door, asking gifts of fruit and cheese from those who welcome with them this harbinger of fruitful days, and singing.

          She is here, she is here,
          The swallow that brings us the beautiful year;
          Open wide the door,
          We are children again, we are old no more.

They broke the green boughs in the woods of Roman Britain and decked their homes with them for the Floralia, the festival which the Romans brought hither along with sterner things; and they danced around a flowery pole set up in honour of the sweet Goddess of flowers and fruitful promise."

The Country Alphabet by Godfrey & Ethel Blount

I think that this poem jointly written by Godfrey and Ethel Blount encapsulates their values beautifully.  It was published in the April 1911 journal, The Vineyard, in the section titled "for the children".

A is for Almighty God,
   Who has given every treasure;
Agriculture for our Acres,
Art to give us shining Angels,
   Apples for a homely pleasure.

B for Blessing on all Birth,
   Babies, Buds and Beasts,
Endless beauty for the earth,
   Birds and Barley-feasts.

C for Customs, Country ways,
   Cross of Christ in battle,
C for blessed golden Corn,
   C for gentle Cattle.

D for Distaff with its spindle,
   Homespun Dress for happy toil,
D for Days of Admal's labour,
   Digging deep in fruitful soil.

E for Eating gratefully
   Blessing platter, blessing cup,
Easter and the Eucharist,
   Heart to Heaven lifted up.

F for Furrowed, russet Fields
   Holding wealth in store;
For Flowers and Fruit, for Fire and Force
   And flail on threshing-Floor

G for Groves and Gardens Green,
   Grain and Grapes on hills,
Glory of purple juice in vat,
   And Grist for a thousand mills.

H shall stand for Heart and Hand,
   For Harvests won from earth;
For Harrow, Hoe and binding Hedge,
   For Hammer, Home and Hearth.

Both I and J shall mean to those
   Who live by country ways,
The Justice, Joy and Innocence
   That fill their simple days.

K is for the Kingly heart
   That lives to serve and bless,
To feel, to rule, to help and heal
   In Knightly Kindliness.

L shall stand for happy Labour,
   Loom and fruitful Land;
Love that makes the world go round;
   Life from God's own hand.

M for Men and Master too
   In the Meadows Mowing;
M for Miller in his Mill
   With the Mill-wheel going.

N for Nature with her Night,
   Need of pain and wrestling,
Bringing New-birth with the light,
   New love for the Nestling.

O for Ordered Orchard ways;
   Wind-blown Oat-stalks bowing;
Oaks and Oil and Olive-groves;
   Patient Oxen ploughing.

P for Peasant, Plough, and Prince,
   Patriot, Pagan, Praise,
Pastures green  and Purity,
   Prayer and Peaceful days.

Q for Quaint and homely Quince;
   Q for hero's Quest;
Q for Quenchless, Quickening life
   In cottage, byre, and nest.

R for Reapers in the harvest,
   Rain and Rainbow, Roses, Rooks.
R for noon-day Rest from labour,
   Garnered Riches, golden stooks.

S for Spade and Scythe and Sickle,
   Share and Sword and Saint afar;
Sorrow, Secret, Seed and Spirit,
   Song and Sun and shining Star.

T for Thatch and Tree and Tool,
   Town and old Tradition's lore;
And the Tune the rhythmic flails
   Thump upon the Threshing-floor.

And U shall stand for Unity
   And sympathy of hearts,
And patient Use that trains the hand
   To Useful country arts.

And V is for true Victory,
   And Virtue tried by fire;
For happy Vine-clad Village homes
   Around the Village spire.

Wine and Water, Wheat and Wealth,
   Wage, and Wassail-making;
Winnowing, Wind and Wintry World
   Ere the spring be Waking.

X the Xtians Xmas love
   With creche and Xmas-tree;
X the Cross on which our Christ
   Wins immortality.

Y for leaves of autumn yellow;
   Years that Yield the Yearned-for truth,
Whilst the ancient earth renews us
   With her everlasting Youth.

Z our Zeal and sacred passion,
   Breaking bread in happy wise,
Learning in such simple fashion
   To regain our Paradise.