Beating of the Bounds

This months History File concerns the Ceremony which took place on Saturday May 21st. This ancient ceremony probably introduced to the Parish by Rector Lionel Garnett in the 1870’s was revived for Coronation Year 1953 by The Rector, the late Alyn Arthur Guest Williams. To go along with that description, I have created a photographic file from past Beating of the Bounds, together with the original account of the 1953 Ceremony.

The original document telling the story of the 1953 perambulation and scribed on calf skin by the late Cliff Boddy, is now on permanent display in the Lady Chapel at St James’. I think this is his finest work, an example of superb calligraphy, and a great memorial to a wonderful servant of the Parish. Cliff served as choir boy, one of the first boy scouts, chorister, calligrapher, verger, and adult chorister for 79 years. He was also initially an ARP Warden, then served as a Grenadier Guardsman during WWII.

The Dignitaries
Rev Alyn Arthur Guest Williams, Rev. G Alexander Maquiban, Dr Arnold Brown, William Griffiths, John Day, John Welsby, Dennis Roberts, William Weekes, Frank Poston, John Kirk, Robert Hinde, Ann Bateman, Mary Partington, Richard Morgan, Frederick Clabrough, Gordon Mc Clellan, Cyril West, Kenneth Walley, Marion Kershaw, John Swinnerton, Thomas Solloway, William Astle, Charles Cullimore, Joy Cullimore, Hugh Granger, Frank Chapman, Nellie Day, Joseph Jones, Clifford Boddy.

The Perambulation commenced at The Glass House Boundary Stone at 11.48am and proceeded by way of the Caldy Brook (12.18pm) Ridges Lane (12.45pm) Waverton Station (1.30pm) Rubber Works (2.00pm) Brown Heath Road (Break) Cotton Abbots Farm (2.40pm) Hockenhull Platts (3.20pm) Stamford Bridge (Break) Vicars Cross Golf Gourse 9.5o-pm) Littleton Boundary Stone (5.15pm) returning to the Glass House at 5.50pm where refreshments were generously provided by Ames & Elisabeth Hellicar.

Prayers and Scripture readings were offered at a point in each of the five townships. Christleton, Rowton, Cotton Abbotts, Cotton Edmunds and Littleton. In accordance with tradition, Beatings and bumpings were inflicted on the younger participants- the better to impress on their memories the location of the boundary- at Ridges Lane, Waverton Station, Rowton- Waverton Boundary stone and at the Littleton- Great Boughton Boundary stone. Transport across the canal was provided by Sydney & John Dean. At the final crossing the better to establish the boundary, four participants- Frank Poston, J Myles Wilson, Kenneth Walley and Gordon McClellan swam the canal.

The following completed the Perambulation in its entirety: William Astle, Ann Bateman, Ruth Bateman, Lester Bennett, Roger Bennett, Clifford R Boddy, Michael Brackenbury, Michael Brammall, Gordon Brown, David Carter, Frederick Clabrough, Patricia Cotgreave, Alfred Crewe, Ethel Crewe, Roger Croom, Arthur Davenport, Audrey Davenport, John Day, John Dean Snr., John Dean, John Eaton, Christine Evans, Robert Garside, Bert Gordon, Brian Griffiths, William Griffiths, Ames Hellicar, Elisabeth Hellicar, Donald Hinde, Robert Hinde, Sydney Horne, Tony Jones, Reginald Jones, Marion Kershaw, Eileen Kidd, John Kirk, Dennis Lawrence, Beryl McQuiban, Gordon McQuiban, Geoffrey Martin, Mary Martin, Richard Martin, Ellen Mayers, Annette McLellan, Gordon McLellan, Joseph Mellor, Richard Morgan, David Morris, Gillian Morris, Edward Moseley, Jean Moseley, Eric Owen, Allan Parry, William Partington, Frank Poston, Allan Pridding, Kenneth Robert, Beryl Reeves, Dennis Roberts, Tony Roberts, Pamela Roden, James Scott, Barbara Ollerenshaw, Colin Smith, Alice Stephens, Elma Steventon, John Swinnerton, Maurice Thomas, Martin Thomas, Reginald Thomas, Peter Thompson, Ivy Walley, Kenneth Walley, Andrew Watson, William Weekes, John Welsby, Cyril West, Sandra Wheeler, Richard Guest Williams, Raymond Williams, Elizabeth Wilson, Myles Wilson, Kenneth Woolam, Philip Wynne.

Scribed by Cliff Boddy