St Mary the Blesssed Virgin Magazine April 2026

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• St Mary's Parish MagazineNo. 1375 HE IS NOT HERE -He is Risen-
• Who's Who at St Mary'sVicar Assistant Priest
• Page 3The Vicar's letter... There's a name for...
• The Vicar's LetterDear Friends of April is here and the time for my departure is no more than a couple of weeks away and so the decade draws to a close. Many of you remember me ringing the bell ten times at my collation and installation, one for each year I proposed being with you. It has been a good time. Edward and I have loved being here. I was interviewed as part the Walk of Witness service on Good Friday this year and asked to reflect on the highlights of my time in the parish. Those of you who were there will remember that my focus was on people. As a curate I learned the extent to which you love people, not in a sentimental way, but in a deep and special way. That is something that has continued throughout my ministry. I have been aware of the gift of walking with people in the good times and in the bad or sad times. Together we negotiated Covid and made discoveries along the way. We said goodbye to some of our faithful people but we also nurtured others who have since enriched our lives. It is a privilege to be allowed to enter into the complexities of people's lives, to come to understand their story. I reflect with joy on the people whom I have prepared for confirmation and rejoice to see them still here! But it is time to move on, time for you and time for me. The trouble is that goodbyes are always sad. I know the forthcoming vacancy will place extra pressure on the churchwardens, on Barbara and Lindsay and on our commissioned pastoral lay ministers but at the same time it is a real opportunity and my prayer for you all is that you see it as a time of exploration, an exciting time in which to think new thoughts and possibilities. There will be things that will need to be covered, but I have every confidence that people will search their hearts and discern whether there is something they can do to fill gaps. And of course, what then happens is that you will discover gifts you didn't think you had. And as for me, I shall bear you all on my heart. You will not be forgotten because you have all been an important part of my life. I am so thrilled that I am. to have a photograph of many of you to take with me. But I go to begin a new chapter, to discover new things, to reconnect with old friends and to discern what God has in store for me, for us. I go with gratitude in my heart for your love and friendship and for the journey that we have made 4
• Page 5together in the company of God, who has lightened our path, always challenging us, always calling us on to discover ever more of the generosity, of the grace, of the forgiveness and kindness of the God who invites us to sit down and eat with him. Please pray for me as I shall pray for you. With my love
• Page 6life of our Parish. From the Editor's Desk
• God's SmileIn Philippa's article last month she posed the question: Does God Smile? Well, I can honestly say that He does.
• From The Parish Registers27th April 28th April
• Prayer ListIn the absence of the weekly “Pews news”, a prayer list has been created and you are kindly asked to hold the following in your Thoughts and Prayers. We especially pray for ;-
• Daily Bible Readings and Prayers April 2026Silence and stillness, times for reflection and meditation, and a moment within each day to offer our prayers and concerns to God for ourselves, our community and our world are vital if we are to sustain our busy and active lives. Try to find space at the same time each day to be with God by yourself, just for five or ten minutes. You might like to follow this simple PRAYERS
• Sunday 19 April - The Second Sunday after EasterAlmighty God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Sunday 26 April - The Third Sunday after Easter
• Mon 6Tues 7 Wed 8
• Thu 23 St George's Day| Maccabees 2.59-64 or Revelation 12.7-12 2 Timothy 2.3-13 Psalm 126
• Page 14Im-peck-ably. Easter Jokes...that will crack you up!
• PROFESSIONALS IN HOME PAINTINGOUR PORTFOLIO O @GOULDDFLTD
• Tree of the Month: The LarchYou may remember a comedy sketch called 'The Larch' in 'Monty Python,' in which a slide of a larch tree is shown and three schoolboys are asked if they could name the tree. Well, that's me. I am the Larch. In Latin I am known as Larix. In fact, people call me 'The Parent Larch' be- cause I'm the oldest known larch in Britain. I was planted as a seed by the Duke of Atholl in Scotland in 1738. I was introduced into this country from the Tirol in Austria where my native relatives live. I am unique amongst conifers in Britain as I lose my fine greenery in autumn. I can reach heights of 195 ft. With downward pointing branches with upward sweeping tips, I look like an arrow piecing the sky. I have leaves that look like green needles. My seeds are protected within small pine cones. My wood is durable so people use it to build boats, fences and garden furniture. My sap is orange, thick and sticky. People call it resin. They use it to make varnishes, adhesives and many other products. When it has set hard it is rubbed onto violin strings to increase friction in order to make the sound. Traditionally, people have used my bark and resin in medicines to cure skin and respiratory conditions. Due to my anti-inflammatory properties they use me in their poultices and herbal teas. I have seen humans wearing sprigs of my branches. They say it will keep away evil spirits.
• The Gardeners Hymn (Anon)All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all But what we never mention, though gardeners know it's true, Is when He made the goodies, He made the baddies too Refrain
• Page 18The Manor of Addington, Part 7: The Continuing Ascendancy of the Leigh Family, by Dr. Christopher J. Parker In Part 6, we learnt that the Leigh's, it seemed, were great beneficiaries of a multi-component land deal with Henry VIII during the Reformation, when they obtained a grant of the other manors at the suppression of monasteries, and the whole became united into one, coming under the sole control of one landowner for the first time, Nicholas Leigh, son of John Leigh. And so, the Leigh Family took its place as Lords of the whole Manor of Addington, and they would continue to do so for many generations.
• Page 19genealogical sources differ on whether John (d. 1576) was Nicholas's eldest son or one of several; however, the inheritance clearly passed to Oliphe. Oliphe Leigh (1559-14 March 1612) was born on 24 November 1559 in Addington. Oliphe married Jane Browne (whose father was Sir Thomas Browne of Betchworth Castle) on 4 June 1576 (or 4 July 1577). It's unclear when Oliphe received his knighthood, but the date is mostly likely around 1586. It's said that Oliphe, together with his brother, Charles, had been associated with Sir Walter Raleigh in efforts to set up a British colony in South America, and this association led to Oliphe receiving the knighthood. However, Oliphe's connection to Raleigh is plausible but not definitively documented. Charles (d. 1605) was a merchant and voyager, and it seems his tales of voyages around the world are worthy of an article in their own right, including a trade sortie to Newfoundland and Canada, but taking the opportunity of plundering any Spanish ships they might meet with! This voyage ended up with him capturing a Breton ship in Newfoundland and bringing it back to England as a prize! Despite the ultimate downfall of Sir Walter and the decline in interest in the Americas, it seems that Charles Leigh was still interested. On his last voyage, Charles went with a view to setting up a colony to look for gold in Guiana (today known as Guyana) in South America, and with his brother's help, set sail in May 1604. Charles went on an exploring expedition ninety miles up the river Aracawa, trading and making vain inquiries for gold. When he returned almost everyone in the little colony was sick. On 2 July 1604 Charles wrote to Oliphe giving an account of his proceedings and wanting him to send out further supplies (letter dated from Principium or perhaps Mount Howard). Details of "Mount Howard" and the Aracawa River expedition are drawn from letters but remain fragmentary. At the same time, he wrote to the council, asking for the king's protection for emigrants to the colony, and that preachers might be sent. Supplies sent out Oliphe eventually arrived, but they found everybody ill. Charles was very weak and much changed. He resolved to go home, promising the men that he would come back to them as soon as possible. He was ready to go but fell ill and died aboard his ship. He was buried on shore 20 March 1605. Meanwhile, Oliphe had fitted out another ship, but this second expedition also failed and Oliphe lost a lot of money as a result. Sir Oliphe's manorial holdings were increased in 1593 by the purchase of the manor of Croham at a price of £660 for 229 acres, including a tenement/warren house and a barn/chapel, land, wood and pasture, a 'game of coneys', [coneys = rabbits] and the area we know today as Croham Hurst. The association of Croham manor with Addington lasted just 8 years with Oliphe selling the estate to Archbishop Whitgift for £740, part of which is The Old Whitgiftian Sports Club.
• Page 20Senechal, the Earl of Nottingham, on the 24 July 1603. Admittedly, it was made only the day before the event, and not surprisingly his claim was amongst many such documents that were marked 'unexamined', placed in a file, and forgotten. In the early part of James's reign, Oliphe was keeper of the great park of Eltham, the surrender of which he sold, 21 May 1609 for £1,200 (in another source of 1611, says he received £2,227 10s. Od.). On 14 November 1610 he was granted a 'license to impark 500 acres of land in East Wickham and Bexley in Kent'. This means that the Crown granted permission to enclose 500 acres of land in those places and turn it into a private deer park, allowing Leigh to run a fence or ditch around the land reserving it for aristocratic hunting. Holding land for hunting by the aristocracy was a very prestigious thing to do. He died on the 14 March 1611/2 and is buried at Addington. On Oliphe's death, he left his household effects to his wife Jane, and, after other bequests, the rest of the estate went to his son, Francis Leigh, who was his successor. Part of Oliphe's will required that Francis was to raise a monument to Oliphe's grandfather, father, and himself. The monument survives today in St. Mary's Church. If you go up into the chancel at the east end of the church towards where the sanctuary and altar are, you will pass on the north side, i.e. your left, a large memorial celebrating four consecutive generations. The brass set in the floor and usually protected by a carpet in front of the main memorial is the memorial to John Leigh and his wife Isabel, Lord of the Manor from 1486. On the main memorial, the kneeling figures top right are John and Isabel's son, Nicholas, with his wife Anne, titular Lord of the Manor from 1503, although he didn't come of age until 1516. The kneeling figures top left are John (son of Nicholas and Anne) and his wife Joanne/Joan. Finally, reclining in the lower part of the memorial is John and Joanne/Joan's son Sir Oliphe Leigh, who succeeded his grandfather as Lord of the Manor in 1581, along with his wife Jane.
• Page 21This role involved keeping law and order and overseeing legal matters in these counties. He was a Commissioner for Subsidy in Surrey in 1622 and 1624, where he engaged in assessing and collecting taxes to fund the government. He served as the Governor of Lewisham Grammar School in Kent. During the English Civil War, he took part in the array (mobilisation) of troops in Kent and Surrey. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey. He was also a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. In 1625, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Surrey. Also in 1625, he bought the Manor of Bexley to add to his other holdings, perhaps as a residence for some of his children by his second marriage. Indeed, several of his grandchildren were baptised there. He engaged in various commissions, including the Forced Loan commission in 1627. This was a controversial financial measure imposed by King Charles I of England. The commission was set up to collect money from his subjects without the consent of Parliament. This was done under the pretence of raising funds for a military expedition to support his brother-in-law, the Elector Palatine, Frederick V. The Forced Loan was deeply unpopular and led to significant resistance and unrest. Many people saw it as an abuse of royal power and a violation of their rights. The opposition to the Forced Loan was one of the early signs of the growing conflict between the monarchy and Parliament, which eventually led to the English Civil War. Sir Francis was also a commissioner with the Oyer and Terminer commission for the Home Circuit from 1630-1642. This was a legal body in English law used to investigate and prosecute serious crimes such as treason, felonies, and misdemeanours. The term 'oyer and terminer' is derived from Law French, meaning 'to hear and to determine'.
• Page 22Thus far, the Leigh family had been involved with the Addington for about 273 years and had been Lords of the Manor for at least 198 years. Indeed, they were also responsible for the separate manors of Addington coming together. They had seen their wealth grow and several of the Lords had been significant players in politics and the law. Good Friday Traditions
• Page 23We now arrive in the Philippians. If you thought walking in bare feet as in Seville was tough going wait till you see the pain the people go through here. Along the dusty unmade stone track-ways you will see people dragging huge wooden crosses whilst carrying out self-flagellation (whipping themselves on their backs) as a way of expressing their devotion and penance. Perhaps the most (in)famous Good Friday tradition is ‘Kristo' or 'Crucifixion re-enactment' in which Christians have nails driven through their hands and feet onto wooden crosses which are placed along the dusty roads. After all that pain we need some joyous traditions to lift our spirits. How about stopping off in Ghana? Here Good Friday celebrations include singing joyous songs and dancing to the continuous rhythm of drums. Known as 'Sankofa,' Christians wear colourful clothes to remind them and us of the hope that follows the sorrow of Jesus dying on the cross.
• Hilary's ReadingGroup FORMERLY ST MARY'S READING GROUP
• Page 25HOME REMEDIES
• MOTHERSUNION families Christian care for Thursday 2nd April at 2pm. Maunday Thursday prayers and making a flower arrangement for Easter.
• Page 27Do I really need this? I am not sure how many of you have heard of Margareta Magnusson, I for one hadn't a clue who she was and had never heard her name.....until recently that is.
• The Good Friday ProjectEvery year St. Mary's has a Good Friday project for children. We have been inviting children to take part in the activities and worship probably for around 50 years. This year Lindsay welcomed 25 children. We aim to teach them about what happened in Holy Week.
• HOSANNE29
• Page 30Do You Remember Life Before the Computer? Back in the days when....
• Selsdon & District Funeral ServiceYour Local Funeral Director Independent and Licensed Funeral Directors Extensive Range of Memorials
• CHILDREN'S PAGEEASTER SUNDAY Jesus was crucified on the cross on Good Friday. He rose from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday. We celebrate this by having Easter eggs. Eggs are a symbol of new life. I expect you will have chocolate eggs and maybe an egg hunt on Easter Sunday.
• Did youShakespeare Quiz know William Shakespeare was born and died on the same day in April? I wonder how he managed to write all those plays and sonnets in such a short time! See how much you know about the Bard. Good luck. PB 1.Where was Shakespeare born? (a) Stortford (b) Stratford-upon-Avon (c) Stratford, London
• Page 34The Roads of the Parish of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Addington by Dr Christopher J. Parker, Part 3 (L-R) Ladygrove is a street name that means “the grove of the lady.” In place-names, "Lady" frequently commemorates land connected with noblewomen, abbesses, or dedications to the Virgin Mary. "Grove” denotes a small wood or cluster of trees, often cultivated or preserved for beauty. Ladygrove then suggests intimacy, shelter, and pastoral charm. Looking at a map of Selsdon from 1937, one finds an area of woodland called 'Lady Grove', which was between Selsdon Park Road and Yew Tree Way, and which is the immediate source of the road name. Ladygrove preserves both the noble and ecclesiastical heritage of Croydon and the pastoral memory of woodland, symbolising dignity, shelter, and continuity with the landscape.
• Page 35Markfield - "Mark" here most likely derives from the Old English mearc, meaning boundary or border. In this sense, Markfield would mean “field at the boundary." "Field" denotes open land, pasture, or farmland. Therefore, in combination, “Markfield” suggests a field at the edge of a boundary preserving both the agrarian heritage of Croydon's rural past and the symbolic memory of boundaries, anchoring suburban identity in continuity with the landscape. Middlefields is a street name that means “the central fields.” In medieval usage, "middle field" often referred to the central strip in the three-field system of agriculture. The name, therefore, preserves the agrarian heritage of Croydon's rural past, symbolising cultivation, centrality, and rootedness in the landscape.
• Page 36The Paddocks on Addington Village Road is a name that means "the enclosed grazing fields." The plural form conveys community and continuity, linking multiple households to shared agrarian imagery, and preserves both the agrarian and equine heritage of Addington's manorial past, symbolising pastoral continuity, community, and rootedness in the landscape. Palace Green is a street name that means "the communal green by the palace." It preserves in its name both the historical and ecclesiastical heritage of Addington Palace and the pastoral tradition of the village green, symbolising dignity, fellowship, and continuity with the landscape. Indeed, Addington Palace is on the hill opposite Palace Green, albeit hidden behind the trees.
• Page 37Roxton Gardens is a street name that means "the cultivated homes recalling the rook settlement.” “Roxton” might be derived from Old English hrōc (rook, the bird) + tun (farm or settlement), meaning "farm where rooks gather." However, it is more likely that it may echo the Bedfordshire village of Roxton, whose name carries the same etymology, and thereby borrowing a dignified village name than direct local rook associations. The name suggests both settlement and natural imagery, tying human habitation to birdlife and landscape. Royal Russell School is a Croydon institution rooted in charity and civic duty, enriched by royal patronage, and symbolising both educational excellence and communal service. Today it is an independent day and boarding school. However, it was founded in 1853, and originally established to care for orphaned children of warehouse clerks and drapers. Early support came from Lord John Russell, former Prime Minister, who became the school's first president, hence ‘Russell' in its name. Charles Dickens praised the school in 1857, calling it a refuge deserving of public sympathy. The school has enjoyed royal patronage since its foundation. Queen Elizabeth II visited four times: first in 1950 as Princess Elizabeth, then in 1963, 1979, and 2003. In 2010, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (now the Duke of Edinburgh), opened the Performing Arts Centre. Its name ties suburban identity to national herit- age, embodying strength, generosity, and community.
• Page 38We will guide you every step of the way, offering you support, care and reassurance at a time when you need it most... • Chapels of Rest for all Religious Denominations • Specialists in Worldwide Repatriation Services All Memorial & Stone Work Carried Out
• Tuesday House GroupAre you free on Tuesday afternoons? Why not come along to our house group meetings? We begin by reading and talking about a passage from the Bible and finish with a bring and share lunch. Why not FEED YOUR SOUL and FEED YOUR STOMACH? If you'd like to join us we meet at 12 o'clock on the 2nd and 4th week of each month at Mary Innes' house, 89 Falconwood Road.
• ADDINGTONBISHOPS WALK ROYAL