Five members of St Edmund’s Church, Sedgefield, set off on a fact-finding mission to Redmarshall this week and found themselves sharing a Celtic Communion service with . . . a very friendly hen!
The Revd Claire Gibbs introduced her pet, ‘Lunar’, to the congregation at the village’s St Cuthbert’s Church to reinforce her sermon theme that, like the hen, God would always protect and battle for the ones she loved.
“It was certainly an effective way of keeping the congregation’s attention,” said Brian Mutch, churchwarden and chairman of the ‘Inspired Futures’ project at St Edmund’s.
Brian and four other project members were at St Cuthbert’s to investigate possible Redmarshall links with families whose coats of arms are carved into the 14th century marble font at St Edmund’s.
“The information could be of great interest and importance for the local heritage centre we want to create in the North Transept at St Edmund’s”, said Brian.
Sedgefield Local History Society is collaborating in the ‘Inspired Futures’ project which aims to grow the church and make its facilities more readily available for use by local groups in the Sedgefield area.
The Society has amassed a substantial collection of local documents and records which could provide a great resource for visitors wanting to know more about the history of the Sedgefield area as well as those engaged in family-research.
Pictured during the visit are ( l- r): Christine Mutch, Brian Mutch, Alison Hodgson, the Rev Claire Gibbs with ‘Lunar’, Anne Eyley, and Redmarshall churchwarden Eric Smalley. Missing from the group is photographer Ron Eyley.
Page added 21st March 2019