History, 1882-1930

Paper read by Captain G.C. Frederick. C.B.E. R.N.

20^th December 1930

During the Summer of 1882 the S.P.G. commenced a correspondence with the Rev. A.F. Dyce, the acting English Chaplain at Toulon and Hyères, with regard to opening a chaplaincy at St. Raphaël, which resulted in his gladly accepting the post, it being understood that he would receive the net proceeds of the offertory.

In September of that year he paid a short visit to St. Raphaël and called on the “Maire” <Editor’s note: Felix Martin> with reference to the possibility of hiring a room or a building as a temporary chapel. The “Maire” not only offered rent-free a small shop just built belonging to him, and most kindly to alter it to suit Mr. Dyce’s requirements, but also to his surprise informed him that a “subvention” of FF2,400 (£96) would be paid to Mr Dyce during the coming Winter as Anglican Chaplain at St. Raphaël.

It appeared that the Land Societies of St. Raphaël and Valescure, of which the “Maire” was the head, had voted this sum for one winter to induce a chaplain to come to St. Raphaël, and this sum was punctually paid in monthly instalments.

Mr. Dyce took possession of Villa Duval at St. Raphaël on 4^th November 1882, but as the temporary chapel was not nearly ready his drawing room had to be used on the following Sunday, converting his bow window into a sort of chapel. 4 persons communicated at the 8:30 celebration, and 5 persons attended matins and evensong. The other Sundays in November the services were held in a private room in the Grand Hotel at St. Raphaël which was kindly lent by a visitor.

Shortly after his arrival Mr. Dyce made arrangements with the S.P.G. that the chaplaincy should include Valescure and Boulouris, and that the chaplain at St. Raphaël should have the option of accepting the chaplaincy of either Valescure or Boulouris if such be opened there later. The S.P.G. also made a grant of £5 to be expended on the fittings of the chapel.

On 10^th December 1882, the second Sunday in Advent, the temporary chapel was opened, the first celebration being at 8:30 with 3 communicants, the Rev. Archibald Davy, chaplain to Lord Tabley celebrating; at matins and evensong that day only 6 persons attended, there being few present at St. Raphaël.

The little chapel could hold 26 people with a crush, and had a small recess which just held the altar, the hangings and ornaments were of a plain description being gifts from friends of the chaplain.

On Christmas day of that year there were 18 at matins.

The stipend of the chaplain for this first season was £16 from the offertory and £96 from the “maire”, a total of £112.

Towards the end of 1883, as it was found that the chapel was too small, a loan was obtained from the “maire” of another newly furnished shop in a central position, which the “maire” undertook at his own expense to alter to suit the purpose for which it was intended, funds were raised by friends and visitors for the necessary furniture and fittings, and the new building which was capable of seating 70 people without overcrowding was opened on Sunday 10^th February 1884.

The “maire” again paid the sum of £96 during the second winter on behalf of the Land Society, so that the chaplain’s stipend for this season was £120, the offertory after paying all necessary expenses for the chapel being £24.

The stipend for the 3^rd season was only £53.2.0d of which the offertory was £25.14.0d and donations £27.8.0d., while the season 1885-86 the stipend was only £46.4.0d.

The number of visitors to St. Raphaël having greatly increased, arrangements were made on 1^st February 1893 for the purchase of land for a church site, the total cost of which was £400.14.0d. and this amount was raised by donations of £411.15.0d.

The Rev. A.F. Dyce died in 1898, having been chaplain at St. Raphaël for 16 years.

In 1906 the chapel was dismantled for demolition to erect the new church which was to be finished for the next season. <Editor’s note: this account does not make clear that a temporary chapel had been erected on the land, and it is this temporary chapel that had to be demolished.>

The architect was Sir Charles Nicholson, but I can find no record of the costs or how the account was paid.

On 2^nd February 1907 the new church (the western portion of the present church) was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Gibraltar in the presence of a large congregation.

In 1911 an opportunity occurred of purchasing the piece of land on the east side of the church up to the main road and as it was feared that this land might be utilised for building small houses or shops it was decided to raise the necessary money, the cost being £110. Through the generosity of the Duchess of Marlborough who was then staying in St Raphaël and gave £105 the purchase was at once completed and the land handed over to the S.P.G.

On Christmas day 1911 the harmonium which had been presented to the church by Percy Crohan Esq., a resident at St. Raphaël, was used for the first time.

During the war the church was closed, and as no chaplain had been appointed for 1919-1920 season, the Rev. G.F. Heslop, chaplain at Valescure, offered, at considerable personal inconvenience and fatigue, to hold services in this church in addition to his services at Valescure.

In 1924 it was evident that the church was not large enough at matins for the congregation, and the Rev. Dr. G. Edmunson the chaplain started a fund for enlarging it; this was taken up by the Rev. A.D. Tupper Carey the next chaplain in 1925, and owing to his energy and gift for collecting, the necessary sum was raised.

The plans for the enlargement of the church of which the architect was Mr. H.J. Goodhart-Rendel were approved by the S.P.G. and the contract for the work amounted to 214,798 francs.

The S.P.G. made the condition that the whole of this amount should be deposited in the bank before any work was commenced, and before the end of 1926 Mr. Tupper-Carey was able to report to them that the whole of this sum that had been subscribed and lent without interest had been lodged in the bank.

The contract was signed and the whole of the work carried out by the S.P.G. without any reference to the residents or visitors of St. Raphaël who had nothing to say in the matter whatsoever.

Work was at once commenced at the eastern end so as not to interfere with the services of the church.

The Bishop of Gibraltar was not able to come to St. Raphaël to lay the foundation stone, but on 2^nd February 1927 he visited us and laid a commemoration stone which may be seen in the outer wall of the apse and bears the inscription

“To the Glory of God this stone was laid 2^nd February 1927 by John Bishop of Gibraltar”.

On the 15^th May that year the church had to be closed as the east wall had to be demolished to join onto the new section.

Very little progress was made during the summer of 1927 so that when the new chaplain, the Rev. G. Summers, arrived on 4^th October the church was not ready for services which had therefore to be held in the Parc Hotel until the 6^th November when the old part of the church was again available.

Mr. Summers then announced that the S.P.G. had informed him that a further sum of £260 was required to complete the work, due to miscalculations in the original contract by the architect and contractor. By the generosity of visitors and residents who had already subscribed so liberally this extra sum was raised.

On 15^th March 1928 the Bishop visited St. Raphaël and consecrated the new part of the building, a beautiful form of service being used and all the various parts duly blessed.

The altar was given by Sir Frederick Chance <Politician 1852-1930> in memory of his sister, Miss A. Chance and her cousin Miss E. Dudgeon who were residents of St. Raphaël <in the Villa Oustaon> who both died at St. Raphaël and were buried here. <Patrick Dudgeon (no relation) reports that Cyril Maplethorp in those days worked for Sir Frederick, and ran errands for the cousins>

The pulpit was the gift by Mrs. L. Finch also a resident of St. Raphaël and the altar rails by Mr. And Mrs Smales in memory of their son Charles Bertram Smales who died at Agay.

As the enclosing and laying out of the church property had not been included in the contract for enlarging the church and the land was being used as a dumping ground for all sorts of material by people in the neighbourhood it was decided to take the matter in hand; a small committee met who decided to have the ground cleaned and cleared with an enclosing fence erected to prevent any further nuisance of the property at a cost of 2700 francs which was subscribed for by the committee and the garden was subsequently laid out.

<Editor’s notes – Presumably this paper was read to the congregation. The author, Captain Fredrick, of “Lou Souléon”, Boulouris, was churchwarden from 1913 to c1936.>

Transcribed from a manuscript held in the church records, June 2004.