Deacon of the Church

[ian7go]

can anyone tell me where to get records on my ancestors,service to the church,maybe photos,final resting places,grave numbers, ect,below is what i know,thanks ian halsey

GEORGE ELLIS Member of the First Parish Council 1894. (50 years service) George Ellis was born on 29th May 1866 in Wingrave. He married Fanny Halsey on 6th April 1893. Fanny was born in Cublington her parents being Licensees of the Royal Oak Inn at Aston Abbotts. At some time they may have lived in Castle Street and also in the house which is now the village shop. When the Recreation Ground cottages were bought privately in 191O they moved into No 1. George Ellis and his wife had four sons. He was well known for his ploughmanship winning many trophies. He entered the local annual ploughing match 6 times and won 5 prizes - the first when he was just 16. One year he took the Championship Prize against 2O Teams. He was a farm worker until he reached the age of 22 then he started on his own. Good at handling horses he became a carrier and job-master. He used to take people for trips in his vehicles to Ashridge Monument during the summer and his excursions to Tring were extremely popular. He was a carrier for 5O years and the last in the village where he lived all of his life. George Ellis was a Deacon of the church for 5O years and a Trustee of the Congregational Church. He died in l953 and his wife in 1961 and they are buried in the Chapel grounds.

[celia]

Note sure if I read this correctly?

can anyone tell me where to get records on my ancestors,service to the church,maybe photos,final resting places,grave numbers, below is what i know,thanks ian halsey

On the bottom of the page you mention George and his wife are buried in the chapel grounds.I don't know where you will find the service records.Someone will know though.

Celia

[ainslie]

There is evidence in the article that he was a member of the Congregational Church.  Most of its member churches joined the United Reformed Church which also embraced the Presbyterian Church of England.
There may be a headquarters archive of the URC which you could approach, or ask at the local URC who may have someone interested in its history.  It oftens happens!
A

[behindthefrogs]

In case you are not familiar with the Congregational Church here are a few details.  Each church stood on its own although it would have belonged to the Congregational Union.  All decisions were taken in a monthly church meeting where all the members had a vote.  The deacons were a group elected from within the membership who acted as a sort of cabinet and worked out the details of decisions before putting them to the membership.  They also performed various functions within church services, in particular serving at the communion service.

Within the deacons would be the church treasurer who handled day to day money matters but the overall control of major financial matters was overseen by the trustees who of course were responsible to the membership.  There may have also have been specific things which had been made the responsibility of the trustees.

To have been a deacon for 50 years and also a trustee George was thus a very senior and trusted member of the church.

David