Retro: The Rector of Tilehurst

David Cliffe • Published 29 Jul 2008 12:00 0 Comments

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THIS week's photograph dates from the 1920s, and shows four maids.

Three of them are dressed identically: the one on the left appears to have a large collar or yoke over her shoulders.

This may have denoted her status among the domestic staff. If you peer closely at the original photograph, you can see that those aprons were decorated with broderie anglaise. Clearly, they must have come from a high-class establishment.

I was surprised to discover that in fact, all four of the maids were the servants of the Rector of Tilehurst, the Rev H R Cooper-Smith.

Today I expect that Church of England clergymen are very modestly paid, do not have servants, and live in modest houses, but the living of Tilehurst then was worth £1366 a year gross, £850 net.

This was considerably more than the livings of any of the Reading churches - and of course, the Rector could live in his Rectory rent free.

In fact, the income was not all that generous: the Rector had to pay his two curates, and the Rectory was so large, its rateable value so high, and it was so expensive to maintain, "that unless some drastic rearrangement is made, the income is illusory," it was reported at the time.

Nevertheless, it was not until 1967 that the Old Rectory was sold off, and a new, much smaller Rectory, was built on part of the grounds.

Mr. Cooper-Smith was decidedly eccentric in his later years - he probably stayed in his post too long. He lived with his three unmarried sisters.

Stories about his bath-time habits are still remembered, as is his taking of snuff.

The guide to St. Michael's Church says that "when well over 80, he used to dodder up the aisle, leaning heavily on his walking-stick, and turned his back on the congregation to take snuff during the services."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 29 Jul 08

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