An inscribed association copy connecting the church of Great St Mary in Cambridge with that at Orton Waterville and including a little group of research letters by the author, Cambridge historian W D Bushell, and the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner. The book’s flyleaf offers a grateful inscription from the author to the Rev W H Holdsworh ‘with thanks for showing him the pulpit and the church’ dated November 14 1948 (the pulpit came from Great St Mary’s) and an additional inscription from Rev Holdsworth to the book’s new owner the Rev Frank Haywood (new Rector of Orton Waterville) dated St James Day 1956. There are notes relating to pp.103-131 and p.96, handwritten to the tail of the page indicating the leaves within which are dedicated to the parish church. Laid in are:
1. A typed letter dated March 15th 1945 to the vicar of Orton Waterville from the book’s author W D Bushell requesting a picture of the pulpit and confirmation of architectural detail. ‘It is not quite easy for me to come over and see it at present. I may have to wait until I am again allowed petrol’.
2. A typed copy letter dated March 19 1945 from W D Bushell to Rev Holdsworth. ‘Your predecessor who bought it (and thanks for letting me know he gave £8 for it) was Dr Roger Long, Master of Pembroke and Lowndean, professor of Anatomy’..... ‘I feel sure that Ridley did not preach from this pulpit’.
3 A typed note from W D Bushell to Rev Holdsworth giving thanks for help in pointing him in the direction of Cambridge University library to find photographs of the pulpit.
4. A later letter dated 1967 from the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner to a Mr Gardner on Penguin, The Buildings of England headed paper asking for help proofing the section within The Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire volume relating to St Mary’s, Orton Waterville. Stapled to the reverse is a one line handwritten reply, ‘Traces of two scratch dials on South Porch’.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Soft backed volume in good + condition, lightly age toned throughout. Laid in correspondence in very good condition.
