HM Alderman on the bells of North Mymms

Introduction

Cllr H.M. Alderman, fourth from the left, attending a North Mymms Parish Council meeting in 1957
Image courtesy of NMPC and part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

70 years ago a series of articles appeared in the North Mymms Parish Magazine about the history of St Mary’s Church. They were written by Harry Maynard Alderman, a local writer, historian, accomplished artist, carpenter, and parish councillor.  In the 1940s and 1950s Mr Alderman was a frequent contributor to the parish magazine, writing serialised articles about St Mary’s church, including pieces about the history of the bells, the brasses, and the fabric of the church.

The North Mymms History Project has transcribed the series about the bells of St Mary’s from copies of the magazine published in December 1950 and in January, March, April, and May 1951. The source material is courtesy of the Peter Miller Collection.

Notes and sketches in Hertfordshire

The front cover of the magazine

During renovations to a cottage in Huggins Lane, Welham Green, in April 2000, a local builder came across a time capsule of historical treasures jammed behind a cupboard attached to the wall. As he began to move the wooden structure, items began spilling out of a cavity. Among the pens and papers that fell to the floor was a dusty and sooty copy of the monthly magazine, ‘The Illustrated Carpenter & Builder’ published in 1930. The magazine, then in its 53rd year displayed a cover price of two pence.

North Mymms In The County Of Hertford

140 YEARS OF HISTORY

1762-1901

This 26-page book was reprinted by the former North Mymms Local History Society in 1999. The image on the front cover is from an engraving by J. Hassell, published in London in 1816. An image of the aquatint engraving, courtesy of local historian and archivist Peter Miller below.