The Fire That Brought The Roof Down (8 July 1977)

A recent Gazette item reminded me of the singularly disastrous fire which occurred at the Willen vicarage in 1946.  The vicar at the time was the Rev A M Berry.  He had spent a great part of his life as a schoolmaster and was now in his 80’s.  He was the civil parish’s representative on the Newport Pagnell Rural Council and used to be transported to and from the meetings by Lieut-Gen H Blount, the representative for Woughton.  Occasionally I rode with them.

Early one Wednesday morning, Mr Berry and his wife awoke to find their house ablaze.  Help was on the scene, but in the space of two hours the roof fell in and every room except the drawing room was wrecked.  The drawing room furniture was removed to the lawn, but practically all the remaining contents of the house were lost.

A particularly grievous loss was the well-known and valuable “Busby library,” which had been in charge of successive vicars of Willen for many years and which was completely destroyed.

This library included a very rare “She Bible” – the Authorised Version of the New Testament published in 1611 and the Old Testament published in 1613 bound together, and so-called because the word “she” occurs instead of “he” in the third chapter of Ruth.

Founder of the library was Dr Richard Busby, who achieved fame as headmaster of Westminster School from 1638 to 1695.  Although he was reputed to rely more on the birch than on moral suasion, the school turned out many distinguished men during his headship, including Dryden and Locke.  Dr Browne Willis was a pupil there from 1695 to 1700.

Dr Busby had bought the manor of Willen from the 2^nd Duke of Buckingham, or his trustees, and when he died he left his library to the care of the vicars of Willen.  He was buried in Westminster Abbey, aged 88.

Mr Berry continued as vicar for some time after the fire, then retired to Woburn Sands, where he died in his 90’s.

Scarcely a month after the Willen fire, there was also an outbreak at the old Fenny Stratford vicarage (where St Margaret’s Court now stands) but this occurred during the day and was prevented from becoming so serious.  The Rev C A Wheeler was vicar and lived there with his wife.

Also living there, in an upstairs room, was the young Rev H J Sutters, who was curate of St. Margaret’s, and it was in his room that the outbreak occurred.

The fire started in the middle of the room, destroyed a carpet, sofa and bedding and damaged the ceiling of the room below.  It left a large hole in the middle of the floor, surrounded by bookcases and other pieces of furniture which were almost untouched.  Water and debris littered the room below.

Mentions of Browne Willis and of Fenny both remind me that there is now a new development at Fenny called Browne Willis Close.  It is well-named, for it is on part of the old vicarage paddock, near St Martin’s Hall.  I suppose the adjacent car space could now be known as Poppers’ Park without undue reflection on any old bangers like my own which might occasionally find lodgement there.

I note that the rebuilt St Martin’s Hall was recently the venue for the annual meeting of the divisional Conservative Association.

It is good to see that the hall is coming into prominence again as a resort for various kinds of functions.  For many years between the wars its predecessor was the most commodious hall in the area, apart possibly from the senior school, which was not always available or suitable on other counts.  The Old Bletchley parishioners had nothing of the kind and used it for their functions too.

One such organisation was the Old Bletchley Amateur Operatic Society, who I don’t think I have mentioned previously in this series of notes.  Key figure in this group was Mr J T Snelson, who had disappeared before I came to the district.

I do not know how long the society remained in being.  I do know that a four-nights’ show they gave at St Martin’s Hall in 1925 was described as their fifth production.  It was a new musical entitled “Mysterious Mary, a tale of Bonnie Scotland,” and was written, composed and produced by Mr Snelson.

A great feature was the dancing, part of the music for which was written by Miss Hilda Waller, of Newton Longville, about whom I wrote a complete article a year or two ago.  There were 19 people on stage, backed by an eight-piece orchestra conducted by the well-known Mr W Muckley.