Church recorders are members or associate members of NADFAS (The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts), a society founded in 1968 by the late Patricia Fay, who lived in the Amersham area. NADFAS was founded as an educational organisation with charitable status to encourage a wide appreciation and knowledge of decorative and fine arts.
In the spring of 1971, an exhibition of Victorian Church Art was on view
at the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, it emerged that there was no
little confusion and consternation in some Parish Churches as to where
certain artefacts were, since they had disappeared without trace since
the last recording of the contents in 1815. NADFAS was approached
to see whether any volunteers could make an inventory of churches and
and bring the record up to date, because many of of them were inaccurate
and incomplete. The answer was yes, and I suppose that that, very briefly,
was the start of Church Recording.
Church Recording is a record of the
contents of each church, covering monuments, metalwork, stonework, woodwork,textiles paintings library, windows, photography and miscellaneous items (which does not sound much, but includes the organ). Last, but by no
means least, is the compilation of the work. This is a mammoth task,
and a good compiler is very necessary. It has been said that a record
makes a reliable and valuable document for the Parish Churches, for
researchers, for the police and for the insurers. Primarily, the record
is for the church, but four other copies are prepared for the Victoria and
Albert Art Library, Church Buildings Council, National Monuments Record,
and the County Record Office. It has to be stressed that recorders
are all amateurs, but are fascinated by history (and there is plenty in
the churches), have a deep interest in their work, and are prepared to
research and enquire in order to find facts. A great bond of friendship
is formed among the members. One thing we are united upon is warm
clothing and lots of it! In the winter some churches can be extremely
cold.
To date, some 1,564 churches have been recorded,- there are many
more to record, so those who follow on will still have much work to do.
Sheila Peroni
