In the light of the recent appeal for donations to refurbish 'the Baumgarten bible' some people have asked me what it is and seem to think it is a description of a kind of bible like the Gutenberg bible. So here is a short explanation from John and I about the history of the bible, what is being done to refurbish it and the search for the missing New Testament volume.

The bible, in two parts, was presented to St. John's Chapel in the Steyne in 1833 by a Captain Baumgarten on the occasion of the adding of the gothic tower. The chapel was built as a privately funded speculation in 1821 by Bognor builder Daniel Wonham. At that time Bognor was no more than a tiny hamlet by the sea and the parish church was St. Mary's at South Bersted. This parish of course was a 'peculiar' directly under the jurisdiction of Canterbury (a result that stems right back to when Wilfrid made a gift of his Pagham estates to the Archbishop of Canterbury when he returned to Northumbria from exile in 687). No doubt as a result of the 'peculiar' status of the parish, on Friday 25th January 1822 with great ceremony the chapel was consecrated and dedicated by no less than Charles Manners Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury.

As Bognor continued to grow then this created the need to expand the facilities of the chapel and eventually in 1873 Bognor became a parish in its own right and the chapel became a church. Before this though in 1833 a Gothic style tower was added complete with castellated parapet and pointed-arch window and this became a feature of Bognor's skyline. In Fleming's 'History of Pagham', regarding old St. John's, it states - 'The tower was added by the liberal aid of the Rev. Charles Baumgarten, also the belfry and tower clock; his sister, Miss Baumgarten, giving £25 towards the handsome vane surmounting the tower'.The tower contained a clock and 4cwt bell named "Mary Ann" which had also been donated by the Rev Charles and Miss Baumgarten of Aldwick at a cost of £200. This reference confirms that Miss Baumgarten was the Rev. Charles's sister.

It is also recorded that Captain Samuel Henry Baumgarten donated a bible and prayer book for the reading desk. The relationship of Captain Samuel Henry Baumgarten to the Rev. Charles Baumgarten and his sister Mary Ann has yet to be identified. He might have been their father because in the IGI (International Genealogical Index) there is a reference to Mary Anne Charlotte Baumgarten, daughter of Samuel Henry Baumgarten and Ann was baptised at Petworth on 21st August 1805.

If anyone can throw any light on the relationship of the three Baumgartens who made such generous gifts to the first church in Bognor do please let us know.

The Old Testament part of the 1833 bible was rediscovered in April, 2007 and is now in the process of being refurbished as the leather binding is very frail and an appeal has been made for contributions to get this most important part of our church history back into working order.

Also if anyone knows the whereabouts of the New Testament part please let us know!

Peter Green and John Hawkins

Further information on our church website:

The bible : look under 1933 at http://www.wilfrid.com/history.htm

Missing volume: http://www.wilfrid.com/notes_queries.htm

St. John’s 1822 Consecration: http://www.wilfrid.com/archive/stjohn1822.htm