Page 26 - Thrapston Life May 2024

in my February 2021 “Glance” was built in 1906 in the church grounds. Now sadly demolished it provided a venue for recreation with three full-sized billiard tables, a games room, reading room and bowling green.
Just before World War 2, the church produced a pamphlet entitled “Thrapston and its Baptist Church”, the cover of which is shown with pictures taken nearly a hundred years ago of both the exterior and interior of the building. It detailed church history as part of a fund-raising exercise to refurbish the fabric of all buildings.
During the 1980’s the church decided to purchase the old Plaza Cinema building in Cosy Nook. It was refurbished as their meeting place and renamed themselves Praise Community Church. However, after many internal issues, the church returned to their original site on Huntingdon Road and by 1996 the Plaza Community Centre was much as it is today, a place for community activities.
In 1997, the then minister Jim Kennett wrote a very informative booklet, “The roots and shoots of Thrapston Baptist Church 1797 – 1997”, of which I believe a copy may be in the library. As well as detailing the basic tenets of the church’s faith and giving a potted history of the church, it listed all the 28 ministers who had led the church up to 1997. Since, there have been a further four, the last leaving in 2022.
Both the booklets mentioned have been used in the preparation of this article. My thanks
also to James Read, church administrator for providing more recent information. The Church has a regular item in “Thrapston Life” where current details can be found.
Some 20 years ago, the Church sent their
Burial book to Northampton Records Office. Before it left, I was given permission to transcribe records and scan some pages. In all 413 funerals were recorded at the church most followed by burial in the churchyard. The earliest was Elizabeth Wright on 9th May 1850 and the last one on 11th September 1987 of Florence Prior. The graveyard is now closed for burials.
As ever, my grateful thanks for all the comments received each month, keep them coming. I can be contacted at ericfranklin2@ hotmail.com
CROWSONS FUNERAL DIRECTORS
BARNWELL, OUNDLE & THRAPSTON
Independent family run funeral home for over 120 years
7 Huntingdon Road, Thrapston, Kettering NN14 4NF 01832 734114
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Eric Franklin can be contacted for comments and suggestions for future articles at: ericfranklin2@hotmail.com