Page 13 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

St. Mary Magdelene Church, Bolney, Sussex

The local pub is ‘The Eight Bells’, located in The Street, just below the church.

The Street, Bolney: Old Postcard

Burstow
Reason for Interest
John Blaker (1852- ) and his sister, Harriet Blaker (1850-1933), were born in
Burstow. It is likely that their parents, William Blaker (1823-1900) and Caroline
Box (1827-1903) worshiped in the church of St. Bartholomew, whilst living
there.

Location
Burstow is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District of Surrey. It is
situated east of Gatwick airport and close to the M23 motorway. Burstow is
39km south of London and 6km north east of Crawley. Of course, when John and
Harriet were born in Burstow, Crawley was a relatively small market town,
whose initial growth was fuelled by the railway (from 1841), and Gatwick
airport was not envisaged in anyone’s imagination.

Contemporary Aerial View of Burstow – East of Gatwick Airport

History
Burstow was called ‘Burstowe’ and ‘Burghstowe’ in the 14th century; ‘Byrstowe’
appears in the 15th century, and ‘Bristowe’ is seen as an alternative to ‘Burstow’
in the 17th century. Stephen de Burstow, whose name appears in the seals as
‘Stephen Fitz Hamo’, held the manor of Burstow in the latter part of the 12th
century – this appears to be the origin of the name of Burstow. Burstow Manor is
now a Grade II-listed building.

The earliest mention of Burstow appears in a church record of 1121, but it is
practically certain that a church had been in existence long before that time. St.
Bartholomew’s is a delightful half-timbered 12th century Church of England
church in this tranquil village, which is disturbed by all of Gatwick airport’s air
traffic, that thunders a few hundred meters overhead – involving 55 aircraft
movements per hour and transporting more than 33.6 million passengers per
year (2011 figures)!

The plan of the nave of St. Bartholomew, and probably that of the chancel, dates
from c. 1121, and the north and part of the west walls of the nave, with the west
half of the north wall of the chancel, are for the most part of this time. Two
original windows remain, one in the chancel and one in the nave; but nearly all
the rest of the building, including the south aisle, belongs to the 15th century,
and has been connected, though apparently on no direct evidence, with
Archbishop Chicheley. The church was restored in 1884, the east wall of the aisle
and the eastern quoins of the chancel being rebuilt.