THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE DAMEREL
(ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Please note: Stoke Damerel Church does not divulge
personal information to third parties.

Sunday 26 July                8th Sunday after Trinity

  Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
The sick:-
Maureen, Margaret W, Graham, John S, Kathy, Mo, Matt,
Bertie, Morwenna, David J, Margaret B.
The long term sick and infirm:-
Diana, Liz & Keith N, Rob.
The Ministry Team:-
Ruth and Marilyn.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.
By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

Watch our livestreamed services
Please follow the link to make your way to our YouTube page: 

 STOKE DAMEREL YOUTUBE CHANNEL  Sunday 26 July            8th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Brian Wood
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
1130 PCC Meeting

Wednesday 29 July
1000 Morning Prayer

Sunday 2 August        9th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Wagstaff

WELCOME BACK
To Rev’d Brian at 8am and Rev’d Sue at 10am.
Next Sunday, Rev’d Mike Wagstaff will be coming
from Torbay to take our 10am worship.

SERVICE STREAMING UPDATE
Regrettably the sales department at the Church's
supplier has 'messed up'! The upgraded
replacement 'fibre' service, rather than repair of the
existing service, which had been programmed for
this week is not available to us. We will therefore
have to wait for a repair to now be scheduled. We
will continue to record services and upload them
later 'off-site'. You may need to switch from 'LIve'
option to 'Home' or 'Video' option to watch at
https://www.youtube.com/@StokeDamerelChurch/
videos.
Ian G

PASTORAL REORGANISATION
A draft pastoral scheme has been prepared and sent
to us by the Diocese and a copy is available to read
on the welcome table.
The matter is now for public consultation with a
deadline of 3rd August. Please read the notice on
the church door. If you have any comments, for or
against, the notice explains how to make your
views known.

MARILYN'S MEMOS

BROADBAND
I regret to say we still have no broadband
connection. I am awaiting information on the
appointment time designated for an engineer
to call. Russell and I have read the email
instructions (received by Debbie) We attended
to them on Friday morning and sent all the
information required.

CONCERTS
On Friday night, Levowan presented their free
concert. There will be a report next weekend.
On Sunday afternoon, Plymouth Concert
Series have an interesting session:
2pm Music of the Jane Austen era.

GRAVESTONES AND GRASS CUTTING
No progress has been made on either front and the
emails trails get longer. We are doing out best to
get things sorted and it is very time consuming but
we all have lives and responsibilities beyond
church demands!

MEA CULPA
I have been wearing a hair shirt since the last
publication. Last week I wrote we might be having
a stainless steel flagpole. I have been suitably
corrected. I meant fibreglass. Our architect has
been instructed about this. I also said that the
Diocese own the land which is not correct. As we
all know Plymouth City Council took it over in the
mid ‘60s and are responsible for the maintenance .
They do require a faculty from the Exeter Diocese
for any work involving remains, gravestones and
crumbling walls.

LAST WEEKEND’S BAPTISM

Kit being baptised by Rev’d Sue.​

ADVANCE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sep 19 Devon Historic Churches Open Day
Oct 11 Harvest Thanksgiving Service
Oct 18 St. Luke’s Service
Nov 8 Remembrance Sunday
Nov 13 & 14 Christmas Fair

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN JULY
Eric Farrar, Jerry Cresswell.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN AUGUST
Jack Price, Penny Barnard, Maureen Wilson,
Catherine Gillhespy, Emma Bell, Ann Pitt.

VICE ADMIRAL THOMAS FITZHERBERT

After the morning service last Sunday, I was
walking in the southern aisle of the church when,
without intention, I stopped to read the inscription
on one of the ledger stones, the smallest and
furthest away in the photograph above. Over the
years I have managed to photograph nearly all of
the wall mounted memorials in the church but have
only a limited number of sharp photographs of
some of the ledger stones around the church. I was
suddenly interested in this memorial because it
was to a Vice Admiral and I could not remember
noting the inscription before, even though it is in
plain sight for anyone to read. The slightly fuzzy
enlargement below, from another photograph, is
just about readable.

The following is an accurate version of the above
inscription.
'NEAR THIS PLACE
LIE THE REMAINS OF
THOMAS FITZHERBERT ESQR:
VICE ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE:
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
THE 13: DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1794
AGED 67 YEARS'
Subsequent research has revealed that Thomas
Fitzherbert was probably born in 1727. However,
the location is not known. He joined the navy at
the end of April 1739, aged just 12 years old as a
Purser’s Servant, and served almost until his death
on 13th. September 1794, a period of 55 years.
During that time, he served on numerous ships.
From 1739 until 1752 he was a Purser’s Servant, a
Captain’s Servant, a Midshipman, and an Able
Seaman on nine different ships. He passed the
Lieutenant’s examination and served as 1st., 2nd.,
3rd., 4th., 5th., or 6th. Lieutenant on HMS York and
HMS Royal George, being involved in the 1758
Siege of Louisbourg off Nova Scotia, and the 1759
Battle of Quiberon Bay, in the Bay of Biscay.
In 1760 and 1761 he was Commander and
Commanding Officer of HMS Speedwell and
HMS Senegal. From 1761 until 1786 he was
Captain and Commanding Officer of a further 10
ships, being involved in the Battle of Grenada, part
of the American War of Independence, whilst
commanding HMS Royal Oak, losing 4 men, with
12 wounded in the battle.

BATTLE OF GRENADA 1779
Between 1780 and 1782, when in charge of the
newly launched HMS Belliqueux he participated
in a further five battles, at Fort Royal, Chesapeake,
Saint Kitts, the Saintes, and Mona Passage, also all
part of the American War of Independence. In
September 1790 he was promoted to Rear Admiral
of the Blue, followed in February 1793 as Rear
Admiral of the Red, Vice Admiral of the Blue in
April 1794, and Vice Admiral of the White three
months later, before passing away only two
months after that, whilst residing locally to Stoke
church and presumably then being based nearby at
Dock.
Sadly, I have not tracked down an image of
Thomas Fitzherbert but, considering that he served
his country for so many years, I would hope that a
painting will turn up one day.
Considering his extensive naval record, it also
seems a pity that his memorial stone is amongst
the smallest in the church.
Tony Barnard