100 years ago: Royal churchwarden recalled

IN A letter addressed to the clergy and churchwardens of the Arch­deaconry of Norwich, making ac­knowledgement of the illuminated address presented to him on the occasion of his retirement from the office of Archdeacon, the Revd T. T. Perowne, rector of Redenhall, Nor­folk, recalls an incident concerning the late King Edward, which he holds up as an example of the conscientious performance of the responsible duties attaching to the office of churchwarden. “In the earlier part of my tenure of office,” he writes, “when the two Lynn deaneries, including the parish of Sandringham, were in the Arch­deaconry of Norwich, I received an intimation from the the late Canon Hervey, rector of Sandringham and Domestic Chaplain to the then Prince of Wales, that it was the intention of his Royal Highness, with Sir Dighton Probyn — if I remember rightly — as his col­league, to act as churchwarden of Sandringham; and his Royal Highness laid upon me his gracious command to go over to Sandring­ham and admit him officially to the office. The Prince was also gra­ciously pleased to sign with his own hand my Articles of Inquiry, which were sent to him in the usual course, and he always showed per­sonal interest in all that apper­tained to his office. To have the honour of admitting the Heir Ap­parent to the Throne to be a church­warden is, I imagine, a unique incident in the history of Arch­deacons.”