NADFAS Church Recorders produce records of the contents of churches, describing items accurately and researching the history of these. Illustrated copies of the record are presented to the church, the diocese, the Victoria and Albert museum, the National Churches Trust and the National Record of Monuments.
We currently have about 14 Recorders. Members do not need to have in depth knowledge of churches as new recorders are trained in how to follow the NADFAS format using the Handbook, sample pages, text book ‘Inside Churches’ and other reference material which are provided. The group usually meets on Wednesday mornings, but when a project is underway, timings are flexible.
Visits to other churches, other groups in the NADFAS West Midlands area and social events are arranged throughout the year. There is a strong West Midlands network which provides opportunity for people from 15 societies to meet together to share their common interest and a programme of national study days and visits are arranged.
CURRENT RECORDING PROJECT
In September 2011, we started to record the windows and memorials at St. Mary’s Moseley.
COMPLETED RECORDS
- Old Church, Edgbaston
- St Paul’s in the Jewellery Quarter
- St Peter’s, Harborne
- St Michael’s and All Angels, Cofton Hackett, Barnt Green
- Aston Old Church
< Liz Dancey and Marcia Meyer, leaders of the Church Recordering group, present the church record to the vicar of St Michael’s and All Angels, Cofton Hackett
HARDMAN ARCHIVES PROJECT 2008-2009
Volunteers have been helping with the first phase of this project which is to catalogue and store the archives of John Hardman & Co in their Birmingham base.
John Hardman & Co was established in 1838 when AWN Pugin persuaded his friend, John Hardman Jnr to extend his button-making factory into the manufacture of ecclesiastical metalwork for the new gothic-revival churches that were being built to Pugin’s design. In 1845, the company expanded to include the design and manufacture of stained glass. The archives include drawings, designs, photographs of world wide commissions including the Palace of Westminster and cathedrals in USA and Australia. The volunteers have been working in conjunction with Michael Fisher FSA, the archivist for John Hardman & Co.
The majority of the archives are in Birmingham Museum and Art gallery and the City Library. A further phase of the project is currently being negotiated with the Deputy Director of BM&AG.
BDFAS volunteers working on the Hardman archives
CHURCH TRAILS
NADFAS has set up a national network of groups who produce trails in churches for children aged 8 to 12 years. Each trail is set out on two sides of A4 with an accompanying answer sheet. A Blueprint is available from NADFAS House Volunteering department. Although any member of NADFAS may be involved with designing and producing a trail, some Church Recorders in BDFAS are producing a trail to complement the Record completed for the parish church of St Peter, Harborne which is also associated with a primary school.
A church trail is also bieng prepared for St. Augustine’s church in Edgbaston.