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The 65th St.John's Balby Doncaster have joined in on the Geocaching craze and have created an awesome cache for people to find.
Some history about our local area, chirch and Scout Hall. Orignally there was BALBY, with Hexthorp, a township and ecclesiastical parish, in the parish, union, and soke of Doncaster, W. Riding of York, 1½ mile (S. S. W.) from Doncaster; containing 486 inhabitants. On the east side of the river Don, on the roads from Doncaster to Rotherham and Worksop; and comprises 1420 acres, whereof 640 are the property of the corporation of Doncaster, who are lords of the manor. There are a brewery and some tanneries. The parish was formed in August, 1846, under the act 6 and 7 Victoria, cap. 37. The church, the site for which, and for some schools, was given by the corporation, was built by subscription, in 1847; and the living has been endowed with £150 per annum by Miss Elizabeth Goodman Banks, of St. Catherine's, in whom the patronage is vested. The first meetings of the Society of Friends, under their founder George Fox, were held at Balby and the neighbouring village of Warmsworth. Mis Elizabeth Goodman Banks of St Catherine’s Hall wished for a church to be built to serve this township. The foundation stone was laid on the 20th April 1847 by Captain Frank Ramsden in the presence of the incumbent, the Reverend William Green, the Mayor and Corporation of Doncaster, the architect, Mr John Francis, the Vicar of Doncaster, Dr John Sharpe, the builders and a vast crowd from the area. During his address Captain Ramsden remarked that the inhabitants of Balby would no longer have the excuse for not attending church as it was too far away! Before the stone was laid a document, which bore the record of the erection of the church, was placed in a bottle and put in the cavity beneath the first stone of the chancel. It was also understood that there were some coins in the cavity. The silver trowel and rosewood mallet used in the ceremony were presented to Captain Ramsden. The church was consecrated on 2nd May 1848 and not 5th May , which has been celebrated as the anniversary date for at least the last eighty years. The 2nd May is also supported by the inscription on the silver alms dish presented to the church in memory of Captain Ramsden. In the Church’s calendar,St John the evangelist was celebrated both on the 27th December and 66th May (St John Lateran). The church was consecrated by the Archbishop of York and attended by many notable people from the area, including the Mayor of Doncaster and more than thirty clergy. In the same year 1848 the new parish formed the school (the old Church Hall) was built as a memorial to Mr George Banks of St Catherine’s hall. by his sister, Miss Elizabeth Goodman Banks. It is with gratitude that Miss Banks is remembered for her efforts in getting the parish formed and so generously giving half the endowment in addition to building the school. The school was discontinued as a public elementary school in 1901, the opening of the Board School at the top of Sandford Road. The school was held by the vicar and churchwardens as trustees since 1910 and used as a church hall. In 1957 the vicar was informed that under the Education Act 1944 the building had to revert to its original purpose. In the event of it not being able to the property had to be sold and its value put to the original use. The property was purchased, the trustees having been allowed ten years to pay the cost which was £1,500. In 1927 an agreement was made between the vicar, the church council and Thompson and Dixon, for the erection of a church hall at a cost of £1,600. The parish hall was erected at right angles to the Old Hall. The halls have been used for many social activities during the years both by the Scout movement church organisations and the community as a whole. The first residence of the vicars of St John’s was the Old Manor House at Hexthorpe. In 1882, the vicarage was built in Greenfield Lane. This house was demolished and the site used for an old people’s home, Stenson Court, when the present vicarage was purchased in 1965.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh qba'g unir gb or Orne Telyyf gb svaq guvf bar!