Jesus the Good Shepherd and the Light of the World (1896)

In 1894 a tragedy struck the church and community in the death of Arthur Herbert Streeter. Herbert, as he was known, was the son of Alfred and Susannah Streeter. He was born in 1872 and baptised in Rotherhithe before the family moved when he was still young to New Malden where they initially lived in Fair Cottage in Chestnut Grove. Herbert possessed a younger brother called Percy and a younger sister called Florence. His father served as Churchwarden of Christ Church from 1885-86 and also 1892-96. Alfred was also Headmaster of Malden College from 1884 and Herbert continued to live at the college after finishing his education and starting work as a bank clerk.

This was work of some status at the time and only given to those able to demonstrate that they were gifted at Maths and other subjects. At a time when only about 60% of men could vote, Herbert was one of those qualified to do so by virtue of the rent that he paid to his father for living at Malden College.

By 1894 Herbert was also engaged to be married to another member of Christ Church, Miss Alice Ellen Todd, known as Nelly. Nelly’s parents John and Mary and her older sisters, Maud and Ethel were also committed members of Christ Church.

However in the middle of November 1894, Herbert suddenly became ill. Over the next nine days his condition worsened and he died late on the Friday evening of 23rd November. His death certificate records his cause of death as gastroenteritis (8 days), diarrhoea (5 days) followed by exhaustion and collapse. It also records that Herbert died at his home in Malden College with his father Alfred and probably other family members present.

His death was registered by Dr Edwin Child, Alfred’s fellow Churchwarden at Christ Church who himself suddenly died whilst still in this office in December 1896. Dr Child and a colleague, Dr Rogers had attended Herbert throughout the nine days of his illness but to no avail. Herbert was just 22 years old when he died.

Herbert was extremely popular, especially amongst past and present pupils at Malden College and the Surrey Comet reported that as the news of his death spread through the village on Saturday morning, it was received with sorrow everywhere. The Streeter family received more than 400 letters of condolence. The following day, the Vicar of Christ Church, the Reverend William Allen Challacombe, spoke at the Sunday services about the tragedy. He took as his text ‘For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him’ (1 Thessalonians 4.14). Mr Challacombe spoke about Herbert’s modest, undemonstrative character and his sadness that both of his Churchwardens had been plunged into such sorrow.

Herbert Streeter’s funeral was held a week after his death at Christ Church on Friday 30th November and he was then buried at Kingston Cemetery.

It is clear that the loss of Herbert had a significant impact upon Christ Church. In an age before antibiotics, sudden death from illnesses that would be curable now was fairly common. However there is no reason to suppose that the grief was any less and this is reflected in the manner in which the Reverend William Allen Challacombe, the second Vicar of Christ Church (1893-1920) reported his death in the January 1895 Parish Magazine:

‘During 1894 many a cloud passed across our sky… just as the year was closing, the promising earthly life of Herbert Arthur Streeter was abruptly terminated by the mysterious providence of God. Of the intense sorrow and irreparable loss thus occasioned to Mr and Mrs Streeter and family, and Miss Nelly Todd, and of the blameless life and patient resignation of him who was removed from them, I ventured to speak in another place and so need not linger here. Not only the congregation but the parish was sympathetically sorrowful with our dear friends so terribly bereaved. We pray God to comfort all the desolate hearts with the bright hope of that eternal reunion which shall be by-and-by’.

The decision was taken to place a new stained glass window at Christ Church in memory of Herbert Streeter. Its subject was two of the seven ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus from John’s Gospel: ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ and ‘I am the Light of the World’. Mr Challacombe referred to this in the April 1896 Magazine saying:

‘The Vestry sanctioned the insertion of stained glass into the first small window from the west end of the south side of the church. The windows are to be filled with two allegorical figures of our Lord – ‘The Good Shepherd’ and ‘the Light of the World’. They will be placed in memory of Mr Streeter’s dear son, who departure from us was so much lamented. One window is paid for by subscriptions; the other being paid for by Mr Streeter. The work is in the hands of James Powell and Co. of Whitefriars, and we hope to have them completed by Whit-Sunday…’

Mr Challacombe then added some powerful words about the value of the window and his prayer for its purpose: ‘The eye is a medium of knowledge as well as the ear; and we shall pray that the Spirit of God may glorify Christ through these windows which will reveal him as Saviour and Guide’.

It is poignant to reflect on what happened to the others in Herbert’s story. His father, Alfred, died in 1907 and another of the windows at Christ Church was established in his memory.

Herbert’s mother, Susannah, had to endure another loss when her daughter Florence died at the age of 33 in 1910. Susannah herself died at the age of 79 in 1918.

Herbert’s brother, Percy, had greater longevity living to the age of 80 before he died in 1954. All the family share the same burial plot at Kingston Cemetery.

Nelly Todd was 23 when her fiancée died. She remained single until 1905 when she was married by Mr Challacombe on 27th December to the organist at Christ Church, James Griffin. James, a widower, was 60 to Nelly’s 35.

Sadly after just four years of marriage, James too died in September 1909 leaving Nelly as a widow for the remaining 33 years of her life. The 1911 census records her living alone at 60 Coombe Road and teaching music from home.

James Griffin and Nelly’s parents and sisters are buried at Kingston Cemetery. Nelly, however, at some point moved to north London and died there at the age of 70 in 1942.

You can listen to the sermon from the Windows on the Gospel sermon series below.

The Sim Window

John the Baptist and John the Evangelist witness to Jesus the Risen Saviour (1899)