The summary of the parish history of the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle and Brambles Farm
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18thC Brambles Farm area owned by the Pennyman’s of Ormesby
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1834 Brambles Farm House and Thorntree farmhouse owned by Robert Kay and William Cole respectively
1841 John Mason farming Thorntree farm
1861 Joseph Cole fitter farming Brambles Farm
1871 North Ormesby parish created
1874 Brick and tile works at Brambles Farm
1881 James Thompson farming Thorntree House farm
1891 Thomas Greathead farming Brambles Farm
1926 Surplus land acquired at Brambles Farm for housing
1928 Trunk Road extension begins
1929 Building begins at Brambles Farm and first tenants move in
1930 Reverend Wickham asks for a church site on the new estate
1933 Thorntree cemetery completed
1934 Saint Thomas the Apostle church built and dedicated
1935 Brambles Farm building programme completed
1938 Plans for Thorntree aerodrome finally dropped
1941 High yields obtained on Thorntree Farm
1942 Reverend Skipsey in charge at St Thomas's
1944 Plans start for extension to housing at Thorntree Estate
1946 Building of Thorntree Housing Estate begins
1947 Father Herdson becomes first vicar of the new parish of Brambles Farm
1948 First marriage service held at Saint Thomas church
1950 Thorntree Estate completed
1953 Shops open on Thorntree Estate
1955 Pallister Avenue allotments developed for building
1957 Saint Peters church at Thorntree dedicated
1958 Thorntree cemetery renovated
1959 Father Woodward takes over the parish
1964 Notice given to quit the Thorntree allotments due to building
1971 Population in the parish reaches 17,358
1973 Father Yates arrives at the parish
1975 Saint Peters church closes
1977 Father Stretton leaves and Father Percy arrives
1980 Father Jacobsen arrives at the parish
1985 Father Noblett arrives at the parish
1987 Cannon Wells arrives at the parish
1994 Canon Wells Ruby Jubilee of time spent in the priesthood Saint Thomas the Apostle church is 60 years old