The Vicar's Tree

By Mike Pratt

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In 2001 this old postcard turned up at a postcard fair:

A high resolution computer scan allowed identification of the writing on the plaque standing in front of the tree in the foreground on the left. It says:

The Vicar’s Tree

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THIS TREE WAS PLANTED ON DECEMBER 26TH 1904 BY THE CHURCHWARDENS & PARISHIONERS OF BISHOP WILTON IN COMMEMORATION OF THE REV. JOHN ADAMS ELDRIDGE M. A. ATTAINING THE AGE OF 90 YEARS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1904 AND HAVING BEEN VICAR OF THE PARISH FOR A PERIOD OF OVER 47 YEARS.

Further research unearthed an article in the Howdenshire Chronicle and Pocklington Weekly News for Saturday, December 31, 1904, an extract from which follows:

REV. J. A. ELDRIDGE, OF BISHOP WILTON
OVER SIXTY-THREE YEARS’ MINISTRY
A REMARKABLE NONAGENARIAN

On the 26th of December, 1814, there was born to Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge, at Oxford, a son, and today that son survives, and is the Rev. John Adams Eldridge, the venerable vicar of Bishop Wilton. For the long period of 47 years and about two months Mr. Eldridge has held the living of Bishop Wilton, and, on Monday last, County Councillor T. N. F. Bardwell, J. P., of Bolton Hall, the churchwardens, and a few friends, commemorated the 90th anniversary of the vicar’s birth and his long occupation of the living, by planting in the churchyard a young horse chestnut tree.

After the planting of the Vicar’s Tree, and the unveiling of the List of Vicars in the Church, which was unveiled by the wives of the two churchwardens of Bishop Wilton, Mrs Bailey and Mrs Newby, a party assembled at the Vicarage, when Mr. T. N. F. Bardwell, of Bolton Hall, proposed the health of the aged vicar, which was drank with enthusiasm. Among others present we noticed Mr Westerdale Eldridge (the Vicar’s son), Miss Crawford, Mr T. G. N. Bardwell, Mr and Mrs Bailey, Mr & Mrs Newby, Mr and Mrs H. Bramley, Mr H. Appleton, and Mr Drewitt. The Rev. C. F. Hutton proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Westerdale for his kind hospitality, to which he replied in a humorous and effective speech.
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A complete list of the names of the Vicars of the Church, engrossed on vellum, was placed in the west wall inside the Church, in addition to the planting of the chestnut tree in the churchyard.

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The Rev. John Adams Eldridge died soon after the planting, on January 10, 1905. The account of his death in the Hull News for January 14, 1905, under the heading “63 Years A Preacher”, was accompanied by this sketch of him: