Back in August 2018, as part of plans for an exhibition commemorating the 100^th Anniversary of the end of the First World War, someone thought it a good idea to scan those Parish Magazines published during the period 1914-18. So began an ongoing labour of love to scan the entire archive of Parish Magazines to make a complete digital set. Most of the magazines are held in the Church as either individual magazines or bound into volumes. The project has just been completed with all magazines from the first published in January 1873 to the last published in Winter 2012 now available to view in digital format: view the Parish Magazines.

Currently there are only two missing from the set - September 1954 & February 1955.

We are hopeful that these missing magazines might be found either with parishioners or at the Sussex Record Office.

The magazines make fascinating reading, covering as they do the 'reigns' of at least seven vicars as well as six monarchs, and the trauma of three major wars. The social history content records requests for servants to be allowed time to attend church, the making of garments for the 'sick and poor', a 'Blanket Loan Society', a soup kitchen, a Christmas dinner for the inhabitants of the Workhouse and caring for waifs and strays (including help to enable them to emigrate to Canada).

For most magazines only the East Grinstead Parish Magazine pages have been scanned, omitting the included ‘Church Monthly’, Chichester Diocese news etc. and many pages of adverts.

If you have either of the missing copies, or would like any more information about the project, you can contact Steve Metcalfe, the brave soul who undertook this mammoth task!