Rushden Research Group: Baptist Brigades

Baptist Church - Brigades

A 1978 newsclip, Evening Telegraph

Brenda really kept up with the beat

THIS was Rushden Park Road Baptist Chapel Brigade Company in 1928 — a picture sent in by Mrs Brenda Rogers of London Road, Wollaston.

The photo was taken in 1928 when the then Brenda Cumberpatch was just 16. She wrote: "The picture is a very proud possession of mine.

"Now I'm 76-years-old. My friend, Edna Hollis, and I were the only two female side drummers in the whole Northamptonshire Girls and Boys Brigade for many years.

"As you can see by the photo, our company was a very large one. We were a very happy and active Brigade and led a good, clean Christian life."

Rushden Echo, 19^th April 1929, transcribed by Kay Collins

New Rushden Band—The first parade of the Park-road Baptist Girls and Boys Brigades, with their new bugle band, was made on Sunday. The band consists of four side-drums, one brass drum, and eight bugles. Nearly 80 brigaders assembled at headquarters in the presence of their chaplain, The Rev. J A Sutherland, and under their officers Captain A J Sturgess and Captain Mrs Sturgess. A striking feature of the band is that two girls are side-drummers. The brigades are proud of the fact that their band was paid for before it made its first public appearance.

Private Bruce Lack

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