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Vicar who cherished his home
county
November
14, 2003
HURD ROAD
(Pettus Road)
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| Canon Richard
Hurd, who retired in 1969. |
HE was a man who devoted so much of his life to helping
young people, setting up Scout groups and youth fellowships
across Norwich and Norfolk.
Canon Richard Hurd was the vicar of Eaton for 20 years
before he retired in 1969, and during that time he saw
the population double to 14,000.
These pictures were taken during the annual church garden
party at Eaton Hall in the summer of 1969, when Canon
Hurd announced his retirement.
“There is a tinge of sadness about this occasion
for me because this is the last of my parish garden
parties,” he said at the time.
Canon Hurd worked as a clergyman for half a century,
and all the time encouraged young people to take an
interest in the community.
He described his time at Eaton as being “the happiest
20 years of my life”.
Canon Hurd was brought up at Tasburgh, where his father
was the rector for 25 years.
He followed in his footsteps into the church and started
his ministry as a curate at Cromer.
At the age of 31 he took charge of St Thomas’s,
Heigham, in Norwich, where he had a new vestry built.
He was there from 1926 to 1941 and spent a lot of time
developing youth groups, including the Sunday School
and the Scout Group.
Canon Hurd was also chairman of the Norwich Sunday School
Association, which thousands of children once belonged
to.
During the war he moved to Suffolk, but later returned
to his beloved Norfolk and took up the challenge of
being Vicar of Eaton, where big developments were taking
place.
“I feel like a country parson working in the city,”
said Canon Hurd, who set about improving and strengthening
the role the churches had in bringing this new community
together.
When he retired he said one of his more unusual ceremonies
was to christen the grandson of circus owner Billy Smart
under the big top at Eaton Park.
His congregation included trapeze artists, clowns, elephants
and camels.
Canon Hurd died in July 1975 and they named this road
in his honour.
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