Bernard Walke, born Nicolo Bernard Walke, was an English Anglican priest.
19 Facts About Bernard Walke
1.
2.
Bernard Walke was the eldest of three sons of a Tractarian clergyman who was vicar of Redlynch in Wiltshire.
3.
Bernard Walke was described as "a monastic looking man" and his dress was unusual; it included a long black cloak and a hat somewhat resembling a sombrero.
4.
Bernard Walke died on 25 June 1941 and was buried in the Lelant Churchyard, Cornwall.
5.
Annie Bernard Walke died in 1965 and was buried in St Erth churchyard, Cornwall, site unknown.
6.
Bernard Walke became a curate at St Ives, Cornwall; after some years he moved to Polruan as a curate.
7.
Bernard Walke remained at Polruan for eight years and both there and at St Ives became familiar with the life of fishermen.
8.
Bernard Walke was appointed St Hilary Church's vicar in 1912 but was not instituted to the living until 1913; he resigned in 1936.
9.
Father Bernard Walke was a High Churchman and the changes in services which he introduced were strange to the members of the congregation.
10.
Bernard Walke wrote his first play, Bethlehem, in the early 1920s; it was performed at Christmas by a cast of parishioners for an audience drawn from St Hilary and neighbouring parishes.
11.
Bernard Walke produced the first religious plays for a live broadcast on BBC radio.
12.
Annie Bernard Walke was a member of the Newlyn School, an artist colony in the Newlyn area of Cornwall.
13.
Bernard Walke's church had been gradually enriched with painted choir stalls, pictures, statues and several altars of stone.
14.
However Bernard Walke felt unable to recognise the right of such a court to determine matters spiritual since appeals could be made to a secular court so ignored the judgement.
15.
Bernard Walke gives an account of the home in chapter 18 "The Jolly Tinners" of his Twenty Years at St Hilary.
16.
In November 1932 Bernard Walke fell ill with influenza and did not conduct any services until Christmas Day.
17.
Bernard Walke dedicated it to his wife, whom he refers to in the text as "Annie Walke".
18.
Canon AM Allchin observed in the introduction to the Truran edition of "Twenty Years" that in the last ten years of his life Bernard Walke was affected by his poor health and a sense of failure of his hopes.
19.
Bernard Walke is however still well remembered at St Hilary, more than anything for the plays which had made such a national impact and even more on those who were involved in the productions.