Rev R K Haslam
Priest-in-Charge 1940-43

Reginald Kingdom Haslam, son of Rev Herbert Kingdom Haslam, was born on 25th  December 1885 in Blaby, Leicestershire. After being a boarder at Stamford Grammar School for Boys, Lincolnshire, he went on to study at St John's College, Cambridge.

Following time at Ripon Theological College and ordination, in 1913, Rev Reginald served at Pembroke College mission church in Walworth, Southwark, before he became a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces for the period 1916-1919, after which he returned to Walworth. He then spent two years as Curate-in-Charge of St Anne's in Wandsworth. Two years later, he was appointed Vicar of Lady Margaret Church in Walworth, a position he held from 1921 to 1928.  The Bishop of Southwark then moved Rev Haslam to become the Curate-in-Charge of St Olave's Mission Church, Mitcham. He subsequently became the Vicar of St Olave's when its new church building was consecrated in 1931. Seven years later, Rev Haslam resigned from his post in Mitcham and set sail from Southampton to Port Elizabeth in South Africa, where he spent about a year.

Research by John Pearce shows that the Basingstoke Parish Vicar (Rev Chute) was able to write in the January 1940 Parish Magazine: “We shall welcome most gladly to our staff of clergy in January the Rev. R. K. Haslam who will act as Priest-in-charge of All Saints. Mr. Haslam is a priest of wide experience who has been the vicar of two parishes in South London, from the latter of which he resigned in order to spend a period of time in South Africa. While waiting to consider his future work, he has consented to come and help us on our staff in Basingstoke, and we welcome his services with gratitude.”

A significant event during Rev Haslam's first year in the Parish was the August 1940 Nazi bombing raid over Basingstoke that damaged St Michael's Church, necessitating its temporary closure and which required its congregation to worship at All Saints'. Avoiding direct reference to the incident, Rev Chute wrote in the September Parish Magazine “To possess a church which combines architectural beauty with the atmosphere of worship as All Saints does, is a real blessing to us all in these days and with the additional Sunday Services which for various good reasons have recently been added to the ordinary list, the benefits rendered to the parish by All Saints will be widely appreciated. Thus there will be a celebration of the Holy Communion every Sunday at 7 o’clock as well as at 8. Then again during the morning there will be Morning Prayer in addition to the usual Sung Eucharist. This has involved moving the Sung Eucharist forward to 10.0am; while Morning Prayer will be at 11.15am, thus allowing a short interval between the two services. I feel sure that everyone will fully realise the grounds for these additions and alterations, and will accept them with the most sympathetic understanding. I have no doubt that the result will lead to a strengthening of the bonds which unite us as a Christian family in the parish."

[More details of the bombing can be seen on this page: Parish Bombing  ]

By November 1940, temporary repairs had been made to St Michael’s and the church was again open for worship. All Saints’ services reverted to their pattern before the bombing.

An appeal for "Stations of the Cross" had been launched in 1942, and by September, it was reported that donations had been very generous and the amount needed had been subscribed in less than a fortnight. The new stations had been ordered, but probably because of wartime shortages, the delivery and installation did not occur until sometime in 1943. In his notes in the Parish Magazine, Rev Haslam reported that the amount raised covered the complete cost, including the oak boards, lettering and fixing.

Rev Haslam's departure from the Parish and All Saints' was announced in August 1943.  The Bishop of Southwark had asked him to take over the parish of St Mark, Surbiton, a church that had been destroyed by an air raid in October 1940 and Its congregation was maintaining a vigorous church life from a school, but the Bishop wanted it tested to find out if the church should be rebuilt after the war. [The rebuilding of the church took two decades. Restoration was completed in 1960, and normal services were resumed.]

In Basingstoke, the Bishop of Winchester had approved the retention of a full staff for as long as possible, although the future might prove more difficult. After Rev Haslam left the parish, Rev Chute (the Vicar) wrote that he was not without hope of finding a replacement for the All Saints' post, but “...in the meantime the congregation of All Saints will know that in company with all the rest of the parish they will have the very best care and attention that I and my fellow clergy are able to offer.”

Rev Haslam remained at St Mark's, Surbiton, until 1954 when he was appointed Rector of Aller and Pitney (near Lamport, Somerset). He left that post in 1957 (at the age of 72), saying that "...he found the work of carrying on the two parishes too much for him." He retired to Weston Super Mare,  where he passed away in January 1971.

compiled by Allan J Palmer