Hastings & St.Leonards Observer 28 Sep 1895
EXERPTS FROM: RELIGIOUS LIFE IN HASTINGS New Series.-No.XIX.
SUNDAY MORNING AT HALTON CHURCH BY ARGUS
In "Diplock’s Handbook for Hastings and St.Leonards and their neighbourhood" published 1854, I read: "A Chapel- of –Ease to St.Clement’s parish was erected on the Barrack Ground in 1838 for the convenience of the district of Halton. The ground and stone of which it is built were given, and an endowment of £1,000 added, by Mrs Milward. The cost of erection was defrayed by subscription, aided by the Diocesan Society. The minister’s house and the schoolrooms adjoining were also built at the sole expense of Mrs Milward. The chapel is in the Early English style. The patronage is in a gift by the Bishop of Chichester. The Rev. John Parkin, who was for some time curate of Ore, is the present minister." Miss Howard, in the new edition of her "Guide" issued in 1893, further says; " The church with it’s quiet churchyard bordered with trees, the parsonage house, the school, form altogether a pleasing group, and the views on either side are extensive. The church, a small and unpretending building, has been thoroughly repaired of late years. The chancel is a recent addition, and was consecrated in 1888." As I mount the hill leading from High Street to the edifice a bell, by no means of sweet sound, is calling the faithful to prayer. But there are no external signs that, small as the building is, it will be crowded this morning, and this impression is confirmed by the appearance of the interior as I take my place in one of the unappropriated seats. However, this is not the first time I have made a unit in the congregation of St. Clement-the-Lees, though the last time was just twenty-one years ago. The late Rev. John Parkin, one of the most zealous of local clergymen and estimable of citizens, was then the vicar of the parish. He was a disciple of the old ecclesiastical school, preaching, if I remember aright, in black gown and with Geneva bands, while the services were of a strongly pronounced evangelical character, as "Low" in fact as the most fervent Ritualist hater could desire. The building had no chancel as it has now, the interior was dull and dingy, the sanctuary consisted of a few feet of space, sufficient to afford turning room for the officiating minister and a little communion table, while the organ was at the side, the performer sitting with his back to and in sight of the people. How changed are all things today! True there is an air, I will not say of actual poverty, but of impecuniosity, about "St.Clement’s Chapel", to give it its correct title. There is not the smallest piece of pictorial glass in the whole building, while in other respects the absence of money, or rather that which the possession of money would do, is notable. But the little edifice is this morning
BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE LOOKING,
With its newly painted and coloured walls and nicely varnished pine seats, while the day light streaming through the tinted windows, if it does not suggest a kind of decorativeness at least lends an air of cheerfulness to the whole chancel, built by the Rev. H.L. Beardmore, and which for the size of the church and is spacious and commodious. It has two rows of choir stalls and is separated from the aisles by a screen, picked out artificially in gold and white and other colours. The altar, with it’s rich coverings of embroidered tapestry and other cloths, its massive brass cross in the centre, on each side of which is a tall unlighted candle and a brazen holder containing nine candles, with two vases of fragrant flowers, strikes me at a distance as a real little gem of taste, while on approaching it more closely after the service, when I am able to minutely examine the embellishments, I am surprised to learn that the rich and costly needlework was not the production of a professional vendor of such ornaments, but of a private resident of St. Leonards , who is truly a benefactor to the church, but who would be much distressed were I to make public mention of her name. There is a handsome lectern, the gift, as an inscription at the base sets forth, of Mr. J. T. Edmed, one of the present churchwardens, and his brother who lives away from Hastings in memory of their father, the once well known Mr George Edmed, who was a churchwarden for something like 40 years, serving under Mr.Parkin, Mr.Beardmore and the present Vicar. The organ is in the chancel to the left, and partly concealed by the modest pulpit which has taken the place of the miniature "three decker" which was in use in earlier days. There is a gallery at the west end, but this morning it is wholly unoccupied, except for the school children, who sit here until just before the sermon, when they leave-as, indeed, I am sorry to say, are also many of the seats ion the ground floor, although there is not sitting accommodation for more than three hundred and fifty worshippers. But in answer to a question as to whether the congregation was usually larger, I am informed that in the evening the attendance is usually much greater, and on special occasions almost every place has its tenant. It must however be understood that Halton parish is composed almost exclusively of a poor working class population, of that class which one week
after its hard week’s toil, prefers to lie abed on the Sabbath morning instead of presenting itself at divine worship. So poor, indeed, is the ecclesiastical district that it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that,, although the Vicar’s whole life must be passed in begging for the support of the mission, there are probably not two persons in the whole locality from whom he could confidently solicit help in his
EMBARRASED FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
The offertory year after year amounts to little more than one hundred pounds, this being supplemented by an endowment of £120. I asked how it was possible to carry on the work of the parish, which work includes Guilds, mothers’ meetings and other organisations and occasionally feeding hungry children, to say nothing of the schools, and was told that to do so would be utterly out of the question but for the pious benevolence of certain friends of the Vicar in diverse parts of the borough, and more particularly at St. Leonards. And today as ever the schools are a most pecuniary burden. ......
.......There is a saying that Halton is on the road to the Workhouse, and assuredly, considering the enormous poverty of the lowest degree which is to be found there, the expression would seem to have in it more of the truth than jest. Moreover the parish has, to some extent a fluctuating population. The tenant of a house or a room finds himself unable to meet the calls of his landlord or the apartments letter the next, and is constantly constrained to look for fresh lodgings. This unfortunate condition must make it difficult ever to secure a large congregation at Halton Church............
The Service:
As for the music, I can honestly assert it was more than creditable considering that the vicar is unable to employ any professional aid. The choir of twenty unpaid members acquitted themselves, in a manner which, on the whole spoke volumes for the skill and care brought to bear upon their training by Mr. Jones, the schoolmaster. The organ, I may also say was cleverly manipulated by Miss Jones, an accomplished musician and a kind hearted St.Leonards lady, who not only gives her time in this capacity to the church but renders the mission liberal assistance in other ways.
...As I noted the array of empty benches before and behind me I felt sorry that such a discourse should have so few auditors. It was in every way worthy of a crowded congregation in the largest of our cathedrals, and I dare to think that Westminster Abbey and St.Paul’s have echoed to many an inferior pulpit utterance.
