The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-02 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE VEN. ARCHDEACON BROOKS,

IT may truly be affirmed that no individual ever enjoyed
more universally the respect and esteem of the inhabitants of
Liverpool, than the Ven. Archdeacon BROOKS, the senior Rec-
tor of the parish, whose death took place on Saturday morn-
ing, about one o'clock, at his residence in Everton-road. Al-
though the venerable gentleman had entered upon the eighty-
first year of his age, he was in apparently robust health, and
had discharged his numerous public engagements, magisterial,
parochial, and clerical, up to the period of his decease. On
Tuesday he presided at the fortnightly meeting of the Select
Vestry, and was in his usual health on Friday ; but on one of
the domestics proceeding to his study, about four o'clock in
the afternoon, with the slight refreshment he was in the habit
of taking at that hour, she found her master in a state of in-
sensibility, and apparently suffering from the effects of apo-
plexy. A messenger was immediately despatched for the
family surgeon, Dr. Taylor, but, that gentleman being from
home, Dr. Chalmers, of Everton-road, was called in. Subse-
quently, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Vose arrived; but medical skill
was of no avail, life could not be prolonged, and in a few hours
he departed without having shown any sign of consciousness
from the time his position was discovered by the " servant.
He had been actively engaged at his desk up to the
period of the attack, as appeared from a letter enclosed
in an envelope directed to the chancellor of the diocese.
The letter was in the left hand of the deceased, and in the
right he held a postage stamp, which had just been moistened,
but before he could attach it to the paper he received the
fatal stroke. From this circumstance it is inferred that he
had not been deprived of consciousness more than a minute or
two before the servant entered the room. He died at a
quarter to one o'clock on Saturday morning, having com-
pleted his 80th year on the Ist of September. The members
of the family were apprised as early as possible of the con-
dition of their much-lamented relative ; but only a portion of
them, then staying at Southport, had the satisfaction of seeing
him alive, and then, as already stated, insensible. On the
Sunday previous to his death, Rector Brooks preached at St.
Peter's ; but for several months before he had not engaged in
his ministerial duties, principally on account of the defective
state of his eyesight. At the time of his decease a sermon lay
on the table beside him. It bad been recently prepared, and
was intended for delivery on Sunday, in advocacy of the

claims of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts. His life was one continued scene of activity
and usefulness ; and such was his desire to be beneficially em-
ployed, that he had been frequently heard to say, in familiar
intercourse with his friends, that when it should be the will
of his Divine Master to call him hence, he would be found
" in harness."

The mournful intelligence was conveyed to the Mayor early
on Saturday, in a letter from the Rev. Henry Campbell. His
Worship imniediately ordered the flag at the Town-hall to be
lowered half-mast, and a similar tribute to the memory of the
deceased was paid at the Collegiate Institution, St. George's-
hall; the parish and other churches, and on the various public
buildings in the town... The Mayor forwarded a letter of con-
dolence to the bereaved family, expressing; also, a desire, on the
part of himself and the Corporation, to be allowed to join in
the funeral procession. The borough magistrates have inti-
mated a. corresponding wish, which, no doubt, is also ex-
perienced by that portion of the county justices over whom
the late Archdeacon had presided with so much ability.
The late Rev. Jonathan Brooks was born in Liverpool, on
the Ist of September, 1775', and had therefore completed his
80th year on the Ist of last month. He received a preparatory
course of education at Macclesfield School, under the tuition
of Dr. Davies. He was thence removed to Trinity College,
Cambridge, where he graduated in honours, and took his.B.A.
degree in 1'8: He commenced his ministerial career by
receiving the appointment of assistant curate at the parish.
church of Walton-on-the-Hill. Thence he succeeded to the
incumbency of St. James's, and was- subsequently transferred
to St. George's, Liverpool, where he held the office of chaplain;
in which capacity be remained until' die 7th of October, 1829;
when he was appointed, one of the net.tors of Liverpool, in•
mccession to the Rev. R. IL Rou,g•hsedke, and the Rev. Angus-
tus Campbell was appointed junior rector on the 4th of the
following month ; so that he has fulfilled; the onerous duties.of
Rector of Liverpool for-twenty-six years..
A-4 the creation of the See of Manchester; a partition of that
of Chester, and with it new ecclesiastical arrangements, ensued:.
Of these, one of the mostimportant was that of the creation'
of the'Archdeaconry of LiVerpool, and to this responsible office
the lamented deceased was appointed by Dr. Summer, the
present. Archbishop of Cauterbuty, then Risher) of Chester.
In addition to his clerical duties, the late Archdeacon filled
many important positions of public trust. He was the senior
magistrate of the county, having been appointedto the com-
mission cf the peace in November, 1814. He •alAo presided for
a number of years at the quarter sessions at Kirkdale, where
he was -held in high esteem by his brother magistrates, since
the death cf -Lord Skelmersdale; and his name •is intimately
associated with parochial matters in virtue of his • position as
chairman of the Select Vestry, as well as at the Annual Ves-
tries. He was the founder and:one of the most energetic sup-
porters of the 'Provident Savings Bank, and has been for many
years prominently connected with• the Bluo,coat Hospital,
District Provident Society, the 'Blind Asylum,, Dispensaries,
and other public-charities. , Indeed, he was one of the fore-
most men in the town, and his-loss will be felt and lamented
by all classes and all sections of the community,
The late RectOrhas left behind him two sons-- and a daugh-
ter. One son,. the Rev. H. Brooks, is curateof St. Peter's
Church.

By the decease of Archdeacon Brooks, the Rev. Augustus
Campbell, the junior rector, becomes the sole rectec of the
perish. By the aet'of 10th and' 11th William. TIL, the town
of Liverpool was separated front the parish of Walton, and
became a distinct parish, under the title of the " parish of
Liverpool." Under that act two rectors were appointed, to
have the cure of souls for theinhabitants of the town. But a
subsequent aot of the Ist and ad Victoria, Lap:. 98, section 2,
obtained in 1888, settled the question of, the endowment of.
churches, Iming united the medieties of the-rectory (i.e. held
between two .rectors), and provided that on the decease of one.
rector, the surviving rector shall be sole rector, and become -
entitled to al/ the surplice, accustomed fees,. and annual pay-
ments, Anti:ailing from the parish the annual sum of £200;:
and from the Corporation the annual sum.. of £350, makir.g
together the sum of £550; as well as to two several sums of
£lOO by the parishioners in respect of the-other mediety of
the rectory.. Upon the decease or avoidance of the remaining
rector, the- payment by the Corporation will cease, and the
succeeding:- and every future rector will be entitled' to
receive fear sums or parochial stipends of £lOO each, provided
under the acts of King William and 26 George 111., the whole
of the pew rents, surplice- fees, and other ecclesiastical emolu-
ments and parish dues. The act also,contains a provision
for charging upon the ,parish the stipends of £lBO each for
four parish curates.
On the demise of the present recta;, the patronage or gift of
the rectory, with all its advantages, reverts to Mr. 3._Stewart,
to wham it was sold by the Corporation some few years since.

At St. Peter's church, on Sunday, the Rev. J. C4,_lleadlam,
formerly curate, preached a sermon in aid of the-Society for
the• Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. After
referring at some length to the•claims which the-society had
upon the benevolence of the congregation, the rev. gentleman
said there were on that occasion two motives,which should
lead them to make liberal offerings on behalf of the society;
They were offering up a public thanksgiving to, the Almighty
for victories which hadgranted our arms, and for the pro-
gress with which He had blessed them in what they
believed to be a rightfak cause. What day, then,, could be
more suitable for making their offerings. in behalf of the
society for the propagation of His gospel ?. " But,:' said
the rev:. gentleman, "there is also another cause which conies
home to us still more dearly. -We have suddenly been
deprived by death of our beloved Archdeacon and Rector.
He expected to have been here to-day, himself—to stand in
this place and himself to solicit your contributions in this
good cause, which he had himself so much at heart. When
you now make your offerings, reflect upon him whose whole
life has been spent in promoting in, every way the great prin-
ciples of the Christian faith. The present is not the occasion
on whieh to dwell upon the great and the bitter loss of one so
generally respected and beloved, but I have referred to it at
present because he felt a great interest in the object with
which we are now concerned, and because I know your
thankfulness will be increased for having known and received
benefits from tbe example of so good a man and so kind a
friend."

The funeral will take place on Thursday morning next,
leaving the house of the late Archdeacon at half.past ten,
when it is expected than the Worshipful the Mayor, the
Aldermen and Town Councillors, the Magistrates, the mem-
bers of the Select Vestry, the Churchwardens and Overseers,
the Clergy, and a numerous body of the inhabitants will
unite in a demonstration of respect for the deceased, by
joining the funeral procession. The children of the Industrial
and Blue Coat Schools will also take part in the ceremony, and it
is said that the Lord Bishop of the diocese will be present on
the occasion.

As far as arrangements have yet been made, it is proposed
that those who join in the funeral procession should meet in
front of the Necropolis, West Derby-r Dad, on Thursday
morning— the Clergy meeting at the top of Brownlow-hill, near
the Workhouse—and that the cortbge should proceed through
Brunswick-road, Islington, Norton-street, Seymour-street,
and Rodney-street, to St. James's Cemetery. The funeral
arrangements will, of course be under the direction of the
family of the deceased, but the churchwardens will receive
any suggestions• as to the public demonstration of respect for
the departed, in order that it may be rendered as complete as
possible.