The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-22 00:00:00

SALE OF A CHURCH LIVING.

On Tuesday, Mr. Driver, the auctioneer, offered for
sale, at the Auction Mart, in London, the advowson
and next presentation to the rectory and vicarage of
Westborough, with that of Dry Doeldington, in the
county and diocese of Lincoln. It appears that last
year the living became vacant by the death of the Rev.
R. Vaughton, and the trustees in whom the patronage
is vested being unable legally to sell the next presenta-
tion during a vacancy, nominated to it the Rev. R.
Meredith, vicar of Hagborne, an aged clergyman,
whose possession of the living would give "a prospect
of early presentation," and thus increase the value of
the advowson in the market.
Mr. Driver expatiated on the value of church pro-
perty with great zeal. He said it was quite clear from
the course which Parliament was taking on the ques-
tion of the disestatlshment of the Irish Church that
it had no desire whatever unduly to interfere with the
rights of ecclesiastical property, so that if it should
come to pass that a bill for the disestablishment of the
English Church were introduced, the owners of such
property as he was then offering for sale would have
nothing to fear. This living presented especial advan-
tages to gentlemen who had sons who were about to take
holy orders in the Church, for it was worth £7OB per an-
num ; and, although there were two churches to serve—
one at Westborough, and one at Dry Doddington —they
were only a mile and a half apart, and the custom had
I ,een to have service alternately at each place—namely,
in the morning at one, and in the evening at the other,
and vice versa. Even if a curate were paid a handsome
sal.u-y to a.sizt—say £3OO a year -it would leave £6OO
a year for the rector, and his duties would be very light
indeed. It was a very pleasant part of the country
near Newark; there was plenty of good society, and he
thought he might say of good hunting. The population
was under 500. There wasarectory house fit for a gentle-
man's family, and there would be no difficulty in ob-
taining the income, for the property from which it was
derived was held by six tenants, and all the rector had
to do was to request them to call and pay their rents.
If the living were in actual possession, he calculated
that it would be worth £lO,OOO, but it was not in actual
possession, although in the ordinary course of events
—the present rector being 73 years of age—there would
be a vacancy before long. Under these circumstances
he was open to a bid. Would any gentleman say
After a pause, some one offered £4,000; this was
followed very slowly by £4,100, £4,200, up to .C 4,800
when the bidding came to a dead-lock. Mr. Driver
cleverly urged the advantages which the living pre-
sented, the securities it offered as an investment, the
light and agreeable nature of the duties which the
clergyman would have to perform; but nothing would
'neve the bidders, and he then announced that the
' biddings had not reached the price which had been
reserved by the vendors. He added that if any gentle-
' man was desirous of treating for the benefice by
private contract, and would call at his office, he should
' be informed what the exact reserved price was.