The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-02-02 00:00:00

OHICIXEMELL.
PROPOSED NEW CHURCH.

A vestry meeting wan convened on Thursday afternoon
"To consider whether in rebuilding the parish church
(which the diuunian our has declared to be necessary)
the new structure shall lie erected on the present site, or
on spite to be chosen IT the rector and churchwardens on
the allotusent land." Many of the ratepayers and
parishioners were present. The meeting was presided
over by the rector (the Rev. J. A. Beeklesh who eons-
pounced the proceedings IT reading over the minutes of a
former retry meeting held on the Ilth of July last.
Mr. T. Nonituovna: What as that to do with the pre-
sent cue I Notice N'AS given, bur 00 000 was present
The Ruirom : Then it wan not a meeting. I with to call
attention to the lau of vestries, by which it will he seen
that none hut ratepayer. are allowed to he present, and I
call upon the meeting to uphill me.
After a discussion, in which the Itelor stated that only
ratepayers could be present, awl he would not proceed
unless others kit,
Mr. T. NOMMOVS.II tendered a letter to the Rector,
which he had received from Colonel Swailleld, in reference
to the building of a new church, which be, however,
refused to accept at his hands. Mr. Northover then
transferred into Mr. J. Rabbits, who in turn passed it to
thttyliairman. .

7ittuOvia objected to the policemen remaining if
he (Mr. Northover) were not permitted, and the Itzt-rog
desired P.C. I.:bailey to withdraw.
Both the policeman and Mr. Nonhover then took their
departure, the letter exclaiming, lam very glad to do a%
but the vary bad Mate on your part ; that is all I can tell
you.
_ . . . .

The Itscroa : I am very sorry to have to do se, but, as
Mr. Northover and Mr. aaffey have left, I must ask you
Mr. Sutton, to do the same.
Mr. SUTTON: It does not matter two straws to Colonel
Swatrield what you do. I suppose you would with inc to
convey the minutes of the meeting to him.
The RECTOR : If you will go to the rectory and make
yourself comfortable I will tell you the result of the
affair._ .

r. trrros then took his departure.
The Itgaue then proceeded with the business of the
vestrybr reminding them of the purpose for which they
, were fled together. When Ur. Biggs resigned the
rectorship, wider the Rxlesisatical Dilapidation Act, Mr.
Crickmay was called to examine the church. The chancel
Mr. Biggs had kept in repair, but Mr. Crickinay pointed
out to him (the rector) that the church was in • very bed
condition, in dilapidated and almost in a dangerous
state. Upon this he (the rector) wrote to the Bishop tell.
ing him the state of affairs,. But he did not tell him a
must important Using, and which the Bishop Unised on
in building churches--that half the congregation when he
administered the Holy Communion could not see what he
was doing, whilst it was the duty of the churchwardens
to watch his every movement in the excited state of
Church feeling at present existing. From what Mr.
Criclunay told him he informed the Bishop the church
would not bear re-buildiug. Led it was more desirable to
build another. The Rector then read his lordship's reply,
in which Ise expressed his approval of the idea of
having a new church, saying he would send • contribu-
tion of LIU towards the object- He cuhst tell the
vestry he did not ask the Bishop for any help, but
only his approval and good will. He had also written
to the Archdeacon, who was likewise in favour of
having a new edium lie (the Rector) wished to say •
few words on the condition of their church. Many who
worshipped in it were perhaps satisfied with its present
state, but all he could say was in the whole of his ministry
he had never seen a worse or wore disgraceful building.
He had been engaged in the West Indite, where the con-
gregations were negroes. who had built churches from the
'west of their brow, but they had never worshipped in a
place like ULM It might contain points of beauty for
some, but there were none in his eyes, fie had asked Mr.
Crickmay if it was possible to repair it, and be said it
would cost CO% but that he could never make a good jub
Of itea the walls were eo rotten. If they were to spend
this money on it than the question arose—" Where was
the money to come from Was it to come from the
parish ! No; because they were but a very poor termini-
nity, and no Church Society would xorist them in a grant
to repair a building of this kind. The question then
mine
What were they to do r Ile was lot in a position to
du anything of hinsself, as all lie received Came from this
living, and they pretty well knew what that WAS; but he
was willing to do his bp. t to build another church upon •
good site. He could get money from those societies which
bad helped his before. Ile did not ask for a single six-
pence from this parish by rates or otherwise, although he
should be glad to receive voluntary help. The question
they had to consider was whether the new church should
be erected on the old site or somewhere else. There were
several sites, but in selecting one he Ma* bound to con-
sider the wants of his parishioners. The souti of the
Charlestown People were Just as ,lOAr to him as those of
Chickerell, but he was afraid there was a kind of antago-
nistic feeling between the 'souffle of West ChiekereU and
those of Charlestowu. I foileieen had spent money on
the latter place, so that he therefore thought they ought
to consider their interests, end endeavour to give them
facilities for attending church. For this reason he sug-
gested the new church should be erected on the allotment
loud, where ho could purchase half-an-acre for CP. It
would then Lc near the road, induce visitors to come here,
and increase the value ef prOPatY in the village. If any
one could suggest a better site he should he ells to hear of
it._ _

Mr. RMllFri said that he supposed the Rector studied
the convenience of the i; b..cie,towu people, in having the
sehools where they were going to be erected, why net put
the church near
The Micros replies! if Mr. Gill would hire them half'
anacre there he would be very glad to have the church
built on it. Mr. Crick-may had told him the coet of the
new church would be between 11,00 J and .C.l,uter. and it
mowed to him so would brim; work into the Pariah
they ough
chur'lL ,t toa with the chance of having a new i shougi n.t benefit himself either way by
whatever wag don'', lie suggested the chancel of the
tad
present church should be converted into• mortuary chapel,
so that then none of the gra, would have to be polluted
by the re-building a the old edifice. He would ask the
vestry to appoint a committee to select a site, and if they
chose one on the glebe
and be found he could wt
with it, he should be glad to do so. The piece Mr. Rabbits
had mentioned was one of the beet pieces of pasture laud,
an that he should have to give more than Car for hall-an-
acre. - .

Lownitv : In the event a repairing this church.
which will coat auroral hundred pounds, I want to ask
where is the money to come from?
The 1te.1.-rott : It Will tut come Irvin any society. It will
have to come out of the
bewis,N You 1411). if we get a new church we alaall
I not he called upou to Pay
The Ittavea : Not a meAte heifie,ney.
Mr. U. M titan tLLIIKT : Willany one give us a guaraut,e
Lb-it We shall not have to Ivey ineythie,
Mr. C. Gausvus : I will give this guarantee that, tulle',
the rateMers choose the mew church shall not cost them
ale ItellPetinf•
14r. E. Msasautair : This church has hew staadinj
Mil or 400 years, mai there is not a ',rack or crack in lt If
is as good now as when it was Ara built.

The BEMS then read the report made by Mr.
Cricktnay.
The Rev. 11. S. MMus questioned if the chancel of the
church could be used as a mortuary chapel ; whether the
Bishop would allow consecrated groun'l
marvellous that within the memory of the present genera-
tionPurpose.seemed the whole of the aide should have been erected and
that the churchwarden. should not have been aware of the
necessity of th c gregation seeing
what the ministers
did in a Iministering the Sacrament. Ile 6,1.4 Mr.
Deckles did not attach too =oh toutortance to this in the
erection of a church, but it certainly seemed extraonlinary
that in laying out money rn the present building there
had not been a wise lean amongst them to warn them that
they were going in the wrong course. So far as be could
see they were only asked at to the selection of a site on the
allotment ground, but it appeared to hint that, supposing
the parishioners should desire the church to be contiguous
to the present for funeral purpose., he did not think there
would be any insurmountable dithculties in erecting it
upon the piece of ground now enclosed.
A committee warn appointed to select a site for the new
church.
Mr. Br.t.t. proposed a resolution to the effect that the
present building remain untouched until the completion
of the new church, and the materials of which the old
church is composed be used as far aa possible in enclosing
the new one; and that the slate and timber be sold and
applied to the purposes of the new
31r. RABBITS seconded. Upon a show a hands the pro-
position was carried by 13 against 4.
Mr. C. GREATZi then ;mustard " athe meeting
accepts the offer of the Rector to endeavour to build a new
parish church without any cc 'cane to the parish, and
agrees with him that the new edifice be erectssl elsewhere
than on the present ~ite."
Mr. Lowns.s seconded, and the resolution wax carried
nem. eon.
, This terminated the business.