The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-30 00:00:00

TILE STOTTIMMIDGP OBSERVER.

STOURBRIDGE BURIAL BOARD.

A meeting of this Board was held in the ante-
room of the Corn Exchange, on Wednesday morn-
ing last. Mr. Shepherd (Chairman) presided ;
and there were also present Messrs. Turney (vice,
chairman) Platt, Stringer. Evers, Billiugham,
King and Haskew.
Mr. Waterman (who officiated as clerk) read the
minutes of the last meeting; and they were con-
firmed.

At the close of the former meeting, the Board
adjourned for the purpose of viewing the different
pieces of land which had been suggested as afford-
ing a probable site for the proposed cemetery.
The Chairman said he had drawn up a few short
minutes of the meeting at which they had inspec-
ted sites. At the back of Park&ld the area was
was sufficient, but the site was inconvenient. Al-

together the land was undesirable on account of I
the approaches, the precipitous slope, and the
shape of the ground; and a footpath across the
cricket field, also rendered that undesirable. The
land opposite Mr. Cooper's House was intersected
by the new railway, a,nd it was also madesira,ble.
The minutes, as read by the Chairman, were
adopted.
Mr. Stringer had taken the minutes of the pro-
ceedings at the second meeting for the inspection
of sites. It appeared from these that the mem-
bers met at the Heath Gate, and examined the
land at the cross roads. It was found to be unde-
sirable. The field described as No. sin a former
report, being a piece of glebe land in Study Lane,
behind the Ridge, was also objected to on account
of the approaches. They also visited the Sand
Hole, and the fields at the back of Cook's. Some
thought the Sand Hole the most favourable spot '
for their purposes. Objection was taken to Mr. .
3razebrook's field, opposite the Sand Hole, because
of the large hollow between the round hill and
the turnpike road.
Haskew said the same objection would apply
to the Sand Hole, as that was more or less beneath
the turnpike road.
The Chairman said that on the same day that
they visited these sites he wrote to Mr. Matthews,
respecting the site at the Sand Hole, and that
gentleman had given him some information con-
cerning the conditions upon which land was to be
purchased from the Feoffees of the Oldswinford '
Hospital. With regard to the Sand Hole, Mr.
Matthews had told him that the area was 14 acres
2 rocds and 22 perches. He (the chairman) had
with him a rough plan of the land. With regard
to the general question of price, they had this dis-
tinct statement, that the Feoffees would not sell
any of their land which was within ihe distance
of 100 yards of the turnpike road, under .t2OO an
acre. So they would have to pay that sum, at
least, for land as far back as 100 yards. That ap-
plied to the whole of the land going from the Cross
Roads. He thought an average of something like
£175 per acre would be the price they would have
to pay for the land at the Sand Hole. If they
purchased Wi acres of that land they would have
to select the portion which would be most suitable
for their purposes.

The memb-ers then viewed the plan which had
been drawn up by Mr. Chance, and entered into a
discussion a 3 to the portion of land that would he
most suitable.

Mr. Dillingham said the ratepayers were very
sweet upon this land, because it would be at the
proper distance from the town, at the same time
that it would open a pleasure park.
Mr. Stringer corroborated this.
With reference to testing the land,
The Chairman said Mr. Matthews had given him
a permission of this kind. If the Board wished
to make any borings, and made application to him,
they would be permitted to do so. He took the
opportunity of making enquiries with reference to
sites in the neighbourhoodi of Pedmore, and Mr.
Matthews told him they would not like to have the
cemetery at Pedmore if they could help it. Mr.
Swindell, for instance, would object to a cemetery
being near his house. With reference to land near
the railway, Mr. Matthews did not encourage him
to think anything about it. Several other pieces
of land were unsuitable •on account of difficulty of
approach or nearness of houses. He (Mr. Shep-
herd) asked the Board if they thought it would
be Lest to have this Sand Hole surveyed.
Mr. Haskew said if they took that action it
would be assuming that that land was considered
most suitable by the Board.
The Chairman said as long as they could get a
good site on that road, they had agreed to give
the preference to that road.
Mr. Turney asked if there were any sites before
they got so far as the Sand Hole.
The Chairman reminded him that the land as far
as the Greyhound was under water more or less.
Mr. Haskew asked if the Board was.tatisfied
with the verbal information the Chairman had re-
ceived with regard to the land near Parkes's
Farm.

The Chairman said he was himself satisfied.
Mr. Billingham said the land had.- water within
three feet of the surface, and at the top of the
field there were ducks on a pool in the driest
summers.

Most of the members were of opinion that the
land was totally unsuitable for a cemetery.
With reference to the Sand Hole,
Mr. Billingham was of opinion that it would not
be desirable to tie themselves to that piece of land.
To engage a surveyor was to go to a lot of expense.
Th9y could get men of practical knowledge to dig
there, and that would tell them all they wanted
to know.

In the course of a desultory conversation, it was
generally admitted that it was not necessary to
dim there, to ascertain the nature of the ground,
as that could be readily seen. It was at the same
time felt that they would want it surveyed for the
sake of knowing how much table land there was,
and how much it would cost to put it in order.
Mr. Haskew expressed himself as being in fav-
our of the land; but,thought the ratepayers would
not like to go to the expense of putting it in order
for the cemetery.
It was generally felt that it would not be wise
to take any definite steps towards purchasing the
land until they had a surveyor's report before
them.
Mr. Evers said the only objection to the land
would be that it was in the main road. It did not
look well to see so many funerals in themain road.
He thought they ought te make enquiries about
about the second and third fields beyond the Gig.
mill House. It was glebe land, and the road to it
was not so public as the Kidderminster-road. He
also proposed that enquiries should be made of
Mr. Whitmore to see if he was willing to sell any
of his land for the purposes of the Board; and, if
so, at what price.
This was put to the meeting, and carried unani-
mously.

It was thought desirable to have a surveyor to
inspect this land also, as it would protect them
from making errors.
Mr. Stringer then moved a resolution to the
effect that a surveyor be appointed to report upon
the plantation near the Sand lick, at Norton, and
to two fields at the back as to their suitability for
the purposes of the Burial Board.
This was seconded by Mr. Evers, and carried
unanimously.

The next -question was the appointment of sur-
veyor. -

Ha,skew moved that Mr. Taylor be appoin-
ted, as he was a townsman, well-known to them,
and was fully competent.
Mr. Turney seconded the proposition, and it was
carried unanimously.
It was decided to ask Mr. Taylor, if possible, to
give in his report at the next meeting.
There was no other business.

LECTURE ON CHURCH PROPERTY.
A lecture on "Church Property," was delivered in the
Corn Exchange, on Tuesday evening last, by the Rev. J.
H. Gordon, of Darlington. The chair was taken by the
Rev. J. H. Richards. There was but a poor attendamee.
'lhe Rev. Chairman, in opening the meeting, said he
was sure there would be a larger number present towards
the close of the lecture, and as their numbers were at
present small, it mieht be as well to speak a few words
It was often a difficult thing to get a chairman fur meet-
ings of that kind ; but he waswillieg to take that posi
tion on occasions of this kind. He was an old hand at
that sott of thing, as they were well aware. As to the
objects of the Liberation Society (of which the Rev..).
H. Gordon was the agent) they had been wilfully and
gros.sly misrepresented. They (the Liberationists) had
been accused of very unworthy motives At a meeting
held last week a really excellent man like the Venerab'e
Archdeacon Hone, spoke of them as if they were trying
ro pull down the church. He (the speaker) never Ire aw
if nay person of intelligence who sympathised with the
objects et the Liberation Society, who ever thought of
injuring the church in itself. So far from pullieg down
the chili ch bong their objeet, they believed that by die
establishing the English Church they should infuse into
it new life tted vigour, and give it an opportunity of deing
what it could net now do—man ige its own affairs ; the
same as the fri e churches in Scotlauil and Ireland. "I Li •
latter. since its du•establishment, had acquired a Lew life
and vigour, and was doing what. the English Church
could not do, namely, reforming itself- He hope I the
Church of Eugletal eould have an opportunity of deliver-
iug it itself from what he could not help calling—igno-
iniey. In America every benefice of the Church repre-
seen,' a money value of £5OO a-year. They had no
starving curates on less than a hundred. Atchdeacen
Hone said that the language spoken against the Church
was of the most vituperveive character. Now, they could
Lot commit themselves to the utterances of other people,
b it with reference to the pamphlet from which the Arch-
deacon dedueted his eonclusi /HS there was a little mys-
tery. so much so that the A clideacon himself kept it as
it cu fiat, kind of fossil. The lecturer he (the speaker)
had heard in difence of the church was a master of vitu-
Fiera' iou. fie alleged th it it was dangerous to life and
truh to hold a meetiog for church defence. In the short
time that hail ilaised sit ce that gentleman had lectured
here, a patty of the oppo,ite tendencies attempted to
hold a meeting, but those who were for the church de-
Lee ; made su.dr a riot as absolutely prevented the meet-
iug. He need not say that intelligeut Nonconformists
had too much good sense to adopt a policy of that kind.
It hid been iutima'ed that when the church was pulled
down Dissenters would have a share of the spoils This
wise a thug they neither wished nor desired. He then
introduced the Rev. J. H. Gordon to the meeting.
'limo Lecturer commenced by saying it was a difficult
thing to get to know what was the real amount of church
property, and this was from the fact of its having been
put into the hands of certain departments for their own
support. The national properties were in the hands of
national officers. These officers derived as much out of
them as possible. Secondly, these properties had dete-
riorated in value. The lecturer then gave several in-
stances to show that false returns had been made by
clereymen as to the real money value of their property ;
one notable instance of this being that of a clergyman
who returned his income as being £l5OO a-year, when it
was in iealityia,3oo. He went at some length into the
question of tithes, and argued that if they were legally

church property, we should have to suppose that they
were bequeathed by pious donors to the church, long be-
fore that church had on existence; and that the same
pious donors must have foreseen that land which was then
morass, aud other land which was under the sea, would
in time be reclaimed and cultivated and bequeathed a
tenth part of the same to an institution of which they
had never heard He gave several instances to prove
this, one example being Morecambe Bay, in which land
bad been rescued from the sea during the last 25 years,
and on which tithes were now levied. The lecture was
throughout temperate in tone, end was listened to with
attention.