The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-03-24 00:00:00

DOEtCHESTE:II.

CORN Maiirr, Saturday. Inspector's return :
Wheat, 62.. to 745. ivr qr.; barley. 36a. to 436.
Avenges : Wheat, 695. 9d.; barley, 375.

Bozoocia PETTY Sznaions, Youday.—Before the
Mayor (fl Corm., Esd4—A man named Cherie.
Paderiek, of Maiden Newton, was brought up for being
drunk and disorderly in the streets on Sunday evening.
P. C. Lair sulasluitiate :the &up, and prisoner wu
sentenced to seven days hard labour.

COMMISSIONS Mown IT THE LORD-LtRUTINANT 011
Doirter.—Dorest (Qneen's Own) Regiment of Yeomanry
Cavalry :—Captain John Player LP., to he Ifojor,
Um Frampton resigned. Lieutenank,Anruitus Mitt
Foster, rice Fluor promoted. Cornet Becjamin Pewees
Hendry to * Lieutenant, rice Foster promotod.
Hutings Harlon Xiddistoo, gentleman, to be Cornet,
vide Guidry promoted.
PHI PORTSMOUTH Rivriw.—Thers wu • lugs
attendance of volunteert at the monthly inspeetim of
the Dorchester corps, on Thursday evenieg, by Captain
and Adjutant Barrett Captain Coombs and Liontienant
Hodges were present. The opinion of the man was taken
all to whether or not tbe sups should take part in
the Portsmouth review, on Easter Monday, end they
were unanimously in favour of attending it.
LlOTUlti.—Ttie sixteenth of the weekly meetinge in
oonnution with the Early Cloting'Ageociation wee held
Friday evening, at the Onildhall, when Mr. J. Drew,
of Weymouth, deli, red his lecture on " Oar home In
the stars," bef Oita large &adieus. lb. Rev. J. Fisher
presided. The lecturer described in felicitous lookup
the planetary bodies of ths solar system, couveying
much important oilentilla Information ; be argued, with
great Otter, that sod of those celestial bodies, like the
earth, is inhabited; and his speculations as to our future
" home in the stars" manifested much originality of
thought, and were set forth in the most eloquent mad
attractive mouser. The deepest interest wan shown by
the audio:use, and*. lestareir was frequently applauded.
Several glees were sung by All Saints' Choir, and the
mottos was slaved se usual by singing the National
Anthem

•••••-••••
DOR carom Nronv Scsoot.—Tini winter session of
this excellent undertaking has just been brought to •
oonclusion, and, in pareathee of • promise held out at
the commencemeet, that a bia or supper should be given
to those who attended • sufficient cumber of times to
enable them to pass the Government sesmination, last
Thursday evening • Bret-rate supper wag provided Nr
all snob, in the school-room. The purposes for which
the school was established are sin ci. and very Rtentioes : it was Intended "for those who havereri;
day school to earn their livelihood, and wish to
improve themselve• la reeding, writing and arithmetic 'A
The three Bs" comprised the wares of teaching, and
Instruction was girth in these bases of education by •
staff of thirty voluntary teachers, while the
management was zealously undertaken by the CI
Felknor and Mr. J. Roe Cooper, Ilse master of the
day school. The thrives dames were largely attendsd,
and the whole proceedings have berth highly woosedel
and useful. There were consequently at the suppers
large numbulokEste no less, indeed, than 260. The
room was decorated with.9lap and evergreens
for the event. provisions for the feast were given
by the Rev. J. Fisher and Kra Fisher, Mies Butt, the
Rev. T. A. and Kn. Fallow, J. F. Hodges, Esqitsbgeo
Rev. R. G. Watson, R. Davis, Eng.,- amp is
Churchill. B. Burnett, Esq. and Mn, Barnett, Mks
Combs, Mrs. Boys, and Mrs:Templer, Mr. Fades, Mx.
Paradise, and consisted of • bountiful supply of bread
nod meat (beef, mutton, and veil), followed by plum
pudding and pastry, and concluding with breed and
cheese. Athosapitoying then, eatables tram • limited
supply of ale Gs nob as chose to partthe of it, and, of
course, pure water od /th. At the head of the different
tabus, which were adorned with a choice oollection
dowers, kindly lent by Mr. Harris, were—the Rev. J.
Fisher. J. F. Hodges, Ens., the Bev. T. A. Falhessar,
R. Davis, Req., R. Burnett, Req.. the Rev. R. G.
Watson, and the teachers. During the evening Meows.
F. W. and Bop= Smith, and the Holy Trinity choir,
enlivened the proomodinpiwith road and instrumental
music. After the supper, Hairy Churchill and Henry
McDonald, presented to the Rev. T. A. Falkner, •
chaste silver butter knife and glass dish, when the
following address, which speaks for itself, was read :
" Rev. and Dear Sir —By the wish of the undersigned,
ILesite your aseeptenee of the ocoompenying testi-
s', • return of thanks, and as a token of our
gratitude and respect towards you, for the kindness and
interest that you have taken in this night school during
the past winter. We trust it will succeed for the
purpose for width it was opened, and that nest and
followiag 'woos it will most with the IMO sties.;
nod that we all, or as =ay as possible may meet again,
and strive more earnestly in endeavouring to derive the
basalt of learning from it." (Here follow the WPM of 42
of the seisotens,) —The Rev. J. Fisher. presided over the
meeting, and after the loyal and patriots' toasts had been
' given, he pointed out to those present the ffrthi thertkes
that had been made during the winter by the Bev. T. A.
Fellow. for the siteeeme of the schools and of the

ialiehle anima rendered by Kr. C°Dpir the al.‘"of
tb• day schooL—J. F. Hedges, isq., *Hawed, stwebiult
In highly aoaaplleoataly tonna ci the Ray. T. A.
Polka's and lb. Cooper.—The Rev. T. •. Falkener
then reamed thanks, and said it would have been int-
!rib's for the school to have been tarried on without
use bells Of Hr. Cooper.-11r. Cooper thanked those
[gentleman who had spoken so kindly of bhe little serried
he had rendered, and invited the scholars present to
meet him spin next winter, when he should be happy
to do all he 'mold for their good. The sooting we. •
most happy one, and all experienced the heartiest
enjoyment. The meat he. remaining from the mow
was distributed on Friday to widowli and seed people.
FOIDINOTOIII ST. 000110/I.—Durlng the past week •
greet improvement has been effected in this church. It
will be remembered that, amongst other alterations
which were carried out in the autumn of 1863, the
gallery was removed from the well end of the church to
the north aisle, by which means the magnifioent tower
arch, and the fine old west window, were disencumbered
and exposed to View. It le to this west window that
we Irish to cell attention. The lead-glasing, and parts
of the stoue-work had for • long time been in • very
decided that a thorough renovation was absolotely
'Wasted state, and the Churchwardens at length
dateresUrFila • This has accordingly been carried out in the
most judicious manner, and the old unsightly square
panes have given place to • windcw of really good
nolesisatioal deign. The work was entrusted to Mr.
White. painter and glazier. of High &At-street, and
those who are competent to Pre an opinion, consider
that it be. hem executed, in all its details, in first-rate
style. The window consists of two tiers of four lights
each, above and below the transom, and about fourteen
small lights, of various shapes, which occupy the
openings in the tracery in the bead of the window.
The whole is glued with diamond quarries of thuk
cathedral glue, of • pale yellow tint, with a narrow
border of plain glass, whioh gives to the whole window
• thoroughly medieval appear/mu. Many persons who
have seen it sines its completion, have expressed
their regret that the border was not composed of
coloured glass, instead of plain. The would un-
doubtedly have been an immense improvement, and
would have greatly added to the general effect;
but we fear the suggestion has come too late.
We ought to add that the ancient saddle-bars awl
upright stanchions have been replaced by new ones
• exsallast design. It may be interesting to remark,
that eight of the original saddle-bars were still remaM-
ing, and bed to be removed to make way for the new
ones. Thee, were evidently fixed in position when the
window was built, and are coneequenty as old as the
tower itself, 40., shout A.D. 1460. The iron work has
bus sueuted by Mr. P. Taylor. of Fordington, and the
DINIAMIt repairs ef the stonework by lir. N. Davis,
builder, of the same place. We cannot !speak lico
highly of the excellent effect produced by this admir-
able window, and we must congratulate the church-
wardens and the parishioners generally on the
commotion of the work. It sertainly is • step in the
right direetion. We hope the day is not far distant
when the inhabitants of Fordington will take a more
lively and praeisel interest in their venerable parish
shush, and' that we may soon be able to record more
extensive and important improvements. It is, probably.
not generally known, that considerable portions of the
present strestrire, the Booth aisle, the side walls of the
South transept, the arcade of three arches met of the
transept arch, and the remarkable sculptured
tympanum over the South door, are • fragment
of the original Norman Chunk and may be
regarded as one of the earliest eoclaciastiod structures
existing in this county. The original church, with the
exception of this seethen portion, is said to have been
destroyed by fire, probably in the lbth century, about
A.D. 1460, when the stately tower, the nave, a portion
of the south transept, as well as the former chancel,
and the north tramept, which have both disappeared,
were added, evidently with serdpulous care, to the
Norman fragment The barbarous deernetion of the
ohaneel, to make way for the precept hideous Gruen
structure, took pleas in the year 1750. Hotehind
account of the ell charted is as follows :—" The old
chancel of this church was a very handsome piece of
architecture. It contained stalls on each side, after the
meaner of oath-AWN with 'canopies over them, beauti-
fully carved and adorned with ip )(ling; • carved oak roof
in the same style, and the rood screen at that time
was in perfect preservatioc." The cloned, he nye,
was longer and more spacious than the rest
of the church, by which he probably means
the nave. This wholesale and deplorable spoliation was
effected by Mrs. Pitt, formerly of Kingston, who at
that time held the impropriation ; and we are
informed that onsiderable portions of the spoils,
In the shape cl oak carving and pinioning, are
to be found al this day in Kingston House. The
lee said about the north aide, which supplanted the
old north transept in 1833, the better. It is built in the
moat debased style of Churchwarden's Gothic, and It.
deformities are zoo apparent to require any comment
upon them. We earnestly hops we may live to see all
these defects, and many others, which have so
greviouily marred the ancient beauty and the eymme-
trical proportions of this venerable pile, substantially
remedied ; and that Fordington will not much longer
be behind the other parishes in this county town, in the
good wook of church restoration.