The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-27 00:00:00

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE
OF A NEW WESLE lAN SCHOOL
AT DUDLEY WOOD.

On Monday morning lest this district was all
astir in consequence of laying the foundation
stone of new schools in connection with thi,

Wesleyan body. The preen t re,b(..;:s were
small awl ineouvenient, ettd no the number of

children had oon,itierably increased, the prescit
rooms were insufficient for their requirements,
and utter a meeting had been fir.ld by the friends
connected, with She thapei it was decided that
now schools should be ereet,i, and a counnittee

!RS at ouce formed to Carry it out. Some little

o.rlay had taken place, as it had been id wmed
that mining operrtions had endauyerod tho
safety of the land thereabouts. In (tonsequenec
of this some delay took place, and enquiries
were made by the pfontrters of the schools who
were advised to proceed with the schools, but it
was thought desirable that a wooden building
should be erected. A plan of the schools was
made, and the committee ultimately agreed with
Mr. Alfred Bloomer, buildvr, of Cr:l:Bey:Heath,
. . .

to erect the school. The contract we Clieve
WO. The dimensions of the school V, PA be

2li by 60 feet. A wood building, with brick
foundation, the roof slated, the inside to be
. . . . . .

stained auti varnished, and painted outside; and
it is expected that the school nill be completed
ty the end of Septeadkr.
At two o'clock a large number of friends con-
gregated together, and headed by Mc.isrs.
•. . .

VIIC; and Cabot's' (Cradley Heath brass baud,

followed by the Ministers' Committee, school
children, and friends paroled through the prin-
cipal streets of Gradley Heath, Newtown, and un
to the site selected, where a number of garLinds
and evergreens were erected. Ainuag thosa
.•

present at the ceremony we noticed Miss E.
Brett, Griee, Mrs. Penn, and family, Mrs.

Field, Mrg. Nightingale, Mrs. Homer,- Mrs.
Chance, Mks Chance, Mrs. H. Humphries, Mrs.

T. Coluy, Mrs. Win. Coley, Mrs. Siviter, Rev. J.
L. Pusnett (Dudley), nee. G. Makin (Dudley
Circuit Minister), Rev. J. Connon (Dudley), Rey.
G. Cosens (Cradley Heath, Rev. Andrews
" ' "

(Lye), Rev. W. Hot:i (Chairman of the District).
Messrs. I. Field (West Bromwich), W. Gold, J.
Palmer, R. Barnsley, W. Bannister, W. H. Bill,
J. Whiteley, J. Ludford, J. Coley, I'. Coley,
John Hancox, J. Cutler, Jesse Billingham, 'l'.
Homer, W. C. Barkar, R. Brasley, A. Bloomer,
B. Hayt s, J. Feld, B. Fivltl, S. Edwards,
, Walton, —Rainbow. Malik's, S. Forrest, scn,
L. Forrest, jou., Nightingale, G. Green, W.
H. Nock, rte., &a.
The ceremony was commenced by the Rev.
G. Makin reading a portion of the AcriptureB,
IThe Rev. J. L. Posnett offered up prayer, and
the GGGth hymn was sung.
The Rev. J. Connon (Circuit Superintendent),
then stepped forward, and in a few appropriate
words, presented Miss Brett with a very hand-
some silver trowel, which bore the following in.

aeription :—" This trowel was presented to Miss
Brat by the Sunday School teachers, on the oc-
casion of her laying the foundation stone of the
new school in cannQction with the Wesleyan
Cfiapel, Dudley Wool. June 22nd, 1868." The
stone bearing a suitable inscription, similar to
the ab,ive, was then lowered, and after Miss
Brett had " levelled " it with a mallet, she said,
" In the name of the Holy Trinity I declare this
memorial stone well and truly laid."
Mrs. Grice then delivered an address, in which
she exhorted her hearers to cling to the true
faith, for which their forefathers had bled and
died. She denounced the errors of Ritualism
and Popery, and went onto speak at some length
in condemnatory language of the cheap trashy
literature which teemed from the press of the
present day. It was this fictitious literature she
said, which vitiated their tastes and turned the
youthful mind from the holy teaching of the
Bible. In addition to this they had infidelity
and alepticiAm rearing its head in their midst,
and it therefore required all the means that
could be employed by Christian bodies to stem
this tide of iniqnity and His. The speaker for-
cibly appealed tin parents to train up their chil-
dren in the path of Christian duty, and ably
depicted the misery which must inevitably come
upon the unbeliever. She concluded by wishing
the new schools every possible success.
The Rev. W. hurt then addressed the meet-
ing, and congratulated the Weleyans of Dudley
Wood in that their efferts to provide fresh school
accommodation had been so successful. He
expressed his pleasure that the day had turned
out fine, and was glad to see so ninny friends
aronnd there.
At the conclusion of the address Miss Bratt
placed a£s note on a brick she had laid. Mrs.
Grice laid it brick, and put down a sovereign on
it; and also Mr. Grice and Master Richard
Barnsley. Mr. B. Dimmock also placed a bag
of silver he had collected on a brick, which
amounted to lOs 64. A collection was after-
wards made, amounting to £lO ISs 44.
After the interesting ceremony of laying the founds.
tion stone was over, the company adjournod to a field
kindly lent for the occasion by Mr. W. Coley. At the
entrance to the field a garland of flowers and evergreens
star erected In the centre of the field was a large mar-
quee erected by Mr. (West. of Dudley. Around the tent
were a number of flags floating in the breeze, bearing
the following mottoes I hive theta that love me. and
those that seek me early shall find me." "Hallelnjah !
for the Lord God omnipotent reignetb." "Dudley Wood
Sunday Schools, established 1:462." On arriving inside
the tent there were tone rows of tables laid for tea, the
trivs being given by the hellos and friends connected
w.tli the chine]. numhering 1.15. at 5s per tray, amount-
ing to the hand,owe sum of .03 15s. Inside the tent
was beautifully decorated with 'lowers and evergreens,
presenting a cry and animated appearance. At the head
of the tables MA% the following motto :—" Out of the
mouths of babes and sucklings thou hart perfected
prai,e." At the botiom of th, tables Hail friends
of Sabbath School,;" and around the tent—" Suffer
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not;
for of each is the kingdom of God," "Feed my lambs."
dm Upwards of 800 persons sat down to tea. The
tent war not large enough to admit them ell di tea at
one time, 110 as soon as one lot of persons bad taken t..a
they left the table and made room for the others. We
mast not forget to Duffle 01',t the arrangements made by
the committee were everything that could be dreired, awl