The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-04-20 00:00:00

' Look here, upon this picture and on that."

THE proceedings at the Annual Vestry this day week were
partly special, and partly of a routine character. They
occupied nearly three hours, amid some sharp discussion
on the part of a few, and a great deal of good humour and
right feeling on the part of the meeting generally. The
point of greatest interest was the renovation of St. Nicho-
las's Church. This ancient fabric has stood so long, has
been so thoroughly identified with Liverpool in all its
stages and changes, that there are few who do not sur-
round it with kindly associations, and take an interest in
its preservation. For several centuries after the Con.
quest, it was the only chapel in the village ; at one time
it was used as a prison ; during a considerable period it
was connected with the amusements of the people ; and
again, a band of youthful worshippers were buried beneath
the ruins of its spire. The 11;story of St. Nicholas's
Church is the history of the town : for it has contained
the ancient chantries of the middle ages ; beneath the trees
in its churchyard the villagers have reclined and chatted
o'er " news much older than their ale;" on its tomb-
stones they have stood to witness the rude baiting in the
bull-ring below; and at holiday times the liberated ap-
prentices and schoolboys have been delighted with the
sound of its bells, 89 they startled the deer in the forest
glades of Toxteth. Even now, in the whirl of modern ex-
citement, the SHY LOCKS and BASSANIOS of our Exchange
find near the spot " where merchants most do congregate"
a perpetual remembrance of mortality, for the church-
yard, which has become a sort of highway, is literally
paved with tombstones. And the lantern in its graceful

spire is one of the most conspicuous objects from the

river ; so that 'it guides the weary mariner to the haven,
as it points the thousands of wayfarers to the home of the
good.

At the Vestry Meeting of 1851, the sum of £2OO had
been voted for the repair of this church ; the understand-
ing being that the old pews would serve aoin, and that
a little patching, with paint and varnish, would remedy
the ordinary defects. It was found, however, that the
wood work was quite gone—that it would require to be
replaced ; and as there is a sort of decency and order
in all matters, especially in those connected with the
Church, it was resolved to do it as it should be done.
Mr. HARMOOD BANNER was the churchwarden who at
once undertook the responsibility ; the repairs were made
in the right way, and instead of the ancient boxes being
renewed which had long been claimed as private pews,
the whole ground floor of the church has been thrown
open for the use of the poor. We have personally in-
spected the alterations, and can bear testimony to the
good taste and economy which guided the arrangements.
The pulpit, for example, with its beautiful pierced work
of solid oak, is one of the most interesting of its kind in
the town ; yet it cost less than many an unsightly one o
deal. Farther, Mr. BANNER came before the parishioners
and said, "lalone am responsible for this alteration in the

plan ; my reasons you see ; yet, if you will not confirm
what 1 have done, and order payment of the additional
outlay, the risk has been my own, arid the loss shall be so

Never was a more honourable statement pl

before a public meeting, and a feeling of indignant shame
and sorrow would have been felt by every honest mind if
the parishioners had hesitated to indemnify Mr. BANNER.
It is said, however, that

" Who builds a church to God, and
Will never mark the marble witlt

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ably clean hands, he

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mitted that he did not