The two Memorial Stones were laid in the Chancel of the Church (which
is now completed) by the Archbishop of Canterbury. "The Archbishop
after tapping them with the mallet saying at each 'In the faith of
Jesus Christ we place this stone for a memorial of thy faithful servant
whose name is written thereon and in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost,' and the choir chanting Amen. The stone on
the south side of the chancel bore the inscription carved in antique
on a gilt ground, 'Henry Boutflower Verdon, M.A., Æt. 33 obt. X. Oct.
A.D. 1879,' and that on the north side, the words, 'In mema. grata
Philip Cazenove, Æt. 81 obt. XX. Jan. A.D. 1880.' After laying the
stones the Archbishop delivered a short address in the course of which
he said that the two servants of God whose names were on the memorial
stones worked hand in hand together for good though separated from each
other by fifty years of life; one dying almost in his prime and the
other living on to a long old age but each dedicated to the service
of God, one ministering in the sanctuary and daily officiating in the
house of God, the other taking part during a long life in the trade
and exchange of this great city, busy with the arrangements by which
human industry is promoted. Both different yet wonderfully alike, and
both judicious servants bearing the stamp of their heavenly Master and
serving Him bravely, faithfully and laboriously. Let them be thankful
that this space of fifty made no difference in the two men. As we got
old we began to think that wisdom and goodness were with the old only,
but he thanked God that in His Church there never had failed and never
would fail a succession of faithful servants century after century to
carry on the work which the Lord loves and which will make the world
at last ready for His second coming. The name on the one stone might
be little known beyond his own neighbourhood or the name of the other
beyond the city of London, but they were known to their heavenly Master
whom they served faithfully, and in His book are the names of both
written. The memory of the young man whose name was on the one stone
would linger long among those whom he loved and the poor and the sick
to whom he had endeared himself and for whom he faithfully laboured,
but for the speaker his thoughts and friendship were with the old man
whose name was on the other stone. Five and twenty years ago when the
speaker entered on the laborious work of the See of London, the first
to welcome and assist him was Mr. Cazenove. He belonged to the noble
band who helped Bishop Bloomfield from the very first. Those five
and twenty years had been as laboriously spent in doing good as the
years that had gone before. When those men first entered on the work
how different was this suburb of London to what it is now. Great wars
had absorbed the attention of men, and a large population had grown
up before people knew it, and before men had thought of the duty of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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