James Hakewill, the architect, who was here in 1820, in his “Picturesque Tour,” calls the church truly “a plain, convenient structure, but without any pretensions to architectural beauty.” The Rev. R. Bickell, who had been naval chaplain at Port Royal and for some time curate of Kingston, wrote in his “West Indies as they are,” in 1825: In the city and parish of Kingston, there is but one church, which will hold nearly a thousand people; it is thronged every Sunday morning, principally by free people of colour, and free blacks. Indeed, had there been two or three churches more built in this populous city, six or seven years ago, and zealous clergymen appointed to them, I feel confident in saying, they would, ere now, have been equally thronged; but, though there are eight or ten thousand slaves in the place, and a greater number of free people, with several thousand white inhabitants, an island curate has never been appointed there, and consequently a chapel of ease has never been built: on this account, seeing so good an opening, the Dissenters have been very active, and have four or five places of worship, three of them built within the last three years; the Scotch, and other Presbyterians, have a very large kirk (built principally with Episcopalians’ money) which is not half filled; but the Wesleyans have two large chapels, capable of containing more than two thousand persons, and which are well attended (even filled I have been told) morning and evening, chiefly by negroes and people of colour. The Baptists have also a large and handsome chapel well attended by Blacks and Browns, besides a smaller one occasionally opened. There is also a Catholic chapel for the French and other foreigners. In the “Estimate of Contingencies for the City and Parish of Kingston for the year 1830” occur the following entries: CHURCH £ _s._ _d._ Rector’s compensation money, 110_l._; house-rent, 200_l._; burying, 50_l._ 360 0 0 Clerk’s salary, 70_l._; taking care of plate, 15_l._; palls, 10_l._ 95 0 0 Sexton’s salary, 70_l._; digging graves, 25_l._; ringing the bell, 25_l._ 120 0 0 Keeper of the town clock salary, 40_l._; repairs to organ, 120_l._ 160 0 0 Sundry repairs and alterations for the present year 200 0 0 Organist’s salary, 130_l._; beadle’s salary, 84_l._; lighting up the church, 132_l._ 346 0 0 Amount required for the Chapel of Ease 300 0 0 ————— ———— ———— £1581 0 0