The next Vicar was the Rev. W. J. Hall. During the latter part of his
time some of the congregation wished to have an evening service, and
offered to pay for a minister from London to conduct it; but on talking
it over with Mr. Forster’s father, his remark was, “I am getting into
years, Forster, and so are you; so we will not consent to it, and if any
one wishes for an evening service there are other churches to which they
can go.” But Mr. Hale, who succeeded Mr. Hall, willingly agreed to the
request.
Over the Altar at the East there was a beautiful window of ancient
painted glass divided into eight compartments, containing the
representations of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, with smaller figures
of David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. It was given to the Church in 1807 by
John Eardly Wilmot, who then resided at Bruce Castle. The other windows
were all plain glass.
The most remarkable monument in the Church, of fine white marble, against
the upper end of the north wall, was erected to the memory of Maria, the
daughter of Richard Wilcocks, of Tottenham, and the wife of Sir Robert
Barkham, of Wainfleet, in the County of Lincoln, who died in 1644. The
monument is ornamented with the busts of the deceased and her husband;
Sir Robert being represented in armour, with a peaked beard and whiskers,
holding a book in one hand; and his wife habited in veil, necklace,
handkerchief, and stomacher, very richly ornamented with lace, also with
a book in one hand and resting the other on a skull. On the base of the
monument are on a black ground the effigies in white marble of four sons
on one side and eight daughters on the other in praying attitude; the
first on each side kneeling to a desk with a book on it. One of the
children on either side is represented as deceased, and laid wrapped in a
shroud, with a death’s head under the pillow.
Underneath the painted window the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments
were written, and on either side of the Altar rails were two large boards
covered with leather; on these was written in letters of gold an account
of the bequests to the Parish.
Formerly the Vestries used to be held in the Vestry-room, but as the
population increased, and there was more business to be done, the
accommodation was not sufficient, and so they were held, first at the
Lecture Hall, and afterwards at the Drill Hall, and now at the Bruce
Grove Board School.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account