The Annals of WillenhallHackwood, Frederick William
History
The Annals of Willenhall
Hackwood, Frederick William
Willenhall (Walsall, England)
To fully realise the position it must be borne in mind that in addition
to the three constituted “parishes” created within the original township
of Willenhall since Mr. Fisher became Incumbent of Willenhall in 1834,
Short Heath is now a separate township, with separate District Council,
and that Bentley has its Rural District Council—so that persons who live
in Bentley parish, Short Heath parish, the three constituted
ecclesiastical district parishes or districts, and the unappropriated
remainder of the township (nominally St. Giles’s parish), have all the
right to vote for the clergyman if they have the necessary other
qualifications of householder and freeholder.
On the death of the Rev. G. H. Fisher in 1894, no less than 23 formal
applications were forthcoming for the vacant living. The keynote was
given at a preliminary meeting of St. Giles’s congregation, at which Dr.
J. T. Hartill presided, and when the most likely candidates were formally
proposed and seconded for adoption.
The voting (recorded on cards) resulted in favour of the Rev. William
Elitto Rosedale, M.A., Rector of Canton, Cardiff, for whom there were
265, as against 26 given for the Rev. W. L. Ward, of St. Anne’s,
Willenhall. The Churchwardens consistently directed the procedure at
this public election as nearly as possible along the lines which would be
followed by private patronage; they declined to take any active part in
the circulation of testimonials, or afford facilities for any candidate
to preach in the church, to the possible prejudice of the others, but
they passively acquiesced in each one approaching the electors in any way
which seemed fitting and proper to himself.
The votes recorded on this occasion were:—
Rev. W. E. Rosedale (Canton, Cardiff) 199
Rev. W. L. Ward (St. Anne’s, Willenhall) 157
Rev. J. E. Page (Binfield) 28
Rev. F. W. Ford (London) 1
At four o’clock, Mr. Page (who was the son of a local iron-master) and
Mr. Ford retired in favour of Mr. Ward. The Returning Officer was Mr. R.
N. Hearne, Steward to the Lords of the Manor of Stowheath, the Duke of
Sutherland and Mr. W. T. C. Giffard; and the poll was taken by open
voting, each voter recording his vote orally and within the hearing of
all present.
The result having been forwarded to the Lords of the Manor, they formally
nominated the one at the head of the poll to the Bishop for appointment
and induction to the living. The successful candidate was a native,
being the son of the Rev. D. Rosedale, to whose exertions the building of
Holy Trinity Church was largely due, and in the Vicarage House attached
to which the said candidate was born. But he possessed other than local
claims, though these, no doubt, prepossessed many Willenhall folk in his
favour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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