182
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. v. MARCH 10, uo&
The two others on the wall are as follows
Sacred to the Memory of
Alfred W. Raimondi,
Died Oct. 28, 1882, aged 38.
This Tablet is erected by
the Members of the Choir
of St. Michael's
Burleigh Street, Strand,
as an affectionate tribute to one
who for many years was a true
and faithful fellow-worker in the
Services of this Church.
The.
Oaken . Chancel - Screen .
was . placed . in . this . parish . Church . by .
Sarah . De . Coursey . Parrish .
in . memory . of . her . husband .
+ Dillwyn . Parrish . +
of Philadelphia . U.S.A.
who . fell . asleep . on . August 11 th 1899.
1 Cor. xiii. 13. "And . now . abideth . Faith
Hope . Charity . | these . three . but . the . greatest
of . these . is Charity."
There is a small brass plate upon the side of the reading desk which records :
To the Glory of God
and in memory of
Martha Ann Beddome
who fell asleep January 2 nd 1899
This Reading Desk was placed in this Church
by her Cousins L. P. and A. J. P. while the latter was Vicar of this Parish.
W. Gibbs, G. Horn, Churchwardens. Christmas Day, 1899.
The lectern was a gift to the church, and bears engraven upon it the following in- scription :
To the Glory of God
and
in Memory of
Samuel C. Hatch
Churchwarden
1886-7 from Friends and Parishioners.
On the east wall were formerly to be seen the Ten Commandments, Creed, and Lord's Prayer ; but at one of the renovations they were done away with, and in their place appears '* Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, yea and for ever." In the sanctuary are two fine old chairs, formerly in Durham Castle, when the residence of the bishops of the famous see. There is a gallery round three sides of the church, the organ at one time being at the west end, but now standing on the north side of the sanctuary. It is a very good instrument, and has been renovated at various times. The pulpit is also of some interest, and thoroughly in keeping with its surroundings.
One thing strikes the visitor as rather peculiar in the situation of the church. As you approach it, it seems as though you were
coming to the west end, the steeple being
by the side, as usual ; but on entering you
find that it is the east end, the tower being
in the unusual situation of standing south-
east. On the south and west side it is close
to other buildings, the gallery on the south
side being lighted by small octagon skylights,
there being no wall windows ; the north
gallery is lighted by windows overlooking
Exeter Street.
Since the consecration of the church there have been only 1,127 baptisms, giving only a, little over 15 as the yearly average, which seems to indicate with tolerable clearness that a church was never needed at this spot. Marriages were first celebrated here in 1849. Some years ago an attempt was unsuccess- fully made to unite, or rather reunite, this parish with St. Martin's-in-the- Fields ; but the parish has now ceased to have a separate existence, being amalgamated with St. Paul's, Covent Garden, the Bishop of London not heeding the petition presented against the project. Perhaps he could hardly do other- wise, as the residential population appears to have all but reached vanishing point, and it being thought that the church would be more useful in a populous suburban district.
The closing services were held on Sunday, 10 September last, the preacher in the norning being the Rev. W. H. Hunt, who- lad ministered here for some time, and who appears to have worked hard to keep the scanty congregation together. He seems to- DO a man of singular ability both as a preacher and organizer. The evening preacher was the Rev. E. H. Mosse, rector of St. Paul's* Uovent Garden, who had been curate in charge since the late vicar, the Rev. A. J, 3 oynder, was presented to the living of St. Mary's, Whitechapel. There were fair congregations at both services, at which special hymns, written by Mrs. Mosse and ier sister, Miss Cameron, were sung. The morning sermon contained many allusions to- he past story of the church. After the even- ng service the doors were closed, and in a hort time the church will be but a memory )f the past. There is a report that the church s to be transferred to Chiswick, where a parish to be called St. Michael's will be- ormed. I hear that the fabric and freehold ill be offered for sale at the end of this- month, at the instance of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
The most noted of its vicars have most irobably been Dr. Townsend, and the last icar, the Eev. A. J. Poynder, whose fas- mating personality did much to keep
