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THE

LYDNEY & AYLBURTON

Parish Magazine

No.62, New Series February,1897.

Published on or near the First Day of every Month,
AND TO BE HAD OF
THE MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTORS.

H. Osborne, Printer, St. Mary's Square, Gloucester.

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Baptisms.
(My Baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Dec.27.........Percy Cyril,son of G. and E Hull
Jan. 2.........Emily Marion, daughter of T.H. and R Jessel
Jan. 6.........Richard Samuel, son of W.W. and E. Powell
Jan. 7.........Ralph Richard, son of R. and M Roberts
Jan.17.........Evelyn Dorothy, daughter of C. and E. Howells
Jan.27.........Alice, daughter of J. and S. Grail,Aylburton

Marriages
(Christ loved his spouse the Church)
Dec.31........Esau Freeman and Florence Rosina Long.

Burials
(Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.)
Jan. 9........Norman Camm, 18 months
Jan.14........Bertie Sterry, 4 months
Jan.23........Jane Godfrey, 76 years

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Offerings and Alms
(Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him store, as God hath prospered him.)
. ... ... ... ... ... ... ................. £... s... d
Jan. 3-Services... ... ... ........ 2... 3... 9
Jan.13-Ch. Expenses... ... ... 0...18... 6
Jan.17-Ch. Expenses... ... ... 0...17... 9
Jan.24-Ch. Expenses... ... ... 1... 2... 6
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The Visitation of the Sick
(Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church)

In cases of illness it is the Christian duty of friends or neighbours to send word to the Clergy, as the practice was in the early Church, as stated above.
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In 1897 we commemorate two anniversaries-
(1) the accession of our beloved Queen, who has now reigned over us 60 years, the longest term of any English Monarch.
(2) the planting of the Church of God in Kent by Augustine in 597AC or exactly 1300 years ago.
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Two of the working parties at the Vicarage have been making new surplices and cassocks for the Choir. The linen and cloth for this costs money. To meet the expenses, the Choir are organizing a Concert on a small scale, to be given in the Schools in February. There is a balance of about £3.0s.9d. due to Mrs Besant for purchase of material, and much more is required.
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We have been continuing our work of restoration of the Parish Church all through the month.

The last trace of the disaster has been removed by the final disappearance of the scaffold. The spire now stands out in its lovely proportions, and we think our readers will agree with us that we use a word which exactly describes the beautiful lines of our spire. We have much to be thankful for that a work of such delicacy has been so admirably and carefully finished, so that if anything there is an improvement on the old lines. Another improvement in the appearance of the tower is the insertion of three new windows in place of the plain oak doors. We have more uniformity in appearance by having removed these and by retaining the windows only. Four new casement windows have been added to the Clerestory. They will prevent the escape of the hot air, which made its way freely through the old casements.

The floors of the Belfry and Clock chamber have been renewed with solid oak. It was found that the main beam of the Clock Chamber floor was in a very unsound condition. A new one has been placed. So, too, in the case of the main beam which supports the bells. It is very much decayed by dry rot in the centre. It will be necessary to replace or strengthen it. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the Church, has been placed in the porch to fill the empty niche, which called for its proper occupant by its desolate appearance.
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We have the pleasure of announcing a promise of £50 from the Warneford Trustees on condition of out raising £350 this year.
The following offerings have been received, which may Almighty God accept:-
Mr. G. Seaborne 7/6
Miss A. Nelms (2nd donation) 2/-
Mrs. Godfrey 1/-
Mr. J.S. Watts £1.1s.
Mr J.R.Davies 5/-
Rev. W.P. Acworth (by Miss Hall) 2/6
Mr. Cox (2nd donation) 10/-
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The Bell-ringers have had a meeting with the Vicar on the subject of the bells and their restoration. They have volunteered to give £5 themselves this year, and to endeavour to get subscriptions from their own friends and those who have not yet subscribed to the Church Restoration Fund. There are many amongst us who are waiting to be asked, and will no doubt respond to their appeal. The money which is raised by the Bell-ringers from the above mentioned sources will be devoted exclusively to the restoration of the bells, and will be acknowledged as usual in the Magazine.
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We wish to acknowledge the following subscriptions to the Churchyard since our last issue:-

(For 1896)
Mrs. Watts 2/6 Mr. Lones 2/6

(For 1897)
Mr. F Barnard 2/6 Mr. F H Hathaway 2/6 Mrs. Gardener 2/6 Mr. G Goulding 1/- Mr. Blackwell 1/- Miss Bowen 2/- The Vicar 10/- Mr. Gwilliam (by Mrs. Powell) 2/- Mr. Birt 1/- Mr. Davies 1/- Mr. F Price 2/- Mrs. Hooper 1/- Mrs. AW Newton 10/-

The Churchyard account stands thus at present:-

£. s. d
Subscriptions paid to Vicar (1896) . . . . . . . 11. 0. 6
Ditto paid in Bank (1896)
Mr. Greenham . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 1. 0
Mrs. Trollope. . . . . . . . . . ..... . 0.10. 0
Mr. Hockaday . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0. 5. 0
Mr. A.W. Harrison. . . . . . . . . . 0.10. 0
Balance in Bank Jan 1896 . . . . 4.17. 2
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 3. 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .________
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £18. 3. 8

Expenditure for 1896 . . . . . . . . .12.13. 0
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .________
Balance in Bank at present . . . . £ 5.10. 8
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. . . . . .A.W.HARRISON,
. . . . . . . . Church Warden and Auditor,
. . . . . . . . . . .Jan. 10.1897.
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Two parishioners have given, for the use of the Church, as a thank offering for mercies, a set of alms' plates. They will take the place of the bags which, with the exception of the white ones intended for the Eucharist, are worn out.
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We desire to acknowledge with thanks subscriptions for the Schools:
Mr. Blake 2/- Mr. JJ Thomas 5/-
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It has been recommended by the Bishops that the Clergy and Churchwardens should bring to the notice of the Laity, in the magazines and otherwise, the impoverished condition to which "the Livings" as they used to be called, are reduced. In many of the Dioceses the Churchwardens have received letters from the Bishop on the matter. It has come to this : that every Clergyman's income is reduced more that 30 per cent. on its proper amount, for the tithe rent charge is now £69 18s 7 1/2d. This means that for every £100 the Clergy used to receive, they now only get £69 18s 7 1/2d. When one reflects what the amount of taxation is on this reduced income, one gains an idea what is the real value of a so called Living.
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We occasionally receive what are called anonymous letters, in which remarks are made on something we have done or said in the Parish. Now we are sorry to have to say it, but the truth must be spoken, there are only two possible reasons why anyone can write a letter to another without being willing to put his name to it. These reasons are either shame or fear. Either a person says things to be ashamed of, or he is afraid or saying them lest they be not true, and so heavy consequences may follow. We say once for all, not on behalf of ourselves only, but on behalf of those who have to suffer from the same thing, for it is not an uncommon thing (this anonymous Letter writing) that such letters never do any good. They never affect the person who receives them if he has his reason about him; but they do harm to the person who writes them, because they convict him of having done a thing of which he is ashamed or afraid.
The commonest type of letter writing of this sort is that which imputes bad motives to the person to whom the letter is sent - bad motives for something done or said. For all of us who are tempted in this matter of misjudging others there are words of good advice - those of S. Paul, to those who had imputed bad motives to him - "Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come." Ordinary experience teaches us the truth of this counsel; for often times we find we have misjudged our brother when we come to find out what were really the motives by which he did or spoke. We sincerely hope that no member of this parish will ever write anything to his Vicar of which he is ashamed or of which he is afraid. No one ever need be afraid that any question put in confidence will not be answered in the same way. We are old enough to have learnt our manners by this time. And what we say of ourselves we say on behalf of those who, like ourselves, receive what are called anonymous letters.
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The following are the names of the kind subscribers and supporters of the L.& A. Parish Magazine for 1897:-
Rev J.C.E.Besant 2/6 C.Bathurst, Esq 2/6 Miss Bathurst 2/6 Mrs. Willesford 3/6 Miss Mason 3/- Rev E.L.C. Clapton 2/6 Mrs. Cholditch 2/6 Mrs Trollope 2/6 Mrs Hockaday 2/6 The Misses Keeling 2/6 Mrs T.A.H.Smith 2/6 Mrs. J.S.Watts 2/6 Mrs S.F Barnard 2/6 Miss Gollop 2/6 Miss H.Gollop 2/6 Mrs Lamb 2/6 Mrs Lones 2/- Mrs King (Hill Farm) 2/- Mrs G. Wintour 2/- Mrs Graham 2/- Mrs A Thomas 2/- Mr G. Harris (4 mags) 4/- Mrs C. Powell 2/- Mrs T.Nelmes (B. Rd.) 2/- A Friend 1/6 Mrs J Davies (P HIll) 1/6 Mrs A.W. Harrison 1/6 Mrs Anderson (Glasgow) 1/6 Mrs W.J. Smith 1/6 Mrs F. Price 1/6 Miss Rugman 1/6 Mrs Bullock 1/6 Mrs S.Nelmes 1/6 Mrs Jordan (Vic Rd) 1/6 Mrs Bevan (Stan Rd) 1/6 Mrs W Taylor (Vic Rd) 1/3 Mrs C English 1/3 Mrs Ayland 1/- Mrs F BArnard 1/- Mrs A Banks 1/- Mrs Bowles 1/- Mrs H Birt (Taylor) 1/- Mrs Blackwell 1/- Mrs T. Bevan 1/- Mrs Bendal 1/- Mrs Birt (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs Bettington 1/- Mrs Burgham 1/- Mrs Ballinger 1/- Mrs Blake 1/2 Mrs Bevan (Queen St) 1/- Miss Bowen (Queen STreet) 1/- Mrs TP Carter 1/- Lady Campbell 1/- Mrs T Collins 1/- Mrs Charles (Tutnals) 1/- Mrs J Collins 1/- Mrs W Coles 1/- Mrs L Cox (Cookson Ter.) 1/- Mrs A H Clarke 1/- Mrs Curtis (Queen St) 1/- Mrs T Davies (N Mills) 1/- Mrs Davies (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs T Davies (High Street) 1/- Mrs Dowell 1/- Mrs Downing 1/- Miss Dykes 1/- Mr T Ellaway (Glos Rd) 1/- Mrs Ellis (Tutnals) 1/- Mrs Edwards (Tutnals) 1/- Mrs E Ellaway (Glos Rd) 1/- Mrs Finch 1/- Mrs Fletcher (Bath Place) 1/- Mrs Fletcher (Queen St) 1/- Mrs Fisher (Fac Cot.) 1/- Mrs Garland 1/- Mrs Gamble 1/- Mrs Gardiner 1/- Miss Godwin 1/- Mrs Gosling 1/- Mrs Good 1/- Mrs J Gwilliam (B Road) 1/- Mrs Harwood 1/- Mrs H Howells 1/- Mrs G Holford 1/- Mrs A Holder 1/- Mrs Hyett 1/- Mrs Herbert 1/- Miss Hall 1/- Miss Howell (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs H Hale (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs S Hughes (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs F Harris (B Place) 1/- Mrs Imm (Vic Road) 1/- Mrs A Jones (Md Forge) 1/-Mrs Jordan (N Mills) 1/- Mrs Jones (Tutnalls) 1/- Miss H Jones 1/- Mrs Kelsey 1/- Mrs Lock 1/- Mrs Lott 1/- Mrs Leach 1/- Mrs Morris (B Place) 1/- Mrs A Nelmes 1/- Mrs T Nelmes 1/- Mrs J Prideaux 1/- Mrs Pritchard (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs Probert (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs T Paul 1/- Mrs Pollard (Glos Road) 1/- Mrs T Powell 1/- Mrs Powell (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs Price 1/- Widow Powell (Newerne) 1/- Mrs Phelps 1/- Mrs J Pearce 1/- Mrs Jos. Pearce 1/- Mrs W Ridler 1/- Mrs Rowles 1/- Mrs G Smith (The Lock) 1/- Mr Smale 1/- Mrs Smith (B Rd.) 1/- Mrs H Saunders 1/- Mrs Seabourne 1/- Mrs Seabright 1/- Mrs J Saunders 1/- Mrs Smallwood (Tutnalls) 1/- Mr J M Saunders 1/- Mrs Sandford (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs H P Turner 1/- Mrs Turner (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs S Thomas (Queen Street) 1/- Mrs Vanstone 1/- Mrs Virgo 1/- Mrs Vickery 1/- Mrs A West 1/- Mrs F Williams 1/- Mrs A Wooles 1/- Mrs Willetts 1/- Mrs G Williams (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs Ware 1/- Mrs J Williams (Car., Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs H Whittington (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs Wood (Tutnalls) 1/- Mrs Watts (Newerne) /1- Mrs G Wooles (Glos Rd) 1/- Miss Wiggell 1/- Mrs G Walker (B Rd.) Mrs R Wilkins 1/- Mrs J Wild 1/- Mrs Weaver (Queen STreet) 1/- Mrs W C Williams 2/- Mrs Porter 1/- Mrs Ellis 6d. Mr A Sandford 1/- Mrs Holford 1/-

Subscriptions also received for the past year, 1896:-

Mrs Bevan (Station Road) 1/- Mrs T P CArter 1/- Mrs Cliff (Mid Forge) 1/- Mrs W Critchley 1/- Mrs Downing (Mid Forge) 1/- Mrs C Dodgin 1/- Mrs Fisher (Station Road) 1/- Mrs C Hooper (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs Hughes (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs W Jones (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs R James (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs Jordan (New Mills) 1/- Mrs Kear 1/- Mrs Lewis (Station Road) 1/- Mrs Legge (The Lock) 1/- Mrs Lee (N. Mills) 1/- Mrs C Munday (Cook Ter.) 1/- Miss Ridler (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs J Shepherd (Cook Ter.) 1/- Mrs R Wilkins 1/-

. . . MARY C. KEELING, Hon Treas & Sec.
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The Statement of Accounts for the Parish Magazine is as follows:-

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ . £. s. d.
Subscriptions for 1896 . . . . ...... . . . .26.12. 1
Expenditure -Printing etc. . . . .. . . . . .21. 0. 1 1/2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____________

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £ 4.11.11 1/2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____________

The balance of £4 11s 11 1/2d. was dealt with as follows:-

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£. s. d.
Paid for Cassocks and Surplices in 1894 . . . .2. 8. 7 1/2
Band of Hope expenses . . . . . . . . ........ . . . .1.11. 4 1/2
Carried forward . . . . . . . . . . . .............. . . . .0.11.11 1/2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____________

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................ . . . £4.11.11 1/2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____________

Examined and found correct -
J.C.E. BESANT,
Jan. 26th, 1897

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PRIMROSE HILL

Our readers will perhaps have noticed that we made a mistake in our notice last month of the Mission at Primrose Hill. It was in June 1893 that Mr Lumbert first came, which means that the Mission has been in existence nearly 4 years, not 3 years, on its present lines. The years fly so fast that we hardly realised that we had been here ourselves 4 Christmastides until we were corrected by a friend or two as to the point.
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AYLBURTON

A New Year's soiree was held in the Schoolroom on Monday, January 4th in aid of the Lad's Club. We were sorry to see so few members of the Club there. Many more might have come to support it. Of others, there was a very fair attendance. A great deal of trouble was taken by those who helped to decorate the room, and their labours were much praised by many who were there. Dancing was engaged in during the evening by most of the young people, and many of the old folks joined in too. Songs, which were given during the evening, were well applauded. We think we may say with safety that everyone went away will satisfied with their evening's amusement. Our thanks are due to those who kindly helped to make the evening go off as pleasantly as possible. Expenses being paid, £3.6s was handed over to help pay the rent of the Club Room, which is £9.

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