18900523 History of Seagoe Parish Church p318

History of Seagoe Parish Church.

The Parish of Seagoe derives its name from the early Irish Saint, Gobhan or Gobanus, who died A.D. 639. He is said by Colgan (/Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, Vol. I p/750 ) to have lived at the bank of the river Bann, at Seg. Da. Goba, in the house of Goba, “ which, through this form secide-Goba, “ the seat of Goba”, has been long known as Seagoe Gobanus, it is probable, had his cell or oratory, in the mound or fort which ever since his day, years have been dedicated to the worship of god, and where the ruins of the old church of Seagoe are still standing.

Tradition records that the first Church erected on this site was formed by stones, or mud interlaced with hay- ropes and covered with yellow clay. At the first attempted Plantation of Ulster in Elizabeth’s reign the English settlers who accompanied Essex (1573-1576) built here a church which was destroyed after a few years no doubt it is this building which is known as the Plantation church of 1609 standing here roofless with a few trees around. Again the English colonists rebuilt or reformed the church, which was once more ruined in 1641. Soon after this Restoration (1660) the church was again rebuilt through the exertions of Valentine Blacker, an ancestor of the Carrickblacker family, who died 17^th August, 1677, at the age of 80, and was buried in the church he had helped to rebuild. The church was enlarged by the addition of a North Aisle in 1755. Ninety years ago, as described , it wasa long, low building. About 60ft by 22 ft, having a small southern porch (built in 1701), a belfry on the West Gable , and was roofed with oak shingles. It had a small gallery at the West end, ascended by a short flight of steps, inside the church, near the entrance, and on which the Sexton, or his assistant, stood while ringing the bell in the Belfry overhead. The quaint old font, afterwards removed to the new church and still used, stood under the gallery near the stair- foot. At the opposite or North-West corner, a wooden enclosure, about ten feet by eight, known as the “Dressing Room” served as a Vestry.

At the beginning of this century efforts for the building of a new church were inaugurated and promoted by the Rev. George Blacker ( the youngest brother of Dean Blacker), who was Vicar of Seagoe from 1796 to 1810. The first trace of these efforts to be found in the parish records is under April 30, 1804, when at a Vestry held on that day, it was agreed that a balance of £40 5s 3d, then in hands of the Vicar, “shall be laid out , along with other moneys, for the repair of or building a new church, as may hereafter be approved of and appear necessary to the parishioners.” here after shall think proper.” At subsequent Vestries in the years 1806 – 1810, sums varying from £427 to £137 were similarly appointed on the parish for incidental charges and towards building a new church. “in this way above £ 1026 were collected “towards the new church”.

The Rev. George Blacker was not permitted to witness the maturity of his efforts, as he died, amid Universal report, in May 1810, at the age of 46 years. The good work, however, was carried on under Dean Blacker, who succeeded his brother as Vicar ofSeagoe, and his cousin the Rev. Richard Olpherts, who became Curate of Seagoe in June 1810. Their joint efforts were afterwards in a commemorated memorial- stone inserted over the East Window of the new church, on the outside, inscribed with their initials and the date of formation, 1814.

At a Vestry held March 31, 1812, a committee was appointed for “building the new church of the parish of Seagoe”. It consisted of the following persons:- Rev, Richard Olpherts, Captain Woolsey, and others Robt Fivy, Woolsey Atkinson, Wm. Overend, David Ruddell, Joseph Malcolmson, and Tolerton Lutton. When it was decided to erect a new church it was found impossible to build the larger edifice upon the old site – hallowed by its religious use for centuries – because the graves had been permitted to encroach upon the southern and eastern sides of the church, so that the earth was raised several feet above the floor. A new site, measuring above two roods and thirteen perches in the adjoining townland of upper Seagoe, and about forty perches distant, was granted by Lady Olivia Sparrow acting as guardian for her son Robert Acheson Lt. John Bernard Sparrow. The deed of conveyance is dated March 2, 1814; and six days later, at Vestry held on March 8, the unanimous consent of the parishioners was given to the change of site; which finally confirmed by an order of the Privy Council on June 21, 1814. Slightly anticipating this formal authorisation, the foundation – stone of the new building was laid on Wednesday, June 1^st 1814. The late Lt. Col. Wm. Blacker has preserved the record of the “placed under the first stone of the church of Seagoe”: (in Mason’s Survey, Vol. II. P538). It is as follows: -

“Be it recommended that at a time when the dearest interests of Christianity were at stake;When in countries in which Christian, the temple of the Most High was entered only in profanation, and the wrath of God invoked but in blasphemy - amidst the wildest raging of foreign war and domestic treason; amid the anarchy of the World - even then did the parishioners of Seagoe, ( “a people zealous of good words”), much incited there to their pious and beloved Vicar, George Blacker, ( now, alas, no more), resolve to erect a new Church, more suited to the dignity of their God,and better calculated to accommodate the increasing numbers of his worshippers.In furtherance of which, after many delays incidental to such an undertaking, the first stone of the intended edifice was laid on the first day of June, 1814, in the 54^th year of the Reign of George III. The Rev. John Leslie, Bishop of Dromore; the Rev. Stewart Blacker, Vicar of the Parish, The Rev. Richard Olpherts, Curate; John Overend and Wm. Gilpin, Churchwardens – J. Brownlee, Architect “

In addition to the amount which had accumulated from the successive applotments for the building of the Church, the sum of £1000 was borrowed from the Board of First Fruits, repayable in seventeen annual instalments, at the rate of six pounds for canton thefinal loan. A further sum of £500 was advanced by the Rev. Olpherts for finishing the church, on the erection of which above £2500 would appear to have been expended. Additional sums raised by applotments on the parish, were afterwards spent in fencing the church yard and putting up the entrance gate, in painting and white washing the church, and in plastering and dashing the exterior walls.

No record of the completion and consecration of the Church has been preserved in the parish books; but as a committee was appointed on May 7, 1816 to dispose of the pews in the new church to the different families, it is probable that the church was opened for divine Service, with the usual ceremony in May 1816.

Beside the font (amp. 320) the Bell was transferred to the new church. This was the fourth bell which during the last century had been provided in succession, for the Old Church. The first bell (weighing 272 lbs), was placed in the belfry in January 1704, but owing to the improper construction of the belfry the bell was soon broken and had to be recast in Dublin. In the recasting, 17^ibs were added to the second bell which then weighed 289^lbs and was placed in the rebuilt belfry in October 1706.

This was succeeded by a third bell in 1745; and this, in 1782 by a fourth bell which cost (including carriage) £15.15.10.At the Easter Vestry, April 2, 1782, the sum of £1.8.3 was applotted on the parish to pay the Sextoness, Mary Porter (widow of Henry Porter former sexton) “ for ringing the Bell, morning and evening, -at six in the morning from 25^th of March to the 29^th of September, and at eight in the Winter, and at nine at night throughout the year.” This bell was transferred to the new church where it was used until 1860, when it was replaced by the present the fifth Bell, in the incumbency of the late Archdeacon James Saurin. The following description of this Bell has been supplied by the founders Messer’s Vickers, Sons and Co, the River Don Works, Sheffield :-“1^st Dec 1880 -The steel Bell we supplied to your Church is four feet diameter; note F, and weighs 1474 lbs. It is one of the first steel bells fixed up Ireland.” In a list of 30 bells supplied by this firm for churches in Ireland, there is only one – that of Carrickfergus Church -is equal dimensions to our Seagoe Bell. It is 38ⁱⁿ in height (from edge to the dome) Round the top is the following inscription in relief or raised letters, - “ Naylor Vickers and Co: 1860: Sheffield. E. Riepe’s Patent Cast Steel.” On the body is “ No 1496” the cost of the Bell (including carriage and fitting up ) was £93.7.7. (In Account in pg 96 supra).

The ancient Communion Plate also preserves the memory of the Old Church. This consists of a paten and two chalices, all of silver. The paten is inscribed –“ In usum Parochial de Sego, 1699”.

It was provided by the Vestry by applotments in the Parish. The two chalices were presented during the incumbency of Rev. Richard Buckly and one of them, at least, at his expense. This one has the inscription –“ ExdousRichd. Buckly, Vicr. deSego, in usum Parochial de Sego, 1769” the second is simply – “ Sego Parish, 1791”.

Annual Tablet, oval and of white marble, sacred to the memory of Rev Richard Buckly, was removed from the wall over the Minister’s seat in the old church, and placed on the North Wall of the New Church, near the Reading Desk. It has the following inscription – “ Ja” and to the memory of the Rev. Richard Buckly, who departed this life, January 18^th, 1796, aged 72 years. Late Vicar of the Parish of Segoe, 33 years. A sincere friend to the family drops a tear of sorrow at the departure of the above worthy, and honourable character.”The latter part if this inscription, beginning “a sincere friend , a, “ with permission of Mr Buckly’s family, was worded by the Rev. George Blacker, his successor in the vicarage.

Although the old church in 1876 ceased to be used for Divine Service, it remained standing for a few years in fair preservation. The internal fitting were not removed and it was still used at funerals and for the accommodation of a Sunday School. At the Easter Vestry, March 24 1818, the sum of £2 was applotted “for the purpose of repairing the roof and windows of the old church.” But as the necessity of more extensive repairs became more pressing, it was at length resolved at the Easter Vestry, April 1820 that “the old church should be sold at auction, on or before next Whitsun tide.” (sup. 3 supra). This was so distasteful, on the 23^rd of May 1820, the resolution was rescinded “by a majority of the parishioners present”, and the “ Vestry wasadjourned until the sentiments of the Lord Bishop (Saurin) be known concerning the same” At last, however, the gallery pews were sold be auction on Saturday 7^th October, 1820; and in the same month, the timbers of the roof, and everything else saleable , were disposed of by auction, and the edifice was entirely dismantled . The proceeds of the two sales amounted to £35 6s 4d; and after deducting the expenses of pulling down the building, the labour amounting to £6 8s 3d, those remained a balance of £28 18s 1d. This sum, it was resolved at a Vestry held Oct. 26, 1820, to expend “in erecting a proper iron gate , at theentrance of the New Church-yard, levelling the yard, andpreparing the terrace for planting ,” and the balance was appropriated in the erecting of an additional building to the stable , for the purpose of a schoolHouse.” (supp. 5.7 supra).

At the Auction, the old pulpit – a structure of old black oak, having a sounding Board, resting behind a panelled frame of oak and supported in front by two turned pillars and having in the front the date 1666- because the property, it is said , of Charles Mooney a Roman Catholic , and a public. bar keeper in Edenderry, in whose yard it being lay among the lumber.

Under the provision of the Irish churches act (1869), and by the order of the Commissioners of church temporalities , dated 7^th August , 1874,the old graveyard was vested in the Poor Law guardians of Lurgan Union. Subsequently the guardians added to the graveyard about an acre of ground adjacent, purchased from the late Mayor Stewart Blacker, and completed the enclosure of the yard by a substantial stone wall, except on the inner or eastern side, where the old thrown fence still remains.

For many years the west gable of the old church with its Belfry remained entire, and thick and clotted with mantlingivy was a picturesqueobject. But on the night of Tuesday Dec 11, 1883 in a storm from the North – West, the apex of the gable and old Belfry were blown down. The arch of the West window was left broken, but the P.L. Guardians removed all the rest of the West Window was left broken but the P.L. Guardians removed all the rest of the wall to a line below the sill of the window.

In February last (1890) on taking down a portion of the southern wall of the new grounds in preparation for the new aisle, there was discovered a wide arch of brick work passing over the central window, and apparently providing for an extension in the manner of the aisle which had been added to the old Church.

In the seventy four years , however, which have lapsed since the completion of the church towards the provision of the bell in 1860, the only important alterations in it extension and arrangements have been the substitution of open seats for the square pews, and the tiling of the Nave. These were effected by the late Archdeacon Saurin in1862.

Abraham Dawson

Rector of Seagoe

May 23, 1890.