April 1913

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

APRIL, 1913.

Churchwardens of Seagoe, 1912-13,

THOMAS J. ATKINSON, L-LB.,

WILLIAM R. BICKETT

(Photos by Moffett, Portadown.)

RECTOR'S CHURCHWARDEN.

PEOPLE'S CHURCHWARDEN.

The Easter Vestry,

THE Annual meeting of the General Vestry, of

Seagoe Parish was held in Seagoe Parochial

School on Thursday, March 27th, at 8 0'clock. A

meeting of the Select Vestry had been held at 7.30

on the same evening to receive the Statement of

Accounts presented by the Hon. Treasurer for the

past year. The meeting of the General Vestry was

opened with prayer by the Rector and -the reading of

a portion of Scripture by the Rev. G. Bloomer,

curate. The minutes Of the last General Vestry

Meeting having been read and signed, the Chairman

(the Rev. J. E. Archer, B.D.) made a statement

regarding the state of the Parish during the preceding

twelve months. He referred to, the satisfactory condition

of the Day Schools and Sunday Schools and

to the interest taken in the Sunday Evening District

Services in Tamnificarbet and Drumgor. The

contributions to Missions had been well sustained and

the Bible Classes were doing a useful work and were

largely attended. The attendance at Public Worship

and Holy Communion were not in due proportion to

the number of the Parishioners ; and the Sustentation

Fund, although largely increased in recent years,

was not yet adequate for the needs of the Parish.

Mr. J. J. Dobson had come to the Parish to act as

Lay Reader, and hé would be engaged in visiting the

populous districts of Edenderry and Drumgor, also

doing general work in the Parish.

The Report of the Treasurer was satisfactory

although there 'is a slight decline in the total amount

of the Sustentation Fund for the year as compared

with last year.

The office-bearers for the ensuing year were then

elected. The Rector nominated as his Church warden

Mr. James Twinem, of Lylo, and Mr. Twinem

replied in a few words accepting the position. The

election of a People's Churchwarden was then

preceeeded with, Mr. William Best, of Killycomaine

being unanimously elected, on the motion of Mr.

George Calvert. seconded by Mr R. Gracey. Mr. Best,

suitably acknowledged his election to the office, and

thanked the vestry for selecting him.

The election of the Select Vestry followed, and the

SEAGOE

voting resulted as follows :

1. W, R Atkinson.

2. George Calvert.

3. T. E. Maginnis.

4. Stewart W, Blacker,

5. J. H. Stevenson.

6. Thomas Martin.

7. C. J. Collins.

8.T J Atkinson.

9. Joseph Monroe.

10. Robert Gracey.

11. J. G. Gracey.

1. T. J. Montgomery.

The following were elected as Sidesmen J.

Atkinson, . R. Bickett, D Rock, W. J. cox, R. T.

Montgomery, and L. Bradshaw.

Major Stewart Blacker was nominated as Rector's

Glebewarden by the Rector, and Mr. W. R. Atkinson

was elected as People's Glebewarden under the new

Glebes Act recently passed by the General Synod.

The meeting was brought to a close by the

Chairman pronouncing the Benediction,

The Lord Bishop purposes holding a

Confirmation in Seagoe Parish Church on

Sunday, June 8th,

1913, at 7 p.m.

Classes for Candidates are being arranged

throughout the Parish.

Our New Churchwardens.

Mr. James Twinem, the newly appointed Rector's

Churchwarden is well-known in Seagoe Parish. The

name Of Twinem is to be found in our Registers for

many generations, and Mr. James Twinem worthily

upholds the traditions of the family. - He has taken

an active part in Parish Work. On many occasions

he has taken service on Sunday Evenings in outlying

schoolhouses for the. Rector. He is also a

Sustentation Fund Collector and for considerable

time taught a Men's Bible class in Bocombra. He

is a successful man of business and will we believe

will discharge the duties of Churchwarden with tact and

efficiency. The first mention of the name of Twinem

in Seagoe Registers is that of the Marriage of John

Twinem with Margaret Calvert in the year 1770.

Mr. William Best our newly elected People's

Churchwarden is well-known in Portadown. His

father was a respected resident in Drumcree Parish

and the family originally came from Richhill. Mr.

Best for some time filled the responsible position of

Parochial Nominator in St. Marks Parish, Portadown.

Since he came to reside in Seagoe Parish

some years ago Mr. Best has taken an active interest

in the welfare of the Parish. We congratulate him

heartily on "his unanimous election to the post of

Churchwarden.

Baptisms

“ Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Baptized on March 1st, 1913.

Best—Margaret Jane, daughter of Robert Henry and Margaret Anne Best, Edenderry.

Tate—Thomas Edmond, son of Thomas and Sarah Tate, Edenderry

Burials

" He hath abolished Death."

Wilson —March 2nd, John Wilson, Edendervy, aged 14 months.

Atkinson March 5th, John George Atkinson Upper Seagoe, aged 43 years.

Neill—March 10th, Martha Neill, Edenderry, aged 70 years.

M 'Cann—March 18th, William M'Cann, Drumgor, aged 78 years.

Russell— March 19th, Margaret Russell, Drumgor.

Warnock, March 20^th, Jane Warnock aged 69 years.

Ferguson—March 29th, Agnes Ferguson, Ballinacor, aged 74 years.

Sympathy.

We express our deep sympathy with Mr. Dynes

Atkinson and Mrs. Atkinson and family in the very

sudden death of their son, Thomas George. His

illness lasted only a few hours. He had rung the

Church Bell for the Service on Sunday Morning,

March 2nd, and passed away early on the following

morning. He was always most ready and willing to

help about the Church, and he will be much missed

by his many friends.

Offertories.

' The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich."

Sundays —Mornings £8 18 1

Evenings 2 15 1

Weekdays 0 18 4

Good Fridav 0 17 5

Total, ... £13 8 10

The Offertories on Easter day (included in above

total) amounted to 17s. 7d., and were in aid of

the Parochial Sunday School.

Part of the Good Friday offertories are given to

the Jews Society.

Mission in Edenderry

Captain Lancaster and Cadet Moors of the Church

Army Van, begin ID. V.) a 10 days Mission in

Edenderry Parochial Hall. on Sunday, April 13th, at

8-30 p.m. The Services will be continued during

the week at 8 0'clock each evening (except Saturday).

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE

ITEMS,

The seed packets issued with the March number of

this Magazine created great interest. They have

already arrived in many parts of America and South

Africa; and on their way to Queensland and New

Zealand.

One of our in Boston, U.S.A., has kindly

sent back a packet of American Flower Seed in

return.

The seed will be planted in many different places.

One person is sowing it on the grave of a relative in

Seagoe Graveyard. Many are sowing it at each side

of their cottage doorway. Our readers in Edenderry

who have no gardens are sowing it in pots and boxes.

Be careful to follow closely the directions on the

Packet.

Messrs. M'Gredy have had a record demand for

their Flower Seed Packets during the last few weeks.

We regret that many Parishioners failed to get a

copy of the Magazine last month, owing to the fact

that all were sold off within a few days,

Mr. Albert Simmons, late of the Church Army,

has been re-visiting Seagoe. He is now a Student of

Durham University.

Mr. J. J. Dobson, our new Lay Reader, is a

distinguished athlete When only 15 years of age he

got special certificate in the great Walking Race

from Belfast to Ballymena, a distance of 30 miles,

which he completed under six hours. He was the

youngest competitor.

In a competition for spinning a Peg Top within a

small circle marked out in Seagoe playground two small

boys, Jimmy Hall and Albert Best, got first and

second place.

Jack Hynes came out first in the Peg Top Spinning

Competition in Seagoe Day School, and Norman

Dickson won second place.

A full statement of the Contributions from Seagoe

Parish to Foreign Missions will appear, in the next

issue of the Magazine.

The total contributions to Foreign Missions

amounted to £55.

Magazine Distributors are asked to send in their

returns for 1912 without delay to the Rector.

There are many bereaved families in the Parish

this month to whom we tender our sincere sympathy.

Especially sad and sudden was the death of Mrs.

Warnock of Bridge Street, who succumbed after a

very brief illness.

Seagoe School has been carefully cleaned and

renovated during the holidays.

Jumble Sale,

The Jumble Sale on Saturday, March 8th, proved

very successful. It only lasted two hours, but in that

time the Sale realised the following Profits—Receipts

£10 11s. 2d., Expenses £0 19s. 6d., Net Profit

£9 11s. 8d. We return our hearty thanks to all

who helped. The proceeds go towards Seagoe School

Improvement Fund.

Presentation.

On Tuesday, March 11th, the Choir held a Social

in Seagoe School, and made use of the opportunity

to present one of their number, Miss Margaret

Frazer with a handsome Dressing Case on the

occasion of her leaving Seagoe Parish for Belfast.

The Rector presided, and the presentation was made

by Mrs. T. H. Wilson.

The Easter Services.

Church looked very pretty with its floral decorations.

The Anthem went very well. Miss Amy Walker

sang the solo admirably, and the quartette by Messrs.

D. Murray and D. Livingstone and the Misses A.

Walker and M. Dickson was very effective. There

was a larger number of Communicants than last

year.

The services during Holy Week were well attended

and the addresses given by the Rev. O. W, Scott on

" The Seven Words " were very impressive.

Nature Notes.

The First Swallow was seen by Mr. Thomas

Walker at Levaghery on Tuesday, March 25th. This

ii a very early record of the arrival of the summer

migrants. It is remarkable that once again the first

arrival of the Swallow has been noted in the southern

end of the Parish. Who will be the first in the

Parish to hear the Cuckoo and Corncrake this year ?

A shower of Black Rain fell in the Parish on Friday,

March 28th About 10 a.m. the sky got very dark.

For three days previously the wind had been blowing

steadily from the East, then it suddenly veered round

to the South-West. The East wind had carried with

it the dense volumes of smoke from the Black

Country in Lancashire and the rain-drops falling

through the cloud carried the soot with them, and so

the rain water was quite black and sooty.

Venus has been a very beautiful object in the

Western Sky during the past month, but she will

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

disappear altogether towards the end of the month to

re appear soon again as a Morning Star. A very

fine object in the sky this month is the Sickle in

the Constellation Leo. It is to be seen due South

each night at 10 p.m.

Seagoe Day School.

Important Dental Scheme.

The Commissioners of National Education have

sanctioned a scheme for the Dental Treatment of the

children attending Seagoe Day School. The Manager

(Rev. J. E. Archer) has entered into an agreement

with Mr. G. Liddell, L.D.S., of Church Place,

Portadown, which provides for a quarterly inspection of

the teeth of all the children attending the school, and

also for the stopping of decayed teeth or their removal

if too much decayed. The charge for each child for

twelve months will be sixpence paid in advance. The

scheme comes into force immediately. We hope that

in a short time there will be no more toothaches

among the children of Seagoe School.

Hymns for April, 1913.

MORNING.

6^th 13^th 20^th 27 th

2nd after 3rd after 4 th after Rogation

Easter Easter Easter Sunday

192 388 404 455

196 438 397 207

363 533 362 606

529 351 462 550

EVENING.

588 552 573 517

613 570 546 514

553 556 387 575

193 544 579 209

577 574 557 520

Old Seagoe Notes-

New Bell for Seagoe Church, 1859.—The

following is a newspaper cutting of some interest

giving list of the Subscribers to the purchase of

Seagoe Church Bell fifty years ago :—The old Bell

of Seagoe Church, after near a century of service,

having at last been broken, it has been resolved to

open a subscription for procuring a new one. The

Ecclesiastical Commissioners will defray the expense

of carriage and putting up, but will not give any

money towards the bell itself.

The Churchwardens of Seagoe acknowledge to

have received the following sums towards the

purchase of a new bell for the Parish Church of Seagoe.

All subscribers, or persons intending to subscribe, are

requested to pay their Subscriptions without delay to

{he Churchwardens—Messrs John Watson and

Walker—that the same may be duly

and the SUBSCRIPTION LIST closed

1859. PAID. £ s d

Archdeacon Saurin 1 0 0

S. Blacker, Esq. . 1 0 0

Mr. G. Blacker .. 1 0 0

John Watson.. 1 0 0

T. Shillington 1 0 0

Robert White 1 0 0

T. Armstrong 1 0 0

John Macoun 1 0 0

W. Robinson.. 1 0 0

Mrs. Little 1 0 0

Mr. A. J. Lutton . 0 10 0

J. Montgomery 0 10 0

David Irwin 0 10 0

A Shillington.. 0 10 0

A. Cowdy 0 10 0

Richard Clarke 0 10 0

Rev. L. D. Elliott.. 0 10 0

Mr. W. Henry 0 10 0

„ F. Ruddell 0 10 0

L. Wilson 0 7 6

J. D. Mitchell 0 5 0

G. Kinkead 0 5 0

Jas. Johnson 0 5 0

Mrs. Walker 0 5 0

Mr, W. Robinson .. 1 0 0

Dr Bredon 0 5 0

G. Ruddell 0 5 0

O Mr. 0 5 0

J. Robinson 0 5 0

, , David Ruddell 0 5 0

Robert Moore 0 5 0

Robt. Balmer 0 3 0

J. Wilson 0 2 6

Wm. Chase . 0 2 6

S. M'llveen . 0 2 6

D. Gilpin 0 2 6

John May 0 2 6

J. Cooke and) 0 11 0

A. Walker r

Levaghery ) 0 14 0

Wm. Lutton

Breach

C. T winem 0 17 6

Knockmenagh f

Thos. Spence 1 0 0

Hacknahay

J • Macoun 0 15 0

Tamnifiglasson ;

------------

£21 15 6

Old Seagoe Games—" Nuts in May

—The games which we play in Seagoe are very interesting

(as well as amusing) because each of them has a long

history behind it. They have been played by our

grandfathers and grandmothers in bygone days with

just the same spirit and .energy as we play them at.

our Socials and ,Excursions nowadays. Many of

them were brought to these parts from the East of

England at the time of the Plantation of Ulster and

others of them were of old Irish origin. One of the

most popular games played by the Seagoe girls and

boys is called " Nuts in May' '—

Here we come gathering Nuts in May,

Nuts in May, Nuts in May,

Here we come gathering Nuts in May,

On a cold and frosty morning.

This is a very favourite game in many places. Its

origin has been traced to Essex, and it was the

Earl of Essex who helped to plant this part of

Ulster, so very probably the game was first

introduced in the days of the Plantation. Those who

play it must sometimes have thought how hard it

would be to gather nuts in May because nuts do not

appear on the trees until much later in the year

And there is another difficulty, too, why should we

turn the gathering of nuts into game? The

explanation is : " Nuts in May" was originally " Knots

of May." It was the custom when May-day was

approaching for groups of young lads to gather

bunches of hawthorn blossoms to form the May

Bush and to decorate their houses for May Day.

They used to pay special attention to the house where

the girl they liked best lived. Then when May Day

came all the young people gathered together round the

May Pole or May Bush and sang " Here we come

gathering knots (or bunches) of May (Hawthorn

blossom)." The bunches were usually gathered early

in the morning hence the reference to " the cold and

frosty morning."

We hope in our next issue to give the origin and

history of some other of our popular Seagoe games.

A Few Words on Temperance.

The Church of Ireland Temperance Society is

the Church's agent for battling with the Sin of

Intemperance that is working such havoc in the

land. Reader! Will you help? (1) By joining

its ranks ; (2) by giving it a subscription ; (3) by

taking and reading The Visitor each month.

The Rev. A. W. Barton, Head of the Trinity

College Mission Staff in Belfast, in his excellent

speech at the Second Annual Meeting very plainly

indicated the chief difficulties that he and his

helpers are confronted with. In the mission distriet

—he did not say that it represented the whole

of Belfast or that the conditions in that district

were to be found everywhere in that city—there

were three evils which the mission workers meet

every day. Those were non attendance at Divine

Worship, intemperance, and gambling. From

experience he could say that non attendance at

public worship was an evil among the poorer class

that urgently required to be met. It was an evil

that was bound up with the question of

intemperance and gambling. In their district there are

about 350 Church of Ireland families, to say nothing

about Presbyterians and Methodists and other

denominations, who go nowhere on Sunday. Perhaps

the children come to the Sunday School more

or less regularly. An important part of the work

of the mission staff was to get these people to

attend Divine Service. It was exceedingly difficult

to persuade women to come to the Sunday

Evening Service in their shawls and men in their

working clothes. In spite, however, of rebuffs

and disappointments, hope was entertained that

they may yet be able to conquer the antipathy of

these people against attending the Sunday Evening

Services in their shawls and working clothes.

Then there was the difficulty caused by intemperance.

He never came across such intemperance.

It was absolutely heart-breaking sometimes. But

they were not able to touch the men until other

branches of the work are more advanced.

In order to reach them, however, he had visited their

houses for the purpose of inducing them to come

out to a Bible Class, and if they can be got to

attend a Bible Class it would be possible to obtain

some control over them. Their chief work, however,

was among the lads of the district, and they

have now forty or fifty boys who used to be roaming

through the streets and gambling, playing

games in a club, with which is connected a gymnastic

club. In order to cope with the difficulty

of getting new lads to join this club a drill night

has been started, to which a number of smaller

boys are admitted, in addition to the members of

the club.

Mr. Drury, the Dublin Police Magistrate, made

some strong remarks the other day about women 's

drinking.

Joseph Kenny, a publican, was

charged with supplying liquor to an intoxicated

woman. Sergeant 21 A gave evidence for the

prosecution to the effect that he saw defendant

at the door looking down the street, and when

witness entered he found the woman on the

premises drunk. Defendant was examined, and said

that the woman referred to was a person to whom

he had not served drink for more than three years.

On this occasion she entered the shop about 8

o'clock in the evening, being then apparently

sober. She was accompanied by another woman,

and left outside the door. A child began to cry.

He declined to serve either of them, and they left.

A good deal later the woman came back and went

into the " snug." He ordered her out. She said,

Don't touch me and I will go." But she did

not, and he had just caught hold of her to eject

her when the sergeant entered. Corroborative

evidence was given by a boy porter. The magistrate

said he could not disbelieve the evidence of

these witnesses. He dismissed the case, adding

that in his opinion it was one that the Sergeant

was fully justified in bringing. This was a case

which provoked him to say that the state of things

in Dublin with regard to the drinking habits of

women was dreadful. He Wished the law would

make it a criminal offence to supply drink to

women in public houses by themselves. He thought

positively that the majority of the people who are

brought there charged with being drunk were

women—women to whom was entrusted the

rearing of the rising generation.

Mr. Friend—I agree with your Worship. It is a shocking state

of affairs. The Magistrate—If a woman is

accompanied by a man a different state of matters

exist, but it is my experience from cases between

husbands 'and wives that what happens is that

two or three of these women, when they get their

husband's wages, go from public house to public

house, and drink every shilling of it,

their children starving, and their husbands neglected.

Something ought to be done.

A comprehensive address by Dr. C. VV. Saleeby

on " Alcohol and the Health of Women " was the

principal feature of the concluding day's meeting

of the County Union of the National British

Women's Temperance Association in Hull.

In the modern civilised world, he said, alcohol was

the chief enemy of women. Under the influence

of alcohol men, women, and children were liable

to infection by microbes in general which they

would otherwise have resisted. As a student of

consumption he asserted that alcohol increased

susceptibility to it, that public houses were plague

spots of the disease, and that the man who frequented

them, having his susceptibility increased

by his drinking v contracted the infection and was

liable to hand it on to any one who lived in the

same house, and, above all, to anyone who occupied

the same bedroom. Hosts of wives were infected

in that way. If alcohol be the chief enemy

of women, not merely through its action upon

them directly, but through its action upon their

fathers, husbands and sons, and above all through

their husbands, it seemed to him that any woman

was something like a traitress to her sex "who was

prepared to marry a man who was not a total

abstainer.

Dr. A. W. Chapple, M.P., speaking at a conference

of day school teachers at the Liverpool

University, on the subject of intemperance, said

that the great evil they had to contend with was

not drunkenness, but drinking. The drinker, the

man who was continually absorbing alcohol without

ever getting drunk, was doing himself and

posterity more harm than the drunkard, for in the

latter case nature insisted on abstinence after a

severe bout, and thus gave a chance for the poison

to be eliminated from the system. The human

body was nothing but a mass of cells, and in

normal cases the tendency weakened the structure

of the nerve cells, and rendered a person less able

to cope with disease when attacked. Answering

questions that were put in the discussion that

followed the lecture, Dr. Chappel said that alcohol

was of no use whatever as a stimulant, and he

had given up prescribing it. A doctor who took

alcohol himself would be less efficient at the bed-

side than if he was an abstainer.

Speaking as a medical man, the Mayor of

Worcester recently said his view of alcohol was

that it was a bad foundation upon which to commence

a day's work. With non alcoholic refreshment

it was different. They might take a cup of

coffee as early as they liked in the morning and

they would find it extremely invigorating. It was

the best invigilator he knew ; it stimulated without

muddling. It increased one's power and capacity

for work. The curious effect about alcohol

was that instead of warming those who took it,

it cooled in the reaction by depressing the system.

He remembered when in Lancashire that a contract

was given out for a very dirty job—cleaning

out a canal. The offensive puddling had to be

done at night time. One-half of the men on the

shifts took alcohol ; the other half coffee. The

men who drank the beer invariably were the most

exhausted at the close.

In a recent report the Registrar-General of

Births, Deaths, and Marriages for England and

Wales gives a total of 4,667 deaths from Alcoholism,

Delirium Tremens, and Cirrhosis of the

Liver. Of these 2,674 were men and 1,993

women, more than half being under 55 years of

age. There perished in the ' ' Titanic disaster

1,503 people. The recorded victims of excessive

drinking are equal to three " Titanic " disasters—

all drowned in the sea of Drink. In the last ten

years the recorded cases of such deaths in England

and Wales have exceeded 60,000. As Mr.

G. B. Wilson points out :

These figures only represent a small fraction of the drink-caused

mortality in this country. There is a natural

disinclination on the part of the medical profession

to pain the survivors in a family by placing on a

public document a record of the moral tragedy

involved in a death due to excessive drinking, and

the figures given above, therefore, only represent

the cases where circumstances compelled a plain

statement of fact. "

In connection with the strike on the North Eastern

Railway in December last it is interesting

to note the system that prevails in Germany—a

country that is not specially noted for Temperance

fanaticism. The railroad service in Germany is,

says an Alliance Press note, a semi-military organisation,

and therefore is more easily under discipline

and control. The Prussian Railway management

has issued orders forbidding any engine driver,

switchman, or despatcher all use of beer

and spirits when on duty, and the order closes

with the statement that total abstainers will be

given preference in the matter of promotion and

permanency of employment. The sub-officers of

divisions have issued more stringent rules, requiring

total abstinence of all persons holding responsible

positions, stating that no one need apply

unless his character as a temperate man can be

sustained.

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

By the Rev. CANON LINDSAY, B.D.

8vo.

Price 6d., or to Schools 4d,

C.I.T. S. Office, 89 Molesworth Street.

The CHURCH OF IRELAND GAZETTE

Weekly (Friday) Price One Penny

Annual Subscription, Post Free 6s. 6d.

In the course of his address to the Diocesan Synod of Ossory, on

Friday, '22rd July, 1009, the Right Rev. C. D'Arcy, D D , now Lord

Bishop of Down, said :—" In order to realise our unity as a Church,

we should keep ourselves informed about the work of the Church

all over the country, and the problems which she has to face. The

only effective way of doing this is to take the CHURCH OF

IRELAND GAZETTE and read it regularly.

Every Church. household should take the GAZETTE, and so keep in touch with.

the life of the Church as a whole."

OFFICE: 61 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN

Coppies of this Leaflet (reprinted from "Visitor,") can be obtained free on application to

The Secretarv C.I. T.S. Office 89 Molesworth Street. Dublin.