April 1915

Seagoe Parish Magazine

EASTER DAY.

APRIL, 1915.

THE Easter Festival, occurring as it

does each year at the opening of

Spring, reminds us in a most impressive way of the underlying unity

between the realms of Nature and of

Grace. There is a Resurrection in the

world around us when trees and flowers break forth

from their grave of wintry darkness into the brightness

and glory of spring foliage and summer bloom.

There is another and a greater Resurrection of which

this visible Resurrection is to remind us—the

Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose

crucified body was laid in the grove on the first Good

Friday, and was raised again to Life and Light on

the first Easter Day.

Easter must have a new and deeper meaning for

each one of us during this year of awful War, when

so many of our brave soldiers are offering up their

young and precious lives as a willing sacrifice on the

altar of Patriotism. The reality of the Life Beyond

comes home to us with wonderful force and power

as we think of the multitudes who day by day are

passing hence.

How shall we keep this Easter? It will not surely

be merely as a social holiday—as we say " the Easter

Holidays." Our thoughts will rise to higher things.

We shall begin to regard this life more seriously as a

preparation for the fuller Life to come.

Perhaps we have been careless in our observance

of the Lord's Day. It has become merely a day for

doing our own pleasure. Henceforth we will determine

to use it as God's Day, a glorious opportunity for

deepening our knowledge of spiritual things by

special Prayer, Work and Worship. Our life has

perhaps become very worldly, our interest in our

Church membership very slight, sometimes conscience

has warned us and we have felt inclined to say—

What kind of a Church would my Church be

If every member were just like me ? "

But Easter with its message of the new Life stands

like a great Sign-post to point out to Life's wayfarers

the road to fresh effort and noble attainment.

Those who in deep humility and earnest faith

approach at Easter God's Holy Table will find in

that Sacred Feast of Love Divine a pledge of full

Forgiveness and a means of Grace to assure us of

final victory.

I am the Resurrection and the Life. He that

believeth in Me though he were dead yet shall he

live. and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall

never die."

Easter Day Services,

8 am.—Holy Communion.

11-30 a.m.—Morning Prayer, Sermon, and Holy Communion.

7 p.m.— Evening Prayer and Sermon.

Easter Anthem—" Awake thou that Sleepest."

The offerings at all Services on Easter Day will be

on behalf of the Parochial Sunday Schools. There

are eight Sunday Schools in the Parish—two

Morning and six Afternoon. They are attended by

over six hundred children, who are taught by fifty

voluntary Teachers The Diocesan Course of Instruction

in Holy scripture and Church Formularies

is taught in all the Schools.

Seagoe and Foreign Missions.

We are glad to find that, notwithstanding the

demands made by the war, our local contributions to

Foreign Missions have not suffered.

In fact, the Parish has given more generously to Missions this

year than for many years past. The following sums

have been forwarded to the various Societies for the

year ending March 31st, 1915—

Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews £11 4 0

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel 12 7 2

South American Missionary Society 9 19 6

Church Missionary Society 32 13 2

The total contributions last year amounted

to £52 10s 10d, so that there is a substantial increase

of £13 13s 0d in this year's total.

The Easter Vestry.

Are you a Registered Vestryman of Seagoe Parish?

If so, it is your duty as well as your privilege to

attend and vote at the meeting of the General Vestry

to be held on Thursday, April 8th, 19 15, in Seagoe

Parochial School. The triennial elections for

Parochial Nominators and Diocesan Synodsmen will be

made this year. The Churchwardens for the ensuing

year will be nominated and elected, and the new

Select Vestry will be chosen. The Annual Easter

Vestry is the Parliament of the Parish and every

member should be in his place at the appointed hour.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

The British Trenches.

So many of our Seagoe men are now in the fighting

line that all the Parishioners are anxious to know the

positions of the places in France and Belgium, where

their relatives are fighting. The following simple

explanation will enable all to understand the extent and

position of the Trenches. The length of the British

Trenches corresponds almost exactly with the length

of the Railway line between Belfast and Portadown.

The Germans occupy, as it were, the right of the line

as we face towards Belfast. and the British the left.

Belfast represents Ypres, and Portadown La Bassee.

Seagoe would correspond with Festubert. Neuve

Chapelle. where the recent fierce fighting took place,

stands exactly on the site of Lurgan. Moira is

represented by Armentieres, and the frontier between

Belgium and France crosses the line at right angles

just beyond this point. St Eloi, where the Germans

made a fierce counter attack last week, occupies the

place marked by Dunmurry, just four miles south of

Belfast X Ypres,

Dunmurry X St. Eloi.

Frontier . …...........

Moira X Armentieres

Lurgan X Neuve Chapelle

Seagoe X Festubert

Portadown X La Bassee

It is somewhat of a reflection on the inadequacy

of our numbers in the field that the biggest

British Army ever raised or sent abroad is fully

occupied in defending a line of Trenches corresponding

to the line between Portadown and Belfast, some 28

miles, while the French Army has charge of a line of

Trenches corresponding to the distance between

Malin Head and Cape Clear, or the whole length of

Ireland, from North to South. The lesson is obvious,

the Empire needs more and more recruits. Seagoe

is doing her share. She has sent close on 200 of her

best men to fight for King and Country.

THANKS.

Miss Atkinson has received a letter from Miss

Chambers, Secretary of the Portadown Women's

Emergency Corps, thanking Seagoe Parish for the

sum of £ 10, being part of the amounts collected in

the War Fund Boxes.

The Day Schools,

The Day Schools broke up for the Easter Holidays

on Tuesday, March 30th, and Will re-open (D. V.) on

Monday, April 12th, when a punctual attendance of

all the children is requested. The Schools in Seagoe

and Hacknahay will be thoroughly cleaned and

disinfected during the holidays. This will ensure the

health of the pupils, and their freedom from the

epidemic of Measles usually prevalent at this season

of the year.

JUMBLE SALE

The Jumble Sale which had been announced for

March 27th, had to be postponed to a later date.

will be held on Saturday, May 1st, in Edenderry

Parochial Hall, from 5 p.m. to 6-30 p.m Contributions

of any kind are asked for Several valuable

gifts of goods for the sale have already been received.

Please make up a parcel of any old goods or clothing

you may not need, and they will be called for on the

Thursday or Friday before the sale. Circulars,which

will be widely distributed, will give full particulars.

The entire proceeds of the sale will be given to the

Fund for the Dental Clinic in Seagoe School.

Band of Hope,

A Meeting of the Band of Hope Society was held

in the Edenderry Parochial Hall, on Friday evening,

March 26th—the Rector presiding. The programme

consisted of the following items—Chorus, " Forward,"

by Band of Hope Choir; Recitation, The Happy

Family," Annie Johnston; solo, The Love that once,

Sarah Coulter ; Chorus, " No drink for me," Choir ;

Double duet, " No, No, No !" Sarah Coulter, Agnes

Johnston, Sarah Martin, Emily Cox; Recitation,

Dear Selinda Jane," May Johnston; Dialogue,

"Charity never Faileth," Sarah Martin, Mollie Coxy

Sam Magee, Willie Major, Moses M'Kerr, and Alex.

Irwin ; Chorus, "Farewell," Choir.

During an interval in the programme an instructive

and interesting Temperance address was given by the

Rev. James Branagh, B.A., Curate of Tandragee. A

number of new members having taken the pledge,

were enrolled. We are very much indebted to Mr.

Chambers for his assistance in providing the pro-

grammes for the Band of Hope Meetings. We are

also grateful to boys and girls who so willingly helped

throughout the session.

Offertories for March,

Sunday Mornings £4 14 8

Evenings 1 15 5

Week-days 0 12 1

£7 2 2

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

PARISH REGISTER FOR MARCH.

Baptisms.

Baptized on Saturday. 6th March, 1915.

Livingstone—Doris Susan, daughter of William James and Edith Livingstone of Portadown.

Sponsors—Susan Willis, Anne King.

Killops—Joseph Norman, son of Joseph Killops, Sapper, Royal Engineers,

and Florence Isabella Killops of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Clara Kirby, Florence Isabella Killops.

Magee—Robert James, son of George and Hannah Jane Magee of Portadown.

Sponsors—George Magee, Hannah Jane Magee.

Burials.

Cordy—March 7th, Robert David Cordy, of Portadown, aged 7 days.

Robinson—March 13th, Anne Jane Robinson, of Tamnificarbet, aged 75 years.

Quigley—March 19th, Jane Quigley, Killicomaine aged 70 years.

ITEMS.

Quite early in the war the name of Private F. W.

Seago, 1079, Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, was

posted as "missing."

It is interesting to find"Seago"

used as a surname. We hope Private Seago is only

missing and not killed.

Carne Sunday School has sent in the large sum of

£l 18s 10d to the Jews Society as a result of the

Rev. W. R. Crichton's recent visit.

His many friends in Seagoe are rejoiced to see

Willie Reid back again for a few weeks holiday, after

an absence of 5 ½ years in the States. He narrowly

escaped a German submarine outside the Mersey on

his way over. For some years past he has resided at

Seattle, on the Pacific seaboard of the States.

Private Isaac Donaldson of the A.S.C. is home from

the front. He received a Shrapnel wound in the

ankle, but is all right again. He has been in the

thick of the fight from the beginning, and took part

in the famous retreat from Mons.

Private Joseph Donaldson paid a three days visit

home last week. He is looking well and fit. He has

been in the fighting line since the war commenced,

and has had many hair-breadth escapes. On one

occasion the men on each side of him were killed.

Private John Girvan, writing home, says that the

British and French Artillery outclass in every way

the German guns.

Several of our Seagoe men are in the landing force

at the Dardanelles.

The Inspector under the Agricultural Department

is at present inspecting gardens and orchards in this

neighbourhood. He has discovered many traces of

the injurious Currant mite and Gooseberry Fungus,

and has obtained orders for the destruction of a large

number of bushes in the district. The District

Council should in such cases compensate those whose

trees have to be burned for the common good. It

will press hard on many who depend for their subsistence on fruit growing.

The demand for Total Prohibition of the Liquor

Traffic during the war is gaining ground It is the

only remedy for the present unsatisfactory state of

things. We hope all our Temperance advocates will

press for it with might and main.

We resume this month the publication of old

Seagoe Notes, which had been suspended since last

September, owing to the pressure of special war news

on our available space.

Private Edward Millar, of Seagoe, now serving

with the Irish Guards at the front, has written home

a most interesting letter, describing the exploits of

the famous Sergeant Michael O'Leary,V.C., in which

Private Millar also had share.

The Rev. W. R. Crichton will preach in Seagoe on

Sunday, May 9th, at both services on behalf of the

Jews' Society.

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland meets

in the Synod Hall, Dublin, on Tuesday, April 13th.

The Rector, Lt-Col. Blacker, and Mr.W. R. Atkinson

are members.

The Swallow, Cuckoo, and Corncrake arrive early

in April. We hope to publish in our next issue the

names of those in the Parish who are the first to see

and hear them. So keep your ears and eyes open for

the next few days.

Services were held in the Parish Church on each

evening (except Saturday) during Holy week.

The Camp at Newtownards is now in full swing

and the men look as hardy and sunburnt as if they

had been doing duty somewhere in France. The huts

are comfortable, and the dry weather has made the

road ways and footpaths easy to traverse.

Men of Kitchener's Army home for the Easter

holidays should not return to camp without getting

photographed. Brothers should be photographed

together.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

Old Seagoe Notes,

Licence Constituting Knocknamuckley a

Separate Parish, 1845.

— The following is

a Copy of the Licence (Parchment) now in

the possession of the Representative Church

Body in Dublin, constituting Knocknamuckley a

separate Parish and authorising the use of Hacknahay School

for the Solemnization of Marriages until a Parish

Church is erected. The Licence was issued by

Bishop Mant,whose signature is added to the Document:

Whereas there is no Church in the Parish of

Knocknamuckley, in Our Diocese of Dromore (A

Perpetual Cure erected under the Provisions of an

Act of Parliament passed in the 7th and 8th years

of the Reign of his late Majesty King George

the Fourth), Licence is hereby granted to the Revd.

Simon Foot, the Incumbent of said parish, and to his

Curate, to celebrate Divine Service in a

Schoolhouse, situated in Hacknahay, in sd parish

and to solemnize marriages therein according to the

rites and ceremonies of the united Church of England

and Ireland during our will and pleasure, or until a

Church be built and consecrated in said parish of

Knocknamuckley.

Given under our hand this 9th day of March, In

the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred

and Forty Five.

Rd., DowN AND CONNOR AND DROMORE.

Newspapers Read in Seagoe in 1837.—In

the unpublished Ordinance Survey Notes for this

neighbourhood, now in the Royal Irish Academy,

Dublin, the following list of Newspapers taken in

Lurgan Reading Room on October 11th, 1837, is

given. It represents the papers of that day usually

read by the people—London Times; Courier ;

Literary Gazette ; Dublin Evening Mail; Ulster

Times; Newry Commercial Telegraph ; Belfast

Chronicle ; Dublin Evening Post ; Newry Examiner ;

Northern Whig; Guardian; Spectator, Belfast

Mercantile Register; Blackwood's, Tait's and New

Monthly Magazine.

Local Notes from the Ordnance Survey

Report of Seagoe Parish, 1835.—The average

depth of the River Bann at Portadown is 30 feet,

the average breadth is 150 feet.

Colonel Blacker (1835) states that near Carrick

he had seen a bog in which two layers of trunks of

trees appeared separated by about 6 feet of turf.

There are seven arches in Portadown Bridge.

Mr Donohoe's handsome farm house in

the centre of Drumnagoon."

Edenderry Island, the property of Miss Hogshawy

of Lisburn."

Edenderry in 1835 consisted of 6 houses of three

stories, 12 of two, and 5 of one.

A New Sexton of Seagoe, 1799 — In the

Records of Seagoe for 1799, the following entry

occurs : —

The Parishioners here present appoint Geo.

Simson to be Sexton in the room of Mary Porter

deceased.

George Blacker, Vicar,

Wm. Dickson, Churchwarden,

Andrew M'Collum, Samuel Ruddell, Toulerton

Lutton, Wm. Ruddell.

Visitation of Dromore—Parish of Seagoe,

1673—1n the Record Office, Dublin, the original MS.,

of Archbishop Margetson's Visitation of Dromore

Diocese in 1673 is to be found. The Visitation was

held at Magheralyn (Maralin), on 6th August, 1673,

by James Margetson, Archbishop of Armagh, 1663-

1678, in the tenth year of his Translation from the

See of Dublin. The entries regarding the Parish of

Seagoe are very interesting,

The Archdeacon of Dromore and Rector of Seagoe

was Patrick Sheridan. He was apparently not present

at the Visitation, and the following significant entry

is made opposite his name—Habet spatium unius

mensis sub poma Sequestrationis—which means he is

given the space of one month under pain of

Sequestration. The Rev. John Jones, M.A., was Vicar of

Seagoe, and was also, apparently, at the same time

Vicar of Tullylish. Richard Crosse was Vestry Clerk

of Seagoe (Clericus Parochialis). There is no mention

of a Curate of Seagoe.

Ancient Seagoe Wills, 1724.—One of the most

fruitful sources of information regarding the life,

habits, and possessions of those who lived in the

remote past is to be derived from a study of their

Wills. Most of the Wills of those who lived in

Seagoe Parish, between 100 and 200 years a,go, are

stored on the shelves of the Record Office in Dublin,

and provide interesting reading from an antiquarian

standpoint. The Wills are generally written on o

single sheet of foolscap paper. The writing and

spelling are oftentimes quaint, and the wording of

the sentences is such as we might expect from those

who lived in the days of our great-great-grandfathers.

Two such Wills have come into our ham's, one made

in the year 1724, by Robert Black, of Bailymacranell

(Ballymacrandle), and another made by Margaret

Blacker, of Edenderry, in the year 1766. The

former disposes of landed property, and the latter of

household goods. We hope in our next issue if space

permits to print one or both of these Wills.