December 1911

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

DECEMBER 1911,

A Happy Christmas

WE wish all our readers a very Happy

Christmas. Some of those who will

read this are far away from the old

Church and Parish, but they can be

with us in spirit on that joyous day when

Christian people everywhere commemorate the

Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Enjoy your

Christmas by giving it a true spiritual meaning,

and you can best do that by joining with God's

people in kneeling around his Holy Table and there

partaking of the Sacred Memorials of His Cross and

Passion.

The Curacy Of Seagoe.

Mr. George Bloomer, B.A., R.U.I., has been

appointed to the Curacy of Seagoe, vacant by the

appointment of the Rev. W. R. Crichton to

the Curacy of Hillsborough Mr. Bloomer is not

a stranger to Seagoe. On several occasions

has given us valuable help on Sunday evenings

by taking the services in outlying Districts

of the Parish. Mr. Bloomer is a graduate of the

Royal University, and had a successful collegiate

course. He has recently passed, at first trial, the

difficult examination known as the Cambridge

Examination Preliminary to Ordination.

Mr. Bloomer was elected as auditor of the Belfast

Theological Society during the season 1909-10.

Ile will be ordained Deacon on St. Thomas's

Day, December 21st, and will immediately afterwards

take up his duties in Seagoe Parish. The

people of Seagoe will give him a hearty welcome,

and many prayers will be offered that his labours

will receive an abundant blessing from on high.

The Rev. W. R. Crichton will be leaving the

Parish about the third week in December. He has

done four years of strenuous work amongst us, and

his many friends sincerely regret his departure. His

activity on behalf of Foreign Missions has produced

a splendid result in stirring up enthusiasm in that

sacred cause, and his efforts in strengthening our

Temperance organisations have done much to promote

habits of sobriety among the people. He has

done excellent work in connection with the Sunday

and week-day Bible Classes, and he has put the Parish

under a perpetual debt of gratitude by his compilation

Of the complete list of Parishioners, which is

published in the Parish Report just issued. Mr.

Crichton will carry with him to his new sphere of

labour the good wishes of the people of Seagoe, and

they will unite in the prayer that the blessing of the

Lord will enrich all his work in whatever part of

the Master's vineyard he may be called upon to

labour.

The Annual Report.

The Annual Report for 1910-11, which has now

been circulated throughout the Parish, contains

several new features which call for notice. In the

first place the shape of the Report has been altered

to a neater and more convenient form. The Preface,.

signed by the Churchwardens and Hon. Sec. of the

Vestry, Mr. Wolsey Atkinson, contains some good

advice and interesting information. It tells us that

the Glebe Purchase Scheme has made vigorous

advance. so that a sum of £269, producing £12 6s 0d

of interest each year, is now in hands towards the

total of £958, the cost of purchase. , This is a very

encouraging result, as the Scheme has only been

a year and a half in operation.

The Heating System lately introduced into the

Church has cost £120, and the Parishioners have

paid in leaving £40 still to be paid.

The Sunday offertories are not yet sufficient to

meet the various charges that fall upon the Parochial

Fund. We notice a slight increase in the offerings,

but they are not yet as liberal as they might be.

Our Sunday offering should bear a reasonable

proportion to the amount which we spend on ourselves

during the week.

The Choir Fund does not yet reach a sum sufficient

to cover the cost of the musical part of the services.

In Seagoe Church the Choir and Organist always do

their part well, and their efforts add greatly to the

warmth and dignity of our worship. This fund

should receive a wider support.

Legacies are also referred to, and this should be

a regular source of income in the Parish. Everybody

who makes a will should remember to give

something to the Parish. Bequests might be left to

the Rectory Purchase Scheme, or the Fund for the

support of the Choir, or to the Sustentation Fund, so

as to bring in a certain annual increment. Or

Bequest might be made towards the erection of tb

suitable Church Hall in Drumgor, or for the repair

of Hacknahay School, or towards the support of the

Day Schools. In making a Bequest It is very important

to make clear that it is for the " Church of

Ireland " in Seagoe Parish.

We regret to see that there is a reduction of 9 in

the number Of subscribers to Sustentation as

compared with last year, although the total amount

exceeds last year by 12s 9d. Edenderry has

splendid increase of £7 13s 3d with fifteen new

subscribers. Seagoe has also had a substantial increase.

Nine collectors show a decrease amounting

to £2 11s 0d, while eleven show an increase amounting

to £13 5s 0d On the Townland collection there

SEAGOE PARISH

is an actual increase of £10 14s 0d, to which

Edenderry contributes good two-thirds.

Edenderry Hall, thanks to the efforts of its

Committee and Secretary, begins to pay its way.

The Sunday Schools are fairly solvent.

The Bible Class Account presents a large deficit of

of £7 12s 6d. Some effort must be made to cover

the cost of Socials and Prizes.

The General Sunday School Account for the first

time shows a strong Balance in hand of just £5.

This is no doubt due to the fact that for the first

time this year the Bible Class Account has been kept

separate from the Sunday School Account.

Seagoe Day School Account this year runs up to

its highest point, £41 8s 2d, Last year it only

reached £31.

The most important feature in the Report is the

Alphabetical List of Householders in the Parish

who are members of the Church of Ireland. It

reaches the great total of 642. Allowing an average

of 5 members in each household, this would bring

the total number of Church people in Seagoe Parish

up to 3210. For a country Parish this is an exceptionally

large number. To visit so many

individuals and to bring them into close touch with the

Parish Church would require additions to the clerical

staff, besides a well organised Band of District

Visitors. The proportionately small number of the

Parishioners who frequent the Parish Church is a

proof that the present organisation is insufficient to

meet the needs of the Parish. This is the problem

which must be faced in the near future, and we are

sure that the Parishioners will see the need of a

Forward Movement, so that the work of visiting

may be well and thoroughly done. We hope that a

paid lay-helper will be at work in the Parish early

in the new year.

We are glad to see that almost all the Funds

mentioned in the Report have substantially increased

since last year. We add a list which will enable our

readers to see the Result at a glance.

Sustentation, 1909—£174. 1910—£177

Treasurer's A/ct 1909—£133. 1910—£164

G.F.S. 1909—£9. 1910—£12

Day School 1909—£31. 1910—£41

Parochial Hall 1909—£7. 1910—£10

Special Collections „ 1909—£50. 1910—£86

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

£404 £490

Increase 1910 - £86

Seagoe Day School,

Structural improvements are at present being

carried out in Seagoe School. A large window is

being inserted at the end of the Junior Schoolroom,

which will give abundance of light and air and

make the room much healthier than it has been

before.

Baptisms,

" The Circumcision of Christ."

Nov 4^th William John, son of John and Ellen Jane Loney.

„ —Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary Anne McClatchey.

„ —Robert, Son of Woolsey James and Margaret White.

Marriages.

' By love serve one another."

Nov. 4^th —Thomas Wilson, of Edenderry, to Elizabeth Morrison, of Portadown.

„ —Thomas Stanfiéld, of Portadown, to Mary Jane Weir, of Edenderry.

16th —George Price, of Tartaraghan, to Margaret Lavery, of Kilvergan.

Burial,

" Oh, Death, where is thy sting."

Nov. 12th—Anne Anderson, Drumgor, aged 80 years.

Nov 30th —Henry Lavery, Kilvergan.

Hymns for December.

3rd, Advent Sunday :—

Morn 499 65 70 363

Evg. 68 73 71 299- Litany

10th, 2nd Sunday in Advent (Bible Sunday)

Morn 238 237 467 335

Evg 29 470 131 166

17th, 3rd S. in Advent :—

Morn 121 343 (pt 1) 416 367

Evg 50 48 277 381 – Litany

24th, 4th S. in Advent :—

Morn 79 102 98 17

Evg. 46 92 337 268 - Carols

25th, CHRISTMAS DAY

Morn 79 Holy Communion

Morn 83 87 86 361

31st, S. after Christmas :—

Morn 90(ii) 256 134 148

Evg 33 90(pt 1) 27 14 562

Missionary Meetings.

Miss Greer, of Lurgan, formerly a C.M.S. Missionary

in the Province of Fuh-Kien, China, has been

holding Missionary Meetings at four centres in the

Parish last month. The meetings were very largely

attended, and great interest was shown in Miss Greer's

description of Mission work. The meetings were

organised by the Rev. W. R. Crichton and were held

in Drumgor, Edenderry, Carne, and Hacknahay.

A large number of Collecting Boxes and Cards were

taken at the meetings. Will holders of Collecting

Cards remember that they must return their Cards

on Dec. 3rd and Box-holders on March 1st, 1912.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

Items.

A service of Missionary Intercession was held in

the Parish Church, at 11-30 a.m., on St Andrew's

Day, Nov. 30th.

A great improvement has been made in the townland

of Breagh by a new cutting, which takes off the

double right-angle corner near Mr. Samuel Abraham's

gate.

The right-angle corners on the road to Carne

constitute a great danger to cyclists and others.

Their removal would be a great improvement.

A fine row of red-brick houses is in course of

erection in Upper Seagoe. The houses are beautifully

situated, and command splendid views of the winding

Bann. We believe they are being built by Mr.

Watson Walker, and that he contemplates building

more in the same neighbourhood.

Other houses are being erected, which will add

greatly to the appearance of the District. A very

handsome villa is in course of erection on the Lurgan

Road. Mr. Holmes, of, Killycomaine corner, has

also rebuilt his house, and it presents a very neat

appearance.

It will become a matter of great importance that

when the town increases so as to include Seagoe,

the streets and roads should be wide and the houses

well built. Seagoe district if mapped out carefully

would make a fine site for a " garden city " or suburb

of Portadown.

The new Heating Apparatus was used for the

first time on Sunday, Nov. 5th. It was a very

stormy day, but the Church was nice and warm.

Every Sunday now the Church is splendidly heated.

" We never had a Church until now " was the

opinion expressed by a regular worshipper the other

day.

The new Sunday School Calendar will be ready

next week. The Teachers have already received advance copies.

Some of the boys in Florence Court have started a

flute band, and are practising twice weekly in a loft

in Bridge Street. They would be greatly obliged if

some one would make them a present of forms to sit

on. They have raised money for a set of flutes.

Seagoe Parish Almanac.

This beautiful Almanac is now ready. Copies ld

reach may be had at Mrs. Metcalfe's, Bridge Street,

or from the Superintendents of the Sunday Schools

in the Parish. Parishioners should secure a copy

early as the Almanacs are limited in number.

Scholarship Class.

A Preparatory Class for the valuable Scholarships

offered each year by the Incorporated Society of the

Church of Ireland is being formed in Seagoe School.

The boys will be prepared for the Dundalk Scholarships

and the girls for the Celbridge Scholarships.

It is possible now for a child who succeeds in getting

one of these Scholarships to pass without any

expense through the higher grade secondary Schools

into Dublin University and from there into a Profession.

We understand that twelve children of Seagoe

Day School are entering the Scholarship Class.

Advent Services.

The season of Advent is one of the great Mission

Seasons of the Church. It is a time for serious

meditation on the Judgment to come and for an

earnest effort to realise that " the Absent Master "

is on his way to ask us for an account of our stewardship.

During Advent special addresses will be given in

the Parish Church on evening, at 8, as

follows :—

Dec. 7th — Preacher—The Rector.

13^th E. S. Medcalf, M.A., Rector of Warrenpoint.

20th—Rev. W. 11. Dundas, B.D., Rector of Magheragall.

Special Sermons will be preached in the Parish

Church on the Sunday Evenings during Advent, as

follows :—

Dec. 3rd, " Life ;" 10th, " Death ;" 17th, " Judgment."

24th, Eternity."

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES.

8 a.m.—Holy Communion.

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

Communion.

The Offertories at both services on Christmas Day

will be in aid of the Clothing Fund for the Poor of

the Parish.

Christmas Carols will be sung in the Parish

Church after Evening Prayer on Sunday, Dec. '24th.

Presentation,

The Teachers and children of Carne Sunday

School presented Mrs. Price (Miss Margaret Lavery)

with two interesting and handsome gifts—a beautifully

bound Bible and a silver mounted Biscuit Box

on the occasion of her marriage. Mrs. Price had

acted as a Teacher in Carne for some years. We

offer our hearty congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.

Price on their marriage, and hope that they may

have a long and happy life and God's blessing resting

upon them at all times.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

The Exhibition of Antiquities.

Just as we go to press the Exhibition is being held

in Edenderry Hall, and promises to be very successful.

It was gracefully opened by Mrs. Blacker.

During the afternoon an interesting " Talk " on

Antiquities " was given by the Rev. Canon Lett,

Rector of Loughbrickland, and Hon. Sec. for Ulster

of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. The collection

of Antiquities exhibited is very complete and most

interesting.

Old Seagoe Notes.

THE EXHIBITION OF ANTIQUITIES.

The Exhibition of Antiquities held in Edenderry

Parochial Hall on Friday, December 1st, has been

the means of bringing to light a number of most

interesting antiquities, and a careful description of

them will occupy a space in our Old Seagoe Notes for

some time to come. We call attention this month to

some exhibits of special interest.

The Rev. Richard Buckby's Pulpit Bible.—

This most interesting and well preserved relic of Old

Seagoe is deserving of special mention. The Bible

itself is dated 1613, and as the Authorised Version was

first published in 1611 this makes Mr. Buckby's Bible

one of the oldest extant. But for Seagoe people its

interest chiefly lies in the fact that for many years,

from 1764 to 1796, it was in constant use in Old

Seagoe Church. The margins are filled with carefully

made manuscript notes in Mr. Buckby's writing

and bear witness to his industry as a Bible Student.

No doubt the notes formed the basis for many of the

sermons preached in the old days from the old pulpit

within the walls of the old Church. The Rev.

Richard Buckby died in 1796, and his remains lie in

the north east corner of the chancel of Old Seagoe

Church, and the oval marble monument to his

memory, which now occupies a place in the new

Church over the entrance door, was originally placed

in the old Church near Mr. Buckby's grave. The

Bible is among the objects exhibited by Mr. Sloan.

A Saxon Coin from Seagoe.—Another most

interesting exhibit was that included in the objects

lent by Miss Atkinson of New Stone. It was a silver

coin very perfectly preserved, bearing on one side a

clear but rude image of the crowned head of a king.

The lettering round the edge of the coin is quite

distinct and the obverse bears an ancient coat of arms.

The coin was found about 40 years ago in what is

known as the " Three cornered field " on Mr. Wolsey

Atkinson's property. It is interesting to think how

a Saxon coin came to Seagoe, but its presence here

proves that even at that distant date (8th cent.) there

was intercourse between Saxon England and Celtic

Ireland.

A Hank of Yarn 60 Years Old.—Among the

exhibits was a finely spun hank of yarn which left

the spinning wheel no less than 60 years ago. It is

the property of Miss Rachel Magee, of Breagh, and

was spun by her mother, Mrs. Letitia Magee, at the

time mentioned. The yarn is very fine and beautifully

made up. Two similar hanks were recently

put on a loom at Laurelvale, and the piece of cloth

woven from them (also exhibited) is of fine texture

and bears favourable comparison with that woven

from yarn of the present day.

A Quaint Scheme.—The following curious

scheme for improving the finances of Seagoe Parish

was published in 1876 :—

SEGOVIANUM,

or the Parochial Club or Order established to carry

forward the new order of things, and the Rules by

which it will be regulated—

1.—The object of the Club is simply this—To

mote a proper union and organisation in every

part of the Parish : man, woman, and child or

every class.

2•—That no Club can be managed or properly

carried on without a Subscription. The Subscription

of this Club be so fixed as to allow all

willing to join and aid in so noble and good

purpose to voluntarily try themselves in any

class, and to any amount they may deem right

and proper.

3.—The Members will be divided into three great

The first will be called GRAND SEGOVIANS,

and their payment will be from

One Pound up to any amount which they consider

proper or right, as representing their

position in the Parish.

4.—The second class will be REGULAR SEGOVIANS ;

and pay a sum of at least Five Shillings.

These two classes will be the only voting classes,

and have votes amounting to each Five Shillings

they pay.

5.—The third class will be what will be called

APONETES; and include any member of a Royal

Segovian family, at any sum, not less than a

Shilling or Sixpence a Quarter, that they may

wish to put down their name for. This class

will have no vote with regard to the funds and

such papers as can be afforded. They shall be

welcome to General Meetings; but the two first

only to Particular Meetings.

6.—Every Townland shall have Three Officers—I.

Collector; 2. an Auditor ; 3. an Umpire. The

duty of the Collector will be to receive and

account for each Subscription ; the Auditor will

check the same and class ; the Umpire will be

referee to settle all rights with.