June 1931

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

JUNE, 1931

CLERGY :

Rev. Canon Archer, B.D., The Rectory, Seagoe,

Rev. W. F. Hayes B.A., Edendale Carrickblacker

Road, Edenderry, Portadown.

CHURCHWARDENS :

Rector's—Mr. Robert Scott.

People's—Mr. Isaac Dickson.

The Confirmation.

The Lord Bishop has made a slight change in the

date of the Confirmation, which will now be held on

Saturday, June 20th, in Seagoe Parish Church at 3.30

p.m.. The Rector will be glad to make arrangements

with the employers of candidates to allow them to

leave their work in good time for the Confirmation.

Parents and sponsors of the candidates who intend to

be present at the Service should be early in their

places. Candidates will assemble in Seagoe School

not later than 3 p.m. on the day of the Confirmation.

Special celebrations of Holy Communion will be held

in the Parish Church. on Sunday, June 21st, at 8 a.m.

and also after Morning Prayer. Each candidate

must bring with them a Prayer Book and Hymn Book

to the Confirmation Service.

Trinity Sunday.

Sunday, May 31st, will be Trinity Sunday. On that

day in the special Prayers and Lessons and Hymns

we commemorate the Nature. and Being of God,

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There Will be a celebration

of Holy Commnnion after Morning Prayer.

Sunday School Excursion

At a meeting of Sunday School Superintendents and

t'eachers held in Edenderry Parochial Hall on

Wednesday, May 13th, at 9 p.m., it was unanimously

decided that the Excursion should take place to

Warrenpoint on Thursday, July 16th. Tickets will shortly

be on sale. The price of tickets to children whose

names are on our Sunday School rolls will be as

follows: 8 years old and under, 6d, 12 years and

under, 9d; 16 and under, 1/-; Bible Class members and

Sunday School Teachers, 1/6. These tickets include

two refreshments. Tickets for Adults, 2/- each. If

adults desire refreshments they can have them by

purchasing a refreshment ticket (two refreshments)

at 1/-, but such ticket must be purchased not later

than July 14th The hour for the. departure and return

of the Excursion trains and all other necessary

particulars will be published in our July issue.

Seagoe Mothers' Union.

The Mothers' Union will meet (D.v.) on Tuesday,

June 9th, in Edenderry Parochial Hall at 7.30 p.m.

A full attendance of the members is requested. Tea

will be provided.

General Synod.

Two representatives-—the Rector and Mr. James

Twinem—-of the Parish were present at the General

Synod of the Church of Ireland, which met in Dublin

on Tuesday, May 19th. The Rector spoke at one

session on the necessity for increasing the number of

candidates for Ordination to the Christian Ministry.

Mr. Twinem spoke on several occasions and in the

debate on opening the membership of the Diocesan

and General Synods to Women he opposed the

proposition in a vigorous speech. The motion was

defeated by a large majority.

Excursion to Dublin.

Our enterprising Seagoe G.F.S. has arranged an

Excursion to Dublin on Saturday, June 27th. Tickets

for the return journey, price 7/6, can now be obtained

from the Secretary, Mrs. Scott, Grove Lodge, Seagoe,

or from any of the members of the Seagoe G.F.S.

The train will leave Portadown at 8.20 a.m. This

ought to be a very pleasant excursion, It is many

years now since we have had an excursion to Dublin

from Seagoe. There are many nost interesting places

to be visited in Dublin, among them Trinity College,

founded by Queen Elizabeth, St. Stephen's Green,

the Phoenix Park, the Zoological Gardens, famous for

its lions, and the two Cathedrals, St. Patrick's and

Christ Church. The members of the G.F.S. will also

visit the splendid Oak House in St. Stephen's Green,

the new Headquarters in Ireland of the G.F.S.

Intending excursionists should secure their ticket without delay.

Bible Society.

Mrs. Thos. Martin, of Balteagh, asks us to acknowledge

the following sums which she has received for

the Bible Society:—Miss Uprichard, 5/-, Miss Atkinson,

2/6; Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. A. Kirk, 2/- each;

each from Mrs. John Gracey, Mrs. J. Robinson,

Mrs. S. Best, Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Archer, Mrs. J. Hall,

Miss Martin, Mrs. Kerr, Mrs. J. Lavery, Mrs. Graham,

Mrs. H. Wray, Mrs. T. Dickson; 6d each from Mrs.

Campbell, Mrs. Cousins, Mrs. Courtney. Totals £1 5s.

A Generous Gift.

Miss Minnie Graham, formerly of Railway St. but

now for many years resident in the United States,

sent a 5 dollar note recently to the Rector to spend in

whatever way he thought best. He decided to

it on an afternoon's enjoyment for the pupils of

Seagoe P.E. School in the Grove Field. On Fridays

May 8th, the children assembled in the Field after

school, A splendid supply of pastry and tea was

partaken of in the School playgrounds and after tea

all went into the Grove Field, where games and romps

of all kinds were enjoyed to the, full. At the close-

of the evening a hearty cheer was given for Miss

Graham and for all who, had helped in the.

entertainment. The weather was very. fine throughout.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE,

Protestant Orphan Society.

The Annual Sermons on behalf of the County Armagh

Protestant Orphan Society will be preached

(D.v,) in the Parish Church on Sunday, June 28th, at

Morning and Evening Prayer. We ask for liberal

offerings towards this great Society, which for over

sixty years has been and still is giving liberal help

to the Widows and Orphans of Seagoe Parish. We

appeal especially to those among us who in their

early years shared in the kindly and generous gifts

of the Society that they will give it a gift in return

for what it has given them.

Parish Register for May.

Baptisms.

The following were baptized in Seagoe Parish Church on May 2nd, 1931:—

Whiteside—Winifred, daughter of Ferguson and Mary Whiteside, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Elizabeth Whiteside Mary Whiteside.

M'Cormick—Alexander, son of Thomas John and Elizabeth M'Cormick, of Baliyhannon.

Sponsors—Thomas John M'Cormiek, Elizabeth M'Cormick.

M'MulIan—David, son of Herbert and Amelia M'Mu11an, of Lylo.

Sponsors Margaret Webb, Amelia M'Mullan.

Marriage.

Lavery and Glenn—May 12th. Robert John Lavery, of Kilvergan, to Mabel Glenn, of Lurgan.

Burials.

Thompson—May 10th, Christopher Thompson, of Drumgor, aged 75, years. Interred at Agnalee.

Neill—May 11th, Henry Neill, of Edenderry.

Seagoe School Sports.

The School Sports are becoming an important annual

event and will be held this year just before the

breaking up of the School for the summer holidays.

The events will include running, walking, high jump.

long jump, three legged race, tug of war. Boys and

girls, seniors and infants, will take part. Some of the

racers are very busy just now practising, and some

good records have been already reached. At one

time some seventy years ago Seagoe was famous for

its athletes. The Brown family of Ballinacor were

famous for their jumping powers. They practised

on the broad "cuts" in Derryvore and could jump

higher and farther than all comers.

A Visitor from the States.

A visitor from the States. Mr. G. A, Whaley, Chairman

of the Vacuum Oil Company, 61 Broadway, New

York, and one of America's leading merchants, is

descended from a Seagoe family who lived here

about 1750. Mr. Whaley is at present travelling in

Holland but hopes soon to visit Seagoe and see the

homes of his ancestors. The Rector has recently

a letter from Iowa, U.S.A., from the descendants

a family named Brayford or Bradford, who left

Seagoe for the States 180 years ago. The name

occurs frequently in the early Seagoe Registers.

Improvements at Seagoe.

A favourable reply has been received from

Ministry of Education regarding the Government

grant towards the improvement of seagoe School, and

it is possible that in a short time the proposed

improvements in structure, heating, lighting and the

laying down of tarmac on the playground will be

accomplished. The annual examination in Religious

Knowledge by the Diocesan Inspector will be here

this month.

Seagoe C. L.B.

The C.L.B. has had a busy month. On Sunday

May 17th, they paraded, headed by their Pipe Band

to the Parish Church. The offerings were given to the

funds. They made a very smart turnout. On Sunday,

May 31st, they go to Belfast for the Battalion

Parade. The St. Michael's, Shankill Road Company

have invited the Seagoe lads to attend Morning

Prayer in St. Michael's Church and afterwards

lunch with them. This is a very kind act and is much

appreciated. In the afternoon the Battalion Service

will be held in St. Barnabas Church, Duncairn Gardens.

Capt. Metcalf and his officers are to be congratulated

on the strength, efficiency and unvarying

good conduct of the Company.

Our Sunday Schools.

The nine Sunday Schools of the Parish are doing

good work amongst the young people of the Parish.

Some of the classes are too large, and we are always

in need of teachers. Eight pupils is quite a sufficient

number for a teacher if thorough teaching is to be

done. Constant changes in the teaching staff must

take place in such a large parish as seagoe. Bocombra

has lost an excellent teacher in Miss Matchett, and

we miss badly from Edenderry Afternoon Sunday

School Miss Woolsey, who was such a faithful teacher

for so many years. Levaghery is still in need of a

Superintendent. Some parents in the parish send

their children to Sunday Schools not in connection

with the Church of Ireland even though one of our

Sunday Schools may be quite near them. The result

of this is that such children get quite out of touch

with their Church. The Church through her many

Sunday Schools in the Parish shows her anxiety to

retain all her children as faithful and intelligent

members and we expect parents to help us in that

good work.

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

Old Seagoe Notes.

An Eighteenth Century Vicar of Seagoe.—The Rev.

Arthur Fforde became Vicar of Seagoe in 1731 and

continued in that office until 1748. He succeeded the

Rev. John Campbell, who died in November, 1730.

The Rev. Arthur Fforde was the ancestor of the

Fforde family of Raughlin, on the shores of Lough

Neagh, which up to 1874 was in the Parish of Seagoe.

We are fortunate in possessing full particulars regarding

Mr. Fforde and have been fortunate recently in

discovering some fresh facts of much interest

regarding his character and attainments. He was born

in Lurgan and was the son of Matthew Fforde, a

member of the family of Seaforde, Co. Down. His

father is described in the Records of Trinity College,

Dublin, as an Armiger or Knight. His mother was

Ann, daughter of Arthur Chamberlain Brownlow, a

member of the distinguished Lurgan family. Arthur

Fforde was baptized in Shankill Parish Church (the

old Church) on Feb. 2nd, 1702-3. He entered Trinity

College, Dublin, on Nov. 11th, 1718, at the age of 16.

He obtained the degree of B.A. in the suing of 1723

and proceeded to his M.A. degree in the summer of

1726. He signed the Act of Vestry for the first time

as Vicar of Seagoe on April 20th, 1731. He was then

only 28 years of age. The Vestry Records and

Parochial Registers while he was; Vicar of Seagoe

are very carefully and neatly written. He seems to

have supervised everything with very great care. He

was greatly interested in education and while Vicar

of Seagoe gave the triangular plot of ground known

as the School Park beside Old Seagoe graveyard as

a site for a school and built on it the school which

remained in existence until the present school was

built on a different site in 1859. He held the Vicarage

of Seagoe until May, 1748. He signed the Vestry

Records for the last time as Vicar of Seagoe on April

23rd, 1748.

A curious thing then happened.

Apparently he was appointed by the Bishop as Curate

in charge of the Parish until the coming of his successor,

the Rev. Hugh Tisdall, M.A., for he signs the

Records on Easter Tuesday, March 28th, 1749, as

"Curate." He became Vicar of Shankill his native

Parish in 1748 and signed the Shankill Vestry Records

for the first time on Oct. 4th 1748. His last signature

of the Shankill Records was on 22nd April, 1767. He

always adds "Minister" after his signature. There

is an uncertainty as to the actual date of his death.

According to Cotton's “Fasti" he died in 1768, but the

inscription on his tombstone at the North side of Old

Shankill Church gives the date as 24th Dec., 1767, and

this is probably correct. The Rev. Arthur Fforde is

referred to as Canon of Kildare on Sept. 30th, 1748,

and prior to this had been collated as Prebendary of

Dromara, in the Diocese of Dromore. The Bishop of

Dromore of that day was Dr. Thomas Fletcher. He

was consecrated to Dromore in 1744. but in 1745 was

translated to Kildare. It is possible that this fact will

explain how Mr. Fforde obtained a Canonry of Kildare,

having served under Dr. Fletcher when he held

the See of Dromore. The Bishop would have much

intercourse with Mr. Fforde as Vicar of Seagoe.

Visitors to Old Shankill graveyard can still read the

interesting inscription on Mr. Fforde's tombstone

recording the fact that in his Will he desired that he

should be buried on the North side of the Church so

as to help to destroy the superstition that burial at

the North side of a Church was wrong and unlucky.

A Testimony to the character and ability of the Rev.

Arthur Fforde from the Records of Trinity College

Dublin.—A most interesting sidelight is thrown on

the character and ability of the Rev. Arthur Fforde

from a curious incident which occurred in the year

1727. It is recorded in Dr. Stubbs's History of the

University of Dublin, p. 416, A sharp dispute had

arisen between the Provost of T.C.D. Dr. Richard

Baldwin, and the senior Fellows of the College as to

the appointment of a new Fellow of Trinity College.

The Provost had nominated a certain Mr. John

Pallisier to the post, but the Senior Fellows had as

their nominee the future Vicar of Seagoe, Mr. Arthur

Fforde. The Senior Fellows uttered. their protest as

follows.—lst, that Mr. Fforde gave better proof of

diligence and constant attendance upon the Duties

of this Society, and of an honest and Religious

Conversation than Mr. Palljsier did or could do. 2nd,

Because Mr. Fforde was superior to Mr. Pallisier in

point of learning, good abilities and Modesty. 3rd,

Because Mr. Fforde during the whole Examination

for Fellowship never made one guess or one ignorant

SEAGOE PARTSEI MAGAZINE

or injudicious answer. The merit of more, Modesty

and a better judgement is manifestly his without the

least abatement. The protest was signed by all the

Senior Fellows, whose names are added—Richard

Helsharn, M.D. (a famous Scientist), Patrick Delany,

D.O. (the famous Dean of Down and friend of Swift),

William Thompson, D.D. (remembered as one of the

three Fellows of T.C.D. who volunteered to go with

Bishop Berkeley to Bermuda to found a Missionary

College there), Robert Clayton, LL.D. (the well known

Bishop of Clogher), and Jonathan Rogers, I).D. It is

something for the Parishioners of Seagoe to remember

and be proud of the fact that for 18 years at a very

critical time in the history of the Parish it was

controlled by such an eminent and faithful Vicar.

Seagoe P.E. School.

A handsome name board has been fixed on the

front of Seagoe School. It is now a rule of the

Ministry of Education that the name of each Public

Elementary School must be placed in a conspicuous

position on the front of the School.

ITEMS.

A substantial iron gate is being erected by the Select

Vestry at the entrance to the Grove Field.

A coating of tarmac has been laid down along the

Seagoe Road from the town boundary to Carne corner.

A new pathway has been very carefully made in front

of the new villas in Upper Seagoe, Nice gardens are

being made in front of all the villas.

The July Anniversary Service will be held (D.v.) in

Seagoe Parish Church on Sunday, July 12th, at 7 p.m.

At the Choral Festival in Waringstown on Saturday,

May 30, the Canticles will be sung for the first

time to the new pointing.

There is a remarkable scarcity of swallows this

year, but time cuckoo is heard on every side.

The betting and gambling mania is rife in our midst.

It is destructive of all Christian and social virtues.

SERVICES

THE PARISH CHURCH.

HOLY COMMUNION—1st Sunday after Morning

Prayer ; 3rd Sunday at 8 a.m., and on the Chief

Festivals.

HOLY BAPTISM—1st Saturday of Month at 3 p.m.,

and during any Service in the Parish Church.

is notice be given ; Two Sponsors at least are

required, and they must be Confirmed members

ot {he Church. Churchings are held at each

Baptism. Mothers are expected to bring a thank-

offering. (See Book of Common Prayer.)

MORNING PRAYER—Sundays and Chief Festivals

8 p.m. during Advent and Lent

EVENING PRAYER—Sundays 7 p.m.

DISTRICT SERVICES.

Hacknahay—Last Sunday of Month at 3.30 p.m.

Drumgor-—Second Sunday of Month at 4 p.m.

Edenderry—Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

CLASSES,

ADULT CLASSES--sundays at 10 a.m.

For Women—Seagoe Schol

For Men—Edenderry.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS—10 a.m. Edenderry Parochial

Hall and Seagoe School. 3 p.m. Seagoe, Edenderry

Parochial Hall, Levaghery, Hacknahay

Carne, Drumgor, Bocombra.

Mothers’ Union—2nd Tuesday of each month.

DAY SCHOOL—Seagoe, 9-30 a.m. Principal-Mr R. Scott.

MARRIAGES must be performed between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Licenses are issued by Rev Canon Hannon Rectory, Lurgan. Due notice (48 hours) must be given to the Rector of intended weddings. FEES- By License—Labourers 5/-, Tradesmen 10/-, Merchants and Farmers 15/-, Professional £1. By Banns 5/-

FUNERALS will be attended by the Clergy if proper notice be given, SICK CASES should be notified to the Clergy without delay. FEES FOR CERTIFICATES BAPTISM, 3/7 Children (Factory), 1/- and 2/- (non-residents) ; MARRIAGE, 3/7;. An extra search fee is chargeable in certain cases. It will be a help to the Clergy if' they are notified of the arrival of new Church families in the Parish.

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