March 1928

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

MARCH, 1928.

CLERGY:

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

Portadown.

Rev. W. A. Henry, 21 Edward St., Portadown.

CHURCHWARDENS:

Rector's—Thos. E. Maginnis, Breagh.

People's—John R. Reid, Portadown.

Confirmation.

The Lord Bishop of Down (the Right Rev. C. T. P.

Grierson, D.D.) has arranged to hold a Confirmation

in Seagoe Parish Church on Friday, June 8th, 1928,

at 8 p.m. Candidates must have reached the age of

14 at the date of the Confirmation.

Classes of preparation for the Confirmation will be

formed after Easter. Further particulars as to the

classes will be given in our next issue.

Lent, 1928.

During the season of Lent the following special

subjects will be brought under the notice of our

people: —

Sunday, March 11th—"Betting and gambling."

Sunday, March 18th—"Evil speaking, lying and

slandering."

Sunday, March 25ih—"Non-Churchgoing."

Special Services will also be held in the Parish

Church on the Wednesdays in Lent, at 8 p.m., and

the following subjects will be considered: —

Wednesday, March 7th— “The Creed."

Wednesday, March 14th —" The Lord's Prayer."

Wednesday, March, 21st— "The Ten Commandments."

Wednesday, March 28^th - “The Church Catechism."

During Holy Week, which begins on Sunday,

April 1st, a Service will be held (D.V.) on each

evening of the week, at 8 p.m., except Saturday.

On Good Friday, April 6th, Services will be held in

the Parish Church at 11-30 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Armagh Educational Committee.

An important correspondence, in which the Rector

has taken part, has been carried on in the public

Press during the past month. It arose out of a

strongly worded resolution passed by the School

Managers' Association for this United Diocese of

Down and Connor and Dromore calling attention

to the policy pursued by the Armagh Educational

Committee with regard to Bible instruction in

transferred Schools. It is well that the parishioners

should understand clearly what has been the attitude

of the Armagh School Committee towards Seagoe

School. In October, 1925, the Rector entered into

negotiations with the Armagh Committee for the

transfer to them of Seagoe School. Conditions of

transfer were drawn up in consultation with the

Select Vestry. One of the conditions was that Bible

instruction be given as heretofore during the period

set apart each day for Religions Instruction. A

reply was received from the Committee declining to

insert the clause relating to Bible instruction in the

Deed of Transfer. It was felt that nothing further

could be done until the Committee agreed to insert

in the Deed of Transfer the rule as to Bible instruction.

The only way in which the giving of Bible instruction

could be made permanent was by the insertion of the

clause in the Deed of Transfer, for then, if at any

time the giving of Bible instruction ceased, the

school building would automatically revert to the

Church.

All the other Educational Committees in Northern

Ireland have readily agreed to insert the clause in

the Deeds of Transfer, and the Ministry of Education

has sanctioned the transfers. The only Committee

which persistently holds out against it is the Armagh

Committee.

Seagoe Parochial School was built with Church

money and has been closely associated with the

Church since 1859. Religious Instruction has been

regularly given in it and in the old school which

preceded it ever since the schools came into being.

The Rector feels that under such circumstances he

should not hand over the School to the Government

unless with a clear understanding that under no

circumstances in the future will the Bible be excluded

from the School. In taking up this position he feels

that he can claim the sympathy and support of the

Parishioners. We are glad to know that our two

Portadown representatives on the Armagh committee—

Mr. David Rock, M.B.E., J.P., and Mr. S. S. Corbett

—have on every occasion strenuously opposed the

action of the Committee in refusing to insert the Bible

instruction clause in the Deed of Transfer. The Rector

has received several kind expressions of approval of

his action both from inside and outside the Parish,

for which he is very grateful. It is somewhat remarkable

that in our Bible-loving Province we should have to

make a fight for so reasonable a request as to insure the

permanence of Bible-teaching in our Schools. It

behoves our Christian people to oppose by every

means and on every occasion this subtle attempt

to deprive us of our rightful heritage. If any of

the parishioners require further information with

regard to this matter the Rector will be glad to

answer their enquiries.

Our Sunday Schools.

During the past month we have had a succession

of Sunday School fetes. All have been crowded,

and the programmes of music and recitations were

very interesting and successful. On Thursday,

Feb. 16th, Hacknahay held its annual distribution of

Sunday School prizes. A splendid tea was provided,

to which the children did full justice. After tea, the

grown-up people were admitted, and the room filled

up until it was almost overcrowded. A very varied

programme of music, dialogues, songs and recitations

was provided. The performers were all local and

connected with the Sunday School, and their

performances were extremely creditable. At the

close of the evening the prizes were distributed to

the successful children by Mrs. Bunbury Atkinson,

of Gleneyre. Mrs. Atkinson kindly gave some

special prizes for good attendance. The Rector, in

a few words, thanked all who had made such good

arrangements for the children's pleasure and

expressed the hope that the Sunday School would

have a very successful year in 1928.

On Friday, February 17th, Drumgor Sunday School

held its annual fete. There was a large attendance

of teachers and children. After a hearty tea the

young people played round games, even the very

“wee" ones joining in. The distribution of prizes

then took place, the Rector handing them to the

successful pupils.

On Shrove Tuesday, Feb. 21st, a crowded gathering

assembled in Carne Church Hall. Mr. David Murray

had arranged an attractive programme of songs and

recitations by the children, who did their part very

well. Mr. and Mrs. Murray also sang a pretty duet,

which was loudly applauded. After the music and

songs were over the Rector asked Mrs. Murray to

present the prizes to the children.

This year our Sunday School prizes in each centre

were limited to story books. It was felt that owing

to so many Bibles having been awarded in recent

years everyone had been provided with one. The

printing of the new Prayer Book has not yet been

completed, and so it was not possible to get the

usual Prayer books and Hymnals. It is expected

that the new Hymn and Prayer book will be on

sale about Easter time. The printing of so much

small type is a very slow and difficult process.

Mission in Edenderry.

A very successful Mission is being conducted by

Mr. Robert Gracey, of Donaghcloney, in Edenderry

Parochial Hall. It began with a service at 4 o'clock

on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 12th. The large

Hall is almost filled at each service, and Mr. Gracey's

earnest and stirring addresses have been listened to

with deep attention. Miss Twinem, of Lylo, has

greatly helped the Mission by playing at all the

services. Services for the children have been held

each week on the Tuesday and Thursday. They

have been very largely attended and the children

enjoy them greatly, and we believe much good has

been done. The Mission was to have closed on

Sunday, Feb. 26th, but so many expressed a wish

that it should continue another week that this has

been done. The Mission will conclude on Sunday,

March 4th, with the service at 4 p.m. A service of

Holy Communion will be held in the Parish Church

on Sunday, March 4th, after Morning Prayer, when

all who have received blessing through the Mission

will join in the service. Mr. Gracey is also forming

a list of those who hope to come forward for

Confirmation in June.

Mission in Carne.

The Rector has asked Mr. Gracey to conduct a

fortnight's Mission in Carne Church Hall. The

opening service of the Mission will be held (D.V.)

on Sunday, March 11th, at 4 p.m. Will our workers

in the Carne district please make this known.

The Magazine.

Many expressions of appreciation have been

heard of the Magazine in its new cover. The pretty

picture of Carrick Blacker and the blue printing on

the amber ground form an attractive and interesting

cover. New headings have been printed over our

advertising pages, and new matter has been

inserted in many of our advertisements. We invite

our readers to study the advertisements. We know

many of them do, and profit thereby. We have

already noticed one of our new advertisement

headings in a shop window in Portadown; it is

"The best is the cheapest”. Our advertisers have

advertised this year with exceptional readiness

because they feel that Seagoe Parish Magazine

circulates freely, is widely read, and is never torn

up but is kept for future reference.

Parish Register for February.

Baptisms.

The following were Baptized in Seagoe Parish

Church on February 4th, 1928: —

M'Neill—Aileen Beatrice, daughter of Samuel George

and Anna M'Neill, of Ballymacrandle.

Sponsors—Sarah Jane Irwin, Anna M'Neill.

Reid—Elizabeth St. Clair, daughter of John Robert

and Vera St. Clair Reid, of Portadown.

Sponsors—John Robert Reid, Margaret Jane Reid,

Vera St. Clair Reid

Nicholson—Herbert, son of Robert and Mary

Nicholson, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Sarah Ellen Woods, Mary Nicholson.

Marriage.

Fawcett and Hewitt—Feb. 15th, 1928, James Fawcett,

of Millquarter, Parish of Ballyscullion, to

Elizabeth Jane Hewitt, of Edenderry.

Burial.

Reid—Feb. 17th, Thomas Reid, of Belfast, formerly

of Kilvergan, aged 58.

The Church Army Gazette.

A large number of copies of the Gazette circulate

in Seagoe Parish each week. It is a most interesting

and helpful paper and is wonderful value for ½ d.

The front picture is always most striking and

impressive, illustrating in a forceful way some

important lesson of Faith and Practice. Those who

would wish to get a copy of the Gazette each week

should ask the local distributor to supply them.

The Gazette makes splendid Sunday reading and is

written in such a bright racy style that the interest

of the reader never lags. The Church Army does

a wonderful work and deserves the earnest support

of all Church people.

Sewage Tanks.

The last day for sending in objections to the

monumental nuisance which the Urban Council of

Portadown proposes to set up in Seagoe is March

9th. Petitions against the tanks have been widely

signed by the residents in Seagoe and by the

citizens of Portadown. A Government Inquiry will,

we presume, be held in the near future, when the

true nature of the proposed nuisance tanks will be

laid before the public. All the members of Seagoe

Select Vestry with two exceptions, have signed the

petition against the tanks. A considerable portion

of the land on which it is proposed to place the

tanks has been under water for the past few weeks.

This liability to flooding is another serious reason

why the proposed site is unsuitable.

Our Book of Common Prayer.

So much interest is now being taken amongst all

classes in the Book of Common Prayer that we

would advise our readers to begin to study its

history and contents. Besides being the devotional

handbook of the Church it is also our standard of

Church Doctrine. There is a great deal of ignorance

amongst our Church people on the great Doctrines

of the Christian Faith and on the history of the

Church. During Lent, on Wednesday evenings in

Seagoe Church, the addresses will deal with great

Church subjects, The Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The

Ten Commandments, and the Church Catechism.

Those who would wish to obtain books on the

History and Teaching of the Prayer Book should write

to the "S.P.C.K., Northumberland Avenue, London,

for a price list of books on the subject. Christian

Doctrine demands study. A Bible Class for men is

held in Seagoe School every Sunday morning at

ten o'clock, and a class for girls is held by Mr.

Rennix at the same hour and place.

New Buildings in Seagoe.

On all sides there are signs that Seagoe Parish

is going to be one of the most populous in our

United Diocese. New buildings are being erected

not only in Edenderry but in all other parts of the

Parish. We hear of a new street shortly to be

made off Carrickblacker Road, running parallel to

Carrickblacker Avenue. An important new street is

being made in Levaghery, running from the Gilford

Road to the River Bann, and already houses have

been built on it and some four families have come

into residence. In Carrickblacker Road there have

recently been so many houses built that all possible

sites have been taken up. We hear of many new

houses to be built in Levaghery. New houses have

also been erected or are in course of erection in

Breagh, Drumnacanvey, Lisniskey, Knockmena,

Bocombra and Upper and Lower Seagoe. An

Important question arises as to the spiritual oversight

of so many new families coming to reside within the

Parish and most of whom are members of the Church

of Ireland. A few years ago, there were 672 separate

Church of Ireland households in the Parish, but now

the number exceeds 700. The average number of

individuals in a household is five, so that the total

number of individual members of the Church in

the Parish based on this calculation is 3,500, and

this number is constantly increasing. The whole

question becomes extremely difficult. Church

extension in Belfast monopolises the attention of

the Church of Ireland, but the need for Church

extension in our growing provincial towns and

parishes is no less, but possibly even, more urgent.

Unless some provision is made to deal with the

increasing Church population in our Parishes we

are almost certain to lose some of our best people,

who will by degrees be absorbed by other smaller

denominations. This is a state of things which

should not occur. A heavy responsibility is thrown

on our Church people of showing their loyalty to

the Church of their Baptism by availing themselves

of every opportunity of united Public Worship in

their Parish Church and of safeguarding the interests

of their Church in every possible way. The clergy

of the Parish should be informed without delay of

the advent of new comers. The Parish Magazine is

a useful bond of union between the Parishioners.

Its circulation has recently been considerably

increased but its usefulness can be much wider

if those who already obtain copies will bring

it under the notice of new-comers to the Parish.

Important.

The Rector will be much obliged if Magazine

distributors will kindly let him have without delay

their remittances for the sale of Magazine Almanacs

and Kalendars for the past year. We would ask

subscribers to the Magazine who have not yet paid

their subscription to the distributor for the past year

to kindly do so at once. We regret to say that every

year there are a few—a very few—who having

received their Magazine regularly from the distributor

each month fail to pay their 2s at the end of the

year. We hope there will be none such this year.

The Mothers' Union.

The next meeting of the Mothers' Union will be

held on Tuesday, March 13th, in Seagoe School.

The committee have asked the Rev. W. A. Henry,

Curate of Seagoe, to give an address to the members.

The Alan Bell Fund.

The annual distribution of the Alan Bell Fund is

made during the week before Easter each year. The

sum to be distributed is £25, and according to Mrs.

Bell's wishes preference is to be given to those

parishioners who attend regularly the services in

the Parish Church, are parents of young families,

or are elderly and not yet eligible for an Old Age

Pension. Those who qualify under those headings

should apply to the Churchwardens, Mr. Thos. Ed.

Maginnis, of Breagh, Gilford Road, or Mr. John R.

Reid, Tavanagh Terrace, Portadown, who will make

out the list of applicants.

Old Seagoe Notes

The Derryvore Sun-Dial. — Since our last issue

some more facts relating to the Derryvore sun-dial

have come to light. As we stated last month, it

was marked in a special way on the Ordnance

Survey map. The sun-dial was made by Mr. Forsythe,

grandfather of Mr. R. Forsythe, of Seagoe Villa.

Mr. Forsythe was an expert in constructing dials

and measuring instruments, and this sun-dial, which

he set up in his garden so much attracted the attention

of the Lieutenant of Engineers engaged on the 1855

Survey that he recorded it, specially on the Government

map.

Archdeacon Saurin and the Eiderdown Quilt, 1859.

—Mr. Thomas J. Montgomery recalls an amusing incident

which occurred on the day on which the present Seagoe

Parochial School was opened. It was in the year 1859,

and there was a large gathering in the school for the

opening ceremony. There had been a sale of work or

a raffle held on behalf of the building fund of the school.

One of the objects for which tickets had, been sold was

an eiderdown quilt, and the winner of the quilt was to

be announced at the opening ceremony. Mr. Tom

Carleton, formerly a leading citizen of Portadown,

had bought a number of tickets in his wish to help

the school, and he was announced as the fortunate

winner of the quilt. It fell to Archdeacon Saurin as

Rector of the Parish to present the quilt to Mr. Carleton,

but just before the moment of presentation and when

Mr. Carleton's attention was directed to something else,

the Archdeacon caught hold of a small boy who was

near him and rolled him up in the quilt. He then formally

handed the quilt with the boy inside it to Mr. Carleton,

who taking it in both hands was startled to see the small

boy slipping out of it and running back to his place.

The small boy who so lightly slipped out of the quilt was

none other than our good friend, Mr. T. J. Montgomery,

who very much enjoyed the Archdeacon's prank.

ITEMS.

The Rev. W. R. Crichton is on his way home

from Madras on a year's furlough.

Miss Cherry Dawson is still engaged in Mission

Work in Chili, South America, and has made a good

recovery from her recent severe attack of rheumatism.

The Rev. Albert Simmons, M.A., who many years

ago conducted a Church Army Mission along with

Captain Gaskin, in this Parish, is now Rector of

an important Parish in Jersey.

We congratulate the Rev. J. T. Armstrong, B.D.,

M.Sc., Curate of St. Mark's, on his appointment to

a Curacy-in-charge in the Diocese of Armagh.

At a recent wedding in Seagoe, two little girls out

of James St. attended the bride and added much to

the interest of the wedding.

Seagoe Choir has now a full complement of

voices, tenors, basses, altos and sopranos being well

represented.

The Gas works in Edenderry are being greatly

extended and a very lofty structure is being erected

which will enable the gas to be produced with the

most effective modern appliances.

A great lake extends from Seagoe to Drumcree.

It is about half a mile wide and three-quarters of a

mile long. A turf barge lost its way last week and

went aground at Seagoe.

The cause of the Bann flooding is that some eight

rivers flow into Lough Neagh, and only one, the

Lower Bann, flows out of it. At the point where

the Lower Bann leaves the lake the exit is blocked

by the Toomebridge eel-weirs. The waters of Lough

Neagh sometimes rise as much as seven feet in the

course of a few hours.

A Jumble Sale will be held in Edenderry Parochial

Hall on Friday, March 23rd, at 7 p.m.

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.

if notice be given; Two Sponsors at least are

required, and they must be Confirmed members

of the 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., Wednesdays

8 p.m.

DISTRICT SERVICES.

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

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

CLASSES, &c.

ADULT CLASSES —Sundays at 10 a.m.

For Men—Edenderry. For Women—Seagoe School.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS—10 a.m. Edenderry Parochial

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

Parochial Hall, Levaghery, Hacknahay, Carne, Drumgor.

Men's Recreation Room, Bridge St., open every

night from 7 p.m.

Mothers' Union, Edenderry, 2nd Tuesday of each

month.

DAY SCHOOL—Seagoe, 9.30 a.m. Principal—Mr. S

Rennix.