October 1928

Seagoe Parish Magazine,

OCTOBER, 1928.

CLERGY:

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

Portadown.

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

LAY READER (Bishop's Licence):

Mr. Robt. Gracey, Edengarth, Bridge St., Edenderry.

CHURCHWARDENS:

Rector's—Robert M'Clements.

People's—William Dermott.

The Rev. George Bloomer.

With deep regret we announce the death of Rev.

George Bloomer, so well-known and so much

beloved by the people of Seagoe. The sad event

occurred at a Nursing Home in Belfast on Wednesday,

September 26th. Mr. Bloomer had been ill for

two or three weeks and was being treated for an

abscess behind ear. His illness rapidly assumed

a serious aspect and a few days ago it was reported

that he was in a very critical condition. By his

death the Church Militant loses a most faithful and

diligent worker, and the Church Triumphant gains

a saintly spirit. All who knew him cherished his

acquaintance and benefited by his affectionate

friendship. As Curate of Seagoe from the day of his

Ordination on December 21st, 1911, until he left

the Parish in 1915 he moved in out among us and

we learned to know his sterling worth. The deep

sympathy of the people of Seagoe will go out to the

bereaved widow and the little children whose home

circle is thus so sadly broken. Many among us

will thank God that we knew George Bloomer and

will cherish his memory as a sacred possession.

The internment took place at his former Church -

Woods Chapel, Magherafelt—on Friday, September

28th. Mr. Bloomer loved Seagoe, and nothing

pleased him so much as a visit to the Parish where

he had begun his ministry. It will be long before

his memory fades from our midst.

Harvest Thanksgiving.

October sounds the note of hearty thanksgiving to

Almighty God for the blessing of Harvest. Not only in

the Parish Church but in the various outlying centres

of the Parish we hold Services of Thanksgiving. It is

very nice and fitting that in all parts of this large Parish

the voice of thanksgiving should be raised before the

Eternal Throne. The ripened harvest fields and the

orchards bending beneath the weight of rich and

abundant fruit are fresh proofs to us of God's

faithfulness to His people. The following Services

have been arranged: -

Hacknahay – Sept. 30th, 3-30. Rev. T. G. R. Magill,

M.A., Curate of St. Mark's, Portadown.

Oct. 1st, 8 p.m. Offerings for Foreign Missions.

Carne—October 7th, 3-30 p.m.

Oct. 8th, 8 p.m.

Drumgor—Oct. 14thy 3-30 p.m.

Oct. 15th, 8 p.m.

Edenderry—Oct. 28th, 3-30 p.m.

Oct. 29th, 8 p.m.

Levaghery—Nov. 4th, 3-30 •p.m.

Nov. 5th, 8 p.m.

The Parish Church.

The Annual Harvest Thanksgiving Services in the

Parish Church will be held (D.V.) on the following

dates: —

Thursday, Oct. 18th, at 8 p.m. Preacher, Rev. J.

R. M'Donald, M.A., Rector of Donacloney.

Sunday, Oct, 21st, 8 a.m. Holy Communion.

11-30 a.m. Morning Prayer. Preacher, Rev. J.

T. M'Clure, M.A., Rector of Tartaraghan.

7 p.m. Evening Prayer.

The offerings at the District Services will, on the

Sunday be given local expenses and on the week

nights to Foreign Missions.

A Distinguished Visitor.

On Friday, September 21^st, a distinguished visitor

came to Seagoe in the person of the Hon. George

S. Henry, from Toronto, Canada. Mr. Henry has

reached a high and responsible post in the Provincial

Government of Ontario. He is Minister of Public Works

and Highways for the Province. Mr. Henry's object in

visiting Seagoe was to see the home of his ancestors

and to find out as many particulars as he could regarding

his family from the Registers of Seagoe Parish. Mr, Henry

is grandson of Mr. George Henry, who married Miss Ann

Holmes, of Bocombra. Mr. Henry resided in the house

now occupied by Mr. Woolsey White, at Bocombra. In

the year 1847, the year of the fatal Irish Famine, he

emigrated bringing with him his son, then a lad of tender

years, afterwards the father of the Hon. George S. Henry.

Mr. Henry is a man of fine presence and most genial manner.

He was accompanied by Mrs. Henry, who much enjoyed

her visit to the Rectory and the Rectory gardens. Mr. and Mrs.

Henry• were accompanied on their visit by the representative

of the Ontario government in Ireland and his wife. Mr. and

Mrs Henry are making an extended tour of Europe and the East.

They intend to visit Paris, Vienna, Athens, Constantinople,

and Jerusalem. Mr. Henry was greatly interested in Seagoe

and its history and took away with him some copies of Seagoe

Parish Magazine.

Seagoe School.

Much indignation has been aroused in the Parish

by the attempt which is being made by the Armagh

Regional Committee to close up Seagoe School. The

School is endeared to the hearts of the Seagoe people.

They remember it as the place where they received

their early education, and in many cases their children

are now attending the School. The School is classed

as a "Large" School by the Ministry of Education.

It has at present 133 pupils on the roll. The School

building provides accommodation for a total of 250

pupils. There is a staff of three teachers, a principal

and two assistants. The premises are most healthily

situated on high ground, surrounded by open fields.

The playgrounds are extensive, and there is a covered

shelter where the children can play in inclement weather.

The schoolrooms are large, well ventilated and well

lighted. Each room is thoroughly heated by a large

central stove. The standard of education associated

with the School has always been of a high character

and the pupils have in many cases, in after life,

reached high and responsible positions. The Rector

of the Parish has always filled the post of Manager

of the School, and Religious Instruction has been

given weekly to the children by the Clergy of the

Parish and daily by the Teaching Staff. The School

has always had a high moral tone and has been

marked in every stage of its existence by a true

spirit of Loyalty and Service. It has been closely

associated with the Parish Church, situated as it is

opposite the gate of the Church. No complaint has

ever been made against the buildings nor has any

criticism been made of the instruction given by any

of the Government Inspectors who have visited and

reported on it from time to time. Bearing all these

facts in mind, we may well ask why is the Armagh

Regional Committee trying to close the School. The

reason they give is because there is sufficient

accommodation in the neighbouring schools without

Seagoe School. Their conduct in this matter is on

a par with their other actions which have become

notorious and have led the Minister of Education

for Northern Ireland to characterise their attitude

with regard to Bible Instruction as incomprehensible.

They declined to allow the rule as to Bible Instruction

to be inserted in the Deed of Transfer in any school in

the County Armagh. In acting thus, they have publicly

insulted the Protestant conscience of the people

of the County Armagh, and they have set at

nought the openly expressed opinion of the Orange

Lodges. They have spent thousands of the ratepayers'

money in enlarging neighbouring schools and then

find fault with Seagoe School, the oldest School in

the district, on the ground that there is sufficient

School accommodation elsewhere. We feel sure

that the people of Seagoe and Portadown will not

tolerate this bit of petty persecution which savours

more of Bolshevist Russia than of liberty-loving

Ulster. We call upon the Parishioners of Seagoe to

stand together and to resist this impertinent attack

on their old School. Our opponents are trying to do

their worst but we are thankful that we possess in

Messrs. Rock and Locke, two men on the Regional

Committee who will see to it that this injustice is not

perpetrated, and we feel that we have also the practical

sympathy of the people of Portadown in our defence

of the School.

Seagoe P.E. School

On March 28th an examination was held in Seagoe

School under the auspices of the Temperance

Education Board of Ireland. The following very

creditable results were obtained by the pupils attending

the School. We congratulate Eileen Dunlop on

winning a bronze medal with 88 per cent. in the

Fifth Standard.

Third Standard. — First class Certificate, Victor

Proctor, 80 per cent. Pass Certificates, Gertrude

Magowan, 63 per cent.; Irene Montgomery, 62 per

cent.; Richard Wesley Porter, 61 per cent.; Ernest

Gibson, 60 per cent.; Margaret Jane Heyburn, 60

Fourth Standard—Second class Certificates, Lily

Magowan, 77 per cent.; Florence Hynes, 71 per cent.

Pass Certificates—Bertha M'Loughlin, 66 per cent.;

Wm. A. Rehill, 63 per cent.; David W. Guy, 60 per

cent.

Fifth Standard. — Bronze Medal, Eileen Dunlop, 88

per cent. First class Certificates—Maggie Ruddell,

85 per cent.; Myrtle Brown, 83 per cent. Second

class Certificates—John Fiddes, 77 per cent.; Annie

Whiteside, 77 per cent.; Dinah M'Cabe, 76 per cent.;

Lizzie Major, 73 per cent.; Martha Girvan, 72 per

cent. Pass Certificates—Sailie Harra, 68 per cent.;

Doris Livingston, 67 per cent.; Emma Walker, 61

per cent.; Jas. A. Heyburn, 61 per cent.

Sixth Standard. — Pass Certificates—Harry Hynes,

67 per cent.; Lily Ruddell, 60 per cent.

Oral Examination. — Certificates — Peggy Caddell,

100 per cent.; Carrie Guy, 100 per cent.; Geo. Fiddes,

100 per cent.; Annie Magee, 100 per cent.; William N.

M'Loughlin, 100 per cent.; George Montgomery, 100

per cent.; Margaret Porter, 100 per cent.; Walter

Caddell, 95 per cent.; Sam Freeburn, 90 per cent.;

Peggy Brownlee, 90 per cent.; Minnie Magee, 90 per

cent.; William Magee, 90 per cent.; Fred M'Knight,

90 per cent.; Norah Porter, 90 per cent.

The Sewage Tanks.

Mr. Jackson Greeves, of Fairacre, has kindly

contributed £10 towards the expenses connected with

the opposition to the placing of the sewage tanks at

Seagoe. The legal expenses connected with the

opposition to the scheme were heavy, and as the

Rector has had to bear half of the total amount of

the expenses he would be glad to receive financial

assistance towards this object from the Parishioners.

The expenses were incurred by him in protecting

the property of the Church and Parish and in

safeguarding the health of the people of Seagoe.

Parish Register for September.

Baptisms.

The following were Baptized in the Parish Church

11 September 1st, 1928: —

Ellis—Cecil, son of Isaac James and Agnes Ellis, of

Edenderry.

Sponsors—Isaac James Ellis, Agnes Ellis.

Kilpatrick—lvy Winifred, daughter of William Jas.

and Edith Kilpatrick, of Levaghery.

Sponsors—Emma Fleming, Edith Kilpatrick.

Murray—Robert Edwin, son of David William and

Sarah Ann Murray, of Ballynery.

Sponsors — David William Murray, Sarah Ann

Murray.

M'Cabe—David and William, twin sons of Thomas

and Mary M'Cabe, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Elizabeth Watson, Mary M'Cabe.

Gracey—Thomas Alexander, son of Thomas and Mary

Gracey, of Ballyhannon.

Sponsors—Thomas Gracey, Mary Gracey.

Marriage.

Lyons and Fryer—August 29th, 1928, at Sandford

Parish Church, Dublin, Henry N., of Clontarf,

Co. Dublin, to Anna J., youngest daughter of

Mr. and Mrs. Fryer, of Bushfield Terrace,

late of Seagoe, Portadown.

Burials.

M'Creery—September 2nd, David M'Creery, of

Kernan; aged 47 years.

Bloomer—September 26th, at Belfast, the Rev. George

Bloomer, M.A., Rector of Killyleagh, Co. Armagh,

and formerly Curate of Seagoe from1911 to 1915.

Presentation.

A very largely attended meeting of the Mothers'

Union was held in Edenderry Parochial Hall on

Tuesday, September 11th. Proceedings began at 7-30

with tea, partaken of at small tables placed through

the Hall. After tea, the members enjoyed some attractive

music, songs and recitations. At a break in the

programme the Rector took the chair and in a short

speech expressed his pleasure at being present. The

chief event of the evening was the presentation

about to be made to Mrs. Rennix, the president of

the Branch, on her approaching departure from the

Parish. Mrs. Rennix had given most useful help in

furthering the work of the Mothers' Union in the

Parish. Much of the success of the Branch depended

on her efforts and sympathy. The members had

decided that they must give her some token of their

regard and esteem before she left the Parish. The

Rector then asked Mrs. Rennix to come forward.

Mrs. Twinem, treasurer, then handed Mrs. Rennix

a gift of Damask Table Linen. Immediately after

the presentation to Mrs. Rennix, Mrs. Twinem

handed a similar gift to Mrs. David Johnston, who

was about to return to the States. Mrs. Rennix and

Mrs. Johnston replied, cordially thanking the

members for their kind and thoughtful gifts. The

remainder of the evening was spent in a round of

games and some more music was kindly contributed

by friends. Mr. R. Gracey and Mr. Dermott, in brief

speeches, expressed their regret at Mrs. Rennix's

departure.

Drumgor Church Hall.

A curious state of affairs exists at present in

Drumgor Church Hall. The Armagh Regional

Committee have transferred their Balteagh P. E.

School to the Hall but decline to pay for the use

of it. The Rector has paid rent for it to Mr. J. G.

Gracey for the past 24 years, and the late Dean

Dawson paid the rent of it for many years before

that. The Hall has never been used during all these

years for any but Church purposes. When the "B"

men drilled there for a time the permission of the

Rector was asked and readily granted. We have

no objection to the teachers and pupils of Balteagh

School being housed in the Hall. We welcome them

there, but considering that a sum of £150 has recently

been spent by the Parishioners in renovating the

building it seems an amazing thing that the Armagh

Regional Committee decline to pay for its use. They

lavish thousands of pounds of the ratepayer’s money

on enlarging and building schools and decline to

pay a few pounds to the Parish of Seagoe for the

Hall. It is a miserable spectacle to see a County

Committee such as the Armagh Regional Committee

squatting in a Church Hall and declining to pay

for the use of it. They are economising at the

expense of the charitable offerings of the people of

Seagoe. They have displayed an intolerable

discourtesy to the Rector and people of Seagoe which

we imagine will be remembered by the public when

the time for the election of their successors arrives.

Seagoe Mothers' Union.

The monthly meeting of the Mothers' Union will

be held (D.V.) in Seagoe Parochial School on Tuesday,

October 9th, at 4-15 p.m. Members are asked to note

the hour. Tea will be provided, and an address given

by Mrs. M'Donald, J.P. Mrs. M'Donald has on a

previous occasion addressed the Seagoe Branch and

her kind and helpful words were much appreciated.

Mrs. M 'Donald takes a leading part in the public life

of Portadown and the neighbourhood and is a

magistrate for the County Armagh. She has faithfully

served the Unionist cause and is also much in request

at Church gatherings. The Rev. J. R. M'Donald, M.A.,

Rector of Donacloney, who is to preach in Seagoe at

this year's Harvest Thanksgiving is a son of Mrs.

M'Donald. We expect a large gathering of the members.

New Appointment.

The Rector has appointed Mr. Frederick Lewis

M'Kee as a temporary teacher in Seagoe P.E. School.

He comes to us with the highest recommendation

and has been acting as temporary vice-principal in

the Duke's School, Portadown, for some months.

Mr. M'Kee is a member of a great teaching family,

no less than five members of it are engaged in teaching.

He is a native of Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, and was

trained as a teacher in the Stranmillis Training College,

Belfast. Mr. and Mrs. Griffith, who had been appointed

as principal and assistant. in Seagoe School, were

compelled to withdraw their acceptance of the posts

owing to the action of the Education Authority in

threatening to close the School.

A Voice from Atlantic City.

Tom Webb, formerly of Railway St., sends us the

following lines from far-off Atlantic City. He does

not forget Edenderry, where he was born and bred: -

I am strolling to-day by the River Bann,

Where I played when only a lad;

Thinking of the happy days gone by,

Of sisters, brothers, mother and Dad,

And the boys and the girls I used to know

Back in those childhood days;

Wondering what their lot has been

Scattered on life's highways.

I left Portadown in September,

Back in nineteen and nine;

Since then I have lived many places,

But none any nearer like Heaven.

To-day as I write am wondering

How many and who they might be

That remember the name of the writer,

I'll sign my name and see.

TOM WEBB.

Atlantic City, N.J., V.S.A.,

Playground of the World.

Old Seagoe Families.

The Rector received the following letter under date

August 11th, 1928: —

Dear Sir, —Recently I had the pleasure of making

a sentimental pilgrimage to Armagh, where my

great-grandfather, D'Arcy Paul, lived before

emigrating with his brother to Virginia. My only

regret was that my visit had to be so short, I realised

that you were probably the one person who might

have been able to give me the information I sought.

The maiden name of my great-grandmother was

Martha Wentworth. She married (1) Moses Paul,

of Portadown, my ancestor, and (2) John Johnston

of Lurgan, where I believe she is buried. Martha

Wentworth's father was D'Arcy Wentworth; her

mother was Martha Dixon. Both of these last, I

understand, are buried in the graveyard of Seagoe

Church, but of this I am not sure. Would it be

trespassing too much on your time and patience to

confirm this? Or, if you cannot do so, could you

put me in touch with someone who could? I would

be glad to remunerate any such person for the time

and trouble he might expend in examining the records.

I should also be very glad to have any other

facts (date. of baptism, death, etc.) of members of

the Wentworth or Dixon families, from whom I am

descended. My address is—Care Brown, Shipley &

Co., 123, Pall Mall, London, until August 24th, when

I sail for America. Please excuse the liberty I am

taking in addressing you in this very personal matter.

—I am, sir, very truly yours.

GILMAN D'ARCY PAUL.

ITEMS.

We regret that we omitted to record in our March

issue of this year the burial on February 14th of

William Stewart, of Railway St., Portadown, at the

age of 77 years. William Stewart had resided in

Edenderry for many years and was greatly respected

by all who knew him. His genial face and stalwart

figure were familiar to all who passed through

Railway St., and the place seems different without

him. His life work was spent in Messrs. Armstrong's

factory, and it was a grief to him when it closed

its doors.

***

There is a great apple harvest this year but

prices are low. The numerous apple orchards in

and around Portadown make a pretty picture in

red and green.

***

The white lines painted at different street corners

in Portadown to regulate motor traffic will prove

of great advantage.

***

The Rev. W. A. Henry has returned after a holiday

in the South and West of Ireland. Mr. Robert Gracey,

our Lay Reader, is now taking a holiday.

***

Many new houses are being built in Seagoe Parish,

Levaghery and Lisniskey are just now in the builders

hands. The new houses are of good and substantial type.

***

The Rector has received 31 applications for the

vacancies in Seagoe P.E. School. It is evidently

regarded as a desirable post.

***

At their last meeting the Armagh Regional Committee,

on the motion of Mr. David Rock, J.P., seconded by

Mr. George Locke, by a majority of 11 votes to 7,

decided to refer the question of closing up Seagoe School

to the consideration of the Portadown School Committee.

This Committee meets on Monday, October 1st.

We congratulate Messrs. M'Gredy, the Portadown

rose-growers on their new rose Portadown Fragrance,

which won a gold medal recently at the Crystal Palace

Rose Show in London. We suggest to Messrs. M'Gredy

that any new rose which they may produce of exceptional

quality might be named (let us say) Seagoe Beauty.

This would add grace to the rose and would also be a

nice compliment to this historic neighbourhood.