September 1917

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

SEPTEMBER, 1917,

In memoriam.

A List of the names of those connected with Seagoe

Church and Parish who have laid down their lives

in the Great War.

He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it —Matt. xvi, 25.

" Beati Virtute, Tuti Beatitudine."

[Happy in Valour, now secure in Bliss.]

Thomas Joyce Atkinson.

Robert Taylor Montgomery.

William James Allen.

Harpy Armstrong.

Robert Henry Brown.

Samuel Clayton.

Thomas Cordner.

William Cordy.

David Dunlop.

Samuel Fox.

John Girvan.

David Gracey.

Samuel Gracey.

Thomas Hewitt.

Henry Alexander Holmes.

Thomas Kilpatrick.

Jdoseph Malcomson,

William Malcomson.

Edward Marshall.

John Matthews.

Alexander McCabe.

Frank M'Kerr.

Herbert Mayne Murray.

Joseph Parkes.

Henry Sinnamon.

Jackson Stothers.

Maxwell Stothers.

Joseph Stothers.

dames Weir.

Robert Whiteside.

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

SEPTEMBER, 1917,

In memoriam.

A List of the names of those connected with Seagoe

Church and Parish who have laid down their lives

in the Great War.

Ibe tbat losetb bis life fot sake, sball finb it.

—Matt. xvi, 25.

" Seati Virtute, Cuti Seatituöine."

[Happy in Valour, now secure in Bliss.]

Thomas Joyce Atkinson.

Robert Taylor Montgomery.

William James Allen.

Harpy Armstrong.

Robert Henry Brown.

Samuel Clayton.

Thomas Cordner.

William Cordy.

David Dunlop.

Samuel Fox.

John Girvan.

David Gracey.

Samuel Gracey.

Thomas Hewitt.

Henry Alexander Holmes.

Thomas Kilpatrick.

Jdoseph Malcomson,

William Malcomson.

Edward Marshall.

John Matthews.

Alexander M6Cabe.

Frank M'Kerr.

Herbert Mayne Murray.

Joseph Parkes.

Henry Sinnamon.

Jackson Stothers.

Maxwell Stothers.

Joseph Stothers.

dames Weir.

Robert Whiteside.

A month in a cellar

The Rev. G. Bloomer sends us the following

interesting account of his experiences at the front—

August 6th, 1917.

I have got into the open air again. I did one

calendar month in the cellar, and was much relieved

when it ended. I think I can say when I return

that I have been a sojourner in dens and caves of the

earth. The French for cellar is cave. Though it

was not a pleasant experience in the brewery basement,

still I think it was the most profitable month I

have had in France. I can now tell you where it

was. It was in a place called Laventie, and at one

time it must have been a very pretty place. Now it

is for the most part a wreck. I have now moved

further North, but am

STILL IN THE MIDST OF WAR’S ALARMS.

I am about the same distance from the line. My

colleague, who has been out here for 8 months, and

I have charge of two huts and two dugouts The

dugouts are just behind the reserve trenches. In

them we serve out free drinks to the lads. I visit

these three or four times in the week, and every time

I go I have to follow your advice about dodging the

shells. You would not think it possible to dodge them,

still you can to some extent at any rate. I fear you

could not get out of the way of one that is coming

straight for you. You can hear it coming but you

cannot tell how near it is until you see the burst.

There is a prevailing belief among the boys that

IF A SHELL HAS YOUR NAME AND NUMBER

on it you cannot escape it. Old Fritz is particularly

nasty at times, and sends them over with what seems

to us to be unnecessary frequency. His gas shells

are abominable things, and he sends them over at

times in great numbers. Two of our Y.M, workers

further along the line have been gassed within the

past week. It is a new kind of gas and its effects are

not yet fully known. It was thought at first that they

were not too bad, but now it seems they are very bad.

It takes several days for the full effects to appear, I

suppose you have been greatly interested in the

advance in Belgium ; we just got the sidewash of it

here. The boys among whom I am working suffered

rather severely from gas shells. The ones in the

line were safe and the ones back in billets were caught.

I cannot explain to you here just how it happened,

but the lads were complimented by the General on

their contribution to the great attack. I am not so very

far from where

TH E PORTADOWN BOYS

were two months ago. Now unfortunately they have

moved, as far as I can gather, so that there is not

much chance of my getting near them. If they had

been within ten miles of me I might, with an effort,

have managed to get to them.

We have parade services in the hut every Sunday. Yesterday they

were conducted by a former Curate of Whitehouse ;

his name is Elliott, I don’t know whether you know

him. We had the same Pastoral that you had at

home. We are well looked after by the Padres, to

whom the huts are a great convenience. I am enclosing

you a copy of

THE BAND PROMENADE PROGRAMME

that we had on Saturday last. We have a band in

every week and sometimes two.

HAER EM A I HUT.

P r o g r a m m e by 57th D i v i s i o n a l B a n d .

March The Bullfighters Kottaxim.

Overture Ray monde A . Thomas

Waltz Dream on the Ocean Gungl.

Fairy Dream The Phantom Brigade Myddleton.

Selection H.M S. Pinafore Sullivan.

Incidental Music ( Monsieur Beaucair

( (6 numbers) | Rosse.

Selection Bound to Win Petlier.

GOD SAVE T H E KING.

Conductor :—Sergeant J. J. Hodgson.

The work here is much pleasanter than in any place

I have been, I have no serving at the counter to do,

and that is a tremendous relief. Handling the “ filthy

lucre ” of the French is not by any means a pleasant

thing. Well I think I have written as much as you

will be inclined to read. I must stop now and go out

for my afternoon walk round the dugouts. I am glad

to say I am in the best of health.—I remain, yours

faithfully. G e o r g e B lo om er .

PARISH REGISTER FOR AUGUST,. 1917

Baptisms

The following were Baptized in the Parish Church

on August 4th, 1917 :—

Mullen—Leah, daughter of Harris Henry and Christina Mullen, of Portadown.

Sponsors—Evelyn Reid, Christina Mullen.

Best—Florence Primrose, daughter of James and Anne Best, of Drumnacanvey.

Sponsors—Elizabeth Anne Boyce, Florence Hughes.

Anderson—Thomas George, son of Francis and Susan Anderson, of Drumgor.

Sponsors—Elizabeth Jane Beckett, Susan Anderson.

Marriages

Gilpin and White —10th August, 1917, Richard John Gilpin, of Tarson,

to Ellen White, of Lylo.

Burials

Webb—5th August, 1917, Sarah Webb, of Belfast, aged 40 years.

Stevenson—10th August, 1917, Samuel Stevenson, of Drumgor.

Interred in Old Shankill

Graveyard.

Dynes—11th August, 1917, Margaret Dynes, of Crossmacaghley, aged 86 years.

Hughes—21st August, 1917, William Robert Hughes, of Kernan, aged 39 years.

Offerings for August

Sunday—Mornings, £5 4 10

Evenings, 1 7 11

Week Days 0 6 8

£6 19 5

SEAGOE PARISH MAGAZINE.

Captain Dobson in Macedonia.

Our readers will be glad to hear news again of Capt.

Dobson, who is serving with the Mediterranean

Expeditionary Force. He writes as follows, under

date July 9th, 1917—

The heat out here is very great indeed ; work,

except what is absolutely necessary, is suspended

during the day between the hours of 0830 hrs. and

1700 hrs. (5 p.m.) For so far the heat agrees with

me quite well.

We have a great variety of fruit—millions of peach

trees, the fruit of which is just ripe now. The vine

grows wild in every tree and hedge, the fruit of which

will not be fit for use until, say, the first of August,

and is very small. Maize and tobacco is grown very

extensively. I should think the tobacco, in peace

time, was mostly sent to Egypt to be cured.

I was quite interested to see the oxen treading out

the corn. To me it seems there is very little change

in the methods of doing things since primitive times

-—wooden ploughs, wooden wheels on the carts, and

wooden hay forks, and in winter the people in the

country where I am mostly wear wooden shoes.

The spring wells all over Macedonia are very fine

indeed. They were made by the Turk many years

ago. Only for these I do not see how we could live

at all, especially in this hot weather.

I think if I remember aright you were always a

keen biologist. Well, if you were out in these parts

you would always get subject-matter for your

fascinating pursuits, as there is simply no end of

flowers, plants, birds, animals, and insects. I should

ever so much like to make a collection, but it is out

of the question, as it's just as much as I can do to get

myself carted from place to place.

Nearly every native man has a very small donkey

for taking him about, and while he goes gaily along

his wife or wives 'have to walk, carrying parcels or

perhaps a small bag of meal. These chaps are not as

gallant as they might be.

I am resting now (or what is called resting),that is

to say, I am back from the firing line.

Kindest regards to all friends. Faithfully and

Sincerely yours,

J. J. DOBSON.

Certificate for Gallantry.

Private William Crossley (49th Trench Mortar

Battery, B.E.F., France, of Florence Court, Edenderry,

has been awarded a Certificate for gallantry on

the Field of Battle. Private Crossley; though not

yet twenty years of age has been twice wounded, and

has received this special Distinction .for conspicuous

bravery. We offer him Our hearty congratulations.

He adds another Honour to the long list of Military

Distinctions, Won by the men of Florence Court.

ITEMS.

Many trees are being cut down in the Parish

owing to the high price obtainable for Timber. We

hope that wherever a tree is cut down another will be

planted in its place.

A house to house collection for Missions will be

made through the Parish during September.

We announce with deep regret the death of Sam

Stephenson, Of Drumgor. He passed away after a

long illness of two years, borne with great patience

and resignation. Always so bright and happy he will

be sadly missed in his own home and in the Parish.

The Latin Motto at the head of the “In

Memoriam " List in this issue is taken from a Roll of

Honour, seen in a Parish Church porch in Sussex.

It is Very expressive in form and meaning. The

English sentence which follows it in brackets is a

translation of the Latin.

Old Seagoe Notes,

The Strange Case of Margery McCall, 1695.

—In recent issues of this Magazine we have made

large extracts from the "Lurgan Parochial Magazine,"

which was published under the editorship of the late

Mr. Mehaffy, of Lurgan, in the years 1879—80.

Interesting notes on Seagoe Parish were contributed

to it by the late Dean Dawson, Several of which have

been reprinted from time to time in these columns.

A very close connection existed in former days between

the Parishes of Seagoe and Shankill (Lurgan),

owing to the fact 'that from 1444 to 1878 the 'boundary

of Seagoe Parish reached to within 200 yards of

Old Shankill graveyard. We make no apology for

publishing in detail the following strange story,

which appeared in the pages of the Lurgan Parochial

Magazine for 1880, the main features of Which Were

enacted in such close proximity to the Parish of

Seagoe.—In or about 'the year 1695 there lived in

Lurgan a man named Richard McCall. He occupied

a good social position in the town, and Was highly

respected by all who knew him. His Wife, whose

name Was Margery, was also well known and liked by

her neighbours, On a certain day in the year above

mentioned, she fell 'ill. The doctor was called in,

but from the first took a serious view of her illness.

In the course of a few days, she suddenly lapsed into

a state of unconsciousness and died. Her husband

who was devotedly attached to her was overwhelmed

with grief. When the body was being prepared for

burial it Was found impossible to remove from the

finger of the dead woman a ring of great value which

she wore constantly and prized greatly. The interment

took place in Old Shankill Graveyard, and was

attended by a large number of the townspeople. Mr.

M'Call returned home disconsolate and hopeless.

But now the story changes. A tramp of

disreputable character chanced to be in the town on

the day of the funeral and overheard from the

conversation of the mourners that it was found

impossible to remove from the dead woman’s finger,

before burial, the costly jewelled ring. Being of a

reckless and thievish disposition he determined to

secure the ring. Under cover of darkness he made

his way to the Old Graveyard on the evening of the

day of the funeral, and with a spade which he found

began to remove the shallow covering of earth which

had been thrown in upon the coffin by the gravediggers.

In a brief space he had uncovered the lid

of the coffin and loosened the screws which held it

down. He then raised the lid. and drawing back the

shroud saw upon the woman's finger the precious

ring. With a great effort he tried to force the ring

from the finger, but failing in this he drew a knife

from his pocket and proceeded ruthlessly to amputate

the finger which held the ring. Scarcely had he

begun his awful deed when he noticed that the body

of the dead woman had begun to move, and was

showing signs of life. Then to his horror the woman

sat up and with dazed eyes looked at him. He fled

in abject terror at the uncanny sight. The rest of

the story comes from the lips of the dead woman.

When she began to realise her actual surroundings

she rose up from the grave, and clad in the garments

of Death, made her way in the darkness of the night

to her husband's house. She knocked at the door.

He was seated in the parlour surrounded by his

sorrowing friends. When he heard the knock at the

door he said " Only that darling Margery is dead I

would have said that was her knock at the door."

Going to the door he opened it, and seeing the ghostly

apparition he shrieked and fell in a deathly swoon.

Others hearing his cry rushed to the door, brought in

his wife, so literally " raised from the dead," and

received back to life one whom they had so lately

mourned as dead. With good nursing and care

Margery McCall soon regained strength enough to

tell to her amazed but joyous relatives the weird

story of her passage from Death to Life. Her husband

also after a brief space recovered from his frenzy of

grief and amazement, and received his wife back

from the grave with glad embraces. He then under-

stood how that his wife had fallen into a trance which

had been mistaken for death, and from which she

had been roused by the sudden pain caused by the

thief's effort to remove the finger which bore the ring,

Margery McCall lived for many years after, and a

son born to her after these strange events is said to

have entered the Ministry.

She died in the fullness

of years, loved and respected by all, and upon the

stone which was erected to mark her last resting

place in Old Shankill, these words were inscribed.

Here lies Margery McCall twice buried."

Seagoe Parochial School, 1858.—The following

interesting letter regarding the building of the

present Seagoe School was received by the Rector in

Farnly Road, Caton,

1909

nr. Lancaster, England,

July 22nd, 1909.

Rev. J. E. Archer, Seagoe, Portadown.

Sir,—Your letter and cords to hand ; also Seagoe

Magazine, October, 1907, with portrait of the Very

Rev. James Saurin, A.M., Rector of Seagoe,

Archdeacon of Dromore. Words fail me to thank you as

I would wish for sending me this Magazine with the

portrait of one of the best of Ireland's sons, one who

never made an enemy.

I remember very well when Sunday School was

held in the Church before the School-house was

built. The Rev. Capel Wolsey was then Curate,

noble man, who worked hard for the good of the

children in the Parish, and looked forward to the time

when the new School would be opened, But, alas !

he was taken ill and had to go abroad, and the

opening of the new School fell totally on tho

shoulders of Mr. Saurin, and I may say that he put

his whole heart and soul into the work, and was so

generous and loving with both scholars and teachers

that he was beloved by all.

I see another reverend gentleman mentioned in the

Magazine—the Rev. James Beers-—one who was ever

ready to hear any trouble of a Parishioner of whatever

creed. I remember a very complicated case between

two landholders, in which he took a great interest

while he was there, and got it satisfactorily settled.

Many of the old generation will remember him as a

dear gentleman and a follower of his Master, and

I pray God may bless your labours in the Parish.

I may say no person fought against Mr. Gladstone

more than I did over the Irish Church, and I say

God will punish the Liberal party yet for their foul

work.—l am, Rev. Sir, your obedient servant,

W. REAVEY.

"—July 12th, 1817.—The

" No Surrender

Centenary of a Famous Song.—The following

interesting article on the late Colonel William

Blacker, appeared in the Irish Times" of Saturday,

July 7th, 1917 :—

" Again, when treason maddened round,

And rebel hordes were swarming,

Were Derry's sons the foremost found

For King and country arming :

Forth, forth they rushed at honour's call,

From age to boyhood tender,

Again to man their virgin wall,

And sung out, " No Surrender."

To-day the cry of "No Surrender " is on the tongues

of Ulstermen, but how many are acquainted with

the source of the song or its author ? Who wrote

the song of " No Surrender "? All our acknowledged

authorities differ on the point. Sparling, in his

Irish Minstrelsy" {887), attributes it to " Charlotte

Elizabeth " (Mrs. C. . Tonna), who is also credited

with the authorship by the late D. J. O'Donoghue,

in his excellent " Dictionary of the Poets of Ireland "

(1897), The song appears anonymously, under the

title of The Crimson Bonner " in Robert Young's

(1832), while such an ardent

" Orange Ministrel "

Orangeman as William Johnstone, M.P., of Bally-

kilbeg, in his Boyne Book of Poetry and Song "

(1859), attributes it to the Rev. John Graham.

All speculation has been set at rest by the discovery,

independently of each other, by Dr. John L. Crone,

M.R.I.A, and Dr. W. H. Grbttan Flood, that the song

was undoubtedly written for the 12th of July, 1817,

by Lieutenant-Colonel William Blacker, of Carrick-

blacker, Co. Armagh. It was published in 1817.