September 1929

Seagoe Parish Magazine.

SEPTEMBER, 1929.

RECTOR:

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

Portadown.

LAY READER (Bishop's Licence):

Mr. Robt. Gracey, 23 Railway Street, Portadown.

CHURCHWARDENS:

Rector's—George Henry Wilson.

People's—John Harrison Twinem.

Harvest Thanksgiving Services.

The Annual Thanksgiving Services for the Blessings

of Harvest will be held (D.V.) in the Parish Church on

Thursday, October 17th, at 8 p.m. The preacher will be

the Rev. W. T. Grey, M.A., a former Curate of Seagoe

and for 12 years a Missionary in Japan. Mr. Gray is

at present Deputation Secretary in Ireland for the

Jews' Society. The offerings at this Service will be

given to Foreign Missions. The Harvest Services will

be continued on the following Sunday. Oct. 20th, at

Morning and Evening Prayer. Further particulars

regarding the Services will be announced in our next

issue.

Hacknahay.

Harvest Thanksgiving Services will be held (D.V.)

in Hacknahay School on Sunday, Sept. 29th, at 3-30 p.m.

and on Monday, Sept. 30th, at 8 p.m. The offerings on

Sunday will be on behalf of the local Sunday School Funds,

and on Monday for Foreign Missions.

District Harvest Services.

Provisional arrangements have been made for holding

Harvest Thanksgiving Services in the following centres

on the following dates: —

Carne—Sunday, Oct. 6th, at 3-30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 7th, at 8 p.m.

Drumgor—Sunday, Oct. 13th, at 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 14th. at 8 p.m.

Levaghery—Sunday, Oct. 27th, at 3-30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 28th, at 8 p.m.

Edenderry—Friday, Nov. 1st, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 3rd, at 3-30 p.m.

The offerings at the Sunday Services will be on

behalf of the local Sunday School Fund and at the

weekly Services on behalf of Foreign Missions.

The Tower of St. Mark's.

The Memorial Tower of St. Mark's Church, in

Portadown, is rising rapidly from its foundations and

becoming a feature of the town. Its massive proportions

and handsome architectural design will make it a

worthy memorial of the brave men who laid down

their lives in the Great War. When it is completed

and its peal of bells are hung it will be a great ornament

for the town, as well as a fitting completion to St. Mark's

Church,

"Palestine Life."

On Friday evening, October 18th, the Rev. W. Grey

will hold a "Palestine Life" meeting in Edenderry Parochial

Hall. It will begin at 7-30 p.m. The charge for tickets will

be one shilling. Tea will be provided. Mr. Grey will bring

with him many exhibits to illustrate life in Palestine. Tickets

will be on sale during October. Mr. Grey has given this

entertainment at many places in Southern Ireland and

through it has aroused much interest in Christian work

amongst the Jews. Secure your ticket in good time.

Religious Education.

Sermons on behalf of the Diocesan Board of

Religious Education will be preached in the Parish

Church on Sunday, September 8th, at Morning and

Evening Prayer. The Board of Education is one of

the most important organisations in the Diocese.

Its members are elected annually by the Diocesan

Synod. The Board acts as Trustees for almost all

the school buildings in the Diocese. It supervises

the Educational Endowments in the Diocese and

controls all the educational machinery of the Diocese.

It provides a staff of clergy whose duty is to hold

annual examinations in Religious Knowledge in the

Public Elementary Schools. It also publishes the

Diocesan Calendar for our Sunday Schools and holds

each year the Bishop's Medal Examination. It also

provides courses of lectures for Sunday School

Teachers. The Board is entitled to receive the generous

support of all who value the Religious Education of

the children of the Church.

A Pretty Wedding.

One of the prettiest Weddings that has taken place

in Seagoe in recent times was that of Mr. Henry

Millar and Miss Minnie Shearman on September

2nd. There was a large congregation present. The

bride was given away by her father, Mr. William

Shearman. The, bride was presented with a gift

of a handsomely bound Prayer Book and Hymnal

by the Sunday School Teachers of Edenderry Morning

Sunday School, where she had been a valued helper

for some years. The bridal party were photographed

after the ceremony by Mr. Moffatt at his studio in

Edenderry.

Seagoe Mothers' Union.

There will be no meeting of the Mothers Union

this month, but the members will meet as usual on

Tuesday, October 8th. Further particulars as to the

meeting will be given in our next issue.

Parish Register for August.

Baptisms

The following were baptized in the Parish Church

on August 3rd. 1929: -

Rainey—William John, son of Samuel and Elizabeth

Rainey, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Minnie Hewitt, Elizabeth Rainey.

Whiteside—Harold George, son of Ferguson and

Mary Whiteside, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Sarah Anne Woods, Mary Whiteside.

Parker—Malcolm Brian, son of Herbert John and

Mary Florence Parker, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Mary Maria Crawford, Mary Florence

Parker.

Hamilton—John, son of William John and Norah

Hamilton, of Edenderry.

Sponsors—Gertrude Freeburn, Norah Hamilton.

Heyburn—Harold, son of William James and Mary

Jane Heyburn, of Edenderry.

Sponsors - Elizabeth Clayton, Mary Jane Heyburn.

PRIVATE BAPTISM.

Sands—Aug. 3rd, 1929, James. son of James and Anne

Sands, of Edenderry.

Marriages.

Stanfield and Boyd—Aug. 20th, 1929. William Stanfield.

R.U.C., of Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone, to Margaret Boyd,

of Edenderry.

Millar and Sherman—Sept. 2nd, 1929, Henry Millar,

of Portadown, to Mary Isobel Sherman, of

Edenderry.

Allen and Gracey—Aug. 21st, 1929. at St. Paul's Episcopal

Church, Windsor, Vermont, U.S.A., by the Rev. Robert

Child Wilson, Charlotte, eldest daughter of Mr. and

Mrs. Arthur Allen, Carrick Blacker Road, Portadown,

to Allan, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Gracey, of

Castle St., Portadown.

Burials.

White—Aug. 22nd, James White, of Killicomaine,

aged 68 years.

Ramsey—Sept. 4th, Anne Jane Ramsey, of Kernan,

aged 85 years.

Seagoe P.E. School.

The School re-opened after the summer holidays

on Wednesday, August 14th, with a large assemblage

of pupils. The School building has been much improved

and further improvements are in progress. Externally the

School has been re-painted. The finely-carved date-stone

recording the fact that the present building was erected

in 1859, has been renewed and the lettering painted.

The words "Laus Deo," meaning "Praise to God," have

been restored, having been almost obliterated by exposure

to the weather.

Death of Mrs. Ramsey.

It is with much regret that we record this month

the death of Mrs. Anne Jane Ramsey. of Kernan.

Mrs. Ramsey had been all her life closely associated

with Seagoe Parish. She was a member of the Costello

family, of Carne, and a sister of Mr. Andrew Costello

and of the late Mr. Atkinson Costello. Mrs. Ramsey

had reached an advanced age, but she was always so

active and so energetic that no one who knew her

could realise that she had long passed the allotted

span of life. Until a few weeks ago she was going

about as usual. We offer our sincere sympathy to

Mr. Ramsey and all the members of the family in

their bereavement.

The Well at Seagoe.

The new well which has been sunk at Seagoe

School reached a depth of 52 feet before water was

reached. At that depth two layers of sand were

uncovered. The well-sinker, Patrick Tighe, had just

come up from the bottom of the well when the

sides fell in, burying his pick and shovel, and a

great rush of water made its way into the well.

Water diviners had prophesied that there was a

abundant spring of water under the surface of the

School ground. A few evenings before the water

appeared the forked twig held by a diviner bent so

sharply that the twig broke in his hand. Rector and

Mr. James Twinem had a somewhat similar experience

when testing for water in the school ground last year.

The primary purpose for which the well was sunk was

to provide water for use at Old Seagoe graveyard, but

it will also prove of much use in supplying water to the

neighbouring residents and to the School.

C.L.B. Social.

A very pleasant social evening was spent by the

Seagoe C.L.B. in the Parochial Hall or Thursday

August 29th, The parents of the lads and their

friends had been invited, and a goodly company was

present when proceedings began. Tea was provided

and after this came music and games. Mr. Gracey,

Captain of the C.L.B., had organised the entertainment

and everybody enjoyed it to the full. C.L.B. resumed

its weekly parade on Monday, September 2nd, and is

looking forward to an interesting and profitable winter

session.

The Junior C.L.B. meets in the Parochial Hall on

Tuesday evenings.

Girls' Bible Class.

The Girls' Bible Class meets in Seagoe School

every Sunday morning at 10 o'clock. It is taught

by Mr. R. Scott, Principal of Seagoe School. We

invite the girls and young women of the Parish to

join the class and thus to have an opportunity each

Sunday morning of receiving careful instruction

the truths of God's Word. Seagoe School is very

central for such a class.

Old Seagoe Notes.

Seagoe Yeomanry in 1833. —The following cutting

is extracted from a recent copy of the "Portadown

Times." The Seagoe Infantry or Yeomanry played

an important part in helping the British Government

during the strenuous days of the Napoleonic wars.

We have not yet been able to ascertain whether any

Seagoe soldier fought at Waterloo. We believe it is

very probable that Seagoe was represented on that

historic field. Perhaps some of our readers may

Lieut. names of the Seagoe, Portadown and Tandragee

Yeomanry are in the following list: —

PORTADOWN.

Captain Commandant Curran Woodhouse, date of

Commission 22nd March, 1817.

Captain Wm. Atkinson, 24th April, 1804.

Lieut. J. O. Woodhouse, 9th November, 1820.

Lieut. W. H. Woodhouse.

Lieut. W. H. Woodhouse.

Lieut. Richmond Pepper, 8th December. 1830.

Lieut. George Woodhouse, 13th January, 1831.

Benjamin Mallagh was given as an officer in a

former list.

SEAGOE

1st Capt. Lieut.-Col. Blacker, 31st October, 1796.

2nd Captain James Blacker. 16th November, 1814.

3rd Captain Thomas Fulton, 1st December, 1821.

Lieut. Stewart Blacker, 19th January, 1831.

Lieut. Wm. Hickland, 24th April, 1833.

Lieut. Wm. Browne, 16th November, 1814.

Lieut. John Joint, 27th June, 1823.

Lieut. Wm. Fisher, 31st May, 1804.

Lieut. George Dickson, 1st December, 1821.

Lieut. Wolsey Sloane, 25th April, 1833.

TANDRAGEE.

Capt. Geo. Washington Patten, 26th April. 1816

Lieut. Abraham Hardy, 16th December, 1830.

Lieut. R. Trotter.

Lieut. Wm. Acheson.

Lieut. James Hardy, 4th April, 1831.

These corps were called out to aid the civil power

in 1821.

The Barony of O'Neilland in 1683 —The following

reference to the Barony of O'Neilland, in which the

Parish of Seagoe is situated, dates back over 200

years and is of practical interest to the parishioners

of to-day: —

The two baronies of O'Neiland West and East, in

County Armagh, were formerly known by the general

name of O'Neiland, and a letter written in 1682 by one

William Brooke gives a quaint and interesting description

of the district. “The soile of this barony," he wrote, "is

very deep and fertile, being productive of all sorts of

grain, as wheat, rye, barley, oats, &c. The vast quantity

of wheat that is yearly carried hence into the county of

Antrim, besides the maintenance of above two thousand

families with bread, which number I find to inhabit this

small barony, most whereof being English, do plainly

demonstrate it to be the granary of Ulster; and one of

Cere's chiefest barns for corn; and as it excels all the

rest for corn, so it challenges the preference for fruit

trees, good sider being sold here for 30 shillings the

hogshead. The farmers here are injoyned by their leases

to plant apple trees proportionable to the quantity of

their land; so that if the sinfullness of the people do not

forestall those blessings of peace and plenty which God

in His bounty designs for us, this county twenty or thirty

years hence will be little inferior to the best sider county

in England.

Men's Bible Class.

The Men's Bible Class meets in the Orange Hall,

Edenderry, every Sunday morning at 10-15. Its

membership is very large, running up at present to about

96 in number. The members, under the guidance of Mr. R.

Gracey, our Lay Reader are studying the Book of the Acts

of the Apostles. We invite others of our parishioners to

join the class. There is no greater help towards living the

Christian life, than a regular study of God's Word, and

membership in a Bible Class such as this provides our

men with a great opportunity. We hope that the men who

attend the class will come on after the class to the Church.

The right use of our Sundays as days not merely of rest

from work but of attendance at Public Worship in the Parish

Church is a duty which every devout Christian and loyal

Churchman should observe.

ITEMS.

The sewage pipes in connection with the Portadown

Main Drainage scheme are being laid through Lower

and Upper Seagoe.

***

Some meadows still remain uncut owing to the

unsettled weather.

***

Mr. R. Gracey, is having a holiday in Scotland.

***

The Rector thanks a correspondent in Brisbane

for interesting papers describing the Anzac Memorial

Services held last April in Brisbane Cathedral.

***

The Select Vestry at their meeting on September

3rd, passed a resolution of regret and sympathy on

the death of Mr. Thomas J. Montgomery.

***

The cause of a spot of damp over one of our Church

windows has been discovered and is about to be

remedied. Several sources of dampness in the Church

walls have been in recent years examined into and

successfully removed.

***

Some of the graves and tombstones in the ground

around the Church are much in need of attention.

***

Many of the graves in Old Seagoe graveyard

are now kept bright with beautiful flowers. This is

as it should be.

***

Many new houses are in course of erection in the

Parish, especially along the Lurgan Road.

***

Hedges need close cutting again at many corners

if accidents are to be avoided and life and limb

safeguarded.

***

The exterior of Edenderry Parochial Hall has

recently been painted.

***

Portadown Shopping Week was a great success.

Many of the shop windows were very beautifully

arranged. We noticed the names of a large number

of Seagoe parishioners in the lists of prize-winners.

***

Cases of theft have recently occurred in the Parish.

Tramps and beggars of all descriptions are allowed

to frequent our roads and the streets of our town.

This has become not merely a public nuisance but

a danger. Every Monday and Saturday a horde of

such unworthy people descend on our neighbourhood

and are generously helped by the gifts of our people.

The deserving poor are left to shift for themselves.

***

The Annual Report has now been published and

will be circulated without delay.

***

Seagoe P.E. School was for many years known

as No. 11149. The Ministry of Education have now

re-numbered the Schools in Northern Ireland, and

Seagoe School becomes No. 1023.

***

The accounts for the excursion to Newcastle have

been closed and the following are the items: —Sale

of tickets, £83 5s; Mothers' Union subscription, £10;

total receipts, £93 5s 0d. Paid G.N.R. for tickets,

£7 9s 0d; Messrs. Davison, £20 6s 3d; Mr. Dermott,

£3 1s 5d; hire of Hall, £3, printing. 19s. Total

expenditure £84 15s 8d. Balance in hand £8 9s 4d.

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 Sunday of each Month at

3 p.m., and during any Service in the Parish Church,

notice to be given; Two Sponsors at least are required.

The father and mother must be present. 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,

12.30 a.m.

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—Wednesday 8 p.m.

CLASSES, &c.

ADULT CLASSES – Sunday at 10 a.m. For men - Edenderry

For Women – Seagoe School

SUNDAY SCHOOLS - 10-00 a.m. Edenderry Parochial

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

Parochial Hall, Levaghery, Hacknahay, Carne,

Drumgor.

MOTHERS' UNION—2nd Tuesday of each month

DAY SCHOOL, 9-15 a.m. Principal—Mr. R. Scott.

MARRIAGES must be performed between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Licenses are issued by Rev. 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.

A copy of the Magazine will be sent by post to any subscriber for 3s per annum.