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A Visit to ---------- Church
One fine Sunday morning, a few weeks ago, I resolved to attend divine service at the village church of ----------, situated a few miles from Preston. It was a charming April day ...
On every side nature showed herself clothed in early beauty, and the salubrious air, so pure in comparison withthe smoky atmosphere of the town, braced up my nerves, and imported an additioal relish for the lovely scenes through whcih I passed ...
A little further on, I passed the Sunday scholars, who were proceeding slowly from the village school, marshalled in a long file, and watched with a jealous eye by the country schoolmaster, who, conscious of the dignity of his office, and anxious to maintain the importance with which he is regarded by the country people, deported himself with a becoming garvity ...
By the time that I had reached within a quarter of a mile of my destination, the bells of the church began to send forth their summons to worship ...
How many eventful years have they "rung in" and "rung out"? How many May days have they ushered in, awakening the peasantry to the sports of the season? They have aided in celebrating events of all descriptions from the most important to the most trifling; from the coronation of a monarch to the election of a churchwarden; and from the victories of Marlborough, Nelson, Abercrombie, and Wellington, to the triumphs of the village wrestling match ...
The cemetery, which surrounded the church, presented the rural aspect which generally marks the village burial place. Quiet graves, comfortably tucked up with oziers, were spread around, some marked by rude, moss-grown stones, inscribed simply with the initials of the deceased, while others were ornamented with elaborate art, having epitaphs on the character of the occupier of the tomb ... Here and there, surounded with iron palisades, stood the tomb of some "great" man, who having kept at a distance from his humble neighbours while living, seems determined to maintain the freezing dignity of wealth even in the grave. Fool! to suppose that the worm which battened on his corpse, treats him with more respect than it does the peasantry who moulder near him ...
From these meditations upon the tombs I was aroused by the cessation of the bell, announcing the commencement of divine service; and, hastily quitting the place where I had been standing, I approached the venerable porch of the church. Seeing that I was a stranger, the country churchwarden, who was stationed at the entrance door, showed me into the seat appropriated to the use of these functionaries of the church ...
In a few moments after my being seated, the old clerk, who looked as venerable as the church itself, proceeded, in a voice cracked with age, and a delivery mumbling through the loss of his teeth, to give out the morning hymn, an announcement which was responded to by the choir in the gallery over my head. I was unable to obtain a view of the musicians but the sounds which they gave out did not create a favourable impression of their skill; the tones which were elicited from a labouring bass-viol and an asthmatic bassoon, were not that sort which
However their exertions seemed to afford satisfaction to the congregation, most of whom joined in the hymns and chants in a manner which indicated devotion and respect. The prayers were read by the curate, a yong man of benevolent countenance and humble demeanour, and the responses were "performed" by the old clerk before mentioned. The practice of turning toward the east during the rehearsal of the creed is observed here, the minister and people all standing toward the chancel end. There is something primitve in the appearance of the congregation turning round, while professing their belief, towards that quarter of the heavens from which popular opinion maintains that the Son of man will appear when he comes to judge the world; ...
The morning prayers having concluded, the "parson" of the parish (in the legal sense of the term) ascended the pulpit, and proceeded to deliver a most excellent discourse ...
...
At the conclusion of the service, I was struck with the alacrity which the old clerk displayed in getting out of the desk, and the evident haste he was in to get out of doors before the congregation, wondering what could be his intention in so doing. But the mystery was soon solved, for on my reaching the church gates, I found this worthy functionary standing on a small eminence, waiting for the assembling of a group of listeners, and holding in his hand a manuscript. By the time I had got up to him, he commenced in his "childish treble" to announce a sale, by auction, of "household goods, pots, pans, and other utensils; a stack of excellent hay, &c" which was to take place during the week. This method of "crying a sale" is peculiar to country places, where the distance which intervenes betwixt the farmhouses and the absence of any market cross or obelisk obliges advantage to be taken of the congregation leaving the church to make an annunciation general; but still it has a ludicrous appearance to see the whole affair together - the white-headed old man in his spectacles blundering through an elaborate looking manuscript, while the folks who gathered round regarded him with the greatest gravity. As soon as he had got through his bill, he hurried back to the vestry with an air of the utmost importance.
Read a scan of the complete newspaper article HERE
from the Preston Chronicle, 15th May 1841
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