ST. JAMES’S, NOTTING HILL.
St. James’s, Notting-hill, is situated in the Addison-Road North, and is seen to some advantage at the entrance to the road. From its central position, its square tower and sharp pinnacles look grey and old, an appearance which the church loses upon closer inspection. It is built of grey brick, with moulded angle bricks and slight stone dressings, and the low-pitched roofs are covered with slate. The plan of the church consists of a nave and aisles, with an apsidal chancel, the tower forming an excrescent on the south side, about the middle of the nave. This tower acts as a porch on the lower story, and has a ringing floor on the gallery level; these galleries surround the church on three sides, extending to the arcades. In style the church is a revival of the early English, and, like all churches of the period, is full of mistakes, though as a specimen of that age it is perhaps a very fair example. But the efforts of revivalists must not be forgotten; much of our perfection, if it can yet be called so, is due to their endeavours. The iron columns of the nave are worthy of remark, showing how very well iron could be treated even in those days. The roofs are open, and though rather heavy possess some fair effect. The windows are chiefly without tracery, and the stained glass is poor. The pewing is very simple; the pulpit high. The prayer-desk and oak-eagle lectern speak of a desire for better things. The font is poor and too perpendicular. The organ is in the western gallery. The decoration of the nave is not well done; it is evidently the work of an unskilful hand. There is no need for Greek ornament in a Gothic building; surely there is scope enough for the ornamentalist in Gothic work without going to the Greeks for examples.
St. James’s, Notting-hill, is one of the older modern suburban churches, having been built more than a quarter of a century ago, which is a great deal to say as compared with a number of the churches we are now reviewing. It accommodates 1,100 persons, and 500 of the sittings are free, which is in larger proportion than general. It has national schools attached to it, where 135 boys, 100 girls, and 150 infants are instructed according to the principles of the Church of England. These schools are kept up at a cost of about 500l. per annum, about 170l. of which is obtained by Government grant, about 140l. from the children’s fees, and the remainder from subscriptions and offertories. There are Mothers’ Meetings and a District visiting Society, with which is connected a mission woman and a mission-house in Crescent-street, where extra services are held. Also a Maternity Charity, and the “St. James’s Norland and Potteries Benevolent Society,” and an “Auxiliary Church Missionary Society.” Help is also given to the Additional Curates Society and the Bishop of London’s Fund. All these charities and works were well inaugurated in the time of the former Vicar, the Rev. T. P. Holdich, and have been well sustained since his removal—three years ago—by the Rev. George T. Palmer, M.A., his successor, and the present Vicar. An important alteration, however, has been made in the mode of providing the necessary funds. Formerly it was done by special annual charity sermons; but for this method Mr. Palmer has substituted, we are informed with some advantage to the interests concerned, a weekly offertory, or collection taken at every Sunday morning service, which is apportioned among all the charities and calls, according to their relative claims. This covers everything, and beyond it there is nothing but a church-rate, voluntarily given, amounting to about 25l. per annum. From these sources and the pew-rents the clergy are maintained, the church expenses met, and the charities supported. The Curate, up to Michaelmas-day last, was the Rev. P. E. Monkhouse, M.A., which appointment he resigned on accepting the head-mastership of the Notting-hill Proprietary School, in order to devote the whole of his time to the education of the boys entrusted to his charge. Mr. Monkhouse, however, still gives his services to Mr. Palmer, and preaches frequently. His successor is the Rev. I. Cammack. On the occasion of our visit the latter read, or rather monotoned the prayers with a clear voice, and Mr. Monkhouse read the two lessons with good taste and effect. Mr. Palmer himself read in the Communion Service and preached the sermon. In giving notice of the Communion for the following Sunday morning, the rev. gentleman dispensed with the usual form, and simply made the announcement that it would take place at nine a.m. The sermon was founded on 1 Peter iii. 13: “And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good!”
The sermon was extempore, expository, and instructive. What it was to follow good was well expounded; and the limitations with which the implied promise was to be understood clearly set forth. Although the Christian’s lot was not to be represented too darkly, it was not to be supposed that he had no trials or suffered no evils. Yet, after all, many of his trials did not arise from his following good, but rather from his not doing so in some particulars in connexion with which his trials arose. Mr. Palmer has thoroughly entered into the labours of his predecessors. He has, however, instituted a few changes as to which some members of the congregation, who could bear no variation from the order of things under their old pastor, took offence and betook themselves elsewhere—not in any great numbers, but it was sufficient to draw from the rev. gentleman a justification in his first pastoral. Therein he shows that some of the changes, especially in regard to the offertory, were contemplated by Mr. Holdich; and as to the conduct of the service, he had done nothing but what was in accordance with the Rubric. To allay all suspicions of a Ritualistic tendency which had, he says, “unjustly, though not unnaturally risen,” he declares to his flock his belief that “the practices commonly known as Ritualistic are as much opposed to the spirit and structure of the Prayer-book as they were for the most part unknown in the worship of the Church in the apostolic age, and that every decision in the ecclesiastical courts had made this conclusion more plain.” There is no pretence for styling Mr. Palmer a Ritualist nor a High Churchman. His service occupies a position between the latter and what is known as extreme Low Church. His prayers are not intoned, but monotoned; his music is Anglican; his chancel is freshened up with modest ornament; the choir, although not surpliced, is very efficient; the hymns used are “Hymns Ancient and Modern.” He considers that “a dislike to Ritualism had in many cases produced tediously dreary services, and painfully indecorous conduct in church,” and has been influenced by a desire to give “heartiness” and “reverence” to the service. The words are probably a little too strong to convey the true meaning. Tedium and indecorum are, alas, things incidental to High service as well as Low, and must by no means be connected essentially with a plain and simple performance of worship. Mr. Palmer has an interesting, well-conducted congregation of a very respectable class, with a fair intermixture of the humbler classes, especially in the evening. It struck us that the assembly was heartily devout; but was not yet thoroughly congregational in the singing. The last published pastoral bears evidence to the energy with which the minister follows out his plans for usefulness; but he has occasion still to notice a degree of unpunctuality in attendance at the service, many not being in their places at the reading of the general confession. It is gratifying to see a clergyman dealing faithfully with his people and entering into the details of their practice, not shrinking from pointing out their failings as occasion offers, but in an anxious and kindly spirit. For this Mr. Palmer is to be admired, and his people will love him all the more. Shortcomers have no objection to be faithfully dealt with, if done in a genial temper; and it is a mistake to suppose that winking at irregularities of this kind pleases anybody.
Beyond the church and church work there are few things to be noticed in St. James’s. We have only been able to ascertain one very special matter of interest, which was found in the book of the register of marriages. The marriage of a certain Edward Walker and Ann Whinfield Williams, which took place on Sept. 30, 1847, was attested by no less a personage than the present ex-Emperor Napoleon—then as now an exile in this country. As we read the handwriting, “Napoleon Louis B.,” followed by another, “Count de Montauban,” a crowd of reflections rushed to our minds such as probably our own age alone could supply.
Services on Sunday are at 11 a.m., 3.30, and 7 p.m. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first, third, and fifth Sunday in the month after “Morning Prayer,” and on other Sundays at 9 a.m.