SACRILEGE.
On Wednesday night, the 27th of December, 1827, this church was sacrilegiously broken into, and the following articles stolen, viz., two plated flagons, two plated chalices, two plated salvers, a blue cloth covering the Communion Table, and a table cloth and napkin for the same; a crimson cushion and hanging for the pulpit, the brass branches from the pulpit and those from the chandeliers in the middle aisle. On Thursday night, the 1st of February following, the church was again entered and robbed of the chandeliers, the brass curtain rods, and the cushions from the churchwardens’ and overseers’ pews.
A reward of £100 was offered by the Secretary of State, and £70 by the parish, for the discovery of the robbers, who were soon after taken, tried at Newgate, and condemned to be transported for life.
RECTORS AT THE OLD CHURCH.
The following is a list of the names of most of the rectors, commencing with the earliest one recorded, and terminating with the Hon. and Rev. G. V. Wellesley, D.D., who continued of course rector when the new St. Luke’s Church was completed. The list of subsequent rectors will be found placed in the notice of that church:—
Patrons. | Name. | Institution. |
Edward II. | Roger de Berners | 1316 |
„ | Nicholas Hosbound | 1339 |
Edward III. | Martyn de Moulish | 1348 |
„ | William Palmer | 1368 |
Abbot & Conv. West. | Thomas de Preston | 1368 |
There werealtogether 29 Rectors instituted by the Abbot and Convent ofWestminster. | ||
John Larke [19a] | 1530 | |
„ | John Richardson [19b] | 1543 |
Duchess of Somerset | Richard Ward [19c] | 1585 |
C. Cheyne, Esq. | Adam Littleton, D.D. | 1669 |
Viscount Cheyne | John King, D.D. | 1694 |
Sir Hans Sloane | Sloane Elsmere, D.D. | 1732 |
„ | Reginald Heber, M.A. | 1766 |
Earl Cadogan and Henry Stanley | Thomas Drake, D.D. | 1770 |
Lord Cadogan | W. B. Cadogan, M.A. | 1775 |
Lady Mendip and Mrs. D’Oyley | Charles Sturgess, M.A. | 1797 |
Earl Cadogan | Hon. and Rev. Dr. Wellesley | 1805 |
The Rev. Dr. Littleton was educated at Westminster School, under the celebrated Dr. Busby, and afterwards became Prebendary of Westminster. He was well skilled in the Oriental languages and in rabinnical learning. He died at Chelsea in 1694, in the 67th year of his age.
The Rev. Dr. John King was a divine of considerable literary eminence. Amongst a variety of works he published a sermon, entitled, “The Divine Favour the best Alliance; or, Repentance the Safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger; preached at the Parish Church of Chelsey,” in 1701. There is in the British Museum a small quarto volume, in manuscript, by Dr. King, containing “Remarks on the Life of Sir Thomas More,” and a letter, designed for Mr. Hearne, respecting Sir T. More’s house at Chelsea. He died in this parish in 1732, aged 80, much respected, and was buried at Pertenhall. The family of Dr. King bear the same arms with Robert King, the first Bishop of Oxford.
The Rev. Dr. Sloane Elsmere died in 1776, and left behind him a volume of sermons to be published for the benefit of the “Girls’ Charity School,” of which he was the original founder. He was a relation of Sir Hans Sloane.
The Rev. Reginald Heber received his school education at the Free School, Manchester, from whence he removed to Brasenose College, Oxford. Mr. Heber, in 1766, succeeded to a considerable estate (his elder brother dying unmarried) at Hodnet, in Shropshire; and in the same year he was inducted to the rectory of Chelsea, the presentation to which had several years before been purchased for him by his brother. He found the rectoral house in bad condition, and partly rebuilt and greatly improved the whole of it. In 1770 he exchanged the rectory of Chelsea with Dr. Drake, rector of Amersham, Bucks, for Malpas, in Cheshire. Mr. Heber married, in 1773, the daughter of the Rev. Martin Bayly, which lady died the following year, leaving an infant son, Richard Heber, who became Member for the University of Oxford. Eight years after he married, secondly, the daughter of Dr. Cuthbert Allanson, by whom he had two sons, Reginald, the late lamented Bishop of Calcutta—a prelate whose memory is revered by Christians of all denominations—the other son was Thomas Cuthbert Heber, and he had also one daughter. Mr. Heber died at Malpas in 1804, in his 76th year.