The Hon. and Rev. William Bromley Cadogan, second son of Lord Cadogan, was born in 1751, and had his education at Westminster School, from whence he was removed to Christ Church College, Oxford. He obtained several prizes at the University for classical knowledge. On the death of Dr. Drake he was presented to the rectory of Chelsea. He also became vicar of St. Giles’s, Reading. Mr. Faulkner gives a singular anecdote relating to the unsolicited offer of this vicarage to Mr. Cadogan. Lord Bathurst, who was then Chancellor, called at Lord Cadogan’s house, and desired to see him. His lordship was not at home; and the servants, seeing Lord Bathurst very plainly dressed, admitted him into the hall only, having no suspicion of his high rank. The Chancellor therefore wrote a note at the hall table, requesting Lord Cadogan to accept the vicarage of St. Giles’s, Reading, for his son. The offer of so valuable a preferment, and so near to the family seat at Caversham, was peculiarly acceptable to Lord Cadogan. It appeared, however, that the parishioners were deeply affected by the death of the Rev. Mr. Talbot, their late vicar, and equally grieved at the appointment of his successor; but they flattered themselves that the new vicar, being a young gentleman of noble family, would feel no disposition to do the duties himself, and that the Rev. Mr. Halward, who had been recently appointed, and towards whom they already were much attached, might be continued in the curacy. A petition for this purpose was presented to Mr. Cadogan, but it was rejected with strong marks of disapprobation. The old congregation therefore became dispersed. Some of them, under the patronage of the Countess of Huntingdon, opened a place for Divine worship for themselves, while others, who were unwilling to leave the church altogether, thought that they perceived marks of sincerity in his conduct and preaching, attempted, by frequent admonitory letters, to convince Mr. Cadogan of what they considered to be his “errors,” and to set him “right.” On this occasion several letters passed between him and Mrs. Talbot, the widow of the previous vicar, whose house was opened for religious exercises, and where prayer was occasionally offered up for his conversion. Mr. Cadogan is said to have been highly offended, but at length, humbled and subdued, he fell at the feet of accumulated kindness, and confessed to the last moment of his life, that “Mrs. Talbot’s letters and example were the principal means of leading him to the saving knowledge of Christ.” It produced, it appears, a great change in his manner of preaching, and led the way to his intimacy with the Rev. Mr. Hill, Mr. Romaine, and others, who were distinguished by the title of popular preachers. He likewise offered the curacy to Mr. Halward, who previously he had but “lightly esteemed,” but that gentleman had then accepted some preferment which prevented him from acceding to the offer. Mr. Cadogan divided his time between Chelsea and Reading; but finding his labours in both places too arduous, he let the rectory-house, and left Chelsea in charge of the Rev. Mr. Middleton, his curate, except at the season of Lent, and of the Sacrament, on which occasions the church was crowded. Mr. Cadogan was seized at Reading on a Thursday evening, after his lecture, with an inflammation of the bowels, and departed this life on the following Tuesday, expressing with his lips that which was his “glorious theme, the unbounded love of Christ.” He died in 1797, aged 46.
A monument, designed by Bacon, is erected in the church at Reading. Beneath the inscription are the crosier or pastoral staff; the rod of Aaron, which budded and yielded almonds; and the book mentioned in the Revelations, as sealed with seven seals.
The Rev. Charles Sturges was presented to this rectory in 1797. Respectful mention is made of him in Mrs. Trimmer’s publication on the Sunday Schools of Old Brentford. He has a copy of Latin verses in the Musæ Etonenses, and another in the Academiæ Cantabrigiensis Luctus, on the death of George II. The sudden death of Mr. Sturges was another verification of that passage in our Burial Service, “In the midst of life we are in death,” &c., which he had read many times at the graves of the parishioners. He expired on the 22nd of April, 1805, after only half an hour’s illness, from an apoplectic seizure, immediately before the hour of dinner, at the rectory of Loddington, Northamptonshire, and his remains were interred in the chancel of that church.
The Hon. and Rev. Gerald Valerian Wellesley, D.D., succeeded Mr. Sturgess. A notice of him will be found in the account of the New Parish Church.
The Rev. R. H. Davies, M.A., who had been previously senior curate of the new Parish Church, succeeded the Rev. John Rush when he died in 1855, as Incumbent of the Old Church. Through his exertions and instrumentality, a small vestry, or robing room, has been attached to the church. The great inconvenience and injury to the Minister’s health, arising from his having to walk across the churchyard in his robes, and also to change them, especially in the winter months, had been sadly experienced and justly complained of by almost every officiating clergyman in my recollection. Very considerable alterations and great improvements have likewise been made in the interior of the church, during the fourteen years that Mr. Davies has been the Incumbent, without interfering greatly with its ancient architecture. Perhaps the best way to convey an adequate idea of what has been accomplished will be to give an account of the expenses, taken from a Report recently published.
| The New Gallery | £395 | 11 | 0 |
| Re-pewing | 420 | 13 | 6 |
| New Stoves, &c. | 44 | 15 | 0 |
| Iron Railing | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| Ventilators | 32 | 18 | 9 |
| East Window | 83 | 18 | 7 |
| Reading Desk | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| New Vestry, &c | 94 | 14 | 3 |
| Corona in Chancel | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Alterations to Organ | 60 | 0 | 0 |
A great part of the cost of these extensive and essential alterations was contributed by the Trustees for building the new St. Luke’s Church; a very large portion by the liberal contributions of the congregation, and a part also by the Rev. Mr. Davies’s own friends not connected with the church, and others to whom he applied. The schools, as will be seen, have been greatly benefitted, and various charitable societies established, by which means vast blessings have been conferred on the poor in the neighbourhood.
PETYT’S SCHOOL ROOM AND VESTRY.
In the year 1706, a Vestry Room and School Room, with apartments for a master, were erected at the expense of W. Petyt, Esq. [23] There is a descriptive inscription upon the west front of the school room, which records the donation, at the conclusion of which it is added, “To all which may God give a blessing. Soli Deo Gloria.” The original deed of gift is entered in the Vestry minutes. Mr. Petyt resided in Church (lane) Street, and died there in 1707, aged 71, but was buried in the Temple Church. He was a member of the Inner Temple, and Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London.
In 1819 there were 100 boys and girls educated and clothed free of any expense to their parents. The girls at that period were instructed in a house rented in Lordship’s Place, near Cheyne Row. These schools, with the master and mistress, were transferred to the new School Rooms, at the back of the present Parish Church.