Previous to the restoration of the building, the Church, both inside and out, had undergone many changes, to afford space; low, gloomy galleries, scarcely permitting headway for the congregation when standing, whilst the common house-shaped and dormant windows disfigured it in all directions. In a dark gallery at the west, in 1813, was placed an organ, [91a] built by Lincoln. It was opened on the 7th of March, that year, by Mr. Nathaniel Cook. A small organ loft occupies the space over the vestry room, but it does not at present boast of an organ. Formerly there were several tablets on the belfry walls, recording peals which had been rung in the tower. Their places are now occupied by sundry monuments that were formerly fixed in other parts of the edifice; and some few of the ringing records have been removed to the club-room of the Brighton Society of Change Ringers, at the Running Horse Inn, King street, [91b] while the remainder fell into the hands of a marine-store dealer. The Running Horse Inn was formerly known as the Hen and Chicken; and in 1792, and for several years afterwards, was kept by Mr. John Pocock, who at that time was a sawyer by occupation. In 1795, he received the appointment of Clerk at the Chapel Royal, when that place of public worship was first opened; and after retaining the situation for thirteen years, he was appointed Clerk of the Parish, in which office he continued for thirty-eight years, dying on the 13th of June, 1846, at the ripe old age of four score and one years. The oldest ringers’ tablet preserved is thus inscribed:—

May 24th, 1779, was rung in this tower by the Society of Cumberland Youths, a true and complete peal of 11,088 changes, Bob Major, performed in six hours and fifty minutes, in order as follows, viz:

George Cross Treble, London.
Thomas Jones 2nd, Horsham.
Thomas Lintott 3rd, Horsham.
Joseph Willard 4th, Chiddingly.
Edward Simmonds 5th, Islington.
John Wheatly 6th, Epsom.
James Wilson 7th, Cuckfield.
B. Simmonds Tenor, Leatherhead.

N.B.—The Bobs were called by G. Cross.

The most commemorative is:—

On January 29th, 1820, being the accession of King George IV., was rung in this tower, by the Brighton Society of Change Ringers, a true and complete peal of 5,040 changes of Bob Major, in three hours and six minutes, by persons in order as follows, viz.:—

William Reynolds

Treble.

John Pocock

5th

James Parsons

2nd

James Potter

6th

Richard Bodle

3rd

William Wells

7th

Edward Honeyset

4th

Isaac Tester

Tenor.

Conducted by IsaacTester.

The present sexton is Mr. John Shelley, who succeeded his father, Mr. William Shelley, on his retirement from the office, at Easter, 1860. The predecessor of Shelley, sen., was Mantell, the successor of Richard Jeffery, in July, 1806.

Chapter XV.
DR. VICESIMUS KNOX AND THE SURREY MILITIA.

During the time of the Brighton Camp, in the autumn of 1793, the Surrey Militia were quartered in the town; and the Parish Church being then the only place of worship in Brighton, in connexion with the Established form of Religion, it was not an uncommon occurrence for some of the officers and men of that regiment, to attend at the morning service on the Sunday.