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.
ST. MARK’S, NOTTING-HILL.
St. Mark’s, Notting-hill, takes one by surprise, it being almost hidden from view until the visitor turns the corner of the St. Mark’s-road. The west elevation possesses some good composition, and is boldly treated. The tower stands at the south-west angle of the building, and is surmounted by a broached spire, covered with slate in coloured bands, and terminating in a weathercock, with the cardinal points indicated, relieved by spire lights. The spire dies into a square brick tower, banded in colour with stone dressing. The belfry windows are deeply recessed with marble shafts and foliated caps, with sharp-pointed lancets. The tower also contains one of the western entrances to church, which forms an excellent feature. It is treated as a square-headed double door, with the tympanum enclosed by a large hood mould, encircling well-carved panels in relief, containing the emblems of the Evangelists. The principal gable contains a three-light, simply-designed west window, with a series of lancets, and small buttresses below. A porch also at the north-west angle, in harmony with the rest of the front is plainly and boldly designed, and is flanked by a stone pinnacle, the use of which we do not quite understand. One of the most striking portions of the outside, however, are a series of flying buttresses, which are, unfortunately, nearly hidden from view by the closely-surrounding houses. These buttresses spring from square piers, standing perfectly free from the church, and in perspective giving the effect of a north and south cloister arcade. The finials are of iron.
Entering the church by either of the before-mentioned porches, they lead into large lobbies, containing the gallery stairs, separated by screen walls one from the other; in the northwest porch is a large and handsome stone bench, the elbows well cut, and each ornamented with a Maltese cross.
The interior may really be said to be grand, owing very much to the imposing height of the nave and the fearless nature of the detail of roof and clerestory; the bold ribs, the bold sustaining caps and corbels, all with sharply-defined and clean cut foliage, indicating a skilled hand in design. We confess not to be very fond of many bands of brick and stone, they give to an interior a sliced appearance and take away from the effect of space; yet, notwithstanding this defect, there can be no question of a fine effect of heights.
The detail of galleries—the arrangement of the arcade and iron columns, with the clustered angle columns at the transepts—resembles St. George’s, Campden-hill, which was planned from the pattern of St. Mark’s. The transept and chancel aisle arcade is also similarly treated. The church is cruciform in plan, with the galleries free of the transepts. The north transept contains the organ in a sort of high-legged loft, which rather looks like putting the organ out of the way. A fine chancel-arch shows nearly the whole of the apsidal chancel, the walls of which are well-covered with a tessalace of tiles. Seven steps lead up to the Communion space, the pulpit is raised on four clustered shafts of red Mansfield stone, with richly-carved caps, and handsomely enclosed with good ironwork, instead of the usual stone box. The choir-stalls and prayer-desk are complete and of good design, and the brass lectern is well-raised. The pewing and bench-ends strike us as being too heavy. The font is peculiarly elegant and graceful, and is a good specimen of early work. The passages are all paved with tile of dark colour. The style of the church is early English ornately treated, if anything perhaps a little too much so, the charm and beauty of early work being its extreme simplicity.
St. Mark’s was consecrated on Nov. 27, 1863, by Bishop Tait, the foundation-stone having been laid Nov. 1 in the previous year. E. B. Keeling, Esq., was the architect, and Messrs. Dove, Bros., the builders, and the cost in all 7,720l. A debt of about 1,000l. on the building account was discharged by the contributions of the congregation within the first three years. The site was given by Mr. Blake, a freeholder in Notting-hill, and the sum of 5,000l. presented towards the building by the present patron—a great gift and benefit to the locality. The church is furnished with a good organ, built originally by Hunter and Webb at a cost of 450l., but which has been considerably improved since by Bryceson, by the addition of several stops, including the vox humana, at the moderate further outlay of 65l. The instrument is skilfully employed in the service by Mr. Tamplin, professor of music, who has associated with him rather a numerous choir, which has, within the last twelve months only, taken to surplices. In the first instance the service at this church was Evangelically plain; but within the last three years, monotoning the prayers and chanting the psalms have been introduced, as well as a large increase of Eucharistic celebrations, and now more recently the surpliced choir. These changes have occurred under the same pastorate—that of the Rev. Edward Kaye Kendall—who has been Vicar of St. Mark’s from its foundation. Mr. Kendall is an enlightened and able minister, as is evident from his pastoral circulars and the good reputation he has among his people; and we presume is fully satisfied in his own mind as to these changes, although some others have not approved them. His congregation is good. The church, including the accommodation of telescopic seats, will hold 1,500, 1,000 of the sittings being rentable, and 500 free. The average congregation is about a thousand or over; and, together with a large proportion of the higher middle class, there are many poor. Earnest parochial work is being done. Quite recently capital school buildings have been erected in St. Mark’s road, where there is an average attendance on week-days of near 400 children of both sexes, including infants, and on Sundays 350. At the first a house close to the site was rented and used as a school, but soon it was so crowded in every room, and even on the stairs, that to obtain better accommodation became a necessity, and it is gratifying to note that the liberality of Mr. Kendall’s friends and congregation has enabled him to accomplish this work with so much expedition and success. A separate service is held for the children on Sunday mornings in the schoolrooms, conducted principally by lay-helpers, whose church-work the Vicar is very anxious to utilise. Once a-month the children are also taken to a service in the church in the afternoon. There is a “Lay-helpers’ Association,” the members of which, with the district visitors, have done much towards filling the church with people, and in extending parochial work in general. There is also a “Mothers’ Meeting,” a “Clothing Repository,” a Provident and a Maternity and Sick Funds, a Needlewomen’s Institution, a Lending Library, and a Soup-kitchen in winter. For these various objects, as well as for several foreign Christian enterprises, the offertory account amounted last year to 663l. 2s. 6d. There is no endowment, and the clergy are supported and all expenditure provided for by the pew-rents and other voluntary means. The usual services are: Sundays, at 11, 3.30 p.m., and 7 p.m. Weekdays, on Wednesday, prayers at 11 a.m., and Fridays prayers at 11 a.m., and prayers and sermon at 7.30 p.m. Communion every Sunday at 8.30 a.m., and after morning service, and on every holy day falling on a weekday at 8 a.m.
We had not the opportunity of hearing the Rev. Vicar on Sunday, July 23, 1871, his place being supplied by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Honolulu (Dr. Staley). The prayers were monotoned by the Rev. F. F. Kelly, LL.M., who succeeded to the curacy at Christmas last, upon the removal of the Rev. A. H. Dunn to Acton, where we understand the latter is very usefully employed as a missionary in originating a new church, of which he is to be the future vicar.