Although his majesty's malady did not
admit of his being present upon this occasion, as it is understood
he very much wished to be, he in a very condescending manner gave
directions for the payment of one thousand pounds, from his private
purse, towards the completion of the building. The body of the church
being free to all description of persons, is fitted up with benches
for their accommodation; but rent being paid to the clergyman for
kneelings in the galleries, they are finished in a style of elegance,
with mahogany, supported by light pillars of the doric order. The
church was consecrated with great solemnity on the 13th of July, 1813,
by the Honourable and Right Rev. James Cornwallis, bishop of Lichfield
and Coventry, and an appropriate sermon preached by the Rev. Edmund
Outram, D.D. the worthy rector of St. Philip's church, who selected
his text from one of the beatitudes--"_The poor have the gospel
preached unto them._"--The bishop, in whom the presentation rests,
afterwards gave to the Rev. J. Hume Spry, whom he had appointed to the
living, the sum of one hundred pounds, to purchase bibles and prayer
books, for the use of the congregation, or that part of it whom he
perceived to be the most regular in their attendance.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37