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DIR E CTO RY .]

B E R K S H IR E .

ABINGDON.

19

The Baptist chapel, in Ock street, is a building in a
the nave roof was entirely renewed in English oak, and
a panelled and em battled parapet, with numerous quasi-Classic style, lying back some distance from the
carved shields, was built upon the north wall ; the floor s tre e t; the front exhibits four huge pillars supporting a
was also relaid with small blocks, tiles and disturbed heavy p ed im en t; the chapel, erected in 1841, was com­
gravestones ; the old pulpit refixed and the chancel and pletely restored in 1882 at a cost of ¿750, and has an
¿nave refitted in oak ; the modern heraldic glass, with attached b a p tiste ry ; further improvements were made
■which the east and other windows were previously in 1893 and 1898, when it was ceiled anew and a new
filled, including a shield of arms of Richard Plantagenet, organ provided. In 1902 the adjacent school room was
Duke' of York, was wholly removed and sold ; some may completely restored ; extending from the front to the
still be seen in the windows of Barton Court ; the late entrance gates next the street is a burial ground : the
E J. Trendell esq. of the Abbey House, refilled the east first foundation of the Baptist cause here was in 1652,
window with Bristol glass ; there are memorial windows but its registers are not earlier than 1764 : it has sit­
to Mrs. Trendell and to the late George Bowes Morland tings for 650 persons.
■esq. his wife and children, placed in 1890, and one to
The Congregational chapel in the Square, rebuilt in
Henry Yeates, of Abingdon ; the reredos, given by the 1862, in the Italian style, has sittings for about 600;
Rev. W. C. Gibbs M.A. rector (1878-84), is of carved its records date from 1688 ; part of the old chapel is
■oak ; the Perpendicular font was restored at the cost of now used as Sunday school, class rooms and vestries
Mrs. Summers, wife of the late Rev. Edgar Summers The chapel and vestry were wholly closed against inter­
B D. (d. 1907), head master of Abingdon school 1870-83 ; ments June 27th, 1856.
on the north side of the nave is the tall m ural m onu­
In the abbey precincts is a chapel belonging to a
m ent of John Blacknall, a great benefactor to the town, Calvinistio sect, founded in 1832, by the Rev. John
and Jane, his wife, both of whom died on the 21st Tiptaft M.A. sometime vicar of Sutton Courtney.
A u gust, 1625 ; there are kneeling effigies of both, and
The Prim itive Methodist chapel, in Ock street,
th e decorations have been renewed ; there is also a form erly the Wesleyan chapel, is a building of stone,
m onum ent to W alter Dairell esq. recorder of Abingdon, in the Early English style, erected in 1845, from a
1628 ; a m arble monument with arms, to the Rev. design by the late Mr. W ilson, architect, of Bath ; the
Thom as Woods M .A. 37 years head master of Abingdon font, i« lighted by a triple lancet window of good design
■school, d. 1753 ; a floorstone in the vestry over the and is flanked by open turrets with short stone sp ires:
grave of the Rev. Henry Bright M.A. also head m aster, there are sittings for 150 persons.
d. 1803 ; a m ural tablet to the Rev. W illiam Smith
The Salvation Army barracks, in Broad street, were
M .A . rector, and Tesdale usher of Abingdon school, d. built in 1890-1.
1845 ; and a small inscribed brass to the Bostock family
The Cemetery is in the Spring road, west of the town
o f Fitzharris, 1669 : there are 250 sittings, all of which
and consists of about six acres, prettily laid out and
ar^ free. The register dates from the year 1538. The
p lan ted ; there are two m ortuary chapels of stone, in
duty of the church is in a great measure provided for
the Decorated style, and a curator’s residence. The
bv a Sunday lectureship, in the gift of Trinity College,
Cem etery is under the control of a joint committee of
Oxford, and held bv the Rev. Melville Watson Patterson
ten members, seven elected from the Urban District
M .A. fellow of that college, the Rev. Thomas Lavng
* Council and three from St. Helen’s Without. Orders in
M .A. of Jesus College, Cambridge, head m aster of
Abingdon school, acting as his deputy, and the Rev. Council respecting various graveyards in the town were
W illiam Brom ley Box B.A. assistant m aster, also gazetted June 27th, 1856 ; Jan. 24th, July 3rd, and Dec.
•officiates here ; there is also a readership for daily 21st, i860, and April 19th, 1861.
The Council Chamber and other municipal buildings
■prayers, held by the Rev. H erbert Thomas Maitland
are situated on the south side of the abbey gateway and
M .A. vicar of Abingdon. and rector of this church.
include
an apartment over the gateway itself, also used
The church of St. Michael, a chapel of ease to St.
Helen’s, and situated on the south side of the Albert for masonic purposes ; the lower stage of these buildings
apparently
formed a portion of the abbey, or of the
Park, is a building of stone in the Decorated style, from
designs by the late S ir G. G ilbert Scott R .A. and ancient hospital of St. John the Baptist, and consists of
-erected at a cost of ¿2,500, by the Rev. N. Dodson M.A. a large and rather low room, lighted by wide Perpen­
a former vicar, and consecrated in 1867 ; it consists of dicular windows, and fitted up as a Borough C o u rt; a
chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and an substantial balustraded oaken staircase conducts from
■open bell-cote on the western gable with 3 bells ; the this to the Council Chamber, a long and somewhat
east window is stained, and there is a memorial window narrow, but spacious hall, panelled all round with rich
to Emma (Arm vtage), wife of the Rev. the Hon. HenTv dark oak and entered by a tall pedimented doorway,
Bligh, vicar of Abingdon (1874-8) ; she died December adorned with massive foliated ca rv in g ; the ceiling i i
flat and ornamented in stucco, and the floor is laid
27th, 1881 : there are free sittings for 500 persons.
The iron church of St. Margaret in the Union grounds down in p.irqueterie ; a series of recessed windows lights
as used for the inmates of the workhouse, and will seat both Sides, and on the waRs are hung portraits of
George III, and Queen Charlotte, painted by Gains­
-joo persons.
The Catholic church on the Oxford road, and borough in 1794, and presented by Sir Charles Saxton
•dedicated to St. Mary and St. Edmund of Canterbury, bart. in 1808 ; Charles II. ; James II. ; a reputed portrsit’’
is an edifice of stone in the Decorated style, and of Richard Mayott, first and three times mayor of
•consists of chancel, clerestoried nave and aisles, lady Abingdon, 1556, but contained in a frame bearing the
•chapel and transept on the north side, another chapel arms of Bostock; and other portraits of John Ruysse,
Abingdon school, d. 1571; Sir Simon
on the south side, sacristy, and a cloister connecting the founder, in 1653,
-church with the presbytery ; on the west gable of the Harcourt kt. first Baron Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt,
Oxon,
Lord
Chancellor
(1712-14) and formerly repre­
chapel is an open bell-cote with one bell ; the east win­
dow, which displays elegant flowing tracery, is stained, sentative in Parliament for Abingdon, who died 29th
ancl there are sittings for 300 persons ; on the west and July, 1727; Charles Abbott, first Lord Colchester, born
north of the church is a cemetery, and beyond are schools at Abingdon, 14th October, 1757, and Speaker of the
of the same m aterial and in the same style, with an House of Commons (1802-17). presented in 1859 by the
open bell-turret surmounted by a shingled sp irelet; Rev. Herbert Randolph, of Marcham ; the Right Hon.
further to the north, with gardens intervening, is the Sir Frederick Thesiger kt. D .C .L ., F .R .S. first Baron
convent, built of brick with stone dressings, in a plain Chelmsford, Lord Chancellor and formerly M P. for this
style and consisting of a central block with wings and a borough, who died 5th Oct. 1878; Montagu Bertie, fifth
large block in rear ; adjoining the south wing is a new Earl of Abingdon and high steward of the borough, d
chapel of brick with stone dressings in the Lancet style, 1854, and one of Adm iral Sir Geo. Bowyer bart. pre­
consisting of a lofty nave of five bays with a slendet sented by his grandson, the late Sir Geo. Bowyer bart.
oak-shingled flèche rising over the east end ; both the Oct. 6th, 1870; theTe is also a very fine painting of
convent and chapel were erected by the late Sir George the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, by Vandyke, and a
portrait group by Henry J. Brooks, of Abingdon, of the
Bowyer bart. ; the organ was provided in 1890.
Trinity Wesleyan chapel, in Albert Park, erected in Corporation of Abingdon in 1877-8 ; at the west end is
I ^75 < is a building in the Decorated style, and consists a noble pier glass, presented by the 5th Earl of Abing­
of chancel, nave, transept, south porch and a tower with don, High Steward, in 1823, and adorned with the arms
broach spire at the north-west angle: there are sittings and coronet of the donor : opening to the staircase are
for 600 persons : adjoining are schools and a chapel ; two smaller chambers, and the upper stair leads to an
Keeper’s house ; on the opposite side is the m inister’s apartment over the abbey g a te w a y ; im m ediately ad­
house ; both the chapel and other buildings are of local joining on the south is the old school building, now
ragstone with Bath stone dressings and form three sides used as the head quarters of the Abingdon or F Com ­
of a square, laid down in the centre with turf and pany of the 4th Territorial Battalion Princess Charlotte
enclosed by a low wall with open iron work, supported of Wales’s (Royal Berks Regim ent) ; it is a long room,
by stone piers.
panelled on either side to a considerable height, and
BE R K S

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