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I D IR E C TO R Y .]

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B E R K S H IR E .

St, John th e Evangelist’s is an ecclesiastical parish
formed out of the parish of St. G iles, Dec. 18th, 1874:^
the church, in W atlington street, erected in 1837 and
rebuilt in 1872 and 1873, a t a cost of ¿11,0 98 , from the
design« of Mr. W. A. Dixon, is a structure of Kentish
rag stone, with dressings of Bath and Mansfield stone,
and consists of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, tran~
septs, north porch and a western tower w ith spire, 150N
feet in height, containing a clock and one b e ll: there'
are about 920 sittings, of which 390 are free.
The
register dates from th e year 1873. The living is a
vicarage, net yearly value ¿4 13, with residence, in the
g ift of trustees, and held since 1909 by the Rev. Travers
G uy Rogers B.D. of Trinity College, Dublin.
St. Stephen’s church, in Orta road, erected in 1865
and enlarged in 1886, at a cost of ¿1,500, is a building
of dark red brick, relieved with bands of white and
grey, in the Early English style, and consists of chancel,
nave of three bays, aisles, side chapel, south porch and
a tu rret on the western gable containing 2 bellB: this
church is attached to th at of St. John the Evangelist
and affords 530 sitting«.
St. Mary’s episcopal chapel, a structure of brick,
situated on th e north side of Castle street, and erected
in 1799 as a Dissenting chapel by seceders from the
church of St. Giles, was afterwards conveyed to the
Church of England and reopened in 1836, after various
alterations, including the erection of a portico with five
Corinthian columns supporting a pediment and a
rectangular pedimented bell tower above it, containing
one bell, and will now' seat 1,000 person?. The livin g is
a perpetual curacv, net yearly value about ¿240, in the
gift of trustees, and held since 1895 by the Rev. James
Consterdine M.A. of Lincoln College, Oxford.
The ecclesiastical parish of TILEH U R ST ST. GEO RGE
was formed from the parish of Tilehurst by Order in
Council 29th June, 1882, and incorporated in the
borough of Reading, Michaelmas, 1887: the church, in
St. George’s road, west of the barracks, and erected at
a cost of ¿3,040, is a structure of red brick in the Early
English style, consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle
and a tu rret containing one bell: the east end of the
nave is raised and serves as a ch an cel: there is an
inscribed brass to Major-General A. G. Huyshe C.B.
commanding 1st Battalion Princess Charlotte’s Royal
Berkshire Regim ent, who died 6th A ugust, 1886: the
west window is filled with stained glass, erected by
Capt. Turner, of the Royal Berkshire Regim ent, in
memory of his w ife; and in 1892 two stained windows
were inserted in the north aisle by officers of the* 1st
Battalion Royal Berkshire Regim ent to M ajor F. B. R.
Hemphill, who was killed by an accident at Malta whilst
playing polo, June 8th, 1891: there are other memorial
windows to Mrs. W alter Harper and to officers and men
of the 2nd Battalion Berkshire Regim ent: the chancel
was enlarged in 1893 at the cost of Mr. and Mrs. W alter
Palm er: a handsome wrought iron chancel screen with
gates was erected by the vjcar and his wife in memory
of Lieut. Robert A. Stewart R.H .A. who died at
Umballa, India, January 22nd, 1889: there are also
brasses to Private Charles Andrews, d. March 22nd,
1889; Private H arry Cripp9, 1901; Capt. Swinton, 1905;
to officers and men of the 3rd Battalion Royal Berks
Militia, 1903; and to officers and men of the Royal
Berkshire Regim ent, 1905: this is the m ilitary church
for the regim ents quartered here: there are sittings for
433 persons. The register dates from the year 1881.
The living is a vicarage, net yearly value ¿260, with
residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Oxford, and held
since 1897 by the Rev. W alter Hugo Harper M .A. of
University College, Oxford.
The Catholic church, dedicated to St. James and
situated near the Forbury gardens, in North Forbury
road, was built in 1840 at the expense of the late J.
Wheble esq. of Bulm ershe Court, from the designs of
Mr. E. Welby Pugin, architect, and1 is an edifice in the
Norman style, consisting of apsidal chancel, nave and a
western gable bell-cote w ith one b e ll: the font is formed
from a square block of oolitic limestone, found within
the lim its of the Forbury in 1835, the upper part of
which forms a square of 27 inches, and has a deeply-cut
chain-like pattern of stems and foliage running con­
tinuously along its four sides: below this, and at each
corner, are remains of carved capitals, exquisitely
wrought w ith wreaths and intertwining k n o ts; in the
presbytery are preserved a seal belonging to one of the
abbots, and a massive iron key, found in the abbey
grounds: in 1883 the sanctuary was decorated in colour,
under the direction of Mr. Philip Westlake, of London:
the church ba9 about 250 sittings. The Catholic Church
of St. W illiam of York, in Upper Redlands road, i9 a
small edifice of brick, opened in 1906, and will seat
about 200 persons.

READIN G.

158

Caversham Road Presbyterian church, built in 1902 at
a cost of ¿5,500, is of red brick with stone dressings, in
the Perpendicular style, and consists of a nave and
aisles, divided by an arcading on stone columns, and a
tower with spire 80 feet in height at the south-east
an g le : there are sittings for 520 persons.
The Hebrew Synagogue was opened in November,
1900, by Sir Samuel Montagu bart. and consecrated by the
late Very Rev. Dr. Hermann A dler L L .D . Chief Rabbi,
and Dr. Hermann Gollancz M .A .: the building, of which
the principal entrance is in Goldsmid road, Russell
street, is of brick and stone in the Moresque style, and
has a domed fleehe on the roof and several stained
windows: the seats are of polished oak, and the A rk, 011
the east side of which are the wardens’ pews, is white:
this synagogue has been registered as a place of worship
and is licensed for the solemnization of marriages.
There are four Congregational, seven Baptist, three
Wesleyan, two Presbyterian, one Unitarian, and five
Prim itive Methodist chapels, a Friends’ m eeting house,
a room where the Brethren m eet, and Salvation Arm y
Barracks: a non-sectarian service is also held every
Sunday a t the Abbey Hall, K in g’s road.
Trinity Congregational chapel, an edifice in the Lancet
style, was built in 1846 by seceders from Broad Street
chapel, which is the oldest in the town, dating from
1662: the General Baptist chapel, in K in g’s road, claims,
as a m eeting-place for Nonconformists, some a n tiq u ity ;
it was first founded in Curzon street in 1640, removed
to Hozier street in 1752 and to its present site in 1834.
and was enlarged in 1858 and 1890: th e principal W es­
leyan chapel is in Queen’s road. T he Prim itive Metho­
dist chapel, in London street, was built in 1866, and will
seat 800 persons. In March, 1906, a Wesleyan Mission
hall was opened in W hitley street at a cost, including
the site, of ¿6,540.
The Y o ung Men’s Christian Association has premises
in Friar street; there were in 1911 about 900 members.
Reading Cem etery, opposite* the junction of the London
and Wokingham roads, established in 1842, under the
provisions of the A ct 5 and 6 Viet. c. 19, occupies 12
acres of land, 8 of which are consecrated; it ha9 two
chapels and a residence for the curator.
The municipal buildings, which include the Town
Hall, Council chamber, and other m unicipal offices, Free
Library and Museums and the A rt Gallery, are situated
in Friar street, Blagrave street and V alpy street, and
form a pile of black and red brick, with a clock tow'er,
in the Gothic style, the municipal buildings proper
having been erected in 1875, from designs by Alfred
Waterhouse esq. R.A. and the remaining portion (begun
in 1879) completed and opened May 31st, 1882, from the
designs of Thomas Lainson esq. of Brighton. The niche
in the gable over the library' is filled w ith a marble
statue of H.M. Queen Victoria, presented by the late
W illiam Isaac Palm er esq. of G razeley Court. The
principal entrance in Blagrave street leads to the main
corridor or vestibule, 15ft. wide by 79ft. long, at the
north end of which is a memorial stone, recording 011
an attached brass plate the foundation of the structure.
The G reat Hall, 60ft, wide, 97ft. long and 50ft. high,
is entered on the west side by five large doorways, and
will hold 1,500 persons: the orchestra is placed at the
east end of the hall and contains an organ presented by
the R e a d i n g Philharmonic S o c ie ty : the hall has balconies
round the north, south and west sides, and its walls are
divided into panels by fluted pilasters, w ith moulded
bases and gilt cap itals; over this is an enriched frieze,
and above a heavy cornice, from which spring the
ornamental ribs of the ce ilin g; beneath the hall is a
supper room with retiring rooms. A t the end of the
corridor leading to the library is placed a m arble bust of
the late Sir Francis Henry Goldsm id bart. some time
M.P. for Reading, by W illiam Theed. On the righ t are
the lib rary; a news and reading room 25ft. by 30ft. 6in. :
lending library, 21ft. by 30ft. 6in. and a reference
library, 48ft. by 42ft. com prising also a general reading
and students’ room and librarian’s room. On the walls
of the Council chamber and in other parts of the build­
ing are portraits of Mr. Richard Aldwortb, founder of
the Blue Goat school; Sir Thomas W hite, Lord Mayor
of London in 1553, born at Reading in 1492; Sir Thomas
Rich bart. of Sunning, ob. 15 Oct. 1667; Archbishop
Land, executed 10 Jan. 1645; W. Stephens esq. High
Sheriff; Mr. John Kendrick, a local beuiefoct r ; ob. 1624
and S ir Thomas Noon Talfourd kt. san e t e M .P. ft.
Reading, and Justice of the Common P l e a s .
10 d ie ^
the Bench at Stafford, T3 March, i t 5 4
his charge to the Grand J u ry ; Mr 1
geon, late of R ead in g; and the
Palm er, -well known as a ternpe
philanthropist, who contribute
the new public bino’ vpgs. THt