RECTORS OF CITY PARISHES. (Hansard, 13 February 1902)

THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON

My Lords, before answering this Question, I desire to thank the noble Earl for so courteously consulting my convenience as to the time on which he should ask it; but, at the same time, I am told, by those who best know the traditions and customs of this House, to make it clear that I answer it rather as a favour which it is a pleasure to me to confer, than a right which can be demanded as a matter of course. It is thought that, if any Member of your Lordships' House could ask a Bishop any question relating to the administration of his diocese and demand an answer, it would become an undue burden upon the Bishops, would not, of necessity, be 1183 for the public advantage, and would certainly be, as I fear it will prove to be this afternoon, somewhat wearying to your Lordships. But with this proviso, it is a pleasure to give as full and as satisfactory an answer as possible to the noble Earl's Question. As to the first part of his Question— Did I sanction the arrangements by which the rectors of St. Olave, of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey, and of St. Vedast, live outside their respective parishes? the answer is slightly different with regard to each of the three churches. With regard to the first, I sanctioned the arrangement on my own responsibility, and so strongly do I feel on the importance, as a rule, of vicars and rectors living in their parishes that this is the only case of non-residence which I have sanctioned in the whole diocese of 560 parishes since I have been Bishop of London. With regard to St. Vedast, I redeemed formally a promise already informally given by my predecessor; and in the case of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey the arrangements were fully made before I became Bishop, though I may say that they have my full approval.

The second part of the Question is, whether I will state to the House the reasons for my decisions. It is clear that I can only do so in full with regard to the first church—St. Olave, Hart Street; and with regard to the other two, I can only state the possible grounds which guided my predecessor in his decision. I will take first the case of St. Olave. Your Lordships must remember that it is very difficult to provide freehold houses as residences for the clergy in the City. The ground has become enormously valuable, and is continually increasing in value. And, again, the streets are very narrow and the warehouses very lofty, so that some of the existing houses have become untenable. As a matter of fact, not more than about 20,000 persons sleep in the53 parishes of the City of London, and they are chiefly caretakers and the young men and women of the warehouses. The caretakers generally sleep at the top of the warehouses, with plenty of light and air. As a rule, the City presents few opportunities for residential houses. It was, however, 1184 the wish of the new rector of St. Olave to live in the parish, and, if possible, in the former rectory. The question put to him by the Trustees was— Are you willing, if appointed (as far as you lawfully may), to come under compact with the trustees to reside in the rectory house, or elsewhere in the parish, or near there, to the satisfaction of the Trustees for the time being? It was to this choice of reasonable alternatives that he pledged himself. The doubts respecting the possibility of the former rectory house as a residence arose out of the fact that the late rector, Dr. Povah, had been obliged to leave it 20 years ago as unfit, and it had been since used as a place of business. The late caretaker also suffered in health from living there. Dr. Povah, who was much beloved and esteemed by his parishioners, lived as far off as South Kensington, and there was never the slightest whisper of neglect of duties. He was an exemplary parish priest, and was also Rural Dean of the East City. The new rector had the house surveyed, as he wished, if possible, to live there. The report was wholly unfavourable. Among other adverse statements, the architects said that— The basement—the only place for the servants—is very dark and low, and contains only a small kitchen and scullery, lighted by a grid above the pavement, and without any area to prevent the soil being in direct contact with the external wall. And again— We consider that the house labours under many disadvantages for residential purposes. The aspect of the principal rooms is due north and very cheerless; and, from the tower of other buildings being so near to the back of the house, very few rays of sun reach the rectory. The domestic accommodation is wholly inadequate. The only room for servants is a small low basement kitchen, without any pantry, proper larder, or other offices. The only bedrooms for servants are two lofts, unventilated, ill-lighted, and only suitable for box-rooms. Under these circumstances the best scheme seemed to be to dispose of the rectory, and secure, if possible, some fitting residence in or near the parish. But the area of the parish is so exceedingly minute, and it is so difficult to obtain sites in the City, that this would necessarily mean time. The College of St. Mary Magdalene, Cambridge, was 1185 for many years looking for a site for a residence for the neighbouring parish of St. Katharine Cree. It was obtained at last, not in that parish but in the Minories. Some of the most active of the City clergy live in Finsbury Square, and others in Trinity Square. Many are compelled to live away, and come in daily for the work of their parishes, like the million of business-men who come into the City every day and sleep elsewhere. When these facts are made known all parties interested in St. Olave and its welfare expressed their approval of the plan.

Such were the circumstances under which the rector was reluctantly compelled for the present to abandon his wish to reside in the rectory-house, and to place himself, much to his own inconvenience, in a flat in Southampton Row. That flat, however, is close to one of the stations of the Tube Railway, from which it only takes six minutes to reach the bank station; and from the bank station it is only a walk of six minutes to St. Olave's. The great majority of the clergy of the Church of England do not reach the whole of their parishioners so easily. That the parish is being fitly and earnestly worked will be apparent from the following facts. Besides visiting his 360 people frequently, the rector has fixed hours when he can be seen at the church; he has made arrangements by which he can be summoned in case of need by any of his parishioners at any hour of the day or night; he has started a club for men, and a lending library, and has been making efforts to secure a room for a mothers' meeting and other parochial work. The late Dr. Povah's curate did not live in the parish as was alleged, but at Clapham. Before he took a single step to find a residence outside the parish, the rector not only made search within it but asked the trustees to meet him, and laid all the facts before them, leaving himself entirely in their hands. The Rev. Archibald Boyd-Carpenter is a clergyman as to the integrity of whose motives and the sincerity of whose conduct your Lordships need not have the smallest suspicion. He is the worthy brother of a very eminent prelate. He has for 14 years held with great credit the important parish of St. George, 1186 Bloomsbury, where he has done admirable work, and has an enthusiastic congregation. He is in the prime of life and energy. He is living close to his people, and his are the last hands in which their spiritual interests would be likely to suffer.

I pass on to the case of St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey. This is a very minute parish, with 300 inhabitants, chiefly caretakers and persons living in warehouses near Queen Victoria Street. Some 30 years ago the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's built a rectory-house on the only available ground. The house is very dark, and has been pronounced unhealthy. The late rector, Mr. Shuttleworth, lived here, and died prematurely of blood poisoning. It is impossible to say where the disease was contracted, but there is no doubt that his constitution was impaired by the want of light and air at the rectory. The present rector, the Rev. C. N. Kelly, for many years Minor Canon of St. Paul's, is only technically non-resident. He does not live in the little parish, but he occupies a house not 500 yards from his church. The Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, in their great regret for the death of Mr. Shuttleworth, and recognising that the rectory-house was unhealthy, begged Mr. Kelly to continue occupying the house in Amen Court, in which he lived as Minor Canon. They also appointed him hon. Minor Canon, and he frequently takes part in the services of St. Paul's Cathedral. The arrangement for his residence had the full sanction of the late Bishop Creighton. The unhealthy rectory-house is let for business purposes and enables Mr. Kelly to pay his rent. Mr. Kelly is a most zealous and conscientious clergyman, and carries on all the late Mr. Shuttleworth's admirable social and religious work. His church is one of the most popular in the City of London, and, though it has more seats than there are souls in the parish, it attracts many worshippers.

St. Vedast is another very minute parish, with not more than 50 inhabitants, who are, as in most other city parishes, caretakers and persons living in warehouses. The population has greatly decreased of late years in the four little united parishes which St. Vedast represents. The rectory-house is 1187 No. 17, Finsbury Square. It was built in 1885 on the union with St. Matthew's, Friday Street, by Queen Anne's Bounty, but has proved unsuitable. The late Dr. Sparrow Simpson, formerly Minor Canon and Librarian of St. Paul's Cathedral, who held the parish for 40 years (since 1857), having his own house in Amen Court, let it for offices at £150 a year. Dr. Simpson lived in Amen Court with the full approval of Bishop Tait, Bishop Jackson, and Bishop Temple. The church was a great favourite all through Dr. Simpson's time, and attracted many worshippers from beyond the parish. No parish priest was ever more conscientious than Dr. Simpson. His successor was Prebendary Harry Jones, known for his work at St. Luke's, Berwick Street, and St. George's-in-the-East. He lived at his own house, York Gate, Regent's Park, on the Metropolitan Railway, and could reach his parish in less than half-an-hour. But there is almost absolutely nothing to do there. The church is too far hidden away in narrow lanes for midday services, and it is within a stone's throw of two very popular churches—St. Botolph, Aldersgate, and St. Mary-le-Bone, Cheapside. If any of the 50 parishioners were suddenly taken ill the rector would immediately be sent for; and, meantime, the rector of Christ Church, Newgate Street, the Rev. E. H. Pearce, a young, active, and willing parish priest, who lives a few yards off in a convenient rectory house in King Edward Street, would act for him. The present rector of St. Vedast, Prebendary Snowden, was appointed by the late Bishop Creighton, after a long and useful career, as Vicar of Hammersmith and Rural Dean of Fulham. He built a magnificent Parish Church for Hammersmith, and is an earnest and faithful worker of the highest character. Finding the house in Finsbury Square let for offices, he received Bishop Creighton's permission to live at Carlton Hill, Putney, reaching the City either by the South-Western or the District Railway. It would be better if he could live nearer, but it is always exceedingly difficult to get a suitable residence near the City, where the warehouses are encroaching every year more and more on the dwelling-houses. In 1188 the case of such an empty parish as St. Vedast, access is of more importance than residence in the limits. Indeed, if your Lordships would walk down Foster Lane and Wood Street, out of Cheapside, you would see how absolutely impossible residence would be. The noble Earl may rest assured that the interest of no single soul is prejudiced by the fact that the rector is compelled to live a short railway journey's distance from his church. His whole record proves him a man of earnest and conscientious zeal. The City parishes are, to a great extent, an anomaly, and they cannot be bound by ordinary rules. They are necessarily attended by anomalies, which one may regret but cannot help. I may add, in conclusion, that every year the incomes of the City livings are being distributed among poor parishes in East London and in the growing suburbs; and St. Olave, Hart Street, is alone contributing a large annual income to three poor parishes.