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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 04 Mar 1939
Page 7 Column 3
ST. MARY'S CHURCH, TAUNTON
MORE COMMUNICANTS
VICAR'S REMINDER OF “NO ENDOWMENTS”
CORFIELD HALL FREED
The annual meeting of electors of St. Mary Magdalen Church, Taunton, was held in the Corfield Hall on, Wednesday evening. The Vicar, the Rev. W. H. HEATON-RENSHAW, presided.
The accounts, presented by Mr. G. W. T. MOSEDALE, hon. treasurer, showed a balance of income over expenditure during the past year of £11 13s 2d. This reduces the adverse balance of £59 18s 4d brought forward from the end of 1937 to £48 5s 2d.
The total income for the year was £1,245 7s (£1,183 10s 2d from parochial sources, and £61 16s 10d received from the Town Council for chimes and churchyard). The total parochial expenditure was £1,012 13s 4d, including £616 18s 2d in respect of staff, and non-parochial expenditure £221 0s 6d.
NO ENDOWMENTS.
The Vicar commented “People in the town sometimes think that ours is a very rich church. I have just been told that the observation was made on a Diocesan Committee that it is a very rich church. But we have not one penny of endowment. To run both the church and its organisations costs about £30 a week, all of which has to be given or raised by the present congregation.”
At the annual vestry meeting, which preceded the parochial meeting, the Vicar re-nominated his warden, Mr. L. H. MERMAGEN, and the people's wardens, Mr. A. S. WILLIS and Mr. J. SPILLER, were also re-appointed.
The Vicar said that the wardens had worked together in a spirit of unity and goodwill. There could not be a happier team.
THE ELECTORAL ROLL.
At the parochial meeting Miss L. F. NOTT presented the church roll, which contained 552 names as against 558 last year. She explained that they had lost by deaths and removals 53, but 47 new names had been added.
The Church Council reported that during the year the church had been cleaned throughout and a new heating system installed at a total cost of about £450. Sincere thanks were offered to Miss ROBERTS and her helpers for their very successful efforts in raising £121 towards the cost. The finances of the church were still in great need of increased support. The whole cost of cleaning the church was provided from the fund raised by Miss ROBERTS, which also contributed about £30 towards the cost of heating. The remainder was obtained by using the whole of the Reserve Fund. Although no large item of expenditure regarding the interior of the church was anticipated for some time, there was already evidence that the external fabric would require considerable attention in order that the masonry might be kept in a safe condition and the beauty of the fine old church maintained.
CORFIELD HALL FREED.
The Council thanked Mrs. PARKER and the members of the Sewing Guild for their loyalty and perseverance in raising sufficient funds to enable the debt on the Corfield Hall to be finally cleared, and for providing the choir with new surplices and some cassocks; Mr. TOLMAN and the Hall Committee for the excellent way the Hall was conducted; the Secretary and members of the Free Will Offering Committee, and especially Mr. J. SPILLER for his continued success in obtaining income-tax repayments. As a result of the initiative of Mr. J. SPILLER, amplifying apparatus had been installed in the church. Although still in an experimental stage, the installation was affording considerable benefit to the congregation and relief of voice strain to the clergy. The cost of the installation was considerable and it was much to be desired that those who found benefit from its presence should respond to Mr. SPILLER's appeal for contributions to the cost.
CLERGY AND OFFICERS.
The Council expressed its grateful thanks for the untiring devotion and labours of the Vicar, whose gifts for spiritual leadership and business knowledge and organising ability had been placed whole heartedly for the benefit of the church and parish. He had been ably assisted by the Rev. R. W. SCHOFIELD and lately by the Rev. J. M. VALLANCE, whom they heartily welcomed back to the parish. Thanks were also recorded to the wardens and sidesmen, the organist and choir, the sacristan, servers, vergers, ringers, and many others who had given freely of their time and labour. The church was fortunate in having such a large body of keen and earnest workers. The Council added their appreciation of the Treasurer (Mr. MOSEDALE) and Secretary (Mr. W. G. TRENCHARD).
HIGHER COLLECTIONS.
Commenting on the report and accounts, which were adopted, the Vicar said that the collections in church during 1938 were £120 more than in the previous year and the communicants showed an increase of nearly 200. The debt on the Corfield Hall had been finally extinguished. The hall cost £4,749 and a debt of £1,500 had been paid off in the last three years. The current church account had paid its way during the year. The Corfield Hall had paid its way during the year. The Vicar paid tribute to the Revs. J. M. VALLANCE and R. W. SCHOFIELD, Miss L. F. NOTT, Miss SHEPPARD, Mr. Joe FOWLER (who has resigned, as verger, after 40 years' service) and to Mrs. HEATON RENSHAW.
FABRIC FUND NEEDED.
The Vicar said he hoped that in future something would be put aside each year towards a fund for the repair of the church fabric. Referring to a bequest of £100 by the late Mrs. PETERS, the Vicar said it would help replace the amount drawn from the Reserve Fund towards the cost of the new heating apparatus.
Presenting the Corfield Hall accounts, Mr. C. H. COLMAR (treasurer) said there was a profit during the year of nearly £38 and a balance on December 31st last of £20 9s 9d. Expressing gratitude to the Ladies Sewing Guild, he said they started work 18 years ago with the main object of providing a hall for the use of the church. Thanks largely to Mr. W. J. TOLMAN, the building was paying its way and making a small profit. Mr. COLMAR congratulated the Sewing Guild on the success of their efforts, especially Mrs. ILLES and Mrs. PARKER, who were among the original members.
NO LADY SIDESMEN.
Mrs. HEATON-RENSHAW, Mrs. TRENCHARD and Mr. John SPILLER, were elected to the Diocesan Conference, and Mr. L. BELLRINGER and Mr. M. GILSON were added to the list of sidesmen. The Vicar remarked that he had no objection to women sidesmen being appointed, but no woman was nominated.
The following were elected by ballot to form the Church Council, Mrs. GOODLIFFE, Mrs. JUDD, Miss KERSLAKE, Miss E. LARWAY, Miss P. SAUNDERS, Mrs. SPRANKLING, Miss TRENCHARD, Mrs. SPILLER, Messrs. V. GILL, F. MAIN and N. F. NORTHAM (to serve for three years), Mr. T. WANKLIN (two years) and Mr. T. RICH (one year).