History Notes – by Peter Jackson

In Quires and Places where they Sing – first published in October 2012

There has always been a connection between religion and music. In the pre-Reformation age Gregorian chant formed part of the virtually continuous daily routine of services in Monasteries. One can but wonder at the stamina of the monks who, living throughout the year in buildings which had no central heating, survived the day and night attending the many services demanded by the Monastic routine. It can be said, however, that the monastic life had its attractions when compared with the everyday life of those outside the monastery. Their conditions were primitive by comparison and, let it be said, precarious to a high degree.

Since the Reformation, the hymns sung were largely, metrical versions of the Psalms as sung in the 16th and 17th centuries. New collections appeared throughout the 19th Century and the most famous, particularly in the Church of England, has been Hymns Ancient and Modern which appeared in 1860 with revisions up to 1950. Some Churches use “Songs of Praise” and this has also been popular in schools. Numerous new tunes were composed in the 19th Century, notably by Goss, Lyte, Dykes and Stainer to name but a few.

The Chapels had their tunes, and one collection, the Sankey and Moody, contains much of interest. It is said that one of the earliest Hymns in use in the Church of England is “Hail, Gladdening Light” a translation by Keble to the tune of Stainer. It also happens to be one of my favourite Evening Hymns and one which has featured often in the Eccleston Services.

Hymns particularly, and to a lesser extent all music in the Church, have been unpopular from time to time but the widespread acceptance of the part it plays improved somewhat in the 19th Century.

[Ed. A fascinating history of the hymn “Guide me, O thou Great Redeemer” (composed by William Williams) can be found here… Guide me, O thou great Jehovah (StF 465) – The Methodist Church ]

The Psalms, sung to plainsong before the Reformation, were changed, in the 16th Century, to singing to metrical translations suitable for congregations. One problem I have encountered is the establishment of a reason why the Psalms all retain their titles in Latin. Was this intentional or was it an oversight in the efforts of the Reformers to obliterate all vestiges of the Pre-Reformation Church?

Another aspect of music is the Oratorio. “The Messiah” is the one which springs to mind but many composers have turned their attention to this musical form. The Chapels played a great part in presenting an Oratorio annually. The Oratorio was, apparently prohibited in Chester Cathedral in 1829. This was not due to any criticism of the work but was caused by the intemperate conduct of artisans employed to construct additional seating for a production. It was not re-instated for many years and one individual who objected was William Gladstone who is said to have fiercely objected and threatened to withdraw his patronage of the Cathedral. During the 19th Century, such works were presented in the Music Hall which still survives but which has had a chequered past since those days being a supermarket, a gents outfitters, and now a pharmacy. In its heyday it saw many musical events and some prestigious musical figures not least Paderewski.

“Vox Humana” – Peter Jackson’s article was originally published in the May 2014 Parish News.

Thomas Hardy, in “Under the Greenwood Tree”, introduced the dispute which attended the introduction, by a new incumbent, of a pipe-organ into the Church, much to the disgust of the members of the gallery band which had supported the worship for many years. I was reminded of this by recent correspondence in the broadsheets regarding the unpaid and voluntary position of many Church Organists, particularly in Parish Situations. The gist of the correspondence was that training as an organist is an expensive matter and that it is manifestly unfair to expect such trained people to give of their services on a wholly voluntary basis. One correspondent went so far as to state that one would not expect a qualified accountant to provide their services as Church Treasurers on a voluntary unpaid basis.

This in my view, rather over-stepped the mark! I have known many PCC Treasurers, but I have yet to meet one who charged for their services. My own experience as Honorary Treasurer in such circumstances covered a period of 15 years during which I neither received nor expected a fee, and I believe that this would be the usual situation. It is not that organists do not deserve consideration. The matter also illustrates the position of Parish Churches in terms of charity. The Church of England is a splendid example of what a charity should be in depending on voluntary effort. Churchwardens, PCC members, Secretaries…, all give of their services voluntarily. The cost of maintenance of Church Organs is also an increasing problem. Replacement, repair and renovation are now beyond most churches. Some have replaced the pipe organ with an electronic organ. The latter are quite remarkable, but they fall short of the pipe organ in Church use. Some have gone so far as to do away with the organist by programming the organ with favourite hymns/chants but I find this an especially distressing development. Nothing in my mind can effectively replace the pipe organ which Mozart once described as the “King of Instruments”, a fair description.

One of its features, incidentally, is that it “breathes the same air as the organist”, an idea which came to me from a colleague in the Royal Navy, who had been an organ scholar and who, after the War, became the Organist and Master of the Choristers at one of our Cathedrals. He inspired me in a personal ambition to learn the Organ, but, regrettably, time did not permit and it remains one of my personal regrets.

So let us try to keep music in the Church and long may it be accompanied by a Church Organist.

The Eagle has Landed – originally published in December 2012 / January 2013

As a layman, I have often thought of the Lectern as a focal point of the Post-Reformation Church. This was, and is, the place from where the Bible (now in English) has been read to the assembled congregation.

The Lectern, currently at St Mary’s, Eccleston, has a chequered career. It was, together with the altar furniture, part of the original specification for the Church ordered to the design of the architect G F Bodley by the 1st Duke of Westminster.

The Duke is rumoured to have asked for a “small cathedral” but he, dying in 1899 did not, regrettably, live to see this come to final fruition. This is borne out in Edward Hubbard’s “The Work of John Douglas” where a letter from the Hon. Cecil Parker, Agent to the Duke, warns against any work on the Church which has not been approved, should not be commenced. This suggests that the Church may not have been finally finished.

The old Church, renowned for its brief existence, having been designed, built, altered and demolished within a space of less than 100 years must surely be a record!

We know that the 1st Duke donated a brass eagle to the Church in 1874, shortly after his elevation to the Dukedom. Considerable alterations were made to the Church during its brief life and a photograph shows it to have been a pleasant enough structure. The Duke may have felt that a more splendid building was required to accommodate a Chapel where he, and his successors, could be commemorated. The Grosvenor Chapel is the result.

Very little was transferred from the old Church to the new. It would appear that the Lectern went to the Grosvenor Chapel at Easton and the Bodley Lectern and furnishings took their place in the new Church.

Possibly circa 1939, the Eagle Lectern was returned to Eccleston Church. (Eaton Hall had been taken over for military and naval purposes) whilst the Bodley Lectern went “into store” where it remained until the 1990’s when it was brought out, restored and installed. At this point, the brass eagle was returned to the Eaton Chapel.

11-11-11 – originally published November 2011

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the Great War ended and now, 93 years later, we remember that occasion. That war was billed as the “war to end wars” but appeasement, political ineptitude and the rise of new ideologies meant that this pious hope was undermined. Only 21 years later, another even greater global conflict began.

Eccleston has two war Memorials remembering those who gave their lives in the two conflicts. Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, it would seem that this country has always been involved in military action. We remember Malaya, Korea, the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Since the 17th Century, science has brought warfare from the musket, via the rifle, machine gun, flame thrower, poisonous gas and aerial warfare to the nuclear bomb which now poses the threat of Armageddon.

Perhaps now is the time to “beat the swords into ploughshares” and utilise the moneys so saved into the well-being of all peoples rather than to their mass destruction. One thing is certain, those who died in wars lose the one asset which is irreplaceable, to wit, life. For this reason alone we must remember them.

The photograph below shows Alfred Ernest Ind, who was awarded The Victoria Cross for his conspicuous gallantry during the Boer War. He is wearing the livery of a gateman on the Eaton Estate. The Duke’s practise was to employ wounded ex-servicemen and Ind joined the staff on his Army discharge in 1911.

He died in 1916 at the early age of 44 and was buried at Eccleston. He is one of seven holders of the Victoria Cross whose graves are in Cheshire, the earliest being Thomas Dale, who served in the Crimean conflict, was awarded the VC in 1855, and whose grave is in Acton, Nantwich Churchyard.

Veni, Vidi, Vici – originally published October 2011

I have often wondered what effect the Roman invasion had upon the Britons who inhabited the settlement which stood where Eccleston now stands. Did the inhabitants oppose the invaders or did they welcome them? There is no direct evidence of warfare locally, though we do know that the Romans were opposed elsewhere in Britain.

Clearly the military appearance may have been significant. Arms, armour, and possibly pennants, may have contributed to a sense of power and threat which it would have been foolish to oppose.

The building of the fortress, the walls, and the use of materials which may have been strange and unique may have astonished the locals.

There is no doubt, however that the Romans brought with them organisation and culture. The advent of Christianity will have occurred as early as the 1st Century. There are examples of Roman graves, interred in the Christian manner, in the immediate area. The faith, however, was not universal, and the pagan gods were also worshipped and this persisted in England until the Norman invasion. There is an example of a warning couched by King Canute prohibiting pagan belief in his reign.

Eventually, in the 4th Century, the Roman legions were summoned back to Rome, which was under threat from invaders. Whether the threat was imminent is not clear. It would have taken some considerable time for the Legions to cover the distance back to Rome. Whatever else, it is apparent that Christianity left at the same time and the area reverted to pagan belief. The fortress was looted and pillaged and it would seem that Deva became a ghost town very rapidly. What is never clear is what happened to those legionaires who had retired, may have married and were living in ‘coloniae’ which were akin to retirement homes.

Whatever the case, it seems that civilisation in terms such as that introduced by Rome disappeared for many centuries, with some aspects, such as paved roads and piped water supplies, disappearing until the 18th and 19th Centuries!.

Christian missionaries returned to the area in the 6th Century and Christianity was re-established. One cannot help but admire the courage, determination and faith exhibited by missionaries in approaching pagan settlements. It was not only their courage but also the psychological approach in setting up Christian crosses and altars as near as practicable to the pagans’ meeting place which had been their ‘comfort zone’.

Thus Eccleston Old Churchyard, close to the tumulus, has been the site of a Christian church building for over 1000 years. The tumulus had been excavated in the 18th Century by the then Rector of Eccleston who stated that he had discovered a large quantity of human bones.

What is amazing is that the faith has endured to this day despite civil wars and changing times. Long may it so endure.

Autumn – originally published September 2011

Autumn a season much beloved of poets, who wax lyrical, and quite properly so. For me, May and October are my favourite months, the solve disadvantage of October being its proximity to November which is, invariably, dull, dismal, damp and dreary.

Autumn has close connections with the Harvest. Man, originally a hunter gatherer, moved towards agriculture around 3500BC. But, from its origin, agriculture was ever risky. If crops did not mature then the possibility, frequently encountered, was famine. When there were animals, then the lack of winter feed meant that the sad alternative was that they were put down.

As the centuries passed, the physical toil involved continued, only to be ameliorated to some extent with the advent of machinery from the 18th Century. Thus technology helped, but did not eradicate physical effort. There remains, however even now, one factor which remains unchanged and to which modern technology has found no adequate response. That is, of course, the weather. This can reduce, or in extreme cases, destroy yields. It may be that in a small land mass surrounded by sea, such as Great Britain, it can be no more predicable now that in the dawn of agriculture.

When harvests are safely gathered in, there is, and always has been, considerable rejoicing. Pagan people may well have attributed success to their gods. The rejoicing was the celebration of the satisfactory outcome of this physical toil, and the relief that the food would be available for the coming winter. Harvest Thanksgiving services do not feature in the early Christian Calendar and it was not until 1843 that such a service was first introduced in The Church of England.

The “instigator” is said to have been Robert Hawker, a clergyman, devout and caring, who is remembered not only for the Harvest Thanksgiving, but also for his extreme eccentricity! Born in 1804, after his education at Pembroke College, Oxford, he was ordained and given the living of Morwenstow in North Cornwall, a parish situated on precipitous cliffs where many ships came to destruction.

Hawker made it his duty to recover the bodies of drowned sailors and give them Christian burial in his churchyard. This work involved considerable effort and personal peril. In a recent TV travelogue, Hawker’s activities were mentioned, including the fact that the sailors he recovered were buried in a communal grave which he marked appropriately, with a figurehead from the wreck.

Hawker will be ever remembered for his eccentricities, not least his wearing of fisherman’s clothing, but we should remember him for his Christian charity and for his memorable devotion to his calling.

Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Services, which now feature in most parishes, are generally very well attended. Long may this be the case.

The Royal Society “Take nobody’s word for it” – By Peter Jackson. Originally Published July / August 2011

It is time to consider the Royal Society, where the first Secretary was John Wilkins, later to become Bishop of Chester. The heading is a loose translation of the Latin Motto of the Society. Loose it may be but its meaning is abundantly clear. It means, effectively, do not rely on other people, do your own research, publish your findings and accept the criticism of others. In the 17th Century, the rule of Aristotle, namely that “the first principle of all action is leisure” was observed. Leisure was seen, not as relaxation, but a different activity.

This principle, together with the increased freedom of thought accorded by the Reformation, led to a wider interest in scientific subjects. But not all Fellows were scientists. Early members of the Society included the diarist John Evelyn and scientists such as Boyle and the architect Wren. The early years were complicated by the ravages of the Civil War and, during the Protectorate, meetings were abandoned for a while. With The Restoration of the Monarchy, however, the activity was resumed and the monarch, King Charles II allowed the use of the prefix “Royal”. He also became a fellow!

The first meeting of the Society founders, 12 in number, occurred in 1660 when it was resolved to invite a further 40 members. It was reported that 35 accepted and of the latter, 19 were “men of Science”. The remainder included soldiers, statesmen and clergymen. This curious mix of professionals was to continue to the middle of the 19th Century. Thereafter, Fellows would only be elected on merit of scientific research. This move was opposed by some who wished to cling to the mixture of scientific and lay membership. The reason for this lay in another feature of Stuart England which relied heavily upon patronage both in the furtherance of careers and in the matter of funding. There was no central government funding and reliance was placed often upon the financial assistance of affluent, but unqualified, Fellows. Once established, progress was rapid thought not in every detail. There were still remnants of the old thinking. An example was Isaac Newton, who, despite being one of the great intellects of all time, was at the end of his life still working on the transmutation of base metals into gold.

The 18th Century, however saw the emergence of the canal buildings and early steam engines, static and for propulsion. There was much thought given to the production of agricultural machinery. This was a slow process but, with the improved wages which the growing industries offered, this led to a flight from the land which continued well into the 19th Century.

The industrial revolution, the railway system, the advent of gas and much later, electricity, and the advent of the internal combustion engine, were all the ultimate products of the Experimental Philosophy which had its origins in the early meetings of The Royal Society.

There is a downside, of course, and that is in the way in which many of the discoveries have been used to create weapons of war. The internal combustion engine enabled mechanised warfare in the shape of tanks and aircraft and chlorine gas was used on the Western Front in the First World War. The splitting of the atom led, not just to nuclear energy but also to the atom bomb, the slaughter at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the possibility, during the Cold War, of world catastrophe. Dare wer hope that one day, invention will be used for the benefit of the human race and not as a means of its destruction?

In conclusion, we must not forget Ralph Lowndes, Rector of Eccleston (1685-1690) who was a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was not a scientist. He was evicted from his living having refused to sign the oath of allegiance to William and Mary. His excuse was that he had signed the oath in respect of James II who, though in exile, was still alive. Whether that was his true motive or whether he objected on the grounds that England now had a dual monarchy (the only one in its long history), we shall never know!