Aug. 3, 1895. The name of Joseph Stephen Hilliard is written large in the hearts of the many. The blank left by his death remains. It is not too much to say, that he is missed by all classes of the community. In the churchyard, there has been erected a memorial cross, designed by Mr. Oldrid Scott, son of the famous architect of the church. The inscription is as follows:— IN MEMORY OF THE REVEREND JOSEPH STEPHEN HILLIARD, Who was born January 26, 1827, and died August 3rd, 1895, from June 1859. The period of his incumbency was marked by the rapid growth of his charge, and notable for the resources he raised to meet its needs. Many monuments, including no fewer than four Churches, in addition to Schools and Parsonages, testify to his activity, for he was wise to foresee, and strenuous to perform. To lead in all enterprises, educational or benevolent, was with him a natural instinct, knowing and pitying the lot of the poor, he showed a ready and tender sympathy with all suffering. In the conflicts of a stirring time he was ever willing to bear and forbear, to forgive and forget. He was a man of singular courage, whom no difficulty daunted, nor did any wrongdoers escape his just rebuke. His shrewd criticism of men and things, his promptitude and dexterity of reply, will long be remembered. He died regretted by all, and deeply mourned by his friends. The Rev. W. Templeton King, at one time curate at the Parish Church, and subsequently Vicar of St. George's, Brentford, is the present Vicar of Christ Church. In connection with Christ Church is St. Saviour's, which came into existence some seventeen years ago, when the rapidly increasing population, resident in that part of Christ Church parish, made additional church accommodation needful. In order to supply the want, a temporary iron church was erected in 1880, in what was the most crowded and poorest part, and the Rev. A. C. Almack was appointed by Mr. Hilliard as Curate-in-charge of the district. The Rev. W. Ranger succeeded Mr. Almack in 1887, on the latter's appointment as Vicar of Bowes Park. On Tuesday, July 14th, 1897, however, the foundation stone of the permanent church of St. Saviour's, which will before long take the place of the temporary building, was laid by the Rev. W. T. King, in the unavoidable absence of the Bishop of London, Dr. Mandell Creighton, Bishop of the diocese. This new church will be near the old building, which has done right good service. The ultimate cost of the site will be about £1,600, while the building contract is something over £9,400. The architect is Mr. Fellowes Prynne. It is not proposed to erect the church in its entirety, immediately. The plans include a south transept, side chapel, and flêche, but these parts will be left at present, and their omission will reduce the total cost at the onset to something like £9,500. Mr. Ranger, and all interested in the movement, are heartily to be congratulated, in that nearly £8,000 of the sum required has already been raised. The notices of the remaining churches, and other places of public worship, in Ealing, have been kindly contributed by those whose names are appended. CHAPTER XIX. The Churches of Ealing. St. John's.-St. James's Mission Church.-St. Stephen's.--St. Matthew's.-St. Peter's. S a proposed parish, St. John's Church,' Ealing Dean, is rather older than St. Stephen's. The church, schools, and other parochial institutions, have grown from very small beginnings. In 1865, the Rev. J. S. Hilliard, incumbent of Christ Church, set up, on a plot of ground where now are cottages in St. John's Road, Steven's Town, a small iron building to be used as a Mission Room on Sundays, and here, afternoon services were held somewhat irregularly. Towards the end of 1866, the then Vicar of Ealing, the Rev. E. W. Relton, and the Rev. J. S. Hilliard, thought that the time had come, when an attempt might be made to carry on further church work in the western part of the parish, and that the wooden church which had been erected in the glebe field for the St. Mary's congregation during the reconstruction of their church, might be further utilised by being transferred to some site at Ealing Dean. With this idea, and because the new site would probably be in his parish, Mr. Hilliard called on Mr. Summerhayes, who for seven years had been curate of St. Mary's, and was 1 By the Rev. Julius Summerhayes, Vicar of St. John's, Ealing Dean. |