Vestry Meeting 24th April 1830

Acknowledgement:

This copy of the meeting by parishioners of Ballaugh Church to petition for or against the removing of the Parish Church of St. Mary, Ballaugh, was copied by hand from the Official Copy from the Parish Register of Ballaugh (also copied by hand by the Rector of Ballaugh from the original), and then typed from this copy. by Susanne Dougherty, for whom I am grateful for the copy (nb It has not been checked against the original)

Text

At a vestry held in the Parish Church of St. Mary Ballaugh, in pursuance of legal notice given the preceding Sunday, to take into further consideration the state and condition and the removing of the said Church, as recommended by The Legislature. It is resolved in Vestry that the said Church is in a ruinous and dilapidated state and condition as appears by the return of the Jury duly empanneled to survey the same, and from the smallness and situation thereof is incapable of any considerable improvement or addition so as to accommodate the parishioners with convenient seats or pews. Resolved therefore that a new Parish Church be erected on the north west corner of a certain field, commonly known by the name of Magher y Raad mooar on the quarterland of Ballaterson beg, the property of Thomas Corlett adjoining the high road from the present church to the Village of Ballaugh on the west, and on the North by the old road between the two estates of Ballaterson and that an acre of said field be purchased for the said Church, and also for a churchyard which shall be enclosed with a sufficient stone wall, and which Church yard be allotted in the usual proportion for burial ground and the said new church to be of sufficient dimensions including a gallery on the west end there of to afford one pew or seat with a commodious door to each pew of or each quarter of land in the said Parish, and sufficient to contain eight full grown persons at the least, also sufficient to accommodate the Intack, Cottage, and Mill Holders with pews or seats in the usual proportion to the Quarterland seats, being in the whole fifty eight seats, besides six free seats, and that the Rector and Wardens do forthwith solicit the Legislature of the said Island for an Act of Tynwald for the sanctioning and confirming the removal of the site of said church as herein before mentioned and the re-building thereof as aforesaid, and that afterwards the said church be built and finished by the said Rector and Wardens, and such sidesmen as may be chosen to assist them, by a fair and equal assessment amounting to the sum of ten pounds Brits and no more on each quarterland and Intakes in proportion to be made and levied in the usual manner, and that whatever sum or sums be further necessary to the completion of the said Church (after expending the amount of said assessment, that is to say, five hundred and eighty pounds Brits) be paid by the The Rt Rev The Lord Bishop of The Diocese out of a fund raised in England for the building and enlarging of Churches in the Isle of Man in testimony whereof The Lord Bishop sets his hand to this Act of Vestry. And that the said Church be built under the direction and supervision of the The Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop of the Diocese according to his Ephiscophal right or jurisdiction as by Law established. That the said church be built of the dimensions and according to the plan of the interior exhibited this day to the Parishioners in Vestry assembled. It is also resolved that the old Church yard and the fence thereof shall be kept in repair by the Wardens for the time being in the same manner as it has been hitherto kept, and carefully preserved as usual. In witness whereof we subscribe our names this 24^th day of April in the year of our Lord 1830.

W. Sodor and Mann

Names of the persons in Vestry assembled who object to the removal of the Church from its present site – dated this 24^th April, 1830.

110

84

26 majority in favour of the Removal of the Church.

N.B. The above documents were transmitted to The Episcopal Register April 26^th 1830 to be enrolled in the Episcopal Registry by

H. Stowell, Rector

Memorandum – Sept. 27^th. The New Church of St Mary Ballaugh was this day consecrated after much delay and many obstacles.

Gloria Deo in excelsis

"Bishop Ward presided over the vestry meeting of April 1830 that decided to build a new, and larger, church nearer the village. Bishop Ward laid the foundation stone, at a site of his choice, a mere month later. The £1714 cost was split £580 on a parish assessment with the remainder from the money the Bishop had collected in England for church building."