Page 271 - Reading Mercury

most valued of the erection which of late has appeared within the precincts of this
town.
The cost of this noble structure will be defrayed by one worthy County Member,
John Walter, Esq., and it presents another instance of that admirable disposal of
wealth, which his own immediate neighbourhood so fully illustrates. The new
buildings erected in the neighbourhood, and others in progress, show that there will be
ample scope for the ministrations which the above striking and commodious edifice
will afford.

NATIONAL SCHOOL MEETING IN THE TOWN HALL
A meeting was held at the Town Hall on Thursday last for the purpose of
considering the best means of providing national schools for St. Paul’s, Wokingham.
The chair was taken by the Rev. E.J. Selwyn, the incumbent. The meeting was well
attended, and amongst those present we observed Mr. Faulconer, Mr. Skerritt, Mr.
Soames, Me. Weight, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. J. Heelas jun., Mr. Hart, Mr.
Dailey, Mr. Hulme, Mr. Clark and many more of the most influential inhabitants of
the new parish.
The chairman opened the proceedings by strongly impressing upon the meeting the
necessity for setting about the erection of schools with as little delay as possible. The
building should include a residence for the master, and could not, he feared, be
provided at much less cost than £1,000, but he had little doubt that the parish would
be able to obtain from the Committee of Privy Council a grant in aid of the building
fund. Mr. Walter M.P., had kindly offered a piece of land adjoining the Barkham
Road as a site for the schools and this one difficulty had been got over.
The chairman concluded by expressing his earnest wish, on this and all future
occasions, cordiality to co-operate with his parishioners, and he stated that he had that
morning had an interview with the Rev. T. Morres, the incumbent of the old parish,
who had most kindly expressed his sympathy with the object of their meeting.
Resolutions were then proposed and seconded by various gentlemen to the effect that
it was desirable to provide schools for the new parish—to raise by public subscription
a fund for defraying the cost of their erection, and to appoint a committee for the
purpose of collecting funds, communicating with the Committee of Privy Council,
and procuring plans and estimates for the new building. These resolutions were
unanimously carried. A committee was appointed with power to add to their number,
and a subscription list was opened in the room, in which the gentlemen present placed
their names for sums amounting in the aggregate to about £220. The subscription list
lies at Mr. Gotelee’s Library.

th
Sat 16 July
BAPTIST CHAPEL MILTON ROAD
On Wednesday last, some interesting services were held in the above Chapel, in
connection with the entire removal of the debt which was incurred in erecting it some
three or four years since. The services commenced in the afternoon, when a sermon
was preached by Rev. W. Brock, of London, founded on the words “Whatsoever He
th
saith unto you, do it,” John II 5 verse. This service being ended, the congregation, to
the number of 350, partook of tea in a spacious tent, near the Chapel.
After tea they returned to the Chapel, when a paper was read by the Rev. R.G.
Scorey the minister, giving a somewhat detailed history of the efforts which had been

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