Holy Trinity

This account is based on a book, the Annals and Records of Holy Trinity Church, Bath, from its consecration in 1822, down to the year 1890, by the Revd. T. L. Sissmore; he was Rector from 1890 to 1923. It was published by J. A. Godwin, Bath, in 1893. The copy we have is inscribed in elegant Victorian writing for Ada Rose, as a Sunday School prize. As we shall see, children have played an important part in the life of Holy Trinity, especially in its earlier years.

The period following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was a difficult one for the country.

The Napoleonic wars had drained the economy, and at the same time the population was increasing rapidly. As early as 1811 a Parliamentary Commission had identified the need for more churches. In 1815 £1 million was granted by Parliament towards the building of new ones as a thank offering for victory.

In the parish of Walcot in Bath, one of the largest in Britain, there were already six churches and chapels, which provided for total congregations of 5,000; but it was stated that a need was felt to accommodate no less that 20,000, surely an over-estimate. It was decided to build two new chapels in the parish, including one in Lower James St. (also known as St. James St.) - on the north side of the present James Street West between the old station and Kingsmead Square, where Rosewell Court now is. This was to be Holy Trinity.

The exact cost of building is not known; it seems £11,250 was raised from several sources. The chapel was intended to accommodate a total congregation of 2100. The "Free Church" movement had begun in Bath in 1798; its aim was to abolish, or restrict, pew rents, in the hope of encouraging the less well off to attend services. Holy Trinity was one of the very first of these churches (though at that time a parochial chapel). It was only in the lower one of the two galleries that three hundred seats were hired, all the rest being free. From the first, most of Holy Trinity's congregation was poor, such being the area of Bath in which it was built. From its founding in 1822 until 1833 it alone paid for the education it gave poor children, nothing coming from the state. Its concern for the disadvantaged has lasted to the present day.

The first design submitted for the building of the church recalled Ancient Greece, but Gothic was considered more fitting. The architect was John Lowder, who was so conscientious in his work on the project that sadly his health broke down, and he died in 1829, at the age of 48. He gave all his profit to the church he had designed. Nikolaus Pevsner refers to the building as an "irregular fanciful composition", but to the untutored eye of Bathonians who remember it before the air raids of 1942, it had a friendly and pleasing character. The Revd. Harry Jelly, latterly one of the church's curates, refers to it in a volume of sermons, as a "beautiful structure".

Holy Trinity was consecrated on 10 December 1822, and on Christmas Day Holy Communion was celebrated for the first time.

It remained as a parochial chapel in Walcot parish until 1840. The Revd. E. J. Crawley was the first curate, and for nearly four years was the only minister.

Fr. Sissmore's record of a crime in Bath evokes the period, and emphasises how central the Church was at this time to the life of the community, and the civilising influence it had on it. In January 1828 a brutal murder was committed in 16 Marlborough Buildings.

A manservant, one Gilham, said that he had found a fellow servant, Maria Bagnall, murdered following a burglary. It turned out that Gilham had in fact killed her. He was convicted and hanged. He had been stealing from his employers, and Maria had found out. The Revd. W. Downes Willis had become a colleague of the first curate of Holy Trinity in 1826. Prompted by the murder, he courageously preached nine sermons, afterwards published. His criticism of dishonesty on the part of domestics, which was rife, was forthright and vigorous He was mobbed in the street by a number of manservants, and a hare's skin filled with fat was tied to the knocker of his front door. He learned that his next sermon would be interrupted, and he took as his text Galatians 4. 16: " Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? " The congregation heard him out and went quietly away.

On Christmas Day 1829 no less than 413 people received Communion, the majority of them said to be working class. This figure is not thought to have been equalled before or since.

In 1831 the Revd. W. Downes Willis founded the Bath Friendly Society, of which he became Honorary Secretary. This venture encouraged thrift and care in the way members ran their lives, and links between the Society and Holy Trinity remained close. Clubs, medical institutions and other societies grew up under the aegis of the B.F.S., a further example of good works and practical guidance in the Church's influence during the nineteenth century. This now tends to be associated with the reign of Queen Victoria, yet much had been accomplished before she came to the throne in 1837.

Until 1838 the church had been lit with oil lamps, but in that year gas lighting was installed. The practice of late Evensong and sermon had come in, so the improvement was timely, even if expensive.

In April 1840 Holy Trinity became a Parish Church following the division of Walcot into three separate parishes: Holy Trinity, Walcot St. Swithin, and St. Saviour. The first Rector was the Revd. Robert Lovett, who had the living from 1840 until 1852. Fr. Sissmore refers to his "handsome form and tall figure". Some of the parishioners were displeased because they had not been consulted regarding the division of Walcot; this was expressed for a period in less giving and a lesser number of communicants.

Every December from 1840 on payments are noted for "Holly and dressing the church" or "Evergreens for Christmas". This practice dates from the time of St. Jerome, and the priest and poet George Herbert confirms the custom. Mistletoe was excluded due to its use in pagan ceremonies.

On Ascension Day, 25th May 1843, the parish boundaries were perambulated - "beating the bounds". The churchwardens led, bearing a banner with the words "Holy Trinity". They were followed by three tything-men, parishioners and schoolboys. It was quite an adventure: walls were crossed, back yards too. A Mr. Perry at first refused to allow access to his premises, then relented; another householder refused point blank. Refreshments were then taken at the Park Tavern. The nature of these refreshments and to what extent they were taken is not known, but we are told that the emboldened procession then crossed roofs and walked along walls. The perambulation ended with a trip on the river for " a certain number" (the rest being by now no doubt quite done up). The elect disembarked at the Quay (now Broad Quay). Expenses came to nearly £6. On that Ascension Day a special service was held in the church for the first time, and regularly afterwards.

The ancient custom of beating the bounds originated probably in Anglo-Saxon times before maps were in general use, so that people would know the boundaries of their own parish. The tradition is still continued by Holy Trinity as an enjoyable annual event, but it now takes place on Rogation Sunday.

In 1845 there was a harbinger of the path Holy Trinity was later to follow. The Bishop of Oxford, the Hon. and Right Revd. Richard Bagot, succeeded Bishop Law in the See of Bath and Wells. Bishop Bagot was anxious to leave Oxford owing to the controversy arising out of Tracts for the Times which had been published in that city, and advocated a movement in the Church of England towards a more Catholic form of worship. This of course refers to the Oxford Movement, which was gradually gathering followers. It is interesting that Fr. Sissmore makes special mention of this at an early stage in his narrative.

The Revd. R. Lovett resigned in 1852. The patronage of Holy Trinity was in the hands of the Rector of Walcot, the Revd. S. H. Widdrington, and he nominated the Revd. James Murray Dixon, who remained at Holy Trinity for the next thirty-eight years. He was described as an "attractive and popular preacher" who drew large congregations.

We come now to an important development in Holy Trinity's part in educating children. Probably in the early 1850s a site to the east of the church and adjoining it was bought for £400, with the intention of accommodating the Holy Trinity National Schools. A building was there already which was converted, but to mark its new purpose a corner stone was laid on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin in May 1854. Boys' and girls' schools were established. Teaching boys was a new development; girls and infants had been educated for many years, the girls in a house in New King Street. Schoolchildren had been present when Holy Trinity was consecrated in 1822. Grants towards the cost of rebuilding amounted to £584, about a third of the total cost. It is recorded that between 1852 and 1890 the church gave about £4000 (approximately £200,000 in today's money) towards providing education for the "wage-earning class", and as we have seen, Holy Trinity had arranged teaching for girls and infants prior to this period, so its total contribution was even greater.

In 1863 the school building was enlarged, creating room for adults' evening classes. Unfortunately the girls' school had to close in 1888 due to lack of funds. The education of infants seems to have been on an irregular basis from 1871 on. The boys continued to be taught.

In the 1860s the problems of the poorest part of the parish, that is Avon Street, Milk Street, and the Quay could be described as Dickensian; they were a source of constant anxiety. In Avon Street there were a hundred houses lived in by about 1500 of "the most abject poor in the city - skewer makers, gipsies, beggars... and loafers of every description", according to Fr. Sissmore. Bath Corporation acknowledged the beneficial influence of Holy Trinity on reducing crime in this area. The church was anxious to increase this influence. There was a mission room in Avon Street, but it proved too small even for that purpose. In 1861 there is reference to a possible chapel in the same street, and a curate was appointed, but it was not built. Funding was the problem; the money collected fell far short of the £1000 needed.

In 1861 a new cemetery of about eight acres for the civil parish of Walcot was laid out at Locksbrook, about a mile to the west of Holy Trinity. Part of it was consecrated in the winter of 1863-64. One sixth of the total area was assigned to the church. Up to then the dead of the parish were usually interred in the burial ground which was at that time near the southern end of Walcot Street.

About 1862 a furnace was installed in the basement of the church, the building until then having been heated by stoves. Unfortunately on occasions the furnace was extinguished by flood waters of the nearby River Avon.

We come now to one of the most significant events in the history of the parish of Holy Trinity since it was founded, and one worthy of a novel by Anthony Trollope. To quote Fr. Sissmore: "In the late autumn of 1864, a rumour ran through the City of Bath that the High Church party had secured the advowson and the next presentation of the rectory of Holy Trinity." (An advowson is the right of presentation, i.e. appointment, to a parish or other ecclesiastical benefice. Fr. Sissmore uses the word "rectory" in an abstract sense.

The Revd. E. H. Widdrington had bought the advowson of Walcot in 1838, that parish, as we have seen, then being divided into St. Swithin, St. Saviour, and Holy Trinity. A Mr. John Rainey, wishing to see Holy Trinity within the fold of the Oxford Movement, called a meeting of like minded people, probably in 1864. A syndicate was formed to acquire the Holy Trinity advowson, which would cost £3000 (the equivalent today of more than £150,000). This figure was reached with the help of public subscriptions and the advowson was bought. To quote Fr. Sissmore again: "the dismay of the leaders of the Evangelical party can scarcely be imagined". The Revd. A. Peache, of Mangotsfield, as an Evangelical, offered a large sum for the advowson of St. Saviour, bought it, and gave it to the Church Patronage Society. Thus a situation bordering on confrontation was created.

Before proceeding with Fr. Sissmore's narrative, which may sound strange to present-day readers, we need to take a quick look at the Church of England during the nineteenth century. Although, as we have seen at Holy Trinity, the Church could in many places have a civilising influence on the local community, both in social and moral matters, the spiritual life of the English Church in the early part of the nineteenth century was on the whole at a low ebb. There were huge social and economic pressures throughout the country, producing instability and disorder. A popular philosophy of the day held that modern thought, education and reason were far more important than the spiritual needs of the people. It was against this background that the leaders of the Oxford Movement began to preach the values of constant prayer and a life consecrated to God. In many churches the celebration of Holy Communion was very infrequent; even in the latter part of the nineteenth century the fact that Holy Trinity had a celebration every Sunday was bound to be controversial. Today, looking back in maturity and understanding, and with the benefit of a more critical study of the Scriptures leading to sympathetic, rather than confrontational, theological discussion, we realise how much Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics had in common in the period under discussion. We rejoice that a deeper understanding of the sacramental life now exists between us.

Returning to the narrative, a scheme was devised by the Evangelicals for taking over part of the parish of Holy Trinity. The Rector of Bath, the Revd. Charles Kemble, who was a man of influence, somehow obtained the agreement of the Revd. J. M. Dixon to the dismemberment of his own parish. Almost certainly the majority of the congregation was against this plan, and prepared to oppose it. Lengthy discussions and legal arguments with the Bishop and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners took place, but the Bishop finally decided that the proposal should go ahead, subject possibly to some minor changes.

The new district of St. Paul was "carved out" of the Parish of Holy Trinity. It came into existence on February 5th 1869. Its church, on the corner of Chapel Row and Monmouth Place, was consecrated on February 15th 1874. This is the church which is the present day Holy Trinity. How unlikely such an outcome would have seemed when the events we have described were taking place. One cannot help commenting "time the great healer" or "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform". Perhaps such well-worn sayings are so often used because they are, quite simply, true.

Despite the almost certain disagreement between the Rector and the greater part of his congregation, he did not resign his living until 1890. There must have been tensions, especially immediately after the division, but no disagreements are recorded, and there is no history of problems with St. Paul's. As we shall see later, the relationship of the churches became very close.

In 1871 it was proposed to remove the two galleries in Holy Trinity, as they were not used. After the west gallery had gone a west window was inserted where it had been. Other improvements, such as new seating, were carried out over the next seven years, including the provision of a proper altar; the previous one had been no more than a sort of cupboard in which various things were kept.

On October 25th 1882 there was a disastrous flood in Bath. As we have said, the heating furnace had often been put out by flood water, but this time water came into the church itself, which was inundated to a depth of sixteen inches. Light objects floated about. A thick deposit of mud was left after the waters retreated, and papers in the churchwardens' chests were found to have been damaged. Two wagon loads of cushions and hassocks were sent to be dried in Mr. Taylor's malt kiln at Twerton-on-Avon, as it was then known.

1890 brought the quiet departure of the Revd. James Murray Dixon. He had not made his intention known publicly. On Easter Day, April 6th, he ministered in Holy Trinity for the last time. Only in the evening did he tell the congregation that he was leaving. He took as his text Acts 5. 42: "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." He had preached from that text on September 5th 1852 when he had come to serve the parish. Many of the congregation might have thought that Matthew 25.21 was also appropriate: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." He had been President of the Royal United Hospital and the Western Dispensary, and had served on nearly forty committees. Then after deputising for the Rector of Sandford Orcas, near Sherborne, he became Rector of Great Gidding, in the Diocese of Ely.

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