PROPOSED NEW CHURCH AT MOSBRO’ – To the Editor.
I read with much astonishment the letter by a “Resident of Mosbro’,” in your paper of yesterday. From the tone of his remark’s he would make the outside world believe how terribly neglected the good Church people of Mosbro ‘ had been for a long time past, and how anxious they were to have a suitable building wherein to hold divine service. Perhaps it would be as well for your readers to know the real facts of the case. At the present time the Church people are provided with a resident clergyman, and have, at any rate, the use of the Church School for divine service. Neither the clergyman nor the school- room have cost them a single farthing, and one would naturally think that when there is an opportunity of ‘ building a new church, that the good Church people of Mosbro’, which; as a population of 3000 in- habitants, would only be too glad to give themselves.
Unfortunately, they do not seem to be possessed of the idea of giving, for out of about £1520, which had already been promised towards the new church, £800 bas been promised by the Reverend E B. Estcourt. the rector of Eckington, and £500 and £200 respectively by two other Eckington families; so, that the Mosbro’ people, who have been languishing for years past, have up to the present moment given not more than £20 amongst them. This needs no farther comment. The Primitive Methodists of Mosbro’ have erected a handsome chapel at a cost of at least £700 or £800, and they are now making great exertions to wipe off the remainder of the debt. The Wesleyan have Cleared off the debt of their present chapel, have bought a piece of ground upon which they intend erecting a new and more commodious one, and they have in addition several hundred pounds towards the new building fund. If the much-neglected Church people of Mosbro’ would follow the example of the Dissenters in the same village, and give liberally themselves, they might then with a good conscience ask outsiders for support.
With reference to the proposed site named by your correspondent, the whole affair lies in a nutshell. Eight of the committee, three of whom represented £1500 already promised, were in favour of erecting the new church on a piece of land from under which the coal has not been worked. In addition, the land adjoins the Church Schools, and therefore will be easy of access for the Sunday school scholars, which is a most important consideration in wet weather. The land also abuts on to the highway, and is most central for all parts of the district, whilst the minority voted for having a piece of land elsewhere, from under which the coal has been worked, and where there is a doubt as to the ground subsiding at some future time, when pumping operations are commenced at a colliery in Beighton lane, which is also some distance from the highway, and in a most exposed situation.
I have given you the real facts of the case, and I hope what I have said may be the means of inducing the Church people of the much-neglected village of Mosbro’ to grumble less and to give more, and thus hold out some inducement for the other parts of the parish and surrounding neighbourhood to help them, remembering the old saying, “God helps those who helps themselves”
Yours truly,
A PARISHONER.
