"in which I have usually spent two hours in reading "and practically explaining the Holy Scriptures, I "have sometimes had 200 persons present at one time, "and calculate on the whole that 800 at different times "have thus come under instruction. Many instances "might be produced, certainly not less than 20 families, "of reformation in both sexes, which had evinced itself "in their desire to possess the Bible and Common "Prayer Book, and by a total change in their moral "character."

At the commencement of his career Mr. Berkin was repeatedly remonstrated with by respectable gentlemen who knew the locality better than himself, upon his venturing amongst the Foresters alone, assuring him that it was not safe, since, a very short time before he came to Mitcheldean, two Wesleyan ministers attempted openair preaching in the Forest, but were violently attacked and driven away. He thus proceeds to describe the circumstances which led to the erection of Holy Trinity Church :-"At one of the places which I am "accustomed to visit, where the heat and crowd have "at times been almost insufferable, the colliers, aided "by two or three neighbouring farmers, offered to build "a large room for the better accommodation of greater "numbers. This, for obvious reasons, was declined; "but it led me earnestly to wish that the Foresters "might be more immediately brought within the pale of "the Established Church, and, by regular attendance "on a church appropriated to themselves, be made ha"bitually acquainted with that admirable Liturgy to "which too many of them are now utter strangers. Acting upon these earnest feelings, Mr. Berkin, with the concurrence of the esteemed Dr. Ryder, the Bishop of Gloucester, laid a memorial and plan before Government, with an offer, on his part, that, "if the needful "fund for building a church and parsonage-house could "be provided, he would give up his present curacy and serve the new church without any further emolument "than the endowment necessary for its consecration." In the concluding terms of an admirable address to the public, dated the 30th April, 1816, which he circulated

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with the design of obtaining contributions to the work, he stated-"My wishes are, that the kind contributors " will feel rewarded in the reflection that thousands yet "unborn may have cause to bless them for thus providing for their spiritual wants, and giving them the "knowledge of those principles which alone can make "them worthy members of society here, or lead them "to provide well for their eternal welfare hereafter."

The Crown granted five acres of land for the purpose on Harry Hill, being a spot situated within a reasonable distance of from 250 to 300 cottages. To the estimated cost of 2,5007., contributions, amounting in some cases to 307. each, were given by the Earl of Liverpool, Right Hon. N. Vansittart, the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, Sir Thomas Baring, Lord Calthorpe, Joshua Watson, Esq., Rev. H. H. Norris, W. Wilberforce, Esq., M.P., Rev. J. Pratt, &c. The building of the church (the design of which comprised a chancel 15 feet square, a tower about 60 feet high, and a body or nave 40 feet by 60 feet, calculated to hold from 400 to 500 adults, and a large children's gallery, for whom a school-room 30 feet by 50 feet was also to be built close adjoining) was begun on the 4th of June, 1816, and was used for the first time upon the 2nd of February following, on which occasion the sermon was preached by the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, from St. Matt. iv. 16. It was consecrated, as the Church of the Holy Trinity, by Bishop Ryder, on the 26th June, 1817, who preached a sermon, not yet forgotten, upon 1 Kings viii. 30; and the whole property of the living was vested in the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, Lord Calthorpe, and the Right Hon. Nicholas Vansittart, Rev. J. Kempthorne and Rev. Charles Bryan, as trustees.

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Although Mr. Berkin had thus accomplished the important object of providing the inhabitants of the north-east portion of the Forest with "a church which they could call their own," he felt that it yet remained for him to make the building really useful to the people by imparting to them more and more just views of the Christian life. Accordingly he laboured

M

if possible more abundantly than ever amongst them, visiting their houses at short intervals, collecting neighbours together, and expounding the Holy Scriptures to them under their own roofs, or else opening the church so as to draw them off from the corrupting pastimes

which were common at certain times of the

year,

and

bestowing much pains on his Sunday school. Sometimes, when necessitated to take relaxation, and to go from home for a few weeks, he improved the time by acting as a deputation for the Church Missionary or Bible Societies, and even now his name is remembered

Holy Trinity Church and Schools, Harry Hill.

in distant parishes. The Missionary Association for which he acted as secretary, and which was called the North-east Forest of Dean Branch, sometimes contributed 2207. a year to the cause, or a total of 3,3007. The appliances, now so generally known, for interesting the young were even then in actual operation in his own school, and effected their purpose well. His monitors and sub-teachers were carefully guided by him; and no doubt with the design of duly impressing its importance upon his scholars, holy baptism in accordance with the rubric was always administered during divine service, after the second lesson, and this took place most Sundays, as the register shows.

Few clergymen took more pains than Mr. Berkin with the communicants of the church, who were always visited before the communion day, and who generally presented themselves to the number of about seventy. On two occasions valuable livings were offered to him; but, said he, "since my ministerial work "began in this neighbourhood, here it shall end," as it accordingly did, after forty years of labour, on the 11th October, 1847. He was buried in his own churchyard, being followed to the grave by his sorrowing people, and worthily committed to the tomb by the Rev. James Davies, of Abbenhall. His funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. H. Poole, who took for his text 2 Tim. iv. 6-8.*

A rapidly increasing population, and unfortunately not a concentrating one, compelled Mr. Berkin's successor (the writer of this work) to meet its wants by erecting chapel school-rooms, for the accommodation of sixty scholars each, in the hamlets of Woodside and the Hawthorns, the former having been in use since 15th September, 1850, and the latter since 31st December, 1851, to the lasting benefit, he trusts, of many of the rising generation through the Divine blessing on the conscientious efforts of their respective teachers. It

* The Author has had the satisfaction of promoting the erection of a tablet in Holy Trinity Church, to the memory of a man who had been so useful in his generation.

was by such a method that Mr. Berkin acted, when, in the year 1822, he caused a chapel school-room to be built at Lydbrook, judging that place to be sufficiently populous and distant from the nearest church to justify such an erection, not as being a full provision for it, but hoping that eventually a church might be built there, which has now been satisfactorily accomplished.

The following clergymen have successively officiated in the district of Holy Trinity:

Incumbents.-H. Berkin, 1817; H. G. Nicholls, 1847.

Curates.-J. Morse, 1820; J. Bridgeman, 1821; J. Herbert, 1822; W. Marshall, 1822; W. Burkitt, 1824; J. Chell, 1827; R. T. Budd, 1840; W. C. Badger, 1844; J. G. Croker, 1846; G. Tatam, 1848; H. Algar, 1851; W. Nickisson; W. Duckett ; J. Ashton; H. W. Thornton; W. A. Whitestone. Most of these gentlemen served at Lydbrook, although occasionally at Holy Trinity Church; they likewise attended the Chapel Schoolroom on Little Dean Hill.

The annual number of christenings at Holy Trinity Church is 80; of weddings, 15; and of funerals, 40. The morning congregation on Sunday comprises about 100; that in the afternoon, 350; and the two evening school-room services, 120. About 250 scholars attend school weekdays and Sundays.

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Having thus related the progressive efforts made for the welfare of the people occupying the north-east portion of the Forest, it is necessary that we return to the date of 1813, being the year in which the Rev. Mr. Procter opened his chapel school-room on the west. He tells us that "in the course of this year the Bishop "of Gloucester was pleased to call my attention to the "clause introduced by Mr. Perceval into the Act of 52 George III., cap. 161. I went up to town, and had "the honour of an interview with the Chancellor of the "Exchequer, the Right Honourable N. Vansittart, who was pleased to advise with the Earl of Liverpool on "the subject, which resulted in a grant of five acres of "land, a donation of 1007. to the building fund, and an "endowment of 207. per annum to the school." He proceeds to remark that "the crowded state of the chapel "became a matter of astonishment to the Foresters "themselves, and painfully inconvenient to the congre