A PLEASANT walk on a Sunday morning from westward, through that
fashionable part of Kensington known as the Addison-road and
Warwick-gardens, brings us to the Church of St. Philip, which stands at
the corner where the Earl’s-court and Pembroke-roads join. It is a brick
structure in the perpendicular decorated style belonging to the fifteenth
century; and as, with its modest spire, it comes into view, and the
worshippers slowly moving up every main approach, in response to the
“church-going bell,” the whole produces a very pleasing effect. As one
silently views the interior a somewhat mystical impression imperceptibly
steals upon him. The architect, Mr. Thomas Johnson, of Lichfield, would
appear to have studied and followed out the ideal of a former period in
the details generally. This is especially seen in the windows, the
arcades, &c. The nave has a lofty aspect, much more so than would be
expected from the exterior view.
This church was built in 1858, and its district taken principally out of
St. Barnabas, with a small portion from the old Kensington parish. It
originally had accommodation for 1,000, but, in consequence of the
increasing demand, it was enlarged in 1862 to 1,400 sittings, 500 of
which are free. The cost of both the original building and the
subsequent enlargement has been almost entirely borne by the Vicar, the
Rev. J. Dickson Claxton, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, he having
been aided only to the amount of 1,400_l._ or 1,500_l._ in subscriptions,
which were towards the first erection. The enlargement was carried out
at his own sole cost. The great need of this was manifest from the magic
rapidity with which population increased in the neighbourhood of the
church. It stood at 8,000 until recently—the spring of 1869—when the
formation of the sub-district of St. Matthias reduced it to 5,000. But
so rapid is the growth that it has already again risen to fully 6,000.
There is at present but one curate, the Rev. J. C. Sykes, B.A., of
Queen’s College, Cambridge.
Three schools are in part connected with the church, being maintained in
conjunction with St. Barnabas, and containing altogether upwards of 600
children.
The other charities maintained alone by St. Philip’s are several. There
are “A Provident Fund and District Visiting Charity,” a “Maternity
Charity,” “Work Charity,” “Soup Charity,” “Blanket Charity,” and “Old
Clothing Charity.” Taking the year round it would seem that a large
amount of temporal comfort most be distributed over the poorer parts of
the district by these benevolent operations. The church itself contains
several objects of interest worthy of note. There is a splendid reredos
of Caen stone and alabaster, and a peculiarly handsome altar-rail of vert
antique and alabaster. Over the altar is a beautiful stained window by
Heaton and Butler, at the west end an immense and magnificent one to the
memory of the late Lord Holland, also two other small memorial windows,
all by the same firm. The organ is a superior instrument by Walker, of
the Tottenham-court road, and cost upwards of 600_l._ It is played by
Mrs. Higgins—whose husband holds the post of master over a choir without
surplices, chiefly voluntary, aided by a few paid voices. Under the same
direction there a large choral association connected with church. The
services are principally, through not exclusively, Anglican. In the
morning the responses are intoned, and at night the choral is adopted.
Daily prayer at 9.30 A.M. and 5 P.M. On Sundays there is a children’s
service at 9.30 A.M., and full service at 11 A.M., 3.30 P.M., and at 7
P.M. The weekly offertory, and proceeds of the Communion Service twice a
month, are solely relied upon for the maintenance of the charities and
church expenses, in lieu of church rates.
The vestments of the clergy are of the simplest and most irreproachable
kind, and the performance of the service according to the order of the
Common Prayer. There is certainly no trifling with rubrics, and no need
for dexterous evasion of ecclesiastical injunctions. Yet the service we
attended was earnest and solemn. The curate read audibly, and the
preacher, who happened not to be the Vicar, was scholarly and
Evangelical. But, on the whole, the service might be deemed a little too
quiet to be a perfect model of what a service in our English Church
should be. As to the general ministry under the Rev. J. D. Claxton, whom
we had not the pleasure of hearing in _propria persona_, its effects must
be taken as proofs of its acceptableness and usefulness. Commencing, as
we understand, with an original congregation of ninety, he has had the
gratification of seeing it increase to 1,400, and that, too, whilst so
many other churches and chapels have risen all around. The congregation
appeared to our eye to bear that settled and orderly aspect which is one
of the readiest proofs of ministerial success and pastoral fidelity; and
not the least pleasing feature was the large number of the poorer people
who filled the free seats, and regarded with attention and reverence
every part of the service. An official kept the door, who cannot be
termed a verger, scarcely a beadle, but who, if he had no rod or robe, or
staff, had a coat with bright buttons fixed upon a brown cloth. He
handed the stranger over to the care of a matronly-looking female inside,
with a white cap, who very courteously led the way to a seat. When
there, the general effect upon us undoubtedly was that we were in a
church of _the people_—one where _the people_ were to be found quite at
home in their worship of the Creator, and free from the stiffness and
restraint of more tinselled and conventional forms.