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184 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. XIII.
that the floor should be level with the roadway, but this was abandoned when it was found that the cost would be £500 extra. Nevertheless, the economy is to be regretted on architectural grounds. The original cost of the church up to the time it was opened was £10,788. The foundation stone was laid on November 1, 1877, and the Consecration took place on June 11, 1879, by the Bishop of Chichester (Durnford).
After the Consecration Mr. Usill invited a large number of friends to luncheon at one of the hotels. The only speakers, besides the host, were the Duke of Devonshire, the Bishop of Chichester, Mr. Howard, Mr. Pitman, and Mr. Streatfeild. The Duke said that the oocasion reminded him of a similar luncheon given at Mr. Gilbert's house 42 years previously to celebrate the erection of Trinity Church, which, when built in 1837, was, he said, regarded by everybody concerned as the first and last additional Church ever likely to be required at East-Bourne!
All Souls' Church.
" ^abt mxb vtatkattt btcomt a C^urr^mait fatter 13pm imtbitioit."—
{King Henry VIII.)
The history of this Church both as regards its origin and also as regards its construction from a builder's and architect's point of view, presents some interesting features. In order to explain matters, I must make a little prefatory statement. For many years there hovered over East-Bourne (no other word would as well describe it) a kind and good lady of noble birth, Lady Victoria Long Wellesley, sister of the 4th and last Earl of Mornington. I knew her for many years, the first mention of her name in my diary being under the date of December 28, 1859. The difficulty I always had was to know where to write to her, because I knew her at Bolney, near Cuckfield ; at The Terrace, East-Bourne ; at Brunswick House, East-Bourne ; at West Stoke, near Chichester; at Portland Place; and finally at Bournemouth. At a date which I am unable to specify more |
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