Cheshire Observer - Saturday 06 November 1897 (page 8) printed a lengthy report re the opening of Mostyn House School's Chapel:
'NEW CHAPEL AT PARKGATE. DEDICATION CEREMONY. The new chapel of St. Nicholas, connected with Mostyn House School, Parkgate, was dedicated by the Bishop of Chester on Thursday afternoon. Within the last ten years Mostyn House School - once the famous Mostyn Hotel, patronised by the highest personages in the land as they passed through Parkgate en route to Ireland - has had great demands made upon its accommodation, and Mr. Grenfell, the principal, has kept a small army of workmen in constant employment, the work of enlargement having been entrusted to Mr. William Fleming, a Neston builder. The most surprising transformation has taken place. The original Mostyn House is fast disappearing, and is giving place to a group of buildings which dwarf all the other erections in the vicinity. One of the most important additions is the beautiful chapel, which was opened on Thursday. This is situated in rear of the buildings facing the parade, the only portion visible from this point being the bell tower, whioh appears above the adjacent roofs. The electric light, which is used throughout the range of buildings, is carried up to this point, and is visible nightly for a long distance. The chapel will seat nearly 300 persons. It is built of Ruabon brick and terra cotta. The style is principally Gothic, and is in keeping with the surrounding buildings. The seating is of polished pitch-pine, with carved ends, while rare specimens of curly pitchpine has been used for many of the more prominent fittings, the panelling and framing on the walls being all rare varieties of this kind. The flooring consists of teak blocks laid in the form of ornamental panels, and the floor of the communion is of mosaic tiles. The electric organ is encased with carved oak. It is of considerable range and power, and was most effectively used during the service on Thursday and the recital which followed. The lectern in oak presented by the scholars and friends is a very prominent feature in the building. The stem is a facsimile of a lectern designed by the late Sir G. Gilbert Scott, R.A, for the ill-fated Cathedral of St. John's, Newfoundland, while the Eagle is a replica of a similar bird designed by Mr. William White, F.S.A., which is doing duty in Madagascar. It is approached by two oak steps with massive hand rails of wrought and polished brass. The roof is of polished pitch-pine in ornamental designs, and on the beams of the roof through- out the building are hung a series of large royal shields, while the arms of various colleges and public schools have been placed in the panels surmounting each of the windows. The east window is a most artistic representa tion of 'Faith, hope, and charity,' and the adjoining windows contain the seven cardinal virtues of Sir Joshua Reynolds, St. John and the Lamb of Murillo, and a kneeling figure of a boy. One of the west windows is a beautiful reproduction of the famous picture 'Faithful unto death,' representing a Roman sentinel who died rather than move from his post during the destruction of Pompeii. This was presented by Mr. and Mrs. Stirling. In the opposite window is a touching repre sentation of the Christ-child in the Temple, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Tatham as a memorial of their son, Lionel Trevor Tatham, who was a pupil at the school, and died in 1894, aged 12 years. The communion table, of panelled English oak, was presented by the builder (Mr. W. Fleming),and the altar cloth by Mrs. Haslam. The sedilia, one of which was presented by Mr. H. Price, are of exquisitely carved oak, and the altar rails are of the same material. Numerous other objects in the chapel were special gifts. The interior fittings were designed by Messrs. Fraser, and Warburton, of Warring ton, while the building itself was designed by Mr. Grenfell himself. The heating is by a hot-air apparatus, and the building is lighted throughout by the electric light. The chapel was filled on Thursday with a large congregation, including many who had journeyed a considerable distance to be present on the occasion, among the latter being Mr. H. W. Moss (head master of Shrewsbury school), the Bishop of Chester, Archdeacon Wilson, of Manchester (formerly headmaster of Clifton College), the local clergy, including the Rev. Canon Turner (vicar of Neston), the Rev. H. B. Sherwen (Neston). and the Rev. C. H. Lowe (chaplain, Mostyn House), Mr. A. G. Grenfell and the masters of Mostyn Honse, entered the building in procession, the hymn 'Come Thou Holy Spirit Come,' being sung in Latin as a processional. Mr. C. T. Rey nolds, Mus. Doc, presided at the organ, and the choir were assisted by a party from Chester. The special lessons were read by Mr. Grenfell and the Rev. Canon Turner. The remaining hymns were *We love the place O God,' 'Father before Thy throne of light,' and ' Eternal Father strong to save.' The sermon was preached by Archdeacon Wilson, from the words ' From this day will I bless thee. In the course of a most impressive addess the preacher said the chapel, with its dignified services and calm beauty, would henceforth form a part of the moral atmosphere surrounding the boys of Mostyn House. Referring in graphic terms to the magnificent panorama with a background of sea and hills, and glorious sunsets in which the chapel was set, he said that the beauty of it all would unconsciously enter into their lives and pervade their thoughts while life remained. He, himself, had spent five years by the seaside as a boy, and though he did not seem to notice such matters at the time, the loveliness of it all had haunted all his after life, and he thanked God for it. In conclusion, he briefly sketched the story of St. Nicholas (the patron saint of boys and sailors), to whom the chapel is dedicated, and made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the hospital at Labrador, founded by Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, brother of the principal of Mostyn House, who was present at the service. Bishop Jayne afterwards offered the dedicatory prayers. An organ and vocal recital followed, the vocalists being Messrs. Greenwood, Mill ward, Gaudy, and Robinson, and Miss Amy Price'.
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