the church is reserved to Viscount Dudley, and his heirs, and by way of compensation an annual payment of 57. is secured to the Vicar of Sedgley. This deed is dated, November 9th, 1822. It is registered at Lichfield, and a copy of it is deposited in the parish chest at the Vicarage'.

A debt having been left upon this building, a new committee was formed in the year 1831, by whose exertions the debt was paid off; a substantial fence was built round the churchyard, and some few other improvements made and paid for. The expenditure of this committee amounted to 1807. In the present year the church has been enlarged, by means of grants from the Incorporated and the Diocesan Societies, together with subscriptions obtained in the neighbourhood. It was reopened for divine. service, June 18th 1837; now containing 950 persons. Most of the room thus gained has been laid out in free seats. And one important feature in the alterations is this, that the children of the schools are ranged all round the fronts of the three galleries. In this position their conduct is readily observed by the officiating minister before them, and by their parents in the free seats behind them; whilst they themselves are much more likely to be interested in the service, than when placed, as is frequently the case, in some remote corner of the building, where they can neither see, nor hear, nor be properly overlooked.

It was on the re-opening of this church that the sermon which stands the eleventh in this volume was preached.

1 Catalogue of the registers in this parish chest will be found in page xx.

A fourth church has been lately built on the confines of the parish of Sedgley, adjoining Wolverhampton, and Bilston, of which a more particular account is about to be published separately. The expenses of this undertaking were provided by a very extensive public subscription, with the aid of a grant from the Incorporated Church Building Society. The first stone was laid, May 30th 1834. It was opened by licence for divine service on September 4th 1835, and consecrated August 23rd 1837. The contract price of the building was 1230l. It holds 928 persons.

On the completion of these four churches, it appeared that still there was not church room in the whole parish for one in five of the parishioners; and in the district allotted to the mother church, not room for one in six. Hence it was evidently necessary to erect another church. in this district. And the spot fixed upon is Upper Gornall; where a dense population is collected together, more approaching to the character of a town than almost any other place in the parish. The case has been felt to be so strong, that considerable grants have been made by Her Majesty's Commissioners, by the Incorporated Society, by the Diocesan Society, and by Hyndman's Trustees. A small subscription has also been raised, and there is now wanting only a sum sufficient to pay for the site, the purchase of which is agreed for. Here it is intended to build a church capable of containing 900 persons. A parsonage and schools are also in contemplation.

Of the Advowsons, Endowments, and
Parsonages.

The advowson of Sedgley forms part of the ample property bequeathed by the late Earl of Dudley to the present Lord Ward. The endowment comprises the vicarial tithes of the whole parish, and the rectorial tithes of some few separate parts of it. The gross estimated value of these tithes together with the Easter offerings and fees, as returned to the late parliamentary inquiry was 635l. But owing to the heavy rates assessed upon the tithe, the necessary expences of valuing and collecting the composition, the refusal of many parties to pay unless compelled by legal proceedings, and the almost absolute necessity of engaging at the least one curate, the income left the Vicar does not average much above one half of that sum. Of this amount above 50%. arises from tithe, with which the late Earl of Dudley augmented the benefice. Seven acres of excellent glebe were annexed to the living, by the same bountiful patron. There is a good Vicarage house and garden, and over the entrance door of the house is this further testimony to Lord Dudley's munificence :

MANSUM DE SEDGLEY
VETUSTATE LABEFACTATUM
IN USUM VICARII

RESTAURAVIT AUXIT

JOHANNES GULIELMUS

VICECOMES DUDLEY ET WARD

A.D. MDCCCXXVI *.

* Which may be thus translated: Sedgley parsonage, being

The patronage of Christ Church Coseley vested in the Vicar of the parish for the time being; during the incumbency of the Vicar, who was incumbent when the church was consecrated. On his avoidance it vested in the patron of the mother church. Its income, arising from pew rents and fees, has never yet amounted to 1007. To this sum there has been added the interest, at four per cent, on the sum of 1200%., with which the late Earl of Dudley intended to endow the church. A decree of the Court of Chancery, in confirmation of this intended endowment, has lately been obtained; which also empowers the trustees of the Earl's estate to fulfil his intentions as to the building of a parsonage at Coseley. For this latter object the parishioners raised a subscription of 200l., to which 2007. has been added by the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty. It was the expressed intention of the late Earl of Dudley to give a site and 6007.

The patronage of St. James's, Lower Gornall, was reserved, as already mentioned, to the patrons of the parish church. To the endowment originally given by that family, considerable additions have been made from time to time by the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, amounting, together with sums subscribed in aid, to 3600l., of which amount 5007. has been expended in building a suitable parsonage, and the remainder is funded, with a view to being invested in land.

old and dilapidated, was renovated and enlarged, for the residence of the Vicar, by John William, Viscount Dudley and Ward, in the year of our Lord 1826.

The patronage of Trinity Church, Ettingshall, has been assigned to the bishop of the diocese and his successors. The endowment hitherto effected amounts to 1500l., of which sum above half has been laid out in the parsonage and its site. No district has yet been legally allotted to this church, but steps have been taken for securing this important object.

Each of the other three churches has a district assigned to it, for ecclesiastical purposes. A copy of the order in council specifying the limits of each district is deposited with the minister of each church; and a copy of the parish map, with the ecclesiastical districts marked upon it, has been left at the vicarage as a gift to the successive vicars of the parish. The population of the district allotted to the parish church, according to the census of 1831, was 8543; that of Christ Church, Coseley, 8910; that of St. James's, Lower Gornall, 3124. The computed population of the district which will probably be allotted to Trinity Church, Ettingshall, is, from Sedgley parish church district, 900; from St. John's, Wolverhampton, 600; from Bilston, 1500; total, 3000.

Of the Schools connected with the Churches.

The following is a list of schools in the parish of Sedgley, in connexion with the church, which may be considered as helping to bring the rising generation under the pastoral superintendence of the clergy :