1 88 History of the 



selection, chose him as their minister. His salary amounted to a 

 fixed sum of ^80 per annum, raised from the seat rents, and he 

 had the proportionate share of the fees in addition. 



The Burial fees were, — Seven years of age and upwards, 4s. lod. 

 each. IS. 8d. out of this was paid to Newchurch, the Incumbent 

 of St. John's received is. 6d., his Clerk 2d., and the Sexton is. 6d. 

 Under seven years of age 3s. each, is. to Newchurch, lod. to 

 St. John's Incumbent, 2d. to Clerk, is. to Sexton. 



The Baptismal fee was lod. each. 5d. to Newchurch, 4d. to 

 the Incumbent of St. John's, and id. to the Clerk. No marriages 

 were solemnized here until the year 1837. Previous to that time 

 Newchurch had the monopoly in this respect, so far as Bacup was 

 concerned. 



The Parsonage was built by the congregation about 1805, 

 during the Incumbency of Mr. Porter, and in order to augment 

 his income the congregation also subscribed and purchased the 

 farm called INIeadowhead near Gambleside, worth, at that time 

 ;^4o per annum, which they presented to him. An endowment 

 of ;^2o per annum was also obtained from Queen Anne's Bounty. 

 About the same period, James Lord of Greave, at his death, made 

 provision for the payment of ^2 annually to the Incumbent of St. 

 John's on condition that he should preach a sermon in the church 

 on St. Andrew's day (Nov. 30) in each year. 



The year before his death, which took place on May 4th, 1839, 

 Mr. Porter obtained the services of a curate, the Rev. Robt. K. 

 Cooke, to whom he paid one half of his stipend. 



Mr. Porter was a laborious, earnest, and popular preacher, 

 having a richly stored and ready memory. Not fond of formality 

 and show, he yet exhibited certain peculiarities of character which 

 attracted observation. " The entire tenour of his holy conversation 

 marked him as a man of God ; while his arduous, persevering, 

 long-continued, but unwearied work of faith, and labour of love, in 

 connexion with his patience of hope, showed that he was a painful, 

 that is, a pains-taking minister of Jesus Christ. While his 

 appearance and character were those of a Patriarch, his work and 



