Chap. 11. PARISH OF GOOSNAKGH. 23.5 



date 1748. An upright cross pedestal also stands in the churchyard. 

 The patronage of the church is vested in the Dean and Chapter of 

 Christ Church, Oxford. The living is returned as follows : — £260, 

 with a house. Sittings, 500, 499 of which are free. 



The school is a very substantial building, under the management of 

 trustees. There is an average attendance of 95 children. 



ViCAES OF GOOSNAEGH. 



Eev. William Corbays (1330) is the earliest known Yicar. The 

 last three are— Eev. E. Studholme (1822-67), Eev. W. Shilleto, B.A. 

 (1867-83), and the present Vicar, the Eev. C. 0. Gordon, M.A. 



EEV. WILLIAM SHILLETO. 



Mr. Shilleto was a serious, rather self-opinionated gentleman, a 

 plain preacher, a man of good education, with High Church notions. 

 Anxious though he was to promote the best interests of the chiu-ch, he 

 did not get on very comfortably with his people. He died in 1883. 



EEV. CHAELES OSBOENE GOEDON. 



The Eev. Charles Osborne Gordon is short and portly, clean-shaven, 

 and with an imperious air on his somewhat severely classical features. 

 The Vicar of Goosnargh in his personal appearance reminds one strikingly 

 of the great Napoleon. And, strange to say, judging from the way 

 in which Mr. Gordon has tried to govern the parish, his mind is, 

 apparently, moulded in a somewhat similar fashion to that of the great 

 dictator — with, however, this important difference — Buonaparte was 

 above aU things a master in the science of tactics, while the reverend 

 gentleman is not. We are sorry to say that Mr. Gordon has quarrelled 

 with many of his congregation— with the beUringers, the organist, and 

 the choir. Hard and bitter words have been used by both Vicar and 

 people ; and what was a slow and somewhat dull, but at anyrate a 

 peaceful, congregation, has in a few short years become disunited and 

 discontented. But not content with upsetting his own flock, Mr. Gordon 

 is unpopidar among the Dissenting portion of his parish. He is by no 

 means a good preacher, is a strong Tory, and dislikes outside interfer- 

 ence in his parish by " wandering" politicians. 



