Church Services. Sonning.-SUNDAY: II o'clock in the morning. 3 o'clock in the afternoon. half-past 6 in the evening. DAILY: half-past 8 in the morning. All Saints.-SUNDAY: II o'clock in the morning. half-past 6 o'clock in the evening. S. John's, Woodley.-SUNDAY: II o'clock in the morning. half-past 3 o'clock in the afternoor. ALL SAINTS' CHURCH. On Trinity Sunday the choir of All Saints' wore surplices for the first time. The surplices are the kind gift of a few friends, to whom we return our cordial thanks. We believe all will agree that they are a great addition, and we trust that increased care and attention, and good order in the service of the Church, will aid devotion, and help to give greater solemnity to the worship of God. CHORAL FESTIVAL. On St. James' Day, July 25th, there will be a Choral Festival in Sonning Church. The four choirs of the ancient parish will attend, viz.: Sonning, St. Peter's, Earley, All Saints', and S. John's, Woodley. The service will be at half-past 6 o'clock in the evening, and the preacher will be the Rev. R. Duckworth, Vicar of S. Mark's, St. John's Wood, and Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen. Books of the music to be performed, can be obtained at the Boys' School, Sonning, price sixpence. CHOIR CONCERT. The Annual Concert of the Choir, took place on Tuesday evening, May 27th, in the Boys' Schoolroom. The performance was in every way successful, affording to all who were present, a most enjoyable musical evening. The music, consisting of solos, part songs and choruses, (many of the pieces being selected from the compositions of the late Mr. H. H. Pierson), had been in careful preparation by the choir, under the direction of Mr. Gregory, for some time past, and the whole was given on the evening of the concert, with great precision and effect, testified by the hearty applause of the audience. Several of the pieces, including Pinsuti's "Spring Song," and Pierson's choruses, "Hurrah for merry England," and "Ye Mariners," were called for a second time, as also were the songs sung by Mr. K. Muir Mackenzie and Mr. E. S. Pearson, who, with the Rev. W. W. Taylor, kindly gave their valuable assistance. Most noticeable among the solos was Mr. Pierson's lovely song, Go, where glory waits thee," sung by Mr. E. S. Pearson. At the close of the concert, a vote of thanks to all the performers, was proposed by the Rev. H. E. Hulton, and unanimously responded to by the audience. The following is the programme. (Continued on third page of cover.) Our readers are doubtless aware that a Provident Friendly Society has recently been established by some of the leading gentlemen in the county, and we are anxious to make it known in our parish. It is established on exactly the same principles as the Hampshire Friendly Society, which was founded more than thirty years ago, and has a large amount of invested capital, much more than sufficient to meet all its liabilities. The object of the Society is to enable its members, by small monthly contributions, to make provision for the following benefits: I. A weekly sum in sickness. 3. A sum of money payable to the member, or any person nominated by him, at the end of a certain term of years, as an endowment, for the advancement in life of the member or his nominee. 4. A sum of money payable on the death of a member. The Society looks to the establishment of district branches throughout the county, involving the maintenance of independent management, accompanied by all the duties and responsibilities of original Societies, except so far as the members are governed by the rules of the Parent Society, and will participate in its funds, and its security. In order to start an agency in any neighbourhood, five intended members must combine, one of these must be chairman of the subcommittee to be formed for the district, and another, (who must be a benefit member,) the representative member of the district. As there is now no local Friendly Society or Club in Sonning or Woodley, we think that the present is a good opportunity for forming a district branch in our Parish of the Berkshire Friendly Society. The object of the present notice is simply to mention the project, that it may be carefully considered. The rules and tables, and other particulars, as to contributions and benefits of the Society, may be seen on application to the Rev. R. Hart Davis, Sonning, and he would be glad to explain the subject to any parishioner who may be desirous of making further enquiry. H.P. POST OFFICE: GOVERNMENT INSURANCES, &c. Certain Post Offices (the names of which may be obtained at any Post Office), have been opened to receive proposals for Insurance of Lives, and purchase of annuities. The premium for Life Insurances may be paid (1) in one payment; (2) annually, half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, fortnightly, or weekly, for life; or, (3) at the same intervals until the insurer has reached the age of 60. Thus any man or woman of the age of 30 can insure £100 by paying (1) £43 3s. 7d. in one payment, or (2) £2 6s. 7d. a year, or 4s. 4d. a month, and so on, for life; or (3) £2 13s. 10d. a year, or 15s. a quarter, &c., until reaching the age of 60. A lad of 17, by paying £7 2s. 8d. down, will insure £20 at death; by paying £8 17s. 10d., he will insure £25; and by paying £35,3s. 5d., £100. The same youth may secure £100 at death by paying £1 135. 6d. a year for life, or £1 16s. Id. a year until he is 60. Insurances cannot be begun before the age of 16, nor after 60; they cannot be for more than 100 nor less than £20. At all Insurance Offices forms are furnished, which the proposer has to fill up with his name, address, occupation, date and place of birth; and to give the names and addresses of two referees as to his health and habits, and the truthfulness of his statements. If any statements prove false, the Insurance is null and void. An At the same offices premiums may be paid for the purchase of Immediate or Deferred Annuities, payable half-yearly, or of Deferred Monthly Allowances. Immediate Life Annuity cannot exceed £50, nor be less than £4; but Deferred Annuities (that is becoming payable after a fixed term of years), may be as low as £1. Deferred Monthly Allowances reach from 4s. to £4 3s. 4d. No proposal can be received on behalf of persons under 10 years of age. Insurances can be effected, and Annuities granted, on behalf of Married Women. The premiums of course vary, according to the age and sex of the person. Thus, to secure an Immediate Annuity of 10, a man at the age of 65 pays £88 18s. 4d.; a man of 70 pays £73 3s 4d. A woman of 65 pays £103 165. 8d.; of 70, pays £84 19s. 2d. Again, a man aged 30 may secure an Annuity of £10, to begin when he is 60 years old, by paying £24 35. 4d. down, or £1 8s. 4d. a year until he is 60. The same man by paying 8s. a month until he is 60, will secure £2 7s. 3d. a month at that age for life. A boy of 10 years of age, by paying 8s. a month until he is 20, will receive at that age 4s. 7d. a month for life. A girl paying the same will receive 4s. 2d. If a man begins the same payment at 26 years old, he will at the end of 10 years receive 5s. 3d. a month. In all the above cases, if the insurer dies before the Annuity becomes due, the money which he has paid in does not become returnable to his relations. But the purchaser of an Annuity may so arrange the contract, that the money he has paid may be returned to him during his lifetime, if he wish it, or to his friends if he die before the Annuity becomes due. Of course, for such a contract, a somewhat higher premium is charged. For instance, a man aged 30, who wishes to buy an Annuity of 10, to begin when he is 60, instead of paying £24 35. 4d. down as above stated, would pay £40 95. 2d, and so on. The Rates of Payment may be seen at any Post Office, or bought for 2d. or 3d. SONNING. BAPTISMS. June 1, Ellen Eliza, daughter of Thomas and Hannah Lewis. June 8, Anna, daughter of William and Mary Ann Brown. ALL SAINTS'. June 8, Amos Frederick, son of Charles and Elizabeth Hatton. S. JOHN'S, WOODLEY. June 1, Matilda Annie, daughter of George and Mary Burt. MARRIAGE. May 31, at the Parish Church, James Allum to Mary Ann Harris, both of this Parish. SONNING. BURIALS. June 2, Adeline Mary Rutter, of Staplehurst, Kent, aged six months. June 11, Oliver Francis Hartwell Goldsmith, of Reading, aged six months. Church Services. II Sonning.-SUNDAY: 11 o'clock in the morning. 3 o'clock in the afternoon. half-past 6 in the evening. DAILY: half-past 8 in the morning. All Saints.-SUNDAY: 11 o'clock in the morning. half-past 3 o'clock in the afternoon. S. John's, Woodley.-SUNDAY: 11 o'clock in the morning. half past 3 o'clock in the afternoor. On Sunday, July 6th, collections were made in aid of the Additional Curates' Society, amounting at Sonning to £9 12s., and at All Saints' to £1 6s. CHORAL FESTIVAL. In consequence of the lamented death of the Bishop of Winchester, the Choral Festival was postponed from St. James' Day, to Wednesday, July 30th. We hope to give a full account of it in our next number. THE DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER. The sudden and unexpected death of one who was for so long Bishop of this Diocese, and was so intimately connected with our own parish, calls for more than a passing notice in our pages. The shock has been felt throughout the country, and has filled all hearts with a sense of personal bereavement. Such a general burst of sorrow is the best witness to the greatness of him who has passed away. He has indeed left a gap which cannot be filled up. His was an influence so universal that his removal, in the full splendour of his great powers, is felt not only in the Church but in the State, and in all parts of society. It seems almost impossible to believe that we shall never again see him amongst us, or listen to the wonderful tones of that eloquent and pathetic voice. It is a satisfaction to remember now how often in former years we were privileged to have his presence in our Church and Services, so that the marvellous charm of his look and manner and address is familiar to us all. It must be now six or seven and twenty years since Bishop Wilberforce paid his first visit to Sonning for a Confirmation, and scarcely a year passed from that time till he left the diocese in 1869, that he failed to come either to some public gathering or for a quiet Sunday visit. No one who was ever present can forget the impressive solemnity of his Confirmations. It was said most truly that you could not know what a Confirmation Service might be till you had seen and heard the Bishop of Oxford confirm. He had the extraordinary power of saying in the fewest and simplest words what was felt by all, and remembered by all, and I doubt whether there are any of the young whom he confirmed, who cannot recall something uttered by the Bishop on that day which has remained indelibly fixed in their memory. Besides the Confirmations, he was with us |