Unemployment

"The St Mary Extra Nurses' Home. This very excellent Institution, which has been of untold good to our own and the neighbouring parishes, is, as we are sorry to hear, in financial straits. For, such an institution as this is widespread in its good results, affecting the weal of the whole community, more especially in its alleviating and preventive effects. It is a great boon to the poor, to whom gratuitous help is of such consequence, not only in relieving the sick persons themselves, but also in assisting to lift the load of care from the managers of the household. Thus, this institution should commend itself to all charitable persons; and we hope that substantial help will be readily and promptly afforded. It is especially desired that help should, where practicable, take the form of regular subscriptions; as thus the managers are preserved from the anxiety which is inseparable from the variable and precarious support of occasional donations. " (Rev. G. Hughes.)

More is written about the health of Woolston later, but sickness took its toll on the children of the area that Autumn as the sad burial list mentions two infants and two young children, and this would probably have been particularly poignant to the Vicar and the Curate, who were both to have daughters christened within the year.

The Vicar's vision for Woolston was one where the church provided a united pool of talents and abilities for the good of all. "The parochial system offers an answer suggesting that those who are brought together to live in the same place are those who ought to be bound together in the closest of Christian fellowship...some giving time, some giving thought, some giving money, some ministering, teaching, some offering visitation, and all bringing sympathy for the common good." He tried to put it into practice himself by seeing that while much care was directed to helping the poor and unemployed in practical ways, the church was active in promoting Christian education. The Vicar tried to open people's minds after years of prejudice following the troubled times of the Reformation and later disaffected groups fragmenting the Protestants by suggesting they explore further his belief in a Universal Church through classes which might lead to Confirmation. These, like education generally, were separated into men and boys, women and girls, married and elderly.

The church was also naturally interested in the education of the schools it helped set up, particularly in the standard of religious knowledge and had permission to send round a Diocesan inspector whose generally very favourable findings were reported in the magazine. It was no doubt delighted that a different inspector, an H. M. Inspector of Schools awarded the "Excellent" merit grant, the highest possible, to St Mark's Infant School "for the fourth year in succession"

Religious education for children was backed up by a Children's Service twice a month in church on Sunday afternoon and from Whitsun (1888 ) there was to be a Saturday class in St Mark's Schoolroom taken by the Vicar.

St Mark's Sunday School was mixed for the "Infants" then separated into Girls' and Boys' classes, as normally at "Day" school, with 7 classes for each, and one Bible class for each as well. Those that did well in the pre-Christmas exams, held on a Saturday, were rewarded soon afterwards at the Annual Prize Giving. Thirty-five girls and thirty boys received mention, but the list of infants was considered too long to print. There was also entertainment at the Prize Giving.

In the summer they met together for a Summer Treat in a large field, lent for the occasion. "The children of the Mission Sunday School were not present, as they have encouragements in other ways, and it was necessary to economise. " Nevertheless 305 teas and buns were served and the weather was very favourable for the games.

The Mission Sunday School met at 10 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. and had its own Christmas Day breakfast for 50 children who also received a small present, and Tea and Meetings for children at Whitsuntide outside. In the autumn there was a Harvest Service and the children also had a magic lantern show the following day, and later that season there was an American Fair.

The effects of the church enlargement, the new organ, the local unemployment, the extra demands for charitable giving, the rent for the new Mission Hall and the activities it was to engender meant an extra strain on church resources.

The churchwardens were complaining about being out of pocket, the church offertories had fallen and because there had been scarcity of work for many months, the church had given £100 to various relief funds. The organist was giving his services free and the church had to depend on entertainments to keep going. Even so, regular Vestry meetings were held to consider how best to improve the roads, the drainage and the lighting of Woolston, and even the possibility of a public library.

As elsewhere in England at that time money was scarce, and no one wanted to pay extra rates. Having a library for the whole of the St Mary Extra area was perhaps getting too ambitious it was felt, besides there was a new higher rate for the School Board already. To us today, brought up in an era when National and Local Government play such a large role in providing libraries, roads, street lighting, education and, until very recently, water and sewage management, it seems hard to imagine what it was like when people looked to the Parish Church Vestry meetings for guidance and improvements.

In 1890 Mr Methven, a churchwarden and principal of the "young gentlemen's academy" that gave its name to College Rd, brought up the question of lighting Woolston during the winter months. At a later meeting he reported that the use of 50 lamps for 6 months in the year, with an allowance of £200 for their erection would necessitate a rate of about 3d in the £ and there would be an objection to this while there was no work in the Naval Yard.

"Well, what is to become of Woolston with no inducement for anyone to live here! "

Meanwhile the drainage of Woolston was still a problem. Under the roads there were still the remains of "dead wells" some of which had not been properly filled in, and School Rd in particular was in a bad state. People were paying rates to the Board, but some had to put gravel in the roads themselves. On the other hand, the Highway Board was complaining that the dead wells hadn't been properly opened and closed.

This raised the question of the whole drainage of Woolston and the open stream at the bottom of the Parish, which was recognised as dangerous to health; while the upper part of the Parish hadn't even the opportunity of draining into the stream. The problem was made worse by the fact that St Mark's in some administrative matters was lumped together with Peartree, as part of St Mary's Extra, and that that area needed draining too but seemed slower to act. Some Woolston people favoured separation, but was St Mark's legally able to act alone? Was it tied to Peartree and did it have to wait for overall agreement and unified rates? Someone even questioned whether there was such a parish as St Mark's, Woolston. Feelings got quite strong and the Vicar had to be firm.

"This meeting is in proper form. I have legal advice to that effect. St Mark's, Woolston is constituted an Ecclesiastical Parish by authority and is properly called a Parish in the summons for a Vestry meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and obtain advice upon a matter only as it concerns the parishioners of Woolston. May we now hear the report. "

The report explained that an inspector had told them of the " nuisance and danger of the sewage gas at the outlet and the foul stream at the bottom of the parish. "

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As the Naval Works Yard was unsettled they decided to put off complete drainage but try to levy some money to improve the stream into which 300 houses were drained rather than spend money on doctors' bills and sickness.

A year later there was another meeting when 4 doctors were present. Dr Stephenson, chairman of the Drainage Committee urged:

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"Dead wells ought to be cemented, often emptied and trapped. The stream ought to be reformed immediately. Children play there and cows drink. One third of preventable diseases are due to defective drainage. The houses, which have been lately specially examined, were declared defective.

What are we to think of the hundreds unexamined? It is our bounden duty to deal with the cause and not rest satisfied any longer with sitting on a dung heap!"

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No more was heard about drainage so presumably matters improved and were taken up with higher Authorities, but Garnock Rd and Lyndock Place were still impassable in wet weather and not yet made public. A couple of years later a new Local Government Act put an end to the Parish's power and the need of "way wardens" and the "collectors" who helped them by collecting rates.

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The confusing names of Woolston's roads and houses must have been very annoying for any visitor arriving by floating bridge or train for the first time and without local knowledge. It's probably the reason why a " Street Directory" was included at the head of the listings for Woolston in Kelly's Directory 1890. It seems like a definite attempt to decide on road names but includes the names of some of the older houses which were originally well known landmarks in a much smaller village.

This was the period when experimental bicycles and tricycles with thin, hard tyres were appearing more widely, and it's fun to imagine a two seater tricycle for a lady and gentleman with umbrella and waterproof negotiating Woolston's muddy roads. It's also the period when perambulators were seen in wealthier houses - narrow bodied, velvet lined, with twisted barley sugar handles and no brakes.

1893. St Mark's was 30 years old, and there was an October Exhibition and Bazaar to mark the occasion which was a " grand success." This event could not have been held in St Mark's Institute because it was not for another couple of years that the first proposals "for a Church Room," later known briefly as the "Victoria Hall," were made at a Vestry meeting.

1896. Local government seemed to be largely removed from the church's influence, and Vestry meetings were to change their nature and become more "ecclesiastical" and no longer of "mixed" character. The churchwardens were to give their accounts at Vestry meetings and have them printed in the Parish magazine.

St Mark's was given a new hymn and noticeboard, new offertory bags, and Mr Canning, a churchwarden, gave 2 new churchwarden's wands.

1898 The Itchen Urban District Council included Woolston, Weston, Sholing.

1899 17th October. Church House or Victoria Hall or St Mark's Institute - now OPEN.

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 was not the sad end of a golden era for Woolston, but the beginning of a better one in many ways.

Street lighting came in a limited way and one very prominent lamp-post was in the middle of the main Woolston cross-roads, but it was still the period of gas lighting. In church new "incandescent gas mantles" which were rather fragile and lace-like tubes that went round the gas-jet to give a glowing light, were added to the chancel and, if successful were to be extended further in the church.

John. I. Thornycroft moved from Chiswick, took over the naval yard and gave new stability to local employment.

To mark the optimism of a new era, the coronation of Edward VII and peace in South Africa, the Vicar of St Mark's privately paid for the old wooden fence, fronting the church, to be replaced by a stone boundary wall, with a small commemorative inscription just inside the gates which reads:

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