A solemn religious ceremony was held in St. Mary’s Church, Carlow, on
Sunday, 14th inst., when a peal of 8 tubular bells was dedicated to the
Bishop of Ossory at morning service to the memory of the late Mr. and
Mrs. W. Browne-Clayton, Brown’s Hill, Carlow. The bells are a gift from
the children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Browne-Clayton. There was a large
congregation present at the service. Canon Ridgeway officiated, and the
Bishop preached and celebrated Holy Communion. The Church is exactly 200
years built this year. On July 18th, 1726, the Right Rev. Joshua Hart,
Lord Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, was present at a Vestry meeting in
Carlow. His Lordship then proposed that as the parish church was in
"a decayed and ruinous condition", it should be pulled down
and rebuilt forthwith. The Bishop informed the Vestry that “he had
obtained from several worthy gentlemen voluntary subscriptions to the
value of three hundred and thirty nine pounds” towards the work of
rebuilding. The work was at once undertaken, and Win. Browne,
Esq., was nominated Treasurer of the Fund. This gentleman was ancestor
of the donors of the new peal of bells. He carried out the work of
collecting funds and paying the tradesmen's accounts. His balance sheet,
most beautifully written, is incorporated in the Vestry Minute Book,
which dates back to 1666. The structure, then erected, continued for a
century without additions. In 1830, the Church was re-roofed, and the
present beautiful spire, designed by Thomas Cobden, an eminent
architect, was added. The Rector in 1726 was the Rev. Richard Grantham,
and the Trustees of the building fund were, the aforementioned Win.
Browne, Esq., Browne’s Hill; Philip Bernard, Esq., Straw Hall, and Major
Achilles La Columbine, one of the Huguenots, who had settled in what was
then called Catherlogh.
The new bells were founded and hung by Messrs. Harrington and
Holland, of Coventry.
Carloviana 1994/1995
Nationalist & Leinster Times 1926