MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, 1S88-S9.
115 Rev.
William Clarke, Second Presbyterian 3053 I think a committee of management would j preferable to the present state of things, and the hvmpathies of the neighbourhood would, I believe, it ad to an increase in the attendance.
3Q39.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—What
would be the best way, in your opinion, of securing those sym¬ pathies 1—-The school has been largely in the hands of Lord Bam,or and Mr.
Ward, and their wishes would have to be consulted in the matter, but I think an amicable arrangement could be made that would be satisfactory to all parties.
3060.
Dr.
Traill.—Would
that bring m money ?—
I think it would.
I think it would be better to have a joint management, and by that means funds could bemore easily procured.
3061.
Would you give a franchise to subscribers to elect a certain number to act on the board of management ?—
No, I would not go in that way.
30(52.
How would you expect to get money?—I
think when the wants of the school were placed before the public they would do their best to raise the money.
3C63.
How is the board of management to be chosen ?—I
do not know as to that.
3064.
Is there a second Presbyterian congregation in Bangor in connexion with the General Assembly ?
—Yes.0
3C65.
Is there any other Protestant denomination here!—Yes,
the Methodists.
3C6B.
What are the relative numbers of the Pres¬ byterians and Methodists ?—The
large majority is Presbyterian.
30b7.
How do the Church people stand in numbers ?
—In numbers they are below the Presbyterians.
This is not only a Presbyterian town, but the immediate neighbourhood is the most Presbyterian part of Ireland.
8068.
Rev.
Dr.
Molloy.—What
would be the pro¬ portion of the Presbyterians to all others—would they be three-fourths ?—T
should say so.
3069.
What is the size of the Methodist congre¬ gation ?—I
understand it is very small.
3070.
Professor Dougherty.—You
say the Pres¬ byterians are three-fourths of the population—do you mean in the district or in the town ?
—Perhaps that would hardly hold good as to the town, but it will hold good as to the neighbourhood around.
3071.
Dr.
Traill.—Are
the visitors who come to this town during the summer chiefly Presbyterians ?—
We have all denominations.
Church, Bangor, sworn and examined:— 3072.
Mr.
Rainey.—It
Ls only fair to say that the higher class of Presbyterians have a school pro"* ided for their education at Upper Clifton, and it has been in operation for seven or eight years.
3073.
Is it an Intermediate school ?—Yes.
3074.
Has it been successful at the Intermediate examinations ?—It
has.
3075.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon (to Witness).—
Would you see any objection to meeting the Dean and Mr.
Ward, and writing to us as to what might be done ?—No
; I think that might be a very useful course to adopt.
3076.
We ought to look to the position of the school in case the present supervision was withdrawn.
We should try to make the school permanent, and the best way to do that is to get a committee.
The nomination of the head master seems to rest with the two founders ?—Yes.
3077.
Rev.
Dr.
Molloy.—It
appeared to me to¬ day that there would be an advantage in a certain outlay on the schools themselves 1—Certainly.
3078.
The school seems to have prospered far beyond wdiat was originally intended ?—Yes.
3079.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—We
would be glad to do anything we can to assist you.
Our only object is to make the school permanent and efficient.
The Dean of Dozen.—Would
that local committee interfere with the patronage as to the head master ?
3080.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—At
present the patronage is vested in Lord Bangor and Mr.
Ward, the founders, and they ought to retain it unless they desire to give it up to the managing committee.
Speaking for myself, I would hardly think it desirable to take it from them.
If there was an efficient com¬ mittee it would possibly be better that the appoint¬ ment should be made by them, reserving a veto to Lord Bangor and Mr.
Ward; but without their consent we ought not to take it from them.
That is a delicate subject to be dealt with; it would be better for you to confer amongst yourselves about all these matters.
Mr.
Rainey.—Will
I have liberty to meet with them in order to protect my own interests.
3081.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—We
are bound to protect your interests, and if you meet with the com¬ mittee, your opinion might be of use to them.
The Hon.
Somerset Ward.—I
think from the state in which Mr, Rainey found the school, and the state which it is in nowT, that you want something more permanent.
Ui 2i, 1S88.
Rew William Clarke.
BANGOR—CLANBRASSIL ENDOWMENT.
3082.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon (to the Dean of Doicn).—Mr.
Dean, can you give us any information about the Clanbiassil Endowment ?—No.
3083.
(To the Hon.
Somerset Ward).—If
appears In some of our papers as iu operation ?—In
none of the papers can I find any trace of the .£18,
mentioned in the Parliamentary Reports as a separate sum.
But Mr.
Ward subscribes a much larger sum to this school, «ad it may be that some years back it got merged in the larger subscription.
_
3084.
I suppose the Dean's school on the opposite ade of the street gets some of it ?
The Dean of Down.—I
receive some money from Mr.
Ward as an addition to the teachers salaries.
3085.
But you take it as a subscription ?—I
don't know from what source it comes.
3086.
Professor Dougherty.—Does
he subscribe to any other schools in Bangor?
Rev.
William Clarke (Presbyterian).—I
would like w know if the donation to the Ward school comes worn Mr.
Ward directly, or from charitable money Wdintrust by him.
There is a strong feeling in »» place that it comes from church lands intended ** tho benefit of all denominations.
3087.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon (to the Hun.
Somerset Ward).—Do
you know whether the money given by Mr.
Ward to the Ward School conies from the income of church lands?—There
are certain lands called church lands, the income of which is paid to Mr.
Ward, but to what purpose it is to be applied I do not know.
There are two lots of church lands here ; the income of one lot is payable on Lord Bangor's estate, and the income of the other on Mr.
Ward's estate.
The income from Lord Bangor's church lands is applied to charities in another part of the county which have nothing to do with Bangor, but to what purpose the income of the church lands on Mr.
Ward's estate is devoted I cannot tell.
3088.
Dr.
Tbaill.—What
is the amount of that income?—£36.
3089.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—You
have no document dealing with this trust %—No, I have never seen any.
3090.
Professor Dougherty.—Who
gave these lands'?
The Hon.
Somerset Ward.—Judge
Ward.
3091.
Under a will, I suppose ?—Yes?
under a will; T think it is dated about 1760.
