History of the Fife Pitcairns

CANON PITCAIRN'S LIFE AT ECCLES. 301
his first meeting was on January 2gth. " Ruri- decanal
meeting of Beneficed Clergy to luncheon. Attended
clerical meeting in Manchester."
February 4th, Sunday. Bishop Fraser preached at Eccles
for Hospitals, collection £60. To meet the Bishop at the
vicarage — Emil Reiss, John Pearce, the Fred Schusters.
Vast congregation. Admirable sermon.
March igth, Tuesday. Combined clerical meeting at St
Saviour's School. I had to open the subject — " Defence
of ye Church." 20th, Wednesday. Went to Warrington
Diocesan Training Schools Committee — Bishops of Man-
chester and Chester there. Choir meeting in the evening.
July 25th, Thursday. Willy went to school ; I slept at
Ryde. The following day I took a carriage to Osborne.
Two hours with Susan Roxburghe. Lovely place, and I
saw the Queen.
November 12th, Tuesday. I went to Worsley to meet the
Bishop, introducing Lord Mulgrave, the new incumbent,
to the Worsley people. On Dec. 16th, Monday, I went to
see the Bishop re St Thomas', Pendleton ; x decided with
his advice to offer it to Doyle. [It became vacant a second
time in Canon Pitcairn's lifetime, and he gave it then to
Mr Gull.]
An amusing letter about Oxford : —
From the Rev. M. H. Lee, Stoke Brueme Rectory.
Thursday, January \^th, 1874.
Dear Rector, — Though I set off with the fullest intention of
being back by the early train on Friday morning, they are so press-
ing, and have arranged feeds, &c, that they have over-persuaded us
into Saturday. I hope it will not inconvenience you in any way.
I shall be in Manchester by 12, and shall come up at once, in case
there should be any occasional duty for the afternoon. We reached
Blisworth all safe on Tuesday, and then I proceeded alone to
Oxford, having by mistake only 3s. in my pocket. Most for-
tunately, in the carriage I got into there was a Scotch " Cozen "
of ours, who had been in the train from Crewe without our knowing
it. Oxford looked most melancholy : not a soul in it but shop-
1 The living of St Thomas', Pendleton, is in the gift of the Vicars of Eccles.