&c.
,, Church Building 100
Commissioners
Incorporated Society 230
Diocesan ditto 200
----
780 pounds

The rest was given by private persons, the principal being Messrs.
Allaway and Partridge, who contributed 250 pounds.

[Picture: Lydbrook Church and Schools]

The church was designed by H. Woodyer, Esq., in the Geometrical style of
Decorated architecture, and comprises a nave and aisles 60 feet long and
50 feet in width, a handsome chancel, a south porch, and tower 80 feet
high. It is built in the ornamented parts and internally of Bath stone,
the exterior being the gritstone of the neighbourhood. The foundation
stone was laid on Monday, the 12th of August, 1850, and the church,
called that of "The Holy Jesus," was consecrated on the 4th December,
1851, by Dr. Ollivant, Bishop of Llandaff, the Bishop of the diocese
being too unwell to attend. Considering the season of the year, the day
was very fine, nearly fifty clergymen were present, and upwards of one
thousand people crowded into the edifice. The Rev. E. Machen, Rector of
Mitcheldean, preached the sermon on Isaiah lvi. 7. A stipend of about
120 pounds was secured to the incumbent of the church by annexing to it
30 pounds from the tithes of English Bicknor, with an additional 90
pounds from the Crown, which consequently presents to the living,
alternately with Queen's College, Oxford. The first incumbent was the
Rev. W. Deering, who was succeeded in 1853 by the Rev. T. H. Chase, by
whom it is still held, and who has been enabled to erect a suitable
parsonage house. About thirty baptisms, fifteen funerals, with a
proportionate number of weddings, take place at this church annually.
Nearly 150 persons attend on the Sunday morning, and 250 in the
afternoon, amongst whom there are forty communicants, the total
population of the parish being 2,500.

In addition to the five churches named above, my knowledge of the
district enables me to state that the rapid increase of population calls
for the erection of at least three more, on the east, south, and west
sides of the Forest, all of which should, if possible, be provided
without delay.

Besides the efforts of the Church, directed as now described, for the
benefit of the population of the Forest, its inhabitants have of late