GROWTH

The story of the further growth of S. Wilfrid's is a romantic one, and shows that where a high ideal is held, and faithfully pursued, money for religious purposes is forthcoming, even in materialistic days.

For the building itself, apart from its furnishing, the means were provided by a Building Fund which ran more or less continuously for thirty years, fed by the contributions and subscriptions of a very large number of people. But there are larger gifts which stand out ; especially as its chief benefactor the Church had Miss Elizabeth Sophia Trotter. The story of her first connection with it is an interesting and suggestive one. In 1902 Miss Trotter, together with her sister, had arranged to break a train journey from London to Scotland, and to stay for a night in Harrogate, a place till then strange to them. The sisters stayed in a boarding house, where the next morning Miss Jean Trotter was found still kneeling at her bedside, having died suddenly while saying her evening prayers. As a result, Miss "Bessie" decided to make her home in Harrogate. Soon, worried by requests for money by an enthusiastic but undiscerning Vicar, she moved to the Duchy Estate, just when S. Wilfrid's building schemes, after a good start, were inclined to hang fire. She at once became interested. The religious ideals and the hopes of the place appealed to her. Twice she helped the Building Fund with £10,000 (as always with her many gifts, in the quietest and most unobtrusive way possible), and at her death in 1924 she left for its completion some £32,000. By this time the church she loved so dearly had been consecrated for ten years, and now, with nave and choir built, was the centre of a growing parish and ever-widening work and congregation. The initials on the outside stone Calvary, designed by Alfred Southwick, adjoining the north door, " A.M.D.G. : in Mem. E.S.T." recall her work in imperishable stone, but in a certain true sense the whole church is her memorial.

The next great benefactor was Mr. William Gunn, another most regular, but quiet and retiring worshipper almost from the first. For many years he was practically never absent from the Sung Eucharist (the Lord's own Service on the Lord's own Day), but he was known to very few. He lived very quietly in two rooms in the parish, and it was an entire surprise when at his death in 1932 he was found to have left his estate to S. Wilfrid's, S. Andrew's Church, Starbeck, and two Harrogate Hospitals. Our share amounted to some £9,000. With this a great need of the parish was met. Hitherto the only room available had been the old iron church, but now we have the "Gunn Memorial Hall" joined to the Church and Verger's Cottage by cloisters or loggia.

In 1934 Mr. Frank E. Brooke, a parishioner who had always taken the keenest interest in the Church, left his estate to be applied to the maintenance of the services of the church. This produces some £150 a year. (It must always be remembered that in the case of a new church, there arc none of the old endowments with which we are familiar in the case of old parishes.)