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16
In December, 1892, Messrs. A. R. Chamberlayne, H. C. Dove, and
S. Rayson, Commissioners for Public Baths and Washhouses, retired by
effluxion of time, but were subsequently re-elected.
The death of the Rev. Dr. Allon, which occurred on April 16th,
was an event which excited such general regret and sympathy—not
alone in Islington but—throughout the country that it was the subject
of a vote of condolence with his widow and with the congregation of
Union Chapel which was very appropriately suggested by the Vicar
and moved by the Senior Churchwarden (Mr. Rayson) at the Easter
Tuesday Vestry. It cannot, therefore, be out of place to refer to it in
the annual report of the Vestry's doings. Dr. Allon, who was born in
1818. had been minister at Union Chapel for nearly 50 years,
succeeding the Rev. Thos. Lewis as sole pastor there in 1852.
Although often spoken of on account of his influence in nonconformist
circles as the nonconformist Bishop of North London, Dr. Allon was much
more than a great dissenting preacher and writer. That he was a man
of considerable literary ability is evident—apart from his numerous
published works—from the fact that he was for many years editor of
the British Quarterly Review and a frequent contributor to the Contemporary,
while outside the pulpit he was known as a polished speaker;
but his chief claim to regard was possibly his wide and liberal sympathies
with every movement that had for its object the improvement, in
the best sense, of his fellow-men, and this claim was fully recognised
by the large number of all sects and parties who followed his remains
to their last resting place.
Two notable members of the old Trustee Board and of the Vestry
for many years after its constitution in 1856, passed away during the
year in the persons of Robert Major Holborn and Alfred Groom. The
eccentric figure and style of the former was no doubt well known to
many of the parishioners of the present day; but they may not be
equally aware that in his time he rendered considerable service to the
ratepayers, being a recognised authority on all financial matters. He
was in fact the father of that reform in connection with the collection
of the rates within the quarter, which, carried into effect in 1871
has since given Islington such an advantage over other metropolitan