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81
The Yestry of St. Margaret's passed a resolution directing
that the customary method of summoning the Vestries be
observed, and that the notice from the St. John's Vestry be
ignored. At the Easter Tuesday meeting of the two
Vestries, the representatives of St. John's parish failed to
gain their end; albeit the Yestry of St. Margaret's resolved
to state a case for the opinion of counsel "on the application
"by the officers of St. John to the officers of St. Margaret
"to give notice in St. Margaret's Church for making a rate
"for the repair of St. John's Church, and on the intimation
"by St. John's parish to move the Court of Queen's Bench
"for a mandamus to compel this parish, jointly with them"selves,
to make such rates." By another resolution the
Vestry of St. Margaret agreed to retain the Solicitor-General
on behalf of the parish. On the 11th May, 1815, the Vestry
Clerk of St. Margaret's reported that the Court of King's
Bench had granted a Rule Nisi on the application of the
Vestry of St. John the Evangelist for a mandamus. On
the 26th June the defendant Vestry of St. Margaret were
informed that the mandamus had been issued, a copy of
the writ being laid before the Vestry in the following
October. The Churchwardens, who were the nominal
defendants, "wished to be favoured with the advice and
"opinion of the Vestry as to the course of proceeding
"proper to be adopted under the present circumstances.
"The Vestry deliberated a considerable time upon the
"several matters relating thereto, and as the Church.
"wardens were thereby in possession of their sentiments, it
"was not thought necessary to enter into any specific
"resolutions thereon."
The Vestry of St. Margaret's parish continued to recognise
the needs of their neighbours in St. John's parish long after
the severance. They paid some of the debts incurred for the
repair of the church, and they placed seats in St Margaret's
church at the disposal of the inhabitants of St. John's when
the latter were temporarily deprived of their place of
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