VICAR'S LETTER.

Dear People,-

April brings us to the high festival of Easter, the Queen of Festivals. I need hardly remind you of the Rule of our Church, which is that every confirmed member is to make a Communion at this time. This practice dates back to the earliest years of Christendom, and so it, Christ's Name I bid you all welcome to approach the Altar to receive the Bread of Life, which is the Divinely-ordered way of realising our unity in our Blessed Lord and of fellowship one with another. Hereby we partake of those sacred mysteries which are the pledge of immortality, with the assurance that as our Master rose from the dead, so shall we also and enter into the Life Everlasting.

Our Prayer Book tells us the way to prepare for Easter. The keeping of Holy Week and a well spent, quiet Good Friday always helps to the better understanding of the joy of Easter.

Colonel Locke has been unwell with a sharp bronchial attack. We are all glad to know he is better, and Mrs. Luck is making progress, we believe, after her trying period of illness.

Miss Barbara Locke has received warm congratulations on every hand upon her to engagement to Commander Hope

Wishing you all every Easter blessing.

I am,

Your sincerely,

CECIL G. MUTTER.

SERVICES.

Palm Sunday, 8, 11, 3 and 6.30.

Monday to Thursday in Holy Week, Holy Communion, daily at 10 a.m. and Evening Service at 7.30. On Thursday night there will be a special address in preparation for Holy Communion.

On Good Friday Matins and Liturgy, with Sermon at 11 a.m. (The Vicar is conducting the Three Hours' Service at St. Mary's Sittingbourne.) At 7.30 p.m. there will be a Lantern Lecture in Church, subject "The Way of the Cross."

EASTER DAY, Holy Communion at 6.30, 8, and 11 a.m. Children's Service at 3 p.m. Festal Evensong at 6.30 p.m.

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Schoolroom at 8 p.m. on Easter Tuesday.

Business - Reception of Annual Accounts (bring your copy with you, sent out with last magazine); election of wardens, and general.

MOTHERS' UNION

Lady Day was observed as the annual gathering of the members. This occurs all over the Empire. Holy Communion was celebrated in the Lady Chapel at 7 a.m. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock the members gathered for service. Four new members were admitted. viz., Mesdames C. G. Mutter, W. Kitchingham, R. Robinson, and Goodhew. The Vicar grave the address, and spoke

of a recent visit to the Mary Sumner House, in London.

Mrs. Mutter will be the enrolling member in future and Mrs. Locke will act as honorary secretary. All regretted the absence of Mrs. Locke, who found it impossible to be with us due to her husband's illness. The Church is indebted to the good lady for the gift of a handsome lace credence cloth.

Confirmation classes have begun. Any further names shoud be given in at once.

GIRLS' FRIENDLY SOCIETY.

ln February the members and candidates were invited to Bapchild for New Year parties. On the 8th Miss Barbara Locke took the candidates, and on the 11th Mrs. Mutter accompanied the members. On each occasion a service was held in the Church, with admission services and short addresses. Mrs. Mutter and Miss Alice Woodcock were made Associates. Tea and games took place in the Schoolroom, and our Branch thus were enabled to meet others who had come from the various parishes in the Rural Deanery. Our Local Branch is busy each Wednesday. The girls are doing fancy work for a Sale later on. Mrs. Mutter and Miss Locke instruct in the needlework. Miss Wakeley teaches raffia work, and Mrs. Cook gives lessons in country dances.

PARISH CHURCH COUNCIL.

A meeting was held, when the Electoral Roll was revised. The annual balance sheets were adopted and passed for printing. Accounts were passed for payment, and necessary repairs to the Church fabric were discussed. The Vicar spoke about the need for increased support for the Sunday School fund, and the Churchwardens allocated another Sunday's collections for this Fund.

HISTORICAL NOTES.

Visitors frequently ask residents questions about the village. These are not always easy to answer. There are still points of village history which need searching out. The Editor hopes to print little notes from time to time.

The most fascinating house in Hartlip is that known as Pope's Hall, now the residence of Seymour Wakeley, Esq. It has suffered so many changes externally that few imagine the amount of original work hidden its walls; but within are the old oak beams and king post, which reveal that originally the building was an Hall with smaller rooms at the north and east. The Hall is of pre-Tudor date and is probably five hundred years old. There was an estate connected with it which formerly which formerly had owners with the surname of Pope. This family resided here till the latter end of King Henry the VII.'s reign (about 1500 A.D.), when Richard Pope alienated it to Christopher Bloor, of Rainham, esquire, whose daughter and heir, Olympia, carried it in marriage to John Tufton, of Hothfield, esquire, afterwards created a Baronet in 1611. He died in 1624, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir Nicholas Tufton, Knight, who in the second year of King Charles the First was created Lord Tufton and two years afteiwarils Earl of Thanet. In 1777 Pope's Hall is recorded as owned by the Rt. Hon. Sackville, Earl of Thanet. It is described as in the yoke of Bell, in the parish of Hartlip, held by the manor of Milton by the yearly rent of 6s. 9¾d. Till the present owner acquired Pope's Hall it remained in possession of the Lords Hothfield, whose family name is Tufton.

BURIAL.

James William Cork, aged 91 years