CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS OF ST. MARY'S, READING.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."' SIR,—May I be permitted to point out two slight inaccuracies which occur in your interesting and favourable review, in the Spectator of January 20th, of the " Churchwardens' Accounts of St. Mary's, Reading " ? The writer of the notice refers in one or two passages to the " parish of Reading," whereas the ancient organisation of the town was distributed between the three parishes of St. Giles, St. Lawrence, and St. Mary. Under, I think, the same misapprehension, your reviewer speaks of " the interest attaching to the records of a parish which saw the boyhood of Land." While it may not be un- reasonable to hope that the great Archbishop saw, in his youth, something of what went on in the neighbouring Church and Parish of St. Mary, the interest, in all that concerns him, attaches rather to the Parish of St. Lawrence, in which he was born, and to the Church of St. Lawrence, at whose font he was baptized. Of these two matters, the first refers of coarse to purely local matters, the second is, perhaps, of more general interest. But it is due to the two other ancient parishes of Reading that I should ask you to accept this dis- claimer. Neither point, however, affects in any way the value and importance of your review of our book,—a review peculiarly gratifying to those engaged upon what is, at times, a rather discouraging work.—I am, Sir, &c.,
FRANCIS N. A. GARRY.
St. Mary's Vicarage, Beading, January 22nd, 1894.
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