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Disgraceful Scene in St Matthew's Church

All true friends of one common Christianity, whether in or out of the Church of England, who hoped that the bitterly hostile feeling which once prevailed at St Matthew's had subsided, and that vicar, and curate, and churchwardens were working more amicably together, will regret to learn that such is not the case.

The old party feeling broke out again last night more fiercely than ever, and a scene was witnessed in the church which, so far as can be ascertained, reflected the utmost discredit on all concerned in it. Those of our readers who have followed the painful history of St Matthew's Church since the Rev. G. C. Ommanney became its vicar will remember how prominently Mrs Rose, formerly the superintendent of the Girl's Sunday School, once figured in the controversy. For many years Mrs Rose has occupied a certain pew in the church near the front on the right side of the middle aisle, and not far from where Mr Wynn sits. The presence of Mrs Rose in this particular pew has been, it has been stated, very obnoxious to the Vicar's party, and they have been most desirous to bring to bear upon her the principle that the whole church was free and unappropriated, and that she had no special claim to any particular seat. Mr Wynn's party have resented such interference; have advocated as in former years the right of appropriation, and feeling has run very high between them.
Last night week when Mrs Rose reached her pew she found it already occupied. She spoke to Mr Wynn, who requested one or two of the men who were there to make room for Mrs Rose, but they refused to do so, saying they had as much right there as Mrs Rose or anyone else. Mr Wynn went to Mr Ommanney in the vestry to enlist his good offices, and asked him to request the intruders in Mrs Rose's pew to leave it. Mr Ommanney declined to interfere, saying the church was free and open to all. Mr Wynn thereupon accused the Vicar of approving of what had been done, and threatened that if the same tactics were again adopted those who took the seat occupied by Mrs Rose should be expelled. If necessary, he said, the seat should be fought for.
Last evening this particular pew, by prearrangement, was one of the first in the church to be filled up. That part of it to which Mrs Rose would go was taken possession of by Mr Hides and Mr Homes and his daughter. About a quarter past six Mrs Rose presented herself at the pew, and asked Mr Hides to make room for her. He refused to move. Mr Wynn repeated the request, and the answer was that he claimed the right as a parishioner to any seat in the church, and he refused to go elsewhere. At a signal from Mr Wynn, some half a dozen friends came to his assistance, amongst them being Mr Spiers and Mr Royle. As Mr Hides and Mr Holmes still refused to move, they were seized and forcibly ejected from the church. Miss Holmes was not so easily disposed of. She fought very vigorously, and it is stated broke her umbrella in the struggle. Eventually, however, she was removed and deposited in another pew, and Mrs Rose was conducted triumphantly to her seat.
While this disgraceful scene was going on the utmost excitement prevailed amongst the large number of persons who had already assembled. People clambered on and over the seats to see all that was to be seen, and some very strong language was indulged in with reference to both parties to the conflict. Above the uproar one man was distinctly heard shouting 'This is the house of God, but ye have made it a den of thieves.' Our informant was unable to say at which party he was hurling such a terrible charge. The excitement at length calmed down, people returned to their seats, and at the appointed time the service commenced, the surroundings being strangely in contrast with the scene witnessed there only a few minutes before. The fracas is expected to lead to magisterial proceedings.
Sheffield Independent, 4th February, 1884.

The Methodist incidents

an Interview with the Wycliffe preachers
Sheffield Telegraph 22nd January 1912
Late last night a representative of the “Sheffield Daily Telegraph” succeeded in interviewing the Wycliffe preachers concerned in the outrage.
“I found them” he writes, “Gathered together in a small room at Rotherham. One of them a tall man, who almost looked like a Spaniard, with his long black hair, long black moustache, mobile face, and piercing coal black eyes, was reading a passage from Mr. Hocking’s book, “The Woman of Babylon” as though in illustration of some view he had just been expressing. Four clean shaven long haired men were gathered around him listening.
“Twas I organised the business” said the leader of the group James Rowell, at your service, the oldest travelling preacher but one in the Wycliffe movement.
St Matthew’s church, Sheffield, is noted among us for being the most extreme churches in the country for lawlessness and superstition. We went into the church and saw the idolatry going on there, and we felt that immediate action was necessary. We laid our plans with care. On Saturday john Waterman and I entered the church carrying a sack. We had no motor car, a motor-car drawing up before the church would arouse suspicion. We climbed over the railings of the little chapel, took the image down from the niche and popped it into the sack. John Waterman slung the sack across his shoulders and we left the church. We walked slowly to the station, taking it in turns to carry the sack, which was very heavy, for the image was 5ft 6in in length.
When the image was missed
It appears the image was missed about five minutes after we had left the church, but there was no pursuit. We passed several policemen but they did not look a bit suspicious.
“Arrived at the station we took the train to York. We brought the image into thae carriage with us and laid it on the seat. We convoyed it from the station to the archbishop’s palace in a taxi cab, our intention being to give him undeniable proof of the scandal going on within the church. We wanted to help him carry out the law. We did not see the archbishop but his chaplain stated that it was a serious matter and we should “hear further about it”.
we left the images in his charge. This the first time we have taken an image from a church and carried it to the man in authority as indisputable testimony of Romanist practices.
“It was not our intention to break up the images, but as a matter of fact they were considerably damaged by “getting the sack” All the Wycliffe preachers laughed.“The face of the large idol was somewhat crushed, and the hands were, I believe, injured, while the smaller images sustained slight damage in transit. “it will be some little time before they can get them mended, if they intend to replace them”

“and if they do replace them?” “Well” said Mr. Rowell grimly, “if they put them back, they’ll perhaps be damaged worse next time. We are coming to Sheffield tomorrow for a crusade of several weeks in the cause of Protestantism. We have struck the first blow in that campaign.
Hoxton Incident recalled
“we believe that images such as we have taken from St Matthew’s Church are calculated to bring superstition into the church. We have seen people crossing themselves before the images and praying before them; and that often leads to people coming to reverence the image itself quite apart from regard for its symbolism. Such images are more over, illegal. They have been condemned by the Privy Council on several occasions, and a faculty was granted for the Madonna and child, such as we removed from St Matthew’s to be removed from a church in Marylebone. That was carried into effect in August 1903”
Mr. Rowell was prominently concerned in Mr Kensit’s “protest” at Holy trinity Church. Hoxton, last Good Friday, when the crucifix was smashed in a collision between the Wycliffe preachers and a chair. It was Mr Rowell who darted forward and took down the crucifix from the high altar and was broken in the attempt to wrench it from his hand.
Mr. Rowell declares that the preachers are not the least afraid of any legal proceedings that may follow the acts. “If one of us is sent to prison there are three others ready to take their place. The risks we run are nothing to those to which Cromwell was exposed”

Taken from the Sheffield Daily Telegraph July 1897
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE REV. G. C. OMMANNEY.

Matthew Hale

The next time you’re at the High Altar at St Matthew’s look to the right and you will see a plaque that commemorates many people who have contributed to the running of St Matthew’s. One of those people is Matthew Hale. He was a organist, warden, accountant and insurance broker. He had a passion for St Matthew’s. Read below a short Obituary:

A most unfortunate accident happened to the Vicar of St. Matthew's, Sheffield, yesterday. The Sunday, school scholars-were enjoying their usual annual outing at Glen Howe, and shortly after the little ones had partaken of an early tea, the rev. gentleman, in hurriedly descending, some awkward steps in the direction of some children who required his attention, suddenly slipped, and falling, broke the knee-cap of his tight leg. Owing to the intense pain from the fractured limb, Mr Ommanney fainted. One of the waggonettes in which the children had been conveyed was requisitioned, and in this the Vicar was laid and .carefully driven to St. Matthew's clergy-home, Carver Street, where he is being attended by Dr. Scott. It is feared that a long time will elapse before Father Ommannney will get on his feet again, having, regard to the serious nature of his injury.

Taken From the march 1936 edition of the Sheffield independent
HOMAGE TO MEMORY OF FATHER OMMANNEY

Hundreds of people filed through St. Matthew's Church, Sheffield, yesterday afternoon and evening, to pay a silent, touching tribute to the memory of the late Father G. C. Ommanney, whose body lay in state in the chancel of the church.
It was an impressive tribute, paid by all classes of people. Here an elderly woman, in deep mourning, walked slowly through the church and left with tears in her eyes; there a young errand girl, touched by the emotion of the moment, left her basket outside the church to be collected after she had added her tribute.

SILENT PRAYER
Some passed slowly through the church and straight out again. Others kneeled for silent prayer. .All had come because of the respect they held for the beloved vicar.
Three long candles burned on each side -of the coffin, which was placed between the choir stalls, and as Father Ommanney lay there in full Mass vestments, clasping in his hands a chalice and paten, the contrast of the lighted chancel to the dimly lit church made an impressive scene.
At the head of the coffin lay the lid, on which was the inscription, "George Campbell Ommanney (priest), aged 85 years."
The church was open for the lying-instate from 4 o'clock in the afternoon until 10.30 in the evening.

Mr Matthew Hale who by trade was an accountant and insurance broker was also Father Ommanney’s warden at St Matthew’s church, he was a prominent figure in music circles . Before comming to Sheffield He was choir master and music director of Farm Street church in Mayfair. Mr Hale was a professor of counterpoint and harmony. In order to indulge his taste for music, he spent several years travelling around Europe and devoted special attention to Italy. He returned to Sheffield in 1901 and married the daughter of Mr William Crompton, who for many years acted as warden for St Matthew’s. In 1903 Mr hale became Warden at St Matthew’s, he was also deputy organist and took the keenest interest in church work. Mr hale was also a member of the Sheffield chamber musical society. Unfortunately at 5am on September 16^th 1908 Mr Hale died suddenly it was said it was a seizure. Mr Hale left behind a widow and four young children.