In sending forth this brief account of my long chaplaincy in Paris, I desire to say that I do so at the request of many friends, who were kind enough to express their interest. It is not intended to be an account of life generally in Paris, or a description of the beauties and treasures of the City. There are many books which do this better than I could hope to do, for the life of a chaplain in Paris is a very strenuous one—every day bringing its work, and often much unexpected work, that it was

BY H. E. NOYES, D.D. Late Honorary Chaplain to His Majesty’s Embassy....

The Daily Press has naturally recorded the visits of Royalty, Members of Parliament, the Lord Mayor of London, etc., to Paris during the period of which I write, but as in each case there were services in the Embassy Church, there are certain facts from the chaplain’s point of view which will, I hope, be of interest to my readers. A clerical friend once said to me, “Everybody who is anybody has been to your Church in Paris.” It certainly was a fact that during my chaplaincy many distinguished pe

I lived and worked in Paris during the “reign” of five Presidents of the Republic and four British Ambassadors. When I went abroad M. Sadi Carnot was President. He was assassinated at Lyons in June, 1894, by the Italian Anarchist Caserio Santo. When I left Paris President Fallières had lately come to the Elysée. The interest of the British Colony largely centres in the British Embassy, and the residence of the Ambassador in the Faubourg St. Honoré has been the scene of many notable gatherings. T

During my chaplaincy there were several memorable services in the English Embassy Church. The first of these was the funeral of the late Earl of Lytton, Her Majesty’s Ambassador of France. Lord Lytton died in November, 1891, at the Embassy. His death was unexpected and sudden. Upon hearing the sad news I called at the Embassy and saw Lady Lytton, who was naturally very much affected. I remember that she took me by the hand and led me into the chamber of death, and we both knelt down, and I praye

More frequently than at home, the calls upon a chaplain abroad are various and sometimes peculiar. This applies especially to Paris, which, being comparatively near home and easy of access, is largely patronized by holiday makers, and has besides a considerable resident British Colony. There are about 12,000 English (according to the last census) resident or travelling. I was sixteen-and-a-half years in Paris, during which period my experiences have been somewhat varied. It is proposed in this a

I was often asked by anxious parents as to the facilities for education in France, indeed it was part of one’s daily work answering enquiries on the subject. It may not be out of place to give here the result of my experience. For English boys there are very few schools carried on as our public schools are in England. For parents living abroad, the best plan is to send their young boys to French “cours” or classes, of which there are many, where they will readily pick up the language, and then t

It was part of my duty during a chaplaincy of sixteen years in Paris to help our fellow country people, who from one cause or another got into difficulty. Sometimes it was their own fault, and similar conduct would have brought a like result at home. But often these difficulties arose from ignorance of the language, and from an extraordinary disregard of French law. Too often the Englishman not only expects his own language to be spoken, but also the laws of his own country to prevail in a forei

The British poor in Paris form no inconsiderable part of the Colony. This arises largely from the fact that it has been the custom in France to employ Englishmen as coachmen and stablemen, many of whom from one cause or another have fallen into poverty. Others have taken advantage of the small expense and gone to Paris in the hope of obtaining work, which is by no means easy to find. Some years ago many English were employed in various works, but lately it is not so. When first I went to Paris I

It was my privilege to know most of the journalists representing the leading English papers, frequently meeting them at the various public functions and on other occasions. They are truly a body of men of whom the Nation may be proud. Most agreeable to meet and keen in their work, so much so that very little escapes their notice. The “Times” was represented during most of my chaplaincy by that truly remarkable man M. O. de Blowitz. It was said of him that on one occasion at least (in 1875) he sa

Many of my readers who can recall the great “Times” trial will remember the names of Pigott, and Tynan (the famous No. 1, who it was said gave the signal for the murder of Lord F. Cavendish). It was a curious coincidence that both these men were living at one time in my Parish of Christ Church, Kingstown. I often made purchases at the little bookshop kept by Tynan, and sometimes spoke with him. During my stay in Paris I had a visit from the famous le Carron, who for a long time was a member of t

A Paper read at the Yarmouth Church Congress, October 2nd, 1907. I ventured to accept the proposal that I should speak to you to-day upon the ground that I had been for the past sixteen years chaplain in Paris, with certain opportunities for gathering some information upon the subject before us. What I have to say will naturally refer chiefly to France, which during the past few years has been passing—with somewhat grim silence—through a bloodless Revolution. The long story, of which the present

The position and work of the Church of England upon the Continent is not understood as it should be by British people in general. It is difficult to overcome old prejudices, and there is no doubt but that in former times (now happily gone by) there was a distinct prejudice against the Continental Chaplain. It was generally thought that he must either be on the Bishop’s “black list,” or have been guilty of some grievous fault to be found upon the Continent at all. And this prejudice was hardly to

The American Colony is not nearly so large as the English in Paris, but it is important and influential. According to the last census there were 5,000 Americans resident, or in hotels, while there were 12,000 English. The reason for this difference in numbers is not far to seek. America is too distant, and the voyage too expensive for the poor to readily cross the great Atlantic; while for a few shillings anyone can traverse the little “Manche” between England and France and try their luck in th

My departure from Paris came about in rather a curious way. In April and May, 1906, we had a visit from the late Dean Barlow (of Peterboro’). For the first of May (“Labour Day”) we had arranged a Drawing-room Meeting for the Dean on behalf of the Colonial and Continental Church Society, whose work in Canada was, and is, attracting so much attention in religious circles. It turned out, however, to be one of those “scares” with which Paris is sometimes afflicted, and the idea having got abroad tha