Local Government. At a Vestry Meeting held on October 9th, 1890, it was resolved to appeal to the Local Government Board to constitute a Local Board in Bridgford, the number of inhabitants then being about 2,500, and the rateable value about £14,000, which having been favourably reported on by the Boundaries Committee of the County Council, an order dated 16th July, 1891, for constituting a Local Board was made, an election was ordered, and the following persons were elected in the order given—Messrs. Heymann (Chairman), Beardsley, W. R. Smart, Furse, Rushworth, Doubleday, Warsop, Brown, and W. H. Simons, there being nine other candidates. The Local Government Act having been passed, the Urban District Council in 1894 superseded the Local Board, its chairman during his tenure of office being a magistrate. There were thirty-two candidates for fifteen seats, the following being elected:—Messrs. Furse (Chairman), Heymann, W. R. Smart, Jones, Beardsley, Cordeaux, J. Gray, W. Lee, Holt, Jacklin, Roe, Watmough, Chasty, Freck, and Whitty. The council purchased fifteen acres of land for Sewerage Works, intending to adopt the Irrigation system, but they wisely adopted the Bacteria Treatment system, which then being an experiment, has proved successful, and is now generally adopted, and the spare land is, with advantage, let off for garden purposes.

The purification and disposal of sewage is so important, and so little understood, yet at Bridgford has been so successfully dealt with, that it is desirable here to introduce one among many paragraphs kindly supplied by Dr. Hunter, who has been Medical Officer of Health for the District since 1891, and whose Annual Reports form a library of information as to the health, and the progress, and state of the parish.

"Since 1900 the liquid sewage has been treated bacteria-logically. The entire sewage of the district is pumped into large septic tanks on the sewage farm. There are four of these tanks, each built to hold 81,000 gallons. They are constructed of concrete, built below the level of the ground, and covered with concrete piers, over which a layer of turf is spread so as to exclude light and air. The sewage passes through the tank in about twenty-four hours. It is then carried by a pipe to the Aerating Chamber. It is then conveyed by open channels to the Filter Beds, and finally reaches the dyke, which forms the boundary of the farm, as a clear and inodorous fluid. West Bridgford was one of the first urban districts in England to adopt this system of sewage purification. The result has been most satisfactory. The method is most interesting, and the sewage farm affords the inhabitants a lesson in sewage purification which is most useful. The garbage, and other solid refuse, is carted to the Destructor erected at the Farm Depot, and is consumed by fire—the residue, in the form of clinker, being used for road-making, and filling-up purposes."

The public offices were erected in 1907, at a cost of £ 1,015. The assessable value of the parish is now £64,332.

Population. The population in 1801 was 235; 1871, 237; 1881,293; 1891,2,502; 1901,7,018; 1911, 11,632; 1914, estimated at 13,000. The area is 1,190 acres. "The death rate," Dr. Hunter remarks, "has always been remarkably low. In 1909 this was only 5.6 per 1,000; quite a phenomenally low rate. This is supposed to be the lowest death rate ever recorded by any sanitary authority in the kingdom. During the last ten years the average rate of mortality has been 8 per 1,000." One third of the persons who died in 1913 were over seventy years of age, and one-tenth over eighty. Dr. Handford's report shows that the average rate of Infantile Mortality for the ten years 1902-11 for the whole county was 124 per 1,000 births, the colliery Urban Districts going up to 150 (157 the highest), while that of Bridgford was only 68, being the lowest of the Urban Districts in the County. Unfortunately the birth rate is also the lowest, for while the mean of the Urban Districts in the county was 30.8, and in some districts went up to over 40, per 1,000, Bridgford was the lowest of all, being only 16-4. This ought not to be. The wise man truly teaches that "in the multitude of the people is the king's glory," while their fewness is fatal to both prince and people, and if the most favoured class increase the most slowly, and the least cultivated, and coarser physically, mentally, and morally, multiply abundantly, our civilization will be thrown back, hence patriotism demands the fulfilment of nature's duties, and the sacrifice of ease and pleasure on the part of parents for their own good, the national welfare, and the great purpose of God.

Water. The Water supply has been well secured by the abolition of the old wells which were common in the village, and the substitution of a continuous service by the Nottingham Corporation, pumped at Burton Joyce, and in the north of the county, and sent by way of the Trent and Suspension Bridges, chiefly to Wilford Hill Reservoir, for distribution.

Parochial. The Chairman of the Urban District Council is Mr. E. P. Day, J.P.; Vice-Chairman, Mr. J. Clarkson. The County Councillor is Mr. L. O. Trivett, J.P.; and for the district west and south of Musters and Melton Roads, with Ruddington and South Wilford, Mr. L. E. Turner. The Guardians of the Poor, Mr. W. J. Furse, J.P., who has been Chairman of the Board of Guardians since 1891, and since 1906 until his death recently, Mr. Thos. Sutherns. The Chairman of the Council School Managers is Mr. G. T. Nelson, and Mrs. Strawson is co-opted on the County Education Committee.

The Fire Brigade. The Fire Brigade was formed by the Urban District Council about 1903, Mr. Swain acting as captain seven or eight years, and when he left West Bridgford a silver salver was presented to him. The people generally subscribed for and presented to Mr. and Mrs. Swain a silver centre-piece. The operations of the Brigade have been useful in the villages of the district, as well as for its own parish.

Churches. The history of St. Giles' Church has been previously given. In addition to its ordinary Sunday and Daily Services, and in connection therewith, a large Sunday School is conducted in the Musters Road Schoolrooms. A Children's Service is held every Sunday Morning in the Rectory Road Schoolrooms. The Church of England Men's Society serve on the Church Council, and as Churchwardens or Sidesmen, or in the Choir, the Children's Service, in Church Defence, the Boys' Brigade, Boy Scouts, Cricket and Football Clubs, &c. This is the largest branch in the Nottingham Federation, having 111 men, banded to give loyal and devoted service in the cause of Christ.

The Lady Bay Church was in 1898 erected on land given by Mr. T. G. Mellors, an iron building serving at the first, but afterwards superseded by a brick and stone structure, for the accommodation of 450 people. Its working arrangements are under the direction and supervision of the Rector of West Bridgford. There is a large Sunday School, and Band of Hope here.

The Friary Church is so called because it was built in succession to the Friar Lane Chapel, Nottingham. That chapel stood opposite to the gate of the house of the White Friars, at the service of which Henry VIII. attended on three successive Sundays, and afterwards suppressed. The first and principal minister of that chapel was the Rev. Joseph Gilbert, whose wife was Ann Taylor, who with her sister Jane wrote and published several volumes of poems, which included "Twinkle, twinkle, little star," "Jesus who lived above the sky," "My Mother," and other well-known pieces. The portraits of several of the prominent ministers, including the Revs. J. Gilbert, J. Mathieson, and J. E. Mitchell, are in the present vestry. When the congregation began to remove into the suburbs the chapel was sold, and the proceeds of the sale furnished one half of the £9,000 the cost of the Friary Church, which was built in 1900-1. It is in the transition style of architecture, and includes, in addition to the usual vestries, a church parlour, a large lecture or school hall, with ten classrooms, and a library (of 600 to 700 books), infants' room, kitchen, etc. The pulpit and arm chair in the hall, removed from Friar Lane, are extensively carved, and are honoured with the tradition "Here stood Richard Cobden and John Bright when advocating the abolition of the corn law customs and duties." The Rev. W. E. Perfect, M.A., has been the minister here since 1899.

The Wesleyan MethodistChurch, on Musters Road, was formed by a few members from Arkwright Street chapel. In 1887-8 land was purchased, and the school, with classroom, and kitchen erected, the services being held in the schoolroom. The building of the church followed in 1899, a stone building, in the late Gothic style, and having clerestory windows, and tower. In the tower is a large clock for the use of the district, with striking apparatus, and bells, which, together with the organ, were given by Mr. Henry Clarke. The eastern stained-glass window, representing Faith, Hope, and Love, with figures of St. John and St. Paul, was given in 1902, by Mr. and Mrs. W. Maggs, in memory of his mother. Decorations in the chancel, and tapestry, were given by Messrs. W. and A. Marshall, in memory of their mother. Mr. A. Gregg, and Mr. J. J. Hill, who helped in the building, have gone to their reward. The school accommodation is now crowded. The Rev. C. Wildblood is the pastoral minister, and there are thirty-one local preachers in West Bridgford.

The Trent Boulevard School Chapel arose from a meeting of a few of the Musters Road church, held in the Council School in 1899, when it was decided to hold temporary services in the Board Schools. Shortly afterwards the site and adjoining land was bought, and the present building erected, at a cost, including land, of £2,300. The cost has been met by voluntary contributions, and connexional funds. There is great need for increased workers. The Rev. M. Penn is pastoral minister.

Baptist Church. Some twenty-five persons or families having removed from Nottingham, into Bridgford, for residence, found it inconvenient to go to their old chapels for worship, and therefore decided to build the present church, which is in the Gothic style, and has a handsome spire, and embraces a church parlour, and three vestries. The services were commenced in Musters Road Council Schools in 1902, and the church was opened in 1907, costing £5,200. Among those who have departed, and were active promoters and donors, may be named:—Mr. W. Turner, Mr. J. W. Matthews, Mr. W. Jones, and the Rev. S. S. Allsop. The Rev. A. M. Roberts is the minister.

The Primitive Methodists are about to build a church and schools at Village Place, where they have purchased 1,735 square yards of land for £465. They commenced holding services in George Road Council Schools in 1912, with three or four members, removed from Mayfield Grove Circuit, and now there are seventy-five members associated. In connection with their Sunday School is a branch of the Hoys' Brigade movement. The Rev. T. H. Kedward is the minister.

Mission Services are held in a temporary building, adjoining the Almshouses, conducted by a Lay Reader. They are not connected with the Parish Church.

Sunday Schools. In connection with the Notts. Sunday School Union there are in Bridgford five Schools, having ninety-two teachers, and seven hundred and seventy-six scholars. There are also five Bands of Hope, teaching that water is best.

To the men and women forming these churches and bodies has been entrusted the message of the infinite love of God, and the glorious provision of the gospel to meet all spiritual maladies and needs, and as Christ gave to the disciples, for them to give to the multitude, so the hearts of men and women in Bridgford have been filled with the sympathy of the Infinitely Useful God, not merely that they may cultivate the highly genteel in the Bridgford enclosure, conserving, as in a greenhouse, all that is beautiful, but that their energies may be developed into useful effort for the world's need, whether in the much needed home mission field, in the slums, or in an expanded form in foreign climes, wherever there is sin and suffering, in body and soul, which only the Balm of God can heal. And this Bridgford field, adorned with every species of beauty in shrub and flower, and hedged in from seductive evil, may be the college from which shall proceed trained men and women, well adapted to supply head officers and workers for the church of God, for the empire, for the city, in all their needs, and for all those multitudinous operations of education, philanthropy, commerce, and whatever is embraced in the civilization of modern life. From the top of the Castle rock there booms over the valley of the Trent the call to duty, to effort, to self-sacrifice, to whole-hearted surrender for doing and daring for God and man.

Schools. The Village School, built and endowed by the Rev. W. Thompson (see page 349), continued its operations. In 1820 Mr. Stretton records:—"At present there are no free pupils, but about forty-four who pay for their education. The school is governed by an industrious and able Master" (p. 207). The Report of the Commissioners of Charities, about 1829 (page 487), states that £20 per annum was then paid to a school master residing in the house, for instructing ten poor children of West Bridgford and Colwick, and with the residue books and stationery were provided for the children, and the buildings were kept in repair. The children were appointed by the Rector, who stated that in consequence of the small number of poor inhabitants resident in the two parishes, there was a difficulty in keeping the number of ten children complete. The Master was allowed to take other scholars, whose parents paid. The Report adds "The parish partakes of Dame Frances Pierrepont's Charity, which being under the management of the Chapter of the Collegiate Church of Southwell, is exempt from our Inquiry." In 1844 Alex. Parker was described as "school master, and parish clerk, and artist."

The National School on Rectory Road was built in 1865, on land given by Mr. J. C. Musters, the lord of the Manor. The building cost £600, towards which was a Government Grant of £146, and the promoters subscribed £371. It was enlarged in 1889, at a cost of £150, and further enlarged in 1895, costing £400, aided by the value of the old school premises, £290, being appropriated. The Headmaster, Mr. Garner, was in 1899 appointed to Trent Boulevard Board School, and a successor appointed, but so large a number of children withdrew, and went to the two new Council schools, that in 1900 the National school was closed, and not having been built in accordance with present day requirements, it is not now, without considerable expenditure, educationally available.