In April of 1888, New Westminster was enjoying the arrival of spring, and much local attention was directed towards the completion of a project at Holy Trinity Church that would see the erection of a new bell tower.
There had already been much fundraising for this project, and the town’s newspaper was promoting another cultural evening of theatre and music, the proceeds of which would add to the funds still required. A note in the paper pointed out this performance was to be presented by local amateurs “from whom we look for great excellence.”
It was also noted the bell tower “when finished will once more delight us with the sweet sounds of our beautiful peal of bells and will also be a very great ornament in the city.”
The evening’s entertainment was to take place at Herring’s Opera House on Carnarvon Street, situated across the street and not far from Holy Trinity and its new bell tower.
The program was “the highly exciting and realistic drama” The Seven Clerks, followed by the “very laughable farce” Poor Pillicody. During the interlude between the plays, the advert noted, “two of New Westminster’s favourites will sing” – Messrs. Keary and Rickman.
The advertisement noted the characters of the plays with some of the names: Claud Darnaud, Simon Sigger, Adolph de Briancourt, Victorine, and Captain and Mrs. O’Scuttle were among the 16 characters. Another list noted the players, many of whose names were well known in the city. They included Fisher, Glover, Harvey, Moresby, Falding, Hill, Homer and DeWolf Smith. The stage manager was the former Royal Engineer, Lewis Bonson.
The show was to commence at 7:30 p.m.; tickets were 50 cents each, with reserved seats being $1; and tickets could be purchased at Lyal’s Book Store on Columbia Street.
A followup article about the fundraising evening of plays and music said it had been a great success and reported “the anticipation of our citizens respecting the production of the play on Wednesday evening last was fully realized, and a very large audience was thoroughly entertained. The principal characters by Mr. Fisher and Mrs. Moresby were well sustained and did them infinite credit. The farce Poor Pillicody was very well put on the stage and elicited much merriment.”
And so “a handsome sum” was added to the bell tower fund.
