Psalm and Hymn books were personally owned by Church attendees (if they could afford it) and contained passages and songs from the Bible, from which the words and music for any service would have been selected .On the front cover of this Psalms and Hymn Book is the engraving, in Latin, 'Gloria In Excelsis Deo' which translates into ‘Glory to God in the Highest.' These words also form the chorus for the Christmas Hymn 'Angels we have heard on high." This particular Psalm and Hymn book belonged to Samuel Amess. After purchasing a house and some land on William St, West Melbourne, Amess joined with other businessmen to establish the West Melbourne Presbyterian Church. The first weekly services started in 1864. Wealthy church attendees would donate a substantial amount to the parish, and this enabled them to have their own personal reserved pew for each service. Amess reserved pew 120. Samuel Amess was one of the owners of Churchill Island in the late nineteenth century. After purchasing the Island from JD McHaffie in 1872, the successful stonemason and builder turned Churchill Island into a summer retreat for his family. He built Amess House, and two further generations of the family owned this Island until its sale in 1929. This psalms and hymns book is one of the few items with a strong provenance that was owned by the former Mayor.Dark brown hardcover c250pp. Front cover separated. Owned by Samuel Amess. Embossed on front cover: "GLORIA IN EXELSIS DEO" "ET IN TERRA PAX" Inside front cover, handwritten: "Samuel Amess/West Melb Presbyterian Church/Pew No 120/1st August 1879"samuel amess, churchill island, presbyterian, psalms, hymns, west melbourne