STILL STANDING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 12

STILL STANDING.

HOUSE 108 YEARS OLD. BUILT BY MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 1 ABLET DEDICATED AT KERI KERI. • •iii 1 ? hundred and ei<jht years ago, the mirch .Missionary Society built a house 1 K'li Ki'ii. Hay of Islands, for a it lor wlni was later to do great work, a layman. ainnrig>t (he Maoris, toach- <•"-»■! and instructing them in 1 "'ll aioii -; of agriculture. That • sf ' l nd- to-dav, and though L' 1 'ii a century has passed since its ' '" :i " uc\er lias been occupied by -aw- 'lie family of the original '| J "' i". I lie late James Kemp. ! .> ipical of the !>est of the pioneers, '■■c-, iscrnp \v:h ii devout man, with a 1 ,'" V| ' hU church, and it is I '' % r that his name should be ic-ov\c<l tor posterity by means of a a---taldi't in the little House of God ■ Kcri Keri, where he worshipped, and iicic .hi-, < hildren's children worship to '1- day. The tablet is inscribed:—"To '•'l"' .v of ' <od, and to the beloved -in! honoured memory of James Kemp nd Charlotte, his wife, who arrived in •■ew Zealand on August 10, 1819, and . 11 10ui-fi 1 fur the rust of their lives to ''"ad the Gospel among the Maoris. • li-. Kemp entered into rest. June, IHOO, Mr. Kemp in February, 1X72. 'Who iiioiigh lait.h wrought righteousness,' b'lt. 11. 'i.i. Erected by their many esc!'riilant.s, 1027." His Grace, Arch'•wliop Averill, unveiled and dedicated In- tablet only a few days ago. At the service of dedication were Mr. ». K. D. Kemp, of Auckland, eldest son t the late W. P. Kemp, Miss Charlotte Kemp, of Keri Keri, oldest daughter of ie late. James Kemp, and Miss Gertrude Kemp,- younger daughter, Mr. Ralph •MMiip-, of (fisborne, a grandson, Mr. H. T. Vtkinson. of Waiuiate North, grandson of the late W. P. Kemp, Mr. David Black Iml Miss Black, of Gisborne, grandchildren of the late James Kemp. Oldest House in New Zealand. It was in August, 1819, that Jamea Kemp landed at Oihi, Bay of Islands, ;ollowing in the footsteps of that saintly i nest of the Church, Samuel Marsden. With-Mr. Kemp came Francis Hall and tin*' Rev. Mr. Butler, another Church .Missionary Society clergyman. A month later Mr. Kemp took up his residence at Keri Keri. In 1820 the Church Mis- - ionary Society built him a house, which is still in a state of good preservation, so well did those early pioneers of the faith do their work. To-day the structure'is the oldest standing house in New Zealand. It is occupied by Misses Charlotte and Gertrude Kemp. It is probably a fact that no other family in this Dominion has occupied a house for 108 years. His Grace, in dedicating the memorial brass, delivered an inspiring address on the work and life of those early men of God who • came to • these distant southern lands to plant a Christian altar mi the midst of every settlement. Dr. AverilJ based his discourse on, the texts "We bring our years to an end, as it v.-ere a tale that is told" (Psalm xc) and "Laying up; in store for themselves a good foundation, against the time to I'Hue, that ' they may hold on to life eternal"' (I. Tim. vi., 19). His Grace was attended by the Ven. Archdeacon Ilawkin and the Rev. W. Conolly, vicar of Wijiimute.. Samuel Marsden arrived in New Zealand on Christmas Day, 1814, and ere the following year had. drawn to its close he had, with the help of King Hall and Kendall, built a little church at •' ihi. Bay of Islands, close to the Site • M which the Marsden Cross now stands. : "iLiht years later that tiny house of ; rayer was dedicated. To-day no trace 1 f the sacred edifice remains, but the mighty faith, of which it was a visible reminder at the dim dawn of New Zealand's; beginnings, still lives in the I carts of men. The oldest church standing is the pretty little church .at Russell, built in 18,'5(i. Twelve, years prior to that date a little chureh was built at Paihia. Only a flimsy affair of raupo, it did" not last' long, but while it stood it was a spiritual power house to the faithful of the early days, and in it ministered priests whom the Church of England will ever delight to honour, iir <fcbey had not.heard in vain tfye command of their Divme Master to go into all the world baptising the people of every nation. The raupo church is no i ioj-e, but near the site on which it • toocl Ja'a dignified brick church,, which may last for 100 years. Much of the money required for its erectioo was found by the Williams, family.