LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ALL SAINT'S CHURCH, PREBBLETON.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2668, 17 November 1871, Page 2

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ALL SAINT'S CHURCH, PREBBLETON.

The ceremony of laying the foundation, or perhaps we should say the corner-stone of the proposed new Church of All Saints at Prebbleton, took place with great eclat yesterday. For some time the building in which Divine service has been held has been found quite inadequate to the wants of the congregation ; the energy displayed by the present respected incumbent, has had the effect of stirriug up the inhabitants of the district to increase their efforts to collect for the building fund, and very libeially indeed have their appeals been responded to: friends of some of the leading parishioners in England contributed handsomely; a grant was obtained from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and the general result of the exertions made by those interested in the building of the church was so satisfactory that it was thought advisable to begin the building without loss of time. Before we give an account of yesterday's proceedings it may be well to describe THE NEW CHURCH, As designed by the architect, Mr Mountfort, of this city. The building is constructed- of wood resting on a plinth of Portland cement coucrete. In plan it consists of a nave 36ft. x 20ft. ; transept, 17ft wide aud projecting Bft. ; a chancel 17ft. x 14ft., and a south porch. The chancel is continued some eight feet westward of the east walls of the transepts, and the two engaged angles thus formed are occupied o_ the north side by an organ chamber, opeuing by arches to the transept and chancel ; and on the north side by the tower, the lower stage of which is used as the vestry. There are two steps from the nave to the chancel, and one from chancel to sacrarium, on which will be placed an altar pace. The construction is one which the architect seems to have made his own for small churches, and which we recognise at once in various parts of the country. It seems to unite real church character with the minimum of cost consistent with proper strength, aud while working on the true Gothic principle, to have struck out a distinct development which fairly represents our means and aspirations. We are perfectly well aware that Mr Mountfort would prefer to erect churches in more massive and substantial materials, and we do not doubt his power to give a satisfactory account of auy such structure, but iv the meantime, as means cannot be got for such an exercise of his art, he wisely makes the best use of those in his power. The exterior shows us the picturesque outline of a small cross church with a tower engaged in the south transept, and an open work, south porch. The walls are 2in. planking, pierced by trefoil lancets ; the east end of the chancel has a triplet; the transepts, couplets of great length, with circles in the heads ; the west end of nave, a four-light trefoiled window, and above this iv the gable, a circular sexfoil wheel, with a pierced trefoil in the centre, reminding us of plate tracery. The other windows of nave and chancel are single and the east window of north transept is a couplet. The roofs are all of high pitch, and are finished with gable crosses of varied design. The tower rises well clear, from all the roofs of nave and transepts, is a well proportioned square shingled spire, which finishes with a finial and gilt iron cross. The total height from ground to cross will be about 52 feet. The interior shows an open roof and a bold chancel arch, and under a champed beam smaller arches in transept and organ chamber. The vestry opens to the south transept by a square trefoil headed door. All the windows will be filled with cathedral glass of green tint in lead quarries. At present the interior linings and fittings are omitted. We believe tbe arrangements contemplate good substantial open sittings, and and a correct ritual arrangement for the chancel. The contract for the works has been taken by Mr Powrie, of Kaiapoi. In order that the foundation of the church should be laid with due solemnity, the R.W., the District Grand Master of Canterbury, was requested to lay the stone with Masonic honors, which request, after consultation with Deputy G.M. and the officers of the Grand Lodge, he acceded to, and the entire organization of the procession and ceremonial was undertaken by Brother Angus, D.G. Director of Ceremonies, right well, as events proved, he performed the it_ties of his office, for owing to his untiring exertions, not a single hitch occurred in the ceremony. At half-past 9 a.m., the Lodge of St. Augustine was opened in the Masonic Hall, and at 10 a.m. the Right Worshipful the D.G.M. and his officers were received with Masonic honors, the Grand Lodge having been duly opened was 'adjourned to Prebbleton, and the Brethren to the number about 40, proceeded iv various conveyances to the site of the new church ; meanwhile there had assembled at Prebbleton the choir of S. Luke's, under the direction of the Rev. E. A. Lingard; the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch, the Venerable the Archdeacon of Christchurch, the Revs. C. Bowen, and W. E. Paige. Matins were sung to Helmore's Plain Service in G, and the .Holy Communion was celebrated in the old church. A short but excellent sermon was preached by the Dean from the text " Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity," Psalm cxxxiii. lv. The conclusion of the sermon was as follows :— ■" We are favored on this occasion by the presence and assistance of several representatives of the ancient and honorable body of Free Masons, all whose traditions, as far as it is permitted to an uninitiated person to speak of them, teach lessons of mutual friendship and unity. Their history teaches especially the exceeding great value and importance of the principle of association in church work, especially in church building. For there is good authority, if I mistake not, for the assertion that several of those grand and exquisitely finished buildings, the Cathedrals of England and of the Continent of Europe, owe their erection to colonies Of Freemasons, who migrated from place to place, and, though they were paid for their work, yet rendered no hireling service, but wrought in a spirit of noble enthusiasm, it would be to rest altogether, feeling an honorable pride in the dignity of their work, and sustained above all by the grand sentiment, that they were all working together ' for the honor and glory of God. In these days of revivalism, is it out of the question to look for something like a revival of this ancient spirit among the Freemasons of Canterbury? Will they not take np tbe building of the Cathedral, and resolve to make it a noble monument of the revival of their ancient ardour in the work of church-building? May we look upon their presence here to-day, to aid this lesser work of the same kind, as an earnest of their willingness to set forward that greater work

with all their might ? I ask them not to work with their hands, as did th e Masons of old, but to stir up the zeal of their brethren and to kindle an enthusiasm throughout thi? community, for the early commencement and earnest prosecution of that congenial work to which I refer—congenial with tho history and those traditions of which they are justly proud. '• But whether the Freemasons take up this work or not, may not the recollection of their past history incite others amongst us to form themselves into a Cathedral Guild— a body bound together by one common purpose of doing their utmost to forward that great work. M ight they not agree together to use one common prayer day by day i n p r j vatQ for a blessing upon their undertaking trusting in the promise that '• If twoorthrce shall together as touching anything they shall ask. it shall be done for them by their Father in Heaven ? " they not offer their services to the Cathedral Commissi on. as collectors of subscriptions, and in other ways that might be devised, set forward by united and persevering efforts the accomplishment of this much-desired object ? Let this plan be taken up and acted upon by only two or three who are in and their zeal would soon communicate itself to others, and ere long there would be a manifestation of vigorous life. For the present it i s our business to help forward by our prayers and contributions the work of church-building in which our fellow-churchmen are engaged in this place, and to wish them God-speed'ia their pious undertaking. May He prosper the work of their hands upou them, sanctify and bless all their endeavours, and grant them to know by a happy experience, " How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."—And now, &c. At 1 p.m. a procession was formed in the Parsonage grounds in the following order:— Processional Banner Choir in Surplices j Clergy The District Grand Lodge of i canterhurTyler with drawu sword Entered Apprentices Fellow Crafts Master Masons Architect with Plans. Bro. B. W. Mountfort Cornucopia with Corn t3 Borne by Bro. P. M. Thomson CJ es Ewer with Wine Ewer with Oil 3 % borne by Bro. borne by Bro. g. _5 P. M. Alport. Smith, W.M. en ,_. St. Augustine Lodged | D.G. Pursuivant, Bro. Cohn, Acting $ £ D.G. Organist, Bro. J. W. Oram H, D.G. Director of Ceremonies, Bro. J. C, Angus Bro. Suffield, Acting D. G. S., bearing the Book of Constitutions on a cushion. D. G. Treasurer, carrying a vial, containing Coins and inscription to be deposited in tho stone, Bro. P.M. Mills. The Corinthian Light, borne by Bro. Tribe. The Column of the D. J. G. Warden, borne by Bro. Judge. -a THE D.J.G. WARDEN WITH THE Q „ plumr rule, Bro. P.M. Baylee. 3 _ Banner of the Grand Lodge, borno cL £ by Bro. Milsom. m -_ The Doric Light, borne by Bro. £ § Deamer. 3 O The Column of D.G.G. Warden, S. borne by Bro. Smith. THE D.S.G. WARDEN WITH THB LEVEL, Bro. Thiel. The D.J.G. Deacon, Bro. Graham. D.G. CHAPLAIN BEARING THE SACRED LAW on A cushion, the Rev. W. Henry Cooper. THE V.W. THE DEPUTY G.M. WITH SQUARE, Bro. P.M. Bishop. The lonic Light, borne by Bro. Lavender. The Standard of D. G. M, of Canterbury, borne by Bro. P.M. Dobbs. •_ The D. G. Sword Bearer, O « Bro. Mitchell. § _ THE V.W. THE DISTRICT GRAND CU £, MASTER. CQ •o W. Donald, M. D. f § The D.S.G. Deacon, Bro. Willcockg. g qj D- G. Tyler with drawn sword. ck As the procession proceeded to the building site, Hymn 297, A. and M. was sung as a processional. At this time the effect was very imposing, the choir and clergy in their surplices, the Masons vested in the rich regalia of their order, many of them wearing jewels of costly workmanship, the voices of the choristers, all combined to make the scene one not easily forgotten. Arrived at the stone, a short service was chanted by the clergy and choir. The Rev, Mr Paige then read the following inscriptions, which wero engrossed on parchment and deposited in a phial under the stone. t In the Name ot The Holy Trinity And In Memory of The Spirits of Just Men made perfect. This Stone 7 ; is " _",„,'... '.. Laid, xvi. day of Nov. Anno. Domini, 1871. Being the xxivth year of the ijsigß of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. Sir George Bowen, K.C.M.Ck, Governor. William Rolleston, j Superintendent. I Henry John Chitty Harper, D.D. f I . .. Primate. William Edward Paige, M.A., Incumbent. Edward Prebble, Churchwarden. John Norris Tosswill, ) Members of James Maskrey, j BuiTding Committee. William B. Mountfort, Architect. Robert Powrie, Builder. _ In honorem Sancta Individuseque Trinitatis et In memoriam Justomm Perfectorum Spirituura Huuc Lapidem Posuit Gul. Donald, Med. Doc. A.D. XVI. Kal: Dec: Anno Domini MDCCCLXXX A trowel was then hauded to Dr tJonaid with a request that he would proceed to IV the stone, upon which he called upon the Rev. W.H. Cooper, D.G.C., to invoke a blessing, the Grand Chaplain offered up the following prayer:— "O Lord, Thou that inhabited eternity, and hast raised out of nothing the tdigW fabric of this universe, the heaven, the air, the earth, and tbe sea ; Thou that fillest the world, and everything f] afr is in it, and art Thyself boundless sad incomprehensible, look" down graciously °P° n us thy servants who are about to eree^ 8, building to Thy Holy Name. Let thy Holy Spirit descend upon it in the blessing of *w peculiar presence; Thou that art deign also to be with us; Thou that seesc and hearest all things, look down fr©<©'f B i? r throne of glory and give ear tft oursßfP 1 * 0 *" tions, and grant that whenever Thy servant* spread forth their hands in the house nowabout to be built, and make their T 1 unto Thee, then hear Thou in heaven In/ dwelling place and forgive, and hear their prayer and supplicatiou and maintain then? cause. So mote it be. The phial containing the inscription! having been deposited in the cavity of. { * c stone by the D.G. Treasurer, the #•"' Master spread thq cement, and the k 0 was lowered into its bed, the D.G. organ lßs playing the " Gloria in Excelsia" Mozart's Twelfth Mass. After the true portion of the stone had been tested b ?i*": plumb, level, and square, the D.G.®* 8 "" declared it well and truly laid, andTß*** ceeded to consecrate it, saying, "IB * ??** corn on this stone as the emolenVj* plenty; I pour wina upon it as tJis «P«v!ft

rf cheerfulness, and I an noint it with oil as fp emblem of comfort," after which, reSving Sthurible from the D.G. Director -rf Ceremonies, he censed the stone in the forth south, east, and west. Dunug the consecration, the D.G. organist played a M_ss t Voluntary from Pergolesi, Salve RtV W District Grand Master adbrethren and those assembled, ■-Sufthatthe stone had been laid after the fntient traditions of the craft, and m strict accordance with geometrical principles. They, • Jb Masons, had performed their part of the duty that day, but it remained with the people to perform theirs. They had wished Sen- corn in abundance, and their wine and also that their flocks and herds might increase, but they must not forget the priest who ministered at the altar in the building . they were about_to erect on the stone, nor to minister to his sustenance. They would recollect that in the Scriptures they were enjoined to come up four times a year, each male bringing up the firstlings of their flock, and the first fruits of their produce for the priests. They must recollect this, and he felt sure from the liberality displayed by those around him as as evidenced by the foundation stone now before them, that they would do so, and that the building would not only be a credit in point of architectural design, but also be a blessing to the people. He hoped that their corn and wine would increase, and that their flocks and herds would bring forth abundantly, and that the Great Architect of the Universe would bless them and theirs. The D.G.M. then called upon the D.G. Chaplain, who offered up prayers as follows :— - 0, Almighty God, Father, Supreme Ruler, and Great Architect of the Universe, Thou who hast so kindly blessed us in the proceedings of this day, and hast permitted us, Thy unworthy servants, to lay the foundation of a building, to be dedicated to the honor and glory of Thy Holy Name, enable, we implore Thee, those engaged in the building to complete it, preserve the workmen from danger and accident, and grant, that in this tern. pie about to be erected, the solemnities of Thy services may ever be preserved, and that all may conduce to Glory and Beauty in the worship of Thy Sanctuary, may be established to the honor of Thy Holy Name." So mote it be. The procession having reformed, a recessional hymn was sung by the choir, and the proceedings terminated. We cannot but congratulate the inhabitants of Prebbleton at the success that attended their church festival. The chants and hymns were sung not only with spirit, but most correctly ; the careful training of the choir was evidenced in the rendering of some very difficult chants. The weather was most propitious, and a very large number assembled to take part in the interesting ceremony. THE LUNCHEON. The Prebbleton people have long enjoyed the reputation of being amongst the most hospitable in the province, and certaiuly the luncheon set before their Christchurch guests yesterday proved no exception to the rule. It was laid in the schoolbouse, which was gaily decorated with evergreens, flowers, &c, presenting a very pretty appearance. The guests, including a number of ladies, having been all comfortably seated, or at least as many of them as the building would hold, the chair was taken by the Rev. W. E. Paige, incumbent of the parish, supported on his right by the Very Rev. the Dean, Bro. E. S. Willcocks, D. Grand Deacon and P. M. Bro. H. Thomson, and on the left by the V. W. the District Grand Master. Dr Donald, Yen. Archdeacon Wilson, Bro. F. J. -Smith, W. M. St. Augustine Lodge, and -Other Grand Lodge officers. The vicechairs were filled by Messrs J. N. Tosswill and Bruce. After the various delicacies had been done ample justice to The Rev. Chairman rose and gave the health of '• Her Majesty the Queen." They yrould all rejoice to learn by the last mail that her illness had somewhat abated, and .that there was a possibility of her being still spared to reign over them. [Cheers.] J The toast was duly honored. V "The Chairman then gave the health of .>_Lis Excellency the Governor." During His Excellency's visit to Canterbury he had .left the impression that he was a genial gentleman, and he felt sure they would all ; jr_spond to the toast he had given. [Cheers]. , The toast was drunk with three times three. The next toast from the chair was that of "His Honor the Superintendent." The » Chairman remarked that they all knew His Honor so well that it was quite superfluous for him to say anything in his favor, and he would simply call upon them to drink his •; health with all the honors. [Cheers]. The toast was given with three times three. • Dr. Donald proposed the healths of his Lordship the Primate and the Clergy of the Diocese, in suitable terms, which was honored duly. The Very Rev. the Dean said he would X not inflict upon them a long speech. He j . was exceedingly pleased to be amongst them I that day, and to see the clergy meeting -together in that way ; he only wished there ; .-- were more of them present, as he felt sure j • that meeting together that way did good. [Cheers.] He thanked them very heartily both on behalf of the Primate, who he felt sure would have been glad to be present, and _ also his brethren of the clergy, for the way " in which the toast had been proposed and '. responded to by those present. [Cheers.] 17 The Rev. Chairman then rose to propose "ihe next toast. He said he regarded the [ ioast he was about to propose as t/ie toast of "the day. It was the Grand Lodge of Canterbury. [Cheers.] They at Prebbleton ,-were much indebted to Dr Donald and the -fßcers of the Grand Lodge of Canterbury for their kind preseuce and assistance that day. [Cheers.] He hoped that the building ' of the Church, the foundation stone of which " they had that day laid, would mark a new era in the prosperity and advancement of Prebbleton. [Cheers.] He would call upon them to drink with all the honors the Very Worshipful the District Grand Master, Dr Donald, and the Grand Lodge of Canterbury, at the same time expressing a wish that they might have the pleasure of seeing their present guests again. [Cheers.] Tbe toast was drunk with the utmost enthusiasm. Dr Donalb said, on behalf of their royal and autient craft, he.begged to thank them for the handsome manner in which the toast had proposed ana" received. If he might be permitted, as the oldest inhabitant, he would say a word or two respecting the rise and progress of Prebbleton. Some few years ago the river bed which they had crossed that day on their way up, was a waste of shingle ; ; bat now all around were thriving farms and homesteads. [Cheers.] It had given himself and the officers and brethren great pleasure to be invited to lay the stone of the new church, according to the traditions and usages of their royal craft, and they felt it to be a All he could say was that he hoped he should be called upon to lay the foundation-stone of Prebbleton town hall. [Cheers.] He again thanked tbem on behalf of himself and the officers and brethren of the craft for the manner in which they had received the toast, and begged to wish every prosperity to Prebbleton. [Cheers.] - The Rev. Chairman then gave the health . of the Rev. E. A. Lingard, and the choir of S. Luke's. [Cheers.] They were much indebted to both Mr Lingard and the choir on this occasion, as indeed the clergy always were when choral services were needed, as the S. Luke's were the first to proffer their services, and assist to the utmost of their ability. [Cheers.] Mr W. B. Tosswill said that, before they separated, there was one gentleman present who deserved, most thoroughly, recognition at their hands, for the large amount of trouble and interest he bad always evinced in ihe parish, in fact he might say he was the father of , the Prebbleton -cum-Templeton parish. The gentleman he alluded to was the j Yen. Archdeacon Wilson. [Loud cheers.] He would desire also, on the part of the people of the parish, to proffer to Archdeacon 'Wilson their congratulation- upon his at- ., taining to his new dignity. [Cheers]. The Archdeacon had been foremost in church ': Matters with respect to Prebbleton, and it

must mdeed have been a cheering sight to Chmch laid amongst them. Iv conclusion, *„A r♦. agUm expreSß the heartfelt gratitude of the people of Prebbleton to the Archdeacon for his many kindnesses. [Cheers.] The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. ihe Yen. Archdeacon having briefly replied, expressing his pleasure at being present on the occasion, f Ti ? e ? i ".^ IRMAN ** ye the remainder of the toasts, Ihe Ladies," " The Rev. Croasdale Bowen & c ., and after spe-ding a very pleasant day throughout, the party returned to town about four p.m. The collection laid upon the stone, together with the sale of tickets, amounted to We may mention that great energy and zeal was displayed by the Prebbleton people generally, more particularly Messrs J. N. Tosswill, Prebble, Allsopp, &c.