Trentham Church Built 105 Years Ago

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31772, 31 August 1968, Page 5

Trentham Church Built 105 Years Ago

(Specially written for “The Press” by R. T. WEARNE)

From the inception of the province of Wellington the church had suffered from not having a resident Bishop; and to remedy the situation Selwyn, early in 1858, offered episcopal orders .to Octavius Hadfield, of Waikanae, for appointment to the new See.

Hadfield declined and Charles John Abraham of St John’s College. Auckland, was immediately chosen. At Lambeth Parish Church on Michaelmas Day of the same year he received consecration at the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of London, Oxford, and Lichfield.

Bishop Abraham arrived back in Wellington on March 30, 1859. Four days later he was enthroned in St Paul’s Church as the first bishop of the diocese.

The guiding genius and the generosity of Richard Barton lay behind the formation of what was then known as the Trentham Missionary Parochial District. Mr Barton, before emigrating to New Zealand in 1839, was superintendent of the Duke of Sutherland’s estates in Staffordshire, the Duke living at Trentham Hall. In 1846 the Bartons settled on a property of 100 acres in the Upper Hutt Valley; and their new

family home was appropriately named Trentham, and as such the district is now known throughout the Dominion.

Founder’s Grave

The founder cf Trentham was buried in St John’s Churchyard and the inscription there reads: “Sacred to the Memory of Richard Barton, Bom at Newport, Isle of Wight, August 30, 1790. Died August 20, 1866.” The parish of Trentham owes much to Mr Frederick Thatcher, the priest and architect, for it was he Who helped in the planning and construction of St. John’s Church over a century ago. The first Vicar, Mr Herring, was licensed “To the charge of the Natives in the Upper Valley, and the English Church people resident at Whirinaki (roughly the present Trentham and Heretunga districts) in the Upper Hutt. In deacon's orders throughout his stay in the parish, he remained for a little under two years. The register states that the first baptism performed was of Joseph, son of Joseph and Emily Bowyer, of Porirua, on March 30, 1862. The original portion of the present parish church was completed in 1863, but it was not until December 17, 1865, that the Bishop, in the prescence of a good congregation, consecrated the building. St John’s was enlarged by the addition of a chancel and sanctuary during 1884, and 30 years later a vestry was built.

On the outbreak of the. First World War, Trentham was

chosen to be New Zealand’s chief military training centre and many thousands of men came here for training. Again in the Second World War Trentham Camp once more became a centre of military training. Thousands of soldiers will ever be grateful for the kind hospitality which they received from the members of St John’s church. This beautiful church has several stained-glass windows, one depicting St George. This light commemorates those of the parish who fell in the World Wars. Lych-Gate In the well-kept churchyard are the graves of the early pioneers. The cypress trees flanking the path from the main road to the front of St John’s were planted by the Rev. C. H. S. Nicholls in 1871. There is also a beautiful lych-gate on which are two marble slabs. The one on the right reads: “This gate is erected to the glory of God and in memory of those members of the Church of England who from Trentham, Upper Hutt and surrounding districts laid down their lives in the Great War, August, 1914 November, 1918.” The other, on the left, reads: “Commemorating the centenary of the founding of this parish by the Right Rev. C. J. Abraham, M.A., First Bishop of Wellington. 18611961.”

The church is in an excellent state of preservation, and m revered by the population of Trentharikand surrounding districts.