MUSEUM OF NATURE

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33083, 25 November 1972, Page 12

MUSEUM OF NATURE

Edith Crouch’s journal records voyage to N.Z.

(Contributed by the Canterbury Museum)

In addition to its collection of original diaries and journals, the Canterbury Museum holds copies of many early journals still treasured in family possession, but generously made available to the museum for copying so that others may enjoy and study them. Among these is a most interesting journal written by Edith Crouch in 1893 and brought to the museum by her great-niece, Mrs Betty Thomson. Prefaced “Notes en route to New Zealand 1893" the journal continues beyond the actual voyage to include travels in the South Island in the company of Mrs Crouch’s relatives, Reginald and Lucy Foster. From Norwich Herself a direct descendant of Elizabeth Fry, Edith married Canon Crouch of Norwich Cathedral where they lived in the Cathedral Close, but “The Canon” as he was always referred to by his wife, was well known for his habit of preaching on the street comers of London. The couple had no children of their own but the family’s evangelistic tradition was continued by nieces and nephews in a newspaper published by Paget Baxter. During the Second World War the tradition continued when Elizabeth Baxter (a sister of Paget) travelled around London in a van dispensing soup, tea and food to bomb victims—all provided by the Paget Baxter family. Leaving Gravesend in the

Ruahine on June 27, 1893, Edith wrote the following morning . . . “28 June ... up at 6, the first to get the ladies’ bath. Had a cup of tea on deck soon after 7 ... a lovely morning, the white cliffs looked brilliant.” This and other comments reveal the energy and zest for living which never seemed to desert this remarkable woman while many entries bear testimony to her devout religious faith. Bishop aboard Bishop Julius was also travelling in the Ruahine at this time and his presence as a fellow passenger must have added greatly to Mrs Crouch’s enjoyment of the trip. The Bishop was returning after being to Cambridge where the degree of doctor of divinity had been conferred on him. The entry for July 2 reads . . . “Sunday, Holy Communion in music saloon 7.30 a.m. Morning sermon in first saloon 10.30—quite full. Bishop preached Acts XXVII, A manly, heart-stirring, practical appeal on brotherly love and unselfishness in reference to our duties to our fellow passengers.” A later sermon on July 9 is recorded as being “on the spirit of wordliness and the dangers lying before the young colonist in this respect leading to so many evils and especially to the neglect of the day of rest.” One might think perhaps that in coping with the rigours of early

colonial life a “day of rest” was a luxury to be dreamed of rather than the subject of neglect. Even today with frozen foods, automatic ovens and motor-mowers, it is wonderfully easy to be guilty of the sin of “neglecting the day of rest.” After calling at Auckland the Ruahine continued bn to Wellington, arriving on August 19. Edith transferred herself and luggage to the coastal vessel Pukaki which, is recorded in the “Lyttelton. Times” of Monday August, 21 1893 as having arrived from Westport, via Wellington. On the day of her arrival at Lyttelton Edith Crouch wrote. . “Rose at 6.30 and on looking out of my port saw the lovely alps and an equally glorious sunrise breaking upon them, which made me hope we were going to have a fine day, but by the time we had breakfast a dull grey day had set in and it was very cold” ... a phenomenon not unknown in August to those of us who live in Canterbury. Church bell “The first sound to greet my ears was the church bells for morning service. I longed to go straight away but I knew I must first see to my luggage which the officer in charge managed to put into the railway truck which took the mails to Christchurch.” Later, having discovered there was no train until 1.40, the diarist continues: “I made my way to the church and entered as they were singing a hymn before the

communion service which followed and then a sermon by the incumbent, the Rev. H. Coates, John 11.1 which seemed to be extempore but was meagre in the extreme I thought.” Poor Mr Coates, he could hardly have been expected to reach the standard of Bishop Julius’s fiery shipboard sermons but the celebration of Holy Communion which followed was a more fitting experience to mark this important day and is recorded . . . " so glad that this precious privilege should inaugurate my incoming to this Island.” Painter of murals Canon Coates’s inferior sermon on this occasion might perhaps be forgiven today when we remember that he painted the murals which the present congregation of Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton is endeavouring to preserve today. These paintings, done in the 1890 s, have become damaged along the south wall because of damp seeping through and an appeal has been launched to raise sufficient money for their repair. The length of this article prevents a description of Edith’s further travels until a later date and it is fitting to leave her for the present, spiritually uplifted by Holy Communion and physically refreshed by having lunched with the vicar of Holy Trinity Church, and his family.-— M.J.D.