HANDSOME BEQUEST

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 11 May 1935, Page 6

HANDSOME BEQUEST

AUCKLAND CATHEDRAL Miss Horton Leaves £60,000 REALISATION OF VISION By Telegraph—Frees Association AUCKLAND, May 10. By a public-spirited bequest of approximately £60,000, provided in the will of the late Miss Mina Tait Horton, of Bemuera, whose death occurred on May 3, early commencement of a permanent Anglican I Cathedral for Auckland is assured, j A condition of the bequest is that the Cathedral shall be erected on a lite In Parnell bought for the purpose by Bishop Selwyn 92 years ago. Competitive designs must be called for and the building commenced within 10 years from the date of Miss Horton’s death.

The site referred to, which hat been held for the original purpose ever since Bishop Selwyn purchased it, consists of 6i acres of land with frontages to Parnell road, St. Stephen’s Avenue and Brighton road. It is opposite the present St. Mary’s Cathedral, and includes the site of the Parnell Tennis Club’s courts. Miss Horton’s will directs that her residuary estate, which it is estimated will amount to £60,000, after payment of duties, shall be divided by her trustees into four parts. One of these is made subject to a life interest. The other three, with accumulated income therefrom, are to be held by the trustees for the Cathedral building fund, and are to be paid to the genera] trust board of the Auckland diocese when certain conditions have been fulfilled. On termination of the life interest, the remaining fourth part is to be paid over in the same way.

COMPETITIVE DESIGNS. ' The will further directs the trustees, when they are satisfied the cathedral is to be built on the Parnell site, to pay out of the trust fund a sum not exceeding £lOOO for an accepted competitive design for the cathedral. The design must be accepted by the general trust board or other controlling authority within seven years of the testator’s death and the building must be commenced within 10 years of her death. If these conditions are not fulfilled, or if the trustees are not satisfied at the end of 10 years that the building will be properly carried on to its completed state, the bequest (except as regards payment for the design if one b»a been accepted) shall lapse and the residuary estate shall be held by the trustees upon certain other trusts specified in the will The erection of an Anglican Cathedral worthy of the largest city in New Zealand has been an aspiration for many years past, but until the announcement of Miss Horton’s bequest it has not been within measurable distance of realisation. ARCHBISHOP’S COMMENT. “This wonderful gift will enable the Church to realise the vision of Bishop Selwyn, a vision which many Auckland church people have held since his day,” said Archbishop Averill, in commenting upon the late Miss Horton’s bequest. “The idea of beginning the erection of a cathedral upon the historic site in Parnell has been in my mind ever since I became Bishop of Auckland 21 years ago, and naturally it is most gratifying that in my silver jubilee year this vision should be brought within reach of realisation. “At the same time, I would emphasise very strongly that the cathedral which Miss Horton's beneficence will enable us to begin should properly be considered as an institution in which the whole public will have an interest. The church which we hope to erect, standing as it will upon a commanding site which Bishop Selwyn’s foresight chose for it nearly a century ago, will be a worthy addition to the buildings which a city like Auckland ahould possess and a landmark for every ship that enters Auckland harbour. It will be in no sense a private church, but in a very large degree it will belong to the public. We hope that it will be a meeting place for all Christian people and a real centre for the religious life of Auckland. “The realisation of our hopes comes as a most appropriate time,” continued the Primate, “for in 1940 Auckland will celebrate the centenary of its foundation and two years later that of the arrival of Bishop Selwyn. If possible I should very much like the cathedral to be associated with the city’s centenary and the laying of its foundation atone made part of the celebrations. There could hardly be a more fitting

occasion and I think Auckland would gladly accept such a ceremony as an important part of the festival. “We will take steps at once to appeal to the public for gifts to augment this very generous benefaction, for it will depend to a verv large extent upon the interest of citizens whether the dream of a worthy cathedral is realised to the full. 1 hope the Diocesan Synod, when it meets in October, will set up a strong committee to take the matter in hand as soon as possible.” OTHER BEQUESTS. Twelve Auckland institutions and charities will receive benefits tinder the will of the late Miss Horton. The following is • list of bequests amounting to £l7OO: —St. Mary’s Homes (Otahuhu) £lOO, the Plunket Society (Auckland) £lOO, Central Fund of the Auckland Diocese of the Church of England £3OO, Papatoetoo Orphan Home £lOO,

Diocesan Pension Board (clergy, widows’ and orphans’ fund) £lOO, Mission of the Order of the Good Shepherd (Auckland) £2OO, Chaplain of the Church of England at Mt. Eden Gaol (to be used in the furtherance of his work at the goal) £5O, Dock street Mission £5O, Community Sunshine Association £lOO, Diocesan High School for Girls (Auckland) £3OO, Auckland University College Council £2OO, St. Aidan’s Church (Remuera) £lOO. In addition Miss Horton bequeathed a sum to be distributed among the older employees of Wilson and Horton, Limited.