Gift Candelabrum

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 159, 8 July 1938, Page 8

Gift Candelabrum

LORD BLEDISLOE EXPLAINS HOW HE OBTAINED IT LONDON, July 4. Lord Bledisloe, in a letter to the Times from Nyasaland, says: "All I know about the candelabrum is that I purchased it for the church at what I believed to bo Its full value from a silversmith four months ago. The silversmith stated that he purchased it at a sale. “As so many old families find it necessary nowadays to dispose of the family plate, I naturally assumed that a descendant or legatee of the original presentee had done so in this case. f, ln the circumstances, lam requesting the vicar of the Church to send the candelabrum to Kilbracken, while promising to supply another piece of plate to substitute it.” Lord Kilbrocken on June 13 wrote to Ihe Times in connection with Lord Bledisloe’s recent presentation to the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry of a candelabrum on behalf of New Zealand. The letter said that the presentation might suggest that a member of my family, flagrantly disregarding sentimental considerations, sold the candelabrum, which Lord Bledisloe subsequently purchased. As reported in a message published on June 6, the candelabrum was originally a gift from the Canterbury Provincial Government to iohn Robert Godley, founder of the province and first Agent-General. The lower panels bear the arms of Godley and of the province. The upper panels now bear the arms of Lord Bledisloe. who was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935, and of the City of London. "Godley, my grandfather, died in 1861,” wrote Lord Kilbrocken. "My grandmother carefully preserved the candelagrum until she died in 1907. It then came into the possession of my father, .who was never even approximately in the position of having to sell his effects. He certainly would not have sold the candelabrum. "Nevertheless, when he died in 1932, the candelabrum was mysteriously missing. While lam not suggesting that Lord Bledisloe did not come into possession of it legitimately, I hope, when he returns from Rhodesia, that he will help to clear up the mysterv.” LONDON, July 5. In a letter to The Times, Lord Kilbracken facetiously disclaims any intention of suggesting that Lord Bledisloe assumed a mask and jemmy and entered his house with violence and stealth to secure the candelabrum Lord Bledisloe recently presented to the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry. Lord Kilbracken adds: "There is little doubt that it was at some time stolen from my father and secretly disposed of. I should certainly be glad to have it back for use in fhe Irish home for which it was originally intended, but if Lord Bledisloe insists on its being returned I hope that the vicar keep it in storage until Lord Bledisloe returns and an arrangement is then made whereby it can be regarded as a joint gift from Lord Bledisloe and myself to the beautiful and historic church at Kilbracken.”

He points out that the motive of hit original letter was to remove the impression that some member of his family had been led, either by poverty or indifference, to sell the candelabrum.

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