MORE SELWYN FACTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14577, 16 July 1909, Page 8

MORE SELWYN FACTS.

SOME PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS. (J?koj£ Ouit Own Corresuondknt.) LONDOX, May'2B. The paris'i of Haiupstead intends vo celebrate on the '/th July tlio hundredth annivemiry of tlip birtli of Bishop Sulwyn, and just now the parishioners are being entertained with stories of the. groat man. Sonic of thes, contributed by Mr Alfred Gieenv.cod, are of considerable interest. -Ha says:— "While at Eton he was famous as an athlete. Au old man who saw hini on. his arrival in New Zealand remarked: 'T.'tio last time I. saw that gentleman he was 6ft under water at Eton sawing oh a post that wasjn the way of their diving-!"' "Soino of my earliest recollections arc connected with. Bishop Selwyn. In these far away days a visit from the Bishop to hold a confirmation and to take a general oversight of his flock was an event which generally happened, sa .y, once in about three years to our iit tie corner of the Nelson province, Motueka, when he was always the honoured guest of .my parents, and I, being the small hoy of our house.'.iold (no servants in those days) used to clean the Bishops boo!s-no easy matter, as they were generally plastered with mud, as the previous.day had.very likely been spent in walking, along muddy roads to the Maori yilla»e some miles away, where he worked hard, probably catechising and preaching assembled Native church. " How strange it seems to look book half a century and more, and' remember as a . litt,o boy being told the Bishop was cornin" and looking out of the window and seein" the masts of the little- mission schooner I'lidino lying at. anchor oh* tho sandspit. On some of these voyages mv brother, John Cxrcemvood, accompanied him, being at that time a student at St. John's Collcec, Auckland, and to this day, though now an old man, >e often reads and preaches to a Native congregation, being an excellent ■Maori scholar. He always entorlained the deepest admiration and respect for the ■Bishop, and said some of the niost impressive sermons he ever heard were across the httle cabin table of 'the Undine, preached lo the little ship's company. The good bishop never spared himself or sought hie own comfort, duty being his sole aim in life apparently, and this view of life he expected from those who worked under mm. Ah, yes, he was a great and good man. A dissenter, and himself a fervent Christian, once said in my hearing, 'If there were more like him they -would make good churchmen of us all!' "Ono little story before I close. On one of his visits the bishop found me (a small boy) in it corner, whore I had been set to 'do my leosons/; j,e eiim to m said, ' What are you doing ' I said 'Arithmetic' Bishop: 'What kind of arithmetic?' I: 'Fractions.' Bishop: 'What kind of fractions?'-!: 'Common denominator.' Bishop: 'What is common denominator?'—l; (Nonplussed). Bishop: Don't you know? Then I'll show-you. If you havo 30 cocks, 40 hens, and 80 chickens in a coop, what is their common denominator?'-I (nervously) • ■ 'Fowl*.' Bishop: 'Of course it is.'—l (greatly relieved)." THE SELWYN FAMILY. The family, of the bishop's father, William Selwyn, Q.C., consisted of: William, 1806-1875; Lstitia Frances, born July 11, 1807 j Ueorge Augustus, born Aprl 5,'1809; Thomas Kynnaston, born March 19, 1812: Charles Juspor, bom October 13,. 1813; Frances Elizabeth, ten January 10, 1816, William, the eldest,, was placed first with Dr Nicholas and his sons at E.aluig, and then under the famous Dr Kcato at Eton. At Ealing Cardinal Newman and his brother Francis were among their schoolfellows. From Eton he proceeded to St. John's College, in .1824. In the following three- years in succession he gained Sir William Browne's medal for a Greek ode, and in 1826 carried off all the Browne medals, a svecess which had only been achieved thrico in a hundred years, ilo alio gained tie prize for being the best reader of the lessons and the most regular attendant at chapel. In the same year he was Craven Scholar. In 1827 ho was again adjudged the medal for the Greek ode. In 1528 ho came out as sixth wrangler (being one of the Johnian "seven stars"), and was also senior classic and first Chancellor's medallist. In 1829 he was elected to a Founder's Fellowship of his college, and gained the Novrison Prize. Ordained deacon the same yea-r, be became rector of Brar.stone, in Leicestershire, in 1831; and vicar of Melbourn. Cambridgeshire in 1846. In 1833 lie was made Canon Residentiary of Ely, and in 1855 Lady Margaret Professor. He beat his chief competitor, Harold Browne, Norrisian Professor, afterwards Bishop of Winchester, by the casting vote of the He set apart £700 a year out of his own income, first for the better endowment of the Norrisian Professorship during the tenure of Harold Browne, and then, until v. sum oi £10,000 should- bo accumulated, to be applied for furthering the study of theology at Cambridge. Tho new divinity school was thus erected. In 1852 he was named a member of the C'atliedrals Commission, and the report of 1854 was understood to bo largely bis work. The new Chapel of St. John's College was built at his suggestion and by bis influence. The Bishopr'c cf New Zealand was offered to him before his brother's name was mentioned tor the appointment, and ho declined also the Deanery cf Elv in 1858. He died on April 24, 1875. Thomas Kynaston, the third, is said to have been the best scholar of the family. At Eton he was Newcastle- Scholar, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, whore he w;.s also a scholar, ho took in 1831 the first vorso prize and the first class prize; in 1852 the same; in 1833 first reading prize and prize for his Greek .ode on the subject of Thermopylae; in 1834, although he was too ill to sit for the Tripos, he obtained the Chancellor's medal. In the examination for the medal T. IC Selwyn was first. This early promise was" unfulfilled. Thomas Kynaston Selwyn died somewhat suddenly it Chester the same year, on July 5, while on a tour with a party ,of pupils. He was buried in the south aisle of the Cathedral there. A scat inscribed "Thomas Kynaston Sjlwyn, Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge: died July 5, 1834, aged XXII," nif.rks the spot. Quoting from " -Memorials of Four Brothers." t-ho writer says:-"During his stay at Eton occurred tho famous contest respecting the boats, tho use of which was "LINSEED COMPOUND" for Coughs and • Colds. Of proven efficacy for chest compi&inta.

at that time prohibited, and tho mastori resolved to pimifli all who were guilty oi transgressing their edict. Tho boys wiio belonged to tho boats, in order to evade their authority, drased up several of the waterside boatmen (called cads) in their own caps and jerseys, and sent them in a procession to row, while the masters, on horseback, followed tho supposed -delinquents, threatening expulsion, and other punishments. On the return of the boats to Brocas, t. ! w masters confronted tho rowers in order to identify them, but the men quickly disclosed themselves as "only, cads," and thus the threatened disgrace 'was diverted from the supposed culprits. ,1 nomas t Selwyn wrote, in Homeric vote, a des;nphon of this exciting scene, a portion only oi it has been picserved. It wan novor printed, but his father long retained it. and it. may still |,o recovered if, utter reading these memorials, any surviving friend may be able either to produce a copy of it or to give information as to its present -possessor." Like all (he brothers, Thomas Kynastori Sohvyn was .1 great oarsman. He was cap-> tain of the Klonian in 1E29, J\o. 6 in tho Britannia, tha second boat of the sa*.e. year, and captain of tho Britannia in 1830.