REV. SAMUEL MARSDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 11

REV. SAMUEL MARSDEN

HONOURED IN HIS NATIVE VILLAGE LINKS WITH NEW ZEALAND. (From Odb Own Correspondent.; LONDON, August 4. Parsley is a small village of a few oldfashioned houses about five miles from Leeds in the heart of Yorkshire. Its one main street slopes steeply downwards from the old parisli church, built on its highest point. Parsley’9 link with New Zealand is that it is the birthplace of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, ■ the great missionary who brought the first Christian message to New Zealand, and established the earliest missionary posts. The house in which he was born fftill stands, half-way down the main street. Next to this house at one time stood a warehouse, and in this building was stored a parcel of wool of under 2001 b weight which Marsden brought with him to England when, after some years in Australia as chaplain to the Convict Settlement at Botany Bay, he visited his home —the first Australian wool to be brought to England. This old warehouse was, a few years ago, given to the Parsley Urban Council. It lias now been pulled down and on the site has been erected a monument to Marsden. This monument was on July 28—the 170th anniversary of ‘Marsden’s birth—unveiled in the presence of a great gathering of village residents and people from the surrounding country. Village people dressed in their Sunday best crowded round the site and across the road, and others filled the windows of the quaint old houses with their warped shingled roofs, that must have been there ■when Marsden himself passed along that way as a boy. Sir James Parr travelled from London by morning train to attend the ceremony. “We will sing the Old Hundreth,” announced the chairman of the Parsley Urban District Council, in opening the proceedings, “ that hymn which Marsden and those with him sang when he held that first service in New Zealand on Christmas Day, 1814, and I ask everyone Here to sing it just' like they sang it in New Zealand.” The Vicar of Parsley recited ? a prayer suitable to the occasion. Sir Frederick Aykroyd, president of the British Wool Federation, whose nadie is not unknown in New Zealand as the advocate of Wensleydale sheep, was called upon by the chairman to unveil the monument. This is of stone of Old English design, with a centre piece and two wings —spreading altogether about 12£t. On the left wing is engrossed a brief recital of Marsden’s work as chaplain at Botany Bay and of his missionary work in New Zealand. On the right wing are recorded the facts regarding the site as the early repository of the first wool from Australia. The centre portion bears at the top a ram’s head, tl\e arms of the village, and underneath a bronze cast of Marsden and a dedication inscription. Sir Frederick Aykroyd, after drawing aside the Union Jack which veiled the monument, confined himself _ to a brief account of Marsden’s work in Australia, to his interest in farming pursuits, and to the story of his bringing to England the first sample of Australian wool, telling of the great development of the Australian and New Zealand wool production since then. “ There arc many families in Parsley who have friends or relatives across the seas,” said the chairman. “Every time we look at this monument'it will help ns to remember our beloved people in many lands.”

HIGH COMMISSIONER’S TRIBUTE,

“ I am gjad,” said Sir James Parr, “ to take part, on behalf of New in this extremely interesting ceremony. New Zealand and Yorkshjre have near kinship. Two great Yorkshiremeu played great parts in making New Zealand a part of the British Empire and in bringing religion and civilisation to its shores— 1 mean Captain James Cook and the Rev. Samuel Marsden. In 1769 Captain Cook, born at Whitby, planted the British liag on New Zealand soil and made this new land, a British country for all ' time. Samuel Marsden, not many years later, brought Christianity to the savage and warlike inhabitants, the Maoris; and he not only gave them the great Christian message, but he introduced through his missions the industries of civilisation and taught them how to live as civilised beings, “One of the things that always appeals to me about Samuel Marsden is that he was not only a great Christian missionary, but he was also a practical-minded man who believed that the arts and crafts.of civilisation should go to savage races hand in hand with the Gospel. Therein lay his greatness and largely the reason for his success among the Maoris, ns time proved.” Sir Janies went on to. speak of Marsden’s prowess- ns an explorer and missionary, of his love of the Maoris, and of the position of the race to-day. He concluded a stirring address by conveying the goodwill of New Zealand to the people of Marsden’s birthplace. MARSDEN’S COURAGE. Professor J. R. Elder, rightly called upon for a few words, told how through the gift from Dr Hocken of his wonderful collection of Marsden manuscripts, the Otago University had an unusual interest in Marsden. The University had decided some time ago to publish these records, and this hud been done. Marsden had realised one of the greatest wishes of his life when, in 1814, he had been able to set out to organise a mission in New Zealand. He was then 50 years old, and when he paid the last of his seven visits he was in his seventieth year. This spoke eloquently of his courage. Marsden, if present with them, would rejoice most of all in the building of the cottages in his name for poor people. “ I am sure,” said Professor Elder, “that if be were, here to-day he would have quoted those scriptural words that always burst forth from him: ‘ Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me praise Hia Holy Name.’” , After the unveiling ceremony the High Commissioner laid the foundation stone of a group of six cottages, which will form Marsden Memorial Horae for aged indigent workers in the wool industry.