AN EARLY CHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 8

AN EARLY CHURCH.

Anniversary of Governor’s Bay Building. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD. On February 28, parishioners of St Cuthbert’s Church, Governor's Bay, will celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone. This is one of the oldest churches in the Christchurch diocese, and descendants of families who were associated with the church in its earlier days will be present at the coming celebration. On the morning of February 28, there will be a service in the church at 11 a.m. This will be followed by a luncheon in the Allandale Hall, and tea, and games for the children in the afternoon. The history of the church goes back to the very early days of the province. The first settlers of the Bay had brought out with them the traditions of the Old Land, and it was not long after their settlement in the peaceful valley that they arranged for services to be held there. The history of their endeavours and the church which was built upon the rock of the settlers’ faith and courage has been well told in a booklet published to mark the jubilee. This history states that,’up till 1860, services were held in a small sod building below the house where Mr Griffen now lives. The residents were not satisfied with this building, and through Mr W. S. Moorhouse the Provincial Council gave an allotment of five acres for church and glebe at Fernbrook, up the hill behind the present site of the church. Mr T. H. Potts and others thought that site too far from the road, so Mr Potts exchanged it for five acres of his own land, where the church now stands. A Great Day. It was a great day for the little community when the foundation stone was laid on January 30, 1860. The Archdeacon of Akaroa (Archdeacon Mathias), the Rev Francis Knowles* the Rev Croasdaile Bowen and Mr Potts were among those who attended. Morning service was held in the temporary church, then the clergy and others went in procession to the new site. It was two years before the little church was completed. Bullocks were used to cart the stone, some of which came from the beach and some from Garlick’s quarry. The architect was Mr Mallinson, the stonemason Mr Morey and the carpenter Mr Firmston. There were unusual difficulties encountered in the work. The turret and two gables gave way through wet weather and high winds. Buttresses had to be added, and this was * sufficient counter to the menace of bad weather. Unfortunately, there is no account of the opening day ceremonial, but it must have been a memorable occasion for the courageous pioneers who saw their work reach a triumphant conclusion. The church, with it-s shingled roof, cobbled-floored porch and deeply inset windows, made the settlement look like a piece of that England they had left behind them. The Rev C. Bowen took monthly services in the new church, but in 1866 he was granted leave of absence to visit England. The Rev E. A. Lingard was then appointed as the first resident vicar at Governor’s Bay. His parochial district included Rapaki, Purau, Motukarara and Little River. Those who followed Mr Lingard, and the dates of their appointment, were: —July 1, 1867, Rev H. Torlesse; January 28, 1870, Rev B. W. Harvey; September 23, 1872, Rev H. E. East; August 15, 1875, Rev E. R. Otway; September 22, 1879, Rev E. H. Wyatt; December 19, 1881, Rev R. F. Garbett; February 5, 1884, Rev E. Watts; July I, 1884, Rev W. F. Knowles; February 6, 1891, Rev P. J. Cocks; , 1892, Rev J. Sheldon; December 15, 1899, Rev P. N. Pritchett; June 9,1909, Rev O. FitzGerald; June 1, 1910, Rev G. W. Christian; September 1, 1913, Rev 11. Purchas; December 10, 1918, Rev W. H. Stych; November 29, 1920, Rev G. B. Nanson; February 14, 1924, Rev E. H. Shore; , 1928, attached to Lyttelton, under Rev T. M. Curnow; May 7. 1930, Rev C. W. I. Maclaverty. Consecration Service. The “Church News” of July, 1875, contained the following notice: “The parish church and burial ground of Governor’s Bay were consecrated on Sunday, June 22, 1875, by the Most Rev the Primate (Bishop Harper). . . . The congregation was a large one, and the services, which were plain, were heartily taken part in by those present. A stone chancel, 14ft by lift, has just been added to the church, thereby greatly improving the building within and without. By this addition the church has been so enlarged as to admit of forty more sittings. The cost of the work was £2lO. The church was dedicated under the name of St Cuthbert.” The ea9t window is in memory of Rachel Brander Lloyd, only daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Potts, born 1826, died at Leamington Priors, 1860. Two other stained glass windows were erected in 1907, in memory of Decima Hall and Rachel Cowlin. The re-table and two brass vases were given in memory of Thomas Hall, in May, 1900. The altar and brass candlesticks were given in memory of Rev R. R. Bradley and his wife, in December, 1900. The Communion service now in use is one of three that were sent out in the first ships to Canterbury. One was presented to Lyttelton, one to Governor’s Bay, and the third one (it is thought) to Halkett. The belfry was built during the incumbency of the Rev P. 11. Pritchett, who was mainly instrumental in its erection. The present vicar’s warden is Mr W. A. Carpenter, who has held the position for many years. The people’s warden is Mr R. Allan and members of the vestry are Messrs C. E. Radcliffe, A. E. Radcliffe, H. Hall, H. Banks, F. Pearce, T. Small and J. Griffen. There is also a strong Ladies’ Guild which was started by Mrs Curnow. The church benefitted considerably through a legacy under the will of Mrs Mabel Chudleight (nee Potts), in which she bequeathed £IOOO to be invested for the use of the church. Also Mr William Cowlin left two and a half acres of land as an endowment. This land is situated up the hill, behind his own home. A wooden headstone in the graveyard is the sole relic of a story that shows the endurance of the old settlers. This marks the grave of Mary Crompton, of Little River, who died in 1869. Her body was carried on foot by eight men from Little River, a distance of forty miles, in order that it might be buried in a real cemetery. The inscription has disappeared, but the headstone is otherwise well preserved.