Alfredton - The school and the people - The Church

St Aidan's, Alfredton

Ang1ican church life in Alfredton has naturally centred around St. Aidan’s in the last 85 years, but in earlier times all denominations found places to hold services of worship.

In 1890, D.C. Macquarie and W. Good requested the exclusive use of the hall on Sundays for one year, for church services, which was granted by the hall committee.

The Wairarapa Daily of January, 1890, contained the following, “We had recently a visit from the Revd. Fulton and the Revd. C. Murray of Carterton and Mr. Feist, with the object of seeing what could be done for the spiritual wellbeing of our community.”

The following year, in W.B. Matheson’s diary, there is an entry, February 16, 1891. “Going to Church in Alfredton where the service was held in the Hall”, and January 28, 1894, “Service at Alfredton Mr. Philip preached at 11 a.m.’’, with afternoon service at Macquaries”, and in 1897 “Reid preached”.

Mathesons, in common with many other families, often called on their friends on Sundays, especially after church, and throughout our early history it was a popular day for visiting. Tom Groves recalled that the vicar would pick up his (Tom’s) grandmother every Sunday and take her to church; having lunch with on the way home. Saunders Road roadman, Bill Reardon, would hope that someone would invite him for Sunday dinner after church — and they often did.

After the turn of the century other denominations held services around Alfredton. Ida Hood remembers that the Catholic priest came out from Eketahuna and took services in the back of the W.F.C.A. store, though there were not many Catholics in Alfredton. After the service he would have lunch with the Hartleys at the boarding house.

“Presbyterian services were held in the Alfredton Hall on a Sunday afternoon,” Happy Beavis said.

In the beginning — on March 31, 1868, Alfredton Settlement Rural Section 43, 53 acres (now Dickens’) was taken up for church purposes by Rev. William Ronaldson, Clerk in Holy Orders. Serving originally at Papawai, Greytown, with the Church Missionary Society. Rev. Ronaldson found his meagre stipend a constant problem, and so, at the time of his taking up Alfredton lands, he could foresee a purpose for a reasonable acreage to be attached the church there.

Ronaldson, a cousin of Florence Nightingale, was to write to Miss Annie Oates at Taumata, Carterton, from Dunedin in February, 1905, “I remember Alfredton very well. Mr. Arnott and Mr. Rutherfurd were living there, and I began to ask for subscriptions to buy a section of land there, 40 acres, intending it to be for the use a Clergyman who might be settled there; but as I had to leave the Wairarapa before I had collected enough money to pay for it I had to ask the standing committee (of the Wellington Diocese) to find the balance. My idea was, that as it was not easy to collect money for the stipend of a Clergyman, he might have some cattle on his own account and the land would be a great help to him”. (Ref.
Ronaidson letters. MS. Alexander Turn bull Library, Wellington.)

Along with rural land he also took up a ¼ acre section on the corner of Vogel and Featherston Streets in the original Alfredton township. In 1869 the standing committee recorded, ‘‘Purchase of 53 acres and ¼ acre town section completed”. (Rented for 10s a year for many years before purchased in 1975 by S.F. Smith.)

The 1890 title for this town section shows the names of Rev. Ronaldson, Right Rev. Octavius Hadfield, Rev. Thomas Fancourt, Edward Pearce and Charles Plummer Powles, most of whom had other associations with Alfredton land last century, and the signature of Commissioner of Crown Lands, J.G. Holdsworth, probably was the Holdsworth after whom the Alfredton street was so named. (Rented for 10s a year for many years before purchased in 1975 by S.F. Smith.)

This was initially expected to be the site of Alfredton’s church.

Another name associated with early parish life is that of Venerable Archdeacon Thomas Fancourt. In the l890s, pioneers were under the care of his Masterton Parish.

Mrs. Hilda Button, of Havelock North, wife of the late Rev. K. Button, writes of her grandfather Fancourt, “He was born in England in 1840, ordained Deacon in old St. Paul’s about 1865 and made Archdeacon in 1888. He was also the Diocesan Secretary and Commisary to three Bishops and was very well known in the Diocese”.

He conducted the first recorded baptisms of Alfredton children, the first on September 19, 1897 was Frances Mary, daughter of James and Amy Bragg, followed on September 20, by the baptism of Dorothy Mary, daughter of Ebart and Mary Saunders.

Little would he know then that his great-grandson, John L. Fancourt Button from Wellington, (son of Canon Button) would occasionally be found worshipping at St. Aidan’s after his marriage to Diane Wallace of Alfredton, later taking her to live in Fancourt Street, Auckland!

Parishioners were obviously present, for the Bishop’s visit, in 1899 about which a report in the Wairarapa Star, March 17, reads, “Right Rev’d Dr. Wallis, Bishop of Wellington, held services at Alfredton Hall on Tuesday last. In spite of the boisterous state of the weather, attendance was good”.

Plans for building church get under way
By the following year, the energetic first vicar of Eketahuna was encouraging keen parishioners to embark on building the parish’s second church (Mangamahoe, built in the same year as St. Aidan’s, was the third in the parish in four years under Rev. John Walker’s leadership).

Rev. John Walker called the first meeting on August 17, 1900, in the Alfredton Hall, and the first three members elected were Cecil Kebbell and George and Galbraith Wratten who also donated the ½ acre site for the church. The committee soon extended to include T.H. Groves, W.J. Saunders and J.H. Berney.

The vicar chose the name St. Aidan’s for the Alfredton church, in line with the other Eketahuna parish churches named after Northumbrian Saints. St. Aidan (d. 5l) was a monk of lona, Scotland, the first Bishop of Lindisfarne, where he cettled and erected churches and monasteries and founded a school. A fitting name for a district in pioneering times. St. Aidan’s day is celebrated on the last Sunday in August.

Parishioners set about organising the site, T.H. Groves offered 50 posts, C. Kebbell — trees for the site, Macintyre & Co. and Herbert & Co. — 1½ cwt. of wire each, T.P. Girdwood — four sawn posts for the gateway, W.J. Saunders — fence staples and Wratten brothers — sawn timber for the gates.

Appointed first, was Secretary, George Wratten and collectors for the building fund for each road. By July, 1901, there were sufficient funds in hand for the vicar to produce the plans and specifications of the proposed building drawn by architect, Frederic de Jersey Clere (originally without chancel, belfry or porch, all of these being added later).

Tenders were called and Alfredton builder George Benton’s price of one  hundred and sixty five pounds and thirteen shillings was accepted in August, 1901. In November a decision to add a porch was made. Cecil Kebbell laid the foundation stone on November 21, 1901. (The silver presentation trowel is on the vestry door frame inside St. Aidan’s.)

New church opens
The opening service was conducted by Archdeacon Fancourt at 3.30 p.m. on January 30, 1902. The first baptism in the church (at this service) was that of two last month old Cecil Mark Aidan Kebbell, son of Cecil and Mary Kebbell.

On April 6, 1902, Bishop Frederic Wallis, took the first Confirmation Service in St. Aidan’s. Held in the evening, the candidates were Elorence Sarah, Edwin Henry and Alfred Augustus Dagg, Amy Mousley, Elizabeth Boustead, Amy Smith, Frances Matilda Jane Sutherland and Brittania and George Britton Wratten.

At the parishioners’ meeting of 1902, Rev. Walker declared Cecil Kebbell his Churchwarden, A.J. Rutherfurd was elected People’s Warden and George Wratten, Secretary; Vestrymen were George and Galbraith Wratten, T.H. Groves and F.H. Dunderdale, with J.H. Berney, Auditor.

Four of these same men were to give decades of outstanding service to the life of St. Aidan’s.

Chancel added
Vicar Vincent Howard Kitcat outlined the next developments in a letter to his parishioners in 1904, at the opening of the chancel of St. Aidan’s Church, Alfredton.

“My Dear People,

It must have been a great happiness for you to see the Church of St. Aidan’s completed by the addition of the Chancel. This has been rendered possible by the gift of fifty pounds, sent out from England by the brothers of the late Reginald Marsh for the furtherance of the work of the Church and as a Memorial to their brother, once a resident of Alfredton ...”

The added belfry and chancel had been designed by John S. Swan, architect, and A.J. Rutherfurd had kindly donated the bell.

Parishioners’ duties included lamp lighting — which Mrs. Boulcott undertook in 1906 — and bell ringing. As a child Margaret Napier (Heckler) remembers hearing the bell ringing from her home at Ihuraua and Phyllis Rolls recalls Mrs. Adelaide Graham tolling the bell on the death of Queen Alexandra.

Albert Benton remembered Mr. Alpass saying as he rode by one day after the belfry was completed, ‘‘I see they’ve put a feather in the old man’s hat after all”.

Chancel, showing the Stone-Wigg memorial window

So, in her early years we have St. Aidan’s built, complete with carpeted chancel, a belfry and porch, lay readers, choirmaster, organist and a Sunday school teacher. There was also the solid brass altar cross, altar candlesticks, candle snuffer and alms dish.

Usual church expenditure would include purchases from Alfredton shops of lamp wicks at 6d each from J. Jones & Co., hanging hooks for the lamps at 2s from K.Burt, blacksmith, lamp glasses at 2s 6d from W.H. Skeet, candles at id each and kerosene from A.H. Herbert & Co., or a case of kerosene in 1918 from W.F.C.A. store costing a guinea. Three church pews from Mr. Benton in 1908 costing 25s each.

In early years, the treasurer’s job was not an easy one as the separate vestries attached to each church were required to raise their quota to go to Central Vestry for their share of the vicar’s stipend and parish expenses.

There were various ways of giving but right from the start fund raising often was by means of concerts, dances and socials.

The church balls were always grand occasions. Cecil, Reg and Harold Kebbell were among the organisers and Ella Dickens was on the committee. There was carpet on the stage for the orchestra and “Cecil Kebbell always brought Te Hoe’s staff and chef to do the work”, Ella Dickens recalls.

The annual dance would raise forty pounds or more, but after the war a system of subscriptions, in lieu of a dance, provided the funds.

In 1910 the new Vicar, H.A. Walker, brought up the question of raising funds to procure a horse for the vicar and a social was held for this purpose.

The vicar was expected, of course, to travel about his not inconsiderable parish on horseback. Some vicars were noted for their horsemanship but others must have found the many miles they faced in the saddle each week a rather daunting prospect.

As an illustration, a week in the life of Rev. John Walker — recorded in 1899— shows that he rode to Waterfalls on April 30, baptising a Houlbrooke child, two more next day, then on to Rakanui where the Dickens family were amongst the four baptisms conducted there. The next day saw five more baptisms in this sawmilling area and then it was on to Pongaroa for seven more in the Burling family the following day, with twelve in the Meech family the next day, before returning to Eketahuna.

The previous week found him riding around the Mauriceville end of the parish. It should be remembered that there were as yet no churches other than St. Cuthbert’s in Eketahuna.

Rev. Walker’s final service here was, appropriately, on St. Aidan’s Day, 1902.

An account from the Livery and Bait Stables of Butcher and Edmonds in December, 1902 reads, “To horse and gig, Rev. Sykes, 10s”. This seems to show that one vicar, serving the parish in the interregnum before the Rev. Kitcat, must have felt he would be safer on his Alfredton travels with a horse and gig.

Alfredton parishioners have always been generous contributors to patriotic, mission and relief funds and the earthquake relief funds of 1929, 1931 and 1942 were no exception.

The latter earthquake caused St Aidan’s sanctuary walls to lean outwards, spreading open the beams in the apex of the roof. The Rev. John C.W. Mutter, in a letter in 1981 recalled,

“The birds discovered this and in the nesting season the inside of St Aidan’s was littered with straw and nesting material. This was on the 15th Sunday after Trinity in 1943. When we opened the Church for Matins the Sanctuary was a sight. The Altar, Communion Table and Sanctuary floor were well covered, and I can still see the festoons of straw hanging from the arms of the cross.

It took the late Muriel Stone-Wigg and me some time to clean the mess up. The point of all this did not penetrate until I announced the Psalm for the morning — "Yea, the sparrow hath found her house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: Even thy altars, O Lord of Hosts”. I glanced down at Muriel and you can well guess the rest.

We later drilled holes at the entry to the sanctuary and pushed a tie-rod through to pull the walls into the vertical again.

War Years
The war years meant extra fundraising and patriotic duties and about this time church services were curtailed briefly “on account of the notification of infection,” when many public gatherings were halted because of the outbreak of influenza.

Other concerns were whether services could continue on account of the shortage of benzene and tyres.

During the war, parishioners took part in the National Days of Prayer.


Funerals
Funerals in a small district are shared by the whole community and at St. Aidan’s they take on a slightly unusual air where the coffin must make an exit through the rather extraordinary trapdoor, opening outside from the wall of the porch —necessary because its design didn’t take account of the passage of a coffin through the angle of two entrance doors!

During his sermon at the 80th Anniversary Service in 1981, Archdeacon Ian Bourne disclosed another experience concerning the porch. It occurred when two sheep had occasion to find shelter there as the door had somehow come open.

Unfortunately, they also managed to close it on themselves and were forced to camp there for quite some time before being discovered by Rev. Bourne and John — before a service!

Much cleaning was required to remove the green evidence of their stay and the smell lingered even longer. To this day, Ian Bourne cannot enter a woolshed without recalling St. Aidan’s!

Weddings

Wedding at St Aidans

Weddings in the parish also provide history. The first recorded wedding in Alfredton was that conducted by the Rev. Walker on April 18, 1900, at the residence of Sinclair McKay George, where the marriage of Margaret Ann George to John Hanson Berney, farmer, took place.

In 1902, on May 14, the first marriage in St. Aidan’s was conducted by Rev.  Walker, between Ethelinda Saunders and Alfred Robert Clapham, farmer of Alfredton. Their daughter, Mrs. Zira Powell of Palmerston North kindly donated to the church the bible given to her parents at this ceremony.

The latest marriage at St. Aidan’s, that of Wendy Barber of Alfredton to Gary Rolston of Eketahuna, in December, 1985, is one that few will ever forget. On the advice of doctors treating the mother of the bride, Dawn Barber, for a terminal illness, the district arranged a wedding at short notice.

It was a wedding that many came to share and participate in and was a most beautiful and moving experience.

On entering the church, most people were stunned by the breath-taking floral work achieved by some artistic and willing souls. Indeed many returned to view the display for days afterward.

Dozens of locals filled the grounds throughout the ceremony and children lined the path to scatter rose petals over the bridal pair; Belinda Collins’ donkey, complete with straw hat and flowers, was also there to greet everyone.

It was an extraordinary afternoon, long to be remembered.

Lay Readers vital
Service times change, probably going the full circle every twenty years or so, but what clearly comes through is the dedicated service given St Aidan’s by some of her earliest parishioners.

As early vicars were sometimes only able to be present to take a service once in a month there was a load for lay readers to shoulder.

Rose Bird speaking of Mr. and Mrs. Dunderdale said, “They were great stalwarts of St. Aidan’s. Francis Henry Dunderdale was a Presbyterian and his first action was always to extinguish the altar candles. Rose continued “He was a lay reader and his wife, Margaret Dunderdale, the organist. They rode to church, she, side-saddle and he riding Creamy — a deep cream coloured horse who had only one pace and that was full gallop, leaving Mrs. Dunderdale trailing behind” — this was from their home at Dunderdales Hill.

Francis served as Lay Reader, Vestryman, Secretary/Treasurer and Churchwarden for 21 years, before he and his wife left the district in 1923.

A.J. Rutherfurd gave over 24 years service in various capacities to St. Aidan’s. As Lay Reader, he took more than 300 services there and his daughters recall how he would also ride through to Ihuraua to take services there and was never troubled if parishioners did not turn up.

Cecil Kebbell served in all aspects of St Aidan’s life, from the time of the inaugural meeting in 1900. He was a lay reader for many years and was still serving as trustee and secretary at the time of his death in 1938.

Mr. and Mrs. Groves were also long serving stalwarts of St. Aidan’s. These four grand men and their wives — had at the close of the 1930s completed an era of service to St. Aidan’s spanning nearly forty years caring enough to keep the church going through the various stages of building, raising finance, earthquake and W.W.I. — none were to see the end of W.W.II.

Many others followed in their footsteps; K.J. Didsbury, retiring after 17 years service, Bob Kebbell, Purvis Hay, Stan Smith — the longest serving Secretary and Treasurer, John Davies — Vicar’s Warden and Synodsman, J.R. Nelson -- People’s Warden, to name but a few.

In 1930, Purvis Hay offered to conduct a monthly children’s service continuing until 1939 the number of children attending would gladden the heart of many a
modern country vicar, there usually being present between three and four dozen.

Vestry disbands
In 1960, J.R. Nelson proposed that there being no longer a need for a vestry at St. Aidan’s, the Central Parish Vestry should have representatives from Alfredton so that matters concerning St. Aidan’s could be raised there.

Representatives to Central Vestry since 1977, have been Mesdames J. Houlbrooke, A. Davies, W. Groves, S. Collins and M. Napier.

Women associated with St. Aidan’s have played no small part in church affairs. The men must have faced a dilemma at the annual general meeting of 1922, when women were given full voting rights. The problem was solved when all eight omen present were promptly elected to the vestry!

For the last six years there has been a Bible Study and Discussion Group meeting at Alfredton, and during the last ten years, the St. Aidan’s Ladies Guild has raised money in various ways for charitable and missionary purposes and through a Gala day at the home of Fred and Margaret Hull.

Wool drives and special contributions are an extra source of funds for the needs the parish of St. Aidan’s.

Through to the 1940s, the cleaning was paid for by vestry, with the name of Mrs. M. Boustead appearing from 1903 to 1919, replaced by J. Peagram. Today, a monthly roster for a family to care for the church, grounds and flowers is organised.

St. Aidan’s grounds are gradually being transformed with much being achieved during Ian Nelson’s time, as grounds committee chairman.

Sunday Schools have been associated with St. Aidan’s over many years and have had some wonderful teachers, Adelaide Graham being especially remembered. Coming from Canada, she worked as a governess at Moroa and married Bill Graham. Phyllis Rolls recalls what a marvellous teacher she was.

Dulcie Jones remembered Mrs. Maggie Rutherford teaching Sunday School and others were the Misses Schaw, Mrs Ethel Morriss, Mrs. M. McLellan, Mrs. Duckett, Mrs. Mary Kebbell and Mrs. Gladys Hull.

In later years there had not been a Sunday School until Rev. John Anderson suggested one begin in the early 1970s. This was well attended, held in the Alfredton Hall and run by Anne Davies in conjunction with many of the parents.

Athol Hull remembers Sunday evening services where the Rev. Ives would join the Hull family for dinner at Poplar Grove and go on to take the service while the children attended Sunday School.

A treasured possession of Rev. J.C.W. Mutter was a paper knife given to him in 1940s, by St. Aidan’s Sunday School pupils.

Today’s children receive instruction through Bible in Schools or maybe attend Sunday School at St. Cuthbert’s.
 

Organists
Organists contribute so much to the pleasure of the services at St. Aidan’s and have given great service in this capacity.

The loyal Mrs Dunderdale, the first organist, was to play for services for twenty years, It was once recorded in the minutes that she was, ‘‘Tired of being constantly tied to the organ”! In 1915, a new organ was purchased. Parishioners turned out for a special evening recital, but the result was disappointing, so it was returned and a different model was purchased through the Rev. Sola.

Organists through to l930s were:

Mrs. Dunderda1e 1902-1923
Miss Beresford
Miss Schaw
Miss McGregor
Mrs Paulin
Mrs Hercock
Mrs Graham
Miss Cicely George
Miss Rose Percy
Mrs McLellan
Mrs Groves
Miss Barbara Kebbell

and from l930s to present:
Mrs. Gladys Hull (who resigned in 1937)
Mrs. White
Mrs. Hull (resumed and continued until 1954)
Mrs. Reta Percy 1950-76
Mrs. Grace Davies
Mrs. Carol Huddleston
Mrs. Sue Collins
Miss Kath Willis


Cemetery
From the Wairarapa Star of January 16, 1901, we read of the trials of locating a suitable cemetery site.

“The site chosen by the County Council for the Alfredton Cemetery has been reported against by the Crown Lands’ Ranger, on account of the position and drainage. It would appear that the opinions of the Alfredton people are singularly varied on the cemetery question. One section of the people demand a cemetery as a matter of public convenience while another section, presumably afraid of the ghosts, object to a cemetery being established within view of their homesteads.”

A.P. Rawson’s survey of January 7, 1902, shows the present cemetery as a gravel pit!

Located between Morriss the carriers and the flaxmill, and with the five acre Native Cemetery Reserve behind, the two acre cemetery section fronts onto the present Castlehill Road, with the old (closed) road passing through it.

Originally part of the Moroa Native Reserve, it was taken up on June 9, 1902, from Wratten bros. land, for the Chairman, Councillors and Inhabitants of the County of Masterton, and it was not until 1959 that someone remembered to transfer ownership to the County of Eketahuna!

The county staff maintain the grassed area and dig the graves when required for funerals. In earlier years, Charles Smith was sexton in charge of the cemetery.

The area used for burial purposes has been a strip down the centre of the original section, using only a third of the land. During its 84 year history it has not been necessary to extend out of this strip.

Ninety-five people were present when the Alfredton Burial Ground was consecrated by Bishop Frederic Wallis, Wellington, following a Confirmation Service at 11 a.m. on October 28, 1906.

David Blake of Otaki remembers the Eketahuna undertaker having a four-wheeled black hearse with glass sides, drawn by horses done up with plumes, at the funeral of his brother, Freeman (who died in 1920, aged 17), at Alfredton.

The plan of the plots in the cemetery shows that they were originally set out in three denominational areas, with the Catholic section nearest the gate, the Presbyterian in the centre and Church of England at the back; this continues to be adhered to today.

St. Aidan’s makes donations, from time to time, to the cemetery account, administered by V.M. Nelson and A.G. Davies. A beautifying programme was begun by the district several years ago, planting trees in the paddock alongside.