The Anglican Church of St Mary, Talbot Street, Geraldine

St Mary's and vicarage on Talbot Street, Geraldine are both registered as category 2 with the NZ Historic Places Trust.  Historic place of historical or cultural heritage significance or value. "...St Mary's, Geraldine, is regarded as the "mother church" of the Parish. Has five stained glass windows including the fine window by Joseph E. Nuttgens.  One a memorial window commemorating parish men who died in World War One with eight shields at the base depicting Great Britain and the Allies. 

The Alter Window

This is the superb alter window with St. Mary BV and the Christ Child, the central figures, with two knights representing Faith and Hope executed by Joseph Nuttgens, Great Missenden, 1926-27. Imagery was often shared by designers and Arts and Crafts Movement windows often incorporated complex iconography. Above the chained figure of Hope through a prison window is a motif of almond blossoms, the idea probably came from a painting by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones Spes [or] Hope (1871) a watercolour on paper now owned by the Dunedin Art Gallery, there an an image of the painting online. This window was donated by Maria Williams, probably a parishioner, and was installed on 29 May 1927. In the right base the coats of arms of the Williams' family. In the left base is the insigne of the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment (the rose and tiger were replaced early in the 1980s after breakage. Reference: Dr F. Ciaran's book Stained Glass Windows of Canterbury, New Zealand.

The Latin words here are:
"Fides Immota"—immovable or steadfastfaith. (I Cor. 16:13,Watchye, standfast in the faith.)
"Spes Alta"—highest or uplifted hope. (Heb. 6:19, Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.)
 "Caritas Aeterna"—eternal charity or love. (I Cor. 13:13, And now abidith faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.)

FIDES IMMOTA (Faith)     -     St. Mary BV and the Christ Child    -      SPES ALTA (Hope)
I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
CARICAS AETERNA
To the Glory of God and in memory of JOHN HERBERT BERTHON, REGINALD MACDOWELL, ISABEL HARTLEY and ETHEL HERBERT. Dearly loved children of JOHN WILLIAMS and MARIA his wife.

The Orbell Window - I am the light of the world.

The Orbell Window at the entrance to St. Mary's, Geraldine was installed in 1965. Note the small pieces of stain glass, a sign of a quality window, and the "White Friar" emblem in the bottom right hand corner of this last window. This was the signature for the studio of James Powell & Sons, Whitefriars, London from 1915 to about 1972 then the rebus was a basic outline of a monk wearing a white cowl (a hooded garment worn by monk) until the company closed in 1980. After 1962 the company became known as Whitefriars. The Powell's glass works was built on the site of a former monastery. There are no marks on the early Powell windows.

To the glory of God & in loving memory of
Reginald Hanbury Orbell - 16-10-1871 to 27-11-1955
erected by his wife Elizabeth Peters Orbell 17.10.1971
(Elizabeth's DOD was added later, excellent job)

The 1914-1918 War Memorial Window

This is a fine Joseph Nuttgens window, 1923-1924 
The Risen Christ Blessing in Majesty with a Knight, the Archangel Michael and Raphael.
Thine is the Kingdom the power and the Glory.
Donated by the parishioners.

Underneath is a brass plaque the Roll of Honour listing 33 the names of the men from the parish who died during the war. The eight shields at the base are representing Great Britain and her Allies. These men's names appear on the Geraldine War Memorial with some slight variation in initials. The reason for the lower case and upper case surnames is to differentiate which plaques the names appear on the GWM.

To the Glory of God in grateful remembrance of these our fellow churchmen of the Geraldine parish who gave their lives for their country in the Great War 1914 -1918 this window is dedicated.

Timaru Herald, 27 November 1882, Page 3
NEW PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY, GERALDINE.

The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new parish church of St. Mary, Geraldine, was performed on Thursday last, by His Lordship the Primate of New Zealand. The morning was beautifully fine, and the ceremony passed off most successfully. The ground was gaily decorated with flags and evergreens, and the arrangements generally were perfect. At eleven o'clock, the appointed hour, & large concourse of people had assembled, and a procession, consisting of the Churchwardens (Dr Fish and Mr R. S. Cook), the Vestry (Messrs Shiers, Pierpoint, H. W. Mosre, Cunningham, Hawke, Slack, Finch, Willoughby and Hughes), the choir, and the clergy m the following order — Revs. R. L. Brady and T. Chaffere-Welsh, the Incumbent (Rev. J. Preston), and the Bishop, attended by the Archdeacon of Timaru, who acted as his chaplain, issued from the church. On arriving at the site the special service for the occasion was gone through, the Bishop officiating, and Miss Fish presiding at the harmonium. Before performing the ceremony of laving the stone, His Lordship gave a molt eloquent and instructive address on the significance of the act he was about to perform, the necessity for the new edifice, and its uses. Lastly, he exhorted his hearers never to forget that their own bodies were temples of God. A collection was then made and the proceeds laid on the stone, which was then lowered into position. Mr Duval then came forward and presented the Bishop with a very handsome mallet and silver trowel. The latter was richly chased, with an ivory handle, and bore the following inscriptions — " Presented to His Lordship the Bight Rev. Dr. Harper, Primate of New Zealand, on the occasion of his laying the foundation stone of St. Mary's Church, Geraldine, by M. de H. Duval, architect, and P. Clayton, builder. 23rd Nov., 1882." Mr Duval, in presenting the trowel, said — My Lord, — Allow me, as architect of this temple which we are about to erect, as your Lordship has said, to the Most High, to present you with this trowel, and may I be allowed to express the hope, on behalf of all present, that your Lordship may be preserved m health and strength to perform at some future day the ceremony of the conteoration of this church. His Lordship acknowledged the gift m suitable terms, and with the assistance of the builder adjusted the stone. The service was then proceeded with and was terminated by His Lordship pronouncing the benediction. Altogether, the ceremony was of a most imposing character. Underneath the stone were placed a Church service, a copy of the special service used on the day, some coins, copies of the daily papers, and a parchment scroll, bearing the following inscription : — "The foundation stone of the now Parish Church (in place of a wooden church built about 1864) was laid on Thursday, 23rd November, 1882, by the Most Rev. the Bishop of Christchurch and Primate of New Zealand, and during the incumbency of the Rev. J. Preston, and m the presence of  "here follow the names of the Churchwardens, Vestrymen and some parishioners. Then the following — Edward Cooper, Esq., late of Peel Forest, contributed £500 towards the building of this Church." The collection amounted to upwards of £36. The following is a description of the building which about to be erected : — The church is designed m what is known as the perpendicular Gothic style, and is cruciform in ground plan.  The main entrance is through a handsome porch, 16ft by 10ft, and 24 feet high to top of ridge, having a triple lancet window in centre, and Gothic doors on each side. The nave of the church is 66ft by 30ft, and 38 feet to ridge of roof. The chancel is 18ft wide and 26ft deep, finished in a semi-octagonal shape. The organ chamber and vestry are of a similar shape, but 14ft by 16ft. At the back of these are likewise two neat little porches. The main body of the church will be lighted by means of 16 lancet windows, eight on each side, and rose window, the chancel by means of three double, and the vestry and organ chamber each by three single lancet windows, all to be filled m with lead lights and green cathedral glass. The roof is an open truss roof of bold proportions, and ornamented, all executed m native timber, left unstained but simply varnished. The roof of the chancel and organ chamber will be groined. The whole body of the church will be lined up to five fret with a Gothic dado, executed m kauri and picked rimu, the light and dark shades of the two timbers forming a pleasing contrast. The chancel will be raised, and the altar table reached by five elope, the table standing three feet above the floor of the nave, thus giving the officiating clergyman a commanding view of the congregation. - A tower of 12ft square and 26ft high, is situated at the south-east corner of the building, flanked on the four sides with strong ornamental buttresses finished in carved crockets, and each side of the tower pierced for double lancet louvres -and small rose windows. The tower is surmounted by a light spire 36ft high, and this by a gilded foliated iron cross. The materials to be used are concrete foundations up to l ft 6in above ground, the walls and buttresses being all in brick, stuccoed in Portland cement mortar, with bold sill and string courses, archivolts and trusses. The roof will be covered either with iron or slates, as may be hereafter decided, and finished with an ornamental lead and cast iron ridging, the ends being decorated with cast iron finials. The planes of the main roof will be broken on each side by four, gable louvres, with cast iron ridging and finials. Interiorly the walls will be plastered and decorated with enriched Gothic cornices, trusses, archivolt, etc., the Gothic arches of chancel, vestry and organ chamber being executed in Keene's cement. The estimated cost of the whole church, not including seats, is about £2200. 'The present contract, however, which includes only the entrance porch and nave, is £1120. The architect is Mr M. de H. Duval, and the contractor Mr P. Clayton, both of Timaru.

Timaru Herald Tuesday 21 August 1883 pg3
St Mary's Geraldine A Gothic Church of pleasing proportions and with a fine interior roof, it was built in 1882-1883. 
On Thursday last, the 16th inst., the new Parish Church of St. Mary was consecrated by the Primate of New Zealand. Attended by the Ven. Archdeacon Harper, the Revs. J. Preston (Incumbent of the parish), L. Brady, G. Coates of Waimate, T.A. Hamilton and Scott of Ashburton, and the Churchwardens (Dr Fish and Mr R.S. Cook). The Rev. J. Preston then read the petition signed by himself, the churchwardens and vestrymen, asking that the Bishop would consecrate the church. His Lordship having signified his readiness to accede to the request, proceeded up the nave of the church to the Communion table, repeating the twenty-fourth psalm alternately with the clergymen and those present. From within the alter-rails the Bishop then delivered a short address, and after the sentence of consecration had been read and signed by him, he ordered it to be preserved among the muniments of the diocese. The ordinary morning service was then proceeded with by the Incumbent, the Rev. J. Preston (he alluded to his work in the parish for the last 13 years)... The offertory, amounting to upwards of £11, was in aid of the building fund. 

 The last pew! Chairs are now used at St. Mary's.

During the previous week the furniture, designed by Mr Duval, architect, Timaru, arrived and was placed in position.  It is very handsome and substantial, and in keeping with the interior of the church. The seats, made by the Dunedin Iron and Hardware Company, are of red pine. Besides being of a good design they are very comfortable, and in this respect are a great improvement on those of the old church. The alter is a very handsome piece of workmanship. It stands at a considerable elevation above the ground floor, and is approached by three steps. The material of this is also red pine. The front is panelled and handsomely craved. On the centre panel is a raised shield, on which case is a cross. On the other panels are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega in raised work. The alter rails, lectern and reading desk are very neat and carved. With the exception of the seats all the other furniture is the workmanship of Messrs Henderson Bros., of Timaru.

Williamson, Eulla Campbell, 1918- Hearts, hands and voices. [Geraldine : St Mary's Anglican Church] 1978.
photo
The three colour photos of the pew, alter and alter rail at St. Mary's were taken in August 2009 by Margaret Todd and the stained glass. Thanks Margaret.

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