A problem – half solved

By Cheryl Clague, Warkworth branch NZ Society of Genealogists

When interior alterations were made to storage areas in the Warkworth Methodist Church earlier this year, a plastic bag containing some clothing and an old bible was discovered. Whilst the clothing was of no use, the bible was found to have many names inscribed within its covers. These were obviously not names of local people, and the few dates entered were for the late 19th and early 20th Century. Most of the names were accompanied by a bible reference and there were a few Chinese characters inscribed as well.

As no one seemed able to shed any light on the origin of the bible or the names inscribed therein, it presented a real challenge and one that, hopefully, could be partly solved by searching through the old newspapers. The signature on the first page was that of Rev. A Somerville and dated 1878. The next three pages contained, among many others, the signatures of C. H. Yatman, James Lyall, Grace Stall of China, Robert F. Elder, Charles Reeve, *H. Grattan Guiness, F. Howard Taylor and Mrs Geraldine Taylor. The few dates recorded were 1895 through to 1920.

From such newspapers as the Taranaki Herald, Wanganui Herald, Grey River Argus, Evening Post, Timaru Herald, Otago Witness, BOP Times and Southland Times, it became clear that many of the names belonged to men and women who had come to New Zealand in order to hold religious revival meetings. Indeed, if the newspaper reports were correct these meetings were very popular, with hundreds of people turning up, not only in the main centres but also in smaller towns such as Katikati, Timaru and Hokitika.

It transpires that the Rev. Dr Alexandra Somerville, the Scottish evangelist, came to New Zealand in April 1878 as part of his worldwide tour. Rev Chas. Yatman, here in 1896 was an American evangelist and part of the YMCA movement. Dr Howard Taylor and his wife, the former Geraldine Guiness, who came more than once in the early part of the 20th century, were deeply involved with the China Inland Mission. Mrs Taylor a fluent and vibrant speaker drew very long crowds to her public addresses.

Fascinating as it was to find all this information so easily, it doesn’t answer the question – how did this bible filled with names of eminent, long ago visitors to our country, come to be in the Methodist Church of Warkworth? If anyone has the answer I would be pleased to hear from them.

*A distant relative of Grattan Guinness, owner of the Leigh Sawmill Café.