DEATH OF ARCHDEACON GOVETT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 213, 5 October 1903, Page 2

DEATH OF ARCHDEACON GOVETT.

Thi! of the d ?atli of too v ener- , able Archdeacon Gcivett, which occurred abiufc 7.30 on Sunday morning, ; will bo received with widesp-ead sorrow and regret. Ho has been such a prominent figure iu this district for over , half a century, was s-o well known awl u iiversally esteemed, tint although his days h iva l'irox«e de \ th • ordinary spin of life It »vi'| be vwy nu.l t..< realise his lung nud useful tumpoi-.i' life has been m»rpod into fcho lift, wtiirnal. It is our 1-jus tint this is hi, and he now rests from labours th t' have not only eudeired him to sever •• generations, but have baen market! with a zeal in his Master's cause tha 1 his cast a halo over bis grand lifo ami brightened many a home and its iu habitants, It is almost impossible (< conceive of a more revered and kinder hearied rnun thin the late Arehdeao Qovett. His v : sits of comfort and consolation to the affl.o'ed weioliks h welcome ray of sunshine, whila hi private chirity was such that, it was on a very sca'e, unly tin s who bsnufitted thoreby cin till of irtextant and efficacy. Numb ra huv good cause to bless the memory of thit-warm-hoarted friend i:i need, ooth fo letup nd and ppirUUal i'id. T:>* church i'se'f wi 1 lose a helper th-<t c«unot ba replaced, although hi grand example may stimulate others fill the gap that r,o« exists. Those who knew him best revered him mos'. His upright steadfast life, his grout know'el,e of humauity and its wo63,hi* ke«n insight and long experience ail combined to nuke his personally at onoe attractiue and strikiog. He lived to s-e tha district transformed from ifc embryo 6tate to one of tho fairest an.i mo it prosperous districts of th-s colony. As it grew sj did his labours ext»nd, and sj as ho was physically capable he continued his life's woik, orid of his last acts being to welcomp Bishop Neligan to the Diocese, only a ahort time since. F.t sjme time past, however, his bodily powers have be<n declining, and it was evident that the sands of his life were running low. We are glad to know that he was spared those sufferings which sometimes mark the end of a career, The closin* era was, as it were, a gliding from time to eteri.i-.y, and he passed away peacefully and painlessly—a fitting c ose to a noble and memorable life. Universal sympathy will ba felt for Mrs E/ans, Mr Olenout Govett, and the other members of the family in their sad bereavement. The late Arohdeacon was born at Stiiues, near Windsor, on May 13ch, 1819, his father being at that time Vicar of the parish. In due course ho was sent to Sherborno school, and from thence proceeded to Worcester College, Oxford, where he graduated BA. A', the age of 23 he came to New Z alxnd, arriving in Auckland in 'March, 1843, by tho batqu > Union, in company wi h Messrs Wright and Bolli&d, and shortly af:er be accompanied Bishop and Mrs 8 lwyn to Wuikanae, a Urge native settlement near Wellington, where he dovoted himself to theological studies under the Bishop. H-» was ordained a deacjn on May 18tb, 1845, and immediately afterwards took charge of Mr Hadfiald's district among the Maoris. His knowledge of the Maori langu <ge at this tim- was very imperf«cf, but as he had no Europeans to aesiciate with ho quickly picked up the tongue, and was soon nblo to preach his fist surmon. tie continued to labour arn.mg tho iVfaoris uutil the ci,d of December, 1846, when he returned to Auckland to prepare himself for priest's orders, to which he was ordained on 28 h February, 1847, at St. Pau's, Aukland.

On the Bth March Mr Govett s art><d for New Plymouth, accomp'iniad by Mr Fish< r, one of the college students, a> d a p*rfy of five or sis A.'aor s. ] ravelling by the sei coist, the j jutney o.cupiei elevtn days, and on arrival hare Mr Govett stayed some tea days wi h the Rev. Mi BolUnd, who was then in charge of the cnurch hire, and th n proceeded on his way to Oe&ki, hut on April 20th he was c tiled to Wauganui to take tt mporary cnarge uf t'ue mission 'here. This wis abjuc the time of the Gilfllkn murders, ai.d Mr Govett h*d a narrow escape of being killed h'm9"lf by the Maoris who had assembled near Wangatui, He had, with MrOburton, visited a war p irty, in the rem>te hope that he might deter th3m from their purpose of avenging tie execution of the Gilfilkn muiderers; the party actually debated whether they s'nou'd kill Mr Govett, but decided that as he was a stranger they would not injure him. While at Wanganui he received a letter from Mrs Bolland at New Plymouth, saying her husband was dangerously ill, and desiring Mr Govett to hasten to him. He staged at once with a native guide, but reschei N--w Plymou'h too late to see his friend alive. Staying hem for three weeks ha soiled agiin for Wellington, whore he learnt that the B'shop had determined to S3nd him to New Plymouth, bu*. tint lie should stay at Nelson for some months. On the 3lit July, 1847, his wedding day, he proceeded to Nelson, where he remained until February, 1818, when he oune to Nhw Plymou'h. The English populatiou of thenet'lem«nt at that time numbered about 1000, confined within very narnw limits, aud in constant fear of bau.'g disturbed by the natives, i Besides ministering to the white settlers Mr Govett visited| every two months the natives to the south, as far as Whatino, 50 miles distant, and at the end of 1848 th« Waitara natives also. Things wore fai ly quiet and peaceful until 1854, when the nativn disturbance took p'ac ■, tha trouble lastingunt.il 1858. During the la ter nf this trouble Mr Goveti wan in Englund oa le.ve. Returning in 1853 Mr Govett wa> in time to hhuo in the ■ rnnblou* veara C'w«M>enei> •» waf'v in 1860, und was appoint d hv rh Im per nl G ivt ri nierit to he Oh pl<i < of the Forces. The day after t'w at, ark on the Ptiltotaknu'-te P'h, no>ir Wni faira, on June 27ch, 1860, when the military suffered heavy loss, Mr Govett and Mr Whiteley rode out to tbej vVaitava to persuade the natives to bury the dead, which they conK<ut«d *o do. Duii'.g all 'hete mn ths M> Qnvett's duti.'s frrque it'y took h m • da'ig rous siuM r io 'H, but «'a>'i{er mver d:<t;eived him. The -e lein i>'. wan in a very condition, and ■. Mary's churchyerd w is turned ir.'o I a bullock y.ird, and the church itself into a picket; hcuse. Sick' ess was t ife and Mr Govett f >und roiled occu-p-.tiot in to the sick and comforting tho i:fll ctad, hside< traveling repeatedly to th « tnilitiry ciraps, often at ths risk of his life owing to '.ha dis'n lied nondHm <.f the nounuy

In 1.839 Tararmki was cre.i'ed an arelidi afonry of the diocese of Auck land, aud Mr Govett was appointed by Bishop SMwyn, still, Imu-ownr, retaining t.ho vicva'o of S Sl.T'y'n, until aft ' fifty yw h ministry, on Ai>ri! I't, 1898, ho r'si.nod, tli i Kuv, F, G, Evnne being appointed iu

in his place. He Btill continued, as far as his health permitted, to take ail active part in the work of the pirish, except awwi ;« ±: noe in inland, but owing to failing health tod strength he dotermined to retire from the position of Archdeacon, in order to make room for a more active man. Ha carried his determination into effect in D. camber, 1902, Oanon Oole being appointed to trie Archdeaconry early in n.o nr gont vear.

The fuatr.il of late ArohieMMl is fixed for 3 o'clock on Tuesday af'ertioon, and in accord with his expressed 'vish tbe in'orm'-nt will be in St, Miry's Churchyard b side the mortal iem tins of (he Rev, Bolland,

PULPIT INFERENCES TO THE BID IYUR. At St. M try's Church, both morning and evening, very feeling referenoe was nude to the sad event, In the eveni> g the hymrs " Now the Labourtrs Task is Done"; " How Bright t'vsa Glorious Spirits Shine"; and P. ace perfect F ace," were sung with marked feeling The Rev. Sir Young who pro icl» d from the words " Despite not tho Day of Small Things," at the close cf his sermon made a very touching reference to the death of the Archdeacon, He referred to his lifa long work in New Plymouth and how valiautly he had done his duty in the .lay of things in New Plymouth. St. Mary's Ohurch would always remain a monummt to his ministry, but his most enduring monument would remain in the hearts of the people who ■vere brought to Ohrist by his loving and earnest work, Few were spared for four score years to see, as Archdeacon Govett had seen the day of -mall thing* grow to be a day of great tiiuga. Mr Young spoke of the trials uf the early settlers in this district and <ai l the Archdeacon's life and work should be an encouragement to those who were cast down with difficulties and concerned about small things and the best monument they could erect to his mamory was to devote themselves more earnestly than ever to advancing the good work of the church, the welfaro of which the late Archdeaoon had so much at heirt, The sarvice ooncluded with the playing of the " Dead March in Saul" during which the whole of the large congregation remained standing. WHITE LET MEMORIAL OHOBOH. At the morning servioe yesterday, b fore commencing the sermon, the Rev. J N. Buttle made feeling reference to the passing away of the late Archdeacon Goyett, He stated that he had been informed just before coming into the pulpit of the decease of the venerable clergyman. The event was noteworthy in the history of thi* provincial district. The Arohdeaoon hid bean closely identified with settlement in Taranaki, and the influence of bis work h»d bsen wide spread, and its vilut) would be more fully M the years passed on. The older members of the community would feel their lo?s keenly, and would realise that they had now one tie lest to bind them to earth, as also one tie more to draw tbum to heaven. He commended the berr-aved relatives to the prayerful sympathy of th) congregation, and that the people belonging to the church to which the late Archdeacon had gtven so many years devoted servioe would ba sustained in the hour of sorrow,

QUEEN BTRKET OHUROH. At the Primitive Methodist Church the sad n»wa was announced to the congreg ition, and the great loss sustained by thn deceased family and the oommuuity at 1 »rga touahicgly alluded to. GILL-STREET BAPTIST OHOBOB. Ah the Gill-sorest B\ptist Ohurohoa Sunday evening the R:v W. Woilley also made a very feeling refereucs to tho loss thd whole community had bustuiuud, and expressed the sympathy of the congregation with the bare wed family l and S'. Mtry'n eongre^atinn.