HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, HENUI

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 233, 7 February 1911, Page 3

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, HENUI

mm " ■■ —• THE MOTHER CrU'RCll OF ,: TARANAKi. (From the Weeklv Graphic, May 2G, 1909.) About one mile to the south of New Plymouth, just oil the high road, prettily situated in a narrow lane loading down to the sea, stands the Church of the Holy Trinity, Te Henui, the Mother Church 'of Taranaki, founded by Bishop Selwyn in the year 184.). The position of the church seems a strange one, standing somewhat isolated in this narrow track, but at one time it was the centre of the .early settlement of Woekstown or Te Heiui'i, standing in the midst of a cluster of cottages built by the early settlers.

Shortly after the founding of the New Plymouth settlement, Dr. Weeks bought a large section of land, just across the Te Henui river. This he cut up into small sections or allotments, and sold or let them to some of the New Plymouth settlers. About 00 families moved out to this new settlement. When Bishop Selwyn visited Taranaki for the first time he went out to this settlement, and at once made arrangements for the building of a small church at his own cost. In the year 1845 we find an entry in his diary "in which .ic expresses his thankfulness to Cod for the building of the little church, in which these settlers might worship Cod aftet the manner of their fathers. The church was a simple little structure, built of untrimmed slabs of wood, and thatched with fern stalk. It has been considerably altered in appearance, but the timber of the old structure is in the present building, and the low nave and sanctuary give us a true idea of the original building. The transepts were a much later addition. The Taranaki War caused the surroundings of the church to be much altered. The churchyard was overrun, and it is impossible now to trace where the dead are laid to rest. Part of the settlement was burned, and there is only one house standing of the original settlement. This until quite recently was occupied by a Mr. Walter Bailey, who did splendid work in the war as a scout. The church itself was untouched.

It now contains a memorial brass, recording the founding of the cmirch by i Bishop Selwyn in 184.), and beside the I brass is a photograph of the original letter written by him accepting the Bishopric of New Zealand. There are also memorial brasses to the memory of Archdeacon Govett and "Parson Brown," whose names are Household words in that portion of Taranaki. In the porch ' is a map of the original settlement, compiled by the Rev. A. Fowler, from information supplied by old settlers, showing the position of every house in the settlement, with the name of the occupier in 1842, and in the cliureu is a list of the settlers and of- their children, so far as they can be ascertained. ■ • There are some very interesting records and histories in connection with this little church, in the keeping of the ■ Rev. A. J. Kempthorne. .