~ MEMORIAL CHAPEL ~
ST. AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE, CANTERBURY
The Memorial Chapel
There is a crypt beneath the Guesten Chapel, now in its enlarged form the College Chapel, and is an extended reproduction from the ancient crypt. From the arch eastward is the new portion, the remainder may possibly have been the Mortuary Chapel of the Monastery. It was made a Memorial Chapel by the Rev. Dr. Bailey, the Second Warden, and is interesting, not only from its retaining some of the old work, but for the memorials of the young "Soldiers of the Cross," who have gone out into far lands and amongst strange people, to do battle for the faith, and one after another have laid down their lives in the cause in which they have been engaged.
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The same wall which bears the interesting records of departed students, has two sculptured groups in high relief, designed by the late eminent W. Burges and executed by Michell.
One representing St. Gregory in the market place of Rome, speaking with fair young English slaves, has been erected in memory of the Rev. H. J. Hutchinson, by his sister.
The other represents St. Augustine preaching to King Ethelbert. It was erected by the students in memory of their deceased companions; and they collected the cost of the group by abstaining from the use of sugar for a considerable time.
"The altar in the Chapel was ererected by Mr. Beresford Hope as a memorial to his wife and of the seven first Archbishops, whose remains lie buried in the Abbey, and whose shrines were arranged under the arches of the Apse around the High Altar, together with St. Ethelbert, Abbot Adrian, and St. Mildred, who were similarly placed, and Queen Bertha who was never canonised."
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The Altar is made of oak, and its framing is inlaid with various designs in coloured wood, with the following words over the four panels below: "Exultabunt sancti in gloria Laetabuntur in cubilibus suis." The panels have in them figures of St. Mildred, St. Ethelbert, St. Augustine and Queen Bertha and were executed by Burkentin from Clayton's cartoons in aluminium repousee, on red and green enamel grounds, diapered with gold and set in niches of yellow bronze. The mensa is of a dark fossil Derbyshire marble and the foot-pace of Shap granite. The Super Altar is of dark Derbyshire marble, and on it stands the Altar Cross, vases and candlesticks. On each side of this Chapel is a brass in mounting of dark Derbyshire marble. That on the south wall bears the following inscription:
NE NOMEN IN HAC AEDE PEREAT
PIAE AMANTIS ET DILECTAE CONIUGIS
MILDREDAE
HUIUS COLLEGII SEMPER STUDIOSAE
HOC ALTARE
IN GLORIAM DEI OPTIMI MAXIMI SEMPITERNAM
ET IN PIAM COMMEMORATIONEM
SS AUGUSTINI ARCHIEPISCOPI ETHELBERTI REGIS
ET MILDREDAE VIRGINIS
QUI CUM SANCTIS ARCHIEPISCOPIS
LAURENTIO MELLITO JUSTO
HONORIO DEUS DEDIT ET THEODORO
ET ABBATE ADRIANO
INECCLESIA SS PETRI PAULI ET AUGUSTINI
ADIACENTE
IN PACE DIU REQUIEVERUNT
MEMOR ETIAM BERTHAE REGINAE
HUMILLIME OFFERT A J B BERESFORD HOPE
IN FESTO S PETRI A S MDCCCLXXXIII.
The inscription on the north wall runs thus:
AEdibus in Sancitis Augustini ut Patriarchae
Ordine septeno requierunt corpora cara
Agmen signiferum Christi primique prophetae
Necnon rex Ethelbertus Mildredaque virgo
Cum sapiente Abbate micans diadema sacelli
Simplicitate pia memores scripsera Levitae
Septem suni Angli primates et protopatres
Septem rectores septem coeloque triones
Septem cisternae vitae septemque lucernae
Et septem palmae regni septemque coronae
Septem sunt stellae quos haec tenet area cellae
Atrox sed postquam disperserat ossa tyrannus
Suaveolens tantum nomen per saecula pollet.
There is also a brass to the memory of Bishop Coleridge, the first Warden. The new reredos has been erected in memory of the two founders, the Right Hon. A. J. B. Hope and the Rev. Edward Coleridge. Some years ago there was executed for Mr. Beresford Hope, by Nicols the sculptor a bronze Pastor Bonus, which at one time stood on a corbel at the east end of the Chapel, but had been removed to the western end afterwards. It now, however, is replaced, but in a recessed and canopied niche of alabaster, and is carefully gilded so as to be conspicuous in the dim light of the Chapel. On either side of the canopy stands an angel in gold coloured bronze, with wings overshadowing it, bearing respectively the palm and crown, the reward of those who in life and in death do their masters will. Flanking the niches, and surrounded by mouldings of alabaster are panels of metal work in which, in letters of bright bronze, on a ground of aluminium, are the words of the hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas:
"Bone Pastor, Panis vere,
Jesu nostri miserere,
Tu nos pasce, nos tuere,
Tu nos bona fac videre
In terra vivientium.
Tu, qui cuncta scis et vales,
Qui nos pascis hic mortales,
Tuos ibi commensales,
Cohaeredes, et sodales,
Fac, Sanctorum civium. Amen."
The several lines of this beautiful hymn are divided by bronze mouldings and borders, while on a panel, extending the whole length of the predella and in the same material is a Latin inscription:
Hic Agnus mundum restaurat sanguine lapsum.
Mortuus et vivus Idem sum Pastor et Angnus.
The four circular windows of painted glass,
represent the six Saxon Archbishops who are buried in the Abbey Church;
they are by Clayton and Bell. The two-light window, at the west end
of the Chapel, has for its subjects the Virgin and Child and St. Joseph,
and was placed there to the memory of Mrs. Maclear; it is by Heaton,
Butler and Bayn.
The Memorial Chapel, St. Augustine's, an old postcard from my collection
"It is proposed to inscribe a
record of Kalli, and of other deceased students of St. Augustine's
College, on a tablet in the crypt under the College Chapel. A memorial
stone will be erected over Kalli's grave in St. John's, Newfoundland.
With reference to the recent decease of some hopeful students of St.
Augustine's, who, after giving promise of much usefulness in the cause
of missions, had been removed from this earthly scene, Mr. Phelps
observed in a letter lately printed at the St. Augustine's College
Press:—The whole College
is again reminded, that 'all flesh is grass,' and that our life is
even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanish away.
Poor Kalli is no longer with us. He has been made fit for the Master's
use, and has been taken back by Him who lent him to us."
Some of the names I could read off the wall:
?? - John Miller Stracham - Deceased May 1906?
C. H. Chard ** Deceased Jan ..?
Charles Henry CHARD, Wells, Somerset. St. Augustine's College 1864-1867. BURMA, Rangoon - CCA-U88/A/2/6/C/175
**"In 1849 I had commenced transcribing...Colonel Duncan's present of a complete Burmese copy of the Jataka (at the instigation of Missionary C. H. Chard) that made it possible for me to finish my undertaking." from "A Manual of Buddhism" by Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys Davids, published 2004
Tinnevelly - A. J. Godde? - Deceased June 11, 190?
Falkland Island - William Henry Ele? Adm. Mar 31 1888 - Deceased Dec 1? 1900?
Capetown - Albert Jeffery, Associate, Dec Feb 6, 1910(9)?
Ontario - Wm. W. Burton - Adm April 12 1884? - Deceased Feb 6, 1910(9)?
Toronto - John Pearson, Adm Oct 17?.... Deceased June 13?, 19..?
Jerusalem - W. A. Strange - Adm Dec 2, 1870(6)? - Deceased Oct, 1910
Capetown - J. A. HEWITT - Adm. Nov 29?, 1867?, Deceased Dec 28, 1910?
*At our early service, four Students received their Hoods on their several appointments. Mr. Hewitt (who had gained the Mission Essay Prize) for Cape Town; Mr. Castell, for the Bahamas; Mr. Pascoe for Christ Church, New Zealand; Mr. Button for Natal. The first two have already sailed; Mr. Pascoe sails this month and Mr. Button probably soon after. OP 1870
Fredericton - P Wood Loosemore - Adm Oct 2, 1852, Deceased January 1911
Newfoundland - H. Dunfield, Adm. April 12, 1873, Deceased March 4?, 19??
Trinidad - S. R. Brown, Adm 1890, Deceased September 9?, 1917?
Madagascar - Adm 1864, Deceased December 13, 19??
Adelaide - John Sheldon, Adm. May 27, 18??, Deceased Aug 10, 1903
Honolulu - Thomas Blundun, Adm. Nov 27, 1869?, Deceased Jan 1?, ????
Alcoma - Alc? So Sweet, Ad Jan 23?, 1879.....1907
Madras - Arthur Marcoschis, Adm. Mar. 30, 1872, Deceased April ??, 1908
Calcutta - Hy. Jno. Wilkinson, Adm April 11, 1857?, Deceased July ??, 1907
Quebec - C. P. Emery, Adm Mar 30, 1850, Deceased Oct ??, 190? (likely Charles Philip Emery)
??llington - Abraham, Adm ???? 1849?, Dec Mar. 13, 1907
Calcutta - Sydney Endle, Adm. Sept 1, 1860, Deceased July 12, 1907
Guiana - Edmund Pocknell, Adm. Nov 26, 1881, Deceased October 5, 1906
Tasmania - Joshua Geo. Morling, Adm. April 28, 1878, Deceased Aug 11, 1906
Calcutta? - Joseph B.C. Murphy, Adm. Nov. 23?, 1873, Deceased May 14?, 1906?
?? - Arthur P. Dennis, , Deceased Mar ??......