Chapter III

THE Conquered Territory--Work in Basutoland--Consecration of Bishop Webb--Beginning; of the Diamond Fields--Canon Beckett's Itinerating Work--Arrival and enthronement of Bishop Webb--The first resident Clergy at the Diamond Fields--Mr. Croghan appointed Archdeacon--The First Diocesan Synod--Expression of gratitude to the Metropolitan--Bishopric Endowment Fund--Consecration of the Brotherhood Church at Modderpoort--Rev. J. Widdicombe appointed to the Grammar School, Bloemfontein--Rev. W. H. K. Bevan--Archdeacon Croghan's visit to England--Death of the Metropolitan--S. Andrew's College founded--Rev. D. McKenzie its first Principal.

THE war with the Basuto ended, as has been said, with the annexation to the Free State of a considerable portion of their country. This, which was long known as the Conquered Territory, consisted entirely of land which, being nearer to the Maluti range of mountains, possessed a more certain rainfall, and was therefore more suitable for agriculture than any hitherto within the borders of the State. It was capable of being divided into smaller farms than those devoted to cattle breeding, and could therefore be more thickly populated. The farms in territory were eagerly purchased and quickly inhabited, and villages soon sprang up within it. The chief of these, Ladybrand, was only eight miles from Modderpoort; Ficksburg, higher up the Caledon river, lay equidistant between it and Bethlehem, while about the same distance from Modderpoort lower down the river, and to the east of it, was the village of Wepener.

Canon Beckett at once began a careful system of periodical visits to Ladybrand and Ficksburg, and on May izth, 1870, the first service was held in Wepener by Mr. Bevan.

The acceptance by the British government of the Basuto nation as Her Majesty's subjects, with which the war had abruptly terminated, had brought into that country a body of white police and a staff of English Magistrates and other officials. At Maseru, some ten miles from Ladybrand, but across the Caledon river; at Thlotse in the north; and at Mafeteng and Mohali's Hoek in the south, magistracies were established, at which services were held as frequently as the strength of the Brotherhood would permit. Nor was the teaching of the coloured races overlooked. Though advanced in years, and without special linguistic ability, Canon Beckett persevered in the study of Dutch and Sesutho until he was able to minister in them both, and regular services were held for the natives living at Modderpoort and its neighbourhood.

In July, 1870, Mr. Crisp, who had suffered from the effects of a fall from a horse, left Thabanchu with a large party of Barolong, who were journeying to a distant settlement of their tribe living to the north-west of the Transvaal. Mr. Mitchell, who had returned to Thabanchu in November, 1869, undertook for the while the sole care of that Mission, Mr. Barrow being sent to help in the school work, and in the services for the English residents. On December 3rd Mr. Crisp returned to Thabanchu, having, by being thrown so much among the people, very much increased his knowledge of their language.

During September, 1870, the Bishop of Grahamstown (Dr. Cotterill) being on a visitation to the north of his Diocese, came to Aliwal North, where he held a special Ordination, at which Mr. Doxat and Mr. Bell were admitted to the Priesthood, and Mr. Barrow to the Diaconate. The Candidates were presented by Canon Beckett.

The close of the year 1870 was lit up by a bright ray of hope at the news that the Metropolitan, during a visit to England, had chosen for our second Bishop the Rev. Allan Becher Webb, Rector of Avon Dassett, in the Diocese of Worcester, and that he had been consecrated on the Feast of S. Andrew in the Cathedral of Inverness by the Metropolitan of Capetown, assisted by the Primus of Scotland (Dr. Eden), the Coadjutor Bishop of Lichfield (Dr. Abraham, who had been sent to represent his Diocesan, Dr. Selwyn, the founder of the New Zealand Church), and the Bishop of Aberdeen (Dr. Suther). The Sermon at the Consecration was preached by Bishop Webb's brother-in-law, Dr. G. H. Bourne. Though then only 31 years of age, Bishop Webb's career had already been a distinguished one. He had taken a First Class at Oxford, and obtained a Fellowship there at University College. He had been Vice-Principal of Cuddesdon Theological College, and was known to possess in a marked degree the confidence of the great Bishop Wilberforce. The life and vigour which his coming among us would bring were foreseen from the time that the glad news of his acceptance of the Bishopric reached us.

During the year 1870, a new and heavy responsibility came somewhat suddenly upon the Diocese. In 1869, at a time of great depression throughout the Colony, and when the Free State was just beginning to recover from the strain of the Basuto war, the whole of South Africa was startled by the news of the discovery of diamonds on the banks of the Vaal river, in the neighbourhood of a Berlin Mission Station called Pniel. This part of the country had hitherto been looked upon as especially worthless, but the new source of wealth rapidly attracted to it large numbers of fortune-seekers, not only from the Colony, but also from Europe. At first, the search was prosecuted only along the Vaal river, and large camps of canvas, with here and there a wood or galvanized iron dwelling, containing thousands of people, rose with mushroom growth at Pniel, at Klipdrift, at Hebron, at Cawood's Hope, &c. Later on, the neighbourhood was more carefully prospected, and the rich diamond mine at Kimberley (at first known as the New Rush), with the adjacent ones at De Beers, Dutoitspan and Bultfontein, became the centre of the diamond industry.

Mr. Clulee was the first clergyman to visit the Diamond Fields (in July, 1870). Later on, Mr. Croghan and Mr. Doxat ministered there, and towards the close of 1870, the Archdeacon of British Kafiraria, the Ven. H. Kitton, volunteered, with the Bishop of Grahamstown's consent, to give a few months' service there (from November, 1870, to Faster, 1871). During this time a church building was commenced at Klipdrift, the first stone being laid by Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of the Cape Colony, in February, 1871. Before Archdeacon Kitton left, the Rev. H. Sadler, M.A., had arrived from England to carry on the work.

The earlier half of 1871 was spent in preparation for the new Bishop. During March, Canon Beckett visited Ficksburg, Sand River and Bethlehem, and in June, after going over the same ground, paid a visit to Harrismith. It should be remembered that he was a man of feeble health, but this was not allowed to stand in the way of these long journeys, in all sorts of weather, with rarely any companion but a native servant. The roads at that time were alone serious matters to encounter, and the drifts or fords by which the rivers were crossed were each one a new danger. President Brand once described a Free State journey by the following happy aphorism, "A journey unattended by an accident is an accident." The Canon's cart was an unwieldy machine. It had met with so many disasters, that the iron of the splashboard was said to be the only remaining piece of the original vehicle. No persuasion would induce the brave old man to supply himself with a more comfortable conveyance. Often in pain, and always patient, he would jog along with a pair of old ponies, ministering here in a Court-house and there in the room of a farm-house, but cheering the hearts of the scattered Church people who revered and loved him, and laying the foundations of the more settled ministry which has since been established in the districts in which he was the pioneer.

Bishop Webb, with his wife and two children, his two sisters, and five other helpers, reached Bloemfontein late in the evening of July 28th, and was enthroned in the Cathedral on July 30th. He had left England on April 25th, but the "Celt" which conveyed him had been detained in quarantine at Saldanha Bay, small pox having broken out among the passengers.

One of the Bishop's fellow-passengers on his way to begin his South African life was Mr. C. M. Bult. still a resident of Kimberley, and a Justice of the Peace. Mr. Bult has always been the stedfast friend and helper of the clergy at the Diamond Fields. He has held the office of Churchwarden for many years; first at the canvas church at Dutoitspan, then at Beaconsfield, and is one of the present Wardens of S. Cyprian's, Kimberley.

Before leaving England the Bishop had most energetically brought the needs of the Diocese before his many influential friends. He had secured as his Commissary the Rev. P. G. Medd, a well-known literary clergyman, who, when Fellow and Dean of University College, Oxford, had had touch with many students who had since taken Holy Orders. He had obtained the co-operation of an English committee of forty-five leading Churchmen, among whom were the present Archbishop of Canterbury, and the present Deans of S. Paul's and Salisbury. Mr. Henry Wagner, a well-known London Churchman, had consented to become his Treasurer in England. He had established many fresh branches of the Mission Association, and not only enrolled others in the place of those Associates who had died or relinquished membership, but had raised the number of them to three hundred and ninety-three. Among these, one name must be singled out, that of the Rev. John Wale Hicks, our present Bishop, whose connection with our Diocese thus dates from Bishop Webb's visit to Cambridge in 1871.

When the first Bishop was consecrated, the country was not sufficiently known to warrant his deciding whereabouts in it he would place his chair. He therefore took the title of and continued to style himself "Bishop of the Orange Free State." Now, the circumstances were changed, and Bishop Webb was called Bishop of Bloemfontein, the Diocese having been so described in the Resolutions of the Provincial Synod of 1870.

Early in September the Bishop with Mr. Croglian visited the Diamond Fields. It was evident that a vigorous and settled ministry must be established there, and Mr. Doxat, whose ability had already proved remarkable, was placed at Dutoitspan, Mr. Barrow a little later on taking his place at Philippolis.

At the end of October the Bishop held his first Confirmation at Thabanchu, passing on from thence to Modderpoort. On his return to Bloemfontein, he found that the Rev. J. Widdicombe, a priest of several years standing in the Diocese of Capetown, and the Rev. J. W. Rickards and Mr. William Lacy, had arrived there. Mr. Rickards had been Assistant Curate to Mr. Gutch at S. Cyprian's, Marylebone. He was sent at once to Mr. Doxat's assistance, and when New Rush Camp, or as it was afterwards called Kimberley, was formed, he took charge of it and built a church there, which he named S. Cyprian's in memory of his London work. Mr. Lacy, too, had been trained by Mr. Gutch; he went to live at Modderpoort, being later on attached to the Mission at Thabanchu.

In 1870, Archdeacon Merriman had become Dean of Capetown, but in 1871, on the translation of Bishop Cotterill to Edinburgh, he was chosen to succeed him at Grahams-town. Bishop Webb went thither to assist in his consecration on S. Andrew's Day, crossing the Orange river, which was swollen by recent rains, with great difficulty and danger. On his return he was met at 1'hilippolis by Mr. Croghan and Mr. Bell, and on December i4th he consecrated the church there. On the next clay he ordained Mr. S. W. Steven to the Diaconate, licensing him to Fauresmith, where he had been for more than three months ministering as Catechist. Returning to Bloemfontein on S. Thomas' Day, he ordained Mr. J, E. Williams, who continued from that time to minister as Deacon to Canon Beckett at Modderpoort until, in 1879, he returned to England.

On the Feast of the Epiphany, 1872, the Bishop summoned the Clergy and Churchwardens of the Diocese to meet in Synod in the Cathedral. The gathering consisted of six priests, two deacons and seven lay members. On the Sunday, the Bishop having appointed Mr. Croghan to be his Archdeacon, he was installed as Canon of the Cathedral; Canon Beckett was appointed Chancellor, and Mr. Doxat Rural Dean of Griqualand West. On the same day the Rev. W. Richardson of Potchefstroom, Transvaal, was ordained priest.

Two distinct synods were established, and constitutions for their future order determined on. The first of these, consisting of the clergy, was one of counsel and conference. The second, the Diocesan Synod, consisting of both clergy and laity, was established to be a legislative body, empowered to make enactments binding upon the Church, but subject to revision by the Synod of the whole Province.

In the Synod of Clergy one weighty matter determined upon was the constitution of the Cathedral Chapter, as the Bishop's standing council for the administration of the spiritualities of the Diocese. This important organisation is referred to as follows by Archbishop Benson, in his book called "The Cathedral," published in 1878, when he was Bishop of Truro:--"The progressive character of the diocese of Bloemfontein finds its vigorous centre of work and influence in the working reality of its incorporated Cathedral canons, with the active offices of provost or dean, precentor and chancellor." In the Diocesan Synod the Board of Finance was more fully constituted, and its report presented and discussed, while rules were laid down for the establishment and ordering of Parishes.

Among the resolutions passed by the Diocesan Synod was one expressing its thankfulness "for the fostering care of the Most Reverend the Metropolitan shown to the Church of this Diocese for a long series of years." A signal instance of this was mentioned in another resolution accepting "with gratitude the offer of the Metropolitan to give the sum of £500 in aid of a See Endowment Fund, provided that £1,000 be raised in the Diocese. A few days after the close of the Synod, the Bishop promulgated a Brief, commending this generous offer to the Diocese. [In a Synod held in 1874 a yearly offertory on behalf of the Fund was ordered to be made in every parish. At first £15,000, but afterwards £10,000, was fixed as the sum to be aimed at. In 1882, the Board of Finance announced that the money had all been raised, and invested in securities approved of by the Colonial Bishopric's Fund Trustees. From this fund a donation of £500 had been made. S.P.G. and S.P.C.K. had each contributed £1,000, while £609 had been collected within the Diocese. But the most prominent assistance was rendered by Sir John Maclean, a Churchman of note in the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. For ten successive years he offered £10 on the condition that forty-nine like sums should be contributed during the year, and by this generous action secured one half of the £10,000.]

On S. Paul's Day, 1872, the Bishop consecrated a small stone church for the use of the Brotherhood at Modderpoort. It was dedicated to SS. Paul and Augustine of Hippo. Bishop Twells in suggesting the foundation of the Brotherhood had especially proposed that it should be founded on the lines of the Augustinian Rule. The Society had from the first taken the name of "S. Augustine's Brotherhood," and gradually Modderpoort itself got to be called S. Augustine's. On January 26th, the Bishop first set foot in Basutoland, visiting Maseru, the seat of the Chief Magistracy, and on his way home spent a Sunday at Thabanchu.

Early in February, Mr. Clulee, the last remaining of the clergy who had come with Bishop Twells, left the Diocese to become Rector of Malmesbury in the Cape Colony. This left the Grammar School without a master, and for a time it was carried on by Mr. E. W. Stenson, who having been for many years in South Africa, and having worked as a layman in the Diocese of Grahamstown, had come to Bloemfontein during the session of the Synod. But on Easter Tuesday, 1872, Mr. Stenson was ordained Deacon and sent to the Diamond Fields to minister at Barkly, as Klipdrift had come to be called. The church there, begun during Archdeacon Kitton's residence, had not been completed, but through Mr. Stenson's efforts it was finished, and on November 24th was dedicated by Mr. Doxat. Shortly after Easter, Mr. Widdicombe, who since his arrival in November, 1871, had been helping Canon Beckett, came to Bloemfontein and undertook the Grammar School. It had from the first been held in the government schoolroom, which till the opening of the Cathedral had served as a church, but on September 26th, 1872, it was removed to a building erected on a piece of ground adjoining Bishop's Lodge, given to the church by the municipality, which building forms part of the present S. Andrew's College.

Besides the care of the Grammar School, the conduct of S. Patrick's Native Mission had been in Mr. Clulee's hands. In this he had been lately assisted by Gabriel David, a Mocoana, who had been educated at the Grahamstown Kafir Institution. On Mr. Clulee's removal, Gabriel was licensed to S. Patrick's as Catechist.

In recording the events of 1869, only a brief mention was made of Mr. Bevan's arrival and settlement at Modderpoort. He returned to England in 1871, but at Easter, 1872, came back and permanently cast in his lot with the Diocese. He joined Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Crisp at Thabanchu, and began the self-denying life, devoted to the building up of the Native Church, which has since borne so much fruit. A man of culture, and of gentle estate, he chose from the first a mode of life as bare of comfort as that of the natives themselves.

On Whitsunday, 1872, Mr. Crisp and Mr. Barrow were ordained Priests in the Cathedral, and on the morrow the Bishop left for a visitation of the north of the Free State, and of the Transvaal (to which he afterwards removed Mr. Sadler, stationing him at Zeerust), and returned by way of the Diamond Fields. During the following October he again left for the Transvaal and remained there, chiefly residing and ministering at Pretoria, until January, 1873.

Early in February, 1873, Archdeacon Croghan left for a visit to England, and in the same month the Bishop made a journey to Capetown. During his absence in the Transvaal the close had come to the noble life of trial and anxiety of the great Metropolitan, Bishop Gray, who died at Bishops-court, near Capetown, on September 1st, 1872. As a very slight token of the sense of their loss and in memory of the blessings which Churchmen in the Diocese owed to his care, three windows of stained glass were erected in Bloemfontein Cathedral. Matters connected with the election of the new Metropolitan took Bishop Webb to Capetown, but he returned to Bloemfontein in time for Holy Week and Easter.

In Whitsun-week the Bishop left again for Basutoland, where he held a Confirmation at Maseru. On his way he had visited Thabanchu, and had administered penance to two of the native Christians, one for homicide, the other for adultery. On his return he ordained to the Diaconate Mr. William Clark, who had come with him in 1871 from England, and sent him to begin a work at Harrismith.

In August, 1873, and again in September, the Bishop was at the Diamond Fields, and on September 28th, in S. Cyprian's, Kimberley, he ordained Mr. Stenson and Mr. Steven (of Fauresmith) to the Priesthood. Bishop Merriman (of Grahamstown) was then on a visit to some relations at Kimberley, and preached the ordination sermon.

During the latter part of 1873 the Bishop paid another visit to the Transvaal, holding Confirmations both at Potchef-stroom and Pretoria. Signs of the mineral wealth which has since been laid bare were already evident. Gold-fields at Marabastad and elsewhere were being worked. The door was open, but the Bishop's letters show his distress at being unable more efficiently to prepare for the large population, who, he rightly foresaw, would one day be spread over the country. S.P.G. had sent out a clergyman named Sharley, but he did not stay long. Great help, however, was given by Bishop Wilkinson, of Zululand, who took up his residence in the Transvaal, working with Bishop Webb's consent and guidance, until he left South Africa in 1875.

The Grammar School at Bloemfontein had prospered greatly under Mr. Widdicombe's mastership. But he was anxious to devote himself to work among the heathen, and it was arranged that he should first pay a visit to England, which his fourteen years of service in the Province certainly entitled him to do. While anxiously seeking for some one to succeed him, the Bishop was cheered by an offer from the Rev. Douglas McKenzie, Bishop Merriman's nephew, a Cambridge wrangler, who had had much experience in school work, and who was then Vice-Principal of S. Andrew's College, Grahamstown. Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie reached Bloemfontein on February nth, 1874, and two days afterwards the corner-stone of S. Andrew's College buildings, comprising masters' residence, a hall and dormitories for boarders, was laid by President Brand. On January 25th, 1875, the College buildings were opened with the formal benediction of the Bishop.

In the establishment of S. Andrew's College, the Bishop's own zeal in educational matters was encouraged by the frequent solicitations of heads of families in Bloemfontein and other parts of the Diocese, both Churchmen and others. Some time after the abandonment of the country by the British Government, Sir George Grey had founded in Bloemfontein the College which bears his name, endowing it with £3,000, a portion of the money placed at his disposal by the Imperial Government, giving £200 towards its building, and himself bearing the cost of its roof. The power of appointing Trustees had been placed by him in the hands of the Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church, and the College had been opened in 1859. But its early history had not been fortunate. In 1872 the present Rector of the College had been appointed, but the time which had elapsed had been insufficient to give assurance of the brilliant success which his indefatigable zeal and accomplished scholarship were in after years to bring about. Besides this, the requirements of many in the country, and especially at Kimberley, were for an education in which the English language rather than the Dutch would have the first place. Later on, in the Free State, a government system of education was established for the young of both sexes on a scale of extraordinary liberality. While the State declined to give grants to Schools which were not under its immediate control, the Volksraad made and has continued to make a grant of £100 per annum to the educational work of the Diocese, in recognition of the fact that the English Church was the first to arouse the country to a sense of its needs and to take steps towards supplying them.

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