Chapter VIII THE "Gun War" in Basutoland--Destruction of the Mission property--Dangers incurred by Rev. G. W. Stenson and Father Douglas--Narrow escape of Rev. T. Woodman--Sekubu Mission looted--Mr. Wirlclicombc's courage at Thlotse Heights--The Census Fund--Mr. Holhech's work at Harrismith--Senekal, Boshof and Dewetsdorp Churches built--Rev. G. Glover--Difficulty of maintaining work in small Free State villages--Bishop Webb's translation to the Sec of Grahamstown--Review of the Bishop's episcopate.
IN chronicling the Bishop's visit to Thlotse Heights in April, 1880, allusion was made to the discontent then smouldering among the Basuto by reason of the disarmament of the tribe which the Cape government had determined upon. The time chosen for it was especially unfortunate. During 1879, a small tribe, named the Baphuthi, under a chief called Moirosi, living in the extreme south of Basutoland, had rebelled against the Government. Their subjugation was no easy matter. Moirosi's stronghold, on a mountain top, was no mean fortress, and the Colonial forces were engaged for some months in the struggle. We may mention by the way that after consecrating Smithfield Church in November, 1879, the Bishop and Archdeacon Croghan paid a visit to their camp, and that the Archdeacon remained for some weeks among them. The Basuto had assisted the Colonial forces in this campaign, and the resolution immediately afterwards to disarm them seemed specially ungenerous.
In July, 1880, the storm burst. Chief after chief set the Government at defiance, and although one or two of them sided with the Colony, Basutoland from end to end was soon in a blaze. The Colonial Mounted Rifle Corps was sent to enforce order. Volunteer corps were raised; the Burgher forces were called out, but these combined were insufficient to quell the revolt. In the middle of 1881 a peace was patched up, but inter-tribal warfare then broke out which the Colonial Government was quite unable to prevent. It was not until 1883 that order was re-established by the Imperial Government undertaking to govern Basutoland as a Crown province independent of the Cape Colony.
The Mission suffered very severely during the war. At Mohali's Hoek Mr. Stenson's Church and Mission House were destroyed and his property looted, while buildings in course of erection for a girls' boarding school were demolished. Mr. Stenson took refuge in Wepener, and for a time the new church there was used as an hospital. In 1879 his eldest son, the Rev. John William Stenson, after passing through S. Cyprian's College, had been ordained Deacon. He could speak the Colonial Kafir language, and was bent on establishing a mission to the many villages of Fingoes located in Basutoland. While acting as Chaplain, he was shut up with a handful of troops in a hastily improvised camp at Mohali's Hoek. The position was fiercely attacked, but after twelve anxious days it was relieved. At Maseru, Father Douglas was paying a Sunday's visit to the garrison when a very determined onslaught was made. The Basuto are famous for their breed of sure-footed, stout little mountain ponies, and are reckless riders. On this occason they rushed down a mountain above the Residence with such fury that some of them broke their necks in the descent The attack lasted all day, but it ended in the rebels being repulsed. At Sekubu, Mr. Woodman, on November 8th, learnt just in time that a party of marauders had determined to murder him and sack the Station. The Free State, a safe refuge, was within six miles' ride, but the treacherous Caledon river had first to be crossed, and it was in flood. With the Altar vessels slung on his back he rode off, crossed first a swollen stream and then the Caledon at a point some distance higher up, where the torrent was somewhat less dangerous, and at sunset was in safety on the other side, A few hours after he had left, the Station was destroyed all but the stone-built church and school, which were only partially injured.
Thlotse Heights had to bear the strain of a long continued struggle. It was the head-quarters of the northern body of Colonial troops, and from time to time was fiercely attacked. The church was loopholed and used as a fort, and Mr. Champernowne's school buildings, then being built, were razed to the ground. All through the struggle, Mr. Widdicombe remained at his post, though he insisted on his younger fellow-workers retiring to the Free State. The strain, as may well be imagined, was a terrible one; and many a day of neuralgic and other pains has been the outcome of it.
As has been said, long after the cessation of active hostilities, the country remained grievously unsettled, but at a conference of missionaries held at Modderpoort at the end of October, 1881, the Bishop determined upon the resumption of the work at Sekubu and Mohali's Hoek, as soon as the way should be clear. It was estimated that a loss of property amounting to at least £3,000 had fallen upon the Mission through the war. Later on the Colonial government indemnified the Diocese for such damage as could be shown to have been occasioned by its own military operations. In England, among the friends of the Mission, a special fund for Basutoland was raised. A portion of this was collected by Miss E. Chenevix Trench (now the wife of the Bishop of Colombo); she had spent a while in the Diocese, assisting at S. Michael's Home, and before returning to Ireland in 1877 had paid a visit to Thlotse. 1882 was a Census year in Great Britain, and Miss Trench availed herself of this to issue an appeal asking everyone who was thankful for having been born in a Christian land to give a penny towards the restoration of the Mission in Basutoland. By means of this appeal £162 were collected.
But little has hitherto been said as to the north of the Free State. After the disaster at Sekubu, Mr. Woodman had taken charge of Harrismith, but in 1881 he was relieved by Mr. Holbech, who for six years was Rector of the Parish, and later on Rural Dean of that part of the country. For four years he was assisted by the Rev. H. L. Skinner, who had been prepared at S. Cyprian's College, and ordained deacon in 1883. In addition to the work of the parish, Mr. Holbech undertook the laborious task of ministering to five towns and villages (Vrede, Frankfort, Heilbron, Vredefort and Kroonstad) in the north of the State, the circuit of which involved a journey of some four hundred miles. These visits were paid with great care and regularity, and bear fruit to the present day. In Harrismith itself, a small native work and school were begun, while the care of the Sisterhood branch was included in the parochial duty.
Much assistance was given in the services at Harrismith, especially during the Rector's absences, by the Rev. G. Perry, who from the beginning of 1880 to 1892 conducted a High School for boys at Harrismith. Mr. Perry was licensed by the Bishop as one of the Clergy of the Diocese. A Rectory built of stone was publicly opened by a service of benediction on Passion Sunday, 1883.
In February, 1878, the Rev. James Glover, one of the first students of the Theological College, had been ordained Deacon, and for nearly two years had been assistant at S. Cyprian's, Kimberley. At the close of 1879 he was chosen to begin a work at Senekal, a village between Winburg and Bethlehem. In 1881, Mr. Glover was ordained Priest, and on October 22nd, 1882, a small stone church at Senekal was dedicated by the Bishop. This had been built through the exertions and generosity of Mrs. Cleaver, a lady living in the village, who desired to raise it as a memorial to her husband who had died there. From Senekal, Mr. Glover paid stated visits to Winburg on the west, and to Lindley and Heilbron on the north-east, besides holding services at farms in both directions. The work was interrupted during 1880 by his return to Kimberley during a time of pressing need. Not long after the dedication of Senekal Church, it became evident that the district was not able to continue to support a clergyman, and Mr. Glover was withdrawn to Boshof, a village seventy miles to the west of Bloemfontein in the direction of Kimberley. Just at this time a considerable number of English Church people were living there, and in 1884 a neat little church was built, and opened for Divine Service on August 3rd. As time went on the community at Boshof considerably decreased, and Mr. Glover made a new home at Bethulie, of which we shall speak later on.
On December 17th, 1882, the Bishop dedicated a small church at Dewetsdorp, a village lying between Bloemfontein and Wepener. Dewetsdorp is within easy reach of Thabanchu, and Canon Crisp had for more than twelve months been visiting it. Twice since this date an effort has been made to place and support a resident clergyman there, but the event has shown that the wiser plan is to serve it periodically from a larger Church centre.
These three instances of Senekal, Boshof, and Dewetsdorp, and they are not the only ones which could be given, show the great difficulty attendant upon the supply of ministrations in the smaller Free State villages. The population of such places is principally Dutch. The English residents are few in number, and the changes among them are frequent. The supply of pastoral visits from a centre entails considerable expense. It is no light matter to keep the necessary cart and pair of horses, and pay a servant's wages. A visit of two or three days once a month gives but little scope for steady work. Now and again, circumstances will bring together in any given place quite a number of families, and a desire is manifested for more frequent services, which it is difficult not to attempt to respond to. Still, the experience of more than thirty years has shown that careful itinerating work is in the long run the better way, productive of more lasting benefit.
The third session of the Provincial Synod was held in Capetown in January, 1883. Besides the Bishop, the Diocese was represented by Archdeacon Croghan, Canon Crisp and Father Douglas, Mr. E. Bourdillon and Mr. W. H. Carter. At its close the Bishop sailed for England. Some months previously his elder son had been attacked with fever, and had with great difficulty been taken by Mrs. Webb to England. While at Capetown the Bishop had been approached by Representations of the Diocese of Grahamstown. On August 7th, 1882, Bishop Merriman had met with his death through a cart accident. The Diocese had of late been much disturbed, and it was felt that Bishop Webb possessed the necessary gifts for its settlement. In effect the Bishop had, after consultation with the Metropolitan, replied that only a unanimous call from the Diocese would seem to him a reason for considering its claims upon him. After his arrival, not without surprise, he received from the two Archdeacons and leading Lay representative of the Diocese formal intimation that at the Elective Assembly held in Grahamstown on March 7th, 1883, by a vote which was practically unanimous, he had been chosen as its Bishop. The communication caused him great perplexity. On the one hand were his intense affection for the Diocese of Bloemfontein, his first love, and his anxiety on behalf of so many ventures of faith begun there indeed, but yet needing so much fostering care. On the other hand the Metropolitan, after careful consideration, had advised his accepting Grahamstown for the sake of the general weal of the South African Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Truro gave him the same counsel. He determined therefore to lay the matter again before the Metropolitan and to abide by his decision. Bishop Jones' answer to the letter in which he did this was a telegram containing the one word "go." This decided the question, and Bishop Webb placed his resignation of the See of Bloemfontein in. the Metropolitan's hands.
Twelve years had passed since he had come to us. Then he had found a tiny band of clergy, six priests and two deacons. Bloemfontein, Philippolis, Thabanchu, Smithfield and Modderpoort were the only places possessing resident clergy. When he left, the staff consisted of thirty priests and five deacons; the Sisterhood with its important school and hospital works, and the Mission Brotherhood, were established, missionary work had been extended into Basutoland and Bechuanaland; at Bloemfontein the Cathedral organisation had become a reality; while at the Diamond Fields and at twelve other European centres an active staff of clergy were at work. S. Andrew's College had been founded, and though the Theological College was on less settled lines it had done good service. Seventeen new churches, fourteen parsonages, and six parochial school buildings had been built; moreover every work had been impelled by his unceasing zeal and nurtured with his affectionate sympathy.
It may be as well to state here what the Provincial and Diocesan action in case of a vacancy is. The See is not canonically vacant until the Metropolitan declares it to be so. This he does by appointing a Vicar-General and sending to him his mandate enjoining the Clergy and Laity to proceed to election. Within eight days after the receipt of the mandate the Vicar-General must summon the Elective Assembly to meet on a day fixed by him, but not less than two nor more than three calendar months from the date of his issuing the summons. The Assembly consists of all Priests in the Diocese who have seats in the Diocesan Synod, one Deacon chosen by his brethren, and Lay Representatives from each Parish, Chapelry or College in the Diocese. Each of these which has not less than three nor more than twelve male parishioners being communicants of the full age of twenty-one years and upwards, may send one Representative. If there be more than twelve and less than fifty it may send two, and if more than fifty, three Representatives.
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