A PIONEER ADELAIDE CHURCH. - The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) - 18 May 1906 (original) (raw)

Clayton Church, Kensington, as a

spiritual fellowship, was formed in Janu-

ary, 1854, and the first building was

opened for worship on April 13, 1856. Its

jubilee is to be celebrated on Sunday

next and on the following Tuesday evening,

when the public demonstration is to be

presided over by Sir Edwin Smith, the

oldest living member of the church.

Among the ministers of Clayton Church

have been the Hon. J. H. Barrow, who

founded "The Advertiser," and was after

wards Treasurer of the State, and the. Rev.

W. Harcus, who succeeded Mr. Barrow as

editor of "The Advertiser." Connected

with it have been many distinguished

public men, including the late Mr. Laving-

ton Clyde, a former Treasurer of South

Australia; the late Mr. Augustine Stow,

once Chief Secretary; Sir Edwin Smith,

the.Mayor of Adelaide (Sir. T. .Bruce),

Sir. W. Herbert Phillipps, the late Mr.

Gilbert Wood, .and Mr. Ebenezer Cooke.

The first place used by the Congrega-

tionalists east of Adelaide was a small

chapel in the north-west of Norwood. Then

in 1844, a brick building was erected in

High-street, Kensington, where the Rev

T. Q. Stow, the Rev. Thomas Playford, and

others preached, until the Rev. J. M.

Strongman was made pastor in 1849. Two

years later he was succeeded by the Rev.

G. D. Mudie and H. Cheetham, the latter

being made, sole pastor on January 4,

1852. In the following year a separate

church was formed, and Mr. J. H. Bar-

row preached his first sermon as pastor

on January 21, 1854. The original Clay-

ton Chapel, so named after the Rev. John

Clayton, of London, cost £2,200, with the

land and fencing, and the remaining debt

on the opening day, was only £153. The

inaugural sermons were preached by the

Rev. John Gardner (Presbyterian), the

Rev. Joseph Dare (Methodist), and the

Rev. T. Q. Stow. Under the pastoral

care of Mr. Barrow the church flourished

exceedingly, but he resigned in 1858. His

successors in the pastorate have been the

Revs, J. W. C. Drane, W. Harcus, E.

Griffiths, Thomas Hope, H. G. Nicholls,

and J. Robertson, M.A In May, 1883,

the handsome new edifice; now known as

Clayton Church, was opened, its cost hav-

ing been £7,580. It. contains a fine pipe-

organ, which involved on extra expense of

£1,000. Clayton Sunday-school has been

active for over half a century; and there

are many other useful institutions con-

nected with this centre of religious work.

There is a burial; ground adjacent to the

church, and in this many former members

are interred. An interesting jubilee re-

cord of the history of the church, has

been compiled by Mr. C. Hope Harris, one

of the deacons, whose membership dates

back to July, 1876. and attached to this

booklet is a list of past and present mem-