04/04/2012
Revision of the New Zealand Testament, St Matthew and St Mark, 1843 (ANG 63/3/1.6)
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1838. 5,000 copies were produced of this first edition, which was translated mainly by William Williams. The second edition of the complete New Testament in Maori, published in 1841, was printed in London with a print run of 20,000. The New Testament in Maori was first published by William Colenso at Paihia in Third and fourth editions were published in 1842 and 1844 respectively.Following the publication of the third edition a Syndicate was appointed by the Bishop of New Zealand and under the direction of the Church Missionary Society, to revise the New Testament, St Matthew and St Mark. The Syndicate consisted of the Ven. Archdeacon William Williams, the Rev. Robert Maunsell, James Hamlin and William Puckey.
The images of the featured manuscript of the Revision show the layout of pages, with columns for the ‘Present Version’ set alongside changes recommended by Syndicate members, as well as a ‘General Remarks’ column. In the Mark Ch.1V section (p.226) for example, is the comment: “I never recollect to have heard such an expression as ka nui te. I think tino would be preferable tho’ this is not often used. Mr H.”
Such remarks give a unique insight into the thinking re the revised translation, which is likely to have influenced the fifth edition of the Maori New Testament, published in London in 1852.
It was reported that the British Foreign Bible Society received complaints from Maori in some localities about the new text, compared with the original Paihia (1838) version. To this the Rev. Maunsell is said to have responded that William Williams had been involved in the preparation of both versions and strongly supported the new one as the far better translation.
06/03/2012
Early records of the Church Missionary Society
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Researchers are used to the bulk of the CMS records only being available on microfilm unless one is willing to travel to Birmingham, England. However, amongst the records of the General Synod are a few volumes that provide copies of correspondence from the London based Church Missionary Society to the New Zealand Missionaries and Settlers. The first letter, dated July 20 1820, is from Josiah Pratt, and is written after the report of Samuel Marsden’s visit to New Zealand in November 1819 reached London.Extract:
To the Missionaries & Settlers at New Zealand
Dear Brethren,
We rejoice to learn your safety and welfare when Mr. Marsden quitted New Zealand in November last. The circumstances under which Mr. Marsden found the Settlement on his arrival, has however, in some respects given the Committee much pain.’ ….
There are two volumes:
Leather bound letter book titled ‘Public letters from the Society’ containing copies of letters starting July 20, 1820 and including extracts from minutes of the CMS and Committee of Correspondence (Archives ref: ANG 63 Series 1, item 6)
Letter book containing copy Public letters from the Society: The secretaries of the Committee of Correspondence, CMS, London to the Missionaries of the CMS, New Zealand, p 1-476 (Archives ref: ANG 63 Series 1, item 7)
The letter books with the CMS copies of the letters they sent are held in the Cadbury Library Special Collections, University of Birmingham, and are also available in New Zealand as microfilm.
CMS Archives reference CN L1 to L7, and on the AJCP microfilm as Reels 238 and 239 (JKTL Ref MIC14).
25/10/2011
Mangungu Mission Station [MET: 5/1/1 - 5]
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Mangungu was established in 1828 as the second Wesleyan Mission station in New Zealand, the first being destroyed in 1827. The existing house was built ca 1838 for the head of the Methodist Mission in New Zealand, the Rev. Nathaniel Turner. The station is the oldest surviving structure associated with the Methodist Church in New Zealand. The archive consists of a handwritten history by John Hobb’s descendant Mrs Emma Kirk, (54 p.) which was intended for “Dr Morley to use in his history”; a typescript history by Jean Irvine, Secretary of the Hokianga Historical Society; an account book of the Mangungu Mission station, 1837; a New Zealand Historic Places Trust ‘Mangungu Mission House research progress report’, 1973 and a pamphlet – ‘the Weslyan Mission Primer’, Mangungu, 1884. The featured primer contains ‘alphabets, lists of words, and easy reading lessons’ as well as the ten commandments in Maori, ‘Ko nga ture a te atua’. The 1837 account book includes several ‘house lists’ which itemise the contents of the house, and a letter from Rev. Nathaniel Turner in October 1837
13/04/2011
Association of Anglican Women – additional papers: ANG 121/4/14
The Association of Anglican Women is an umbrella organisation throughout New Zealand and Polynesia. It was formed in 1969 from allied societies such as the Mother’s Union and is open to all women. The Association has two main departments, Overseas & Outreach and Social Concerns.
The Overseas & Outreach Department has supported many diverse projects in New Zealand and abroad. A selection of photographs relating to these projects were recently added to the Association’s archive which is held at the John Kinder Theological Library.
An example is the Hanne House Girls’ Hostel, Hyderabad, Pakistan Project, which the Association has assisted since 1999. The Hostel, situated in Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindhi, offers girls who come from remote areas the opportunity to mix with different communities and to improve themselves academically, spiritually and as a community.
24/08/2010
The Rev. John Vincent Archive
The Reverend John Vincent was Vicar of Hinds from 1958 to 1960, Vicar of Riccarton St. James from 1966 to 1972 and Vicar of Hororata (Christchurch Diocese) from 1972 until his sudden death in July 1975. He was also much involved in religious broadcasting, and the spread of the Group Life Laboratory seminars from the Diocese of Christchurch to the rest of New Zealand. It is papers relating to this national (or Provincial) focus that now form part of the Archives collection at the John Kinder Theological Library. Most of the Diocesan related papers are at the Christchurch Diocesan Archive.
The collection also includes papers relating to the broadcast of services and childrens’ religious programmes for radio and television, particularly 3YA Christchurch and in the early days of the NZBC. Also included are subject files on the Group Life Laboratories seminars which were held throughout New Zealand, as well as photographs (such as those shown) which give a unique insight into the professional and personal life and times of a dedicated and innovative priest.
The recently organised archive was donated to the Library by his wife, the Rev. Barbara Vincent.
St James’s Choir 1973
12/05/2010
General Synod records
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As the 2010 General Synod (the ‘parliament’ of the Anglican Church) currently meets in Gisborne, we thought to look at which synod records had survived and were in the archives. The first General Synod was called together in 1859 by Bishop GA Selwyn, and has continued ever since, at three yearly or two yearly intervals.
Each synod has published a bound volume of its discussion and decisions, but as well, many of the papers generated in the process have survived to be stored in the Anglican Church Archives Collection. They are not an exciting collection of papers, but the best item seen to date is a Newspaper clipping of a case in which
”a lady parishioner of Holy Trinity, Avonside, sued the defendant, the incumbent of the parish, for 200 Pounds damages, for having wilfully and maliciously refused to administer to her the Holy Communion.” Oct 1889.
