Heritage | St Peter & St Paul's Anglican Parish

Heritage

The Font (1) was donated to the church by Mrs. Ashton in 1874. Years later a font cover made from an old Sussex water-mill was added. Its original handle was made by the village blacksmith.

The wall plaques honour military members and local pioneers. One is  to a nursing sister who lost her life when her hospital was bombed in World War 1. The War Memorial (2) to those who gave their lives in  the Great War is all that is left of a much larger memorial that until 1927 used to sit outside the church.

Beside the Lectern is the life-buoy (3) from HMS Condor which floundered in a storm off the west coast on December 3, 1901.

The Pulpit (4) was carved by Mr. William Edward Allen Barclay in memory of his father Canon William George Barclay of Salisbury, England. The two carvings that surmount the posts at the top of of the steps came from Minterne, Dorset, where the Canon was Rector for 25 years. On the wall of the Pulpit is the Canon’s monogram. The Alms basin was also carved by Mr. Barclay.

Our organ (5) was bought from St. John’s, Victoria, in 1912. It is a three-manual Conacher tracker which was built in Huddersfield, England, in 1891. Because the organ is virtually in its original state it  is a heritage instrument.

The Altar (6), installed when the church was moved to this site, just over 100 years old. There are six stained glass windows in the church. The central set of three behind the altar are in memory of Alice, the daughter of one of our early Ministers, she died in 1878. The two on either side were also installed in 1878. The one on the left is in memory of Commander, the Hon. Horace Lascelles, son of the Earl of Harewood, who died on June 15, 1869. The one on the right is in memory of Frederick Seymour, Governor of British Columbia. The Pooley memorial window beside the pulpit dates from 1960.

Upon entering the church one becomes aware of the many flags that have been “laid up” here for safekeeping. At the Chancel step (7) hangs the Naval Colour presented by King George VI at Beacon Hill Park when he and Queen Elizabeth visited Victoria in 1939. Across from it hanging above the memorial to Admiral Hose, the founder of the Canadian Navy (8), is the White Ensign (9) which flew on HMCS Vancouver before she was paid off. Beside it hang the last Red Ensign to fly at Work Point Barracks and the Blue Ensign. These were “laid up” here in the late 1960’s when the new Canadian Flag was introduced.

The Blue Ensign was the Naval Jack, while the Red Ensign was the flag of Canada and the Canadian Army. Above the Lectern (10) hangs the flag of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The colour of the Old Contemptibles, the small force that went to France in the early days of WW1, laid up here on October 12, 1975, hangs beside it. Opposite, above the Pulpit (4) hangs the flags of the Burma Star Association of Victoria and the Chief and Petty Officers Association. Before the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry moved the King’s and Regimental Colour of their 1st Battalion hung beside the organ.

The bell (7) located by the Organ is a gift of the Bergink family in memory of Herman, Parish Organist and Provincial Carillonneur. The sanctuary furniture, altar hangings, communion plate prayer and hymn books and bibles have been given to the glory of Almighty God in memory of many whom we still fondly remember. The anchor window located above the font (1) on the east wall is a reminder of our naval history. The small plaques on the front pews mark the Admiral’s pew (the pulpit side) and the Army Commander’s pew (the lectern side).

 

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