St David

St David's Church

Bushmensrivermouth

Related Web Sites:

St David's was built on land donated in 1937 by Mrs Natalie Cullen and dedicated by her husband, Bishop A. H. Cullen in 1939, but records show that services at Bushman's River were held as early as January 1911. Early services were held in the home of the Revd Voyle Morgan who bequeathed the house to the diocese as a holiday home for clergy. This cottage has since been disposed of and the diocesan trustees are waiting to reinvest the proceeds in suitable real estate. Extra improvements in size and function have been necessitated by a growing congregation which averages between sixty and seventy most Sundays, but which balloons to over 800 for the three services catering for the Christmas holiday influx. The firm foundation laid by generations of faithful priests, aided by generous and God-centred laity, that enables this parish to approach the next century with confidence.

Taken from 'P.E. Church Net - Iindaba' {April 2001}(www.pechurchnet.co.za/news.iindaba/iind2104.htm)

Lost, found and installed, . . . . at last
The history of the four magnificent stained glass windows recently installed in St. David's Church, Bushman's River, reads like a comedy of errors, writes Peter Bowen.

Well over a hundred years old, the windows were originally built into the walls of St Micheal and All Angels chapel, a family church on the farm Middleton, near Carlisle Bridge. Mrs Hessie Bowker had donated on window in memory of her husband William Monkhouse Bowker, and another in memory of Bourchier Bowker, who had supervised the erection of the church. Early in the 1950s the church began slowly to disintegrate, and the windows were removed and stored over the years in a variety of "places of safety". Well-known Carlisle Bridge farmer, the late Beresford Manning, moved to Bushman's River where he became, at various times, Chapel-warden and Lay Minister. Remembering the lovely windows and, judging the East Window at St David's to be rather plain, he approached the Bowker family who were only too pleased to donate the windows to a "living church". Time had not been kind to the windows and they were taken to a lady in PE who claimed to be an expert restorer of stained glass.

The weeks went by, and the months went by, and the years went by, but still no sign of the windows. When churchwarden Tjaart Barnard, accompanied by Rector, Gary Griffith-Smith, drove to PE to present a "habeas corpus" demand, the lady proved more than they could handle, and eventually Diocesan Registrar Keith Cremer was called in to threaten with the long arm of the Law. Suddenly the artist lady left town, and a long search for the missing windows was instigated. At long last, they were traced and the Rector discovered that a former schoolmate from Selborne College East London, was in the restoration business. Thus it was that David Manning of Walmer (no relation of Bereford Manning), with great skill and patience restored the windows to their pristine glory. Installed at St David's, they were protected on the outside by laminated safety glass, and it was on one of his last official visits to St David's before retirement that Bishop Eric saw to their formal dedication.



IN LOVING MEMORY	IN LOVING MEMORY	IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM MONKHOUSE BOWKER BORN MARCH 9 1803 DIED FEB 3 1876	To the glory of God and in loving memory of BOURCHIER BOWKER may 24 1891