From [John] Kenner at 423 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario, Canada, to [Lewis Court in England].
Court's letter of January 27th arrived safely and gave Kenner much pleasure. Kenner has never seen Court and probably never shall, nevertheless he feels love for Court because of their mutual interests.
As a result of Kenner's writing to the Chesterton Guardian and resulting correspondence, he has discovered the Whereabouts of Cephas Barker's only child. She is a widow and the mother of a family, and is keeping house for her son at 243 Henekin Avenue, Minneapolis, United States. She was married to one Mr J. Bain.
When Court said that he feels that his father knew Kenner, it was probably in fact Kenner's brother Henry, who was appointed to Weare, Somerset in 1855. He is still alive at the age of eighty-four (in March 1916) and has been married twice. He lives in Winnipeg. His second wife passed away?? suddenly about two years ago here in London.
Kenner would welcome the opportunity to read Court's appreciation of Cephas Barker when it appears.
He was grateful to receive the copy of the periodical containing Court's poetic appreciation of Revd. [William Bruce??] Robertson. Kenner showed it to his partner Revd. Flanders?? and he was very impressed by it. Robertson was a great and good man, although he remembers about fifty years ago that Dr [unreadable name] was highly critical of Robertson's poetry.
The paragraph relating to Court's personality was very informative.
Kenner returned to England for a visit in 1884. He travelled through Cornwall to the Scilly Isles, where he found that much had changed [since Kenner's appointment there]. In 1855 the main commodity?? on the islands had been potatoes, which were then superseded by flowers. Most of the old peoples [who Kenner had known] had died and many of the younger ones also. On St Martin's the most prominent `Elect Lady' of the church had been the widow of William Gilesne. On the occasion of Kenner's return in 1884 she was on her death-bed, but was able to welcome Kenner as if he was her son.
He landed on St Mary's on a Saturday afternoon and proceeded to St Agnes, where he had lodgings with a widow Delias Legg. Kenner needed no supper as he had eaten tea at Brother Stopper's at St Mary's. He was told that the preachers went out for their food [the rest of the sentence is unreadable]. It was very trying but Kenner was far from home and therefore had no choice but to accept it.
On the sabbath his station was with Uncle Amor Hicks, a grand old man and at one time a convicted smuggler. Kenner heard Hicks tell of how a fixed light was used to lure ships onto the rocks, and that on one Sunday morning while service was being conducted by an English parson??, someone `who believed in watching more than praying having discovered a vessel on the rocks, came to the church door and made the announcement - the audience did not wait for the benediction…while the clergyman called someone to assist him [unreadable phrase] so that he might accompany the congregation'. Kenner was treated very kindly by Hicks, his wife and daughter Mary Anne.
On Monday, Kenner was told that his place of lodging would be with John Hicks. Kenner had preached twice on the sabbath. His stay with the Hicks family is described in detail, including an argument between Hicks and his wife regarding Kenner's breakfast.
At that time wheat was not grown on the islands and the native bread was made from rye, which is sweet to taste and dark in colour. Kenner had rye bread and cream to eat.
The homes of the islanders were mostly very humble but clean.`Their hearts were warm and their kindness abundant. Their education in advance of the mainland for every child was taught in school and had a fair start in life'. Kenner liked the people when he got to know them and has very happy memories of his time on the islands.
Kenner's colleagues in the Scilly Isles were William Dennis and Albert McDonald. The Scillies was Kenner's first appointment and Swansea his last in Britain [1871]. His chapel in Swansea was Oxford Street. He supposes that by now the Jarman family have died or perhaps moved away. Upon leaving Swansea he was presented with a beautiful copy of the New Testament.
He is sending Court a few lines of rhyme, which these musings on his past have brought to mind. They were written during his time in London [England] and are dated 23 October 1860.
As Court observed, the war is severely affecting the Church. Seventy young men from Kenner's own congregation have either gone overseas or are preparing to go. What does it all mean? Is England being punished for her sinful dealings with liquor and opium? Is France being punished for the removal of God from her education system? Belgium for her [unreadable word]?, Germany for her `demanding…'? and Canada for her neglect of the teaching of Christianity to her Indian peoples and the spreading among them of the drinking of liquor? It reminds Kenner of a sermon preached sixty-five years ago by [William] Mason in the Launceston Circuit on "Redeeming the time because the days are evil".
Kenner does not think that the Christian nations have yet taken their sins seriously enough. "The social?? evil is rampant', the liquor trade seems to strong for even the British government to handle. Are not factories working on the sabbath? and many parades held on the Lord's Day? Spiritual matters are discussed in detail.
Kenner was personally acquainted with Chief Justice Samuel Way and with his father [James]. The latter assisted Kenner during a return visit to the Camelford Circuit in the celebration of missionary anniversaries. The former was present at Exeter in 1860 when Kenner was received into full connexion. The Chief Justice is a man to be admired for despite his prominence in the world, he has not forgotten the faith or church of his father.
Kenner knew [James] Horwill, since he was a contemporary at Shebbear College of Kenner's eldest brother William, who died last September [see reference in an earlier letter to William's death in September 1914 - see 92.109] in Peterborough, Ontario. Kenner also knew William Reed and his father before him - one of the greatest men the Connexion has produced. He was Conference President at Plymouth when Kenner `commenced by the authority of the Church to tramp clay'. [John Herridge] Batt was known to Kenner, as was his father [George] Batt. The latter was disciplined by Conference for marrying contrary to `Connexional rule' and bringing his wife to the Exeter Conference.
Kenner made the acquaintance of Brother [Frederick William] Bourne while in the Callington Circuit, where Kenner was covering for Edwin Arkell who was ill at the time [1853-56].
He has lately been reading a great deal about [Samuel] Pollard. He is sending Court a copy of Christian Guardian, as it contains an appreciation of Pollard by a Canadian missionary.
Kenner thinks that he told Court that he was present at the Portsmouth Conference when Pollard and [Francis John] Dymond were appointed the first Bible Christian missionaries to China [1886]. He has viewed their labours with great interest ever since. Unfortunately as the U M Magazine has not been arriving, he has been unable to keep up to date with their progress. What is the English Conference going to do about the situation in China now that Pollard is dead? Kenner will send £20 to assist with the funding of a replacement. Reference is made to his previous donations to help with the China mission.
Notes .
- Albert McDonald entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1850 and disappears from the record in 1862. Source: Beckerlegge
- William Dennis (1816-88) was born at St Breward in Cornwall. He was converted at an early age and entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1844. He served out his ministry of over forty years entirely in home circuits. Source: Beckerlegge and Bourne, pp.511-512
- William Bruce Robertson (1820-86) was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland. He matriculated at Glasgow University and from 1837 to 1841 studied at Secession Theological Hall in Edinburgh. In 1841 he enroled briefly at Halle University in Germany and travelled through Italy and Switzerland. In 1843 he was ordained into the Presbyterian ministry. In later life Robertson suffered from ill health, which compelled him to winter on the continent, and which finally led to his death. In 1854 he published a collection of hymns for use in his Sunday School, including a well-known translation of Dies Irae. He was renowned as a preacher and as a writer. Source: Dictionary of National Biography