From Samuel Way at Montefiore, North Adelaide, Australia, to Lewis Court at Brendon, Salcombe Road, Plymouth, England.
Court's letter of 14th December gave him much pleasure. He is pleased that it is proposed to establish a museum of Bible Christian memorabilia at the centenary celebrations in Exeter next July, and that it has been suggested that the display be a permanent one. It is also gratifying for Way to be in touch with someone who shares his love of the Connexion and his wish that its treasures be preserved.
A good many portraits have been preserved in South Australia in a detached room in Joseph Ashton's garden, which is practically the home of the Old Scholars' Association of the Shebbear and Way College. Mr Ashton's health is weak, as a result of his involvement in the movement agitating for the early closing of hotels. He is now in Tasmania and may go on to New Zealand. Way cannot communicate with him until his return.
[Katherine] Thorne and Way both have a set of Bible Christian magazines, Conference minutes and missionary reports. They intend one set to go to England and the other to form part of a permanent collection here. It should however not be expected that either person will part with their set during their lifetime. [Katherine] Thorne's set is the more uniformly bound of the two, and as it belonged to her father [James], they agreed that it ought to be ultimately returned to England.
The same may be said of the two oil paintings of James and Mrs Thorne, which Way commissioned shortly after James Thorne's death in 1872.
The presentation portrait of Way's father James on the completion of his ministerial jubilee cannot leave South Australia, but there was a later and much finer portrait, which was copied several times - Way will try to get one of the copies for Court. There is also a fine Bronze medallion, of which several copies were depicted at Thames Ditton for members of the Way family, and again Way will try to acquire one for Court. Failing this, he is prepared to pay for another copy to be taken.
With regard to early publications, if Court provides Way with a list of what he wants then he will see what he can do.
Much to his disappointment, Way is afraid that he will be unable to visit England for the Jubilee celebrations. The event will however not be forgotten in South Australia.
Court did not state whether the publications he mentioned, are articles or books. Whatever form they take, Way would be grateful to receive early copies.
[Katherine] Thorne celebrated her 88th birthday in November. Her mind is clear, although her body is frail. She paid them a visit during the last heat wave when the temperature reached 109' in the shade. It was very trying for the old lady although she appears to have got over it quite well.
Notes .
- Joseph Ashton entered the Australian Bible Christian ministry in 1878. He served as President of the South Australian Conference in 1898 and Secretary in 1897. He transferred to the South Australian Methodist Church in 1901. Source: Beckerlegge
- Katherine Thorne (d.1919) was the daughter of James Thorne, one of the founders of the Bible Christian Connexion