No. 423 - Cressy - Bell Post Hill Church (1838) "In a twinkling the church was emptied"
Cressy is small country town south of Longford. The settlement was established in the 1840s and its name is derived from the ‘Cressy Company’ which was founded in the 1820s to run large agricultural properties in Van Diemen's Land.
Only two churches were built within the town of Cressy; a Methodist church and an Anglican church. However up to six churches were established in the hamlets in the surrounding district. The Bell Post Hill church, Cressy's first church, was one of these. It was situated opposite Woodburn Lane, about a kilometre south of Cressy. No trace of the building remains and only a memorial cairn marks the church's location.
The Bell Post Hill church was established in 1838 in a building that was possibly a converted house. It was established by John and Olivia Hodgetts and other concerned citizens on land leased to the Hodgetts by Robert Brumby. The church was officially opened by Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Franklin on 16th March 1839 whilst he was visiting the district to lay the foundation stone of Christ Church at Longford.
The only significant reference to the church is found in an article published in the Daily Telegraph in 1904:
“The first Anglican church at Cressy dates back many years ago, and - was situated at Bell Post Hill. Services were held in a house erected there by Mr William Brumby, which he presented to the church, additions being made to it as the needs of the district increased”.
"Nothing remains of the old building now, but the spot where it stood still retains the name of 'Bell Post Hill.’ An incident regarding the church may be recalled; it occurred on Sunday morning over sixty years ago [1845] during the sermon, when a whisper, went round that [William] Priest, the bushranger, had been captured, wounded, and was then being brought down the road in a cart. In a twinkling the church was emptied, and this was the only occasion known ever, that the Rev. Davis, who was loved by all, preached to empty benches”.
It is not clear if the church was in fact a converted house as claimed in the Daily Telegraph or if it was a new building erected under the authority of Reverend R.R. Davies, the rector at Longford between 1830 and 1853.
Local historian K.R. von Stieglitz explains the origin of the church's name:
"Bell Post Corner, [is] opposite the Woodbourne and Oban turn-off, for there the first little bell was hung on a post near the Chapel. This Chapel was used as a school-house on weekdays, as was the case in so many other parishes...".
Services at Bell Post ceased in 1858 after Holy Trinity church opened within the Cressy township. The school may have continued to operate after this date. No image of the building exists.
Sources:
The Colonial Record, Monday 25 March 1839, page 2
The Cornwall Chronicle, Saturday 27 September 1845
Daily Telegraph, Monday 25 January 1904, page 7
A Guide to The Churches and Graveyards of the Norfolk Plains - Compiled by Ivan Badcock, et. al. - The Northern Midlands Council (undated)
Von Stieglitz, K. R. (Karl Rawdon), 1893-1967. The story of Holy Trinity Church, Cressy / written for the centenary celebrations, 1858-1958, by K.R. von Stieglitz [s.n [Launceston] Tas. 1958
Only two churches were built within the town of Cressy; a Methodist church and an Anglican church. However up to six churches were established in the hamlets in the surrounding district. The Bell Post Hill church, Cressy's first church, was one of these. It was situated opposite Woodburn Lane, about a kilometre south of Cressy. No trace of the building remains and only a memorial cairn marks the church's location.
The Bell Post Hill church was established in 1838 in a building that was possibly a converted house. It was established by John and Olivia Hodgetts and other concerned citizens on land leased to the Hodgetts by Robert Brumby. The church was officially opened by Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Franklin on 16th March 1839 whilst he was visiting the district to lay the foundation stone of Christ Church at Longford.
The only significant reference to the church is found in an article published in the Daily Telegraph in 1904:
“The first Anglican church at Cressy dates back many years ago, and - was situated at Bell Post Hill. Services were held in a house erected there by Mr William Brumby, which he presented to the church, additions being made to it as the needs of the district increased”.
"Nothing remains of the old building now, but the spot where it stood still retains the name of 'Bell Post Hill.’ An incident regarding the church may be recalled; it occurred on Sunday morning over sixty years ago [1845] during the sermon, when a whisper, went round that [William] Priest, the bushranger, had been captured, wounded, and was then being brought down the road in a cart. In a twinkling the church was emptied, and this was the only occasion known ever, that the Rev. Davis, who was loved by all, preached to empty benches”.
It is not clear if the church was in fact a converted house as claimed in the Daily Telegraph or if it was a new building erected under the authority of Reverend R.R. Davies, the rector at Longford between 1830 and 1853.
Local historian K.R. von Stieglitz explains the origin of the church's name:
"Bell Post Corner, [is] opposite the Woodbourne and Oban turn-off, for there the first little bell was hung on a post near the Chapel. This Chapel was used as a school-house on weekdays, as was the case in so many other parishes...".
Services at Bell Post ceased in 1858 after Holy Trinity church opened within the Cressy township. The school may have continued to operate after this date. No image of the building exists.
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| The plaque commemorating Cressy's first church. Photo: Duncan Grant |
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| The memorial cairn at Bell Post Hill - photograph: Duncan Grant |
The Colonial Record, Monday 25 March 1839, page 2
The Cornwall Chronicle, Saturday 27 September 1845
Daily Telegraph, Monday 25 January 1904, page 7
A Guide to The Churches and Graveyards of the Norfolk Plains - Compiled by Ivan Badcock, et. al. - The Northern Midlands Council (undated)
Von Stieglitz, K. R. (Karl Rawdon), 1893-1967. The story of Holy Trinity Church, Cressy / written for the centenary celebrations, 1858-1958, by K.R. von Stieglitz [s.n [Launceston] Tas. 1958
There is now a memorial cairn at the original site of this church at Bell Post Corner, Cressy, Tasmania. Interestingly, the photograph on this web page of the Woodburn Lane junction points the viewer in the wrong direction. The church was built on the opposite side of the main road, which is now sealed, and in terms of this photograph, the site is behind the photographer of this photograph, and somewhat to his left-hand side. If you wish to view the cairn, you won't see it from the car, or casually walking along the road. You need to walk up the wee embankment and look over the fence to see the memorial cairn that marks the spot where the church once was. Travelling southwards from the village of Cressy, you will find it on the left-hand-side (eastern side) of the main road.
ReplyDeleteThe small Church of England at Bell Post Corner was built in 1838 and opened by Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Franklin on 16th March 1839, when he rode from Woolmers Homestead, where he and his military entourage had spent the night, on his way to Longford to lay the foundation stone of what was to become Christ Church in Longford.
Thank you for clarifying the location Bill, and also for the additional information. I will update shortly.
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