The Ramsay Collection...
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Rev. H. W. Ramsay
THIRTY YEARS IN THE FRY ST MANSE - 2
Some years ago, the Ferguson Memorial Library received a range of original records of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA or "Free Church") on an indefinite loan basis. These records form the basis of a most valuable collection of material for study of the history of the Presbyterian Church in Australia from its earliest origins in the Colonies in the 19th century through the difficult years of the Disruption of 1843 in Scotland and its aftermath, the subsequent union of 1865 and later federations and unions. The Library has considered itself privileged to be the custodian of this material.
Although numerically small with less than 30 congregations Australia-wide in 1994, the Free Church continues down to the present day, maintaining an unswerving commitment to the Lordship of Christ and the absolute authority of the Scriptures in all matters of faith and practice, and constituting the oldest continuing Presbyterian Church in Australia today.
Historians of the Free Church during the 20th century have included Rev. J. Campbell Robinson,
Rev. Dr. Rowland Ward, Rev. Herbert William Ramsay and Mr. Gordon Dennes. In addition to his extensive pastoral ministry, Rev. J. Campbell Robinson also edited the Free Church paper over many years, and compiled the definitive history of that Church in 1947. The history of the Free Church was taken up by Dr. Rowland Ward in the wider Presbyterian context in his book "The Bush Still Burns", published in 1989.
The two last mentioned wrote prolifically, often simply under their initials or under pseudonyms, their papers being published in numerous newspapers - especially those covering the northern rivers of NSW, and in various journals. These published articles have provided a wealth of authoritative information for use in church, local, and family history research.
Rev. Herbert W. Ramsay was born at Dingo Creek, Manning River, in 1876, and from early childhood had a great affection for the indigenous people who formed part of his early upbringing. As with many families at this time, the Ramsay family moved further north seeking new opportunities, and settled in the Kempsey area, where the young Herbert commenced work. At a time of great loneliness and in the midst of the great depression and continual floods of the 1890s, Herbert Ramsay first heard the call to the ministry, and also received under God the encouragement to write.
The Kemptey "Argus" had offered a prize of a guinea for the best story by a local writer. A Miss Connors, then in domestic service with Herbert Ramsay's employer Mr. H.E. Palmer, Stock Inspector, drew his attention to the announcement just 24 hours prior to the closing time for the competition, and urged him to enter. Although disinclined to do so, he records that he commenced to write that night, taking his work up to Miss Connors in the kitchen for perusal after her own work was completed. Miss Connors copied the final version, and the young Herbert rowed across the river, depositing his work in the "Argus" box just a few minutes before mid-night. This story secured the prize, and thus began a life¬time of research and writing, alongside a long and fruitful ministry in the Free Church.
The original research records and notes of Gordon Dennes are held substantially, but not entirely, at the Society of Australian Genealogists in Sydney, with some significant material being held in family and local historical societies on the north coast. The Ferguson Memorial Library has in recent years been the recipient of valuable personal papers of Rev. H. W. Ramsay, and of his son Rev. Stewart Ramsay, together with the complete library of a Free Church congregation and other significant items.
In recognition of these gifts, the entire holdings of Free Church material in the Ferguson Memorial Library are now held in a collection known as the Ramsay Collection of Records and Memorabilia of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia. The story of its development is a story of God at work through the Joint Archives "Roadshow Project".
A "Roadshow" visit to the Penrith Presbyterian Church in November 2003 included a seminar on the use of church records in family history, and featured Scottish migration to the Hunter and to the Northern Rivers with particular reference to the relevance of the writings of Rev. H.W. Ramsay and Gordon Dennes.
Mr. Alex Neil, an Elder of the PCEA, was present and discussion followed concerning the work of these Free Church historians in recording the history of early settlers in the Clarence River Examiner and other local papers. An ongoing friendship quickly developed between Mr. Neil and the Archivists, and laminated copies of some pages of the original PCEA Minutes held in the Ferguson Library were provided by permission for a celebration of early PCEA work on the Manning River.
Following this celebration, Mr. Neil advised us that a daughter of Rev. Herbert Ramsay was still living, and that she held the personal papers of Mr. Ramsay and his son Stewart, who was also a PCEA minister. Mr. Neil and Mr. Ramsay's daughter subsequently visited the Ferguson Memorial Library, and being satisfied that the Library was an appropriate place to deposit this valuable collection, donated the entire collection of Rev. Herbert and Rev. Stewart Ramsay's diaries and sermons to the Library.
A number of most generous donations have since been received from Rev. Herbert Ramsay's daughter to further develop the "Ramsay Collection" of PCEA material in the Library and to assist our work generally. The gift of the PCEA Library collection referred to above was also negotiated directly through the good offices of these very special "friends of the Ferguson".
Rev. Herbert Ramsay's daughter herself had a distinguished career in the NSW Department of Education, retiring as Principal of a large Primary School on the northern rivers many years ago. Following on her retirement, she proceeded to undertake two terms as a missionary teacher with the Free Church of Scotland mission in Peru.
In the course of our earlier contacts with Mr. AIex Neil, we were also advised of the existence (at least up until recent years] of the pulpit Bible of the Chalmers Free Presbyterian Church at Clarence Town in the historic Post Office in that Hunter valley town. A note was made to follow this up when making a "Roadshow" visit to Clarence Town Presbyterian Church for their centenary celebrations in early 2005.
During the "open house" display, we noticed one particular visitor taking quite an avid interest in some of the material on display, and engaged him in conversation. To our amazement and delight, this visitor identified himself as the present custodian of the old Chalmers Free Church Bible - the only primary record to have survived the destruction of the Chalmers Church in a fire circa 1921. Following consultation with family members, our visitor most generously donated this valuable Bible, dating from 1873, to the Library as a memento. of the centenary celebrations of the present St. David's Presbyterian Church at Clarence Town. it now forms part of the Ramsay Collection within the Library.
Today, the Archivists of the Presbyterian and Uniting Churches in NSW respectively are privileged to visit Mr. Ramsay's daughter in her home on the north coast whenever travelling in that area, to minister to her in various ways, and to be authorised to act as her literary executors in due course.
"A church (or individual) which is not interested in the past achievements of their forbears for the Gospel of Christ in the land of their nativity, cannot be expected to accomplish anything
worthy of remembrance in the future."
[Preface to J. Campbell Robinson – “The Free Presbyterian Church of Australia,” 1947]
Now I would like to explain why matters moved so slowly.
At the time I became a student, our church was at about its very lowest. When I was ordained, there was but one settled minister in Victoria, the Rev John Sinclair at Geelong. The Rev J D Ramsay of Hamilton had resigned from there. In NSW there were but three settled ministers: Revs Wm McDonald of Sydney, S P Stewart at the Manning and W N Wilson at East Maitland. Rev Wm Grant was then advanced in years and was past taking regular services. There was no settled minister nearer to Grafton than the Rev S P Stewart of the Manning.
Travelling then was a tedious matter. A visit to the Clarence by another minister meant that he really needed to be at least three or four weeks away from his own people, with little likelihood of obtaining suitable supply. Mr Stewart would either have to drive overland, a matter of nothing less than five long days in a buggy, or else to take the steamer to Sydney and thence to the Clarence, Maclean, the Richmond and Brunswick,
and Mr Stewart had also to attend to the Hastings, with an occasional visit to the Macleay. Mr Wilson had the Barrington under his care, as well as the Hunter which was over a day's driving from his residence. There was no resident quorum of the Presbytery. Mr Stewart was the only minister within the bounds, and in order for a meeting to be held it was necessary for one or more of the ministers to be appointed by Synod as assessor members, in order to have the requisite quorum.
But it was the very fewness of the numbers that was the deciding factor in my consenting to become a student. I came to the help of the church because it was weak.
Also at the time I became a student, there had been no help whatever from Scotland as in later years. While I was at Maclean, the Rev Dr Maclean came from Scotland and stayed three weeks in Australia. Some time after him came Rev Jas Henry, Mr. Donald McDonald, student, and Mr. T M McLean, a licentiate. In the course of years then our church had Mr. Henry again, Mr. Donald McDonald again, Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Malcolm McDonald for some years each, also Mr. D A McDonald, Mr. George McKay and Principal MacLeod, and Mr. Neil Macleod who settled among us, as did Mr. McClean for many years. So we owe much to the Church in Scotland for its kindly help.
But to return to the day of ordination. There was a large gathering on that day, and good advice was given to both minister and people. But there were no speeches of welcome and goodwill after the ceremony. No cup of tea, or congregational welcome of any kind. It was about 36 years since there had been a previous settlement at Grafton, and fortyfive since there had been one at Maclean, and perhaps the people forgot what the custom is. But I am the only minister I know of in our church, or indeed of any other, who was not accorded some kind of congregational welcome. But I hope that when, in the good Providence of God, it is your lot to have another minister settled here, that he may receive one. Please do not forget.
The Session
At first we had no Session of our own to function. At a Session meeting there must be at least one minister and two ruling elders. There were but Mr Anderson and myself. So Presbytery, at our request appointed two Assessor elders from the Maclean congregation to assist us, Mr. Duncan McLachlan and Mr Murdoch McPherson. These brethren would have to come to Grafton or Brushgrove almost every time we held a Session meeting, and also at every Communion season, or at least one of them would have to come. They rendered very much valuable assistance in this way, and we also had the assistance at times of Mr. Neil Sutherland and Mr. James Ross, from Maclean, beside casual help from other of the Maclean elders. After Mr. Anderson, the next ordination to eldership was that of Mr Angus Beaton on 3 June 1919. Mr. Beaton was a very willing helper, and rendered good service until he left Grafton about ten years later. Mr. Harrison was ordained on 12 May 1921, and from that date the Grafton Session carried on its own work. For many years Mr. Harrison has been our Rep Elder to the Higher Church Courts, journeying to Sydney year after year and spending weeks at meetings, and bearing all the expense himself, except for the railway fares. He has made a great sacrifice for the church in this way. Mr. James Anderson and Mr. David McPherson were ordained to the Eldership on 17 November 1926. Mr. McPherson resigned later from office, the resignation being accepted on 16 December 1936.Other ordinations were: Mr. Harry Fuller 13 November 1930; Mr. Kenneth Reid 23 November 1933; Mr. Angus Gillies 22 October 1936. We now have Mr. Reid, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Gillies in Grafton and Mr. E J Harrison at Brushgrove, and Mr. J R Anderson.
The Church Building
When I came to Grafton it was in a fearful condition. It had just previously been roofed with iron, but all of the walls were discoloured with seepage through the bricks and by the rain that ran down the inside of the walls. It was lighted in those days with kerosene lamps, and it was somewhat of a task attending to them and keeping them clean, for the burners were old and would not work well. Later the lamps were replaced with gas, which we used for a number of years. The light was good and a wonderful improvement on the old kerosene lamps, but the mantels were continually being broken, and this was costly. I think the large moths, numbers of which were about the church in those days were mainly responsible for the breakage of the gas mantels. Later, we had electric light as it is today.
The church was ceiled and painted and the walls attended to: A new floor [Miss McBride]; Carpet [Miss McBride]; Path to gate [Miss McBride]; and 2 new fences [Miss McBride]
Collection Plates
At first the collection in the morning was taken in the old fashioned long-handled ladles, and in the evening a common plate was left at the door to receive a retiring collection. On Sabbath 24 November 1912 the collection plates were used for the first time.
The Pulpit
This has been enlarged twice since those days. The first one was but a small box indeed, and I well remember how some at least did not like to see it enlarged at all. But it was a fearful place to be in on a hot Sabbath. I well remember how one dear old friend remarked when I was agitating for its enlargement, as a reason for its not being altered, "Many a good sermon has been preached in that old pulpit." However it is none too large today.
The Precentor’s Desk
It is only comparatively recently that the Precentor's Desk has been removed from in front of the pulpit, and I know of at least one who was sorry to see that go, and that one was my self, for I had often longed to see it occupied by a precentor, but as perhaps 25 years or so had passed and none had ever used it for precenting in, I was not able to put up a good fight for its retention. Anyhow, we can always get one erected if needed at any time. [This was done, and it has been very capably occupied by Mr C P King and latterly by Mr Alistair Cameron - MH]
This leads me to speak of the Praise, in our church. I will speak of Brushgrove first. In my early days here we had in Brushgrove that Prince of Precentors, the late Mr Alex Philip. After some years Mr Philip was removed by death, and the praise was then led by Mrs Philip until her decease in Nov 1936. Since that time various members of the congregation have performed this duty. In Grafton at first we had to depend principally on Miss Mary Lowe. After two years or so Mr J W Stewart settled in our midst, and undertook this duty. For quite a number of years Mr Steward conducted weekly Psalmody Class, with a very fair attendance. The class was maintained for at least one to two hours each night. Mr Stewart had a very strong voice. He would get the Psalms from me, if they were ready, on Saturday, and on Sabbath morning one could easily hear him from the Manse, singing in his strong voice, preparatory to the service. Mr Stewart took wonderful interest in Psalmody, and indeed in all the work of the church, and was a tower of strength to us in many ways. He was punctuality itself in his duties, and he never missed a service, morning or evening, and on weekdays would often leave his store to attend the sanctuary. He was one of the good old school. But he was removed by death in January 1926. Our next regular precentor was Mr David McPherson, who also rendered fine service, and was most regular in his attendance, coming from South Grafton twice each Sabbath. He conducted the praise for a number of years. He was succeeded by Mr Reid, who in a time of need undertook this duty, in addition to the many others that he performed for the church, being at the same time Elder, taking his full share of conducting services when necessary, and at the same time carrying out his arduous duties as Clerk of Session, and Secretary of the Committee which entail a lot of work. At the present time, as we know, Mr King raises the tune for us in his well-known and much appreciated manner.
Some time ago a Psalmody Class was conducted by Mr. W Ensbey, but it did not receive the support it deserved, and after some time it was discontinued. This was regrettable, as Mr Ensbey was an able conductor, and it was a grand opportunity for the congregation to improve the praise portion of the services. At the present time we have a Psalmody practice conducted by Mr King. This has already made a great difference in the rendering of our praise, but it also seems to be treated with a great deal of indifference by the congregation. This is much to be regretted, as our rendering of the praise certainly has not been what it should have been. There has been a great tendency to sing slowly and painfully, as if, instead of being a pleasure and a joy, it were a weariness and a burden. Certainly there are some psalms that naturally require to be sung more slowly than others, such as those that deal with the sufferings of the Saviour, but even these are often sung too slowly. There are other psalms, full of joy and happiness, and it is most distressing and disheartening to a minister to give out a psalm of praise, a joyous psalm, at the commencement of a service, as is generally done, and hear it sung mournfully and slowly. This is disheartening to
the minister, dishonouring to God, and harmful to the congregation. This will never attract strangers to our church, but will drive them away. Let us sing heartily to the Lord, and make a joyful noise to the God of our salvation.
The Rev. H.W. Ramsay ministered in Grafton as a student [from 1911]; as a Licentiate [from 1913] and as Minster [from 1915] until his death on the 18th February, 1945.