CHURCHES (1)
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"Dramaticus"2 Herewith several news items from the Hongkong Times:
On May 19, 1873 the Reverend Domingo Davanzo was presented with a handsome gold cup by members of the Portuguese Community in Hongkong. Father Davanzo, it appears, had been Chaplain to the Community for some considerable time and subsequently was transferred to Milan, at which place he was appointed Prefect. Mr. M. Carvalho was the gentleman responsible for the collection of the sum of $500 for the above purpose.
The serious damage to the roof of St. John's Cathedral by white ants recalls the age of the building - one of the oldest edifices in the Colony, and certainly the oldest place of worship; for it was erected in 1847-49. Prior to that, makeshift premises had to be used for Protestant worship, and an old military map even shows a place marked "Church" on the present Murray Parade Ground (near the north-east corner) which was a matshed used for services in the early Forties.
In the early days of the Colony, there was a movement started for the erection of a Union Church, both for Anglicans and Nonconformists, instead of a purely Church of England building. This was in 1843. However, the Government disapproved of the idea and appointed a Colonial Chaplain with the result that Anglican services were conducted in this temporary structure known as the Matshed Church and a new building (now St. John's Cathedral) was ordered to be commenced at Government expense. The first Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. V. J. Stanton preached his first sermon in the Matshed Church on Christmas Eve, 1843.
Building Operations on the new Colonial Church were delayed for some years, owing to the Home Government postponing its sanction, but it was eventually opened on March 11, 1849, and the management was transferred from the Colonial Chaplain to the Bishop of Victoria, letters patent having been issued declaring the Colony to be a Diocese.
As regards the opening, the chronicles record, "Unfortunately this ceremony revived for a moment the community's bitter feeling against their former Governor (Sir John F. Davis) because his coat of arms, including a bloody hand, was observed emblazoned over the porte cochere." However, the idea was not the Governor's but that of the Surveyor General (Mr. St. J. Cleverly) who had the coat of arms included in the architecture.
Owing to the need for husbanding the funds in hand, the proposed steeple was not erected, and only a tower was built.
The Cathedral was designed by Mr. J. Pope, a Government Civil Engineer, who also designed the Government Offices and the old Government House, which were all built about the same time.
The foundation stone was laid by Sir J. F. Davis Bart. on March 11, 1847.