Church News
87 Hicks Hill Rd, Cherry Gardens
Services held Sundays at 9.30am
Come along, enjoy the company in air-conditioned comfort followed by a chat and morning tea.
Planning is underway for the Cherry Gardens Community Carols which will be held on Tuesday 17 December at the Memorial Hall. More information on that in a future issue of the Cherry Chatter.
Reverend Matthew and Mrs Maria Wilson
Reverend Matthew and Mrs Maria Wilson (nee Smith)
This intrepid couple served the Clarendon Circuit from 1858 to 1869. This circuit included Clarendon, Upper Sturt, Cherry Gardens and Coromandel Valley. Both were born in the industrial city of Bradford, Yorkshire in 1808, they married at the Church of St Peter in Bradford on 9 September 1835. Matthew was a bookkeeper prior to entering the ministry. Matthew was ordained a Methodist Minister at Wesley Chapel, in Southwark, London on 9 October 1835. Dianne and Darryl visited this beautiful Chapel and Wesley’s home, which is on the same allotment, during 2018.
Wesley Chapel Interior
Wesley Chapel
Matthew & Maria Wilson arrived in the Navigator Islands (now known as Samoa) on 15 August 1836 (after leaving England on 13 October 1835) to begin Matthew's Missionary Work among the local population. They didn’t muck around! Whilst there Matthew and Maria’s first son, John Smith Wilson and first daughter, Elizabeth Thornton Wilson were born. As there was some conflict between the Wesleyans and the London Missionary Society, it was decided that as the Wesleyans arrived in Samoa after the London Missionary Society, they would move out and hence Matthew moved to Tonga in 1839 where he remained until 1854. The rest of their children were born in Tonga. Daughter Maria and son William Richard were buried at the village of Felctoa, Lifuka Island, Friendly Islands, the name by which Tonga was previously known.
Matthew Wilson introduced grading of students according to their progress at Hihifo on Tongatapu in the early eighteen forties and found the method very popular amongst his students. The Infant’s or Children’s School developed by Mrs Maria Wilson at Vava’u proved so successful that it soon spread to the other islands. Young boys and girls now attended and it became very popular. The minutes of The Methodist Conferences, Volume VII of 1838 has Matthew Wilson in Vavau in The Friendly Isles District.
Following the reconciliation between The Tongan ruler, Aleamotuʻa and the non-Christian chiefs the mission at Hihifo was re-established, staffed by Reverend Matthew Wilson. The mission-house had been pulled down, leaving Wilson and his family to accept shelter in a house belonging to local Indigenous people. The largest in the fortress at Nuku’alofa, it was low and dark, having no opening but the door.
The Wilson family arrived in South Australia on 25 April 1854. Matthew was stationed at Mount Barker, Burra, Gawler, Yankalilla and Clarendon. In 1854 Matthew was appointed to Mt Barker, 1855 to Kooringa, then in 1858 and 1861 to Clarendon. Reverend Wilson was the first minister to occupy the parsonage erected in 1858 on land donated by Mr. Burgess on The Mount of Olives. “The place was very difficult to access but occupied a position from which a fine view of the surrounding district could be obtained” (1911 report from The Advertiser).
Matthew and Maria had 8 children in total but only 5 survived to adulthood; one died at birth, William died at 18 mths and Maria died at 7 and 3 mths. The other children were John Smith WILSON (1837-1930), Elizabeth Thornton Wilson m Michael KINGSBOROUGH (1838-1879) - both born in Samoa, James Wilson (1840-1919), Sarah Wilson m James LILLYWHITE (1843-1918) and Margaret Wilson m Thomas GOODE (1848-1927). James' son Edgar Hartley WILSON is buried at Blackwood cemetery. They lived in Blackwood for a time prior to his death in 1940.
Matthew died of sunstroke at his son's home in Norwood on 29 Jan 1876 during the Methodist Conference. He is buried at West Terrace. Mrs Maria Wilson’s name is on the foundation stone of the Old Coromandel Valley Church (1859).
Cherry Church Contacts
• Dianne Dyson, Secretary 0427863429
• Darryl Dyson, Chairperson 0412075063
Web site: cherrygardensunitingchurch.org
Email: cherrychurchinfo@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherryGardensUnitingChurch/
87 Hicks Hill Rd, Cherry Gardens
Services held on Sundays at 9.30am