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Rev Thomas and Mrs Buddle

Methodist Literature and Colportuer Society 1940



FOREWORD

(By Dr. C. H. Laws, Fellow of Trinity Methodist Theological College, Auckland)

It is an especial pleasure to commend this interesting Booklet to the Methodist people,

and indeed to' a larger circle of readers. There has long been a complaint among us

that the story of our early missionaries and of the pioneers who laid the foundations of

our European work is not available, in brief and inexpensive form, for wide

circulation, especially among the younger people of the Church. But here we begin to

remedy the defect.

The Booklet makes no pretension to biographical completeness. It is no more than a

sketch of the life of a devoted man, who in his day was a powerful influence in New

Zealand Methodism, and of an equally devoted woman, who through long years was

his constant help-meet. The writer as an act of devotion to their memory, cast into

form, with much care, the story of their lives for perusal by their descendants. She had

no thought of other readers. It was only at the request of the Publications Committee

of the Church who were impressed by the value of her work and by the service its

wider circulation might render, that the authoress consented to its publication in its

present form. Every reader will be grateful that this consent was given.

The Booklet tells its own story, and makes its own impression. The attentive reader

soon begins to build up in his mind a picture of Thomas Buddle as he was known to

his contemporaries. He was one of a circle of able men, which included Walter Lawry,

John Hobbs, James Buller, Joseph H. FIetcher, Alexander Reid, William Morley and

others, and among these he held no secondary place. His grasp of affairs, his sagacity

and foresight, his organising and directing capacity, and, not least his intense loyalty

to Methodism and its traditions, made him a trusted counsellor and leader. From the

day that he stepped on board the Triton, until long years afterwards he "ceased at once

to work and live," he was numbered among the men of Issachar who "had

understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do." He won the respect and

confidence of the Maori people and held it unbroken through troublous years; high

officials of State sought his advice and were influenced by it; the pioneers of

European settlement found in him a friend and spiritual adviser; his own church

accorded him the highest places of distinction and trust.

There is an element of challenge in such a story. It reminds us of far-off days when

hardship and sacrifice were the common lot. It recalls the large and gracious heritage

which is ours through the toil of other men. It reveals the spirit that made Methodism a

remarkable force in the first important years of the country's development. And it

demands of us that we, who have entered into the labours of good men and women,

shall treasure their example and enlarge our heritage as we pass it on to those who

follow us.

For the forms of Methodism may change, but its true spirit never can. It is always true

that the whole world of reachable men is our parish; always true that, in the essential



meaning of the words, we "have nothing to do but to save souls"; always true, as John

Wesley himself said, that "if we could bring all our preachers, itinerant and local,

uniformly and steadfastly to insist on these two points — Christ dying for us and

Christ living in us — we should shake the trembling gates of hell."

Dr. C. H. Laws , Auckland, Nov., 1940.

Rev. Thomas Buddle



THE REV. THOMAS BUDDLE

The Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Buddle arrived in New Zealand in the year 1840 — a few

months after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi; their arrival thus being coincident

with the establishment of New Zealand as a British colony. Incidentally it might be

mentioned that the fact that this was accomplished in so amicable a manner — without

force or bloodshed — was largely due to Missionary influence. After the Queen's

Commission had been read and interpreted much discussion ensued, both in favour of

and against the scheme, the Chief, Hone Heke, being among the opponents. At length

Tamati Waka Nene, the influential Wesleyan Chief, who had the utmost confidence in

the Missionaries, and great confidence in the British Government, after an

impassioned speech, addressing Captain Hobson, said: "Come, sir, come. We have

long been confused and at variance with each other come, and be our father and

guide." He carried the meeting with him, and there was a rush of Chiefs to sign the

Treaty. Later on, largely under the influence of the Missionaries of the two Protestant

Churches, the Southern Chiefs did likewise; in all, there were 512 signatures. In the

official records of the Church there is a copy of a letter from Governor Hobson to the

Head of the Mission, acknowledging gratefully the valuable service rendered. There is

also the following Minute in the Records of the Legislative Council of New Zealand,

dated December 14th, 1841: "Whatever difference of opinion may be entertained as to

the value and extent of the labours of the Missionary body, there can be no doubt that

they have rendered important services to this country; or that, but for them, a British

colony would not at this moment be established in New Zealand."

Thomas Buddle was a native of the City of Durham, and was born in 1812. He was

brought up a member of the Church of England, but at the age of seventeen he began

to attend the Wesleyan Church, and afterwards became a member. He at once

commenced active work. One of the ministers brought him a class book, saying:

"Here, Tommy, the Lord has found a job for thee." When "Tommy" hesitated from a

feeling of incompetence he said: "O, the Lord will help you through — if it is a cross

you must take it up." The young man then took the book, and gathered together a

class. That was characteristic of him through life — he did not shirk difficulties, but

whatsoever his hand found to do he did it with his might. He had not the advantage of

College training, but, being a diligent student of theology, he was urged, at the age of

twenty-three years, to offer himself as a candidate for the ministry, and was received

as a probationer by the Conference held at Sheffield in 1835. His first appointment

was to the Daventry circuit in Northamptonshire, where he spent two years of

successful ministerial labour. His next appointment was Huntington and St. Neots, and

his last year in England was spent in the City of Peterborough. Having finished his

four years' probation, and successfully passed all the prescribed examinations, he was

ordained to the full work of the Christian ministry at the Centenary Conference held in

Liverpool in 1839, by the President, the Rev. Theo. Lessey, and the Secretary, Rev.

Dr. Newton, assisted by the Revs. Thos. Jackson, Dr. Bunting, and Dr. Hannah. At

this Conference Mr. Buddle was requested to take an appointment to the New Zealand



Mission, which the Wesleyan Missionary Committee was anxious to reinforce, and six

young men were selected to join the Missionaries already in the field. So within a

month after his ordination Mr. Buddle was in Bristol, ready to embark, with the lady

to whom he had been united in marriage, and who was to be his faithful companion

and helpmeet in all his labours during the next forty-three years.

In order to commemorate the centenary of the Methodist Church, which occurred that

year, 1839, the Methodists in England, had purchased the Mission brig, "Triton," and

her first voyage was to bring Missionaries to the Islands of the Pacific, of which band

Mr. and Mrs. Buddle were members. The New Zealand contingent com-prised the

Revs. T. Buddle, J. Skevington and H. H. Turton, with their wives, and three single

ministers — Revs. J. Aldred, G. Buttle, and G. Smales. In all there were twenty-nine

persons besides the crew, which consisted of the captain, first and second mates,

steward and steward's mate, three A.B.'s, and two hoys. How they and their

belongings were stowed away, and how they secured exercise during the voyage is a

mystery. Evidently they had "to endure hardness." The Triton was a small vessel of

130 tons, and in these days would be considered slow and clumsy, while her cabins

were small and inconvenient. She was sold a few years later for £1,000, and a larger

and better appointed vessel, the John Wesley, substituted, to transport missionaries and

stores among the South Sea Islands.

The vessel left Bristol on September 14th 1839, but after four days they were obliged

to anchor at Milford Haven, and remained there twelve days. After a tedious voyage

of three months they landed at the Cape of Good Hope on January 3rd, having had to

shelter for about a fortnight at Saldanha — where they were befriended by Dutch

farmers — as they were unable to make Table Bay; and after a further detention of six

weeks, sailed for Hobart, where, on their arrival on April 7th, they were welcomed by

Mr. Waterhouse, General Superintendent of Missions. After a fortnight pleasantly

spent there, the New Zealand party proceeded on their way, accompanied by Mr.

Waterhouse, and arrived at Hokianga on May 7th, about eight months having been

spent en route. It must have been a weary and a dreary journey — one passenger

succumbed and was buried off the coast of New Zealand — but on the whole they

managed admirably, and, like sensible people, settled down to make the best of the

conditions. Services were held on Sundays, and sermons duly criticised; family

worship daily kept up, and amusements devised to the best of their ability — by one of

the rules of the ship passengers were prohibited from climbing the rigging. The food

was at times much below par, and as most of their fresh meat was swept overboard in

the Channel, they had a long experience of salt junk. Just what the food consisted of

on this vessel is not recorded, hut the following menu — or victualling scale, as it was

called — printed on the ticket of a later arrival, Richard Arthur, who came out in the

Joseph Fletcher in 1857, and who afterwards became a son-in-law of Mr. Buddle, will

serve to give some idea of the provisioning of those times, although this was

seventeen years later. In these days of luxury travel it seems scarcely credible that

such conditions existed less than one hundred years ago.



"The following quantities at least of water and provisions will be supplied by the

Master of the Ship, as required by Law, viz., to each Statute Adult Three Quarts of

Water daily, exclusive of what is necessary for cooking the articles required by the

Passenger Act to be issued in a cooked state, and a Weekly Allowance of Provisions

according to the following Scale: —

ARTICLES Second Cabin Steerage

Preserved Meats ............. l½ lbs. 1 lb.

Soup and BouiIIi ............. ½ lb.

Ham ................................. ½ lb.

Fish ............................... ¼ lb.

Salt Beef .......................... 1 lb. l¼ lb.

Pork ................................. 1½ 1bs. 1 lb.

Biscuits ............................ 4¼ 1bs. 3½ 1bs.

Flour ............................... 4¼ lbs. 3 lbs.

Rice ................................. 1 lb. ½ lb.

Barley ............................. ½ lb.

Peas ............................... ½ pt. ½ pt.

Oatmeal ........................... ½ pt. 1 pt.

Preserved Milk ................

Sugar ............................... 1 lb. 1 lb.

Tea ................................ 1½ ozs. l½ ozs.

Coffee ............................. 3 ozs. 2 oz.

Butter ........................... ½ lb. 6 oz.

Cheese ........................... ¼ lb.

Currants .......................... ¼ lb.

Raisins ........................... ½ lb. ½ lb.

Suet ................................ 6 oz. 6 oz.

Preserved Carrots ...........

Pickle ............................ ¼ pt. ¼ pt.

Mustard ......................... ½ oz. ½ oz.

Pepper ............................ ¼ oz. ¼ oz.

Salt ................................ 2 oz. 2 oz.

Potatoes (fresh) ............. 3½1bs. 2 lb.

or Preserved Potatoes .... ½ lb. ½ lb.

N.B. — If passengers are not maintained on Board after the above named date they

will be paid Subsistence Money after the date of 1/6 per day for each Statute Adult.

"Second Cabin Fare, £26. It is understood that this will be absolutely forfeited in case

the parties named herein fail to embark in a fit state of health for the voyage at the

above-mentioned place and date."

The most outstanding of the new arrivals, and the ablest administrator was the Rev.

Thos. Buddle, and although he had only just completed his probation as a minister, his



maturity of character was such that he was chosen chairman of the Mission band on

the Triton, and received special thanks for his services.

After a stay of a few days at Hokianga, Mr. and Mrs. Buddle embarked for the last

stage of their journey accompanied by the Rev. J. H. Bumby, Superintendent of the

New Zealand Mission; but the wind being unfavourable, they were unable to reach

Waingaroa (now Raglan), and were driven to Kawhia, the station of the Rev. John

Whiteley, and were obliged to continue their journey overland.

Mr. Bumby also left the boat at Kawhia, intending to return to his home at Mangungu.

In order to avoid crossing the dreaded Kaipara Heads, and also a long journey on foot,

he decided to take the longer route, and travel from the Thames to Whangarei by

canoe.

He set out with a party of young native teachers from the Mission, and all went well

until when, between Motutapu and Tiritiri, as the natives were attempting to hoist a

sail the canoe overturned, and in spite of the heroic efforts of the lads — two of

whom, James Garland, a Maori, and a boy from Tonga, supported him for half an hour

on the upturned canoe, he was washed off and drowned, with thirteen of the Maoris.

Several managed to reach the shore, but their progress overland was slow, and it was

several weeks before the news reached Mr. Bumby's sister at Mangungu, near

Hokianga.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Buddle, in complete ignorance of the tragedy, had at last

completed their journey, and arrived at Waingaroa. An extract from the diary of Mr.

Waterhouse, and a letter to him from Mr. Buddle will give some idea of this journey:

"I accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Buddle and Mr. Wallis about six miles by water.

Mrs. Buddle was then put in a chair, and carried on the shoulders of natives a

two days' journey through the bush to Waingaroa. She would have to sleep in a

native hut without table, stool, or candlestick. They have taken a small mattress,

and will gather a few ferns on which to place it. She wept at our parting, but was

by no means discouraged beyond what any woman under her circumstances and

in such a situation would have been. A thirty mile journey, chiefly through the

bush, in the depth of a New Zealand winter, for a delicate woman is no trifle.

Thou God of Missionaries, vouchsafe to defend her!"

Mr. Buddle writes —

"We reached this place about six o'clock last evening in perfect safety, and

thankful to God for His care over us. It was a very fatiguing journey for Mrs.

Buddle, but she kept up her spirits to the end; though on our arrival she was

completely exhausted. We slept at Aotea the first night, but it was impossible to

rest much, the insects worried us, and the pigs were grunting about all night, we

being separated from them only by Mr. Wallis' tent, which he kindly lent us.

However, we felt thankful for a place of shelter. We started again yesterday

morning about nine, and after encountering many little difficulties — such as



heavy showers of rain, sticking fast in bogs, rolling down in the mud, etc., we

arrived safely. You can form no idea of the state of the road; I think if I had seen

it before I durst not have attempted the journey with Mrs. Buddle at present.

However, we are both thankful that we have pot home. We received a cordial

reception from Mrs. Wallis, and Mrs. Buddle, I am happy to say, is not any

worse for the journey."

They shared the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wallis for some months, and a friendship was

formed between the two families which was never broken off. Years later, a daughter

of Mr. Wallis married George Brown, a nephew of Mrs. Buddle, who came out from

Barnard Castle during Mrs. Buddle's residence at Onehunga, and became one of their

family. He spent some years with them, and while there first considered taking up

Church work.

In his Autobiography he says:

"It would be simply impossible for me to state all that I owe to the good man and

his loving wife who from the day of my arrival in New Zealand were to me, not

Uncle and Aunt, but Father and Mother. I was not preached to except by the

example of Christly lives, but the influence of that Christian home caused me to

feel that there was something wanting in my life."

He became well known in later years as Dr. George Brown, one of the foremost of the

pioneer Missionaries and explorers in the South Sea Islands, although the Quarterly

Meeting at which he was presented as a candidate at first objected to him as being "too

meek, mild, and ladylike a young person for the Mission Field." (Little they knew

him!)

He was regarded as the greatest living authority on the Polynesian race, and wrote

several books on the subject, also many articles for scientific publications; he was a

member of the Zoological and Geographical Societies of London. On one of his many

voyages he made the acquaintance of Robert Louis Stevenson — to quote again from

his Autobiography:

"One of my visits to the Pacific is memorable to me as the time when I first made

an acquaintanceship, which ripened into lasting friendship to the day of his

death, with Robert Louis Stevenson. It has always been a source of great regret

to me that I was not able to avail myself of his great wish to write the story of my

life, but both he and I felt that it was utterly impossible at the time, owing to the

many engagements which I then had. I never forget his saying to me: "Well.

Brown, if we cannot do it now we must just wait, but I want to tell you that if at

any time I can help you in any way, by the use of the gifts that God has given me

— and folks say that I have some gifts for writing — I shall be very glad indeed

to place the best I have at your disposal."

The death of Stevenson a few years later made this impossible.



Dr. Brown's wonderful collection of Island curios he presented to the Bowes Museum

at Barnard Castle — his birthplace. Mr. Buddle, although he had come safely through

the perils and vicissitudes of a long ocean voyage, was destined to be twice

shipwrecked during his short stay at Waingaroa, each time narrowly escaping with his

life. On one occasion, whilst voyaging between Kawhia and Waingaroa, he was

overtaken by a storm, and he and the natives had the greatest difficulty in beaching

their boat, after having thrown overboard a quantity of valuable stores intended for the

Mission. Three months later — when their babe was six weeks old — he was

appointed to commence a new Mission at Porirua in the South, in response to the

urgent request of the native chief Tama-i-hengia. The only vessel available was the

Hannah, a small sixty-ton schooner, which was totally unseaworthy — her boats

being useless, and her cable a rotten rope; but there was no choice, and "Theirs not to

reason why," so they embarked at Kawhia. On attempting to leave the harbour the ship

refused to answer the helm, and was wrecked on the bar, Mr. Buddle saving his child

from drowning by holding her above his head as the waves dashed over the ship.

Fortunately the occurrence had been witnessed from the shore by Mr. Whiteley, who

immediately sent assistance — Mrs. Buddle and her infant daughter having to be

carried through the breakers by the natives, and all safely reached land. After the lapse

of years this infant became the wife of the Rev. John Crump, one well known and

beloved in the early days of the Methodist Church.

In those days all travel was attended with danger. Shortly before this the Rev. Jas.

Buller, having been instructed to proceed to Port Nicholson (Wellington) to complete

the arrangements in connection with the formation of a station there, set out on the

journey of five hundred miles on foot. Roads there were none, rivers were numerous

— some treacherous, and bridges unknown; even the native tracks through the forest

were often overgrown, and the old suspicions between the tribes had not yet died out.

The summary of an eminent minister from Australia who some years later went over

much of the same ground, was terse and forceful — "To take such a journey once was

a sin of ignorance; to attempt it a second time was a sin of presumption, for which

there is no forgiveness."

Mr. Buller describes it thus:

"To travel upwards of five hundred miles in a country like New Zealand is a

journey which cannot be unattended with privation and toil, as I found. Those

who are accustomed to traverse only the well-defined and even roads of our

native country, can form but a very inadequate idea of this. Imagine one

trembling on precipices, climbing mountains, traversing wilds, plunging through

bogs, wading rivers, penetrating dense impervious forests, now drenched with

rain, then burning in the sun, and travelling sometimes for days without meeting

a single individual — and you have some conception of a long journey in New

Zealand. But, long and tedious as it was, it was not devoid of interest. To the

mere lover of nature the diversified scenery of this highly interesting country

would have afforded an ample compensation for his toil, but to the Christian



Missionary it is fraught with interest of the highest kind — I felt that I was

employed on an important and glorious errand."

It took about five weeks to complete this journey.

After the wreck of the Hannah, as there was no probability of obtaining another ship,

Mr. Buddle was sent to commence a new mission in the Waipa. A suitable site was

chosen, but as the place was "tapu," and the chief vehemently opposed its occupation,

the site was abandoned, and Te Kopua chosen instead, where he took up his abode

with the tribe of Te Rau Takerei. As a Missionary had to be anything and everything,

although lacking the special gifts of his friend, the Rev. J. Hobbs, who not only

preached the Gospel, but was equally at home constructing a boat or a house, effecting

mechanical repairs, or tending the sick, Mr. Buddle, with the aid of the natives,

procured the necessary timber from the bush, made bricks, and built his house. These

houses in which many of the early Missionaries lived were made of raupo, and were

by no means weather-proof; they would only last for four or five years, and would be

completely destroyed in a few minutes in the event of fire. This was quite liable to

happen, particularly if — as in some cases — the chimney was made of wood. Some

of the older houses which the Missionaries had to occupy until something better could

be built had neither chimney nor windows. But apparently, whatever else they lacked,

there was one thing of which they could always be sure — the presence of the "Black

jumpers," or, as another has more euphoniously expressed it, "entomological life."

They evidently were present in their thousands and their tens of thousands. Dr. Brown

tells that, rather than dispute possession of the only house available — a deserted

whare — on one of the nights of their honeymoon journey, he and his bride were

compelled to stand shivering on a hilltop all night, with their backs to the pitiless

driving rain, against which it was impossible to proceed.

The house being completed, goods were carried over the mountains from Waingaroa,

and housekeeping commenced. It was to this house that there came one day a brawny

native on exploration bent; he was found by Mrs. Buddle in her bedroom,

experimenting with her hair brush. This was too much for the little English lady who

had already endured so much — she promptly took it from him and smacked him. In

spite of some slight uneasiness on Mr. Buddle's part, as to the possible results of this

rash act, history does not relate that there were any serious consequences. It is evident

that the women of those days were not to be trifled with. In the days of the first

mission at Whangaroa, when the natives were really savage, one of the chiefs, after

roughly handling Mr. Turner outside, entered the Mission House and proceeded to

take goods from the Mission store, which Mrs. Turner, in spite of his threats to kill

her, calmly took from him. Such scenes were common during the first months of

residence at Whangaroa. They were indeed wonderful women, and the Missionaries

themselves were the first to acknowledge that much of the progress made and the

influence which they gained was due to the unfailing courage and patience of their

wives. Mr. Buddle pays a tribute to them in a letter to Mr. Fordham, a brother

Missionary in Fiji — "Miss Nightingale and her band of Sisters with the allied armies



at the Crimea have had great praise, and they have deserved it; the lady who

accompanies her husband into' the dark places of the earth that are full of the

habitations of cruelty, and ministers to his comfort while he labours to save souls from

death, is often unknown among men but her record is on high, and angels will one day

tell' her worth, while 'Jesus smiles and says well done'."

Mr. Buddle laboured with great success for four years at Te Kopua. He gathered a

large congregation, established schools, and appointed native teachers to conduct

services and teach in the schools. His district extended as far as Mokau in the interior,

and down to Taupo. He sometimes travelled for two days without seeing a single

village, as much of that part of the country had been completely depopulated by war,

the inhabitants having been killed or taken as slaves.

The Wesleyan Mission Station, Waipa

(from a pencil sketch by Rev. Thomas Buddle about 1843)

The Rev. Walter Lawry, who, after the death of Mr. Waterhouse, had been appointed

General Superintendent of Missions, writes in his journal of his visit to the Waipa —

"We came late in the evening to Mr. Buddle's station, Te Kopua, and found

ourselves thoroughly at home. Mr. Buddle had succeeded in making a deep

impression during the three years of his stay. By his general expertness in native

affairs, and great readiness in speaking their language, besides being their

spiritual father, he has acquired corresponding influence with them, and indeed

can do anything he desires, for 'the art of governing,' we know, 'is governing by

love.' "

Mr. Lawry goes on to relate some of the many and varied experiences that fell to his

lot during this, his first official visit to the scattered Mission stations:



"By the gray light of the morning, while the ground was covered over with hoar

frost, I set off with two natives and one European to cross the island of New

Zealand in one day, and in the depth of winter. About one half of our way was

over a barren waste, but at two o'clock we got into a dense forest, the horrors of

which will never be forgotten by me. The roots of the trees are generally thickly

webbed upon the surface, and tend greatly to obstruct the traveller, while the

trees themselves with underwood and various vines are so close together that a

passage through is a difficult and tedious matter. The clay below is seldom dry,

and yields to the foot, so that one is in no small danger of being made fast at both

ends at once — the feet in the clay, and the head entwined with vines and

woodbines. It is here that honesty is no protection from being hanged. We were

threading our way through this until some hours after dark, and had to cross one

river ten times, and creeks without saying how many. I have not the least hope of

giving anything approaching an adequate idea of bush travelling in New

Zealand; but try to imagine hills so precipitous that walking gives way to all

fours — the most fearful hills it ever fell to my lot to ascend and descend. But

there was no escaping them, having succeeded in getting over one mountain

nothing remained but to cross the river or bog below, and immediately ascend

the next cloud-capped hill. This is the general character of many hundreds of

miles in New Zealand; wild goats might walk up and down these places, but

surely they are ill-adapted for the paths of men. Such travelling is wasting and

cheerless beyond all the power of graphic delineation; there is, however, nothing

better for these devoted men who year after year wander up and down these hills

and woods, seeking that they may save souls. And thank God they have not

laboured in vain — I certainly never was more delighted with any set of men

than with these strong, cheerful, kind-hearted, and intelligent natives. I have now

had a taste only of what my brethren have to pass through from year to year for

life."

About six weeks after Mr. Lawry's arrival in 1844 the largest gathering of natives ever

held in New Zealand took place at Remuera, which at that time was on the margin of a

large swamp, extending from there to One Tree Hill. One of the reasons for the

gathering was to receive and divide the money — the sum of £25,000 — due to them

from the sale of Auckland City site. Also, the leading chiefs wished to meet and

confer with the newly-appointed Governor, Captain FitzRoy. There was great

excitement among the natives; they came from far and near, seventeen tribes being

represented. Of the Waikatos alone — the givers of the feast — there were said to be

three thousand, and probably the others aggregated nearly as many more. Both the

Church of England and the Wesleyan Missionaries accompanied their people, as this

was the first time many of these tribes had met as friends, and they knew that even an

incautious word might be enough to provoke serious consequences, and they felt that

their presence would be a restraint. At this time the members of the two Missions

laboured in the utmost harmony and good fellowship, visiting each other's stations,

and assisting in the services during such visits. The Maoris regarded them, not as



rivals, but as two divisions of the Church army, and were solicitous that they should

be treated alike. An interesting instance of this is given; when Patuone, the protector

of the Wesleyan Mission in Hokianga, accepted Christianity he was baptised by a

minister of the Church of England; when his brother, Nene, and equally renowned,

took the same step, he was baptised at the Wesleyan Mission. This was arranged

expressly so as not to favour one Church more than the other. Nothing of a public

nature could be clone by the Maoris without a feast, and the preparations made for this

were on a colossal scale, the provisions being laid out many days before the arrival of

the guests. A wall of potatoes, five feet high and three feet thick, extended more than a

quarter of a mile, while on a pole placed over them were hung many hundreds of

sharks; they had long been in that situation, and were therefore somewhat tender. The

Governor and all the leading officials visited the encampment, and were received with

the heartiest demonstrations of welcome, and many important consultations were held.

Advantage was taken of the presence of so many Wesleyan Missionaries to hold a

special meeting to discuss many important questions, among them the desirability of

establishing an institution for the training of native teachers and pastors, which they

had long considered necessary. Primary schools had by this time been started in most

of the villages, but for the Missionaries to keep them all going was clearly an

impossibility; also, as New Zealand had now become a British Colony, it was

considered desirable that the Maoris should learn to speak English. A public meeting

was called to enlist the help of the colonists, and although these had very little money

at that time, some being almost destitute, public feeling was in favour of the scheme,

and £46/15/- was promised at the meeting. A grant was made by the Governor of a

section of six acres situated at the corner of Grafton and Carlton Gore Roads, and

buildings were erected. These consisted of a small unpretentious cottage — the

residence of the Principal, and a plain building to serve as a school-room on week-

days, and for service on Sundays, with dormitories etc., for the students, attached.

That they were not of a very elaborate character may be inferred from the fact that ten

years later they were valued at £150. On the same site now stands Trinity Theological

College and Hostel, with the Collegiate Church and residences for the staff, erected at

a cost of approximately £47,000, and opened, free of debt, in 1929. The Wesleyan

Native Institution was formally opened in 1845, Mr. Buddle being appointed

Principal; he was also to assist Mr. Lawry in the European work. This, of course,

necessitated giving up his work at Te Kopua after a period of less than five years, and

was much against his own wishes, but his personal worth and mental qualifications

were at this time attracting considerable attention, and he was appointed to this more

prominent and responsible sphere of labour. Although Mr. Buddle's experience of

actual Mission work on a Maori station was short, he had made the best of his time.

Acquiring the language easily he became a facile and forcible speaker therein; he also

learned all he could of the legends of the people in order to better understand them,

while his diligence and kindness of heart gained their respect and their love. Even

when he became fully occupied with the duties of a European pastorate, and burdened

with "the care of all the Churches," and the Foreign Mission, of which he was the



Financial Secretary he never lost his love for the native race, but pleaded earnestly for

the effective continuance of Mission work among them; a solicitous regard for their

weal remained with him to the very close of his life. As Principal he was responsible

for the general oversight of the Institution and for Biblical instruction, and

subsequently aided in the revision of the Maori translation of the Scriptures. The

students applied themselves with great diligence, some making remarkable progress

— several afterwards rendering excellent service to Church and State. By Mr.

Buddle's powerful preaching, pastoral care, and earnest prayers, their religious life

also was deepened; the young Maoris saw in him a man who "walked with God," and

felt the power of his example.

By this time the families of the Missionaries were growing up, and it was felt to be

necessary that some suitable provision be made for their education. All the towns were

small, and educational facilities almost nil, while their stipends did not allow of any

large expenditure even if schools had been available. They confided their difficulties

to Mr. Lawry, and he conceived the idea of forming a proprietary school or college, all

the Missionaries becoming proprietors, and each share representing £50. The idea

commended itself thoroughly to all interested, and Wesley College, Upper Queen

Street, was the result. The Missionary Committee in England were requested to

furnish the necessary school equipment, and to appoint a suitable minister to take

charge. The Rev. Joseph FIetcher was appointed first Principal, and the College was

opened in 1850. That it was not very lavishly furnished is evident from a letter of Mr.

Buddle's in which he says:

"You will be glad to hear that the seminary for our Missionaries' children is

doing well under Mr. FIetcher. We need many articles for domestic and school

purposes, not to be got here but at great cost, which I doubt not that some of our

friends at Home could easily supply if they got a gentle hint on the subject; for

Mr. Marsden's present of a patent washing machine for the use of the school we

are very thankful." (That machine, or one of the same period, is still in existence,

and working well.)

The School was for both boys and girls, and boarders came from nearly all the

Mission Stations in New Zealand, from Fiji, and even from Australia. It proved a great

success, and was carried on for nearly twenty years, when, owing to the removal of

some of the ministers, and the establishment of other educational institutions, also the

unrest caused by the Maori War, it was decided to donate the College and grounds to

the Connexion, with the stipulation that they be used for a Wesleyan Seminary in

Auckland, or, failing that, for the promotion of a college in New Zealand in

connection with the Wesleyan Methodist Church. This was not feasible for some time,

and the building was let for various educational purposes; but in 1895 it was decided

to reopen it for boys, under the name of Prince Albert College, a large new building

for a girls' school being erected in the same grounds, and opened in the following year.

Thomas Jackson, M.A., of London, was appointed Principal of both schools. A

number of the names on the old Wesley College roll would reappear on the rolls of the



new College — Wallis. Buddle, Buttle, Watkm, and others — as many of the

descendants of the early Missionaries received their education at this popular School.

It was successfully carried on until 1906, when it was closed. The buildings are now

being used by the Salvation Army as a hostel, and no other Methodist college has

taken its place.

The Colonial Government was anxious to promote native education to the utmost, and

in 1845 another piece of land, at the Three Kings, about three miles out of Auckland,

containing 192 acres, was granted to the Superintendent on the same terms as Grafton

Road. This property, as affording larger scope than Grafton Road for industrial

training, and being further removed from the city, was determined on as the permanent

home of the Central Institution. The foundation was laid on April 5th, 1848.

Mr. Buddle records in his journal:

"Attended the laying of the foundation stone of our Native Educational

Establishment at Three Kings. His Excellency the Governor in chief, Sir George

Grey, laid the stone, and our General Superintendent conducted the devotional

part of the service. Afterwards, our natives served up a Maori repast of potatoes,

pumpkins, corn, melons, etc., grown on the spot."

The following year the Rev. Alexander Reid arrived from London and took up his

duties as the first Principal, which position he ably filled until, owing to the war, the

school had to be temporarily closed. Sir George Grey warmly supported the scheme,

and afforded the Missionaries all the assistance in his power, both from Government

funds and by personal contribution. Mr. Buddle, who was a great authority on native

affairs, and often consulted by the Governor and his Ministers, received a letter from

him in which he states that he has approved the plans of the school, and authorised a

grant of £600 for the same. He adds that he often thinks of the school, and hopes that

if he lives to be an old man God will mercifully grant him the pleasure of revisiting it,

and finding it an institution of vast usefulness. To all the schools established by the

Mission, and particularly to Three Kings, he was a constant benefactor, and nothing

saddened him more during the Waikato War than the breaking up of these educational

establishments. He was, as Mr. Lawry says, very much their friend in their great

efforts to save this fine race of people. His cooperation with the Missionaries for the

welfare of the Maoris is shown by the following incident. There was to be a large race

meeting at Epsom, and the Maoris were expected to muster in force. Mr. Buddle

appealed to Sir George Grey to see if this could not be prevented; Sir George replied

that he had no authority to prevent the natives attending, but suggested some counter

attraction. On this idea Mr. Buddle at once acted, arranging for a gathering of the

natives at Grafton Road, and inviting the Governor, with others, to speak. The plan

answered admirably, many besides the natives attending, to the detriment of the race

meeting, and the chagrin of its promoters.

In 1854 the Wesleyan Conference in England constituted the Churches under their

care in Australia, Tasmania New Zealand, and the South Seas Islands, an affiliated



Conference with powers of self-government, the arrangement taking effect in 1855.

Mr. Buddle, with the Rev J. Whiteley, was summoned to attend the first Australasian

Conference held in Sydney. At that Conference he was appointed to the Manukau

circuit, and also Chairman of the Auckland District, which office he held for ten years.

The English congregations he had to supply were Onehunga, Otahuhu, Mangere,

Woodside, and Papakura; he was the first to preach the Gospel in Onehunga and

Otahuhu. The only house available was a pensioner's cottage, and in this by some

means Mr. and Mrs. Buddle and their ten children contrived to live until something

more commodious could be obtained. It was no uncommon thing at weekends, when

the children were home from school, for them to number, with visitors, as many as

seventeen persons.

Mr. Buddle says in a letter to a friend

"We are stationed at Onehunga, a village about seven miles from Auckland; I

have an extensive circuit thinly populated, with small congregations, so that my

work is done with much labour and travelling. It is new ground and I am trying

to 'break it up'; it is the day of small' things with us, but we do not despise it, and

the Lord does not leave us without encouragement. We have not so good a house

as when you were with us — we are living in an old pensioner's cottage of four

rooms and kitchen, and are sadly crowded, but we hope soon to have a better."

Many years later, one of Mr. Buddle's daughters returned to this circuit as the wife of

the Rev. Rainsford Bavin.

During Mr. Buddle's residence in Onehunga the Taranaki War and the Maori King

movement commenced. Mr. Buddle attended most of the early meetings in connection

with this movement, and was present at the great meeting at Ngaruawahia in 1860,

when the Waikato tribes collected, planted their Maori flag, and proclaimed Potatau

their King. He spent three weeks among them in company with other Missionaries and

officials, endeavouring to induce the natives to abandon their foolish project, but in

vain. In a letter to his wife at this time he says: "Here we are still waiting, and the

whole of the tribes not yet assembled. The whole day has been occupied in speeches

— the principal subject being 'Shall we go to assist King?' Some said 'Let us go,'

others 'Let us first ascertain whether King be right.' They talked till the sun went

down, and did not appear to agree on the point. I am heartily tired of this kind of life,

but I do not think it would be right to leave until it is over, as we can exert an

influence upon many. The time is critical, and much wisdom is required. You need be

under no concern whatever about our safety; we meet with nothing but kindness from

the natives — one of the principal men brought me a pig this morning." Mr. Buddle

took copious notes of the speeches delivered, and of the general proceedings, which he

condensed and published in a pamphlet entitled The History of the King Movement.

Two lectures which he delivered before the Auckland Young Men's Christian

Association on "Maori Customs and Superstitions" were also published in pamphlet

form. He was Vice President of this Association, and for years gave his active



cooperation in its work. He also took a deep interest in the Sunday evening theatre

services, and frequently gave addresses.

His sympathy with youth is evident from the following, taken from an address

delivered by him to a Mutual Improvement Class:

"When your Secretary invited me to address you, on the opening of your class, it

afforded me pleasure to accede to your request. My pleasure arose from the

thought that I should have an opportunity of meeting many young men whom I

formerly knew as scholars in the Sabbath School, or as children in the families I

was accustomed to visit when I was the Pastor of the Wesleyan Church in this

City. During my ten years absence those who were children have advanced to

manhood, while I have been receding into the time of the 'sere and yellow leaf.'

When I first entered Auckland, a missionary from the interior, thirty-two years

ago, Auckland was a small village, without Young Men's Christian Associations

or Mutual Improvement Classes, or any other such social privileges or means of

self-improvement. I must express the pleasure I feel at meeting you on such an

occasion as this, and seeing you thus associated in the pursuit of useful

knowledge. It is true I have passed the period of youth — but I have not lost my

sympathy with youth; and to see young men a thirst for knowledge and

employing proper means to obtain it always affords me pleasure. Young men

generally do not know how to turn the condition to account until they have

passed it; they do not know what youth is as long as they are young. It is when

we become old that we are best able to understand the nature and the worth of

youth. If we allow the precious time to run to waste, the discovery of its

preciousness will be made too late when it is gone. I have often wished I could

traverse a second time the favoured season of Youth; I have thought how I would

remedy the errors of the former journey, avoid its follies, and lay up a much

larger store of useful knowledge for after life — a wish often cherished, but

never gratified. Ola men are often regarded as antiquated and conservative, and

obstructive — as old fogies, unable to keep pace with the progress of the times,

or to sympathise with the advanced thought of the age, but I plead not guilty to

these charges. I have great sympathy with everything that advances the happiness

of mankind, with every discovery that reveals to us more of the works of the

great Creator, or that develops the powers of the human intellect, or exalts the

Redeemer, or hastens the grand Millenium when all shall know the Lord, and

when righteousness shall cover the earth and a universal brotherhood be seen

among men. I have an idea that I know what youth is, better than those that are

still in it; I have been there. I have passed through it; I have two experiences, you

have only one; and this I wish to say — that this is your greatest, best time. It

determines what your future shall be. Viewed apart it is not the greatest period of

a man's life — the direct results ;of youthful life are comparatively trifling — but

it is the period on which the greatest hangs. It bears to manhood somewhat the

same relation that time bears to Eternity."



After six years' residence in Onehunga Mr. Buddle returned to Auckland, and divided

his labours between the European and the Maori work, visiting at intervals distant

Missions. During his second residence in Auckland he was elected President of the

Australasian Conference, over which he presided in Hobart in 1863.

Mr. Buddle removed to Christchurch in 1866, and was appointed Chairman of the

District. In this large circuit, which then embraced in one what afterwards increased to

eight circuits, employing ten ministers, he laboured for four years with considerable

success. From Christchurch he removed to Wellington in 1870 as Superintendent of

the Wellington Circuit and Chairman of the District. His next appointment was to

Nelson, and it was during his term here that the Australasian Conference was divided

into four annual Conferences, with a General Representative Conference to meet once

in three years. The New Zealand districts formed one of the Annual Conferences, and,

by the unanimous vote of his brethren, Mr. Buddle was elected to the Presidency of

the first New Zealand Conference, which was held in Christchurch in 1874. The

character of Mr. Buddle was of no mean order; his ardent attachment to and extensive

knowledge of the laws and polity of the Church, and his fitness to administer them,

were recognised by 'all. His abilities and worth were also' known and appreciated

outside his own Church; while in Wellington and Nelson he held a seat on the Senate

of the New Zealand University, at the invitation of the Government. He was also a

member of the Auckland University College Council at the time of his death, and took

a deep and active interest in its affairs.

At this New Zealand Conference it was decided to reopen Three Kings as a

Theological Institution, for the training of European ministerial students with a native

department; and Mr. Buddle's term at Nelson having expired, he was appointed to the

position of Principal and Theological Tutor for the departments. Here he was engaged

for six years, having under his care a number of Maori and English students — one of

whom, the Rev. John Dellow, afterwards became his son-in-law, being the third young

Methodist minister to qualify for this position. Advancing years obliged Mr. Buddle to

retire from this work in 1881, and the Institution was carried on under various

Principals, the last being the Rev. J. H. Simmonds, during whose term the College was

closed, and the boys were removed to the new College at Paerata. Unfortunately the

beautiful and historic Three Kings property is no longer in the possession of the

Methodist Church, having been sold to the Government as a site for State houses.

In 1882 Mr. Buddle became a Supernumerary, but he still fulfilled his duties as

General Secretary to the Home Mission, his last report of which, written on the last

day of his life, was left unfinished. When Mr. Buddle applied for permission to retire

from the full work of the ministry, Conference acceded to his request with regret, and

took the opportunity, by formal resolution, of referring to the efficient services he had

rendered during forty-seven years; for some time he had been the oldest minister

engaged in the regular work. The hope was expressed that, in the quiet happy evening

of a well-spent life, both he and Mrs. Buddle — who had been the devoted partner of

his life and labours — might realise the richest fulfilment of the great and precious



promises, which were to them and to their children. But this was not to be; up to the

last Mr. Buddle had been fulfilling ministerial appointments, both in town and in the

suburban townships. His last sermon was preached in the morning at Onehunga on

June 17th, 1883, his text being — "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth

himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:3). He was due to preach at Grafton Road in the

evening and being unable to get a bus home, was obliged to return by train. This

necessitated a long walk, and not wishing to be late for his appointment, he was

hurrying up Carlton Gore Road, when he was seized with violent pain, and was unable

to proceed. He was found by some of the congregation, and carried to his home. He at

once received medical attention, and appeared to recover from the attack, as on the

following Tuesday he was about again. He was anxious to preach at Pitt St. on the

following Sunday, but was not permitted; and that night he had another similar

seizure. No particular alarm was felt, as the attack seemed to yield to treatment. On

Monday he was up, and spent part of the day writing, and in the evening took his tea

as usual, being quite cheerful; however, at six he had another attack, followed by

another a few hours later; and from this he did not rally. He became unconscious, and

in the early hours of the morning the call came, and he passed on — "The first link of

the chain in Heaven." He was followed the next year by her who through life had been

his constant companion. and who, after his departure, no longer desired to remain; and

just four years ago, when Elizabeth Arthur — the last of her generation — went home

at the age of ninety-two years .the last link was added, and they are now once more an

unbroken chain.

Among Mr. Buddle's last letters was one to his daughter in Christchurch, from which

it is evident that he felt his work was nearly done —

"I am afraid you have been a little frightened by a paragraph which appeared in

the Herald, relating to myself, but thank God I am recovering. I was appointed to

preach at Onehunga on Sabbath morning, and very much enjoyed the service. I

had an evening appointment at Grafton Road, and was returning full of hope for

another good time, but the Lord thought I had done enough for one day, and I felt

His will was good, and I could say "Thy will be done.' While walking to the

Church I was seized with severe pain in my chest, and though I was anxious to

struggle on, the pain became so severe that I was completely exhausted, and had

to lie down on the road. Help was obtained, and I was carried home. The Doctor

insists that I must not do so much work; I suppose I must regard it as a hint from

the Master that my work is nearly done. I feel the truth of the words 'If by reason

of strength three score and ten are exceeded, yet it is but labour and sorrow.'

Bless God, however, I have no sorrow — only the sorrow of having done so

little, and done so badly and often with such a mixture of self. But He has not

dealt with me after my own deserts, but in the multitude of His mercies. I hope I

shall be able to do a little more, but 1 must keep my lamp trimmed, and the

vessel well filled with oil, to be ready at any moment."

In a letter received on the day of his death, June 26th, 1883, he says:



"It is hard to give up working when one loves the work, but I am spared a little

longer, and, I trust shall be able to do a little more work if the Lord permit."

But that day his oft repeated wish had been fully realised, and he had —

"His body with his charge laid down

And ceased at once to work and live."

He left a family of ten — five sons, William Dixon, Thomas, Joseph Foster, John

Wesley, and Charles Frederick Buddle, and five daughters, Mrs. John Crump, Mrs.

Richard Arthur Mrs. Rainsford Bavin, Mrs. John Dellow, and Mrs. Ezekiel Shannon.

What his passing meant to them may best be expressed in their own words: One of

them wrote,

"What a blank! Home without Father, his dear face seems to be everywhere, and

his dear form in every room. Yet he is gone, and we have only his precious

memory — how precious indeed we only know who have lost him. We wonder

now that we could not see how near he was to Heaven, too near to be left here

long; we felt that he was failing, but not that he stood at the door, just ready to

enter, without any warning to prepare us. He had his wish, he worked to the end,

and all who heard his latest sermons say that they told of his nearness to God,

and his growing ripeness for Heaven. I shall never forget the last one I heard —

the triumphant tones in which he spoke of 'the work finished,' 'the fight fought,'

and 'the crown of righteousness.' Dear Father, little did I think he was so soon to

wear that Crown. The funeral was one of the largest ever seen in Auckland, they

say there were thousands of people there — letters and cablegrams from

everywhere and all classes of people have come. He was universally loved, and

universally regretted, and it seems we never knew half his goodness till he was

taken from us."

Another wrote:

"A glorious day for our dear Father — but, oh, what a bitter one for us! I little

thought when I dropped you a line last night I was within three or four hours of

seeing our dear old Father pass away. We have no last words, but we have a

noble life to follow; and we can now only submit to the God of our lives who

gave so good and holy a Father."

To him may be applied not inaptly the lines of Tennyson —

Mourn for the man of ample influence,

Rich in saving common sense,

And, as the greatest only are,

In his simplicity sublime.

O good gray head that all men knew,

O iron nerve to true occasion true;

O fall'n at length that tower of strength



Which stood four-square to all the winds that blew!

Such was he whom we deplore,

The long self-sacrifice of life is o'er.

He was buried in the Symonds St. Cemetery, after a service at Pitt St. Church in which

the Revs. Alex. Reid, D. McNicol, W. C. Oliver, H. Bull and Jas. Wallis, took part.

Mr. Wallis, the last remaining of the earliest Wesleyan Missionaries, gave the address.

The service at the grave was conducted by the Revs. T. G. Carr, J. Wallis, J.

Robertson (Congregationalist), and Bishop Cowie. That he was highly respected, not

only by his Wesleyan ministerial brethren, but by those of other denominations, for his

catholic spirit and his earnest and consistent piety is evidenced by the attendance at

the funeral of representatives from the Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregational,

Baptist, Primitive Methodist, and Free Methodist Churches. Memorial services were

held on the following Sunday in all the Methodist Churches, in conjunction with those

for his old friend, the Rev. J. Hobbs — who had predeceased him by a few days. In

these many tributes of affection and respect were paid to the two men who had worked

so long and loyally for their Church, and the good of their fellow men.

The Rev. G. Bond, speaking at Onehunga said of Mr. Buddle:

'He was a man of deep spiritual experience, righteous principle, blameless

reputation, moral fearlessness, and tender sympathies, as well as 'an able minister

of the New Testament.' His large experience, his extensive knowledge, and his

acquaintance with all the details of colonial Methodism gave him a position in

the Conference that it would be difficult to fill.

The Rev. W. C. Oliver, bore the following testimony:

"As a preacher he was able, instructive, practical, and eminently useful. He

believed in the doctrines of his Church with an intense faith, and expounded and

enforced them with all the strength of his being, while his deep spirituality was

always at the flood mark. As an administrator and as an ecclesiastical authority

in connection with his own Church his place would not be easily filled. His sage

advice and sound judgment will be long missed in all our Church courts. He has

left his memorial in all the circuits where he laboured. Yet it was as a pastor he

pre-eminently shone; very many will remember him as much for the warmth and

tenderness of his friendship as for anything else — he was a warm-hearted

faithful friend. His hospitality and cordial attention to strangers endeared him to

many, while in his private and social character he was kind and affectionate to a

remarkable degree.

A resolution of the Grafton Road Circuit Quarterly meeting contained the following

words:

"In him the Grafton Road circuit had a warm friend, a wise adviser, and a kind

father; his time and talents were always at our service."



The Rev. J. Warren, writing to the N.Z. Wesleyan, says:

"No minister in New Zealand had greater opportunities of judging of his

excellencies than I had, having been in the same district for more than thirty

years, and appointed to the same circuit as Mr. Buddle for four years. Though he

was but one year my senior, I always regarded him as a father, and have ever

regarded it as the greatest honour of my ministerial life that I was appointed for

four years in succession to the same circuit with such a man. His sudden death

was a great shock to me, as there was no man on earth whom I admired and

loved so much."

The following was inserted in the New Zealand Herald by the Auckland University

College Council —

"The announcement of the death of the Rev. T. Buddle was received with great

regret by all the members of the Assembly who knew him. His labours in various

parts of the Colony, for so many years past, could not fail to be known to a large

number of persons w'ho perhaps had never spoken to the deceased gentleman.

All who have met Mr. Buddle speak in the highest terms of him. The Speaker of

the House of Representatives, Sir G. Maurice O'Rorke — received a telegram

today from the Registrar of the University College Council, Dr. Kidd, notifying

the death of the Rev. T. Buddle. Mr. Buddle was a valuable member of the

College Council, being a regular attendant at the meetings of that body, and

being ever ready to do all in his power to further the interests of the College."

And in a Durham newspaper the following appeared:

"Though a long absence has in a very great measure broken the links that bound

Mr. Buddle to his native city, there are many of our old inhabitants who can

recall the promising young man who has died in a distant land amid so much

honour and regret; and while the news of his death will surely be read with

regret, it will not be unmingled with a pure joy that in the brief three score and

ten years allotted to humanity he had been able to do so much for the good of his

fellow creatures."

His character seems to be well summed up in this appreciation written for the New

Zealand Wesleyan, August 1, 1883.

"That Father Buddle should go to Heaven yet awhile was not one of the things

that entered into our calculation. There are some people with whom the idea of

dying seems never to be associated. They are so strong in their sympathy in

every faculty of their being, that the thought of their ever being otherwise than

alive never ventures to intrude upon the estimate we form concerning them. Such

was Father Buddle. We knew that, by the number of years he had lived, he was

entitled to a place among the venerables; we knew that for more than forty years

he was in the active work of the ministry, almost entirely in this Colony; we

knew that his powerful frame was not so upright as it used to be, and that in other



ways he bore the marks of advancing age; and yet it never entered into our minds

that he might die. Why should it? The eyes had lost none of their brightness; the

voice was as robust and rich as ever; and his capacity for work, supernumerary

as he was, seemed practically undiminished. He seemed able to wear out a whole

Conference of men younger than himself, and came up fresh and vigorous, at the

end of the session, when nearly everybody else was groaning under a sense of

utter fatigue. There seemed no such contingency as dying imminent in the case

of such a strong-hearted, strong-bodied man as Father Buddle. And yet, in an

hour we looked not for — the call home suddenly came, and we have to settle

sadly down to the fact that we shall never see the familiar face of Father Buddle

again. A Conference without him will seem strangely incomplete; hardly any

other member of the Conference could be missed so much. Always in his place;

always taking a keen interest in every subject brought up for discussion; and,

from his intimate acquaintance with nearly every circuit in the Colony, always

ready with an intelligent opinion on every matter debated, he rendered a service

to our Church which it will be difficult to over-estimate, and his removal will

create a vacancy in our ranks which it will be hard to fill. Perhaps none will miss

him more regretfully than those who have crossed swords with him most

frequently in the arena of Conference debate. The ability to quarrel with a man is

really no small test of character. To enter into serious conflict with a man's

opinions — to wax warm in controversy with him, and to employ every

argumentative device to prove him in the wrong, and to oust him from the

position in which he stands entrenched — and through all, and after all, to retain

for your opponent an undiminished esteem — is no mean tribute to his moral

worth. Mr. Buddle stood a crucial test like this about as well as any man I ever

knew. It seemed impossible at times to' avoid differing from him in matters of

opinion; and at the same time, it was impossible not to esteem him. We might

think him, in some respects, unduly wedded to Conservatism; we might consider

him unjustly resentful of any proposed deviation from the policy of the Church,

as he had known it; we might think and say, and wax warm in saying, that he had

mistaken views in regard to some details of Church administration; but the

conviction that rose uppermost, after all, was that he was a man of tender

sympathies and generous impulses, with a heart always beating in the right

direction, and with every fibre of his being quivering with an intense loyalty to

the Master's cause. To his family, and to his brethren in the ministry, Mr. Buddle

has left a valuable legacy in the example which he set of high-souled faithfulness

and unsparing devotedness to duty. The wish will rise, that he might have been

spared to us longer, so that his ripe experience might have been of further service

to us, especially in view of the changes that are evidently impending in

connection with New Zealand Methodism. But God has seen fit to order it

otherwise; and we are left with the comfort of knowing that, what to us is loss, to

him is unspeakable gain."

It is not exile, rest on high;



It is not sadness, peace from strife;

To fall asleep is not to die;

To dwell with Christ is better life.



(The following tribute to the Rev. Thomas Buddle, by the late Rev. W. G. Parsonson,

was published in the New Zealand Wesleyan on August 1, 1883.)

"IN MEMORIAM"

Rev. Thos. BUDDLE; Obit, June 26, 1883.

O God our Father — in this deepest night,

Of our heart's sorrow — strengthen us we pray,

O, Sun of Righteousness! O, blessed Light!

Chase Thou the shadows of our grief away.

We mourn as those upon the plains of Moab wailed

Of old, for him, their leader, whom Thou'dst taken

In ripest manhood, his bright eye unpaled,

The glory of his natural force unshaken.

We watched him mount the crest of the last hill,

And up into the glory-cloud beyond;

And we were glad to think though weeping still.

That we were linked to heaven by one more bond.

Yet comes he not in thoughts of heaven alone,

His memory lives and breathes 'midst earthly things;

A richer monument than is the stone

Men love to rear above the dust of kings.

He was a hero in the war of life;

And ever in the forefront of the fight,

Through half a century of active strife,

He fought for God, his fellows, and the right.

He was a father, and a truest friend,

With heart as tender as a child's, to those

Who stood in need of someone to defend.

And stood between them and their crushing woes.

Now he has gone; and we who yet remain

Would stay the torrent of our falling tears,

And bless Thy name, O Lord, that not in vain

There lives the record of those stainless years.



MRS. BUDDLE

Mrs. Buddle

(Extract from N.Z. Methodist, September, 1884, by Rev. Alexander Reid.)

"The company that thronged the Grafton Rd. Church, and the large concourse

assembled in the Cemetery on September 3rd, 1884, told of the decease of someone

held in special esteem by the early settlers.

"All classes were represented, but the large proportion of old colonists was proof of

the proverbial tenacity of friendship formed under conditions by which true principle

is tested. 1 hey had met in God's acre to place the mortal remains of their beloved

fellow pilgrim, Mrs. Buddle, in the same grave where, fourteen months before, they

had laid the body of her honoured husband. Lovely and pleasant in their lives, in death

they are not divided. The marble which marks their last resting place forms one of a

group of gravestones redolent of hallowed, honourable, and inspiring reminiscences,

which no student of the early history of this Colony can afford to disregard.

"Mrs. Buddle was born at Barnard Castle, Durham, on 21st October, 1813. She was

the daughter of Mr. William Dixon, whose name appears, as class leader and local

preacher, in the early Methodist records of her native town. Her first class ticket, with

the text, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,' bears date June, 1821,

when she was in her tenth year.



"On arriving in New Zealand, Mrs. Buddle gave herself heartily to the duties of a

Missionary's wife, at a time when mission work in this country required no small

measure of self-denial. This she willingly rendered, and she won the love of the

Maoris by her earnest desire and constant effort to do them good. To the end of her

life she evinced a warm interest in the welfare of the Natives; and there appears a

fitness of things in the fact that she and Mr. Buddle should both go Home from the

near neighbourhood of the old Native Institution, where God had been pleased to bless

their efforts for the salvation of the Maoris by a gracious outpouring of His Spirit upon

the native students.

"Of the forty-four years of Mrs. Buddle's New Zealand career, four were spent at

Waipa, ten in Southern circuits, and the remaining thirty years in Auckland,

Onehunga, and at Three Kings Institution. As a pastor's wife among the colonial

population she ever manifested a practical interest in all Church work. As a class

leader, in visiting the people, watching by the sick, bidding welcome to the newcomer,

and taking her full share of work in connection with the Ladies' Benevolent Society of

which she was one of the founders — she became indeed a succourer to many; and the

memory of her quiet Christian counsel and well-timed benevolence is fragrant in all

the circuits where she and Mr. Buddle sojourned. To young ministers and their wives

who were appointed to solitary circuits, or whose destination was some one of the

Island mission stations, her friendship has often proved invaluable. Mrs. Buddle was

given to hospitality — occasionally it happened that the faith of friends in this well-

known virtue resulted in claims being made which ingenuity was sorely taxed to meet.

"By the members of her own family she was deservedly revered and loved. The love

seemed to grow as years increased, and when bodily ailments, and the infirmities of

age caused the Mother to make larger demands upon her children's sympathy and

presence, the claims were answered with affectionate promptitude and assiduity.

"King Lemuel, in his portraiture of a good woman says: 'Her husband is known in the

gates when he sits among the elders of the land.' The inference is plain, that to the wife

is due some measure of the excellence which causes the husband to be held in esteem

by his peers. No one will question the leading place occupied by Father Buddle among

the elders of this land; and to those who knew him most intimately his moral statute

was only heightened by the acknowledgement, which it delighted him to make, of his

indebtedness to her who had been his lifelong, faithful, and loving counsellor.

Possibly some of the pastoral epistles which, in his official capacity our revered

bishop found it needful to address to some of the presbyters who were occasionally

tempted to be wilful might have proved less mellow in tone had they not passed under

the eye of her who ever pleaded that the unity of the Spirit might be maintained in the

bond of peace She invariably advised on the side of mercy, and in favour of the

gentler methods. Our sister thus proved herself to be in the noblest sense, a true

helpmeet.



"In her religious experience Mrs. Buddle was not demonstrative; but her piety was

deep, consolatory, and life-influencing. She delighted in the sanctuary services and

when in later years deafness prevented her from enjoying the Word preached, she felt

this deprivation to be a great loss.

"From the shock occasioned by the suddenness of Mr. Buddle's decease she never

actually recovered, and from that hour she seemed to consider that her earthly task

was accomplished, and that the time of her own departure was at hand. She was

content to wait all the days of her appointed time, but she evidently felt that to her

death would be gain. During the last six weeks of her stay she suffered much, but

gradually the cords of the earthly tabernacle were loosened and she passed away on

September 1st, 1884.

"And now that Mr. and Mrs. Buddle are with the 'Spirits of the just made perfect,'

Heaven seems to us nearer and more home-like. Say not that their interest in us has

abated, or that their influence over us has ceased. From their past history, and their

present bliss, memory and faith will gather material which will serve as an inspiration

to well-doing, while the news of our proceedings, if we prove true to our trust, shall

serve to thrill with a deeper joy the spirits of those who through faith and patience are

now inheriting the promises and walking in the light of the Lamb.

"Faith, hope, charity, were all beautifully illustrated in our beloved sister's life. Let all

of us live so that when we shall be spoken of hereafter there shall be much that is

good, much that shall be to the glory of God, to be said creating thankfulness,

hopefulness, and satisfaction of soul in the presence of God respecting her whose

spirit is now with Christ.

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