St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley
, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral
when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman
in October 1911. The first Bishop, the Rt Revd Wilfrid Gore Browne
, was enthroned there on 30 June 1912. But the Parish
of St Cyprian dates back to at least 1871 when a chapelry within the Parish of All Saints, Du Toits Pan, Diocese of Bloemfontein
, was dedicated and met in a tent in New Rush, on the Diamond Fields - the digger settlement which would become Kimberley.
The first rector was Fr John Witherston Rickards
, previously a curate at St Cyprian's, Marylebone, London. Appointed by the Bishop of Bloemfontein
, the Rt Revd Alan Becher Webb
, Rickards laid the basis for the Parish which began in a tent and is today the Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr in Kimberley.
The writer J.W. Matthews would recall something of the “primitive state of things existing”, as far as eccelsiastical arrangements were concerned, on his first arrival at the Diamond Fields in November 1871: worshippers gathered in a canvas tent billiard-room:
“On entering I beheld a full-robed clergyman officiating at one end of a billiard-table, which served for his reading desk, whilst a large and attentive crowd sat around the other end, some on rude benches which were fixed along the walls, others perched upon gin cases, buckets reversed, or any other make-shift that came to hand. The congregation behaved with suitable decorum, but I confess it was not easy to keep the mind from wandering to the incongruity of the surroundings. ..When the parson was praying or the people singing, it was not particularly edifying to be interrupted by the lively chaff and occasional bursts of blasphemy, which we could plainly hear through the canvas party-walls, which separated us from the adjoining bar and its half tipsy occupants.” For Matthews, “notwithstanding these drawbacks”, and despite the valiant but imperfect renditions of the appointed hymns, it was nevertheless “refreshing to hear the grand old service once again”.
Fr Frederick Noel remembered “hearing letters from Mr Rickards describing the roughness of the work in those early days ... amid dust and canvas and all the discomforts of such a settlement, but he persevered until he had got a fair-sized temporary church”.
As early as 1872, within a year of the founding of St Cyprian’s, Fr Crisp in Bloemfontein reported that “this New Rush Church has a surpliced choir accompanied by a harmonium. The singing is really very good.” Clearly intent upon consolidating a choral tradition here, St Cyprian’s soon replaced the harmonium with an organ, purchased from Grahamstown’s Commemoration Church in 1874 for the sum of £125.
Rickards promoted the important and neglected cause of education
in what would become Kimberley (three schools originated from this work). A Mission School, later called Perseverance
, was brought into existence in his day, as were a school for boys and one for girls. St Cyprian’s Boys’ School
- the original St Cyprian's Grammar School - under headmaster Thomas McLaren was established in March 1876: “For several years this was one of the best schools in Kimberley.”
The Revd C.B. Maude succeeded Fr Neville Borton
as Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley (for the full list of incumbants, see below). Maude left an account of the still primitive conditions that prevailed in the diamond mining town which was then less than a decade old. Concerning the rectory, Maude related that: "We have a canvas house for our sitting room and a wooden one for our bedroom. The floors are made of brick dried in the sun, but the legs of beds or tables make holes in them."
"The church floor is of mud and so is very dusty. It is a low building with an iron roof and when it rains we have to give up the service as we cannot be heard! But do not think we are badly off. We have a surpliced choir, 12 boys and 8 men, and a fully choral service. Every Sunday the church is crowded. It holds about 400. I hope we shall soon be able to build one more worthy of the worship of God. At present, too, we are without a school-house and are obliged to have both day and Sunday school in church."
It was during Maude's incumbancy that a church building was imported from England to be assembled in Kimberley. The foundation stone was laid in 1879 by Sir Charles Warren
. Mrs Maude described a calamity which occurred as it neared completion: "Our new church which we were all looking forward to moving into for our Christmas services, and that seemed to be getting on so nicely, was blown over by a whirlwind and is lying a pitiable heap of ruins…it happened one Sunday morning. Our people were having services in the Odd Fellows’ Hall stifling under the heat of an unlined iron building when the crash came. Those who saw it say it was lifted three feet from the ground and dropped, utterly shapeless, like a street of cardhouses! And all our money gone, diamonds are down, and times are bad!" The situation was however salvaged and on Low Sunday 1880 Bishop Webb of Bloemfontein
dedicated the "re-erected 'church-like' church" and instituted C.B. Maude as Rector of Kimberley.
In August 1884 the Vicar General of the Diocese of Bloemfontein, Archdeacon D.G. Croghan, appointed Canon William Thomas Gaul
as Rector of St Cyprian’s Kimberley (from 1880 he had been Rector of Beaconsfield at the parish of All Saints). In Gaul's appointment, Croghan noted, St Cyprian’s assumed first place amongst the Anglican parishes in Kimberley. Gaul subsequently became Rural Dean of Griqualand West
and Archdeacon of Kimberley, and served the parish until 1895 when he was elected to succeed George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce
as second Bishop of Mashonaland
.
, the former rector here, chided the St Cyprian's people for continuing to worship in a "tin shanty": he was referring to the wood and iron church in Jones Street built in 1879-80. The foundation stone for the magnificent Neo-Gothic church building that would become the Cathedral was laid (by Bishop Gaul) on 5 March 1907 and the completed Nave
was dedicated on 13 May 1908. St Cyprian's Church became a Cathedral
when Episcopal Synod approved the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman
in October 1911, the first Bishop, Gore Browne
, being enthroned in 1912. The foundation stone for the Chancel
was laid in 1913, but war
intervened and it was completed only in 1926 - as, in fact, a war memorial. The Lady Chapel
, a memorial to Dean Robson, was added in 1936 (when a vestry
and a new organ
were also built). The building was brought nearer to completion in 1961 with the dedication of the tower
- which was built closely following the original cathedral design (the architect had been Arthur Lindley of the firm of Greatbatch). A fine watercolour impression of the anticipated Chancel was painted by William M. Timlin
, artist and architect, and a partner in Greatbatch & Timlin, who guided some of the later phases of construction. Funds for the building of the tower were given in memory of parishioners who lost their lives in World War II
.
Every generation has been adding to the edifice by way of stained glass windows, plaques, furnishings and ornaments. In the south transept are the magnificent Holy Spirit windows (central with two lancets), with thick scintillating glass set in concrete by the Pretoria artist Leo Theron
. A Cathedral Hall and office complex was built in 1979. A Memorial Garden and Wall of Remembrance was consecrated on 5 March 2007 as part of the Cathedral's centenary. Within the garden is a bronze statue by Jack Penn
of Sister Henrietta Stockdale
, 1847–1911, of the Community of St Michael and All Angels, and pioneer of nursing in South Africa who brought about the first state registration of nurses in the world. It was unveiled by Bishop Wheeldon in 1970. The graves of Sister Henrietta and two fellow workers were reinterred here in 1984. Nearby lie the re-interred remains of Archdeacon George Mervyn Lawson
, 1865–1945, Director of Missions for Griqualand West from 1903 and Archdeacon of Kuruman, 1913-1941.
; the marking of the centenary of the foundation stone laying, 5 March 2007; the visit of Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane
for Episcopal Synod and Consecration of Bishops, 1 May 2007; the Enthronement of Bishop Oswald Swartz, 16 June 2007; the Patronal Festival, 13 September 2007; culminating in the centenary of the dedication of the building on 13 May 2008.
, which had existed more than a hundred years previously as part of the mission of the St Cyprian's Parish Church in the late nineteenth century. The school opened on 21 January 2009 and was dedicated on the cathedral's dedication feast, 13 May 2009, when the Head Student was instituted and the Head of the School and Chaplain each received the Bishop's licence.
on 6 October 2011, on the centenary of her death, with a cathedral Mass of Thanksgiving at which Bishop Oswald Swartz presided and preached.
O.G.S. (afterwards Dean of Eshowe and Bishop of St Helena
) and Fr Keith Thomas.
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman
Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman
The Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman is the Bishop of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which encompasses the area around Kimberley and Kuruman and overlaps the Northern Cape Province and North West Province of South Africa. The current bishop is the Rt...
in October 1911. The first Bishop, the Rt Revd Wilfrid Gore Browne
Wilfred Gore-Browne
Wilfrid Gore Browne was an Anglican bishop, the first Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1912 to 1928. He was described as a saintly bishop with "a keen sense of humour" and "a winning courtesy."-Early life and education:...
, was enthroned there on 30 June 1912. But the Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of St Cyprian dates back to at least 1871 when a chapelry within the Parish of All Saints, Du Toits Pan, Diocese of Bloemfontein
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
, was dedicated and met in a tent in New Rush, on the Diamond Fields - the digger settlement which would become Kimberley.
Beginnings
The first gatherings of worshippers of the 'English Church' in the rough and ready diggers' camps of the Diamond Fields took place in tents in 1870-71, while successive "St Cyprian's" church buildings, known now only from the pages of history, were in Market Street, and, from 1880 until 1908, in Jones Street, Kimberley.The first rector was Fr John Witherston Rickards
John Witherston Rickards
John Witherston Rickards, priest, founded the Anglican Parish of St Cyprian the Martyr at New Rush, Kimberley, on the South African Diamond Fields, in 1871...
, previously a curate at St Cyprian's, Marylebone, London. Appointed by the Bishop of Bloemfontein
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
, the Rt Revd Alan Becher Webb
Alan Becher Webb
Allan Becher Webb was the second Bishop of Bloemfontein, afterward Bishop of Grahamstown and, later, Dean of Salisbury.-Early years:...
, Rickards laid the basis for the Parish which began in a tent and is today the Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr in Kimberley.
The writer J.W. Matthews would recall something of the “primitive state of things existing”, as far as eccelsiastical arrangements were concerned, on his first arrival at the Diamond Fields in November 1871: worshippers gathered in a canvas tent billiard-room:
“On entering I beheld a full-robed clergyman officiating at one end of a billiard-table, which served for his reading desk, whilst a large and attentive crowd sat around the other end, some on rude benches which were fixed along the walls, others perched upon gin cases, buckets reversed, or any other make-shift that came to hand. The congregation behaved with suitable decorum, but I confess it was not easy to keep the mind from wandering to the incongruity of the surroundings. ..When the parson was praying or the people singing, it was not particularly edifying to be interrupted by the lively chaff and occasional bursts of blasphemy, which we could plainly hear through the canvas party-walls, which separated us from the adjoining bar and its half tipsy occupants.” For Matthews, “notwithstanding these drawbacks”, and despite the valiant but imperfect renditions of the appointed hymns, it was nevertheless “refreshing to hear the grand old service once again”.
Fr Frederick Noel remembered “hearing letters from Mr Rickards describing the roughness of the work in those early days ... amid dust and canvas and all the discomforts of such a settlement, but he persevered until he had got a fair-sized temporary church”.
As early as 1872, within a year of the founding of St Cyprian’s, Fr Crisp in Bloemfontein reported that “this New Rush Church has a surpliced choir accompanied by a harmonium. The singing is really very good.” Clearly intent upon consolidating a choral tradition here, St Cyprian’s soon replaced the harmonium with an organ, purchased from Grahamstown’s Commemoration Church in 1874 for the sum of £125.
Rickards promoted the important and neglected cause of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in what would become Kimberley (three schools originated from this work). A Mission School, later called Perseverance
Perseverance School
The Perseverance School, Kimberley, was founded as such in 1883 but might be seen as having arisen from the St Cyprian's Mission School dating back to the early 1870s...
, was brought into existence in his day, as were a school for boys and one for girls. St Cyprian’s Boys’ School
St Cyprian's Grammar School, Kimberley
St. Cyprian's Grammar School in Kimberley, South Africa, is a co-educational English-medium independent school for Grades 1-12, attached to St Cyprian's Cathedral...
- the original St Cyprian's Grammar School - under headmaster Thomas McLaren was established in March 1876: “For several years this was one of the best schools in Kimberley.”
The Revd C.B. Maude succeeded Fr Neville Borton
Neville Borton
Neville Arthur Blachley Borton, M.A. was the second rector of St Cyprian's Church, Kimberley, South Africa, serving from 1876–77, being successor to Fr John Witherston Rickards...
as Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley (for the full list of incumbants, see below). Maude left an account of the still primitive conditions that prevailed in the diamond mining town which was then less than a decade old. Concerning the rectory, Maude related that: "We have a canvas house for our sitting room and a wooden one for our bedroom. The floors are made of brick dried in the sun, but the legs of beds or tables make holes in them."
"The church floor is of mud and so is very dusty. It is a low building with an iron roof and when it rains we have to give up the service as we cannot be heard! But do not think we are badly off. We have a surpliced choir, 12 boys and 8 men, and a fully choral service. Every Sunday the church is crowded. It holds about 400. I hope we shall soon be able to build one more worthy of the worship of God. At present, too, we are without a school-house and are obliged to have both day and Sunday school in church."
It was during Maude's incumbancy that a church building was imported from England to be assembled in Kimberley. The foundation stone was laid in 1879 by Sir Charles Warren
Charles Warren
General Sir Charles Warren, GCMG, KCB, FRS was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of Temple Mount...
. Mrs Maude described a calamity which occurred as it neared completion: "Our new church which we were all looking forward to moving into for our Christmas services, and that seemed to be getting on so nicely, was blown over by a whirlwind and is lying a pitiable heap of ruins…it happened one Sunday morning. Our people were having services in the Odd Fellows’ Hall stifling under the heat of an unlined iron building when the crash came. Those who saw it say it was lifted three feet from the ground and dropped, utterly shapeless, like a street of cardhouses! And all our money gone, diamonds are down, and times are bad!" The situation was however salvaged and on Low Sunday 1880 Bishop Webb of Bloemfontein
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
dedicated the "re-erected 'church-like' church" and instituted C.B. Maude as Rector of Kimberley.
In August 1884 the Vicar General of the Diocese of Bloemfontein, Archdeacon D.G. Croghan, appointed Canon William Thomas Gaul
William Thomas Gaul
William Thomas Gaul was Rector of All Saints Church, Du Toit's Pan, Kimberley, afterwards of St Cyprian's Church, Kimberley, Rural Dean of Griqualand West, and Archdeacon in what was still the Diocese of Bloemfontein, before being elected the second Bishop of Mashonaland, where he styled himself...
as Rector of St Cyprian’s Kimberley (from 1880 he had been Rector of Beaconsfield at the parish of All Saints). In Gaul's appointment, Croghan noted, St Cyprian’s assumed first place amongst the Anglican parishes in Kimberley. Gaul subsequently became Rural Dean of Griqualand West
Griqualand West
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
and Archdeacon of Kimberley, and served the parish until 1895 when he was elected to succeed George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce
George Wyndham Knight-Bruce
The Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce DD was an eminent Anglican Bishop in the late nineteenth century.-Education and early appointments:...
as second Bishop of Mashonaland
Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland
The Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland was formed in 1891 and its first Bishop was The Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce. He was succeeded by the Rt Revd William Thomas Gaul , formerly Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley...
.
Becoming a Cathedral
The idea to build a "more worthy parish church" was mooted in 1901, when Bishop Gaul of MashonalandAnglican Diocese of Mashonaland
The Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland was formed in 1891 and its first Bishop was The Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce. He was succeeded by the Rt Revd William Thomas Gaul , formerly Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley...
, the former rector here, chided the St Cyprian's people for continuing to worship in a "tin shanty": he was referring to the wood and iron church in Jones Street built in 1879-80. The foundation stone for the magnificent Neo-Gothic church building that would become the Cathedral was laid (by Bishop Gaul) on 5 March 1907 and the completed Nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was dedicated on 13 May 1908. St Cyprian's Church became a Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
when Episcopal Synod approved the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman
Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman
The Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman is the Bishop of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which encompasses the area around Kimberley and Kuruman and overlaps the Northern Cape Province and North West Province of South Africa. The current bishop is the Rt...
in October 1911, the first Bishop, Gore Browne
Wilfred Gore-Browne
Wilfrid Gore Browne was an Anglican bishop, the first Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1912 to 1928. He was described as a saintly bishop with "a keen sense of humour" and "a winning courtesy."-Early life and education:...
, being enthroned in 1912. The foundation stone for the Chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was laid in 1913, but war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
intervened and it was completed only in 1926 - as, in fact, a war memorial. The Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, a memorial to Dean Robson, was added in 1936 (when a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
and a new organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
were also built). The building was brought nearer to completion in 1961 with the dedication of the tower
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
- which was built closely following the original cathedral design (the architect had been Arthur Lindley of the firm of Greatbatch). A fine watercolour impression of the anticipated Chancel was painted by William M. Timlin
William M. Timlin
William Mitcheson Timlin was an architect and illustrator. He was born in Ashington, Northumberland, the son of a colliery foreman. He showed talent for drawing at Morpeth Grammar School, and received a scholarship to the Armstrong College of Art in Newcastle...
, artist and architect, and a partner in Greatbatch & Timlin, who guided some of the later phases of construction. Funds for the building of the tower were given in memory of parishioners who lost their lives in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Every generation has been adding to the edifice by way of stained glass windows, plaques, furnishings and ornaments. In the south transept are the magnificent Holy Spirit windows (central with two lancets), with thick scintillating glass set in concrete by the Pretoria artist Leo Theron
Leo Theron
Leo Théron is a South African stained-glass window artist who specialises in the dalles de verre technique .-Education and career:...
. A Cathedral Hall and office complex was built in 1979. A Memorial Garden and Wall of Remembrance was consecrated on 5 March 2007 as part of the Cathedral's centenary. Within the garden is a bronze statue by Jack Penn
Jack Penn
Jack Penn , M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.S.., Mil. Dec. M.B.E., S.M., was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, sculptor and author, who was also for a time a Member of the President's Council in South Africa.-Early years:...
of Sister Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale was a nursing pioneer. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about when the Cape of Good Hope Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891 passed into law...
, 1847–1911, of the Community of St Michael and All Angels, and pioneer of nursing in South Africa who brought about the first state registration of nurses in the world. It was unveiled by Bishop Wheeldon in 1970. The graves of Sister Henrietta and two fellow workers were reinterred here in 1984. Nearby lie the re-interred remains of Archdeacon George Mervyn Lawson
George Mervyn Lawson
The Venerable Fr George Merwyn Lawson served as Archdeacon of Kuruman, 1913–1941, in the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, and as Director of Missions for Griqualand West from 1903 until his death.-Ministry:...
, 1865–1945, Director of Missions for Griqualand West from 1903 and Archdeacon of Kuruman, 1913-1941.
Cathedral Centenary
The centenary of the building was celebrated in 2007-8. Major events included the first return visit in 40 years by deported Bishop C.E. CrowtherClarence Edward Crowther
Clarence Edward Crowther was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman who on appointment was its youngest bishop....
; the marking of the centenary of the foundation stone laying, 5 March 2007; the visit of Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane
Njongonkulu Ndungane
Njongonkulu Winston Hugh Ndungane FKC was the Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa ....
for Episcopal Synod and Consecration of Bishops, 1 May 2007; the Enthronement of Bishop Oswald Swartz, 16 June 2007; the Patronal Festival, 13 September 2007; culminating in the centenary of the dedication of the building on 13 May 2008.
Establishment of the new St Cyprian's Grammar School
A project arising from the cathedral's centenary was the reinstitution of the St Cyprian's Grammar School, KimberleySt Cyprian's Grammar School, Kimberley
St. Cyprian's Grammar School in Kimberley, South Africa, is a co-educational English-medium independent school for Grades 1-12, attached to St Cyprian's Cathedral...
, which had existed more than a hundred years previously as part of the mission of the St Cyprian's Parish Church in the late nineteenth century. The school opened on 21 January 2009 and was dedicated on the cathedral's dedication feast, 13 May 2009, when the Head Student was instituted and the Head of the School and Chaplain each received the Bishop's licence.
Diocesan Centenary
Marking the centenary of the establishment of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in 1911/12 commenced with the Diocesan Family Weekend in September 2011. The diocese also recalled St Henrietta StockdaleHenrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale was a nursing pioneer. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about when the Cape of Good Hope Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891 passed into law...
on 6 October 2011, on the centenary of her death, with a cathedral Mass of Thanksgiving at which Bishop Oswald Swartz presided and preached.
The early Rectors of St Cyprian's
The following served as Rector of St Cyprian's Parish, Kimberley, between 1871 and 1912, when it became a Cathedral:- Fr John Witherston RickardsJohn Witherston RickardsJohn Witherston Rickards, priest, founded the Anglican Parish of St Cyprian the Martyr at New Rush, Kimberley, on the South African Diamond Fields, in 1871...
, 1871–1876 - Fr Neville BortonNeville BortonNeville Arthur Blachley Borton, M.A. was the second rector of St Cyprian's Church, Kimberley, South Africa, serving from 1876–77, being successor to Fr John Witherston Rickards...
, 1876–1877 - Fr C.B. Maude, 1877–1881
- Canon Charles Oswald Miles, 1881–1882
- Fr W.P. HanburyW.P. HanburyThe Revd W.P. Hanbury was Rector of St Cyprian’s Church, Kimberley on the South African Diamond Fields, 1882-1884.-In South Africa:Fr Hanbury came to Kimberley South Africa in 1882. It is said that he became worn out by anxiety and overwork and, having been sent to England to recruit workers, he...
, 1882–1884, assisted by Fr John T. DarraghJohn T. DarraghJohn Thomas Darragh D.D. was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, who served as a priest and school master in the Anglican Church in South Africa in the late nineteenth century, at Kimberley and in Johannesburg, where he was the founder of St John's College....
who afterwards founded St John's College, Johannesburg - Archdeacon William Thomas GaulWilliam Thomas GaulWilliam Thomas Gaul was Rector of All Saints Church, Du Toit's Pan, Kimberley, afterwards of St Cyprian's Church, Kimberley, Rural Dean of Griqualand West, and Archdeacon in what was still the Diocese of Bloemfontein, before being elected the second Bishop of Mashonaland, where he styled himself...
M.A. 1884-1895, afterwards the second Bishop of MashonalandAnglican Diocese of MashonalandThe Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland was formed in 1891 and its first Bishop was The Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce. He was succeeded by the Rt Revd William Thomas Gaul , formerly Rector of St Cyprian's Church in Kimberley... - The Ven Fr William Arthur HolbechWilliam Arthur HolbechThe Rt Rev William Arthur Holbech was an Anglican Bishop in the first half of the 20th century. Born on 14 December 1850 and educated at Eton and Brasenose College, Oxford , he was ordained in 1874...
, 1895–1902, afterwards Bishop of St HelenaAnglican Diocese of St HelenaThe Diocese of Saint Helena is an Anglican diocese within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It covers the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension in the Atlantic Ocean and was created in 1859. St Paul's Cathedral is on Saint Helena.-History:... - Canon Arthur Sutton ValpyArthur Sutton ValpyArthur Sutton Valpy was a canon of Winchester Cathedral. He was a descendant of Richard Valpy and his wife Emily Anne Sutton. He was born 28 March 1849 and died 15 June 1909.-Education:...
, Canon of Winchester Cathedral, 1902 (Acting) - The Ven Fr H.A. Douglas-HamiltonH.A. Douglas-HamiltonThe Venerable Hamilton Anne Douglas-Hamilton, who was Rector at Marlesford, Suffolk, England, held the office of Honorary Canon of Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral, was Honorary Chaplain to the Bishop of St. Edmundsbury, and had served in South Africa as Archdeacon of Kimberley and the first Rector of...
, 1903–1905 - Canon Thomas Claude RobsonThomas Claude RobsonThe Very Revd Thomas Claude Robson was the first Anglican Dean of Kimberley, and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley, South Africa.-Background and propects at St Cyprian’s in 1905:...
, April 1905
The Deans of Kimberley
From 1912, when St Cyprian's became the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, the Rector was automatically also the Dean of Kimberley. The following have served as Deans of the Kimberley:- The Very Revd Thomas Claude RobsonThomas Claude RobsonThe Very Revd Thomas Claude Robson was the first Anglican Dean of Kimberley, and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley, South Africa.-Background and propects at St Cyprian’s in 1905:...
, M.A. 1905-1934 (Dean from 1912) - The Very Revd Hugh Scott ChignellHugh Scott ChignellThe Very Revd Hugh Scott Chignell was Dean of Kimberley, South Africa, and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley-Education and ordination:Hugh Scott Chignell was a scholar at the Salisbury Cathedral Choir School...
, B.A., 1935–1941 - The Very Revd Francis William SmithFrancis William SmithThe Very Revd Francis William Smith, M.C., was Dean of Kimberley, South Africa, and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral in Kimberley.-Early life:...
, M.C., 1941–1953 - The Very Revd Arthur Henry AttwellArthur Henry AttwellThe Rt Revd Arthur Henry Attwell, B.A., B.D., was Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1983 to 1988. He served as Dean of Kimberley, South Africa, from 1953 to 1959 and afterwards as Rector of Workington, Cumberland.-Kimberley:...
, B.A., B.D., 1953–1959, afterwards Rector of Workington, then Bishop of Sodor and Man - The Very Revd Kenneth Cyril OramKenneth OramThe Right Reverend Kenneth Cyril Oram AKC was an Anglican clergyman who served as Dean of Kimberley and of Grahamstown before his elevation to the episcopacy as Bishop of Grahamstown, 1974 to 1987.-Early years:...
, B.A., A.K.C. 1959-1964, afterwards Bishop of Grahamstown - The Very Revd Clarence Edward CrowtherClarence Edward CrowtherClarence Edward Crowther was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman who on appointment was its youngest bishop....
, B.A., LL.M., 1964–1965, afterwards Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman - The Very Revd George A. PullenGeorge A. PullenThe Very Revd George Arthur Pullen was Dean of Kimberley and Rector of St Cyprian’s Cathedral, Kimberley, South Africa.-Previous appointments:...
1965-1974 - The Very Revd Thomas Shaun StanageThomas StanageThomas Shaun Stanage was Bishop of Bloemfontein in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa from 1982 to 1997.-Biography:Stanage was born in Ireland in 1932 and was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford and Cuddesdon College .He was ordained deacon in 1958, priest in 1959 and bishop in 1978 and went...
M.A. 1975-1978, afterwards Bishop Suffragan, Johannesburg, and Bishop of Bloemfontein - The Very Revd Robin Roy SnymanRobin Roy SnymanThe Reverend Canon Robin Roy Snyman is a priest in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, who served as Dean of Kimberley and Rector of St Cyprian’s Cathedral, and afterwards was Vice-Provost at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Port Elizabeth...
1978-1991 - The Very Revd Justus Mauritius MarcusJustus Mauritius MarcusThe Rt Revd Justus Mauritius Marcus was Regional Bishop of Saldanha Bay in the Diocese of Cape Town, 2002 to 2003, having served as Dean of Kimberley and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral from 1992 to 2002. He died from cancer, aged 48, on 1 December 2003. Marcus was predeceased by his first wife,...
1992-2002, afterwards Regional Bishop of Saldanha Bay in the Diocese of Cape TownAnglican Diocese of Cape TownThe Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa, came into being in 1847 with the consecration of the first bishop, Robert Gray, and later expanded to become the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, now called the Anglican Church of Southern Africa....
, 2002–2003 - The Very Revd Brian Victor BeckBrian Victor BeckThe Revd Canon Brian Victor Beck, an Anglican priest in South Africa, served as Dean of Kimberley from 2003 to 2010. He is an Honorary Canon of St Cyprian's Cathedral.-Education and appointments:...
2003-2010 - The Very Revd Simon Mark AikenSimon Mark AikenSimon Mark Aiken is the 12th Dean of Kimberley and Rector of St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley, in the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in South Africa. His diocesan responsibilities include his appointments as the Archdeacon of the Karoo and as Titular Rector of St Mary's, Barkly West, as well as...
2010-
Subdeans
Subdeans have been: Fr David Hart TSSF, Fr Owen Franklin, Canon Oswald Swartz (afterwards Dean of Pretoria and Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman).Precentors
Precentors have been: Fr John William SaltJohn William Salt
John William Salt OGS is a retired Anglican Bishop of St Helena. Enthroned as bishop in 1999, he retired in March 2011. He has lived in the island of St Helena, which is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean.-Early life:...
O.G.S. (afterwards Dean of Eshowe and Bishop of St Helena
Anglican Diocese of St Helena
The Diocese of Saint Helena is an Anglican diocese within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It covers the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension in the Atlantic Ocean and was created in 1859. St Paul's Cathedral is on Saint Helena.-History:...
) and Fr Keith Thomas.
The Bishops of Bloemfontein (to 1912)
St Cyprian's initially was a Parish within the Diocese of Bloemfontein under the following Bishops:- The Rt Revd Alan Becher WebbAlan Becher WebbAllan Becher Webb was the second Bishop of Bloemfontein, afterward Bishop of Grahamstown and, later, Dean of Salisbury.-Early years:...
, 1871–1883 - The Rt Revd George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-BruceGeorge Wyndham Knight-BruceThe Rt Rev George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce DD was an eminent Anglican Bishop in the late nineteenth century.-Education and early appointments:...
, 1886–1891 - The Rt Revd John Wale HicksJohn Wale HicksThe Right Reverend John Wale Hicks, FRCP, DD was an Anglican Bishop, educationalist and author in the second half of the nineteenth century.. He was identified with the Anglo-Catholic school of Anglicanism.-Life:...
, 1892–1899 - Vicar General the Very Revd John Ranulph VincentJohn Ranulph VincentThe Very Revd John Ranulph Vincent was Dean of Bloemfontein, in South Africa, from 1892, and afterwards of Grahamstown, 1912-1914.-Background and education:Vincent was the son of the Revd R. Vincent, of Crockham Hall in Kent. He took an M.A...
, Dean of Bloemfontein, during the Sede Vacante, 1899–1902 - The Rt Revd Arthur ChandlerArthur Chandler (bishop)The Right Reverend Arthur Chandler MA was Bishop of Bloemfontein from 1902 until 1920.Born in 1860, he was educated at Marlborough and University College, Oxford, and ordained in 1883. He began his career as Chaplain to Brasenose College, Oxford and then the Bishop of Salisbury. He was Rector of...
, 1902-1912 (when the first Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman was enthroned at St Cyprian's Cathedral).
The Bishops of Kimberley and Kuruman (from 1912)
The Bishops of Kimberley and Kuruman have occupied the Bishop's Throne, dedicated to St Edward, since Gore Browne's enthronement on 30 June 1912:- The Rt Revd Wilfrid Gore BrowneWilfred Gore-BrowneWilfrid Gore Browne was an Anglican bishop, the first Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1912 to 1928. He was described as a saintly bishop with "a keen sense of humour" and "a winning courtesy."-Early life and education:...
, 1912–1928 - The Rt Revd Theodore Sumner GibsonTheodore Sumner GibsonTheodore Sumner Gibson was the 2nd Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman and subsequently the 5th Bishop of St John's from 1928 until 1951.-Early life:...
, 1928–1943 - The Rt Revd John HunterJohn Hunter (bishop)John Hunter was the 3rd Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1943 until 1951. He was educated at Keble College, Oxford and ordained in 1922. His first post was as a Curate in Harrow but his next post was in South Africa...
, 1943–1952 - The Rt Revd John BoysJohn Boys (bishop)John Boys was the 4th Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1951 until 1960. He was educated at St Olave's Grammar School and Hatfield College, Durham and, after a business career, ordained in 1935. His first post was as a Curate in Egham Hythe after which he was appointed the Bishop of...
, 1953–1960 - The Rt Revd Philip William WheeldonPhilip William WheeldonPhilip William Wheeldon OBE was the fourth Bishop of Whitby, and subsequently twice Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.-Life:...
OBE, 1961–1965 - The Rt Revd Clarence Edward CrowtherClarence Edward CrowtherClarence Edward Crowther was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman who on appointment was its youngest bishop....
, 1965–1967 - The Rt Revd Philip William WheeldonPhilip William WheeldonPhilip William Wheeldon OBE was the fourth Bishop of Whitby, and subsequently twice Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman.-Life:...
OBE, 1968–1976 - The Rt Revd Graham Charles ChadwickGraham Charles ChadwickGraham Charles Chadwick was a British Christian missionary, bishop and anti-apartheid campaigner in South Africa....
, 1976–1983 - The Rt Revd George Alfred SwartzGeorge Alfred SwartzGeorge Alfred Swartz was the ninth Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman. He was born on 8 September 1928 and died in retirement in Cape Town on New Year’s Eve 2006.-Education:...
, 1983–1991 - The Rt Revd Njongonkulu NdunganeNjongonkulu NdunganeNjongonkulu Winston Hugh Ndungane FKC was the Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa ....
, 1991–1995, afterwards Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town - The Rt Revd Itumeleng Baldwin MosekiItumeleng Baldwin MosekiItumeleng Baldwin Moseki was the eleventh Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman from 1995 until his retirement in 2006. He was also a campaigner for the poor.-References:...
, 1995–2006 - The Rt Revd Oswald Swartz, 2007-
External links
- St Cyprian's Cathedral history website
- Sermon, 16 January 2011, by the Very Revd Fr Simon Aiken, St Cyprian's Cathedral
- Homily for Ash Wednesday, 9 March 2011, by the Very Revd Fr Simon Aiken, St Cyprian's Cathedral
- Easter Sermon, 24 April 2011, St Cyprian's Cathedral - with images from the Easter Monday Ordination and Chrism Mass
- Archdeacon's Charge by the Very Revd Fr Simon Aiken, Dean of Kimberley and Archdeacon of the Karoo
- "Treasure within" - sermon by the Dean of Kimberley, 24 July 2011
- "Remembrance Sunday" - sermon by the Dean of Kimberley, 13 November 2011
- Panoramio Photo: External view of St Cyprian's Cathedral
- Panoramio Photo: Recession during Consecration Mass, St Joseph's Day 2007
- Google 3D model by jacapp