I obtained an electronic copy of my grandparents’ marriage certificate today for $18.
Michael John Gorey, farmer of Waubra, married Eleanora Augusta Hermitage Sutherland at 101 Gore Street, Fitzroy, on April 19, 1913.
Rev John Hosking, who celebrated the marriage of my grandparents.
I thought my grandmother was Presbyterian, but she may have been Congregationalist at that time, or maybe it was close enough.
Although my grandfather was said to be ambivalent about religion in his later years, he cared enough to have his eldest child (my aunt Sheila) baptised a Catholic in August 1914.
I can’t imagine he would have been too impressed at being married by a Congregationalist and temperance advocate, or perhaps he was so much in love he didn’t care.
This post isn’t meant to be a genealogical reflection.
Rather, I discovered some interesting information about Rev Hosking.
Born at Copperhouse, West Comwall, in 1860, he was educated at Redruth Public School, and at Victoria Park College, the UMFC Theological Institution 1883-1886, and received on probation at the 1886 Conference. He offered his services to the Committee for Colonial Missions and was sent immediately to Australia where he served at Ballarat (1886-1887), Melboume (1887-1888), and Brisbane (1888-1891). He apparently had offered to come to New Zealand in 1890, and the following year a New Zealand layman on a visit to Australia was impressed by him, and an appointment was offered. He served at Christchurch, 1891-1896, and during that time was Chairman of the UMFC District in 1894. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the Shaw University and Barritt College, of Raleigh, North Carolina in 1895.
While in Christchurch he established the Christian Evidence Society and the Moral League. He was something of a controversialist, and gained prominence through his very public exposure of the confidence trickster Arthur Bentley Worthington. Morley describes him as a voracious reader and voluminous writer, and in the New Zealand Bibliography he has ten entries, including a 565 page treatise on Christian morals, theology and history. After the Union of 1896 he was stationed at Hastings (1896-1897) and Hamilton (1897-1899). He was clearly a man with leadership ability.
After his time at Mt Eden he was appointed the pastor at the Fitzroy Congregational Church in Melbourne. While in Melbourne he was prominent as a leader of the Protestant Federation, and was also active as an Orangeman and as a temperance advocate. During the 1914-1918 War he visited the United States, and on his retum he became minister of the Chapple St Baptist Church, where he spent only a few months prior to his death, at Broken Hill, on June 27th 1919.
Even more interesting, the good reverend was happy to endorse a commercial product.
He appeared in an advertisement in The Advertiser (Adelaide) on August 24, 1912 to promote Clements Tonic.
The “splendid tribute to this great nerve and brain tonic” was written on March 1, 1912 from the minister’s manse at 101 Gore Street, Fitzroy, where my grandparents were married just over a year later.
Rev John Hosking endorses Clements Tonic.
There doesn’t appear to be a church at the Gore Street address today, according to Google Street View. I imagine the nearby Builders Arms Hotel was there in 1913 though.
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Thanks for the history lesson Michael.
It’s really interesting reading about how language was used to describe a product of times past.
I did a bit of research on tonics of that era.
Fishafos was a big name nerve tonic flogged by door to door salesmen. I can remember my granny was a bit hooked on it…then along came Bex powders. These things seemed to work well with my granny…taken with a cup of tea and a good lie down.
I have a similar experience with this Minister and Church. My Grandparents were Catholic yet got married by John Hosking in the Congegational Church, Fitzroy.
That’s interesting Margaret, thanks. I wonder if he was a “go-to” minister for special cases, such as elopements, “mixed marriages” or the like.
You may be right, Michael. I don’t think there were any other family present and one of the witnesses was John Hosking’s wife, Lucretia Theresa Hosking. Both my grandparents were of Irish descent so I can’t see why they would choose an Orangeman to marry them. They did live nearby the church, perhaps it was just convenient.
Michael, thanks for all wonderful information concerning John Hosking.
He seemed to regularly advertise in The Argus his matrimonial services (see below)
101 Gore Street still today has religious connections. It has a high fortress styled wall with a wrought iron gate. In the middle is a white cross. – see Google Maps.
The couple I am currently searching had been living together for some time. As “living in sin” was socially unacceptable at the time they may have needed the services as provided by John (and others) as marrying in a regular church may have been difficult.
Thanks, Andrew