Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/32

6 animated the founders of the congregation. They were wont to meet weekly to ask God to extend His direction to the commissioners for selecting a minister. The late Messrs J. Gillies, J. Hyde Harris, T. B. Gillies, C. H. Kettle, and C. H. Street, are said to have taken part in these meetings.

Meanwhile, the Church and Manse Building Committee had not been idle; for, in the course of a few weeks, a sum exceeding £900 was subscribed—a comparatively large amount in those early days. Mr W. H. Reynolds is described as having been "particularly active in obtaining subscriptions." Mr J. Hyde Harris presented the Committee with the two quarter-acre sections at the corner of Great King street and Frederick street as a site for the church. There was at first some difficulty experienced in obtaining a site for the Manse. The Committee recognised the hand of Divine Providence in the circumstance that the three quarter-acre sections on which the Manse stands had been for many years withheld from sale, on account of a road which then passed through them, and that, just at the time when a site at a considerable distance was about to be purchased, the reserve was removed from the sections, which were then secured for the Manse, at the upset price of £37 10s. for the whole.

Mr W. Langlands, architect, prepared plans and specifications for both church and manse, free of charge; and in August, 1859, the Committee accepted Messrs Monson's offer to erect the church for £1997 10s. The church was calculated to contain 578 sittings, with provision for enlargement when found necessary. In November, 1859, Messrs J. & W. Somerville's offer to erect the manse for £625 was accepted. The foundation-stone of the church was laid by Mr J. Hyde Harris on November 3, 1859, with the customary ceremonial. The Rev. Dr Burns also assisted on the occasion. On the suggestion of Mr Hyde Harris the building was named "Knox Church." In connection with the interesting event of the day a social meeting was. held in the First Church in the evening, at which there was a large attendance. After a suitable address by Mr James Macandrew, wha occupied the chair, Mr John Gillies, as convener, read a report of the various steps that had been taken by the two committees. The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev. E. G. Edwards and Messrs T. B. Gillies, C. H. Kettle, and Thomas Dick.