Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/36

8 on May 29, 1860, and the first communion was celebrated on the 17th of the following month, on which occasion Captain Cargill and Mr. John Gillies assisted as elders. The number that communicated was about 300. The first congregational meeting was held on the 28th of June in the same year. On that occasion the Building Committee submitted a report of their proceedings. They showed that their liabilities for manse site, building of church and manse, minister's passage-money, fencing, &c., were about £2030, and that their receipts were—from Church Trustees, for the manse, £225; subscriptions and collections, £1037; total, £1262; thus leaving a deficiency of about £1668. The unpaid subscriptions amounted to £310, of which only about £100 were afterwards recovered. The meeting very heartily resolved to clear off the debt with as little delay as possible, and 87 of the members present subscribed on the spot £614 towards that object. At the same meeting the following resolutions were severally adopted:—That the sittings in the church should be let at such rate or rates as might be fixed by the Deacons' Court; that six elders and six deacons should be elected by the votes of the congregation; that a congregational prayer meeting should be held weekly; that Mr William McLelland should be elected precentor; and that the minister, Messrs J. Hyde Harris, E. B. Cargill, T. B. Gillies, and T. Dick should be appointed Trustees of the Church property.

Mr William Gowans acted as church officer till his appointment as attendant of the Supreme Court. He was succeeded in Oct., 1860, by Mr Thomas Park, who has ever since faithfully performed the duties of his office, with scarcely a day's intermission, except when he obtained leave of absence for a short time in 1881, on account of weak health.

The first election of office-bearers took place in July, 1860, with the following result:—Elders elected: Capt. William Cargill, Messrs John Gillies, John Hyde Harris, George Hepburn, James Wilkie, and the Rev. Robert Hood. Deacons elected: Messrs Edward Bowes Cargill, Thomas Bannatyne Gillies, Charles Henry Kettle, John Logan, Robert Short, and Charles Henry Street. Between the date of the election and the day fixed for the induction of the elders-elect. Captain Cargill was called away to his rest (August 6th, 1860), at the age of 76 years.