Linwood Cemetery Tour Guide - Christchurch City Libraries

undivided attention to the comfort and well-being of the pupils, and, if the
applications warrant it, a commodious house will be erected immediately.
Thereafter followed a comprehensive ‘Scheme of instruction’ divided into first and
second classes, the former including English grammar and composition, ancient and
modern history, geography, writing (plain and ornamental), arithmetic and
mensuration, Scripture History and Biblical antiquities, and the elements of the
natural sciences. Subjects in the second class were simpler, including the rudiments of
English grammar and composition, English and colonial history, writing, arithmetic,
Scripture history, geography and the elements of the natural sciences. The boys could,
if it was desired, be taught elementary drawing and the rudiments of Latin … and
algebra. The girls could be instructed in plain needlework.
Knowles’ advertisements were effective. He moved into a 14 room boarding house
built and owned by Ebenezer Hay who was pleased with the progress that his children
made. Indeed, the school ‘soon acquired a truly excellent reputation throughout
Canterbury’.
On 30 August 1855, at Pigeon Bay’s ‘temporary church/schoolroom’ a Methodist
minister, John Aldred, officiated at Knowles’ marriage to Charlotte Wiles.
In 1856 Henry John Chitty Harper arrived to become the first Bishop of
Christchurch. George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, was waiting and,
when the high clerics met, they baptised Walter Frank, infant son of Francis and
Charlotte Knowles. Harper saw the promise that was in Francis and, on 20
December 1857, the young man was made deacon at the first ordination carried out by
the Bishop.
For a time Knowles stayed at his school. However, he made it clear that he could not
in the future, as he had in the past, make compromises with regard to religious
instruction in school. Ebenezer Hay, a devout Presbyterian, obtained his agreement to
leave the academy as soon as a new teacher could be found.
The Church news was to describe Knowles’ work on Banks Peninsula. It commented
that Canterbury
… was intended to be a Church of England settlement; but much of the world
entered into the scheme of things from the start; more of the world than the
church seemed to shew forth in the results. Many of the first clergy were not
equal to the task. The church hardly knew how to make good its claims. Then
it was that young men offered themselves as helpers. Francis Knowles …
went to Banks Peninsula as schoolmaster-catechist. Bishop Selwyn, sailing in
his yacht amidst the mists that often hid the landmarks and prevented him
from being certain as to which bay he was entering, found Francis Knowles
doing his humble work faithfully among the few people in the district,
teaching the children and riding about the hills after his scattered people. The
young man did a deacon’s work and made good some of the deficiencies of
the higher clergy. It was later stated that, on Banks Peninsula Knowles did
most valuable work … and made up for some of the deficiencies of the higher
clergy’.
Linwood Cemetery Tour Guide
Updated 2013
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