Rev. Charles Manthorpe (31 March 1836 – 6 December 1898) was a Congregationalist minister remembered for his 36-year pastorate in
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of ...
.
History
Manthorpe was born and grew up in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
,
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
, and began his working life as a teacher in nearby
Peafield, and was engaged as a lay preacher in nearby villages. Encouraged and guided by his pastor, Rev Mr. Alexander, he studied for the Christian ministry and after a few years was appointed to the Congregational Church at Long Stretton, then in 1856 was called to
Newport, Essex
Newport is a large village in Essex near Saffron Walden. The village has a population of over 2,000, measured at 2,352 at the 2011 census.
Located approximately 41 miles (66 kilometres) north of London, the village is situated amongst the ar ...
, where he was ordained and succeeded the old Rev. Mr. Hopkins.

This was at a time when missionaries were competing to develop churches in the farthest reaches of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
, and at Rev.
J. L. Poore's urging Manthorpe accepted a call to South Australia in 1858.
On arrival he was posted to the churches of
Happy Valley and
Morphett Vale
Morphett Vale is a southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga. It is the largest suburb in the state, with a population of more than 23,000 and an area of 12.76 km2, followed by Paralowie with nearly 10,000 f ...
, whose incumbent, the Rev.
A. R. Philps had been transferred to
Truro
Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro c ...
.
[
In 1861 he was appointed co-pastor of the old Freeman Street (now ]Gawler Place, Adelaide
Gawler Place is a single-lane road in the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs north to south from North Terrace to Wakefield Street, parallel to and approximately midway between King William and Pulteney Streets.
...
) church, whose pastor C. W. Evan
Cadwallader William Evan ( – 21 August 1876), generally referred to as Rev. C. W. Evan, was a Congregationalist minister in colonial South Australia, the first to serve at the Stow Memorial Church, Flinders Street, Adelaide.
History
Evan was ...
was in poor health.
In May 1862 he was called to take over the Glenelg church, which was in serious trouble: the popular and enthusiastic Rev. Charles Edwin Palmer
Hamilton Charles Palmer LLB (died c. 19 January 1880) was a lawyer in the early days of the colony of South Australia, remembered for his year as a master at one of Adelaide's private schools in 1860 and for a bathetic political candidature ten ye ...
, who had on the basis of a swelling congregation taken out a large loan to replace the 1848 church, built by H. J. Moseley, then abruptly resigned to become ordained in the Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
. By April 1861 the Sunday School was disbanded and the congregation shrunk to a dozen shouldering a debt of £1,300.
Manthorpe commenced at Glenelg in May 1862, and immediately had the church interior finished and made more attractive.[ Under his pastorate the congregation returned and the Sunday School re-established and within a year the debt had been reduced by £500. He had a new manse built at a cost of £1,050. By 1877 the building was clearly inadequate to the purpose and plans were made for a replacement on the adjoining block at a total cost of £6,900.][ In September 1879 the new building measuring with seating for 700,][ now St Andrews Uniting Church, was opened at 92 Jetty Road, Glenelg.
During his 36-year pastorate Manthorpe returned to England twice; on the first, undertaken in 1875 with his son Charles Edward, the ship's cargo of wool caught fire and the ''Aurora'', on her maiden voyage, had to be abandoned off the ]Azores
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( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem=( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
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, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
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and the journey completed on another vessel. His second was undertaken in 1891 as a delegate to the International Council of Congregational Churches in London. Shortly after his return he resigned, leaving in 1892,[ though he remained the titular pastor until April 1898.
For several years he was without a charge, preaching at special services and acting as temporary replacement as opportunity arose, notably the tiny New Parkside Congregational Church which had hitherto relied on lay preachers. Gradually attendance increased, and again the necessity for a larger building became evident. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Mrs. S. J. Way.
At its first service on 27 November 1898 Manthorpe was due to read the first lesson, but he was so frail, his eyesight so poor, and his voice so weak that his friend ]F. W. Cox
Francis William Cox (January 1817 – 29 March 1904) was the first pastor of the Hindmarsh Square Congregational church in Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia.
Life & career
Cox was born in London, "within the sound of Bow Bells", a son o ...
was obliged to take over the duty.
Manthorpe attended several services in the new building before his death.[
]
Recognition
*He was appointed Chairman of the Congregational Union in 1863 and in 1871
*The Manthorpe Memorial Church on Unley Road, Unley was named for him. A picture may be viewe
here
*A memorial plaque and window dedicated to his memory were installed in the Glenelg church in 1900, unveiled by his friend F. W. Cox
Francis William Cox (January 1817 – 29 March 1904) was the first pastor of the Hindmarsh Square Congregational church in Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia.
Life & career
Cox was born in London, "within the sound of Bow Bells", a son o ...
. The ornate memorial may be viewe
here
Family
Charles Manthorpe (31 March 1836 – 6 December 1898) married Harriet Whitridge Baker ( –1920) on 20 October 1859. Harriet was the eldest daughter of Rev. E Baker, of Morphett Vale. Their large family included:
*Charles Edward Manthorpe (1860– 1922) married Edith Margaret Preston (1862–1940) on 20 April 1886.
*Emma Sarah Manthorpe (1863–1944) married Tullie Comthwaite Wollaston in 1886
*Ruth Agnes Manthorpe (1865–1901) married Ralph James Beckwith in 1888
*Florence Manthorpe (1868– 1939)
*Elinor Manthorpe (1869– 1884)
*Marion Manthorpe (1872–1897) married Sidney Herbert Hambridge in 1896
*Percy Wayte Manthorpe (1876– 1923)
*Eva Alice Manthorpe (1879–1972) married George Percival Howie in 1910
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manthorpe, Charles
1836 births
1898 deaths
Australian Congregationalist ministers