During the time that Old St Paul’s was an active parish, almost 100 years, it had 10 vicars.  The first five were there for relatively short periods, and then the subsequent five for longer.

Reverend Frederick Thatcher, both architect and priest, who had the rare distinction of designing a church for his own parish, became very ill during the time the church was being built, and in the end tragically never had the opportunity to be the vicar of St Paul’s. His name is recorded on the foundation stone – both as architect and as the previous curate to the church.

After Thatcher left the parish, the Bishop retained the position of parish priest for a short time, until Reverend Patrick Hay Maxwell was appointed; meaning that Maxwell was vicar of the first St Paul’s, and then the incumbent when the new church opened in 1866.

The clergymen who led the church were:

Patrick Hay Maxwell 1866 – 1868

William Harris Ewald – 1868 – 1871

Bache Harvey – 1871 – 1882

Richard Thorpe – 1882 – 1884

John Still  – 1885 – 1891

Thomas Sprott – 1892 – 1911

Allan Macdonald Johnson – 1911 – 1929

Percival James – 1929 – 1937

David Davies – 1938 – 1962

Walter Hurst – 1963 – [until the church closed in 1964].

 

 Image – Thomas Sprott, later Bishop of Wellington, with his wife Edith, photographed in 1930.  Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23190366