Christ Church Anglican Church & Cemetery, Cullenswood

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Esk Tamar Highway, 3.5 kms west of St Marys. Google Maps.

Opened 1847. Built on land donated by Robert Legge, who also covered the costs of the construction of the church and associated buildings.

I can’t find any list of burials or transcriptions of the headstones.

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CULLENSWOOD CHURCH CENTENARY
The centenary celebrations of the Cullenswood Church of England, one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Tasmania, were begun during the weekend. The stone church is built on 16 acres of the Cullenswood estate donated by the late Mr R. Legge, and the Cullenswood rectory has been the centre of the St. Marys Parish since its inception.

The centenary service yesterday was conducted by the rector (the Rev C. R. Rose), and the sermon was given by the Bishop of Tasmania (the Rt Rev G. P. Cranswick). Guests included the Governor and Lady Binney and the Premier (Mr Brooker).
The Mercury, 9 February 1948

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CULLENSWOOD.-A correspondent says: “The first marriage at Cullenswood took place on Saturday last, in the neat little church lately erected at the expense of R. V. Legge, Esq., which, with the school room already completed, and the parsonage nearly so (by the same benevolent gentleman, who has for many years endeavored to supply the religious wants of this neighborhood), will be a lasting monument of his disinterested piety.”
Launceston Examiner, 20 August 1851

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ADDRESS to ROBERT VINCENT LEGGE, ESQ., CULLENSWOOD HOUSE.
Dead Sir, — We the undersigned parishioners of Cullenswood, highly appreciating the very noble and Christian feeling evinced by you in raising, at your sole cost and expense, a handsome Church, endowing the same with a liberal stipend, furnishing it with every requisite for the due performance of Divine Worship and celebration of the Sacraments, and finally assigning all over, together with the enclosed churchyard, to Trustees, for our benefit while it may please God to spare us, and for our children after us, do desire to convey our very high estimate of your generosity, and take on early opportunity of thus publicly accepting this so munificent a donation to our community, and tendering our hearty thanks for the same.

Nor is this all for which our gratitude is due ; for the occupation and use of our clergyman whom you have been the means of bringing amongst us, a parsonage-house has been erected, and a glebe of your best land enclosed. Not even yet did your charitable hand pause in the good work : at your charge, also, a school-house has been built, the value and need of which to the inhabitants is well attested by the increasing numbers of the children attending.

Those amongst us who enjoy the pleasure of your friendship well know how foreign to your nature is a desire for adulation ; we therefore refrain from adding more, than that though sensible how feeble a return on our part any acknowledgement can be, yet we are cheered with the remembrance that the good deed is registered in Heaven with a prayer, then, that the hand of God may shed every desired blessing upon you, and upon each member of your amiable family, we beg to subscribe ourselves as
Your obliged
And grateful fellow-worshippers,
(Signed)
Fred. L Stieglitz – – – – Henry G. Archdall
C. C Stieglitz – – – – – – Arthur Wright
F Groom – – – – – – – – – Ann Wright
M. E. Groom – – – – – – John Anderson
R. Cameron – – – – – – -Isabella Anderson
M. S. C. Cameron – – -Edward Greenbank
Thos. Ransom – – – – -Caroline Greenbank
Sarah Ransom – – – – -Michael Heaps
Henry Cowell – – – – – -Jane Heaps
Mary Cowell – – – – – – -Thos Jackson
Geo. Pineo – – – – – – – -Wm. Piper
H. B. Pineo – – – – – – – -Mary Piper
Archd, M’Intyre – – – – -Thos. Hattley
C. M’Intyre – – – – – – – -Stephen Harvey
H. Drew – – – – – – – – – -Eliza Harvey
Abby Archdall – – – – – -Robt. M’Mullan
Cullenswood, January 1852.
Cornwall Chronicle, 20 March 1852

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REPLY.
Cullenswood, February, 1852.
Dear Friends,— In thankfully acknowledging the very kind Address you have sent to me on the occasion of my executing a deed of conveyance of my Church to Trustees, allow me to say that as far as I am individually concerned, the Address is quite uncalled-for, on the principle that he who does his duty is not entitled to any merit for the performance of that duty. What I have done is not a “drop in the bucket” in return for what my God has done, both temporally and spiritually, for me.

The site on which the Church has been erected was, when I settled here twenty -four years ago, a wilderness, and the country around was impassable to a vehicle ; but now the heart is gladdened on the Lord’s Day by observing the arrival of conveyances of all kinds, and of pedestrians wending their way to the House of God. And how has this change been effected ? Why, through the Almighty mercifully allowing most of my undertakings to succeed, and thereby giving me the means of doing so; surety therefore, I owe him what I have done, and far more. I am, however, much gratified by the Address, as it realises one of the most ardent wishes of my heart, namely, that my neighbours should feel a desire to have a place of worship far them selves, and their families. The sentiments contained in the Address evince this desire ; and if I wanted further proof, I have it in the in creasing attendance at Church since the arrival of the Rev. S. Parsons as our Minister.

I have been repaid a thousand-fold the labour and expense of building the Church by the acknowledgment expressed in a note from one of the attendants. In speaking of Cullenswood Church, he says, — “At which place we trust it has pleased God to awaken in our minds a sense of our fallen nature and the necessity of seeking pardon through our Redeemer.” That our Heavenly Father may bless you all with the realization of the sentiments contained in this extract is, and ever will be, the prayer of
Yours very sincerely,
(Signed)
R. V. Legge.
To F. L. Von Stieglitz. and those who signed the Address.
Cornwall Chronicle, 20 March 1852

13 thoughts on “Christ Church Anglican Church & Cemetery, Cullenswood

  1. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    mark wright

    October 15, 2016 at 9:10am

    He’ll I was wondering if you have any information on the weddings in 1858 as my descendant George Wright was reported to have been married their any information would be very haelpful thank you

    • Permalink  ⋅ Reply

      Monissa Whiteley

      October 15, 2016 at 9:19am

      Afraid not. Do you have a copy of the marriage certificate/registry entry?

  2. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    Margaret Keizer

    February 13, 2017 at 8:20am

    Mark,

    The father-in-law of my 2nd Great Aunt was George Wright who married in 1858 to a Maria Theresia Lehner, but in Campbell Town. However, all of their children were born at Cullenswood. Could be a match,

    Regards, Margaret

  3. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    Judi

    April 22, 2017 at 6:14am

    George Wright born 16 November 1823, Old Radford, Nottingham, England and died 30 October 1878 St Marys, Tasmania married Maria Theresa Lehner born 7 June 1839, Oeffingen, Wuerttemberg, Germany, died 17 March 1871 Fingal, Tasmania. This couple married Christ Church, (Anglican Church), Esk Tamar Highway, Cullenswood, Tasmania on 26 September 1858.

    Cheers
    Judi

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    Pat Rubenach

    September 9, 2017 at 1:16pm

    I was baptised in this lovely old church back in 1936. Some of my early ancestors would have probably had an association without too, I have visited Ita few times over the years. Pat Rubenach

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    patsy harris

    March 19, 2018 at 3:09am

    absolutely fabulous church my ancestor james worker was married there i was wondering was he burried there also died in 1915 at falmouth patsy harris

  6. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    Wendy Burbury

    June 1, 2018 at 7:18am

    Is this church owned by the Anglican Church or by the Legge family? Several of my ancestors are buried there & several of my family, including myself, were married there.

    • Permalink  ⋅ Reply

      Monissa Whiteley

      July 21, 2018 at 3:39am

      I don’t really know. Sorry.

    • Permalink  ⋅ Reply

      Robert Andrew

      April 15, 2021 at 7:46am

      It was owned by the Legge family, but it has recently been sold, with the house & the property.

  7. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    Deborah cotter

    November 24, 2018 at 2:56am

    I have written on a paper in1940 by my grandfather Everard William Handley that his father William Handley married a Mary Kelly at Cullenswood and that they are both buried in the cullenswood cemetery?

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    David & Shelley

    December 13, 2019 at 10:11pm

    Yesterday my wife and I were privileged to discover and be able to admire this historic, sturdy and beautiful testament to a family’s and a community’s faith.
    Sadly, I think that obscurity cannot be relied upon, and it is a matter of urgency that, at least, the entry should be secured (and the windows protected).

  9. Permalink  ⋅ Reply

    John Wynter

    July 17, 2021 at 8:53am

    My grandfather was rector here 1917-22 and my mother was born here. I have a couple of old photos c.1920.

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