Marianne Carey,
Foundress
From the Memoirs of Marianne Miller nee Carey (born 22 July
1826 - died 27 November 1912)
The start of the story .......
Image courtesy Priaulx Library
La Rocque de Guet 1839
It was my father's custom to
take us almost every year to Guernsey, there to spend the
months of July and August. My earliest recollections are
associated with Havilland Hall which was the house to which
we went until it was used as Government House. My birthday
occurring in July was therefore generally spent in Guernsey
and the usual treat when I was a child was to go to Cobo
and have tea on the rocky beach. On my 13th birthday, we
made the customary expedition and the distance from the
hall being greater than from "the cottage" from which my
cousins had walked and also my not being quite so strong as
the others I was very tired and went to lie down on the
Rocque de Guet overlooking the Bay of Cobo. While resting
there my eyes wandered over the portion of the country
around and I saw that there were many cottages inhabited by
the fisher folk but could see no church or school. I knew
that the nearest would be fully two and a half miles
distant and began to wonder whether they ever went to
Church. My meditations were however very soon interrupted
by cheery voices calling me down from my perch and have tea
which was certainly very refreshing.
Gatcombe
On the Sunday following our return to our beautiful English
home on the Isle of Wight. I took my Christian Year into
the wood behind my lovely Church to learn, as was my wont,
the hymn for that day and looking at the Church and our own
house nestled so closely together made me think very
sorrowfully of that lonely village on the seashore so far
removed from any House of God and the longing to give them
one arose very strongly in my heart.
On going into the house I sought my father and took up my
favourite position on his knee, where-upon he asked - "What
do you want to coax out of me now?" "O Daddy, I want to
build a church and I want you to tell me how to do it" -
"Build a Church!" he answered in some amazement, "and pray
where is this church to be, it sounds rather a big order?"
- "Oh, you are not to laugh at me, for I so want to build
one at Cobo - you know how far it is from St. Mary's and I
don't believe those fisher folk ever go at all." "Yes my
darling, I do see that they sadly want a church and I can
understand how much you would like to enable them to have
one - But - now child, don't be impatient - and listen
quietly to all your old father is going to say to you."
"I am not going to dash your hopes nor throw cold water on
the scheme - It may be that some future day that God will
permit you to have the privilege for which you long, but
now, and for some years to come, I am sure it is not your
work. You have distinct duties marked out for you. You have
your lessons to do and must give your mind to them - you
have a class in the Sunday School - you have several old
women to go and read to - you have to help your mother in
the house and your sisters in the village. These are the
duties that God has given you to do & you must be
content with them for some time to come - but the day may
come when you will have free time & we will talk of it
again."
Years went by - each one bringing a reminder of Cobo's
needs, but each day, nay each hour had it's appointed task.
It is true the more rigid hours of the schoolroom were
relaxed, but with an hour daily at the National School
before matins and half an hour after that in a smaller
school, then returning for an hours reading before luncheon
- When alone, that consisted of history with my sister
Caroline and one of the Cottage Carey cousins - When my
brothers or cousins were at home it varied, Italian with
Frank French with Connie. In the afternoon two days at the
school for work and other days district visiting on a walk
with my father whom we never allowed to go alone - so had
the pleasant duty by turns - or I had to accompany mother
to make calls or for shopping.
If the boys were at home, I was ever at their beck and
call, either for music or a long walk - in the evening we
had out our frames to work for about an hour - having much
to do for our newly built church of St. Peter - Frontals,
mats, etc. and also garments for our district during this
hour - Either mother or one other read aloud and music was
expected for the last hour - so where was the leisure time
for which I had waited and hoped - It seemed well nigh
useless to think of it -
Again on my birthday I found myself on my favourite Rocque
du Guet - and this time with a book given me that morning
by my mother entitled - "She hath done what she could" -
The very name of the book started me thinking and looking
round on the Church-less hamlet I said to myself "Have I
done all I could?" and the answer was one of doubt for what
could I have done?
Neverless it seemed to stir me up to a determination to
delay no longer and ways and means crowded in my brain but
alas with small result - Next day full of the desire to
start work I went into the Town and bought a sheet
containing ten pictures which are found in the "divine
Master" - This sheet cost me one franc - and it occurred to
me that if framed these pictures might sell, so on our
return to England I got some glasses cut to the required
size and bought some brown American cloth and managed to
make a very tidy little frame to be hung up by a ring of
which I chartered a good supply - But once more my work was
arrested - there were too many home duties to be performed
to leave time for any extras - The following Spring,
however, I hoped to have made a lasting start, having
argued with my sister Caroline to send off the ten framed
pictures to a friend who was away from home at the time and
charge 5/- but urging her to bring them back unless she
quite liked having them. Great was our delight when the
reply brought a cheque for £2-2-0 a real nest egg.
