Attached is a rare picture of Cawthorne doing his job! He is officiating at Chris Kemp's daughter's wedding. Sorry I cannot recall the names.
I am the choirboy second from right.
Anyway - Padre' Cawthorne was to come back into our lives one evening in the 1980's at my dad's pub here in the UK. For years dad had served a regular and always had a chat with this old geezer. He had a Berkshire accent and was something of a loner.
This particular night, dad and he were chatting and dad mentioned Padre' Cawthorne in the conversation. Old Tom looked at my father and said, "Do you mean that bugger who I rowed with at Oxford who swore like a trooper and would only row once he'd had two pints of ale inside him?"
My father was surprised and asked how come he knew him at Oxford University. The old man said, " Believe it or not but I was at university Alan. I studied engineering and got 1st class honours. Cawthorne was there studying theology and we were in the same rowing crew. He was a bugger but ever such gentle and kind man. Stubborn, competetive and courageous." Or words to that effect.
I think my father was more gobsmacked at realising that the old unassuming man in front of him was a lot smarter than he was! And he'd never mentioned his university days to dad in all the years he drank at the pub until this particular night.
Now back to Cawthorne. I remember that my dad had to get in a case of Windhoek for Cawthorne everytime Cawthorne came to 21 1st Ave after Sunday evening church. He'd come to our place and sit and chat to dad (we were not allowed in the lounge) and they'd talk the night away putting the world right. The beer case was always empty by the time Cawthorne walked home.
He refused a lift everytime. He used to point at his walking stick and say, "Alan, thank you for the offer but there is my chariot!"
We all know he walked everywhere.
Rob, thanks for the great story, the only part i find hard to believe is the part about you being a Choirboy...
hehehehe!
;)
Padre Cawthorne , what good childhood memories of a kind down to earth man , I remember my parents talking about him being offered a company car and that he too refused .. I still see in my minds eye the firm stride as he walked everywhere .. from what I remember he also tended to his flock quite a bit in the old Katies bar ... thanks for that good story Rob
Padre played a big role in our life as kids too - to him we were the "Kidlings Olivier". With my dad being so involved in the church (i think he was what u would call a lay minister), we were by default also in church/sunday school a lot. Every Xmas my folks would by a present for Padre from us kids - always the same thing, a packet of pipe tobacco and in return, he always had a little something for each of us. Reading the other posts, it seems he made many house calls as in my mind's eye, i can see him sitting in our lounge, leaning back in the old CDM furniture, legs crossed at the knees, holding his pipe in his mouth - his beard was all yellow around his mouth from the years of smoking that pipe. he always reminded me of Father Christmas. and that walking stick of his which would flick up and down while walking. Wonderful man!
Padre Cawthorne was a wonderful man - I think he touched everyone's lives. I still have a St Christopher he gave me. He often used to come around for tea - or a little more ...
Here's a Padre article from the Newsletter dated October 77, the full copy will be uploaded on the next update...
I remember with fondness the visits to the cafe on the fifth sunday of every month, funny how the numbers of kids at sunday school increased on these sundays.
Father would pay for us all to consume crisps cooldrink and ice cream I think.
He would also always bring tins of old fashioned fruit drops to our parties.
lets get it RITE boys n girls,padre,father ,when i was still there ,he got a bigger job,CANNON CAWTHORNE,GO BOETIE,WHAT A WONDERFULL CAREING MAN,HUGE PART OF ALL US SOETIES LIVES,MAN THE MAN CUD SUP,GOOD FOR ME,COS I GAVE JOHANNES A FEW BOTTLES ,THEN DOWND A A FEW FOR ME,when the old man got up to walk home,one thing my dad did,even if he had to walk to where the church was,he did his duty,the f**kup ,was taking me too,sh*t mike,not to mention that word,omunder now cummin out of me,hhhhhhaaaaaahhhhhhhaaaaaa,kan ek n groot ,lang stick boerewoers kry meneer/mefrou,....keep safe people,loves ya stacks xxxxxxxxx
Father Cawthorne used to visit all the children in the Anglican on their birhtdays.
The common present I remember was the Parrot toffees in the metal tin which you either used as a storage tin or for your school lunch.
Richard 8)
I never had anything to do with the church in om, but this man was known to verybody. I remember kids talking about his kindness on the one hand, and then the way they tried to play fool with him on the other. He would never be angry. The sort of way you would imagine father Xmas to be as a kid.
One story stayed on my mind. He took a bunch of boys on a tour to Lüderitz. Now the boys were convinced his pipe was far to old and he needed a new one. So they threw his old pipe in the bay of Lüderitz. Somehow he found his pipe again and used it as always.
Then came the day he died. I only experienced this from a distance. It seemed to change something in OM. The erea around the church was full of people on his funeral.
Yes I remember Padre well and without fail he would always turn up on our doorstep when one of us kids had a birthday and he would give us a tin of sweets. Robert Bruce, I spoke to my Mum last night (Avril Jonker) and she remembered you well as she was good friends with your Mum Mona.
I wasn't in Padre's church but he always visited all the children in hospital, never mind which church you belonged to. He also let Diana and Hans get married in his church as they were from Catholic and NG. He baptised their son Hansie and while he was blessing him, Hansie grabbed his beard. I got the giggles and for the rest of the service I was hysterical. Funny how something is funnier when you aren't allowed to laugh.
Another Anglican Church COmment:
"Enquiry -
anything you are able to print about St Marys Anglican Church and Rev Cawthorne for Rev Annette Allies Cell phone Number 081 351 8625 Tel 233360 work 23 3991 I spoke to Peter McPherson now in Cape Town - ex St Marys Anglican Church Warden and he will contact Ernie Justus (ex Training) and Anglican Lay Minister who gave Sunday school to just about all the English speaking girls and boys at the time from 1971 and onwards to about 1997 - Ernie also handled the boys and girls choir ."
Ingrid and I were privileged to be married by padre Cawthorne in the Oranjemund Anglican church on 6 April 1969.
Among Padre Cawthorne,s many duties, one was Chaplain of Optima Masonic Lodge where he attended regularly,thats where I got to know him,what an interesting person. Never a dull moment when talking with him. He was a legend among the Ovambo people.
I remember Padre Carthorne very well too. He used to visit on a monthly basis for tea or a drink with my folks and sweets for us kids. I was actively involved with him and the church as a choir boy. he spoke Ovambo very well too and told us many good stories of all the good he did for the Ovambos in Ovamboland.
He was a real gret man who touched the hearts of many in Oranjemund.
Another salute to a very real bigger than life and very human soul who had one thing in his heart that was to serve .. and he did it well and selfelessly . ....