Archdeacon James GuntherPrint Page

The marble tablet commemorates Archdeacon James Gunther, priest at the church for 38 years, who died in 1879 at the age of 73. 

The Venerable Archdeacon Gunther died at Mudgee on the 19th December, aged 73. He was (says the Post) born in Oberschwandorf, near Stuttgart, in Germany, in the year 1806. After receiving a suitable primary education, he studied for five years in the Mission University, Basle, in Switzerland. About this time there was an appeal in England for young men for mission work, and Mr Gunther went to that country, and studied for three years at the Missionary College at Islington. He was ordained a deacon by the Bishop of London in the year 1832. About this period his health failed him, and he returned to his native place for a time, but went back to England with the intention of carrying out his original plan of undertaking mission work in the year 1836, and was ordained a priest of the Church of England in Westminster Abbey.

He was married during the same year, and arrived in this colony early in 1837. He came out under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society, and after doing duty at Liverpool for a short time, proceeded to Wellington, where he arrived during August, 1837. He first visited Mudgee during 1839, and visited it occasionally afterwards, making periodical and frequent visits before his final settlement in this town, which took place during 1841. Since then, till a month or two back, when he resigned through infirmity, he has acted continuously as senior clergyman of St John's Church, Mudgee. In the earlier days he had a large district, and having no assistant, had to travel a good deal, and, during the lengthened period he performed ministerial duties in Mudgee, had no regular holiday till a few months back.
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 31 December 1879.

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