First Missionary Minister
The first minister to ever serve to people at Papendorp (having specific duties) was Michael Angelo Camilleri, a Maltese who had been a Catholic priest. In 1849 he was assigned in particular for the conversion of Muslims, a task for which he was well qualified as he had learnt Arabic while serving in Tangier and soon picked up the Malay language.
Second Missionary Minister
Next came John Quinn, born in Ireland in 1805, who also had been a Catholic priest. Quinn spent his whole Anglican career around here as he was on the Cathedral staff, thereafter to St. Mark's in District Six and then lastly as a military chaplain for hid last 20 years. He died in his quarters at the Castle of Good Hope (Cape Town), on 21 December 1875.
First Resident incmbent
Walter Vaughan Palmer, who had been born on 18 June 1823, was the first resident incumbent, his home one of the two in Treaty House.
Layminister & Carpenter
Faulkner, who inherited Palmer's quarters - was the parish's leading layman for many years. He became a church warden in the original St. Mary's Church. He and his carpentry students at Zonnebloem, made the church's wooden porch and cover of its first baptism font.
Painted Scripture Verses - Choir Screen
Faulkner, also painted verses of scripture on the old chancel screen - which is no longer in existance. He married twice. His first marraige was in St. George's Church in Cape Town on 3 September 1838, his bride being Mary, a daughter of John Inglesby of the Artillery at the Castle and later resident in Sir Lowry Road. After her death he married Anne Oliver who died in 1890.
New Choir Screen
Faulkner, himself died on 8 November 1888 and the present choir screen was erected in his honour. His portrait was in the hall as late as 1909. It is to be hoped that it can be found again and placed in the position of honour it deserves.
Rev. Young
When rector Young left in 1892, his farewell testimonial was signed by the (then) 11 leading prominent parishioners. These were : Amos Bailey, C Batholomew, John H Beresford, Charles Cock, J. Courtenay, C. Creighton, WF Elliott, Thomas Hopkins, John Robb, G.E. Shott and Phillip Wills.
Religiously Mad...
There were several valuable women helpers in the early days. Miss Von Blomberg of Zonnebloem taught at the mission school but could be quite a problem. Rev. Young (the third rector) for example, noted in the parish diary on18 May 1889, that F W Puller, one of Cowley Fathers, "had to take refuge in the rectory from Miss Von Blomberg .... prbably because she was religiously mad!". Mad or NOT, she gave the parish much welcome educational and social service.
Anglican Women
Florence Jones, a member of a leading mercantile family in Cape Town was admitted as a deaconess in St. Mary's on 2 March 1905 and was the earliest deaconess in the Cape Colony. Living sometimes at 35 Church Street and in the Treaty House at other times she performed dedicated school and social work for many years.
Miss Nanno Byrne, arrived from England in the Saxon on 10 November 1868 and worhippedat St. Mary's for nearly 40 years. After her death on 24 June 1907, the parish showed their appeciation of her services by paying the £10 (pounds) for her gravestone at Maitland and by giving a chalice and two patens in her memory.
Repainted Texts
Yet another valuable lady was Miss E.D. Prowse, who lived with her sister and artist, Ruth Prowse in one of the outbuildings of Roodebloem House. A competent artist herself, she re-painted the texts on the walls of the chancel in 1916. She was Roodebloem's representative on the church's council and did heroic work in the epidemic of Spanish Influenza in 1918.
William Hare
Another Roodebloem resident deserves mention, is William Hare, who worked on a large brickfield there. As well as serving as a church warden. William Hare, was a generous benefactor. He gave bricks for the foundations of the present foundations - of the present St. Andrews School (Formerly Chapel) and a pulpit to Roodebloem Church. He lived a busy life in other fields for he was mayor of Woodstock for most of his time between 1897 and 1913, and was a member of the Cape Legislative Assembly. His name is preserved in Hare's Avenue and Hare's Crescent.
MUSIC 1879 - 1910
St. Mary's soon made its name in the realm of sacred music and for this it had to Thank, in particular, Charles Cock who lived in Walmer Road and was the chief storekeeper of the Cape Goverment Railways. In his spare time Charles Cock was the unpaid choir master and organist of the church for 31 years, from 1879 till 1910. He then retired to England, where he died in March 1925.