Kensington Chapel

A n account of money collected at the offertory at St John's Church, New Town in the year 1845 was reported in the Courier newspaper as £42-14-6 for the erection a Chapel at Kensington, O'Brien's Bridge. It became known as the Kensington Chapel.

An allotment of 8 acres, 1 rood and 33 perches which bordered land owned by William Henry Bowden, Henry Emmett, Charles Reed and High Road was the location of the land owned by the church, this is believed to have been on or near Tolosa Street.

The Church or Chapel at Kensington License (Tasmania)

Fitzherbert Adams Marriott, Clerk, Master of Arts, the Vicar General and Commissary lawfully constituted of The Right Reverend Father in God Francis Russell, by Divine permission The Lord Bishop of Tasmania, to the Reverend John Yarker, Clerk, S.C.L., the Minister and Chaplain at Kensington within the Diocese of Tasmania, and others the Residents and Inhabitants in and about the same place.

Greeting: Whereas it hath been lately represented unto me by a Petition under your hands that there is not at this present time any Church, Chapel, or other place set apart for the celebration of Divine Service according to the Rubric of the United Church of England and Ireland at Kensington aforesaid and that a certain Building or Edifice hath lately been erected and built at Kensington in the Parish of Glenorchy within the said Diocese by the voluntary contributions of you and others being members of the United Church of England and Ireland resident in and about the same place, and is intended for a place of Divine worship according to the Rubric of the said United Church of England and Ireland until a more commodious Edifice can be erected and built; and praying a license to perform Divine Service therein:

Now I, the said Fitzherbert Adams Marriott, Vicar General and Commissary as a aforesaid, having taken the premises into consideration and being desirous of complying with the prayer of the said Petition, Do by these presents as far as being law I may or can grant my license and authority to you.

The said John Yarker and any Clerk in Holy Orders thereunto duly licensed by the said Right Reverend Father in God or his successors or his or their Vicar General and Commissary for the time being to perform and celebrate Divine Service, preach the word of God, administer the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, publish banns of marriage, celebrate marriage, and perform all other Ecclesiastical duties whatsoever in the said Building or Edifice at Kensington in the Parish of Glenorchy aforesaid, according to the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of the United Church of England and Ireland.

Reserving nevertheless to the said Francis Russell, the Lord Bishop of Tasmania, and his successors, and his or their Vicar General and Commissary for the time being, full power and authority of revoking these presents and all things herein contained whenever he or they shall see just cause for the same. In Testimony whereof I have set my Hand and caused the Episcopal Seal of the See of Tasmania to be affixed to these presents this eighth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty seven.

Signed: Frederick A. Marriott Vicar General & Commissary

Registered at Hobart Town this 19th day of January one thousand eight hundred and forty seven. By me, John Harrison - Registrar of the Diocese

Rev. Yarker was licensed to perform the sacraments, and records show him baptising children between 1846 and 1848. He was succeeded by Rev. William Robert Bennett, who had recently been ordained by the Bishop of Tasmania and was appointed as clergy to the Kensington Chapel at O’Brien’s Bridge. The first marriage conducted by Rev. Bennett took place in 1847, and the last known marriage in the chapel was in 1864. Rev. Bennett passed away in late April 1865.

The Courier newspaper gave an account of an incident that took place at the chapel in January 1849 where 'some evil-disposed persons' had broken in to the building by cutting away a portion of the lattice window, they stole a small common bible.