When Bishop John Medley died in September 1892, the Diocese of Fredericton established two very tangible memorials to his 47 year episcopacy. These were the well-known, life-size marble monument placed in Christ Church Cathedral in 1896 and the lesser-known “Bishop Medley Memorial Canonry.” The Mission Canonry was to be in
“connection with the Cathedral, for the due maintenance of the
Services therein, and for carrying on special Mission work throughout the Diocese." Over the years, there have been several Medley Canon
Missionaries, the first was Canon A. W. Smithers.
From The Anglican Magazine
Read more of the article on Canon Smithers further below.
The bronze plaque reads as follows:
IN MEMORIAM
ALLAN WILLIAM SMITHERS, M.A., D.C.L.
CANON OF THIS CATHEDRAL
A FAITHFUL AND BELOVED PRIEST OF THIS DIOCESE FOR FORTY ONE YEARS
BISHOP MEDLEY MEMORIAL CANON-MISSIONARY 1908-1932
AND ELIZA ANNE HIS WIFE
ERECTED IN LOVING MEMORY BY THEIR DAUGHTER
"HIS SERVANDS SHALL SERVE HIM, AND THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE."
Parks Canada has decreed this cathedral a "superior example of the Gothic Revival style in Canada". We find we cannot disagree. Christ Church Cathedral is, indeed, a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture, as expressed by English architect, Frank Wills. The inspiration for the design was a 14th-century church in Norfolk, England, St. Mary's, Snettisham, Norfolk, a fairly obvious choice for an English architect, we suppose.
The cornerstone for the cathedral, built on the site of a previous Anglican Church, was laid on October 15, 1845 by then Lieutenant Governor Sir William Colebrooke. The consecration service, however, did not take place for another eight years, occurring on August 11, 1853. The date which the church bears, in Roman Numerals, is MDCCCXLIX, or 1849.
The spire we see atop the multi-spired tower is not the original. After a lightning caused fire in 1911, a restoration, designed by architect J. deLancey Robinson, included a lengthening of the spire by 20 feet, leaving the spire at 198 feet in height. Originally, there were 8 bells in the tower but, after the fire, Sir James Dunn replaced the 8 melted bells and donated 7 more for a total of 15. They are played on the bell manual, and they also chime as part of the clock on the quarter hour. The Cathedral was declared a National Historic Site in 1983.
In the sanctuary are many large stained glass windows, the major one being the East Window, which contains seven panels. Three apostles stand on either side of the centre pane which depicts Christ on the Cross. The seven panels represent the seven dioceses in existence at the time of its creation. At the top of the window is Christ the King. The window was designed by Mr. Wailes and the tracery is a reproduction of the seven paneled window at Selby Abbey. It was donated by Trinity Church, Wallstreet, New York.
In the North Transept is the large pipe organ, whose original organ pipes date from 1912, after the 1911 fire. Identified as Opus 2399, the console was constructed in 1957 by
Casavant Frères Ltée, Canada's best known organ builders.