St Paul's Church, which stood on Point Britomart in Auckland, is shown here in the last stages of demolition in 1885. The church's vicar, C. M. Nelson, marked the occasion by promising to present a handsome copy of the Bible to the last couple married in the church. On the final day the church was open a bookseller wed his beloved and then they congratulated themselves on winning the prize. However, a chemist conceived a cunning plan to marry while the church was being deconstructed. According to a press report: 'with the roof partly off, the windows out, the workmen scattered around, and plaster flying about, he brought his bride before the fast disappearing altar, and they left the building man and wife. This is how the chemist stole a march on the bookseller and scored the parson's Bible.'
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: 4-RIC374
by James D. Richardson
Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.