On 3 January 1935, the Catholic Archbishop Francis William Redwood passed away, aged 95. As his biographer John Broadbent writes, ‘his life had spanned the transition from a missionary church to an established institution.’

Francis William Redwood was born on 8 April 1839 in the parish of Tixall, Staffordshire, England. His family emigrated to Nelson, New Zealand, on the George Fyfe in 1842. In December 1854, after evincing a firm desire to be a priest, he was sent to France for further education. Despite homesickness and internal struggles, Francis entered the scholasticate of the Marist fathers at Montbel, near Toulon, in 1860, pursuing a very successful course of studies. He was later appointed professor of Latin and Greek at St Mary's College, Dundalk, Ireland, where he also had to complete his own theological studies. After his ordination at Maynooth in 1865, he served as a priest in County Kildare.

After three years' teaching, Redwood contracted severe bronchial troubles and was sent to Rome to rest. There he met Philippe Joseph Viard, bishop of Wellington, who was attending the First Vatican Council. After Viard died, Redwood was appointed his successor in January 1874. It was said that he was the youngest Catholic bishop in the world; on his death at the age of 95 he was said to be the oldest.

A full account of Francis Redwood’s life can be read at www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2r6/redwood-francis-william

This 5 x 4 foot oil painting of Redwood “seated on the throne, with pastoral staff in hand” was produced by Wellington artist John Tasker, and finished around or before August 1887. The image above is a photograph of the work in situ, which was then sent to the Patent and Copyright Office by Tasker a month later. Newspaper reports noted that His Grace was a “difficult subject” to capture owing to “the great change his features present when in repose and when in animation”, but Tasker had made “a speaking likeness”. The painting went on display at Mr Tiller’s furniture warehouse on Manners Street before being presented to the Catholic art union as a prize.

Archives Reference: PC4 Box 1 / 1887/40

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