A DOMESTIC HISTORY OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN CHATEAU-D’OEX 1866 - 1919

During the 19th century Château-d’Oex became more and more popular with the British tourists who would come as a family, often with maids and nursemaids and stay for the season. The two local hotels, l’Ours and l’Hotel de Ville were too small to cope with these visitors and in 1819 the Hotel Berthod was built, which catered to their needs and the Pension Rosat was opened in 1845 and rapidly also became a hotel.

At the bottom of the photo is the Hotel Berthod later called Hotel du Parc and extended in 1880 and destroyed by fire in 1946. Above is the new Hotel Berthod later called the Grand Hotel and built in 1904 when the M.O.B. arrived in Château-d’Oex and to its left can be seen the forest of Arolla pines that was planted and reindeer were introduced, but died as supposedly they didn’t support the climate.

These tourists also wished to have a church service, communion and Sunday school for the children. The first chaplain was appointed in June 1866, John James Coxhead MA, curate of Fulham and was rapidly succeeded by other curates who usually stayed a month or perhaps two at the hotel Berthod. The Berthod family gave them the use of the lounge for the services, which took place on Sunday mornings and afternoons with a communion service occasionally at 8 a.m. but not every Sunday. In 1882 one of the visitors asked for communion at 8 a.m.,” the only reason which she gave was her belief that it was the Church’s rule to take the sacrament fasting I was obliged after pointing out to her the mistake and for her own sake to decline.” Chaplain Rev H.E. Fox of Christ Church Westminster.

The holiday season was short – June, July, August, September and apparently no winter season at the start as the joys of sledging and skating were discovered later. Below is a photo of the skating rink where we have the football pitch at the present time and note the Anglican church in the background.

Here is a list of church property donated in the early years and which belonged to the Colonial and Continental Church society at Chateau-d’Oex, later known as the Intercontinental Church Society: -

Communion plate, cup and Paters

Reading desk stool and platform - 1870

Rep cover for communion table and reading desk - 1879

Communion rails - 1881

Alms Plates and collection bag - 1884

Kneeling boards - 1881.

These objects were left in the care of the Swiss Pastor at the end of each season.

Attendances varied greatly, from being as many as 176 to 22 and largely depending on the weather as if there was a lot of rain, the visitors left early. Of course, the women’s long dresses and elaborate hats were not suitable for bad weather or for winter sports and a path was cut through the cemetery grass to avoid visitors getting their shoes wet.

In 1882, the chaplain regretted that the Society only appointed one person to the chaplaincy “as every hotel keeper is willing to make the same concession as M. Berthod and the larger Pensions are by no means to be denied.” Services were also held in the Hotel Pension Rosat lounge and were well attended. But in July 1883 the new chaplain Rev. Doyle “humbly advised all future chaplains not to hold services in Salons where there is a church provided for that purpose. It is unseemly and causes jealousy in a place like this, giving, as it does, a decided preference to the Pension where it is held”. However, later chaplains did not always follow his advice as the Swiss church often had very long services and was difficult to access. The English services were held at 11am and 5pm and finished quickly in the evening as Hotel Berthod served their evening meal at 6p.m. Some Wednesdays there was also a short service at 4 o’clock in the Pension Morier which was much appreciated by those unable to get up to the Temple. The Pension Morier was frequently used for services as it was more accessible than the Swiss church.

Of course, there were often difficulties due to bad weather and illness. In 1882 there was an outbreak of diphtheria evidently exaggerated as there were only two people of the same family who fell ill, but there were no more than half a dozen families who came to Chateau-d’Oex for the season and no man to act as churchwarden! In July 1889 there was an epidemic of scarlet fever which was “the worst season known in Château d’Oex” (Rev. Cameron Wilson of Paignton) and there was a renewed outbreak in September which caused the sad death of Guyon Robinson aged 14 of La Frasse and over a hundred English and Americans left for home and the maximum in church was exceptionally 29 people but by August 1890 the congregation was building up again. In 1894 there was a case of scarlatina at Pension Morier and the visitors were requested not to attend the church.

In 1891 the Col. and Con. Church Society decided not to bear the cost of bringing visitors from Rossinière to Château-d’Oex. It was decided that when the number of visitors increased at Rossinière, a chaplain would be appointed there. The Grand Chalet at Rossinière became a hotel in 1852 and rapidly became very fashionable, with large families and their servants staying there for the season.

A list of the Pensions (boarding houses), in 1891 and whose guests contributed regularly to the maintenance of the organ (for the Swiss church) and the poor fund which every month received contributions from the visitors.

Pensions.- Berthod, Rosat, Morier-Rosat, Bricod, Cheneau, Martin. Du Midi.

As well as many families in chalets

The Anglican community also paid an organ blower 1franc a service and a half franc a practice. Also, communion wine, 3 francs...

In 1893 it was noted that a service had been maintained throughout the winter but not connected to the Colonial and Continental Church Society. These services were held in the Salle des Catéchumènes and a harmonium was hired costing 50 francs per month.

Major MacKenzie also makes his first appearance in the church registers as a stalwart helper and regular church warden. He is commemorated by a brass plaque on the right-hand side of the nave in the church.

In July of that year, he is criticized by Rev. Oliver Sumner Rector of Chipstead Surrey, for not helping the chaplaincy and “was not friendly to our Society and for not attending services”. These comments were crossed out by the secretary of the C.C.C.S and when the vicar returned to England, he retaliated by taking the spare surplice in his luggage which was not returned. Otherwise, all the chaplains wrote glowing accounts of Major Mackenzie’s help with the church activities.

Attendances at church services vary, sometimes being as many as 170 people, so another service was started on Wednesday at 11a.m and which proved very popular, 70 to 190 people attending. Fifty francs was donated to Monsieur le Docteur Favrod Coune for the Infirmerie, the proceeds of a concert held by the “Colonie Anglaise.” The following winter was the most severe on record for many years and the Swiss church needed the Salle des Cathécumènes for its morning services, so the English service was held in the Chapelle Evangelique.

On August 21st, 1898, a collection was made for the sufferers of the Gstaad fire in which a fire destroyed practically the whole village within a few hours.

The arrival of Mrs Claudine Scott and her daughters to Château-d’Oex and Chalet Bellevue in the late 1890s changed everything for the Anglican community. Here was a family tireless in their efforts to finance the building of a church and who organised countless concerts, bazaars, card sales and other activities.

They began to collect in January 1897 and by the end of 1897 had raised 2729.40 frs. and in 1898, raised 2737.47 frs, the equivalent of around £100. By the end of 1 Feb 1900, the church debt had been reduced to 11,501.75frs. equivalent to £460 and by 1st May 1901 the debt was again reduced to £250. In September of the same year a bazaar was organised “with some beautiful specimens of chocolate «given by Messrs Suchard, Cailler and Peter which sold very rapidly, and the debt was reduced to £200.

The need for a church had been felt for a long time and the kind donation of a piece of land on the main road close to a horse trough, by the Berthod brothers, made it possible. A loan was taken out with the Colonial and Continental Church

Society. Plans were drawn up, an architect chosen, M. Jean Guppa at Bulle who was just finishing the Catholic church at Montbovon and which bears some similarities in the style of construction and the contract was signed on the 17 June 1899. It stipulated that the church must be finished for the end of August!!

On Wednesday June 28th the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Wilkinson, Anglican bishop of north and central Europe and the ceremony was attended by many other church dignitaries. Bishop Wilkinson stayed over at Mrs Scott’s chalet Bellevue and took the service on the following Sunday. A lead box containing various documents was placed in the Foundation Stone which can be seen at the front of the nave by the door to the vestry.

Bishop Wilkinson was presented with a silver trowel by Mrs Archibald Scott. The final hymn chosen was “the Church’s one foundation” and the collection amounted to 504 fr.55 cents. Mrs Scott gave a large reception inviting members of the congregation and many Swiss friends and the weather was glorious. Incredibly the church building was completed in just over two months, including a lightning conductor thanks to the Scott family’s insistence and opened for services on September 10th. Unfortunately, the Bishop was travelling in Norway and could not dedicate the church at that time, but Mrs Scott was not letting him escape so easily.

After an exchange of letters in which he proposed that a “touring bishop would have been better as he cannot as a rule undertake to consecrate the many little mountain churches that are springing up in increasing numbers throughout Europe, due to the cost and time involved.” However, as Mrs Scott was proposing to “pick him up with a carriage at Aigle Station, Monday May 26th, that would bring him in the cool of the day to Château-d’Oex and return him the next day after the consecration,” he accepted. Meanwhile a temporary consecration was conducted using the “Office for the Dedication of a Mission Church or Chapel” to allow for Holy Communion in the church building.

A comment from the Morning Post of September 1899 was very disparaging about the new church building saying it “looks like a nicely stuccoed and whitewashed barn with no Christian symbol inside or out” and comparing it very unfavourably with a new church at Bad-Nauheim in Germany. However, he excuses the lack of tasteful design by explaining that “it might be ready for the recent lawn tennis tournament at the Hotel Berthod in the grounds of which the church is situated. On the contrary Bishop Wilkinson commented that “the work seems to have been well done and the building very pretty and suitable to the place.” The furnishings were donated by members of the congregation including embroidered hangings by Miss Mabel Scott, kneelers by Lady Walchmann, bibles, prayer books and the brasses (cross and six vases) a hymn board and numbers.

Views of the church exterior and interior.

The winter season appears to have started properly in 1894 and in 1895 the winter was the most severe on record. The Temple could not be used because of thick snow. In 1903 the chaplain was snowed up on the Simplon pass as it was too dangerous to advance and the Swiss postal service abandoned delivering letters but Rev. Rutherford who was here on holiday and often stepped in when there were emergencies, took the services and Mrs. Rutherford held a Bible class for children on Sunday afternoons which was well attended.

In December 1900-1901 on New Years Eve, the church was lit with acetylene gas for New Years Eve, offered by Miss Scott so a service was held from 11h30 to midnight.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, the Second Boer War was taking place and on March4th 1900, a thanksgiving service was held for the relief of Ladysmith and on May 20th a thanksgiving service held for the relief of Mafeking.

The last time” God Save the Queen” was sung, was before the death of Queen Victoria on the 23d January 1901 and on the 28th of January a letter of thanks arrived from the new King “for the kind expressions of loyalty and sympathy.” On Saturday February 2nd a memorial service was held with upwards of a 100 people attending, including Swiss, Germans and Russians.

In 1901 a criticism was made of the very small offertories, “88 coins half of which were nickel and the residue only half francs and this from well-to-do people” who were chastised from the pulpit, lack of money being a constant problem with church finances.

On the 16th of November 1902, electric light was used in the church for the first time! In 1904 the electric lighting from 1st July to 30th September cost 10.90 CHF.

In 1902 “thanks to Mrs Scott and her daughters, the Church debt has been paid off” and shortly after,

Mrs Scott gave up Chalet Bellevue and moved to the Isle of Wight which had become very fashionable due to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the building of Osborne House between 1845 and 1851 as a summer residence. “She is regretted by all for her generosity. “

Church life continued after the departure of the Scott family and the church register records some of the day-to-day happenings. On April 6th1904, two collecting boxes at the door were broken into which would have been very unusual in Switzerland at the time. And on 4th December 1904 Colonel Clutterbuck read the lessons while Sir F Cardew, Colonel Marshall collected the offertory!

In 1905 there was a collection of funds for ventilating the church which amounted to 187 francs. As the church was heated by stoves protected by iron screens, this was then probably very necessary and was repeated regularly.

In 1905 with the opening of the MOB a considerable resident population of English and Scots folks, mainly Anglo-Indians, (people who had retired from the army or the administration in India) established themselves here. A sanatorium, founded by Dr. Constantin Delachaux was originally called Hotel Alexandria, then La Soldanelle, and was being built for the treatment of nervous disorders “for which this place is considered suitable.” There were several cases of illness among the residents.

In winter 1907 – spring 1908 the Rev. Ernest Dudley Lampen became the first permanent chaplain. He was an exceptional person who loved the area and wrote a book on Château-d’Oex and the Pays d’Enhaut, first published in 1910 “Life and Sport in an Alpine Valley” which can still be found on internet and perfectly describes life at that period. The church was so full that it was necessary to hire a hall for the services and both were crowded out. An assistant chaplain was appointed, Rev. Parry Evans, an army chaplain, from December 20th to January 21st. Discussions then began in 1908 to increase the size of the church, and a committee was formed to discuss possible solutions as not everybody could attend the services. Plans were drawn up for enlarging the church westward and replacing the altar table and putting the main church entrance on the east side. On April 6th, 1910, the committee appealed to the Society to give financial facilities for the enlargement “as 5 years had passed since the matter was first brought to their notice and nothing had been done to the church” Difficulties arose with the Berthod Bros. Hotel Company concerning the extension of the church and eventually after a lot of discussion the Berthod brothers told the committee that the whole of their land was mortgaged and any building on the mortgaged land was a great risk. The committee then changed all the plans and decided to do the best they could with the present site, building a new vestry with cellars beneath for the heating, and a new south aisle which would take up all the land to the boundary on the main road and a wooden vestibule to be built on the west side so 260 people could be comfortably accommodated. The side aisle and the vestry were to be built on mortgaged land and the Notaire Favrod- Coune was informed and copies of the document were sent to the Colonial and Continental Church Society in London and to the Berthod brothers. An account was opened at the local branch of the Banque de Montreux and initially 938.30 frs. were deposited and the total amount of subscriptions and promises amounted to 2038.30 frs. By January 1909 the bank deposit had increase to 9635 frs. and 1170frs in subscriptions by means of cards left in the pews. By April 6th, 1910, the bank account had a deposit of 15,745.9 frs and 2963,.50 frs. still to come from promises. The balance after expenses were paid, amounted to 18,493.41frs. or nearly £740. The Colonial and Continental Church Society gave a loan of £400 and a gift of £25. This work was carried out in the summer of 1911 from June to November and on November 15th the church was re-opened and on December 21st was dedicated by the Bishop of Northern and Central Europe, Herbert Bury who held a reception party with 150 guests at Hotel de L’Ours despite an “Alpine storm of wind and rain.”

It was also decided to increase the chaplain’s stipend to £250 per annum and to change the hymn books to Ancient and Modern as a large part of the congregation knew both words and tunes.

On the 22nd of June 1911, King George Vth’s coronation was held with a service in the Swiss church because of the repairs being undertaken and followed by a garden party at Hotel Berthod to meet the new Bishop. The collection was in aid of the proposed new Infirmary, 3182 frs. 90. Otherwise, church life continued peacefully with the congregation variable depending on the weather which seemed very often wet and snowy. In January 1910 Hotel Berthod had the cellars flooded – 5 metres in the cellar and 2ft. in the dining room! Weather plays an important part in the life of the church and is carefully noted in the Chaplain’s Book almost every month.

From 1913 onwards, the chaplain, Rev. Dudley Lampen seemed to be dogged by ill health and several times came back as chaplain then had to stop again. He was replaced by visiting vicars and the chaplain in Berne, Rev. Harcourt. Rev. Lampen returned to England for some time, then came back again and finally took the Easter service in April 1916. But during these few years dramatic events were taking place: -

In July 1914, “Fear of a Grand European War has caused many visitors to leave for England. On August 2nd Official declaration of War between Germany and Russia and Germany and France. Many visitors escaped on Saturday evening.”

On August 4th England declared war against Germany. “The whole of Europe except Italy and Spain is in a conflagration of war. Italy is determined to remain neutral.” On August 12th a united service was held between English and Swiss with prayers in French and hymns in English and French and attended by a large congregation of 170 people. January 3d 1915 was a day appointed by the King for special prayers and church attendances were still quite reasonable with between 30 – 50 people.

On Tuesday May 30t h 1916, ”216 British Prisoners of War Interned arrived with 30 Officers. A Grand Reception at the Station. Tremendous enthusiasm.”

On Wednesday May 31st 140 soldiers arrived with a Grand Reception in the Grande Salle.

About 120 soldiers attended the church service besides some at the Scotch Presbyterian service and others at the R.C. elsewhere.

On June 13th a memorial service was held for Lord Kitchener and the church was full to overflowing with soldiers and civilians and most of the officers. But on the 24th and 25th the men were confined to barracks for the Chief Doctor’s visit, Dr Hauser of Zurich, so none were at church.

On June 14th, 1916, Rev. Dudley Lampen received through Berne a document giving him an appointment to take charge of the spiritual welfare of the Church of England prisoners of war, approved and sanctioned by the political department of the Swiss Government.

On August 13th a new contingent of 150 soldiers arrived with a Reception held at the station.

Unfortunately, in November 1916, difficulties cropped up between Anglicans and Protestants as “Rev. Sutherland the Scotch minister has now sent two carriages to Rougemont to fetch away the men from our service, every Sunday that Rev. Harrison preaches there.” Obviously, there was a lot of ill feeling and to resolve this, in January 1917 the army sent out an army chaplain, Rev. A.H. Sewell to take over the work among the soldiers. “It is best now that the Military should be served by Military Chaplains” They were given the use of the church for their services on Sundays at 9.45 and the British congregation was reduced to the civilians which however still numbered about 40 people.

On Monday 12th 1916, the Goll brothers Karl and Paul, from Lucerne arrived to install an organ, following a letter sent to the Times by the chaplain asking for donations and explaining that they had no organ for all the hundreds of internees who used the church and the sense of thankfulness they felt to have escaped the prison camps, and “that they sang with all their hearts., but the harmonium was not sufficiently powerful” On March 8th 1917 was the Dedication of the Memorial Organ. The Rural Dean dedicated the organ and the organist from Vevey gave an excellent recital lasting one hour. Colonel S.C.T. Jackson opened the organ first and handed the keys to Lance Corporal Lester the organist and afterwards a reception was held at Hotel Rosat, attended by a numerous company. This Goll organ is a rare example of its period and is still operated by the original pneumatic action.

In August 1917 a United Service of Commemoration was held on the Third Anniversary of the War attended by 240 people. On Good Friday 1918 the military chaplain took a 3-hour service which was well attended.

On June 1918, the military chaplain preached a farewell sermon He left for England, accompanied by a large number of the interned, on Tuesday June 11th. He was very much appreciated and did great work among the soldiers.

Unfortunately, at this time there was a severe epidemic of influenza followed by pneumonia. Three soldiers were buried on July 4th, two on July 6th and one on July 8th.There were also many deaths among the Swiss civilians and soldiers and towards the end of the year the churches were closed. In December the interned left for England and owing to cold and scarcity of fuel and coke with no heating power, it was impossible to heat the church which appeared to be closed until Easter 1919. The Swiss authorities delayed in giving the chaplain a passport so he could not recommence services until June 1st.

The War continued until 11th November 1918 when Germany signed the Armistice at Compiègne. January 18th, 1919, a peace conference begins at Paris and the Treaty of Versailles was signed.

“SATURDAY JUNE 28th 1919 PEACE WAS SIGNED BY GERMANY at 3p.m. in Paris. LAUS DEO”

I would like to end my brief domestic history of these interesting years in the life of the Anglican church community by printing a poem written by Corporal Charles Skeels, 2nd Cheshire Regiment. who was interned here at Chalet le Reposoir and on the reverse side of this poem, written in pencil, are three prayers that he wrote.