Article in the Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 - 1954), Saturday 7 June 1902, page 3 "PERSONAL. "Punch" has the following with reference to the death of the late Mr. Charles Shuter:—The cable message which was received last Monday an-nouncing the death on last Saturday of Mr. Charles Shuter of Wykenham Lodge, Toorak, will occasion much regret. When Mr. Shuter arrived in Victoria about forty-seven years ago he was soon appointed a goldfields commissioner and used to relate that the office was full of responsibility, he had frequently for his only pillow nuggets covered with cloth for safety. After some years he was appointed police magistrate, while still quite young, and held this office till he was pensioned some years ago. Then, when the Old Age Pensions came into force, he was recalled from retirement and put on the commission. A few years ago the heart ailment from which he had long suffered began to grow more severe, and he left with his wife and youngest daughter to travel in Europe. Recent letters showed that he was steadily growing worse at Nice, where he was living quietly, and he succumbed on 31st May. His widow, who was a Miss Lord, survives him, and nine of their eleven children. The eldest son, a doctor, died many years ago. Then came Mr. Frank Shuter, a grazier near Albury ; Mrs. Murray Puckle, of Toorak ; Mr. Clement Shuter, solicitor, and Dr. Ernest Shuter, both settled near Camperdown; Mr. Edward Shuter, surveyor; the late Mrs. L. Bernard Hall, Mrs. George Higghins, of Malvern ; Mr. Joseph Shuter, in the English Navy; Captain Reginald Shuter, of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who has for some time been on active service in the South African war; and Miss Lucy Shuter, who was travelling with her parents. Mr. Shuter's accounts of the early days of the colonies are most interesting. "The Shuters were involved in the Small rectangular plaque in memory of Charles Shutercharles shuter, mrs shuter née lord, frank shuter, mrs murray puckle nee shuter, clement shuter, dr ernest shuter, camperdown, edward shuter, mrs bernard hall nee shuter, mrs george higgins nee shuter, joseph shuter, english navy, captain reginald shuter, royal irish fusiliers, lucy shuter, beatrice shuter, caroline shuter, wyheham lodge, malvern, goldfields, police magistrate, elsinore mary shuter

The text reads: "This Print Represents The Chapel for Seamen... Port of London Society... Instituted March 18th 1818... Chapel for Seamen is moored off Wapping Stairs in the River Thames. View of the Interior (inset)"Excerpt from the autobiography of Robert Humphrey Marten (1763-1839) which he wrote at the request of his children on his 60th birthday. (As far as the donor's knowledge it only circulates within the family, so some of these details may not be recorded elsewhere about how the Mission to the Seafarers began. --------- Robert Humphrey Marten (1763-1839) left school at the age of about 14 to be employed in a “Counting House” in the City of London. Unfortunately, before the five years of his apprenticeship expired, the merchant ceased trading as he had lost a lot of money gambling. Marten made his way however and took opportunities which offered and eventually set up his own business with two of his sons, Robert and Charles. He was a Dissenter (non-conformist), active in his church and in many charitable works, as overseer of the poor for his parish, raising money for families in Germany impoverished by the Napoleonic wars, was a member of the Royal Humane Society and so it is not altogether surprising to find him in 1817 taking up the cause of sailors discharged from warships living on the streets: --- The Autobiography of R H Marten Esq of Plaistow Essex (1763-1839) “The deplorable condition of sailors discharged from the ships of war and now wanted for commerce – (trade being most woefully dull) attracted towards the close of the Year the notice and began to press upon the feelings of the Public. To relieve their urgent and personal distress I proposed a Public meeting – This was agreed to and Mr. Wilberforce was voted into the chair – A committee was formed and a noble subscription was most voluntarily supplied – Navy Captains and others gave most efficient assistance and Govt. lent some large ships to which the sailors were sent from the streets – were clothed and fed and the sick attended to and on the Sabbath Public Worship was performed on board. I was on this Committee which fully accomplish’d its humane purpose – and out of the Surplus fund sprang the present seaman’s floating Hospital where a sick or diseased seaman is received only on his presenting himself alongside and without any ticket or recommendation. For the greater benefit of seamen was sketched the present excellent establishment of the Merchant Seaman’s Auxiliary Bible Society of which Admiral Lord Viscount Exmouth is President. This was more formally instituted on the ---[space left to add date later]. I drew the outline of the address to the Public which was afterwards much improved by the Revd. Mr. Draltry and I had the honour to chalk out the plan which has been so well executed by the pious Lieut. Cox at Gravesend – to whose zealous and judicious activity the success of the institution is much indebted, and in December I published my ideas on the necessity and advantage of making some permanent accommodation for preaching the Gospel to the numerous sailors always to be found in the Port of London. This led ultimately to a public meeting on the 5 Feb. 1818 and to the formation of the Port of London Society for promoting Religion among seaman [sic]. As the Founder of the Society I became its Chairman and Treasurer and on its formal Institution on the 18 March 1818 the public appeared much gratified with the attempt about to be made to raise the moral character of a class of men who had been unaccountably and far too long in this respect overlooked. The large ship fitted by the Society most commodiously as a Chapel was in May following moored nearly on the spot where in October 1803 I was run down by a Gravesend Hoy and narrowly escaped with life – Churchmen and Dissenters contributed cheerfully to the cost – Officers of the Navy became subscribers, Noblemen visited this strange and converted ship – the Admiral Lord Gambier became the avowed President and the Chairman of the public Meetings, and what is of far more importance – sailors came to it on the Sabbath by hundreds willingly to worship their maker, and listen to instruction – until the Language in common use on the Thames was divested of its Blasphemy – and the voice of Prayer was heard from the mouths of Seamen; and the outposts and many Foreign ports imitated and thus honored the example of the Port of London in her society for promoting Religion among Seamen. The Floating Chapel was solemnly dedicated for divine worship on the 4 May 1818 when the morning sermon was preached by the Revd. Rowland Hill to a very crowded auditory. “[see illustration in separate email] Autobiography of R H Marten esq pp 33-34 (privately published monograph) Note: The incident (c 1803) he refers to in which he “was run down by a Gravesend Hoy…” is graphically described earlier in his memoir. The donor's family has a connection with R.H. Marten. through his sister Mary, who married Cornelius Berry on 9 February 1793. The donor's father, Hugh William Berry (1905-?) reprinted the autobiography of R.H. Marten. And, she has herself a connection with the Mission as she used to collect money for the Mission at school. Large print depicting a floating church in Londonfloating church, seamen, sailors, religion, london, r.h. marten esq, wapping stairs, river thames, port, robert humphrey marten (1763-1839), cate lewis, seamen's hospital, welfare, napoleonic wars, royal navy, merchant navy