....
/ ' ■ I EARLY CHURCHES \ , A InGKRSOLL AAD VICINITY
PRESBYTERIAN
The Erskine Presbyterian congregation was organized in 1852. It was known as a United Presbyterian church often called the UPs. ‘A church of brick construction was erected on the north west corner of Charles St. and Boles St. in 1855* It was a very prominent church in its early years. Thomas Hyslop of Nest Oxford was*one of the elders and sessions clerk as well as precentor for 15 years. Hr. Hyslop was a rural neighbor of B.C. J. Ne*were well acquainted. Hi-h above*the front door of the church in the apex was a circle of wood bearing the inscription "Erskine Presbyterian Church." The congregation of this church joined the Knox church in 188°. The building was used by Nagle and Hills, contractors for a number of yea s. The sash and door factory was in the upper portion, which was the auditorium, and the heavy machinery was on the ground floor. I have be^n in the building many time. The building was demolished in 1950 and a more suitable^buildin^ erected by the Beaver Lumber Co,
A’ Knox Presbyterian church, a Free church, also called the Kirk, began worship in a grove of trees i n l E ^ and in .,18^-7 erected, a brick, church on the same site. This church was located on the north side of St. Andrews street and east of Thames Street. The rear of the property extended to the north to a line which later (1881) was C.P.R. property. Rev Robert Nailace was the first minister being inducted in 18R 9 and . continuing till 1866. The church grew and required more room. A gallery was added in 1 8 5 8 . In 18^7 Knox church was financed by a type of lottery to the extent of £ 1000 by selling tickets at 2 shares each. The prizes were donated by progressive merchants, church members and persons of other religions. Squire Henry Crotty gave two good building lots, J. Barnett, jeweller gave a gold case watch, Edwin Doty, Blacksmith offered to shoe a team of horses oi’ a yoke of oxen: N.A. Rumsay presented a patented iron plow. Thomas Brown, tanner was chairman and Rev. Straith was "dipper upper". The lottery was ultra tolerence at the best. Anglicans, Kethodists, Baptists and Roman Catholics banded together to assist in the erection of the "Kirk". In 1889 the Knox congregation joined with the St. Andrews church. The bodies in the church cemetery v/ re removed to the Ingersoll Rural cemetery. The building was later sold to M. T. Buchanan & Co. who used it as a small factory for making hay and grain unloading machinery, ^fter this company ceased to exist the building was demolished and ^unit’s Coal and Oil business occupied the premises. The first minister of tie united congregations in St. Andrews church wa s the Rev. R.R. H tt, whom I well remember, according to a grapevine rumor the members from Knox church did not sit on the same side of the church as the St. Andrews members. The Knox members were free of debt not so the St. Andrews members. It is possible some were of Scottish extraction. This passed off ofter one generation. The church was named St. Paul’s after the union. Oct, 1967, the basement was remodelled - cost ^?0,000 - and a new organ purchased - cost J12000.
I S' ) K ^.CDIoT
The .jest Oxford Methodist church is considered the moth./ r church of this faith in Oxford. The first church was of frame construction. The deed for the property was secured in 182M end the church erected soon after, A new brick church was erects ’ n 185^* It still serves the conn.amity. There is a pioneer cemetery in the churchyard. Some of the local men killed in the war of 1812-1.^ are buried here also Seneca Lewis, who was stolen by the leneca Indians and given their name. See best Oxford church history booklet of 195^* There was a Free Methodist Hall at Hiper’s Corners about the same tine. This group joined the Sgsf Oxford Church congregation. The Free Methodists had a cemetery on the east side of the jordan road Y mile south of the Methodist church. This cemetery has disappeared.
In Ingersoll a Josleyan Methodist brick church erected in 185^ stood on the west side of Oxford St. south of Charles ST. It was a three storey building Having living garters in the top storey for the minister. Escaped slaves were cared for in this church. The front of the building was scorched in the big fire of 1872. After the church ceased as a place of worship it was used as a carriage factory. The building is still in existence. This build ng was torn down in 1956. x. car wash plant built on the site in 1965 - Cost .,>7000.
There was a frame Methodist church on John Ct. as early as 18 70. Fred Galley pumped the organ in this church. (Recall the story of the expert Orga 'ist). This church did not Ion," carrj7 on. It was used as a two room school for elementary pupils on the north side of the river until bard school was established on billiam 3t. It has since been a residence.
The King St. Jesleyan Methodist church, located on the north west corner of ming and Church Sts. was built in 1865. It was known .s the two tower church. Since the union it has borne the name "Trinity United Church". There was a parsonage in connection with this church built in 187^ on Duke St. During recent years it has been o c u pied by Dr. Osborne. This parsonage was erected during the pastorage of Rev. Jacob Freshman, a converted, jew. In 1890 extensive changes were made to the interior of the church. The original c’ urch had extensive c’* galleries which I have used on many occasions, u new parsonage was built in 1909 on King St. Opposite Duke St. It is of red brick construc tion and very modern. In 1906 the g". lleries were removed, the floor elevated from the rear and a new front entrance added. 1958 Trinity United erected a Sunday School building on Alma St. - cost J2h,000, furnished - dedicated Sept. 28, 1958. lee followin'* page for Trinity chur ch improvement s .
-n Episcopal Methodist church, known as the Charles St. church, a one steeple church stood on the north side of the street west of the armories. It w s built in 1857* A small white fra; e church preceded it. This congregation joined the King St. Church in 1902 or 190°. There was a parsonage on the west side of the church and a cemetery on the rear of the parsonage lot. ..ftr-r the closing of this church the trustees placed an advertisement in the press asking all who had relatives buried in the cemetery to remove the bodies to the Ingersoll Rural cemetery. a few were moved but ost of f e remains were dug up and placed in a com on "rave near the C.i .R. fence. Kartwell McCarty bought the church building aid had it demolished. I stood by to see the ste pie fall. The bricks were used for a couple of cott ~ s east of the armories and also for a store and apartments on Thames 3t.
C P 2 ol" ? b ese b u ild in g s w ere e re c te d on V 'e s i t e o f a f o ri-u r h o t e l w hich had lioon moved to C h a rle s J t . e a s t f o r a r e s id e n c e , k'y g r a n d f a tb e r made th e b r i c k s f o r th e a d d it i o n bo th e C h a rle s C t. c h u rc h . '.Chis a d d i t i o n was f o r a c h o ir and o rg an a xl a f u rn a c e in th e b a se m e n t.
A B r i t i s h i ie th o d is t e p is c o p a l (Bi C) c h u rc h sto o d on C o tb e rin e s t . on th e s o u th s id e and on th e e a s t s id e of th e s tre a m . I t was b u i l t in 1858 by and f o r th e ^00 c o lo re d p e o p le o f th e tow n. T h is c h u rc h was b u i l t l i k e a b a rn , b o a rd s up and down with, c ra c k s c o v ered w ith s l a t s . The ben ch es had no b a c k s . T h ere w ere no song books h u t bow th o s e d a r k ie s co u ld s in g w hat th e y had le a rn e d ^ They needed no books b e c a u se th e y c o u ld n o t । ead . T h e ir l a s t m in is te r was R ev. Solom on P e te r H a le . I rem em ber him in 1885 when he h e ld m e e tin g s in my f a t h e r ’ s w oods. I saw ’’iru s e v e r a l tim e s in th e l a t e 9 0 ’ s and e a - ly y e a rs of t h i s c e n tu r y b e fo re lie d ie d in 190b. T h ere a re r r w s t o r i e s r e g a r d in g l.’i s m in i s t r y . One Sunday e v e n in g he a ^pealed f o r fu n d s to buy a c h a n d e lie r b u t Jo h n V a n p a tte r s a id th e r e was no u se i n b u y in g one a s th e r e was no one c o u ld p la y on i t .
T h ere a r e a ls o th e s t o r i e s a b o u t r e d e c o r a tin g th e c h u rc h , th e te s tim o n y of A le x . V ^nt and th e p u l li n g of th e d i t c h p la n k r e l a t e d a few p ag es on. I t i s b e lie v e d t h a t a b o u t 1 0 of th o s e c o lo re d p e o p le d ie d o f TB and. a re b u rie d in P o t t e r ’ s f i e l d in t ! ’e I n g e r s o l l R u ra l c e m e te ry . H ost w ere b u rie d by th e tow n. Some r e tu r n e d to th e U »B .a. a f t e r freed o m from s in v e ry was e n a c te d . In 1 9 ° 3 th e c h u rc h was so ld t o R. C u th b e rt of Jw eaburg who d e m o lish ed i t and used th e lum ber to b u ild a hog p en . I have a cop;/ of a serm on d e liv e r e d by R ev. H a le , lie used v e ry ong w ords w hich I d o u b t even • e d id he d id n o t know th e m e a n in g .
The S a lv a tio n Army came to I n g e r s o l l in 1885* T ills o r g a n i z a t i o n was s t a r t e d in London, Canada in 1882. P re v io u s to th e e r e c t i o n of a B a rra c k s w o rsh ip was c a r r i e d on in a h ouse on C h a rle s C t. T h is g ro u p c e l e b r a te d th e 7 0 th a n n iv e r s a r y o f e s ta b lis h m e n t in C a n a d a .in 1952. The army in In g e r s o l J. in i t s e a r l y d ay s had a good band and h e ld m e e tin g s on th e s t r e e t c o rn e rs on S a tu rd a y n i g h ts . The m other o f Aimae Sem ple n a c P h e rso n p la y e d in th e ba "d. The c i t a d e l i s s t i l l in e x is te n c e and in good c o n d itio n . I t i s lo c a te d on Thames S t . o p p o s ite th e F u r n i t u r e f a c t o r y . In 1952 - (new f r o n t p u t on in 1 9 5 6 , by J a l l o c e ) i n t e r i o r rem o d eled by S o n g h u rst & IlcL eod. The Hew C onnexion c h u rc h was o rg a n iz e d by A le x an d e r k ilh a m in E ngland in 1797• T h is b ra n c h o f th e W esleyan I ie th o d is t c h u rc h b e lie v e d t h e i r members sh o u ld n o t be b a rre d from p o l i t i c s or 1 o i l i n g any p u b lic o f f i c e a s w ere th e T e s le y a n c h u rc h m em bers. In Canada in 1875 t h e r e w ere 206 s o c i e t i e s of th e Hew C onnexion b e li e f ’. F iv e o f th e s e s o c i e t i e s wore in o r n e a r I n g e r s o l l , At S p earm an ’ s c o r n e r s , H a r r is S t . B ro w n s v ille end in I n g e r s o ll th e r e w ere tw o , C l ip p e r t o n ’ s and one o th e r l o c a t i o n unknown. They w ere one of th e f i v e b ra n c h e s o f re th o d is m w o jo in e d t o form th e M e th c d ist c h u rc h of Canada in 1. o°-.
I n 1925 th e r ie th e d is t s , C o n g r e g a tio n a lis ts aw'd sone P r e s b y te r in ns u n ite d to form th e U n ite d C hurch of C anada. ^ ,7 0 0 P r e s b y te r ia n s - 800 c h u rc h e s d id n o t j o i n .
In 1927, B r. T .T . T h ie le s , p a s to r o f J a r v i s C t. B a p tis t c h u rc h , T o ro n to , c au sed a b o u t h a l f o f h i s la r g e c ^ n g re g n tio n to h u m h i s c h u rc h . Those who rem ain ed wore c a l le d G h ie ld ’ s B a p t i s t s . Those who d is a g r e e d w ith. S h ie ld s fou n d ed B a p ti s t c h u rc h e s known a s I nd o p en '’e n t B a p t i s t s • -d none fo rc e d a B ro th e rh o o d B a p ti s t c h u rc h . I t w i l l be s a v e - ' I genor--1 i/m s •afo re t-'c s e a i f f o r ant bro. c ’” es o f th e p t i s t f a i t h become u n ite d y) .. U P J U T It is considered that the first Baptist congregation was formed in July 1808 in the home o Peter Teeple, on Lot. 1 % B J . uon. bine Simon Mabee, one of the nine, 1809 formed a persons being present. congregation at Piper Corners, a m lo south of the Old dtage ^oad. in 1841 he gave an ac and a half on the corner oi his 20 acie fo. rm for a church and cemetery. The church w’ a s .erectc-d' immediately south of the school house, which had been built in 1 c -b. This church must have prospered, for in 186° it had a memoersnip of As more churches were built and roads opened, this lip'-x s Corners -c-hurch be- P t m u s e d and was sold to a farmer east of the corners to be used ns I b a m . It was later destroyed by fire. The cemetery, which con tained man” of the pioneers of the area, is unmarked today except by a ciumn o f cedar trees behind the school house. Ihe second ^aptis church* was erected in the Harris street Cemetery, just west of the archway. The congregation was formed, in lc28 and tne caurch erected shortly after 18’2. a Wm. Barker, who came to Canada from Coventry, /n u n n d in 18°2 took up 90° acres of land in Dereham township along the Culloden road, three miles south of Ingersoll, raised nine children left the land to his sons and retired to Ingersoll m 1c 7- ^iter living retired on Thames St. North for a few years, he built a circular church, supplied the seats, bibles and song books and preached the s sermons as long as he lived. This was a Baptist Mission, a Baptist church was built on albert St. in 1897. It cost 51000.00 and could seat k50. For many years it has been a residence. Occupied for several years by hr. Jas Buchanan. The next Baptist church in Ingersoll was a white brick church built in 186b by the congregations of the Piper's and Harris St. churches. The building committee was Andrew Bodwell, Lt. Bigin, d.B. Mabee. Piper’s and Loses Clark, Harris St. This church was opened Sept. 9, 186k. This church served until 1890 when it was torn down and replaced by the present Baptist Tabernacle. The brick for this church was made in the brickyard south of Norwich, and are of the twisted variety.
RO IU h CATHOLIC CHURCH
The first xloman Catholic congregation was formed in Beachville in 1833 and the first Mass was held in 18^5, in O ’Seii’s blacksmith shop. This shop was located on the south side of the gravel road and on the east bank of the creek which cross the gravel road near the centre of the village. In 18')9 a lot was bou -ht from Mr. Martin on which a small frame church was erected. This church was active until I876 when it was destroyed by fire. It was located on Church Street, on the south side at the west turn of the street. There was a small cemetery beside the church. When the property was sold, the bodies were removed to the c metery, north of Ingersoll. In 18?0, John Carnegie, a non-Catholic, donated a lot in his survey for a site for a Roman Catholic church on the west side of John S t / between Bell and Victoria Sts. On this lot a frame church was erected and used until the brick church was built. The church shed - built in 1912 was demolished in 1961, and a good place for cars made. In 1969, a new rectory was built - c o s t ^6^,000. - contractor, doss Kilgour , Ingersoll. The Roman Catholic Parish Hall - Henderson Hall - was opened Feb^ Ik, 1969 - cost ^$5,000 - named after James Henderson.
£ P o ^ ok 5 ) CHUCaCHES - & & N ER Q L,
A Bible Christian church was among the early cl urches. Supposedly built in 1866, it stood on the vacant lot on Oxford Street which is now a part of the Victory Memorial school property. This large frame building was purchased by Peter Kennedy and moved to the corner imm ediately east of Trinity United church formerly King St. Church, and occupied by the Kennedy family for many years. It has been used for several "ears recenty by the P.T. talker Funeral home and residence. The ministers residence, a small frame ho'se, remained on the property until 1939 when it w,s purchased by Jas. Grieve and moved to replace a farm house on his farm at Salford (former Foster farm) up to 19^6 it was occupied by the school janitar - lr. Leish. another church, by adherents of the s:u e faith was erected in Verschoyle, It stood next north of present school and sold to J be erring room in Verschoyle cheese factory.
Oct. 1953 - Christian Reformed church was esta lished on the Hamilton Road outside Ingersoll. 29 families organized the church. The first elders were T. Faber, R. Stevens a id J. Timmer: deacons - K. Folkema, J. Vander Vaart and J. Bergman. They pvrsrased a barn and remodelled it into a church.
195c - Jehovah's Witnesses began services in a buildin;- in the north of Ingersoll.
1898 - J.obert Semple bagan Pentecostal services in a small tent at he north east side of Smith's pond. Suring wintertime he moved to a vacant stere on the north east corner of Thames a id Carnegi Sts. .here he was assisted by Aimee Kennedy, who later married him. They went to China as missionaries where hr. Semple died. London speakers carried on the meetings. ' lAesearch froln'the files of'BjTop ,G. Jenvey
The ^church w a s a frame TheMngersolT^ilding Conu Locally the church was known The J.envey Files, for the next construction and had anient- mittee had ap option of two sites few weeks, wifi deal with the as “Choates Chapel” because it rance,from King StrecLVThere at the ions t ruction. The was supported by Charles, early churches in Ingesoll and were stepping stones in the hill commYtteeJ^as evenly divided Jacob and Thomas Choate and its • surrounding/. area. This issilfes; aikt-the choic^ south of King Street;’After (he o n by four maiden ladies by the article on the first* Anglican new church was built- lhe>frame w__a_s _m__^_d_e_ w_i_t_h_ t_h„e ‘flip _o_f _a_-c_o_i_n. Churches is (fie first in a series name of - Choate who were ,church was moved down to King Most considered it lucky that cousins to the three brothers. of IngersolHX'different denoim Street and used as a dwelling by tfh e ch' urch en’ d’ ed’ up on -O x- ford- ' inations’and the structures they, n i , T Z u , , -■ , The church contained a.small Robert Kneeshaw a druggist. street Or. I.R. Walker bought. and.cqmmunion.was held worshipped in. ' ; ' v ; o r g a n lai es ngeiso anc a lei the other site and built a house o n ]y occasionally?'*'^’' Sunday In 1928 th'bre were 20 homes in Thomas Ingersoll, who founded on it. This was the house op the]7 ] s ”* — s--c-h--o-o--l c a s S e w e l1 the settlement, 18 of them being the settlement, greatly assisted corner of King a. .n. dJ Duke Streets attended and the .church gained log houses.-The'population was the development of the church. 7 presently resided in by Doctor a reputation ; fbk, their good in the vicinity of .100.: *. They were both staunch Ang- Juoihmn. iL aow™s,.o™n. Christmas $ o n c £ ^ • The first Anglican minister licans.- . • • After the $9,000 cost of Services ydeas^ J^fter. the was Reverend John Rothwell Members of the church were construction of the church there who arrived in 1835. He came prominent people of the village First World War and the church was still much expense to came to an ^brupt^end.^ from England and preached for and county. The first church follow. With the price of a major In 1930 SaintMiehael’s Qhapel 11 years. Services at this time used candles to deliver light. paint job - inside and out, the were held in a log school house Coal oil was a dollar a gallon in was sold and '/th e:/b u y er heating system, a new organ prepared it for removal. It located .near the present site of 1959 and lamps did not come and choir seats, furnishings for the Salvation Army Chapel. into general use until around burned to the ground later that the minister’s study as well the nig1*' Reverend: Rothwell was sue-, 1864. Sunday School basement, lamps ceeded • by* Reverend' Henry The brick church was built in for evening meetings, song Revell who' had a farm on the 1868. Old style construction was books and more large coal oil River Road.. He also preached used and the walls were three lamps for the auditorium, the at 3 p.m. on Sundays in an bricks thick. The building was church found themselves\ in Anglican Church between his 81 feet by 50 feet with a tower debt for some time to come. farm and Banner. This church extending 95 feet high. The The new Anglican Church was was attended by Anglicans from tower was later demolished and reported to be the most Thamesford until a church was replaced with an 85 foot beautiful in the country as well built in Thamesford in 1861. The structure in 1953. as the most costly. Thamesford Anglicans walked I The bricks for the church An interesting footnote to the three miles through the woods were made at Hagel’s corners. Frame Church story is that one to attend church. T.R. Mayberry, at the age of 16, of its prominent members was The first Anglican Church delivered the first 20,000 bricks. Mr. Charles McCue. McCue was building in Ingersoll was. He would have finished the was the world’s oldest living erected on upper Francis Street delivery had it not been for the member of the Masonic Lodge in 1852, the same year Ingersoll fact that he was not wearing at the tme of hisz dealh in 1967. became a village. protective gloves and wore He was 113. According to early records, much of the skin from his McCue was known to ride his Thomas Ingersoll selected the hands. horse to church weekly - a site'for the church prior to his The Christopher Brothers distance of about seven miles departure in 1805 to live in,Port were the contractors for the job through the woods. He did this at a > price of .$9,000 and the Credit. > : for over 20 years until he was Thomas Ingersoll apparently money was ready and paid on almost 100-years-old. left his log home on the east side completion .of the contract. McCue was noted .for his i of the Indian Trail (as it was Cannon • Hincks was the hearing problem, and could be known at that time) and walked resident minister at the time of viewed on Sundays standing at south on the open road, which construction, / , the front of the church near the was 30 feet wide. He then turned The corner stone was placed minister with his hand cupped westerly looking for a high by Bishop Cronyn and the around his ear. elevation which would become church was given the name Saint Michael’s Chapel the Anglican Church site. He Saint James at this time. selected a site on the south side A scroll placed in a metal box Saint Michael’s Chapel was of the open road on the highest under the corner stone con located on the north east part of elevation he could find. This site tained the following inscription - lot 25 on Concession 2 in West TIM E S was opposite the south entrance “By the Grace of God, on the Oxford. M ox/e^ber IATT to the present Church Street. first day of September 1868, in It was built around 1870 at a We do not challenge this the 32nd year of the reign of Her cost of $500. recorded statem ent. The Majesty Victoria, Queen of Reverend Bland was the first church, however, would not be Great Britain and Ireland, minister at the church, which constructed for some time later India, and the Dependencies in had a small cemetery on the (1852). Europe, Asia, Africa, America north side and shed lor horses and Australia. Signed by His as well. Excellency, the Right Hom ourable Charles Stanley Vi-" count Monck, Governor General of the Dominion of Canada...... Before the building was • J 1 ’i V / '
This aiticle on the first demolished in 1956 the base- h. . 7 / ) - (- I C Methodist Church is the fourth m ent was used by Mr. r , _ ' in a series on Ingersoll’s Sutherland, as an agency for | T h e r eJ was a parsonage in different denominations and the buggies and cutters. Upon his * connection with this church on early structures they wor- retirement, it was used for the ^he north-end of Duke Street, shipped in. The church is ! storage of implements by , b u i l t \n , 187,4 ' D u r i n g recent people. The buildings are where ' Massey Ferguson. ' years it has been occupied by a the Church assembles to A c a r w a s h w a s b u i l t o n t h i s doctor This parsonage was worship. Since however, it is a s i t e in 1959 but did not remain ^ected during the pastorage of t h c common misconception to call lo n g because of poor business. Reverend Jacob freshman, the structure a church, we will a converted Jew. follow the practice. The John Street Methodist I n ; Church 1890 extensive changes In the pioneer days the 1 . were made to the interior of the Methodist people had a choice Another early Methodist church. The original had of where they would go to Church of frame construction extending galleries on three worship. Some worshipped at was located on John Street sides. In 1906 the galleries were the log church located on the north of Bell Street in 1870. The removed, the floor was elevated west side of the trail near where members of this church desired from the rear and a new front the Salvation Army Barracks is a new organ and a special entrance was added. today. Some went to the West committee went to London and A new parsonage was built in Oxford Methodist Church which purchased a modern organ 1909 on King Street, opposite the is a mile east of Harris Street containing a bellows at the rear, south entrance to Duke Street. along the Old Stage Road, (King The agent in London offered to The building was of red brick Street) then turned south a third supply a professional organist construction and had a modern of a mile following a'log trail as part of the deal, to appearance. through the woods. This West demonstrate the organ after it Oxford Church was a frame was placed in the church. ln 1946, organ chimes pre- church erected in 1824 and At the demonstration of the rented by Charles Wilson were served the Methodist of the organ by the professor, two donated to the church, community for 30 years. AL new excellent selections were play In 1958, the Trinity United Church erected a Sunday School brick church was built in 1834 ed. He then faced the audience and further served the c< om- building on Alma .Street, at a and announced, “I will not play cost of $24,000. It was dedicated munity. a beautiful selection from on September 28, 1958. This The people in pioneer days did Mozart” . He split his long coat , . - ., , , building was for the use of not consider walking a mile and tails and sat on the organ stool a third to be any hardship. One c h i w and pressed the keys but no r i of the Honourable Duncan sound came out. He tried- *•’ Marshall’s stories depicting several times further, but {n 1959, the church dedicated change in time stated that when still no music. Then the boy who .the new Christian Wing, which he was a boy in Grey County, was pumping the bellows of the .marked a historic moment at he, his father, mother, sister organ stuck his head out fron^rji-inity United Church. The two and brother walked three miles between the curtains and the floors in the modern addition along a rough, stony road on a organ and said, Say ‘we’.in c iuded a board room, min Sunday afternoon each week for Mister, not ‘I’.” ister’s study, ladies’ parlour, the church service. There, he The John Street Church did banquet room and kitchen, said, a volunteer choir could be not carry on long as a church. It The new chapel built in the heard singing, “Work for the was used as a two-room school former Sunday School room sat Night is Coming, Work in the for elementary pupils who lived about 100 and was used for Morning Hours,” but with the on the north side of the river, weddings and other special change of times one who lives a after the children were forced to services. few short blocks 'to the church vacate a room in the old high At the rear of the church was requires a ride there in a school. The church was used as a shed for horses. It had been in limosine, to hear a paid choir a school until the Ward School use for 98 years when it was sing, “Art thou Weary, Art thou was established as such, on demolished to make room for Lanquid.” Williams Street. ■' the Christian Education Centre In Ingersoll, one of the The John Street structure is of the church. After the shed earliest Wesleyan . Methodist still in existence, but used as a was no longer used for horses, it Churches was a brick church residence. had been used as a gymnasium. erected in 1854 on the west side Charles Street Church of Oxford Street about midway The King Street Wesleyan between Charles and. King Methodist Church 1 M G 6 K 5 O L U T /M S S Streets. In the church’s early An Episcopal Methodist years it acted as a refuge for Church known as the Charles The King Street Wesleyan Street Church (a one steeple escaped slaves, who came from Methodist Church, located on December “1, i W America through St. Thomas. church) stood on the north side the north west corner of King of the street west of the December H, The church’s first service was and Church Streets was built in held on September 17, 1854. armories. It was built in 1857. 1865. It was known as the “two A small white frame church The church was a three sto, rey tower church.” Later after a building having living quai ters' j ^h another parish it proceeded this church. This u n o n w Charles Street congregation in the top floor for the minister. [ name Trinity United b o r e b e joined the King Street church in Church. 1903. F^There vvas a pafSo/ldge OA.th^-^—.— The Bf itiSk i X f ) < J ’ ' ■ f H / ‘ west side of the church and a Episcopal Church (B.M.E.) ’ > cemetery on the rear, of the ...... _ _ ... K - a ^ / < / / V parsonage lot. After the closing A British Methodist Episcopal At an evening meeting in the ' of this church the trustees Church stood on the south side British Methodist Episcopal _ C H U «
; placed an advertisement-in the o f Catherine Street on the east Church, after the usual service, press asking all who had side of the stream.. It was built a testimony meeting was held, relatives buried in the cemetery in 1858 by and for 350 black Among those giving testimony to remove the bodies to the people of the town. w as Peter Vant. Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. A This church was built like a He stated, “I am old Peter few were moved but most of the barn with boards running up Vant, over 90-years-old I think, remains were dug up and and down and the cracks a n d I a m ready to go anytime placed in a common grave near covered with slats. Two small the good Lord calls me. I am the Canadian Pacific Railway windows on either side of the; r e a c ty to go this very night if the trunk. ■ building supplied light to the So o d Lord calls me.” He Thechurch wassold to a local building. The seats were.repeated this several times, resident who had it demolished, benches with no backs. White young men sitting in The bricks were used for a There were no song books but the back seats (referred to as couple of cottages, east of the these black people were wond- ‘white trash’ by the majority of armories and also for a store erful singers of the songs they the black congregation) decided and apartment building on had memorized. They needed to follow old Peter to his house Thames Street. “ no books because they could not upon the termination of the Prior to 1883 there were seven read. testimonial. Peter lived north of branches of the Methodist There last minister was the the pork factory about a half Church in Canada. The primit- Reverend Solemn Peter Hale, block, in a deserted poultry ive Methodists opened their He carried three books; a Bible, house. The white boys followed church in London in 1850. The dictionary and a hymn book. He him at a distance so as not to Wesleyan and Episcopal Meth would combine syllables from create suspicion. They waited odists, the New Connection the three books to make big for a short time at the pork Methodists and the Bible words which nobody could factory corner. They saw a light Christians joined together to understand. He died in 1904 and shine through the window and become the Methodist Church of is buried in the far east section then go out and believed old Canada. The two that did not of the Rural Cemetery among Peter had gone to bed. They join, the Free Methodists and many of his members, who went up to his home, rapped on the British Methodist Episcopal were taken there because of the door and said, “The good Church, remain as separate tuberculosis. Lord want Peter this very night. churches in Canada. There are many stories Get your clothes on Peter and regarding Reverend H ale’s come along. The good Lord The New Connection Church ministry. a'callin ya this very night.” One Sunday evening he asked Old Peter replied, “Peter The New Connection Church the congregation to remain as don’t live here no more, he done was organized by Alexander he had a proposition for them. got a job in Aylmer and moved Kilham in England in 1797. This They remained and learned the two weeks ago.” branch of the Wesleyan Meth minister wanted to take up a The white boys knew this was odist Church believed their special collection to buy a not true so they thought they members should not be barred chandlelier. would open the door and go in. from politics as were the John Van Patter stood upland Peter however had pulled the Wesleyan Church members. said, “Mr. Parson, there ain’t latch and the white boys were Wesleyan Church members no use in buyin’ one of them forced to turn away figuring were not allowed to be things because we ain’t got that Peter wished to stay councilmen, reeves, mayors, or nobody here that can play it.” around for a longer period. members of parliament. Van Patter was close to being After the death of the In Canada in 1875, there were correct. They did not need more Reverend Hale, the church 206 New Connection Churches. light in the building because no became unused. Five of these churches were one could read. It was sold in 1932 to a farmer located in the Ingersoll area, at Since many of the male near Sweaburg. Five teams and Spearmen’s Corners (Banner), members of the congregation, wagons came to the church, Harris Street, Brownsville, and. chewed tobacco before singing, tore it down and took it to the there were two Clippertons and had to relieve their mouths owner’s farm. Thus ended the Churches and one other with an i of the chud, the pastor B.M .E. Church. unknown location. s appointed Sam Jones and B i l l ______The New Connection Church Brown as cuspidorians for a was one branch of Methodism period of one year. which joined to form ' the The tw 0 men, n o t downing Methodist Church of Canada. * t h e meaning of the term, said In 1925 the Methodist Con-’ t h e y w o u l d t a k e o n t h e position. gregation and some Presby-1 They became inflated with T IM E S terians united to form the Pr i d e - o n becoming the holders Jerwiex/ Pi les United Church of Canada. o f s u c h a title. When they found out what the duty entailed however, they soon deflated and Decem ber I q 7-7 resigned. Flushing the spitoons in the creek beside the church was not such a dignified job after all. A second Baptist chapel was ‘‘ Dies p - c .7 । ^ 7 The Jirst Baptist . Congre erected in the Harris Street / < (c* J gation in Oxford was 'formed in Cemetery, west of the archway. July 1808 in the fem e of Peter The congregation was formed in Teeple on lot 15, Broken-front While digging the cellar for C H u g C H £ 5 - 1828 and the chapel erected in the white brick Baptist church, Concession of West Oxford. ' 1832. This was the first Baptist CT E ME. PAL Nine people were present. a huge stone was unearthed. z chapel of Oxford County/ Like Peter Teeple’s ' wife ' was The.pioneer jfarmers with their Sarah Mabee. The Mabee the Piper’s chapel it had a large teams, scrapers and ploughs, • family, with their son-in-law overflow membership;'S had removed (about a foot of dirt Peter Teeple, had come from William Barker, who came when they,; encountered /.his .. near St. John’s New Brunswick, from Coventry, England in 1832, large rock. It whs considered and settled on a 600-acre lot took up 900-acres of land in too dangerous to dig a big hole granted by the government in Dereham Township, along the beside it and bury it. It was the Townsend Township, Haldi- Culloden Road three miles type of stone that stone hammers could not easily " mand County. They were two south of Ingersoll. He raised break, since it had no grain. years making the journey, and nine children. He left the land to brought 12 cows with them. his sons and retired to Ingersoll The farmers had no dynamite In 1808, Teeple and Mabee in 1837. He lived on a large lot on or powder with which to blast learned of an open road through Thames Street north, where he the stone, therefore they Western Ontario about 50 miles built a circular mission church. utilized the only method known north of Townsend’s center. He supplied the seats, Bibles to the pioneers. They dug a They also learned that land and song books and preached two-foot wide trench around the could be secured along this open the sermon as long as he lived. stone with a depth of four feet. road. They travelled north on This was a Baptist Mission They then started a fire in the - horseback through the forest, One peculiarity of this bottom of the trench and using * stopping one night in the woods. mission building was its cir dry, hard wood, kept the fire They arrived at the open road a cular auditorium. When asked burning all of one day. mile east of Ingersoll. ' why he made the auditorium In the evening before going Peter Teeple took up lot 15, circular, he said it was because home and while the stone was which had been by-passed by he didn’t want the Devil to still very hot, three men with several pioneer settlers as corner anybody. pails went to the pioneer pond, being of little value.' Peter His lot on Thames Street which was immediately behind Teeple built his log house on the north is at present occupied by the church lot, and doused the south end of his lot on the open apartment houses. hot stone. These three pails of road. Simon Mabee, unable water had no effect. Three more A Baptist church was built on pails of water were showered on to locate a suitable lot along the 1 open road selected lot 13 in Albert Street in 1857 for the the stone, before they heard it concession two, a mile south of Reverend W.C. Beardsail. The go ‘pop’. The stone had cracked. construction was a two-storey, the open road. The farmers returned home In these small log houses, white brick building and cost and let the stone cool down Peter Teeple raised a family of $1,000. It had the capacity to during the night. Returning the nine and Simon Mabee, a family, seat 450. This church never next day, they opened up the of 12. Descendants of these two prospered, never having more cracks with wedges, wide, pioneer families still reside in than 25 members. enough to get chains around the i Oxford County. ' When the next Baptist church different pieces. They made an The first Baptist Church, was built in 1864 at the corner of improvised ramp, up which to formed in the Peter Teeple log Canterbury and Thames Street, the stone was dragged with two house, grew rapidly. the congregation from the teams of horses. Simon Mabee in 1809, gave an Albert Street Church, joined the acre and a half of land on the congregation of the new church. corner of his 200-acre farm, for The Baptist church built in a chapel and a cemetery. A 1864 was a white brick church, chapel was erected immed one-storey high with a small iately south of a school-house porch at the entrance. This .which had been built in 1834, at church was built by the Piper’s Corners. Piper’s Cor congregations of the Piper’s ners was so named because and Harris Street chapels. The three pioneers of the same building committee was And name owned farms on the other rew Bodwell, of Mount Elgin; three corner lots. P ip er’s W.B. Mabee, Piper’s and Moses Corners is two miles north of Clark of Harris Street. This TMCaERSOLU TltAES Folden’s. church was opened on Sept This chapel must have ember 9, 1864. It served until prospered, for in 1863 it had a ' 1890, when it was torn down and membership of 235, while the replaced by the present Baptist chapel could accommodate only tabernacle, of red-brick con 100. A cemetery which con struction. tained many of the area’s pioneers is unmarked at present except by a clump of cedar trees at the rear of the school-house. i’bo preaching at bls i.ab.n'thq todow-j Jng.E unday. /tu thod,ecplo ot tho for-. C H M gO tES est had Utlie comm unication ^Ith; the outsldo world, they were hungry & EK )£B A L 1. It Is also shown th at one Thomas for news nnd eager to know-all about1 Details ofl the First Religious Horner was the first,,w hite settler the m an who was to preach to them ? n ____ ♦ A i'I the Township of Oxford. Ho came Accordingly, Mr. Bangs decided to eruce Are Lrougllt 10 l J n ( 0 U p p O r Canada by the, Mohawk satisfy their curiosity and began his ! V U . Light t .' Valley routo from Albany, N. Y.» on dlucourso In this way; '4 • tho invitation of Governor Simcoe. "My name Is N athan Bangs, I was BY J. T. FITZGERALD < /H o rn e r brought with him machinery born In Connecticut, May 2nd, 1778. Through the medium of old letters t■ o establish a sawmill, on tho very I was born again in this province in, eind other records, as well as through 1 site of tho present C. N. R. station 1 May, 1800. J commenced itinerating' tho very accurate medium ot Masonic nt 1’rlnccton. This was In tho year as a preacher of tho ^Gospel in Sep- m inute books, H arry T. Bower, Inger 1793, the same year th a t Joseph!' tembor, 1801. On tho 10th of June, soll, has come Into possession of some Brant, the famous Mohawk, sent somoni left Now York for tho purpose of very Interesting information regarding of Ihs young mon to guido his friends. 1 visiting you, of whom I hud heard c th e early,d,ays of tho Ingersoll dis-] Thomas Ingersoll, Gideon' Boswlck,, two years ago, and after a long and! I tr|c t, Keth Hamlin, Abel Kelson and othersjtedlous journey, I am hero. I ami bound! In a recent address to the Handford w b c r c the ancient Indian tra llljo r th a r heavonlv c.ltv a n d jin y c^randj i Boys’ Class of T rinity United Church,, touched tho Itlvcr Ha. Franco. The among you la to persuade as xnanjK ! Mr. Bower divulged much of bis In-j j;. v „r j a France, by the way, was} as I can to go w ith mo. I am a' i form ation, showing a close and t-c-i C!1]j^d o n t b o branch maps, but) Methodist preacher and my m anner curate record of the early d a js back, W a s r ,a i n c d ^h0 ‘Thames, tho name it of* worship is to stand while singing, ; even in the days before Ingersoll was b r a r s today, by tho English settlers, kneel while praying arid to stand 1 known as Ingersoll—prior to tho time - p 0 .; s )b ]y because It ran through Ox- while preaching to the people who i of Toronto, of postage stam ps a n d , < o r d a n d Middlesex’. । ' aro meanwhile sitting. As many of J of envelopes. The records in Mr. W QR a t a point along tho river, you as seo fit to join mo In this way Bowers' possession deal particular y R b u n d l .c d from whore the . Oxford Had 51 Religions In 1851, According To Census B y S ta n le y J . S m ith and James, who contributed much to One hundred years ago, January the early development of the com 12th to February 15th, 1851, the munity. ' Province of Canada, under the For . the inforpiation of future governorship of the Earl of Elgin, historians, it iwill not 'be amiss to appointed Mr. Thomas S. Shenston, give the most pertinent figures con-i county clerk, Woodstock, to be corning ‘North and West Oxford I census commissioner for Oxford Townships as the population includ-i County. This was the fourth occas ed Ingersoll’s first settlers: ion , of census being taken in this 1820 1830 1840 county, the others being in 1820, Population 1 830'and 1840. Unfortunately, the N. & W. abstracts covering those other years Oxford 165 544 1.277' are no longer extant because they Taxes ... ; were destroyed by lire when a mob Levied • 1 set. the offices of the Government £46/13 £101/13 . £239/4/2d /U^J.n 'Montreal, in 1849. The Commissioner Shenton appointed Oxford-upon-the-Thames, Darius Doty as enumerator for the ■ Svo townships, North and village of Ingersoll. Mr. Doty’s re "»rd, and it was detached turn for 1851 consisted of the fol ; 31st, 1851, from, these' lowing: Professions, occupations and , ’• ‘d renamed Ingersoll, trad e—Accountants, 1 ; blacksmiths,. nemorate the name of 15; bar-keepers, 1; butchers, 3; vothers, Charles, Tom bakers, 1; bailiffs, 1; clerks of the | ^vYsWir Court, 1; clerKs, T ; caVriwAJ makers, 5; carpenters, 6; chan* mak I ers, 3; coopers, 9; clothier, .2; drug-( gists, 2; distillers, 3; engineers, 5;' farmers, 24; grocers, 1; inn-keepers, 13; iron founders, 2; iron workers,, j 1; joiners, >31; jewellers, 1; law-( yers, 1; laborers, 53; lumberman,! {1; ministers, 4; merchants, 12; mill- j ers, 3; moulders, 1; millwrights, 3;, I merchants, 2; physicians, 2; paint- j ers, 3; ’plasterers, 2; peddlers, 1; ! potters, 1; pipers, 1; railroad con 's tractors, 1; school teachers, 3; stage proprietors, 1; swveyors, 1; shoemakers, 18; servants, 34; stage drivers, 1; saddlers, 18; tailors, 20; '. teamsters, 10; tanners, 4; tinsmiths, 5; toll-gate keeper, 1; wagon mak ers, 6; wheelwrights, 2; weavers, 1. Place of Birth— (British) Canada West, 519; England, 1’8'2; Ireland, li53; New Brunswick, 6; Nova Sco tia, 1; On-the-Sea, 1; Scotland, 220;.' Wales, 9. Foreign, Germany, 9 ;' Greece, 1; United iStates 98. Total population 1.190. r\e \ eu-j Religions—'Church of England, 230; Church of 'Rome, 218; Wesley an Methodists, 14,2; Episcopal Meth odises, 123; Methodists, 72; Free Church, 42; United Presbyterians, 15;. Presbyterians, 199; (Scotch Se- ceders, 20; Calvinist Baptist, Free- Will Baptists, American Baptists, Unitarian Baptists, Regular Baptists and Baptists, 132; Universalists, 17.. Births—Male, 24; female, 27. (Deaths—Accidental, i2; bowel com-1 plaint, 4; consumption, 1; child-bed,; 1; teething, 1; unknown, 10. Sexes—Males, 621; females, 569 ;> married, 352; single, 810; widows,' 19; widowers, 9. Attending school—Males, 326; fe males, 84; children of school age, 91. Lunatick, female, 1. (Note: Evidently a typographical error was made 'when only 84 girls were re-, ported attending school compared to' 326 boys. The balance of Oxford County census reported almost a 50- 50 basis, ,viz: Dereham, 357 and, 349; East Oxford, 249 and 233, etc. j S.J .S.) ! Area— 1.363 acres, 670 under cultivation; 414 under crop; 202' under pasture; 50 acres of garden and orchard; 693 acres under wood and wild land; 102 acres of wheat producing 1.780 Ibus.; 6 acres of barley producing 90 bus.; 10 acres of rye producing 230 bus.; wool, 1.260 lbs.; maple sugar, 900 lbs.;, fulled cloth, 15 yards; flannel, 90 1 yds.; bulls and oxen, -37; milch cows, i 181; 138 horses, 55 calves, 644 sheep and 201 pigs. z; fivang-eiicai Union, 21;. Shakers Assessed value of ( property— and Tunkards, 47; Scotch Relief £10.991/0/0. iLeviqxJ 'and raised, Church, Reformationists, Reformed £175/12/4d. Oxford iCounty share, Tunkards, 21; Menomists, 388; Mor £50/17/4d. avians, Mormons, Camphellites, Dutch Returns for the othei’ municipali ‘ meys.and .Plymouth Brothers,. ties in Oxford make interesting ( •••^^^identany, Blenheim was reading. .Norwich township reported A townsl reporting ten in-1 101 negroes and 27 Indians. East • . after a "miod of 100 Nissouri had 10 negroes and 18 In ley know now. dians. 51. different religions were | reported and for the most diversi- I fled classification Blenhg i township I topped the list with An Burghers, •..■Christians, 44; Christians^ lvA o ll h tO tm e GeM o n n • « I f e r r ic 11 ■ CH URCH ES - 6> g^ E G&i- ders. The property was,bought Pioneer in 1864 and the first burials were in the same year. Of the Cemeteries^ - : first 2o burials ,14 were infants Of the 25 eleven died of diph (Courtesy of Byron G. Jenvey ) * theria which was of epidemic proportions at the time. Diph In the early years Ingersoll theria caused the death of hun had fine cemeteries within her dreds of school-age children in boundaries, Today there are Western Ontario during 1863 none . ' 186 4 One of the earliest known - - Often 2,3, or 4 cemeteries was on the North children of the same family diea , West corner of King and Harris within a few weeks . Many St. This was a part of Col. cemeteries bear witness, on ; Ingersoll's farm granted by him monuments, of the death of . for use of early settlers. It children by black diphtheria. ; became unused and unkept a- One died of shooping cough and round 1880 . Some bodies were ' one of scarlet fever. In 1882 removed to Harris St. Ceme the directors decided that the tery and a few bodies taken to shareholders should receive no Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, but i further interest on shares. Grad- many were left there. Several rows of white marble monu ually the shareholders died or " ments and a few brown granite moved away. The mausoleum ones marked the graves at one was built in 1927 . On Aug. 1, time . 1955, the cemetery was placed On Francis St. there stood in control of North Oxford coun an Early Anglican churcli. On cil. and became a municipal one side of this church was a cemetery . In Oct. 1955, G. E. ’ cemetery. After the new church Ilessenaur was appointed Secre was erected on Oxford St. in tary - Treasurer . 1868 some bodies were remov ed to the Ingersoll Rural ceme tery. Later, when a residence was built on the site, some more were removed . A Methodist cemetery was located west of the church sheds which belonged to the Metho dist's of Charles St. church. This was in a sand bank west of the present armories now remov ed . When this church closed in 1903, the bodies in the small cemetery were dug up and all bones placed in a common grave next to the C. P. R. fence . There was cemetery at the rear of the first Catholic church which stood on the west side of John St. about midway be tween Bell and Victoria St. On the opening of a new cemetery in North Oxford just outside Ingersoll, the bodies from the churchyard on John St. were moved to i t . The Ingersoll Rural cemetery,; in North Oxford township, was ■purchased by 168 local residents j who became the first sharehol from Byron Jenvey’s files Ingersoll’s Pioneer Cemeteries One of the earliest known cemeteries was on the North west corner of King and Harris St. This was a part of Col. Ingersoll’s farm granted by him for use of early settlers. It became unused and unkept around 1880. Some bodies were removed to Harris St. cemetary but many were left there. A few were taken to Ingersoll Rural Cemetery among them the body of John Carroll. Several rows of white marble monuments and a few brown granite ones marked the graves at one time. (Mr. Jenvey remembers this cemetery.) On Francis St. there stood an Early Anglican church (built 1852). On one side of this church was a cemetery. After the new church was erected on Oxford St., in 1868 some bodies were removed to the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. Later, when a residence was built on the site, some more of the bodies were removed, and some were not. A Methodist cemetery was located west of the church sheds, ^hxxxwax which belonged to the Methodists of Charles St. church. This was in a sand bank west of the present armouries. When this church closed in 1903, the bodies in the small cemetery were dug up and all bones placed in a common grave next to the C.P.R. fence. There was a cemetery at the rear of the first Catholic church which stood on the west side of John St. about midway between Bell and Victoria St. On the opening of a new cemetery in North Oxford just outside Ingersoll the bodies from the churchyard on John St. were moved to it. The Ingersoll Rural Cemetery was established very early in the town’s history, and being a public cemetery, it was used by residents over a large area. This permitted the closing of burial plots of families and churches. The rural cemetery in North Oxford was purchased by 168 families who became the first shareholders. The property was bought in 1864, and the f(Drst burials were in the same year. Of the first 25 burials, 14 were infants. Of the 25, eleven died of diptheria which was of epidemic proportions at that time. Diptheria caused the death of hundreds of school age children in Western Ontario during 1863-64. Often 2, 3 or 4 children of the same family died within a few weekd. Many cemeteries bear witness, on monuments.of the death of children by black diptheria. One died of whooping cough, and one of scarlet fever. In 1882$ the directory decided that the shareholders should receive no further interest on shares. Gradually the shareholders died or moved away. The mausoleum was iruilt in 1927. CUU&CUE5- R e c e n tly th e 5 0 th a n n iv e r sa r y o f th e b u ild in g o f th e p r e s e n t S a lfo r d U n ite d C h u rch w a s c e l e I tin e r a n t P r e a c h e r s । b r a te d . N e x t y e a r th e 1 0 0 th a n n i v e r s a r y o f th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f Up until 1831, Salford was reached th e ch u rch w ill b e c e le b r a te d . only by itin eran t preachers. Then F o llo w in g is a m o st c o m p le te h is -| in 1832, W est Oxford became the to r y o f th e ch u rch , c o m p ile d f o r . head of a circuit. (This was before T h e T r ib u n e by M r. H . R . M c W oodstock had been form ed.) T here B e th : w ere 11 appointm ents, com prising O xford 'Chapel, Beachville, Ingersoll, B y H . R. M c B e th 12th Concession Zorra, W oodstock, Back in 1801 'L ong P oint Circuit N orth Oxford, Embro Road, Aylmer, ■was set ap art front th e 'N ia g ara Cir M ount Elgin, Dereham and Salford. cuit, under Rev. N athan Bangs. In Salford was now served from W est 1802 he made periodic trips through Oxford, 'first work established by o ut the territo ry lying west, follow Mr. Bangs in the settlem ent where ing the Tham es to D etroit ' and re the present W est Oxford church now turning along the shores ol Lake stands. The church can trace a 'c o n -! E rie. There were no churches as nected history back to the visits of such. The people assembled in homes th at pioneer missionary in 1802. and class m eetings were held under M inisters who served the W est Ox a class leader. Saddle-bag preachers, ford circuit w ere: (so-called because they travelled by 1832, Rev. John Bailey; 1833-34, horse, with all their belongings on Rev. Richard Phelps; 1835, Rev. J. their horse or their back), carried S. Atwood; 1836-37, Rev. J . M orris; on itinerary work throughout the 1838-39, Rev. Thomas F aw cett; swam ps and w ilderness, in fair 1840, Rev. P eter K err, H enry Byers, w eather and foul, to bring the word Isaac B. H ow ard; 1841, Rev. W. of God to isolated settlem ents. Coleman, M atthias illoltby; and 1842, These saddle-bag preachers thus Rev. S. C. Philip, George Young, form ed Circuits which were also John Measden and E. Sallows. supplied w ith- the aid of local When Salford came under the W ood preachers. • stock 'Circuit in 1843, the following Salford residents cam e under the m inisters and probationers served; L ong P oint circuit, and then from 1843, Rev. Samuel G. Philip, W il 1811-31, were in the A ncaster Cir liam Dixon; 1844, Rev. Rowley cuit. The Long Point circuit was ser H eyland, George Kennedy, /Jo h n ved in 1801-2 under the superinten B redin; 1845, M atthias THoltby, Jos dency of Mr. Bangs; 1807, Rev. eph E. Ryerson; 1846, M atthias H enry Ryan; 1808-9, Rev. Thomas H oltby, Jam es G ray and Thomas W hitehead, and 1810, R obert Perry. C onstable; 1847, Rev. T. Faw cett, J. W. C aw thorne; 1848, K ennedy Creighton, F. Chapm an; 1849-50, K ennedy Creighton, M atthew W hit ing. IM C n € R 5 D L L 7B.K3UNG < 2 0 ^ 5 1 ( I ° 3 CHUPCH€2>- G.£M£fZAI, Thomas Cadman, Andrew Wolfe, John Greig, Solomon Shell, Richard Wilson, W alter H a r r is ,E p h r a im Briggs, P eter Hazel, J ^ , Sinith Mc- C o u n ty D iv id ed ^ICiipe, William Russell,' H arvey 'Purdy, John Thornton, H enry In 1882, W oodstock d istrict was organized—-David H unt, Thom as Al bert Moore, (no m ore young men.) In 1883—-Union of M ethodist Churches, (W esleyan, C anada), M ethodist Episcopal, Bible C hristian, New C onnection), into- the M ethodist Church of Canada— David H unt, Thomas A lbert Moore* 1884, Hugh McLean, (second tim e), (Holden’s attached to Sw eaburg C ircuit.) 1884— N iagara, 'Guelph and Lon don Conferences united, and sub divided into Ham ilton anti London Conferences. W oodstock district a t tached to Ham ilton Conference. 1887— John E. H ockey, (built six feet of foundation fo r present Sal ford Church) ; 1890, C harles D ea con, (completed and dedicated the new church at Salford) ; 1893, John W. S tew art; 1896, W . W. Sparling; 1897, A lbert K ennedy; 19Q0, Chris topher Cookman; 1901, T. W ebster Kelley; 1904, John IL M cA rthur; 1907, Thomas Bovd; 1910, W. J. Ellis; 1914, John A. N eill; 1918, F. J. Fydell, B.A., (Salford consisted of Salford, Folden’s, W est O xford) ; 1922, J. Milton Copeland, B .A .; 1924, W. E. S. Jam es, M.A., B.D.; 1925, Church Union of (Methodist, Presbyterian and CongTegational Churches into U nited Church of Can ada. Local D istricts w ere replaced by P resbyteries, which in the main with slight necessary adjustm ents conform ed to County Boundaries. Woodstock district becam e a p a rt of Oxford Presbytery, which was de tached from- H am ilton Conference and attached to London Conference. 1926, Percy S. Banes, B .A .; 1930, Selbv Jefferson; 1931, IL G. Boling- broke, B.A., B.D.; 1932, G. I. V an loon, B.A., B .D .; 1936, R. B. Cum ming, B.A., B.D.; 1948, R. A. G.. Passm ore, B.A., B.D., S.T.M. B uilding of New Church On May 14, 1888, under Rev. J. E. Hockey, pew rents were abolished, overpaid am ounts w ere refunded and arrears up to May 1st w ere ordered collected. Envelopes w ere adopted. /A> & C Section 2. Page 18 The Ingersoll Times, Wed , .Inly 25, 1931 History of town churches Since Thomas Ingersoll first settled the Ingersoll area, there have been many, many churches. One of the earliest was a Methodist Church located one mile east of Harris Street, along the Old Stage Road, now King Street, a third and a m ile south. 'Die King Street Wesleyan Methodist Church was built in 1865 and was situated on the north west corner of King and Church Streets. It lated joined another church and took on the name T rinity United Church. In 1857 an Episcopal Methodist Church, known as the Charles Street Church was built It was located on the north side of Charles Street It was later demolished. A British Methodist Episcopal Church was on the south side of Catherine Street and was built in 1858 by the 350 Negro residents of Ilie town. In 1904, following the death of the church's minister. Rev. Hale, the church was no longer used, and in 1932 it was sold The New Connection Church was a branch of Methodism. In 1875 there were five of these churches located in the Ingersoll area. In 1925 the Methodist congregation and some Presbyterians united to form the United Church of Canada. The John Street Methodist Church was constructed in 1870. Today the building is used as a home. A Baptist church was erected in the Harris Street Cemetery, west of the archway, in 1932. Another Baptist church was built on Albert Street in 1857. In 1861 the present Baptist Church, at the corner of Canterbury and Thames Streets was built. In 1838 a small Catholic church was built on Church Street. In 1847 another one was built on the west side of John Street, between Bell and Victoria Streets. In 1879 a brick church was built, today’s Sacred Heart Church. Knox Presbyterian Church was built in 1847. In 1889 the Knox congregation joined with St. Andrew's Church. The Erskine Presbyterian congregation was organized in 1852 and a church was built in 1855. The congregation joined the Knox Church in 1883. St. Andrew's Church was built in 1872 In 1889 the Knox congregation joined with St. Andrew’s and the new church was called St. Paul's. In 1982 St. Paul's Presbyterian Church marked its 135th anniversary. In 1835 the First Anglican Church was built by the Charles Ingersoll family /\ new brick church was built in 1868 on Oxford Street and is now known as St. James' Anglican Church. The Salvation Army in 1982 marked its 100th anniversary, although it came to Ingersoll in 1885. The Christian Reformed Church in 1955 established a church just outside of Inger soll on King Street West. In 1976 a new church was built on the same location. In 1935 the Pentecostal congregation bought the former Evan's Piano Co office to use as a church. In 1973 a new church was built on Highway 2, about two miles east of Ingersoll. In 1942 the congregation of the Revival Centre Church bought the former gym of IDCI, and moved it to its present 212 Kensington Street location. / A >6.- . / //ji &3 2.5 / W XJAUECJlB^&EMEigak (from the files of Byron G. Jenvey ) ed people - built on Catharine Capsule History O f Churches St. on the east bank of the stream - built in 1858-Ingersoll M akes Intorosfjng Reading had 300 colored people in 1865. Rev. Peter Hale was the last Anglican - First church- lived in the top storey. • This minister. The building was sold framc-on Francis st. - site giv church harbored-freedom seek in 1927 to Mr. Cuthbert of Swea- en by Chas. Ingersoll - built ing slaves . burg who used the .luqnber to in 1852 . Now a residence on John St. - Frame building build a pen for Berkshire swine. King St. opposite funeral home. on John St. - built prior to 1870 New Connexion Methodists- A cemetery surrounded the -used as a ward school before in 1875 there were 206 churches church . Pr. Elizabeth school bui It-in in Canada - 2 in Ingersoll and 1868 - new brick church 1887 it had an organ pumped by 3 outside. Location not definite. erected on corner of Oxford and Frc^ Walley . Baptists . Francis Sts. The bricks were Charles St. - a brick building , A brick church on Albert St. made at the Hagel’s crs. brick -built in 1857-preceded by a erected in 1857 - by Rev. W. C. yard. It was named St. James small frame church . It was Epis- Bcardsall - church cost $1000. 00 Church . copalitan - The parsonage was could seat 450-vacated in 1870 A small frame church on immediately west of the church members joined new church on lot 25 con. 1 West Oxford was and a cemetery on rear of par Thames St. - this building is operated by the Ingersoll church sonage lot. Its location on now a residence . for a few years. This church Charles St. was between the 1864-a white brick church - burned . Post Office and IGA. Ceased built by rural Baptists on corner Presbyterian operation in 1903 when the con of Thames and Canterbury Sts. Knox church-built in 1842- gregation joined King St. Ch. - demolished in 1890 . callcd the "Kirk". It was on The church was sold to H. D. , 1890-a red brick church e- Andrew St. where Quait’s coal McCarty who demolished it and rected on the site of jhe demolish yard is now. It was a brick built 2 cottages east of tire P. O. ed church. This churbh burned building, with a Cemetery a- King St. - a white brick down in May 1898 - struck by round it. It was later used by church built in 1865 known as lightning - new church erected M. T. Buchanan for making the two-tower church. It was by Miller Bros. • haying machinery. Finally de Wesleyan - became Trinity Uni Roman Catholic molished . ted in 1925 . 1959 built an edu In 1850 John Carnegie, a. Erskine church-built during cational centre - 1958 built Presbyterian, gave land on the 1850s-a white brick building Alma St. S.S. Tire church had John St. as a site for a-Roman^ on Charles St. W. where Beaver a parsonage on Duke St. built Catholic Church. The church Lumber is now. Torn down in in 1874 - (Dr. Osborne) The was frame - used 29 years . 1850 . King St. parsonage was erected There was a cemetery at rear- St. Andrews Church -erect in 1909 . the building has been an apart ed in 1872 - on Thames & An Bible Christina - a frame ment house for several years - drew St. Knox congregation church-built in 1866 on Oxford known as Tune’s terrace. 1879 joined St. Andrews in 1892 . An St. - the site now a playyard a brick church was built which addition was added and the for junior pupils of Victory Mem is still in use. In 1848 - priest's church renamed St. Pauls. Rev. orial school. Peter Kennedy home built - 1921 present home E. R. Hutt was first minister of moved the building to King St. built - this demolished in 1965 St. Pauls . for a residence. It is now the and new one erected. Church Methodists , Clifton Funeral Home. The shed built in 1912-demolished in Wesleyan - a 3-storey brick parsonage was sold (O'Jas. Grieve 1961 . -on Oxford St. - built 1854 - who moved it to his farm at- Salvation Army Citadel . scorched in big fire of 1872 - Salford . Built in 1885 on its present gorn down in 1956 . The minister B. M. E. Church - for color site on Thames St. S. - still - The Times C P / O v Ceq4ennKxl IT(P7 CHU&CHES - time . being used . • Tire Brotherhood of Indepen Christian Reformed . dent Baptists held meetings a Wesleyan Church. Once Haven For Slaves Is Being Tom Down In Ingersoll Now ' By STANLEY J. SMITH U S LUMBER The old Wesleyan Methodist chi •- Its construction is a living tribute ch on Oxford street... one of the to the contractors of a century ago old landmarks of Ingersoll... is. and it gives one a good idea of the about to be dismantled. In fact, size of the pine trees which must much to the chagrin of nesting; have existed when Oxford county sparrows, and annoyed pigee c was a dense forest. Pine boards 12 main stairway leading to to 14 inches in width... some as ch has already fallen unc •' much as 20 inches, are in evidence: fluence of thq wreckers. '■ and in the attic, there arc long edifice was erected in rafters and cross beams which arc IS51, and through its poi just as- sound as they were in passed some of the mos^ ■ 1854. speakers, ministers, and i. Adam Oliver, South Oxford’s first lecturers, of the last cent’ member of the provincial parlia ft gained famous being a ment, in 1867, was the contractor. ing house during the operation •. Its original estimated cost was to escaped slaves, in the mid-fifties, be $2,800, but by purchasing mat and many of Ingersoll’s more elder erial at cost, and donation of ly citizens, at the turn of the ccnt- much volunteer labor, the brick ury. could give a vivid discription building cost less than $2,500! And I of the ladies of the church giving from where came the volunteer I succor to the poor wretches who labor? Naturally, the cx-slaves to ihad been smuggled through the reciprocate (heir thanks to the M.s.e states even as far away as Wcsleyans for their kindness, and ■ New Orleans. tolerance, shown to them upon their The late J. T. Fitzgerald, manag- arrival in Ingersoll. J er of the Ingersoll office of the Every historian of Ingersoll has Sentinel-Review, made an extensive mentioned that the colored people ' study of this old land-mark and became very skilled in the building from his notes one learn:- manyi trade-espccially brick-layers, plast interesting facts. erers, and roofers. Previous to the erection of the Ingersoll's first Town Hall; and building, the Wcsleyans held ser the Daly House, were built the vices in the old Episcopal Metho same year, in 1854, but, on Feb dist church which was situated ruary I, .1856, the Town Hall went nearby on Charles street, west, and up in flames. This deprived the in latter years became known as village of a suitable place for the Charles street Methodist chur hilding a meeting if a large num ch. In the rear of the church was ber of scats were required. How the common burial ground for ad-| ever, as the Wesleyan church could herents to Methodism, but in 1861,| seat 500, it became almost the their bodies were transferred to the | Town Hall until a new municipal Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. building could be erected. The Wesleyan church was the INITIAL SERVICE first public building in Ingersoll to The president of the Methodist be lit with electricity. Today, one Conference, the Rev. Enoch Wood, j can see the old massive insulators, preached the main service on the land also traces of disused circuits afternoon of Sept. 17, 1854. In the ■ of electric wire which was of a morning, there had been a regular1 l much lighter gauge (ban that which Sunday service. Up to that time, ’ is in use nowadays. A 2 ^< in the history of the village! side of-th6 river, it was too small; he-a there ever gathered such an to hold a large crowd. In 1861, <: >ict,nous crowd within four walls. a colored troupe composed of sing-, 'Till- evening service was a repeat. ers from Oxford and Middlesex j adherents of other faiths joined counties sang in the church and an ■ , In the affair and offered congratul- old account states that a repeat1 !, ations." . ' , • ,' performance occurred a week later ;• On the following day, a ban because the church could not con-' quet’ was held, and after the feast tain the crowd. dedication service,, and -a Bible, a SOME MINISTERS. j hymn book, and a crimson cush The funds to construct the church? ion were presented to the church came from nearly every denominat-j Wesleyan church. The presentat ion in Ingersoll. The chief collector j ion was made by the Misses Barber was the Rev. Barber, the resident! and Hearn. minister. He was followed by the- FAMOUS SPEAKERS Rev. George Kennedy 0 856), and* Probably, the most famous speak- then came the Reverend Joseph' er advertisied to address an aud Shepley in 1858. ience in this old building was no For some reason or other, the other than the celebrated abolition Wesleyans changed ministers every ist John Brown, hanged in Virginia, two years. At times a supply min in 1859, for participating, and cap ister- would preach fur a few turing the United States’ arsenal, 'weeks. In 1853 the hall was packed at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. to hear the Rev. Charles Freshman,1 “Old ‘Ossawatomie’ Brown,” as of Preston, preach a sermon on t .he was familiarly^ known, came to “Tolerance,” aid being that he i Ingersoll to seek'both money and hadybeen an ex-Rabbi from .? ■mon (colored) to join his venture Q.icbec City 'synagogue,he soon , in the south. Previous to the out warmed up to his subject”, says: break of the Civil War, and after a>Vold-account! ‘ I .the construction of the Wesleyan The church was planned to have: church, the colored people used the a •'banquet hall and sewing room' church for meetings pertaining to in jhe semi-basement. One dcscend- the obnoxious slave trade. ed'?a few steps off Oxford Street Another noted speaker was a to \m ake entrance. The church young lady by the name of Amelia ; was above this and one gained ■Webster who spent many months; entrance by ascending about a doz- jin a Southern prison for the crime en ^.treads of teaching slaves to read ■ ()n entering the church one ia Doctor Delaney was scheduled woiild walk under a gallery, (it held to speak on the cotton trade,” but 100)- and the pews were placed for, some reason, or other, he on each side of the church. At the failed to put in an appearance.” rear, a stairway led to the third The choir contained many color storey, and this was the resident ed singers, and one can imagine minister's private home. Above them banding together and singing this,'was a half storey... an attic, Negro spirtuals vhich they had where. the church records were probably learned 'back in plantat stored, and tradition has it, that ion days’ upo, : their mother’s knee. in a pinch, it became a temporary Although a colored church had been haven for the slaves who arriv-i erected late.in 1858. on the north ed during the night. P R E A C H E R S 1 8 8 9 -1 8 9 2 — R e u b e n J . G a r b u tt I rsol I HV i b 1 8 9 2 -1 8 9 5 ----R o b e rt T h o m p so n 1 8 9 5 -1 8 9 8 — S. G. S ta p le s 1 8 9 8 -1 9 0 0 — C h a rle y ,/C ric h to n 1 9 0 0 -1 9 0 4 — G e o rg e B u g g in 1 9 0 4 -1 9 0 7 — Jo s e p h W . P rin g '.1 9 0 7 -1 9 1 1 — R ic h a rd W . K n o w les 1 9 1 1 -1 9 1 5 — J . J. S u tc liffe 1 9 1 5 -1 9 1 9 -- W . H . T a y lo r 1 9 1 9 -1 9 2 2 — F . J. R u th e rfo rd A F T E R U N IO N 1 9 2 2 -1 9 2 7 — H. F . B ell 1 9 2 7 -1 9 3 0 — 1 . E. D av ies 1 9 3 0 -1 9 3 4 — J. W . P e n ro se 1 9 3 4 -1 9 4 0 — W . G. S haw 1 9 4 0 -1 9 4 6 — A. J. W a te rm a n 1 9 4 6 -1 9 5 0 — H o w a rd W . J o h n s o n 1 9 5 0 -1 9 5 1 — W . J. T ris tra m C Pc^- 1 3) 1951 — J , D o u g la s W o o lla tt H e R L Special services commemorating its 60th anniversary were held at Crampton United Church last Sunday, with Rev. Grant Mills conducting both services.. Foilwing is an interesting history of the church, prepared by members including Mr. Ralph Leaman, church treasurer and Mrs. Leam'an: Our grandparents and great-grandparents worshipped in a low log building about fifty feet long on the George xjongfield farm, just back from the road where the creek washed away the gravel as it turned. { This building served the purpose of church, school and hall. The congregation was known as the Longfield appoint ment on the Dorchester Circuit, which included besides Long- field’s, Pine Knot, Putnam and Speerman’s Corners, (Banner.) In 1868 a frame church was built on the present site, on ^a half acre of land donated by Thomas Parsons. The early records show that John Marwood was Sunday School Super-, intendent and Thomas Parsons, class leader and steward,! while other workers were Thomas Cornish, J. Brady, D. McLaughlin, John Johnston, J. Franks and George Parsons. Two early choir leaders were Edwin George and John] Jenkins. When an organ was installed, the following sup-j j plied as organists: Eliza Parsons, Mary Rossiter, Rose ’ Clement and Eunice Cornish. Some members of the early ■ choir were Martin Cornish, Alice Clement, C harles' and i George and Norman Brady, Mary Johnston, J. R. Newell, ?. Hannah and Martha Nowell. ■ In 1884 the minister’s salary was $650.00 which was * collected and paid quarterly. > About this time the church was sold to Sam Morris for use as general store and post office and was moved across the I road where it is now operated by Mrs. W. T. Clement and son, Peter. Application was made for a Post Office and Sam Morris operated the office in his general store. At this time the mail was handled through Alex Flem- j ing’s blacksmith shop which was always crowded. Indeed j church and shop were regularly so crowded that it was decided in 1886 to change the name of the settlement to Uram-p-ton. The public school has always been on the same corner. Some of the early teachers were M. Morris, P. Andrews, R. Rowe and G. Brown and later Sam Morris. At the beginning of the year 1891 the community decided they needed a larger church. On Feb. 3, 1891, D. McLaughlin, J. Franks and John Johnston were appointed as a committee to see into the matter. The corner stone was laid by Mr. Massey, and contained a Bible, hymn book and certain records. Construction was commenced immediately. The brick came from Bird’s brick yard. Mr. Mudge was the bricklayer and Theadore Miller was the carpenter. Helpers were Elgin Moore, Mr. Cascadden and Harry Lyons. Rev. R." J . ‘G arbutt was the minister and Richard Joliffe, the recording steward. Subscriptions taken at the time were more than sufficient to pay for the handsome now edifice. Seplerrxbec 19 5 / . He 5 - Ge AJ6RA u . On a hand bill gotten out at the time, Oct. 25, 1891, and i cherished by a member of our present day community, we | are informed th at Rev. Ben Clement, President of London! Conference, was the special preacher at 10.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Stone, ex-president of Toronto Conference, preached in the afternoon, at 2.30'p.m. Miss Kate Craik was organist, Mrs. C. Talbot was choir leader. The choir consisted of Charles George, Jack Birch,!' James Newell, Mary Newell, Wellington Johnston, Fred George, Minnie Craik, Emma George, George Craik. Emma Longfield, Elsie Smith, Jim Craik, Tilla Smith, Gussie Craikt On the following Monday evening, a tea-meeting was ! held in the new church basement from 6.00-8.00 p.m. 'The ■ Salford choir was in attendance and the well known C ram p-' ton Brass Band. A magnificent autograph quilt was on ; exhibitio’n and sold for a large sum which the ladies gener-’ ously donated to the building fund. In those days two people were chosen to collect for Missions and for two or three years at a time. They travelled by horse and buggy or carts over very muddy roads. John Robert Newell was Sunday School Superintendent in 1891 and the stewards were S. Morris and D. McLaughlin, the latter also being trustee. Sunday School committee was: J. Mai wood, T. Parsons, Leader, J. Eranks, J. Johnston, D. Longfield. Some of the other early leaders were Vine St. Clair, John Wright, N. Howe, F. Howe, J. Craik, R. Howe, George Irwin. L. Bon- ■ gard, J. Newell and G. Craik. Mr. N. Howe was president; of the Epworth League for a number of years. The first Ladies’ Aid president was Mrs. D. M cLaughlin.! They held monthly meetings with the main event of the year being the annual tea-meeting. These were held in tbn long church sheds with sawdust as flooring and cedar boughs fer trimming. The ladies made quilts and sold them. All through . the years the ladies have carried more than their share of the load. The Crampton Brass Band, Leader S. Morris, wore uniforms and had a wagon and driver and played all through 1 this part of the country. They held an annual picnic at Lake ! W hittaker on the 24th of May. i The members were Ed. Fleming, Sam Morris, John Morris, Jim Craik, George Craik, Bob Sadler, Jack McCallum, Vine St. Clair, Jim Newell, Bob Newell, Ernie Longfield, Dan Mil ton, Wellington Johnston. A. Rossitter, Bill Goff, Charles Goff, Frank Goff. Our Superintendents through the years have been J. R. Newell and Sam Morris, James Craik, James Newell, George i Craik, Gordon Johnston, Frank George, Ed. Gill, Ken Rath, (20 y ears); R. Bagnall, Ted Crosby and Loyal Stevenson, (present.) * * Organists have been Kate Craik, Emma Longfield, Rose ; Clement, Maggie W right, Pearl Newell, Maggie Craik, Dora; Leaman, Vera Bongard, Doris Rowse, Mabel Brady, Grace Rossiter, Miss Freele, Irene Johnston, Dorothy Howe, Doris Crosby, Yvonne Boyes, Gordon Hinge, (present.) In 1898, Crampton had a population of about 120. W .1 L. Bongard was cheesemaker, David Conrad, sawmill oper ator; Tom Cornish, agricultural implements; J. Craik & Sons, carpenters; H. George & Sons, live stock; Vine St. Clair, blacksmith; Gore Cheese Co. Ltd., S. J. Morris, postmaster and general store. In 1906, the I.O.O.F. Lodge Hall was built and is still an old landmark of Crampton. In 1925 the Crampton Methodist Church joined the' United Church of Canada. j C H U C C b/£S - Little Old School House Scene of Meetings Foldens Church Recalls 1866 Beginning By M. E. Cropp distant markets and small prices to In the year 1866 the Rev. Lewis give us what hets served as the Warner and the Rev. William Mus church home of Methodism in grove, of the Ingersoll. Wesleyan Folden these 45 years. All honor Methodist Circuit, held protracted to the pioneers. May God bless ; meetings in the schoolhouse at their memory.” i Foldens Corners. A souvenir book- Following is the original sub let published in 1911, at the time scription list. The etmounts ranged of the building of the present Fold- from 25'''■cents to 50 dollars. [ens United Church, states: Early Names “Some still have very vivid recol “We, the undersigned, ag/ee to lections of these special services, pay the sums opposite our names meetings strong, full of zeal, and for the erection of a Wesleyan [intensely spiritual they were, when Methodist Church at Foldens Cor [permanent foundations were being ners, being between the 3rd and laid for the future. For night after 4th concessions of the Township of night William Rivers, with his West Oxford, to be paid to the wagon and yoke of oxen, would treasurer of the building committee bring the people from “The Pines” as follows: One half to be paid on (West Oxford Township wks par- the first day of October, 1867, and tlally covered with a magnificent the remaining half on the first day stand of pine trees). Weather con of November, 1868. West Oxford, ditions did not count In those days. March 26, 1867. William Lowes, The house was packed every night. William Rivers, Franklin Folden, Was it dark? No matter! Pitch R. A. Janes, John Wallis, John pine torches were ample to meet Chamberlain, Daniel Kelly, Oscar this exigency and to guide in the Cross, E. Thompson, Lorenzo Law tramp for miles around to the place rence, Enoch B. Sage, John Smith, "where God met His people." Abner Chalker, William Chalker, “Standing at the corners one Charles Williamson, Marshall Lew could see from every direction the is, George Corey, L. Service, Hugh light of these torches as carried by Finnigan, James McCaveney, Mark those happy and expectant people Turner, Nelson Janes, Solomon wending their way to the meeting. Spragge, James Lawrence, Samuel When asked how they could stand Lowes, C. Brown, S. I. Lawrence, it night after night the enthusiasts John Carty, Samuel H. Mabee, Mr. would reply, “We cannot afford to Hankins, JqsepH Budd/ Hernan stay away." Janes, Joseph B. Piper, Walter M. First Board Mabee, George Galloway, David “The nucleus of Methodism In White, I. B. Crawford, John Sib- Foldens was formed from those bald, H. C. Wilson, William Wilkin who “got religion” in the little old son, Stephen Roberts, John Phelps, schoolhouse. From among these Thomas Hesheth, Walter Harris, was formed our first trustee board Edgar Lewis, Robert Williamson, —the Rev, Lewis Warner, chair John Meyes, James Galloway, man, H. C. Wilson, secretary-treas Daniel Harris, Robert McDonald, urer, John R. Waite, George Gal- Isaac Piper, Charles Wilson. Total !-*way, William Lowes, William amount $412.75, L O N D O N ) Rivers, Enoch Sage, Franklin Fold Another list, drawn up October en and R. A. Janes. 21, 1867, and payable October 1, “Through the efforts of these 1868, has the following additional men, backed up by a loyal people, names (those of the above reap- was erected our first church home, j pearing are omitted), JElder Con- • in 1866. The little new church was .rad L Warner, John R. Waite, of frame, exceedingly well put to-[Warren Harris, Mr. Cadman, John gether and of material of rare Wilkinson, T. Partlo, Joseph Jar quality. It took no small sacrifice vis, A. Burtch, I. Martin, A. An on the part of the faithful few In drews, Peter Meek, Eman Spragge, those early days of bush, stumps, T. G. Lewis, Charles Cadman, j Thomas Fletcher, G. Bailey, W. ter. The first meeting was held in ; i Bell, Mrs. Englefield, Mrs. Ryan, the home of Mrs. Hernan Thorn I Soil Schell, Mrs. Bigham, Mr. and ton in April, with seven members 'Mrs. Hart, Isaac Piper, W. Pool, present. Mrs. Stephen Hill was i Isaac Wilson. Total $153.50. elected president and Mrs. W. B. In Full Account Sage secretary. Ths following is ths last receipt The first Epworth League was for payment on the building fund: organized in 1895, with George I “Received, Ingersoll, 23rd, Janu- Shelton, president, and about 30 iary, 1869, from H. C. Wilson, the members. sum of ninety-three dollars and The old church sent out one eighty-eight cents, in full account young man into the ministry, the building Zion Church, West Ox Rev. William Comfort Sage, and ford. A. Oliver & Co., per P. Kerr.” one young woman into evangelistic The booklet contains pictures of work, Miss Nanceklvlll. The latter a number of the pioneers and their conducted th? first Mothers’ Meet- homes. There is the fine stone ting at Foldens, on Sunday, March house of Comfort Sage, built in 21, 1911. 1885, and still In use today, and a The ministers who held pastor picture of Frederick Sandick, who ates during the time of the old “with Mr. Spragge built the cordu church were: roy ' road east from The Corners Early Minister* through the swamp, using logs When on th* Ingersoll Circuit, from Comfort Sage’s farm.” Lewis Warner, 1864-66, and W. W. In 1883 the Daniel’s Band was Clark, 1867. formed. One evening in the fall When on the Salford Circuit, W. H. Barraclough preached In Hugh McLean, 1868-70, Thomas Zion Church and was impressed by Crews 1871-73, James Kennedy, the large number of young men 1874-75, Charles Stringfellow, 1876- iin the congregation. Shortly after 77, W. Willoughby, 1879-80, David 25 of these young men were organ Hunt 1881-83. ized for definite Christian service After the union of all the and chose the name of Daniel's Methodists in 1884, Foldens w as' Band. Their aim was “personal and on the Sweaburg Circuit, with united effort in winning others for Pastors Thomas Athoe, 1884-86, S. Christ, especially young men." They D. Holden, 1887-89, George Car held Monday night meetings the penter, 1890-92, Thomas Voaden, year round, and “their zeal was 1893-94, J. E. S. Bailey, 1895, C. such that after working all day in W. Vollick, 1896-98, George John the harvest field they would walk son, 1899-1900, J. D. Richardson, from one to three miles to attend 1901-05, W. J. Brandon, 1906, A. band service. Their effort also re W! Shepperson, 1907, Jabea Hill, vived the mid-week prayer meeting 1908: ,. r » which had died out." When on the Beachvill* Circuit Wide Territory Charles, Draper, 1909-11, X. Ed-, The band was divided into three gar Russ. / sections and qn Friday nights held During the pastorate of the Rev.! cottage prayer meetings in differ J. E. Russ the old church was i ent sections. These groups worked taken down and the present flnei as far as Avon in the west, Spring brick church was built in 1911.: field in the south, Oxford Centre in The building committee consisted the east, and Beachvllle in the of John Shelton, William Pullen north. Later workers worked in and C. W. Budd. Cornerstones Halton and Welland counties. At were laid on Tuesday, July 18th, the end of two years over 1,000 1911, by Walter Pullen and Mrs. persons had been converted. W. B. Sage, president of the La The first Ladies’ Aid was organ dles’ Aid. The contractor and build ized In March, 1892, during the pas er wa* William Edwards, of Inger torate of the Rev. George Carpen soll LOMPOC Peb^u^M CH-UtaCH&S - St John’s Church Si. John’s Church, Tham esford, is evening, by Rev. C. J. Queen, rector celebrating' its 90lli anniversary this ol St. Jam es’ Anglican church, Inger Sunday, June 24, and special services soll. and Rural Dean of Oxford. There will be a pot-luck lunchcoi in the morning and evening will m ark for all following the m orning service, the occasion. and an inform al gathering in the pa With special music under the direc rish hall afte r the-evening service. tion of Mrs.* Fred Funnell, organist The congregations on both occa and choir ‘director, the sermon in the sions, expected to include many for morning will be given by Rev. M. B. mer members from all over, will be Parker, reg istrar, bursar and lec welcomed by the rector of S. John’s, tu rer, a t H uron College, and in the Rev. J, G. Lethbridge. On a June afternoon in the year 18G1, a proud and happy group of men and women gathered to watch Arch deacon McLean bay the. cornerstone for St. John’s Church, Thamesford. For.many of those present, this event was the culmination of years of hopes and prayers. Prior to this occasion, the Rev. William Brookman had labored for nine teen months forming a congregation and planning to build the church. Dr. Dawes and Samuel Henderson, the first wardens, rendered fine service. Generous offers of stone from John Halpin’s farm and pine timber from Robert Rut ledge had been received. We will note the im portant dates in the construction of the buildings of the parish. On January 27, 1862, the church itself was completed. Five years later, the first Thamesford rectory was built. Shortly after 1900, the present rectory was built and the former one served as a parish hall until it burned down in 1921. In that year, the present parish, hall was built. The story of St. John’s, however, is not basically a story of m ortar and stone, but of faith and devotion. For ninety years, the church has stood as a place of worship and a symbol of Christian Faith in this community. It is not possible to single out and list those who have given loving service to St. John’s Church through the years. Their faithfulness and loyalty to Christ and His Church call forth from us, on this happy anniversary, deep thanksgiving to God and a re-dedi cation of ourselves to carry out the responsibility which comes to us from the past. T H E CLER G Y OF ST . JO H N 'S 1 8 5 9 -6 3 — Rev. W in. B rooknian 1912-14 — Rev. P. W. P. C alhoun 1 8 6 3 -7 0 — Rev. Sam u el B elch er 1 9 1 4 -2 0 — Rev. H orace E. B ray 1 8 7 2 -8 0 — Rev. W m . D au nt 1 9 2 0 -2 5 — R ev. W . D . Davi* 1 8 8 0 -8 3 — Rev. W m . S eaborn 1 9 2 5 -3 2 — Rev. H. J. John son 1 8 8 3 -8 8 — -Rev. R o lfe S eaborn 1 9 3 2 -3 6 — R ev. R. S. S k in n er 1 8 8 8 -9 2 — Rev. T . H. B row n 1 9 3 6 -3 8 —--Rev. J. D. G ilm our 1 8 9 2 -9 4 — Rev. W m . S to u t 1 9 3 8 -4 7 — Rev. S. W. Sem ple 1 8 9 4 -9 9 — Rev. J. A . B lood sw orth 1 9 4 8 -4 9 — Rev. A . E. T a v en er .1899-05— R ev. T. G. A . W right 1949- — R ev. J. G. L eth b rid ge 1 9 0 5 -1 2 — Rev; R. J. M urphy P R E S E N T O F F IC E R S R ector - - R ev. J. G. L eth b rid ge O rgan ist and C hoir D irecto r . - M rs. F red F u n n ell W ardens - A rth u r R ichardson, (P e o p le ’s ) ; H arry C ole, (R e c to r ’s) V estry C lerk - " W a lter Lock T rea su rer - - M iss M ary P a tterso n Lay D e le g a te - H enry H oulton - S u b stitu te - V ic W allace S ecreta ry o f C em etery B oard - - - Vic W a lla ce I M A \ \ S U N D A Y SC H O O L S u p erin ten d en t, H enry H oulton T each ers Mrs. H arry C ole, W a lter 'Lock L IT T L E H E L P E R S - S ecreta ry , M rs. W a lter Lock C H A N C E L G U ILD Mrs. A. C ole, M rs. F. B ullard M rs. H. H oulton, M rs. G. L ethbridge W O M E N ’S A U X IL IA R Y P resid en t, M rs. V ictor W allace V ice-P resid en t, Mrs. H arry Cole; S ecretary, Mrs. W esley M orrison I A) T reasu rer, M rs. Jack W allace The 90th. anniversary services of music was provided by the choir and - S t. John’s Anglican church were ob- the children’s choir under the direc . served Sunday June 24. tion of Mrs. Fred Funnell, organst. A large congregation turned out The guest soloist was Miss A. Cook, for the morning and evening ser Ingersoll. vices. The sermon in the morning This 90-year-old stone church, with was given by the guest speaker, Rev. its ivy-covered walls, has been the ( M 2. o € Mix Bangs r fere fa '1801 : ■ । - i ' - - ■ V By H.T.B. friendship. The news of the arrival /On hm-re_Tu\n he b ro u g h t .back a rath er sad account of the suffer e first religious service held ol a preacher soon spread along- the trails and blazed lines of thp. set* ings of many of the settlers on : al Oxford, now Ingersoll, was in Dem ent and nearly the e n tire:p o p u account of ague and fever, produ the year 1801 on A ugust 1st, over lation turned out fo r this; g rea t ced by the m iasm a front the- vast 1-17 years age. This first service occasion and helped to (form a re stretches of swamp lands to the was sponsored by the M**) hodisl ligious society fo r organized w or west. He him self had to spend ship in Oxford. , many nights in the woods sleeping Epispocal Church and Lite m inister on the snow covered ground while was the Rev. N athan Bangs. 7 old w ho he w as sleep was made m ore difficult b y ' Mr. Bangs was rath e r a rem ark the howling of wolves. In conducting this first m eeting, able man. lie came to Canada from Much could be w ritten gbout this! iMr. Bangs followed his usual pro l.'nited S tates in 179!) and w hile a t missionary, the Rev. N athan Bangs. 1 N iagara attended a M ethodist E pis cedure. He first satisfied his con but as he form ed the first religious gregation as to who he was and society here fo r the M. E. Church, copal service w here he. conceived w hat he had come for. So he began the idea th at he could be of much they were the first organization to his discourse in the follow ing m an own a church property. So far, all Service to m ankind if he himself ner: "My nam e is N athan Ban ■ hould become a travelling preacher •m eetings had been held in the pri I was born in C onnecticut on May vate home or the school house, and carry religious instruction to 2nd, 1778. I was born again in this the seitiers in Canada W est. An but in the year 1819, the site of province in May, 1799. I com men the present W est Oxford Church historian of this church, Mr. Thomas ced itinerating as a preacher of the W ebster, gives us a fairly good idea j was definitely used fo r services of Gospel in Septem ber, 1800. On the . the M. E. Church. of some of the characteristics of 18th day of June 1 le ft New York this man in his description of Mr. The follow ing inform ation was for the purpose of visiting you, of , obtained from a cony of the orig Bangs’ first visit to the Falls of whom I had heard two years ago Xiagara. inal deed or tra n sfe r of land in a fte r a long tedious journey I am W est Oxford in 1823 and is one of • .After a very difficult journey here. I am bound fo r the H eavenly the treasured possessions of a g rea t] from N iagara on the Lake, up the City and my errand am ong you I grandson of one of the principals north bank of the river, through to persuade as m any as I can to go m entioned in the tran sfe r. This I lie dense forest th a t covered the with me. I am a M ethodist preacher deed of land reads in p art: "A heights, Mr. Banks a t last got his and my m anner of worship is to m em orial to the re g istra r p u rs u - 1 fust view of the stupendous scene. stand while singing, . kneel while an t to the laws of U pper C anada of He. saw the tu rb u le n t w aters of praying, and to stand while preach our indenture of bargain and the •■••he river rushing down the two or ing to the people, meanwhile sit sale bearing dale a t Oxford in the hree mile stretch to w here they ting. As many of you as sec fit to d istrict of London, in the said prov lunged in two g re a t masse:;, into join me in this way can do. so and ince, the tw enty-ninth day of No ne yaw ning : byss of mist 170 len t the rest may choose their own way. vem ber in the year of our Lord, below and Lien sweep away in The re sult was th at when he stood one thousand eight hundred and tw irling eddies and billows to the J" •' - they all stood, when he I tw enty-three, and m ade by and be- highly w hirlpool. The incessant km ■. ;-i pray, every man, woman ’ tween John Galloway of Oxford, bunder, the solemn grandeur, the and child, both white and Indian, | aforesaid yeom an of the one p art 'indescribable power. beauty and all knelt down and when he asked ' and Joel P iper, R obert Corson, sublim ity of the scene so impressed them if they would like these ser I Jacob Wood of the Township o f; Mr. Bangs th a t he seems to have vices continued a t stated intervals, •'Oxford' d istrict yeom an and Isa a c ' had brought home to him in a very they all stood up. • Burdick and Thom as W ait of the forceful 'm an n e r the awe and Rev. Bangs stayed a t Oxford un Township of Z orra yeom en, tru s m ajesty of his Creator. til Aug. 9th, 1801, when he started tees for the M ethodist Episcopal A fter a journey from N iagara on his journey w estw ard over the Church; etc., w hereby the • consid over the ancient trail, through An- Tham es Valley T rail, past the con eration of live pounds of lawful caster and B urford, the preacher fluence of the north and south money of the said province.” In branches and the old fortified camp short the site of the p resen t W est ;-.>de into the settlem ent o-L Ox- ♦ ford. Many of the s c t t l e ^ . j ^ of the n eutral Indians, near the Oxford Church was tran sfe rred to came with the Ingersolls, present site of London and on to the trustees of the M. E. Church meriy m em bers o f the M . ££< Delaware. A t this settlem ent he was for £5 and the original'' deed was •Church, but since for eight treated to the luxury of a bundle registered as A rticle • 984, Feb. they had been in their forest of straw fo r a bed which proved 19th, 1824, sworn to iby/ C om fort w ithout any organized worship of : .fa r more com fortable than sleeping Sage and Stephen II. Tecpie and any denom ination, they on the ground in the forest. The signed by Thos, H orner, registrar. this man and received hinj.MHb journey of this m issionary over the difficult trail to D etroit and back ' to O xford took several m onths and was packed full of interesting events mixed with m any difficulties. He tells of one incident near W ardsville, w here he visited the log cabin of a French Canadian settler. They w ere so delighted to have a visitor from the outside th a t the good wife know ing of a neigh bor who had hoarded some tea brough from the 'Old Land, begged some from -her to m ake tea in hon or of such a g rea t occasion. Having neither tea cups nor tea kettle, but necessity being the m other of invention, she scoured the dish pan, brewed the tea and treated the i honored guest to the beverage th a t, cheers but does not inebriate. C H U ^H KS - RU be sturdy and wise, for many a time did their rider’s life depend on the :fe'T kkekkerf horse’s sagacity. A certain justice of the peace once remarked to a young preacher that the Master was con Over Oxford on Horseback tent to ride upon a humble ass. “Sir”, replied the preacher, “there are no By M. E. Cropp kept a journal of all he saw and ex asses left. They have all been made Methodism was begun in England perienced. In Oxford Township he into justices of the peace.” by the brothers John and Charles found a settlement that stretched for Wesley. When, some years later, the eight miles on either side of the Con movement reached America, it took cession line (meaning the Ingersoll an Episcopal form, with Bishops, Road, or the First Concession) with presiding elders, ministers, probat settlers. “Even to the 2nd and 3rd ioners, local preachers, exhorters and Concessions, a Methodist meeting class leaders. House, a small tan-yard and a few Methodism entered Canada by way good liouses.” of the States after the American * * a Revolution. Thus the first churches The young circuit riders of the . were Episcopal in form. Methodist church travelled thousands * * * of miles every year. Their salary - Jn 1794, the first quarterly meet was $80 a year—if it could be col ing of the Methodist Church was held lected. One probationer, John Car in the Niagara district. At a later roll, reported that in six months don meeting, Nathan Bangs, from Conn., ations had amounted to $1.50 and an was converted. In September, 1801, he order for a pair of overalls. Another; became an itinerating Methodist prea- young preacher reported that in spite' ■ cher. In 1802, he visited the isolated of all storms, cold, heat, flies, mos backwoods settlement in the Town quitoes and other hinderances, he had ship of Oxford. It is reported that not missed a single appointment dur the whole community, white, black ing the year. His remuneration was and brown, attended his services. He $32 and 23 pair of socks. Another is reported to have opened his meet young man said that in three months ings with the following words. lie had received $2.75 to get his horse “I am a Methodist preacher and shod. “But”, he went on, “no man I my manner of worship is to stand was happier than I as I rode through while singing, kneel while praying, the woods singing ‘I’ll Praise My and to stand while preaching to the Maker While I’ve Breath’.” I people who are meanwhile sitting.” A typical year’s work was reported * $ & by one of these young men. He had I Nathan Bangs was the first mini- filled 365 appointments and travelled i ster to visit this settlement, where 3,650 miles. ' white men had been living for 18 * * 4 years. Mr. Bangs also visited Blen The mitigating circumstances was heim Township, and classes were that these young men were fed and formed. On August 4th and 5th, in lodged free of charge by those whom 1804, Nathan Bangs attended a quar they served. Also, fe wof Them were terly meeting in Oxford. This is the married. Probationers were forbid first organization of which records den to marry until after their four arc still kept. years of service, so they had no fam « * * । ily responsibilities. ■ Just when the first log church was Nathan Bangs, who became a pro built is nof known, but by the year bationer in 1802, married Mary Bol-; 1806, it stood on, or near, the site ton, of Edwardsburg, in 1806. He' the present West Oxford church, was just in time, for shortly after the first, and for years the only the term of probation was raised to church building in the County of Ox- six years. f ord. In that year a young man, Chas. Tales of the saddle-bag preacher Hlskin by .name, on adventure bent, are usually accompanied by tales of < ode horseback from his home in his horse, and many arc the fine Sandwich to Work and back. He horses remembered. They needed to of worship was an old log school r on the site of thepresent Victory Mem orial School. In 182(L the ( Pipins^ Galloways, Burdicks and many others erected a log building, for., vlr’rch vices near the present -site ■ of 'tn. West Oxford Church. 1823, the , West Oxford Church -way transfer- ; red from the -Gallowayt^ property to ! the trustees of the Methodist Episco- ; pal church. From 1823 to 1840-50 the religious services in Ingersoll centred around the West Oxford Church but the other branches of the Methodist church were more organized and were visited. more frequently by travelling preachers. During the rapid expansion in trade Early Preachers . . in the 1840-1855 period, churches were built and among these were sev Helped Form ’- r —J eral Mothodist Churches. The Metho v dist Episcopal Church was situated on Charles St., on- the grounds where Methodist G roups the armory is now. It was a frame ‘ In the early days of t;’n e 19th cen erection, built in 1841 at a cost of i tury Rev. Nathan Ban^s, o n e o f the $1500. It held 300. 'The Wesleyan < qld-time ^‘saddle-miss',onaries” was Methodist, on Oxford Street, was a | travelling from comn nmity to com brick building, built in 1855 at a costj munity preaching th<; Gospel where- of $2500. It seated 500.’- The British! ever he found a few settlers. On the Methodist Episcopal y Church was j first day of Augvi s t 1801 Mr. Bangs supported by the Negro ; population । rode into the settlement of Oxford. in the town. This Church:, Was on’ .Many of the Settlers who came to Catharine Stret.- ■ Oxford County with Thomas Ingersoll According to the census io f • 1861 i w ere former members o f a Methodist the Methodist religion had - 810 fol-5 Episcopal Chr.rch and they gave Mr. lowers in Ingersoll. , • v c Bangs a hcavty welcome and aided From time to time the different^ him in the formation of the first branches of the church, united 'until? Methodist Church in this community. the King Street Methodist Church From this time until 1812 the formed a single congregation. In* Methodist',' Episcopal congregation 1925 after the upion -of • Methodists? Was, together for their religious and some Presbyterians- this.'becameA services by their own leaders and Trinity United Church.'^ Jk. were visited fro?n time to time by Mr. Bangs and other, travelling ministers Rev. C. D. Daniel, present,minister ( Nearly all these ministers came from of the Church, has served hei\e, since-' the United States and when" the war 1938. During the '.-s^RnielI was overseas and Iwy? Harold ra rr 1 of 1812 started they were ordered to 1 leave this country. Local teachers took over his dutios.Sntil his return. carried on their work. Rev. R. A. Facey is the assistant ; During this period the only place minister. ' 1|c;\ y ) Q y d V -O 5 ^ s c v ^ ^ W T ^ n v T ? C H UgGHgS 1855 Church Link With Early Ingersoll The old Wesleyan1 Methodist Church in Ingersoll is another link vvith the that century-old town. The church, on Oxford street, was built in \qsa- A sketch of the Wesleyan Methodist Church on Oxford Street (Staff photo) 7 F 7 I wqre-soon dispelled 6i) M eeting .th gan special set vices id', tho-frainc' school i jSIXTY YEARS AGO. ( minded, irioflohsivb crM'tiiyes. JvhijgpnTddM^ 1 house, which proved . v4ry successful; A 1 ; ? > . ' heard overy, mb.rning and evomiigS la r g^ number of the tow n’k people were con- ] s REMINISCENCES 'O F METHODISM IN .devotional exercises in prayer.’^ w n u u ana uutv«i wivo uiu euurcn you- • i v e itBd and u n ita l with vho church, your • • INGERSOLL. ; prAMO to tbq g ^ t B p W humble servant among fho num ber, rq^fr of . the bon.into th e ( lam l\k -Xneso whom have gone to their, rew ard.-'S ulcw Short H istory of Jugcriibll and of M etho jfrbofjL-to th a t time. 6ui';chnrdh has undergone many | y; d h iu from J8Z 0-A n in te re stin g Sketch the power of t h e / q h r w t ^ changes-and greatly enm rged. its tueniher- ...^ .' ■. ln }fI i a n bcart.of an ,ything.;ft^^ g^jp by inuotis formed with other branches L J’tio Centennial of Canadian M ethodism o_f_ _M__e.t.h..e. diste audAhrough ptrheea cphreinagc hoifn g or Q u i. WAs duly .celebrated aiid the. anniversary d f jmo £ M d ^ t h \ d £ ^ ^ . ,fo. thoe Sevcerr-'-bbletesSBaCbd g^disfppeejfjo thousands through-' I the death of John W esley commemorated a t “ u |,n ’n e iy ib villagers dsfomblfiflU' out the land have been brought from dark- dO pg,St. M ethodist church during the early (Eoverulof w hoin.wjre.UM—et|wdis.ts) ; nets into Jight anddrom Aho power of Satan 8 ! part'o f this week. On Sunday morning last' . «°“ th° JC-.M . . ^ i u n t ( | f; 0 (p The following are a lo w b f the i the pfpitpi, Rev. D. VV. Snider, preached an . i0 * their leafy.tymplq,. listening privileges wo Wdsc deprived of in those early, ! Able'and eloquent sermon from tho follow ;' v Moes in singing' thqaq_ beftitUfiU Hytt)iip.> days?:—W o fiid hd m ilfokds o r tclclcgraph" oj -i hg•. d- ouble text:-.—-.P...h..i.l , ji•; / -2•1 , “ For me t■ o j in 1 our, M ethodist hym n .Ihjolis, ^YblohibAQ;' linos, no 'p r in tin g ’pflied; . no gas .light, no', dlvp h C hrist and to diq j s gain,” and Ps. been translated in fo 'th eir;o w h )an g im ^ foundry o? wool factory, doctor or law- • K LxxYUi,6;“.That the generations to come m ight .'white brethren! yef, n o .d e n tist;'n ^ ‘. churches, mo pi M h e M ? d£ the families were from t h e V fo ? ? were c r e d l ^ - w U ^ I l m ^ a h d > e fo all protestants; The houses ' U v g C ?wbr.e^mostly built .of logs. T he, business | visions, etc,, was in the hollow, on' oats/kugaiyhom e-m ade flannel, aboes, stock •.K in g 's ^ Among the various,fumiliOs of ings etc. The preaching,'place hero was the ^ 'arejb ejn g erso lis, Sm iths, Hallsp old log school hdusd which stood whpre our bMArrigbld^j.;; .Canfields, Scofields, .. Under- present central ephdol house now stands and f w-.fo*d£.,.,SmUhs'j Sherman's, etc. . A-ThA. ip-;, as there was no coal oil in those days, each i'l^bifoids;;Wfffo m ostly poor^ both in foe vib momben-Aif'ther church was expected to bring i-lage And ebuhtry! The country.being thin-J .w ith him a billow candle to .h g h t up for the !jy settled, oild. having ub m arket ahd tb.O j evening service, and -woo botido, the m an '■$Cttletp,Kt'ing'. a t too great a distauee.from ; t--h- a t s at u n der. .i ts- dr7 ki pk p7—inCJg s in t■ h, e s.a nc. tuar.#y » ,' i oho a n o th e r- to havo .churcheii .and school i Tbqy used to stick tn k O n d o rx Free P re ss 19H 5 ■ eers, including mem ber^ of the McCall, D aiichi Id, P rice mid other fam ilies when they later arrived w ith only a scanty su p ply of provisions. W hen it was finally ready for harvest, the yield am ounted to <>0 bushels. H alf of it was taken to the nearest mill which was on the N iagara R iver. John McCall m ade the journey by boat as the settlers w aited anxiously for his retu rn , w hereupon the flour was divided equally am ong them . O ther old cem eteries in the P o rt Rowan d istrict include the B ackus burying ground, begun in the early 1800’s and the old T royer burial ground, this last, however, now being hidden from all but the m ost diligent seekers. In some cem eteries only the usual fam ily m onum ents and in dividual grave stones are to be found, but in others, large m onu m ents have been erected in m em ory of groups of pioneers of th a t particular district. An exam ple of this is to be found in the h is toric pioneer cem etery at M ount P leasant in B ran t County. In the sum m er of 1931 a ten- foot m onum ent of m arble was creeled in the so u th east corner of this cem etery, in honor of those brave pioneers who su r m ounted the perils and hardships of carving hom es for them selves out of the dense forest. Unveiled by S enator A. C. H ardy, in the presence of a large assem blage, the m onum ent is in scribed as follows: "In M em ory of — The Pioneers and E arly S ettlers of the Village of M ount P leasan t — 1798 — 1830 — Ellis, Sturgis, Phelps, B iggar, McAl lister, H ardy, Nellis, Thom as, B urtch, P errin, Yeoward, Cooke, Racey, Eadie, H aight, Olm stead, M cEwen, W alters, B ryning — E rected by T heir D escendants — 1931.” This m em orial had first been proposed som e five years p re viously by Judge A. D. H ardy, of B rantford, who, together w ith the late W. W. Ellis was largely responsible for the successful completion of the project, c a r ried out by m eans of a special fund raised by contributions from the descendants of the pioneers. D escendants of m any of the fam ilies nam ed on the m em orial are well-known residents of M ount P leasan t and surrounding d istrict a t the present tim e. B urials in this cem etery date back to 1802, when the only road to M ount P leasan t w as an I n dian trail about a q u arter mile east of the present road. In th a t year, C apt. Joseph B ran t set aside, the plot of land as a pub lic burial ground and in the sam e year, T hom as Sturgis (who was born in P hiladelphia in 17.2 and cam e to M ount 1 leasan t befor . 1800 as one of the first settleis), died and w as buried there. \ • A ■ ' " ^ ^ ■ ^ Ingersoll has churches that provide services for persons of all faiths. First Baptist Church at the corner .of Canterbury an d ' Thames Streets offers services ( at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday as well as Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Family night is held Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. The minister is Rev. Paul Burns. The ^ Ingersoll Christian Reformed Church is located al. St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 56 Thames St. S. Sunday ser vices are held at 9:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday school is at 2 p.m.- Rev ‘ Harry Bierman is the minister. The- Jli-Way Pentecostal Church is located one mile East Rev. Robert Williams of Ingersoll on Hwy. No. 2. There is a service at 11 a.m., Sunday . . . Trinity United school at 10 a.m. and am evangelistic service at -7 p.m. in the Alma Hall at Alma and each Sunday. A prayer meeting Mutual Streets for children of all and Bible study is held Tuesdays ages at 9:30 a.m. The minister is at 7:30 p.m. On Friday at 8 p.m. Rev. Robert Williams. tnere is a youth service. The St. Paul’s Presbyterian minister is Rev. John Church is al 56 Thames St. S. McDonald. There is one service on Sunday Trinity United Church is al 11 a.m. Church school is also located at the corner of King held on Sunday' for children, Street West and Church Streets. Grade four and up at 9:45 a.m., There is one service on Sunday and for chidren from nursery 'at 11 a.m. There are two Sunday school to Grade three level at 11 school classes at the Christian a.m. The m inister is ReV. Education Centre behind the George Johnston. church: Fgr children nine years St. James Anglican Church is and up 'at -9:45 a.m. and for al the corner of Oxford and children under nine years at 11 Francis Streets. There, are a.m. There is also Sunday school services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday, as well as Sunday school at 11 a.m. There is also holy communion each Wed nesday at 10 a.m. Rev. Thomas Griffin is the minister. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church is located at the corner of Bell and Thames Streets. Mass is celebrated at the following' times: Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday at 8, and 10 a.m. and 12 noon; as well as daily at 8 a.m. and 8 p,m.-- pastor is, ■ Monsignor V. H. Grespan.and the; associate pastor is Rev. James Blonde. The Salvation Army is located at 194^Thames St. S. Sunday services'include: Sunday School for all ages and an adult bible class al 9:45 a.m., worship service at 11 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. On Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. there is prayer and bible* study. Corps Officer is .LieutJ James Hardman, Sentinel . C K U SC H E 'S- Ingersoll man w rite s book a B®ut tb w nrs o I d c h u rch1 es ■■ >’ : ■ ...... ' ’ ’ ’ •■ ? BY ARMITA .JANES first pastor, who died a few page is perforated with this in Sentinel-Review Staff Writer years ago. His wife now carries mind. on. The book is priced at $6, God’s House--our town- In all, eight local churches are making the cost of each print Ingersoll is the title- of a new included in Mr. Whitwell’s book. less than fifty cents. Copies may book published by local artist With interior views, there are.13 be bought at Douglas.Furniture Harry Whitwell. prints, suitable for keeping Ltd. at 139 Thames St. S., or at He calls it a sequel to intact as a reference manual; or the Whitwell studio at 275 Nostalgia-our town-Ingersoll a removing for fram ing-each Evelyn St. book depicting the town’s historic buildings. " The cover of Mr. Whitwell’s newest book bears the words, Through These Portals, above a church entrance with doors swinging open. At the bottom of the steps, leading up to the doorway, is the word, Churches, spread out like a welcome mat. Turning the pages of the book one finds prints of sepia tones of both interior and exterior views of all Ingersoll’s churches. Beneath each picture is a capsule history of the church. In terse sentences the artist has outlined the’ story of each building, from its beginning in the last century to the present day. AN EXAMPLE Here is one example. The Church of the Sacred Heart- Ingersoll/ First founded in Beachville in 1833. First Mass in blacksmith shop. First church Ingersoll 1847. a frame church on John Street. Present structure built 1879. First Priest Rev. Fr. Beaubot. Present Pastor Rev. Msgr. V. H. Grespan. Rev. J. Blonde associate Pastor. Ingersoll artist Harry Whitwell holds a copy of his Then, there is this chronicle, new book that documents Ingersoll’s churches. printed beneath the Salvation Army Citadel-Ingersoll. Was (Staff photo) started in London, Ontario in ■1882 by two English immigrants, Jack Addie and Joe Ludgate; came to Ingersoll in 1885. Services were held in a house on Charles Street. In early years had good band meets on Ingersoll street corners. The m other, of Aimee Semple MacPherson played in the band. Situated on Thames Street South opposite the Casket company. Present leaders ai*e. Lieutenant and Mrs. James Hardman. And beneath the Peoples’ Revival Centre-Ingersoll is this account. This building was mov'ed complete from the old Collegiate grounds in 1953. At this time the old collegiate was being torn down, and this building was its gymnasium. It is now situated on the corner of Kensington and King Solomon Streets. Rev. R. Gillam was the The excavation for /th e T0 usher in the” twentieth basement was completed. The century, a joint Communion masons were now brought in to Service was held with the builda wall. With their 40-pound Beachville Church. During that stone hammers they shaped year additions were made to the large rectangular blocksji and, Constitution. In 1903, the church _ used them in building the wall. m arked^the burning of. the Foot Notes - On May. 19, • 1898;" diaster mortgage with a social evening. On March 1, 1967 - Brickwork overtook the church. In the In 1906 a new pipe organ was on the addition to the First midst of . a- great- storm, installed by Karn-Warren Com Baptist Church still continues lightning' struck' the building pany of Woodstock and ded under a plastic cover: The new and it was soon, engulfed in icated at the 48th Anniversary. wing will contain much needed flames. The interior of the In 1912 a parsonage was facilities for church school as church was completely gutted, purchased on Ann Street which well as office quarters. leaving only the outside wail was later sold, and in 1920 a October 1, 1967 - First Baptist standing. Expressions of sym more spacious one was pur Church new $87,000 addition pathy poured in from every chased on Oxford Street. In 1914 dedicated - contains seven ..side, many in tangible form electricity was planned for in classrooms, washrooms, a new ^from sister churches.across the the church building. Individual church office and playrooms in convention. Plans were made Communion sets were adopted the lower floor. immediately to rebuild. The. and the Communion service August 23’, 1974 - Storm church was fortunate to have in was a gift of the Ladies Aid, damage to the steeple of the its membership, two men, whose faithful and willing Ingersoll First Baptist Church' Justus , and Roger Miller who support had added so much to has necessitated a roofing job, were contractors from Mount the efficiency and beauty of the and Merv McDonald, steeple-' . Elgin. These men gave their house of worship through the jack, has been swaying atop his services freely to supervise the years. steeple perch for two weeks rebuilding. Through hard work In 1915 Reverend Joseph now, making the repairs. and sacrificial giving of the Janes became minister, and members, the church rose shepherded the flock through again. It was similar in design the difficult days of the first, to the burned building and was World War. In 1925 Reverend ready for use and dedication. A.P. MacDonald became the Quoting from the Church Church’s Parson. During the minutes of February-19, 1899: depression years his leadership “The church assembling in the and wise counsel encouraged tabernacle building desires to and strengthened members and record their deep gratitude to church alike. Almighty God, for the success In 1940 a happy occasion ful re-building of their place of brought together the members worship. The building was of the choir 25 years previous totally destroyed by fire on the with the former organist and morning of the 19th of May, choir director, and a most 1898. At the time the blow was enjoyable re-union was held. felt irreparable and our hearts Reverend McLean’s steadfast sank within us. But God our leadership through the dark Heavenly Father, who is the days of World War II was an true and only Succorer of His example to all. people, came to our relief and in According to the First Baptist ways most wonderful deepened Church program for its Cent- our faith, in His wisdom and ennial Celebration of May 4th to goodness, by enabling us to 11th, 1958, the growth of the begin and finish a practically First Baptist Church has never new structure. For some been great. It is the role of months the Church assembled smaller churches to train and in the town hall, and then for feed the larger city churches. about two months with the We are proud and happy that so Presbyterians in St. Paul’s many of our young people have Church. In the month of October gone on to wider fields. Perhaps a portion of our building was one reason for the lack of available and for nearly the growth has been the sharp whole of the winter our differences of opinion which gatherings were held in our resulted in a split membership very comfortable Sunday on two occasions. Wounds were School rooms. On February 19, made that were slow in healing, IN G E R SO L L . TIM E S 1899, the main Audience Room but the grace of God was was finished and dedicated. The sufficient for our needs and now T e n ve y F ile s day was a beautiful one, the one we are one in Him.” - fine Lord’s Day of several stormy ones proceding and following. The sermons were preached in the morning and evening by Reverend A.D. Hutchinson of Brantford and Reverend R.R. McKay of Woodstock in the afternoon. 6 iE U g £ A Research from the Hies ol Byron G. Jenvey The Salvation Army came to bers took plpqe. at, a Methodist Ingersoll in 1885. Previous to the This article on the early Church ftT d W a n in ttfJ eerection of a Barracks, Salvation Army Church is the worship was carried on .in a' sixth in a series on Ingersoll’s house on Charles Street. The different denominations and the Army in Ingersoll in its early early structures they wor days had a good band and held shipped in. The Church is meetings on the street corners people. The buildings are where on Saturday nights. The mother the Church assembles to of Aimee Semple MacPherson worship. Since however ,it, is a played in the band. The citadel common misconception to call is still in existance and in good the structure a Church, we will condition. It is located on follow the practice. Thames Street opposite the old Ingersoll Furniture Facto„r y ______A market square with a into all parte ;:qf . p f ^ occupied by the Casket jeering crowd, two young men /. ,Corps . sprang # u p ^ Company. trying to be heard over the noise itowns tmd \ most sm all,com and a court appearance for munities h a d r their/own/6aL: obstruction, set the scene in. •n , ati;o , n A,-r. my •-b--a-n' d-, --a- ‘fo- r m of, London 95 years ago for the attractioh.that was to lure impanyv birth in Canada of the Salvation thousands in to ' the ..circle of Army. Salvation over the years. For.no The founding meeting was m atter;what 'those opposed to conducted on the old Hay and the Army’s approach, felt of the< Wood Market at King and Army itself, they.had to admit Talbot streets in 1882 by two that the music : provided was English immigrants; Jack Ad excellent. Down through its long dey and Joseph Ludgate. history the Salvation Army has The two met a short time alwaysplaced 'great, emphasis, previously at a Methodist on music. : ' prayer meeting where Wesley During the First-World War United Church now stands and years,' Solvation Army Corps were drawn together when one organized ‘.‘Lassies; Brass of them sang a hymn the other Bands,’’ to keep the bands alive recognized as a Salvation Army when many, of, j the. men were* hymn he had heard in England. overseas.. ' - \ ‘ " When the Salvationists dis ,/ It wasn’t long in its early, covered they had both belonged years before the- growth and to the Army they seemed to popularity of the Army in the draw strength from one another London area:/-cam e:/to ' the. and decided to give Canada the attention ^ of J the 1 world head-; benefit of the Army teachings, quarters' .in London,? England; what ever the difficulty. and an officer f rom N e ^ York There were problems, as the. two learned quickly at their was sent to supervise the work. outdoor meeting on the market The Army had established square. It served its purpose of itself in the U.S.A, only two arousing the public, so much so years before in 1880. that Addey was arrested for Shortly after its formation in obstruction and brought before Ontario, the well-known uni the magistrate. forms, bands and flags and the But although there were those acoutrements of the old country opposed to the approach of the corps became associated with young Englishmen, there were the movement in Canada. also many who favoured their The pattern remained the apparent devotion and enth same, a religious movement usiasm, and Addey was re built on simple lines, providing leased. for devout worship surrounded ItQ G G R s o U L T IM E S ...... by a minimum of formality. A t P ^ e n t , the Army’s U nw ary conducts dozens of different in Canada from S r s S < ^ ^ c l i n i c s t0 S u ic id e b u r e a ux and fresh air e o r H a P ^t tn.,:Wostly for camps for children. the. • dow n-and-bute^ whom la ya Wlje ^tnbtp Research from the files of Byron G. Jenvey This article represents the worshipped in this structure for eighth and final article in a 38 years. series on Ingersoll’s different The building was sold in 1973 denominations and the early and the Church witnessed structures they worshipped in. construction of a new building The Church is people. The on Highway 2, which is buildings are where the Church presently referred to as County assembles to worship. Since Road 9, at a site about two miles however it is a common east of Ingersoll. This is a very misconception to call the modern church, with all com structure a Church, we will partments. follow the practice. The church serves about 60 families. PENTECOSTAL CHURCH JEHOVAH’S WITNESS The Pentecostal Church had a The Jehovah’s Witness began very slow beginning in Inger here, in the north part of soll. In the early 1890’s, services Ingersoll. In August of 1960, were held in the home of Mrs. they built their Kingdom Hall on Fraser, on Charles Street. In the corner of Bell and Ossian 1898, Robert Semple arrived in Teerace, on four lots. They had Ingersoll and erected his gospel previously worshipped in a tent on the high land on the east rented hall on Union Street. side of Smith’s Pond, near the In 1960, a congregation of 60 dam. worshipped in the new building, constructed primarily by mem When the weather became too bers of the congregation. The cold for meetings in the tent, Jehovah’s Witness place a Mr. Semple moved to a vacant strong emphasis on missionary store on the north-east corner of work. Thames and Carnegie Streets where, for many years, was THE REVIVAL CENTRE located the office of the Morrow CHURCH Company and is presently the location’s of a proposed plaza. In 1942, the congregation of This represented the Church the Revival Centre Church for only a few short years. While bought the collegiate gym and in this Church Mr. Semple was assisted by Aimee Kennedy, moved the complex to its who later became his wife. They present location at 242 Ken left Ingersoll and went first to sington Subdivision. The trans Stratford, and then as Pente formation was splendid, and the costal Missionaries, to China. result was a very respectable Mr. Semple died there of the church building. fever. Previously,- the group wor shipped in private homes. When Mr. and Mrs. Semple left Ingersoll they severed their THE CHRISTADELPHEANS connections with the Ingersoll Church. The Church was strong In the early years of this enough, in 1930, to rent, a hall century, the Christadelpheans over “The Fair’’, on the east opened a place of worship in the side of Thames Street. “The O’Callaghan Block, in a second T I M £ s storey. Fair” was a general store which F t \ c . s sold most everything. Their endeavour to recruit In 1935, the Church bought the fellow members in Ingersoll building opposite the Pres was unsuccessful, and they byterian Church, formerly the remained in the town only for a office of the Evan’s Piano few years, later returning to Company. In 1951, the south Woodstock. The Church still part was added to the original retains quite a strong following building. The congregation in Woodstock. ------^ • ------, . . . . . 4 EARLY OXFORD PREACHERS rme«unDarsKc«z»*A ■■--■ r » ii w 'lH r v u n w , — . Mwf Hardships Were Suffered By Itinerant FIRST METHODISM titude of antagonism against the before his (Burdick’s) conversior By STANLEY J. SMITH support of religion by the State. his wife became a member of th Among the first itinerant prea Orininally, Oxford was settled by first society formed in that towi ■ chers in Oxford county was the Americans from Massachusetts, ship, which was organized by N; Reverend Nathan Bangs . . .There Connecticut and New York states. than Bangs about the year 180 were others who preceded him, but Some were loyalists; and some Burdick, yet unconverted, was e: only for the purpose of sojourning fought on the side of the Continen asperated at his wife being pros' through Oxford, while enroute from tal army. Arriving in Oxford, 1789- lyted to th? despised sect, an the Ottawa and Niagara circuits 1810, they commenced to open up wrote an authoritative letter to Mi to Detroit and Amherstburg (Fort the new territory. Both the Bap Bangs, telling him to take'off he Malden). These were Darius Dun tists and the Methodists knew that name from his church register. The , ham; William Losee; Luther Bi it, was an excellent settlement to preacher returned Burdick’s letter, shop; Henry Ryan and David Pick gain converts, therefore, both sects with the admonition underwritten, ett . . . .all elders or deacons of entered Oxford about the same “Prepare to meet thy God, O Sin the Methodist church, employed by time, in 1800. ner!” the New York Methodist Confer FAMOUS PREACHER BUILT FIRST MILL ence to enter the wilds of Canada The most famous of the Metho Note: Enoch Burdick lived on to convert the ungodly. Their pay dist preachers on horseback was lot 13, Broken Front, of West Ox was meagre and they suffered un Nathan Bangs. Mr. Bangs was ford township where Centreville is told hardships to bring the gospel born in Connecticut, in 1779. His today . . .Or for that matter, in to the most remote settlements of father was a surveyor and he in 1801. Enoch was a son of James upper Canada. Their stipends were structed Nathan in the art of sur Burdick, who built the first grist equal. Each received £60 per year veying. An old account states, “He mill in the district and it was for the maintenance of himself, (Nathan) crossed into Canada, at eventually destroyed when it was horse and family. Their -circuits Fort Erie, on the 9th day of May, fired by the Americans, in 1813. were of a thousand mile. ..radius 1799, and he took his surveying Apparently, the letter had telling and they had to cover the circuit instruments with him with a view effects on Mr. Burdick because he four times a year, or 4000 miles! to his excercising his profession was converted by Mr. Bangs and At the- turn of the last century, in a country which promised to he became a travelling preacher, revolution was rife among the var furnish ample opportunities for its in the Talbot settlement. Another ious sects. The American revolu employment.” N o te : Dereham brother, Caleb Burdick, wa^ alsc^ tion for independence was the fore- township was surveyed by Mr. converted and placeq in charge of runr^r which disintegrated the Hambly, in 1799, and it is more the Long Point district /circuit, “State” church (Episcopal) and than probable that it was for this through the efforts pf Mr/ Bangs. • permitted other beliefs to exhort reason that Nathan Bangs came From Oxford, Miy Badgs jour their views, hence, the first Metho to Oxford to form his first “So neyed to Detroit by the way of dist preachers became “Exhort- ciety” (church), in 1801. Deleware, Chatham; jandfthe shores ers” and threw them, into the at He was accompanied to Canada of Lake St. Clair./He returned to by his sister and her husband. The Oxford by following themorth shore sister came under the influence of of Lake Erie to the 5 Long Point ! Rev. James Coleman and she settlement and thenv'cutting back I ' pleaded with Nathan to become a into through the dense woods until j missionary. The New York Metho-_ he struck the Old -Stage Road. In | dist Conference accepted him af-' 1805, he was joined , by Rev. David ter an examination and the min Pickett. Mr. Pickett had married, utes of the meeting-state, “He be at Niagara, in 1801, the second|i gan to travel the circuit he lived daughter, of Thomas Ingersoll’, ofh in as an assistant to Mr. Sawyer.” Oxford. She was a sister of Laurak William Case (1780-1855) was a Secord and a half sister to James f contemporary of Nathan Bangs and A. Ingersoll, Registrar of Oxfo^b equally as famous as a horseback county. * ' R • preacher. Mr. Case writes, “Enoch The history of Methodism 4n Qx-|j .'Burdock; or Burdick (a? his rela- ford is too lengthy to relate iri/aB ' fives spelled the name, and as it small space. Therefore, 'the nextP ' has always been pronounced in the article will concern the ‘ -■ .'• • * • . - ' X ' - ' g ' X 'X C 4'1... ^hurch ( Presbyterian ) Situated on Charles ’-St, W. This is a substantial brick building erected at^a c o s t ^200-0 and carab of seating 3.;j persons. 'v ' '■ - hethodist ^. isco;--al. ... Situated on Oharles^cro^mn rising group frame erection and built in 1341 since which it has been enlarged Originally cost A T O OH , Seated 3 ”if'. • • wesleyan L.eshonist. . • On Oxford st. , Liane of brick and bully, 1355/ Cost about p 2 5 9 . Seated for 5-.U. L: 1 Regular Baptist... Situated on Albert off __ing St. A brier b u i l and erecced m iSo7. uost S100C. jeciteo. I U -J . Roman Catholic... This is a large and subcatntial frame building with a scire situatee. on loim St. Services ever;/ 2nd and-4th Su in the month. It is expected by the year 1363 to have an assista clergyman in Ingersoll. ' . British I ethodist Episcopal Church...(colored; Rev. Whopper mini Religions ( according to the census of 1861 ) Church of England..5 -8 Church of Rome...416 W. Methodist E.Methodist...406 Tree Church...249 U. Presbyterian... Chuncr of Scotland. .33 Bantist. . .177 Lutherans. .\2 Universal!sts. . .10 Quakers.. .3 ’ ho x^rofession. . . . 5 R .0 .Metho Independents...7 Plymouth Brethren...1 Presbyterians...157 People’s Revival Centre, depicted in this sket- moved from the old collegiate grounds in 1953. ch by ^Ingersoll artist Harry Whitwell, was . ' h. INGERSOLL — In 1942, the congregation of the Revival After a renovation period it was known as the People’s Centre Church bought the collegiate gym. Revival Centre. >:/ This building was moved complete from the old collegiate r grounds in 1953. At this time the old collegiate was being torn •• z. Rev. R. Gillam was the first minister and when he died< his son.became pastor. The .son later left the parish to. take up down and this building was its gymnasium. ” 1 It is now situated at 242 Kensington St. nt the King Solomon residence in the United States. " *’ Street intersection. Mrs. Gillam, wife of the first minister, now is the pastor. Sewr/vec - Faith Haven a. unique ministry 7 'V ? • ; * • • . . enrolment the school lends itself ; to a fajnily 'atmosphere,. $aid X x B Y KAREN MONCK He said he was supposed to < A Bible Training Centre that take a job at Pinecrest Bible ; Mr. Hickson. He would like'to is the only one of its Jdnd.. m, College in New York but “we see about .<30, or 40.. students Ontario operates in Ingersoll. found a need, particularly eventually,' but wouldn’t like to among young people here in see enrolment exceed tha^r Canada, because, they didn’t because of . the limited space have the financial wherewithal! available. n fJ. : to go to Bible College in the The purpose of the school-is to States, because they couldn’t provide atmospheres con-J get a work visa to work while ' ducive to worship; prayer, Bible j they went to school.” study anti ChristianJellowship; All teachers at Faith' Haven to develop se n s^ ^ a n d matur.Q. are ordained ministers, and Christian.-Ie a d e r s|i ip /a nd £ Faith Haven is completely a ' Mr. Hickson said a minister vision of Gp^^uTpose in ’thV^ faith venture, says the comes in every Thursday Church arid oriVearth ytoday/tb Reverend William Hickson, morning as well to teach.,There founder and director of the , will be two more teachers , teach the five-fold ministry gifts unique school. • i" arriving for the fall term when ; as being restored and revived in The school, which opened in he expects enrolment to almost the Body of Christ; to encourage September of last year, is double, he said. the development- of- a M vital “financed by prayer and faith”, 1 One of the students coming in relationship and walk with God said Mr. Hickson. There are no the fall will be from British as the most important aspeqt of regular tuition fees, he said, but Guiana, he said. a person’s life; and to impart a the students are asked to pledge ; There will be two levels of vision for end-time„ revival, $100 per term as an expression study next year because there restoration and visitation, of their faith. Other money will be first and second year Faith Haven seeks- to' ac comes from outside sources. students, he said. complish these goals through'a ! In the first term of the Every term there are five or course of training and study in school’s operation, about $25,000 six units of study, this term which the Lord is seen to'have had been donated by different , being Minor Prophets, Romans preeminence ip all things. sources around the area. , and'Galatians, the Gospel of There are two buildings'at.the Faith Haven is a non- । John, Psalms, the Body of school, one of which will.not be \ denominational school that i Christ, and Homelitics. The opened until the fall. Thby jwere j teaches the Bible. The students scripture is approached for its once a nursing home and .are ; there come from widely. | content, not from a equipped with' special safety* diversified faiths. 1 denominational point of view. features such as emergency The main emphasis is on the The course'lasts two years, in d iv id u a l’s s p ir itu a l • after which any student who lighting and a smoke detection development coupled with the completes it satisfactorily gets system. . academic to lead them into a a diploma. There is a third year Th e group, bo th .Students arid of advanced study based on a staff, - have been w,baking 6m renovations to the building since/ the school opened., AIL thewofk teacher-disciple relationship to is done by the group, with some . deeper devotional life, said Mr. outside donations'of materials Hickson. lead the individual into the ministry in the Body of Christ. and help: ... . ' V-v There are 14 resident students As well as the Course for full- at the school now, and one who The completion of the third year is not based on a set curriculum time students, there are two commutes from Embro. The night courses associated with course at Faith Haven will tram or a period of time but on in dividual progress//:* , the school, one at the school and them to be ministers, > one in Owen Sound. . evangelists and missionaries, In spite of the, diversity of faith among the students, there Mr. Hicksori and,'another said Mr. Hickson, to prepare minister alternate teachirig the those who feel they have a is a “wpnderful unity among the staff and the student body” said one night a week course in Owen calling to the ministry of God. Sound, and Mr. Hicksori teaches . “The school came into being Mr. Hickson. ‘‘God is blessing us to find our a course twice a week for adults in a miraculous way,’ said Mi. for two hours a night ’ in Hickson. way to him and to each other,” he said. . ' ;■ • •? Ingersoll. Because of theY small Grouped together for a Gospel sing-along are some of the students at Faith Haven. Back row (L. to R.) Steve Scott, Gerald Span, Lawrence Bernstein. Front (L. to R.) Debbie McMahon,* Coleen Konoby, Nora Cullen (seated at piano) and Arlene Anderson. The building in use for Faith Haven was once a nursing home, and contains safety features such as emergency lighting and smoke detection systems, ideal for a resident school. BY SYLVIA GENERAL coming school year. next week, where she will.be- There is no pay . Family Editor Fixed on a 21/2-acre site, the ministering. Hickson says the centre’s campus envelopes two Hickson, who acts as a teacher titled to room and Money is no headache to the buildings—one three-storey, the there, says the course is not food that God pro operators of a local bible other a small bunkhouse ac geared to moulding any one kind In a corner o training centre who have put commodating about 12 students. of thought or denomination into chapel is a box l their budget in the hands of God. Because the buildings were a student. Him”. The box “When we need money we part of a nursing home, they are “It’s just a study of the Bible. donations from th pray. Money comes unsolicited fully equipped with special We don’t try to make a Baptist Christian Fellow and the students come unex safety features such as or Pentecostal out of anyone.” students. emergency lighting and a smoke pected,” said the founder and v Hickson said he was originally Hickson, his wi president of Ingersoll’s Faith detection system. supposed to take a job at remainder of t Haven Bible Training Centre. When the Faith Haven group Pinecrest Bible College in New married couples Rev. William G. Hickson said took over the mortgage in trust, York but “we found a need, time cook—sur in an interview Wednesday the some $25,000 was donated from particularly among young contents of the b centre,, its staff and some many different sources around people here in Canada, because With an students,, are completely the area. they didn’t have the financial graduation rate, t dependent on private donations The course offered at Faith wherewithal! to go to Bible the Irish-born Hi for survival. - Haven, a non-denominational College in the States— they ‘failed’ residents More .than $30,000 “through school,is a two or three-year couldn’t get a work visa to work attendance. faith in God” has been poured study program which covers the while they went to school.” Within the las into Faith • Haven for recon whole Bible. For the residents—often more Haven, the only s struction work since its birth in Collected from around North female than male— their day in Ontario, has ta August, 1975. America, these, students, begins at 6:30 a.m. The morning night-time studen Previously, a nursing home, ranging in age from 17 to 50, are consists of three hours of in interested in gai the Whiting Street building, is preparing for a life in the struction in the class room, one understanding of chartered by the Ontario ministry, in evangelism or as hour of devotional and one hour government and now is capable missionaries.. of prayer. of accommodating 50 students— One • graduating student in The afternoon is often free for the expected enrolment for the terviewed is set for Costa Rica them to' go out and work in the community. Hickson says this allows the students to come in contact with real situations in trying to minister to their fellow man and so they can earn money to pay their board at school. Each resident pays annual tuition of $1,500 covering room, board and education. According to Stanely Smith, one of the eight teachers at the centre, about half of the operating costs are gathered from tuition fees. l m e Oi QJ 2 u) O - S E M C & U H C ■ - < W*< *> Y <' \' — Staff photo by Phi Rev. and Mrs: William Hickson stand in front tre says facilities are tight and a move wi of Ingersoll’s Faith Haven Bible Training Cen in the near future. tre. Hickson, founder and president of the cen- MllKC HE weM in town By JOE KONECW Since he arrived at the church attendance like most other Sentinel-Review staff writer 1'2-years-ago, Holbrough said churches,” Holbrough said. INGERSOLL — Churches are (he Christian Education "Most young couples are alive and well in Ingersoll. Program — including mid-week interested in Christian Two of the seven religious and Sunday school classes — has education and the church is intitutions in town report rising doubled in size and currently meeting their needs much better numbers in their congregations boasts about 450 students., / now than five years ago.” and the increase especially The church’s Alma Street > Monthly handling of local shows soaring interest by young Sunday school extention — mailing lists — which show families. ■ • . • • constructed in 1958 — was "built about 12 families arriving in During an interview with when we were bursting at the town every 30 days — provided Trinity United Church Rev. seams” , he added. Holbrough with “an opportunity Carman Holbrough, he said “the But during the latter part of to invite people to church from jump is primarily in young 1960, when church attendance houses we didn't even know families”. “wasn’t in style”, like other existed”. The ratio of youthful families institution the United Church Baptist Church Rev. - George compared to more established experienced a drop off until Watt said he’s “ Ihrilled” with clans is about 40 to 60, he added. recently. the enlarged size of his “That's really bucking the The congregation's size has congregation and he too noted trend,’’ Holbrough said. “ Il is a reacheri 1,800 with 1,275 official more activity by. families in drastic change since five years members. their early 20s, with two or three ago." “We have had an up-swing in children. REV. GEORGE Watt thrilled with growth pattern.- C ? I 3 1 ^ e r f f c We've' Deen .: ' very' pieasea^'oeirig -niviieu’-iu-'&pcaft^avrq with (he up-turn...it s a Catholic church — or visa-versa tremendous growth pattern," he — would have been unheard said. ■ . : ' of..." but his church was part of "Once things start to happen it such an dkchange recently.. • makes it easier for the trend to "We are no longer a threat to continue -too," he added, ex each other and people are more pressing anticipation of further open to other persons’ opinions growth. . ■ '■'? now,” Holbrough said. The * Baptist Church The minister said attendance congregation has doubled in size drop during the last century was since he moved to Ingersoll four due to the church’s "past- years ago and currently enjoys oriented” teachings and a 300 members. general "rebellion against the "I guess I am just the right status quo. guy, at the right place at the "We got caught up in the trend right time,” Watt said, modestly of people looking for something, describing his influence over the but not knowing what they were jump. looking for," he said. "Now .people know what they’re af "(The increase) hasn’t much ter." to do with (a turbulent) society R e v . Holsbrough today,” he added. "It is not "'1’he church is coming to prominent enough...I think grips with the present and the ...young interested church attendance is declining future, but we’re not losing in Canada as a whole, but track of the past though.” family nights and dances to there’s always exceptions to the He said when ministers talk accomodate person’s modern national trend." across denominational lines tastes. Sermons are also taped Like Holbrough, Watt now-a-days they find there are for shut-ins. described the 1950s as a boom very trivial differences in "Inlergeneralional activities period for all churches as people doctrine. are important too...it creates a adjusted to a post-war society. 'Ilie church is more up-to-date tolerence for other people’s But he said overflowing church in its understanding of people opinions,” Holbrough said. activity tapered off with the problems, Holbrough added, The Baptist church started a start of the 1970s. and citizens are more willing to / regular coffee hour in March to accept the doctrine. break the traditional conception Both ministers agree there is "The church is part of history of (he church. still a "large percentage" of and history has a habit of "It gives the congregation a non-church-goers in Ingersoll, changing...(he up-swing and reason to invite friends and however. drop in attendance has ■ experience a low key type of Holbrough said the expansion something to do with the good friendship," Watt said. of his congregation wasn’t and the bad times. Watt said churches are ex "significant". "People like to believe they periencing growth because "There are still a lot of people have control of (heir destiny, bul they’re always reaching for who don’t see the significance of when things go wrong, where do something. joining the church," he said. (hey (urn? They plug into God "You have got to have "People are more mobile when (hey confront aspects of something you’re always today and they don't want to be life where they're unsure,” pressing for,” he said. continually transferring their Holbrough added. Post-war His congregation is currently membership from church to times are a good example. trying to attain support for the church untill they settle down." "It’s like a God of the gaps." refurbishing of their balcony area - which is more frequently h c r h ning People’s - lifestyles are T e hu c began lea changing out of necessity and used now due to a larger towards being a "social club congregation — and some of the instead of a spiritual dynamic”, while there’ve always been catastrophes — . like i the stairs need repairs plus the Watt said. / parking lot should be paved. "Churches got to be Canadian economy — they’ve come closer together in recent "And I think one of the organizations instead of being greatest existing curses is an organism...people are history, he said. "I don’t like to think that people’s belief that 'the only looking for something that is time we see you (church) is l o att added. church going is a habit, but it’s rea t day,” W so easy to give up on church when you need money...that just "When I say organism, I mean because of all the demands on a isn’t true...we're not pushy.” the presence of the spirit of god person's lime." An on-going project within the in people’s lives." "We all fall into that trap,” Baptist church is assistance to People believe the church is Holbrough added. the Beachville Baptist Church, too stringent in accepting new He said churches are finding which was on the verge of members, Holbrough said. themselves competing against closing its doors about a year Some who are casual drinkers, entertainment like .sports ac ago. for example, feel they’ve con tivities and television. The local church formed a tradicted what the church Recreation is high on the list joint committee and now the represents, he added. of priorities in today’s society, Beachville congregation has "There was a time when that "bul there comes a time when grown by 400 per cent, Wall was true," Holbrough admitted. their priorities will change and said. “And there are a lot of people the church has to be there". "I like a church that reflects around today whose parents Answering the need for we care,” Watt added. "If it were involved with that sort of physical fun, Holbrough and doesn’t say we’re proud of our thing. Watt said extracurricular ac church, we’ve failed...but our "Some divorced people still tivities have been developed church is proud.” feel a stigma against them within the church. / "I would do anything for selves when they come to ’ The United Church stages anyone.” church,” he added, but times have changed. Although church doctrine hasn’t and shouldn’t be altered, Holbrough said, denominational eGviGcD lines arc thinner and guidelines for accepting new members .have loosened. "Things that are happening 1 c f I ) now wouldn’t have been thought • of years ago,” he added. "For example, a Protestant minister Lutheran Church some time when they decided to start interest, it is just a matter of getting it are BY CHERYL STEWART something locally. going, reopie iixe to go to something that is we A year ago, they started taking turns already established. We feel we will have a 30 Two local couples are trying to form a meeting in their homes with guest min congregation once we' get extablished,” cou Lutheran Church in town. Right now, they isters. This past summer, they moved to she said. Sch are meeting at the chapel in Trinity United Henderson Hall and just last month started She said the Lutheran Church teaches Church on Sunday nights and welcome any meeting at Trinity Church. the beliefs from the Bible. “We draw all - interested persons to come out. our teachings and beliefs from scripture Their next service will be October 23 They belong to the Missouri Synod of the only. W’e don’t deal in an activist way with with Sunday School and bible class at 6:30 Lutheran Church and had to travel to social issues. Usually, the Synod will say p.m., and a worship service at 7 p.m. Guest either Tillsonburg or London for services the Bible says this about an issue, but it ministers from the area, including London, before starting their own locally. doesn’t lay down rules: It emphasizes, Delhi and St. Thomas come out to lead the . In the Spring, they convassed the area above all else, salvation by Christ’s death services. and found an interest in their religion. “We and resurrection,” she said. Karen and Scott Schuessler, and Milton have had some people come out, but thev The ultimate goal for these couples is to and Rita Walper, of Ingersoll, had been are usually different ones each week,” said have a church establiched in Ingersoll. travelling to churches outside of town for Mrs. Schuessler. “We feel there is an “W’e have a lot of financial support from O E CD TO i? r so r -0 00 1 Ch (P tn G H U K C H E t> “ New church efforts “slow but still there’’ Efforts by two Ingersoll couples to form Woodstock and one in Tillsonburg. a new Lutheran Church in town are “slow Lutherans are generally of German but still there.” The group is trying to get heritage, and with few people of German permission from the church’s district descent in the area he said it “may explain officials to allow a young student minister historically, as least” why there has never to be placed here on a one year been a church here. ' assignment. There are different synods within this Ten to 15 people meet each Sunday faith, and the local Lutherans are of the evening at the Trinity United Church Missouri Synod, as is the church in chapel for services, and every other week, Tillsonburg. the seminary student preaches the The few Lutherans who may have been sermon. in the area he said, have been assimilated Scott Schuessler, one of the organizers, into other churches or attend out of town said the low turnout “is a real problem.” services. To his knowledge, the town has never had a Lutheran church, although there is one in TIM ES . C H UHC W £e - C-\£fO €gA U Knox Presbyterian Church m arks 150th year with service spite of the dismal heav BY MARGARET BOYD iness of the sky, and the scanty facilities of travel One hundred and fifty ling, score of sleighs might, years have passed since al an early hour, be des pioneers in Oxford County cribed in the boisterous first gathered at a simple obscurity, urging their way log church southeast of in long lines, and from all Embro to worship. directions to the place of To commemorate the an concourse and celebration, niversary, Knox Presbyter and for some time previous ian Church has planned six to the appointed hour of months of celebrations lead devotional service, the ing lo a grand finale June noble edifice was filled to its 27. Each month a former capacity by an eager mul minister will attend to give titude of people. The labors a sermon and special mus of the day appeared to be ical guests w ill entertain. characterized by unction, A book, The Faith is vigour and solemnity.” Strong, is being prepared by The cost of the church, a a 15-meinber committee gift from Donald Matheson, headed by Helen Hossack, a Esq.-,-was $8,217.15. local historian. In 1904 the church built by The 150 years have w it the evangelists was destroy nessed the building of sev Zorra’s old log cabin church, erected in 1832-33, is depicted in this artist’s illustration in the ed by fire and in 1905 the eral churches to succeed the book "Pioneer Life In Zorra,” by Rev. W.A. MacKay. This picture was reprinted with the present church was built. original log church, di publisher’s permission. The remaining third of the visions within the church, congregation who had elec fires and Church Union but K irk" the church and cem present church. ted to remain with the the church continues to etery was erected in 1836. In 1872 the new congregat Preshyterian Church of thrive. Fifty-four students The log church no longer ion became known as Eben Canada in 1425 held meet from the congregation have exists on the 7th Concession ezer Congregational Church ings in the Embro Town been ordained as ministers, although its cemetery is still of Embro. Hall and later at a properly a Canadian record, accord- > in existence and is looked In 1875 the Knox Church on John Street. rn g to Reverend Grant after. The frame church's joined the Presbyterian In 1946 the Ebenezer Con M uir, presiding minister. cemetery was moved to the Church of Canada and in gregational Church sold His son Donald Muir, was North Cemetery. 1925 two-thirds of the con their church erected in 1905 the 54th student to be or gregation joined the union to the Presbyterians for dained. In 1870 a disruption occur- which brought together the $500. It was renovated and Etr.'bro was first settled red in connection with Methodist, Congregational .. was opened in June of that by Scottish pioneers fleeing evangelistic services by Union, and Presbyterian year by Major G. Dean the ev.iction of the Duke of evangelists Carroll and Churches to form the United Johnston of Brantford. Sutherland, in 1819. Prior to Russell. They began holding Church. Since 1941 the charges of lay services held in the log Services in the frame The frame church was Harrington and Embro church b.'iilt in 1832-33, fam church, drawing some 400 taken down in 1896; a war have been one charge. In ilies would hold worship people to their cause. Those memorial built in 1919, now 1947 the Hugh McKay prop- services i.n their home. against the evangelists marks the place it once ' erly was bought for a man- In 1834 .Rev. Donald Me, . withdrew and began meet stood, directly across from se and in 1954 a Baldwin Kenzie, from Rosshire in ing separately. The evange tS i ' the existing Knox Church. A Model 5 organ was bought Scotland, was invited to the lists later built a church in new church was constructed and dedicated. log church. In 1935, after a 1877 on the site of the Dr, Donald McKenzie in 1861 on the present United Rev. George I^slie Mac- year of missionary work Church site. kay, an Embro man who throughout .southern Ont An account of the 1863 became a missionary in ario, Rev. McKenzie was I opening ceremony from Formosa, has been remem inducted into f.he Zorra con church minute books which , bered well by the church. In gregation, a past he held for । lasted three days and at- 1961 a stone was erected in 38 years. ■ traded 1,400 people, is giv- the Log Church Cemetery in Rev. McKenu.le was well | en in "One Hundred Years his memory and in 1972 a thought of by hits congregat ; in the Zorra Church,’ by memorial service in the ion, some of who.tn travelled W.D. McIntosh. cemetery was held. to miles from the surround ' "This interesting cere- j n 1977 a new Manse was ing areas of Kinlore, Har- I jnony took place on Thurs- compleled around the corn- ringtqp, Jhamps(ordt,pnd 1 day the J9th of February, ' e r, from,, (he. Presbyterian Urook^dpip 19 hMKi.Ns ?9r- 1863. The morning'wore 4 ( , Church,, J h ^ A u g ^^ HOT . mops .djeRypr^Jn, English disagreeable pspect,owing ,i,Rey. ^.p.G ^M uir a n^his . and Gaelic, ; . to a drizzling fain, hut in ,, fgmjly ^ f l x i<> its An account of Rev. Mc r . . " “ ■ - y l . b. ■■ ■ try . Sj . y,-. Kenzie is given in a Look by W.A. Ross, entitled ’History of Zorra and Embro.” “ The hearts of the people went out lo him. His sermon 1 was likened to the springing of a cool, clear well in a dry and parched land, and moreover, he was possessed of a dignified and com manding appearance In the pilpit.” Thirty four students of Rev. McKenzie's from the congregation were ordained , into the ministry. The log church was soon FeL abandoned in favor ot a lai ger frame church in what is now Matheson Park in Embro. Called "The Auld Eyes westward to Ingersoll, ‘calling out’ of new church By MARILYN SMULDERS his creative talents, MacBain of The Sentinel-Review believes there’s lots of imagina tion to be tapped to bring Bible INGERSOLL — You don’t often scripture alive. hear of new churches being form ed. And yet Pastor David Mac- He also aims to reach out to Bain is up for the challenge. people. In fact, when a Now living in Woodstock and B ng is erected to house the associated with Huron Park Bap congregation, MacBain said one tist Church, MacBain said he’s idea would be to include a gym cast eyes westward to Ingersoll n asiu m ,’ thus appealing to ■ after being approached by the teenagers. Fellowship of Baptists to start a As for other- church in Ingersoll. needs the com- The first meeting of approx m unity may imately 15 people was held earlier have, MacBain this week. One of the issues said he wants discussed was “ What is a to examine its church?” demographics Literally meaning ‘‘to be called - and services. out,” the new church won’t have a And moreover, building of its own for a few years he’s ready to yet. Bible study groups will be listen. MacBain held in the homes of participants “ I want to find out why they’re until space can be rented. Ser itching so we can scratch,” he vices for the church, which is as said. yet unnamed, are expected to MacBain and his family will begin in October. also soon be moving to Ingersoll. In organizing the church, Mac- But until then, he’s open to sug Bai.n said he hopes to reach the gestions at his Woodstock unchurched - ‘‘to really make an residence. He can be reached at impact on their lives.” By using 537-8521.