HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
St. PaUr 5
Anglican
Church
MARMORA
75th ANNIVERSARY
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THE MOST REV. JOHN LYONS M.A. D.D. ARCHBISHOP OF ONTARIO and METROPOLITAN
OF
THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
"Congratulations to St. Paul's Church on this very important occasion in the history of their parish. May God's choisest blessings attend you in your united endeavours in His ~hurch as you face the future in these very difficult days. Faithfully yours, John Ontario.
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HIsTORICAL
SKETCH
.OF路
~t. JaUr!i Auglirat:tQIqurrlrf; :!Iarmnra 7 5th 6.nniversa.~y This historical sketch marks three quarters of a century of religious activity by St. Paul's Church in the village of Marmora and District. A site having a commanding position was selected on BurstaIl street (named after Edward BurstaIl, of Quebec City, a director of the Marmora Foundry Co. in ] 849) and on September first, 1874 honoured brethren of the Masonic Order laid the corner stone in accordanoe with traditional ceremonies in the building of Sacred Edifices and thus signified their uniformity of faith in God. The corner stone of Marmora's first Anglican Church, to be dedicated later to St. Paul, was well and truly laid by Rt. Worshipful Brother S. S. Lazier of Belleville, D.D.G.M. of Prince Edward District for 1874.
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For the laying of the corner stone, Miss Minnie Bleecker, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Bleecker, presented the silver trowel to the officiating dignitary of the Masonic Order. It bore the inscription:
Presented to Rt. War. Bra. S. S. Lazier, D.D.G.M. '~.,
P. E. D. By the Ladies of Marmora, on the occasion of his laying, the corner stone of St. Paul's Church, Marmora September 1st, 1874
In passing, it is interesting to note, that the young lady so honoured on that day and who later became Mrs. David Mulloy, is now living in Los Angeles. One of the two lots to become the property of the Church, was given by the Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Co. The other lot was purchased for the sum of $50.00 from the same company which amount was subscribed by the following old "Worthies" each contributing ten dollars; Solomon Johns, A. W. Carscallen.William Leonard, David Fitchett and David Bentley. Mr. Bentley was the agent for the company. None of the five donors lived to see the Golden Jubilee of the Church observed in 1924. All money for the Deed of the Church property was subscribed on April 11th, 1874. An interesting anecdote comes to light from a letter received by Mr. W. J. Cottrell in 1934 from Mr. Edward Wilkinson, of Geyserville, California. This letter states that this Mr. Wilkinson came with his father, a brother and two sisters to Marmora, in 1870, when the Rev. George Grout of Stirling held Anglican services in the Town Hall which had been built by the Marmora Iron Company. From this letter we
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quote two interesting sentences: "Finally, the Anglicans decided to erect a building and a certain Mr. William Leonard being enterprising and well-todo, went to the various Anglicans including the Campions, McWilliams, G. W. Bleecker, my father and many others who subscribed to the building fund. The Church was built from stone quarried on the far side of the river below the bridge, being completed about 1874 or 1875, except for the tower which was finished some ten years later by a young Englishman who quarried and dressed the stone." . Previous to this new era in Church Life in the village, religious services and priestly ministrations were somewhat irregular as evidenced by Rev. J. S. Groves of Stirling when signing his name, affixed, "Travelling Missioner.' Occasional visits were also paid by Rev. [oseph Gander a graduate of St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, Eng. who took temporary duty throughout the Diocese. Mr. Gander, it is said, had a certain knowledge of medicine, and he and his, wife and four sons had considerable musical talent. The graves ot Rev. and Mrs. Gander and that of one son were accidentally discovered in a tiny cemetery on an old farm near Monk's Lake in Haliburton County in September 1946. Anything in the nature of regular service in Marmora did not materialize until the Rev. James Preston of Stirling gave a monthly service. This ministration was maintained successively by the Rev. Henry Edward Massey Baker, Rev. George Grout, Rev. J. E. Halliwell and Rev. J. Godden. Fortunately, Sunday School work had been commenced years before by Miss A. H. Bentley, daughter of David Bentley, previously mentioned. Under her superintendency the Sunday School flourished until infirmity compelled her retirement. Not only Anglicans, but children of other communions attended this Sunday School. Stories, great and inspiring, of these early years when retold by the few survivors of those times, charm the listener who is interested in the pioneer history of the district.
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Not long after the completion of St. Paul's Church, when the Rev. J. Godden was in Stirling the Rev. J. E. Halliwell was largely instrumental in the appointment of Rev. Charles Mountain Harris a graduate of Trinity College, Toronto as the first resident incumbent of St. Paul's. No one could have foreseen with this appOintment the long record of Christian service that was to ensue. After labouring with body, soul and spirit for over forty-four years he passed away after a short illness to a far better rest. Rev. Canon Cha~les Mountain Harris In his life, he was beloved Incumbent, 1849-1923 by all, and in death his memory honoured. During his long rectorship he had seen erected in his original parish two daughter churches, St. Mark's Rawdon on the 12th Line, and Holy Trinity Church, North Marmora, In course of time Mr. Harris, at his own expense, engaged Lay Readers, among whom were, Mr. Ralph Fulcher, R. M. Steacy, who later became Rector of Westboro, in the Diocese of Ottawa, and George E. Simmons who also was ordained and spent twenty years in distinguished service to the Canadian Church in it's foreign field at Kaifeng, Honan, China. His death there a few years ago was a distinct loss to the whole Canadian church and more especially to the Diocese of Honan. W. G. Lansbury another Lay Reader, was also later ordained and served in the diocese as Rector of Parharn, Wellington and Madoc. He was buried in the
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lovely churchyard at Christ Church, Hillier, in the parish of Wellington and Hillier. Other Lay Readers included John Edward Gibbard, formerly of Bournemouth, England, Mr. A. Peppiatt, of Toronto, and Mr. W. J. Cottrell who is still with us, and to whom St. Paul's is deeply indebted for his faithful services and invaluable help. During the years of the First World War, Canon Harris was appointed a Canon of St. Ceorge's Cathedral, Kingston by the Rt. Rev. E. J. Bidwell, bishop of the Diocese, a fitting tribute to his mahy years of devoted service to the church. He died suddenly, on March 13th, 1923, deeply mourned by all citizens of the community. Canon Harris was succeeded by the Rev. P. CaigerWatson who was appointed rector in July 1923, having just returned to the diocese from North Dakota. It was during Mr. Watson's incumbency, that St. Paul's congregation found itself confronted with the need of a rectory, Canon Harris having had his own dwelling. The need resulted in the attractive residence adjacent to the Church and enclosed by a suitable stone fence, the setting being a justifiable source of pride to everyone and invariably admired by .REV. P. CAIGER-WATSON visitors. During Mr. WatRector, July 1923-1926 son's rectorship, the parish became self-supporting for the first time in its history, and many other advances were made. Mr. Watson resigned after only three years of incumbency to accept a parish in the diocese of Ottawa at Gal-
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etta where he still resides. The semi-centenary of the church was observed in October 1924, the date of earliest convenience. Rt. Rev. E. J. Bidwell, Bishop of the Diocese, was the celebrant and the preacher was the Rev. John Lyons M.A. then rector of Picton and now Archdeacon of our diocese and Metropolitan of the ecclesiatical province of Ontario. Mr. Lyons preached from the text, "The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground, yea, I have a goodly heritage.'? Ps. 16;7. At evensong, Bishop Bidwell preached from the text Acts, 2;26. "They continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship." Monday evening's festivities consisted of a supper, reception and concert in the Town Hall. The Rector Rev. P. CaigerWatson presided, and Mr. E. Gus Porter, M.P. deputized for the Hon. John R. Cooke who was to have been the speaker.
REV. ARTHUR BELL CALDWELL Rector, Dec. 1926-JuIy 1944
After the resignation of the Rev. P. Caiger-Watson in 1926 the Rt. Rev. C. A. Seagar, Bishop of the Diocese, appointed the Rev. Arthur Bell Caldwell a graduate of Montreal Diocesan College as Rector. Mr. Caldwell came to our diocese from Wyebridge, in the diocese of Toronto, and he was welcomed to this parish in December of that year. For seventeen and one half years he gave devoted service to St. Paul's, and his sudden death from a heart condition in July 1945 came as a great shock to his former parishioners.
During Mr. Caldwell's incumbency, the old Oddfel-
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low's Hall was purchased for a Parish Hall. It is a tribute to his work that the mortgage .of this hall, and almost all the mortgage on the rectory, were paid off before his resignation. Speaking of the .rectory, St. Paul's congregation is much indebted to Mr. S. B. Wright for many years of Deloro, a faithful Churchman and former Warden, for his generosity in the matter of the rectory mortgage. He and Mrs. Wright, after many years amongst us, are now retired and live in Vancouver. Another achievement was the installation in 1932 of a beautiful Eastern window to the revered memory of Canon Harris. Money for this came from funds raised by the ladies . of the congregation although Miss Frances Jones, sister of the late H. M. Jones, M.D. was largely instrumental In this object as also in earlier years in the securing of funds for such purposes as a pulpit and other furnishings. Hev. A. B. Caldwell served two terms as Rural Dean of Hastings which office he held until a short time before his leaving the deanery. He resigned from the Parish in July 1944 to accept the Parish of Elizabethtown but ill health prevented his entering upon this work. He died ill Gananoque, July, 1945. Thus this parish had the best路 years of his life and ministry. He spent himself for it. Mr. W. J. CottrelI as Layreader, took' services during the interregnum under the supervision of Mr. W.J. Robinson, . Rural Dean. It was during these few months that 1\'IR. w. J. COTTRELL such improvements as a new Licensed Layreader furnace and an attractive approach to the Church base-
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ment were made. Mr. H. R. Pearce, as Rector's Warden and W. D. Lavender, People's Warden respectively, accepted their responsibilities during the interregnum in a most creditable manner. Mr. Pearce has just retired as Rector's Warden this year, having served in that capacity for all Rectors since and including Canon Harris. The bishop of the Diocese Rt. Rev. John Lyons appointed Rev. J. M. Brownlie, L.Th. STh. to succeed Mr. Caldwell. His incumbency was effective as from Oct. Ist
REV. J. M. BROWNLIE, L.TH., S.TH. Appointed Rector, Oct. 1, 1944
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1944. Mr. Brownlie is a graduate of Trinity College, Toronto, and has spent all his ministry in this diocese. Further advancement has been made in his time. The long-felt want for a robed choir was met by the generosity of the parishioners, who responded to his appeal for money. The materials were purchased and the ladies of the congregation made the vestments. The Choir has a reputation for its work far beyond the boundaries of the parish. The interior of the Church has been decorated, new lighting installed, so that the Church to-day is one of the gems "in the Diocese. Last year, Mr. Brownlie was the second of St. Paul's Rectors to be appointed Rural Dean of Hastings. Facing the Parish on its 75th Anniversary is the matter of improvements to the Parish Hall, and we are all hopeful of this achievement in the near future. It was found necessary, due to changing circumstances to sell and demolish Holy Trinity Church, North Marmora, but the Parish has been strengthened by the addition of the beautiful church St. Mark's, Bonarlaw, as a component part of the parish, with its loyal people. This congregation, it will be observed, has an unique distinction in that, for the seventy-five years that it has been a parish, only four clergymen have been its Rector, two of whom, have a combined incumbency of over sixty-one years. It is also unique, in that there is only one living predecessor to the present rector. The reaching of the seventy-fifth milestone gives us no promise of what lies ahead, but ours has been a goodly heritage over these years, for which, we can thank God, and take fresh courage for the future. To all who shall lab or, come the words of the Master, "Other men have laboured and ye have entered into their labours", and from the words of David to his son Solomon: "Thou mayest add thereto".
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A frequent remark is "What a lovely Church!" It is indeed a Parish Treasure, and may it be the desire of future generations to devote the same care and love that those past and present have given to it. The Churches of the country enshrine so much of our past history and they are the, glory of our times. In the writing of this historical sketch the generous assistance of Mr. W. J. Cottrell is gratefully acknowledged.
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We take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to the many business firms herein mentioned {pr their help in publishing of 'this booklet.
COMPLIMENTS
OF
oELORO SMELTING & REFINING CO. LTD. DELORO,
ONTARIO
Smelters and Refiners of Silver and Cobalt Ores. Manufacturers of "Deloro Stellite".