Recollections of Anne Hughes McCollum, second draft with more detail
consisting of First draft,
original handwriting
and a
Deloro , Ontario July 4th, 1925 Dear Reverend Father; I have been asked to give some information regarding the history of the old church across the river. I sincerely wish there were some others who knew more than I but if anything I can tell you will be of any use to you, it will please one very much to write it. What is useful you can retain and consign the rest to the waste basket. My first recollections of the church was when I was about six years of age coming on a visit with my mother to Marmora. We called at a house the name of the owner being Segriff. Father Brennan, whom I knew very well as he was the priest stationed at Belleville where my home was, and Bishop Phalen from Kingston were both there. Father Brennan at that time came to Marmora once a year and made his home at Mr Segriffs while in Marmora. The village at that time being called Ironworks or more often just the Works. About seventy years ago my mother came to Marmora to live, I being at that time about ten years of age. I remember quite clearly the priests name who was here between the time Father Brennan visits were discontinued and our coming here. His name was Father Begley. At the time we moved here this parish was the charge of Father Lawlor an uncle of Miss Gertrude Lawlor of Toronto, who figures so promintly in Catholic activities. At that time Mass was celebrated once a month. I was married in the old church and four of my children baptized within its walls. Father Lawlor came to my uncle, Patrick McCollum on Saturday night. The house is the one awarded by Mrs Devine at the time of her death. He took dinner at the home of a Mr Tallon, father ofMrs Louise Shannon, at Marmora Village, there being no parish house until built by Father Murtagh. Many years ago the land in Marmora Township was suppose to be very rich in iron and a company was formed mainly english. They erected houses and built buildings and what was called blast furnaces for melting the ore and converting it into bars for shipment. One of the officials in said company, judging by his name, Manahan, must have been Irish and Catholic. Finding the place without a church he set about devising ways and means to build one in which he succeeded, and the little stone church across the river was the fruit of his efforts. My grandfather, Laughlin Hughes helped to choose the site for both church and cemetery. His son, John Hughes was drowned near where the church stands and his body was one of the first to be buried there. To many of the present generations, it might seem to be a very inconvenient place to erect a church. I have no doubt but it seemed so to the older generation. One reason I heard was given was that the Manahan family wished it built there so that they would have a
longer walk, their place of residence being the house now owned and occupied by Doctor Crawford. The bridge spanning the river was much nearer the church then than now as it crossed above where the PearceMiII stands. The priest who succeeded Father Lawlor was Father Davis who, like Father Lawlor, had charge of the priests ofMadoc, Hungerford and Marmora. After Father Davis came we had Mass once a month. Father Davis was succeeded by our beloved pastor, Father Murtagh, which marked a new era for us. From his coming here we had weekly Mass. It may not be amiss to give a short history of the first headstone placed in the old cemetery. My father's family came to this country leaving my father and two sisters in Ireland. They came later and shortly afterwards one of the sisters died and was buried in what is now called the Protestant (Common) Cemetery. In those days all denominations were buried there. Shortly afterwards my Father, Patrick Hughes, who was living in BeIIevilIe at the time, cut the stone and had it shipped to the first Catholic Cemetery. His sisters body was to be taken and reburied. My father having died it was never done and thus the stone laid for years where it was placed until it was removed to the cemetery of the Sacred Heart Church. Amongst the first Catholic families settling in this part of the country are the Crawfords, McCollums, Hughes and I think the Callaghans. The Quinns, Sheridans, Flynns, Terrions, Clairmon's and Shannons came I think later but I have no dates to guide one with, but the Shannons, who were my own people, and have heard about the time of their coming here. Some of them coming about 1830. Others of the family coming about the year 1840. The fame of the iron mines was what attracted the early settlers to this place thinking it was an Eldorado) but they were doomed to disappointment and the work was discontinued and buildings and machinery went to ruin. Sincerly Yours Anna McCollum (Mrs John McCollum)
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M!RMORA
re the old c .urch and
ce~etr.r in Ma~ra •
.l1r fir~t, l"ecol etion of any one con..lllect~iwith t.l}e Gathol1.c chW"Ch in M&mora wat!!•• en I",~&s...a child of abou.t seven years o.f age crot~ with ll\V l!1Otheron 3, wfait to nf3r relations. The o~ place er a.t least the only oo,se. ! r®~~\$Y" \teing in was that, of an acquatrrtance by the name of SeagrUf as it was cille~ then I haTe since hearta it as Seagrieye "inler. r do not think cO!Tect~ 1'i1>.y that ,art1ctilfl.1' ,lace stands out So elearl;r in ~ m.i,.~l. l . 13 for t.he reason that whilst t.lter® r WI;U~int,rowca~ to his Grace Bisho, I Fhdj,n ,-roo wan:stationed in ,:1':1est 'I,ho was 'tflth him wag f'a.thi!'f!' Brerman of B0lledlle ;.rhom wa®quite fa."tliUar with Thoertl r~l'e no l'es:hil~nt,ri~st there at th&.t t:ilM~ Father Hrennan of Bel.lewille (laJl\19once each yeu~ h.1$ ~e of tra;we;l lt~i!lg on hot'3~~ack. Whilst here he l1larr'ie~ those wo were r~,,*dy aM ~a\ti$a~ ~ ~a'ides. Un:fortU118.tely th r-e .:are some ef his parishioner,; who wo'tlld not 'Wait to'!! hie \l'i 1'1 1tations and 'Io.reremanieli by some tr~rrel1ing minister e I reall~r know nothing ,ersonail1 of the very early histol"1 of the chtt:ch other than ;.;hat ! hawe h~ard from an aunt of mine who ,\>j2o$ livin~ in ~ra at the time the iron wo ka was $tar~cl.. (152) There were a mumber of e<)~le Catri~ f'rofll and ~ acme from Irelmw, attrac' .~ no dou\$t ry the pros~ect ef fortumea made from the iron e~ositg which were very promai."'ig· ,I
4
•
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htor.g the officials of the net, com,at\Y whieh hM. ~e~m ir ~re two whose r~es I heard quite often mantione~. H~e5 an6 !1Onohan. The latter was Irish and C2tholic and I haYe no doubt bu.t wag quiek to ~ne the n~~ds of the Catholic settl~rB,and a8 I have heard it said took an actiwe F<lX'tfiml~iaJJ,y and other •.• :i.$ in the builtling of the 11ttle stone church acrese the d:wer. The new co~an;rbought u~ large tracts of land and K fere. $Un U was from then the lal'Mi >ra@lwugbt on l<ihi:lt:h the lit,tIe church was erected. ( a side note: 14fth of Coti.~~$e the $anct~on ot tdne Ri he, a~ it may have bean he who advi$em its arecti:.:tVJ\
,.3 I C~ ago( 155'6) and
with ray' mother fr<YftJ Bellfrville £i~otr!:, 0fferj~r dx yeut5 hol'l'.e in M~ra ~ mail~r t~s I henrd a Father Beg!ey seoken of wh I think had left Marmoravery !,!j'l(·w·'t'.iv before we case , The ~:rie t who ••at'! in ~ra when e came was Fat,her LawloT who maill.e his home in Hungerford and visi iAi.d Macl.oc and Mamora or in other w(~lrd$had three lIJarished under- his charge. In $ID~1' he came on Horseback, in wint-Gl' with horse and <:'Utter. Th~ collect'on in those d.s;yswas a cent ••• and ~ flid not even giTE! that. Hatthe ~riest) e~ on Saturday ni~t to ~~ora. Staid at the house of one of the parishioners in the country. ~rten mass op Sunday he took bl"eakfa~t in the 'Yillage and then left for hi~ long tri home. ¥~ss was eels.rated once each month • Abcut sixty y~ars ao .athar Lawlol" was succeeded ~ a young Canadian ;p:dest ",110 was '\)orn l:I1~e mu"
',
in Kingston .,nose na1l"£ was RM'. Thol'l1aSIJavisand we still had monthly maa • ( .h) He made his home in Mai1o<:Ti$i tL'lg the thne arishes as ~d Father Mlflel'. Its a~out tifty ••seven year~ ago since father Davis succeeded a very nice riek church• •••• Later there was Father Jobl"tagh as curate. Ewentually the mahes 't.-ere given resi~ent Fiests ~ I do not knowwhat prie$t had charge of Hungeri"oN ,uish~ Father DaTisreraain~ in }r.atio<:and Father ~ assign"A to l'.aJ."ll:!Ol"a.. If'orget hell long it was '@ef'ore that t~ that maas was c~le~rated ever" Sunday in Marmora(~.5) Until the ~res~yter.r was built and. fw:':rdahed, Fa;ther Martagh mede his home with M'l"s w Hl1ghespa:rents }Ir. and Mrs. O'Neil.
Bef()z~ there was a church in }h~ra all d~nitatidn~ ~ryed dea.t1in ,,;'hat is clll€\d the JIlrotestant C~l!-e~. After the 1i tt,l$ c arch acr-eae t,l1!€t river waa~be ~O'Imdixtg it· was @et a,art I'm.d Msed for. atUk9 but for was aban!1ion~d" thi:nk b<ecense (If the ~iwe as the ~$ing so .001 of rocks and at least ago a portion of lantil. from the Hugh<el'!\ :1':1'011'1 wa~ their
.
gi.wen and
very suita~le. From the time ~ second church was il t and the rrt't:4u',d got in sha,e it hat! been the rP'..anent celOOtry. I011 of course know of its this ilteing lUl"ned ani tllEl< thi.rd church ~uilt wring the t~ Father 1'm't..agh had ehazge, ( .6) The thir'~ church, "'es~try amd seperate school were want .mUst Father }hrtagh '\ITaS in ~ha:rge and I trnat~ they may remain for ~ marwyears as a mOnlllt.-ent to his energy and financial atbili ty 1 think that is all I can think of I may have made mistakes in tu .. of the priests stationed in Marloor3 at diffarent times laut tha~real.lJ' not vital so I will leas the task to yOtll' ablil ains to sift the chatf from the wheat. >
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Sincere yours A~ ~.cC~Uum
Nov. 23 (~.l) !ftk3'1' the waB as :e@!g~~w:; the old ac:eossthe river had not been quite correct am I thooght m'(.~rcccurencee wich occuered tA'ltat I remenbel' very Hell. For insta.'1c€l!.hen I was about au years ola an ~~~ of lltme was dro.med and I remelfi!$er his l'urlE!raJ. and a remark that; was make afteNC!l'ds that he was t.~G first one huried in thE! ground near the old church. It must ;r be one hundred and. some years since it was:ail t and m.r uncle ~e:ing the first ;"ul"ial goes to ah!.)",that the peo,le ~till used the cemet:ry on the hill in the tillage which had l$een in use for many yearth There were a few buried uoo.nd the old church after rrr:J uncle's lmrial se it was a andoned and the ces try locati3ld as I said ·efor~ on the portion of the Hughesfanll. first
son was babtbsd
to ahow it was hefo:r~ that ThF;·
in the old church.
.". whi.ch
ti.n1ethat the second church was bunt
goes (la75)
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There is -stOM fathsrs sistsr W£t-$
use it wae ;~.de f(:ll~ the r:1.110:1:'as
~,
the
and
t£:t havB
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rl~om, aer-ose the l~:tw~e-:rad aniI that it is :in ;run eoese aetl:ls8 it, a'f:'i;f t,im£l I t,hink it; worth h<ut r wot.ud 'I1M1Irt'f is not, t.he chance l:lJu& t,o l:lfJ,V1i! 1 where it coold be S00!U. If its not, I do not, 'k:no;,r wh®:t'e:i1> is. It have been sent, u~ 110%1" af'ter the ol~. church ;,ranfrullt rithin a vel'']' ,t:'t1W years at
Sohn
to choose the was drowned h128 me first to he
it cbnrch I haYBno d(>l1ht 1:.n.'t®!l}8d One reason I heard that, t;he wished it,Dull t theT'B eo t,nat ;.;aL,({:. Their of residencebhe house um1 osmed ®Y1(1c Dr'. Cra;,rford. T!e 7;.heriver was nearer (,ho chureh ,then tnan now as it crossed above lrherB the stand:: <. ~,
11$if'y
old
h®ad-5-t(rrl~
latsr and those in Belleville truried~
of the tht) Callahan0.
fathBT' t 8
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in '£2"el1;4,,!o. &,i'~'(;B't·}!t)1:'ds one of the sisiA"l2"S died what is 11l0H called the Proi,'{,st,;mt, d%lnorllinatiol1s RteT01 trttried tnere , at't.o2"H'B.rtis iV father
at,tjte
t;,:iJne
this )
In
cut the stone and had s1J~t-ers was 1;'0 :w~)?~ di0d i i, HaB' nelleT donE)and t.he st.0l101laid for untIl it vras rexnt:rWed to "the
first Catholic families O1-sw:f.ords, U10 Sh1cOiridal1s"
in Cl;'1.L-monts and on with
,.
~
l!$ut the Sharmons who wore !l\V own peo1J'leandhave heard about the comi.."lg here •• Some of them CQl1ttng ahout 1 30. others of the ta11'tily COm.1.11gabotrt the }fflar l~ho.
till'!eof t, air
The t.a.me of the iron mi.1'les was .•• -hat attra.cted the ear~ to the ~lace thinking it as Eldarado but the-/, 'Ii1!lt'6 doomed to disapplQint.ment fID1 the }Yorkwas dtscontued and 'bu:l.ldings and :machinery went to ruin. settlers