Knox
Church, Demorestville
One Hundred Years of
History
The Centennial of Knox
Church occurs on Christmas Day, 1932 From “The Picton Times” Tues. Nov. 10, 1932 |
On the 25th of December, 1832, Knox Presbyterian
Church, Demorestville, was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God by Rev.
Robert McDowall, assisted by the Rev. William Smart of Brockville.
These
two were the pioneer Presbyterian missionaries laboring in the immense
distances bordering on the St. Lawrence, Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario. Mr. McDowall centred his labors around the
Bay of Quinte, making Sandhurst church
in Fredericksburgh, his home church, where lie his remains. He established five churches.
Confining
this article to Knox Church, Demorestville:
The grant of land for the church was given by Captain
Demorest, founder of the village.
The
first trustees were Benjamin Smith, Griffith Howell.
First
Elders - D. B. Way, Jacob Howell, Jonathan Green.
First
Clerk - John Howell.
Dates: Building of church begun 1830; dedication of
church Dec. 25 1832.
The
name “Union Presbyterian Church” appears in the early records.
1838-1855,
Rev. James Rogers, Pastor.
1843,
the congregation entered Canada Presbyterian Church.
1857-1868,
Rev. Mr. Smith, Pastor.
1868-1873,
Student Supply.
1873-1880,
Rev. James Boyd, Pastor; married Miss
Lazier.
1880-1881, James Somerville, student, who married
Miss Butler of Gomarrah.
1882, Summer, William Hay, student.
1882-83, Winter, a few services.
1883, Summer, William Hyland, student.
1883-84, Winter, Community Revival, R. J. Craig of
Deseronto, at Spring Communion, 1884, received 17 new members into Knox Church.
1884, Rev. Mr. Bennet, supplying. A manifest desire for connection with Picton
or Deseronto.
1884-85, a few services during winter.
1885, Summer, Mr. MacKinnon, student.
1885, addition of some dozen of families from
Episcopal Methodist Churches who did not enter Canada Methodist Church at
union, and whose own churches had been closed.
Valuable addition.
1885-86, Winter, occasional services.
1886, Summer, Mr. MacKinnon, student.
1886, Envelope system adopted, and Ladies’ Aid
organized.
1886-87, Winter, occasional services.
1887, Summer, Mr. Rattray, student.
1887-88, Rev. J. Snodgrass, Licentiate, ordained and
placed in charge.
1888, Mr. Snodgrass resigns.
1888-89-90, Winters, occasional services.
1890, Summer, Mr. Hodge, student.
From 1901 to 1904, Winter services, very few; Summers, student supply, whose names are yet
recalled, viz.:
1892, Mr. Menzies
1893 and 1894, Mr. J. Fraser, who married a daughter
of Dr. John Cryan, and is now pastor of Gravenhurst United Church of Canada.
1895, Mr. C. Dyde.
1896, Mr. Hunter.
1897, Mr. Currie.
1898, Mr. Fair.
1899-1900, Mr. G. C. Taylor.
1901, Mr. Fowlie.
1902, Mr. F. Taylor.
1903-04, Mr. I. C. McConachie.
1904, Crofton congregation organized.
1904, Dr. John Cryan and James Caughey ordained as
Elders.
1905, Rev. C. E. Gordon-Smith inducted.
1907, Individual Communion cups adopted.
1907, Nov. 1, Rev. C. E. Gordon-Smith resigns on
account of poor health.
1908, Rev. Peter Nicoll became pastor.
1909, Original church building replaced by present
structure.
1910, Jan. 30, first service in new church.
1910, June 10, new church dedicated by Rev. James
Fraser of Uxbridge.
1910, Oct. 16, James Crawford ordained as Elder.
1911, Sept. till March 10, 1914, Rev. Mr. Pitcher,
Pastor.
1914, June 2, Rev. R. J. Craig inducted.
Between Oct., 1914 and Aug., 1915, three elders
passed away - Dr. J. Cryan, James Caughey, George Smith.
1915, July, W. G. Badgley, D. Fraser, R. Monroe,
ordained elders.
1919, May, Knox Church separated form Crofton.
1922, Board of Managers, - Messrs. Badgley, Fraser,
G. Crawford, D. Walker, C. Peck, W. R. Monroe, Dr. H. Cryan, S. Clement.
1925, Knox Church voted 23 to 4 against union.
1925, March, R. J. Craig retired from active service,
but continues as S.S.
1925, Sept., Congregation decided to remain closed on
account of impoverishment, in hope of reopening when circumstances permit.
1927, Feb 26, Wellington Boulter, Senior Elder,
passed away.
1928, Dec. 21, congregation decides to ask Presbytery
to dissolve congregation, as there is no prospect of reopening. This was duly granted, and a committee
appointed to dispose of the church buildings and equipment.
Some outstanding statistics:
First communion, Oct. 6, 1833, 36 communicants.
Among these is the name of the Peck family; and for 100 years that name has been
represented on the communion roll.
Never
a large congregation, yet at 1906 its members numbered 169.
Rev.
Mr. Rogers’ field embraced Sophiasburgh and Hillier.
In
the 30’s and 40’s of last century, Knox
Church members in the neighborhood of Roblin’s Mills were regular attenders,
and considered an ox-drawn conveyance an up-to-date means of locomotion.
Generation
after generation passed on, and with the usual lights and shadows of church
life, Knox Church kept bravely on its way.
Always
from earliest years there was a vigorous Sabbath school; and here we name one, who for many years
served as deacon, manager, elder, trustee, and superintendent of the Sabbath
school - the late Wellington Boulter, who even in his busiest years of
developing the canning industry was barely absent from the Sabbath school,
directing it, providing largely for it, and at
Christmas making every effort for a happy celebration. In the erection of the new church in 1909,
Mr. Boulter guaranteed half of the cost.
With him as an efficient co-worker was his most estimable wife, who was
leader in the Ladies’ Aid, and indeed wherever she could help the church; and with them their devoted children. It was an unfortunate day at Knox when the
Boulter family left Demorestville. They
had been such energetic, enthusiastic leaders, and such liberal givers - and no
one able to take their place.
Thirty
years ago the Christian Endeavor Movement with Sabbath school prosperity had
vigorous life at Knox. The story is
told of one man, yet to the fore, who made it a delightful custom to harness
his team to his largest conveyance and convey to the Sabbath school, Christian
Endeavor Society, or any meetings of the young people all whom he could gather
up between his home and Demorestville.
And the same service would Donald gladly give for any social meeting,
the annual harvest home and Christmas entertainment.
With
such leaders there was a group of responsive helpers who never failed to
co-operate and carry on.
BLACK SETTLEMENT
CHURCH
-----
Connected
with Knox Church was the Union Church (Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Episcopalian)
situated on the Back Road, quite near
to the home of W. R. Munroe.
It
was also called the Black Settlement Church, from the several families named
Black, residing near.
The
interested visitor may yet see that church.
It still stands, but on a different site. The ground for the church was given by Jasper Dingman, Esq., of
Picton.
Before
me lies a copy of the original subscribers to that church. John Black heads the list with $100,
followed by forty-one others, whose subscriptions range from $2 to $30.
Rev.
James Boyd supplied this church with afternoon service for some years. I had the privilege of conducting service in
it as I exchanged with Rev. Mr. Boyd in the 70’s of last century.
I
know not if other denominations held service in that church; and just why it had so brief an active
career may be found in the idiosyncracies of human nature. There was certainly intense enthusiasm in
its birth.
----
It
is peculiar how the strong, predominant strain of Presbyterianism in the pioneer
settlers of Prince Edward County never developed into many such churches. The historic records tell of the large
numbers of Presbyterians who came. One
explanation is that only properly ordained clergymen of the Presbyterian Church
were allowed to officiate; and as these
came mostly from Scotland and Ireland, they were few and far between. Meanwhile communities were growing and much
needed religious gatherings.
Ready
at hand were the class-leaders and earnest laymen of especially the Episcopal
Methodist Church of the United States, who could conduct a meeting much after
the Christian Endeavor mode; and
schoolhouses were used for this. The
people, young and old, gathered. And
such gatherings were about the only light in the darkness of Pioneer times,
pointing the Way of Life.
The
descendants of these emigrants may yet be traced by their names which tell of a
Scotch or Irish meeting, and of course Presbyterian; and these names, many of them are on the rolls of other churches
than Presbyterian - other churches, which were able more quickly to send in
ministers and Bible students to supply the spiritual needs of the people.
I
think that explanation is adequate. The
Kingdom of God did not suffer. Souls
were nourished.
The
Presbyterian Churches at Consecon and Hillier were closed some ten years
ago. Knox Church, Demorestville, closed
in 1926. St. Andrew’s, Picton, carries
on vigorously and successfully, and is the only Presbyterian church in Prince
Edward still waving the Blue Banner. It
looks forward to its centennial celebration of 1933.
Meanwhile,
Knox Church, Demorestville, the immediate subject of this article quietly
awaits the final page in its hundred years of history.
Yes
! sad to say, “Silence reigns, where
once arose the hymns of Auld Lang Syne.”
- R. J. C.