535-03 Page 11est Oxford ucle 1
F THE SENTINEL -REVIEW, MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1958
( For Early
By STANLEY J. SMITH
It was the last Sunday in July,
06, that the first divine service
as preached in a church in Ox-
rd county. It was in the 1og�
day structure bears the date "1804
this is to indicate the year that the
circuit was formed. I
In 1802, the New York Metho-
dist conference appointed two new
Methodist missionaries to Upper
Canada. One was the ceebrated
Nathan Bangs who opened up a
new circuit at Long Point; and
th eother was the Reverend Daniel
Pickett who was s d to the
epo
Niagara circuit. a h'""X
Both of these circuits overlapped
into what is known as Oxford to-
day, They held theirservices in
the little locsehool_buildinn lncat-
Oxnard. %7h"i LU;5 C.ArjZ
The school teacher in the year
1805 was a United Empire Loyal-
ist by the name of Ninian Holmes.
He was born in 1785 in Duchess
County, N.Y., of Irish parents and
in the middle `90's his family set-
tled in the Kingston district (eliza-
bethtown) where be received some
education.
The majority of Oxford's first
Duchess County and it is presum-
ed that Mr. Holmes came into the
county, in 1803, to be with former
friends. In the district .were many
devout methodists who later be-
came high officials in the district
of Upper Canada, notably: Rev.
Daniel Pickett, Caleb Burdick,
Enoch Burdick, Henry Ryan and
Bishop Reynolds Mr. Pickett was
a son-in-law of Major Thomas.In-
gersoll, and a brother-in-law of
Laura Secord. Through contacts
with Henry Ryan, another Irish-
man and an ex -pugilist from Duch-
ess County, Ninian Holmes was in-
duced to become a saddlebag prea-
cher on a circuit which extended
from Niagara to the Detroit river.
In 1805, with the organizing abil
township, just south of the .Old
it was decided to build a log meet-
ing house on the sideraod between
lots 14 and 15 of Rest Oxford
ity of Bangs, Holmes, and Pickett,
completed in 1806 and the Rev.
Stage road. This small edifice was
Ninian Holmes was the first prea-
cher and every other Sunday, oth-
d the position. On the site
first meeting -house, about
present brick church was or
but on the front of th
a plaque bearing,
vn. Naturally, many elf
this was the original c
{VAR 1812-15 '
The saddlebag preachers contin-
ued to preach throughout Upper
Canada and by 1811 the New York
conference knew that it would only
be a matter of time before and
outbreak of war between Britain
and the U. S. would occur. There -I
fore, it encouraged Methodist prey-,
_ chars of British birth, or sym-'I
apathies, to occupy bhe main cir-
ethods'X""'
ferred in 1812 from the Niagara
circuit to the newly created De-
troit circuit. This latter circuit was
to comprsie Detroit, Sandwich,Mal-
den, Colchester (on Lake Erie)
and the lower Thames river dis.
trict. around Chatham. Because of
the war and his strong British sym=
pathies Rev. Holmes failed to re-
port to Detroit, but instead, fol-
lowed the army as a sort of chap-
lain and preached to the various
settlements in which the army
moved.
In 1815, he was the only Metho-
dist preacher between Oxford and
Sandwich. He purchased a farm in
Raleigh township, Kent county,and
returned to his old vocation of
teaching school during the week,)
and preaching on the Sabbath.
He was beloved by his pupils and'
he had several French-Canadian
scholars as he spoke English,
French, and Greek quite fluently:
He died in 1829, aged 44, and was
buried in the old Dolsen burial
ground.
To the last he was a true ad-
herent to Methodism. On May 4th,
1829, he preached to the colored
brethren in nearby Chatham, and
as they were all ex -slaves he could
probably name them by their
Christian names. After the services
he walked home and appeared in
the best of health. The following
morning. he opened his school, and
showed no sign of near illness.
That niht he ate a hearty supper,
prepared for bed, said his prayers,
complained- of a slight headache
and expired at 3 a.m. the follow-
ing morning. Thus ended West Ox-
ford's church first minister.
When hostilities commended the
addle -baggers lined up almost to
man and jjoined the British
forces. The Rev. Caleb Burdick
and his brother Enoch enlisted in
the militia volunteers and saw fm
mediate service at Niagara and De-
troit. For this patriotic service,
U.S. "General" Arthur Westbrook, r`
made a foray into Oxford and soi
a
i to Burlick's grist, mill lcca1vd
n r'e❑tre,.Je.-m+p�fat_
n., cfn.lc h.nd
1I�a.•'rs/tg
Two Ingersoll distill
travelling in this stat
gen. met death late c
afternoon when they '
collision with a CPR
'train, extra 8692, just .
MEN DIED WHEN STATION WAGON HIT BY TRAIN
umen, town, The single railway track Charles Sheahan died at the � -'
wa- -cuts across the concession join- scene of the accident andda-ing Thames street and Well- Thomas Knowles, 41, driver of
ire m the vehicle, died hours later at
,eight ington south, just south of Alexandra Hospital. (Staff
ath of town. Thirty - one - year old Photo)
BELOW: The Shell — An unmanned dial equipment station t
Beachviile was turned over to Bell Telephone Company officials
yesterday by the contractor, and equipment installation will begin
"as soon as possible" company spokesmen said. The change -over
to dial is scheduled for September 7. — lf51
-
lConduct Official Opening
Dedicate Ingersoll
/ r— 1 1 1 1.
r-uim
�
ri iven'
Home
/9sb
INGERSOLL, Feb. 16 — The Rev. .1,
of Ingersoll Baptist Church,
R, Simpson, rector
and president
Council of Churches officia.11s dedicated
of the Ingersoll
"Faith
Haven," a
home for convalescents and elderly citizens at
1 conducted Sunday afternoon,
ceremonies
The Rev. W. E. Gill, of Nor- I'
-
val, owner of Faith Haven,
welcomed the many who at-
the service,
&•JItended
and stated
his hope, that Faith Haven
be a truly Christian home
for the elderly and the con-
valescent in years to come."
Present Testaments
Ronald McGinnis, chairman
of the Ingersoll -Woodstock.
camp of the Gideons, pre..
1"will
rented Mr. Gill with to
Gideon editions of the New
Testament. The books were '.
dedicated by the Rev, Gordon
R. Chaffe, rector of Tillson-
burg Baptist Church. The Rer.
Garnet Husser, of Aylmer
,United Church, added his
blessing during the ceremony.
.I The dedication followed the
Official opening, conducted by
'l Mayor Winnifred Williams
on
1 Saturday afternoon. DignL
tarfes present at the opening
were, the Rev. D. T. Evans,
Of St. Paul's Presbyterian
`I Church in IngersollDaniel
I Aiken, welfare administrator
for Ingersoll,
and councilor
Peter Molnar.
Fairth Haven, soon to pro-
, vide aceomodatfon for 20 is
now equipped to handle 10
residents.
,