016'`4FAMILY-� TIIIETI[OP157` P'OiiNIDEI;S
to first religroi}a . so xi.e' Alma I!. _--� -- 1, f Fi. ` "�" '"*�.. }IUGE
)xfor d,.naw ,ln"ersoll, =:}vas in ed +t Oxford un r f�. �•' " k r John Wesley: Methodist founder , The name '.Methodist" was ll
S rtrl ,r4 ug,. j)th, 1801, when he started + - ,il a -h°r ,,'., a-� !who died In 1738, was one of a iginally given to Charles and Jell
year. 1801xdat='August<�lst, o%r'� P It his journey - westward over tue � yl:' r--> 's „ . •��' r it °' '� {family of 19 barn to Samuel Wes ,Wesley and some other Oxfoi
pears 'ged r This' first sexwice t kTh.imes Vaney 'frail, past the con- - .I v a " `• 'leY. .. - .
students,in 1729.
: asponsc)red Iby the Methodist tfiuence of. the north and south ,� t s a ' --� -�- �_ a
poem] Church and the minister ibranelips and the old fortified camp x ki t s �4
Th`e-7 "tath•en ones'.? ) �f, the neutral :Indians, near the
"Pre site of `Laudon, and on to µ) E r".
it' axtgs was,`j{'athex.,*a-renxar k- iDelaware.''At this setticnient®he was h t:,
3 L
7
uilh;, He came'. to Chnaaa fi,}onr ,treated to: the lux pi•y' of it bundle ,y. �� , + _ , }t
•States m,hr99 and'tight hit :of•s''tl uw' for a bed which proved
ed`'�
ma-'atte ealnt ethodxst pis Sou. more contloAable than slsepmg -
I AwVice -,Here he ' colicetve on the, ground in tbo4tinest. '.The �
fdea'that he ootilQ beso&amen .'tout ney pf this' missionacY over the hma .: „( r' , %•,L.ti ce,.../i /� ita.�-��1t"'-'�'
ee- to _mankind if he ¢himself , ' difficult trail to Deft oft and back
,*,become a trav¢Ilmg pxreacher to Oxford .took several months and) "ql p���
,enr>,y religious i instruction to '.was packed full , interesting I � �%p2 _ 7rze� 2'.,'l -eye. %oc�.-�%*� off;
settle rdy,ith Canada West. An 'evens mixed with many diffrcultxes. I A �-
iron of tl{s.chul~eh IYh 'lStbmas` He tells of oil
}nrident near �l�''� • "f �'�-"O��*G' f`�`"� `x
stet.,_gives us a�'auly good idea r (Waxdsville, where .he visited the 2i-
ome,of the characteristics of to cabin .of a French Canadian
tit
mail his 'description of Mr. tt"-"'phav were ± -delighted to 1 l x ,,, � " r� , i f+{,y ik5aw:� xYT/«`�• -u..+ �o T, ,�...�%4r ^DhL
's' first visit', to, the Furs of ,;have a-vb4,uY from the outside that,it �, •,,: Y s , ;,i, a s
arm.:' }='xT .the good wife kno+viug of aaneigb lr .i°�^ ,,•.' ., rr'i/� q�'�a all
bar �an:n
r x' + bot. who - had hoarded' some tea p u( Y. �� ITY ,� 1'I IE� �0 �. ,f1'. which stood wherethe alZI ;its,.
C,ter -+ a ivdt.V dfffic)ilt''jour110.11.: ough from. the 'Old Land, begged - ` A�.t,'}Ir' �r'"y� ll
4 ${iara` mx the Lake;- Up ahe i "\'vpyv�r t� r° ,,V'y' ; la within th memory of most peo,
h'bank - of the river, throiah some from her to wake Lea.. in hmv `J yy ,,.y Iple intowm� }w+iN Yww-% '
deuce forest =that coveted. the or off such a.;{treat occasion.:Having i '@,� pl� �Qv �i f"ti� Y With lvo'man brane}.es of the'
his, Mr. Banks at last got his neither tea trips not tea kettl A. 1i BIdJ - Y A�QA6�: .,0 _ ' vao - bra �;,-it ax disin town ihurch inntile early days -
but necessitybeingthe mother of y fol-,
'view h then stupendous scen/e� t e .'invention, she scoured the dhsh pan, ji , ® •(' � � � , g, ���� .i�� ;'lows that many very distinguished' .�
saw the -°.turbulent waters lVE ; I brewed the tea and treated the I g t Canadians of that faith have at
river, rushing.down,the two or honored guest to tlxe beverage that), --
e mile` stretch to -where they 1 i,, church. In 1823,-, lT,`e�Wu3t ? various times been la•&fed here.
ged in two great masses, into :. cheers but does pot. inebriate. . �. '�Vhett Thomas Ingersoll and hiss .Oxford church was transferred :Rev. John_Ka3 twice stationed
i s 1 -from the Galloway proper4' to at. ?ngersoll, was born in Napa-..
yaw°iii4g abyss <Of mist 170 ,fact rl s Slept on the snow': - ',. } ' hi party a f,.p i v e d at Oxford-on-1 the trustees of the - IN Cfltnilist ace, Ont.,. in 1838, His father died
w and than '�swoep away m /, a etthe-Thames in 1793, he found al-ifr&I Episcopal church; Pnr�i`inIn. ' - when he was l4, yet he persevered
luxg;l,eddies and .billows to the On his �.nrought back' in studies and work, helping his
iIy.-"-,whirlpool;,, The ineessaut� `La/rather sad account of the suffer- a,most an unbroken forest with the �rw ex Coin of
or Wood ofBur----,the
der, the solemn': grandeurt.'tile a 'a;exception of some squatters who - was tip of Oxfoa W Isaac,the family end made such'Progress
loge: of many of the settlers on a s" Bich and Thomas' -Walk' o[<ihe
scribnixle. power, beauty and account go,
and fever, prodp preceded',h}m. They were the Car- a townsh1 of Zorra, for a consider- that he was received into the min -
Unity of the scene so�im�xressed red by the, miasma from the vast o;rols, near' the "present site of Nation of five�xounds.' Tht*deedt for fstry 1m 1862.
;Bangs that he seems tto have stietehes' of swamp .lands to the p�Beachville, another family ofXBr-• this transer waa sworn' 20 by Rev, cardlyr~Koy_le born at 1878
Con -
Bangs home, to him i a very iwe:,,. He himself had to spend gIrolls Rear Ingersoll,, the Lekfave¢'��t«ph«� Comfort Sage and•Stepin•'�T tralia, became a -minister in
eful: incliner.- the a r ) _ iax ' nights in the words sleeping k a-nttmesford and others " iA t� and signed by Thomas nor, and was stationed at Ingersoll I
asty, of-- his. Creator. on the snow' covered ground while) i "*Ingersoll at once allocated land 6 registrars. 'Thus the West Oxford Ito was gifted with wonderful ut-
fLer:.. a journey froiti ��Niagara sleep was made snore difficult by t0 his. followers, oil the trail :flow •:church was the first church home atorical power and became a, out
,?^known as the Hamilton Road and! in the original Ingersoll settle- standing. exponent of his chosen I
the Ancient fruit through Any;. the howling of wolves. /' roceeded'-te improve road';from inent, - profession.
or sand Burford, the .preacher �': Much could be written about this i•ln ers 1] to .Beachville so the, 'I From 1S23 to about I&AO 59„the .Rev. D._C,',lyLeIntyre,
vltb the settlemeuL of ON-1 missionary, the Rev, Nathan 'Bonet, l�l �„. € 9, ,.
'Many o£:-.the settlers wvho) hut � as he formed the first rcligious,i community' stretched; ;along this,." religious advantages of Jpgel'soll�
a with the •:iligex lolls, }were fur l - society here fin• the M. E. Church, old stage road for five or six miles.. were limited and centred' ,around co born t 1895' at Duart, Kent)
a th th ers ]' of Cthe if. , l they were the first organization to What is now known as Beachville, county, attended Ci obtain high
the West Oxford: church:'on the
xch{: hut, since for eight years (';_ own a church. property. So far, all f ,Centreville' and Ingersoll was thei school and Victoria University, be -
since a'`Jocal school house but the various� came mathematical master of Ing• G
had been in it forest 1macs meetings had been held in the pri- branches of the Methodist. church «
organized orshr r rf " ersoll high school which position
,out any org _ ' 9 1 , '' vote home 'or the school house, `7 rtlent. r were more organized and tnA l lslt5I he resigned to stud theology. lie
..denomination;.,they \welcomed! but in the year IS'19'%the site of a Although section
was begun "J of the travelling preachers more B y
deri and received thee
with nliled l 'the present year
Oxford Church in this section as. early as 1793 +. frequent, -so that marriages and was stationed in many cities and
nianthere is no •knowled a of an re-1 '?
.. jwas definitely used for .services of v 1i ions services being .held any
o ✓w ;baptismal ceremonies were mor¢ towns throughout Ontario.
ndship. The news of the'.arrivallP i�ie M. E.'Ch arch. g i., L certain. The village did not pos- Rev. Jahn_L�so born at nlar
r preacher soon spread al nls thei - „:\ The following information was - 6 1801:.In that year on the ,first dayi '�.sess'a church in 1828 and there bro in 1848,, joined the Methodist
Is and blazed lines Of t o set-�;: oU(ained from i+ copy of the prig- I of. August, the first service was K Were no ministers of any dennmbr• Episcopalchurchat the age o: 21,
tent -and .nearly: the entire ,1)opu- ina deed or transfer of land in , �spotrsored by the Methodist Epfs-t � e trtion regularly stationed here. The ordained in 1873 served Ingersoll
oni -turned '+ out for this great„ West Oxford in 1823 and is one of Copal Church and the minister was; c �t' Methodist travelling -preachers ,and.many other charges and .heid;
ision, and helped to form a' red; , , one. of the old time saddle -bag mis-' k v came around on their circuit once important offices -n the Niagara„
P the 'treasw•ed possessions of a great b In two or three weeks, on horse l
aria society for organized war, grandson grandson of one of the principals j , sionanes; the Revey fro ii Bangs Conference.. -
rr Making a journey from e r• �, back with saddlebags across the Rev, Edward Dewart, born in
in -.Oxford. �.=°. mentioned in the transfer. This , -
deed of,land reads in part: "A I t agara `frontier over the ancient `' e saddle., Generally they around County Cavan, re an in 1828,
Told who he was ' to the different famines doU[ying came to Caned@@ at the age of six,`
. I' memorial to. the registrar pursu- it toad .through Ancaster and Bury ,them of the service In the school. became a school tacher in 1847. or
ant to thelaws of Upmer Canada of ford, Mr; Bangs rode into the set-i house and they always had a pack trained in Weslyan Methodist
u .conducting this first meeting, +. our indenture of bargain and the 1 tlemenC of :Oxford. Many of the' ed house. __:y_,�_-,.', church in 7.851. Strationed is In -
Bangs followed , his usual pro- sale 'bearing date all Oxford in ithe I - ---
- -
are.i He first satisfied his con- 1 i settlers who came with Thomas '' From 1840.1855. there was s';w gersoll in 1867 to 1869,'when he t
;atimr as-aowhohe-was. j district of Londot,In the said prov-j ,',Ingersoll were members of was elected editor of the Christian:
and l P lace, the twenty-ninth do , of NO-1 1 I -1 rapid expansion In industrytrade
t he: had come::for, So he began( vember in e near o our ord, ', t'the: Methodist Episcopal church .� and population and a correspond GUard[an which post he held over
discourse in ,the. following man; o11e�and eigTF nu ,u.Tu and '.,s and they welcomed Mr. Bangs aid.,. ing expansion in church building: 21 years. While at Ingersoll,' Mr.
"My nameis Nathan.Bang twer'TIi' an oar Yuan e- 3 1, i, aided -him-in theformation of the, among the various denominations:.: Dergart published a volume of po•'
as, born in Connecticut -on Ma ; t viceq 7o in Gall way of Oxford„ l : t'first religious. congregation. This. Many of these old churches are = ems "The Songs ,f rue" , h r d-''
1773. I was bmn again: in �tl{. ,, .�} - `-^ +.be an the History of the Methodist one but anion flan dxRerent five of the joys, sorrows, f the
a oresaid gem tan. of the one pax•t ( g �_, g i
since. in. May; 1799. I conmen- and Joel ,P} x_lan Robert_ _ Colson, { Church in this community.' branches- of the NIeihodist church ships and splendid courage of the..
-itinerating as. a preacher of the (_ �" i The Reverend Bangs stayed In' �' which have united from time- to pioneers of Western'Ontario. ;.
pet uti.September, 1800. On the Jaco -�Voo of the °Pow»shin of _
6px oirdJdLsstdr�rct yeoman and Isaac p �, formed the resent United Church, The Rev. Solomon Peter Hales,
e, un1i1 recent) the last union
t, day of June- I- left New York ,seeded :westward. From this time,. p - pastor of the c igr6gation bf the 1
bxford nine days and then, pro- I tim
, day o pose of visiting you, York
I Buntirk and' Thomas - Wait of the t on .'to about 1812 the Methodist RI\ of Canada, there are several which. B.M.E. ` church in Ingersoll. He
-� Township of Zorra- yeomen, trus "'���
m,I; had heard two 'years ago i I p Episcopal .t, Episcopal congregation was kept a are remembered +y the of citil, worked
good citizen Hetloved toaas�.
r' a:�`long- tedipus journey f am -^ I tees for the Methodist F. P -together, for their religious servf- zens, i•Wallu!. w+*d M
V, I "ant tedi fonthe Heavenly Church, etc., whereby the consul .� des by their own leaders and were Th�Bxble Chr'stian Mmctllwas. tonish his congregation with the
'. and my errand among you I eration'of ' five pounds of lawful I i'visited. from time to time by Mr. �� -a rat er }rnposing structure for use of big words which, when in -
In
ieand as many aan can to go money'' of the. saV' rif Piovnrce." In Bans and other travelling, minis-. 9 those days and was situated on vestigated by skeptical members: t 'r
n.. ire. I am aNlethodist preacher•short the site of the present t est g �,", Oxford street on the vacant lot,( of :his audience, were usuallyi o 'o
j! Oxford Church Was trans erre teA e t • tt..
Lmy manner of worship is to 7 ' Lxe tr s eel of the M. E. Church As nearly all of these preachers F west of Victmia Mmeorial school:; found to convey the idea intended.
while singing, kneel while 4 r came from the United States, iniy This building was removed to King,:.He lived in poverty and died in
1 £tr, £o' and the original Bleed was
sing, and to stand while preach- f e', red as Article 984, Feb h 1812 the were. looked upon with d street west where it still) stands � poverty buy he wa a hero and a
to - the eople, meanwhile sit- t Counfort -suspicion as enemies and ordered y� y f and is used as a dwelhag and a � good -man: ? � ' •iu,t.••r )
1? jjrr 1Jth,. 1824 sworn to by or then carried' on. A ' teach- place of, business; The John street The present minister, �It a V.
As man of you as see fit toq i' t to leave the country. Local
y 111 S r e and Stephen_._-L TeQran� '' Mr: Bur• c!?ux'ch, after being abandoned for Cllarles_,D�leh came to the
me,. in this way can do ' -so ands sighed by Thos, ,Tio?ner, registrar. dish became'a .travelling preacher •' .church:purposes :was used as_a �churcit in-1938: During,th^ war,'I .9D
test may .choose their own way. //. i�-,-�.r � � f ajy'Ij his, territory extended to Long Q ward school for. many years and is -while. the minister was chaplain
result was that when he stood ° �r ---- -r-•— -
•ing, jhetis• Polar. still standing on its former loco- overseas, Rev. H ,.d Parr was
they all stooc, when Cut"'
i to pray. every xt',All, :woman f' `�,,�r� �.1�,r r<,d,. p,So't o� Up to 1820 there had been no par- tion. Ingersoll once had a colored minis tee,
r I9j,�;_ - f`a .. g11\pW gvtr . - tc llar.+place- of worship 'irr -the ,population sufficiently.. strong to _)f; late years,' a. new memorial
child, Beth white and `:Indimi, II 1 1 � 1 :- .J Whole community except the old support'a church situated on Cath- I organ has been Installed, with 1
ni It clown and when`^ he. askediI i f-,+Y�W%lA�ra - Yu-Gty nvtti .log;. school that stood on the"pres' arine street, near they creek that chimes, which:peal out -every Sun
s i£ they' would like` these set l' " Ant Memorial School grounds or in guns through part nF :dr. Lucas' i day over .the country side. A now c_e
'xoutinued at >tatrfi'fit Ivat%,; 1,JN asc,'-w{,i„c (l a,vuull, ',f6'hw_✓ i^s. .n house. Later in that year the C ;.property. This church was called alighting system was installed and yr Wr
tobd 1tp• , . , ` .v:. ---' '--._- ✓LpctA 'V* Pjgins,; Galloways; Burdiclts: and ( ,the British Methodist ,Episcopa both the church- and the Sunday.
r ma ye6ihers erected a log-) ,uijdin -
fh.a`r'hC' e}5xsy 'ices near "F on 'cHurcii. Went n+r4�krY.tMO.-win+rt school have been.redecm•ated.