020SEPT. I Ti. 19\4'
A'Little Grove o
First Presbyterian
St. Paul' _ a Presbytenan Church, In ersoll' one
Eta 5 rl� x g commemorates
hundred years of Christian wit.
messing in Ingersoll and commun-
} 4 'r� �• Y„A -' ryi a �E "'Y Beginning S""olher 25th
( p•„�', x S' - ,r q .; and continuing for four weeks,
special services will be observed. v
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church,
' Ingersoll, hoe had a rich and colour- L
In'
history, There were two Prosily- ex
t., terian churches in the early days.
tr In Scotland there were several n
°i groups within the-. Presb terian
church, the Established char ln, the Ir.
a" *�'-, a• „ w'a Free church, the United Presbyter -
a <sy, s. • i fall church, and others. When the L
•, , F .,� early settlers came to Canada they
r _ •� brought their own church preference
I
6 s x with them, In Ingersoll, Knox was A the-h'ree church and Erskine the }
;w United Presbyterian church.
In Ross in_eScotlad of
yea"ml, Sent lox t ile �tlteoRev.
i
Donald MacKenzie whose ministry
it may he said, laid the foundation
z. x for Presbyter tanistn in this part of i
Western Ontario. A little grove of
x
'z�r„ +a �� •`� a ., trees on the north side of St. An- �p
drew, St., which seems to have been
the. favourite spot for holding relic-
����yyyy ® ions services in those days, and inn I
raids Presbyterian 1u1� . which Knox church was subsequently
�,L1 �, built, was where Mr. MacKenzie r
f preached to an ever-increasing mtun-
r'' t - , bex who .gathered during those
popp .years between 1834 and 1846 to.lts-
WrVe't� Ceq i'_V ten to his messages of salvation and
Il Sri `, ,t7 hope,
_et, Cross left in 1.869 and he On a sultry summer afternoon in
Cummencing� on September 25 Annong the first menibers of, was fofllowed by Rev, Peter 1846, the Rev. W. C. Burns was
Itnd for -four weeks, the conga(;.,_ Knox church we find the names' Ayr -fit who remained until 1373. preaching beneath the same little
I'm
of; St. .Paul's Presbyterian; of Mr. and Mrs, R. Falconer, Mr. Durmg his ministry a new church,, grove of trees when a violent thun-
hurch will mmk,the-lWth anni- land Mrs. A47. Du�ui 'IT_i1Ta tell wf��;' l°r'ns part Of.the present derstorm arose and frightened the
versary of the. founding of the f;er, Mt, anti Mrs. l� ller,_illr. St. 1 am's, was built. I worshippers. 'file. Burns assured
---•per— The Rev. John Mc n followed' them that the first. Presbyterian •'-ohuirh•in In-' C. Telfer, Mr. and Mrs. Ilaimng, the Rev, Peter Vright. llurin h as an Y 'rare as safe there
gersoll: - NN rian_�,Stfich•.Mt and Mrs,Ob-'ministr g is ywhere and advised this hand -
go"
.St. Paul's Ptcsbyterian church ver, IvIl and Afl•s H. M rs. on, Y an organ was introduced fill of people to secure that very the service of raise. For spot for a site for a church which
'Ingersoll, has had a rich anri cn!•.fix. D •ts�on lee gown, Mr, some time there Was talk of union the.
"orful -history, •There were two 19 KS]'; J. Barker U. Ross, A s v subsequently did.
1889'een Knox and Erskine. Lt During the summer of 1847, ell -
Dal churches in .the ear- rdon 1'he lest Kirk Session lggg the ftnal. union was corfsu-� coursed b
_ g y a generous offer made
f--` --- was composed of Josc h Banker, mnled and the new church was by Mr. James Ingersoll, fly days, In Scotland there were ,Do�d Ross and Alex orb called St Paul's g' rsoll, (a member '
i eVeral groups within the Presby-�(La cr as the congregation grew' The Rev. F. 'R, Hutt was or- the ttto wax' named)rl tie few ter nPresl �'t elan :church, 'Ute -Established) W H�Jd'Hugh Davi soli, and dallied and inndm2:ed on August bYterians built a small brick church ,fhurch, the Free church, the Un- John Bears, were elecfid to the 26, 1890, as the fist minister of known as .Knox church on St, church
Uled Presbyterian church, and nth- session. An -
the new SC Paul's. church. The drew's St.
�e"n% When the early. settlers came i Rev._ Wallace was rnlnister until . history of the congregation during In September, 1848, the Rev.
[tto Canada they brought their own -- --- his ministry is .marked by growth Robert Wallace preached for a call
rhurch prefernce with them. In 1860 anri hr was, followed by Rev, materially and spiritually. The in this new church. He received the
Ingersoll Knox was the Free �JOID1 516iih The 'congregation seating capacity of the church was call and was inducted as the first j
.hurch and Erskine the. United grew rapidly and a gallery was found to be inadequate and steps minister in January, 1849.
,f?resbyterian "church. added to the church. ---- - ------ - - - -
'Rev: Straith resigned in 1870 rvg a taken to enlarge the build= �- _' a, �(I,
SS t Scot] 1834 do Synod of m A lar e addition was made 'ar ""'�"'"'•"_ r"^"
Rose In Scotland scot out the. Rev. and he was followrdby Rev, R. N, : on the south side d
p eKenzic whose minis- Grant whose ministry made a'I an a new pipe C _ I dill g
organ WM n was t g s install
'deep ed.
er and lasting imf
tr �, rt .may be said lard the foun- Y
y
in this cu the spiritual life
The Rev. A Bneht became the
of Knox
eatnon for Wester" Ontamsm Knox
Olin
church,
��ait � '
next It mster of St, Paul's and he
labored
nfWestrrn-bntarro.
grove Turning to the hustory-of Frs-
fide street
faithfully until 1914 when
he 'lent to be assistant minister 6•--".-' I QJ.tj
north of, St„Andrews ki church we find that the Rev.;
of Parkdale church, Toronto. The
,vhichsecros to have been the fa lirchibald Cxo was inducted as.
Rev. P. M cod followed Rev,----'-'�
Rev 75r. ii� H. Turner followed
Vnrite spot for holding religious ,fast nnmtiter on Jauuary 11, 1855..
Bright, 1'he World War, 1914-18 Mr. Brown. Dr. urner's ministry
' orvice, in .those days, and on In the first year`of Air. Cross's'
came during Rev. McLe ad 's mini- extended from -7.932 until 1946,
ivhichnox chinch was subse ministry, a church was built oil
built, was where Idn Alan- Charles street west on the -site'
shg and he served for a time as ..During this Lime the world passecT.
chaplain. Me. McLeod iesi me
through. the depresdon
.gneutly
' do'' now
in and.w -
1919 g oft-
an ever -in- occLL ie
kyI{enzic > preached Occupied by the Beaver. Lum-�
FWar 1I. In 1935 extensive nano- {
creasing number° who gathered �,ber Co.
Its was during the nett mini- vations were made to the church.
during those Years between 1834 i'he fast session of -Erskine
ster's ministry, the Rev. G, Wood, Dr. Turner retired at the end of -
and_ D346 to listen to his messages church consisted of 'C Ilislo D.
�`-�
that the question of churZtr-p7ft6n September,. 1946.
i ' salvation land hope. IQigg, J. Hay, It. D. between fhe Methodist, Congrega- The present minister, the Rev.
-I�el•r p Kerr,i tional
During the summer of en J W-.`ikei, 7. Lawson 7 D- Tr1ir' an(i:
and Presbyterian churches G_ W. Murdoch, was inducted oil
Offer
}rouraged by a geucrnus offer made J yr�nf Meg- race Slpyl;ltwho
,vas considered. By an overwhelm- y 17. 194 .
Januar ,
ing
by A7r: Jatnos�Shc (a mem (hves' wtlh her daughLcr, Mrs,' W.
majority St. Paul's decided tot In preparation for the Cenlen-
g 1
'bcr oC C -6,Sn erso 1 family after I Baffle , Cemeter bane,
,ef Y was bap ��Went
the tized.Uy
remain Presbyterian. Mr.. Wood i ar-y the church has boon redecor-
to be '�ated
e
[W9noni the town'vvas named, Rev. Cross in Erskine
6�
assistant minister of inside and outside' A new l
1'resb} terians built a small :church m ]SS;i., Mrs Smith u'}io
Trinity church and 127 members `organ using the old pipes has been 7
ffew,
bt,ck church I:npwn as "Knox m in
J Y g. good health, He,
r
from St. Paul's ",cut with him. installed by Lye Organ Co.,
m ig v
hurch on St. Andrews. street. � memory rs very vivid and she, well
,the
The next minister of St.. Paul's of Toronto, the original builders of
L, September, 7848, 'Lhe Bev.. remembers the buildingwas
of St;
the Rev. J_A, r wn. By his the organ. The Organ will be de&
1111- 's Paul's-olrrch in 1871 D1rs. Jon
faithful and- notion [forts and ,icated S nda g
g er $ Y, Sept• 18, in loving
`Gtbs_ivt,- 93, of. Mosslev. dist7ricf
d,eendeared memory of the men who gave
ed the Call and was inducted as the another i icmber of St. Paul':
h°nsell' to his people. After serv_ their lives in the two World Wars.
-i, st 1-tai)nster in"Januai`y,; '�churchwa5 a tTternber of Frsktni
tug for seven years he died, on Chimes will be dedicated in mem-
,18t}g;
tchurch, -
* `
April it 20, 1932., ... ory of Miss Janet McKellar; offer-
.
In,.- plates in me or piP pc y 0ryA Rose.
a Bible
pillpil in memorYo.. ante .q
f Trees Was'
Churchto 12-
/
----------------
,'Yy ,1,
There died on S,nd�ybert
Xneeshanv in his 78�th year. GonHnik
Fn his parents to Canada from r'�nee5ic�ut`
7:ngland in 1832, they settled in a5 it, ne,.LO
Montreal. In 1857 Mr, IKneeshaw , Chnldteti. fie,
came to Ingersoll and before the
fire carried on business on the east. Wdt a rjruggifl:
side of Thames street on the site r4 Corner
where Hendry's dry goods store is. 01 d;r& Wj$
Later he To ated in the Corner NA Jow,v 9-14
Drug Store in conjunction with the
the late Jahn Gayfer. He is survived IZojal
Bank —his widow nlid brothers in Ham- `uectdd,
in, Nebraska, Australia, New
Zealand, and a sister in Oshawa,
f'. It of six children died, the Sur- {
vivors being Misses Elizabeth tand d
Alike.
i�,.h-IRS2-'(nawr�T<N zZir,Ger,1�U¢5�',sGurda
v%t),
LftrX•ud.� //,,,,�v
$.xfd Pm b 9.eaAm,., 6;- OL
�gFlos'b G.w yP.in I u AIr,
Among --the first members of Knox
I'll h we find the namesi of Mr.
and .Mrs R Falconer, Mr. and 'Mrs.
W. Dunn Thomas Telfer, Mr. and
Mrs, W Telfer, Mr, G. Telfer M,. x
and Mee illaining, Marion Sinclair,
A
and Mrs. Oliver, Mr. and Mrs.
H. Matheson, Alex, Morrison, Alex. -
Brewn, IMr. R. Kerr, J. Barker, D. i
Ross, A, Gordon, The first Kirk Ses- I
Sion was composed of Joseph Bar-
ker, Donald Ross and Alex. Gordon.
Later as the congregation grew, IV -
Hayward, Iftrgh Davidson and Job, II Bears, were elected to the session.
Rev: Wallace was minister until
1860 and he was followed by Rev. '
John Straith. The congregation
z+
grew rapidly and a gallery was add-
ed to the church. The session exer-
cised carefulscrutiny over the
fives of the ms emberand those
gm of infractions were Warned
and threatened with suspension when
their lives were thought unworthy
of their Christian profession.
The questio❑ of instrumental
music in the church gave much con-
iearn and the session's resolution set
forth their opinion that "To allow
the use of instruments in the wor-
ship of God in the sanctuary, would -
be inexpedient axed would endanger
I the unity and peace thereof," In
the early church a precentor led in
the singing of the Psalms with the
aid of a toning fork. It was some
years later before an organ ,was
i allowed in the church. One old
Scot said that he could not deny that
it was a fine kist o'Nvhistles but an
awful way to worship the Lord.
Rev. Straith resigned fit 1870 and
he was followed by Rev. R. N. Grant
whose ministry made a very deep
and lasting impression on the spirit-
ual life o`` TKnox church.
;o be continued)