centennial 49 st. marks church - forgottenbooks.com€¦ · puffin. church centennials, thus far,...
TRANSCRIPT
Puffin .
Church Centenn ials , thus far , are among the rare events
i n the history of Canada . I t would , therefore . have been
remarkable had the church of S t . Marks ’
, Niagara , passed
through a century of i ts existence without commemoration
of the fact . More remarkable sti l l had i t proved , after the
event ’s celebration,had no record or memorial of the proceed
ings of the time been kept . That we might not be in such a
case,the publication of a memorial volume was asked for,
and the small book before us is the issue . Thework of compi la
tion and writing was committed to one of our best local b istori
cal writers,and al l wi l l concede that Miss Janet Carnochan has
faithful ly performed her part, and we would add has done so
gratuitously. Part of the matter w as taken from her very
able paper read before the Canadian I nsti tute i n 1890 ; but
the major portion is quite new and hitherto unpublished . To
al l i ntents and purposes , therefore , i t i s a new history . The
photo . i l lustrations were done espec ial ly for this work by two
gentlemen amateurs , whose names we are not at l iberty
to publish . The corporation of St . Mark ’s hereby tender
Miss Carnochan, and the above-mentioned gentlemen , thei r
heartiest thanks for thei r trouble , and hope that they may find
some l ittl e gratification i n the measure of permanency given
thei r work , as also in its general appreciation .
To al l interested,to those who took part i n the celebra
tion , and to the general publ ic , we commend this brief
memorial , which is i n real i ty but a partial narration of the
events i n the l ives of three success ive rectors , the last of
whom , comparatively free from i nfirmi ty , sti l l l ives to puruse
these pages .
J OH N C . GARRET, Citrate in charge.
R U S S EL W ILK INS ON ,
D . B . MACDOUGALL,
C/zurchwardens.
51aMark’
s
HE beautiful old chu rch of
St . Mark ’s , Niagara , forms
i n itself an ample refutation
of the statement , sometimes
sneeringly made , that Can
ada has no history ; for the
edifice and its surroundings
form a history i n themselves .
I t has been said , and wel l said , that were one to study the
h istory of this church—its tablets,its registe r, and al l
that may be seen from its square tower—he would be
tolerably famil iar with a great part of the history of Upper
Canada. I n attempting to sketch the story, we find an
ample store of di ff erent materials—a picturesque grey stone
church , with projecting buttresses and square tower , peeping
through the branches of magnificent old trees,many tablets
i ns ide and out , tombstones hacked and defaced by the rude
hand of war , an old register , dating back to 1 792 , kept
with scrupulous neatness , its pages giving an ever-shifting
kaleidoscopic V i ew of di fferent national iti es,of pioneer l ife ,
of mi li tary occupation , of the red man , Britain’
s faithful al ly ,
of the poor s lave , here freed by legal enactment , of w aifs
and strays from al l lands,while the su rroundings te l l of
French occupation two hundred years ago,of booming
cannons and blazing rooftrees a century ago .
Long before the modern touris t had invaded ou r quiet
town and learned of the beauti es wi th which we are so
famil iar , oracularly tell ing us what to admire,some of us
are pleased to remember that i t was our ideal of an old
English pari sh church and churchyard . When the late
lamented Dean Stan ley vis i ted St . Mark ’
s,he said “This is
a piece of old England . The parish of St . Mark ’
s is
un ique in th is particular , that in the century which has
elapsed there have been only three incumbents , with a
record of 37 , 28, and 35 years respectively. The value of
its register is shown by the fact that permiss i on was obtained
some years s ince to copy al l the earl ie r pages , and this record
has been placed in the archives of the H istorical Society
of the c ity of Bu ff alo. The Rev. Robert Addison , the
6
firs t rector , who had been sent out by the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel , must have had a vein of
quiet humor , as shown by the quaint remarks i nterpolated
here and there at the notice of baptism , wedding or burial .
He was evidently a scholar and a lover of books , for his
l ibrary of several hundred volumes , now in the possession
of the church , would bring from far and near the lover of
rare and curious books . Here is a Breeches B ible and
Prayer Book , i n which is off ered prayer for Henrietta Maria ,
wife of Charles I . , and in dull , dusky leather many rare
and valuabl e folio editions to rejoice the heart of the bibl io
maniac .
The fi rs t entry is J u ly 9th , 1792 , a baptism , the first
burial being July 3 l st, and the first marriage is in these
words : “Aug. 23rd, 1 792 , Henry Warren , bachelor , to
Catherine Aglor , spinste r. ” “ Aug. 16th buried a soldier
in the Fort on the other s ide of the river . “Aug. 24th ,
marri ed Capt. James Hamilton to Louisa , his wife . The
remark appended to this te l ls a tale of a new country“ They had been married by some commanding officer or
magistrate , and thought i t more decent to have the off i ce
repeated .
” “ Buried Jan . 6th , 1 793 , Jane , a daughter of
Martin , Col . Butler’
s negroe .
” “ July 6th,a sergeant of the
sth Regt . , shot for desertion . He was attended a good while
before he su ff ered . He died well . ” P rv. Wyndham ,of
the sth Regt . , shot himself Mar . 20,“ A p . 1 2th,
7
1 794, William Dixon , bachelor , to Charlotte Adlem , spinster .
May 1sth , Col . John Butle r , of the Rangers , buried !my
Here is a pathetic entry : “ July , 1 794, buried a
chi ld of a poor stranger called Chambers .
” Sept . 9th ,
buried a soldier , surfei ted by drinking cold water . ”
“ Baptisms,Sept . grd, Cloe , a mulatto .
” Married John
Jacks and Rose Moore , negroes .
” These must have come to
thei r new homes s laves , but , to the honor of Canada be it
said , by Act of the Parl iament which sat within s ight of
S t . Mark ’
s , declared free long before Britain by many a
hard-fought s truggle i n the House of Commons made her
chattels free,or our neighbors in the United States
,by the
unstinted pouring out of mil l ions of dollars and of a more
costly treasure of tears and blood,did the same . “ Dec .
1 sth , 1 794, Mr . Barnham ,a stranger
,dropped down dead .
”
“ Burials,Jan . I st
,1 798 , an Indian chi ld .
” “May 7 th , 1 799,
servant of Mr . Justice Powel l ki l led i n yd . wel l . The
next entry tells of the time when this was the capital .
Buried an infant chi ld of the Atty .-Gen .
’
s servant . ” Oct .
10th , R . B . T ick el l buried and the comment on some to
us never to be explained tragedy,Alas
,he was starved .
”
“ Sept . 24, White , the butcher from England , and an Indian
chi ld .
” I t is noticeable that the rector must have been
indefatigable i n his exertions,for we find him baptizing at
Tw elve Mile Creek,Twenty Mile Creek
,Forty Mile Creek ,
Ancaster,Fort Erie
,St . Catharines , Head of the Lake , Chip
8
pewa,Grantham
,The Fal ls
,York
,Long Point . On these oc
cas ions , and when people came from long distances to Niagara ,
there are often a great many baptisms recorded on the one day ,
the comment “ of riper years showing that many bes ides
chi ldren were baptized . June 24th , 1 799, occu rs a wel l
known name Baptism,Allan Napier M cNabb , from
York ” ; as also occur the names of Ridout , Givens , Macaulay ,
from the same place . “ Buried,worn out by excess at the
age of Baptised,Amos Smith , of riper years .
”
“ Buried,old Mr . Doudle . “ Baptised
,1 80 1 , David , son of
I saac,a Mohawk Indian . Buried
,Cut Nose Johnson , a
Mohawk chief. “ Poor old Trumper , Capt. Pi lkington’
s
gardener. ” These s l ight descriptive terms show a human
interest,a kind heart
,a humorous vein . I n tu rning the
yel low but well-preserved pages,we see such express ions
as“ fel l i n a duel
,
” French refugee,
” boy drowned ,”
ki lled by lightning,
” “ fel l down the mountain ,” te l l ing
of tragedies which must have saddened many a home in
this new country,but of which no one now can give
us any further detai ls . I t is remarkable that in al l
the early notice of baptisms,there is nothing but the name
and those of the father and mother ; after some time come
not ices of god-mothers, and i n 1 806 th is ful ler notice !
May 3rd, Eliza Ann Maria Vigoreux ,daughter of Capt .
Henry , Royal Engineers , and Eliza ; god-father , Rev . Lou is
Vigoreux god-mothers , Dowager Lady Spencer and Anna
9
Maria Vigoreux. Here is the name of one who,justly or
unjustly , received much blame in the war :“ Baptism
,
Nov . 20th , 1808, Augusta Margaret F i rth , daughte r of
Col . Henry Proctor , commandant of the 4l st Regt . , and
Elizabeth . Married,Dec . 1 l th , 1807 , Lieut . Wm . Proctor
,
brother of Col . Henry Proctor,commanding at Fort George
,
to Joan Crooks . ” We sti l l find buttons of the 41 5 t Regt .
on the l pes of Fort George . I n 1808 very frequently
occurs the record : “ Buried , i nfant of the 41 st Regt .
Nov . ,1807 , John Conrad Gatman
,an old German
,buried
1 8 10, Master Taylor , of 100th Regt . , ki lled by l ightn ing.
Old Amen Misner , May sth ,“ Married
,Thomas
M cCormack,bachelor , to Augusta Jarvis , spinste r.
”
Here is the brief record of the hero of Upper Canada ,
who did so much , by wise counsels , prompt action , and
undaunted courage,to save our country and repel the
invaders , who , gal loping away in the early morn ing, was i n
sorrow and gloom brought back , by his compan ions i n arms ,
a corpse : Oct . 1 6th,1 8 1 2 : Burials , Gen . Sir I saac Brock ,
Col . John M cDonald, they fell together at Queenston , and
they were buried together i n the north east bast ion of Fort
George . ”
During the time of the occupation of the town by the
Americans from May to December , the notices go on i n the
register,but i t may be noticed that there are no marriages
from May z ud,18 1 3 to Jan . 18th , 18 14, except those of two
I O
I ndian chiefs , thus recorded Mohawk chief, Capt . Norton ,
to his wife Catherine,I th ink on 27th Ju ly , 18 13 , when she
was baptized,and Jacob Johnson , another Mohawk chief, was
married to his wife,Mary
,on 2 1 5 t Aug. , thi s year .
” “ Buried,
July 1 7 th , Col . C . Bishop , died of h is wounds . As th is
brave young soldier was buried at Lundy ’s Lane , Mr . Addison
must have been cal led on to ride al l these miles to perform
this service . The next i tem gives us another gl impse of war
fare On the day on which the engagement between S i r
James Yeo and Commodore Chauncy took place on the lake ,
our dear friend , Mrs . M cNabb , w as buried in Mr . Servos ’s
burying ground , supposed to be 29th Sep . , 18 1 3 . This
history gives as the 28th Sept . , but i t is evident that during
this exci ting period some of the entries have been made from
memory , l oth J une, 18 16 Buried , George Lawe , Es! . ,
Usher of the B lack Rod .
” Married , 18 1 7 , Rev . WilliamnSamson
,minister of Grimsby , to Maria Nel les .
“Buri ed , 18 19,
James Rogers , innkeeper,” and the remark ,
“ A bad profess ion
for any but ve ry sober men .
” “ Sept . 23rd, 1822 , Poo r old
Hope,
Feb . 23rd, baptized Agnes Strachan , daughter of
Hon . Dr. J . Strachan , rector of York , and Ann his wife .” Here
may be seen the names of most of the regiments that have
been quartered here, 4s t, 8th King
’s , 100th, 99th, 70the
Sappers and Miners , etc .
Rev . Mr. Addison was mil i tary chaplain for many years .
I n 1820 we find another name as performing baptisms in that
I I
capacity,there being a very neatly kept l ittle book , a mil i tary
regis ter of baptisms for Fort George , U .C. , from 1 82 1 to
1 827 , by R . W . Furney .
The Rev . Thos . Creen was appointed ass istant minister
of N iagara 3 rd July , 1826 . The last entry apparently in the
hand of Mr . Addison is i n 1827 , i n tremulous characters ,
s igned , i nstead of full name ,“ R . and here , i n another
hand,is recorded the burial of th is venerable man , whose
zeal,piety and kindness of heart we have seen told , al l
unwittingly,i n these pages : “Oct . 9th , 1 829, the Rev . Robt .
Addison departed this l ife on the 6th , i n the 7sth year of hi s
age . ” On the outs ide wall of the church is a large tablet to
his memory , and another ins ide . I t is remarkable that al l
the entries are s igned Ministe r of Niagara” by Mr . Addi
son . M r . Creen was appointed ass istant minister 3rd July ,
1826 , but i n 1835 he s igns his name Thos . Creen , Rector .”
The last entry in his hand is , May 1 7 th , 1854, a list of con
firmations .
While the register thus aff ords a complete h istory of
these years i n so many respects,i t is remarkable that no
documentary evidence has been produced to show exactly
when the church was bui lt , or how long it was i n process of
construction,but the date general ly accepted is 1802 . Before
its erection the congregation seems to have met in the Court
House , near th e s i te of the present one , and in the interval
during the war of 18 1 2 , and for some time fol lowing , i n the
1 2
old I ndian C ounci l Chamber, afte rwards used as a mil itary
hospital , and lately burned down . After the battle of
Queenston Heights the church was used as a hospital for our
own wounded , and while the town was occupied,for seven
months , by the Americans , i t was used as a barracks by them .
When the town w as burnt , S t. Mark’
s shared the fate of other
bui ldings,only its stone walls remain ing the Indian Counci l
Chamber and some of the bu i ldings known as Butler ’s
Barracks were not burned as the British troops w ere march
ing in ,they were thus saved . Here are two letters brought
to notice by our distinguished l i tterateu r , Mr . Kirby , F
which have been lying forgotten,and now
,after seventy- two
years,throw a flood of l ight
,giving us information , unex
pected as i t i s i nvaluable . They were written by CO1. Wm .
Claus to Hon . and Rev . Dr . Stuart , asking ass istance from
the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel .
“ N IAGARA, U . C . , J an. 18th, 18 18.
Anxious that someth ing should be done towards
rebuilding our church , which in the winter of 18 1 3 was
unfortunately des troyed by the enemy at the t ime our
town w as burnt, I would not take th is freedom if there
appeared the most dis tant prospect or steps taken to
make it even in a state that we could attend divine ser
vice,but during this season i t is hardly poss ible to attend.
It remains in the s tate the Commissariat put it in for the
purpose of storing provisions in after we repossessed
I S
ourselves of the frontier, with the trifl ing addition of a
temporary reading desk, and gallery for the troops .
Your lordsh ip saw the state i t was in last summer.
Noth ing whatever has been done or l ikely to be done.
I t is not even weather-proof. The church was made
use of in 18 12 as our hospital for the wounded . We were
deprived of our all and home , and have barely the
means of getting covering for ourselves and famil ies,to which must be attributed the melancholy state the
church remains in.
The next letter is dated Niagara,20th Sept . , 1820,
first speaks of the vis i t formerly paid and goes on thus
It may not be amiss to recapitulate. Previous to
war of 18 12 the small congregation of N iagara erected ,at their own expense , a church which cost 1 200 cy .
In October, 18 1 2 , i t was taken possess ion of and used
as a hospita l for the wounded, and kept for that pur
pose unti l the place was evacuated by us in May , 18 13 .
On our re -occupying of N iagara, in the winter of 18 13
and 18 14, i t was again taken possess ion of by the publi c
and made a provis ion store of,and continued so unti l , I
th ink , 18 16, when appl ication was made to H is Majesty 's
Government for some aid towards putting it into a
s tate to perform d ivine service in, when H is Majesty
was gracious ly pleased to order 36500 stg. , which has
been received and appl ied , but falls short of accom
plishing our wish notw iths tanding we are keep ing the
14
TABLET T O R EV . T . CREEN .
work going on. Our congregations are too poor to ex
peet much from them. From their being within gunshot
of the enemy 's l ines they su ff ered the loss of all they
possessed , burnt out and plundered of everyth ing, and
they had really not yet recovered their misfortunes
from the late unhappy events .
!
The answer to this lette r , dated 25th Dec . , 1820, men
tions that the Society had lately placedmoney in the hands
of the Bishop of Quebec for aid in bui lding churches , and
refers the wri ter to him .
The rebu i lding must have taken place between 1 8 16 and
1 828 and the addition in 1843 , as the curious ly carved pulpi ts
have that date . The new part of the church added then ,
forming the transepts , can plainly be seen to be a diff erent
color from the old part,the nave containing the tower .
Several pictu res of the church be fore the transepts were bui l t
are in existence , having a spire instead of the four points as
now. One water color bears the date 1834.
The church was consecrated in 1828 , on Sunday , Aug .
3rd, by the Hon . and Rt . Rev. Charles James , Lord Bishop of
Quebec , brother of the Earl of Galloway , i n the presence of
H is Excellency S i r Peregrine Maitland , his staff
and other dignitaries . Morning prayer was said by Rev.
Robert Addison,the lesson and Litany by Rev . Thomas
Creen,the ass istant min is ter
,the B ishop preaching.
I S
During the incumbency of the second rector many muni
ficent gifts were made to St . Mark ’s , showing w hat loving
hearts worshipped withi n i ts wal ls . The beautifu l tablets i n
the chancel w i th the Commandments,Creed and Lord ’s
Prayer,were brought from England
,the money to provide
them being given by the widow of the Hon . Robert D ickson .
The s i lver communion plate was presented by M rs . Downs ,
and the Bishop ’s chair by the Hon . Will iam Dickson , the
font by M rs . Hal l and M rs . Melvi l le . The smal l c rimson
arm chai r was presented to the sexton , John Ray , when a
feeble old man , by the Sunday school chi ldren , who also
erected the stone in the graveyard to his memory. The
stained glass window in the chancel was the first of the
kind i n Upper Canada. Two chaste tablets of white marble
commemorate the name of a family noted for l iberal i ty to the
church,and this “ gift of l iberal i ty ”
seems to have been in
herited by thei r descendants , for the placing of the present
fine- toned organ was largely due to the l iberal contribution
of Geale Dickson ,E s! . ,
and the beautiful chime of bel ls was
a memorial gift from the same gentleman and his brother,
Walter A . Dickson , Es! .
The vis i tor to St . Mark ’s may spend a profitable hou r i n
reading the numerous tablets on the wal ls commemorating
many who , during the last centu ry , worshipped here , and
whose memory is thus kept green .
16
The oldest record may be found ins ide the eastern door,
having been brought from the graveyard,where it had been
found partly covered , and placed here for safety . I t i s
rudely carved and imperfectly spel led,bv some hand un
ski lled in or al l unused to such work
I n the porch at the north door of the older part of the
church is a stone which had fallen down in the graveyard ,
and now placed here forcibly brings back to us the rattle
of musketry and rush of foemen the day when Niagara was
taken
In memory of Capt. M . M cLe l land, aged 42
years , Charles Wright andWm . Cameron, in the 25th
year of thei r age, of the I st Regiment ofLincoln Mil itia ,who gloriously fell on the 27th day of May , 1 8 1 3 , also
Adjutant Lloyd, of the 8th !K ing’
s) Regiment of Infantry.
A s lurid l ightnings dart their vivid l ight ,So poured they forth their fires in bloody fight
They bravely fell and saved their country ’
s cause,They loved their Cons t i tution, K ing and Laws .
”
I 7
At the north end of the church is the tablet erected
by friends of the first rector to his memory bearing this
inscription
In memory of the Rev. Robt. Addison, first mis
sionary in th is district of the venerable the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts . He
commenced his labors in 1792, which , by the bless ing
of D ivine Providence , he was enabled to continue for
37 years . Bes ides his stated serv i ces as minister of
St. Mark ’
s in the town , he vis ited and officiated in
diff erent parts of this and adjoin ing districts unt i l other
miss ionaries arrived ! Remember them which have
the rule over you .
Here we unrol l a page of history , a name handed down
to obloquy by the ski l l of the poet and the imaginative powers
of the sensational write r, but no doubt time , which rights
so many wrongs , wil l yet do justice to the memory of one
so bitterly spoken of by Engl ish poet and American historian .
The poet Campbel l acknowledged his information on the
subject had been incorrect,and we hope to see some histori es
we wot of revised,but how difficu lt to rectify such wrongs .
Here is the inscription
Fear God and honor the K ing. In memory of
Col . Butler, H is Majesty ’
s Commiss ioner for Indian
Affairs , born in New London, Connecticut , 1728. H is
18
TABLET T o COL . J OH N BU TLER .
l ife was spent honorably in the service of the Crown.
In the war with France for the con! uest of Canada , hewa s distingu ished at the battle of Lake George , Sept.
1 755 at the s iege of Fort N iagara and its capitulation,25th July , 1 759. In the war of 1 776 he took up arms in
defence of the un i ty of the Empire, and raised and
commanded the Royal American Regiment of Butler's
Rangers. A s incere Chris tian a s well as a brave
sold ier, he was one of the founders and the firs t patron
of this parish . He died at N iagara, May, 1 796, and
is interred in the family burying ground , near th is town.
Erected 1880.
Near the tab let to the firs t incumbent is one to the second ,
the Rev . Thomas Creen . He was a graduate of Glasgow
Univers i ty , and , having good class ical attainments , taught a
private school in the town . He was distinguished for amia
bility of disposit ion , an unsuspic ious nature , and unpretentious
manner , his great benevolence to the poor being yet remem
bered . Many of his pupi ls became distinguished men , and
some of them,i n grateful remembrance
,erected th is tablet :
In memory of Rev. Thos . Creen, late Rector of Ni
agara , born in Rathfri land. Ireland , Nov. 20th, 1799.
D ied at N iagara , J an. 6th , 1864. How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
t idings, that publisheth peace.’
Isa iah 52
I9
Among the names of the contributors may be mentioned
B ishop Fulle r , Judge Bu rns , Miles O’
R eil ley, Thomas Street ,
Hon . W. H . Dickson , John W . Ball , Henry Garrett , Robert
Miller. Of these , scarcely any are now alive , the last one to
join “ the s i lent majori ty being John W . Ball , Es! . , a re
spected o ffice-bearer and l iberal supporter of St . Mark’
s for
half a century, coming a long distance , often in inclement
weather , to conduct the Sabbath school , faithfully for years .
Outs ide the eastern walls is the story of one who has been
fondly remembered,and whose tragic fate , far from home and
friends , is recorded also i nside the church on a marble tablet
Sacred to the memory of Capt. Copeland Rad
cl iff e, of H is Britann i c Majesty’
s Navy , who fell wh ile
gallantly leading on hismen to board one of the enemy ’
s
schooners at anchor off Fort Erie, on the night of the
17th of August, 18 14.
One is erected at the request of brothers and s isters by
his nephew,the other by Capt . Davies , R .N . , at the request
of his mother. Many a tear has no doubt been dropped to
the memory of the brave young sai lor. Another, near this ,
reads
Donald Campbell , Is lay , A rgyleshire , Fort Major
of Fort George , died 1 st Dec . , 181 2. Interred on wes t
side of Garrison gate, Fort George.
20
A lso i s found the name of Li eut . -Col . Elliott ,
who fought in the Peninsular War. Col . Kingsmi l l and a
daughter of Chief J ust ice Sewel l have tab lets erected to thei r
memory. I n the church altogether are s ixteen tablets ; two
in the vestibules , and three on the outer walls . I t may be
mentioned that seven are to mil itary and naval heroes,four
to clergymen,and four women ’s names are here recorded .
The chu rchyard i s also very interest ing for here may
be traced the rifl e-pits const ructed during the war . The
lover of the curious may find many pathetic and sometimes
strangely grotesque l ines , the des i re to be remembered
being so strongly implanted within the human breast . Length
of service seems to be the'
rule , for here i s an inscription
I n memory of John Ray , 50 years parish clerk of St . Mark’s
,
who died at an advanced age , Oct . 6th , 1846.
Not many feet from the church i s the large fiat stone so
often vis i ted hacked and marred for to the ignoble purpose
of a butcher s block was this sacred memorial put i n 18 1 3 .
The hatchet marks have almost obl i te rated some of the words
To the memory of Charles Morrison, a native Of
Scotland , who res ided many years at Machil imack inac ,
as a merchant , and s ince the cess ion of that post , he
came a British subjec t by election. He was disting
uished by loyalty to his sovereign. D ied here on his
way to Montreal , on the 6th day of September, 1802,aged
2 1
Anotherflat stone , but raised above the ground , also hacked
in the same way,commemorates the name of Geo . Forsy th
,
a native of North Britain , long a merchant and magistrate i n
the town , beloved for his mild manners and great worth .
Died 1806 .
Perhaps the most pathetic story told in the graveyard is
that on a monument near the eastern door of the church , to
seven young men lost by the s i nking of the yacht Foam .
They had left Toronto , no doubt gay and happy , on Saturday ,
1 l th J uly , 1874. The vesse l foundered near the entrance to
the river, the fate of those on board not being known ti l l
Monday morning,when the captai n of the steamer from
Toronto saw the mast of the yacht above the water . The
plot with the seven graves is careful ly tended , and oft is the
tragical story told . A beautifu l Old weeping wil low waves
its long slender branches over the graves , breathing a low,
sad requiem .
While so many inscriptions around are valuable and
interest ing from an historic point of view , other records are
interesting and often entertain ing as decidedly odd attempts
at versification and orthography , no modern inscriptions
attempting such lofty fl ights,but general ly merely giving
names and dates .
A chi ld of four who died 2nd March , 1802
My time is short the longer my rest
God called me hence because He thought i t best.
22
TABLET TO COL . E LL IOT .
So weep not drie up your tears
Heare must i l ie til l Chris t A pears .
A nother reads
F i l ial aff ection, stronger than the grave,From Time ’s obl iterating hand to save,Erects th is humble monument of s tones
Over a father 's and a mother's bones.
!
H e’
s gone No more his infant smiles ,The smile of innocence, shal l dart
H is power electri c to expand
A nd warm a tender parent 's heart
H is l ips which I kissed are faded and cold ,H is hands which I pressed are covered with mould ,H is form which I clasped is crumbled away,A nd soon by his s ide his weepers shal l lay.
!
Here is an attempt to keep alive the memory of a soldier
Thomas Eastham,late Trumpeter of
esty'
s Royal Artil lery ’
s Drivers , 1839.
Here l ies , withinth is s i lent grave,A Royal sold ier, brisk and brave,Who suddenly was snatched away
From off th is sodden foot of clay.
23
The ex igencies of rhyme,rhythm and syntax are boldly
met and conquered metaphors and simi les abound
The fairest flower that natu re shows
Sustains the sharpest doom
H is l ife was l ike a morning rose
That withers in its bloom
Weep not, mother, for John is at rest ,
H is s ins forgot and in Heaven blest. !
“Ah , here they l ie , as budding roses
B lasted before their bloom ,
Whose innocence d id sweets disclose
Beyond that flower ’
s perfume. !
What higher praise could be given than this
Here l ies as much v irtue as could l ive.
Man'
s l ife I What is i t ! '
T is a flower
Looks fresh and dies w ith in the hour.
I t i s doubtful if the following inscription meant al l that
i s impl ied
Sacred to the memory of the two infant childrenof Rev. R. U . Turney, chaplain to H . B . Majesty ’
s
Forces , and Jane, his wife.
Dear, as thou didst in modes t worth excell ,More dear than in a daughter's name , farewell.
Farewell , dear Maria But the hour is nigh
When if I ’m worthy we shal l meet on high
Then shall I say , triumphant from the tomb ,Come to thy mother ’s arms , dear Maria , come.
24
These are al l of the fi rst decade of th is century,and form
a contrast to the brief l ines on two monuments of the las t few
years
The memory of a l i fe nobly rendered is immortal .
Laid here in faith , hope and l ove , al l that is morta l of
The miss ionary work of the first i ncumbent has been
referred to,extending over so many miles , baptizing alike
the dusky chi ldren of Africa and the red men of America . I t
i s remarkable that the present incumbent,the Rev. Arch
deacon M cMurray , labored among the I ndians at Sault S te .
Marie,his firs t wife , the daughter of J ohn Johnson , and his
wife,an Indian maiden , was of great use as an interpreter
i n his ministrations . !I n 1891 he paid a visi t to the scene of
his labors almost sixty years before , and met at the Shing
wauk Home several whom he had baptized . ) Returning to
York to take orders , having been too young previous to this ,
he found Bishop Stuart had gone to Kingston fol lowing him,
he was s ti l l d isappointed on reaching that place and went on
to the Eastern Townships to be ordained and then return to his
work in the far West . I n 1853 he was delegated to vi si t the
neighboring Republ ic to ask ass istance for Trin ity College .
In 1854he vis i ted Quebec with regard to the settlement of
the Clergy Reserves,and in 1864vis ited Great Bri tai n in the
interests of Trini ty College .
25
During the last few years , since 1884, a curate has ass isted
in the work of the parish . F i rst the Rev . E . Stewart Jones ,
who took a great interest i n the young men of the congre
gation , helped to form the Order of United Workmen , also a
Temperance Society , i nducing many to join . Much grief was
expressed at his untimely death . The Rev. J as . B . Meade
fol lowed him , who also left many warm friends . The present
curate in charge has worked faithful ly s ince 1888 , extending
his labors to Vi rgi l , where a miss ion church has been started
which bids fai r to become a permanent one .
During the last few years , the question of holding a
celebration on the hundredth anniversary of the founding of
the Parish of St . Mark ’s , had frequently been discussed . A s
the time approached , another question came up for settlement
which had Often been mooted , namely , alterations i n the
i nterior of the chu rch . Some preferred to keep the bu ilding
with al l its ai r of antiquity , its high , straight-backed , box
pews , its gallery , etc . I t was necessary , at al l events , that
the church should be thoroughly cleansed and renovated , and
this , with painting , had already been decided on , but i t was fel t
by many that reseating had become a necessity , more room
being urgently requi red the modern sl ips would give a much
larger seating capacity , while the removal of the galleries
would make the church much l ighter and more ai ry. This
question had been under discussion for three years , and i t
was finally decided that the alterations proposed should be
26
R EV . J A S . B . M EADE .
R EV . E . S TEWAR T J ONES .
may be due to the churchwardens and the congregation for
thei r eff orts !and they meri t much) , the pri ncipal credit
should be given to Rev. John C . Garrett , curate in charge ,
on whom the respons ib i l ity rested , as the programme was
entirely his work , i n which he showed the same zeal , j udg
ment,and tact he had shown for the th ree previous years of
his ministry here , and but for which continuous and zealous
labor it i s not l ikely such a success ful centennial service could
have been held .
Large congregations'
fil led the chuch , and these were
representative , there being chi ldren and grand-chi ldren of the
three rectors , and many descendants of those who had wor
shipped here a centu ry ago , who had borne the burden and
heat of the day , so that now could be held in this beauti ful
bui lding these thanksgiving services . The chancel , reading
desks , etc . , were dressed with flowers and ferns , the beauti
ful white water- l i ly of the neighborhood forming a conspicu
ous feature i n the decoration of the font.
At the morning service , July 9th , eighteen clergymen
were present i n thei r robes , and the various parts of the ser
vice were thus taken : From beginning to Apostles ’ Creed ,
Rev . Canon Houston , M .A . ; fi rst lesson , Rev . J as . A rdil l
second lesson , Rev . Rural Dean Downie ; from Apostles
Creed to end of thi rd collect , Rev. Canon Bull , M .A
Epistle , Rev. Rural Dean Gribble ; Gospel , Rev . E . J .
Fessenden, B .A . the ep istole r , gospeler and preacher, Rev.
28
R EV . J . c . GARRET T .
E. A . Baldwin , M . A . , ass isted the Ven. A rchdeacon
M cMurray i n the adminstration of the Holy Communion .
The Rev. A . H . Baldwin in beginning his address said
he felt proud as a Canadian in taking part in the celebration .
The past years had seen deeds and works done for Christ i n
the district of Niagara of which Canadians might be proud .
The history of the establ ishment of this church was ful l of
sti rring and gallant deeds . The present generation could
not realize the tremendous odds that had to be faced by the
early miss ionaries i n Canada , and it was to thei r heroic labors
the Church in Canada owed its pos i t ion to-day . A great
nation l ived to the south of them , and in the history of that
nation was much that rendered the present Occas i on of vas t
importance . The revolut ion of more than a hundred years
ago and the outcome of it i n the revol ut ion of France had
been attended with far-reach ing effects . Yet Christ ’s Church
l ived,as i t must l ive . The application for miss1onar1es to
come to Canada was heard by Robert Addison , and since
then many noble men had come out—at that time there were
but five other ministe rs i n Upper and Lower Canada . He
des i red to add a word of tribute to the faithfu l services per
formed by the Ven . Archdeacon M cM urray. Well might the
people here thank God for the grand and glorious privi leges
which they possessed in the beautifu l opportunities of this
church , and in the grandest and best of services , and the
purest and hol iest teaching that was known to the wor ld .
29
They must have hard hearts that could not apprec iate those
glorious privi leges , being sti l l a dependency of the greatest
nation of the world , and possessing perfect l iberty. God keep
i t so , and ever preserve the ties that bind Canada to the
Motherland .
The resident and vis i t ing clergy adjourned to the school
room adjoining after the morning service , where l uncheon had
been prepared by the ladies of the congregation . The after
noon se rvice was held at four o ’c lock , when the tablet to
commemorate the centenary of the parish was unvei led by
Rev . Canon Read , D .D . , i n the name of the Father , the
Son,and Holy Ghos t. The tablet is of brass
, 32 x 27 i nches ,
and contains the fol lowing inscription
To the glory of God . Th is tablet is erected by the
congregation of St. Mark 's Church , in grateful com
memoration of the 100th ann iversary of the foundation
of this parish , on the 9th July, 1 792. The nave of the
church was buil t about 1807 , and burned during the
war of 18 12, the walls only remaining. I t was restored
1820, and enlarged to the present d imens ions in 1843 .
During the century the living has been held by the
follow ing incumbents : The Rev. Robert Addison, 1792
to 1829; the Rev. Thomas Creen, 1829 to 1857 ; The
Rev. Wm . M cMurray, D .D. , Archdeacon of
N iagara , to the present time , ass isted s ince 1888 by the
Rev. J . C. Garratt as curate in charge. !
30
CENTENARY TABLET .
i n negotiating several important t reaties between the whites
and the red men . I n this respect the archdeacon ’s labors
fo rmed a paral lel , as at one time much of the same territory
was covered , so that the present incumbent was not only a
successor in faithful work , but i n his miss ionary footsteps .
We could only develop in character by the doing of
good work and constant eff orts for the glory of God . The
dreams that God gave us in the present,He gave us power to
make real ities i n years to come .
The Venerable Archdeacon M cMurray read a resum!
of the doings of the last hundred years,which deserves to
be given i n full , but the exigencies of the hou r obl ige us
to epotomiz e the firs t portion , but all the last part i s given as
read . He commenced by address ing “ My dear parish
ioners and friends ,” explain ing the steps that had been taken at
the publ ic meeting of the congregat i on , agreeing to hold meet
i ngs for three days to give expression to thankfulness to
God,to have sermons and addresses , to place a brass tablet
i n the nave of the church to commemorate the day.
The Rev. Robert Addison was appointed miss ionary of
N iagara on 1 7th J uly , 1791 , but did not reach this spot
ti l l June, 1 792 . The first entry in the registe r reads as
fol lows ! J uly 9th , 1 792 , baptized John M cNab , of Colin
and El izabeth,
’ j ust 100 years ago to-day . Mr. Addison ’s
ministry w as marked by unti ring z eal and incessant labors
extending to the London district,officiating at Hamilton ,
32
VEN . ARCH DEACON M’
M U R R A Y .
Grimsby , St . Cathari nes , Jordan , Chippewa , ! ort Erie , being
firs t chaplain to the Parl iament at N iagara and next at York ,
ti l l the appointment of Rev. John Strachan . A s many of
the records were burnt i n 18 1 3 , i t is impossible to tell with
certainty when the church was bui lt . A meeting of al l
those friendly disposed was held , and it was decided that
the stones should be hauled from the mountain by the
farmers and those having teams,i n the winter
,and this , i t
is bel ieved , took two or three years , and was begun in 1807 .
This was the nave of the present bui ld ing. During the war
of 18 1 2- 14 the church was used as a hospital , then a bar
racks , then by the commissariat . There are i n possess ion
of the chu rch,two letters from Col . Claus to the Hon . and
Rev . Dr . Stewart , dated 18 18 and 1820, asking him for
help to put the church in a state i n which to hold publ ic
worship . St . Mark ’
s Church,having after many and vigor
ous st ruggles been made fit for Divine worship , was conse
crated i n 1828 by the Hon . and Right Rev . Charles James
S tuart,the Lord Bishop of Quebec .
“ The fi rst incumbent,the Rev . Robert Addison , did not
long survive the event,pass ing away , after 37 years of activeand mos t laborious service i n his Master ’s work
,regretted
by all who knew him , and his remains were depos i ted under
the chancel of the church he so fondly loved .
“He was succeeded by the Rev . Thos . Creen , who had
taken charge of the parish and acted as his curate for th ree
33
years . H e was a scholarly man and a good class ic,and
establ ished a school of a superior character,at which several
of the leading men of the day were educated . He was a
clear and perspicuous writer , and his serm ons give testimony
of no ordinary talent . The Rev . Thomas Creen was pre
sented to the Rectory of N iagara on the 26th of January,
1836, and was inducted on the z ud May by Dr. S trachan,
the Archdeacon of York,duly commiss ioned by the Hon .
and Right Rev . Charles James Stuart,Bishop of Quebec .
H is health fai l ing , he requ ired ass istance , and had at diff erent
periods as his cu rates the Rev . Edw . Baldwin ,the Rev .
Dr. Lundy , the Rev. W . Reynolds , the Rev . T. B . M cK enz 1e .
H is health being sti l l feeb ler he res igned the rectory in 1 856 .
During Mr. Creen’
s incumbency the large transept was
added to the nave,most substantial ly bui lt
,and at consid
erab le cost . The tower wi th its mass ive but t resses was also
erected,and the wal l s of the church tuck-pointed and laid
out in squares , as they appear to-day . Galleries were added
around the nave and transepts , two handsome structures
were bui lt,one to serve as a reading pew and the other as
a pulpi t , and the church enti re ly reseated .
Mr. Creen having resigned , the parish was off ered to
me by Bishop S trachan,which I accepted
, and was inducted
on 3rd February , 1857 , by the Venerable Archdeacon Bethune ,
of Cobourg . Thus the three incumbents , the thi rd one sti l l
l iv ing,have fi l led up on this day
, 9th July , 1892 , the period
34
walls and cei l ings have been ornately decorated ; i n fact , the
whole inte ri or has undergone a thorough renovation . A
few objected to these changes when they were proposed,
but the Vestry thought i t best to override the arguments
of some , as they were merely of a sentimental character .
I t was decided to prese rve as much of the ancient structu re
as was cons istent with the plan for increasing the seating
capacity of the church , which involved the removal of the
old galleries , the box pews , the remains of which may yet
be seen i n the wainscot which l ines the walls .!
I t was the
opin ion of some , that the old pews were those that were
bu i lt i n the original bu i ldi ng. This was not the case , as the
whole of the interior of the church was burned in the war
of 18 1 2 . I n 1843 the church was enlarged and pews placed
therein , and likewise the gal leri es .
Nor must i t be omitted here to state that th rough the
energetic and valuable services of the Rev. J . C . Garrett , the
curate i n charge,aided by the indefatigable and praise-worthy
exertions of the churchwardens , D . B . M cDougal l and
R . Wilkinson , Esqs . ,and a will ing and generous congrega
t ion,the praise-worthy alterations and improvements have
been brought to a happy conclus ion . The history of thi s
ancient chu rch would be incomplete were i t closed without
adding that the hei rs of the late Rev. R . Addison have pre
sented his valuable and unique l ibrary of some volumes
to the rector of St . Mark ’s Church and his successors i n per
36
petuity, and are now safely p laced in the rectory for al l time
to come .“ Feel ing, as I now do , that the end of my work in the
ministry of Christ ’s Church cannot be long delayed , after a
servitude of s i xty-one years , and having already exceeded the
years allotted to man,permit me , as I may not have another
occas ion so suitable , to leave you , my dear parishioners , a
memorial to which , I trust, you and your chi ldren may fre
quently refer when al l that is mortal of your rector is placed
in yonder grave awaiting the resu rrection morn . And in what
more appropriate language can I express it than i n the words of
the beloved Apostl e St . Paul , which I have so frequently
endeavored to press upon your minds , and now again!There
fore , my brethren , dearly beloved and longed for , my joy and
crown , so stand fast in the Lord , my dearly beloved ; be
careful for noth ing,but in everything by prayer and suppl i
cation with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto
God . And the peace of God which passeth al l understanding
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ J esus .
F inally , brethren , whatsoever th ings are true , whatsoever
things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever
th ings are lovely,whatsoever things are of good report , i f
there be any virtue,if there be any praise , think on these
things and the God of peace shall be with you . F inally ,
brethren,farewel l
,be perfect
,be of good comfort , be of one
mind , l ive in peace , and the God of love and peace shal l be
with you .
’
37
I n the evening , service was again held in the church ,
those who took part being Rev. Principal Mi lle r, B .A . , R ev .
T . B . Hodgins , Rev. J . Lee , Rev. J . A rdil l . The Rev . Robert
Ker , rector of S t. Ca tharines , preached from the words ,
This shal l be wri tten for those that come after,and the
people which shal l be born shall praise the Lord . Psalm
ci i . , 18 .
“ The s t ream of time has carried us swiftly forward ,
when we find the shadows of the centuries have deepened
about our path , and at th is the time of the evening sacrifice ,
we can almost feel the dying pulse beats of twice a thousand
years . The atmosphere we breathe to-night i s laden with the
perfumes of history . Here , there , and yonder , repose the
actors in as great a drama as ever gave stabi l ity to a young
nation —soldiers and c itizens , patriots and heroes , whO
fought well , none bette r . J ust one hundred years ago , the
flag of Engl ish Churchmanship was formally planted on th is
Niagara peninsu la,and a fai rer heri tage never fel l to any
people . Prose almost merges into poetry when we use the
words of the great prophet and say ,! I t i s a great land , a
land of brooks of wate r, a land of wheat and barley and
vines ,’ etc . This Niagara peninsula is a gem set amid the
sparkl ing waters of two seas , and looking over its h omes of
happiness , i ts vineyards and peach orchards , we are forced to
exclaim with the psalmist ,! Yea, we have a goodly heri
tage . ’ But one hundred years ago the great Niagara cataract
ro l led forth i ts mighty Te Deum i n al l but eternal sol i tudes .
38
Writers speak in glowing terms of the Mayflower,and
of the memories that gather round Plymouth Rock , but with~
out at al l seeking to deprec iate worth at the expense of truth ,
I have l i ttle hes i tation in saying that when the whole story
shall have been told , the United Empire Loyalists , i n point of
true heroism , of earnest devotion , and of unostentatious p iety ,
are superior at every point to the Pi lgrim Fathers . They
were not only men of courage and devotion,but they were
God-fearing men in an eminent degree,who adhered to thei r
Church even when i t was negligent i n following them with its
services . The exact date of the arrival of the Rev . R .
Addison is not known , but his fi rst oflicial act recorded was
on the 9th July , 1792 , exactly one hundred years ago to-day .
Had Mr. Addison kept a diary of his work and the progress
of events , i t would be of incalcu lable value to the future
historian , but so far the only l i terary remains we have of this
excel lent man,is the unique parish register belonging to this
church . He began his labors in 1 792 , but when the bu i lding
of the church commenced is not c lear . St . Catharines
Episcopal Church , Twelve-Mile Creek , better known as St .
George ’s Church , was begun in 1 795-6, and it is probable this
may have been begun in 1794. Again and again the s torm
of battl e su rged against these wal ls , and again and again the
force of i ts angry waves was broken . The grass which
grows so green to-day around this sacred edifice , was once
dyed red with the blood of patriots and heroes . Outs ide , you
39
can trace the s inuous windings of trenches and breastworks
and the tablet in the vestibule tel ls of men who fel l glori
ously ; le t Fort George’s lonely sycamore
,so sweetly sung by
your local poetess , te l l of othe r heroes and patri ots for
whom story has reared no chaplets and of whose deeds mural
tablets con tain no record . Through al l the awful and excit
i ng events of war, the fi rs t rector of th is parish pursued the
even tenor of his way unti l the 6th October,1829, when he
was cal led to rest . He was fol lowed in the rectorship by the
Rev . Thos . Creen , another faithful ministe r of Christ , and
then came the appointment of you r present rector,who has
faithful ly min istered to you in spi ri tual things for well n igh
forty years,and who is sti l l as clear in tel lectual ly as when
,i n
1864, he had the distinguished and unusual honor for a colonial
c lergyman of preaching beneath the dome of St . Paul ’s
Cathedral,London , to many thousands who gathered to hear
h im . On thi s centennial night we call up the men who
fought and suflered, and wou ld question them as to the part
they played . But the horoscope of the future must be cast
by ourselves . The ful l moon to-night looks down upon as
peaceful a scene as man ever witnessed .
Afar the lake spreads l ik e a sea ,
A nd near the river, broad , blue, deep ,
Its waters flowing s i lently,
A s resting from their frant ic leap
40
On Sunday , July 10th , three impress ive services were
held , the beauty of the church and the beautiful weather al l
adding thei r quota to the auspic ious occasi on . There were
over six hundred persons present at the morn ing service ,
among them chi ldren and grand-chi ldren of the th ree incum
bents during the hundred years , there being two grand
chi ldren and ten great-grand-children of the late Robert
Addison , the fi rst rector . I t was a strange coincidence that
one of hi s grandsons , Vicar S tevenson , was orda ined in
Toronto on this day . There were also descendants present
of Col . John Butle r , the first patron of the parish . An item
of interest i n connection with the celebration of the Communion ,
was that the combined ages of four of the officiating clergy
men reached 334, namely , Ven . Archdeacon M cMurray , 83
Canon Arnold , 86 ; Canon Read , 85 ; Rev. Dr. Ker , 80.
The fol lowing was the order of service From beginning to
Apostles ’ Creed,Rev . Rural Dean Gribble first lesson , Rev.
Rural Dean Wade ; second lesson , Rev. A . Bonney ; from
Apostles ’ Creed to end of thi rd col lect , Rev . Canon Bul l ;
Epis tle,Ven . Archdeacon Dickson , D .C . L . ; Gospel , Rev . Canon
Read,D .D . The beautiful anthem ,
“ This is the day which
the Lord hath made,
”was sung by the surpl i ced choi r of S t .
Mary ’s-on- the-Hill,Buff alo . Mr. A . L . Andrews , organist
of the same church,pres ided at the organ . The choi r num
bered th i rty,the process i on cons isted of forty-three , there
being thi rteen clergy . The Rt. Rev. A . Cleveland Coxe ,
42
R T . R EV . DR . CO! E .
D.D . , LL.D. , of Buffalo , B i shop of Western New York ,
preached the sermon , taking for his text 1 Cor. , i. , 26 ,“Whether one member suff er
,al l the members suff er with
him , or if one member be honored all members rejo ice . I n
opening,the eloquent preacher said that the Gospel of Christ
ove rcomes those things which divide mankind , levels moun
tains , rises superior to c i rcumstances and unites the races in
one kingdom . I n the absence of the b ishop of the diocese ,
he,a representative of a siste r church
,was privi leged to offi
c iate at one of the services of this solemn festival . Coming
from another land,but from where the bel ls of St . Mark ’s
cou ld be heard across the narrow fi rth cal l i ng them to Divine
service , and from a daughter chu rch which was proud to be
a development of the mother church , he cons ide red it a privi
lege to be present,not as a foreigner , but as one in the
blessed brotherhood of the people of God , which the Apostles
so wonderful ly i l lustrated in the chapter of which the text is a
part , teach ing them the triumphing over al l pol i tical agita
tions ,and, if need be , over war i tself. The Christian re ligion
was one which th rew its mighty influence into the world of
men , hateful and hating one anothe r , as a leaven which was
worked and kneaded into a unified whole . But we complain
that God in H is providence had not wrought out H is promise
speedily enough . This church was one hundred years old , and
you have had three rectors in that t ime whose h istory can be
given with much accuracy , and if we went back eighteen such
43
periods we are at the t ime of the Apostles . Was that long in
the eyes of Him in whose s ight a thousand years was but
as one day ! We had this comfort i f we looked beneath the
surface . I t was one of the grandest evidences of the power
of the Gospel , that representatives of nations once engaged
i n bi tter strife could now meet together for the worship and
glory of the God of peace . The Gospel of Jesu s Christ was
one of peace , and through its beneficent i nfluence wars were
fewer and strife less bitte r as each year passed away. When
hearing comp laints of the s low progress of Christian ity , i f we
consider the ages that the Great Father’s omniscient wisdom
took to accompl ish H is wondrous purposes,we wil l no longer
speak of the s low advancement of the teach ings of Chri st .
Tru ly , i n Canada during the last centu ry the truth s of the
Word of God have spread with great eff ect. Science said
that , i n the clock-work of A lmighty God , even the sun was
revolving round a central star that s ince the creation of
man the solar system had not completed a single revolut ion
on the dial plate of the universe . Thus the period that had
e l apsed s ince Christ came into the world paled into insignifi
cance.
H is beloved brothe r who at'
present offic iated in this parish
had now labored fifty years,and who could say with what
measure of good ! He was laboring among the I ndians at
the Sault when he !the speaker) was at col lege , and he was
glad yet to recogniz e him as leader, though he himself had
44
been created a father in the church . He !Dr. McMurray)had gone among the I ndians when they i n his own country
thought he had gone beyond the pale of civi l ization . He
thanked God for the history of thi s venerable parish , and
rejoiced that he was able to take part i n this centennial . Had
not the Lord promised that those who honored H im , He
would satisfy with long l i fe ! and there now remained for
him but one th ing, the crown of glory.
During the col lection of the off e rtory the choi r rendered
the anthem Lift up you r heads , ye everlasting gates ,” with
admirable eff ect . The Holy Communion was celebrated , on
conclus ion of the service , by the Rt . Rev . Dr. Coxe , ass isted
by the epistoler and gospele r,and the Ven. Archdeacon Mc
Murray . The afternoon se rvice , which cons isted of Litany
and sermon,commenced at o ’clock . The reader was the
Rev . Canon Arnold, B .A . , and the Ven . Archdeacon Mc
Murray . Rev . Rural Dean Wade preached from the text ,
I was glad when they said unto me , Let us go into the
house of the Lord .
” Psalm cxxi i . They should remember in
the fi rst place that David,the author of the psalm , actual ly
enjoyed the experience of which he so vividly wrote . When
the I srael ites went to the house of God it was for the threefold
purpose of rece iving forgiveness,rendering worship and
obtaining bless ing . There were two principal parts about the
rendering of worship to God , namely , the giving of ourselves
and the giving of our substance to God . A las , to many the
45
house of God i n these days was more l ike a place of enter
tainment than a place of praise . David was glad , too ,
because the house of God was the place of communion and of
fel lowship . The promise made to the Jews stood as sound
for us to-day as it did for them . Where two or th ree are
gathered together i n my name,there am I . ” Pride and vain
glory too often interfered with the communion that God ’s
people should enjoy. David also rejoiced to frequent the
sanctuary because i t was the place of hallowed associations.
I n conclus ion , they would al l pray , as they looked at the
veteran ministe r who had so long pres ided over the parish ,
that God would grant him continued bless ing in his old age .
The service i n the evening was again largely attended ,
384persons being present ; the choi r of S t . Mary’s-ou- the
H il l , Buff alo , ass isting , as at the morning service . The
fol lowing cle rgymen took part : Rev . Rural Dean Wade ,
Rev. Robert Ker,Rev . F . B . Hodgins , R eV. J . Lee , Rev . J . C .
Garrett . The anthem,Lord
,we pray Thee that thy grace
may always prevent and follow us .
”The sermon was
preached by Ven . Archdeacon Dickson , D .C . L from Deuter
onomy xxx 1 1 .,2,Remember the days of old consider the
years of many generations .
” The wanderings of the ch ildren
of Israel were referred to,and a paral le l drawn between this
and the experiences of the United Empire Loyalists . He
knew that there were many descendants of U . E . Loyalists
here , and probably many of them were present. The action
46
verse 38 , was taken up . This was followed by a discuss ion
of the prayer book preface of ceremonies . At p .m.
l unch was served i n the school room by the ladi es of the con
gregation to the vis i t ing and res iden t c lergy and others ,
the Rev . Dean Langtry and the Rev . Septimes Jones being
present.
At 2 p .m. an audience gathered in the church,when the
R ev. C . B . Lee , of Hamilton , read a paper by the Rev. D r .
S cadding, en ti t led“ Church Annals at Niagara, from A .D .
1 792 to A .D . 1892 . The paper was replete w i th valuable
information of St . Mark ’s . The opening referred to this
being a period of centennials and other celebrations in
Canada , United States , and Europe . The fol lowing points in
the history of S t. Mark ’s were touched upon : The interest
taken by Governor S imcoe in the establ ishment of church
worship ; the e rection of the nave of the present edifice in
the burn ing of the wooden portion of the structure'
in
1 8 1 3 the uti lization of the bu ilding as a hospital ,at one t ime
for the Brit ish forces , and the occupancy of it as a barracks
at another period by the American invaders ; the rebuildi ng
of the edifice and the addi tions thereto the death of t he first
recto r the m in istry of his successor , the Rev . Thomas Cre en
and the arrival of the present incumbent , the Ven . Archdeacon
of Niagara . In referring to Mr . Addison , he said :“ I myself
remember Mr. Addison very wel l , having when a boy heard
him Ofliciate i n St . James ’ Church at York . H is oval , i ntel
48
lectual countenance and fin ished s ty le of reading made a
strong impress i on. I particularly remember his walking,
arrayed i n his academic gown,bands , and cle rical hat , afte r
the service , down King street to the Quetton St . George
mans ion , sti l l standing . He was chaplain to the House of
Assembly , and remained at York during the sess ion , often
being entertained by Mr. J . S . Baldwin .
” The names of some
of the Old famil ies which figure i n the Church and State
records with Mr. Addison are D ickson , Ball , Nellis , Crooks ,
Street , Keefer , Kerby , Macklem ,Powell
,Servos , Merritt , and
Clench , the descendants of most of which fami lies sti l l res ide
on the N iagara peninsula . The Rev . Canon Bul l thanked
the ven . archdeacon and the Rev . J . C . Garratt for the kind
reception given to the visiting c le rgy . He hoped that the
valuable paper just read would be publ ished i n book form ,
and thought that the l ives of Canadian miss ionaries should
be placed in the Sunday school . I t was the duty of Canadians
to hand down the records of noble deeds , and thu s insti l
patriotism into the hearts of the generations to come .
The Rev . Dr. Langtry said that m1s5 1onary work had
been done in the district as early as 1 784 by
~
the Rev . J .
Ogi lvie , and by the Rev . G . Stewart i n 1 794. The Rev.
J . C . Garrett,cu rate i n charge s ince 1888 , closed the meeting
with thanking the cle rgy for thei r p resence , particu larly
B i shop Coxe , expressing regret at the unavoidabl e absence
of the beloved bishop of the diocese .
49
At in the even ing the centennial ce lebrat ion was
brought to a close by a social re-union in the school house .
The chief feature of which was the presentat ion of a hand
some onyx clock , onyx vases , and an ornamental lamp with
onyx shaft to Archdeacon and M rs . M cMurray. Mayor
Paff ard made a brief address , compl imentary to the Ven .
Archdeacon and M rs . M cM urray, and introduced the follow
ing ladies , who presented the gifts to the rector and his
esteemed wife M rs . Morson , Mrs . H . A . Garrett , the Misses
Waters,Best and Manning. The clock bears the fol lowing
inscription : Presented by the congregation of St . Mark ’s
Parish , Niagara, to the Venerable Archdeacon and Mrs .
M cMurray to mark the centenary of this parish , and the very
estimable part which the archdeacon has taken therein for 36
years . Niagara , 9th J uly , The archdeacon repl ied
in words suitable to the occas i on,showing deep feel ing.
On every s ide were heard express ions of gratification at
the admirable arrangement of the whole centennial gatherings
and the successful carrying out of the well-matured plans ,
and too much praise cannot be given to those in charge of the
programme . During the services the sum of $350 was raised
to help defray the debt on the school house . Large handsomely
framed photographs of Rev . Thomas Creen and the present
rector have been placed i n the vestry , and it i s hoped that a
good portrai t of the fi rst rector may be secured to accompany
them .
50
The following resolut ion , which explains itself, was sent
to the archdeacon
R esolved,“ That we , the members of the Ruri-decanal
Chapter of Lincoln and Welland in session assembled , des i re
to congratulate most hearti ly the Venerable Archdeacon
McMurray , recto r of S t . Mark’
s Church,Niagara
,upon his
having been permitted to witness the centenary of his parish ,
and , while we acknowledge the D ivine blessing which has
rested upon his labors i n the past,as evidenced by the erec
tion of the rectory and school house , the improvement of the
graveyard and the restoration of the church , the parish being
made complete i n al l its arrangements , we pray that the same
degree of peace that he has always hi therto enjoyed as rector
of Niagara may be experienced by him unti l the close of his
l ife . ”
Moved by Rev . P . W . Smith , seconded by Rev . Canon
Houston,and carried unanimous ly by a standing vote at
Niagara , on Monday, July 1 1 th, 1892 .
5 !
1 7921 1892 .
N IAGARA , june 1 5 th , 1 892 .
DEAR S I R
With the enc losed Order of Services of the Centenary
Celebration of St . Mark ’
s Parish to be held on the 9th , 10th
and 1 1 th Ju ly , i n St. Mark’s Church
,we hereby extend to you
a most cordial invi tation to be present and participate therein .
The Off erings wi l l be devoted to the l iquidation of Parish
debt .Yours faithfully
,
WI LLIAM MCMU RRAY,R ector .
J OH N C . GARRET T , Curate in charge.
Programme of Services to be held in the Church of St .
Mark ’
s, Niagara , Ont . , on the 9th , 10th and I I th days of J uly ,
1892 , to celebrate the One Hundredth Anniversary of the
foundation of St . Mark ’s Parish .
All the Reverend Clergy of the Deanery of Li ncoln and
Welland have been i nvi ted to take part i n the exercises . The
preachers are the Righ t Reverend A . Cleveland Coxe , D . D . ,
LL .D . ,Bishop of Western New York , Bu ff alo , N . Y. ; the
Venerable Archdeacon Dickson , Guelph , Ont . ; the
Reverends A . Baldwin , M . A .,Toronto
,and Robert Ke r,
St . Catharines .
52
EVENSONG .
From beginning to Apostles ’ Creed - The Reverend Principal
Mil ler, B . A.
F irst Lesson—The Reverend T. Shutt, M .A.
Second Lesson—The Reverend W. J . Pigott.
From Apos tles ' Creed to end of Third Collect—The Rev. J . Evans .
Third Collect to the Grace—The Reverend J . A rdil l .
SUNDAY , JULY 1OT H , 1 1 A .M .
Morning Prayer and Holy Communion. Celebrant and Preacher
The Right Reverend Dr. Coxe, B ishop of Western N ew York
MORNING P RAYER.
From beginning to A postle ’s Creed—The Reverend W. J . Armitage .
F i rs t Lesson—The Reverend Charles Scudamore—z Chron. V.
Second Lesson—The Reverend E . J . Fessenden, B .A .
From Apostles ’ Creed to end of Third Collec t -The R everend G
Johnston, B .A .
Epistle—Venerable Archdeacon D ickson. Gospel - The Reverend
Canon Read , D .D.
The Epis toler, Gospeler and Venerable Archdeacon M cMurray wi ll
ass ist the B ishop in administering Holy Commun ion.
SUNDAY , JULY 1OT H , P .M .
Litany and Sermon. Reader—The Reve rend Canon Arnold , B .A .
Preacher—The Reverend Arthur Baldwin, M .A. Collect and
B less ing—The Reverend P. L. Spencer.
SUNDAY, JULY 1OT H , 7 P .M .
EVENING PRAYER .
Preacher—The Venerable A rchdeacon D ick son, D .C .L.
54
From beginning to Apostles ’ Creed—The Reverend J . J . Morton.
F irst Lesson—The Reverend A. Baldwin, B .A .
Second Lesson—The Reverend F. B . Hodgins .
From Apostles ’ Creed to end of Th ird Collect—The Reverend M .
K er, D.D.
From Third Collect to the Grace—The Reverend J . C . Garrett.
MONDAY , JULY 1 1TH .
MEETING O! DEANERY.
8 a. m.—Holy Communion. Celebrant—The Reverend the Rural
Dean.
10 a . m.—Meeting of Chapter.
p . m.- Lunch in School House.
2 p . m.-Paper by Reverend Dr. S cadding, to be read by the Rev
e rend Arthur Baldwin, M . A.
Short addresses by the Reverends P. L . Spencer Canon Bul l , M .A
W. J . Armitage , and others.
MONDAY, JULY 1 1T H , P . M .
Parish R e-union, School House and Grounds.
I n what bette r words than those of Geo . Macdonald ,
i n describing an old church in the Sea Board Parish , can
this imperfect sketch of an old church be concluded : “ And
when I saw i t , I rejoiced to think that once more I was
favored with a church that had a history , for , to give the
ful l idea of the bui lding,i t i s necessary that i t should be
one in which the hopes and fears , the cares and consola
tions , the loves and desi res of ou r forefathers shou ld have
55
been roofed ; where the hearts of those through whom our
country has become that which i t is—from which not merelythe l ife blood of our bodies
,but the l ife blood of our spi ri ts
has come down to us—whose ex i stence and whose eff ortshave made i t poss ible for us to be that which we are .
Therefore , I would far rather, when I may , worship in an
old church whose very s tones are a history of how men
strove to real iz e the infinite,compell ing even the powers
of natu re i nto the task .
56