Loyalist Plaque

History

‘In The Beginning...’

In 1784, Captain Michael Grass was one of four officers commissioned to bring British Loyalists from the newly formed United States to Canada, so that they might continue to live under English rule. They came and settled in what is now called Cataraqui, although the area was then known as Sandville and later as Waterloo (in honour of Wellington’s victory over Napolean). These settlers were Methodists, and they brought their faith with them to Waterloo. Although they didn’t have a church, they gathered for worship in each others’ homes. It was the custom for circuit preachers to visit the different communities and lead worship services, and Waterloo was no exception. A Mr. Lyons and a James McCarty were the first two Methodist circuit riders in the area, but it was William Lossee, the area’s third travelling ‘preacher’ who concentrated his ministry in this particular area. In 1790, Bishop Asbury of the American Methodist Episcopal Church commissioned Wiliam Lossee to range at large in Upper Canada. Following several preaching expeditions at Adolphustown in the Bay of Quinte area, William Lossee returned to the United States and gave the New York Conference a petition from the Quinte area settlers, concerning appointing him as preacher for that area. This man of about 26 or 27 years of age, of solemn face and voice, who always rode at a gallop, began his work here in February of 1791. Lossee’s circuit was an expansive one, reaching from Cornwall in the east to Prince Edward County in the west. He was the first ordained Methodist Deacon in Upper Canada. It has been suggested that it was during William Lossee’s years in this area that the very first church was built on what is now the Cataraqui site and that it was probable that he was the first to preach there. It was during this period (about 1791-1792) that the first church was built. There are several reasons for the church being built on the Waterloo site. At the time there was an abundance of pine trees in the area which could be used in construction and sandy soil provided for a good burying ground. Also, in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, Waterloo was a very active settlement, and a stopping place for travellers on their way to Kingston. Located at the junction of the Old York Road and the Loughboro Road, it was a central spot for rural people to meet. The site was only three and a half miles from Kingston, so it was also within range of city dwellers. However, one of the chief advantages of the site was a willing land donor in the name of John Ferris.

John Ferris was one of the original loyalist settlers to come to the area with Captain Michael Grass. Although he donated the land in 1798, the deed was not secured until 1832. The first church had Methodist beginnings. At first called the ’Waterloo Chapel’, it is believed to be the third Methodist Church built in Upper Canada. It was a frame building constructed about 1792, it is believed, although there are conflicting sources which have the date ranging from 1792 to 1798. Although it was rather crude and roughly built, it served the congregation well for almost thirty years before it was demolished and relaced by a new stone church in 1824. Once a church was built, the community had a place to come to worship, but the ministers (largely circuit preachers) had to live with members of the congregation in each of their charges. In 1851, a blacksmith named William Jackson donated the land for a parsonage.

The Manse

Despite the fact that people had been worshipping a the same site since the 1790's, and Waterloo-Cataraqui was a thriving church by the mid 1800's, the minister still had to resort to boarding with the families of his congregation: the Waterloo-Cataraqui Church (the name had been changed from Waterloo due to confusion with the city of Waterloo in western Ontario) needed a parsonage. It is not known for certain when the exact date of construction of the manse was, but it has been estimated to be about 1851. The money for construction was given by an unknown donor on the condition that it be built according to his wishes. The original parsonage was small; it contained a kitchen in the basement and a first floor above that with a cottage roof. The front lawn was an enclosed vegetable garden; two mountain ash trees flanked the gate which opened onto a path leading to the front door. Renovations on the building were undertaken upon the insistence of a new minister, Reverend Francis Chisholm, in 1892, when he refused to live in the parsonage until it was enlarged. He and his family lived in an apartment over Johnsons’ Grocery (an old stone building which stood at the foot of Sydenham Road) until the building was ready to live in. The addition of a second floor and a kitchen wing made the manse one of the largest homes in the Waterloo Circuit. By the year 1960, the old parsonage was sadly in need of repairs. The Official Board debated at some length whether it would be better to spend thousands of dollars on the old building, or to sell it and buy a new one for the minister. A joint Board of Trustees representing both Cataraqui and Westbrook, obtained the consent of the Kingston Presbytery to sell the property, and it was sold to Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Wright. (Mr. Wright was an elder and member of the Cataraqui United Church.) The new parsonage or ‘manse’ (to use the approved United Church term) was purchased from Reverend Nicholas Bosko, a retired Free Methodist minister. The manse was a neat three bedroom bungalow located on a spacious lot just two miles north of the church. In 1960, Reverend W. Sparling became our first minister to move into the new manse. Five years later the manse mortgage was burned. Cataraqui United Church no longer owns a manse. It was sold 1984, and the minister is now paid a housing allowance instead.

Church Buildings and History

The frame church served for almost thirty years before it was demolished and a new limestone church built to replace it in 1824. This stone church had a gallery built into it, but when the church was repaired in 1867, the gallery was removed. Over time the stone church deteriorated and thus in 1881 a new red brick church was built. During its construction the congregation worshipped in the Township Hall, located just south of the Church. Lewis Johnston Day donated a piece of land to the church in 1861, which was used for parking horses and buggies during Church Meetings. Later, sheds were constructed there to house the vehicles the parishioners brought to church. It has always been a problem to obtain enough funds for church upkeep and ministers’ salaries, especially in a relatively small, largely rural church. As early as 1861, a method was devised to increase the church’s income. This was the charging pew rents, even though this was against the policy of the Methodist Church. In 1877, the rent per year was $30.00. After paying the fee to the sexton, the person renting the pew received a receipt which included on it how long the pew was rented. The issue of Pew Rents caused some dissension within the church, about the time of the Methodist Union. The Methodist Episcopals objected to the payment of the rents, but the system remained in use. In 1893, the Board of Trustees introduced ‘weekly giving’, from which the envelope system arose. When finances were low, it was usually the minister’s salary that suffered first. Sometimes the minister’s salary consisted only of the money that was left over after the bills were paid. However, in 1893, the Reverend Francis Chisolm was promised $750.00 a year. (We don’t know whether or not he received it.) Needless to say the ministers’ salary has risen since then. Various groups have given the church moral and financial support. Without them Cataraqui would not be the church it is.

Women’s Organizations

In 1892, the Methodist women of Cataraqui formed the Ladies Aid Society; August of that year was the setting for one of their first official meetings. A well preserved minute book dating to that month contains the ‘Constitution and Rules of the Ladies Aid Society of Cataraqui.’ The constitution deals mainly with missionary work, the main example; a motion stating ‘that the President and Vice President visit different appointments of this circuit to organize societies or invite the ladies to join ours.’ It is evident, from past records that the Women’s organization gave generously of their funds to the church. In conjunction with giving to Cataraqui, the ladies organized many events such as a ‘Home Harvest Service’, and an ‘Anniversary Service’. In order to finance parsonage repairs and maintenance, church redecoration and a host of other jobs, the women had an outstanding line of entertainment; teas, excursions by boat, ice cream socials, dinners and Antiquarian teas; these are just several examples of their diligent work. February 18, 1902 bought about a change in the Ladies Aid Society; a gathering of women met at the church parsonage to establish a Women’s Missionary Auxiliary. Thus a regular program began which included mission study and service, this was continued until 1962. The year 1962 is a year to remember regarding Women in our church; the Women’s Missionary Society amalgamated with the Women’s Association to form the United Church Women. These women meet monthly at a member’s home or at the church for service and to arrange activities. The United Church Women commonly referred to as the U.C.W., continued to grow as a major participant in our church and community. These women have donated generously of their time and funds to Cataraqui United Church. They have done so through Church dinners, ice cream and strawberry socials, tea and sales, bazaars, the raising of talent money through walk-a-thons and enjoyable social events, catering to weddings and various public dinners; these are just some of the many examples of their activities over the years. During the 1960's and early ‘70's the basement of our church was redecorated and in the process the kitchen was revamped to make it easier to hold dinners, etc. Now the U.C.W. can accommodate one hundred people for dinner with much more ease; there is no more carrying water for miles to wash dishes and cook.

The Sunday School

In 1789, an Orange Hall was erected on Sydenham Road, two miles north of the present Cataraqui United Church. Methodist Episcopals met here for worship and Sunday School, until about 1884, when the union of all Methodist groups in Canada, took place. They continued to hold Sunday School there for some years. In the Sunday School minutes of Nov. 15, 1903, it is noted the Sunday School Services were held on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Superintendent at the time was Mr. James Cooke. Mrs. Cooke was a Sunday School teacher for a number of years. They both held a long record of service to the Sunday School. Their daughter, Mrs. D. Wilson, has a distinguished record as well, teaching in the Sunday School for forty years, also acting as leader to a C.G.I.T. Group, and Explorers for fifteen years, and playing the piano for the Sunday School Services. There is a long list of superintendents and teachers, who over the years have been dedicated and faithful. We would like to include their names, but it would be virtually impossible. On August 5, 1924, a Sunday School picnic was held at Lake Ontario Park. It was just continuing a tradition that had been carried on for many years. For many years, the Sunday School picnics were always held at Lake Ontario Park, and the children and in fact the whole community attended. They travelled to and from the picnics in market wagons, which naturally limited the days that they could go, because the wagons were needed for market days. When the wagons went from the church to the park, they often travelled along Portsmouth Avenue, but at that time there was only one house on it. These yearly picnics were not limited just to the times before cars however. They continued with minor variations over the years. The picnic in 1924 virtually marked the end of the horse-drawn era, however, the picnics remained as much fun as always. In 1924, there were races held for the children and also for grown ups if they cared to compete. Prizes were given and Mr. C.J. Graham agreed to give the children a street car ride. We held our picnic in June 1978, at the Cataraqui Conservation Area, with games and a potluck supper (but no street car rides). It is interesting to note in the earlier years of Sunday School, that the classes were given very picturesque names, for example, the True Blues, Tried and True, Willing Workers, Busy Bees, Sunbeams, Good Cheer Class, Victors and Merry Makers. The Sunday School literature was; Happy Day, Onward, the Banner, and Sunbeams. (It should be noted they adopted the name Sunbeams for their class.) In 1903, they were also using David C. Cook literature. January 15, 1928, saw the addition of an Adult Bible Class, with an average of sixteen in attendance. At the same time a Young Ladies Cass was added with fourteen in attendance. The attendance of the Sunday School classes has declined over the years; this has been partially due to a drop in the number of Sunday School age children in the area. However, those who attend the Sunday School at the present time, do so on a regular basis. The young people in the Sunday School have been involved in banner competitions, Brownies, Guides, Scout and Cub activities, and we hope they will continue to take an active part in our church and community.

The Charge

Before 1834, there were as many as thirty meeting places in the Wesleyan Methodist Church Circuit based in Waterloo. After the union of 1834, there were considerably fewer, however there were still a large number of points compared to today. Just before the union of 1847, there were still twelve to thirteen points (they were reduced by three or four to nine in 1847). This constant change was due in a large part to the population growth and the maturing of different pastoral points and their acquisition of independence from the Waterloo-Cataraqui Charge. Westbrook built a church in 1860 (approximately) and their present church in 1867. By 1958 there were only three points left in the Cataraqui Charge; Cataraqui, Westbrook, and Collins Bay. As of July 1958, Collins Bay gained its independence which left just Cataraqui and Westbrook. Later, in 1992, Cataraqui and Westbrook became two independent charges. Of course a church that was built in 1881 has need of constant repairs and renovations to keep it serviceable. Many of the repairs were done by members of the congregation which not only saved the church money but also gave the congregation a deeper interest in the church itself. Many of the conveniences society of the 1970's takes for granted were major accomplishments in the church and parsonage. For example, acquisition of electric lights in the church in 1922, of water (which led to a bathroom addition, and kitchen renovations) in the 1960's, (something that had been impossible before that due to the close proximity of the graveyard), the renovations of the basement, and the modernization of the church interior itself. All these were achievements for the church.

Church Union of 1925

Cataraqui had experienced three previous Methodist Unions (1833, 1874, and 1884), so a fourth one didn’t concern the church greatly. The union of the Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches did not present any major changes for the church because there were no close neighbours of those denominations, except some Presbyterians in Collins Bay. The main issue of the union appeared to have been the determination of the length of a minister’s service to a church. The Official Board of Cataraqui Charge tried to have a minister’s pastorate term limited to five years when they passed a motion in April of 1930. It is ironic that the next minister to serve the church stayed the longest of any minister ever; sixteen years. Cataraqui became a member of the new United Church of Canada in June 1925. The church union had very little effect on the church itself or its internal structure or government. It seems almost impossible to sum up so many years of history in so few paragraphs. After 1925 or 1930 there were very few major changes in the church, or major events, although there were so many, many smaller points. However they cannot all be mentioned here. The only major transaction seems to have been the selling of the parking lot to the Kingston Township as a parking place for snowplows and other vehicles. Eight years later, in 1961, the township built their own buildings for this purpose and the lot was sold back to the church for $1.00. Our past has been recorded, but, what of the future? That is up to the people of the church, and most particularly the young people.

The Youth Group

December 1977, brought about the beginning of a new youth group at Cataraqui United Church. Previous to 1977, teenagers of the church would enter teams in the annual United Church Volleyball Tournament which had its origins at Chalmer’s United Church. Occasionally the youth of past years would meet informally for sport activities, dances and parties. However, with the formation of the Youth Group as an official church group, the young people began to take an active part in many church and community affairs. The Youth Group consisted largely of teenage members, with a senior president, youth president, secretary-treasurer, and two adult advisors. The Youth Group hosted the annual volleyball tournament, instituted a three pitch tournament, held walk-a-thons, car washes, bottle drives etc. and gave the majority of the funds raised to the church for general purposes; this included the restoration of the church plaque. The youth group also met for swimming, bowling and many other social activities.

Remember When...

  • - quarterly communion tickets were issued in the latter part of the 1800's and the early 1900's
  • - the horse shed (located where the present parking lot is today) were the favourite place for couples to go ‘parking’
  • - the ladies were to clean up the old manse, but having no key to get in, climbed in a window
  • - church suppers were held before the basement of the church was renovated, where there were no cupboards or sinks to speak of, and the all the water for cooking dish washing had to be brought to the church in cream cans
  • - pew rents were charged
  • - a boy tended the horses during church services
  • - the Sunday School nursery class enrolment was over twenty
  • - the minister didn’t have a set salary but was paid whatever was left over after the bills were paid

Did You Know...

  • - the history of Cataraqui United Church stretches back over the reigns of seven Kings and two Queens of England
  • - Cataraqui is an Indian name meaning ‘rocks rising out of the water’
  • - an unfortunate incident occurred on August 6, 1896 when Rev. John Hardie Stewart, an elderly minister, apparently fell asleep in his buggy on the way home from a meeting. It seems the horse escaped, but the minister in his buggy was hit by a train on the railroad tracks. The body was badly mangled, and could not be identified until later, when his horse was found unhurt, grazing on the Parsonage lawn
  • - the first telephone was installed in the manse in 1916
  • - in 1922, Professor E. Madrand was hired by the Cataraqui charge and became the first organist
  • - at a congregation meeting, February 25, 1949, it was moved that the envelope system be adopted
  • - January 31, 1951, Mr. M. Binnington and Mr. William Hooper were appointed elders for life
  • - at a meeting January 31, 1951, it was moved that the pumper for the organ be paid $5.00 quarterly
  • - many of the accoutrements used and visible in our church have been donated in memory of loved ones, or purchased with funds left in memoriam
  • - the new oil furnace was installed January 6, 1952
  • - many of the hymn books were donated in memory of various members of the congregation
  • - the old slat walk was taken away from the front of the church on August 28, 1952. The concrete steps and walk were finished on September 20, of that same year
  • - the painting and decorating of the interior of the church was completed December 13, 1953 (for the anniversary service). The old decoration consisted of scripture passages; over the pulpit on the wall was ‘Holiness becometh thine House O Lord’, and above the entrance door was ‘Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary’.
  • - the new communion table was dedicated in March 1953
  • - a new electric organ was installed in January 1954, and the old pipe organ was removed in July 1954
  • - a baptismal font was put in the church on May 7, 1955
  • - oak offering plates were first used at the Mother’s Day Service n May 8, 1955
  • - a new chalice was used for the first time at communion service December 9, 1962
  • - water was installed in the church for the first time in June 1963

Some History We Won’t Soon Forget

In 1832, the British Wesleyan Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church joined to form the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, but for ten years the Waterloo Chapel was in turmoil. Since no deed for the church property had been obtained, the two groups were at odds. Relations went from bad to worse. Verbal battles were discarded and physical force taken up when in 1836, the Episcopal trustees declared themselves legal proprietors, and being denied entrance, twice broke forcibly into the church. Later, several men took the lock off the chapel door, replacing it with one of their own, so that the Wesleyan trustees were effectively locked out. Once, a lock was placed on the organ and the key was made ‘unavailable’ to the other faction. One account tells of a funeral service in the chapel being smoked out by the other party who climbed onto the roof and stuffed the chimney with rags. The narrator of this particular story would not say which group was which. Mr. McKim (an early organist who was also blind) was said to have been able to take the keyboard off and repair a key on the organ during the long Methodist prayers, and have it ready for the next hymn. In the winter of 1881, a second-hand organ was obtained from one of the churches in Napanee, and Edward Cooke brought it to the church on a sleigh. It had a lovely tone, and served the church for almost seventy-five years. Because it was a box pipe organ, the bellows were manually operated. An energetic young boy was hired for $5.00 per year to do the pumping. Sometimes the task of pumper was taken on by the minister’s son, as was the case with Rowe Seymour. This youth inscribed a memorial in his father’s Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: ‘August 14, 1938. Pumped in the absence of Jack Smith and was it ever hot!’. The pumper sat behind a green curtain and kept an eye on the pressure indicator. He had nothing to do as long as the gauge remained constant, but once the pressure began to drop he was to start pumping. Woe to the young pumper who dozed off or daydreamed and let the pressure go down, for he would be reminded too late, when the congregation rose, the organist began to play, and no sounds emerged from the organ.

Conclusion

There has been a church standing on the crest of the hill, on the west side of Sydenham Road for over two hundred years now. Those first pioneers built better than they knew, for in building the church, they also created a feeling of fellowship that has lasted to this day, and will continue to survive.

Acknowledgements

The body of this history came in main part from Years to Remember, a small book produced by the Youth Group of Cataraqui United Church in 1978. Additional information may be found in writings in the Queen’s University Library, including works by the Kingston Historical Society, A History of Catarqui United Church, a Bachelor of Divinity Thesis (1963), by Rev. J.W. Lamb, and several books by Rev. Doreen O’Brien (Hooper).