Yesterday And Today, A Salute to Blyth's 125th Anniversary, 2002-07-31, Page 17Built in 1889
The Methodist Church, where the first service was held in
November of 1889, is now the place of worship for the
Blyth Christian Reformed Church.
Children come to Canada as orphans
Pictured lett to riyht Robert. Lucy. Gladys. Garner and I. lualndli Ann Leach.
Many current residents of Huron County are descendants of children who
came to Canada from Britain as orphans in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. Elizabeth, Ann Leach, shown in this 1906 photo with her
husband, Robert Leach, and their four children, Bessie, Lucy, Gladys and
Garner, was one such orphan. She was bon, in the industrial city of
Birmingham, England in July. 1876. the first daughtc- ,of Johr George
Garner, a gunsmith and Sarah Anne Graham. She and her older brother, John
Henry, and younger sisters Lucy and Emma, lived a comfortable life with
their parents in the Small Heath area of Birmingham. However their -mother
died in July, 1886 and their father in March, 1888. Although there were
relatives in England, and one uncle whp kept in touch with the children, they
were put in the care of an agency that arranged their passage to Canada. They
arrived on August 27, 1888. Each child went to a different home - John, age
15, to Frank Woods' farm in 11.illett Township; Lizzie, 12, to a family in
Auburn; Lucy, 9. with the Asquith family in Suinmerhill and Emma, 6. with
Mrs. George Raithby, Hullett Township. They were able to have occasional
contact with each other, although Emma remembered how she would cry
every day, wanting to see the others. As adults they were able to keep in
touch, and occasionally visit, even though only Emma remained in Huron
County. John was encouraged to combine farm work with continuing his
education, and in 1891 became a teacher. He taught in various rural schools.
:including ones in Logan Township. Harrington West, Norwich and
Kincardine. before moving to Fort William in 1911. where he continued his
teaching career, retiring in 1936. He married Jane French from Logan
Township. Perth County. on December 25. 1901. They had three children
before Jane died in 1910. John then married Alma Ethel Barnum of
Kincardine in 1911. John died in March. 1950 and Alma in 1959. Their
daughter, Margaret McCutcheon Holloway. still lives in Thunder Bay. Lizzie
began working as a hired girl at an early age. In February 1894. she married
Robert Leach, eldest son of John Leach and Mary Asquith Leach. They lived
in Auburn until 1906. when they heard the call of the west. They set out with
four children, one cow. a team of horses and their household effects, and
settled on a 320 acre homestead near Mellon. Saskatchewan. Three more
childrenwere born there. Brother John spent several summers teaching the
homesteaders' children at the small school in Star City. Lizzie died in
October, 1949. Lucy also began domestic work at an early age and married
George Ambury at Lizzie's home in 1903. They also went west to homestead
in the Meltort area about 1905. living at first in a sod -shack. They had a
family of eight children. Lucy died in 1940. Emma was 17 when Mother
Raithby died. She then lived with Lizzie in Auburn. working as a hired girl
until she married Lorne ScrimgeOur on November 6, 1900. They raised a
family of seven, spending 12 years in Auburn. then moving to Blyth. Emma
was active in mlmc Blyth Horticultural Society, Women's Institute and
Agricultural So, let)/ and was a newspaper correspondent. Lorne built over
500 houses. barns and Alter structures in the area, and was also active in local
politics. Emma died in 1969. Three children are still alive, Verne Cameron
Dakin and Everett. Myth. and Margaret Marks. Windsor. Four young and
lonely orphans who came to Canada so long ago each contributed to the
development ()I- this country. Over 2(X) of their descendants are now spread
all across Canada and continue these contributions.
THE CITIZEN, YESTERDAY and TODAY, WEDNEtiDAY, JULY 31, 2002. PAGE 17.
Methodist Church forms in Blyth in 1860
The Methodist Church formed in
Blyth in 1860, becoming .a member
of the Morris District Mission the
following year.
Rev. Peter Campbell was the first
minister. but Rev. Colman Bristol
took over in 1862 when the first
church was built.
A new structure was built on
Queen Street in 1889 (the current
location of the Christian Reformed
Church), at a cost of $5,350. Sitting
on that building committee were
N.H. Young, J. McGee, T.J.
Huckstep, J. Taylor and J. Sparling.
Pastor at the time of the laying of
the cornerstone was Rev. A.W.
Tonge. The official opening took
place Nov. 7, 1889.
Early ministers were: Rev. C.
Bristol, 1863-1864; Rev. T. Hanna,
1865-1867; Rev. T. Cleworth, 1868-
1869; Rev. G. H. Kenney, 1870-
1872; Rev. H. Kellan, 1873-1874;
Rev. G. A. Mitchell, 1875-1876;
Rev. George Clark, 1877-1880; Rev.
J. Philip, 1881-1882; Rey. William
Byres, 1883-1884; Rev. J. S. Fisher,
1885-1886; Rev. A.W. Tonge, 1887-
1889. Rev. W. Campbell, 1890-
1892; Rev. T. Buggin, 1892-1895;
Rev. W. Rigsby, 1896-1898; Rev. W.
With its roots in the Netherlands,
immigrants who had arrived in the
country following the Second World
War formed Blyth's Christian
Reformed Church in 1962.
Thirty-two families made up the
original congregation.
Services were first held in space
rented at. the Continuing
Presbyterian' Church on Queen
Street for an annual fee of $950. The
building was purchased in 1969 for
approximately $15,000.
The original 1889 pews still
remain.
The first pastor was Rev.
Raymond Sikkema, from California,
who served until 1966 when Rev.
Penhall, 1899-1901; Rev. John
Holmes, 1902-1904; Rev. S.
Anderson, 1905-1908; Rev. W.H.
Cooper, 1909; Rev. E.A. Fear, 1910-
1911; Rev. George Jewitt, 1912-
1915; Rev. R. McCormick, 1916-
1920; Rev. A.C. Tiffin, 1921-1924
and Rev. R. H. Barnby, 1925.
It was noted in 1894, that the large
number of young men standing in
the lobby of the church on the
Sabbath was making it unpleasant
for the ladies entering.
The Epworth League presented a
piano to the church in 1905 and an
organ was purchased in 1909 for
$300. A water closet was installed in
a corner of the shed in 1911 and a
telephone at the parsonage was
noted the following year. -
In 1910, permission was granted
for choir members not to wear their
hats during the service.
As the Queen Street Church did
not have a bell, members were called
to service by the ringing of the
village bell.
In 1925, the congregation became
the Queen Street United Church.
Services were held for six months at
the Queen Street location then for
six months at the Dinsley Street
Henry Kroeze assumed the duties.
Rev. Ted Hoogsteen arrived in 1973.
In .1970 an addition was built at
the rear of the church to provide
space for educational purposes.
Additional parking space was
purchased and a lift was installed so
the church is now wheelchair
accessible.
Other ministers include Rev.
Roger Gelwicks, Dr. Lammers who
left in 1992 and Rev. Adrian Van
Geest who arrived in 1994.
The current interim pastor is John
Kuperus.
The congregation celebrates its
40th anniversary this year and now
boasts 86 families.
church.
Rev. Barnby stayed until 1928,
followed by Rev. E. L. Anderson,
1928-1931 and Rev. William G.
Buell. 1932-1934.
In 1933, because of difficult
times, all paid officials had to take a
15 per cent pay cut in salaries until
conditions improved.
When talk began of joining the
Queen Street United with St.
Andrews United (previously St.
Andrews Presbyterian), the Queen
Street congregation was against it.
Notes from a 1932 meeting by St.
Andrews stated, "because of adverse
feeling towards union by the Queen
Street congregation, St. Andrews
moved that negotiationS toward
_union be dropped.
The two joined in 1934 to form
the Blyth United Church.
Rev. A. Brook served as the
minister of the newly jOined
After several years of itinerant
preachers and services held in
various homes, barns or in the out of
doors, a church was built in 1858
and, a year later, dedicated as
Canada Presbyterian Church by
Rev. David Allan. It was located
where the Horticultural Park how
sits on Dinsley Street.
The organization for the
congregation began in 1854. J.B.
Taylor, Kenneth McBean, Thomas
Ritchie, John Laidlaw and Walter
McGowan were the board of
management. Andrew and James
Stewart, Malcolm Campbell, H.
Richmond and McGowan were the
building committee.
Following Rev. John Rennie's
three years of travelling to Blyth for
services, Rev. Alexander Currie
became the first regular minister in
1860. Rev. John Stewart in 1862
then Rev. Archibald McLean in
1865 followed him. Rev. McLean
spent 40 years preaching in Blyth.
A new church; built in 1877 at a
cost of $4,340, was on the corner of
Dinsley and Mill and renamed St.
Andrews Presbyterian Church. It
was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Mc Vicar
of Montreal.
In the early' days there was a .$3
per family pew fee for the year. That
was later dropped, but pews were
allotted to families. That was
stopped in 1938.
During the period 1866 to 1902.
the church wielded considerable
power over the morality of its
parishioners. Some of the reasons
for being called before the session to
defend one's actions included
absence from church. ignoring
infant baptism. disrespectful talk
about one's mother. stealing corn
from the neighbour, fornication,
attending a Baptist service.
drunkenness, separation from one's
wife and gossiping.
Continued on page 18
United
congregants
leave for Living
Waters
The Living Water Christian
Fellowship was formed in 2001
when congregants of the nited
Church of Canada had a difference
in theological philosophy.
A portion of the congregation
withdrew from the' Blyth United
Church and began to meet at Blyth
Public School under the jiii*.ince of
Rev. Ernest Dow.
congregation and sta 01 until 1938.
In his address during the first
service. he said, "Let us pull together
to keep the unity of the spirit in the
bond of peace, and in a few years,
God helping us, we shall he
convinced that we did the right thing
to join forces, and our children's
children will rise up and call us
blessed".
The congregation decided on the
former St. Andrews building as the
permanent church because there was
more land, more parking, the manse
was close by, the shed was handy
and it was not on a busy highway,
even though the building was in
worse condition.
key. A Sinclair was minister from
1938-1947; Rev. W. J. Rogers, 1947-
1950; Rev. C. J. Scott, 1950-1954
and Rev. Art Watson. 1954-1957.
The I lammond organ purchased
in 195 I still being used 50 years
tater.
A new church was built at the
Dinsley and Mill Streets site in 1962,
at a cost of $95,000, alter the old
structure was demolished. On the
day of the dedication, Oct. 28, there
was three inches of slum on the
ground.
Rev. R. Evan McLagan, 1958-
1964, was the minister at the time of
the opening of the new church.
The Queen Street building was
sold to the Continuing Presbyterian
congregation in 1936 then the
Christian RefOrmed Church in 1969.
Other ministers who served the
congregation were: Rev. W. 0.
Mather, 1965-1970: Rev. Cecil
Wittich, 1970-1982; Mr. George
Cowan, 1982-1983; Rev. Ken
Bauman. 1983-1987: Rev. Lorenzo
Ramirez Jr., 1987-1993; Rev. Peter
"Jack" Tolmay, 1993-1994; Rev.
Stephen Huntley, 1994-1998: Rev.
Ian Diamond ( pastoral exchange,
Australia), 1995; Rev. Cecil Wittich,
1998-1999 and Rev. Ernest Dow,
1999-2001.
Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman serves
the congregation in 2002.
Dutch immigrants
form CRC in 1962
St. Andrews Presbyterian
builds church in 1858