the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第11节

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CHAPTER　V

THE　FIRST　CHURCHES　OF　THE　ISTHMUS。

THE　spiritual　interests　of　the　people　of　old　Chignecto　have　always　been　well…looked　after。　One　of　the　first　white　men　to　visit　the　Isthmus　with　a　view　to　settlement　was　a　priest；　and　the　man　who　wielded　the　largest　influence　in　and　around　Fort　Beausejour　during　the　last　years　of　the　French　occupation　was　a　priest；　the　vicar…general　of　Canada。　In　more　than　one　instance　the　assistance　promised　to　the　colonists　in　Acadia　by　the　wealthy　was　provisional　upon　the　conversion　of　the　Indians　to　Christianity。　During　the　French　period　three　chapels　were　erected　on　the　Isthmusone　at　the　Four　Corners；　Tantramar；　one　at　Fort　Beausejour；　and　one　at　Beaubassin。　These　chapels　were　burned　during　the　taking　of　Beausejour　and　the　expulsion　of　the　Acadians。　The　bell　on　the　chapel　at　the　Four　Corners　was　buried　by　the　Acadians　at　the　intersection　of　two　lines　drawn　from　four　springs　to　be　seen　in　that　locality　yet。　Some　years　after　a　party　of　Acadians；　on　getting　the　consent　of　Wm。　Fawcett；　who　in　the　meantime　had　come　into　possession　of　the　land；　dug　up　the　bell　and　carried　it　to　Memramcook。　The　late　Father　Lefebre　exchanged　it　for　a　larger　one。　It　is　believed　that　the　bell　from　the　Beausejour　chapel　is　the　one　now　used　in　St。　Mark's　church；　Mount　Whatley。　This　bell　is　ornamented　with　scrolls　and　fleur…de…lis　and　has　the　following　inscription：

AD　HONOREM　DEI　FECIT　F。M。　GROS；　A　ROCHEFORT；　1734。

The　first　Protestant　ministers　on　the　Isthmus　were　Episcopalians。　Mr。　Woods；　a　clergyman　of　that　denomination；　was　at　Fort　Lawrence　in　1752；　1754　and　1756。　In　1759　Rev。　Thos。　Wilkinson　was　at　Fort　Cumberland；　and　in　1760　it　is　recorded　that　Joshua　Tiffs　baptized　Winkworth　Allan　at　the　fort。　Between　that　date　and　the　arrival　of　Rev。　John　Egleson　no　record　has　been　found。　Mr。　Egleson　was　born　a　Presbyterian；　and　was　educated　for　that　Church。　He　was　ordained；　but　afterwards　changed　his　views；　and　joined　the　Anglicans。　He　was　reordained　by　the　Bishop　of　London；　and　sent；　in　1769；　to　Chignecto；　by　the　Society　for　the　Propagation　of　the　Gospel　in　Foreign　Parts。

Reference　is　made　in　another　part　of　this　book　to　Mr。　Egleson's　capture　by　the　Eddy　rebels　in　1776。　He　seems　to　have　been　the　first　to　take　possession　of　the　glebe　lands　of　the　parish；　and　the　farm　was　for　many　years　called　the　〃Egleson　farm。〃　The　parish　register　containing　the　earliest　records　has　been　lost　or　destroyed；　so　that　from　the　arrival　of　Mr。　Egleson　down　to　1794　very　little　is　known　of　the　local　history　of　the　denomination。

In　1794　a　meeting　was　held　on　the　27th　February；　at　or　near　Fort　Cumberland；　and　the　following　business　was　transacted：　〃Messrs。　Gay；　Siddall　and　Brownell　were　appointed　a　committee　to　prepare　plans　for　a　church；　to　be　erected　at　once　on　the　town　plot；　and　to　obtain　subscriptions。〃　The　new　church　was　to　be　46　feet　long　and　34　feet　wide；　with　19…foot　posts。　Messrs。　Gay；　McMonagle　and　McCardy　to　be　the　Building　Committee。　This　is　the　old　St。　Mark's　Church；　that　stood　so　long　at　Mount　Whatley。　The　first　list　of　subscribers　were：

William　Allen；　L3；　in　pine　lumber。　Samuel　Gay；　L3；　in　timber。　Ralph　Siddall；　L3；　in　timber。　Titus　Knapp；　L3；　in　drawing　stone。　James　Law；　L3；　in　drawing　stone。　Jerry　Brownell；　L1　10s。；　in　timber。

The　cost　of　the　church；　when　finished；　was　L310。　Of　this　amount　the　people　subscribed　L170。　The　Bishop　of　Nova　Scotia　gave　L70；　and　there　remained　a　debt　of　L70。

Having　succeeded　so　well　in　building　the　church；　a　meeting　was　called；　at　the　request　of　Rev。　Mr。　Willoughby；　to　provide　a　house　for　the　clergyman。　His　request　was　granted；　and　in　1795；　Mr。　Milledge　being　then　the　resident　minister；　the　church…wardens　agreed　to　pay　two…thirds　of　the　amount　of　rent　for　the　house　in　which　he　was　living　until　the　parsonage　was　built。

At　a　meeting　of　the　vestrymen　in　1796；　the　school　lands　of　the　parish　were　rented　to　Spiller　Fillimore　for　L7　5s。　These　lands　now　bring　an　annual　rental　of　200。　In　1810　the　church…wardens　of　St。　Mark's　church　were：

Amos　Fowler。　　　　　　Samuel　Gay。　James　Ryan。　　　　　　　John　Trenholm。　Harmon　Trueman。　　　Chas。　Oulton。　Samuel　McCardy。　　　Jas。　Hewson。　William　Copp。　　　　　William　Tingley。　Geo。　Wells。　　　　　　　Thos。　Trueman。　Bill　Chappell。

At　a　meeting　held　Nov。　2nd；　1818；　it　was　resolved　to　take　down　the　church　and　rebuild；　making　the　width　thirty　feet。　No　reason　is　given　for　this　strange　proceeding。　The　contractors　for　the　work　were　Wm。　Jones；　Henry　Chapman；　and　Thos。　Trenholm。　This　building　stood　until　1880；　when　a　new　building　of　more　modern　architecture　was　erected　on　the　same　site；　where　it　stands　to…day。　The　names　of　the　clergymen　who　have　been　resident　or　had　the　oversight　of　the　church　in　Westmoreland　since　1752；　as　far　as　can　be　found；　are　given　below：

Mr。　Wood；　1752…6。　　　　　　　　J。　W。　D。　Gray。　Thos。　Wilkinson；　1759。　　　R。　B。　Wiggins；　1831。　Joshua　Tiffs；　1760。　　　　　　G。　S。　Jarvis。　John　Egleson；　1769。　　　　　　R。　B。　Wiggins。　Mr。　Willoughby；　1794。　　　　Geo。　Townshend。　John　Milledge；　1795。　　　　　Robert　Donald　Mr。　Perkins；　1805。　　　　　　　Richard　Simonds。　Rev。　C。　Milner；　1822。　　　　Chas。　Lee。　Donald　Bliss；　1852…1902。

The　following　entries　referring　to　church　matters　are　from　Mr。　Wm。　Trueman's　Journal：

〃July　26th；　1803Rev。　Mr。　Gray　preached　at　the　church；　from　Proverbs　6　c。；　3v。；　'Humble　thyself　and　make　sure　thy　friend。'〃　Mr。　Gray　was　probably　a　visiting　clergyman。

〃July；　1806；　Oct。　16thWilliam　Allan　was　buried　at　the　church…yard　at　Camp　Hill；　attended　by　a　large　concourse　of　people。　Mr。　Milledge　preached　a　sermon。〃

〃December　25th；　1806　（Christmas　Day）Mr。　Bamford　preached　at　Stone　Meeting　House　（Methodist）；　and　after；　Mr。　Perkins　administered　the　sacrament。　The　house　was　full　of　people。〃

As　far　as　is　known　there　was　not　a　resident　Episcopal　clergyman　in　Amherst　until　1823。　Christ　Church　was　erected　that　year　on　the　county　courthouse　ground。　In　1842；　through　the　efforts　of　Canon　Townshend；　a　new　church　was　built　on　the　present　site。　Rev。　J。　W。　D。　Gray　was　the　first　clergyman。　The　Rev。　Canon　Townshend　came　to　Amherst　in　1834；　and　held　the　rectorship　until　his　death。

METHODISTS。

A　letter　written　from　England　to　Mr。　Wm。　Trueman；　Prospect；　in　1776；　asks　if　the　adherents　of　the　Methodist　societies　have　any　place　of　worship　to　go　to；　or　do　they　meet　among　themselves　according　to　the　usual　way　of　the　Methodists。　The　reply　would　be　that　they　met　amongst　themselves；　as　there　is　no　record　of　a　〃meeting　house〃　until　some　years　later。

The　Methodists　of　the　early　Yorkshire　emigration　at　first　met　quietly　at　the　home　of　one　of　their　number　for　their　services。　In　1779　religious　interest　deepened；　and　a　wide…spread　revival　began。　Meetings　were　held；　followed　by　encouraging　results。　Among　the　new　converts　was　Wm。　Black；　of　Amherst；　afterwards　Bishop　Black。　It　is　recorded　that　at　a　quarterly　meeting　held；　in　1780；　at　Wm。　Trueman's；　Wm。　Black　received　a　great　blessing；　and　although　only　a　young　man；　he　took　from　that　time　a　prominent　part　in　the　meetings　of　the　neighborhood。　Three　young　men；　Scurr；　Wells；　and　Fawkender；　agreed　with　Wm。　Black　to　visit　in　turn；　each　Sabbath；　the　settlements　of　Prospect；　Fort　Lawrence；　and　Amherst。　From　1780　until　after　the　first　Methodist　Conference　of　the　Maritime　Provinces；　in　1786；　Wm。　Black　had　charge　of　the　Cumberland　Circuit；　which　included　from　Wallace　（then　Ramshag）　to　Petitcodiac；　taking　in　Bay　Verte　and　Cape　Tormentine。　In　1782　the　membership　of　the　circuit　numbered　eighty…two。　In　1786　the　first　Conference　was　held　at　Halifax。

Shortly　before　Conference　Mr。　Black；　with　his　family；　moved　to　Halifax；　leaving　in　his　place；　at　Cumberland；　Mr。　Graudin；　of　New　Jersey。　Mr。　Graudin　was　sent　back　to　Cumberland　by　the　Conference。　He　was　assisted　by　John　Black；　of　Amherst；　brother　of　Wm。　Black。　In　1787　Mr。　Graudin　was　removed　and　his　place　taken　by　Mr。　James　Mann。　That　year　land　was　bought　on　which　to　build　a　chapel；　and　in　1788　the　first　Methodist　church　in　Canada　was　built　at　Point　de　Bute。　It　stood　somewhat　back　from　the　road　in　the　present　cemetery。　The　house　was　of　stone；　with　a　roof　of　thatch。　The　following　is　the　deed　of　the　property　on　which　the　house　was　built：

〃This　Indenture；　made　this　eighteenth　day　of　September；　on　thousand　seven　hundred　and　eighty…eight；　and　in　the　twenty…eighth　year　of　His　Majesty's　reign；　between　William　Chapman；　of　Point　de　Bute；　of　the　one　part；　and　the　Rev。　Mr。　John　Wesley；　of　London；　of　the　other　part；　witnesseth；　that　in　consideration　of　five　shillings　currency；　by　the　said　John　Wesley　to　the　said　William　Chapman；　truly　paid　before　the　sealing　and　delivering　hereof；　the　receipt　whereof　the　said　William　Chapman　doth　hereby　acknowledge　and　for　divers　other　considerations　him　thereunto　moving；　the　said　William　Chapman　hath　granted；　bargained　and　sold；　and　by　these　presents　doth　bargain　and　sell　unto　the　said　John　Wesley　and　his　successors　in　the　Methodist　line　forever；　one　acre　of　land；　situated　and　lying　in　the　County　of　Westmoreland；　and　Province　of　New　Brunswick；　bounding　on　the　west　on　land　belonging　to　James　Law；　Esq。；　and　on　the　south　on　the　main　road　leading　from　Fort　Cumberland　to　the　Bay　Verte；　together　with　all　privileges　to　the　said　premises　appertaining　and　all　the　profits　thereof　with　the　right；　title　and　interest