Old-time Primitive Methodism in Canada, 1829-1884

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3 1833 02580 3690

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Hopper 7 Jane Agar.
Old-time Primitive Methodism
iw Canada, 1329-1884

OLD-TIME

PRIMITIVE METHODISM

IN CANADA

By MRS. R. P. HOPPER

'If we make religion our business, God will make i
our blessedness."

TORONTO :

WILLIAM BRIGGS

MCMIV

tered according to Act of the Parliament of Cahada, in the
thousand nine hundred and four, hy Jane Agar Hoppei
neparlment of Agriculture.

Ml

MRS. R. P. HOPPER

TO THE MEMORY
OF MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER

5ames an& /IDargaret Hgar

WITH THEIR CONTEMPORARIES

IS THIS VOLUME

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

m:^

PREFACE.

HISTORY, whether civil or religious, is a record of
the acts of men and women. Mankind is the
same throughout all generations, in all places ; yet
each new generation is a surprise, and has the spice
of variety, because the conditions of life are con-
stantly changing : the temper of one age so differs
from another that the product is unlike its predecessor.
Froude says, " The interpretation of human beings is
as early as the beginning of thought."

Wherever man dwells, spiritual forces are at work
in him and through him. A man's creed has more to
do with his outward life than any chance of birth or
environment.

Were I to attempt a whole history of Primitive
Methodism, I would have to go back to the beginning
of the nineteenth century, and show the existing
moral and political conditions of England as a reason
for the rise of the Primitive Methodist Church. There
are books now written which do this very thing;
therefore, what I attempt is something far less pre-
tentious. In this work I shall merely endeavor to
rescue from oblivion the names of some of the men
and women, their walks and ways, their talks and

PREFACE.

traits, whose lives have influenced our lives, whose
record is one of personal faithfulness, undaunted
perseverance, and heroic self-sacrifice. They were
ordinary people, but their example made human
living prrander. Many of them were poor people.
but they made the world richer. They were our
fathers and mothers who started our feet heaven-
ward ; who gave us glimpses of the unseen and
eternal, and who planted in our minds such rules and
principles of conduct, as have enabled us to weigh and
measure all material things at their true value.

If anything humorous should appear in these
pages, let me humbly apologize ; it is hard to wholly
suppress the writer's mental make-up. This volume
is not a prize composition, nor in competition with
what some other writer more capable may yet do,
but is written because it is in my power to gather
up some facts from memory's storehouse ; and, in my
heart, to weave them as a tribute of affection around
the names of those who, when this country was young,
surmounted obstacles, overcame prejudices, lifted in-
tolerable burdens with unflinching courage, and,
leaning upon Almighty Power, drew all their strength
from this inexhaustible source.

The contents of this book has been submitted to a
committee of our superannuated ministers for in-
spection before publication, and quite a number of
Primitive Methodists — ministers and laymen — have
given valuable aid in compiling this volume.

r

CONTENTS,

PAGE.

CHAPTER I.
Canauian Methodism 11

CHAPTER II.
The Resting Time in the Future . . . . 20

CHAPTER III.
They Sorrow No More 38

CHAPTER IV.
New Circuits are Formed . . . . . . . . 50

CHAPTER V.
An Old-Time Bachelor 63

CHAPTER VI.
By Stage and on Horseback . . . . . . 81

CHAPTER VII.

The Old Ways of the Old Days 92

CHAPTER VIII.
Memories of Childhood . . . . . . . . 107

CHAPTER IX.
The Old-Time Camp-Meeting 121

CHAPTER X.
The Old-Time Meeting-House 133

CHAPTER XI.
First Conference in 1854 149

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII. p.AOE.

Lights and Shadows . . . . . . . . . . 164

CHAPTER XIII,
The Old-Tihe Revival Meeting .. .. .. 176

CHAPTER XIV.
Aeodnd the Georgian Bav 190

CHAPTER XV.
The Old-Time Religion . . . . . . . . 205

CHAPTER XVI.
Hard Times! Coms Again No More .. .. .. 216

CHAPTER XVII.
Watchmen on the Walls of Zion . . . . 227

CHAPTER XVIII.
The Old-Timk Dress 241

CHAPTER XIX.
Righteousness the Key-stone of the State .. 259

CHAPTER XX.
Human Character I.mperishable . . . . . . 272

CHAPTER XXI.
Weighed in the Balances . . . . . . . . 289

CHAPTER XXII.
Methodist Union Possible . . . . . . . . 302

CHAPTER XXIII.

Of One Heart and Mind 313

CHAPTER XXIV.
Sweet Memories and Noble Resolves . . . . 320

-Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

ILLUSTRATIONS.

The Author

Rev. Hugh Bourne
Rsv. William Clowes
William Lawson, Esq.
Robert Walker, Esq.
Thomas Thompson, Esq.
Rev. Tho.mas Adams
Rev. John Towler
Rev. William Gledhill
Alice Street Church
Bay Street Church . .
Carlton Street Church . .
Rev. John Lacet
Rev. William Ltle
Rev. John Davison
Rev. James Edgar, M.D.
Rev. William Rowk . .
Rev. Robert Boyle, D.D.
Rev. J. C. Antliff, M.A., D D.
Rev. Thomas Guttery
Rev. Thomas Cromfton
Rev. William Bee

PASE.

Frontispiece.
16
16
47

121
121
121
144

144
144
201
222
264
299
299
299
324
324
324
324

Old-Time Primitive Methodism
in Canada.

CHAPTER I.

CANADIAN METHODISM.

First Methodist Preaching in Eastern Provinces, Lower Canada,
Upper Canada — War of 1812 — British Missionaries — Separation
from New York Conference — Legal Status of Methodism in
Canada — Primitive Methodism — Bible Christians — British
Wesleyans— Union of Episcopal Methodists and British Wes-
leyans — Episcopal Methodists — Methodist Union — Origin of
Primitive Methodism— Mow Cop — First Ticket of Membership
— Introduction into Canada — William Lawson — Robert Walker
— Thomas Thompson, senior — First Missionarj- — Preaching
Beside the Gallows — First Preachers' Plan— Wexford— Rebel-
lion— Father in Jail.

The Methodism of Canada, which numbers in its
Sunday Schools about one-half of the childhood of
the Dominion, had its beginning in a small and feeble
way. In 1781, the Rev. Wm. Black, who is styled
the "Apostle of Wesley an Methodism," began his work
in the Eastern Provinces. The first Methodist preacher
in Lower Canada was a Mr. TufFey, a commissary in
the 44th Regiment, which came to Quebec in 1780.

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

The first Methodist preacher in Upper Canada was
another British officer, Major George Neal, who, in
1786, began to preach on the Niagara frontier. It
will thus be seen that the "Gospel of Peace" was,
first planted in British North America by converted
soldiers of the British army. The first regular itin-
erant minister to Upper Canada was Wm. Losee, who
came from the United States to visit his U. E.
Loyalist relatives and friends, preaching his way
from Lake Champlain in Canada to Kingston, and
through the Bay of Quinte townships, until a flame of
revival was kindled and many were converted. The
settlers petitioned the New York Conference to send
a missionary to labor among them, the first class
being formed by Mr. Losee on the Hay Bay shore,
February 20th, 179L

The Kingston circuit embraced in its boundary all
the settlements around the Bay of Quinte. In 1788,
a class had been formed in Augusta, of which Paul
and Barbara Heck, their three sons, some of the
Emburys, John Lawrence and others were members.
At the New York Conference of 1792, held in Albany,
Losee reported 16.5 members.

The War of 1812, not only interfered with agricul-
tural and mercantile pursuits, but hindered religious
operations. On the restoration of peace the British
Government sought to increase the population of
Canada by a people loyal to the British crown.
Thousands of emigrants came, among whom were
many Wesleyan Methodists. The English Conference
now sent men to mission Canada, and in a sparsely

r

CANADIAN METHODISM.

settled country, two societies were struggling in
mutual envy and variance. The Rev. John Emory
was appointed delegate to the English Conference to
adjust difficulties, the result of which was the recog-
nition of the principle that Wesleyan Methodists are
one body in every part of the world, and they sug-
gested that the American church should retain the
occupancy of Upper Canada, while the British mis-
sionaries should labor in Lower Canada. This ar-
rangement ended the missionary war.

In 1828 the Methodists of Upper Canada separated
from the New York Conference, and became an inde-
pendent body ; so that they might labor more success-
fully for the removal of certain legal disabilities under
which they were then suffering. The Methodist
Episcopal Church in Canada was thus organized, the
Rev. Wm. Case being elected the first general super-
intendent for the time. The Methodists as a body
were increasing in importance, and even before tlie
separation from the New York Conference was com-
pleted, a bill came into effect entitling them to hold
church property. Another battle had to be fought to
secure the right of Methodist ministers to celebiate
matrimony. This had been a i^ource of revenue to
the English Cliurch, and tlieir hostility was so per-
sistent, that the Methodist Church had to apply
directly to the King for the Royal assent to a bill for
that purpose ; the Provincial Executive, in which Dr.
Strachan's influence was paramount, withholding its
consent and using all its influence against it.

In 1829, a Primitive Methodist class was formed in

L

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Toronto by Mr. Wm. Lawson, a local preacher from
Cumberland, England. In 1830 the Primitive Metho-
dist Conference in England appointed Rev. Wm.
Watkins as their first missionary. The Primitive
Methodist Church was, therefore, the oldest denomir.
ation in Ontario entering the union in 1884, whose
missionaries were from the British Isles. The larger
Church, as already stated, being from the United
States.

In 1831 the Bible Christian Conference, held at
Hick's Mills, Cornwall, England, appointed the Rev.
John Glass as missionary to Upper Canada, and the
Rev. Francis Metherall to Prince Edward Island.

In 1832 the Wesleyan Missionary Committee, of
London, England, again sent out missionaries to
Upper Canada, and in 1833 a union was effected
between the Episcopal Methodist Church, and the
British Wesleyans who had begun operations the year
before, the new organization taking the name Wes-
leyan Methodist, and discarding the Episcopacy. The
union was not effected without protest. A respectable
minority refused to enter. A meeting of these was
held in the Willowdale church on Yonge Street, for
the maintenance, continuance or organization of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Disagreement arose as
to which body owned the church property. The
courts finally decided that the majority must rule,
and the Wesleyan body secured the property.

In 1837 the New Connexion Conference of England
sent the Rev. John Addyman to mission Canada. In
1874, the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the New

CANADIAN METHODISM.

Connexion formed an organic union and were called
from this time " The Canada Methodist Church." It
was thought to unite all the Methodist denominations,
but the time was not yet ripe.

Each of the foregoing is now a part of Canadian
Methodism, losing its name and individuality in the
year 1884, when all became one organic body. There
are six of these who entered the arena at the follow-
ing dates : —

I 1. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada,

1828.

I 2. The Primitive Methodist Church, 1829.

3. The Bible Christian Church, 1830.

4. The British Wesleyans, 1832.
Methodist Episcopal and British Wesleyans united

and were called the Wesleyan Church, 1833.

5. Episcopal minority reorganized, 1833.

6. Methodist New Connexion, 1837.
Union of Wesleyan and New Connexion Church.

1874.
All united in the one body — "The Methodist

Church," 1884.
Primitive Methodism is one of the original spokes
in the wheel of Canadian Methodism, which is rollino-
on, with Almighty Power behind it, to crush sin out
of this land.

Primitive Methodism did not originate in schism.
It was not a split from any other body, but, as has
often been said, was a child of Providence, raised up
at a time when formality was stifling the zeal and
earnestness of the Wesleyan Church, to conserve the
15

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

vitality of all English Methodism. It was essentially
a gospel to the poor. Hugh Bourne, one of the
founders, was converted in 1792, at the age of 20
years. In 1800 he went to Harriseahead to deal in
timber. It was a rough, godless neighborhood. He
began to labor for the elevation of the people and
several were converted. Until 1802 the work of
revival continued to spread. In 1805 Clowes, Hugh
Bourne's coadjutor, was soundly converted. He was
a man of fine physical proportions and magnetic force
and threw himself with burning enthusiasm into the
work of evangelization. Through the influence of
Lorenzo Dow, Bourne and other local preachers
favored camp-meetings, and held one. This offended
the authorities of the Wesleyan Church, of which all
these men were members. In 1804, Hugh Bourne got
a practical experience of the blessing of entire sancti-
tication. He paid James Crawfoot out of his own
means, to labor for the spread of the gospel, and urge
all converts to join other societies. He had no idea
of founding another denomination, but simply of
constraining men to give themselves to the service of
God.

The camp-meeting on ^low Cop was held in
August, 1807. After this, Bourne was expelled from
the Wesleyan body ; he paid his class money and
quietly withdrew, still working for the salvation of
men and urging them to join the Wesleyan or other
societies. Clowes was also expelled, and a number of
others, for consorting with, and helping in evangelis-
tic services, held, by what were then called, the " camp-
iti

CANADIAN METHODISM.

meeting Methodists." Crawfoot had one district,
Clowes another and Bourne a third. Sometimes they
were called Clowesites, but generally the former name
was given. In 1810, a class of ten converts was told to
join the Wesleyan society at Standley, but they were
refused membership. Many hundreds had already
been received, but here came a crisis. It was praise-
worthy to bring them into the fold of Christ, but
there was also the responsibility of caring for them,
and some one must do it. James Crawfoot was on
the Wesleyan plan, and he had the advantage of a
trial for his offence of aiding in the irregular spread
of the gospel ; while Bourne and Clowes were driven
out without a hearing. Crawfoot, in his defence,
quoted the farewell address of Wesley to the
preachers of Chester circuit in the year 1790 :
" Fellow laborers, wherever there is an open door,
enter in and preach the gospel. ' Go out ijuickly into
the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither
the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the
blind ; and the servant said, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room.' " He then lifted
up his hands and with tears flowing down his cheeks,
repeated, "And yet there is room, and yet there is
room." After quoting these words, Crawfoot con-
tinued— " Mr. Chairman, if you have deviated from
the old usages, I have not ; I still remain a primitive
Methodist." The words were prophetic for Primitive
Methodist was the name chosen for the new
denomination when its formation became a necessity.
The first ticket of membership was issued May
17

^I92>

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

30th, 1811. The scripture verse upon it was, " Bu
we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest, fo
concerning this sect we know that it is everywhen
spoken against." February, 1812, the name was de
cided, and the first plan issued. The first Connexiona
chapel was built at Tunstall in 1811, and the main-
tenance of the preachers entrusted to the infant
denomination of two hundred members. I have twc
of the early tickets of membership, and though they
are of the same date, are not alike.

C December, 18lS. '^

C Thi]6 f<iiih the Lord,J?

5 ftan.) ye in tho hj^'s

, juJ fee, and a/k for

the old palhs, where

is ihc gnuil «ay, and

ivalk (hcitin, and yc

' QjallfinJ r'eslfor your

■ fouls, J.

Jer-vl. 16.

Whereby ai
unto u9 exceeding
. great and precious
1 ptomifej ; that by
S ihefe ye mi^bt be
lartakets of the
ioenaiuxe. •
2 Peter i. 4.

If one reads the history of Primitive Methodism in
England, he cannot but feel that it was a denomina-
tion raised up by God for a special work. The toil
and suffering, the hunger and persecution they en-
dured, equal anything we read of in apostolic times
short of martyrdom.

18

CANADIAN METHODISM.

If we compare its progress with that of the Wes-
leyan body in England, it is phenomenal.

" The first thirty years of the Rev. John Wesley's
labors have been justly held up as years of marvellous
.success, yet during those thirty years, with the excite-
ment of a new movement, the numerous agencies at
work, together with intellect and wealth all in its favor,
the Wesleyan connexion increased at the average
rate of less than nine hundred a ^^ear ; whereas, during
the first thirty years of the existence of Primitive
Methodism, a few poor and apparently uneducated
men gathered together members at the average rate
of two' thousand two hundred and sixty-seven per
year. They went without staff or scrip, through
lanes and across moors, were persecuted, tormented,
imprisoned, but they persevered, and ' signs and
wonders were wrought in the name of Jesus.'"

The introduction of Primitive Methodism into
Canada did not originate with the Primitive Metho-
dist body in England, but with Mr. William Lawson,
who has been aptly designated the pioneer of Cana-
dian Primitive Methodism. Mr. Lawson was a local
preacher, class-leader, and steward of a Wesleyan
Methodist society in Brampton, Cumberland, Eng-
land. A friend of Mr. Lawson, James Johnson of
Carlisle, a Primitive Methodist, had written a letter
to him concerning the work the infant denomination
was doing, and also enclosed a copy of the church
polity, offering to send a Primitive Methodist mission-
ary to preach at Brampton if de.>5ired. This otl'er was
accepted, but as the appointed preacher could not

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

fulfil his engagement, Mr. Johnson went himself. He
was accompanied to the open-air service by Mr.
Lawson, at which there was much spiritual power
and several conversions. For attending this meeting
Mr. Lawson was, on the following Tuesday, expelled
from the society. The superintendent's action not
being sustained by the preachers' meeting held on
the following day, a deputation waited on Mr. Law-
son, and requested his re-acceptance of the ofBcial
books he had surrendered, but he declined to accede
to the request, and connected himself with the Primi-
tive Methodist connexion. William Clowes visited
Brampton, Cumberland, England, and a great revival
took place. Robert Walker, with his father and
mother, were members of this society.

Three years after there was a failure in the crops,
which affected all lines of trade. Mr. Lawson felt
the pressure in his business, and decided to emigrate
with his family. Robert Walker, who had learned
his trade with Mr. Lawson, decided to accompany
him. Rev. John Flesher endeavoured to persuade
Mr. Lawson not to go, but finally promised to use his
influence to have a missionary sent out if there was
an opening, and the light on his pathway grew
clearer.

On April 14th, 1829, Mr. and Mrs. Lawson and six
children sailed from Maryport, Cumberland, for Que-
bec. About a hundred passengers were on board, and
as occasion offered, Mr. Lawson preached and held
services. They landed on May 29th, after a six
weeks' sail on the ocean, and, continuing their jour-
ZQ

CANADIAN METHODISM.

ney, arrived in York (Toronto) on June 11th.
Robert Walker remained a j'ear in Quebec, and then
rejoined the family.

In July, Mr. Lawson began preaching in the market
square, and finding a few Primitive Methodists from
Yorkshire, who desired to find a religious home in the
denomination where they had been spiritually born
and nurtured, and where he felt himself specially
called of God to labor, he invited them to his home
and formed them into a class. As was fitting, they
chose him for their leader. Mrs. Lawson was an
earnest Christian, a very good singer, an ardent,
enthusiastic church-worker, and assisted at all the
services. In October a house was secured on Duke
Street, the first Primitive Methodist preaching place
in Canada. This proving too small, Mr. Thompson
offered them his school-house. One cannot help ad-
miring Mr. Lawson's zeal and loyalty to the church
of his choice. He firmly believed he could do more
for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom in a
church, where her government was in accord with
what he believed to be right and just to all, and to
know his duty was his call to obe}'. The congrega-
tion still growing in numbers and usefulness, a hall
was occupied on Colborne Street. Mr. Lawson, Mr.
Thompson, Sr., and Mr. Robert Walker were all
local preachers. In 1S30 my father, James Agar,
became a member of this class. He had been a
Primitive Methodist in Dritfield, England, and came
to America with Mr. Thompson, but spent a j-ear in
Albany before coming to Canada. Between my father
21

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

and mother, the Thompsons, Lawsons and Walkers,
there existed a life-long friendship. Mr. Lawson, Mr.
Walker and Mr. Thompson laid the foundation of the
new society ; their names are fragrant, and ever to
be remembered for piety, benevolence, and usefulness.
In 1830 Mr. Lawson wrote to the Primitive Methodist
Conference in England to send a missionary, and they
responded by sending Rev. R. Watkins, who was then
in New York.

Looking at it from our standpoint to-day, we might
question the wisdom of introducing another Methodist
community into Canada, but the conditions were all
different then, and God honoured not only the Primi-
tive Methodist missionaries, but those of the Bible
Christian and New Connexion who followed in their
wake. The country was fast tilling up with new
settlers, and Primitive Methodist societies were estab-
lished in many places that were without Methodist
ordinances, and in this way conserved to Methodism
many who would have drifted into the world, or have
been absorbed by other denominations in later years.

The first report of Mr. Watkins to the English
Conference of 1S30, tells of finding a small society of
sixteen persons, which had increased to thirty-four,
with large and attentive congregations. Finding the
climate did not agree with his family, he returned to
Albany the following year. In June, 1829, several
missionaries were sent out to New York. Among
them were Mr. and Mrs. Summersides and their two
children. The English Conference appointed Mr.
Summersides to the Canadian mission to succeed Mr.
22

CAXADIAX METHODISM.

Watkins, and a few quotations from liis journal will
explain the situation better than words of mine.

"Oct., 1831. On the Monday morninf; we took the
canal-boat (he was on his way with his family from
Albany to Utica), and on Thursday morning at 11
o'clock we got to Utica, and here I intended to stay
and open a mission."

Here he learned that Mr. Mills, one of the leaders
from York, in Upper Canada, had been at Utica
expecting to meet him, but had gone away two da3's
before he arrived. Jlr. Mills had left a letter saying
they were in want of a preacher, and desiring Mr.
Summersides to come as soon as possible. He took
the canal-boat that same evening, and with his family
continued their journey. On Sunday they reached
Palmyra. By Wednesday the}' were at Lockport,
sixty-two miles from Canada, with only a few coppers
left. He bought some bread and milk for his family,
and sold his watch for four dollars to carry them
twenty-seven miles farther. On Thursday they
arrived in York (Toronto), and received a hearty
reception from Mr. Lawson and family, and the whole
society, some of whom were on the wharf waiting for
the arrival of the packet. On the following Monday
Mr. Summersides was unexpectedly solicited to address
a large concourse of people a.ssembled in York to see
a man executed for murdering his child. It was a
great trial to him, but he was divinel}' assisted, and
some were awakened. Almost every day we find him
visiting, preaching and conducting services. He was
a zealous minister, and did not spare himself in his
consecrated toil.

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

At the Quarterly Meeting held in December, there
were upwards of 100 members. One of the circuit
plans was sent to the Primitive MethadiM Magazine,
and has thus been preserved. It was headed as fol-
lows : " British Primitive Methodist Preachers' Plan
of the York Mission, Upper Canada." The preaching
places on the plan were York, Woodill's, P. M. School-
house, McBride's School-house, Scarborough, Blue
Bell, Smith's, Centre Road, Churchville, Streetsville,
Switzer's School-house, Four Corners, Claridge's,
Paisley's, Don Mills, Wallace's, Thornhill, ISichol's,
Humber, Haton.

This circuit extended twenty miles in several direc-
tions, and the minister was without a horse. In con-
versation with Mr. Joseph Law, of Claremont, who
died recently, he said the preaching in Scarborough
was in his father's house, and often he was sent to
Little York with a load on Saturday so as to bring the
preacher home with him for the next day. Surely
the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
This preaching place was afterwards named Twaddel's,
then Parsonage, and now is called Wexford. The
names of the preachers on this plan were : W. Sum-
mersides, J. P. A. Cherry, M. Brodrick, W. Lawson,
R. Walker, R. Smith, S. Dutton, T. Turley, T. Horsley,
T. Lowdon, J. Agar, T. Lacup, I. Wilkinson. The
exhorters were : W. Craig, R. Middleton, D. Walder-
idge, M. Watson. Some of these names were house-
hold words in my childhood. The name of J. P. A.
Cherry alwaj's seemed to me to give father a bad
taste in his mouth, so he was seldom mentioned.
24

r

CANADIAN METHODISM.

During the troublous times of the rebellion in 1837,
it was easy enough to get into York, but it
might be difficult to leave it when you pleased.
Every man was challenged as to his business and
politics, and often a Reformer was detained. If he
had been active during election contests, he might be
held for safe-keeping. My father wanted to go to
York on business, and mentioned it to Cherry,
who was an active Tory. Cherry assured father that
he would see him safely out again ; he could vouch
for him that he had nothing to do with the rebellion.
Father trusted him, and on his arrival almost the first
man he met was Cherry. They shook hands, and
then Cherry very coolly called a constable and said,
" Here is a man you had better take care of." No
explanation would be taken ; he was walked off to
jail, and did not get a hearing for two daj-s, when he
was released through the kindness of some other
man who knew him. and gave the information that
he was no disturber of the peace. Father never
respected Cherry after that. He could not get over
his chagrin at being imprisoned and sold into the
bargain. Cherry was a clever man, but was not long
on the plan, for his conduct was not such as met the
approval of his brethren. The early local preachers
were often at m}' father's, for our house was the
preachers' home.

CHAPTER II.
THE RESTING TIME IX THE FUTURE.

Frost on the Bedclothes— Canadian Mission under Hull Circuit—
Twaddel's in Scarboro" — Victoria Square— Daddy Haton —
Field-Meeting on Centre Road— Cholera Raging— Opening of
Bay Street Church— Rev. Josiah Partington— Rev. \Vm. Lyle
—Rev. Francis Berry— A Field- Meeting— A Wateh-Night
Service— Niagara and Lundy's Lane— Rev. W. Summersides
Moves to Niagara— \Vm. Lawson Moves to Brampton — A
Society Formed in Brampton— Daddy Nichols- Indian Hymn
—A Coat Presented to Daddy Nichols— Rhyme— Early Bramp-
ton OfEcials — John Law— Joseph Law.

Toil and not re.st was the lot of preacher and
people in the early daj-.s. We read in Mr. Summer-
side's journal : —

" The last thirteen daj's I have preached sixteen
times, led two classes, rode fifty and walked seventj'
miles. At night everj'thing around us has been
frozen, and the white rime and frost have lain very
thick upon our beds in the morning."

The membership was one hundred and thirtj'-two,
and, as there was no General Missionary Committee,
the English Conference of 1832, placed the Canadian
mission under the care of Hull circuit. Mr. Summer-
sides writes of driving nine miles into Scarborough
and meeting a number of Englishmen who had been
26

THE RESTIXG TIME IX THE FUTURE.

pious, zealous souls in England, but had Ijackslidden.
He tried to form a class and six remained. Thej' had
a weeping time, were fully awake to their loss,
lamented it, and determined to make a fresh start for
the better country.

"Feb'y 14, 1832. Travelled into Markham and
preached in Bro. Haton'.s house (Victoria Square).
He had been a member of the Primitive Methodist
connexion in England. We had a full house and
after preaching I tried to form a class. About eight
or ten remained, and I set down four names and
appointed Wm. Haton leader."

York circuit was extensive, and as the travelling
preacher could only take week-night appointments in
country places, the local preachers sustained the
services on the Sabbath. Everydaj' was Sunday so
far as the travelling preacher's work was concerned,
and at this time the city minister did not keep a
horse. It was therefore everyone's thought to sacri-
fice a little for the cause and overcome the difficulties,
but man}' miles were measured on foot that the
gospel might be preached. In country places the
roads were through the bush, following the blaze
on the trees, and when one left Yonge Street, King-
ston Road, the Centre Road, and a few others,
travelling was a wearing business. Societies were
established, however, and a moral tone was given to
the people that still lives, and blesses the present
generation who have had the advantage of growing
up in pious homes.

On July 8, 1882, a field-meeting was held on the
27

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Centre Road, and on the following Thuisdaj' Mr.
Summersides preached beside the jail in York. The
jailer swore much, and caused the window to be put
down so those inside might not hear. That night he
took the cholera, and next day died. The choltTu,
was raging at that time and many died every day.
In July, Mr. Summersides was busy collecting for a
new chapel in York. At the quarterly meeting on
Sept. 3rd, great peace and harmony prevailed, and the
membership numbered one hundred and ninety-five.
Money, conversions and openings were greater than
ever before.

On October 21.st, 1.S32, the Bay Street Church, in
York, was opened for Divine service. Mr. Wm. Law-
son preached in the morning, Rev. James Richardson,
an Episcopal Methodist (editor of their religious
paper) in the evening, and Mr. Summersides in the
afternoon. They had large congregations, liberal
collections and the presence of God in the .services.
The chapel was brick, thirty-six by t'orty-six, and
thirty-four feet high, with a basement of stone. The
gallery and middle of the church had pews, the rest
was seated with forms. It would seat over five
hundred. In the basement was an excellent school-
room and two dwelling-houses ; one of which was
occupied by the missionary, and in his report he says
he was never better suited with a house ; it being
warm in winter and cool in summer. The whole
cost was seven hundred and forty pounds, two or
three hundred of which was collected before the
opening.

28

THE RESTING TIME IN THE FUTURE.

In 1S33 the Hull circuit sent the Rev. Josiah
Partington to labor in the Canadian mission. The
Rev. Wm. Clowes accompanied him to Liverpool,
helped him to purchase necessaries for the voyage,
and saw him off. Later in the same year Rev. Wm.
Lyle was sent out for the Canadian work. When I
was a child he was called " Daddy " Lyle on all the
country circuits. " Father " Lyle was a term of
dignified respect that belonged to the city ; but in
the country where he had been as one of the family-,
marrying the boys and girls, baptizing the children,
and calling the father and mother by their Christian
names, he touched their inner life ; and the term
" Daddy " Lyle indicated the warm affection with
which they regarded him. They had no joys or
sorrows he did not share. He was a man of fine open
countenance, clear complexion, well made physically,
and of commanding presence. Wm. Clowes had met
him and been struck by his gifts and graces. His
wife was al.so a preacher, and so acceptable as to be
chosen for special occasions. At a cliurch opening
in Claremont her text was : " Wood, hay, stubble."
Messrs. Lowdon, Arthur, and Berry were emploj-ed as
travelling preachers. Mr. Francis Berr^- married
Miss Ann Lawson, and it is their son, Dr. Berry, who
is so well and favorably known in Epworth League
work in the United States and at international con-
ventions.

During 1833, a missionary meeting was lield in
York, at which the collection was £12, a missionary
society was formed, and six collectors were appointed.
29

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Tha- membership had now increased to two hundred
and forty-five. In September of that year they held
a field-meeting about two miles out of York and sang
most of the way there. They carried a banner on
which was inscribed tlie words : " In the Name of
Our God We Will Lift Up Our Banners." Nine or
ten souls were saved, and a number in great distress
for pardon left the ground resolved not to rest until
they obtained peace through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ.

Rev. Mr. Summersides wrote to the Hull circuit
several times each year, and kept them well posted as
to their progress. Quite a number of these sketches
taken from his journal were printed in the Magazine
so that the whole English membership might be
informed : —

" At a watch-night service Bros. Lyle and Parting-
ton preached, and Bro. Lawsou and mj-self exhorted.
After speaking, we invited mourners up to the altar,
some came forward in great distress, and obtained
deliverance and went rejoicing home."

On September 6th, 1833, Jlr. Summersides left
Messrs. Lyle, Partington, Lowdon, and Arthur in
charge of the York mi.ssion and crossed the lake to
open a mission at Niagara. He walked the same day
to Lundy's Lane, a distance of fourteen miles, and
preached there at night. On returning to Niagara,
he sent a bellman round to inform the people that he
would preach next day in the Market Square, at 2 p.m.,
and at the school-house at 6 p.m.

"This was a season of trial, darkness, and conflict;

THE RESTIXG TIME IN THE FUTURE.

we had no members, nor acquaintances, and the onlj^
place I could get to stay was a tavern. I wandered
about in great perplexity of mind, then I began to
think of what a brother had said in the love-feast in
York, namely, that thousands of prayers in England
were going up to God in our behalf for our success in
soul-saving, so I took' courage, and preached twice on
Sunday to good, attentive congregations, with much
liberty."

On Monday he rented a house, returned to York,
and moved his family On the following Friday. He
speaks of camp-meetings and protracted meetings
being held up to August, 1S34, with marked and
continued success, and of having built a church at
the Falls.

This mission raised £12 2s. towards the minister's
salary. In 1834 there was an increase of one hundred
members on the Canadian mission.

In 1838 York circuit was divided, and Brampton
became the head of the new circuit, so that with
Niagara there were three stations.

Mr. Lawson had removed to Brampton and opened
out a new store, having disposed of his business in
York to Robert Walker. This was the means of
opening up a preaching place in Brampton, and the
presence of his family was not only a nucleus, but a
source of strength to the young society. He also began
farming there, and the services were sometimes held
in the large farm kitchen, and sometimes at the home
of Mr. Elliott. In these meetings many were added
to the society. It has been said that few men excelled

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Mr. Lawson as a preacher ; his wife and family were
rarely gifted with musical ability, and under such
auspicious circumstances there could not be failure.
When Mr. Lawson asked God for success the sum of
his duty was expressed, and he labored for what he
asked. In the religious life he was no idle dreamer,
and in laboring to convert the world, he did not
neglect his own spiritual life.

"Daddy" Nichols was one of the early local preachers
who came to Canada in 1837 from Norfolkshire, Eng-
land. He lived near Brampton, afterwards at Victoria
Square, and ended his days near Sharon. He was a
useful, active, and gifted local preacher. He was the
father of the Rev. Matthew Nichols, of hallowed
memory ; a memory so sweet in early Methodism that
it caused a sort of reverence for his father. Under
the preaching of Matthew Nichols a whole audience
would be melted to tears. The father, Robert Nichols,
or " Daddy " Nichols, as we loved to call him, was
often at the home of my childhood. He was not very
tall, and wore his hair without any parting — the old
style that looked as if the mother of the house had
laid a large bowl on the head for a mark, and clipped
around it with the scissors. He had a sun-burned,
rosy face, and a bright, smiling expression, as if he
rose from his bed every morning with a fresh deter-
mination to forgive everybody everything they had
done, and make a fresh start for the kingdom of
heaven. He was a joyous Christian, very fond of
singing, and when he came we generally petitioned
him to sing his old favorite during the visit. Many
32

THE RESTING TIME IN THE FUTURE.

of the old people will recall it, as he often sang it at
missionary meetings.

" In de dark wood, no Indian nigh.
Den me look heben and send up cry.
Upon me knee so low ;
Den God on high in shiny place.
See me betinie wid teary face,
De Spirit tell me so.

" God lub poor Indian in de wood.
Den me lub God, for dat be good.
Two times me praise and pray ;
God see me now. He know me here,
He say poor Indian nebber fear,
jSIe wid you night and day.

" Den me lub God wid inside heart
He fight for me. He take him part.
He save him life before ;
He take away him heart of sin.
And make him Indian clean widin.
Me lub Him more and more.

" Den when time come poor Indian die,
Me go great man above de skj-.
And blanket leave behind ;
Me hab no need of wigwam dare.
Me better habitation share,
Wid Jesus good and kind.

" When me get to dat shiny place,
Me see my Jesus face to face.
Me prai.se Him glad and free ;
Me nebber tire, me always dare.
So dat be 'nough, me end my prayer.
Amen ! so let it be.
?3

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Mr. Wm. Lawson had moved to Brampton in 183-t,
and Robert Nichols in 1S37, so the society was young
when he became a member, and his help would be
valued. I remember hearing my mother speak of
him being planned to conduct the quarterly meeting.
He positively refused and insisted on some one else
doing it. He would give no reason, but some one
found out it was because he did not think his coat
was sufficiently respectable to wear while administer-
ing the sacrament.

Robert Walker, then a young man, took the matter
in hand ; they had his measure, and a suitable coat
was made for him. My mother's part was to compose
a rhyme to accompany the gift. It was a difficult
matter to present it to him, so it was made up into a
parcel and placed in the barn where he would find it.
On the Sunday morning he brought it into the house
saying, " some drunken fellow has been sleeping in the
barn and left without his bundle." On looking more
closely they found it addressed to Robert Nichols, and
opening the package they read the following lines :

" The love-feast's coming ; let us meet
To tell of Jesus, O, how sweet !
Who still holds forth His bounteous hand
To feed and clothe poor wretched man.

" O, scruple not, my friend, to wear
What God for thee doth here prepare ;
Give Him the praise, do not thank me.
In this His goodness you may see.

" If spared this winter you must preach.
The sons of Adam you must teach,

THE RESTING TIME IN THE FUTURE.

That they refrain from every sin.
The life of faith in Christ begin.

" O may the word be backed with power,
'Till we are saved to sin no more.
Be sanctified through Jesus' blood.
And rise to all the life of God.

" When we get home, we then shall wear
Clothes that are new and bright and fair.
Cleansed by the blood spilt on the tree,
Which flows by faith for you and me."

Brampton Circuit extended as far as Tecumseth.
Among the first members were Wm. Lawson and
family, John Elliott and family, Grandfather Smith
and family, Robert Smith and family, John Voden
and family, Joseph Hodgson and family, and the
Trueman family. George and Lancelot Walker were
local preachers ; William Pickering was a class-leader ;
George Walker, who afterwards moved to London, was
one of the first members of London mission, and his
name stood first of the local preachers on the London
plan. He was a fine-looking man. Robert Woodill
was an official on Brampton circuit and a class-
leader. Francis Sleightholme was an active official,
first on the Etobicoke circuit and afterwards on
Brampton. Isaac Modeland was an official in Bramp-
ton, but removing to Elora was lost to the connexion.
He was a good man, of a sanguine temperament, and
never lost faith in humanity. Mr. Hainstock was a
class-leader at one of the appointments on the Bramp-
ton circuit, a spiritual man, well respected every,
where. John Kellum was a local preacher on Etobi-
3 35

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

coke circuit, one of the most reliable of men, a very
generous financial contributor ; he was one of the
men whose character never dimmed. Wm. Marshall
was a local preacher, a steady-going, level-headed,
prudent, faithful, strong connexional man. His
daughter married John Green, of Orangeville. Mr.
Green was a merchant, a genial kindly man, who
respected other people's opinions, and was a good
financial supporter. His son, Marshall, came forward
and took his father's place in the responsibility and
work of the Primitive Methodist Church ; a man of
upright character and unusual business ability.

John Law lived in the " Gore of Toronto " and was
on the Brampton plan. He was a blacksmith by
trade, a man of superior piety and intellect, genial and
friendly. He was often asked to preach funeral
sermons, and at church openings he ranked with the
best of the travelling preachers. He was a brother
of Joseph Law, of Claremont, who was for many
years the superintendent of the Claremont Sabbath
School and an ofScial member.

Robert C. Smith was a local preacher. His daugh-
ter married Rev. Robert Boyle, D.D. Mr. Stoddart
was a very acceptable local preacher. The old men
and women of Primitive Methodism did a work that
still lives in the lives of their children who have risen
to take their places in Christian work and religious
activity. Matthew Elliott took a prominent part in
building St. Paul's Church. Lancelot Walker moved
the first resolution in the Brampton quarterly board
in favor of Methodist union, and Jerry Pickering is
36

THE RESTING TIME IN THE FUTURE.

one of the Brampton class-leaders of to-day. St.
Paul's has a congregation of eight hundred, and is a
living church still — sometimes thirty will take part
in a prayer-meeting.

The good seed sown in the farm kitchens of Wm.
Lawson and John Elliott, is not lacking in vitality,
but under another name brings forth praise to the
glory of God. The old-time plan would have from
twenty to thirty preachers ; named helpers, prayer
leaders, exhorters, local preachers, and the most
honorable place was at the top of the list. This drew
out their talents, and as soon as the circuit committee
thought advisable, they were raised to be local
preachers.

CHAPTER III.
THEY SORROW JO MORE.

The Bay Street Membership — Ba^' Street Choir — Pancake Tuesday
— Joseph Kent — Mr. Carliss— Some Pets of Long Ago — Georgi
McCluskey — The "Musical Monitor" — Strike the Cymbal-
Mr. Wetherald — Mr. Daniels — Joseph McCausland— Josepl
Carbert— Robert Walker— John G. Walker— R. I. Walker-
Robert Walker's Conference Address— Thomas Thompson
Senior.

The first Primitive Methodist congregation should
have special mention. Among the earliest members
who worshipped in Bay Street Church were the
Lawson family, the Walkers, the Thompsons, Robt.
and Isaac Middleton, the Cherrys, Buttons, Turleys
Lowdons, T. Lacup, J. Agar, Isaac Wilkinson, the
Smiths, Fensoms, Keys, Mills, Murrays, Turpins
Carlisses, Cuttells, Daniels, Kents, McCluskeys, Mut-
tons, Carberts, Wigglesworths, Stones, Bonds, Hutchi-
sons, Sargants, Bells, Swains, Buggs, Wetheralds
Sheards, Thomas Robinson, Thomas Burgess, the
Wrights, Briggs, and others whose names I have
forgotten or who are of later date.

The Bay Street choir was led by Edward Lawson.
My father was a member of it in the olden days and
was accustomed to lead the singing before there was
38

THEY SORROW NO MORE.

a choir. He had a sweet tenor voice and understood
the music. I have tlie manuscript blank note-book
into which he copied many of the metres from those
old note-books that we now call the " buckwheat
note-books," because of the queer shape of the notes.
In the choir we find the names of Edward, John and
Joseph Lawson, Robert Walker, Geo. McCluskey
Jos. Carbert, Mr. Turpin, T. Thompson, Thos. Harris,
James Daniels, James Agar, Betsy Key, Ann Kej',
Mary Ann Colby, !Mary Carbert, Henry Harrison, etc.
Many of the names of the early Primitive Metho
dists were as familiar to me as those of the Old Tes
tament characters, because so often referred to when
visitors came. The Key girls, who were young when
my mother was, would come out on " pancake Tues-
day" and call for pancakes. As our home was onl}^
nine miles from Toronto, it was easy to keep in touch
with the old membership, and those we failed to see
we heard about. A few of the children who attended
Bay Street Church are still living. Mr. Joseph Kent
built a home in Trinity Square to be convenient to
the church, and when Alice Street Church was not
rebuilt after the fire, he moved to Carleton Street, as
his rheumatism prevented him from walking very far.
His widow, who has lately died, resided there ; she
was a dear old Christian woman, whose influence and
character, in a quiet way, had been telling for good
during a long lifetime. I remember Mr. Carliss as a
very pleasant, gentlemanly old man with white hair.
He kept the Bible Depository. His wife was par-
ticularly fond of cats, and she had several beauties.
39

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Once, when a little child, I called with mother, and
found Mrs. Carliss in the deepest anxiety over "Tom,"
who was lying in a rockintr chair. She had bought a
joint of veal and made jelly for " Tom," and she was
afraid she had given it to him too strong, for " Tom "
had taken a fit, and jumped from one side of the room
to the other, etc. The troubles and trials those cats
were called to endure, and her distress, were hardly
paralleled in the experience of the young mother with
her firstborn, teething. She was a lovely old lad}'
but her mind had that peculiar bent.

George McClusky was one of the early class-leaders
and a local preacher ; a native of Belfast, Ireland, born
in 1812, and died in January, 1895. He was an im-
petuous Irishman, warm, genial and kindly in his
disposition. His soul was tuned to harmony, and he
played the bass viol in the Bay Street choir, while
Henry Harrison played the flute and Robert Walker
the melodeon. George McCluskey was never so happy
as when praising God on " strings and pipes," accom-
panied by the " loud sounding cymbals." The music
book used at that date was called " The Musical
Monitor "; a collection of metres and anthemspublished
in New York in 1827. It contained the " Hallelujah
Chorus" from the jl/e^'si"//, and one my father used
to sing, and which I liked because there was so much
go in it. The words were :

Treble Solo— Strike the cymbal, roll the tymb.-^l,
Let the trump of triumph sound ;
Chorus — Powerful slinging, headlong bringing
Proud Goliath to the ground.
40

THEY SORROW NO MORE.

Treble Solo — From the river, rejecting quiver,
Judah's hero takes the st<jiie ;
Chorus — Spread your banners, shout hosannas.
Battle is the Lord's alone.
(Musical Interlude.)
Solo — See advances with songs and dances
Female Choir — All the band of Israel's daughters ;

Catch the sound ye hills and waters, etc.

It surprised .some of the 3'oung musicians a few
years ago when the Oratorio was given in Massey
Hall, to see this old man of nearly eighty years seated
in a corner with the .score in front of him, following
with intelligent mind and eye the magnificent chorus
in detail. In his Christian life he was earnest and
intensely fond of Primitive Methodism. He felt very
sore when Alice Street Church was not rebuilt on the
old site, and Methodist union he looked upon with
disfavor. I can hear his voice j'et with his Irish
accent and pleasant hearty greeting. His widow
waits a little longer here.

Mr. Daniels was a gardener in Yorkville. I find
his name in the Minutes of Conference as a delegate.
Others might enjoy controversy, but he was a peace-
maker, and amid the heat of debate was always dis-
posed to throw oil on the troubled waters. When the
camp-meetings were held on Bloor Street West, his
house was an open door. As a local preacher his style
was persuasive. The old, old gospel, as preached and
lived by him, proved that the Christian can keep his
mind full of truth, his hands busied with noble work,
and his heart in the exercise of love to God and man ;
so that to-day I place on record that the lives of Jlr.

41

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

and Mrs. Daniels were made beautiful b}- the religion
they lived and profes.sed.

Mr. Josepli McCausland is a native of Ireland, and
has been a class-leader for over fifty 3-ears. It has
been said of him "he wears the white llower of a
spotless life." Ever in his accustomed place in God's
house, week evening, Sabbath, storm or shine, he is
there to meet his God. This quiet force of example
in constancy and integrity for more than half a cen-
tury, has preached a gospel that shall tell upon other
lives throughout eternity. His willingness to follow
Christ is the best proof of his ability to lead others in
the path of life. Wherever Joseph McCausland is
known he is respected as he well deserves to be.

Mr. and Mrs. James Wetherald were among the
prominent members of the Bay Street church. They
had both been Quakers, but found a field of Christian
usefulness in the Primitive Methodist body. The
peculiar style of the Quakers still clung to them.
Mrs. Wetherald wore her drab shawl and bonnet, and
with the " thee " and " thou " in her conversation,
evinced a strong personalit}-. They were very lov-
able people and spoke in a soft English voice that
was quite natural to them. Mr. Wetherald was a
tall, powerful man ; one who loved and willingly
believed and received the truth he preached to others.
His constant theme was the fatherhood of God and
brotherhood of man, the necessity of the new birth
and God's love con.straining man to return ; the
power and willingness of God to forgive the vilest
42

THEV SORROW MO MORE.

offender and the indwelling presence of God's Holy
Spirit the privilege of every sincere Christian.

Among the early builders of Primitive jMethodism
was the family of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carbert who
came from Marston Moor, near the city of York, in
Enghind. in the year 1S44. Only two are now living
and both reside in Toronto : Dr. Carbert (Joseph)
and Mrs. Thomas Thompson (Esther). The latter
are members of the same congregation of sixty years
ago.

The Laugmuirs were among the early supporters.
Their presence, faithfulness and financial help made
them a farailj^ to be depended on.

Mr. Stone was a class-leader and led the largest
class in Alice Street Church. He was a manufac-
turer, a quiet, industrious business man, pure in his
life, a man of fidelity, and constant in his .support of
the cause, both spiritually and financially. One of
his sons is an undertaker, and his family reflect the
training received in early years. I have heard they
are well-to-do people living in Toronto.

I must not forget to recall the name of Mrs. Stone-
ham and her son Job, who lived in tlie basement of
the Bay Street Ciuirch, and were the caretakers.
She generally .spoke firsc in the love-feast, then
■closed her eyes and had a refreshing time.

Mr. Robert Walker was converted under the

preaching of a Mr. Johnson, a local preacher in

Brampton, Cumberland. We have already related his

emigration to Canada and his rejoining Mr, Lawson,

43

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

with whom lie heartily co-operated in laying the
foundation of the new denomiration. He was chosen
assistant class-leader of the first society formed.
Robert Walker continued in unbroken membership
with this society from his arrival in York, in
1830, till his death in 1885. By his labors and Lis
means he did not a little to gain for himself the love
and respect of the whole connexion, which looked up
to him as a father. His efforts to promote the cause
of God were earnestly seconded by his family. His
eldest son, John G. Walker, was a local preacher and
an official of the church for several years before his
death, which occurred in Manchester, England, by
being thrown from a horse. He passed away at the
age of thirty, singing a hymn of holy triumph.

The third son, R. Irving Walker, was a worker in
the Sunday School, a class-leader and local preacher.
After his father's death he was chosen steward of
Carlton Street Church. This office he retained till
the time of his too early death at the age of fifty-one,
which occurred in March, 1890. In speaking of hira
to a friend who knew him well, and asking his
opinion of him as a man, he said : " R. I. Walker
was a godly man : a man of position and wealth ; a
man of high honor and integrity, to strangers a little
reserved, but genial to his friends who understood
him ; a man always ready to do what he conceived
to be his duty, and willing to acknowledge a fault if
he committed one." He laid one of the corner-stones
of the Claremont Methodist Church in 1889, and
placed a generous donation upon it. The Walker
44

THEY SORROW NO MORE.

family were for many years the largest contributors
to all the enterprises of the connexion in Canada.
Mr. Robert Walker, from shortly after his conversion,
gave one-tenth of his income to religious and bene-
volent purposes. Many a poor man or local preacher
had a decent suit given him to be made comfortable^
or to appear more acceptably in the pulpit. These
gifts in most cases were known to few beside the
giver and the recipient.

As a local preacher Robert Walker was practical,
and invariably simple and direct in his appeals. He
had shrewd insight into human character, and though
often solicited to become President of the Conference,
his natural modesty and sense of the fitness of things,
made him decline the honor for many years. In
1875 his reluctance was overcome, and we find his
name in the Minutes of the Conference as President.
In the Conference Ad'dre.ss to the church we see his
originality.

" Bivthri'n and Sisters in the Lord."

That his counsel may reach us once more though
his tongue is silent in the grave, I here give a couple
of paragraphs :

" We warn our members against a growing evil,
namely, loose views and sceptical notions respecting
Methodist class-meetings. Many object to attendance
on class as a test of membership ; while outward
deportment, general Christian character and useful-
ness are overlooked. If the objection be pursued to
its source, it may in some instances be found in an
unregenerate heart, and the absence of the witness of
the Spirit which testifies that we are the children of
45

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

God. As a rule, those members of the church who
attend class the best are the brightest Christians, the
most ready to pray openly, most regular attender.s of
the other means of grace, and the most punctual in
sustaining the altar of worship in the household. We
therefore offer it as a privilege, and urge it as a duty.
" One great hindrance to spirituality to-day is
conformity to the world. Dress like the world ; talk
like the world ; dissemble like the world ; mix with
the world ; dance with the world ; play with the
world ; join with the world in foolish amusements ;
go to the theatre and opera with the world ; marry
with the world : and the great majority of professors
who do this are in great danger of finall}' going to
hell with the world."

Robert Walker as a citizen was of good report
among men. He brought up his family in his own
church. In his early life, as a local preacher, he
never shrank from his duty. He travelled far to fill
his appointments on Brampton, Markham, Etobicoke
and Scarborough circuits, amid winter's cold and
summer's heat, over the bad roads of the early days.
He evinced a noble purpose and heroic devotion to the
cause that are not forgotten by the church, and that
now bring him everlasting reward. His intelligence
was more than average, and by self-culture, travel,
and a stainless character that was far above suspicion,
he occupied a high and honorable place among his
contemporaries of all churches, for his Christian
charity was wider than anj^ church or creed. Though
he performed all his civic duties, he never craved
earthly distinction, ever feeling that he had a higher
work to accomplish among men.
46

THEY Sf)RROW NO MORE.

Mr. Walker excelled most when superintending the
Sunday School. He won the affection of both teachers
and children without provoking undue familiarity.
He was loved, venerated, trusted and obeyed, without
seeming to rule. His sound judgment, sterling re-
ligion, and untiring effort made him a power in
winning the young for Christ, and many of the
Sunday School were trained for usefulness in the
church. His face would beam with happiness at the
Sunday School anniversary, and no work was beneath
him that would make it a success. Love to God and
humanity was the keynote of the whole. His purse
was open for all church enterprises. Yorkville,
Queen Street, Parliament Street and scores of others
profited by his liberal contributions, and he gave not
less than thirteen hundred dollars to Hamilton
Church. His home was a place where the ministry
ever found a ready welcome. He honored the Lord
with his substance and so laid up treasure in heaven.

Thomas Thompson was born in Driffield, October
12th, 1803. In his thirteenth year he had a sickness
which left its marks on what might otherwise have
been a robust frame. His habits were studious, hi.s
mind was vigorous, and, by the advice of his parents,
he chose the profession of teaching. After an educa-
tion befitting his calling, he was engaged in the
families of several Old Country gentlemen as private
tutor, and after a time built a house and school, and
started an efficient establishment. On May 23rd,
1825, he married Rebecca Boyce, of Hull, sister of
Rev. W. B. Boj'ce, one of the General Secretaries of

47

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

the Wesleyan Missionary Society, England. The
next important step in his life was leaving England,
with his family and his Christian companions (James
Agar, well known to old Primitive Methodists, and
Thomas Lacup), their destination being York.

On his arrival he opened a school on the corner of
Jordan and Colborne Streets, and succeeded well.
Later he built the Mommoth House, on King Street,
and began a business which prospered with the
growth of the city. Here he gave ample evidence of
honorable dealing and business integrity. He was
naturally shrewd and enterprising, with a persever-
ance, solidity and rectitude of character that kept
his bark afloat while many went down in the
financial crisis of 1855-1857. When the end came
his property and business affairs were adjusted to the
entire satisfaction of his family. He was a very
decided Primitive Methodist. His conversion took
place in 1823. When the family reached York,
from their boarding house, on the Sabbath morning,
they heard singing in the street ; on inquiry they
learned it was a Primitive Methodist service. The
following morning he found Mr. Lawson and joined
the society, co-operating with all his might, in all the
enterprises of the young denomination. He was a
trustee of Bay Street Church, continuing in the same
office when Alice Street Church was erected ; from
this church he passed upward to the general assembly
whose names are written in heaven. His diary
showed steady growth in earnestness. He was a
local preacher. His deatli was caused by paralysis ;
48

THEY SORROW NO MOKE,

he attended church for the last time on October 4th
1868, and a week later the end came. He was a
good husband, an affectionate father, a wise coun-
sellor, a consistent Christian and a generous supporter
of the cause according to his means. The text
chosen by himself for the funeral service is found in
Ps. 147 :11. Rev. John Davison preached from it to
a large assembly in Alice Street Church. In referring
to Mr. Thompson, Mr. Davison said : " I knew him
for forty years, in DrifSeld and Toronto, and our
friendship gradually strengthened to the last."

CHAPTER IV.

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

Rev. William Suramersides— Rev. William Jolle_v— Rev. Willi.im
Lyle — Niagara is Missioned— Brampton— Woodiirs— Bramp-
ton Officials — Rev. James Edgar — Hewn Log Church built at
Woodill's — Rev. John Garner comes from England — Isaac
Wilson— Hainstock's-Mr. Robert Woodill— King William
Tree— Albion Branch— Markham Circuit — Victoria Square^
Jonas and Betsy Coxhead— V^ictoria Square Officials — New-
Year's Party— Stations for the years 183S— 1842— 1S43— 1S44—
1845 — Missionary Subscriptions for 1843 — No Spring Mat-
trasses.

In 1838, Messrs. Suramersides and Jolley were
stationed in York, Mr. Lyle at Brampton, and a
missionary was wanted for Niagara. The member-
ship in York was one hundred and ninet3--two,
Brampton one hundred and sixty-three, and Niagara
twenty. During the next four years Niagara was
given up and Markham circuit was formed from a
part of what had belonged to York. We see
the multiplication by division, each new centre push-
ing its boundaries in all suitable directions. In 18'12
a protracted meeting was held at Woodill's, on the
6th line, about six miles from Brampton. The Chris-
tian workers of the Brampton society went in a sleigh-
load to help in these meetings. Robert Walker's father
50

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

and mother were members at Brampton. Old Mrs.
Walker was a very earne.st Christian and the salva-
tion of her children was tJie burden of her prayer.
She considered one of her boys very careless, and
besieged the throne of grace for his conversion. One
night the power of God arrested him and he yielded,
but could not get light, and was in great agony of
soul. A friend called to tell her the good news, but
was so sorry he was in such distress. " Praise the
Lord 1 Praise the Lord ! " shouted his mother, her
face all aglow, " Never mind how badly he feels ;
he's been a wild lad, let him lie in pickle a bit, it will
do him good."

At Woodill's appointment there was a large ingath-
ering, and Mr. Robt. Woodill was appointed the class-
leader. As is natural, a new denomination entering
a place is likely to meet with some opposition, and the
greater success that attends its efforts, the more decided
is the opposing element. To discredit the work a sar-
castic rhyme was made, which runs as follows, (all
but the name, which I will leave out, and put Thomas
Trotter instead) :

" Thomas Trotter killed a pig
To make the Ranters fat and big,
When they all sat down to eat,
Thomas had to eat the feet ;
When the pig was eat and all,
Thomas swore his share was small.''

This appointment is now called Woodhill. Among
the officials there were George Ward, George Figg,
Robt. Ward, ami Francis Ward who moved to Reach

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

and became a standard-bearer on that circuit. The
young minister who conducted the meeting at Wood-
ill's was a Mr. Harrison, under the superintendency
of Rev. J. Lacey, of Brampton. In 1848, Rev. James
Edgar held a revival meeting in Mr. Wilson's farm
kitchen, and after this increase of thirty members a
hewn log church was built. It was begun in Februar}-
and opened in May. Rev. John Garner, who had just
come from England, preached the dedicatory sermons.
The Rev. James Edgar was a noted revivalist. Wher-
ever you went on the circuits he had travelled through-
out Primitive Methodism, you found ofBcial leaders
and burden bearers in the church, who had been con-
verted under his ministry. His memory is like oint-
ment poured forth. I asked Mr. Isaac Wilson, now of
Toronto Junction, what he thought of Mr. Edgar.
His face lit up as he replied. " Mr. Edgar was a force
in early Primitive Methodism, a devout, earnest, sin-
cere man. You could not but feel the presence of God
in his prayers and preaching, one of the excellent of
the earth, loved by all. A clever man, a broad thinker,
his heart was in his words and they went to the heart.
He made his home at my house in the early days of
Methodism, and I have often heard him in his room
in prayer and supplication."

Mr. Isaac Wilson was converted in 1840 under the
ministry of Father Jolley. He joined the Church at
once, and though only seventeen years of age, he and
another companion were planned together as eshorters
to hold prayer-meetings. Crowds used to gather to
hear the boys. In 1844, Hugh Bourne attended one
52

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

of these meetings, and they prevailed on him to take
the appointment. It was at Hainstock's, now called
Sharon, and old Mr. Hainstock said he would rather
have heard the boys. The Brampton circuit at that
time was from twenty to thirty miles square, and two-
thirds of the preaching was done by the local
preachers. Mr. I. Wilson married Miss Jane Woodill
and Matthew Nichols performed the ceremony. Mrs.
Wilson was a gifted and consecrated woman, and a
very popular local preacher. When she was appointed
at the home church it was always crowded. For
many years Isaac Wilson did half as much preaching
as the circuit minister. There were fifteen appoint-
ments on the Albion circuit when it became separated
from Etobicoke, and only two ministers. Mr. Isaac
Wilson was the circuit steward of Albion station
from its inception until he moved away.

Rev. Wm. Lomas, Rev. Joseph Simpson, Rev.
Thomas Lawson and Mr. I^^aac W'ilson married four
sisters, the daughters of Mr. Robert Woodill.

Bolton was the head of Albion circuit and when the
large brick church was built in 1873 to replace the
frame edifice, Mrs. Isaac Wilson, who lived six miles
away, was chosen to lay the corner-stone.

Mr. Isaac Wilson was superintendent of the Sunday
School from its organization, and when he was away
preaching Mrs. Wilson was his alternate. Their son
now fills the position and is an acceptable local
preacher. The District Meeting of 18.53 made Albion
a branch of Etobicoke circuit with two preachers.
The Conference of 1854 made it a circuit.
53

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Mr. Isaac Wilson's home was the Bethany of all
the ministers travelling that way, and the old time-
honored " King William," an immense tree which
stood at the four corners, was the guidepost to Mr.
Wilson's house and the church at Salem. The old
captain, who was the means of having it preserved,
baptized it with a bottle of rum. His son, driving
along one day, gave a Romish priest a ride, and
coming to the tree he insisted on the priest blessing
it or he could ride no further. After demurring
awhile and finding the young fellow meant what he
said, he got out, went round it three times on his
knees mumbling something as he went, and rode on
having earned his ride. The other son, finding the
boys were trying their axes on it as they went to
chop, drove several pounds of nails into it, which
proved the strongest kind of argument against fur-
ther molestation of that sort. It stands there to-day
in primeval grandeur, and may do so for centuries to
come.

A few words further concerning Albion circuit
would doubtless be of interest to the reader. For a
number of years this station suffered by the con-
stant removal of members to the newer country for
settlement. In 1854 there were 355 members, in 1876
the number of removals had reached 511, being an
average of twenty-five each year. These figures had
to be replaced every year before an increase could be
reported. Rev. R. Cade was stationed there in 1858
and following years, and during his superintendency
there was a very large ingathering. Though young
54

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

and inexperienced in the ways of a new countr}', he
was beloved as a faithful minister and successful
laborer ; honored as an eloquent preacher and a
desirable platform speaker; and the man}' years of
successful work he gave to the Connexion proved
that love, confidence and honor were not misplaced.
The Rev. James Smith found the circuit spiritually
alive but lacking in suitable church accommodation,
and with unwavering trust in God and reliance in
the people, he applied himself to this much needed
work. During his three years pastorate he built four
churches, conducting the business in such a manner
as to leave the societies well able to handle their
financial obligations without feeling any burden. He
repeated the same labor on Reach circuit, having
special ability in this direction, and a love for the
work. Some ministers build churches, and contract
such heavy debts, to be met after they leave, that
depression quenches the spiritual life of the member-
ship, who are oppressed by burdens thej' feel unable
to carry. On both these circuits Rev. Wm. Bee fol-
lowed Mr. Smith, and said that these new churches
were either entirely free from debt, or in such easy
circumstances that the remaining indebtedness never
caused a moment's trouble; but that the churches
built and ready for use, with the increased hopeful-
ness of the membership, were a great help in pushing
forward the battles of the Lord. John Frankish and
Thomas Amy were Mr. Bee's colleagues, good men and
true, who, as young men, in different years addressed
themselves perseveringly to the work in faith and
55

L

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

prayer, and during Mr. Bee's charge on Albion circuit
not only were the removals made up, but at the end
of three years sixty-nine of an increase was reported.
During the succeeding years Rev. John Garner and
his colleagues, J. W. Robinson and others, labored
hard and successfully, the Lord giving them seals to
their ministry, and reporting an increase of fifty-six
members. The circuit maintained its position to the
time of its division under the ministry of Revs. J. W.
Gilpin, J. Dennis, B. Reeve, J. E. Moore and othei-)3.

Victoria Square was the head of Markham circuit.
" Daddy " Haton, who was a Primitive Methodist in
England, was the first class-leader and Sunday School
superintendent. The first church was frame, after-
wards replaced by a brick edifice on the same lot.
The floor was a succession of steps with the choir
pew at the back. The door was at the side near the
pulpit and late comers entered in full view of the
congregation. Richard Lewis, senior, a brother of
Thomas Lewis of Bethesda church, was one of the
early class-leaders, and was a member of the first
society formed in Mr. Haton's house. He has been in
the better land over fifty years, John Atkinson
succeeded him as class-leader. The later leaders were
George Peach, David Hopper and Henry Jennings.
Henry Jennings' name often appears in the Con-
ference Minutes ; he was a thorough Yorkshireman,
and not ashamed of his brogue, a man who did not
yield easily ; outspoken, generous, a good man and
ready to sacrifice for the cause. David Hopper was
an example of holy living ; of a stern, uncompromis-
56

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

ing disposition naturally, but gentle and mellowed by
Divine grace ; never absent from the means of grace
unless prevented by sickness or old age, his daily life
in obedience to the command — " Seek first the king-
dom of God," etc.

Joseph Ellarby was a local preacher, a man of
kindly disposition, and for some years the superin-
tendent of the Sunday School. He was a good sup-
porter and a faithful local preacher, not only on the
Markham circuit, but on the Pickering branch in the
early days of Methodism. His only child married
William Cook, a son of Thomas Cook, of Carrville.

Jonas and Betsy Coxhead were two good old
people who owned a horse that was never properly
broken in, and it did as it pleased with them. When
they got too old to walk to church they drove, and
there was usually a scene after service. The horse
would watch out of one eye to see when all their feet
were in the rig, and then start off full gallop for
home. They never could get the robes about them
for Betsy had to grab Jonas if she did not want to
tumble out. Jonas was a small man who wore a
little skull cap in church to keep his smooth bald
head warm, while Betsy weighed over two hundred
pounds. They both had unbounded confidence in the
gentle disposition of the beast, and, had one of them
tumbled out, it would have known, and stopped on
the instant. It started when it pleased and stopped
for the same reason, and as Jonas never touched it
with the whip, it controlled the family. The rest of
the congregation watched, expecting every moment

51

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

the bugtry would capsize, but notliing ever happened;
there seemed to be a perfect uiiderstaiidintr between
the three, for it was an old, old horse that never got
over being a colt. Jonas and Betsy had been mem-
bers at the Bethel appointment in Pilkington Town-
ship, Peel circuit. Eli Goodwin was the class-leader
there. Jonas and Eli had disagreed about something
during the week and hot words had passed between
them. When the ela.ss-meeting came on the Sunday,
Jonas sat with his elbows on his knees and his head
between his hands. It never occurred to Jonas to
walk out of class-meeting, he would as soon have
thought of turning his back on the Saviour. There
he sat groaning in spirit until Eli's familiar voice
inquired — " How is it with thee, Jonas, this marnin'?"
And the answer came in a sorrowful tone, without
moving or looking up, " I doant feel disposed
to tell 'ee, Eli." They were nearly all Cornish at
that appointment in Peel. Jonas and Betsy have
gone to meet the loved companions of the long ago,
where there is perfect knowledge and no misunder-
standings.

Thomas Martin's family and Oliver Veale's were
among the old members at Victoria Square, both men
were officials and moved from the neighborhood
years ago.

" Daddy " Peach was the class-leader at Peacli's
appointment on the seventh concession of Markham.
Thomas Hastings, Henry Jennings, junior, Chris-
topher Robinson, Alex. Lee, Henry Hopper and John
Williamson were all officials, and earnest, faithful men.
58

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

For nearly fortj^ years the Sunday Scliool Anni-
versary at Victoria Square was held on New Year's
day, the tea being served at noon and the programme
given in the afternoon. The church would be
crowded to its utmost capacity, for those were the
days when the children " spoke pieces," and people
drove for ten miles to hear them, and prizes were dis-
tributed according to the attendance, and tickets
earned for the recital of verses in the Sunday School
class. Ten verses for a ticket, ten of these for a large
one which had a money value, and you could add the
difference in cash if you wanted a large book like the
" Sunday at Home." Books were .scarce at that date,
and when the package was opened for distribution at
Sunday School, everybody's face was beaming with
pleasure. The " part}' " was the event of the year to
the young people, and everybody was happy with the
exception of a little occasional jealousy, because
human nature was much the same then as it is now.

In 1842 the stations were supplied as follows :

Toronto — Wm. Lyle and Matthew Nichols.

Brampton — Wm Jolley. One to be obtained.

Markham — G. Bond. One to be obtained.

In 1843 there were four circuits:

Toronto — Thomas Adams, John Towler.

Markham Branch — John Allison, ^l. Nichols.

Etohicoke — J. Lacey, J. Harrison.

Brampton — Wm. Lyle.

Whitby and Pickering to be missioned by Wm.
Jolley.

In 1844 Hugh Bourne came as adviser from the
59

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

English Conference. The stations for that j'ear
were :

Toronto — J. Lacey, Matthew Nicliols.

Brampton — Wni. Lyle, W. F. Bradley.

Etohicoke — John Towler. One to be obtained.

Markham — John Allison, J. Garnett, Win. Harrison.

Niagara — Thomas Adams.

I have before me the Minutes of the District Meet-
incr held at Toronto, February 18th and 19th, 1845.
The travelling preachers were stationed as follows :

Toronto — Wm. Lyle, Walton Preston.

Brampton — Thomas Adams, William Harrison.

Etohlcolce — John Towler, Robert Boyle.

Markham — John Lacey. One to be obtained.

Whitby and Reach — John Garnett.

Niagara Fallt,- — John Allison.

Brantford — Matthew Nichols.

At this District Meeting Robert Boyle was pledged
by Etobicoke circuit. Any preacher stationed to
move must leave his old circuit not later than the 21st
of February, and be on the new one on or before the
1st of March.

At this time the Canadian Branch of Primitive
Methodism had ten travelling preachers, seventy-nine
local preachers, eleven hundred and fortj'-three mem-
bers, eight Sabbath Schools, one hundred and four
teachers, four hundred and thirtj^ scholars, and seven-
teen chapels. The list of subscriptions for missionary
purposes is printed in these Minutes, and it might be
of interest to see what the whole Connexion con-
tributed at that time. The amounts are in pounds,
60

NEW CIRCUITS ARE FORMED.

shillings and pence, as that was how money was com-
puted before this cuuntiy adopted the tlecimal S3'stem.

1843, February 25th.

£ s. d.

Robert Walker 2 10 0

Thos. Hutchison 2 0 0

Wm. Lawson, John Bugg, T. Burgess,

each 1 5 0

Mrs Wm. Lawson, J. Carliss, each . . 1 0 0
Miss Lyle, jMrs. Carli.ss, D. Swallow,
Thos. Lawson, H. Cunningham, J.
Edmonds, S. Pearsall, A. Corry, each 0 10 0

R.Hughes 0 7 6

Miss Hamlin. Mr. Carmichael, T. Mut-
ton, Wm. High, Mrs. Wigglesworth,
W. Kendrew, J. Fetch, J. Kent, Geo.
McCluskej', Jos. Lawson, Thos.
Robinson, iMrs. T. Robinson, D.
Lewis, Miss Hussey, James Agar,
Mrs. Archibald, Thomas Ford, each 0 5 0

B. Green 0 2 6

February 17th.
Missionary Collection at Toronto .... 6 11 3

Subscriptions 3 16 3

Collection at Four Corners(VictoriaSq.) 2 0 0

" Sewell's 1 7 9

" Collomb's 1 19 (i

Brampton Missionary' Collection .... 3 5 4
November 16th.

Collection at Baldwin's 0 13 11

" Hartman's 0 IS lOA

" Pugh's 1 4 10

" " Agar's 1 4 3^

Collected on Whitby Mission G 9 7^

December 4th.

From Brampton Circuit 3 6 3

61

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

We find the amount collected in 1844 was £24 ICs.
7|d., and in 1845 they raised £159 10s. Od. Eliza-
beth Lawson's Mission Bos contained £1 3s. Hd., and
Esther Carbert's Banking House £2 12^. Gd.

One item charged against this mission fund was a
bedstead and cord, £1 15s. lAd. Instead of .springs,
wire mattresses and upholstered furniture, they had
thankful hearts and the art of divine contentment, all
sharintr alike in the common inartistic blessings.

CHAPTER V.
^.V OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

Hugh Bourne, Adviser from the English Conference — One Night in
mv' Father's House — His Early Rising — The Curtained Spare
Bed— Sketch of his Life— Death— Obeequies— Stations for
1S47— Rev. John Uavis'.n Arrives— Stations for 1848— Rev.
John Garner — The Gamers of England — Stations for 1849 —
Church Opening in Gait — Guelph Station — The Old-Time Txjcal
Preacher — Typical Primilive Methodist Home — Family
Worship — Learning Scripture Verses — The Minister and
School Teacher Always Right — Sunday Afternoon — Balerma —
The Wicked Fiddle and Xovel— I'he Old Well with a
Windlass — Protracted Meeting — Rev. James Edgar — Rev.
Matthew Nichols— Thomas Appleby— Rev. Wm. Gledhill—
Rev. J. Lacej' at Bowmanville— itev. T. Adams in Reach —
Old Bethel Church at Greenbank.

At the En^jlish Conference of 1844 the possibilities
of Canadian Missions received much prayerful consid-
eration, so much so that it was thought best tliat the
Venerable Hugh Bourne should vi.sit them, and by
his counsels and public addresses consolidate and
extend the work. He sailed on July 3rd, and arrived
in Toronto on September 12th, 1844. He threw himself
into the work with characteristic zeal ; visited the
circuits as opportunity offered, and labored almost
more than a man of his years should have done. In
his journal dated January 1st, 1845, he speaks of

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

walking eleven miles to Lambton before breakfast
and eight miles farther to Toronto after breakfast
Tliese lonor journeys on foot no doubt brought on the
disease from which he died eight years afterwards.
He visited Niagara, the Primitive Methodist cliurches
in the United States, and, with his usual economy,
took a steerage passage on the Montezuma from
New York to Liverpool the following JIarch.

Mr. Bourne spent a night in my father's house, in
that " spare bed " that was the joy of my childish
eyes, with a white roof over it in summer, and a deep
valence trimmed with wide fringe at both back and
front. The winter curtains for the spare bed were
made of drab moreen trimmed with blue velvet.
They reached to the floor, and you could enclose
yourself or loop the curtains back at the head and
foot. It truly was a gorgeous structure. I inquired
of my cousin if she remembered Rev. Hugh Bourne's
visit, for it was before my day, and she told me that
she had the honor of doing up his room. He rose
about four o'clock or a little after, and they could
hear him at his devotions, for the early Primitive
Methodist generally prayed aloud. After this he
tramped about the room for a long time, and they
could not conceive what all the commotion was about,
but when she went in after breakfast to do the room,
the secret was out. He had been taking a bath, and,
only having the washbowl, was considerably incon-
venienced. The valence below the bed was splashed,
his wet feet had marked the carpet, but he came to
breakfast clean inside and out. Plain as he was in
64

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

appearance and odd as he might seem in his manner,
he did not belong to the great " unwashed throng,"
but was a gentleman in his habits.

After his return to England he wrote to a friend : —
"If I live to April 3rd, 1852,1 shall be eighty years
of age, and truly four score years is a long time to be
in this world. During the last three years I have
gone down much in body, and I walk more slowly
than I used to do, but in the pulpit I do not feel
much difference." He was seized with a disease in
his feet, but he did not murmur. Medical counsel
was in vain. He could suffer and be strong, for his
realization of Christ was bright and joyous. To the
last lie was anxious about the prosperity of the con-
nexion, and made many requests " not to forget the
children." The end came in the autumn of 1852.
On the day of his departure he was cheerful and
happj-. During the afternoon he fell asleep, and
when he awoke he seemed to have been conversing
with someone. He stretched out his hand as if for
the nearer approach of his visitants, a sweet smile
mounted upon his countenance, and he said several
times very distinctly, " Come! Come: " His look was
upward, his hand was raised in triumphant gesture to
some entrancing object in his view, and then with
an earnest voice and in emphatic tones he cried. " Old
companions ! Old companions ! My mother ! " and
without an apparent sensation of pain, or a lingering
groan, he

"Passed through death triumphant home."

The most prominent feature of Mr. Bourne's char-

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

acter was spirituality. The Rev. C. C. ]\IcKechnie
writes of him as follows : —

" Perhaps no man, not even the saints of the olden
times, ever lived more habitually in contact and fel-
lowship with the Unseen and Eternal. He spent
much of his time in privacy ; he regarded company
with dislike except for spiritual communion or labors
of love. Privacy was his element, not only or
specially for literary purposes, but for unfettered
fellowship with God and things heavenly. At all
times, in all places and circumstances, he realized a
sense of God's presence, a vivid apprehension of the
spiritual and eternal. He moved through the world
as if it were a world of shadows with which he had
but temporary connection, and as if he were hastening
to another and more permanent home."

As he appeared to his brother ministers he was
expert in debate, the prevailing characteristics of his
mind being shrewdness, penetration and a capacity for
details which made him hard to encounter. He had
a sharp, caustic, incisive style. He did not care for
luxuriant rhetoric or redundant verbiage but culti-
vated simplicity and transparency. He did not
appear to advantage as a preacher. His voice was
unmusical, his manner ungainly and cold, but there
was .solidity and strength as he proclaimed the truths
of salvation, whicli were his constant theme.

" Hugh Bourne had his faults like otlier men, he was
but a man, but he was a noble and saint)}' man, and
few men have lived so jiurely and un.'ielHshly, or left
a name so widely and ardently cherished as this
Staffordshire moorlandcr."

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

One gifted with something of the poet's vision and
faculty has thus sung of his departure to his God, his
mother and his old companions : —

" God saw the victor die ! The gates of heaven
Were opened wide ; and on their wings of light
A bright angelic embassy was sent
With a triumphant chariot, to bear
The Prophet home. Hugh saw the blessed sight !
His happy spirit saw their first approach,
Exulting in the prospect of a quick release ;
And when he in their heaven-lit faces saw
The greeting smiles of friends who died before,
He, in an ecstacy of gladness, cried,
' My mother, and my old companions ! '
And, looking upwards to the chariot
\Vith heart- felt joy, his tabernacle fell !
And soon his soul was wafted far beyond
The range of planets, suns and systems, through
Ethereal fields, to realms of brightest day.
And as we in our fancy saw him mount,
A voice of inspiration, like a peal
Of thunder, sounded forth the sentence — ' Write,
Bless'd are the dead who die in Christ the Lord.' "

From the Primiti'/e Methodist Magazine we copj*
a description of the obsequies of the Rev. Hugh
Bourne : —

"Died in the full assurance of hope, at Benierslej',
near Tunstall, Staffordshire, on Jlonday, October 11th,
18.52, in his eighty-first year, the Venerable Hugh
Bourne, one of the founders of Primitive Methodism.

"On the 17th, his mortal remains were conveyed
from Bemersley to Englesea Brook, in Chesire, where
they were interred in a newly made vault in the

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

burying ground connected with the Primitive Metho-
dist chapel. At nine o'clock in the morning the
singers from Pitts-hill assembled at Bemersley, and
sang the hymn commencing — •

' Shrinking from the cold liand of death.'

The funeral train then advanced from Bemersley to
Tunstall, a distance of three miles. On the road it
was joined by the Sunday scholars and teachers from
Bradley-green, Pitts-hill and Tunstall Primitive
Methodist schools, and also by members and friends
from various parts of the country. The assemblage
as it entered Tunstall was estimated at about 1 6,000
persons, among whom was a considerable numbei of
travelling and local preachers. Arrived at Tunstall,
the assembly was addressed in the market-place by
the Rev. H. Beech, when tears were copiously shed
by old and young. The procession then proceeded
towards Englesea Brook, a distance of nine miles
from Tunstall, the scholars remaining behind, but a
multitude of persons accompaujnng it. The singers,
joined by the majority of people, sang at intervals
appropriate hymns. The proces.sion pa.ssed through
Red-street to"Talk-o'-th'-hill, where it was met by
the Sunday School scholars and friend.s. Passing
through Audley and Balterly, it continued to gain
fresh accessions to its numbers from various parts of
Chesire. The whole country seemed moved. At the
place of interment a preaching service was held for
about an hour, conducted by Mr. T. Bateman, while
the distant comers partook of some refreshment
provided for the occasion. The funeral service was
performed by the Rev. Samuel Sanders, superin-
tendent of Tunstall circuit; after which he made a
few remarks on the providential event which had
called together such a concourse of people. The
68

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

Rev. T. Russell, of South Shields, and Mr. B. Higo;ins
then addressed the assembly, after which was sung: —

' Farewell dear friend, a long farewell,' etc.

Mr. Sanders then concluded the service with prayer,
and the people dismissed under very serious feelings."

What a man, and what a funeral ! Sixteen
thousand people assembled, many of them walking
all the distance to the place of interment. Xo
wonder refreshments were served. Singing hymns
at intervals for twelve miles; holy songs of triumph
such as my own father selected for his funeral : —

" Rejoice for a brother deceased."

" God buries his workmen but his work goes on,"
so we return to a review of the Canadian men and
missions.

In IS-i? the ministers and stations were :

Toronto— J. Davison, J. Towler, Wm. Gledhill.

Brampton — John Garnett, J. Edgar (6 mos.), R.
Boyle (6 mos.,;.

Markham — Wm. L\-le, R. Boyle (6 mos.), J. Shields
(6 mos.).

Etobicokc—Thos. Adams, J. Shields (6 mos.), J.
Edgar {6 mos.).

Rcacli anil W/iitb,'/ — F. Berry.

Gue//7/(— Mathew Nichols, W. Flesher Bradley.

Darlinijton — J. Lacey, W. Preston (3 mos.).

Rev. J. Davison arrived in Canada July 1st, 1847,
and made an extensive tour among the stations and
missions. He was gratified at the progress made
63

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

and the prospects for the future. There was £23
subscribed to place a missionary in the Talbot district
so soon as a suitable man could be found to send
there.

Thomas Adams was the Chairman of this District
Meetin;^, and George Raper, of Etobicoke, was the
Secretary.

In 1848 the membership stations and ministers
wei-e as follows :

Members

204. Toronto— J. Davison, Robt. Boyle.

163. Brampton — John Garnett, T. Bosworth (6

mos.), J. Edgar (6 mos.).
292. Etobicoke— 11. Nichols, J. Edgar (6 mos.),

T. Bosworth (6 mos.).
288. Markham — Wm. Lyle, J. Shields.
123. Reach and Wldthy—lhos. Adams.
112. Darlington — J. Lacey, W. F. Bradley.

18. HamiUon — F. Berry.
l-i.3. Gurlph— John Towler, Wm. Gledhill.

Talbot Mission — John Garner.
John Garner arrived in Canada June 6th, IS-iS.
He supplied the Hamilton church for a short time
when he was appointed to the Talbot mission. He
married Mi.ss Flesher in England, a daughter of the
Rev. John Fle.sher, who compiled the hymn-book in
1853. Mrs. Garner often visited our home in my
childhood. I remember her well. Her complexion
was very fair, she was ladylike in appearance, knew
what was becoming to her and how to put it on.
Though plain and quiet in her apparel as any of the
70

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

Primitive Methodists of the olden time, slie always
looked well dressed in her fine white tusean bonnet
trimmed with the palest drab. When driving along
the dusty highway of Yonge Street, this was covered
with a cream colored silk oilskin, worn in those da3'S
for travel. The Garners in England might well be
termed the blue blood of Primitive ]\Iethodism.
William Garner, James Garner and John Garner were
all eminent ministers of the Gospel. William Garner
was President of the English Primitive ilethodist
Conference in 18.59 and ISGl ; James Garner in 1SC4
and 1S71, and John Garner, sr., was President in
1S4..3, 1847, 18.50, 1851, 18.52, and 1854. Their mother,
Elizabeth Garner, has lately had a monument erected
to her memory by the women of English Primitive
Methodism. The John Garner stationed on Talbot
mission was a son of John Garner, sr., already men-
tioned, and grandson of Elizabeth Garner.

The stations and ministers for 1S49-1S50 were:

Toronto — J. Davison, J. Edgar (G months), R. Bojde
(6 months).

Brampton — J. Lacey, R. Boyle (G mouths), T. Bos-
worth (6 months).

Etobicoke — Matthew Nichols, T. Bosworth (6
months), J. Edgar (G months).

Markham. — William Lyle.

Reach and Whitby — T. Adams.

Giielph — John Garner, jr.

Darlington — J. Garnett, William Gledhill.

Hamilton — Francis Berry.

Talbot— i. Towler.

71

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" On December 22nd, IS'iQ, the new chapel in North
Blenheim was opened, and in the evening service two
souls found peace. In tlie centre of the township
they are contemplating the erection of a new chapel."
John Garner's journal relates that a band of men
were there, whose souls were tired with love to God
and man, and they rallied round him and assisted
nobly in the work. Their names should not be for-
gotten, so I give the list : H. Reid, William Wilkins,
J. Spiers, J. Masters, A. Erb, J. Taylor, J. Tyson, J.
Fleming and Mr. Burrows. The work done proclaims
the character of these men. The strength of their
hearts came from the soundness of their faith, and
by daily overcoming the temptations that came to
themselves.

The appointments on the Guelph Station in 184-9-
1850 were as follows : Guelph, Gait, New Hope
(Hespeler), Ellis' S. H., Nassagaweya, Wilmot, Blen-
heim, Vipond's (near Hawkesville), Keyworth's (Pilk-
ington Township), Ruber's (Wellesley Township),
Colfas' (Aberfoyle), Passmore's (Drumbo), Mudge
Hollow (Canning). Rev. John Garner was the
travelling preacher. Quite a number of townships
were embraced in this mission, and a man would
labor hard if he did nothing more than reach these
appointments.

Among the more prominent officials of Gait was
Mr. William Wilkins. He was converted in Cornwall,
England, in 1837, in his twenty-first year; and very
soon after began to preach. Ten years later he came
to Canada and joined the Bay Street church in
72

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

Toronto. His name was placed on tlie plan and he
preached nearly every Sabbath, attending to his
business during the week. Sometimes Thomas
Thompson, Sr., who was also a local preacher, would
say : " Now, Brother Wilkins, I will furnish the
horse, if you will take ray appointment," to which
;\Ir. Wilkins would agree. In 1845 he moved to Gait,
and in 1851 he opened a clothing store. Here his
services were in constant demand on the Sabbath.
Being a man of good intellect and superior ability,
and having a fine library of theological works, with
an ambition to qualify himself, and a love for the
work of the Lord, he was more than ordinarily accept-
able to his hearers. He worked faithfully all his
daj's for the spread of the truth, and the upbuilding
of the Primitive Methodist church, to which he was
devotedly attached. After the union until the close
of his life, he sent a yearly contribution to the Primi-
tive Methodist society in England, for South African
missionary work. His name appeared yearly in the
Minutes of Conference, and he was always a member
of the General Committee. The grave is not the
terminus of life, but the track along which we pass
to endless light, and when Mr. William Wilkins died
in Gait and was laid to rest in Mount View Cemetery,
on November 29th, 1888, he left the place where
friends were weeping, and entered into the brightness
of eternal rejoicing. " For him to live was Christ, and
to die was gain.

For the sake of variety, let me introduce here a
typical Primitive Methodist home. I will describe

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISJI IN CANADA.

my own, because most familiar with it. Here the
family altar was set up. Father, mother and all the
profe.ssing Christians in the house, were expected to
take their turn in leading the family worship. This
generally worked all right, for beginners were less
timid to start in the home, than in the more public
services. My cousin, about fourteen years older than
I, told me of one morning when there was a " terrible
break." We had a man named Tom Smith ; he never
was hurt with religion, but father and mother tried
to think the best of him. He had come out in the
revival services, and joined the society. It was his
turn to read and pray in the morning. He got the
place, and coming to the words — " There shall be
weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth:'' he
halted, and said iu a solemn voice : " I suppose them
that have no teeth will have to gum it ; " and then
went on. There was no reply ; no countenance
changed its expression ; but he would, no doubt, hear
a little on the subject privately, from mother. My
father was the class-leader. The first Primitive
Methodist services held in the neighborhood now
called Newtonbrook, were in father's house, and were
afterwards taken to the log school-house on the corner
of Nichol's farm. It was a small and struggling
society ; the preaching service was in the evening,
with Sunday School and class-meeting in the morning.
The church and its services had first claim upon our
time, thought and money. We liad to commit ten
verses to memory each week from the Gospel of
Matthew, and I can well remember how I wished the
74

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

cjospels had never been written. I tliouc,'ht it would
luave been better if Mattliew, Mark, Luke and John
had died in infancy, since what they had written was
of no particular use, only to punish children. There
was far too much religion in our house to suit me. I
would as soon have thought of having the moon to
plajr with, as to be allowed to remain home from one
service. How I envied the neighbor's children, who
were sometimes without suitable clothes to appear
in. I would have enjoyed absence from one service
to see what it would feel like to be away, while I
knew the others were all there ; but I never knew,
for that experience never came. My mother always
sided with the school-teacher. Xo matter how un-
reasonable his demands might be, we never heard his
authority belittled. Wo must obey him or take the
consequences. We never heard the minister dis-
cussed unless in his favor. He was God's ambassador,
and came with his message to us. Xo matter if the
sermon was not all that it might be, it was likely
higher than we all lived up to, and we must receive
and honor all who spoke in Christ's name.

My father loved singing: he had a flute and played
by note ; so we generally spent all Sunday afternoon
in sacred song. The " Harmonist " and its supple-
ment, and the " Xew Lute of Zion," were the books
we used. I can never dissociate mj- father from
music, or recall his memorj' without a loving remem-
brance of those pleasant hours. jMother never could
sing. She said herself, the only tune she knew was
Balerma, and she sang it to —

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" O, for that tenderness of heart
W'hicli bows before the Lord ;
Acknowledging liow just Thou art.
And trembling at Thy Word."

Slie thought she sang Balerina, but I do not know
even now, whether it was tlie words or the music,
that stood for Balernia in her mind. It was hke no
tune on earth ; full of all kinds of little wailing bars,
going from the minor to the major scale at any
moment ; but her voice always trembled at the word
" trembling," and seemed to go down hill a couple of
times to the end of the verse. She invariably .sang it
the same way, queer as it was, and really thought she
sang Balerma. We learned the tune, it was so funny.
I remember with gratitude to-day, that she sang with
her heart in the congregation, and not with her voice.
At any moment father might come into the house
and get down his flute, and spend an hour in perfect
content. A Roman Catholic hired girl we once had,
told grandmother, she thought, " He must have been
born wid a fiddle in his inside, he was so runnin' over
wid music." No matter how busy we were, we were
expected to go and sing if father had found a new
tune, or wanted us to sing while he played the tenor.
Mother always expected us to obey father and grand-
mother on the instant ; and she was generally the
one who made us do it. " No matter what I told you
to do, if grandmother says you are to do another way,
you must tnind what your grandmother says." It
was considered by us at the time very hard discipline,
but I think now it was right ; and it gives me a
76

AX OLDTTME BACHELOR.

sweeter memory to-day than if it had been other-
wise.

In those da^-s novel readinfj wiis a sin, and a fiddle
was a terribly wicked thing. It was the devil's
instrument to snare the young into the dance ; but a
bass viol was not in the same category because con-
secrated to the service of God. Father never allowed
us to sing songs, he considered them wicked : while
grandmother liked a song, and thought it little short
of blasphemy for us to be going round the house
singing hymns, and taking the Saviour's name in our
mouths, when we were not thinking of what we were
saying. Grandmother taught me to sing Jamie Rile}' :

" My name is Jamie Riley,
In Glasgow I was bom."

I had to watch my opportunity to indulge in such a
luxury. One day while drawing a pail of water at
the well, and turning the old windlass, as the bucket
of cool spring water came splashing and dripping to
the top, I was singing " Nellie Gray " with the most
happy abandonment. Father entered the front door
in great trouble, and told mother how dreadfully I
was acting. I could be heard all over the neighbor-
hood, and what an example to other young people.
Mother came out at once and in a very quiet sympa-
thetic voice said, " Janey dear, I do not want you to
sing songs when your father is around, you know
how it grieves him, and you must be more guarded
in the future." I could see that she was not distressed
herself about the song, but to see father's mind hurt
77

OLD-TTMK PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

was a terrible thiuf^. It was well it was presented in
that light to me, it seemed to moderate the apparent
unreasonableness of the request.

In the year 1850, the Rev. James Edgar and the
Rev. Matthew Nichols held a protracted meeting in
the log school-hou.se on the Hamilton farm, one-half
mile west of Claremont. Thomas Appleby, now of
Wroxeter, for many years a classleader, local preacher,
and Sunday School superintendent, was converted at
this meeting. In conversation about the early daj-s,
ilr. Appleby said he had often ridden twenty miles on
horseback to an appointment on Markham circuit,
preached at three places, and returned home the same
night, arriving sometime before morning if the roads
were bad. He told me of Mr. Gledhill once preaching
all round the school-house, and ending as he reached
the desk again. He then announced the collection,
and as no one responded at once, he seized his own
hat, and remarking, " I'll take it up myself, I suppose
I'm as light of foot as anyone," moved around with
such speed that if the money was not in the hand, the
startled worshippers had no time to get it. Many
humorous incidents are related of this eccentric but
good man.

The Rev. John Lacey, stationed at Bowmanville in
the autumn of 1848, opened a new chapel in the
Township of Clarke. It was twent^'-four by thirty
feet. So much work and material were given, that
the indebtedness was covered by collections and sub-
scriptions at the opening. The Rev. Thomas Adams
built a new church in Bassingthwaite's settlement,
78

AN OLD-TIME BACHELOR.

which was dedicated on October 8th, 1848. This
would be the old Bethel church at Greenbank, which
has been replaced since by a white brick. The first
church was twenty-four by thirty feet. There was
an acre of ground for burial purposes, and it was
situated on a hill. Rev. John Lacey preached morn-
ing and evening, and the debt was covered by collec-
tions and subscriptions at the opening. It was the
first place of worship belonging to any denomination
in the Township of Reach.

Multitudes of Roman Catholics and Presbj'terians
v.-ere coming from Ireland, but very few Primitive
Methodists reported themselves. The need of qualified
men for the Canadian field was deeply felt, and the
District Meeting thought that if the English Con-
ference would send a man out to oversee the whole
mission work in Canada, it would be an advantage to
the cause. Woodstock, London, Brantford, and many
other rising towns had not been missioned for lack of
men and means to carry forward the work. Rev.
John Davison .speaks of the excellent District Meeting
they had held, which at that time was the highest
Primitive Methodist Church court in Canada. Rev.
John Garnett, of Bowraanville, reported having
formed a Sunday School at Bethel Church in 1849,
in the Township of Clarke, and fifty children were
present. H. Munroe, Esq., and Mr. J. Motley were
appointed joint superintendents, and they had a good
staflT of teachers. Bowmanville Sunday School held
its second annivensary on the 24th and 25th of June.
The proceeds were sati.'^f.nctor}', and several of the
79

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

scholars had joined the church during the year.
Guelph circuit was doing well, and they were asking
for an additional preacher, and intended building a
parsonage. Hamilton was prosperous, and their
additional missionary was extending the work in the
direction of Grand River and Lake Erie. The world
was all before them to select their field of toil. The
early settlers were calling loudl}' for missionaries, the
Bible and the Divine blessing ; and with faith in God
they might expect the flowers of righteous living to
follow in their path.

CHAPTER VI.
BY STAGE jyD ON HORSEBACK.

Rev. John Davison Visits the Western Missions— Goes by Stage-
Attends Tea-Meeting in Hamilton — Accompanied by Rev.
Francis Berry on Horseback— Roads Almost Impassable in
Walpole Township — Tuscarora Indian Settlement — Garnet —
An Indian Belle— David Culph— Chief Jacobs Offers Advice—
The Long-House — Sacrifice of a White Dog — An Indian
Papoose — York — Donaldson's Mills — Indiana— A Learned
Pig — Hamilton Missionary Meeting — Mrs. Parsons 111 —
Cholera Disappearing— Gait Church Visited— Guelph-Rev.
John Garner — Blenheim — Nine Conversions in Evening Service,
Hamilton-Middle Road— Coulson's-Wellin^ton S.juare-The
Martindales — Ihonias Peart — Chapel Built.

The Toronto Quarterly Meeting having decided
that the Rev. John Davison should visit some of the
missions, and assist at their missionary services, he
started on the journey in" December, IS49. He went
by stage to Hamilton, and arrived while the}' were
holding a tea-meeting, at which he gave an address.
It was his intention to establish an Indian mission, so
the next day Rev. Francis Berry accompanied him on
horseback to the Township of .Seneca, where a pro-
tracted meeting was in progress. He preached, ^Ir.
Berry e.xhorted, some prayed, and several penitents
came to the anxious form for sahation. His descrip-
tion of the visit to tlvj liMines of the Indians, the

OLDTIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

friends who entertained him and the terrible condi-
tion of the roads will be best understood if criven in
his own language :

" The next day we rode twenty miles to Walpole.
visited spme members on the Grand River in our way,
and reached Brother Thurlow's in the evening, on the
shores of Lake Erie. Here the countr}' is line and
the settlers are thriving. At sunset we had a beauti-
ful view across the lake and could perceive the high
lands of Pennsylvania, in the United States, looming
in the far distance.

" Sunday 23rd. Preached in a school-room at the
most distant point of this mission. Bro. Berr}' also
addressed the meeting and we afterwards endeavored
to form a society. After taking a little refreshment
at Mr. Kent's, a gentlemen from Sheffield, we went
on to the third line in Walpole and I addressed a full
house ; we had little time for refreshment, having
nine miles to travel to the next place. Part of the
road was almost impassable : the horses at every
plunge were nearly up to the girths among ice and
mud. We reached the place near the Plank Road
(now called Garnet) a few minutes before time. We
had a full house and I trust good was done though
we saw no conversions effected. This township is
new, containing some of the very best land, and is
rapidly filling up with settlers from Europe and the
eastern parts of Canada West. Many of our mem-
bers from our circuits and missions are emigrating in
this direction and unless we can have more agents,
and means to sustain them for a while, we shall as a
body be left out, and the fruits of our former toils be
lost to the gain of other denominations."

The next day they left the Dover Road, and
travelled into the bush to explore the Indian settle-
82

BY STAGE AND ON HORSEBACK.

ment in the TownshijD of Tuscarora, and make a
house to house visitation. The walking was difficult,
fallen trees were lying in eveiy direction and their
progress was impeded by entangled branches and
swampy places. The}' reached a chief's house, he
was absent, his wife ill in bed, and the squaws and
children were very shy and timid. Only one boy
yould speak English and he informed them that the
chief was a Christian, and sometimes interpreted
when a minister came. They had some religious
conversation with the boy, and pushed on to another
clearing where there were some huts, but on their
approach the women and children fled. They were
anxious to reach a chief's house who was favorable to
Christianity, and rode on, but did not know in what
direction he lived. He was named Crawford. At
the next habitation they found a young man of
about twenty, his sister and two little children. The
girl was very smartly dressed in Indian fashion, with
silver ornaments and beaded moccasins. The young
man had a blanket coat and red flannel tied around
his waist. They could not converse much with them,
but prayed, and, as the young man could speak a
little English, they offered him a quarter to conduct
them to the chief's abode. The chief was standing
near his house, a tall, powerful man who could speak
a little English. The\' told him they wanted to send
a Christian teacher into the settlement. He was
friendly but did not care to talk much to them, but
would talk in Indian to the young man who went with
them. He said if the Christian teacher came, he and
t) S3

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

his family would hear him. Night was approaching
and they directed their way to Caledonia, but a heavy
snowstorm came on and the roads were so bad they
tried to find shelter, and an Indian whom they met
directed them to a white man's house. It was the
home of David Culph and, though they had only one
room in the house, they made them welcome, and put
their horses in the cow stable. He was a farmer,
with a wife, a son, and a daughter, and had lived
there several years surrounded by Indians with
whose character he was very well acquainted. He
was very kind and enjoyed their spiritual conversa-
tion, and promised to go with them next day to visit
the Indians. He said in that part of Tuscarora they
were principally of the Cayuga tribe, and in a range
of three miles there would probably be fifty families.
They were very indolent and many of them addicted
to whiskey drinking, which made them wretched
both temporally and spiritually, but he thought the
gospel, and education for the children, would soon
improve their condition.

The day following was Christmas, and with Mr.
Culph for guide and interpreter, they visited a Chief
named Jacobs. He was a venerable old man seventy-
three years of age, and a real pagan ; opposed to
Christianity, and also to any of his tribe hearing the
gospel. Mr. Berry addressed him, and told him that
the children of our people in Toronto, feeling for the
Indians, had saved their coppers, and designed to sup-
port a teacher to teach his people, if they were willing
to be taught the knowledge of the true God ; but in
84

BY STAGE AND ON HORSEBACK.

very broken English and with very much gesture, this
red man of the forest said : " Christians abuse our
squaws, send us the fire-water, and drive us from our
lands. Go and tell Christians these things ; tell them
to be good, then tell Indian to be good, but Indian
cannot be changed to be a Christian, he is wild like
the partridge, cannot be tamed. We Indians pray to
the Great Spirit. I pray to God in the long-house,
and tell the tribe about the good and bad place."
After some more conversation, in which we endeavored
to place Christ and His salvation before the pagan,
we asked permission to pray ; we kneeled down and
called upon our God. The old man and his family
looked on as they sat and stood around us. We then
shook hands and took our leave. We were informed
that this old man sometimes acts as priest at the
Indian festivals in the long-house, or council-house, a
large log building which we took notice of on our way
to his residence. These Indian festivals are held on
various occasions, at which there are dancing, feasting
and religious ceremonies intermixed.

The pagan Indians sacrifice a white dog on occasions
of calamity, sickness or scarcity. They tie his mouth,
and without killing him singe him at the fire, and fix
him on a pole with a bundle of bear skins and sticks.
When the pole is erected the priest approaches,
addresses the spirit, deprecates his wrath, and
implores a mitigation of their troubles; the whole
tribe then shout their concurrence. They leave
the dog and pole, never touching them till they rot
and fall.

85

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

They walked through the bush to the house of an
intelligent Indian of the Mohawk tribe ; his wife was
an Onondaga squaw. He was a Christian, and for-
merly interpreted for the Baptist mission. He
received them courteously, and promised that if a
Primitive Methodist missionarj^ came he would use all
his influence in his favor, attend his ministry and
send his children to be taught ; his youngest child
should be baptized and he would assemble the people
on the occasion. The little child was two months old
and was lying on one of the curious Indian cradles,
the first they had ever seen. It looked like an
Egyptian mummy to them, but I will let Mr. Davison
describe it in his own language : " It consists of a
board on which the child is laced or bandaged, then it
is wrapped in furs or blankets to preserve the heat ;
thus it is set upright in a corner, or hung up against
a wall like a picture ; or the mother, without loosing
the child from its cradle, fastens it on her back by a
strap, and carries it about in this manner. Having
prayed with this kind family of Indians, and exhorted
them to love and serve God — they having, to a limited
extent, a knowledge of His will, and possessing several
books in the Mohawk language, from which one of the
boys at our request read us some passages — we shook
hands and departed. The day was now declining, and
having got all the information we could, we mounted
our horses, cleared the woods, and made for the Grand
River."

The Hamilton mission wanted to extend and con-
solidate its work by stationing a preacher on Grand
S6

BY STAGE AND ON HORSEBACK.

River. Mr. Bern}' proposed next morning to go to
the Tovvnsliip of Cayuga, and see a house thought to
be suitable for a parsonage, and hold a service at the
plaster beds, where the owner resided. They reached
the plaster beds in the evening (this is where the old
Jubilee Church was built at York). They had
preached there a few times, but the spiritual condition
of the place was low. One of the settlers' wives
stated there was not a praying person in the place,
and that all were more or less addicted to drinking to
excess. The settlers were miners from Durham and
Northumberland in England, and were employed in
procuring stone from these beds to make plaster of
Paris. Some of them had been Primitive Methodists
in England, and others had heard Clowes, Flesher,
Bradley, Batty, Oxtoby, Sanderson, and other preach-
ers, and tears stood in their e^-es as they recounted
and longed for the privileges of other days. Mr.
Davison thought if any places needed their ministry it
was such as these. On Thursday, December 27th,
they returned to Donaldson's Mills and held a mis-
sionary meeting, calling on their way at Cayuga,
which was destined to be the county town of the
district. An English Church minister preached in the
school-house on the Sabbath, and as there were no
other religious services in the village, they made
arrangements for regular preaching in connection
with the village of Indiana and Plaster Beds. They
held a missionary meeting at Cayuga, but the attend-
ance was poor, owing to the exhibition of a learned
pig at the tavern. A few, after witnessing this great

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

treat, came to hear what the missionaries iiad to say.
The speakers also assisted at the missionary services
in Hamilton on Sunday, and on Monday evening. It
being the last day of the j'ear, when the missionary
meeting ended the watch-night service began. Mr.
Davison preached, and Mr. Berry delivered, at the
close of the j'ear, a powerful searching address. It
was a solemn time, and as pilgrims they passed
another mile-stone on the journey of life, inscribed
with 1849. Those present entered into a fresh cov-
enant to love and serve God. Mrs. Parsons, the wife
of the missionary stationed in Hamilton, was in a
dying state, but happy in God. On the 1st of Jan-
uary Mr. Davison rode on horseback from Hamilton
to Gait, and was much exhausted, but found the mis-
sion in a prosperous state.

Thursday, January 3rd, ISiQ, was a day of public
thanksgiving, in accordance with the proclamation
of the Governor-General, for the deliverance from the
cholera, and Mr. Davison preached in the town hall
of Gait from Mark 7 : 37, " He hath done all things
well." The following Sunday the new chapel in Gait
was dedicated. Mr. William Lawson of Hamilton
preached in the afternoon, and Mr. Davison morning
and evening. At the evening service four persons
were converted. The want of a suitable place in
which to worship had greatly impeded the work.
Rev. John Garner was the missionary, and the whole
society was alive to God. The chapel was in a
central position, in size thirty by forty feet ; there
was a house in the rear of the lot, and the whole cost
two hundred and fifty pounds. On Monday night a

BY STAGE AND oN HORSEBACK.

missionary meeting was held, and Mr. Lawson
occupied the chair with his usual ability. The
proceeds of the meeting was seven pounds fifteen
shillings. On Tuesday evening he attended the
Guelph missionary meeting. It was here the Rev.
John Garner resided, as it was the head of the
mission. The next night Mr. Davison attended the
missionary meeting in New Hope. Two-thirds of
the people were Lutheran Reformed, and spoke the
German language. They sang the German hymns in
the intervals of the speeches, and the German minister
delivered a forcible address in the German language,
while Mr. Reed, one of the local preachers, interpreted
it with good effect. The following day they rode to
Blenheim, in the county of Waterloo, and had an
excellent meeting. Blenheim was one of the best
places on the mission, and the subscription list
amounted to seven pounds. There were some zealous
workers among the members, and at a protracted
meeting that had just closed, some souls were saved.
One man promised to give land and fifty dollars for
a new chapel. Many of the settlements near by
were nearly destitute of the gospel. Mr. Davison
returned homeward, and on the 13th of January
again preached in Hamilton. Nine souls came to the
communion rail to be prayed for. Mr. Berry had
been carrying on a protracted meeting during the
week previous, with power and success. I will quote
from Mr. Davison's letter as follows : —

"On Monday, January 14th, accompanied by Mr.
Parsons, I travelled into the township of Nelson, and
held a meeting at Middle Road ; Tuesday night at

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Coulson's, and Wednesday night at Wellington Square.
All the.se meetings were overflowing, and the interest
excited on behalf of the Primitive Methodist missions,
from the details and explanations given, was, I
believe, considerably increased. On Thursday night
I reached home, rather exhausted, after a month's
tour ; having travelled about three hundred and fifty
miles over very rough roads, and the weather, at
seasons, being intensel}' cold. Everywhere the friends
received me with the greatest kindness, and God
blessed the honored and laborious missionaries and
brethren that assisted me in the various services. To
God be all the glory. Amen.

John" Davison."
Toronto, January 18th, 1850.

When the settlement at the plaster beds became
large enough to have a post office, it was named
York. This was one of the appointments on the
Grand River circuit. In the year 1860 Rev. Wm.
Bee was stationed on it, and the Jubilee Church was
erected at York. The church was so named because
built in the Jubilee year of the Connexion. There
were only three or four members at the time, but
they worked well and earnestly, especially Miss
Martindale (afterwards the beloved and honored wife
of the Rev. James Smith). The Martindale family
were the backbone of the appointment, and the
self-sacrificing piety and enthusiasm of Miss ^Martin-
dale gave such support to the enterprise, as made
the building of a place of worship possible amid very
adverse circumstances. The building was dedicated
by Rev. Thomas Crompton preaching morning and
evening, and Father Lyle in the afternoon. Father
90

BY STAGE AND ON HORSEBACK.

Lyle in his sermon said, " Now you have c:;ot a
material churcli, you want a living spiritual church
to worship in the material one." After opening,
without a single day's delay, a protracted meeting
was begun which continued a number of weeks ; at
its close forty were enrolled to form the spiritual
church. One who attended the meeting remarked,
" It was worth all the labor if there had been no one
but Thomas Peart converted;" for it was a benedic-
tion to hear him immediately after his conversion
begin praying for his neighbors, and rising, it was
said, at five in the morning to pray for them. This
became a strong appointment and remained so until
the union. The church was afterwards rebuilt and
enlarged. Mr. Richard Amy of Peel circuit was a
great help in the meeting. Mr. Peart was one of the
oldest settlers in the neighborhood, and manj' of the
people came from Weardale, in Durham, Mr. Bee's
native place. These Old Country people had been
used to lively meetings in England, and though,
when they first came out they thought Canada not
fit to live in, when the baptism of the Holy Spirit
came upon them, their hearts warmed to each other,
and the whole of life's conditions brightened, so
that the unanimous verdict of the people was —
Canada is all right, we can live here now. Some few
of them are living there yet.

On May 2nd, 1851, Messrs. Paul and Dudley sailed
from London on board the Helen for the Canadian
mission field, which was becoming increasingly im-
portant.

91

CHAPTER VII.
THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

Old Time Revival Meetinga-Rev. Thomas Lawson— "Tlie Bower
of Prayer " — The Old Members at Newtonbrook — Christians
Born Dumb who Learned to Speak — Sandy and Hannah —
Thomas and Catherine Harper— Abraham Johnson— The Old-
Time Singing — Some People Worth Remembering — John Bugg
—Robert Middleton- Isaac Wilson— Albion Officials— Robert
C. Smith — Walkers of Cayuga Circuit — Men and Women of
Reach, Whitby and Scott Townships— Etobicoke Officials — Ja-
cob Camplin— Markham Officials— Daddy— ,—Daildy and Vic-
toria Square Choir — Daddy Leads Class.

The old-time revival service was as regularly
expected as the winter, and everything had to bend to
it. The superintendent generally conducted a meet-
ing at one appointment, and his colleague at the
other. The local preachers supplemented and relieved
as occasion offered. The earliest I remember, being
held in the schoolhouse, was conducted by Rev.
Thomas Lawson. He left the Conne.xion in 1S55 and
joined the Wesleyan body. He was a month in our
house while the meeting was in progress, and often
requested my mother to let the children sing " The
Bower of Prayer," as it was such an inspiration to
him. We were very young at the time, and mother
seated us in the big rocking-chair before a large mir-
92

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

ror so we would not be lonesome. We did not know
he was in his room or why we were asked to sing it,
but could not have been persuaded to do so in his
presence. I give here the verses, that have been for
years safely tucked away in the corner of my
memory: —

" Sweet bower, where the pine and the poplar spread,
And weave with their branches a roof o'er my head,
How oft have I knelt on your evergreen fair
And poured out my soul to my Saviour in prayer.

How sweet are the breezes perfumed by the pine.
The ivy, the balsam, the sweet eglantine.
But sweeter, ah sweeter, superlative, were
The joys that I tasted in answer to prayer.

The early sweet notes of the gay nightingale
1 heard in my bower, and marked, as my bell
To call me to duty, while birds of the air
Sang anthems of praises while I was at prayer.

But, dear bower, I must leave you and bid you adieu,
To pay my devotions in parts that are new ;
Well knowing my Saviour resides everywhere,
And will in all places give answer to prayer.

Among the members who worshipped in the old
log schoolhouse were Joseph Walls, ]\Iary Abram,
Mrs. Thomas Howe, William High, Betsy Leech, Tom
Smith, Tommy Mutton, Robert Hughes, Mrs. Hughes,
Mrs. Thane, Mr.s. Fetch, Mrs. Nathaniel Carroll, Mr.
and Mrs. Wni. Dent, Hannah Dent, Mrs. Cope, William
Denton, Jane Little, Mary Lucas, Roland Ward, Mrs.

j Ward, Brown Denton, Mr. Banyard, Mr. and Mrs.

j Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. James Bell, who were after-

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

wards members of the Clareinont Methodist church.
The greater part of these members had been gathered
from the world, and, as they were a floating popula-
tion, when they moved they were generally absorbed
by some other Methodist body, for as yet the Prim-
tives were very limited in the field of their opera-
tions. I do not think any minister ever had a greater
anxiety for his flock, than my father and mother had
for the members of my father's class. If absent, they
knew why ; if distressed in mind, body or estate,
they were there to relieve. There was a Christian
sympathy that made them like one family, and with
earnest entreaty the babes in Christ were trained to
use their gifts and graces for the glory of God.
They might be born into the kingdom dumb, but they
soon learned to use the language of Christianity, and
were heard in public prayer and testimony, to the
power of God to forgive sin.

There was a scene in one of these revival services
that greatly amused my eldest brother, Thomas.
Sandy, an Irishman living on a rented farm, got reli-
gion, and was very anxious about his wife, Hannah.
She had been forward one night at the penitent bench
but had not found peace. They had talked the mat-
ter over at home, and she had confided to him that
she could not keep other matters out of her mind, and
fix it on Christ for salvation. On the second night
while Hannah was kneeling among the seekers, Sandy
came up behind her and whispered in her ear, in a
voice so intense in its earnestness as to be heard all
over the room, " Xow, Hannah, niver mind the horses,
94

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

an' cows, an' pigs, an' shape, an' hins, an' geese, an'
ducks, an' turkeys — give up all an' give yer heart to
the Lord." It was too much for my brother, Tommy,
who was always a wag, and saw the funny side of
life, even amid Primitive Methodism. He maintained
that no preacher who appeared on the scene could
make the meeting half so interesting as Sandy did,
and if he had his way, Sandy would go out as a
special evangelist. The old log school-house used to
be full at the services. Thomas Harper was one of
the converts. His wife was a Roman Catholic and
had the stronger will of the two, and as the class-
meeting was in the morning, she insisted on Harper
driving with her to the Catholic church at Thornhill,
which was at the same hour. Before the year was
over he had joined the Catholic church with his wife,
and he explained that he belonged to Catherine, she
had bought him out of the army, and had a right to
do as she pleased with him. Catherine Harper cer-
tainly was a character. Neither of them could read
or write, but she was a religious woman according to
her knowledge and training. She used to swear
Harper at the beginning of the harvest not to take a
drop of beer or whiskey but out of her hand until all
was gathered into the barn, and he never violated his
oath ; but nothing would induce him to extend the
time. Mrs. Harper once sent for Mr. Abraham John-
ston, Rev. Charles Fish's father-in-law, and a Wes-
leyan class-leader, to come and pray with her. He
lived a mile-and-a-half away, but he answered the
summons at once, and did as she desired. He was a
85

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

devout — a holy man. Though he did not say so him-
self, others knew it from his life and conversation.
When Mrs. Harper was asked why she, so zealous a
Roman Catholic, had sent for Mr. Johnston to pray
with her, she looked her interrogator in the face, and
replied, " I was in great pain, an' his prayer divarted
my mind from it, an' I felt aisier afther."

I will describe in another place the old-time preach-
ing, but my joy was in the old-time singing. How they
did sing in the revival services, and you knew every
word they said, which was very curious, judged by
present ideas. One hymn was always to the fore,
and was a sermon in itself. I will quote a part of it :

" O ye young, ye gay, ye proud.
You must die and wear the shroud ;
Time will rob you of your bloom.
Death will drag you to the tomb.

Chorcs : — Then you'll cry and want to be
Happy in eternity.

" Will you go to heaven or hell ?
One you must, and there to dwell ;
Christ will come, and quickly too ;
I must meet Him, so must you.
Chori's ; — Then you'll cry and want to be
Happy in eternity.

" The ^^^lite Throne will soon appear ;
All the world must then draw near ;
Sinners will be driven down.
Saints will wear a starry crown.

Chorus : — Then you'll cry and want to be
Happy in eternity."
96

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

Another favorite in the revival services was :

" Stop, poor sinner, stop and think, ■
Before you farther go.
Can you sport upon the brink

Of everlasting woe ?
Hell beneath is gaping wide ;

Vengeance waits the dread command.
Soon to stop your sport and pride,
And sink you with the damned.
Choris : — Once again I charge you stop.
For unless j'ou warning take,
Ere you are aware you'll drop
Into the burning lake.

The last verse was :

" But as yet there is a hope,
You may His Mercy know ;
Though His arm is lifted up.
He yet forbears the blow.
'Twas for sinners Jesus died,

Sinners, He invites to come ;
Xone who come shall be denied.
He says there still is room.
CHORrs : — Once again I charge you stop. "

This hymn was altered in the hymn-book of 1S53,
and was not nearly so realistic. I can remember
many odd verses that were sung in the revival
services, such as :

" There's a lion in the way, I shall be slain 1
There's a lion in the way, I shall be slain !
Well 1 Suppose the saying's true.
And suppose there should be two,
Jesus' grace will bring you through.

Try, try, again."
97

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Also:

" I entered on board her, for who could delay,

Where so many could sing, could praise and could pray.
Our Captain is Jesus, His mercy is great.
Our labor is heavenly, our bounty is sweet.

Glory be to Jesus ! There's no friend like Jesus.
Come with us I Come with us ! Come with us along,
And we'll all march together to heaven above."

They always sang in revival services :

" Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,"

and the responsive song by the women and the men
with full chorus :

" Say, brothers, wiU you meet us ?
On Canaan's happy shore."

The Gospel invitation song, sung so heartily even
by those who did not accept it :

" We're travelling home to heaven above.
Will you go ? Will you go ? "

And always and ever, wherever Methodism plants
her standard, is sung that immortal hymn by Cowper :

" There is a fountain filled with Blood."

That old-time singing echoes in the chambers of my
heart.

The old-time preaching was e.xceedingly vivid. If
the text was Luke xi. ; 32, the congregation might
suffer by comparison. "The Xinevites believed God,
yow practically disbelieve Him. They delayed not,
you. delay. They repented, yon remain impenitent.

THE OLD WAYS OF THE fiLD DAYS.

They cried mightily to God, to this you are a
stranger." There was very little chance of sitting
with smiling complacency and fitting such direct
preaching on to some one else. If the Divine bene-
volence, the consequences of transgression, affectionate
appeals, convincing arguments, powerful expostula-
tions did not move them, then they shamed them out
of their sins by contrast with those who had inferior
privileges.

It is well to remember not only the old days and
old ways but also the old people, many of whom are
now " clad in brightness." Among the laity were
many men of whom any church might have been
proud. Wm. Marshall, of Brampton ; J. Green, of
Urangeville ; Wm. Wilkins, of Gait ; Isaac Wilson, of
Albion ; Lewis W. Purdy, of Sydenham : W. P.
Lacey, of Kingston ; Wm. Trebilcock, of London ;
John Law, of 'J oronto Gore ; T. M. Edmondson, Jos.
Kent and John Bugg, of Toronto. Others have had
special mention in other places, but a word here and
now about John Bugg. He was a man of large
rotund figure and hearty manner, with very strong
sympathy and leaning toward the common people.
His pocket-book was ready and easily opened for the
e.Ktension of the Redeemer's cause. He was found at
the social means of grace on time. In his prayer was
simplicity, hopefulness, certainty and expectancy: he
seemed to bring God's promises and present them as
cheques for payment. He believed God, and j'ou
caught the thought as his soul was poured out in
earnest supplication, that —
7 99

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" We are coming to a king
Large petitions let us bring."

He had little sympathy with style, fine churches or
expensive organs. He lived in the day of small
things, and it was then he shone with steady lustre.
He served his day and generation nobly, and his
name is honored by all who knew him.

Robert Middleton, one of the earliest local preach-
ers, helped to lay some of the first sidewalk in
York to keep the people from disappearing in the
mire. He moved to the Township of York and later
to George Middleton's farm, below the 8th concession
of Pickering. He began preaching in his own home.
In 1842 this was the nucleus of the Bethel society,
formed by Rev. W. Jolley when appointed to mission
Whitby and Pickering. Isaac Middleton was also
a local preacher and Charles Middleton, of Salem, and
afterwards of Claremont, was one of the Pickering
circuit officials. In .Minto, the Goodwins, Coopers,
Bramhills, Wilkins and Metcalfs were staunch sup-
porters. Isaac Wilson generallj' furnished a home
for the young minister and his horse free of charge.
His name appeared regular!}' in the Minutes of Con-
ference. Mrs. Isaac Wilson thought nothing of
riding thirty miles on the saddle, and preaching two
or three times on the Sabbath. Toby, her horse,
should not be forgotten, for he carried his gift«d and
consecrated mistress thousands of miles to proclaim
the ever-blessed gospel of peace and good-will to
men.

On Albion circuit was Fiolicrt Garbutt, a local
100

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

preacher full of fire in his utterances ; James Wood,
a sound preacher; George Steer, plain and practical.
Robert Tyndall used to say: " I'm best on my knees."
Calm was he and sympathetic in prayer. He would
exclaim with outstretched hand — " It's heaven here,
it's heaven there, it's heaven all around ! Don't you
feel it brethren ? " All felt it, saint and sinner alike,
for

" Glory crowned the mercy seat."

Charles Atkinson and his devoted wife also belonged
to Albion circuit. He was a good, useful man, gifted
in prayer, and had a fine groundwork of common-sense.
The Roadhouses, Monkmans, Browns, Halls, Elliotts,
McKinleys, T. Cooper and others I have not named
are worthy of mention as all round supporters of the
cause. At the meeting of the Quarterly Board on
Albion circuit there was a short prayer service every
hour. These financial meetings were often like little
love-feasts, for men who differed on some points
could not be crusty when they rose from their knees.

Robert C. Smith, on the Brampton circuit, was an
active layman and a very acceptable local preacher.
Rev. Robert Boyle married his daughter and Rev. R.
Pattison married his grand-daughter. About 1860
he moved to Caradoc.

Mr. C. Walker, of Cayuga circuit, formerly of
Grand River circuit, was a layman faithful and true,
a tower of strength to the church and every good
cause. He was a wise counsellor to the young
missionary in the early days when the circuit em-
101

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

braced five townships and fifteen appointments. In
such a wide area matters might be going wrong at
one end of it while he was straightening out tangles
at the other.

George Raper's name appears in the Minutes of
Conference. He knew English Primitive Methodism
well, was generally called on to speak at missionary
meetings, and could interest an audience.

T. Spotswood was a good type of the English
Primitive Methodist and enjoyed a chat with the
preachers about old times in England.

Mrs. ]\Iarkham was one of a noble group of women
on Reach circuit ; let me name them :

Mrs. Markham — Much power accompanied her
prayers and experience, and not uncommonly an
exhortation. She was highly esteemed by all who
knew her.

Mrs. Real — A very devoted woman with many
gifts and graces.

Mrs. Houldershaw — She knew of the deep things
of God, original, wise and good.

Each of these had a son in the ministrj'.

Mrs. Stephenson — This sister brought much of the
early Primitive Methodist fire across the ocean, she
had great help in her husband. He could arouse a
prayer-meeting or class-meeting wonderfully. They
had two sons in the ministry.

In Reach and Whitby half a century ago, at Sand-
ford and extending into Scott township, were names
that should be held in remembrance for piety, hospi-
tality, liberality and self-denial. I have named a
few and now mention John Moore, Moons, T.
103

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

Burnham, Widdifields, Win. Bell, Lafraugh, and
Taylors, Grays, Malyons, Oxtobys, Collins and
Pangmans. John Garnett, a retired minister at
Bowmanville, did splendid work both spiritually
and financially ; also P. Coleman, M. Joness, G.
Haines, H. Munroe, M. P. Fielding, Mr. Bone,
Middleton, Gilbank, Mark Jackson, Hoar, Eas-
ton, Lorriman, and later, J. Higginbotham, a local
preacher and a man of ability, who had formerly
belonged to Alice Street Church, Toronto. On Etobi-
coke circuit the Rev. Wm. Jolley, a superannuated
minister, did faithful work in the pulpit. H. McKune
J. Harrison, Golding, Davis, D. Steel and Carline
were with others already mentioned good and faithful
workers. Among the officials were T. Fenney, R
Thomas, R. and J. Shaw, Richard Agar, Father
Parsons, Hainstock, Rowntree, Nason and Foster.

On Markham circuit in the old daj's, the Camplins
lived. Jacob Camplin moved to the tenth of Mark-
ham, and with a few other members, sustained the
cause there. They were eminently devout, hospit-
able and generous. After a time they moved to
Reach, and were among the solid Christian workers on
that circuit. One of the daughters married Rev. John
Garner. She died some j-ears ago. Another is mar-
ried to the Rev. James Smith and lives in Parkdale.

S. Phoenix, G. Wright, W. Oldham, Sawdon, Rice,
Jackman, Woodgate, Dyke, are all names that appear
on the Markham plan as local preachers. J. Pretty,
Pollard, and J. and T. Steel were officials on
whom the minister could depend — generous and faith-
ful in every good work.

103

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

On Pickering, David Bowes, Frank Bowes, Thos.
Leaper and J. Slieppard have not been mentioned.
Miss Sheppard was the first one interred in Betliel
burying ground on the Claremont circuit, and Rev.
John Lacey preached the funeral sermon.

There were sixteen appointments on Markham cir-
cuit, and a few of them had service twice on Sabbath.

One of the local preachers was Daddy . He

must have been born about a hundred years ago, for
he has been at rest a good many years now. He was
faithful as a local preacher ; never any waiting for the
preacher to come when he was appointed. He hated
choirs because they bothered him. Sometime in the
late seventies an organ was bought at Victoria Square
and a choir formed. After he had entered the pulpit
on Sunday morning "Daddy" looked up and saw the
organ and choir. Here was trouble followed by blank
dismay, when a young man left the choir pew and
walked direct to the pulpit. With some trepidation
he asked :

" What hymns are you going to sing this morning ? "

" 0, Ah don't know ; Ah gue.ss Ah'll fin' summut."

" Well, what do you think you will sing ? "

" O, Ah don't know — ' Oh, for a thousand tongues
to sing.' "

" All right, and -what next ? "

" O, maybe, ' Talk with us Lord, Thyself rawail.' "

"And what will be the next one ? "

It was no use. " Daddy " had reached the limit of
endurance, and said in a tone that was a warning to
his tormentor :

" Ah'll fin' summut w'en Ah want it, Ah guess."
104

THE OLD WAYS OF THE OLD DAYS.

Tlie choir got ready two common metres, and
" Daddy " stood up and called to them from the op-
posite end of the church :

" Did ye fin' them hymns ? Ah didn't, but Ah fun'
a couple," and gave out a different hymn altogether.

After that " Daddy " was worried no more. Sev-
eral metres were ready, and speed and application
made up for " Daddy's " perverseness. The choir
always sang " West's " when he came, and the four
notes of bass at the beginning of one of the lines were
invariabl}' left for " Daddy " to sing as a solo, and he
did it, even if he sang nothing else.

" Daddy " had quite a number of texts, but no
matter what the starting point, the discourse was
much the same. He often preached from, " It's a
fythful sying, an' wothy of all acceptytion, etc.," and
also, "'E hev lifted my fate from the mire and kly,
etc." " Daddy's " texts were an ornamental thing, a
sort of perch from which he sprang into the sermon.
One Monday a young man attending school asked me
how I liked " Daddy's " sermon yesterday. I gave an
evasive answer, and then he inquired if I had ever
heard him preach from the text, " For he's ible to sive
and he's a-villin' to sive." I said " Daddy " could not
find that text, nor he either. " No matter," said Joph,
his eyes twinkling, " I heard him preach from it, and
a good sermon it was, too. I enjoyed it."

" Daddy " was very excitable at revival services,
camp meetings, etc. He did not fully enjoy himself
unless his emotional nature was stirred and he could
respond. The seats were elevated one above another
at Victoria Square, and once in a revival service he
105

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

ran from the back to the front of the seats, stepping
from one back to the next, and arriving at the front
he balanced himself on it, clapped his hands several
times, and shouted " Glory ! " Those who saw him
thought he would break his neck, but his neck was
all right when he reached the floor. When " Daddy "
got old some places did not want his services, and he
was in great distress because he could not preach ; but
he was planned at Victoria Square once a quarter for
old time's sake. Teeth or no teeth," Daddy " wanted
to give out his texts and preach his sermon. What
had he one for if not to preacii it ? I will never
forget him telling us how dark his mind was before
he found the light. His words were, " W\-, bliss ye,
frinds, afoor Ah was conwatted Ah was as higgorant
as a Hotmetot."

Sometimes "Daddy" led one side of the class after
the public service. When Daddy Woodward, sitting
on the side seat with a red handkerchief on his head
to keep the draft off, growled out his Christian ex-
perience, his mouth so paralyzed that he made all

sorts of faces to speak at all, and " Daddy " ■

stood over him, at the end of every sentence shouting
" Hi ! hi 1 " or " Glory ! " in response as it ground out ;
it took me all my time to consider their good inten-
tions, and not dwell too much on the scene before
me, or I would have lost my gravity. He made mis-
takes sometimes, but he tried honestly and earnestly
to serve God in his own waj' ; and his was an odd
way, but he was " Daddy," and the world was better
for his living in it.

r"

CHAPTER VIII.
MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

One Primitive Methodist Child— Theological Problems— The Car-
nal Mind — A Strong Imagination — A Scotchman who was
Born to be Lost — Bird Songs of Childhood— Wild Pigeons—
The Raspberry Patch— Barefooted Boys and Girls— Pleasure
Drives in Double Wagons— Rev. Wm. Lyle— Rev. John
Davison — Port Rowan — Mr. Connall— Thorn's, Price's and
Hazon's Settlements — Forestville — Walpole— York— Stoney
Creek — Middle Road — A Comfortable Business Meeting — Rev.
Wm. Clowes— His Life, Work and Death— Revs. Nattrass,
Cade, Barrass and Clarke come to Toronto b^- Philadelphia —
Zion Field Meeting in Scarborough— Trip on the Steamer to
Hamilton.

I CAN' only speak for one child, and that is mj-self.
I understood the law far better than the Gospel.
This thought settled itself into my very inmost being
— that he who offends in one point is guilty of all
and I did not see all that the Gospel could do for me
in presenting me perfect before God. I felt myself
from my earliest days a terribly wicked sinner. The
revival services were calculated to divide the congre-
gation into two classes; those who were rejoicing,
working Christians, and those who were on the brink
of a precipice that was crumbling under their feet,
and at any moment might precipitate them into the
107

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

abyss of woe. From my first consciousness I felt the
wrath of God abiding on me, but it did not make me
sue for mercy. I wished I had died in infancj'. I
never wanted existence ; wliy was I born since I was
sure to be eternally lost ;■ I could not understand
how God could be eternal, of course I do not yet —
but I did not see then that there are many things we
must believe, that we cannot yet comprehend. I was
not more than four years old when these thoughts
worried me. My mother took me many a time in
the afternoon when she went for prayer, and I heard
her voice in supplication that God would forgive me,
and take away my rebellious heart, and make me
His child. I heard a great deal about the carnal
mind being enmity with God. I felt I had it, and
had it bad. It seemed a worse di.sease to me than
measles or mumps, for I would get over them, but
this would stick right to me. I do not think my
brothers and sisters puddled in theology as I did, but
I felt it a terrible mistake that ever I was born.
The Lord has His own way of planting us in His
vineyard, and it was nece.ssary for me to have about
twenty years mental pounding, to make me glad to
take His service and protection in His way and not
mine. Thei-e was one thing about the early preach-
ing, it came home to the hearer and fastened like a
nail in a sure place ; and wherever you were you had
it with you. I have never wanted to be a child
again to wrestle day and night with such mental
turmoil. These thoughts embittered my childhood.
I had a strong imagination, and the terrors of the
108

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

law were never shown forth, that my mind diil not
improve upon the statement. As I grew up I knew
the Bible; could advise people in distress of soul;
could quote the promises for their comfort ; but could
find no rest in them for myself. I was much in the
condition of a Scotchman whom I once heard talking
to mother, who considered he was "born to be
damned." Said he, "Mistress Agar, I hae been in
thae pertracted meetins; an I hae knelt at thae
penitent bench ; an' I hae seen yin convairted on ae
side o' me ; and yin convairted on the ither side o'
me , but it aye gaed by me."

There are bright spots, too, in my childish mem-
ories: the grey bird (song sparrow) singing in the
dwarf pear tree till all the air was melody; the
atmosphere so fresh on Sunday morning and the
birds so numerous ; the wild canary (goldfinch) sing-
ing as he flew, his course like undulating waves ; the
meadowlark that we heard in the hayfields as we
went to school, and the bobolink balancing himself
on the stalk of timothy as the notes fairly bubbled
up and tumbled out of his throat—" Bobolink, bobo-
link, lingum, lingum, lingum." Those were the days
when w'e made soft soap and floated a potato on the
lye to test its strength, and lifted it out suddenly
with a chip so we would not be caught. Those were
the days when the farmers' daughters raked up the
hay into winrows, or spun four skeins of wool on the
big wheel for a days work ; or put on their fathers'
long boots and gathered sap from the maple trees to
have a big sugaring off" time ; when you ate it oft' a
109

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

chip and got your teeth glued together so j'ou could
not speak. Those were the times when we used to
have black squirrel pie, and the wild pigeons (passen-
ger pigeons), that we see no more, came in such
immense flocks and flew so near the ground that
they were killed by throwing sticks and stones
among them, and there was great feasting on pigeon
pie.

Every other farm had a raspberry patch, and the
pickers went at daylight to be first on the ground,
while the riddles and jokes and merriment and
wit made all the hard toil forgotten. On the way
home the children stung their faces with mullen
leaves to have rosy cheeks and look pretty. Those
were the times when the underwear, working dresses
and smocks were spun at home, woven at the weavers
and made up into garments by hand ; the summer
days when the children went barefooted to school,
waded in the little pools on the roadside coming
home, and tried to catch the pollywogs. Then you
had to knit j'our own stockings and a knitting
sheath was made with a goose quill and a piece of
holland linen. People knit as they walked to a
neighbor's to issue the invitations for the next quilt-
ing or paring bee. What a happy time those bare-
footed children had, never out of employment, for
when they tired of playing jackstones they compared
their toes. One Saturday night I traded off" my
boots with Nellie Sankey, a playmate, because hers
were cleaned for Sunday and mine were to polish.
Think of my dismay when I had to go and get my
110

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

own on Sunday morning. Those long black stockings
for boys, what a nuisance they have always been,
breaking into holes any minute, and what quarts of
ink hoys waste every month blacking their legs
where the holes are, so their mothers will not notice
the white skin shining through.

We had fresh air then, now we have coal gas.
Now we consult the doctor for dyspepsia, then we
did not realize we had stomachs and could digest
anything that tasted good. We have conveniences
and benefits now they had not then ; but every good
thing has its tax, we pay toll upon every advantage.
There is one truth that remains the same in every
age and condition of life ; it is the soul that enjoys
and lives, and he gets most out of life who does the
most good. The divine law of self-sacrifice brings
back to every heart that practices it, its own rich
reward and harvest; and the power to confer a
kindness increases with the will to do it.

The reader may quietly wonder what all this has
to do with the old time Primitive Methodism, and I
remind him that all this, and much more that is now
out of date, entered into the daily life of the early
Primitive Methodist. Births, deaths and marriages
belong to every age, but would it not seem curious to
us now to see a wedding party load up into double
\raggons aud go off for a pleasure drive to make
room for the setting out of the tables and wedding
feast, which would be all ready, palatable and abun-
dant on their return f

Children of the olden time lived in two worlds.

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

the real and the imaginary. Giants, ghosts, fairies,
brownies, banshees, etc., were in the tales told at
school ; and 3'ou generally ran out of a dark room
for fear a skeleton hand would fall on your back
before you got out. Tlie daylight people you did not
fear, but the population of whom no census was
taken, who inhabited the darkness, made you shiver ;
they were such an uncanny lot, and you felt safer
with your eyes shut than open. The witches were
dead before my time.

Now it is decided that you can see the reflection of
your own ghost any time you consult a mirror ; and
Kingsley argues there must be fairies, because "Water
Babies " is a fairy story.

We leave the child and take another look at what
the grown people were doing. In May 1850, the
Rev. John Davison was again moving around among
the missions, preaching for the Rev. Wm. Lyle at
Don Mills, visiting members and baptizing children.
It was no easy matter to travel, and as he went to
Talbot by way of Hamilton he had a long and cheer-
less journey, besides being so afflicted with boils that
he was laid up for several days. He preached
at Port Rowan, Brando's and in the Pine Wood
settlement, in the log house of Mr. Connall, where
clouds of mosquitoes waged war on them, and the
intense heat nearly melted them, but he says the pres-
ence of God was in the midst to bless the worship-
pers. He preached at Thom's, Price's, Hazon's settle-
ment on a week-day, and at a field-meeting at
Forestville. He speaks in his journal of travelling.

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

preachinfj, labouring and of seals being added to the
mission and ministry, and of the deep anxiety that
should be incessantly felt for the salvation of sin-
ners. With the Rev. Francis Berry he went to
Walpole on Lake Erie and met with the Rev. Thomas
Lawson, one of the new missionaries from England.
He arranged for field-meetings at Walpole, Stoney
Creek, near Hamilton, and one in Middle Road in
Nelson Township. After this he was in bed two days
from over- exertion. They also held a field-meeting
in York, and had fruit for their labors. The heat
was intense, for it was the 14th of July, but their
hearts were strong in God.

" Sunday, July 21st.— Field-meeting. This meeting
was the largest and most respectable I have seen in
Canada. My soul felt well ; and the love-feast in the
evening was grand. Brother Lawson led it princi-
pally, God baptizing him afresh, and all the breth-
ren were cheered with prospects of success."

On Monday he travelled to Walsingham, thirty
miles, to assist at Talbot quarter day ; preached, vis-
ited and returned to Toronto (100 miles) to attend
the District Meeting, which, he remarks, was a com-
fortable one—" Blessed be God ! "—and progress was
reported. This was on August 2nd, 18.50.

Thanking God for a " comfortable " business meet-
ing was quite proper. They were not always seas-
sons of unalloyed happiness. It was said by one
official in the early days, who had come home from
the business meeting with his mind very much hurt,
as he sat with his face in his hands all forlorn,

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" Well, I don't wish any man's death, but, if it pleased

the Lord to take Brother to himself before

another business meeting, I do not think I could
honestly grieve about it."

It the year 1853, the Rev. William Clowes one of
the founders of Primitive Methodism, died. He was
the first missionary sent to Hull. In 1819 he began
the work, and six months after it became the head of
a circuit numbering three hundred members. Many
of the large towns of Yorkshire were missioned by
him, and Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Notting-
hamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire
shared extensively in his missionary labors.

Energy was one of his characteristics, but he was
not less remarkable for his sensibility, and the tend-
erness and sympathy of an affectionate disposition.
In 1827 he was seized with a nervous ati'ection which
considerably reduced his strength, and he was per-
manently stationed at Hull with permission to attend
missionary meetings, preach anniversary sermons, and
officiate at the dedicatory services of new chapels.
The principal stations in the connexion now received
the benefit of his labors and counsels.

In one of the magazines of 1830 Hugh Bourne
makes the following statement : —

" W. Clowes has labored above many to establish
the doctrine of a present salvation, and thousands
have been converted to God by means of his ministry.
Indeed, on this point he has no equal in the world,
and in the whole range of ecclesiastical histoiy,
ancient and modern, I have found no instance, since
114

r^

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

the days of the apostles, of anyone that excelled him.
He is, therefore, much hearkened to either when
he preaches or discour.ses on the m3-stery of faith,
and of a present salvation."

In these things he continued to excel until his sup-
erannuation in 1842 (the same year that Hugh
Bourne was superannuated).

In January, 1833, his true and faithful wife was
removed by death. His second wife was Mrs. Temper-
ton, of Hull, a lady of his o\vii years, and every way
suited to him. They lived in mutual love and happi-
ness till death sundered the union by taking him to
his rest and reward. In his personal experience and
conversation he retained the same deep spirituality
to the end. Everywhere he went, on the decks or
cabins of the steamboats, on the piers, on coaches or
pleasure grounds, he was found conversing on divine
things, and pointing the way to Christ with his early
success. The sunset of his life was rich and clear,
and his joy, though not so exuberant or demonstrative,
as his body weakened, was yet deeper, diviner, and
more abiding. He was struck by paralysis, and
though unable to speak, he lifted his hand in trium-
phant gesture, and after a few lingering hours died.
The news of his approaching end was written to Rev.
John Flesher, in London, who replied at once : —

" Mj' dear Brother Sissons, —

" Your report of the stroke which has prostrated
the man of God is fraught with solemnity. It seems
to bring on me the solemnities of death, as associated
with sweet recollections of nearly thirty years' friend-
ship with him over whom you are watching.
S 115

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" If not yet gone, may his soul be strong for the
flight from earth to that heaven, wliere hundreds, if
not thousands, of his spiritual children will greet him,
and whither tens of thousands of his affectionate ad-
mirers will shortly follow him ! I can write no more.

My heart is full. I shout ' Hallelujah !' J unite;,

with me in weeping affection for Clowes, for all his,
and you and yours. Lord save us !

"John Flesher.

" Let us know when heaven opens for the soul of
the mighty one."

His last public engagement was at a meeting of tlie
society in Mason Street chapel, making arrangements
for the building of a large chapel on Jarrat Street.
This chapel is sixty by seventy-eight feet, and has
fourteen hundred sittings, etc., and the tablet bears
the following : —

Clowes' Chapel,

1851,

Primitive Methodist Connexion.

Another monumental chapel has since been opened
at Cooper's Gardens, London. By subscription a tomb
has been erected over his grave bearing the following
inscription : —

Sacred

To the Memory of

WILLIAM CLOWES,

One of the Founders of the Primitive Methodiet Cc

Who Died March 2nd, 1851,

Aged Seventy-One Years.

" He was a BurniTic and a Shining Light.

116

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

In 1853 four more missionaries were sent to
Canada. On March 30th, Revs. Clarke, Nattrass,
Cade and Barrass went on board the City of Man-
cliester, bound for Philadelphia. There were five
hundred on board. This steamer was 280 feet long
and of 300 horse power. The sailing vessel had given
way to steam, and instead of six weeks in crossing
the ocean, they were eighteen days. They sailed
thirty miles up the Delaware, boarded a train and
rode thirty miles, and again had a sail of twenty
miles to New York. They noticed the superiority of
the steamers, and the absence of class distinctions as
in the Old Country. After remaining in New York
two days to see the city, they sailed up the Hudson
River and passed through Albany, Utica, Syracuse,
and at nine o'clock in the evening reached Niagara
Falls. They were fifteen hours on the train and had
covered a distance of six hundred miles. The next
morning they visited the Falls, but our narrator says
he could find no words at command to describe this
wonderful phenomenon. " What a scene ! The guide
informed us there had been ice thirty feet thick the
week before, and there were large quantities of snow
to be seen."

They travelled by stage from the Falls to Lewis-
ton, and went on board the steamer Chief Juntive,
and crossed the noble Lake Ontario. At six o'clock
in the evening they landed in Toronto, and were met
at the wharf by Revs. Nichols and Lawson. The
next day all the missionaries went to their several
stations. Rev. Matthew Nichols was stationed in
117

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Toronto at that time, and one of the missionaries
remaining in Toronto went with him to visit the
outlying appointments and get acquainted with the
membership. They were not many miles from To-
ronto before the evidences of a newly settled country
were seen on every hand. The roads were almost
impassable, the houses new, and the timber was
lying in all directions just as it had been cut down.

The population of Scarborough was agricultural
and widely scattered. They found a neat frame
chapel well attended. Matthew Nichols had held a
revival service the previous fall, and scores had been
converted. Scarborough had been formed into a
branch of Toronto circuit, and the Rev. Thomas
Lawson was stationed on it. A parsonage was to be
erected as soon as possible. Rev. M. Nichols rode ten
miles up Yonge Street on Sabbath morning, and
preached at Agar's at half-past ten in the morning, at
Zion in the afternoon, and at Bay Street in the
evening. On Monday evening an open-air preaching
service was held on Elizabeth Street ; Tuesday even-
ing an open-air service was held near the Custom
House, the audience going to the Bay Street church
for the prayer meeting. They also preached on
Caroline Street in the east end of the city. Other
preaching places mentioned are Summerville on the
road to Hamilton, Sandhill, Don Mills and Yorkville.

On July 3rd the anniversary sermons were preached

in Dunton's neighborhood at Zion Chapel. This was

the neighborhood of the Sherwoods, Scraces, Rodgers,

Beans, Brocks, Clem. Harris, Flavells, Collingwoods,

118

r"

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.

Moons, Emmersons, Johnstons, etc. M}' brightest
remembrance of Zion is going to the tield-meeting
held there every summer ; the beautiful drive, and
taking dinner at Dunton's or Emmerson's. Those
dinners of hot meat and gravj', or cold ham, with
white mashed potatoes, with me, eclipsed all the ser-
vices, for I was only old enough to appreciate what
was impressed upon my physical being. There is a
peculiar feeling in attending such a religious service ;
you hear the inflexion of the speaker's voice, the
reverberation rolling among the trees, while as yet
you cannot distinguish the words. The branches are
cracking and twisting about the wheels. You cannot
escape the holes in the road because it looks level,
being filled with leaves ; you may as well hold on as
the road is verj- uneven. You want a place to tie the
horse in the shade, and now you are in sight of the
worshippers sitting on plank seats, improvised for the
occasion by rolling three logs into position ; two to
rest the ends of the planks upon and one for a support
in the middle. The pulpit is probably a farmer's
market waggon drawn there for the purpose, and a
few seats placed in it for the preachers ; the service
has begun, and we get a seat, our boots nearly buried
in the dead leaves at our feet. Memory recalls the
singing, the prayers, and the responses, as all hearts
united in the petition ; " amen " was often heard from
half-a-dozen people, and if " Daddy " Pointon, a local
preacher, was there, it would not be long before you
heard " Glory : " or " Hallelujah : " Indeed, if there
was a realizing sense of the presence of God, it might
119

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

come from several places in the praying crowd. Thej'
met to pray and praise and point the lost to Chri.st.
They expected to see conversions, and in their expec-
tations were not disappointed.

In July, 1853, the travelling preacher from Toronto
assisted at a field-meeting in Hamilton. He went in
the steamer Queen of the We^t, passing on his way the
celebrated native village in which formerly resided
the Chippewa Indians, but who, when they became
surrounded by the white people, migrated westward.
After a sail of three hours the vessel reached Hamil-
ton, and half an hour later she took fire and burned
to the water's edge. The cause of the disaster was
unknown, and the men employed on the vessel lost
their all. The prayer-meeting began in the Hamilton
chapel at seven in the morning, and at ten they
repaired to the bush, where excellent accommodation
had been provided. About one thousand people
attended. The speakers were Bros. Davison, Boyle,
McDougall, Mr. Sheppard (a Methodist Episcopal
minister), and others.

;EV. IHOMAS AD.'

CHAPTER IX.
THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

Rev. Thomas Adams writes to Hull Church— Gait, Blenheim
Township and Woodstock Mission— The Old-Tirae Camp-
-Meeting at Siloam — A. Erb — John Masters — Scarboro' Circuit
Camp-Meeting — Cook's Mills Camp-Meeting — Pickering Camp-
Meeting — Thomas Lewis— George Lewis — David Lewis — Open-
Air Preaching in Toronto — Sabbath Schools — Public Schools —
Normal School — Etobicoke Circuit — Mission Opened in Orange-
ville, also in Peel and Wellesley — Clergy Pveserves Create
Unrest— The Act of 1791— Sir John Colborne Creates Fifty-
seven Rectories — Lord Sydenham's Declaration — Rev. Egerton
Ryerson made Chief Superintendent of Education— His Succesa-
ful Battle for Equal Rights tor all Denominations — Secular-
ization of Clergy Reserves in 1854.

In 1853 Gait -was a rising town, situated on the
Grand River, and settled mostly by Scotch people-
The chapel erected there was still in debt, though
other denominations had helped generousl}'. There
were several Primitive Jlethodist societies in Blenheim
Township. Many souls had been converted at Siloam ;
at Passmore's there was a societj' of earnest working
Christians ; at Canning a gooil chapel in course of erec-
tion, and another one at Jickling's, both of which were
connexional. About two years before Rev. T. Adams
had missioned Woodstock and built a neat commo-
dious church. Rev. Robert Boyle assisted at the
121

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

opening services. They had a o;ood Society there ;
the surrounding country was thickly populated, and
it bade fare to become the head of a crood station.
In a letter to the church at Hull, dated August 4th,
1853, an old-time cavip-vieeting is described :

" On Wednesday, June 22nd, we commenced holding
a general camp-meeting in the Township of Blenheim,
near Siloam. The place selected was a lovely spot in
the woods. Here a number of our warm-hearted
friends had assembled a da}' or two before to erect
the tents. There was a large square inclosed and
well-seated. In front was the preacher's stand and
tent, and on each side the tents of our friends. At
each corner of the area a high stone was erected, on
which was placed a quantity of pitch pine. When
the tire was applied to it in the dusk of the evening,
it produced a most brilliant light in our lovely leafy
temple. All our dear friends around took a lively
interest in the work. They gave their time, their
talents and substance freel}' on the occasion to make
the season interesting. It was a faint picture of the
early Christians at Jerusalem where they had all
things common. The services were of a delightful
character. In the morning at six o'clock I rang what
served as a bell, calling the friends to prepare for
breakfast. At eight the sound was given for familj'
prayer in the several tents, and it was pleasant to
hear the Scriptures read, hymns sung, and prayer
offered in all the tents at the same time. It seemed
like a little worshipping village. At ten, at two, and
again at seven the sound was given for public worship,
and then at ten the .sound was given for all to retire
to their tents. Some of the friends were so happy
that they would sing and pray a goodly portion of
the night, and in the morning we were awakened by
122

THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

the birds warbling their Maker's praise in the trees
over our heads.

" On Sunday we had a great concourse of people,
and good order was observed. In the morning nearly
two hundred persons came forward to partake of the
memorials of the Saviour's death. The scene was a
moving one. We could have wished that the lovers
of the missionary cause in our native land could have
witnessed us thus worshipping in the woods of
Canada. Our worthy brethren, Matthew Nichols, of
Toronto, and R. Parsons, of Guejph, came to our help,
and labored nobly and effectually in the cause. A
number of conversions were the fruits of the meetings ;
but as heavy rain fell on the Sabbath evening many
were scattered to their own homes before we could
collect their names. On Monday, about noon, we
broke up the meeting in consequence of the weather
being wet, when we marched round the camp-ground,
singing—

' Now here's my heart and here's my hand
To meet you in the heavenly land,' etc.

Then we took what is called the parting hand
singing —

' Farewell brethren, farewell sisters.'

" There was much weeping. We thought some of
us will never meet again until we meet in heaven.
This part of the service was conducted by Brother
John Masters, our missionary steward, and Brother
A. Erb, two worthy Dutchmen, who are well-tried
friends of our rising cause, and zealous local preachers.

" We believe this is the first regular and efficient
camp-meeting held in Canada, at which our people
dwelt in the bush by day and night. It was to us a
happy week. We could truly say, it was good to be
there.

123

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

" Ours is a very extensive mission, ily colleagues
and I have plenty of room for extending our borders
if we had but time and strength. Still we mean to
do what we can. I want the connexion to grow and
prosper— I cannot do with retrograding. ' Onward ! '
must be our motto. Pray for us, that the Word of
the Lord may have free course and be glorified.

Thom.\s Adams."

The first camp-meeting that I remember attending
was at Milne's Hollow, on the Scarboro circuit. My
father had a tent, and, as mother was unable to go, it
was considered I might help in the domestic arrange-
ments. Robert Walker had a tent, and the two
things that .stand out in my memory are father help-
ing me to get the meals ready, and Cassie Walker
being verj' prettily dressed in pink delaine or cash-
mere. I had my doubts as to the godliness of the
color and did not think it augured well for the pro-
gress of Primitive Methodism. I did not then see
how lavishly our Heavenly Father had painted the
lily, tinted the rose, made the gorgeous sunset and
spanned the heavens with a rainbow. I had rather
taken in the idea of the vanity of decking the human
body that was so soon to be food for worms.

A camp-meeting was held annually at Cook's Mills,
now called Carville. People would come for twenty
or thirty miles from other circuits and rent the tents,
the lumber for which was very generously loaned by
Mr. Cook. The price of tents ranged from two
dollars up according to the size. The meeting would
last for nearly two weeks and include one Sabbath.
124

THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

In 1871 a very successful camp-meeting was held
in Pickering, on Mr. Isaac Linton's farm, near Bethel
church. Mrs. Linton informed me that during the
progress of this meeting some of the ministers and
principal workers lodged with them, and they had
twenty beds to make up every day.

In 1872 one was held on Markham circuit at
Bethesda. Thomas Lewis loaned the lumber for the
tents, as his sawmill was close by. This camp-meet-
ing was held while Rev. James Smith was superin-
tendent of Markham circuit, and was the last one I
attended. A number were brought into the church
who became standard-bearers of the cause of Christ.
Mr. Thomas Lewis was a very earnest Christian
man, of a quiet, gentle disposition, and the kingdom
of heaven came first in all his calculations. He was
class-leader at Bethesda, and society-steward, and .so
exceedingly exact and conscientious was he, that the
identical coins placed on the collection plate were car-
ried in a stout bag or .stocking, to be paid in at the
official busine.ss meeting of the circuit. Four of his
sons were local preachers, their names being on the
Markham plan, and his second son, George, entered the
regular ministry, and died the year after the camp-
meeting. His obituary appeared in the Minutes of
Conference, and I will copy a few extracts from it :
Rev. George Lewis, B.A., was born near Bethesda,
in Markham Township, on May 3rd, 1842. He was
converted at nineteen years of age, and soon his name
appeared on the plan. He was educated at Toronto
University, and was for one year connected with the
125

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" Institute," after which he was stationed in the
city of Kingston, where for three years he labored
with acceptance and success, the station improving
both numerically and financially. In 1873 he was
stationed on Toronto Fourth circuit. Here he was
welcomed, and had laid himself out for extensive
usefulness, when his earthly career was brought to a
close. He was attacked by typhoid fever, and think-
ing that a change of air would benefit him, he went to
his father's residence, where everything that medical
skill or tender affection could devise, was done to save
him, but he gradually sank and expired on September
12th, 1S73. He died in calm submission and holy
fortitude, and now sings the songs of redemption with
glorified saints.

David Lewis, his elder brother, was a very accept-
able speaker and a man of eminent piety, who
gathered his family after each meal for divine wor-
ship. He left secular pursuits and attended college
with the intention of entering the regular ministry.
When George came home sick with typhoid fever,
David waited on him day and night, and contracted
the same disease, d\-ing shortly after. It was a ter-
rible blow for the aged father, but was borne with
Christian resignation. They are all buried at
Victoria Square, and their memory is blessed. Both
brothers left young families and sorrowing widows
to mourn their departure.

The open-air preaching in Toronto was continued
in the fall of 1853, as long as the weather permitted :
and rooms were secured for the services during the
cold season.

THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

The increase in membership was greatly reduced
by the many removals to western and northern parts
of Canada West. Notwithstanding this the work was
prosperous, and in all the letters to the Magazine re-
gret was expressed because there were not men and
resources to follow these members into the new settle-
ments. Hundreds were lost to the connexion and
swelled the returns of other denominations every
year. The Bay Street membership had secured an
eligible site on Alice Street, and £800 had been raised
by subscription for a new church. A field-meeting
had been held near Toronto, at which between two
and three thousand were present, and some were
brought into the fold of Christ.

In a letter written at this time, mention is made
of the earnest attention paid to Sabbath School work,
and the great preparations made for their annivers-
aries. The one in Bay Street caused such excitement
that hundreds were unable to gain admission. The
library had received an addition. The writer also
referred to the common school which was established
in every township ; one school for about every three
thousand acres of land ; and of the Normal School in
Toronto for the training of public school teachers.

Etobicoke was a very large circuit before its di-
vision in 185-t. George Raper was the circuit stew-
ard, and there were about twenty-seven preaching
places. Twenty of these were connexional chapels.

In 1854 they were contemplating the erection of a
new parsonage. They had a powerful hold or Toron-
to Gore and all along the Humber river, extending into
127

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Vaughan and Albion. A number of the members were
wealthy and many of them possessed with the mis-
sionary spirit. They expected to raise three hundred
dollars for the mission fund, besides sustaining their
own four preachers. At one ef the appointments a
gracious revival had been in progress and thirty
added to the church. A Mr. Fox, from Doncas-
ter, England, had been sent to open a mission in
Orangeville, and another missionary was to be sent
to Peel and Wellesley. The English Conference had
paid great attention to the address of Mr. William
Lawson, who had been sent as Canadian Delegate,
and five more missionaries were expected to enter the
Canadian work.

We quote a paragraph from a letter to the Magazine
at this time which touches the eai-ly history of
Canada: —

"The Clergy Reserves are exciting great attention
just now. All parties are active in laboring to secure
a division thereof, according to their several opinions.
The Imperial Parliament having decided tliat the
Provincial Parliament shall settle the vexed question,
now is the time for action. Bishop Strachan and his
clergy recently held a convocation in this city, chiefly
on this very subject. They are seeking to combine
their energies with those of the Roman Catholics to
secure the reserves for religious purposes ; and some
Protestant dissenters, it is said, are even seeking the
same object. All however, are not thus minded : for
a combination is being formed, the object of which is
the entire and complete secularization of the Reserve
lands."

It might be well for the information of any young
128

THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

reader who may desire to know a little more of tl
Clergy Reserves mentioned in the above quotation,
give a summary of the question that so long agitat*
the country: —

The Imperial Government, by authority of an A
passed in 1791, directed the local authorities of Upp
and Lower Canada, to commence reserving one-scveni
of the lands for the support of a Protestant Clerg
and these lands were to be intermixed with tho:
granted to individuals, over every township, in tl
proportion of one-seventh of the whole. Should an
township be wholly taken up before the Act came i
force, then blocks of land were to be reserved i
the nearest ungranted township. These reserves coi
tinued to be made as new townships were surveye
until 1838.

The Clergy Reserve lands in Upper Canada (Pro^
of Ontario) amounted to two and a half millions c
acres. These lands were leased until 1829, whe
portions of them were sold. At first the rents receive
from these bush lands were insufficient to defray th
expenses of surveying and management. For full
twenty-five years the Clergy Reserves were a cans
of political unrest, and a menance to the peace an.
prosperity of the country. Less than one-third of th
population received three-fourths of the revenue fron
these Reserves. They began to be cleared and ris.
in value. Only the Churches of England and Scot
land could participate in these funds, because, bein^
established by law thej- had a legal status.

The people of Canada considei-ed the Act of 179J
l:;9

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

an imperial interference in a matter of provincial
concern. The Legislature of Upper Canada was
almost unanimous in passing bills, during nine
Parliaments, authorizing the sale of the lands and
applying the proceeds to education and provincial
improvements. These bills must pass the Legislative
Council to receive the signature of the Governor-
General and become law ; but as the Council was
in sympathy with the continuance of the Reserves,
they were voted down. The petitions were pressed
upon the Colonial Secretary to have the Imperial
Government interfere, but the feeling in the British
Parliament in favor of the established church, was
too strong; and the matter was referred back for
Canada to deal with. In 1836, Sir John Colborne,
the Governor-General, on the eve of his departure for
England, established fifty-seven rectories. These
from that time became vested property, which must
be dealt with in the final settlement, and eventually
formed the commutation fund of the English Church.
Sir John Colborne's act was considered an outrage,
and further incensed tho.se who were opposed to an
established church in Canada. The press was almost
unanimous against the Reserves, and leaders on both
sides were heard in all public assemblies, both secular
and religious. Bishop Strachan defended the rights
of the English Church, and his appeals were most
pathetic. Rev. Egei'ton Ryerson, D.D., a leading
Wesleyan divine, was the champion of equal rights,
and stood by the principle that no church should be
130

THE OLD-TIME CAMP-MEETING.

invested with exclusive privileges derived from the
state.

The Governor-General of Canada, afterwards Lord
Sydenham, declared in the most emphatic terms to a
friend in 1840 : — " The Clergy Reserves have been
and are the overwhelming grievance ; the root of all
the troubles of the Province ; the cause of the re-
bellion ; the never-failing watchword at the hustings ;
the perpetual source of discord, hatred, and strife.
There is little to divide, nor will there be for the
next ten or twelve years after deducting the charges,
but the difficulty lies in the settlement."

Dr. Ryerson was made Chief Superintendent of
Education in IS-t-t. He was a man possessed of all
the mental qualifications for the position, and was
endowed with diplomatic tact, combined with great
energy and decision. He took the ground that the
Protestant dissenting churches, had more right to
these funds than the Church of England. Upper
Canada had been a province for sixty years, with a
representative government, and for the first half of
that time, the churches of England and Scotland
could scarcely have had an existence in Canada. In
1815 there were only four resident Church of England
ministers, and in 1818 only one of the Church of
Scotland, so that the Protestants of Upper Canada,
must have been indebted to the ministers of other
Protestant denominations, and were a religious, in-
telligent and loyal people during all that period of
time. With pen and voice, his zeal for the cau.se
9 131

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

never flagj^ed. Having taken up the weapons of
warfare in a good, honest, patriotic and religious
spirit he never laid them down until he won for our
young Canada equal rights for all her citizens, and
after a settlement of all just claims, the Clergy
Reserve lands were secularized, and devoted to the
purposes of education, that all the young might
equally participate in the benefit. This vexed
question received its quietus, and was taken out of
the arena of politics in 1854, after the Union of
Upper and Lower Canada.

On October I7th, 1854, John A. Macdonald intro-
duced a bill to secularize the Clergy Reserves, pro-
viding that the proceeds of the sales of such reserves
be apportioned among the municipalities of cities and
counties, in proportion to population.

CHAPTER X.
THE OLD-TIME MEETIXG-HOUSE.

Movable Pulpit— Sunday School— Boys' Bible Class — ^i. S. Anniver-
sary—Tallow Candles— York Mills P. 0.— No Envelopes— Ex-
pensive Postage— Red Hymn-Book— Johnny Gainer— Church
Opening— Walpole Mission— Old Stage-Coach— Caledonia-
Riding on Horseback— A Welshman- A Norwegian— Alfred
Thurlow— Mr. Montgomery- Mr. Wren— .Mr. Kent — Rev.
Thomas Adams— Rev. Matthew Nichols— Rev. Wm. Towler—
Rev. John Towler— William Lawson— John Elliott— Reunion
of Ministers at Carlton Street Church— Rev. William JoUey—
Jo' ley's Pills— Bethel Society in Pickering— Sketch of Rev. W.
Jolley.

The first school-houses in rural sections were con-
structed of logs. A row of desks was built around
the wall and a bench was placed in front of it. The
stove was in the centre and three forms were set
around it leaving the front open. The union of two
sections caused a brick building to be erected in a
more central place in our neighborhood, and the old
school-house came to be used for the Primitive !Meth-
odist services. There was a movable pulpit, the floor
of which was raised about eight inches ; and a board
at the top held the Bible and candlesticks. When all
the forms were needed for the grown people, the little
folks were expected to sit on the tops of the desks.
133

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CAM ADA.

The Sunday School was held there. We recited
verses, received tickets and exchanged them for their
value in books. The boys in the Bible class were a
lively crowd, and generally selected a lesson among
the genealogies. The teacher was not a good reader
and had to struggle to meet the requirements of his
position, for no boy was guilty of pronouncing a
name until the teacher decided what it was to be.
There was a weekly battle with such names as
Jehoshophat, Artaxerxes and the three Hebrew chil-
dren. Issacher was I-sash-er, with a strong emphasis
on the sash, and every boy exerted himself to say it
exactly like the teacher. What quiet fun they got
out of it, calling each other Ah-ed-knee-go, or Ar-tax-
er-a,r-is all the week after. How human those boys
were as they stood the Bibles in a row on the desk
behind them and gave the end one a tip, while the
whole lot fell clap-clap-clap when the room was the
the quietest. As I remember them, they acted just
as boys do nowadays, and were not one whit better.

The anniversary occasions were great events ;
talked about all the year until the next one came.
Once we were not treated to a tea, but each child
received a glass tumbler full of candies with three
striped red and white sugar sticks standing straight
up in the centre. I have had many treats of different
kinds in all the years since then, but nothing ever
came so near my highest ideal of happiness as that
event. The Sunday School of those days was not
all that could be desired, but the Scriptures were
read and became familiar to us, and the singing was
134

THE OLD-TIME MEETINGHOUSE.

heart}'. How the children's throats would swell as
they poured their whole soul into the old chorus —
" 0 that will be joyful." The preaching service was in
the evening. Tallow candles were used for lighting.
I remember when father bought the six tin candle-
sticks that hung on the wall ; the backs being bright
and new reflected the light, and they were gorgeous
affairs. That was before I had seen fireworks, but I
can truly say that no pyrotechnical display ever gave
me more complete satisfaction. They cost ninepence
each and I wondered how father could be so lavish in
his expenditure, as I knew he would have to pay for
them himself ; but I considered it was an expense
that need never be repeated, as they would do for all
the coming years. Xewtonbrook, Willowdale and
Lansing were as yet unnamed. Thornhill was two
miles north of us, but our post oflSce was at York
Mills, three miles south, because on the way to
Toronto. At that time letters were written on fools-
cap with the last page blank ; they were folded and
fastened with sealing-wax, and then addressed on the
outside. I see by an old Magazine that five
letters sent from New York to England cost one and
three pence each. The trouble of writing to your
friends at that time was not so much considered as
the price of carrying.

One great event that stands out in my memory.
and gives me a glow of comfort even yet, was the
purchase of a hymn-book, bound in red leather,
owned by my younger sister and myself, and bought
with our Sunday School tickets. What a sacrifice
135

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

we made if we saw some one near us without a book,
and courtesy demanded that we give up ours. The
old-time meeting-house lias gone ; but the memory of
it is as fresh as if of yesterday. I see the solemn
expectant faces of the worshippers, who had come to
enter into the presence of the Unseen, and draw-
supplies of strength for the battles of the coming
week.

Some one may want to know if the old log school-
house is standing yet. It is gone, as well as those
who worshipped in it. The last time I was in it, it
was used for a dwelling-house. Johnny Gainer, a
Roman Catholic, had rented it for a home to house
his four little motherless children. The eldest, a girl
eight years old was his only housekeeper, and she
made a wonderful Httle mother considering her age
and experience. She could not, however, do the
family sewing in addition to being cook and house-
maid, and caring for her three younger brothers.
When her gown wore thin and tatters began to adorn
it, my mother sent me, a girl of fourteen years, to
measure Mainy Gainer up and down and round
about, to see if my every day home-made flannel
dress would cut into proportions that would fit the
little housekeeper. It was an important mission
on which I went, with tape measure, paper and
pencil. I wanted the length of the sleeve fore and
aft, the .skirt length, around the waist, the length
under the arm, and then, like any other dressmaker,
I filled my mouth with pins and tried on the waist
lining. It was a wiser thing to do than laying her
136

THE OLD-TIME MEETINGHOUSE.

on a newspaper and blocking her out witli a pencil ;
and with common-sense, a little labor, the old dress
and good linen thread to sew on the hooks and eyes,
the garment was completed. When I fastened it on
Mainy, we both considered it a great success. Her ,
eyes danced for joy, but when the father came home
and saw her so comfortable, he rushed down, bubbling
over with thanksgiving. " Oh ! Mrs. Agar, but it
was the kind thing ye did for my little Mainy.
Sure God put it in yer heart to cover the little
Mainy ; an' yer gums won't be cowld till yer in
heaven for what ye did for mj- poor little Main}'.
May the heavens be yer bed and glory be j-er pillow,
for it was the driss I didn't know where to get for
little Mainy. An' whin the cowld comes an' !\Iainy
is warm, it will comfort us all, Mrs. Agar ; an' I
don't know how to thank ye for the kind act ye did
for little Mainj', and may the Great God lave, as it
were, a bag of glory in yer little way, ye were so
good to my little Mainy," etc.

On December '23rd, 1854, a new chapel was opened
on Walpole mission, and the members requested one
of the ministers from Toronto for the opening. He
went by steamer to Hamilton, from thence by stage
through Caledonia to Jarvis, the remainder of the
journey was on horseback, and in December a very
disagreeable mode of travel. Caledonia, at that time,
bade fair to be a town of some importance. The
Great Western Railway, open between Niagara Falls
and London, passed through it : but, being so near
Hamilton, Caledonia lost while the city gained. The
137

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

new settlers were of all nationalities ; at one home
family worship was conducted in the Welsh language,
and though only a log shanty it was hallowed by this
daily act. It was two miles from this home of Mr.
Harris to the new chapel, and the road was through
the bush. The people came in sleighloads, and the
building was filled. It was situated on the plank
road, and its seating capacity was about two hundred.
The old-time plank road was very good and easy to
drive over when new, but who can describe it when
it began to wear out ; a series of ups and downs, little
better than the old corduroy roads built through
swamps. The ministers were entertained at the home
of a Norwegian settler ; at family worship the host
read a portion of Scripture from his Danish Bible,
but offered prayer in English. Another settler had a
Spanish father and a German mother. Mr. Alfred
Thurlow was the founder of Primitive Methodism in
that neighborhood, and presided at the missionary
meeting. Rev. Thomas Adams and others addressed
the audience. The speakers had a sleighride to the
church behind a yoke of oxen. Oxen were much used
at the stumping and logging bees in the neighborhood
their strengtli and steadiness made them preferable to
horses for that kind of work. The speakers rode four
miles farther to the home of Mr. Montgomery, who
had been nearlj- drowned the day before while cross-
ing the river on the ice. They next stopped at
the home of Mr. Wren, formerly of Whitb}',
Yorkshire, where they held a missionary meeting in
13S

THE OLD-TIME MEETING-HOUSE.

the school-house. Rev. Mr. Wooi], an Episcopal
Methodist minister, spoke also and gave some inter-
esting details of the introduction of Methodism into
Canada. He said two preachers came from New
York to Long Point on Lake Erie, and were twent}--
two daj-sin performing the journey, which now takes
two or three. The deputation, in company with Mr.
Adams, then proceeded to Williamsville, to the abode
of Mr. Kent, of the Independent denomination, for-
merly a resident of Sheffield. They were very hos-
pitable people, and valuable friends of the connexion.
They held a tea-meeting at four o'clock in the court
house, had a good attendance, and in the evening a
missionary meeting, at which Mr. Kent presided. The
missionary subscriptions reached £17. They next
visited Alfred Thurlow's home, two miles from
Williamsville on the shores of Lake Erie. Mr. Thur-
low came from near Danby, Whitby circuit, York-
shire. He had been a local preacher, and on settling
there five years previously, began preaching in his
own house, and from that beginning the Townships
of Walpole, Rainham, Oneida, Seneca and Canborough
were formed into a mission, on which were stationed
Rev. Thomas Adams and Rev. J. R. Stephenson, and
another was needed. There were at this time one
hundred and seventy members, two chapels, and a
parsonage had been built, besides the prospect of the
mission being self-sustaining in a short time. Rev.
Adams and a brother minister rode forty-five miles to
Hamilton in a snow-storm that beat in their faces the

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

whole way, but arrived in time to help Rev. Matthew
Nichols in the watclinight service, and had a refresh-
ing time.

What labors and hardships the first ministers had
to undergo ! The Rev. Wm. Towler and his brother,
Rev. John Towler, belonged to the vanguard. Rev.
Wm. Towler came from England in 1845 or 1S4G, as a
Superintendent of Missions, visiting the churches both
in Canada and the United States. He died very sud-
denly in New York in 1846. Mrs. Wm. Towler was
also a very attractive preacher, and was engaged for
church openings. In 1843 Rev. John Towler was sent
as a missionary from England. We insert a sketch of
his life, kindly favored by his son, Dr. Towler, of
Wingham :

" The Rev. John Towler was born in Yorkshire,
England, December 25th, 1813. He entered the
ministry of the Primitive Methodist Church in Eng-
land when about twenty-two years of age, and soon
became quite popular and successful as a preacher
and platform speaker, filling pastorates in Leeds,
Halifax and other places in the Old Land. In the
year 1843 the English Conference sent him as a mis-
sionary to Canada, where, after a long and stormy
passage across the Atlantic, he, with his wife and
accompanied by the late Thomas Adams, arrived in
May of that year. The old Bay Street Church,
Toronto, was the centre of his first missionary charge.
After some time spent in the city he was stationed in
Brampton, Etobicoke, Guelph and other places. As a
sample of pioneer missionary work in those early days
of hardship and toil, it may be mentioned that Guelph
station, so called, comprised an area of thirteen town-
140

THE OLD-TIME MEETINGHOUSE.

ships, requiring four weeks to make the circuit of the
entire field, and that mostly on horseback. Nine
years of such toil was too much for even a rugged
English constitution, and in 18.51 Mr. Towler was
forced, through broken health, to take a supernumer-
ary relation, and a year or two later he was superan-
nuated. After living for about nineteen years near
Hawksville, in the County of Waterloo, he removed
to Brantford, where he resided until November, 1886,
when he, with his wife and youngest daughter, again
removed, to make Wingham his home, in order to be
near his son, W. B. Towler, il.D., and his daughter,
Mrs. Robert Mclndoo. He was not spared, however,
to live long there, for on the eleventh of the following
March he did not survive a stroke of paralysis, and
passed awaj' in happiness and peace, one of his last
utterances being ' It is all peace within.'

" A funeral service was held in the Methodist
Church, when a sermon was preached to a crowded
house by the late Rev. Robert Boyle, D.D., who was
an old-time associate and fellow-laborer with him on
mission fields, and who was taken into the Primitive
Methodist Church as a probationer by Mr. Towler.
He died in his seventy-third year and was laid to rest
in the Wingham Cemetery. His widow, Ann Flesher
Bradley, who survived him for nearly six years, was
a niece of the late Rev. John Flesher, of England, a
prominent preacher, author, and compiler of the
Primitive Methodist Hymn Book, and her only
brother, William Flesher Bradley, was also for a short
time one of the early pioneer young preachers in
Canada. Mr. Towler's cabinet photograph may be
seen, along with those of other pioneers, in the Carl-
ton Street Methodist Church, Toronto, the old Bay
Street congregation referred to above."

Mr. John Elliott and Mr. Wm. Lawson were
141

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

among the first settlers in Brampton. The Elliotts
were a numerous family. Rev. Robert Boyle was the
family chaplain. He married three generations of
this family in one day, and the baptism of one of
the children cost one hundred dollars to bring the
infant and Mr. Boyle in touch with one another. Mr.
John Elliott was a wiiole-souled Christian, loyal and
steady going; a generous supporter, whose home was
ever open with hearty welcome to the minister.

Mr. Wm. Lawson moved to Brampton in 1834, pur-
chased a farm, and carried on a country store. In
1847 he removed to Hamilton, where, with his two
sons, he opened up a large clothing business. Here,
again, he was the chief agent in organizing a Primi-
tive Methodist Society. He was a man of piety and
ability. Few men could preach better, and for many
years he did as much on the Sabbath as a travelling
preacher. He was at every Conference, and for a
long period of time held some of the most responsible
positions. His family were very earnest church
workers, and most of them inherited the mother's gift
of song. The last Conference be attended was in
1873, and he took a conspicuous part in the business
and debates. One who was present said, " The power
and earnestness with which he spoke surprised even
his most intimate friends and greatly delighted them,
but his end was drawing near." On January 31st,
1875, he attended the sacramental service in the
Hamilton Church and offered the closing prayer. On
February 11th he was taken sick at the home of his
daughter in Hamilton, and on the 16th of the same

142

THE OLD-TIME MEETIKG-HUUSE.

month he departed to be with Christ, being in his
82nd year. His name will long live in the memory
of the Church, and of the hundreds to whom he was a
spiritual father and who were his crown of rejoicing.
He had weight in the Conference ; his advice was
always listened to. He had shrewdness, business
ability, an earnest desire to win souls, a spirit of self-
sacrifice, and was a constant supporter of all that
would advance the best interests of the connexion.
His sons were active oflBcials in the church. His son,
Joseph Lawson, lately collected and presented to
Carlton Street Church a large frame containing the
photos of all the ministers of the congregation (except
Rev. Wm. Jolley and Rev. Matthew Nichols), from its
beginning as Bay Street, afterwards Alice Street and
now Carlton Street congregation.

We clip the following from the Toronto Globe of
March 7th, 1902 :

Seventy Years a Church.
a reunion- or old ministers at carlton street methodist

CHVRCH.

The part that Carlton Street Methodist Church
has taken in the history of Jlethodism in
Ontario, for over half a century back, was happily
recalled to mind by a ceremony that took place in the
school of the church on Thursday night, when there
was unveiled a group picture containing the portraits
of some forty pastors and laymen who have been
actively connected with the church since its founda-
tion, seventy years ago.

These photographs were secured by Mr. Joseph Law-
son, who was one of the old Primitive Methodists in

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Toronto, and his daughter, Miss Lawson, and were
very handsomely framed.

Mr. Thomas Thompson, a member of the church for
over fifty years, presided, and in the audience were
many superannuated ministers, former pastors of
Carlton Street Methodist Church.

The group picture, which was covered with the
Union Jack, was unveiled by Mr. Joseph Lawson, and
three other pictures hanging above and on either side
of the group picture attracted no little attention.
One was the first church, built in 1833, an unpreten-
tious brick building, standing where is now the
National Club on Bay Street. The hens at that time
evidently found their living in the streets, judging
from the picture. The second engraving shows the
Primitive Methodist Church erected on Alice Street
in 1854, an improvement in size and architecture upon
the original structure, and the last is the present
edifice, erected in 1874.

The opening exercises were conducted by Rev. Dr.
Smith, the pastor, and addresses were made by Rev.
Dr. Cade, Rev. Joseph Markham, Rev. Wm. Herridge,
Rev. Henry S. Matthews, Rev. John Goodman, Rev.
Wm. Bee, Rev. W. J. Hunter and Rev. J. V. Smith.

A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Joseph Lawson
and Miss Lawson for their services in securing the
photographs. Songs were given by Rev. Mr. Turk
and Rev. Mr. Kirby.

Rev. Mr. Jolley was another of the very early
preachers, and was a superannuate before the first
Canadian Conference was held. He was a Yorkshire-
man, and was eleven years old when the last century
dawned. A druggist by profession, converted among
the Wesleyan Methodists and one of their local
preachers: at the age of thirty-four he joined the
144

CARLTON >TREf:T CHURCH, 1S74. ALICE STREET CHURCH, 1854.
LAV STREET CHURCH, 1S33.

r

THE OLD-TIME MEETING-HOUSE.

Primitive Methodists, and desiring a wider field of
usefulness, jjave up his business and became a travel-
Vmp; preacher. He was fourteen years in the ministry
in England and six in Canada. In 1838 he was in
Toronto, in 184.2 in Brampton, in 1842 and 1843 on
Brantford mission and on the Whitby and Pickering
mission, and in 1844 he superannuated. He was not
a large man, and his very prominent black eyebrows
seemed to overshadow his face. There was no super-
annuation fund then, and though Mr. Jolley had
married a lady in comfortable circumstances, he did
net care to eat the bread of idleness. He manufac-
tured medicines again, as in his younger days, and left
a quantity on sale every time he visited us. He
always received a cordial welcome, and was an
honored guest at our home. As a small child I was
puzzled to know how he made the little pills so round,
and those eyebrows fascinated me. Mother had the
utmost confidence in the pills, and recommended them
to her friends as harmless because a Primitive Metho-
dist preacher had made them. The pills were done up
in boxes at a York shilling, and larger boxes at one
shilling and three pence each.

I never think of Mr. Jolly but I think of a joke in
connection with those pills. My brother and I were
sent to the barn to get some peas for soup, and we
noticed a lot of grey ones that looked exactly like the
pills, for sugar coated pills had not yet arrived.
Jimmy suggested that I get a pill box and put some
in, which was soon done, and the other box moved
aside, so that the peas would be used. After mother
145

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

retired she called, " Janey, dear, bring me the pill box
and a drink of water." She opened the box, put one
far back on her tongue, took a drink and swallowed
it. It seemed a big fuss to be making over a grey
pea. Jimmy coughed in the next room, and the effort
was too much ; I burst out laughing, and my face
was so full of merriment it told the tale. " Go this
minute," said mother, " and bring me the pill box.
That was nothing but a grey pea." I owned up, and
she laughed at the joke, for she could enjoy one
as well as anybody.

When Mr. Jolley was on the Whitby and Pickering
mission he started the society at Bethel, on the present
Claremont circuit. On October 6th, 1843, he preached
in the log school-house on the north-west corner of
the ninth conce.ssion and Bethel sideroad. There was
only a small congregation, and the people were so
widely scattered it was difficult to get one. He
announced there would be revival services during the
week, that there would be good congregations and
souls saved. They were to be much in prayer and
give themselves to the work. At the conclusion of
the meeting he stood up and gave three unearthly
whoops, so suddenly, that people sprang from their
seats in startled surprise. The next day he mentioned
to a friend that there would be a good turn out, they
would come far and near to hear the crazy man preach.
His words were verified, and a very successful meeting
was held. Isaac Linton was one of the converts. His
wife was a member of the Wesloyan body before she
was married, but joined the infant society with her

THE OLD-TIME MEETING-HOUSE.

husband. Among the first members were Mr. and Mrs.
Richard Ward, Mr. and Mrs. John Collins, Mr. and
Mrs. Isaac Middleton, Robert Middleton and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard and others. The school house
not being very comfortable, they held the meetings in
Mr. Linton's farm kitchen. Isaac Middleton's name
was put on the plan as an exhorter. Robert Middle-
ton was local preacher and class-leader. In 1889,
when the Claremont Methodist church was erected,
Mrs. Linton, because of her seniority of membership,
was chosen to lay one of the corner stones. Besides
their subscription, she placed one hundred dollars on
the stone as her offering, and made forty pies for the
dinner in connection with the opening of the new
church, which we considered amusing at the time, for
she was quite an old lady and made them all herself.
Mr. Isaac Linton died in 1883 at the age of eighty-
eight. He was a quiet earnest Christian, and his
death was a loss to the Claremont church. Mrs.
Linton survives the members of that first class
formed at Bethel. Richard Ward and his family
were constant contributors to the cause of Methodism,
and faithful earnest Christian workers. Mrs. Ward,
senior, outlived her husband — she died in 189.5.
George Burgess, their son-in-law, and brother of
Thomas and Francis Burgess, who were both local
preachers, said he had helped to build seven churches.
As the society grew, Moses Linton, Thomas Leaper,
George Burgess, Thomas Saddler, Mrs. George Middle-
ton, Thomas Day, Thomas Appleby, David Bowes,
Mrs. Reid, Frank Bowes, Mrs. Tawn, Archie Pilkcy
10 147

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

and James Bell were among the standard bearers of
the cause. Mr. Jolley started influences that will
never die, and men and women who were converted
in the Bethel revival service have gone to be stars in
his crown of rejoicing. A lengthy obituary is printed
in the Conference minutes of 1871, written by the
Rev. John Garner, llr. Jolley was born at Kilton,
Yorkshire, in 1789, and died June 19th, 1870. Hun-
dreds were brought to God during his ministry. In
1838 he married the widow of Mr. Joseph Stone-
house, who now mourns his loss with his two sons
and a daughter by her first marriage. The union was
a suitable one, and the results were peace, comfort
and happiness in the domestic circle. The letters to
his son for some time before his death breathed an
increasingly devotional spirit, and he gave him much
instruction relating to the work of the ministry.
•After his superannuation he was no less faithful in
working for the salvation of souls. He had more
than ordinary njental power, a wiry constitution, and
uniform, consistent piety. His last illness was general
decay and breaking up of his constitution. His son.
Rev. W. C. Jolley, was five years in the Primitive
Methodist ministry when this event occurred. Mr.
Jolley, senior, could never be persuaded to have his
picture taken, or it would have been in this volume
with other pioneer ministers.

CHAPTER XL
FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854-

An Unworldly Man of the Olden Time— Rev. \Vm. Gledhill— His
Letter to Daddy Haton— " Whoa Fanny "—The Bunk— His
Indian Dress— Low Shoes and Knee Breeches— Returns to
England— Sir Francis Crossley— Little by Little the Acorn
Grew — Mr. Wm. Lawson Delegate to English Conference-
Canadian Conference Formed- Delegates to Conference of
1S54— Stations and Ministers- Book Room— Religious Paper-
Testing of Probationers— Prohibition— Rev. John Davison—
Conference Temperance Meeting— Missionary Meeting.

Among the names of the first Canadian Conference
I find that of Mr. Gledhill, a prince in the pulpit, a
man of .saintly character, who carried in his pure, con-
secrated soul the innocency of childhood. He was
never married, and did not know the meaning of the
sweet word home, with wife and children round him,
when he was wearied with mental and bodily toil.
He lived not according to the ways of this world.
Mr. Isaac Wilson said in his young daj-s Mr. Gledhill
was a study for the boys. A granddaughter of
" Daddy " Haton found one day in an old book a letter
Mr. Gledhill had written to her grandfather, the
class-leader at Victoria Square. It tells better than I
can the inner life of the man, and with Mrs. Hall's
permission I copy it foi- the reader. As we read it,

149

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

every paragraph breathes a hearenly atmosphere.
Whether the sentences are introspective, retrospective,
or prospective, he appears as scarcely an inhabitant of
this earth, but merely a sojourner on his way to the
better land, to which all his business here was tending,
in which all his thoughts were ending. His body here,
but his mind so continually living in and for the
other, that truly his citizenship was in heaven ; and
his highest ambition to take a goodly company along
with him to the celestial home his soul longed for.

Clarke, Oct. 'JSth, 1S33.
Dear Elder Brother and Sister Haton : —

Your unworthy brother, William Gledhill, through
Christ the world's Redeemer, this morning can experi-
mentally say unto Jehovah the Triune God, O my
God and my Father, I accept Thee with all humble
thankfulness ; am bold to take hold of Thee, 0 my
King and my God. I subject my soul and all its
powers to Thee, O my glory ; in Thee I will boast all
the day. O my Rock, on Thee I will build all my
confidence and my hopes. 0 Staff of my life and
Strength of my heart! The Life of my joys, and Joy
of my life ! I will sit and sing under Thy shadow ;
and glory in Thj^ holy name.

The divine life wants continual nourishment, as
well as the natural life, to replenish its languid
desires ; to revive its holy energies, and to awaken its
solicitude for sacred enjoyments. Dost thou ever
retire into thyself and spend any time in this needful
work ? Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thj? Father in secret, and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Continue to love the ordinances of divine grace. Let
the Word of God be the standing rule of your life ;
150

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

always be a blessing to the church militant. Through
the goodness of God I aiu yet on the gospel plains,
and by the grace of God I trust I ever shall be, while
this side the grave. I love Jesus because He first
loved me.

" Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His name ;
Preach Him to all, and cry in death,
Behold, behold the Lamb ! "

I am enjoying a good state of health, and have
done ever since I saw you last ; to God be all the
glory. Are you doing well in your Sabbath School ?
God bless the teachers, and all the friends, and the
children of your Sundaj' School. Amen and Amen !
My prayer is that your circuit may be in a prosperous
situation ; love your preachers and the brethren in
general. Give my kind love to them. We are likely
to do well in this circuit this year. I have a good
colleague. Brother Garner and. his wife and his little
son are all well, thank God. If we only take hold of
God by faith and prayer, we shall prevail. Push the
battle to the gate. Courage ! Hallelujah ! Success
is on the Lord's side. Bless God, my soul is on a
flame. While I hold my pen upon this paper I see
the angel flj'ing in the midst of Heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach. The whole earth shall
bow at the feet of Jesus. The Holy Ghost fill you
and your preachers unutterably full of glory and of
God.

My Dear Brother, Sister and Benefactors, I thank
you for the favors and mercies shown to me, less thru
the least of all saints ; I wish I could help you also to
an estate here, but a sure one awaits us all in Heaven.
Let us go with full assurance to the throne of grace,
and demand in Jesus' name the earnest of it. God
sanctify all trials and blessings to you. The former
.151

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

word is useless, because triulti i'roiii our Heavenly
Father are but blessings of another kind. Hold out
faith and patience and a praying life a little longer
and yours is the crown. Give my kindest respects to
your granddaughter. I mean Ann Walker, and tell
her I hope to meet her in Heaven. Give my love to
Mr. and Mrs. Lacey and their children. Tell Mr.
Lacey I received his letter, and that it met with a
hearty reception from me. Have the kindness to give
my kind love to his colleagues. We opened our new
chapel on the IGth inst. (51ory be to God ! While I
was preaching three souls cried for mercy on the last
Tuesday night.

I am j'our affectionate Brotlier in Christ Jesus.
William Gledhill,

Minister of the Gospel.

Mr. Gledhill lived on the hill-top of Christian experi-
ence. He was a peculiar looking man. A tall figure,
spare and bony ; if you saw him once you would
know him ever after, even if 3'ou forgot other faces.
A great many stories are told about him and his
manner of life. His pony was named Fanny. She
was his confidante, and never repeated what he told
her to relieve his mind. As he journeyed he talked
to her, and as he never u.sed a whip he had to coax
her, reason with her, and tell her the bad results sure
to follow if she did not move a little faster. " Now
do go on, you will have me late and that will not do."
He was known several times to tie her in a fence
corner and run for his appointment, coming back for
her after the service was over, and rebuking her for
the trouble she was giving him by her obstinate ways.
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FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

A man lueetincj liim on liorseback one day inquired
" Where are you p;oing, Mr. Glledhill ? " The respou.'^e
was, " I'm bound for heaven." He did not think it
wise to mention the first place he might stop at, so
curiosity was baulked, but he told the unvarnished
truth all the same. He never was known to betray
any confidence that was reposed in him. He married
Thomas Appleby to Ann Ward, near Balsam (Richard
Ward's daughter). The roads were in such a condition
that it was hard for the pony's feet to find a solid
bottom. He rode twenty miles that day on horseback
to perform the ceremony, and it was wearing on both
man and beast. When about two miles off his
destination, a neighbor in a field shouted, " Good-day,
Mr. Gledhill, I suppose j-ou are going to marry
Appleby and Ann"; the answer came," It's a nice day,
Mr. Johnson, but the roads are bad, bad, very, verj'
bad. It is hard on the beast, and I have been nearly
all day coming from my appointment last night ; ye.?,
the roads are bad, very, very bad. " By that time he
was past, and, relating the circumstance to Mrs.
Appleby after, he remarked, " I would have suffered
a tooth to be drawn before I would have told
anyone."

The Appleby's, like most of the early settlers, began
in humble circumstances. They had a bedstead in the
bedroom, and a bunk doubled up in the kitchen, which
formed a seat for the da^- time, but when let down at
night, a bed was made in it. It held the bedding
inside, and was a common piece of kitchen furniture
when space was limited. Mr. Gledhill spent a night

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

at Appleby's, and tlie morning after Mrs. Ward said
to him, " Why did you go to Appleby's, I'll warrant
they put you in the bunk ; now, didn't they ? "
A smile came over Mrs. Ward's face, as he said quite
innocently, " I caught my mare with a bit of salt this
morning." He was very ill about the year 1850, and
wasted away till his clothes hung loosely on his
shrunken frame. At a field meeting held at this time
at Bethel, Pickering branch, he was very anxious to
preach, but on account of his health, was only
permitted to do so on condition that he would spare
himself and be very quiet. That was liis intention,
but when he warmed up he forgot all about his
former resolution, and Mr. Lacey, an older minister,
whispered to him, " Thou's at it again, Billy." He
quieted for awhile, when suddenly he leaped straight
up and down several times shouting, " I've got the
devil under my feet ! " " I've got the devil under
my feet ! " " Glory 1 Glory 1 Glory ! " shouts Daddy
Pointon, in a voice that made everybody jump,
for Daddy Pointon at a field meeting was like
a box of gunpowder waiting for a match to go
oflT. Mr. Appleby, in describing the scene, laughed till
the tears came at the very remembrance of it. There
is no doubt but most of the Primitive Methodists
would be a little amused at sucli odd proceedings ;
but in those days there was no restraint, everybody
could respond how, when and where he pleased.

On one of Mr. Gledhill's charges he preached
occasionally to the Indians. They made him a chief's
suit, and when he preached to them, he wore the
154

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

dress which they liad presented to liiin. Sometimes
he wore his Indian dress at missionary meetings on
other stations, and crowds came to see it.

When he retired from the Christian ministry he
returned to England to spend the remainder of his
days with his sister, who was married to Sir Frances
Crossley. He said he must appear as a gentleman in
his sister's house, and got a suit with knee breeches,
low shoes and buckles, never thinking that the styles
had changed for old men since he had left, many
years before. He wore the new clothes at a missionary
meeting in Kingston, and the story goes that a
brother minister jokingly remarked to him, " Why,
Brother Gledhill, I'm surprised, I had no idea you
had such a shapely limb." The reply came in a low
tone, " Hush 1 I must be candid with you : I've on
seven pairs of stockings to make the calf look right."
This story, by moving about, has increased to thirteen
pairs ; it likely began with three. The stories that
are told of Mr. Gledhill would fill a book^ and his
name is never mentioned that you do not hear of
" Fanny." He knew nothing about a horse before he
came to Canada, and he always let it boss him. If it
rubbed up against the fence to miss the mud holes, it
did as it pleased ; and when it came in close contact
with the stakes and riders of the old snake rail fences,
Mr. Gledhill's voice would be heard remonstrating.
First he would advise in proper English, and then as
the danger increased he would lapse into broad
Yorkshire: "Come noo Fanny, thou'll ha'e me off!
Come noo 1 Come noo 1 " Off he would flop and go
1j5

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

sprawling, and as he (.;atliered himself up he would
chide Fanny and say, " Ah tellM thee thou'd lia'e nie
off; it's too bad Fanny."

In 1861 he left for England, and in 1863 and 1864
he was stationed in Driffield, Yorkshire. In 1867 he
was superannuated. His brother-in-law, Sir Francis
Crossley, was a Member of Parliament from 1859 to
1872, and represented the North-west Riding of
Yorkshire. Sir Francis lived at Bellvue, Halifax,
Yorkshire, and had a summer residence called Sonier-
leyton Hall,Lowestoft,SuiTolk. I donot know the date
of the Rev. Wm. Gledhill's death, but feel sure he has
passed through the pearly gates, and now walks the
golden streets.

In the year 1829 the first Primitive Methodist
society was formed ; in 1S30 the first minister sent
from England. In 1842 there were four prosperous
circuits, viz : Toronto, Brampton, Etobicoke and
Markham, whose connexional business was transacted
by their^everal quarter-day boards. At the English
Conference, held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1842,
these four circuits were set off into a separate district,
and from that time held annual District Meetings.

In 1853 the work was so greatly enlarged that it
was divided into two districts. There were now
fifteen stations, twenty-three preachers, and two
thou.sand two hundred and thirtj'-six members, and
the two districts of Toronto and Hamilton reported
annually to the English Conference, of which they
formed a part. A steady increase continued until
1860, when the number of principal stations was
156

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

thirty-two ; missions and missionaries, fort}' ; and
ineiabei-s, four thousand two hundred ami sevent}'-
four.

It had been found very inconvenient to manage
the business of the connexion as an outlying depend-
ency of the English Conference, and a greater measure
of home rule was desired. In Ibb'S the Canadian
authorities requested Mr. Wm. Lawson to attend the
English Conference, held that year in the ancient city
of York, and lay the matter before it. He complied,
and was successful in obtaining the consent required.

Mr. Lawson, with his usual generosity-, gave the
money allowed for his expenses to a benevolent
object. When the first Conference met the following
year he was appointed its Secretary, and also Secre-
tary of the Connexional General Committee, which
office he filled until 1858.

The Canadian Conference could now station its
own ministers, and conduct its own missionary opera-
tions. It appointed one minister and one layman as
representatives to tlie English Conference, either
from brethren in Canada or England, as was found
most convenient. A grant of money was annually
given by the English Conference to the Canadian
Conference, to tlistribute as they might deem best.

Primitive Methodism in Canada had now arrived
at manhood — had attained its majority, and hence-
forth was to do business on its own account ; nor had
it any need to be ashamed of its vigor and proportions.

The First Canadian Primitive Methodist Conference
was held at Brampton, County of Peel, commencing
157

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

on April 27th, and closing May 1st, 1854. The Con-
ference roll of members was as follows :

Rev. John Davison — General Committee Delegate .
Robert Walker — General Treasurer.
Wm. Lawson — Corresponding Secretary.

Delegates from the Following Districts —

Toronto. — Rev. John Lacey, Rev. Wm. Lyle, Rev.
Matthew Nichol, Charles D. 3Iaginn, Wm. Nason,
George Brunt, John Elliott, Thomas Burgess, John
Sherwood.

Hamilton. — Rev. Thos. Adams, Rev. Robert Boyle,
Rev. Robert Parsons, Alfred Thurlow, Lancelot
Walker, Wm. Gilchrist, Walter P. Lacey, Robert C.
Smith, John Masters.

At this Conference Revs. Robert Parsons, Joseph
Simpson, Thomas Lawson and William Lomas were
ordained.

The stations and their respective ministers were as
follows :

Toronto District.

Toronto — E. Barrass, J. Nattrass.
Scarborough Branch — S. Driffield.
Etobicoke—J. Garner, W. Gledhill, W. Jolley, Sup.
Markham — J. Lacey, R. Cade.
Laskey Branch — T. Foster.
Darlington — J. Edgar, R. Paul.
Albion — J. Simpson, J. Markham.
Reach and Scott Missions — W. Lyle, J. G. Mont-
gomery, D. Gustolow.

158

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

Kingston and Portland Missions — M. Nichols, J.
Clarke, J. Milner, J. Houldershaw.

Hamilton District.

Brampton — W. Newton, W. J. Dean.

Hamilton — R. Boyle.

Walpole and Grand River — T. Adams, J. R.
Stephenson.

Blenheim — R. Poulter.

Gait and Guelph Missions — J. Davison, T. Dudley.

GrangeviUe and. Brant Missions — W. Lomas, R.
Stephenson, R. Condle.

Peel and Wellesley Missions — J. Ryder, T. Fox,
J. Towler, Sup.

Woodstock Mission — R. Parsons.

London Mission — W. Stephenson.

Paris and Brantford Missions — T. Lawson.

At this Conference a committee was named to
digest and mature a plan for establishing a connex-
ional Book Room ; another committee to issue a pros-
pectus for a religious weekly journal, and a third
committee to draw up a deed-poll for the security of
church property. Resolutions were passed giving the
opinion of the Conference that the Clergy Reserves
ought at once to be secularized, and the proceeds go
into the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the Province
for general purposes. Another resolution instructed
that a petition be forwarded to the Legislative
Assembly praying them to enact a Prohibitory Liquor
Law at their next session of Parliament.

Rev. John Lacey was made President of the first
159

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Conference, and Wm. Lawson Secretary. The connes-
ional increase for the 3'ear was eight hundred and
sixty-seven ; the loss by deaths and removals five
hundred and twenty-two, leaving a net increase of
three hundred and forty-five members. Three minis-
ters were received from England during the year :
W. J. Dean, J. R. Stephen.son and Robert Stephenson,
and a request was forwarded to the English Confer-
erence to send out five more. From the Pastoral
Address by the President we quote a few sentences :

" Hold up the hands of your preachers by constant
attention to the means of grace with your households.
Never be absent unless necessity compels. Pray
earnestly for the preacher that God may bless his own
word in the conversion of sinners. Hear with candor
and in faith. Be cautious in expressing your opinion
of preachers in your family or among the unconverted.
Remember the prayer-meetings, and especially the
class-meetings, which form the strength and sinews
of our churches."

After this came special advice to class-leaders to be
zealous, lively, pointed and short in all their public
exercises ; and interested in all that concerned their
little band, especially the absent or those who were
declining in piety. Upon all the membership was
urged the importance of family prayer and reading
the Scriptures in their own household.

There was considerable vitality in this first Con-
ference, and a manifest willingness on the part of its
members to do their best in uprooting the evils that
were entrenching themselves in this young country.

Young men were needed for the work, and the

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

Conference had the power to call them out, but not
every one who might apply could be received into the
ministry. A young man must be ready to lead in
prayer-meeting in his own society ; his life must be
blameless; he must support the cause with his means;
and thus he would be placed on the plan as a prayer-
leader. If his gifts and graces developed, he would
soon be raised to an exhorter, and would be given one
or two appointments with some other local preacher
who was glad of an assistant, or was in sympathy
with him. He would do what he was able, but the
service would not wholly depend upon him, and hav-
ing good backing it prevented nervousness. The
next grade would be that of local preacher. If he
desired to enter the ministry, his name must have
been on the plan as an acceptable local preacher for
six months, he must be recommended by his Quarterly
Meeting as a man of piety, good natural ability, etc-
The District Meeting next considered the m.itter, and
if it approved, his name was passed on to Conference
to be received on trial, which lasted four years. It
also meant four yearly examinations, and a journal
which accounted for every day's work during certain
seasons of the year. Every year there came from the
various District Meetings young men recommended
by their Quarterly Boards to seek admission to the
ministry in the travelling connection. These young
men wire placed under superintendents, or put in
charge of small stations, circuits or missions. The
sphere was limited. They perhaps had no library,
no commentary; all they had was in some instances
101

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

their Bible and an odd book they might borrow
They brought their own common-sense, and thei
leaned with all their powers on the promise of thi
Holy Spirit for help. Wesley's sermons were a boon
such clear, practical expositions of the Word of God
There was nothing to please the ease loving. Tht
conditions were severe, with not very much to cheer
inspire, or reconcile them to their work. They were
tested to prove whether they were ready not Only tc
toil but to suffer for the gospel ; the only joy they
could have was in success. Their prosperity was well
earned, and in this way they learned to endure hard-
ness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. These were the
old-time Methodist preachers, and they were either
developed into grand veterans of the cross or became
disgusted with the conditions and left ; in either case
the denomination was benefited by the result.

The Conference of IS.Si approved of and recom-
mended for use the new Hymn Book compiled by Rev.
J. Flesher. The District Meeting was to be composed
of one travelling preacher and two lay delegates from
each circuit, and one travelling preacher and one lay
delegate from each mission, to be chosen at the official
meeting preceding the District Meeting. The various
District Meetings were to elect from among themselves
four travelling preachers and eight lay delegates to
attend the Annual Conference. The religious services
of the Conference began with a temperance meeting
in the Wesleyan Church. The missionary meeting
was held on Friday evening ; the Sacrament was ad-
ministered to all the ministers and delegates on

FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1854.

Saturday morning, and the Conference supplied the
pulpits of the churches in and around Brampton on
the Sabbath.

Rev. John Davison reported to the Magazine that
the Conference had produced a wide and favorable
impression on the public mind for good ; established a
stronger union among the ministers and ofBcial breth-
ren ; and given a more vigorous impetus to the
mission work. He also emphasized the great need of
more zealous, ijualified men for the Canadian mission
field.

CHAPTER XII.

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

The Old Style of Other Days— Bay Street Sunday School-Jonathan
Milner, Missionary to Portland — Letter from Matthew
Nichols— Peggy Kingston— Campsall's— Biography of Matthew
Nichols— Obituary of Matthew Nichols— Ceremony of Laying
Corner-Stone of Alice Street Church— More Missionaries
Arrive — Come by Philadelphia— Rev. Thomas Crompton —
Rev. Wm. Rowe— Camp-Meeting at Cook's Mills— Jasper
Gilkinson— M. S. Gray— Conference of 1855.

Minister's in the early day hardly ever had the
title " Reverend " prefixed to their names, it was
simply Wm. Lyle, Wm. Summersides, Wm. Jolly,
John Garner. In the Conference Minutes the names
of ministers and laymen were all in the same sized
type ; so that if you did not know the ministers'
names, you could not tell which were laymen. There
were two laymen for every minister sent to Con-
ference, so that the votes of the laymen would balance
the extra eloquence or influence of the ministers-
Tiic minister's were not to " lord it over God's
itcritage," but were only elder brother's in the Church.
A layman might be appointed President of the
Conference, or of any church court. If a minister
occupied the chair, he was obliged to put to the
164

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

meeting any motion properly made and seconded.
A minister in almost every instance occupied the
chair, but he was there by virtue of his appointment
tliereto, and not by right of his office. The same
simplicity extended through the ranks of the member-
ship, and Christian names were used among old
friends, instead of the more formal " Mr." and " Mrs."
Wiien " Daddy " Lyle came to visit us he always
came to see James and Margai-et, and so he addressed
them. He had married them, and was a very
welcome guest in our home. Having mentioned
these little peculiarities of Primitive Methodism, we
will once more note the progress of the connexion.

The Bay Street Juvenile Missionary Society ap-
pointed Mr. J. Milner, one of the Sabbath School
workers in Toronto, as its missionary. ^latthew
Nichols made his first visit to Portland Mission, just
before he died, and wrote an account of it to a friend
in Toronto. Portland Township was twenty miles
north of Kingston. Mr. Nichol's first visit was to
the home of Mr. Campsall, a native of Lincolnshire
He was a Primitive Methodist local preacher in
England, and was glad to unite again with the
church since they were witliin reach. Mr. Campsall
and Mr. Nichols went fifteen miles in a buggy to
Ernest Townsiiip to visit a local preacher, a Mr.
McLean, who had expressed a desire for the Primitive
Methodists to visit his neighbourhood. Mr. McLean
was an intelligent and excellent man, of great in-
fluence in that section of country. There was every
prospect of a good society being formed there, and on
165

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

returning to Campsall's they found Bro. J. Milner
had opened his cimimission to a large congregation.
On July 12th, 1854, Messrs. Nichols, Milner and
Campsall, started on foot to mission other parts, and
form appointments. They first went to Chambers'
]\Iills. Mr. Chambers came from near Nottingham,
England. His father was a Primitive Methodist, and
the early preachers had held services in his barn in
England. An appointment was made for preaching
in the school-house at Chambers' Mills. They next
went to Wolf-swamp School-house, and after preach-
ing to a large and attentive congregation, returned
home to Mr. Campsall's rather tired and jaded.

The next day the same three men took a more
northerly route to a wilder part of the township,
Mr. Campsall acting as guide. They went on foot,
and after travelling for miles, oppressed with heat,
bitten by musquitos, sore of foot, and very thirsty,
they came to the log shanty of Peggy Kingston.
There was no chair nor anything else worth much,
but Peggy kindly brought them a pail of water, and
appeared to feel highly honored that she had the
opportunity of waiting upon them. It was as a home
a picture of poverty, and yet it appeared to be the
abode of happiness. They next reached the house of
Mr. Jonas Tinder a mile further on where there was
very little preaching, and arranged for services in
the future. After gi\'ing instructions to Mr. Milner,
Mr. Nichol's returned to Mr. Campsall's, and from
there to Sydenham on Saturday, to be ready for the
services on the Sabbath. During the week he had
166

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

travelled about eighty miles, aud thirty of them ou
foot. He wrote, " Tell the boys there are eight
preaching places on the mission ; that we intend
working with all our might, so that they may have
a prosperous mission. Tell them, and the friends iu
Toronto to pray for us." Mathew Xichols wrote the
letter from which this is taken on August 4th, and
on the 17th he died of cholera.

We find the biography of Matthew Nichols in the
Magazine of June, 1855, from the pen of Rev. James
Edgar: "He was born on January 13th, 1821, at
Bodlam, Norfolk, England. His parents, Robert and
Elizabeth Nichols, with their children, emigrated to
America in 1837, and settled in Brampton, Chinga-
cousy, Canada West. In 1838 the subject of this
sketch was apprenticed to Mr. William Marshall, a
long tried friend of Primitive Methodism ; and during
his apprenticeship, obtained religion at a prayer-
meeting held in the house of Mr. John Elliott, senior.
His conversion was so striking and satisfactory that
he was not troubled with doubts respecting its
validity. The result of his conversion was obvious
to all ; the lion was changed into the lamb, and the
vulture into the dove. His name soon appeared on
the plan as an exhorter, and according to the usage
of the church it passed upwards to a place among
the local preachers. While a local preacher his zeal
and success were so pronounced that the church
urged him to enter the ministry. He acceded, be-
lieving it to be his duty to devote himself wholly to
the preaching of the gospel. The Toronto circuit
167

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

was the scene of his first exertions in the ministry,
and the year 1841 the commencement of his itinerant
career, an era in his existence to be remembereil
with the liigliest and hoHest gratitude through
eternity.

" The broad seal of God's approbation was stamped
upon his labors in Toronto. The barrenness of the
desert prevailed in many parts of the circuit ; but the
youthful evangelist succeeded in breaking up those
unfruitful parts with the ploughshare of truth ; and
after watering them with tears and enriching them
with the agonizing prayers of faith, he saw them
blooming with the fertility of the ' garden of God.'
Of the fruits thus secured, many remain until this
day, while others have been gathered into the garner
of God. Markham next shared his labors, and the
gospel, which in Toronto was successful to the ' pulling
down of the strongholds,' was here still more so. The
circuit was large, the appointments far apart, the
roads extremely bad, homes few, and many of them
cheerless, the discouragements numerous and formid-
able, ' but none of these things moved him,' and the
results of his labors were very encouraging. He was
recalled to Toronto, and after completing his second
term was re-appointed to Markham, where he labored
with success and with benefit to his own soul. He
was next stationed on the Brantford mission, after
which Mr. Nichols was sent to open the Guelph mis-
sion, where the writer's acquaintance with him com-
menced. On this mission he was an entire stranger,
168

r

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

and had to practice self-denial, suffer privations,
endure fatigue, and perform labors sufficient to wreck
a Herculanean constitution. There was not a member
on the mission when he went, and not a home where
he could go excepting that of the Messrs. Tyson. The
anxiety he underwent was incredible, and more than
once was he strongly tempted to abandon his post of
toil and care ; but he happily overcame the tempta-
tion and continued his work. He completed his pro-
bation on this circuit and formed a matrimonial
alliance with Miss Eliza Irwin, who cheered him on
during the toils of life, and now feels the incalculable
loss she has sustained by his death. Etobicoke circuit
enjoyed the benefits of his labors after he removed
from Ouelph, and here, as in other places, his powers
were tried to their utmost tension, and with signal
success. The church put on the vestments of zeal, the
armor of God ; the powers of darkness were routed :
many souls were turned from the power of Satan unto
God. Markham again enjoyed his ministrations, and
during his stay received an impetus which will tell on
the well-being of many souls through the limitless
ages of eternity. The church was moved to her
centre, raised to action, led forward against the batta-
lions of hell, and achieved glorious victories. Revivals
became general in the circuit, and exerted their genial
elevating influences on masses of minds, lifting the
fallen from moral degradation, restoring the prodigal
to the arms of parental affection, reforming the
vicious, demonstrating the glory of Protestantism, the
169

OLD-TIMK PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

adaptation of the gospel to the wauts of men, and the
willingness and ability of Christ 'to save to the
uttermost.'

" The District Meeting of 1852 stationed Mr. Nichols
for Toronto, and the appointment was evidently
approved by God. During the two years of his con-
tinuance, prosperity prevailed in every department of
the work. The Scarborough part of the circuit was
made into a branch, and has since become a circuit,
with surplus funds to support a second preacher. A
beautiful brick chapel was also commenced in Toronto,
which will be completed during the ensuing summer.
Love united minister and people in a holy fraternity,
and his removal from Toronto was generally regretted.

" The conference of 1854 stationed Mr. Nichols for
Kingston, to which he in due time repaired. He
entered upon his work there with his usual fixedness
of purpose, and he had formed his plans for a pro-
tracted assault on the empire of darkness during the
fall and winter ; but God had other work for him to
do, and called him to it. His last Sabbath on earth,
August 13th, was spent in the house of God at Kings-
ton, preaching and administering the sacrament. The
services were remarkable ; a heavenly influence per-
vaded the sanctuary, and both minister and people
enjoyed an earnest of celestial blessedness. He led
the pra3'er- meeting on the Monday evening, and a
class-meeting on Tuesday, was taken with the cholera
on Wednesday, and died on Thursday, August I7th,
1854. He did not speak much during the attack, in
consequence of the sufferings occasioned by the disease.

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

Dying testimony was not essential from Mr. Nichols ;
like Whitfield, he had given abundant evidence of it
during life.

" He was a laborious minister, an exemplary Christ-
ian, a genuine friend, an affectionate husband, a tender
parent, a judicious counsellor, and a man of integrit}'
and purity. He has left a widow and three orphans,
the youngest born seven days after his death. May
the blessings of the God of Israel ever rest upon
them."

" They have laid him slowly, softly,
DowQ to sleep ;
Where the dreamless, wakeless, slumber

Still and deep ;

O'er his eyes the lids are folded

Closely now ;

And the dark hair faUing damply

O'er his brow.

May we meet him in that far off

World of light ;

In the Eden land afar,

Where the pure and sinless are."

James Edgar.

It is questionable if the death of any other minister
or layman could have caused such universal grief
where he was known. People's affections were twined
around Matthew Nichols, for his great loving heart
went out to them, and his most earnest desire was the
salvation of men. He lived just long enough to set an
example of how much a thoroughly consecrated man
could do, and died at the zenith of his usefulness,
having done as much in a few short years as many

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

another faitliful minister has done in a whole lifetime.
He lives now, where time is not measured Ijy years,
in never ending bliss.

His obituary in the Conference Minutes states : —
" He had attained a spirituality of mind, a nearness
to God, a deeper insight into the human heart, a
clearer conception of the simplicity of faith and
efficacy of the atonement which in a very peculiar
manner prepared him for the ennobling work of
saving souls. But alas ! while the whole hemisphere
of his future was bright, the fatal shaft descended
and smote him. His family and the church have
sustained an irreparable loss. He had travelled
nearly twelve years in Canada with marked success
in every station."

The circumstances of his death were exceedingly
sad. His wife was ill at home, so ill that it was
deemed best not to mention the fact. His body was
interred at once, and his wife began to wonder why
he did not return or write. He had been in his grave
some days before she knew that she should see his
face no more, until she joined him in the better land.
He was the spiritual father of so many earnest
Christian workei-s, and his death was mourned by
every circuit where he had labored, as if one had
gone from their own fireside. He was of such a
winsome, loving disposition, that he made his friends
life friends. Revivals began on nearly every circuit
where he travelled, for he was a " Prince with God "
and prevailed. His name was a household word,
and ever spoken with tenderness. Mrs. Nichols

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

biouylit up the tliree little girls so early orphaned.
One married Mr. Carter, of Hamilton, another married
Rev. Coverdale Watson, who died in British Columbia,
and the remaining daughter is the wife of Rev. R. J.
Stillwell. Rev. Matthew Nichols and Rev. Isaac
Tovell, D.D., are first cousins, their fathers having
married sisters.

In the same Conference Minutes there is the obitu-
ary of Rev. J. R. Stephenson, who had been sent out
by the English Conference, and was stationed on
Walpole Mission. He labored only three months
when all his earthly engagements were brought to a
premature and affecting termination. While bathing
in Lake Erie on the morning of August 4th, 1854, he
accidentally fell over the edge of a submerged rock,
and was drowned. He died in the twenty-fifth year
of his age and the third of his ministry. His father
was one of the officials on Reach circuit.

The ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the
Alice Street Chapel in Toronto — the new brick church
which Matthew Nichols had so earnestly advocated —
was celebrated on October 4th, 1854. Hon. J. H.
Price laid the corner-stone, and Rev. E. Barrass
delivered an address on the origin of the Connexion,
its doctrines and discipline, after which a collection
amounting to fifty dollars was taken up. The same
evening there was a public tea in the Temperance
Hall, two hundred and fifty partaking of it. The
price of admission was Is. lOhd. Hon. J. H. Price
occupied the chair, and among the speakers were
Rev. J. Richardson, Presiding Elder, Methodist Episco-
173

OLD-TIMK PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

pal Church ; Rev. A. Lilhe, D.D., Prof. Theology in
Congregational Academy, Upper Canada ; Rev. R.
Burns, D.D., Knox Free Church; Rev. T. Goldsmith,
Methodist New Connexion; Rev. J. Nattrass and Rev.
E. Barrass. Mr. Baxter presided at the organ. The
proceeds were £32. The amount raised previously
for building the new church was seventeen hundred
pounds.

The Rev. Thomas Crompton and family, with the
Rev. Wm. Rowe and family, departed from Liver-
pool for the Canadian mission field, on the steam
packet America, and touched at Halifax, but did not
disembark until they reached Boston, on Friday the
18th of August, 1854. Rev. Wm. Stephenson met
them on board, and they started by rail for Canada.
They remained overnight at Springfield, Mass.,
ninety-eight miles from Boston, and the following
morning boarded the train at 6 a.m., .and rode five
hundred miles to Hamilton. The ministerial ranks
had been thinned, not only by the two deaths already
recorded, but Rev. R. Boyle was ill and another young
minister had resigned. The Rev. Wm. Rowe was
appointed to take Mr. Boyle's work in Hamilton, and
. the Rev. Thomas Crompton was to fill the vacancy in
Kingston. Cholera was very prevalent. Eight hun-
dred had died from it in Hamilton, and a great
number in Toronto and Kingston. The heat and
drought had been intense.

On August 23rd, Mr. Crompton went by boat to
Toronto, and remaining over night attended a juven-
ile missionary meeting held in Bay Street church.

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

On the following day he took the steamer again for
Kingston. Mr. Crompton describes Lakes Erie and
Ontario, the lesser two of the Great Lakes, as larger
than all England, and yet only as small ponds in this
gi-eat land. He speaks of Kingston being an old city
and once the seat of government for Upper Canada.

The Conference of 1855 was held in Toronto, and
Revs. John Nattress, James Clarke, Richard Paul,
Wm. Newton, Thomas Dudley and Wm. Stephenson
were ordained. A children's fund was established,
based on a tax of ten per cent, on the ordinary
income of the station. At this time a minister on a
country station received a salary of three hundred
and twenty dollars per year, an allowance for horse
keep and a parsonage, and each child under sixteen
was paid thirty-two dollars per annum out of the
children's fund.

A connexional camp-meeting was to be held at
Cook's Mills (Carrville), Vaughan, on June 15th and
consecutive days. The deputation to attend were the
President and Secretary of Conference, Revs. Wm.
Lyle, J. Garner, Wm. Gledhill, R. Boyle, J. Edgar,
R. Poulter, W. Rowe, J. Xattrass, J. Houldershaw and
I\Ir. Wm. Lawson, with the ministers on Markham
circuit. Those desiring tents were to communicate
with Thos. Cook, Esq., Rupert's P.O. (Maple), early in
June. The thanks of the Conference was given to
Mr. Jasper Gilkinson for a gift of land in the city of
Hamilton ; and to Mr. M. S. Graj', for an acre of land
in Brant mission for connexional purposes.

CHAPTER XIII.
THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

Etobicoke Circuit — Squires' Xeigliborhood— Rev. Joseph .Simpson
—Mr. Garbutt— Old-Time Revivals— " Born Again "—Rev.
Thomas Crompton— Rev. Jonathan Milner— Old-Time Workers
— Kingston, Portland, Bath Road Missions — Wingham —
Markham, Brampton, Etobicoke and Scarborough Missionary
Meetings — Some Scarborough Officials — John Sherwood —
Charles D. Maginn — Duncan Fitzpatrick — George Pearson —
Henry Scrace — Parsonage Appointment — John Smith — Old
Willie Fitzpatrick— Lost in the Bush— The Hymn on the
Preachers' Plan — Cradle song — Brampton Town — Streetsville —
Dixon— Bay Street Ladies" Aid— Henry M. V. Foster — Wm.
Nason — Mrs. Nason — Mrs. Foster — Three more Missionaries
— Revs. Wood, Swift, Nattrass.

The District Meeting of 1853, appointed two
preachers to the Albion branch of Etobicoke circuit.
This enabled them to spread their work, and among
the new places visited was Si juires' neighborhood — a
place where many Roman Catholics were settled.
The Rev. Joseph Simpson was one of the ministers,
and he described a field-meeting held there with an
attendance of six hundred people. Mr. Garbutt a
local preacher, formerly of Scarborough, England,
was one of the speakers. Mr. Squires gave them
half an acre of land for a cliurch and burial-ground.
176

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

The new church, a frame building, was opened on
November 26th, 1854. Sermon.? were preached
morning and evening by Mrs. Isaac Wilson, a much
esteemed local preacher, and in the afternoon by
Rev. Joseph Simpson. A neat house was purchased
in the village of Bolton for a parsonage. Several
souls had been converted at field meetings, and the
station was prosperous.

One writer, at this time, speaks in eulogistic terms
of Canada, the land of his adoption. He said it was
making astonishing progress in all kinds of material
and social improvement, and was rapidly rising in
wealth, agricultural products, commerce, intelligence
and population. A great many emigrants from all
parts of the world were coming to settle in the
country.

In July, 1854, Scarborough branch had been made
into a circuit and was doing well. They had erected
a neat parsonage at Wexford, and a beautiful brick
chapel. Two places had been added to Etobicoke
circuit; they had held their missionary meetings at
four appointments, and the income was £15 more
than the previous year.

In 1855 the Rev. Thos. Crompton described six
protracted meetings held on the Kingston and Port-
land missions ; scores had been converted mainly
in places where no religious societies had pre-
viously been formed. The first meetings were
at Leatherland's, eight miles from Kingston. Rev.
J. Clarke was the junior minister. Men and
women crowded to the penitent form. Mr. Cromp-
177

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

ton had never seen such mourning and weeping
on account of sin, and when they found peace the
old log school-house rang with the joyous shouts of
new-born souls. Two families, Mr. Leatherland's and
Mr. Gordon's, who had for months been very kind to
them, each, had three members converted at the
services.

The second series of meetings was in Ashley's
school-house, about twenty miles from Kingston, in
Portland Township. Drunkenness, swearing and
their associate evils had long prevailed in that local-
ity. There had been no preaching there for nine
years previously. In three weeks thirty persons were
brought to Christ and united in church fellowship.
In the third series of meetings at Russel's school-
house, fourteen miles from Kingston, they were in-
formed that the people in that neighborhood did not
care much for Methodist meetings, and there seemed
no prospect of doing much good. Nevertheless, a
gracious influence attended the services. The house
was filled, and the man and his wife who did not like
Methodist meetings were among the first converted.
The meetings continued for five weeks, and the holy
fire burned brightly all the time. More than forty
additions to the church was the result of this effort.

At the missionary meeting held in Kingston £22
was realized, and when all were held they would
reach £60. The mission was only four years old,
and it had three hundred members. We have men-
tioned only three of the six protracted efforts. Rev.
Jonathan Milner conducted some of them, almost
ITS

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

without help, and with signal success. There was
hard toil and no membership to assist, but sheer
determination with strong faith in God brought the
inevitable results.

One of our superannuated ministers told me there
were many names he remembered with great pleasure
on the Kingston and Bath Road missions. There
were the Dougans, Blyths, Days, E. Graham ; also
John Graham and his worthy wife, and the Gordons,
Leatherlands and Purdys. On the Napanee work,
which was always weak, there were Messrs. R. Jones,
Hogg, Williamson, Paul, Ham, and Mr. and Mrs.
Chambers and family. On Wingham circuit among
the Christian workers were Fretwells, Jewitts, Well-
■woods, Olivers, Joynts, Taylors, Ferriers, Scotts, and
in later years Thomas Appleby, a liberal contributor,
a local preacher and faithful worker, who moved from
Claremont, and who now resides in Wroxeter. In the
early days of toil and anxiet}-, in the hard times that
followed the Crimean war, it was gooii to find these
brethren and sisters, with hope and courage, willing
to help lift the burden and cheer them with their
unflinching determination to stand by the young
cause,

In 1855, M;irkham circuit embraced more or less of
six or seven townships ; it had a few excellent chapels
and some good societies. It had three travelling
preachers. At four missionary meetings the circuit
raised sixty pounds, but expected to reach one hun-
hundred pounds when all the meetings were held. On
Etobicoke circuit one hundred pounds was contributed

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CAM ADA.

by 'four of the principal places. On Scarborough
circuit a chapel tea-meeting was held at Barron's
church (Bethesda) ; crowds came from Toronto and
elsewhere. They had built a brick church and driv-
ing shed, and they were out of debt. The missionary
meetings on the circuit were enthusiastic, and the
Scarborough circuit was prosperous. During the
j'ear 1854, fifty-four thousand emigrants had landed
in Canada, and the probability was many would
.settle where there were no religious ordinances. The
obligations of the Christian were pressed home at
every missionary meeting, that these new settlers
might not be without the gospel.

Among the local preachers who came to our home
was John Sherwood, son of Christopher Sherwood,
who was also a local preacher ; and both men were
officials at Zion chapel on the Scarborough circuit.
John was a man of good height, with dark eyes and
a clean shaven face, surrounded by a short black
beard. He was a bachelor all his life, a man of quiet
demeanor and sterling piety. His sermons, though a
little slow in delivery, were earnest and evangelical.
He was always faithful to his appointments, gener-
ally coming on horseback.

Duncan Fitzpatrick and his cousin William Maginn,
frequently came together ; sometimes one preached
and sometimes the other. Duncan was over six feet
and William Maginn was under-sized. We children
enjoyed seeing them together on account of the con-
trast. I was not .so well acquainted with Mr. Maginn,
but his father, Charles D. Maginn, was one of the

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

pillars of the connexion. He and his wife were very
hospitable ; you were received with open arms and
given a whole-souled Irish welcome. Charles D.
Maginn was nearly always a member of the General
Committee, attended Conference, and was one of the
most generous financial contributors. He was a man
of fine build, with pleasant open countenance and
kindly spirit. His home was always open for the
preachers, and he took it as a favor if they would
share anything he had. He was well to do, and built
a beautiful brick residence near Wexford, which can
now be seen from the C.P.R. train. I never view it
but that my memory recalls the happy old couple
who never outlived their courting days, whose lives
were pleasant, whose deaths were triumphant and
whose memory is blessed. Duncan Fitzpatrick was
one of the excellent of the earth. He was well edu-
cated for his day, and for a time taught school. He
was a great reader and a good reasoner, and he liked
to understand a subject and \-iew it in all its bearings.
He was a member of the General Committee, attended
Conference, and a staunch supporter of, and an in-
defatigable worker for the advancement of Primitive
Methodism, but the cause of Christ was dearer to
him than any denomination, and we find he was
among the early advocates of Methodist union.

The name of George Pearson is found in the
Conference Minutes; he lived at Malvern, Scarborough,
and was for many years class-leader, steward and
local preacher. The minister alway found a welcome
in his home. John Smith, of Markham, with his
181

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

family, were faithful and devoted supporters of the
church on Scarborough circuit Mr. Smith was one of
the very best class-leaders, and a generous contributor
to the church funds. Their house was always a home
for the minister, and many incidents of their untiring
interest in the minister's welfare could be told by
men who labored on the circuit. I remember Henry
Scrace, of Zion, as another of the old guard ; a class-
leader and steward, regular and faithful in his
attendance at service, and also in the discharge of his
official duties. At Bethel appointment, the several
members of the Walton family were for many year.i
among those who were prominent in Chri.stian useful-
ness. Wallace Walton was class-leader and steward
until his removal from the township.

At the parsonage appointment we mention Father
Richardson and family, old Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, the
lonson family, the Maginns, Fitzpatricks and others.
Robins', Bj-es', Wilson's and Dewsberrj's families
were all on Scarborough circuit, with meaus, labor
and hospitality, contributing to the best interests of
the church. Old Willie Fitzpatrick, the father of
Duncan, and the grandfather of the Rev. J. D. Fitz-
patrick, as well as the brother of Mrs. C. D. Maginn,
was a local preacher of the long ago. He was once
preaching at Davenport, which was then reached for
the most part by a path through the bush, indicated
by the blaze on the trees. A little beyond Mr. Fitz-
patrick's own farm, near the Don river, a tree had
fallen across the path. Going, he noted the direction
he must take to get around it when coming back.
1S2

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

When he was that far on his way home, after his
evening appointment, he went around the tree ; tried
first one way and then another to get on the path, got
bewildered, and could not tell which way he was
going, so finally sat down to wait for the coming day.
He dare not sleep, for wild beasts were then roaming
the forests. He tied his horse and waited, but it was
a long, long night. With the first rays of morning
light he found the path, mounted his horse, and with
a thankful heart wended his way home to tell of his
night vigil.

If the minister learned a new piece of music he
had the hymn printed on the preachers' plan. It was
sung in the congregation, and the people bought the
plan to have the words. One of these hymns in mj'
very early days was : —

" There is a happy land, far, far away,

Where saints in glory stand, bright, bright as day ;
O, how they sweetly sing, worthy is our Saviour King,
Loud let His praises ring, praise, praise for aye." etc.

Some old Primitive Methodists while reading this
hymn will find it touch a chord in their memory. It
was the cradle song of many a mother, and infancy
was lulled to sleep by its soft cadence.s.

In the July number of the Magazine for 1855, we
find a very interesting letter from W. J. Dean, in
which he describes the Brampton circuit and gives
more information about the place and less about his
own feelings than we generally find in these letters.
I will also mention the fact that he tells how many

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

dollars were raised at the missionary meetings,
instead of giving it in pounds currency as the other
writers did. From this fact we judge that decimal
currency was in common use, though we do not find
the financial returns in the Minutes printed in dollars
and cents untill 1858. The letter reads as follows : —

" Dear Editor, — Believing that to you and your
numerous readers, ' Good news from a far country' is
always acceptable, I feel prompted to send you an
account of our doings during the last few months in
this circuit.

We have five connexional chapels, six other preach-
ing places, two Sabbath Schools and one hundred and
ninety-eight members. Brampton, (so named after
Brampton in England, by J. Elliott, Esq., one of
the first settlers in the place, and one of the oldest
members), is a large and flourishing village about
twenty-six miles from the city of Toronto. It con-
tains a population of two thousand inhabitants, has
a steam mill, twenty-two stores or shops, several
taverns, two foundries, furniture manufactories, a
court-house, market-houee, school buildings, Presbyter-
ian church. Free Presbyterian church, Wesleyan
church, and a Primitive Methodist church (^brick), and
parsonage. The Grand Trunk Railway passes through
the place.

As a proof of the rapid progress of places in this
province, I may remark that ten years ago, when our
church was built, Brampton contained only a few
scattered frame houses, and twenty-five years
ago was all bush; our cause has also pi'Ogressed with
the place. We have now a crowded congregation, a
large society, and a flourishing Sabbath School. We
started protracted services on February 18th, 1855, and
closed on Sunday, March ISth. The congregations
184

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

were large, a deep interest was taken in tlie services,
many persons were awakened, and about twenty
converted to God. Brother Boyle, though afflicted,
rendered us efficient aid in holding these services.

"Streetsville is a flourishing village, ten miles from
Brampton, about equal to it in size, and contains an
Episcopal church, a Wesleyan church, an Episcopal
Methodist church, a town hall, several flour and saw-
mill, stores, taverns, and a Primitive Methodist church,
built twenty-two years ago. Our cause here, however,
has passed through a variety of changes, sometimes
we have occupied the place, at others it has been re-
moved from the plan. About twelve months ago it
was re-missioned, and a small society formed, but
through various causes our interest continued very
feeble for .s'ome time. On January 21st we began a
protracted meeting, and although the cold was severe
and the snow very deep, the services were well at-
tended; sinners were aroused and cried aloud for
mercy, and found salvation through the blood of the
lamb. The result of this meeting is, eighteen has
been added to the society, and there is an increase of
piety among the members, and the congregations are
large.

"Dixie is a small settlement about nine miles from
Brampton ; we preach in a small log building, but in-
tend to build a new brick church in spring. We com-
menced a protracted meeting on February 5th, and
although the weather was colder than has been known
for forty years, the congregations were good. The
church entered nobly into the work and six persons
obtained the blessing of pardon. May the work be-
gun continue to flourish.

"In financial matters we are improving as a circuit.
We had an excellent Sunday School anniversary at
Brampton at which we raised £11. We have pur-
chased additional furniture for the parsonage, collected
1S5

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

nearly two hundred dollars for the mission fund, and
will defray all expenses connected with the circuit
and the erection of Dixie chapel. Our prospects are
very hopeful, so we thank God and take courage. As
far as I can judge, our cause is on the increase in this
province. The chief obstacles to our connexional
prosperity, are the migratory habits of the people
and the lack of preachers. Many societies are reduced
and often broken up through removals ; we therefore
greatly want an additional number of efficient preach-
ers to extend our borders and save to the connexion
those who remove to parts of the province where we
have no services. We do hope there are some of our
junior brethren in the mini-stry who are willing to
leave country and friends and lay themselves on the
missionary altar, saying — ' Here am I, send me.'
They would find here a kind people, willing and
ready to receive them, and to do what they can to-
ward supporting the cause of God, etc.
I am yours, in Christ,

William John Dean."
Brampton, April 13, 18.5.5.

The Primitive Methodist missionary meeting of
the Toronto circuit was held in Richmond Street
Wesleyan church, the largest in the city. The audi-
ence wa,s large and the Hon. J. R. Price presided.
The addresses were excellent, and the meeting satis-
factory. A Ladies' Aid had been formed in Bay Street
church and the ladies held their first bazaar in St.
Lawrence Hall, at which they made £112. The
children's department amounted to £16.

Henry M. V. Foster was an official at Smithfield,
Etobicoke. He died in 1896, and the quarterly
board sent a resolution of sympathy to his widow,
186

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

who now lives in Weston. He was a very intimate
and lifelong friend of the Rev. R. Boyle, and a con-
stant contributor to all the enterprises of the church.
Wm. Nason was a local preacher and a member of
Zion chapel in Etobicoke. He came from England in
1841 or 1842 and taught school in the Gore of
Toronto. In 1845 he returned to England for his
bride, and they came out in a sailing vessel. He was
a class-leader and Sundaj' School superintendent, a
man of mental ability, one in touch with the young
people. He had that rectitude of life that is a
surer guarantee of wisdom than any power of
intellect. He was a general merchant in Weston
after his marriage. I saw his widow at the age of
tio years, as pink and white as a girl of sixteen. As
I looked at her so bright and fresli looking, I recalled
the lines of the poet :

" I remembered my God in the days of my youth
And he hath not forgotten my age. "

Mrs. Foster is a woman of strong mental make up,
and one who must have shown marked business
ability ; she is a cousin of Mr. Parker, of Glasgow, ex-
reeve of Uxbridge Township, and was always a
staunch Primitive Methodist.

The next communication to the connexion in
England tells of the safe arrival of Brothers Wood,
Swift and Xattrass in Toronto.

" Dear Secretary, — Through the blessing of Divine
Providence, brothers J. R. Swift, T. Nattrass and
myself, arrived in safety at Toronto, August 17th,

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

1855. Our protracted stay in Liverpool, previous to
sailing, was made as agreeable as possible by the kind
friends with whom we were boarded, and Mr. O-scroft,
who interested himself much in our welfare. While
crossing the mighty deep, we found the Lord ever
present. Our happiness was only interrupted by
sea-sickness, which is common to those who cross the
ocean. We have arrived at a very opportune period.
Yesterday was the time for holding the annual field-
meeting, which in England would be called a camp-
meeting. This was a tine introduction for us to the
people of Toronto. In the morning we missioned the
city in Primitive Methodist style, and thence pro-
ceeded to a beautiful place beneath some shady trees,
previously fitted up with seats, which in the afternoon
were occupied by some two thousand attentive
hearers. Your three young missionaries were highly
delighted with the privilege of preaching on the
occasion, and the people appeared not less so in hear-
ing. On the whole the day's services have made a
vei-y favorable impression on our minds in behalf of
Canada. A deep solemnity seemed to pervade the
whole assembly, and many said it was good to be
there. W^e have met with a very cordial reception at
the homes of the Rev. E. Barrass, Mr. R. Walker
and Mr. T. Thompson. The committee will meet this
evening to appoint where our stations shall be. And
now we earnestly solicit the prayers of our dear
people in England, that we may be endued with
power from on high, and thereby be qualified for the
great work in which we are engaged.

Geo. Wood."

Rev. Geo. Wood has been a very successful minister
of the word of life. He is a man of gentle, kindly
spirit, a sincere man, one who has been respected and
188

THE OLD-TIME REVIVAL MEETING.

loved wherever he has labored. I remember his
bright blue eyes that shone with honest affection, and
the sympathetic tones of his voice, and the soft warm
pressure of his hand as he greeted the children in
my father's house. I have not seen him for a great
many years, but I know from past knowledge and
early memories, that his presence must be a benedic-
tion to the neighborhood where he dwells.

CHAPTER XIV.
AROUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

St. Vincent Mission — Rev. Timothy Nattrass— Moving by 0.\-Cart
— Meaford — Cape Rich — A Log Mansion — Hare for Supper —
Twice at Churcli in Three Years— Riding to Church on a
Jumper— Near Neighbors a Mile Away— Rev. Robert Stephen-
son— Roads Blockaded with Snow — Nine Indian Callers — The
Indians Even Up — Opening of Napanee Mission— Growth of
Toronto— A Yoke of Oxen in Toronto— Cost of Alice Street
Church — Conference of 1856 — Total Abstainers — Pastoral
Visiting — Prayer for the Royal Family— Rev. John Davison's
Opinion — Rusael's Corners' Chapel— Mr. James Murton — An
Old-Time Camp-Meeting near Sydenham— Old-Time Illumina-
tion—Loud Sounding Horn — Calls to the Unconverted — Rev.
John Lacey — Final Handshake in Camp-Meeting Style.

A REQUEST sent to the Conference of 1855 to send a
missionary to St. Vincent Township being favorably
received, the Rev. Timothy Nattrass was appointed.
A sketch of the trip on the Northern Railway and
his safe arrival at his destination was sent for publi-
cation. It described the Indians, who stared at the
train with wondering gaze at Bell Ewart ; the short
period of time that had elapsed since the country was
all forest ; the large buildings in Collingwood which
was then the terminus of the railway ; the immense
steamboats plying between there and Chicago; the
190

AROUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

Georgian Bay teeming with fish, which were sent to
New York and other cities ; the sail by steamer from
Collingwood, past Meaford to McLauren's Point (Cape
Rich), arriving at three in the afternoon, and finding
on inquiry that he was still seven miles from his
destination. He left liis luggage, walked through the
bush, guided by the blaze on the trees, and reached
the log habitation of Mr. William Denton, who was a
little surprised at his arrival, not having received his
letter. He was warmlj^ welcomed, and found the
mission already opened, as Mr. Denton had been
preaching at a few of the most needy places in the
township. Mr. Denton offered the missionary a home
and board free of charge, and promised to assist all
in his power in the work.

The whole of the next day (September 12th, 1855)
was spent in getting Mr. Nattrass' luggage from the
Point by os-cart, a very slow mode of conveyance.
Occasionally they tried to ride, but were in danger of
being thrown topsy-turvey into the mud. The walk
and lake breeze sharpened their appetites, and being
very hungry, they called at a house on the way and
were made welcome to the best they had, without
money and without price. The next day they ram-
bled oflf to establish preaching places, and heard tales
from the early settlers of the hardships they had
endured when they lived for weeks at a time on
nothing but potatoes ; and when finall3" they raised a
little wheat, they had to travel one hundred miles to
find a grist mill, through a forest infested with wild
beasts. In 1855 Meaford was likely to be a place of
191

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

some importance, and the Government had granted
them £1,000 toward building a harbor. The rain fell
heavily the first Sabbath, and but two services could
be held in .the day on account of having to travel
through the forest. A number of the places had only
a service once a fortnight. Eight preaching places
were established.

In conversation with Mrs. Denton, who now lives
in Toronto, I inquired what she could tell me of the
opening of St. Vincent mission and the good old times
they had in their log mansion. She smiled and said,
" Life was not a playground in the new country, but
I was contented amid it all. Where my husband and
little girl and my home were, there was my world ;
and I was happy, though it was a mistake going
there, for neither of us had been brought up to such
a life."

She remembered very well the coming of the
missionary, the Rev. Timothy Nattrass. It was in
September, 1855. He left the boat at Cape Rich, or
the Point as it was then called, and walked over to
the eleventh line of St. Vincent. He had written he
was coming, but the post-otlice being eleven miles
away, at Meaford, they had not yet received the
letter. When he arrived Mrs. Denton had a hare for
supper ; he was very hungry with the walk, and
enjoyed the meal. One of the preaching places was
on the lake shore, and another at Willis' school-house.

Mr. Denton filled appointments every Sabbath, but
though they were there three years it was only twice
she had the privilege of attending a preaching service-
192

.■UiOUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

One meeting was in their own house, and the other
was on tlie ninth line of St. Vincent, at Burchill's
school-house. The Rev. Samuel Tear, a Wesleyan
Methodist minister from Owen Sound, preached.
Horses were no use to travel through the woods, and
it was too far to walk. A young married woman she
knew started one Sunday on a jumper drawn by
oxen. They got along all right for a time, but about
half-way through the bush the tongue broke, and her
husband was obliged to fasten the chains to the sides.
Then the progress was slower than ever, because the
jumper would strike a log on one side or a huge stone
on the other, and sometimes the low runner had to be
lifted or the woman and baby would tumble over,
and having to work their passage so much of the
way, the service was over when they arrived. Mrs.
Denton said it was often lonely so far from any
house : and when at last a neighbor settled about a
mile away and she heard their rooster crowing, it gave
her quite a cheerful feeling. In the bush one has
plent}' of time for meditation — the door is not besieged
with callers. Every day would be a receiving day if
the visitors would only come ; but people learn to be
thankful for small mercies.

Life has its limitations in every new country. I
remember my grandmother visiting Mrs. Denton, who
was her eldest granddaughter, while they lived in
St. Vincent, and during the year that Rev. Timothy
Nattrass resided in their home. It happened one day
in the spring time, after the potatoes were all used,
that a heavy snow-storm came. The grist of wheat
193

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

was at the mill, and the roads were so filled with
snow-drifts that traffic was impossible. The flour in
the home was all consumed, and they could neither
get to the mill nor to a neighbor to borrow. Mrs.
Denton was in a dilemma, but finally cooked a large
piece of lean beef, and served it under the name of
bread, to eat with the cold roast pork. Grandmother
said it was a merry meal. For six weeks at a time,
Mrs. Denton would not see the face of a female, save
that of her own little girl. The log house was small,
and when the door was open in summer time, occa-
sionally a squirrel would run in and out again.
Sometimes settlers put up a small shanty until the
house was built, but then restriction in space had its
own compensation, for one could lie in bed and put
wood in the stove.

In the month of March, 1857, Robert Stephenson
was the missionar}', and Mr. Denton went with him
to hold missionary meetings in the Township of
Collingwood. A very severe snow-storm came on
and they could only hold one meeting. The roads
had to be broken before they could leave the neigh-
borhood either to hold other meetings or return home.
The family made them welcome were they were stop-
ping, though they were poor. The bed was good and
clean, but all they had to put on the table was bread,
onions and tea. The woman apoligized, saying their
meat was done, the butter also, and the hens had not
begun to laj*. What was lacking in variety she
made up in friendliness. On their return home, Mr.

194

AROUND THE GEORGIAX BAY.

Stephenson remarked how good it was to be back,
and sit down to such a comfortable meal. Mrs.
Denton inquired about how they were entertained
and learned the facts. " After all," said Mr. Denton,
" we could manage for a few days when we were
doing nothing, but I pitied the poor men who had to
chop all day on such rations." The deer would often
come near the little home, and one morning they
found one among the cattle. There was a ■' deer lick "
on the farm — that is a spring running through rock
that gives it a salty taste. One day Mrs. Denton was
alone in the house with her little one, pursuing her
household duties, when the door was struck several
times with a sharp stick. On opening it she was
surprised and not a little frightened to see nine
stalwart Indians at the door, who kept repeating
what sounded to her like, " Bukkity! Bukkity! Buk-
kity ! " She enquired if they wanted a drink, but they
pointed to their open mouths and said "Bukkit}'."
She motioned for them to come in, and placed water,
cups, butter, and all the bread and provisions she had
on the table. She showed them the tray of dough,
and buns ready to cook, and then taking her child
with her into her room she fell on her knees and
asked God to protect her from harm. They soon
knocked on the table, and when she appeared they
said, " Good-djr, Good-dy, Good-dy," and took their
departure. This happened in the fall, and during the
winter three of them returned, hauling a quarter of
beautiful venison on a sled. They carried this in and

1.3 195

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

left it upon the table with nods and smiles. She
asked if they were " bukkit}'," and one replied, " No,
no, not bukkity," and smiling they went out.

The following letter from Rev. Geo. Wood to the
Primitive Methodist Magazine will show the manner
of opeoing a new mission :

" Upon my arrival in Canada the Missionary Com-
mittee appointed me to open a mission in Napanee
and its suburbs. Napanee is a flourishing village of
some 1,800 inhabitants, and bids fair to be a large
town at no very distant period. Assisted by Brother
Crompton and a local preacher from Kingston, I
opened my mission September 23rd, 185.5, by holding
a field meeting. The day was fine, and the congre-
gation large and very attentive. Five sermons were
preached on the occasion, and the origin and char-
acter of our connexion, with the object of our
mission, was explained ; and although we continued
the services from ten o'clock in the morning until
between three and four in the afternoon, without
breaking up for dinner, the congregation remained to
the last. Previous to this meeting the voice of a
Primitive Methodist missionary had not been heard
in this localitj' : and many people appear surprised at
hearing that such a people have an existence.

" The following day Brother Crompton returned to
his station, leaving the writer alone, not having one
member to begin with. Numerous openings, how-
ever, soon presented themselves for missionary toil,
from which six of the most necessitous places have
been selected. By preaching three times on the
Sabbath, and travelling twelve miles, I supply each
place with Sabbath preaching once a fortnight. In
the number eight concession, near Hay Bay, I have
'"ust held a protracted motting which has continued
196

AROUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

three weeks. The place had become proverbial for
immorality — Sabbath desecration and intemperance,
with their attendant evils, being fearfully prevalent.
Having to enter into the conflict single-handed, the
aspect of things appeared gloomy and discouraging
for a time ; but the Spirit's two-edged sword soon
began to cut deep. With throbbing hearts and
streaming eyes, mourners came forward publicly
to the penitent form, and cried aloud for mercj",
which they obtained through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ. A class has been formed of ten members, all
hopefully converted to God. Others notorious foi-
wickedness, have been awakened ; but cannot as yet
be received into the society on account of the peculiar
circumstances which a life of sin has brought them
into. An excitement is produced throughout the
neighborhood. Perceiving a power at work more
than human, some have said it was witchcraft. They
will probably learn better before long. Were another
missionary sent to this station, abundance of work
might be found for us both. Primitive Slethodism,
in its original simplicity and fire, seems just adapted
to the necessities of this fine country.

G. Wood.
" Napanee, Canada West,

"November 14th, 1855.''

Primitive Methodism in Toronto has already been
fully noted in these pages, but a few sentences about
Toronto itself as it appeared in 1S56, might be of
interest to the reader :

" Toronto is the metropolis of Western Canada, and

though it is a city of recent date, it is one that will

compare either in its public or private buildings, with

any other cit}- of its size. Tn the year 1791,itcon-

197

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

tained two families of Mississaga Indians ; in 1801
there were three hundred and thirty-six inhabitants; in
1817 they liad increased to twelve hundred, and now,
in 1856, it is supposed to contain nearly fifty thou-
sand. For several years its progress was small, and
its appearance somewhat gloomy. Its former name
was Little York, and in consequence of the disagree-
able state of its streets, the want of sidewalks, etc., it
was usually designated 'Muddy Little York.'

" When I was a child stories were told, too ludicrous
for insertion here, of loaded teams disappearing in
the mud, but it is quite true that certain low places
along Yonge Street were in such a boggy condition
at particular seasons of the year, that loaded wagons
would stick fast, the horses being unable to extricate
themselves without assistance ; and a woman on
Yonge Street who owned a yoke of oxen, hired them
to pull the teams and loads out of the mud, at a
York shilling each, and made most of her living that
way.

" For the last twenty years the progress of the city
has been astonishingly rapid. Its log shanties have
given place to neat frame or elegant brick buildings,
not a few of which are of the most costly and superb
character. Its once muddy streets are now macadam -
ized, and well-planked sidewalks are kept in good
order, so that the pedestrian can travel with comfort
from the centre to the suburbs of the city.

" Its public buildings afford ample evidence of the
wealth of the citizens, and reflect great credit on all
concerned. These are Trinity College, Knox College,
19S

AKOUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

the Normal School, the Lunatic Asylum, two cathed-
ral3(Episcopalian and Roman Catholic), the Mechanics'
Institute, the Public Schools, banks, the long lines of
stores on business streets and the elegant villas that
abound on everj' hand. There are twenty-five
churches in this city, some of large dimensions and
beautiful architecture. The denominations repre-
sented are Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Wesleyau,
New Connexion, Primitive and African Episcopal
Methodists, Congregational, Baptist, Unitarian, Dis-
ciples and Presbj-terians of four kinds — Old Kirk,
Free Church, United and Reformed.

"The early Primitive Methodist ministers were
Revs. Watkins, Sumraersides, Jolley, L^-le, Lacey,
Adams, Towlers (Wm. and John). Bay Street
church, built in 1832, was sold for £1,250. The land
for Alice Street church cost £6 per foot. The 30th
of December, the day before the opening, a heavy snow-
storm blockaded the city. Rev. E. Barrass preached
in the morning from Haggai ii., 9, Rev. J. Borland in
the afternoon, from Eph. iv., 4-6 ; Rev. J. Edgar in
the evening, from Prov. xi., 30 : ' He that winneth
souls is wise.' On January 9th a grand soiree was
held, and Mr. Wm. Lawson presided. The opening ser-
vices produced £115 19s. Sd. The total cost was
£3,500. £1,000 was raised by subscription, which
began with £200 and ended with Is. 3d. Mr.
Walker and son collected £31 in England. The
friend who subscribed £200, paid the expense of the
gas fitting, which cost £100, and presented an elegant
communion service for sacramental occasions. The
199

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

body of the church and galleries contain seven
hundred and ten sittings."

I will not take space to enumerate all the different
committees annually appointed by Conference,
because they were much the same as those in the
Methodism of to-da3^ The Friendly Society was an
English institution, and was managed after the man-
ner of our Superannuation Fund. Those who were
in it paid yearly, and drew an annuity for old age.
Many of the missionaries sent from England were
members of it, so an agent was appointed by the Con-
ference to look after the business connected with it.
All the Conference committees were wheels within
wheels for the facilitation of the Conference business.
One thing strikes me particularly in studying these
old Conference Minutes, and that is the steady and
continual insistence upon all the oiScials of circuits
being total abstainers. So many Old Country people
had been brought up with altogether different notions
about a glass of beer or wine, that year by year the
whole force of the Conference was brought to bear
on the subject, that the right idea might be instilled
into the minds of the people, and that all might be
clean who bore the vessels of the Lord or were called
by His name.

In 1856, a new chapel was built at Russell's
Corners on the Portland Mission. Rev. Joseph Simp-
son was the missionary, and canvassed the neighbor-
hood for subscriptions. Mr. James Murton had
given them an acre of ground for connexional pur-
200

JOHN LACEY.

AROUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

poses. Tlie building was dedicated on August
24th, Rev. John Nattrass preaching two appropriate
sermons to large audiences. It was a frame edifice
30 X 36 feet, painted inside and out. Two-thirds of
the cost had been subscribed, and they expected to
pay off the debt during the year. This congregation
built according to its need, and was able to pay for
it — an excellent example for all modern congrega-
tions. The camp-meeting appointed by Conference
for the three missions of Kingston, Portland, and
Napanee, was held near the village of Sydenham
Loughborough, and commenced on Friday, July 3rd,
1857. Rev. John Lacey was superintendent of the
Portland mission. Rev. James Edgar and Rev. Thos.
Crompton travelled nearly two hundred miles to be
present at the opening.

" Nature here presented herself in her native forms
of wild, rugged, yet beautiful grandeur, and the tents
were pitched and other conveniences made ready in
the midst of a dense forest.

" Here the servants of the Most High God met to
worship Him, preach the gospel, and unite to promote
a revival of religion. It filled one with awe to enter
into the thick bush by a cart-road, with the primeval
forest towering up into the sky. For seven hundred
yards the tall beech, maple and pine closed in on
either side of you, and then you came to a con.sider-
able area, where most of the trees and brushwood
were cleared away, the few remaining trees branching
out and forming a leafy roof over your head. Tiers
201

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

of seats were in the centre of the enclosure, nearly
fenced in with the tents of the people, and the minis-
ters' large tent stood at the end. The platforms at
the corners were covered with earth, to hold the blaz-
ing pine knots used for illuminating purposes, that
throw such a ruddy, weird light up into the trees
overhead.

" Revs. Wm. Gledhill and Thos. Crompton preached
on Friday. The people had been praying for the
power of the Holy Ghost, and some had the
blessing of entire sanctification. Revs. Wm. Gledhill,
J. Edgar and T. Nattrass preached on Sunday. Many
believers came seeking a clean heart, and daily the
penitent bench was thronged with sinners seeking a
present salvation. The congregations were summoned
with a loud sounding horn ; some of the prayer-meet- |
ings did not close until two in the morning. The
preaching was well adapted to the occasion, with j
more than ordinary fluency, freedom and power. |
The law was proclaimed in thunder tones. The dread |
language of Sinai pierced the sinner's ears and smote i
his soul. Anon, the gospel of salvation was preached •
with melting pathos, " in strains as soft as angels use," |
and we soon saw hearts softened. The tongue of fire j
spoke. The Word was not delivered with a cold, un- •
sympathetic heart, or in a stiff pedantic manner, but j
in gushes of fellow-feeling; warm from the speaker's j
heart, and with affectionate utterance. Bro. Lacey •■
conducted the meeting, and displayed great tact and \
good judgment, and all who took part did so with
202

AROUND THE GEORGIAN BAY.

agreeableness and energy. The testimony seasons
were grand; cloud after cloud of witnesses rose in
attestation of the glorious fact that ' the blood of
Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.' "

The above is a part of a letter written by the Rev.
Thos. Crompton for the Magazine. The camp-meeting
closed in the usual manner, with the procession and
farewell songs, accompanied by the final handshake,
and weeping time, that came at the close, because so
many would never meet again, till they sang the song
of Moses and the Lamb on the other shore.

At the Conference of 1856, which met at Hamilton,
Revs. Robert Cade, Isaac Ryder and George Wood
were ordained. This Conference decided that each
travelling preacher on a country station should estab-
lish not fewer than eight preaching places, if possible.
That meant eight congregations to visit ; but the
visiting in those days was pastoral rather than social,
lasting from half an hour to an hour, a little talk
about the soul, a portion of Scripture read, a prayer,
and on to another house.

Ministers and local preachers hereafter were desired
to pray for the Royal Family and all in authority, as
they believed the British Government to be the best
in the world. In 1856, £1,000 was raised for mis-
sionary purposes, an advance of £300 on the previous
year.

In the Conference address by the Rev. John Davi-
son we read as follows : " No intellectual or physical
superiority in our ministry, no liberalism in our
203

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

church polity, no executive cleverness in applying
recent acts of Conference or discipline will save us or
give stability to our enterprise without more religion.
Let us be more than ever devoted to knee work, pri-
vate pleading with God. Remember the family altar,
never omit family devotion."

CHAPTER XV.
THE OLD-TIME RELIGION.

An OldTime Local Preacher— Wm. Mutton— The Gospel Ship
Arrives in Purt— Room for Millions More— Peel and VVellesley
Mission— Moses and Aaron, Miriam and Rebecca— Old-Time
Religion— Officials at Pilkington— Christians Without Wrnikles
—Mr. Bee and Family Shipwrecked -Singing Worth Remem-
bering—Walsingham Mission— First Anniversary of Alice
Street Church— Alice Street Church Burned— Carlton Street
Church.

Another of the local preachers who broke to us the
bread of life was Mr. William Mutton, of Toronto.
He was ever greeted by a crowded house. The
young folks wanted to witness the performance ;
the Christian people were benefited by his message.
He had been a seafaring man — a ship's carpenter,
and his phraseology was all in line with his old
calling. He was a large man with a clear complexion,
cheeks like rosy-streaked apples, and very blue eyes.
He was of an excitable temperament, and as he
warmed to his theme, his theme warmed him. It
would have been better had the pulpit been station-
ary, as it was, it moved in any direction it could
move. He had a slight provincialism that made him
pronounce here " yer ; " but a fluent, joyous speaker,
and as he described the ark of salvation battling
205

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IX CANADA.

with the waves, or bounding over the billows, every
sail tilled with the heavenly breeze, there was a
happy abandon of all conventionality. His arms
swayed, his whole being physical and mental was on
the go. The candlesticks on the pulpit would com-
mence to dance, and presently one would topple over,
and while father would be picking this up, straighten-
ing the tallow candle and getting it lighted, away
would go the other. Mr. Mutton always seemed to
be hampered for space, and sometimes the Bible itself
got a tip over. Nothing, however, disturbed his
serenity ; he was utterly oblivious of all his surround-
ings. He might, both arms outstretched and his face
aglow, be picturing the vessel carried safe into harbor,
angels beckoning a welcome to the saved, and the
hallelujahs of the redeemed mingling with those of
the company who had finished the voyage and were
for ever landed on the blissful shore —

" Far from a world of grief and sin
With God eternally shut in."

At this moment the singing would begin and the j
lights would be needed. Father never enjoyed j
" Daddy " Mutton in the pulpit on account of the j
labor it entailed. Besides, having the care of the j
singing it taxed his nerves too much. The sermon |
was generally ended by the singing of — i

"The Gospel ship has long been sailing,
Bound for Canaan's peaceful shore ;
All who wish to sail to glory,

Come, and welcome, rich and poor.
206

THE OLD-TIME RELIGION.

Chorus .-—Glory, glory, hallelujah !
All her sailors loudly cry ;
See the blissful port of glory
Open to each faithful eye.

"Richly laden with provisions.
Want, her sailors never knew ;
Faith's strong hand takes every blessing,
Now the prize appears in view.

Chorus ;— Glory, glory, hallelujah :

" Millions she has safely landed
Far beyond this mortal shore ;
Millions more are in her sailing,
Yet there's room for millions more.

Chorus : — Glory, glory, hallelujah 1

' ' Waft along this noble vessel,
All ye gales of gospel grace ;
Carrying every faithful sailor.
To his heavenly landing place.

Chorus :— Glory, glory, hallelujah '.

" Port your helm, we're into harbor ;
By your anchor, sailors, stand ;
Welcomed by your Great Commander
To the joys at His right hand.

Chorus:— Glory, glory, hallelujah :

" Come, poor sinners, get converted.
Sail with us o'er life's rough sea ;
Then with us you will be happy,
Happy through eternity.

Chorus:— Glory, glorj', hallelujah I"

Mr. Mutton was a f;;ood man with an earnest,
honest, enthusiastic desire, to win men from sin to

207

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

righteousness, out of darkness into light, out of
sorrow into joy, out of anxiety into peace. It shone
in his face ; he preached as if it was his greate.st
honor and happiness to be the bearer of such a grand
message, and his sentences seemed full of one
thought :

" O that the world my Saviour knew

Then all the world would love Him too."

He was a much esteemed visitor in our home, loved
for himself and the work's sake ; and after he had
filled an appointment, we children examined the plan
to see when he would be there again, so as to be able
to inform others who would inquire. People had
faith in his piety and earnestness, and the meeting
was orderly. Any uproar there was had its centre
of operation in the pulpit, and was brought about by
his own spiritual exaltation. It was very easy in
the olden time for a local preacher to shine as a saint
at the other end of a wide circuit, while he might he
merely tolerated at home ; but that was not the case
with " Daddy " Mutton. He always had a good
audience in Alice Street, where he worshipped, and
he was a drawing card to the boys and girls at the
quarterly love-feast, when the sexton was installed as
doorkeeper, and you had to show j'our ticket of ;:
membership to pass through. At that time the t
minister would sit in the vestry for twenty minutes }
before time, and anyone desiring to be present I
applied for a ticket of admission. The question [
propounded by the minister was, " Have you
208

J

THE OLD-TIME RELIGIOX.

desire to flee from the wrath to come ? " And I am
afraid some of the children answered in the affirma-
tive who did not flee for some time after.

The old Peel and Wellesley mission is worthy of
particular mention, especially the Bethel appointment
in Pilkington, now a part of the Alma circuit. It
was once my privilege to arrive at the parsonage in
the evening, quite unexpectedly, and I found the
choir practising for some anniversary. I was intro-
duced to Moses Auger, Rebecca Auger and Samuel
Auger ; there were a few more named Moses and
Aaron and Eli and Samuel, but when they mentioned
Miriam Harper it was the last straw on the camel's
back, and I could not restrain a smile. To cover my
seeming rudeness, I explained that I had only now
taken in the scene, they had been crossing the Red
Sea out of Egyptian bondage and Miriam was leading
the host in a thanksgiving song ; so we all had a
laugh from my point of view. They had the old-time
religion at Bethel, and that is whj^ I want to mention
them. They were very hospitable and loved each other.
Most of them were Cornish or Devonshire, and these
people make splendid Methodists. The class-leader
was Eli Goodwin, a thoroughly good man who had
every one's confidence. He was also a local preacher
and a man of great devotion and strong faith. He
did not lean his whole weight on the minister to be
petted and carried to heaven ; but was a man who
could make sacrifices and bear burdens. In the
Missionary Report for 1859, we notice, " Annie and
John Goodwin's missionary sheep, four dollars."
209

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Mr. Samuel Auger was also a class-leader and the
father of a large family. Thomas and Richard, his
sons, entered the ministry. He was intensely loyal
to the connexion, and earnest in his Christian life.
He was the friend of the preachers and loved to have
them in his home.

Mr. C. Amy was another of the officials. He was
a solid Christian man, one you could depend upon in
all the services, always at the prayer-meeting and
taking a leading part, but not very demonstrative.
He did not shout his religion so loud as he lived it,
but his example was always talking, even when his
voice was silent. His wife was a grand woman, and
so was their daughter (afterwards Mrs. Harper);
both were gifted in prayer and the very best help
in revival services. Thomas Amy, their son, is still a
minister in Canadian Methodism, having entered the
work in 1865. The name of Richard Amy, another
son, also appears in the Conference Minutes as a
delegate. The family owed much to the wise counsel
of such a noble motlier.

Mr. F. Harper's name appears in the Minutes of
Conference. He was an official, a man of strong
determination who could make himself do anything
he believed to be right, whether it were pleasant or
disagreeable. He gave as his opinion that when
young converts took to their Bibles for guidance,
they would stand ; because if truly converted they
would want to know what God said to them, but if
careless in this respect, he did not know how it would
turn out. Wm. Sturtridge was a class-leader and
210

THE OLD-TIME RELIGION.

one of the most reliable men on Peel circuit. He was
circuit steward, a good spiritual and financial helper,
a man of sound sense. His opinion was well worthy
of consideration. Thomas Whale was also a useful
layman, a faithful local preacher and a generous
supporter of the connexion for many years.

George Wright was an official and local preacher in
later years, and one of the brightest. He was a very
original speaker, and apt in home-made illu.stration.
He once preached from the text, " That he might pre-
sent it to himself a glorious church, not having spot
or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." He said .some people you
would meet with were good people, but not fit for
heaven according to your idea, because of the corners
on their characters. They were cranky, alwaj^s hit-
ting against other people and making them feel sore.
You could not say they would not enter heaven,
because they were clean. He illustrated it by the
wash hung out on the line. It is all clean and white;
you cannot detect a spot on it ; but it is not yet fit
for use. It must be ironed to take all the rough, ugly
wrinkles out ; and so must we be put under God's
discipline of trial, and suffering, and bereavement, and
perhaps financial loss, before we are fit to be presented
without spot or wrinkle. He was frequently the
delegate to Conference, and is a leading man in the
church to-daJ^

In 1856 the Rev. Wm. Bee came out from England
to enter the ministry' here as a probationer; his wife
and child were with him. On entering the Gulf of
14 211

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

St Lawrence, it was so foggy the vessel ran on Bird
Rocks, and they were shipwrecked. He and Mrs. Bee
were parted for six weeks. A vessel passed and did
not lie by ; another came and took off the women and
children, numbering about two hundred. Nearly four
hundred were left on the wreck, and they were there
from Monday till Wednesday. Mrs. Bee and her
little child were taken to the quarantine ground at
Quebec. She was a whole month without hearing a
word from her husband. The first move of the four
hundred was to Bryan Island, near which they were
wrecked. There were only two inhabitants on it.
Two schooners landed them there, and they were on
the island fourteen days. Their food was very scanty,
only potatoes and a few sea biscuit. One man offered
twenty-five cents for a sea biscuit. Three schooners
moved them from Bryan Island to Pictou, where they
were detained fourteen days ; and then the govern-
ment schooner moved them to the quarantine ground
at Quebec, where Mr. Bee saw his wife again. Their
infant boy died the day after landing. He had the
measles at the time, and taking cold it was impossible
to save him. Mrs. Bee, during that whole month, rose
every morning by daylight to watch for a vessel or to
get tidings of her husband. The other passengers
would ask how many vessels had passed by since
morning. It was a period of most terrible anxiety,
as neither one knew whether the other was living or
not.

Peel and Wellesley mission was Mr. Bee's first

station, and after so great hardships in coming to the

212

J

THE OLD-TIME RELIGION.

country, it was no small comfort to be placed among
such a kind-hearted people. Mr. Bee said he held a
revival service there in 1856 at which theVe was a
large ingathering. He stated that for a country
appointment the members were unequaled in a revival
meeting. An unusual number could lead in prayer,
and the congregational singing he never heard excelled.
Their voices were musical, and so many could sing
well and in perfect time. They had no instrument,
but they could take all the parts of a tune. They had
some Old Country music with fugues, and they could
all modulate their voices, or sweep in a volume that
carried all the congregation in one burst of song. It
would stimulate one to hear them, and the man who
could not speak with such support, amid such inspir-
ing influences, should never attempt it anywhere.

In 1857, Rev. Richard Paul was stationed at Wal-
singham mission. It had been opened the j^ear before
by Rev. W. J. Dean, who had organized three classes,
and reported eighteen members ; but his health failing
he returned to England. Mr. Paul reported holding
two field-meetings, and a revival service held in
G. W. Newman's workshop, which was seated for the
evenings, when twenty-two were brought into the
church. They had successful missionary meetings, at
which Rev. W. Lomas and Rev. Jas. Smith was the
deputation. Meetings were held at Silver Hill, Mor-
den's and St. William's. They had excellent congre-
gations, and the income was £13.

The first anniversary of Alice Street Church was
celebrated on Sabbaths, December 14th and 21st, 1854,
213

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

when sermons were preached by the Rev.Dr.Burns.Pro-
fessor of Church History, Knox College ; Rev. Henry
Wilkinson, (Wesle3'an) ; Rev. Thomas Crompton from
Darlington, and Rev. William Stephenson from Ham-
ilton. The church was crowded and the collections
liberal. A tea-meeting was held on the 16th ; about
three hundred persons attended. Mr. William Law.son
presided, and the meeting was addressed by Revs. A.
Lillie, D.D., J. Jennings, A. Marshall, J. Borland and
Thos. Crompton. Two lectures were delivered by
Rev. Wm. Stephenson, of Hamilton, on the evenings
of the 22nd and 23rd. The subjects were " Luther
and Protestantism," and " Moral Evil." The proceeds
of the anniversary was over £80. The bazaar held
by the ladies in June was a success, and they gave the
trustees £136 to be applied to the debt ; £220 remained
as a floating debt, and £750 was secured by mortgage.
They were arranging for the services of a city mis-
sionary for a few months, and special services were
being held daily for a revival of God's work.

Alice Street Church was burned down in 1873 ; the
property was sold, and the trustees erected a fine
building more suited to the needs of a growing church
on a site more remote from the bu.siness part of the
city. The present church (Carlton Street), of the late
Alice Street congregation, cost S50,000 and the organ
S6,000. The school-rooms attached to the Carlton
Street Church are large and commodious. The Rev.
Dr. Rice pronounced them the best arranged for their
purpose of any in Canada. Some of the older mem
bers of the congregation no doubt regretted the sell
214

J

THE OLD-TIME RELIGION.

ing of the Alice Street property, and placing the
building on another site ; but time has proved that
here the building is more central for the congregation,
and in the residential part of the city. Churches are
built not alone for the present, but with an eye to the
future needs of the people. The singing in Carlton
Street Church at the present time is considered equal
to that of any church in Toronto, and while sweet and
artistic, is devotional.

CHAPTER XVI.
''HARD TIMES! COME AGAIN NO MORE."

Old-Time Prayer-Meeting— Officials in Reach— Preachera' Plan of
1851— Conference of 1S57— Rev. William Lyle Writes Con-
ference Address — The Great Financial Crisis in 1857 — Rev.
John Davison Appointed Jlissionary Secretary and Book
Steward— Rev. Robert Boyle 111— Cause of the Hard Times-
High Interest on Loans — Depression Everywhere — Odd Con-
tributions for Missions — Rev. William Lyle Superannuates —
Conference of 1858 and 1859 — Riding to Conference on Horse-
back—Rev, John Lacey's Letter— No Educational Institution
—Rev. Matthew Gray 111.

There is no way in which a person so fully reveals
the pages of his soul as in public prayer. ' Man only
has a soul, a shrine, and an altar.' The camel may
kneel before he lies down to rest, but his spirit has no
communion with the thought and will of God. He
feels no moral obligations, though he may be taught
to refrain from wrong doing by the suffering it entails.
This desire on the part of man for prayer and worship
is a sign of the divinity of the human soul. Saint
Augustine has beautifully said, ' Thou hast made us
for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find
rest in Thee.' The old-time prayer-meeting was
known to those who attended as a place—

" Where heaven comes down our souls to meet,
While glory crowns the mercy seat."
216

"HARD times: come AGAIN NO MORE."

Robert Ward, of Brampton, and his wife Hannah,
loved a prayer-meeting. It is told of them that they
went on a visit to his two brothers, who lived on the
eighth concession of Reach. As they drove along past
the parsonage, which was built on the corner of John
Ward's farm, they heard singing and stopped to listen.
' They are having a prayer-meeting in there, and it is
just the place to find the folks ; let us stop, cover the
horses, and go in.' He felt drawn like the bee to the
flower; Robert Ward could not miss a prayer-meeting
that it was possible to attend. They entered very
quietly while the people were at prayer. A verse
was sung while they were on their knees, and then a
halt for a moment, when Robert Ward's voice was
heard. He was in his element, and with his whole
soul breathing out to God in thanksgiving and holy
desire, all was forgotten but that he was in the
presence chamber of the Eternal. The other wor-
shippers caught the fire, and with one heart shouted
their responses. His wife followed as soon as he
ceased and they had a blessed meeting. His soul was
fed before his body, but these things were secondary
matters. A prayer-meeting or revival service was an
into.N:icating pleasure to him, and this world's business
was out of his thoughts while services were in progress.
He was a local preacher, and many were brought into
the kingdom of Christ through his endeavors. Francis
and John Ward, his brothers, with Robert Dobson,
were the nucleus of the old Bethesda appointment on
Reach circuit. I once asked an old resident of Reach
if he had ever been at one of those old-time prayer-
217

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

meetings where the members expected to take part ?
'' Yes," said he, his face lighting up, " and how I
would like to attend such prayer-meetings again."
They were generally opened by Francis Ward. He
was a spiritually minded man, emotional, with a
high voice. He would announce a hymn and lead in
prayer, probably followed by Richard Watson, a man
with a clear mind, solid, with a rich experience and
considerable originality of thought. John Ward would
next sing a hymn in line with the condition of the
meeting at that point, perhaps followed by Robert
Dobson, the circuit steward for years ; a man quiet
and retiring, but earnest in his Christianity, firm and
constant. Jacob Camplin now has a hymn ; he was
always short and pointed in his prayer, but filled with
the unction of the Holy Spirit. Now would be heard
the responses, " Glory ! " " Praise the Lord ! " Christ-
opher Scott prays; a faithful man, always in his place,
and his voice heard. The meeting would now fall into
the hands of the younger men and women. Frank
Dobson, James Camplin, George Ward, C. J. Dobson,
and the Page boys ; 5Irs. Francis Ward, Mrs. Robert
Dobson, and Mrs. Jacob Camplin, a woman gifted in
prayer. Father Stephenson was a man whose face
was bright and shining with the Spirit's presence. It
was worth going to church to look at him.

The Bethesda prayer-meeting was appointed on the
plan, and all the membership tried to be there. There
was no exhorter or preacher, and it was conducted in
this manner by the officials of the circuit.

" Daddy " Hazzlewood was a class-leader at Mount
218

"HARD times: come AGAIN NO MORE."

Carmel and " Daddy " Fewster was another at tlie
same appointment. John Stonehouse was a devoted
staunch supporter of the cause at Stonehouse's
appointment. His name appears frequently in the
Minutes of Conference. A friend of whom I inquired
concerning him said : — " He was a fine man ; a worthy,
good man ; he carried the burdens of the society of
the church built on his own land, and his son was
killed at the church door hauling lumber for it. It
was a severe testing of a good man's faith, but he
could say like Job, ' Though He slay me yet
will I trust in Him.' " The moral heroes whose lives
are not written on earth are registered in heaven.
Andrew Moore was a local preacher at Sandford. He
was a man of gentle kindly disposition, very quiet in
his delivery. He has two sons in the ministry ; one
is in the United States and the other is Rev. J. E.
Moore, of the Bay of Quinte Conference. Father
Frankish was a man of saintly character. He was
the father of Rev. John Frankish and Rev. \Vm.
Frankish, both earnest consecrated men who died
early in life. Mr. Wm. Crozier was a local preacher,
fiery, earnest, vehement, a veritable son of thunder.
Joseph Lee was from the old Bethel appointment,
now Greenbank ; one of the very best workers, and a
superior helper at camp-meetings. He had a slight
impediment in his speech, in ordinary conversation a
hindrance to expression, but in singing, prayer or
preaching, scarcely noticeable. What power he had
in prayer, and what sacrifices these consecrated Chris-
tian people would make ! At camp-meeting time they
219

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

would leave home for a week, bake up and take along
huge quantities of provisions, and when these were
exhausted send for more. John Howsam also stut-
tered a little. A man met him one day and inquired
the way to Uxbridge. After four or five attempts to
say the word you, he jerked out " 0 go on, 3-ou'll get
there before I can tell you." He was a good man,
could hardly speak to you without singing and he could
sing beautifully. Father Houldershaw was a warm-
hearted Christian and a faithful supporter of the
cause. His son, Richard Houldershaw, was a stand-
by of the society where he lived.

James Burnett was a local preacher at Greenb'ank
and Wm. Mercer, of East Whitby, was also an accept-
able local preacher. Besides these names I have men-
tioned, on the Preachers' Plan of the Reach mission
for 1851, the names of Frances Harper, M. Malyon,
C. Adams, J. Wedge and H. Shell appear.

In 1857 the Conference was held in Brampton and
the Rev. Timothy Nattrass was the only one ordained.
A vote of thanks was given by the Conference to M.
Gray for the gift of an acre of land in Brant for con-
nexional purposes ; to Charles D. Maginn for an acre
of land in Osprey ; to Isaac Wilson for half an acre
in Garafraxa, and to J. Ketchum, junior, for a lot in
the village of Melville.

A camp-meeting was to be held in Kingston and
Portland Missions in the month of June, under the
direction of the Rev. John Lacy ; and one in Markham
or Etobicoke. Owing to the cost of living there was
an increase in the ministers' salaries. The period of
220

"HARD TIMES! COME AGAIN NO MORE."

removal was changed to the thirty-first of May, this
was the time when ministers should be on their new
stations.

The following resolution is found in the Conference
Minutes : — " That the thanks of this Conference be
given to Brother William Lawson for his long and
valuable services as Missionary Secretary, and that a
sicperior copy of the Holy Scriptures be presented to
him as a token of affectionate esteem."

It was a customary thing for the Conference to
appoint a fast day for the connexion, and this year it
was to be on the first Friday in October.

The Rev. Wm. Lyle wrote the Conference Address.
He spoke of personal piety as the foundation of all
true prosperity in the church. Next to personal
holiness he advocated family religion : — " The
family is an institution of God. It is intended
to subserve important purposes in the destiny of the
human race. A well trained family is the best
legacy that a parent can leave to the world. Let the
services at our domestic altars be conducted in such a
spirit and manner that they may be seasons of
hallowed enjoyment, exerting an untold influence on
the moral welfare of our children and domestics
amid all the changing scenes of mortal life. Instruct
your families in the doctrines and morals of the
gospel ; seek the conversion of your children and the
family shall become the nursery of the church."

Rev. Wm. Lyle, one of the senior ministers who
had long laboured in word and doctrine, and whose
praise was in all the churches throughout the work.

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

was compelled through infirmity to superannuate.
A most gratifying resolution of regret was passed by
the Conference.

Rev. Wm. Lyle was born in Cornwall, England, on
May 19th, 1795, and died at Yorkville, November
27th, 1873. He was converted when twenty-one
years of age, and shouted God's praise. He then
began to labor to bring others into the same blessed
experience, and was very useful as a class-leader and
local preacher. In 1826, he entered the Primitive
Methodist ministry, and was sent to Canada in 1833.
He was stationed in Toronto four times ; Markham,
twice ; Brampton, twice ; Etobicoke, twice ; and
Laskay, once. He was superannuated in 1858. He
was a studious minister, a faithful pastor, a true
friend, a most indulgent father, a wise adviser, and a
devoted Christian. He was one of the pioneer
ministers, a man of fine physique, and one of the men
who excelled in the early days in establishing
righteousness in this new country. His memory is
revered.

The year 1857 was marked by a great financial
crisis. From the address to the English Conference
we copy the following : — " Nearly all the institutions
in the New World have tottered under its pressure
and many have fallen. Our church, in common with
others, has been burdened, and is still struggling with
difficulties. Notwithstanding the panic which has
convulsed our country, we have made progress
numerically. After supplying all deficiencies, we
report an increase of three hundred and nine mem-
222

"HARD TIMES! COME AGAIN NO MORE."

bers. The important grant from the English Mission-
ary Society has enabled us to assist our young and
struggling missions which otherwise could not subsist.
The Rev. John Davison's appointment as Missionary
Secretary and General Book Steward has been of
signal benefit."

The hard times were caused not only by the failure
of the crops at this time, but there had been for two
years previously, an unusual inflation. Wheat had
been selling as high as two dollars per bushel, and
other commodities in proportion. Farmers had
invested in bush farms, expecting high prices to
continue. The Crimean War, which had been the
cause of such excessive values in all food products,
was over ; the crops failed, debts were maturing, and
interest must be paid.

In an agricultural country, when the farmer does
not make ends meet, the result is business stagnation.
Men who had money to loan, could get as high as
twelve per cent., and some unprincipled money-lenders
sometimes charged twenty-five per cent. Business
men went to the wall ; no one trusted his neighbor.
Extravagance gave place to the most rigid economy,
and everyone felt the pinch. Many ministers on mis-
sions did not get a living, and when the return of good
times came, it was but to eat up the debt that had
slowly accumulated during the depression.

The dearth, or failure of crops, was not in Canada

alone, but covered most of the United States. It was

not only the wheat crop, but every other article

grown. Turnip seed was in some cases sown three

223

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

times, and yet failed. Only a few raised enough food
for their own cattle, and many animals were slaught-
ered to prevent death by starvation. Many a man
incurred more expense in growing the grain than all
the results would bring. A journalist of that date
says : —

"From January to December there were 313
failures in Canada West, amounting to nearly three
and a half millions of dollars. The poor, in cities
especially, are suffering, and soup kitchens have come
to their relief. Rich people start subscriptions, and
contribute very liberally to help those in need. In
the counties of Bruce and Perth there is the greatest
amount of destitution. Great numbers of familits
are living on potatoes and turnips. There are on^-
thousand families in Michigan on farms, and not one-
fourth of them have the means of subsistence until
next harvest. Two years ago all over this continent
the sun of prosperity was shining ; to-day all is
gloomy. Men are plunged into debts, which years
of prosperity will not be too much to cover."

Financially, the missions were in a deplorable state,
and tales of distress were related at missionary meet-
ings. The collectors did their best, but in only a fovv
places did the contributions reach what was given in
previous j'ears. Two ladies were collecting, and wn r
informed that if they would get a certain hill dow ■.,
they should have £5 for their collecting book. They
applied to the young men in the locality, and raised
a bee, and soon the work was accomplished, and the
amount promised was paid by the Council having
charge of the road. A farmer's daughter was
given a bag of potatoes if she would carry thtiu
224

"HARD times: come AGAIN NO MORE."

out. She made her exit carrj-ing her treasure. The
potatoes were taken to the missionary meeting, and
after the close, were auctioned four times, realizing
17s. 6d. The English Conference of 1858, voted
£500 for Canadian missions, and yet their was a
deficiency that depres.sed all connected with the work.
It was no one's mistake, heedlessness or carelessness ;
God did not give the increase, and some learned
lessons in economy and prudence that served them
well when the better times returned.

In 1858, Revs. Joseph Markham, Jonathan Milner,
J. R. Swift and M. H. Mathews were ordained. A
camp-meeting was appointed by Conference to be
held at Portland during the summer, and another at
London mission under the direction of Rev. Wm.
Rowe. It was decided to publish a semi-monthly
connexional paper, to be called the Christian Journal.

The Conference of 1859 was held at Victoria Square,
and was opened on April loth. The early date of the
Conference was to allow the official returns of the
year's business to be reported to the English Con-
ference, and compiled in their minutes as a part of
their statistics. The roads at this time were at their
worst. Very few of them were gravelled ; the frost was
out and the mud to the wagon hubs. R. P. Hopper,
a boy of fifteen, drove nearly twelve miles in a double
waggon to Richmond Hill station to meet the dele-
gates. For some cause none of them were there, and
he had to measure the distance back again. Most of
them arrived on horseback, the general mode of con-
veyance when the mud was deep. Rev. Robert

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Stephenson was ordained at this time. The increase
in the membership for the year was 439. Brampton
district was formed at this conference, so that there
were now Toronto, Hamilton and Brampton districts.
Rev. John Lacey was president, and in a letter to
England shows the disadvantages under which the
connexion were laboring. We will copy a part of it
as follows : —

"Nearly all other religious societies in this country
have some literary institution, in which young men
are being trained for their ministry. Our defect in
this matter we have felt, and do feel, as the age
becomes literary in its character. Another difficulty
in our way is the larger salaries held out to ministers
by older and wealthier societies. This prevents young
men of education and talent who are somewhat in-
fluenced by considerations connected with this life,
from entering our ministry ; and in inducing some
ministers who have been with us to seek a wealthier
and more comfortable home elsewhere. This country
has been for two years laboring under commercial \
pressure caused by a shortage of crops, as agriculture |
is the stamina of this continent's financial prosperity. >,
We regret to state that JIatthew Gray, one of our \
laborious missionaries, has had to retire from the |
regular work of the ministry in consequence of physi- ',
cal prostration, nevertheless we hope his useful life |
will long be spared, and that through his instrumen- ■
tality many souls may be born for Christ." j

CHAPTER XVII.
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

The Old-Time Preaching— To the Sinner— To the Believer— Luke-
Warm Christians — Strong Meat for Men — The Times Change —
Metropolitan Railway — Hogg's Hill— Yonge Street — The Arch
at Xewtonbrook — William High — Temperance Sentiment —
Joseph Law— Brass Candlesticks— The Northern Railway—
An Irishman — Cook's Omnibus and Cooksville Stage — " Room
for One More "—Colored Carpet Bags— Conference of 1860 —
More Districts Formed — Book of DiscipUnt— Christian Journal
— Jubilee of Primitive Methodism — Important Legislation —
Rev. Wm. Frankish- Mrs. Barron— An Old-Time Mother in
Israel— The "Bairn" in the Bam — Rev. James Edgar.

As I remember the old-time preaching, there was
nothing soothing about it to self-satisfied Christians
or impenitent sinners. The unconverted were shown
to be standing on the edge of a slippery precipice, on
the brink of everlasting woe, dead in trespasses and
sins, with neither desire nor power to help themselves.
Believers were to examine themselves, and were
warned against luke-warmness, which was loathsome
to God. It was shown in empty formality, their
prayers lacked the holy fervency and fire, the deep
emotion, the influential unction that distinguished the
prayer of the heart, or the deep panting for the living
God. They lacked zeal for the salvation of sinners;

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

they had neither the humility of the publican, the
earnestness of the Philippian jailor, nor the persever-
ance of Jacob. The causes of lukewarmness were
flinching from duty, spiritual sloth, neglecting the
closet duties, giving way to little sins, indulging in
petulant temper, immoderate attention to dress or
worldly business, improper company, and reading
literature that drew the mind away from God. Luke-
warmness was highly contagious. When it crept into
a church and fastened on a few members, it spread
and eat away the church's power. The hearers were
warned and intreated to mourn on account of their
state, and come to Christ that he might restore their
diseased souls, and fill them with joy in the Holy
Ghost. The whole church was expected to work.
They were not saved to be happy and comfortable
themselves, but to tell another the way of salvation.
They were to be living witnesses. Christian testi-
mony and public prayer were insisted upon, for
dumb Christians would die. Every preaching service
was a heart-searching time. They were to have their
lamps trimmed and burning, and oil in their vessels,
for any moment they might hear, " Behold the Bride-
groom Cometh." Such was the old time preaching,
which kept our fathers and mothers working seven
days a week at their religion ; and they thrived on it
too. That kind of preaching was strong meat for
men who had put on the whole armor of God, and
could take long marches into the enemies camp and
win triumphs for the cross ; for men and women who
could endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus
228"

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

Christ. They had praying power, fightincr zeal, and
suffering grace ; but in our day of luxurious living,
even our spiritual life is more effeminate ; and we
have need to be fed with milk. The pulpit in my
childhood kept the pew up to liigh-water mark ;
and the pew in return measured the preacher by his
success in applying the gospel remedy to men's
diseased souls.

How different everything is as well as preaching.
When I see the electric cars of the Metropolitan
Railway whizzing past my childhood's home, I recall
how often I have heard the opinion expressed that
" no cars would ever come up Yonge Street, for
Hogg's Hollow (York Mills) could never be filled up
and no cars could climb Hogg's Hill." That hill was
the terror of all travellers. Teams with grain would
have to rest three or four times, before the weary
straining horses could reach the top, and then with a
face of pleasant jocularity the toll-keeper popped out,
his breath freezing in the frosty air, and made the
driver pay for the privilege of climbing that awful
hill. Had it been a good road he would not have
minded it, but under the circumstances he mounted
his load once more and drove on, feeling he had been
made the victim of a practical joke. That hill was a
dangerous place, and in one instance that I know of,
came very near being the scene of a tragedy. Wm.
Frisby, of Victoria Square, and his wife, were riding
to Toronto on a load of grain. He got off to fix some-
thing that had gone wrong with the wagon tongue ;
the horses were unhitched, and the prop under the
229

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

wheel gave way ; the wagon ran back, burst the
guard on the side of the hill, and rolled over and over
away down into the gully. Mrs. Frisby jumped as
soon as she felt the wagon moving and saved her
life ; a few seconds later, and she would have been a
mangled corpse. Some of the grain bags burst, the
shelving of the wagon was broken, but otherwise,
little harm was done.

Before a railroad was built in Canada Yonge Street
was the main thoroughfare to Toronto, and droves of
farmers' wagons would follow each other on the way
to and from market. What clouds of dust they
would raise, the teamsters looking as dirty as if at a
threshing machine. Before it would subside another
lot would come, and the big feet of the farm horses
would make the air as thick as ever. We children
used to run down to the arch built in the road — a
high stone culvert that spanned the brook. Here we
threw chips in spring to see them sail ; but in summer
the brook dried up and we stood underneath to hear
the rumble overhead, which was like thunder. That
culvert is there still, and though it must have been built
nearly one hundred years ago has never needed repairs.
Living right on the street, with accommodation for a
horse and a welcome for all, our house was the stop-
ping place of all the ministers who travelled the road
to and from Toronto. What a continual coming and
going there was, and such earnest religious conversa-
tions on the progress of the work. The prospects and
trials were all unburdened, and as their prayers went
up we heard God's blessing asked upon us each byname,

J

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

not only that we might be kept in the way everlast-
ing, our trials sanctified to our spiritual advancement,
but that His blessing might also be upon our basket
and our store, to give us increased happiness, and
power for further usefulness in God's cause.

Billy High, of Maple, was one of the regular callers,
and father was ever anxious about his spiritual wel-
fare. He had been converted while at our house
before his marriage, and father was his first class-
leader. He seemed as one of the family and ever
welcome to the cup of tea, for nothing stronger was
in use in our home. In the early days, however, the
temperance sentiment was so lax in some neighbor-
hoods, that toddy might be made for anyone who
desired it, before they started home on a winter's
night after the cottage prayer-meeting was over. Mr.
Joseph Law said, he had seen the kettle steaming and
singing over the fire-place during the meeting, and
heard the invitation given to all who wished to have
a little toddy.

In my childhood days you seldom saw a carpet,
unless a couple of strips in the best bedroom ; and
there was quite a rivalry among the young women of
the neighborhood as to which parlor floor could be
made the whitest. It was scrubbed every week
whether soiled or not ; microbes had an uneasy time,
for the cleaning went on all the year round. The
age of paint that preceded the carpet age had not yet
arrived. The brass candlesticks, trays and snuffers
were like beaten gold, ready and waiting for com-
pany. Two candles were considered enough to light
231

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

a room, and the best candlesticks would hold the
" nuinbei- six " candles (six to the pound), while those
who lived less luxuriously used the " number eights."
Candle moulds were in all the farmers' houses, and
the beef and sheep's tallow was manufactured fur
home consumption. At first coal oil was thought to
be very dangerous, and a lamp was regarded witli
distrust. It was considered that it might explode at
any moment without the least provocation, and only
a grown-up person was allowed to light one. The
bricks of the hearth at the open fireplace were
reddened every two weeks with Venetian red mixed
with buttermilk, and if you accidentally stepped on it
you soiled the white lioor ; while the andirons were
well polished with blacklead.

I remember going to Thornhill station, on the
Northern Railway, to see the cars for the first time.
Father took us in the " democrat." It was almost
considered as tempting Providence to allow children
to go anywhere near them. After the most solemn
promises that we would not go a foot nearer than
father allowed us to, we got into the " democrat "
and started off amid the most intense excitement. I
know mother prayed for us, that we might all be
brought home again in safety. We did not think we
could get a good look any place but where they
stopped, as they went so fast. An Irishman on the
seventh of Vaughan, describing the caution needed
in riding on the train, said : " You must mind and
not pit your head out o' the windy, for if ye did it
wid jist be snapped aff ye like a surak." No accident

J

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

happened, auJ we had a treat that might uot be
repeated for years to come.

How the old ways of transportation have changed.
The electric railway up Yonge Street doing the work
once accomplished by Cook's omnibus. What a
difference for the traveller! How I remember the
loud rattle of that 'bus passing the door at half-past
eight in the morning going to Toronto and at six in
the afternoon returning. It was packed full inside
with passengers, and as there was always " room for
one more " within, they sat in layers if there was no
seat. The top had an iron railing, and was loaded
with colored carpet bags, an occasional trunk, or men
whose feet dangled down the sides. How it swayed
and swept, regardless of the dust three or four inches
deep, passing all the strings of farm wagons, in haste
to arrive at Richmond Hill on time. Sometimes
there were four horses, and that approached a circus
in our childish imagination. Cook's 'bus and the
Cooksville stage, were considered among the things
that would always be ; but modem invention sweeps
everything we once doted on to one side, and upsets
all our old-time notions of locomotion. It gives me
satisfaction to recall how much solid enjoyment we
took out of very trifling matters. My first and only
doll cost a penny ; it was a wooden one with a
painted face, and it had joints. It was handsomely
dressed in black glazed lining, and was a beautiful
object. The only disappointment I felt as I looked
at it was, that it could not think.

We turn from these pages of lighter vein, and once
233

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

more consider the progress of the connexion. At the
Conference held in Ebenezer Chapel, Etobicoke, in
1860, Rev. Wm. Bee, Rev. James Smith and Rev.
Wm. Cook were ordained. The whole work was re-
arranged and six districts formed: — Toronto, Bramp-
ton, Hamilton, London, Guelph and Kingston. The
work was becoming more cumbersome, and business
was facilitated by the division of labor, letting each
district consider its own needs, devise its own schemes,
and promote its own interests.

A Book of Discipline was to be prepared for the
connexion in Canada: a large committee was ap-
pointed to examine and decide on the manuscript for
publication ; six months was the time allotted for the
work, and Rev, John Davison was to convene the
committee and compile the book.

Ministers were to ascertain the views of the
membership regarding making the Christian Journal
a weekly paper at SI. 50 per annum, and send in a
subscription list to see if the change was warranted
by the returns. " The " Jubilee " of the founding of
Primitive Methodism was to be observed throughout
the work and subscriptions taken for the missionary
society, or for the formation of a connexional Book
Room as the donor might decide.

Now comes a very important piece of legislation : —
"All the Conference "probation ministers who are
stationed as superintendents, shall have the necessary
authority to solemnize matrimony." The death of
Rev. William Prankish is mentioned in the address
to the English Conference, He was a very estimable
234

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

young man. He came witli his parents from York-
shire, England, about the year 1S4L They settled
in Pickering Township and afterwards removed to
Reach. They bore such a character for earnest,
honest, hearty endeavor, in all that pertained to the
kingdom of Qod, that to this daj' their names are
fragrant in both the neighborhoods where they
lived.

Mrs. Barron of Bethesda Church, Scarborough, was
a small woman with a clear white complexion and a
spiritual appearance. She was earnest, sincere,
whole-hearted and sympathetic, a mother to all
the ministers in kindly ofEces and with encouraging
words. The key-note of her life was unselfishness ;
the unseen world was intensely real to her, and the
cause of God had the supremacy in her thought and
affection. Her faith was childlike in its simplicity
and she lived in an atmosphere bright with her
Heavenly Father's smile. She was an elderly lady
when I was a child, and appointed missionary
collector because she could gather more than anyone
else. About the year 1858, a new Wesleyan Metho-
dist church was built at Newtonbrook, and the Scar-
borough circuit withdrew its appointment. After this
father joined the Wesleyan body and led the week-
night class, but Mrs. Barron came yearly for his mis-
sionary subscription. She was telling us that John
Bond, of Toronto, had always given to her, but that
he told her he had lost so much she would have to
excuse him. It hurt her, and she replied — "John
Bond, Ah sail tell the Lod o' thee." " Xay, nay,
235

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Nannie," said he, " thee maunt gae tellin' the Lod o'
me ; wat did Ah gie ye last year an' Ah'll gie ye the
same." " Sae Ah telled him, an' he gav me the
money." Her face fair shone as she described it.
" Ah telled him I knew John Bond wad dae wat
was reet. Aye hinny, we dinna loss wat we gie tae
God's cause."

During ray father's last illness he sent for Nannie
Barron to come, for said he — " She is like my own
mother to me. She spent a week with us and her
presence was a benediction. The dear old lady used
to sit at father's bedside and talk to him. One day
she told him about a grand revival that took place in
Cumberland, England. She and a number of others
went. It was three miles, and she had her " bairn " to
carry ; but that was nothing when the meetings were
so good, and they were needed to help. After the
meeting was over, some were shouting and praising ;
some had not got liberty, and they were speaking a
word to them as they walked along. " It seemed as
if the glory of the Lod had filled the place ; we could
hardly hod the blessing we had gat, we were sae
happy." When she was nearly a mile away she
suddenly remembered her baby in the barn where
the meeting was held, and some of them came back
with her to get it. " And theer Jeames, ma bairn,
was sleeping fast and soond on his little bed of hay,
as wam as in his bed at home, an' I gat him and
started oot again. Ay hinny ! tae think I forgat me
bairn"; and the dear old lady laughed till she
doubled over at the very thought of doing such a
236

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

thing. Her face was so bright when she laughed it
was a tonic to look at her. How we enjoyed her
talks about the early days, and the wonderful mani-
festations of the Holy Spirit's presence.

I told Dr. Edgar when he came out to visit father
how kind Mrs. Barron had been to come, and how
she had helped us. " Yes," said he, " her presence is
always a blessing ; she has few equals ; she is worth
her weight in gold." Nannie Barron, as the old Meth-
odists used to call her, gave the very best evidence of
the power of religion in a kind, useful and godly life,
controlled by the Divine Christ, whose love seemed
to illuminate her whole being. What a grand privi-
lege it is to have known such people. The Bible
characters seem so much farther away in point of
time, and life was less distracting then ; but here is
one who had exactly the same circumstances that we
have, the same daily cares and round of homely
duties, whose life still speaks, and, like the rose, yields
fragrance after death.

Rev. Jan^es Edgar, M.D., a devoted and successful
pioneer Methodist minister, died in his 64th year at
his residence 62 Isabella Street, Toronto, after an
illness of about ten days, on April 28th, 1886. Dr.
Edgar was born at Dundas, December, 1822. At an
early age he began school-teaching near his native
place, at the same time studying with the design of
ultimately practising medicine. About this time he
attended religious services held by Rev. Thomas
Adams, a very godly and earnest Primitive Methodist
minister, and he was at those services converted. He
237

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

at once devoted himself zealously to Christian work.
It soon became apparent that his scene of labor was
to be in the Christian ministry, to which he was
called in the year 1846, by the Primitive Methodist
Church. He was twice stationed at Brampton, four
times in Toronto and Kingston. Markham, Scarboro,
Bowmanville and other circuits were fields on which
he labored with great acceptability. For thirty-four
years he devoted himself with great earnestness, to
the holy work to which, with all his heart, he believed
himself called of God. When preaching there was
evidently in him a depth of feeling and anxiety for
the salvation of his hearers, which brought them
into sympathy with him, and not many people would
listen to his sermons unmoved ; hence he was an
effective and successful minister of Christ.

Dr. Edgar's conversion was the great event of his
life. All worldly distinctions were cold and devoid of
charm, unless they were lighted with the beams that
shine from the Saviour's face. His conviction of sin
was so deep, his abhorrence of sin was so genuine, his
appeal for pardon at the mercy-seat so sincere, that
the joy and peace arising from forgiveness was a
wonderful transformation. His piety was devout.
The sacred communings and covenants of his soul
with his God show the intense spirituality of his life.

" I stand and survey the past — hazy and dreamy,
full of dangers and difficulties — but through all God
has led me safely. Ten thousand blessings I have
enjoyed, temporal and spiritual, and still they come
regularly and bountifully. I take tbj' light yoke and

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS OF ZION.

easy burden, 0 Christ. I trust in the merits of Jesus

only. No prayers, no tears, no vows or promises —

Jesus only. I leave all with Thee, 0 blessed Saviour.

December 9th. 1884. J. E."

Often when he preached at field-meetings and
camp-meetings thousands were moved by his appeals.
He was quiet and retiring in his disposition and had
no ambition for prominence, yet when chosen Presi-
dent of the Conference he performed its duties with
courtesy and grace. He was manly, pure and noble.
Dr. Edgar never seemed to think church business his
forte, but rather preaching, pastoral work and revival
services, in all of which he excelled. His kindly dis-
position made him a welcome guest everywhere, and
gave him great influence for good among all classes of
people. His knowledge of medicine opened to him
doors of usefulness, so that he was enabled to minister
both to the physical and spiritual welfare of his
people.

In the year 1880 Dr. Edgar's health failed some-
what and he took the position of a superannuated
minister, settled in Toronto, and devoted himself to
the practice of medicine, preaching occasionally on
the Sabbath. His last sickness was bilious fever.
From this he suflTered ten days when congestion of the
brain followed, and twenty-four hours after he quietly
departed to the home beyond. Many sorrowed for
the loss of so good and kind a benefactor, especially
the poor. He loved men, and no wail of human woe
ever broke upon his ear without awakening sympathy.
239

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry, clothed the naked.
With unwearied feet and loving heart he exhausted
himself in the service of others, and " ceased at once
to work and live."

Dr. Edgar left a widow, three daughters and a son
to mourn his departure. One of the daughters is
married to the Rev. S. Cleaver, M.A., D.D., of the
Toronto Conference.

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

Old-Time Missionari/ i/ee(ni;/— William Denton — Joseph Lund-
William Lund— J n Old-Time Local Preachers' Meeting— h^ska-y
Plan -Laekay Officials— Daddy Sandwich— Conference of 1861
— Tmpoiition of Hands— Jubilee Fund— Pastoral Address-
Stations for 1862— Conference of 1863— School Bill— University
Question— Conference of 1864, 1865, 1866- John G. Walker-
John Bugg — Rev. John Davison Superannuates — Complimentary
Resolution— Old-Time Dress— Caps Worn by Babies and Brides
— Feathers, Flowers and Flounces only Worn by the Worldly-
John Flynn and the Priest — Daniel Flynn becomes a
Protestant.

At one of the appointments on Laskay Station, a
good revival service was proceeding week after week,
when the missionary meeting made a break that all
regretted. Those were the times when loads of
young people would drive for miles to one of these
meetings to have a jolly evening and hear all kinds
of ridiculous stories and witty jokes, the object of
which was to draw a crowd, augment the collection,
and increase the subscription list. It was the same
in all the Methodist bodies until the more earnest
Christians requested that the missionary anniversary
be held on the Sabbath. Upon the evening in
question the superintendent minister was absent as
one of the deputation to another circuit, and the

A.DA. I
illinm

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

young minister was to read the report. William
Lund and another local preacher were there, but the
day had been very stormy, and the roads so bad that
the speakers expected were not on hand to begin.
The crowd, however, filled the church, and the
meeting was held. The addresses were earnest and
pointed, and Mr. Denton, the chairman, gave a few
closing words as a prelude to the collection. He
spoke of their Divine Master, who unlearned the love
of this life that He might live the life of love to all
men. He said the love of Christ should constrain
men. The covetous, miserly heart could not grasp
the idea of pure, unselfish love. We all had our full
measure of selfishness ; every day we had to battle
with it. The material things of this world loomed up
before us, and prevented us laying up our treasure in
heaven. We needed to sit loose to the world. If we
upheld Christ, we upheld all creation. The light of I
the gospel was needed to permeate the dark places |
of the world. The poor woman in the gospel brought |
the precious alabaster box of ointment and broke it |
over the Saviour's feet, and the odor of that ointment |
filled the world to-day. The criticising Judas was S
there with his miserly comment, but the criticising ^
disciple might easily become a hypocrite. " Some of us |
may be able to do but little, but let us see to it that I
we do that little. Serve God with the dollar you |
have, you may never have two to give. Whatever j
we do let it be our ' precious box ' — something we j
want to do for His glory. The Master and not man
must measure our ability." The meeting all through
242

J

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

had proceeded in this spirit, and the local preachers
were divinely assisted. Just before he ended one of
the deputation arrived. Mr. Denton announced that
as it was a little late the collection would be taken
up. While the plates passed around he remarked
upon the grand meeting they had, and how the spirit
and presence of God had been blessing them, and
showing them their privilege and their duty. They
were pleased that one of the deputation had arrived,
and he hoped that nothing would be said or done to
disturb the devotional feeling that had characterised
the earlier part of the meeting. The address that
followed was short but solid, without the usual
nonsense, and the missionary meeting was a help
rather than a hindrance to the revival services.
" In fact," said Mr. Denton, when he was telling me of
it years ago, " it was the best missionary meeting
I ever attended, and William Lund was at his best."

Joseph and William Lund were brothers, and very
earnest Christian men. Mr. William Lund was a fine
looking man, large, with a benign countenance and
with great powers of language. Flowery speech was
more natural to him than to Joseph, but Joseph Lund
touched life at more points, had a wider view of men,
and was a better reasoner. Joseph Lund was a very
intimate friend of William Denton, and they loved
each other as brothers. They often went to preach
together, for the helpful converse they had by the
way. They each seemed to have the power of open-
ing the understanding of the other, and it was their
highest purpose to be helpful in the divine life.
16 2^3

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Joseph Lund took a hopeful view of life ; he felt every
cloud had its silver lining. He was a very genial
man and kindly in all his acts. He could see a joke
and enjoy it. The local preachers on Laskay circuit
held a meeting periodically to correct each others
faults. There was one estimable brother, who while
preaching was continually putting his hands in his
trousers' pockets and pulling them out again. It was
nervousness made him do it, but it spoiled his preach-
ing. Joseph was appointed to caricature the proceed-
ing. One after another had asked for honest criticism,
and finally Joseph Lund got up and laid bare one or
two trivial faults, and then started his hands going,
saying how hard it was to call up the faults of a
brother preacher who was doing his best, perhaps al-
together unconcious of what might be glaring faults in
the eyes of another. Into and out of his pockets both
hands sped, all the time he was taking the brother's
part, and apologizing for what he was doing, till
the whole meeting was in an uproar of merriment,
while the man who got the lesson was as amused and
thankful as any ; and no doubt seeing how ridiculous
it looked profited by the exhibition. Joseph Lund
was a wagon-maker and lived at Teston, on the fifth
concession of Vaughan, but worshipped at Hope Church
on the fourth. He was useful in his day and gener-
ation, and of his means contributed generously to all
the enterprises of the church.

" He died in 1875. The last religious meeting he
attended was at Laskay, where he occupied the chair
at the missionary meeting. On his return home he

J

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

caught a cold from which he never recovered, but
went home to God on February 18th, 1875. He was
a good man and feared God above many. He had
been a local preacher 34 years. He traveled a short
time. His death is a loss to the station."

(The above quotation is from the missionary report
to the Prrinitive Metliodist Magazine.)

Laskay station raised S500 for missions that year,
being S130 more than the year before.

William Lund lived at Cook's Mills. He was a
merchant, and on retiring sold his business to Mr.
Denton. It was not my privilege to meet Mr. William
Lund so fequently as his brother, but I remember him
as a man of gentle disposition. I should consider
him a lover of books, and one who would enjoy a
quiet, retired life. He was much respected and his
word was as good as his bond ; he aimed at faithful-
ness, and lived according to his profession. His son
follows the medical profession.

If we look at the minutes of the first Canadian
Conference, held in 1854, we find Laskay branch
named. It was a large station with a long list of
local preachers. I have not been able to get an earlier
plan than one dated October, November, December in
1S68. The preaching places then were, Laskay, Noble-
ton, 8th con. King, Salem, Elliot's, Glenville, Hope,
Carrville, Patterson, Thompson's, Ebenezer. The
circuit steward at that time was James McGee, who
owned a lumber mill. The society stewards were J.
Johnson, J. Hambly, W. Bailey, G. Walker, J, Stony,
G. Willliams, J. McGce. J. Coombs, S. Thompson, and
245

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANA.DA.

H. 0. Wells. The preachers were Rev. John Gar-
ner, Rev. W. Johnson and W. Nixon, T. Reynolds,
Jos. Lund, Wm. Lund, D. Archibald, T. Burgess, T.
Welbourne, W. Denton, W. Western, W. Kirby, H.
Diceman, J. Johnson, J. Ireland, D. White, G. Meggison,
W. Reynolds (on trial), J. Grimshaw (exhorter) a.id
C. Nixon.

Mr. Joseph Baldwin lived at King, and was a
liberal financial supporter and frequently a member
of Conference; a fine, useful man of mature judg-
ment. He owned flour mills, was an ofiicial member,
quiet and unostentatious. Thomas Burgess was a
cooper in his employ, an earnest Christian, a solid
speaker, and faithful in filling his appointments. The
Archibald family lived at the 8th line of King ; they
were earnest church workers. The Hambly's were
members of the 9th line King appointment. John
Hambly was a merchant at Nobleton and a class
leader ; his house was ever a home for the preachers.
Charles Hambly was a class-leader and exhorter ; the
Hambly's were about the first settlers in the neigh-
borhood, and came from Nova Scotia. Wm. Nixon,
father of Rev. Wm. Nixon, lived at Hope appoint-
ment ; he was one of the trustees of the church built
on his land. He was a well-to-do farmer and a
staunch supporter of the cause, financially and spirit-
ually. Mr. Thomas Cook was a great financial help
to the society at Cook's Mills (Carrville), and gener-
ally provided a home for the young minister and
his horse free of charge. He was frequently a mem-
ber of Conference. His sons, William and Thomas,
246

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

are official members at Carrville, and his son
Georjre is steward at Hope appointment. John
Coombs is a class-leader and a useful man in the
Sunday School at Carrville, and Mr. Booth, father of
Rev. W. B. Booth, is also an official. Richard Thomas,
Samuel Thompson, Matthew Mortson, Mr. Robinson
and John Hartney were all officials at Thompson's
appointment. " Daddy " Sandwich was the class-
leader. He lived on Richmond Hill, and a sceptic
there said he was the only Christian that he knew,
who lived up to his profession. Every Sunday morn-
ing, rain, snow, sunshine or blizzard, Daddy Sandwich
would start out to walk five miles to Thompson's
church. An appointment was started half-way, near
the toll-gate, where Robert Brunskill worshipped,
and they tried to get him to join there, but Daddy
positively refused, saying he had feathered hie nest at
Thompson's and must go there.

In 1861, Rev. George Watson was the only one
ordained at Conference. John Davison was left
without a station ; he was editor of the Christian
Journal, Book Steward, and General Missionary Sec-
retary. The permission of the Conference was given
to sell the old chapels in Kingston, Guelph and
Orangeville, and prudent energy' was to be exercised
to erect new ones in more suitable localities, for which
object help might be solicited in any part of the
work.

The question of the " Imposition of Hands " in the
conference ordination service was to be considered by
the March quarterly meeting of each station, as a
247

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

subject of legislation to be settled at the next Confer-
ence. The jubilee fund received a large amount of
discussion, and strong pleas were made for a larger
subscription list for the Christian Journal. Revs.
William Herridge, Matthew Henry Moody and
Matthew Henry Matthews were ordained in 1862.
Eight Conferences have elapsed since I recorded the
stations, so will introduce them that the new names
and places since 1854 may be noted. The work was
enlarging in all directions, new places had been
missioned, missions had become circuits, and old
circuits had been divided.

Toronto District.

Rev. John Davison — Editor Chridian Jovrnal, Book Steward,
and General Missionary Secretary.
Toronfo— Robert Boyle, George Haigh.
Markham — John Nattrass, Wra. Monkman.
Bcnimuxnville — Wra. Herridge, Walter Reid.
Scarboro' — John Garner.
Jieach — Joseph Markham, Job Roadhouse.
Pickeriiig Branch — George F. Lee.

Brampton District.

Brampton — Robert Cade, Henry Steele Matthews.
Etobkoke—Wm. Rowe, James D. Ogilvie, W. Lyle and

W. Jolly, Supernumeraries.
Albion — Wni. Lomas. One to be obtained.
Laskay — Thos. Dudley, Wm. Cooper.
Orangei'ille — James Smith, Ricliard Hassard.
Oiprey — Robert Stephenson.
Colling H-ood—MnnheyY Henry Matthews.
24S

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.
Hamilton District.
Uamilion — James Cheetham.
Walpole— John Lacey.
Brant/ard—Wm. S. Hughan.
Paris — Abraham Heyworth.
Grand Biver — John Goodman.
Walsingham — Edward Lawton.
Blenheim — Wm. Bee.

GuELPH District.
Gudph — Timothy Nattrass,
Gait — Thomas Adams.
Pti/and H^eHes/ey— Jonathan Mihier, Wm. Codville ; John

Tuwler, Supernumerary.
J5rari<— Thomas Foster.
Minto—'Wm. Cook.
Kinrardine— John D. Gilbert.

LoMDON District.

London — Thomas Crompton.

Bosanquet—Sa.nmel P. Lacey, John Nichol.

MacG-illivray— James Clarke.

atratford—J. R. Swift, Richard Auger, One to be obtained.

Fly mpton— George Watson.

Chuttham— Isaac Ryder.

Carorfoc— James S. Boyes.

-5(ariiei/— Matthew H. Moody.

Jubilee Mission — Richard Paul.

Kingston District.

Kini/ston — Geo. Wood.
Fortland—J a.mea Edgar, William Pike.
2\^apanee — Wm. Newton, Thomas Phippa.
ft-;; Hisby— Charles Rotle.
Pk-cadilly — One to be obtained.
249

OLD-TIMK PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" The name of the Darlington circuit shall be
changed to Bowmanville circuit." All local preachers
and officials were urged to become total abstainers,
and at the district meetings ministers were to report
how many temperance meetings they had held during
the year. In the Conference Address to the English
Conference, it is said that "a stronger denominational
patriotism and a deeper tone of spiritual and convert-
ing power is growing amongst us."

In 1863, for the first time, we find the delegates'
names placed in the columns in the Minutes, under
the heading of lay and ministerial. It is much more
convenient, but it is strange that such an innovation
was allowed. There is also an extensive use of the
Reverend before the ministers' names, showing that
the earlier simplicity, which made the minister a
member of the church and an elder brother only,
was beginning to wane. Rev. Wm. Shakel Hughan,
Rev. Samuel P. Lacey, and Rev. George Haigh were
ordained.

Two resolutions relating to educational matters

1. School Bill. — " That this Conference views
with regret the Separate School Bill for Canada
West, now before the Legislature. It regards that
Bill as a direct effort on the part of the Roma
Catholic Hierarchy to undermine and destroy our
present excellent school sj'stem, as well as to foster
and perpetuate party dissentions, engender political
strifes, and check materially the prosperity of our
beloved country, and that at the expense of the
250

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

Protestant public. The Conference still more deeply
regrets the support rendered to this Bill by those
professing Protestant principles."

2. University Question.—" That whereas this
Conference believes there ought not to be any sembl-
ance of connection between church and state in this
country ; and whereas it is further convinced that it
is wrong for the Legislature to vote public money to
any educational institution connected with any re-
ligious denomination ; therefore, be it resolved : — That
this Conference views with disapprobation the efforts
being made by certain churches in this Province to
obtain grants of money from the government in aid
of their educational institutions ; and that it further
regrets to see the persistent endeavors made to sub-
vert the endowment of the National University for
the purpose of aiding colleges under denominational
control."

Peel and Wellesley mission was to become a circuit

A camp-meeting was to be held in Peel and Well-
esley, and another on London District.

Rev. John Goodman, Rev. G. F. Lee, Rev. A.
Heyworth, Rev. Wm. Pyke and Rev. Wm. Monkman
were ordained in 1864. Revs. Cade and Clarke, on
a visit to England, were authorized to request that
the Canadian Conference be allowed to meet at a
later period ; after due consideration the request was
granted. In one j'ear more Peel and Wellesley
circuit was divided and Hawkesville became a
mission.

In 1865, the Rev. James Boyes, Rev. H. S. Matthews,
251

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Rev. Richard Auger and Rev. Richard Hassard were
ordained. The Yorkville trustees received permis-
sion to sell their church property prior to the erection
of a new church. Mr. John G. Walker was a large
contributor to the Yorkville church, the congregation
of which now worships at St. Paul's on Avenue Road.
He was also the largest contributor to the Queen
Street church, now called Euclid Avenue. The Con-
ference thanked Mr. John Bugg for the gift of land
for Queen Street church. Mr. Bugg offered the
Christian workers of Alice Street congregation a
frame house, if they would move it near the Don and
use it for mission purposes. The offer was accepted.
It had to be sawn in two and taken two miles along
the city streets. It cost SSOO to pay this expense
and fit it up for a mission church. Rev. John Good-
man collected the money required, and the congrega-
tion started under such peculiar circumstances is the
one that now worships in the new King Street
church, and promises to be a power for good in the
evangelization of the masses. The Conference passed
a vote of thanks to Robert Walker, Esq., for his
generous gift of land and church on Parliament
Street (not the present structure but the one that
preceded it). Mr. Walker also made additions to
Alice Street church, that the Sabbath School and
class-meetings might have increased accommodation.
A committee was appointed to arrange and carry out
a scheme whereby some provision might be made for
Rev. John Lacey on his retirement from the regular
ministry.

252

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

In 1866 Rev. Job Roadhouse and Rev. Walter Reid
were ordained. Mitchell and Kirkton were made
separate stations, and London and McGillivray became
mission circuits. The death of Mr. John G. Walker
occurred in England from being thrown off a horse.
The Conference in great sorrow, passed the following
resolution to mark the sad event : — " That a memoir
of the late John 0. Walker be got up by the Book
Committee for general circulation."

The Rev. John Davison, after more than forty
years of uninterrupted and arduous labor, the last
nine of which he had been Missionary Secretary,
retired in 1866. The Conference passed unanimously
the following resolution :— " Resolved — That we can-
not allow our venerable Brother John Davison to
retire from the offices he has so long and so efficiently
filled, without placing on record our high appreciation
of his character as a man, a Christian and a connex-
ional officer, and we hope that his life will be spared
for many j^ears to come, and that we may still be
benefited by his ripe counsels and experience."

A paragraph from the Pastoral Address will be of
interest to the reader as recalling a troublous period
in our countiy's history : —

" As an expression of our sentiments in regard to
the threatened invasion of our country by the Fenian
hordes, a most loyal resolution was carried by acclam-
ation and forwarded to His Excellency the Governor-
General, pledging our Conference to the integrity of
our national institutions, the person and throne of our
Queen, and the sacreduess of the Empire."

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Some of my youncr readers may not be very much
interested in Conference facts or even connexional
figures, and for their sakes I will insert a few pages
of what may be more pleasing to them, as showing
the difference between the earlier and present Meth-
odism on the subject of dress. The clothing of the
early Primitive Methodist was quiet in color and
plainly made. When Hugh Bourne visited at Mr.
Carbert's in Toronto, he noticed Miss Carbert's dress
was fastened at the neck with a gold pin, and when
she left the room he inquired if she was a member of
the Society. On being informed that she was, he in-
structed Mrs. Carbert on the sin of conforming to the
fashions and vanities of the world in wearing gold or
broidered apparel. James Crawfoot, one of the early
missionaries in England, whose salary Hugh Bourne
paid out of his own pocket, was a Quaker and
dressed like them. He was a successful preacher, had
much spiritual insight and great influence over
Bourne and Clowes. It is more than probable that
this very unfashionable man led the styles for the
whole connexion with reference to dress. My mother
wore good clothing but refrained from wearing
flowers, feathers, ornaments or jewelery of any kind,
except her wedding ring. She did not wear a collar,
but a square of white brussels net doubled in half
under her dress and laid in folds above it at the neck.
She was married in a white cap trimmed with pink
ribbon ; but that was a special occasion, lilac and
buflf being used after until the black caps were uni-
versally worn. A fine woollen or cloth shawl was her
254

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

garment for winter, and a black satin shawl, either
plain or brocaded, for summer. It is not likely she
ever looked in a fashion book until her life was
nearly over, and missing its import, would have
judged of its merits more as a literary production. It
was not her way to criticise other people's dress ; it
was of greater moment to her what their characters
were. She felt that for herself plain attire was suit-
able and in keeping with godliness. She was over
sixty before she wore a coat. At first she wore her
shawl over it, thinking it made her look " giddy."
Infants wore caps in those days. People were scand-
alized if the child's head was seen bare, and thought
that the life was endangered by such foolhardy con-
dcut. Frills and flounces were avoided in orthodox
Primitive Methodist families, and ministers did not
wear a watch-chain, but a black silk guard.

My mother stands in my memory as the central
figure in our home. She was intensely energetic, a
good housekeeper, and kept everj'one moving. We
were counselled to " watch the clock " and see how the
time was going. She produced the greatest comfort
with the highest economy. As a result of her Scotch-
Irish training she did not expect quite so much from
a boy as a girl ; but father was more inclined to be
lenient to his girls. We were not allowed to shirk
our duties ; no one would inquire how long it took to
dust a room, but they would see at once if it was not
done right. Mother had little respect for girls who
sat with their toes in the fire waiting for some man to
take care of them. Above all things she desired
255

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

godliness for her children. After godliness and
industry came education. How she did prize it
before wealth, social position, dress or accomplish-
ments. Life was a most interesting thing to mother,
because she had a purpose and lived in its fulfilment.
Labor in her mind was a moral tonic, and she kept us
employed to keep us from evil. She was always busy
at home, but she performed many loving ministries in
other homes. She knew and loved her Bible, and was
round the sick and dying with acts of help and words
of comfort. Her quick and ready sympathy made her
to many a counsellor and guide. She could find
something good in everj'one's character, and was pre-
eminently a peacemaker ; she could probe and do it
gently. " Perhaps, my dear, she does not see it as you
do." " It is always better to put up with a little and
have peace." " It is always better to suffer wrong
than to do wrong." " Keep quiet and say nothing, do
not be the one to make trouble." " Sometimes people
have worries we do not know about, and the least
said is the easiest mended, the quietest way is the
best, pray for the Lord to guide you, dear." Generally
both sides came, and after the storm the calm was
prized. Mother had broad Christian charity, and the
Roman Catholic hired girl was expected to move
around on Sunday morning to get to her church at
Thornhill on time.

There were a great many Roman Catholics in

Newtonbrook. Daniel Flynn'swife and familj- were all

Protestants, though he was a Catholic. His son, John

Flynn, had been lingering with that terrible disease

256

i

J

THE OLD-TIME DRESS.

consumption. I remember one stormy night when
the rain was pouring down, and the mud, snow and
slush were ankle deep, a tap came to mother's bed-
room window, and old Ben., Flynn's hired man, said,
" Mrs. Agar, John is dying, and he sent me up to ask
you to come down and pray with him. I have a lan-
tern, and will wait for you." "All right," said
mother, and she dressed and went with him. Ou the
way down he told her that Dan., his father, had gone
for the priest to Thornhill, and John wanted her there.
As soon as she arrived John took her hand and said,
" Mrs. Agar, I am dying, I won't see morning ; father
will have the priest, and I want no nonsense over me,
I am not a Catholic, and I want you to pray for me
and promise me that you won't leave this room until
I am dead or give you permission." He was all
excited, so mother promised to do as he requested, and
he grew quieter. A Roman Catholic neighbor who
had been roused to keep watch, now entered, and see-
ing mother, demanded what brought her there. " I
came," said she, " becau.se I was .sent for ; I do not go
where I am not wanted." " You ought to be at home
in bed," said he. " Well," said mother, "just as soon
as I am not wanted here I will go home, don't let my
presence worry you ; I will take no harm until then."
In a short time the father returned with the priest,
who ordered everyone out of the room. John turned
his head to mother and said, " Mrs. Agar, I want you
to stay with me." Then looking at the priest he said,

" Father , I am no Catholic. I did not want

you sent for. I am sorry j'ou had to come. I am

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

trusting in Jesus Christ my Saviour. I have been a
Christian for some years, and as I have lived so will I
die— a Methodist." The priest gave a sniff of disgust,
and soon left the house ; and mother said she never
felt more sorry for any one than the poor old father,
who believed his son would be eternally lost if he did
not receive the last rites of the church and be buried
in consecrated ground. A few years ago the old man
died at the age of ninety-six, and died a Protestant.
The Methodist minister used to read and pray with
him, and he always wanted to hear the chapter the
minister had read at his first call, about the crucifixion.
Creeds were never mentioned. Near the last, one of
the family thought it wise to send for the priest,
whose first words on entering the sick-room were,
" Dan., where do you want to be buried ? " " In
Willowdale beside my wife," said he. " Good-day,"
said the priest, and departed. Dan. had found a surer
hope than he could place in rites and ordinances.
The Lord has his own way of leading men into rest
and peace.

CHAPTER XIX.

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE
STATE.

Confederation of the British Provinces— Conference of 1867— Theo-
logical Institute — Methodist Union— Conference of 1868— Rev.
Wm. E. Cooper — Act of Incorporation— Stations for 1869 —
Conference of 1870— Probationers' Journal— Rev. John Davison
visits English Conference— Daniel McLean, Esq.— Conference
Breakfast— Sketch of Rev. John Davison— Mrs. Davison —
Childhood's Memories— Memorial Service— Rev. Robert Cade's
Reminiscences— Rev. John Prankish— Rev. Henry D. Gifford
Rev. John R. Swift— Rev. S. Antlifl, D.D.— Rev. Thomas
Gutterv — Methodist Union.

The year 1867 witnessed the confederation of the
British Provinces to be called the Dominion of Can-
ada, and the Conference sent an address of congratu-
lation to the new Viceroy. A Theological Institute
had been started with Rev. Thomas Crompton as
tutor. Yorkville was made into a branch circuit.
The names, ages and years each minister had travelled
were placed in the Conference minutes. There was
S2,000 increase in the missionary funds for the year.
The following sentence, culled from the ordination
address by Rev. John Davison, foreshadows the great
subject which was destined to work such vast changes
in Canadian Methodism :

17 '259

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" It has been suggested among some ecclesiastical
politicians that there should be only one Methodist
Church in Canada — that all should be bolted to-
gether, and one grand frigate launched on her
triumphant course ; but whether this bolting or
"absorption" would answer all the purposes contem-
plated, is to me very questionable. As I hold that
our church is the ' Child of Providence,' having a
special mission, not originating in division, nor a
branch riven from any parent stock, I say guard its
ancient landmarks from being obliterated. Exercise
your judgment and earnest prayers to secure the
spiritual advantage of our country."

Rev. Wm. Rowe was appointed Book Steward and
General Secretary. Revs. Wm. E. Cooper, David
Simpson, Edward Whitworth, Rounding Pattison and
James Walker were ordained in 1867.

Revs. Thomas Auger, Wm. Thornley, James Stone-
house and Thomas Griffith were ordained in 1868.
Revs. Thomas Dudley, W. C. Jolley and Richard
Auger were made supernumeraries. We copy the
following resolution of Conference :

" That this Conference, while bowing with resigna-
tion to the will of God in the removal by death of our
dear brother, Wm. E. Cooper, yet desires to place on
record its deep regret that so promising and estimable
a minister of our Lord Jesus Christ should in the
morning of his life have been taken from us."

Very feeling reference was made to this sad dispen-
sation in the Conference address for the year.

The Conference of 1869 applied for an Act of In-
corporation, and appointed a committee to attend to
260

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

the matter. The following ministers were ordained
at this Conference : Revs. Wm. Clowes Jolley, Thomas
Amy, James Parker Bell, John Wesley Gilpin, James
Campbell and Charles E. Stafford. The Rev. George
Lewis, B.A., was appointed English and classical tutor
at the Institute.

The Stations for 1869 were as follows: —

Toronto District.
Toronto Circuit — John R. Swift, Henry Harris, John

Davison, Sup.
YorkvUle Branch — Wm. Herridge, Wm. S. Hughan, Wm.

Lyle, Sup.
Mark'Mm—Ch&Tles E. Stafford, Eli Middleton.
Pickering— J. W. Walker.
Bowmanville — John Goodman.
Scarboro' — James Edgar, Jesse Burdge.
JJeoc/i— Wm. Bee, Wm. Huggins, John Prankish, Sup.
Bruce Mines— Wm. Thornley.

Brampton District.

Brampton— Hohert Boyle, Wm. Johnston.

Etobicoke—J. S. Boyes, Luke Hall, T. J. Reid, prov. ; W.
Jolley, Sup.

Albion — John Garner, John Ockley, Joseph Bell.

Laskay — George Wood, Robert McKee.

OrangevUle — H. S. Matthews, Isaac Wilkinson, J. Simp-
son, Sup.

Rosemount — Job Roadhouse.

Hamilton District.

Enmillon—\\. Reid, J. J. Haylock.
Grand iJu'er— Richard Paul,
Walpole — Thomas Amy.
Blenheim — Samuel Keetch.
Brantford— Thomas Griffith.
261

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Pom— Wm. Pyke.
Walsinghain—Thoma.s Auger.
Woodstock— James Cheetham.

GUELPH DliTRICT.

Giitlph— John W. Gilpin, Thomas Adams, Sup.

PeeJ— Matthew H. Matthews, Richard Auger, Sup.

Hawhsville—Vfm. Lomas, John Fowler, Sup., Isaac
Ryder, Sup.

Minto — Wm. Monkman.

Brant— George Watson, George Nixon.

Kiiicardine— Amos Knapp.

Ju6ace— Richard Hassard, J.J. Thompson. One to be ob-
tained.

^rt/ii(r— Timothy Gavin.

London District.
London— Joseph Markham, T. W. Jolliffe, John Nattrass,

Sup.
Bosanqnet—AhTaha.m Heyworth, Reuben Toye.
ilfcfftHtVrav- Edward Whitworth, Benjamin J. Brown.
Stratford and Mitchel— George Haigh, W. C. Jolley.
Piym;)ton— James Campbell.
Chatham— James Stonehouse, William Bielby.
Caradoc — William Newton.
Ztrfctoji— Charles Roffe.

Kingston District.
Kingston- James Smith. One to be obtained.
Portland— \ym. Cook, William C. Allen.
Napan^e— George F. Lee, John Clarke.
CoHtngjby— Rounding Pattison.
ilinc/iinhrooA— Dunning Idle.

Barrie District.
Pornc^onathan Milner. One to be obtained.
Osprry— James Walker, T. Foster Sup., R. Stephenson,

J

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

jyic(i//o/(i— Thomas Dudley, John A. Windsor.
Cullingwoud — David Simpson.
Artemisia — J. W. Robinson.
Muskoka — Thomas G. Scott.
Stayreer— J. D. Gilbert.

At the following Conference, 1870, Rev. George
Lewis, B.A., William Huggins and Luke Hall were
ordained. James S. Boyes, through ill health was
forced to take a superanumerary relation, while John
Nattrass and William Cook were superannuated.
Each probationer was to keep a journal for three
months during the first three years of his probation,
and the whole of the fourth year, and these journal.s
were to be submitted to the Board of Examiners.
Ministers in the yearly report were required to answer
the question: —

" Has he visited fifteen families weekly on an aver-
age during the year? If not, how many has he
visited? If fewer than this number, reasons whj'
must be given, and the Conference shall decide whether
they are satisfactory."

Rev. John Davison was appointed to visit the
English Conference of 1869 ; after addressing the
Canadian Conference of 1870, they passed a resolution
of thanks, and desired that the report might be pub-
lished in pamphlet form. Thanks were given to Mr.
Robert Walker for his services at the English Con-
ference, and for entertaining the Canadian Conference
at breakfast ; also to Mr. Daniel McLean for a gift of
S500 to the Gore Street Church, Hamilton.

" John Davison was born near Xewcatle-on-Tyne in
263

OLD-TISfE PRnilTIYE METHODISM IN CANADA.

1799, and was converted by the agency of Wni. Norris,
a Staffordshire potter, who had gone to Newcastle, and
who was an earnest Primitive Methodist local preacher.
Mr. Davison joined the first society formed in New-
castle, and shortly began to exercise his gifts in call-
ing sinners to repentance in the surrounding villages.
In 1823 he was called to the ministry by the Hull
quarterly meeting, and the following twenty-four
years were spent on some of the most important cir-
cuits in the north of England. In 1840 he was
requested to go to Australia as Superintendent of
Missions, but declined. When, however, a similar
request was preferred in reference to Canadian mis-
sions, he complied. He reached Toronto in August,
1847. After residing three years in the city, he was
stationed on the following circuits : — Grand River,
Hamilton, Brampton, Gait and Guelph mi.ssion. In
1857, he was appointed General Missionary Secretary
and Book Steward, which brought him again to Tor-
onto, where he continued to reside until bis death in
1884. In 1866 he was superannuated, after being
engaged in the active work forty-three years. He not
only tried to do good with his tongue but also with his
pen. In 1840 he compiled the journals of Wm. Clowes,
and in 1854 published the life of the same eminent
evangelist, who, under God, ranks with Hugh
Bourne as one of the founders of the connexion. It
may be remarked in passing that Mr. Davison mar-
ried the step-daughter of Rev. Wm. Clowes, on
October 11th, 1825. On coming to Canada Mr. Davi-
son found no denominational periodical, and he there-
264

J

REV. JOHN liAVlSOX.

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

fore ventured, on his own responsibility, to commence
a monthly paper, The Evangelist, that had a good
circulation, but was afterwards merged into the
Christian Journal, which was started at the Confer-
ence of 1858 with Mr. Davison as its editor. This
position he held till his superannuation. He also
compiled the first Book of Discipline. Outside his
own denomination he was loved and esteemed, and the
confidence of the general public in him was shown by
his appointment by the Government to a place on the
Senate of Toronto University, which he held from 1863
to 1873. Among the last words this venerable ser-
vant of God uttered when dying, were : 'I have done
what I could for the Church and the world ; my work
is done.' We doubt not the Master greeted him on
his entrance into His presence with ' Well done ! ' "

I was acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Davison. They
both have a place in my memories of childhood. They
were a fine-looking couple and would be noticeable in
any gathering as more than ordinary people. Mr.
Davison was a dignified-looking man, with an excel-
lent physical make-up, and a face that was the index
of a soul above all self-seeking. There was the mark
of self-possession and refinement in his bearing, as of
one whose intellect was not occupied with trivial things,
He was naturally capable, and would have made a
success in any calling that required prudence, fore-
thought and perseverance. He was without any de-
sire for ostentatious display, but his nobility of char-
acter, his unassuming modesty, his innate worth called
out the unstinted courtesy he gave to others, and
265

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

made his counsel soucfht in the Conference, and his
opinions listened to with deference. When he became
aged, the term " Our Venerable Father Davison "
meant all and more than the words implied. Mrs.
Davison was a beautiful woman, large and well-pro-
portioned, her complexion was clear and rosy as the
morning, and her face full of character and sweet-
ness. As a child, I liked to sit and look at her. Her
voice I can hear yet as she addressed one of her
grandchildren : " Now, lovey, you are a very privi-
leged girl to be invited here to-day with grandma,"
etc. She always called her friends " lovey," and lived
in the sunshine she carried with her.

The last time I met Mrs. Davisnn was at Grimsby
Park. We were introduced as strangers, but upon
my inquiring if she were not the Mrs. Davison who
used to visit my mother, we found we were old
friends. She knew our Christian names and our
husbands' names, and wanted to hear all the par-
ticulars of mother's death, and for half an hour I had
to unravel the family history. She was delighted,
and so was I, to renew the old friendship. How she
talked of mother and the old times. They never
die who live in the hearts they leave behind them;
and may they have a gladness as sweet as the
memory of them is to-day. In some bright clime
we'll sometime say " Good-morning 1 "

Rev. Robert Cade, D.D., in his address at the
memorial service of Mrs. Davison, remarked :

" Having known Mr. and Mrs. Davison for nearly
forty years, I rejoice in the opportunity to bear my
266

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

testimony to their purity in life, their dignity in the
conduct of affairs, and their (juenchless zeal in the
cause of Jesus Christ. Mrs. Davison was a Christian
at thirteen, a true helpmeet as a minister's wife, a
faithful mother, a widow whom it was a benediction
to visit, a saint serving the Lord above reproach for
seventy-three years, it may indeed be said — ' she has
lived.'"

" What a cluster of clever, consecrated women were
those Primitive Methodist preachers' wives who came
to Canada forty-five and fifty years ago. The saintly
names of Mrs. Towler, Mrs. Lacey, Mrs. Lyle, Mrs.
Adams, Mrs. Compton come before me now, and not
by any means least, though lingering longer among
us, the now glorified Mrs. Davison. And what a
heritage we had in the men who kindled the holy fire
on many an altar in this land. Matthew Nichols who
rode on the crest of a wave of perpetual revival
enthusiasm ; John Lacey, exhaustless in resources and
famous as a preacher; Wm. Jolley, who could not rest
without conversions ; James Edgar, who lived more
in heaven than upon earth ; local preachers of remark-
able acceptability, who never wearied of their work ;
and devout women not a few — Mothers Carbert,
Thompson, Walker, Lawson, etc. Mrs. Wm. Lawson
lived a glorious life. She had the promise that she
would see all her children saved, and she saw them
saved, and her dying chamber was like a Mount of
Transfiguration. " I seem to feel the touch of precious
vanished hands, and hear the sounds of voices that are
still."

267

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Rev. John Prankish and Rev. Henry Gifford died
during the conference year from the same cause.
Both contracted severe colds while holding protracted
meetings and never recovered, but passed away in less
than a year. Rev. John Frankish was a brother of
Rev. Wm. Frankish, whose family history has been
noted. Rev. John Frankish was four years in the
work, and died on November 26th, 1869. He was
interred at Bethel burying-ground on the Claremont
circuit. He was a very successful worker, and was
loved wherever he labored. Rev. Henry D. GifTord
was born in the Township of Clarke, in the County of
Durham. He was a school teacher and converted on
the Bosanquet Circuit. He was only two years in the
ministry, and died on the Sth of January, 1870, in his
24th year. The work of winning souls was very dear
to him, but he was perfectly resigned to the will of
God. His body lies in the cemetery at Forest. In the
above, three young men died in youth, and no doubt |
the "spare bed," away from all fire, and damp from «
continued frost was a " death trap " to many an un- |
suspecting youth. The conditions of life were very S
severe, and many a man's health was sacrificed. Rev. |
Thomas Auger, Rev. J. Cheetham. Rev. R. Hassard |
and Rev. W. Cook had to withdraw from preaching I
through ill-health. The Educational Institute was |
discontinued during the year 1870, and young men j
attending the Toronto University for two years, under f
the superintendence of the Toronto ministers, were t
allowed one year on their probation. \

The Pastoral Address in 1S70 was from the Presi- I

I

J

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

dent, Rev. John R. Swift, and was intensely earnest
and soul searcJiing. I copy a few sentences: —

" How is it the sheaves are so few and the church
so lean. Are we diiniiiiaiiing in the mighty talent
which gives the qualification for winning souls? Are
we permitting indifference or carnality to render
powerless those forms of service which gave such
brilliancy and glory to the history of our church in
the days gone by ? We ask brethern, in the solemn
presence of God, and in prospect of the judgment, if,
when the pale faces in the sepulchre flame again with
life, and their searching visions fasten on us in the
awe struck assembly, will they accuse us of feeble re-
bukes, time serving palliations, or cruel neglect ? Can
we see sinners waste their substance, and hurry on to
the deep dark gulf of woe, without putting forth
strenuous effort to turn this tide of souls toward the
throne of God and of the Lamb."

In 1871 the Rev. Samuel Antlift', D.D., uncle of the
Rev. J. C. Antliff, M.A., D.D.,of the Methodist Church,
was sent out to visit the Canadian work. He was the
English General Missionary Secretary. So many
ministers were ill, and so many had resigned, that con-
siderable correspondence took place, and as a result
Revs. Porter, Lidstone, Willis, Waits, Bryant and
Thompson were sent from England for the Canadian
work. The ministers ordained at this conference were
Revs. Jesse Burdge, Eli Middleton, Thos. W. Jolliffe,
Joseph J. Hajdock, John Fletcher Porter, Joseph E.
Lidstone; and Rev. Jas. Cheetham was superannuated.
Rev. Thomas Guttery of the English Conference was

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

invited to be minister of Alice Street church, Toronto
He was an able speaker, and filled the charge with
great acceptance. Rev. J. R. Swift applied for an
English station. The Committee regretted his depar-
ture, but allowed him to return. Rev. W. S. Hughan
received permission to visit England for three months.
Rev. Wm. Rowe was appointed General Secretary,
Book Steward, and Editor of Christian Journal;
Rev. Samuel Antliff, D.D., was chosen to be President
of the Conference ; we find the following in the
Pastoral address : —

'• The selection of the Rev. Samuel Antliff, D.D., has
been a happy one. His ripened experience, matured
judgment, scholarly attainments, and sanctified
eloquence, proved him to be eminently fitted to
represent a body which has in its ministry and com-
munion many whom God delights to honor. As our
president, Mr. Antliff did us good service. His
sermons and addresses on public occasions were of the
highest order, and the crowds which gathered to hear
him evidenced the acceptability of his ministrations."

The subject of Methodist Union was again before
the Conference, and the following resolution carried: —

" That however desirable in some respects an amal-
gamation of all the Methodist Churches in the
Dominion is, yet in view of the action of some of the
Methodist bodies on this subject, and the relation we
sustain to the Home Body, and which relation we wish
to retain, we deem such amalgamation at present
impracticable." Methodist Union was discussed for
day and a half, with more than ordinarily free and
270

RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KEYSTONE OF THE STATE.

unreserved expression of views on the subject, and the
foregoing resolution was carried bj"- a large majority.
The Conference knew the membership did not desire
it. The conne.xion was prosperous, ministers' salaries
rising, and it was hardly to be expected that a Con-
ference whose laity were two to one in its composition,
would pass a resolution excluding themselves from
the highest court of the church. The laity laid down
the plank of lay delegation, stepped out on it, and
stood firm to be carried in on that foundation, or
stand solid where they were.

CHAPTER XX.
HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

Conference of 1872 — Rev. Thomas Crompton— Mrs. Crompton—
Conference of 1873 — Adverse Vote on Methodist Union— Rev.
James S. Boyes— Rev. Wra. Rowe— Conference of 1874 —
Montreal, Manitoba and St. Catharines — Mrs. McLeod of
Kingston — Letters of Condolence — Stations for 1875 — Proposed
Basis of Methodist Union — Conference of 1876 — Rev. James
Cheethani — Rev. Isaac Ryder — Yorkville — Parliament Street
and Don Mills' People— OfBcials of Bowmanville— Etobicoke
Worthies— Henry Childs— Hamilton Friends— John Chater—
Joseph Ryan — " Daddy " Woodward — A Rolling Collection —
A Laughing Chorus — Successful Revival Services.

The Conference of 1872 met in London. Revs.
Thomas G. Scott, James Thompson, Reuben Toye and
George Nixon were ordained. Revs. Thomas Cromp-
ton and J. S. Boyes were superannuated. The.
columns of the Christian Journal were to be opened
for a " respectful and temperate discussion on the
subject of Methodist Union ; " they might as well
have asked the editor to serve up cool boiling water,
A committee was appointed to draw up a basis of
union acceptable to this Conference, to he reported
at next Conference • (An ambitious task ') Eight
new stations were to be formed by the division of
large circuits, giving the following : — Pickering,
272

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

Amaranth, Malton, Clifford, McGillivray West, Oro,
Dover, Ravenshoe.

Rev. James Ferguson and Rev. G. Reeve were sent
out by the English Conference for the Canadian work.
Rev. Wm. Rowe was allowed to take a voyage to
England for his health. Rev. Thomas Crompton.
through affliction, was forced to seek superannuation,
and a resolution was passed making mention of his
faithful service to the church for thirty-seven years
as Pastor, Editor, Theological Tutor, Book Steward
and General Missionary Secretary. The language in
which it was expressed was most sympathetic and
complimentary. Rev. Wm. Bee was appointed Book
Steward and General Secretary. Rev. Thomas
Guttery edited the Christian Journal during Rev.
W. Rowe's absence.

The Rev. Thomas Crompton was born in Bury,
Lancashire, England, February 10th, 1817, and died
in the city of Hamilton, Canada, April 24th, 1886.
He was of godly ancestry and was converted at thir-
teen years of age. His spiritual history was marked
by powerful intellectual quickening. He was a
diligent student, and at sixteen j-ears of age became
an exhorter. The church, knowing his rare gifts and
spiritual qualifications, called him to the ministry at
eighteen years of age. He was ordained in 1840.
His aims were lofty, his motives pure, his life fully
consecrated, and he filled some of the most important
stations in the English Conference. The need of
missionaries caused him to come to Canada in 1854.
He was stationed in Kingston, Bowmanville, London,
273

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Etobicoke and Markham. In 1866 he was appointed
Book Steward, Missionary Secretary and Editor of
the Christian Journal. These offices he resigned,
except the editorship, when he was made Theological
Tutor of the Institute. After his superannuation he
was busy with his pen. He had previously published
a book on " The Agency of the Church " which had a
large circulation. His brother ministers knew him as
a sterling man, of genuine Christian character ; a loyal
Primitive Methodist of a broad catholic spirit ; a
staunch and steadfast friend, truthful, transparent
and manly. Intellectually he was original, strong in
thought, clear in conception, powerful in argument.
His end was very peaceful. After giving his blessing
and counsel to his children, he closed his eyes in
death, and his happy spirit passed into the heavenly
daybreak. His brother ministers carried his body to
a quiet place in Burlington cemetery. ;'

Mrs. Crompton survived her husband for some \
years. She was eminently fitted for the sphere she |
tilled by natural disposition, mental culture and |
divine grace — a womanly woman, a noble mother, a f
wise counseller to husband and children. Her home i
was the sphere of her most intense activity, but she |
also sacrificed and labored, as opportunity ofl[ered, for 'j
all the interests of the church. Her maiden name !
was Martha Blackburn, and for forty-six years she >
cheered her husband in his earthly pilgrimage. They •
are reunited and live in the sunshine of God's pres-
ence forever.

Revs. Dunning Idle, John W. Robinson, Wm. C

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

Allen, Robert McKee, George H. Thompson, John F.
Ockley, Benjamin J. Brown and Goram A. Gifford
were ordained in 1873. Revs. Wm. Lomas, Wm. Rowe
and J. R. Swift were superannuated. The ministerial
invitation sj'stem was adopted, and a minister might
staj' five years if invited to do so.

At this Conference the question of Methodist Union
was fully and ably discussed, and after very calm con-
sideration and by an overwhelming majority, it was
requested that our ministers and people avoid any
further agitation on the subject, as there was no
prospect of any basis being secured which would
include the leading principles for which as a people
we have been distinguished. " To agitat« further
would be to disturb, divide, and weaken our societies.
Let us cultivate the holiest friendship with the Lord's
people of other communities, but let our great work
be soul saving. Let us show we are not unworthy
either of the fathers whom God honored in raising
up Primitive Methodism, or of the generous aid
afforded us by our brethren in England from year to
year ; nor yet of that solemn stewardship which the
Lord Jesus Christ has so evidently entrusted to us."

Rev. James S. Boyes was born in Montreal April
4th, 1840. In 1853 the family removed to near
Chatham. He was early brought to Christ, and at
seventeen years of age became a local preacher.
While engaged in school -teaching he became convinced
that he ought to enter the Christian ministry, and his
way was opened to a place in the Primitive Methodist
Conference. He labored in Paris, Caradoc, Toronto,

L

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

and Etobicoke circuits with acceptance and success.
In 1870, being troubled with sore throat, he took a
year's rest, but his work was done, and on November
5th, 1873, in the thirty-third year of his age, he passed
away to the home of the saints. He was an able
minister of Jesus Christ, possessed good business
ability, and was fully in earnest in his efforts to do
good.

Rev. Wm. Rowe, through ill health caused by over-
work, was obliged to request superannuation. The
Conference of 1873 passed a lengthy resolution of
sympathy on his retirement, recording their appreci-
ation of the ability with which he had filled the
offices of General Missionary Secretary, Book Steward,
and Editor of the Christian Journal, accompanied by
a prayer for his speedy restoration to health. As a
pastor he was most successful. While stationed in
London the whole district was greatly indebted to
him, being mostly formed by his watchful oversight
in the interests of the work. London Church was
built during his pastorate, and in 1859 he was
permitted to canvass throughout the connexion in the
interests 6f the building fund. The Rev. James
Smith, his colleague, had charge of the circuit during
his absence and did faithful work. In Toronto the
church never prospered more than during Mr. Rowe's
superintendency. Churches were erected on Parlia-
ment Street, Queen Street, a new church built at
Yorkville, and the ministerial staff increased from two
to four ordained men and one probationer. After his
return to England, with improved health, he labored

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

for several years as principal of one of the connex-
ional educational establishments. He is a man of fine
presence, very gentlemanly in manner, kindly in
disposition, a good preacher, a faithful pastor, and one
of the best administrators of the Church. He still
renders ser\'ice as health and opportunity permit,
preaching in many parts of England. He is very
kindly remembered by a great many friends in
Canada, and is very highly respected in England, not
only by his own denomination, but by all the free
churches whose pulpits he occasionally fills. He
appears to be enjoying a pleasant relaxation after a
long and active daj-. May his eventide be bright.

In 1873 Rev. Thomas Guttery succeeded Mr. Rowe
as editor of the Christmn Journal, but the Carlton
Street Church objected to their minister doing any-
thing but his own pastoral work, and in 1874 Rev.
Wm. Bee was appointed editor. Mr. Bee had too
much work without this, and when Mr. Guttery was
stationed at Yorkville he was re-appointed editor.

In 1874 Mr. Robert Walker resigned his position as
connexional treasurer, and his son, Mr. R. I. Walker,
was appointed in his place. Mr. Robert Walker was
made a life member of the General Committee and
Conference. Missions were opened in Manitoba, St.
Catherines and Montreal. The English Conference
sent out S6,000 of missionary money, 33,000 being
a special grant. Mrs. McLeod of Kingston deeded a
house to the connexion in the city of Kingston for a
parsonage, and the thanks of the Conference were
forwarded. Revs. Joshua Dyke, Thomas Boyd, James
277

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Ferguson, John S. Corcoran, Charles Mattenly and
Robert Thompson were ordained in 1874, and the
following year (1875) Rev. John Dennis, Nathaniel
Wellwood, Henry Parish, Thomas Sims and George
Reeves were received into full connection.

Letters of condolence were sent t-o the families of
the late Messrs. J. Baker, of Collinsby, H. Munroe and
M. Joness, of Bowmanville, Joseph Lund, of Laskay,
E. Baker, of Grand River and William Lawson, of
Hamilton, all of whom died in the Lord. These men
had been members of Conference and standard bearers
in the cause. Mr. William Lawson left a property to
the Hamilton West Mission, and trustees were ap-
pointed to receive it from his executors.

STATIONS FOR 1875.
Toronto District.

Rev. Wm. Bee, Editor of Cliristian Journal, General
Missionary Secretary and Book Steward.

Toronto, First — Thomas Guttery, John Davison, Sup.

Toronto, Second — James Edgar, Wm. Lomas, Sup.

Toronto, 27nrd— Thomas Grittith.

Toronto, Fourth — George Wood, John F. Ockley.

ilfarWiom— John Goodman. One to be obtained.

Pi'cicriji/;— Robert McKee.

BoutnanvUle — Robert Cade.

Scarhoroiiyh — William Thornley, C. O. Johnson, Thomas
Dudley, Sup.

Reach — Rounding Pattison, T. B. .\vison, Thomas Foster,
Sup.

San/iford — Joseph Markham.
278

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

Brampton District.
Brampton— Thos. W. Jolliffe, Thos. Sims.
Etohiccike — John Gamer, Wm. Rodwell.
Malton — James Smith.

Alhimi — Matthew H. Matthews, John Dennis.
Laskay — Walter Reid, George Jacob Reeve.
Omnfierille — Jonathan Milner, Joseph Simpson, Sup.
Bosemonf — George Ferguson Lee.
Amaranth — Joshua Dyke.

Hamilto.s District.
Hamilton — Wm. Herridge.
Grand Ricer—G. H. Thompson.
Walpole — Robert Thompson.
Blenheim — Henry Parish. One to be obtained.
Bra af/OTi— Luke Hall, John Towler, Sup.
Falkland — Amos Knapp.
Walsingham — John S. Corcoran.
Woodstock— GeoTi;e Clark, James Cheetham, Sup.
St. Catherines— yV. C. Allen.

GcELPH District.
Guelph — Eli Middleton, Thomas Adams, Sup.
Peel — Richard Hassard.

Hau-ksrille — James Walker, Isaac Ryder, Sup.
Muifo— Charles Mattenly.
Bra nf— Thomas G. Scott.
Kvncardi)ie — George Watson.
Jubilee— Charles S. Willis, Joseph E. Lidstone, Albert

Sims.
,4rf^i(r— Thomas Bryant.

London District.
London— yS'm. S. Hughan, C. J. Dobson, John Nattrass,

Sup., Timothy Nattrass, Sup.
Bosa7iquet —'Richa.rd Paul, Wm. Cook, Sup.
279

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Forest— Roheit G. Roacamp.

McCrillivray — Wm . Newton .

West Branch — Thos. Hancock.

Stratford— James Parker Bell.

Mitchell— ThomSLS Boyd.

Flympton — Benjamin J. Brown.

Chatham — Abraham Hey worth, James E. Moore.

Dover — Richard Auger.

Caradoc—Wm. Huggins.

Woodham — Dunning Idle.

Newbury and Bothu-ell-John R. Swift, Sup.

Kingston District.

Kingdon — John F. Porter.

Portland — Thomas Amy, Thos. Coupland, John Lacy, Sup.

Rvblin — James Ferguson.

ColUnsby — Nathaniel Wellwood.

Minchingbrook — Charles Howarth.

Montreal — John Nichols, Wm. Nixon.

Barrie District.

Barrie — Robert Boyle, Thomas Crompton, Sup.

Uro — Samuel Thompson. (Under Barrie superintendent.)

Bradford — Charles Lazenby.

Osprey — Edward Whitworth, Robt. Stephenson, Sup.

Cullingwood — James Thompson.

Artemisia — John W. Robinson.

Bracebridge — John W. Gilpin. One to be obtained.

Orillia — Henry Harris.

Tliree Mile Lake—W. H. Law.

Leave of absence was (:jiven to Rev. G. J. Reeve
and Rev. E. Middleton to visit England during the
spring of 1876.

Again we copy from the Minutes of Conference :
280

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

" Methodist Union. Basis to be .submitted to the
committee of the Methodist Church of Canada :

" 1. That any basis of union to be acceptable to us
shall admit an equal number of laymen to ministers
in all church courts, and have equal rights with min-
isters to take part in all the business of said courts.

"2. That all business meetings be allowed to elect
their own chairman and circuit quarterly meetings
to nominate their own officials.

" 3. That the following be a committee to confer
with the executive of the Methodist Church : Revs.
R. Boyle, T. Crompton, W. Bee, and Messrs. R. Walker,
R. I. Walker and D. McLean. The last named to be
the convener. That should the said committee of the
Methodist Church of Canada give us an assurance of
their acceptance of our principles as forming a basis
of union, that this question shall during the year be
submitted to our people for their vote. The method
by which this vote shall be taken to be decided by
the General Committee."

The Christian Journal was to be open for a fair
and impartial discussion of the subject, and the space
limited to " not more than two columns at one time."

The Pastoral Address, referring to the foregoing,
states : " We hope said resolutions will prevent all
agitation, render discussion unnecessary, be the cause
of mutual confidence, peace, harmony, and unity of
effort among ourselves, and promote the most friendly
feelings and Christian unity between us and all other
religious denominations.

In 1876 Revs. C. 0. Johnson, William Nixon and
James E. Moore were ordained.

Rev. James Cheetham was born at Middleton, near

281

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Manchester, England, on July 28th, 1811, and died in
Florida, November 26th. 1876. In his twenty-second
year his soul was set free, and he began leading others
to Christ. Not only were his nine brothers and
sisters won for Jesus, but many of his neighbors were
converted to God. In 1838 he entered the ministry,
and in 1856 emigrated to Canada. He labored very
successfully in many important stations. In 1870 his
health failed, and in 1871 he superannuated. In
1876 he knew his work was done, an ab.scess broke
inwardly and his earthly journey was soon ended.
His comfort came from the presence of God in the
valley, and he has entered into his Master's joy and
is forever at rest.

Rev. Isaac Ryder was born in 1804, in Norfolk,
England. He was converted while serving in the
army in India. When his term was completed he
emigrated to Canada, settled in Kingston, and entered
the Primitive Jlethodist ministry in 1852. He
labored earnestly for fourteen years, and superan-
nuated in 1865. His home was in the village of Lin-
wood, where he preached faithfully the gospel of
Christ. He was ill only ten days, and at the last
passed away suddenly from all earth's conflicts to be
forever with the Lord.

A few more laymen's names should be mentioned,
friends tried and true, who stood by the connexion
when their loyalty was of most value :

Wm. Trebilcock, of London, was a faithful, earnest,
devoted supporter, who made the interests of the
church his own ; a class-leader and a pillar in the

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

church ; also a man of business abiHty and forethought.
His daughter Miriam married the Rev. James Fergu-
son, of the London Conference. Mr. Trebilcock was
Vice-President of the Conference in 1882.

Thomas Martindale, wife and daughter, of York, on
the Grand River circuit, were most reliable members,
constant and generous ; and when the first pig was
butchered in the fall one half of it was sent to the
minister's family. The.se old-fashioned ways are
nearly out of date, but this act showed their hearts
were in the right place. Charles, John and James
Walker, at the stage road, Providence Church, and
Thomas and Daniel Baldwin, were all local preachers
and active, useful men. Most of them entered the
regular ministry of the Primitive Methodist Church
or some other denomination.

John Green came to live in Orangeville in 18G3, and
one of the ministers said of him, " He was one of the
noblest spirited men, the most liberal and most
Christian man I ever knew. Largely through his aid
and influence the commodious Primitive Methodist
Church in Orangeville was built. He was a great
blessing to the town, and a true friend to the church
until the close of his life here."

John Bugg's name has been mentioned before : he
gave very liberally to the Yorkville, King Street,
Queen Street and Davisville Churches. The Barrons
and Smiths at Parliament Street, the Demills and
Daniels at Yorkville, the Taylors and Morses at Don
Mills, and many others at each of these places were
the salt of the earth where they dwelt.
2S3

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Mr. R. Easton was a liberal supporter, an ardent
Primitive Methodist, and also a strong unionist, a
very useful, energetic official on Bowmanville circuit.

Matthew Joness was one of the pillars of the
Church in Bowmanville, a man conscientious and
liberal in all his conduct ; a class-leader who led by
example as well as precept. His son-in-law, George
Haines, was with him in all the church work. John
Higginbotham was a local preacher, a zealous and
influential man in the cause of his Master. Thomas
Hoar was for years the gifted and efficient leader of
the choir, and his noble wife was an active, popular
and successful factor in church and temperance work.
Thomas Spotswood was a local preacher, and Chester
Power a real power for good in the world. The
Kellums, Wards, Dales, Lyles, Sleightholraes,
Thomases, Acrows and Mashinters were pious and
useful families on Etobicoke circuit. The Lewis,
Hopper, Lemon and Steele families on Markham cir-
cuit were all-round earnest Christian people. Father
Lewis knew the Scriptures thoroughly, and his life
was in harmony with them. Henry Childs, of London,
superintendent of the G.T.R. car works, was a liberal,
constant, long-tried Primitive Methodist.

In Hamilton Church were Mr. and Mrs. Carter,
Edmund Furniss, a Yorkshire-man, a marble mer-
chant and a Sunday School superintendent both before
and after union, all staunch Primitive Methodists. i

Humphrey Arthur and Mr. D. Parks were both
worthy officials and many times members of Confer-
ence. John Chater was a devoted, earnest, sincere
284

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

Christian, a local preacher of more than ordinary
ability, a church member who was always found at
the prayer-meeting for spiritual refreshing and to
strengthen his brethren. On Claremont circuit,
Orillia mission and in Gait his life and character
never dimmed, but stood out before men ; he was
most loved and appreciated by those who knew him
best and longest. He left earth suddenly — one
moment walking the pavement in Gait, the next the
streets of the New Jerusalem, that home for which
he lived and longed. All the sorrow was on this
side of the curtain ; on the other side there was a
coronation. No gem can be polished without friction,
no man perfected without trial. A gem will stand
the process of beautifying, and John Chater's trials,
borne with Christian resignation, made his character
bright and beautiful. He was a brother-in-law of the
Rev. John Goodman.

Mr. Joseph Ryan, of Guelph, was a faithful local
preacher, and his wife one of the most lovable ChriS'
tian women. They died before the Twentieth Cen
tury Fund movement, and the Paisley Street Church
(of which they had been members) in loving remem
brance of them placed their names on the historic roll
Nor should we omit to mention the Welsh family, the
Grahams and Hockins, whose memory is cherished
Mr. S. Tyrrel is still doing noble work in Paisley
Street Church, Guelph.

I will now try to picture " Daddy" Woodward, and
may he live on these pages for " we ne'er shall see his
like again." He was a member of Victoria Square

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Church in Markham Township. He was an old man
when I first saw him, thirty-five years ago. He had
been a tailor, but was so palsied that his limbs were
not under his control. He could start them oflF and
they would race him ; first, bang up into a fence
corner, then on to his two canes, one in each hand, and
again into the next fence corner he would come with
all his might. If you met him you moved to the
other side of the ditch, or he might tumble against
you with a force that would knock j-ou over. He
was like a paring machine with several cogs broken
oflf, which at each revolution stops. This disability
did not prevent him starting out to walk a mile or
two in warm weather to take dinner with the other
members of the church, who received him with
brotherly kindness at any time he came. Certain
families followed the changes of the moon in sending
him supplies, and they tried to get the loaf there
while it was warm, or he might enquire ne.\t time he
saw them why they had sent him stale bread. He had
a little store, and got twice the value of anything be-
cause it was " Daddy " who sold it. He kept a school
for children in the first class, and taught them in the
most antiquated manner. W-h-o he pronounced icoc,
and if the children were told another way at home
they had to take " Daddy's " pronunciation while
with him or suffer the consequences. After a time
he could not get to church alone, and two of the mem-
bers carried him there on Sunday morning, and
placed him on one of the side seats at the front. His
red handkerchief was soon on top of his head to keep

J

HUMAN CHARACTER IMPERISHABLE.

the cold air off, wliile the fringe of thin white hair
streamed down to his coat. He might have said,
with one of Dickens' characters, " my legs are queer,"
but he did not complain ; they were all the legs he
had and he tried to uphold their respectability. He
told his Christian experience every Sunday, but his
mouth being paralized, too, I have no idea what it
was. With all his odd ways and jerks his hoary head
was a crown of glory to him, because he was found in
the way of righteousness. He was mostly as cross as
a bear, but everyone knew that " Daddy " meant
right, and though he had neither kith nor kin his
pathway to the grave was made easier by loving,
kindly Christian ministries. He looked for a better
countrj', and the shiny bald head was laid to rest
years ago. " Daddy " loved his Bible, the promises
were his, and now he enjoys eternal youth.

There were all kinds of people in the early days of
Methodism and a variety of experiences for the
minister. At a railway station, where a sawmill
stood surrounded by a forest, one of our ministers, in
the year 1S63, discovered quite a large population
without any religious services. He began to preach,
and the lumbermen put up a shanty in which to wor-
ship. They attended a series of week-night services
and some gave their hearts to God. Feeling that
"even so hath the Lord ordained that they who
preach the gospel should live of the gospel," one of
the converts asked the minister to announce for a
collection on the following evening. There was a
large attendance of liberal men, and the hat passed

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

round had seen service. Some things are not made
for heavy responsibilities and that hat crown was one
of them. As the hat was being carried to the minister
the vessel gave way at a point unthought of, and the
coins, copper and silver, rattled and rolled on the
boarded floor. The pulpit felt the need of more
grace, and extra staying properties to preserve proper
decorum. Willing hands assisted in finding the
scattered coins, when suddenly the man holding the
hat called out, " I say, Jim, you let this money alone '
I know you. You'se be as likely to pocket some of
it as not." Jim, who had been very active, subsided,
but the ministerial dignity followed the example of
the hat crown and collapsed. Poor human nature
could stand no more, and there was a laughing chorus
without piano accompaniment, while the financial
business was carried to a successful termination.

Six miles from this sawmill, in a closely settled
community, a revival service was held and sixty-
seven souls added to the Lord.

CHAPTER XXI.

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

Methodist Union — Association Formed — Sixteen Reasons for Metho-
dist Union — Open Conference in Shaftesbury Hall — Leading
Ministers and Laymen Invited — Four Subjects for Discussion —
T>ie Debate Animated — The Meeting a Safety-Valve — Rev.
Robert Boyle — A Pioneer Primitive Methodist — His Love of
Books — Brampton his own Parish — Memorial Service.

Methodist union was once a question that stirred
and warmed the blood of the greater part of Primitive
Methodism. The older people viewed it with dis-
trust ; the rising generation could see no reason why
they should not go with the crowd. We shall quote
a sentence from the Pastoral Address as found in the
Minutes of Conference for 1861 : —

Rev. Robert Boyle, the President, urged parents to
train their own children in denominational attach-
ment. It pained him to see them seeking a religious
home in other denominations.

" Teach them by precept and example to love the
church in which they were nurtured when tender
and young. Dear brethren, our own churches have
the first and strongest claim upon the children of our
own societies. Let us bring them up as far as possible
289

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

within the inclosure of our own fold. Let us counsel
them in this matter."

Some circuits were so opposed to union that they
looked upon all ministers who favored it as traitors
to the connexion. They considered them as men
who simply wanted to find easy positions and fat
salaries. The union party on the other hand were
so convinced of the rij^hteousness of the cause, that
they resented the action of the Conference in trying
to muzzle people and prevent discussion, when the
delegates who passed such an arbitrary motion in
1873 were not elected to Conference on that issue,
and consequently their vote could not be a test vote
of the church. At the close of the Conference, there-
fore, an association was formed to keep the union
ball moving, educate the masses, labor on and trust
in God till success was reached. To this end, a
pamphlet of seven pages was printed on the subject,
and widely circulated among the membership. The
reasons given for union were as follows : —

1. Union was Scriptural

2. All the essentials of Methodism are common to
all its branches.

3. The branches of Methodism simply divide the
same work.

4. All the doctrines, usages, hymns, etc., are the
same.

.5. Money was sacrificed for denominationalisni
that should be spent for the conversion of the
heathen.

6. We are i-esponsible for the right use of our means.

J

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

7. The tendencies of the time point to union.

8. Rivalries and divisions should not exist in the
great Methodist family.

9. Four ministers and four churches were to sup-
port in many places, where one could do the whole.

10. One Methodist body could take a strong
position in the social and educational work of
Canada.

11. If we waste our resources we must take a
second place.

12. The growth, wealth, and power of Popery need
a united Methodism to confront it.

13. The arguments for union are based on Chris-
tian principle and the general prosperity of Metho-
dism.

14. A desire for strength and efficiency is not a
consistent charge of disloyalty.

15. That if lay delegation and a general name
were conceded we should accept union.

16. That the glory of God would be promoted
infinitely beyond the conception of the most sanguine
advocates of Methodist union.

These pamphlets were very generally distributed,
and pretty generally thrown into the waste basket
unread. The following names were attached : Rev.
Joseph Markham, Rev. Thos. Griffith, Rev. James
Edgar, Rev. Jonathan Milner, Samuel R. Briggs,
Esq., Daniel McLean, Esq., W. D. Fitzpatrick, Esq.,
John W. Cox, Esq.

On April 14th and 1.5th, 187.5, an open conference
was held in Shaftesbury Hall to consider the subject
19 -nn

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

of Methodist Union. This meeting was called by
Rev. Thomas Griffith, Rev. Thomas Guttery, R. I.
Walker, Esq., Daniel McLean, Esq., Robert Walker,
Esq , Thomas Thompson, Esq. and Samuel Briggs,
Esq., the latter acting as secretary of the committee.

The circular calling this meeting spoke of Metho-
dism as a vital force in Christendom, referred to the
amalgamation of the New Connexion and Wesleyan
Methodist Church, the friendly attitude of the
united church, and proceeded ;

" There are amongst us brethren who think that
the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom would be
advanced by a further unification of Methodism, and
others believe we have been called of God to a
distinct work and should remain separate. It is now
proposed to invite all who are interested in this
question to meet together for informal, brotherly and
prayerful consultation. Your attendance is desired
and the following explanations are given :

" First. — It is in no sense a mere party meeting
except that it is confined to Primitive Methodists.
It is intended to be neither union nor anti-union, but
simply a meeting for free and full and brotherly i

consultation.

" Second. — This being the case, no resolution will t

be proposed in any way committing the members of i;

the meeting on this subject. I

" Third. — Nothing shall be allowed that shall I

appear in the slightest degree to commit the con- [

nexion to either one policy or another." ■

These invitations were sent to all the ministers and ,.

most of the leading laymen of the denomination, and i.

the attendance at the meeting was fairlj' representa- ;

292 I

J

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

tive as to numbers on both sides ; but the discussion
was one-sided, from the fact that while those who
called the convention together advocated Methodist
union, those opposed to it attended the meeting
simply to watch the proceedings hut take no part in
the controversy. The topics to be brought before
the meeting were not printed on the circular of
invitation, and were all opened by men in sympathy
with the union movement. It was a union committee
that called the convention together, as those opposed
to it considered it treasonable to the connexion whose
highest court had requested all agitation on the
subject to cease. From reading the report of this
informal (pronounced by some infernal) conference,
we find the committee had chosen the following
subjects for discussion :

" I. The Numerical and Financial Position of Our
Church in Canada, Past and Present."

" II. The Geographical Position of Our Work in
Canada."

" III. The Distinctive Features of Jlethodism in
Canada. What are thej' ? "

" IV. Are we justified in expending our means and
energies for the further prosecution of Church Work
in Canada as a separate denomination ? "

Some of the papers read were fair and took an all
round view of the matter : others showed only the
dark side, and for this reason were opposed as only
partly true. They treated of the vast sums expemied,
but did not state any assets in church property. It
j was not considered fair to report on the unproductive

293

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

parts of the work only, and not consider the progress
of the connexion as a whole. One brother opposed
to union said he had prepared a statement for the
Conference of 1873 comparing the connexion as a
whole with the other Methodist bodies in the
country, and it gave a different showing for nearly
the same period of time. From 18.57 to 1873 the
percentage of increase in the Methodist Episcopal
Church was 61 ; in the Wesleyan Methodi.st 67 ; in
the New Connexion 63 ; and in the Primitive Metho-
dist 115. The distinctive features of Methodism in
Canada were shown to be : Love to the common
brotherhood and the Methodist Church in particular ;
self-abnegation, or laboring to ameliorate the condi-
tion of others ; aggressiveness, adhesion, equality,
holy consecrated zeal, and, lastly, making the best
possible use of the means and appliances at hand.
The last subject considered was whether Primitive
Methodism was justified in expending means and
energy for the further prosecution of church work as
a separate denomination. The paper introducing
this topic was a very impartial consideration of the
matter, and was handled in a kindly spirit. A
brother who knew English Primitive Methodism
well spoke of the distinctive work they did in
England because they worked in an empty place,
where work was needed and not being done, so that
it would be an error to put an end to Primitive
Methodism there ; but here they were doing no work
that other churches were not doing ecjually well.
There was a solemn responsibility on those who
294

r

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

expended the money subscribed for Christian work.
The missionary money in England was raised by
very great self-denial, thousands of people paid it in
by pennies. Last year S6,000 was sent to us in
Canada ; we needed it for a crisis, but was it a right
position ? In London, England, there were probably
two millions of people for whom there was no church
accommodation provided.

" London has seventy times the population of
Toronto ; in London we have twenty ministers, in
Toronto we have five. In Birmingham we have
three ministers with a population of 300,000. In some
villages here there are three ministers to a handful of
people. In the Methodist Church the ministry have
a rank above the people, but this is a question for
the people. Their home is not to be wrested from
them, and we must not overstrain official powers. If
the people do not want union, then union men must
wait for it or give it up. There was another point :
The connexional authorities in England had an abso-
lute right to be consulted on this great question. He
believed the brethren who advocated union desired in
the most loyal and respectful manner to consult the
authorities at home. He had the most profound
confidence in the honored men who stood at the helm
in England. Twice he had been permitted as a
visitor to be present at the committee room, at
Sutton Street, London, and he had been struck and
impressed by the clear insight, sound judgment,
intelligent bearing and cautious wisdom of the vener-
able men who filled connexional offices at home.
295

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

He would feel the most perfect confidence in submit-
ting any question to these men. He thought the
time was near when a deputation, able and impartial,
should be sent to England on this question, and we
may be sure it will be considered and dealt with in a
candid, intelligent and judicious manner."

The discussion brought out the fact that in many
places Primitive Methodism could only succeed at the
expense of indicting injury upon other churches that
were in the field before them. Another questioned
whether Methodism as a whole would not be better if
we stayed out of the union, even if a proper basis
were found. Wesleyan Methodism in England would
not have been as it is but for the potent influence by
its side. If we had only one Methodist Church, she
would lose in energy as she increased in wealth.
Another opposed union because the people did not
want it, and those who felt the financial responsibility
of the work were worried and discouraged by this
agitation. It was doing serious harm. The older
circuits were losing their missionary enthusiasm,
while men on mission fields were dependent upon the
missionary society for their living.

A large number of the reports were printed for
circulation, but some of the best men who had been
the means of calling the open conference together,
felt that they had overstepped the bounds of pro-
priety, and many of the reports were never mailed.
This gathering did several things that were of the
highest utility. It served as a safety valve to let off"
some of the high pressure that might have burst weak
296

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

places in the machinery. It served to let daylight in
where the doors and windows had been bolted against
the light. It proved that men could be exactly
opposite in their ideas, and yet be equally sincere and
earnest. It showed the other Methodist bodies who
felt this small and insignificant body might be glad
to unite on an^' terms they might dictate, the kind of
material they had to deal with if union were effected.
It proved to the largest Methodist body that if such
concessions were not made as would bring all four
denominations together in one solid whole, there
might be a union of the minor bodies, which would
mean a stronger opposition for the coming time. It
also showed to all who were interested, that Primi-
tive Methodism even in its divided state, was a unit
in having lay delegation in the Annual Conference,
and it preserved for us to-day the reasons for and
against union, for this meeting was indicative of the
thought that stirred the rank and file of the member-
ship.

It is impossible for me to take space to give a
proper account of the spirited, warm debate, on the
subjects discussed, which called out the earnestness of
the men on both sides, and which Rev. James Edgar
deplored as having the appearance of party spirit.
The debate was certainly animated, and furnishes
pleasant reading, for who does not love a good hearty
fight when there is anything worth contending for.
However at the time the report was printed it was
not much relished. Many Primitive Methodists felt
that the union men were pulling the house down over
297

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

their heads and then calling the attention of the
world to what an old barracks it was ; that the union
men were discrediting the connexion to the member-
ship where the}' labored, and diverting the minds of
the people from soul-saving, which was the first busi-
ness of the church, and the key to success ; that these
men were dividing the church into two parties and
bringing about such a disastrous condition of affairs
that the connexion would be compelled to seek union
at any price; that Canadian Primitive Methodism
was pledged to the English Conference which had
vested rights because of the large sums of money sent
out yearly, and that we could not consummate union
without dishonor ; that it was not probable the larger
bodies would concede lay delegation in the annual
Conferences, and until they did show their willing-
ness, the agitation was a continual source of weakness
that must result in the overthrow of the connexion.
Many hearts ached with sorrow as they felt dark
days coming on — that the old time glory had departed
when they were all of one heart and one mind. The
Conferences would meet, and instead of unity there
would be disagreement: instead of sj'mpathy there
would be contention, instead of confidence there would
be suspicion ; and instead of faith and hope for the
future there would be discouragement.

Men in connexional office at this time were under a
severe strain. They had to be true to the interests of
the Home Society, and yet conduct business so as not
to antagonize those who differed from them on the all
absorbing question, for they needed their sympathy
298

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

and co-operation in the Canadian work. Though the
anti-union men attended the meeting determined to
take no part in the debate, uuder the intense pressure
they were forced to defend themselves, and did it in a
manner highly creditable to themselves and the con-
nexion. Those who desired union wanted the
Joui-nal's columns to advocate their cause, but the
editor was the servant of the Conference which had
voted discussion should cease. Under these circum-
stances the honor was more than counterbalanced by
the worry, and it required a steady head and fearless
heart, with Almighty guidance, to steer the connex-
ional bark.

We will change the subject and give a sketch of
the life of a pioneer minister, well and widely known
throughout Primitive Methodism in Canada.

The Rev. Robert Boyle, D.D., was called into the
Primitive Methodist ministry as a probationer in
1S45. He was a native of Tipperary, Ireland, and
was converted in early life under the preaching of the
late Rev. Wm. Cather. He was superannuated in
1878 through failing health. He early took front
rank among his brethren, was made Secretary of
Conference in 1858, and in 1861 and 1873 was elected
to the Presidency. He was an upright and con-
scientious man — the very soul of honor, with the
heart of a child, afiectionate, tender, and true. He
was bright as the morning and sunnj' as the day ; his
native wit was fresh and cheery as the verdure on
the hills of Erin. He was one of the humblest of
men, and yet possessing an unusual superiority of
299

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

mental equipment. He had great .sympathy for hi.s
brethren in the ministry, and often rendered valuable
assistance to young probationers in the prosecution of
their studies. He had a large library and was at his
best in tlie presence of his books. His study was his
sanctuary ; there he held rare fellowship and blessed
intercourse with the great and good of all the ages.
A few years ago the Senate of Victoria University by
a unanimous vote conferred upon him the degree of
Doctor of Divinity.

As a minister, Dr. Boyle was successful in turning
many to righteousness. During one of his pastorates
in Brampton the town was visited with one of the
greatest revivals it ever enjoyed. Some of his
spiritual children are preaching the gospel in Canada,
and others in the United States. He preached more
sermons to St. Paul's congregation than any other
man, for he was stationed there by Conference fifteen
times. He once said to me with a merry twinkle in
his eye : " I had a standing invitation to Brampton ;
if no other station wanted me, I could always go
there."

Robert Boyle was best loved where he was longest
known. He had a wide circle of acquaintance and
friendship ; homes far and near sat in the shadow of
a great grief when this friend of God and man was
removed. Parents, children and grandchildren shared
a common sadness, for he who had consecrated them
in baptism, joined them in marriage, and laid away
their precious dead, had been transferred from the
record of the living to join the great majority of his
300

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

spiritual children, and be welcomed by the greater
part of his old-time contemporaries in the heavenly
inheritance. He left to mourn for a short time in
loneliness and grief, the wife who had journeyed with
him since their lives were young, and four sons and
two daughters, who sorrowed for the loss of a wise and
loving father. He died in Brampton on February
27th, 1896, and was interred in the cemetery two days
later, in the fifty-third year of his Christian ministry,
and the seventy-first of his age. Rev. J. A. Rankin,
the pastor, conducted the ser\'ices, and spoke in
sj'mpathetic terms of the relationship existing between
them. Rev. M. L. Pearson, President of the Con-
ference, Dr. Dewart, Dr. Sims, Rev. W. Herridge,
Rev. J. Goodman, Dr. Barrass, Rev. J. E. Lancely and
Dr. Parker were present and took some part in the
ceremonies ; a tribute from Rev. J. Philp, D.D., a
former pastor, was read. Dr. Potts had been requested
by Rev. R. Boyle, to take some part at his funeral if
he should survive him, and, being in a distant part of
the province at the time, suggested a memorial
service, which was held on March loth in St. Paul's
Church. His text was from Acts 20 : 24. The
Doctor paid a high tribute to the excellent worth,
sterling integi'ity, and unswervable, true Christian
character of the deceased.

CHAPTER XXII.

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

Conference of 1877— Rev. Wra. Herridge a Delegate to English
Conference— Conference of 1878— Methodist Union Impracti-
cable—Rev. J. Dyke— Rev. K. Paul— Rev. Charles Lazenby—
Conference of lb79 — Letters of Condolence — Mrs. Robert
Walker — Conference of 1880— Rev. G. J. Reeve- Terrible
Catastrophe in London, Ont.— Conference of 1881— Rev. John
Gamer — Rev. John Lacey— Rev. Thomas Adams— Conference
of 1882— Methodist Union in Feasible— Rev. M. H. Matthews-
Rev. J. B. Avison— Kev. W. S. Hughan.

The Conference of 1877 was held at Aurora. Revs.
W, Rodwell, C. J. Dobson and Charles Lazenby were
ordained. Rev. J. F. Porter and Rev. G. Clarke
returned to England. Letters of condolence were
sent to Rev. Jonathan Milner, Rev. Thomas Boyd,
Mrs. Ryder and Mrs. Cheetham. Rev. W. Reid was
allowed leave of absence to visit England, and Rev.
W. Herridge was appointed one of the delegates to
the English Conference. In the address to the English
Conference, which he carried as a letter of introduc-
tion, he was referred to as " One who has travelled
among us in this land for twenty years, who has
occupied our best stations, and is in high esteem
among his brethren."

Rev. Albert Sims was ordained in 1878. John
302

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

Bugg, Esq., was made a life member of the General
Committee and Conference. A resolution was passed
by this Conference whicii declared Methodist union
impracticable on account of ditierences in church
polity between the contracting bodies ; and advising
all further discussion on the subject to cease. Letters
of condolence were sent to the Rev. J. Dyke, Rev. R.
Paul, and the widow of the Rev. Charles Lazenby,
who met his death by drowning. He was a native of
Yorkshire, England, and came to Canada in 1872.
He labored with ability and success on Bracebridge
and Bradford stations. The Conference of 1877
stationed him at Plattsville, and after a few weeks his
life terminated suddenly while bathing in the River
Nith. He was a genial, friendly man, given to reading
and study, and promised to become more than an
ordinary preacher. His death was much lamented by
his sorrowing widow and the community, for he
was a faithful, laborious minister.

At the Conference of 1879, Revs. Thos. Coupland,
J. B. Avison, and R. L. Ockley were ordained. Rev.
Thomas Guttery was superannuated and returned to
England. Rev. Richard Auger was also superan-
nuated. Rev. J. C. Antliff, M.A., B.D., came from
England and was appointed Editor of the Christian
Journal. The thanks of the Conference were con-
veyed to Mr. R. I. Walker and Mrs. C. Tackaberry for
the receipt of ?400 to the mission fund — being the
amount of legacy left thereto by the late lamented
Mrs. Robert Walker. Letters of sympathy were sent
to William Wilkins, of Gait, James Walker, R. Pat-

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

tison, Mrs. Reeve and Robert Walker, in their family
affliction and bereavement. It was the prayer of the
Conference that God would sustain them and ulti-
mately reunite them and their loved ones in the home
above.

Out of one thousand and nine official members, nine
hundred and thirty-three were reported to be total
abstainers. Ministers were to discourage Sabbath in-
terments, and instruct the membership to abstain
from worldly conversation, Sunday travelling, and
whatever would desecrate the Sabbath.

Rev. G. J. Reeve died during the year. He was a
native of Terrington, Norkfolk, England. He realized
the saving change in 1864, and was placed on the plan
as an exhorter, often accompanying his father who was
a Primitive Methodist local preacher, to his appoint-
ments. In 1871 he entered the regular ministry; in
1872 he came to Canada and served his probation with
credit to himself and honor to the church. He was a
good and useful minister, had a clear scriptural ex-
perience, and possessed elements of power which were
daily maturing. He suffered long weary months of
affliction with cheerfulness, patience, resignation and
a continuous interest in his work. His death occurred
on February 16th, 1879. He was buried in the vil-
lage of Sandford, and there awaits all that was mortal
of a faithful and much lamented Christian minister.

The conference of 1880 was held at Orangeville.

Revs. Joseph Aston, Paul Flint, J. J. Noble and S. P.

Barker were ordained. Robert Walker, Esq. and Rev.

J. C. Antliff, M.A., B.D., were appointed to attend the

304

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

CEcumenical Council of Methodism, to be held in Lon-
don, England, in August 1881. Letters were written
to Revs. Edgar, Antliff, Hughan, Griffith, Boyle and
Adams offering the affectionate sympathy of the Con-
ference in the loss they had sustained, or afflictions
through which they had passed or were then passing:
The Rev. James Edgar and the Rev. Robert Boyle
were superannuated. Very sympathic reference was
made to this event in the Conference Pastoral Address.

" The leaders of our beloved Isarael. who in the
past led on the hosts to victory, men of strong vigorous
intellect, and unwavering trust in God, whose labors
have been abundantly blessed to vast numbers of the
people of Canada, now through the infirmities of age,
or physical weakness brought on by excessive labors,
have been necessitated to relinquish their beloved em-
ploj'ment and retire from active service. We also
missed such men as Brother Wilkins, C. D. Maginn,
and other veteran laymen, who in the past have liber-
ally sustained and earnestly labored for the interest
of the church they loved so well."

A terrible catastrophe occurred near London on May
24th, 1881. An excursion steamer which ran between
London and Springbank, a pleasure resort four miles
down the river Thames, was returning in the evening
heavily laden with passengers. As she neared the
city the crowd moved to the side of the boat next to
the landing, when, with scarcely a moment's warning,
the steamer (a flat bottomed vessel) capsized ; the
whole superstructure gave wr.y, and the entire com-
pany of passengers and crew were thrown, a strug-
305

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

gling, panic-stricken mass, into the water. The river
at this point is scarcely eight feet deep and not more
than ninety feet wide, yet in spite of the most heroic ex-
ertions on the part of friends on the shore, and of many
of the passengers who had freed themselves, nearly two
hundred and fifty were drowned or crushed to death
This overwhelming calamity sent a thrill of horror
throughout the land, accompanied by a wave of sym-
pathy for the bereaved. Only three days after the
conference met at Kingston and sent the following

" To the Mayor of London,

Dear Sir, — We hasten at this opening session to con-
vey to you and the citizens of London, the unani-
mously expressed sympathy of this Conference with
you and the citizens of London, in your overwhelming
distress, and our earnest prayers to Almighty God
that you may be divinely sustained in this unparal-
leled calamity.

M. N. Matthews, President.
T. Bryant, Secretary."

A reply to the telegram was received from Mayor
Campbell, of London, thanking the Conference for its
prayers and its kind expression of sympathy.

Revs. John Dobson, Henry Harper, Abraham Tonge,
George Baker, H. D. Tyler and J. A. Rowe were
ordained in 1881.

The Conference Committee on Temperance, in their
report, expressed thankfulness that a temperance text-
book had been introduced into the curriculum of the
public school.

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

From the Pastoral Address we quote : — " This year
death has been doing its work in our midst. With
sorrow we record the departure of two of our fathers,
the Rev. Thomas Adams and the Rev. John Lacey,
These veterans in our Israel labored long and faith-
fully in promoting the spiritual life and interests of
the denomination. How much we owe to these noble
sires the last day will make known.

" Rev. John Garner, a brother beloved, who has
served the connexion faithfully for thirty-two years
in the active ministry was necessitated to seek super-
annuation. He felt this step to be one of great trial
to him. Much sympathy was shown this useful and
able servant of God. May the evening of life to our
brother be one of sunshine and joy ; and when the
summons shall come for him to go, may he enter into
the rest that remaineth."

Rev. John Lacey, one of the Canadian pioneer
ministers, was born January 1st, 1798, in London,
England. He was converted at fourteen years of
age and was soon on the plan, being known as the
boy preacher. About the year 1821, he was called
into the regular ministry of the Primitive Methodist
denomination by the Hull Circuit. The possession
of a retentive memory gave him an extensive know-
ledge of the Scriptures, and qualified him for ever
increasing usefulness. In 1836 he emigrated to
Canada, and travelled on the following stations : —
Markham, Toronto, Brampton, Etobicoke, Laskay,
BowmanviUe, Portland, Albion, \\'alpole and Blen-
heim. He was more than one term on several of the
■JO 3U7

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

foregoing stations, and labored with great success.
He was President of the first Canadian Conference,
and filled the office again in 1859. He was super-
annuated in 1865, and went to reside at Sydenham,
the connexion having evidenced the high esteem in
which he was held by buying him a homestead at
this place. Here he lived over fifteen years, ripening
for heaven, a model superannuated minister, serving
the church to the extent of his ability. He died
April 10th, 1881. On Tuesday his funeral was
attended by all the ministers on the district, and a
sermon was preached by Rev. J. E. Lidstone.
" Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."

Rev. Thomas Adams was also one of the pioneer
ministers. He was born in Coleford, Gloucestershire,
England, in 1809. He was converted when nineteen
years of age, entered the Primitive Methodist ministry
in 1832, and emigrated to Canada in 1844. His first
station was Toronto. He was president of the second
Conference held in Canada in 1855. He was a
happy Christian, and his pulpit ministrations were
never lacking in spiritual power. The heavenly in-
fluence he carried with him proved he was a man of
remarkable spiritual devotion. He excelled in family
visiting, and did much good by his pious visitations.
He was superannuated in 1865, settled at Gait, and
was held in the highest esteem by all the religious
denominations of the town. His death was triumph-
ant. He desired nothing to be put on his gravestone
but his name, his age, and " a sinner saved by grace."
He said, " At a soldier's funeral they play the dead
30S

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

march, why not sing at mine, for / am an old .<oldier
of the cross." His wish was complied with, and as
the funeral cortege moved through the streets, Chris-
tian people sang the hymn he had chosen for the
occasion :

" Hark a voice divides the sky,
Happy are the faithful dead;" etc.

So lived and died this man of God.

At the Conference of 1882 Revs. S. W. Holden,
W. B. Booth, W. McDonald, W. J. WeatheriU, R. Stil-
well, R. J. Stilwell and G. S. Robinson were ordained,
and Rev. C. S. Willis was superannuated. The Con-
ference passed a resolution in favour of Methodist
union, and appointed a committee to confer with the
committees of other Methodist bodies to prepare a
basis of union. The names on the committee were :
Revs. Wm. Bee, R. Boyle, H. Harris, J. Milner, J. C.
Antliff, T. Griffith, and Messrs. R. I. Walker, M. M.
Elliott, J. Green, E. Crompton, T. M. Edmondson, the
president and vice-president as es-ofBcio members.
Rev. T. GritSth to be convener. If union were not
effected this committee was to lay before the other
Conferences the desirability of amalgamating small
societies in sparsely settled districts, for greater econ-
omy of men and money. Resolutions of sympathj'
were sent to the families of Revs. M. H. Matthews
and J. B. Avison, both of whom died during the year.

The Conference considered it advisable to acquaint
the English Conference with the attitude of the
Canadian Primitive Methodist Conference toward
309

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Methodist Union, and to this end the following letter
was sent : —

" The Primitive Methodist Conference in Canada
to the Primitive Methodist Conference, or General
Committee, in England, greeting.

" Dear Fathers and Brethren, — We would respect-
fully bring to j'our notice at this earliest opportunity
the following resolution of the Conference now in
session, on the question of Methodist Union : — That
this Conference is prepared to admit the possibility,
desirability and feasibility of a unification of Method
ism in this Dominion.

"The motion was passed by a large majority. For
some years past we have felt the strong tendencies of
religious events in this country drawing, as by
almost irrisistible influence the scattered elements of
Methodism together. The numerous branches of the
Methodist church found in thinly populated districts,
and the migratory habits of the people, have rendered
it impossible in many places for even the most elEcient
man to build up strong societies, and have involved
years of earnest toil, for which very inadequate results
have been obtained.

" We would gladly have made any sacrifice of a
financial character, if we believed we were doing the
best that could be done for God and could see good
prospects of permanently establishing our denomina-
tion in this country.

■Our love for the parent cause in England prompts
us to say, that we are not unmindful of the fact that
much that is dear in our religious history we owe to
Primitive Methodism, and tliat for many years we
have received substantial help from your hands. No
initiative has been taken as yet, in reference to a basis
of union, but we have felt it our duty to submit the
case to you first of all. When a practicable basis can
310

METHODIST UNION POSSIBLE.

be found, that would be honourable and acceptable to
us as a people, we trust wo shall have your counsel
and acquiescence.

" This whole matter has come upon us spontaneously
without agitation. The pressure brought to bear
upon us by the consideration given to this subject by
other Methodist branches, the force of public senti-
ment influenced by the (JLcuinenical Council to some
extent, and the fact that many of our quarterly meet-
ings have sent union legislation strongly endorsed by
several district meetings, have resulted in this issue.

" With a solemn consciousness of the leading hand
of God in this movement, we submit the matter to
your affectionate consideration.

" Yours in the Lord Jesus,

" John Goodman', President.
" Richard Paul, Secretai-y.

The Rev. M. H, Matthews died at Yorkville, De-
cember 28th, 1881. He laboured extensively and
successfully on many of our large and important cir-
cuits. The Confei-ence of 1881 elected him president.
He was highly esteemed by ministers and people,
being an earnest, plodding, pure-minded, Methodist
preacher. His discourses were instructive, forcible,
and scriptural. His illness was short, his confidence
in Christ strong and abiding. He left a widow and
five children to mourn the loss of a loving husband
and father.

Rev. J. B. Avison was the adopted son of Robert
Wilson, Esq., of Mono, who educated him for the
ministry. He was converted early in life. He was
stationed in Reach, Toronto and Scarborough. He
married ]\Iiss Balmer of Toronto. An insiduoua dis-

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

ease undermined his constitution, and he went to the
Pacific coast for his healtli, but deriving no benefit
returned to Squire Wilson's, where his life closed
February 14th, 1882, at the early age of twenty-nine
years. " He was not, for God took him."

Another Primitive Methodist minister has lately
crossed the river of death. Rev. W. S. Hughan was
born in Oxfordshire in 1832, and died in Alliston,
Ontario, on June 2nd, 1903. He entered the ministry
in 1859, and labored with success on a number of the
principal stations until his superannuation through
failing health. He was faithful in his work. His
sermons were thoughtful, pointed, and intensely evan-
gelistic. He had good administrative ability and rose
to official position, being elected secretary of Confer-
ence, and then to the presidential chair. He was a
manly man and a true friend. His loss will be felt,
but death to our brother was infinite gain.

. CHAPTER XXIII.
OF OXE HEART AND MIND.

Basis of Union — Union Committee in Session — Carlton Street
Cliurch — Dr. Williams — Dr. Carman — Superannuation Fund —
Levelling Up — A Mathematician — Circular Letter — Rev.
Jonathan Milner — Stations of Conference for 1883 — Rev. R.
Pattison — Basis of Union Submitted to Membership — Delegates
to First General Conference at Belleville — English Conference
Acquiesce — Address of Conference — Levelling-Up Fund — Rev.
Wra. Bee— Friendly Society— Connexional Officers.

The joint committee of the four Methodist bodies
met in Carlton Street Church, Toronto, on December
6th, 1882. After the acquiescence by the English
General Committee in 1882, (which is mentioned in
the Conference Minutes of 1883), the committee as
appointed by the Conference of 1882 met those of
the other churches. As I looked down from the
gallery of the church on the white-haired men there
assembled, I thought I never saw so many heads with
skylights. Dr. Williams was manifestly excited ; he
did not relish the union. Every word lie spoke was
written that he might be tethered, and not go beyond
prudence. His address was handed to the sten-
ographer. He looked the impersonation of dignity.
Dr. Carman was cool and logical ; he stood by the
313

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Episcopacy, and would not budge an inch. The
Primitive Methodist delegation did little fighting, as
many of the more thoughtful men in the larger
bodies believed that lay delegation was more in
harmony with the spirit of the age, and would add to
the future stability of Methodism ; the vote, there-
fore, was ready without much argument. Though a
few of the wisest and best men in all the four
contracting bodies did not approve of union, still an
amicable spirit was in all the churches — a disposition
to yield all minor points; the feeling that to stop
family quarrels and bring about the reign of love
and mutual good-will was worth many sacrifices. In
the Primitive Methodist Church there was an increas-
ing kindliness toward each other, and men who could
never have been driven into union, could be led to
think that though they might not like it personally,
it was their duty to make a reasonable surrender, if
the multitude of counsellors decided dif^e^entl3^

The subject of union was considered under seven
heads : —

1. Doctrine, General Rules, Ordinances.

2. Church Governnvent — General Conference,
Annual Conference, District Meeting, Quarterly
Meeting.

3. Church Property.

4. Church Funds — Superannuation Fund, Mission-
ary Fund, Contingent Fund, Children's Fund.

5. Book and Publishing Interests.

6. Educational Interests.

7. Miscellaneous Recommeridations. — The Com-

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

position of the First Conference, Expenses of General
Conference, Transfer of Ministers, Submitting the
Basis of Union, and the Time and Name of the United
Body.

The debt on Primitive Methodist church property
caused no diflSculty after the union. An unused
church in Woodstock had a debt remaining upon it,
but it was sold for the amount to the Salvation
Army. The Loan Company refusing to release the
trustees and accept the Army as security, Rev.
Jonathan Milner and Rev. Wm. Bee became responsible
for them, and as the payments became due the Army
discharged the debt, so that no application for help
was sent to the Union Church Relief Fund.

The Superannuation Fund gave the most trouble.
The three Western Conferences of the Canada
Methodist Church had an invested capital of 891,000,
aud by division among the ministers of these Con-
ferences according to years of travel, etc., amounted
to so much per capita. The Primitive Methodist
Conference was requested to measure up by investing
as much as was required after their Book Room stock
was counted as would make them have an equal
claim on the Superannuation Fund. It was here that
Jonathan Milner did such good service. He was a
natural accountant, and he did the work entrusted to
him so well as to merit and receive the thanks of his
brother ministers, whose abilities ran in other
channels.

A circular letter was sent to all the contracting
bodies giving the rea.sons why Methodism should be

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

one, and urging the people to allow no prejudice,
worldly motives, selfish aims, doubts, suspicions, party
spirit, old jealousies or fancied injuries to prevent
a wise and efficient direction of the resources
of the church in her men, her institutions and her
money. It was urged that the rivalries and jealousies
of the past had hindered God's work and that har-
mony and brotherly love would increase the fellow-
ship of the Spirit and consequent revival of God's
work. This letter, that is too lengthy to give here,
W£LS signed by

S. D. Rice, Pres. Canada Methodist Church

John Goodman, Pres. Primitive Meth. Church.

W. Pascoe, Pres. Bible Christian Church.

A. Carman, Bishop, Meth. Episcopal Church.

Alex. Sutherland, Secretary of Committee.
Rev. Jonathan Milner was a native of Yorkshire,
England. He was born in 1830 and died in 1901 at
his late residence, 770 Bathur.st Street, Toronto.
Early in life he came to Toronto, and was a member
of the Bay Street Church. While attending the
ministrations of the Rev. James Caughey his spiritual
life was greatly quickened, and the vows he took in
solemn consecration were held sacred to his dying
day. In the pulpit he was earnest, practical and
Scriptural ; he looked for immediate results and saw
many converted. In church finances, grappling with
heavy debts and putting troubled circuits on the way
to prosperity he did his full share, always succeeding.
After his superannuation his work among the poor
increased. He held every office in the power of his
316

J

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

brethren to bestow, from exhorter to President of
the Conference. Betrinniug in 1854 as a missionary
on the Kingston District, he gave fifty years of
faithful work to benefit others. He labored in
Toronto, Hamilton, Stratford, Woodstock and Barrie ;
on some of these twice. To those who gathered
round his dying bed he said, '" It is all right,
children," and passed into eternal rest. He left a
widow, two sons and two daughters.

" How blest the righteous when he dies."

The Conference of 18S;^ met in Carlton Street
Church, Toronto. Revs. John Stonehouse, William
Walker, Sylvester Fisher, Charles J. Curtis and John
A. Trollope were ordained. A letter of condolence
was sent to the widow of the Rev. Rounding Pattison,
who had died during the year.

The stations for the year, and the last published
for Primitive Methodism as a separate organization in
Canada were as follows :

Toronto District.

Jiev. Wm. Bee — General Secretary and Book Steward.
Rev. J. C. Antliff, M.A., B.D.— Editor ChrUtian Journal.
TmontoFirst—B.ev.J. C. Antliff, M.A., B.D., Rev. John

Davison, Sup. ; Rev. J. Edgar, M.D., Sup. ; Rev. J.

Dennis, Sup.
Toronto Second — C. O. Johnson ; one to be obtained.
Toronto Tlnrd—T. \V. Jolliffe, W. B. Boutli.
Toronto Fourth— T. Sims.
Toronto Branch— J. Bedford.
Marhham—SV. A. Rodwell, L. Phelps.
317

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANAD

Unicnrille-W. S. Hughan, A. Bedford.

Pickering— P. Flint.

Bozvmanvilh — J. Dyke.

Scarboro — R. Stilwell.

Beach — R. Hassard, J. W. Patterson.

Sand/orrf— N. Wellwood, J. A. Trotter, T. Foster, Sup

P.Jlf. Colony— C. S. Willis, Sup.

Brampton District.

Brampton— T. Griffith, M.A.

Bravipton North — R. Boyle, Sup.

Brampton South — H. Harper.

Etobicoke — D. Idle ; one to be obtained.

Malton—G. Wood.

Albion East — J. Smith ; one to be obtained.

Albion TVest—C. J. Dobson.

Lashiy—L. Hall.

Aurora — W. Thornley, P. Jones.

OrangeviUe — W. Reid, J. Simpson, Sup.

Amaranth— G. F. Lee.

Roxemont — J. Thompson.

Hamilton District.

Hamilton — J. Goodman.

Grand Riv-er — W. Newton.

Walpole — G. Baker ; one to be obtained.

PlattsvUle—E. Whitworth.

Cathcart—S. W. Holden.

Walsingham — W. Walker.

Woodstock— Roht. Cade, J. Towler, Sup.

St. Catharinfx-J. A. Trollope.

GcELPH District.
Qyelph—J. W. Robinson, J. H. Dyke.
Peel— A. W. Tonge.
Hau-ksrille-J. Ferguson.
Minto-J. Walker.

n

J

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

ListouxU—R. C. Burton

Brant — J. Stonehouse, J. Gamer, Sup.

RipUii—R. Paul.

Wingham — J. Markham ; one to be obtained.

Arthur— J. 3. Noble, T. Dudley, Sup.

Grey — R. Hoskins.

London District.
Loiidon—E. Middleton, T. Nattrass, Sup. ; J. R. Swift,

Sup.
London East — J. E. Moore,
forest— R. Thompson.
McGillivray — E. Crompton.
McGUlirray We^t—^V. C. Bunt.
Stratford— W. Herridge.
Mitchell and Sebringmlle— J. W. Gilpin.
Plympton—T. Amy, G. Jewitt.
Dorer — T. Coupland.

Chatham— U. Auger, Sup. ; A. Heyworth, Sup.
Charing Cross— J). H. Taylor.
Caradoc — G. H. Thompson ; one to be obtained ; W.

Huggins, Sup.
Woodham — G. Watson.
Dresden— T. Edwards.

Kingston District.

Kingston — H. Harris.
LoTighboro^ — J. E. Lidstone.
Collins' Bay -S. Fisher.
Hinchinbrooke — To be supplied.
Montreal— To be supplied.
Lachute—C. J. Curtis.

Barrie District.

Barric—J. Milner, T. Crompton, Sup.
Oro—W. Macdonald.
Bradford— W. J. WeatheriU.
319

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

Osprey — J. Dobson, R. Stephenson, Sup.

Collhigwood—Jl. J. Stilwell.

Artemisia — J. S. Corcoran ; one to be obtained.

Brafebrid^e—T. G. Scott.

Orillia — R. McKee ; one to be obtained.

Three Mile Lake— To be supplied.

Gravenhurst — To be supplied.

Victoria — To be supplied.

Rev. T. Bryant returns to England.

The Conference of 1884 met in Brampton. Rev.
Thomas Griffith was president and Rev. J. W. Gilpin
secretary. At this Conference Revs. John Bedford,
W. C. Bunt, D. H. Taylor and J. W. Patterson were
ordained. This was the last Conference of the con-
nexion and the minutes were not published.

Rev. R. Pattison was born at Bainton, Yorkshire,
England, in 1838, and died at Laskay, Ontario,
December 4th, 1882. He came with his parents to
Canada when twelve years of age. His conversion
was four years later, and he at once became mighty in
prayer. As a boy he was given to reading and medi-
tation. In 1863 he entered the regular ministry and
was appointed to open a mission in Muskoka, where
he suffered untold hardships. He labored on Albion,
Caradoc, Reach, Woodstock, Laskaj-, etc. He loved
preaching. Twenty-nine years out of forty-four were
spent in a forcible and fearless presentation of the
power of Gospel truth by both his voice and
life. He was only five days ill wlien God called
him to his Heavenly inheritance. His body lies in
the graveyard of Union church, Malton circuit, to
await the resurrection of the just.
320

J

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

In January 1883, a Basis of Union was submitted
to the membership of the Primitive Methodist body.
The votes cast were 3,892, not one-half of the mem-
bership : Yeas, 3,205 ; Nays, 662. Eighty per cent,
of those who voted approved of it. The delegates to
the General Conference of the proposed united Meth-
odist Church were : —

Minuterial.—B.ev3. J. C. AntViff, M.A., B.D., Wm.
Bee, W. Herridge, J. Goodman, R. Cade, T. Griffith, J.
Markham, J. Milne.

Vice Delegates. — Revs. T. Crompton, R. Boyle, H.
Harris, G. Wood.

Lay Delegates. — Messrs. R. Walker, J. Green, R. I.
Walker, I. Wilson, W. Trebilcock, T. M. Edmondson,
J. Kent, L. W. Purdy.

Vice-Delegates. — Messrs. J. Lawson, M. Treadgold,
W. Oldham, R. J. Fleming.

A lengthy letter of acquiescence was sent from the
Primitive Methodist authorities in England, and we
(juote one sentence which speaks for itself : —

" We are of the opinion, after maturely considering
the question in all its bearings, that it would be
unwise on our part to offer any opposition, provided
the process of unification be conducted and consum-
mated on fair and honorable terms, as we have reason
to believe they will be."

At the Conference of 1883, Methodist Union was
the all-absorbing question, and never before had there
been such unanimity of feeling and action on the
part of all the contracting churches, as during the
previous year. The large majority in all the churches
?•■:]

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

believed the hand of God was in it. A different spirit
prevailed — a readiness to give and take — to adjust
differences and overcome prejudices. In all former
attempts to bring about union there had been more
of the jealous we-can-do-without-you feeling, which
was promptly met by a corresponding coolness and
lack of interest in the matter. " But when the ful-
ness of time had come " and the Lord put- his spirit
in all their hearts, their was an easiness of approach,
and a readiness to yield on all sides that made the
barriers give way, and with one heart and mind all
set to work to remove the hindrances and difficulties,
so that they might see eye to eye and perfect such a
union as should auger well for the future prosperity
of the consolidated body. The basis of union had
been accepted by the people, the committee had been
thanked for their labors and the Conference had
appointed delegates to attend the General Conference
to be held in Belleville in September, at which the
union was expected to be consummated on such a
basis as would secure to the laity of Methodism in
Canada, a due share of power and responsibility in the
government of the Church, and prove acceptable to
all parties. We shall quote from the Conference
Address as follows: —

" Should the present proposals for union be success-
ful we trust that none of you will allow any personal
objections or local prejudices to prevent your accept-
ance of what has been done on your behalf with the
best intentions, but that you will in every case, and
by every means in your power, endeavor to make the
union a grand success, in the name of our Lord and
322

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

Master, whose blessing we should earnestly implore,
that wisdom from above may be granted.

" We have also adopted plans by which when found
necessary the financial aspect of this business will be
laid before you, and your co-operation asked to enable
our church to meet its share of the financial burden
this union involves. We trust that a very liberal
and hearty response will be given, especially by those
whom God has prospered in the world.

" In conclusion we implore you not to allow the
union movement or anything else, to lessen your
attachment to Christ, or to His Church on earth. By
the diligent use of every means of grace, private
prayer, family devotion and public worship, seek to
maintain that vital union with Christ which is indis-
pensable to a happy personal experience, and a useful
Christian life."

In response to this appeal, Canadian Primitive
Methodism subscribed about 514,000, and §5,000 was
paid from the connexional funds. With this assist-
ance our ministers entered the union with equal
claims on the Superannuation Fund and in the Book
Room Establishment.

During the winter of 1884, the Rev. Wm. Bee,
being in England, was desired to settle with the
Missionary Committee. Dr. Antliff was going to
England in the spring, and was requested to arrange
for the equitable claims of the Canadian ministers to
be paid on their withdrawal from the Itinerant
Preachers' Friendly Society. The settlement was
satisfactory to all concerned.

The Rev. Wm. Bee had two terms at the Book
Room, being General Secretary during the same

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

periods. In 1877 he was stationed on a circuit, and
in 1878 returned to the ofBce. He was delegate to
the English Conference in 1878 as Canadian repre-
sentative. A subscription was taken up in 1878 to
relieve the embarrassment of the Book Room, and it
was thought in selling off the stock to enter the union
these monies would be required to balance accounts ;
but when all was finally settled there was a balance
in favor, and the twelve hundred dollars subscribed
remained intact, and went to assist the ministers in
the levelling-up fund. The Finance Committee were
delighted and passed a complimentary resolution.
The Conference of 1884 held at Brampton, the last of
the Primitive Methodist Conferences in Canada,
passed the following resolution :

" That, as the Rev. Wra. Bee has been for the space
of twelve years our Missionary and General Secretary
and Book Steward, and year after year attended to
all the financial interests of the connexion and the
meetings of our Finance Committee, we have had the
benefit of his ripe experience as a financier, and have
been helped by his counsel. We would place on
record our expression of gratitude to our Brother for
all bis services, and the help afforded the denomina-
tion."

Among the ministers who have served the church
in connection with the Book Room and Christian
Journal may be mentioned Rev. John Davison who
was Book Steward and Editor from 1858 to 1866.
The Rev. Wm. Rowe was five years in the Book
Room, and from 1871 to 1^7.3 in the editorial chair.

REV. THOMAS GUTTEK\. REW I C. ANTLIFK, M.A., D.D.

REV. THOMAS CROMrTON. REV. WILLIAM BEE.

OF ONE HEART AND MIND.

He returned to England in 1873 on account of ill
health. The Rev. Thomas Guttery came from the
English Conference in 1871 and returned to England
in 1879. He was pastor of Alice Street Church in
Toronto for five years, and afterwards of the York-
ville Church. He edited the Christicni Journal with
ability, and was an eloquent preacher. The Rev.
Thomas Crompton was editor from 1866 to 1871. No
minister of the denomination has been honored with
official position for the same length of time as Rev.
Wm. Bee, as has been already noted. The Rev. J. C.
Antliff, M.A., D.D., was editor from 1879 to 1883,
when the Christian Journal was merged into the
Christian Guardian. He was the minister of Carlton
Street Church from 1878 till 1884, and was honored
by being elected Secretary of the first General Con-
ference of the United Church at Belleville in 1883.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SWEET MEMORIES AND NOBLE RESOLVES.

Fifty Years Active Ministry — Memories Unravelled — A Judicial
Minister — A Grand Revivalist — A Walking Cyclopaedia — A
Born Eccentric— A Popular Divine— A Man all Soul and Sym-
pathy— A Solid Speaker — Three in the Apostolic Succession —
A Business Ecclesiastic— A Brilliant Preacher — A Waiting
Companj- — Distinguished Laymen — Honorable Women — The
Work Accomplished — The Chambers of Memory— One Family
— The Great Invitation.

Appendix. — All Laj'men who have been Members of Conference —
List of Conferences with Presidents and Secretaries — Also the
Time and Place where held.

A LETTER written to Rev. Robert Cade, D.D., now
superannuated and living in Toronto, brought a reply
which will be of interest to the reader, and from
which I shall take the liberty of quoting :

" My more than fifty years' active ministry in this
cause, should give me perhaps more than any other
man now living, unless it be Mr. Garner, a large
acquaintance with the men and their work, their
early struggles and successes, great revivals, influence
upon other churches, and the ultimate drifting into
the union.

" It all seems to me like a dream, and I am left
almost alone, for a few days, of that race of men who
subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, and stopped the mouths of lions, in this
•• 326

SWEET MEMORIES AND NOBLE RESOLVES.

land fifty years ago. May I lay a wreath or two
around their memory before they are forgotten.

"John Davison. — Brilliant in his prime, of splendid
appearance. General Book Steward and General
Secretary for manj^ years. Kind, calm, judicial and
judicious, in whom we all had every confidence. He
died in Toronto with these words upon his lips: — 'I
believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-
lasting.'

" Mattheio Nichols. — A man marvellous in revival
work. How he overwhelmed a whole congregation
with emotion while preaching from the text, ' What
mean ye to weep and to break mine heart.' He died
early and suddenly of cholera, in Kingston, in 1854.
His work was great in success, and remains to this
day.

"John Lacey. — A walking cyclopaedia in divinity.
A man whom men crowded to hear, a father in the
church in this land, and one of all men whom I most
revered and loved. He sleeps well in the village
cemetery at Sydenham.

" William Gledhill. — A born eccentric. Simple as
a child, pure as an angel, timid as a hare, but whom
everybody loved. Anecdotes told of him would take
up a large space in a volume. He wrote us saying
he was going home to his sister's to die, and die he
did soon after, and died well.

" Robert Boyle. — Sensitive, clever, popular, much in
demand among the churches. Conscientious to the
last. He made his mark for God and good upon his
generation.

"James Edgar. — A man nearly all soul and sym-
pathy. ' The law of kindness was on his lips and
none of his steps did slide.' His death caused
universal sorrow among us.
327

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA.

" William Rowe. — The ideal Christian gentleman,
a man of administrative ability, who tilled the highest
connexional offices with great acceptance.

" Thomas Crompton — Solid as a preacher, four-
square in all his transactions. A man of large
mentality, he had few equals in the pulpit or as a
writer.

" William Jolley, William Lyle, Thomas Adams —
All three in the best sense, in the apostolic succession,
Mr. Jolley wanted to hear no name in the pulpit but
the name of Jesus. Of Mr. Adams it was said to be
a rare thing to meet him without finding a subscrip-
tion book in his hand, in the interest of some
struggling church.

" Jonatlian Milner did more than any man among
us in improvement of church property. He had a
genius for business. He piloted the chuuch as it went
into the union, in a financial sense, so that Primitive
Methodism went in with honor. He loyally worked
for his Master till the end,

"Thomas Guttery came to Canada later; he was
brilliant and popular, and died in the meridian of his
days.

" It would be a pleasure were I permitted to name
some of the worthy workers who are yet with us
waiting for the angel — James Smith, Joseph Mark-
ham, William Herridge, William Bee, George Wood,
G. F. Lee, J. Goodman, John Garner the patriarch of
us all — The old fire burns in him still — his soul is
marching on — his face shines like the faces of the
saints in the old pictures. I saw him a j-ear ago in
his home, and the sight of him was a benediction. A
good many others did fine work in their generation.
E. Middleton has lately been laid aside from his loved
work, and some are doing good work still. Notably
Thomas Griffith, James Cooper Antlitf, James E.

J

SWEET MEMORIES AND NOBLE RESOLVES.

Moore, C. J. Dobson J. W. Gilpin, Thomas W. Jo'litie,
E. Whitvvorth, and many others too numerous to
mention.

"The church was greatly enriched by distinguished
laymen, and honorable women not a few. Primitive
Methodism came to this colony when the settlers most
needed help. The people were poor, and settlements
few and far between. Roads were bad and the
preacher's work was hard. Religious privileges were
rare ; commercial stagnation had settled over the
country. Political rights were only in their infancy,
and the people were sad and sullen. The spirit of
annexation was in the air, but the settlers from the
Old Land increased, and brought with them their
praying power ; and aided by a faithful ministry,
mighty revivals took place and spread over the
country. Many hundreds of our converts joined other
churches, where we were unable to reach them. Altars
were built in a multitude of hcfmes, a holy evangelism
was kindled which spread over the province, liberal
ideas were fostered, loyalty to the British throne
promoted, and kindness to other churches cultivated.
In no small measure Primitive Methodi.'jm in this
country, in its faithful sowing of the incomparable
seed, aided in producing the rich harvest of spiritual,
numerical and national blessing Canada enjoys
to-day.

"The early Primitive Methodists were mighty in
praying power ; notably, Father Nichols, who went
about the country telling the people they were God's
property. Richard Agar, an official on Etobicoke
circuit, told me that no laborer left his employ un-
converted. Marvellous were some of our women.
Mrs. William Lawson told me that she could not die
until she saw all her eleven children converted. God
gave her request. Her death was the most triumphant
spectacle I ever witnessed."
329

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

1

Dr. Cade's letter reads like a concentrated extract
of condensed, double distilled Primitive Methodism;
and yet, he was one of the earliest and strongest
advocates of Methodist union. The Rev. John
Goodman thought it would be a greater blessing
to coming generations to permeate all Canadian
Methodism with the principle of lay delegation,
thus bringing it in line with the democratic ten-
dency of the age, than any success, triumph or
advancement we could attain by remaining a separate
body. Besides the names mentioned by Ur. Cade,
there were a number of men who did good work and
gave their services unstintedly ; but to do justice to
these men of later years would have made the volume
too costly for general circulation. The year 1860,
seems the natural dividing line between the earlier and
later Canadian Primitive Methodism. About that date
there appears to have been a departure from the
earlier simplicity, a broadening out in the publication
of a religious newspaper, the establishing of a Book
Room, the use of the word reverend before ministers'
names, the multiplication of men and means, the
amelioration of the conditions of life, and such a
general similarity to the other Methodist bodies, that
it soon became unnecessary to remain separate, since
there was nothing to distinguish them but a name
that had almost come to lose its significance.

Early Primitive Methodism in Canada is not an

ancient chronicle ; it does not belong to antiquity ;

yet day by day its history is slipping away past into

the long ago. As all history is simply biography, it

330

SWEET MEMORIES AND NOBLE RESOLVES.

becomes us to study these men aud women, to enquire
of those who knew them, how they thought, the way
they acted, what they achieved, that the record may
be kept as the inheritance of future generations, to
stimulate to deeds of noble daring. Pope has truth-
fully said :

" Years following years steal something every di»y.
At last they steal us from ourselves away."

All who bore the name of Primitive Methodist in
Canada will soon have crossed the river. The last
Canadian Conference has met ; the die is cast ; there
is nothing of us any more as a separate body. Let us
catch the spirit of such noble sires and feel the call of
duty upon us all to lift the human race upward
toward the perfect ideal, the man Christ Jesus. Let
us hold by the old time-honored usages which raised
the babe in Christ to be the stalwart Christian, able
to do and dare for God. Stand by the class-meeting
and weekly prayer-meeting — what they did for our
fathers aud mothers words cannot express.

As I study the lives of the early Primitive Metho-
dists, they were men of high moral nature, and as
such they lived noblj'. They were men of courage,
honesty, truthfulness — the foundation of all goodness
in man. They were men of faith, who considered a
good conscience of priceless value. The theological
problem of evil did not cause them so much worry as
how to get rid of the evil itself, and their greatest
solicitude was to be able to so account for their faith,
that it might lead others into such blessed peace.
331

OLD-TIME PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN CANADA

There was a spontaniety and naturalness in their
spiritual life, that made all their acts regal, hearty
and graceful. They did not practice the social lie to
keep up appearances, because their lives were trans-
parent. They felt the nobility of labor, and the dis-
grace of idleness. It was their business to be, not to
seem. They lived in the constant communion and
fellowship, that gave satisfaction to every condition
of life, that overcame the anxiety the natural man
has, and enabled them to welcome each day's trials or
joys, as a blessing from their Heavenly Father's hands,
so that they were pleasant in their lives. Their love
gave them joy, their benevolence made them happy.
The sunshine of living came from perfect trust, and
all the promi-ses were theirs. Oh, the memories of
the fathers and mothers of Primitive Methodism '
The earnestness that led us as little children to the
closet for prayer ; the heart's desire, that in audible
petition made us feel in the presence chamber of the
Eternal. How the very tones of their voices stir in
the chambers of memory like breezes from the better
land !

They minister as in the past, our blending spirits thrill.
New strength and courage we derive, we worship with
them still.

Methodist union was not a product of human
ingenuity. No amount of argument could overcome
prejudice — it rather increased antagonism ; but when
the walls of separation were lowered, so that the
different denominations could shake hands over them

J

SWEET MEMORIES AND NOBLE RESOLVES.

and look into each otlier's eyes, they came tocrether
with such an affinity that separation could no longer
be maintained. They were not obliged to unite — thej'
wanted to. The same spirit was moving on all hearts.
" Blood is thicker than water," and all of one family
and name, they meet in one house to forget old
discords. Their hearts are with one another and
against evil only and always. Surely this is the
wisdom that cometh from above, that informs men's
minds, and influences them even against their own
inclinations, like an olive branch of peace, springing
from the heart, blooming on the tongue, nurtured by
the mind, and bearing fruit in generous action.

The sanctified common-sense of the four Methodist
bodies has at last become condensed into one com-
pound, partaking of the nature of all its component
parts, and labelled for the public at large as " The
Methodist Church." All the earnestness of the Bible
Christian, all the solidity of the Canada Methodist,
all the dignity of the Episcopal, all the burning zeal
of the Primitive Methodist, has combined to rear a
structure with open doors for humanity, and into it
any one may enter who possesses in his heart a desire
to flee from the wrath to come.

Methodism echoes from every pulpit the last in-
vitation sent by the beloved disciple as he worshipped
on the Isle of Patmos : " And the Spirit and the
Bride say come ; and let him that heareth say come :
and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely."

APPENDIX.

The names of the following laymen are found in the Confer-
ence Minutes between the years 1854 and 1883 :

Charles Atkinson
W. Anatead
Wm. Ascorabe
G. Aulsebrook
Humphrey Arthur
Samuel Auger
Richard Amy
Thos. Appleby
J. Ackrow
George Brunt
Thos. Burgess
Jos. Baldwin

John Baker

Wm. Ball

John Bugg

S. R. Briggs

G. Bowling

J. Brown

Wm. Bird

Thos. Cook

P. Coleman

W. Carline

J. Cook

C. Cousins

Wm. Chapman

John Curtis

G. Cook

E. Crompton

J. Coomljs

E. B. Crompton

Wm. Daniels

J. Darling

Henry Jennings

George Jewett

Matthew Joness

J. Johnson

W. Oldham

C. Bugg

Joseph Kent

John Kellam

John Keyworth

John Kent
Wm. Lawaon
W. P. Lacey

Joseph Lawson
W. Lawrence
Thos. Lawson
Fred. Lill
C. Lane
Joseph Lee
Frank Lyle
Joseph Lund
Chas. Larne
John Law
W. Lake
W. Lund
•J. Linton
John Masters
Wm. Marshall
C. D. Maginn
W. Masters
James Motley
Wm. Mutton
J. Higginbotham
334

E. T. Hewson
H. Rawlings
John Sherwood
Robt. C. Smith
R. Sargant

.W. Sturtridge
T. Spotswood

F. Sanderson
Christ. Sherwood
F. Sleightholme
John Stonehouse
J. Simpson

J. Smith
R. Shaw
Alfred Thurlow
Wm. Tuer
John Thomas
\V. Trebilcock
Thos. Thompson
Thos. Thompson, jr.
J. Trevaskis
M. Treadgold
Robt. Walker
Lancelot Walker
Thos. Windott
Wm. Wilkins
Thos. Hoar
John Ward
Isaac Wilson
J. T. Wilson
Geo. Wright
Thos. Ward

APPENDIX.

John Dixon
Henry Dougan
Robert Dobson

C. A. Dyke
W. Dennis
P. W. Day
John Elliott
Joseph EUarby
M. M. Elliott
R. Easton

D. R. Ellis

T. M. Edmondson
W. D. Fitzpatrick
Wm. Fielding
Geo Flint
Michael Fisher
R. J. Fleming
Wm. Gilchrist
Richard Goulding
M. S. Gray
Matthew Gray
Wm. Graham
John Green
W. Gould
J. Gardner
Eli Goodwin
W. S. Gordon

Wm. Hocking
Isaac Modeland
Isaac Middleton
John Middleton
Wm. Nason
G. Newman
Samuel Nicklin
Mr. Milnes
John Milner
Jas. McGee
D. McLean
James Murray
Thos.McMurray
Abiah Middleton
ThoB. Leaper
Robt. Parsons
J. Poore
Thos. Passmore
J. Percy
L. W. Purdy
A. Purnell
D. Parks
G. Pearson
G. Raper
Jos. Ryan
Jos. Robinson
R. P. Hopper

John Wilson
Robt. Ward
R. I. Walker
J. W. Wood
B. Wemp
Roland Ward
Wm. Wade
Wm. WUkinson
G. Walker
Thos. Whale
Geo. Ward
James Wood
John Woodworth
H. A. Wartman
Wm. Harrison

E. Wreford

W. H. Woodgate
D. Wright
T. R. Whale
T. Williamson
W. Wellington
G. F. Youle

F. Harper
J. Hart

G. Hudson

3^, A^

CANADIAN PRIMITIVE METHODIST
CONFERENCES.

NO

DATE

President.

Secretary.

Place.

1

1854

Rev. John Lacey

William Lawson, Esq. . .

Brampton

f,

1855

" Tho3. Adams

Rev. E.Barrass

Toronto.

1856

" John Davison

■■ Wm. Rowe

4

1857

" Wm. Lyle

" Thos. Crompton...

" James Edgar

Brampton

5

1858

" Robert Boyle

" Timothy Nattrass .

6

" John Lacey

Victoria Square

7

1860

" Wm. Rowe

'• John Garner

Etobicoke

H

1861

" Robt. Boyle

" James Edgar

" Jonathan Milner . .

Brampton
Hamilton

1862

" J. R. Swift

10

1863

" John Nattrass ....

" Thos. Crompton...

Toronto

11

1864

" John Gamer

" Wm. Rowe

Brampton

IKfift

" John Davison

'• Wm. Lomas

13

1866

" Wm. Lomas

" John Nattrass

Bowmanville

14

1867

" Robert Cade

'• Joseph Markbam..

Toronto

1ft

1868

" Jonathan Jlilner . .

" James Smith

Hamilton

Ifi

1869

" Robert Boyle

" William Bee

17

1870

" J. R. Swift

" George Wood

Toronto

IS

1871

" S. Antliff, D.D. ..

" Wm. Herridge....

19

1872

" Joseph Markham. .

" Wm. Newton

London

20

1873

'• Robert Boyle

" Henry Harris

Toronto

21

1K74

" S. Antliflf, D.D....

" Walter Reid

22

1875

Robert Walker, Esq

•' Wm.S. Hughan...

Guelph

1876

Rev. G. Lamb

" John Goodman. . . .

Toronto

1877

'■ Wm. Bee

" C. S. Willis

Aurora

25

1878

" H. Harris

" M. H. Matthews..

2K

1879

•' James Smith

" Thos. Griffith

Brampton

27

1880

" W. S. Hughan....

" T. W. Jolliffe

Orangeville

28

1881

'■ M.H. Matthews.

" Thomas Bryant . . .

Kingston

;w

1882

" John Goodman ....

" Richard Paul

Aurora

80

1883

" Wm. Herridge ....
" Thos. Griffith

" Robt. Cade

Toronto

31

1884

" J. W. Gilpin

lECKMAN

NDERY INC.

NOV 94

■ -To-Pl..^ N.MANCHESTER,