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Mr. J. M. Denyes,
B. A., of the Newburgh High School staff, has kindly supplied The Beaver with
the following contribution to the early history of this province. we will be very glad to receive similar
favors from others who may have facts of interest at their disposal: Newburgh, Oct. 26th,
1901 To the Editor of the Beaver: Very many of your readers have been deeply
interested in the “Old-time Records” which have appeared in your
columns. Mr. Casey has done a real
service to many hundreds of readers.
In his references to the early history of the church in Upper Canada
and especially to the origin of the work in this district, I do not remember
seeing any detailed references to the building of the first Methodist church
in Upper Canada, which was erected at Hay Bay. I have lately been reading our early church
history, and a recital of the following bit of history may be of interest to
some of your readers, particularly of the Methodist section. It was the year of the first Parliament of
Upper Canada, 1792, which witnessed also the commencement of the first
Methodist church, William Losee, a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal
church of the United States, having been admitted on trial for the itinerant
work in 1789 and appointed to the Lake Champlain district and having obtained
liberty in 1790 to pursue his work father north and been, ordained, the next
year, became the first regular Methodist preacher in Upper Canada. His work was located in a wide district
covering what is now the front of Lennox county and a part of Prince Edward
county. One of his appointments was in
the 3rd concession of Adolphustown in the house of Paul Huff on
the Hay Bay shore. It was here that
Losee founded the first regularly organized class in Canada, on February 20th,
1791. The congregation at the home of Paul Huff
so increased that the house became too small and early in the year the
preacher and people began to think of a house solely for the worship of
God. It was resolved to undertake the
work and the following is a copy of the epistle of the originators to the
public and the societies and of the subscription to the enterprise. Adolphustown, Feb. 3d. 1792 Dear Friends and Brethren: As the Almighty God has been pleased to
visit us in this wilderness land with the light of a preached Gospel, we
think it requisite to build a meeting house or church for the more convenient
assembling of ourselves to gather for social worship before the Lord. We do agree to build such church under the
direction of William Losee, Methodist preacher, our brother who has labored
with us this twelve months past, he following the directions of the
Discipline for the Methodist Episcopal Church, or in his absence, under the
direction of any assistant preacher belonging to the Methodist Episcopal
Church in Great Britain or America, sent from there by the proper authority
(such as the Bishop) to labor among us.
We do further agree that no other denomination or society of people
shall have any privilege or liberty to preach, or teach in the said Methodist
church without the consent or leave of the assistant Methodist preacher then
laboring with us. We do further agree
to build such church 36 by 30 ft., two stories high, with a gallery in the
upper story or second story. Said
house to be built on the north west corner Paul Huff’s lot of land No. 18, 3rd
concession, Fourth town. We the subscribers do promise to pay or
cause to be paid to the Directors toward the building of the said church as
it is wanted, the sums of money annexed to our names underneath where we have
hereunto set our hands the date above written: Paul Huff - 10-0-0 Peter Frederick 4-0-0 Elizabeth Roblin 12-0-0 William Casey 7-0-0 Daniel Steel 3-10-0 Joseph Ellison 3-0-0 William Green 1-0-0 William Ruttan 10-0-0 Solomon Huff 2-0-0 Stophel Garman
2-0-0 John Green 3-0-0 Peter Ruttan 4-0-0 Joseph Clapp 5-0-0 John Bininger
1-0-0 Conrad Vandusen 15-0-0 Henry Hover 8-10-0 Casper VanDusen
2-0-0 Arra Ferguson
3-0-0 Daniel Dafoe 2-0-0 Andrew Embury
2-0-0 Henry Davis 4-0-0 Wm. Ketcheson
2-0-0 Paul Huff doubtless gave the land as well
as the subscription. Elizabeth
Roblin was a widow who with her
husband and family had come into Canada by way of Lake Champlain coming up
the St. Lawrence by bateaux and settled at Hay Bay. William Casey lived on the north side of
Hay Bay on what is now call Casey’s Point.
Henry Hover, Wm. Ruttan and Conrad Vandusen were neighbors, pious men,
and useful in the church. Peter Ruttan
went by the name of “Noisy Pete” from his custom of crying aloud, and
shouting for joy. Andrew Embury was a nephew of Philip Embury
of New York. Casper Vandusen was a
brother of Conrad. Joseph Clapp was
the brother-in-law of the widow Roblin.
Daniel Dafoe has many descendants in the Bay of Quinte townships as
has also Stophel Garman, who had settled on a fine
piece of land adjoining Casey’s Point.
Henry Davis was a Dutch soldier.
Wm. Ketcheson, who was also been a soldier
in the revolutionary war had carried his family to Nova Scotia, but losing
all his property, by fire in 1787 had come to Canada. In 1800 he moved up to Sydney, where many
of his descendants are yet to be found. The subscriptions are seen to be very
liberal considering the scarcity of money.
A second church was begun at almost the same time for the members on
the eastern part of the circuit. My
letter, however has already become long enough. J. M. DENYES OLDEN TIME PUNISHMENTS Here are some samples of the sentences
meted out to criminals by our grandfathers, in the good old days of nearly a hundred years ago. It has been before stated in The Beaver
that probably the first hanging that took place in Upper Canada was at, or
near Finkle’s tavern, near Bath, of a man convicted
of stealing a watch. The Hon. Richard
Cartwright was said to have been the presiding magistrate in that case. He had the reputation of being very severe
in his sentences. But times and
circumstances were very different then.
The condemned man protested his innocence to the last, and it was
afterwards ascertained, that the man was not guilty, the watch had been lost
and was found again. Until quite recent years a large tree
stood nearly opposite Finkle’s tavern that was used
as a sort of whipping post. Those
condemned by the magistrates would be lashed to it and publicly whipped. One of the first to be thus punished was a
Negro for stealing a loaf of bread. Prof. Adam Shortt
gives in the last number of Queen’s Quarterly the following account: “As samples of the sentences given in the
higher court of Assizes at this period (1818) the following bay be taken,
from the August Assizes at Kingston.
John C --, Esq., (one of the Magistrates) for forgery, one month’s
imprisonment; and ten pounds fine, John C. Wilson, grand larceny, restitution
of the stolen property, three months imprisonment and public whipping, 39
stripes. John Grace, grand larceny,
one month’s imprisonment, public whipping, 39 stripes and banishment. Mary Smith, grand larceny, one month’s
imprisonment and private whipping.
Noble Bowman, assault upon a female, ten days imprisonment and five
pounds fine. Alice Braydon,
keeping a house of ill-fame, one month’s imprisonment, standing in the
pillory half an hour with a label of her offence on her back. Mary Fiske, keeping house of ill-fame, one
month’s imprisonment and sitting in the stocks half an hour. “In the following year, 1819, for an
assault with intent to murder, a man was sentenced to two month’s
imprisonment and a fine of three pounds.
Another man, for knowingly uttering a forged receipt, was sentenced,
“to be hanged on Thursday, 11th of November next.” A third man for stealing a cow was
sentenced to be hanged on the same date.” We have read in these early records of men
being branded with a hot iron for stealing and for forgery, of others being
sentenced to be hanged for forgery or for counterfeiting money, and
banishment from the country on pain of death for returning, for these and numbers
of other crimes. In a file of the
Kingston Gazette of 1818, now in the writer’s possession, there are several
instances given of person being convicted and sentenced at court of being
hanged before the proceedings of the court terminated at that time. In England and Ireland hanging for sheep
stealing and similar crimes was practiced during the early years of this century. |
