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History of Saint Andrew's Church, Saint John, New Brunswick 
by David Russell Jack


1913 book reveals much church history

RUBY CUSACK


Here it was a beautiful day in May, just perfect for going fishing in the brook, but Mum had other plans for us. I had the hated task of dusting everything in the livingroom and cleaning the kitchen windows. Cliff was to cut off the crusts of the sandwiches Mum was making and then he was to put icing on the cupcakes.

Once the sandwiches were arranged on the tray, they were covered with a damp dishcloth and wax paper and put in the outside pantry.

Not a speck of dirt was to be found in the house when the folk on the committee to plan the church anniversary service arrived at eight o'clock.

Mum told us to stay in the other room while the meeting took place. She did not want to hear a sound from us. She suggested we play Snakes and Ladders.

All went well for the first hour - then I suggested to Cliff we sit by the hall door and eavesdrop. From what we heard, it seemed they wanted to have a really good preacher and some special music to attract former members of the congregation as well as people from other churches.

Cliff whispered that maybe they should ask Wilf Carter to come. I could visualize him standing at the front of the church with guitar, cowboy boots and cowboy hat. It struck me as funny and I started to giggle. We did not realize a hush had fallen over the discussion in the livingroom until the hall door opened and there stood Mum glaring at us as we lay on the floor giggling louder than we knew.

I wonder if any of the children of Saint Andrew's Church in Saint John were listening while a committee planned the 123rd anniversary service in 1907? The guest speaker was the Reverend C.W. Gordon, pastor of St. Stephen's church in Winnipeg. To thousands of Saint Johners he was known for his high position in the literary world as Ralph Connor, author of such stirring tales as The Man from Glengarry, Black Rock and The Prospector.

On Friday, May 31, 1907, his series of lectures, addresses and sermons opened with an evening at the Opera House. On Sunday, June 2, he preached at both services at Saint Andrew's Church.

This is just one of the many events that was documented by David Russell Jack in the 400-page book, History of Saint Andrew's Church, Saint John, New Brunswick that he compiled for publication in 1913.

Not only is this book filled with information, photos of ministers and parishioners but it has biographical sketches of a few of those who were prominent at various dates in the work of the church.

William Emslie was a Scotch shoemaker or cobbler. "His purse strings were always loosened, and the contents freely given to the hungry and suffering."

James Gordon Forbes was born May 10, 1837, in Pictou County, N.S. He taught school at Kouchibouguac in the late 1850s. He studied in the law office of Judge Wedderburn and went into the law business with William H. Sinnott.

The idea for a history of the church came from Rev. David Lang, who suggested a history of the church be published for the 125th anniversary in 1909. The book was not published until 1913 but when one delves into the amount of material, one realizes this delay proved advantageous to generations to come.

Queries

Query 1546: Mason: Samuel Mason belonged to the Loyal Artillery of Saint John in 1795. He died in 1827 in Saint John. He was born in England about 1761. I'm looking for information about his family, wife and children.
SUSAN BERRY
124 Providence Blvd.
Kendall Park, NJ
08824, USA
E-mail vonbarm@comcast.net

Query 1547: Gallagher - Gibbons: Looking for death of Bernard Gallagher 1815-1863 who arrived in Saint John, N.B., from Mount Charles, Donegal, Ireland in 1863. He died of cholera soon after his arrival. His wife Anne Gibbons arrived in 1864 with their 11 children and she died March 18, 1879.
KELLEY O'ROURKE
61 Somerset, Baie D'Urfe
Quebec, Canada, H9X 2V8
E-mail Kelley.orourke@videotron.ca

Query 1548: Woodworth - Blackmore - Pineo: I am researching the family of Walter Woodworth of Scituate, Mass. Our research project is stuck on William Woodworth, born circa 1731 at Lebanon, Ct. putative son of Jedediah Woodworth. He was one of the grantees at Cornwallis, N.S., in 1760. He arrived with a son born 1755, and wife Sarah Blackmore and left several children. Sarah died in 1767 and William disappears from records. His son married Mercy Pineo and had many children at Cornwallis 1779 to 1808. There was a William Woodworth recorded at Newtown, N.B., 1783 with wife and three children living in poor log home, who arrived from Cornwallis. Is he the father William, born 1731, or is he the son William born 1755, or someone else? There was also William Woodworth with a grant of 200 acres at Richmond, Woodstock Parish, 1822. Any help or guidance that can be offered will be most appreciated.
DAN JENKINS
E-mail dan_jenkins66@hotmail.com

Query 1549: Hatfield Point: Does anyone know how Hatfield Point in Kings County got its name?
DORIS HATFIELD JENSEN
1640 Morris Ave., RR#1 Peterborough
ON, Canada, K9J 6X2.
Email bjensen@lincsat.com

Query 1550: Sloan - Duffy: I am seeking information on Henry Sloan born circa 1816 in Ireland and his wife Louisa Duffy, born circa 1821 in Ireland, residence in 1851 in Simonds Parish, Saint John County.
PAUL MILSOM
76 South Street, Cottingham
East Yorkshire, England HU16 4AT
E-mail paulmilsom50@fsmail.net

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Ruby M. Cusack is a genealogy buff living in New Brunswick, Canada. Send your New Brunswick genealogical queries to her at:  rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca.  Please put "Query" followed by the surnames in your query as the subject of your e-mail. For more information on submitting queries, visit http://www.rubycusack.com/Query-Instructions.html
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