"_Q_.Shall the minutes of Dec.Q.M., 1810, respecting preacher's house be agreed to by this Q.M.? _A_.Yes, we are agreed that the house shall be built upon the grounds given by Messrs.Dixon and Harris.
"_Q_.Who shall be the trustees of the said house? _A_.John Fawcett, Jr., Chas.Dixon, Jr., Edwin Dixon, Esq., Rich.Bowser and Thomas Roach, Esq.
"_Q_.Who shall we employ to build the house? _A_.Chas.Dixon, Jr., who has engaged to finish it in a workmanlike manner for L200, according to plan, N.B., 35 ft.by 24, one story and half high and of brick."BAPTISTS.
In 1763 a Baptist church at Swansea, Mass., left in a body and settled in Sackville, bringing their pastor with them.They numbered thirteen members.Almost all of them returned to Massachusetts in 1771.The Baptists were the first Protestant denomination in Sackville, but had no church building until about the year 1800.That year Joseph Crandall organized the church, and they at once proceeded to erect a building in which to worship.The site chosen was at the Four Corners.The church which replaced this one in 1830 was called Beulah.
The first Baptist association for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia met in Sackville in 1810.Sackville was represented by Elders Jos.Crandall and Jonathan Cole, and by Messrs.Wm.Lawrence and Jos.Read.There were twenty-two elders and messengers present, representing fourteen churches.Amongst the representatives were Fathers Murray and Harding, and Peter Crandall, Nathan Cleveland and Elijah Estabrooks.A letter published in August, 1810, by Rev.David Merrill, in the AMERICANBAPTIST MAGAZINE, reports his visit to the Association, in Sackville, as a member of the Lincoln Association, Maine.He is jubilant with hope for the new work and exclaims in triumph, "Babylon appears to be in full retreat." It is said that at a revival service in the Beulah Church, in 1822, conducted by Fathers Crandall, Tupper and McCully, twenty-five persons were immersed in Morris's millpond.During the service a woman stood up to exhort, handing her infant of six months to a bystander.The woman was Mrs.Tupper, and the infant the future Sir Charles Tupper.This must have been Sir Charles's first appearance in public life.
The Baptist Church in Amherst was organized about 1810, or perhaps a year or two earlier, by the Rev.Jos.Crandall.To the Association in Sackville they sent two messengers, Thos.S.Black and Wm.Freeman, reporting a membership of fifteen.The Rev.Chas.Tupper was the first pastor, ordained in 1817.He had charge of the church, with occasional relief, until 1851.
The Baptists of Westmoreland did not erect a church building until 1825.The late Wm.Tingley, of Point de Bute, gave the site and also the largest subscription.The following clause in the subscription paper is worth transcribing, as showing the liberality in religious matters which existed at that time.The Presbyterians of Jolicure assisted in the building, and were given "the right to hold service in proportion to the amount they subscribed, and when it is not in use by either Baptists or Presbyterians, if wanted occasionally by other denominations of Christians, it shall be open and free for such service." Although the building was erected in 1825 there was no church organized until 1850.
The first minister was Rev.Willard Parker, and the deacons Rufus Fillimore and Henry Ward.The ministers who have been in charge from that date down to the present time are:
William Parker.Trueman Bishop.
John Roe.Chas.A.Eaton.
David Lawson.T.D.Skinner.
W.A.Coleman.J.D.Wilson.
G.F.Miles.H.Lavers.
David McKeen.D.A.Steele.
PRESBYTERIANS.
The Presbyterians were organized and had a church building in Amherst as early as 1788, but it was not until the Rev.Alexander Clark arrived, in 1827, that they had a regular minister stationed with them.
Previous to this several ministers had been with them, but only a very short time.
In the grant of the Cumberland township of 1763 land was given to the Presbyterian Church on which to build a manse, but there is no existing record to show that it was ever taken possession of by that body.The first church in the township was erected in Jolicure about the year 1830.The land was given by Thos.Copp, and the Brownells and Copps of that place were very active in the work of building.Rev.Alexander Clark, of Amherst, was the minister in charge of the congregation.Dr.
Clark spent his life in preaching the Gospel to the same people and to their children, with whom he began his mission when he first came to the country in 1827 or 1828.His circuit extended from Maccan to Pugwash, and from there along the Northumberland Straits to Shemogne, including Amherst, Jolicure, and Sackville.He was a fine type of the Scotch-Irish minister, who spoke what he believed was the truth, whatever the consequence might be.
EPISCOPALIAN.
The first Episcopal Church in the Sackville Parish was built at Westcock in 1817.The rectors have been as follows:
John Burnyeot, 1818-1820.
Christopher Milner, 1820-1836.
John Black, 1836-1847.
T.DeWolfe, 1847-1860.
G.G.Roberts, 1860-1873.
David Nickerson, 1873-1875.
J.D.H.Brown, 1875-1878.
R.J.Uniacke, 1878-1879.
C.P.Mulvaney, 1879-1880.
C.F.Wiggins, 1880-
St.Paul's Church, Sackville, was commenced in 1856, and consecrated in 1858.The late Joseph F.Allison was largely instrumental in building this church.As the two churches, St.Paul's and St.Ann's, Westcock, were in the same parish, they were under the charge of one rector.
