Thursday, January 4, 2007

Presbyterian Church, Port Burwell 1868 (Family names Burwell, Youell, Sutherland, McKenzie, Connor, Glover)

St Thomas Times Journal, Dec 15 1921, Page 8, c2 - In making a search for some old title papers in his office, D. H. Connor of Aylmer found some interesting old documents. One of them shows an old deed of a building site granted for building thereon a Presbyterian Church at Port Burwell for the nominal consideration of one dollar. All the parties to the document are now dead. The grantors were Mr and Mrs L. Burwell, parents of Mrs George Youell, who gave a liberal subsrcription to the building fund. One of the managers appointed to accept the property was Alexander Sutherland, whose granddaughter is Miss McKenzie, one of Mr Connor's staff. He is described as a lighthouse keeper but was better known as a magistrate, his sons looking after the work at the lighthouse, which is still done by his grandchildren. The deed is on a form printed for the Canada Presbyetrian Church and is dated Mar 1 1868, the conveyance being done by W. A. Glover and the witness, John R. Glover, his son. The latter's brother, now living at Chattanooga, was an Aylmer visitor last summer. A commodious church was built, but owing to removal of prominent members such as the Pousties and others, it was found impossible to carry on, so the congregation sold the building and it was moved to the front street and used as a livery stable till it burned about 8 years ago. The building site was sold later and since formed the lawn of a residence which stood behind the old church.

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