This is the second column in my two-part series exploring the history of local churches at the corner of Church and Botsford streets in downtown Newmarket. The Friends Church would replace the Congregational Church, the first church to occupy the building.
I have previously told the story of the Quaker Meeting House on Yonge Street, south of Eagle Street, on the west side. There were many splits among the Quaker (Friends) followers related to religious traditions and the use of music in their services. The establishment of the Hicksite Friends, which also had a meeting house on Yonge, or David Willson’s followers who would establish the Sharon Temple, are two examples. This article examines a third group that broke away from the Yonge Street group.
A rift occurred in 1881 within the conservative group of the Society of Friends in North America. Doctrinal differences were not the cause; it was basically a wish for modernization of the meetings by some members who felt that the manner of worship should be brought more in line with the prevailing changes outside the society. Unfortunately, this led to litigation regarding their property.
In June 1886, those who had seceded from the Yonge Street Meeting bought the vacant Episcopal Methodist Church on Queen Street through their trustee, William N. Starr, for $1,000. They kept it until it was sold to the Salvation Army on Dec. 30, 1903. This group instituted the pastoral system and singing was made a part of the service, although no musical instruments were permitted inside the Meeting House.
The Friends would remain on Queen for nine years, then they purchased the church and grounds of the Congregational Church at Botsford and Church. It should be noted that they maintained both locations until it was sold to the Salvation Army. They quickly renovated and installed a new heating system. Apparently a flaw in the heating system caused the original wood structure to burn to the ground that same winter.
The church was immediately rebuilt to the original plan, this time with brick walls instead of wood framing. An addition was placed at the back for a Sunday school and social centre. The church grew, and by 1933 there were 92 registered members. The Sunday school also grew and boasted a 10-piece orchestra. They removed the original tower, thus giving the building a more ‘Quakerly’ appearance. Nelson May of Pine Orchard oversaw the carpentry, W. R. Traviss was the mason and E. Groom did the painting.
In the intervening years, the church was renovated several times, with electric heating and fixtures added; only the third location in Newmarket at the time to be so equipped. Beautiful stained glass windows were added and a hedge planted. Students from Pickering College would undertake the maintenance of the church.
I have written several articles on the establishment and inner workings of the Friends, which you may wish to read here as it makes for fascinating local history.
As part of my examination of our local Black history, I told the story of Friend and minister William Allen, who became prominent throughout the area at that time. He had been born a slave and was twice sold on the auction block. Upon gaining his freedom, he assisted other slaves to safety via the Underground Railroad maintained by the Friends.
An eloquent speaker, he conducted successful evangelistic work among the Friends from 1885 to 1898, always speaking to packed houses. It was largely due to his splendid work in Newmarket that the first Yearly Meeting of Canadian Friends was held in town in June 1895, and that the local Friends would find it necessary to rent the vacant Congregational Church on Botsford. Their little building on Queen Street was much too small for such an occasion, as delegates came from far and wide.
They filled the Friends’ buildings and overflowed to the then welcoming doors of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian churches. At the same time, the residents of the town entertained these strangers in their homes. Pickering College, later a large Friends venue, had not yet been established in Newmarket.
It appears that the Friends were greatly taken with the former Congregational Church. The congregation continued to increase and they decided to buy it. From the Quaker Newsletter, we learn that on Oct. 1, 1895, “Joseph Millard and his wife, Susan, sold to Benjamin Cody, W. N. Starr, Cyrus Rogers, Ludwig Lehman, trustees of Yonge Street Monthly Meeting, in harmony and correspondence with the London Yearly Meeting, this property, the meeting house on said land to be used at all times by Members of the said Society for the purpose of public worship and business matters and for a Sabbath School and other Christian work under the charge of said Society.”
The church was re-opened the last Sunday of November 1896. Newspaper reports stated that, “The Friends had a very satisfactory day of three services, all well attended.” The chairs on the platform were occupied by Seneca Doan, William Allen, W.I. Moore, Allan Cody, Benjamin Cody, Andrew Lambie and Stephen Rogers.
Mrs. Robert A. Willson led the singing and William Allen offered the dedicatory prayer. Stephen Rogers read from the 8th Chapter of 1st Kings and W. I. Moore read from the 6th Chapter of 2nd Corinthians. He also preached the dedicatory sermon. Friends at that time did not pass a collection plate; instead, a free will offering box was placed in the front entrance.
Although at first musical instruments were not permitted in the church, there were two pianos added later, and the choral part of the service was supported by instrumental accompaniment. During the ministry of the Rev. H. Parry, a choir was organized.
The following were early recorded ministers: William Wetherald, 1887; Allen Cody, 1888; Stephen Rogers, 1892; John H. Rogers, Walter Armitage, 1901.
During this time, the Newmarket Friends were responsible for several meetings outside the town, this being accomplished through the support of Elias Rogers during the time in which Hugh Thompson and Frank Dell officiated at Pine Orchard and Holt.
Resident ministers were Robert Rogers, 1898-1900; Frank Cornell, 1901-1907; Frank Anscombe, 1907-1908; Frank Cornell, 1908-1912; John Webb, 1912-1915; Alfred Young, 1915-1917; Harry Parry, 1918-1928; Frank Guyatt, 1929-1932; John Toyne, July, 1932-October 1934; Burton Hill, Oct. 1935-Sept. 1942. Until 1948 students supplied, then there was again a resident, Douglas Ropp, 1948 - 1952. After that the church had no regular minister, but Burton Hill of Galt took the service once a month.
Frank Cornell was very popular as a minister and citizen of Newmarket and when he accepted the call to minister in California in 1907, in addition to the farewell by the local Friends, town council and prominent citizens gave a party on church grounds, lit for the occasion with electricity. They presented him with a gold watch and Newmarket Friends contributed a generous purse. The Newmarket Band contributed the music.
The Friends always have been a leader in educational matters and were among the first to support temperance and moral reforms. Varying views have caused separations that appeared to weaken their old-time power, but gradually a coming together developed and in 1955, the three branches – Conservative, Hicksite and Progressive – ratified the long-discussed union and there is now only one Yearly Meeting of Canadian Friends.
For more than 200 years, the Society of Friends in Canada have been making history. At one time, we had three Friends meeting houses – Hicksite and the Yonge Street Meeting house on Yonge, and the Friends Church on Botsford. One can also include the Sharon Temple in Sharon as it was an offshoot of the Yonge Street Meeting House. Sadly, many are not aware of the Hicksite and Botsford locations and I want to close that gap.
There is now a daycare located within this beautiful old church and the building looks much the same today. Let us hope that the building continues to be properly preserved. Placing daycares within a church seems such a wonderful use of historic structures and so aligned with the Friends tradition.
In the coming weeks I will profile more of our historic churches. My heritage walks/presentations of some of our historic churches are underway with the next walk scheduled for May 11 at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Church at D’Arcy Street.
Sources: The History of Newmarket by Ethel Trewhella; Newmarket Era articles; Stories of Newmarket, An Old Ontario Town by Robert Terence Carter; The Quakers in Canada – A History by Arthur G. Dorland.
Newmarket resident Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, has been a local historian for more than 40 years. He writes a weekly feature about our town's history in partnership with NewmarketToday, conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, and leads local oral history interviews. You can reach him at [email protected]
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