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  4. The Parish of St. James and St. Brendan

The Parish of St. James and St. Brendan

City
Port Colborne, Ont.
Full Location

The Parish of St. James and St. Brendan (formerly St. James' )
55 Charlotte Street
Port Colborne, Ontario L3K 3C9
Phone: 905.834.3184

Fonds - Brief Description

St. James Anglican Church (Port Colborne, Ont.) fonds. -- 1864-1989. -- 45 cm of textual records.

Around 1858 a "Union Chapel" was built to be used by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Anglicans. In 1863 Rev. W.E. Cooper was appointed as the first rector in Port Colborne and Marshville (now Wainfleet) for the Anglican congregation. In 1865 the decision was taken to build a church in Port Colborne. A red-brick structure, it opened for worship on 1 July 1867. On 7 November 1915 the church was destroyed by fire. A new stone church was built, opening for services on 22 April 1917. For a more complete history see A Century with Christ 1863-1963: St. James Anglican Church.

The fonds consists of parish registers containing statistical records, services, Vestry minutes, an early history written by the first Rector, building records and other documents. The fonds has been microfilmed. The fonds is supposed to contain statistical records for Wainfleet, Ont. from September 1864 to March 1909, although the index does not indicate them specifically.

Title based on content of fonds.
Fonds on deposit. Ownership of the fonds resides with St. James Church.
Finding aid available in hard copy and electronically.
Researchers are requested to use the microfilms. They must also sign an agreement of use form.
Further accruals are expected.

Finding Aid

S/W #25

Historical Notes

The Parish of St. James had its origin in the early days of the 19th century when the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto, John Strachan, founded the Church Society in 1842 and sent "Travelling Missions" to serve in the Diocese. The Village of Port Colborne became part of one of the missions embracing the southern frontier of the Niagara Region.

Around the year 1858 representatives of various Protestant denominations in the village united to build a "Union Church" on Charlotte Street, to be used by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Anglicans. Inevitably this ecumenical endeavour could not maintain itself in the strain of a growing community, and eventually the Union "Chapel" was converted to the "Fire Hall".

The first Anglican Church in Port Colborne was completed and the congelation worshipped in their new Church for the first time on July 1 1867, the Day of confederation. That red brick structure of Gothic style served the parish until it was destroyed by fire on March 7, 1915. Plans were immediately made to construct the present stone Church which was officially opened for services and dedicated on April 22, 1917.

Previous to 1863 Anglicans had no regular Services in Port Colborne which was part of the Welland Parish and then of Fort Erie. In 1863 the Reverend W.E. Cooper was appointed the first Incumbent of Port Colborne together with Marshville (now called Wainfleet), the two remaining under one Rector until 1911 when Christ Church, Wainfleet was linked with Dain City.

With the amalgamation of Port Colborne and Humberstone in 1952, the need was felt for a Mission Church in the north end of town, then with a population of 15,000. This led to the beginning of the second parish in the town which was rapidly to become a city. The daughter Church of St. Brendan the Navigator was dedicated by the Bishop of Niagara, Walter E. Bagnall, on October 4, 1964.

 

I - List of Parish Registers

a) Statistical

  Microfilm
Reel
Parish Register A Baptisms 1868-1885
Marriages 1864-1885
Burials 1864-1886		 274
Parish Register B

This Register also contains:
I)

ii)

iii)
iv)

v)
vi)

vii)
viii) An Index

 Baptisms 1886-1902
Confirmations 1883-1901
Marriages 1886-1902
Burials 1886-1903

A history written by the first Rector, Rev. W.E. Cooper
(1863-1870)
Minutes of meetings re: the building of the first Church
(1865)
Estimate of cost of building the first Church (1865)
Lists of pledges and contributions to the building fund
(1865)
Regular contributions to the Church (1886-88)
Memo: between Mr. Schooley (Builder) and Mr. Pring
(Parishioner) re: contract and finances (1868)
Lists of Church Families (1887-1890)

 274

 
Parish Register C

(This register also contains brief history notes.)

 Baptisms 1903-1915
Confirmations 1903-1915
Marriages 1903-1915
Burials 1902-1915		 274

 
Parish Register D Baptisms 1915-1924
Confirmations 1917-1923
Marriages 1915-1924		 274
Parish Register E Baptisms 1925-1930
Confirmations 1925-1951
Marriages 1924-1935
Burials 1925-1958		 274
Parish Register F

(Contains also history notes and list of gifts)

 Baptisms 1931-1958
Confirmations 1952-1958
Churchings 1932-1933		 274
Parish Register G Baptisms 1959-1962
Confirmations 1959-1973
Marriages 1959-1972
Burials 1959-1972		 275
Parish Register H Confirmations 1974-1988
Marriages 1972-1980
Burials 1972-1989		 275
Parish Register I Marriages 1896-1914 275
Parish Register J Marriages 1935-1942 275
Parish Register K Marriages 1942-1948 275
Parish Register L Marriages 1948-1954 275
Parish Register M Marriages 1913-1916 and
Marriages 1954-1958		 275

b) General

  Microfilm
Reel
Parish Register N Minutes of Vestry Meetings 1880-1912 275
Parish Register O Minutes of Vestry Meetings 1913-1943 276
Parish Register P List of Church Families 1904
List of Communicants 1906-1917
Service Register 1916-1921		 276
Parish Register Q Vestry Book 1962-1967 276

II - Index of Statistical Records

a) Baptisms

  Microfilm
Reel
Oct. 18 1868-Dec. 20 1885 Parish Register A 274
Jan. 24 1886-Oct. 22 1902 Parish Register B 274
Jan. 25 1903-Mar. 24 1915 Parish Register C 274
Apr. 4 1915-Nov. 30 1924 Parish Register D 274
Mar. 29 1925-Dec. 14 1930 Parish Register E 274
Jan. 11 1931-Dec. 23 1958 Parish Register F 274
Jan. 25 1959-Jan. 21 1962 Parish Register G 275

b) Confirmations

  Microfilm
Reel
Nov. 12 1883-Apr. 10 1901 Parish Register B 274
Mar. 31 1903-Mar. 18 1915 Parish Register C 274
Apr. 17 1917-June 3 1923 Parish Register D 274
July 3 1925-June 21 1951 Parish Register E 274
May 21 1952-Mar. 19 1958* Parish Register F 274
May 31 1959-June 17 1973 Parish Register G 275
May 17 1974-Nov. 13 1988 Parish Register H 275
* Recorded on the back pages of the Register, also one Admission from the Roman Catholic Church, July 12, 1953.

c) Marriages

  Microfilm
Reel
June 26 1864-Dec. 29 1885 Parish Register A 274
Mar. 23 1886-Sept. 9 1902 Parish Register B 274
Aug. 2 1896-Mar. 18 1914 Parish Register I 275
June 24 1903-Jan. 9 1915 Parish Register C 274
Aug. 26 1913-Aug. 17 1916* Parish Register M 275
May 31 1915-Aug. 12 1924 Parish Register D 274
Dec. 24 1924-Apr. 18 1935 Parish Register E 274
May 8 1935-Dec. 5 1942 Parish Register J 275
Dec. 25 1942-July 3 1948 Parish Register K 275
July 24 1948-July 10 1954 Parish Register L 275
July 17 1954-Dec. 30 1958** Parish Register M 275
Jan. 10 1959-Sept. 30 1972 Parish Register G 275
Oct. 21 1972-May 24 1980 Parish Register H 275
* Recorded on the first few pages of the Register.
     
** Recorded on all but first few pages of the Register.

d) Burials

  Microfilm
Reel
June 27 1864-Jan. 31 1886 Parish Register A 274
Jan. 18 1886-Jan. 17 1903 Parish Register B 274
Dec. 24 1902-Mar. 3 1915 Parish Register C 274
Feb. 7 1925-Dec. 3 1958 Parish Register E 274
Jan. 16 1959-Sept. 12 1972 Parish Register G 275
Oct. 7 1972-Mar. 18 1989 Parish Register H 275

III - Index of General Records

a) Minutes of Vestry Meetings

  Microfilm
Reel
Mar. 29 1880-Apr. 8 1912 Parish Register N 275
Apr. 2 1913-Jan. 18 1943 Parish Register O 276
Note: Both Registers include minutes of other committees responsible to the Vestry, e.g. Management and Finance, Advisory Board. Also some financial statements.

b) Church Families, Communicants, Church Services

  Microfilm
Reel
1904-1915
Church Families		 Parish Register P 276
1906-1917
Communicants		 Parish Register P 276
1916-1921
Services		 Parish Register P 276
Note: In the Parish Record Section there are some drawings showing the location of tile, water pipes, septic tank, etc. for the Guild Hall and Rectory during that period.

c) Service Registers

  Microfilm
Reel
July 8 1962-June 24 1967* Parish Register Q 276
* Includes offerings, names of couples married, persons
buried and indicates Special Services.    
Note: For record of Services 1916-1921,
  See: Parish Register P