The first Presbyterian settlers in this area arrived about 1821, and were provided with their initial worship services by ministers from Montréal, through a Presbyterian Mission which had been established in St. Eustache three years earlier. A Mr. William Brunton, who emigrated from Scotland in 1820, seems to have been the first clergyman to minister to this area. He was followed by the Rev. David Shanks, who was in charge of a pastorate that included the two points “St Therese”, and “St. Eustache – Grande Fresnière”, within the United Associated Synod of the Secession Church of Scotland. This gentleman served the needs of the Grande Fresnière families from 1834 until approximately 1847.
From records of proceedings of the Presbytery of Montréal (Church of Scotland) during 1843, it is noted that a petition to be received as a congregation separate from St. Eustache had just been received from a group of seven individuals in the parish of St. Benoit. The Rev. Shanks objected, because these persons had originally supported the admission to Presbytery of his St. Eustache congregation in 1841. (Also, “Objection was made by Mr. Oswald, who says he supported Shanks as minister at Belle Rivière and not St. Eustache.”) Presbytery asked for a document from the seven certifying that their reasons for leaving were other than objections to the professional ability or personal integrity of Mr. Shanks. When they declined, Presbytery opted to proceed no further with the petition. However, to manifest continuing concern for the religious needs of the group, the Moderator was instructed to apply to the joint committee of missions for the temporary services of one of their missionaries. The Rev. Thomas Scott, an ordained missionary at St. Eustache, was consequently appointed. From 1847 until 1853, the congregation was served by student-ministers; and in 1853 the Rev. William Scott accepted a call and became their first settled minister, serving for the next three years.
It was during this time that the Fresnière’s original “log-cabin” type of Chapel, which had been built in the mid-1820’s, was replaced with the present building. Congregational meetings in March and June of 1853 passed resolutions to the effect that “on account of the dilapidated state of the present house of worship, it is essentially requisite to erect a new one” and “that a subscription list be opened for the erection of this church”. A management committee of seven was elected “for the purpose of managing the church and property”. Using the subscribed funds, and volunteer labour, the committee completed its task within the next year and a half. The lumber was obtained from the Fish Lumber Company of Lachute and the bricks were made by a contractor, using clay from the adjoining farm of William Inglis, (who donated the land used for the chapel and the church). Only near the very end of the building project did it become necessary to seek outside financial assistance, and this was kindly supplied by some members of the First Presbyterian Church congregation in Montréal. Construction was finished, and the original chapel removed, in late 1854.
At the June congregational meeting, it was also declared that “no party, neither committee nor congregation, shall have power to disturb ground already occupied by graves without consent of the proprietors for any purpose whatsoever”. Family names prominent in the original petition, and in the meeting minutes, include, alphabetically: Clare, Dobie, Inglis, McCallum, McColl, McGregor, McMartin, McTavish, Oswald, Stark, and Walker; and names of other persons now at eternal rest in the Cemetery include – Aggasiz, Campbell, Carmichael, Davidson, Gibb, Greer, Hamilton, McCubbin, McGeoch, Miller, Piche, Shearman, Sutherland, Whelan, and Wilson.
Other facts of interest include that the first Grande Fresnière Church wedding was solemnized by the Reverend Tanner in 1843, and the first congregational meeting (both occurrences were in the original Chapel) took place in 1853. The oldest recognizable date on a headstone in the cemetery is “1814”, being the [birth?] – date of [-name?-], [-relation?-] of [-name?-]. On a musical note, the first (and only) instrument used in this church, a “pump”-organ was bought and donated by Mr. Charles Robertson, one of the members, in 1875. Some refurbishing has been needed in recent years, because of its advancing age, and because of mice, and this has been expertly handled by one of the trustees, Mr. Ralph Etheridge. The organ is still used during the annual summertime Memorial services, by a Trustee with strong legs.
Clergy serving this congregation through the years have joined us for each of the annual summertime services by travelling from either Lachute or Montreal. In a number of cases, this has been after their retirement, testifying to their feelings of devotion to the congregation and its heritage.