History of St. James'

Extracts from:

An Historical Study Of The Anglican Parish Of Vaudreuil

(Hudson Heights), Que., 1952

By E. C. Royle, minister

For The Readers Information

What follows are extracts of the parts of the “Historical Study” where a Schneider is mentioned.

For a list of Rev. Royle’s references (for example: PR - CDL) see: Sources

To see how any of the Schneiders mentioned in the text fit into the family, consult the Index of the Descendants of William Schneider.

Index of Schneider Topics in the Monograph

Burger, Hannah (Francis Clarke Schneider’s godmother): .................... 3-3

Burger, Hannah, family reminiscence about George Grieve: ................. 3-3

Cemetery committee, 1818: ......................................................... 2-3

Cemetery, land sold: .................................................................. 2-3

Cemetery, vested in St. James Church 1866: .................................. 2-3

Cemetery: first burials at Vaudreuil: .............................................. 2-3

Cemetery: original deed: ............................................................. 2-3

Chipman House: ........................................................................ 1-7

Chipman House as Hudson Bay Company post:................................. 2-2

Church plans, earliest reference to, 1819: ...................................... 2-3

Contine, Caroline, death: ............................................................. 1-8

Contine, Caroline, lived with Charles: ............................................. 1-8

Contine, Caroline, marries: ........................................................... 1-6

Contine, Caroline, witness at baptism: ........................................... 1-9

Cook, Corneilius, marries in 1813: .................................................. 1-9

Cook, Corneilius, sells land for cemetery: ........................................ 2-3

DeLesDerniers, Mary Cecilia(Mrs. Shepherd): ............................ 5-3, 5-4

DeLesDerniers, Peter Francis Christian: .......................................... 4-8

Forbes, W.: ............................................................................ 6-10

Grieve, George: ......................................................................... 3-3

Grieve, Isabella: ........................................................................ 3-4

Grieve, Marky: .......................................................................... 3-4

Kingsbury family in Argenteuil: ............................................... 1-7, 1-8

Kinsberry, Mary, marries in 1802: .................................................. 1-7

Kinsbury (Schneider), Marie Josette: Death: .............................. 4-6 4-7

Kinsbury, Marie Josette, burial: ..................................................... 4-7

Kinsbury, Marie Josette, death: .................................................... 1-7

Leeds, Rev. John: ...................................................................... 3-1

Mathison, R.B.: ........................................................................ 5-3

Mathison, A.E.A.: ...................................................................... 5-3

Mathison, Misses: ...................................................................... 5.3

Robins, Hannah: Baptism: .......................................................... 3-4

Robins: Hannah Elizabeth: Death: ................................................. 6-3

Schneider, Andrew: Death: .......................................................... 3-4

Schneider, Atkinson: .................................................................. 5-3

Schneider, Charles, “tavern keeper of Lachine”:............................... 1-7

Schneider, Charles, also ran a farm: .............................................. 1-8

Schneider, Charles, occupies Spence House: .................................. 1-7

Schneider, Charles, witness at burial in Rigaud: ............................... 2-3

Schneider, Charles: Building Committee: ........................................ 4-8

Schneider, Charles: Attends the Consecration of the Church: ........... 6-10

Schneider, Charles: Cornerstone of Church is laid: ........................... 4-9

Schneider, Charles: Signs as proxy: .............................................. 5-9

Schneider, Charles: Witness at burial of Dr. Pyke: ............................ 6-5

Schneider, Charles: Witness to Burial:............................................ 5-7

Schneider, Charles’s children listed in family bible:............................. 1-7

Schneider, Christian, marries on 10 February 1786 in Montreal: ........... 1-6

Schneider, Elizabeth, baptised 31 August 1812: ............................... 1-9

Schneider, Elizabeth, baptism in Chatham registers: ......................... 1-6

Schneider, Family Bible: .............................................................. 1-7

Schneider, H.: Subscription to church fund: .................................. 5-11

Schneider, Hannah:..................................................................... 3-4

Schneider, Henry, baptism, 1829:................................................. 2-10

Schneider, Henry, born 1829:...................................................... 2-10

Schneider, Henry: Travelling to Canada: ........................................ 2-9

Schneider, Hotel: Dancing at: ...................................................... 5-4

Schneider, Hotel: at Schneider Hotel: ............................................ 5-5

Schneider, John Frederick, born 9 January 1803: ............................. 1-7

Schneider, John Julius, born 3 October 1804: .................................. 1-7

Schneider, John Mark: ................................................................ 3-4

Schneider, John occupies Chipman House around 1810: .................... 1-7

Schneider, John William, baptised 31 August 1812: ........................... 1-9

Schneider, John William: Marriage ................................................. 3-4

Schneider, John, birth: ............................................................... 1-6

Schneider, John, marries on 3 August 1809 in Argenteuil: .................. 1-6

Schneider, John, marries: ............................................................ 1-6

Schneider, John, Painted Church roof: April 1844: ............................ 5-9

Schneider, John: ....................................................................... 3-4

Schneider, John: Death: 22 February 1841: ................................... 4-8

Schneider, John: Kept and inn: ..................................................... 2-9

Schneider, John: Signs as proxy: .................................................. 5-9

Schneider, Julius, 1829:............................................................. 2-10

Schneider, Mary, aunt to Susannah DeLesDerniers: .......................... 1-7

Schneider, Mrs. and Mr., come to Como with two sons: .................... 1-7

Schneider, Mrs. Chas.: ............................................................... 1-7

Schneider, Peter, birth: .............................................................. 1-6

Schneider, Sophia: ..................................................................... 5-3

Schneider, Thomas Henry, born 22 February 1808: ........................... 1-7

Schneider, W.; Subscription to church fund: ................................. 5-11

Schneider, Wharf: ...................................................................... 4-9

Schneider, William, marries: ......................................................... 1-6

Schneider, William, purchase land for cemetery: .............................. 2-3

Schneider, William: Blacksmith: ................................................... 5-14

Schneider, William: Friend of Shepherd: ......................................... 5-4

Schneider, Zaida: (Mrs. Forbes) Leads signing in Church: ................. 6-10

Schneiders, are Lutherans: ........................................................ 1-10

Schneiders, first were Hessians, family tradition: ............................. 1-6

Schneiders, owned land occupied by Hunt Club: .............................. 1-8

Shepherd, Robert Ward: Meets future wife: .................................... 5-4

Spence House: .......................................................................... 1-7

Spence House as North West Company post.................................... 2-2

St. James Church Consecration on 18 September 1849:................... 6-10

Steamer Oldfield: ....................................................................... 4-9

Steamer Ottawa: ....................................................................... 4-9

Whitlock, John: purchase land for cemetery: ................................... 2-3

From page 1 – 6: Schneider Family

While the DeLesDerniers family have had several historians amongst their descendents the next settlers seem to have had nil. The Schneider family played a most important part too in the founding of the Parish of Vaudreuil, but any attempt to give their history is largely guess work. To add to the difficulties of the later historian they had the unfortunate habit of giving the same name to more than one person, not only giving the father's name to the son, but even giving the same name to brothers. Charles Schneider, for example, named three of his sons John - John Frederick, John Julius, John William; and this latter is the second William, for he had an older brother Charles William, (FMS - FBC) The tradition is that the first Schneiders were Hessian mercenaries, and there seems to be some foundation to this tradition in that the military registers of Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, record the marriage of William Schneider to Caroline Contine on May 10th. 1784; and Christian Schneider to Christiana Moch on February 10th. 1786 (PR - CCCM) There is nothing to indicate that these two men were related. These same registers also give the births of two sons to William and Caroline Schneider; Peter born May 24th. 1786, and John born April 2nd. 1790. One is strongly tempted to identify this John as the husband of Drusilla DeLesDerniers; especially since the baptism of the eldest child, Dorothy born September 3rd. 1810 gives William Schneider as one of the sponsors. The baptism took place on June 18th. 1811 being performed by Rev. G. J. Mountain, with Susanna Atkinson and Mary Parks as the other sponsors. A second child, Elizabeth was born April 11th. 1812, and baptised on August 31st. of the same year by the Rev'd. Richard Bradford, missionary stationed at Chatham in the County of Argenteuil. The witnesses of this baptism were Lane and Peter McArthur, with Charles Schneider, Phoebe McArthur and Caroline Schneider as the sponsors. (PR- CCSA) The appearance of Caroline Schneider as godparent to the second girl would seem to close the link, but then the registers of Christ Church give the marriage of a John Schneider to Oriel Kellogg of the …

From page 1 – 7: Schneider family cont’d

Parish of Argenteuil on August 3rd, 1809 (PR – CCCM); and the registry of the burial of John Schneider, farmer of Vaudreuil, gives his age as 57, on February 20th. 1842. If our identification is correct this age is wrong, as he was actually only 52 (PR - PV). But there is a proven error of five years in the case of the record of the death of H.N. DeLesDerniers. Besides the two daughters of John and Drusilla Schneider as given above, two more were born nearly twenty years later; Susannah, December 10th. 1826; baptised by the Rev. William Abbott of St. Andrew's Argenteuil on March 8th. 1827, with William G. DeLesDerniers, uncle, Mary Schneider, aunt, and Elizabeth DeLesDerniers, grandmother as the sponsors. If only all early registers contained those details of relationships recorded here by William Abbott! (PR- CCSA) A fourth daughter, Drusilla, born June 29th. 1830, was baptised by the Rev. John Leeds, missionary at Coteau du Lac, with Amelia DeLesDerniers, William Schneider and Abigail Grout as the sponsors (PR - CDL) There may have been other children in this family.

It appears therefore that John Schneider, farmer of Vaudreuil settled at the Chipman (as it is now called) house in Como (then Pointe au Cavagnal) around 1810. About the same time another Schneider, Charles, settled in what is new the Spence (formerly Dr. Hill's) house almost immediately opposite the site where St. Mary's church now stands. Charles Schneider, "tavern keeper of Lachine" married Mary Kinsberry at Christ Church, Montreal, in 1802 in the presence of Messrs. Stemm and Marsteller (PR - CCCM). It would appear from the registers of the Protestant Episcopal Congregation at Chatham, now County of Argenteuil, that the Kingsbury family were amongst the very earliest settlers on the North bank of the Ottawa, for several are mentioned in the Rev’d. Richard Bradford's earliest registers. When the Rev. James Pyke had to record Mrs. Chas. Schneiders death he registered her as "Marie Josette Kinsbury" (PV - PR) The two eldest sons of Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Schneider were also baptised at Christ Church, Montreal, John Frederick and John Julius, born January 9th. 1803 and October 3rd. 1804 (PR CCCM & FMS - FBC) A tradition still persists verbally amongst the Schneider descendants that Mr. & Mrs. Schneider came to Como with their two sons (FR - HB) where they kept an inn - "a very respectable occupation in those days". This will put the Charles Schneiders in Como before 1808, when their third son, Thomas Henry was born on February 22nd.

Fortunately the record of Charles Schneider's children has been carefully preserved in a family Bible - there were nine of them; John Frederick, John Julius, and Thomas Henry already mentioned; Charles William, February 25th. 1809; John William, April 11th. 1812; Hannah, July 24th. 1814; Andrew, February 1st…

From page 1 – 8: Schneider Family cont’d

1817; Elnora, May 28th.1819; and Sophia, December 28th. 1824 (FMS – FBC). The records of Christ Church, St. Andrew's show the baptisms of John William and Elnora. This family record illustrates very vividly the difficulties involved in trying to trace these early settlers, the record in the family Bible providing a vital link. Perhaps the record of the baptisms of the others will one day come to light. This then was the family that occupied the old stone house in Como for many years. It seems that grandma lived with them, for Caroline Schneider, age 70 was buried at Vaudreuil by the Rev'd. William Abbott on May 30th. 1827. (PR - CCSA)

There is also a tradition that the Schneiders owned the land occupied by the Hunt Club on the Ottawa highway behind Como. This may have been part of the Charles Schneider farm, or it may have been the residence of yet another Schneider – a bachelor.

Naturally the church historian is interested to know what ministrations, if any, these families received from the Church. Up until about 1805 it has already been seen that they looked to Christ Church, Montreal, for spiritual leadership - and it seems that they must have gone to Montreal on occasions of marriage or baptism. In the, year 1805 the Rev'd Richard Bradford was appointed to take charge of the settlement along the Ottawa. He secured a Register from the Hon. Isaac Ogden, of Superior Court, Montreal, on the 24th. of October, 1805 (PR - PECC) and took up residence at Chatham, Que., a settlement on the river front about halfway between the present towns of St. Andrew's East and Grenville. There he remained until August 30th. 1809 when he surrendered his last register back to the Court in Montreal (PR - PECC). He was away for two years, and then returned, taking up a new register for 1811 on the 12th. September (FR - PECC). The Parish copy of this first set of registers appears to have been lost (PH - & PH - CCSAM) but the duplicate set kept by the State has been duly deposited at the Court House at St. Jerome, Que. The volumes are in excellent condition, they are entitled "Protestant Episcopal Congregation at Chatham" and filed" under numbers 1658ff.

As for as the Parish of Vaudreuil is concerned the evidence in these registers is mostly negative; but they do contain the records of marriage of "Ebenezer Grout, farmer of the Seignory of Argenteuil, and Abigail Clark, Spinster, the second day of March 1806" Ebenezer and his family subsequently moved to Vaudreuil. They also contain, as has already been noted, reference to the Kingsbury family; the name of Thomas Harvey, a subsequent resident of Rigaud, who married Ann William in 1808; and Phineus Hutchins who married Margaret Cass on August 24th. 1806, whose family became friends of the DeLesDerniers and Shepherds. It is also …

From page 1 –9: Schneider, Elizabeth

interesting to note that later registers of St. Andrew’s include mention of Matthew Hodgson and his family who lived in Argenteuil – who may have been the one to urge his relatives in Cumberland to come to Canada and settle on the banks of the Ottawa. Joseph Saunderson also lived in Argenteuil before moving to Como.

During his first residence at Chatham, 1805 to 1809 the Rev. Richard Bradford appears to have confined his work to his immediate neighbourhood, but after his return in 1811 it would seem from his registers that he did a good deal of travelling. The first actual evidence of a service that may have been held in the present area of the Parish of Vaudreuil appears in the register of 1812, when on August 31st. the Rev. Mr. Bradford married William Woods to Susannah Atkinson, and baptised John Schneider’s daughter, Elizabeth, and Charles Schneider’s son John William. The witnesses to these acts were John Mark Crank DeLesDerniers, Lanc [sic], Peter and Phoebe McArthur and Caroline Schneider. The McArthur’s lived at St. Andrew’s – whether they travelled down the river with Mr. Bradford; or whether all the DeLesDerniers and both Schneider families travelled up to St. Andrew’s for the occasion is impossible to say; only the former would seem more likely. From then on the reference to residents of Rigaud and Vaudreuil multiply in the St. Andrew’s registers, and it seems fairly apparant that Mr. Bradford, and his successors, Rev. Joseph Abbott (1818 – 1825) and Rev. William Abbott (1826 – 1859) (PR – CCSAM) made regular trips to Vaudreuil district to hold occasional services.

These registers of 1812 – 16 give the following names apart from the DeLesDerniers and Schneiders: “Mary, daughter of Martin and Mary Crysler of Rigaud, born January 1st. 1813” whose baptism was witnessed by “Henry and Sarah Williams of Rigaud”. James Cook married Sarah Waldron (or Weldron?) on April 21st. 1813; and Corneilius [sic] Cook married Jane Halcro “of Rigaud” on July 5th. of the same year. To this latter marriage were born William on July 29th. 1815. and Ann, March 28th. 1814. The Cryslers and Williams vanish from the pages of our history after this, but the Cooks were clearly the first family to settle the land now occupied by the Mount Victoria estates and Sydenham Farm, including the land occupied by St. James’ Cemetery and all the present properties of St. James’ Church. With the sale of their land around 1840 to Judge George Pyke, they too vanish from this history. But the appearance of Jane Halcro is most interesting and gives the present Halcro family the distinction of having the most direct link with the first days of Vaudreuil. Descendants of DeLesDerniers and Schneiders abound, but both names have vanished from amongst the living members of the community.

Page 1-10, 1-11 Schneiders are Lutheran

And so we come to the end of the beginnings’. By 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo, there had already been settlers in the county of Vaudreuil for nearly one hundred years. Some no doubt had been born and lived and died within its area. Although predominently French and Catholic, other strains – the Puritan Sara Ennison and the New Englanders Whitlock and Grout, the Calvinistic DeLesDerniers, the Church of England Atkinson, and the Lutheran Schneider were also well established. It fell to the lot and genius of the church of England to weld all these variant traditions into a whole. Richard Bradford would be surprised and thrilled to see what has grown from the few little seeds he sewed along the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains, a baptism here, a marriage there, a few prayers in a house, a ministration at a sick bed; but like all true missionaries he sewed in faith – he held to the promise; we see the reward.

From page 2-2: Schneiders in the Spence house

“I could see nothing except the dwellings of the dead. Some of them were marked out by neatly painted railings round a rude and simple wooden monument, fresh and new, and probably not more evanescent than the memory of the kindly feeling of affection that erected them. So, at least, I judged from the ruinous and delapidated [sic] condition of their companions, which had stood perhaps a dozen winters."

Dr. Abbott was rescued from his loneliness where he had imagined that "the peculiar and soothing sound produced by the slightest breath of air through the trees" was the “whispering voices of the dead" by a resident passing in a rig, who declared he had been down to the landing stage to meet the expected Minister. But even this friendliness soon turned to a disappointment when this driver, who had gone to meet the expected Presbyterian missionary (Mr. Henderson who actually arrived the next day) (see Dr. Wales’ book on Old St. Andrew’s) was horrified to find that Mr. Abbott was a “prelatical and papistical ***!” [sic] And Mr. Abbott's cup of disappointment was not yet full; in view of the fact that he was succeeding a missionary he had expected to find at least a Church, a parsonage, and a glebe, found nothing; and had to spend his first months living in a tent. (G - PMJA)

Naturally, since the district had been without a minister for two years, Mr. Abbott was soon very busy, and amongst his first baptisms are those of "Henry [illegible]rn Story, son of Jonathan Story and Mary Hudson Story his wife, of Rigaud" and Margaret, daughter of Martin Cysler or Rigaud. (PR - CCSA) There is little doubt that these children would be taken over to St. Andrew's for the service.

Apart from the families already mentioned in the first chapter there was yet another group of people in the Lake of Two Mountains District - they were not, strictly speaking settlers; they were the officials and employees of the great Trading Companies - the North West and the Hudson's Bay. Tradition has it that the Spence house in Como was once a post of the North West Company, and that the Chipman house also in Como was a post of the Hudson's Bay Company. No written evidence has come to light to substantiate these stories, even though some old poke bonnets were recently found stuffed in an attic at the Spence's. But these obviously date from a time later than the Schneider occupation of the premises. Inquiries at the Head Office of the Hudson's Bay Company in Winnipeg revealed that there is a paucity of information about the Company Posts on the Lake of Two Mountains. The skimpy records show that Thomas Thain, an officer of the North West Company acquired land at Oka in 1820, and there is a reference to a land transaction in 1808 (C - HBC). On March 15th. 1819 the Rev. Joseph Abbott apparently visited a Hudson’s Bay Post – presumably the one at Oka. He had a busy day. He baptised three children of “John Thomas. Late Governor of Hudson’s Bay and of Margaret his wife” – the eldest of whom, Eleanor was 29, and the youngest…

From page 2 – 3: The Bay, The North West Company

In 1821 the North West Company was absorbed by the Bay.

From page 2 – 3: St. James’s Cemetery

The first sign of an organised community group – apart from the School – that appears in these early records, was the Cemetery Committee. One settler, Edmund Harvey, of Rigaud, age 32, had been buried by Mr. Abbott on February 16th. 1818, in the presence of Charles Schneider and William Abbott (PR – CCSA). It is not stated where he is buried; but it is known that the Protestant Cemetery for Vaudreuil and Rigaud – now the St. James’ Cemetery, Hudson Heights, was set apart this year, for on 17th. October, 1819, Corneilieus [sic] Cook sold a portion of his land to John Whitlock and William Schneider for cemetery purposes. (DA – MPV) The land had been clearly used as a cemetery before the deed was passed, for Joseph Abbott’s register gives the funerals of Catherine Thomas, aged 19, and Ellen Whitlock, aged 69 “buried at Vaudreuil” on September 20th. 1819. It is just possible that there were earlier buriels in this land, but no record remains; all markers have vanished, whish is not surprising since they were made of wood. The earliest stone in the cemetery bears the date 1842. The original deed relating to the cemetery states:

“the said piece of land should be employed and used as a buriel ground, for all the Protestants of the Seigniories of Vaudreuil and Rigaud… and upon the further condition that the said John Whitlock and William Schneider, their heirs and assigns should be held and bound to so dispossess themselves of the said piece of land in favour of whomsoever it may appertain, so soon as those professing the Protestant religion shall Judge proper to erect a Church at the said place”.

This last sentence, revealing tentative plans for a Church at this early date, is of especial interest. In 1866, by Act of the Quebec Provincial Legislature, wherein it was stated “whereas the Protestant Episcopal congregation of St. James’ Church have always had charge of the said buriel ground”. This cemetery was then consecrated by Bishop Fulford on August 16th. 1867. (DA – MPV)

From page 2 – 9: Schneider, John kept an inn

The Parsons family came out in 1829. Timothy Parsons once told R.W. Shepherd, Snr., that his family

"arrived from the north of England, having sailed from Mary Fort in the County of Cumberland, England, in the year 1829, they were going to join friends in Cote St. Charles, County of Vaudreuil, not far from where the village of Hudson now is. The family after landing took passage by Captain Lightall's Durham boat, and were landed in a couple of days at Harvey's point near the village of Hudson." (FMS – ESOS)

Other families settled in the district now known as St. Henry and the Ste. Marthe back road. Amongst these were the Alexander Clarks, whose grandson, Glenlyon Clark reminisced:

"My father, Alexander Clark, was born "on the Banks of the Treed" in Scotland. He came with his father, mother & family to Canada at the age of ten. They travelled on the same boat as Henry Schneider (whose uncle John kept Inn at Como) the Longmores and another family - some of whom married into the Schneiders - I forget the name....

Grandfather Clark and family settled at St. Henry, paid his ten dollars and felled his tree. They built a little cabin. The Scotch always sought out the toughest places. The bush was so thick he had to hitch his oxen tandem. They used to take grist down to the mill at Vaudreuil - one Fall they were late with the trip and spent the night in the bush - with fires to keep off the wolves and bears. The bears were a nuisance, they used to come and eat the cucumbers and corn in the garden, but never touched any human. Grandfather Clark used to tell how he was a shepherd for the Duke of Sutherland, he and my father used to go out in the winter to search for the sheep. My father remembered sleeping on the moors wrapped in the plaid. In the morning a housewife gave them pea bannoch - dried peas, mixed with water and milk - they always had milk - the bannoch was the size of a football, cooked in the peat ashes - very indigestible."

(REMINISCENCES OF GLEN CLARK, August 18th. 1951)

It is also known that Isaac Vipond, his wife Elizabeth Salkeld, and his family came to America around 1830. At first they occupied land back at St. Henry, and it was not until around 1900 that the descendants of Isaac Vipond purchased land adjoining the Thompson property in Alstonvale. Alstonvale owes its name to the Viponds, because Alston in England was the Vipond home. (FR - FV). His wife came from the nearby village of Salkeld. There is a reference to Isaac Vipond in the Parish Vestry book of Christ Church, St. Andrew’s; where a marginal note states:

"1831 April 5th. Received from the hands of the Rev. Wm. Abbott the sum of four pounds (Halifax Curey [sic]) in full up to this date for teaching singing - it being one months wages.

Signed Isaac Vipond.”

In this connection it is interesting to read in "Philip Musgrave" of Joseph Abbott’s many attempts to organise a choir; it seems the Methodist Church had attracted most of his good singers, and that his attempts to organise other singing were successful as long as he hired a teacher to lead them, but that the signing dropped off once the teacher was gone. Despite these setbacks, however, he finally organised a good choir. (G – PMJA).

In later years these early settlers of Vaudreuil recorded their home towns on their tomb stones – so in the St. James’ Cemetery may be read “A native of …”

From page 2-10: Schneider, Henry: Baptism:

On November 2nd. 1829 the district of Vaudreuil received a visit from “George Archbold, [sic] travelling missionary” who baptised three children: Henry, son of Julius Schneider and Sally (Halcro)…

From page 3-1: The Reverend John Leeds

Towards the close of 1829 Bishop Stewart of Quebec set up the Mission of Côteau du Lac, and appointed the Rev'd. John Leeds as the first missionary. Vaudreuil was attached to Côteau du Lac, and for the next eleven years John Leeds held regular fortnightly services in the School House at Vaudreuil which was, by this time, situated at the foot of the Cote St. Charles Road; its walls stand, being incorporated into the store presently owned by the sons of the late A. W. Mullan.

From page

3-3: Grieve, George:

3-4: Grieve, Isabella:

3-4: Grieve, Marky

3-4: Schneider, John: Witness

3-4: Schneider, John Mark: Witness

3-4: Schneider, John William: Marriage

The name of George Grieve appears in the registers for the year 1833, and according to local tradition Mr. Grieve had a good deal to do with the establishment or improvement of the schools along the Lower Ottawa. According to Miss Hannah Burger*, George Grieve, her mother’s grandfather, “came from Craik, Scotland, before the Rebellion of 1837. He and his family were headed for Little York (Toronto), but in Montreal he was persuaded by Judge Ogden to come up the Ottawa, where schooling was badly needed. The farmers bringing their produce to the city could easily be swindled out of its true value. So he came… and put one daughter to teach at Cote St. Charles and another at Hawkesbury. I remember Anna McNeill’s mother saying: ‘I remember Mr. Grieve – big heavy man, pompous, walking in a dignified manner with his coat open to show his red waistcoat.’” (FR – HB) George Grieve witnessed the baptisms of William Blenkinship, John Nevin Robinson, Henry Thompson Spence and Marianne Hodgson. Isabella Grieve was a witness to the marriage of Joseph Simpson and Caroline Grout, who, according to Miss Burger, was a very good looking girl: while Marky Grieve was godmother to Victoria Adelaide Mathison. George Grieve then disappears from the Vaudreuil records as swiftly as he had appeared. It would seem from this evidence that he was Schoolmaster for the year 1835, and other evidence indicates that he was succeeded by John Denson. Quite possibly Isabella helped with the schooling, but women were not usually put in charge of Schools in those days. Isabella remained in Vaudreuil, and became the wife of John William Schneider on March 16th, 1835, John and John Mark Schneider being the witnesses of this marriage. Marky Grieve married Charles Murray of Cornwall the previous September, and presumably moved their [sic] with her husband. (PR – CDL)

[*Compiler’s note: Hannah Burger was godmother to Francis Clarke Schneider.]

From page 3-4: Schneider, Andrew: Death

… in the nine years of Mr. Leeds ministry to the residents of Vaudreuil he took only eight funerals; some of these were young men, including Andrew Schneider… [Note: Andrew died in 1834]

From page 3-4: Robins, Hannah: Baptism

The baptism of Hannah Robins, daughter of Richard Storey Robins and Hannah Schneider is registered in 1836.

From page 4 – 6: Kingsbury, Marie Josette dies

Exactly when Mr. Pyke conducted his first service in the Parish is not recorded. [Illegible] seen that he had not arrived to take charge by October 16th, [1841] because on that day Marie Josette Kinsbury, wife of Charles Schneider died and “the internment was… probably performed some time after the decease… in consequence of the necessary [Illegible] of the minister.” (Pr – PV) ‘Some time’ became slightly over three months!

From page 4 – 7: Mrs. Schneider’s funeral

Mr. Pyke’s first wedding – probably the first of his ministry – was performed at St. Martin on January 27th, 1842, and the contracting parties were William Evans and Jane Stephens. It seems a fair assumption that Mr. Pyke went to St. Martin’s for this, far any resident of St. Martin, desiring to contract matrimony, would surely have gone to Montreal unless a clergyman had visited St. Martin’s; and they had probably made the appointment with him at Christmas time. Upon his arrival home, still flushed with the pleasure of taking his first wedding, Mr. Pyke was greeted with the news of a death – the same day William Davidson had died – and without a doubt the missionary would feel a pang of regret at his absence from the death bed. Arrangements were made for Mr. Davidson’s funeral, and also for the funeral of the late Mrs. Schneider at the same time. And so for the first time the young incumbent stood by the side of an open grave in St. James’ Cemetery to read the words of “the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life” which he was to read so many times in that same place; and then, after something hot to drink at Capt. Robins’ cottage across the way – went to share with the bereaved the comforts of Christ, about which he writes in some detail at the end of he “Memoir” and with a depth of sympathy which he must have had from his early experiences at his mother’s death bed. The witnesses at this double funeral were P. F. C. DeLesDerniers and R. B. Mathison.

From page 4-8: Schneider, John: Death

The middle of February 1841 was also a busy time. In between two funerals, [illegible]es Waterson on February 15th, and John Schneider on February 22nd …

From page 4-8: Building Committee

The meetings of the Building Committee (in 1841) – Charles Schneider and John Hodgson, who were possibly also the Church wardens – together with Parish Treasurer Peter Francis Christian DeLesDerniers …

From page 4-9: Schneider Wharf

Writing about the laying of the corner stone for the St. James Church on August 24, 1842, the Rev. Joseph Abbott wrote:

“This important ceremony took place on Wednesday last and was rendered doubly interesting to many of the spectators who had never witnessed such a service before, by being performed with Masonic honours. The Masons of St. George’s Lodge at St. Andrew’s, having been invited to attend for the purpose, assembled at Carillon early in the morning, and were gratuitously taken down the River in the ‘Ottawa’ steamer by Captain Robins, who landed them at Mr. Schneider’s wharf, where they were met by the ‘Oldfield’ steamer, with the Rev’d. Dr. Bethune and others from town. Mr. McTavish also arrived at the same time with his family and friends in his own barge from the Indian Village.

The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, and scarcely a breath of wind to stir the streamers from the listless folds in which they swung against the naked spars.

On landing we were received by F. DeLesDerniers, Esq.; the Rev’d. James Pyke, Mr. Schneider and others who had provided carriages etc. for our conveyance about a couple of miles up the Lake shore to the School house where nearly the whole of the parishioners, men, women and children were collected, it being the place from whence the Procession was to move to the site of the Church about a quarter of a mile further along a beautiful village lane over hung with fruit trees and creepers more like a shady walk in a gentleman’s park than a public highway.” (L – JA Grenville 31 August 1842)

From page 5-3:

Schneider, Atkinson:

Schneider, Sophia:

DeLesDerniers, Mary Cecilia (Mrs. Shepherd):

As St. James’ Church progressed so Mr. Pyke was busy building the real but invisible Church in the lives of the people. “At the opening of the Mission a Sunday School was formed, in 1842. The incumbent was kindly assisted in this work by Miss DeLesDerniers (who became Mrs. R. W. Shepherd), Misses Mathison, R. B. Mathison, Atkinson Schneider and John Benson. The School numbered at first about thirty scholars but soon increased to forty.” John Benson was then schoolmaster at Vaudreuil, he had lost two daughters the previous summer, but his baby daughter, Ann Eliza, had escaped whatever sickness had proved fatal for her sisters, and was baptised on January 8th, 1843. This was clearly an occasion for the Sunday School staff as R. B. Mathison, A. E. A. Mathison (then thirteen years old) and Sophia Schneider acted as sponsors.

From page 5-4:

Shepherd, Robert Ward: Meets future wife:

Schneider, Hotel: Dancing at:

Another sidelight of living conditions in Vaudreuil in 1843 is given by Robert Ward Shepherd in his “Memoir”:

“In January 1843 I was invited to join a driving party to Chatham where we were to attend an evening party at Mr. Lemuel [sic] Cushings. We left Montreal the morning of the 12th of January 1843, a party of about a dozen and the first evening we were to stop at Mr. De LesDerniers, Cavagnal, now Como. We arrived there about eight o’clock and received from our host and hostess a most hearty welcome, such kindness one never forgets. They made room for us all and also provided stabling for all our horses.

This was the first I had been introduced to my now dear wife. She was then a blooming girl of sixteen, very shy and hard to get acquainted with. After dancing all evening at Schneider’s hotel we all returned to our friends the De LesDerniers. The next morning we all started for Chatham Mr. and Mrs. and Miss De LesDerniers joining the party, we arrived at St. Andrews about noon and dined with our dear old friend Dr. Rice, my wife’s grandfather, he was then living and practicing his profession in St. Andrews. After dinner we left for Chatham and reached Cushings in time for tea, a grand welcome they gave us all. We remained two or three days at Chatham and returned to our old friend Mr. De Lesderniers on Saturday afternoon and spent Sunday and Monday with our kind Como friends. I forgot to mention that Miss De Lesderniers drove from St. Andrews to Como in my sleigh much to the disgust of one of the gentlemen…”

From page 5-4: Schneider, William: Friend of Shepherd:

Robert Ward Shepherd in his memoirs wrote about the week of 25th of April 1838:

“… There was not much to do for about a week, navigation on the Ottawa opened late that year, it was the 5th of May before we could get up to Carillon. I saw Mr. William Schneider at Montmarquette’s store at Carillon, it is now 39 years ago and we have been intimate friends ever since. Mr. Montmarquette and his wife were always great friends of mine in after years.” (FMS – MS)

From page 5-5: Schneider, Hotel: R. W. Shepherd meets Captain Robins at Schneider Hotel:

“As I wanted to let Capt. Robins know of my good fortune I left the stage here and drove over to Vaudreuil, now Como. I met Robins at Schneider’s Hotel. He was very pleased at my good luck…

All this goes to show how little one is master on ones own destiny, when I left Montreal three weeks before I did not expect to return for years and little thought when I met Capt. Robins and Mr. Ford Jones at Schneider’s that my future wife lived only a few acres from that very spot. I had often seen Miss DeLesDerniers but I had not the honor of her acquaintance…”

From page 5-7: Schneider, Charles witness

On July 7th, 1843, the pioneer Protestant resident, John Mark Crank DeLesDerniers died at the ripe old age of eighty nine, and Mr. Pyke laid his body to rest in St. James Cemetery, where his tombstone gives his name and the words ‘A native of Nova Scotia’. Witnesses to the burial were Judge Pyke and Charles Schneider. John Mark Crank DeLesDerniers was a Past Grand Master of the Masonic Order, and a member of the lodge at St. Andrew’s; Masonic honours were observed at his funeral. (FMS – MS)

From page 5-9: Schneider, John, Painted Church roof:

John Schneider painted the Church roof in April of 1844 for the sum of one guinea, his material – half a pound of vermillion – costing 5/- [Compiler’s note: /- is the symbol for a shilling. A pound was 20 shillings. A guinea was 21 shillings.].

From page 5-9: Schneider, Charles proxy:

During this period Mr. Pyke also exercised his ministry down to Cascades and included Vaudreuil Village, for “James, son of John Bradley, farmer, Cascades” was baptised on October 13th, 1842; and on New Year’s Day, 1844, Mr. Pyke baptised “Henry, son of James Porteous, Esq. of Vaudreuil, and of Susanna Fortune, his wife.” One of Mr. Shepherd’s notes states “Col. Fortune’s daughter married James Porteous, formerly store keeper in Ste. Terese [sic] – some of their descendants are still living at Bryson on the Upper Ottawa.” (FMS – MS A2) Henry Fortune’s sponsors were Maria Fortune, James Pyke and Henry Griffin; John and Charles Schneider being proxies for the two latter.

From page 5-11: Schneider subscriptions

The statistical report of the Parish for the year 1845 submitted by Mr. Pyke to the Church Society at Quebec notes that during the year 83 services were held with an average attendance of 60. The greatest number of communicants at any one time was 40. (AR – CSQ)

In the following year it appears little work was done on the Church. A few subscriptions are noted, from R. Metcalf, Mrs. McNaughton of St. Andrew’s, W. Schneider, H. Schneider, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Proctor. Wm. Shepherd, Miss Boston, Frank Parish, Col. McDonel, Mr. Burwish and Dani Findlayson. This money was mostly used to pay off old accounts – and it is interesting to note that thirty sheets of tin cost eight shillings and fourpence.

From page 5-14: Schneider, William’s occupation

Apart from the trades already mentioned the registers show that the majority of the population were farmers, but the following occupations are listed: Peter Spence, cooper, William Schneider, blacksmith; Andrew Halcro, commanding steamer ‘Gem’; George Henderson, miller; Thomas Fraser, belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company; Joseph Saunderson, carpenter; Isaac Halbert, tailor; George Awde, blacksmith; Henri Lanthier, brickmaker; Christopher Dawson, saddler; John Hodgson jnr., merchant; Robert Gray, mason, Thomas Marks, glassblower, and William Kell, of Montreal, baliff [sic]. (PR –PV)

The appearance of the trade of glassblower recalls the fact that in 1845 the glassworks was established at Como, the original partners being D. Masson, F. X. Desjardins, J. E. Bradley and F. Coste – two local and two city men. In 1848 Mr. George Matthews of Montreal, acquired a controlling interest in the glassworks, as the original partners had quarrelled, and renamed it the “Ottawa Glass Works” (PH –STAH) Mr. Matthews subsequently took up residence in Hudson, and all authorities agree in saying that the town took its name from his wife’s maiden name – Eliza Hudson.

From page 6-3, 6-4: Hannah Robins dies

Mr. Pyke thus recovered from his severe illness. Hannah Robins, only daughter of Captain Robins was not so fortunate; and Mr. Pyke’s first act, as his own strength came back, was to bring comfort to his friends, the Robins. The inscription on this little girl’s tombstone catches something of the poignancy, emotions and faith that stirred Sydenham Cottage that summer:

“Sacred to the memory of Hannah Elizabeth, only child of R. S. Robins and H. Schneider. Whom it pleased God to take unto Himself at the early age of … [illegible] … eleven years and one month after a short but severe illness.”

From page 6-5: Charles witness to burial

After such a trying summer it is to be hoped that Mr. Pyke and his bride were able to have a few happy days together; for his cup of sorrow for the year was not yet full. On October 24th [1847] he was called upon to bury his brother, Dr. John Pyke, who had been residing at St. Andrews, Argenteuil County – and there was apparantly [sic] no brother priest available to perform this solemn office for him. Charles Schneider and R. S. Robins witnessed the burial. (Pr –PV) It would seem that this was the first burial on the little knoll behind St. James’ Church, then on the property of the Hon. George Pyke, and set aside, as the custom was, for a family burial ground. The marker gives the simple inscription: “John Pyke 1812 – 1847”.

From page 6-10:

Schneider, Zaida

Schneider, Charles at the Church’s consecration

One other sentence on Mr. Pyke’s History throws another spot of light on the occasion [Compiler’s note: Consecration of the church]: “Up to this time (1850) the musical part of the service was vocal. Mrs. DeLesDerniers and her neice [sic] Miss Zaida Schneider – now Mrs. W. Forbes – taking the lead. They were occasionally assisted by the Messrs. Isaac and Jacob Vipond; the latter accompanying with a violin-cello.” We have to let imagination fill in the details – perhaps the first touch of frost has come, guilding [sic] the trees with the first blush of Fall. The church newly stained, and varnished, the pews hardly dry; the congregation gathering, the rigs from Como, coming up the old cut down to the river behind the present Rectory, and in them ‘the tall respected, Mr. F. DeLesDerniers’ and Robert Ward Shepherd, now the proud father of a week old daughter, Frances Amelia Rice, a sister for his eighteen month old son, Robert Ward, born May 1st, 1848. The thirty candidates for confirmation gather, the younger ones, shy and scrubbed and in their Sunday best group together. Captain Robins is there with Charles Schneider, and the Pyke family is well represented, and amongst them is the revered and beloved figure of the Judge. The clergy walk to the little Vestry (presumably a curtained alcove beneath the gallery) to robe, the tall figure of the Bishop dominating the group. Mr. Pyke gets his candidates seated, John Vipond scratches a few tentative notes upon his cello. The service begins. Psalms are chanted – it was before the days of Hymns Ancient and Modern – the solemn rite of Consecration is carried through, with its moving prayers for all who shall meet in this house for Baptism, for Confirmation, for Communion, for Holy Matrimony, for [illegible] after child birth, in bereavement, for Absolution, to give and to hear the Word of God. “Blessed be they Name, O Lord, that it hath pleased thee to put into the hearts of thy servants to erect this house to thy honour and worship…” (Common Prayer, Canada).