day and the remainder, with about $100 surplus, was secured the next day by the sale of pews, nearly all of which were read- ily disposed of by eager purchasers”.3

The selling of pews refers to the fact that church families bought their seat in the church. There is no reference to the

In the early Presbyterian Church, families purchased a pew in which to sit for Sunday service. This sale helped with the financial running of the church. No one else was to sit in a purchased pew. Some families put cushions on the seat of their pew. Pews were even willed to the next generation. Some seats were left at the back of the church for visitors. The sale of pews resulted in the exclusion of some families from the church. To overcome this, services were held in the Southwest school for a period of time. ( The Anglican minister from Port Hill also held services in the Southwest school for a time.)

It is not known when the practice of purchasing a pew was discontinued but, even once it was, certain pews were still known to house certain families as change wasn’t quickly accepted. The installing of new pews had the effect of phasing out the old mind set and making the church seating more fiinctional and friendly. Once the young people of a family reached courting age, they preferred to sit at the back rather than with their families.

cost of a pew or if it varied depend- ing on the means of a family. The pews in the new church were set up as a centre row and two side rows making two side aisles. The surplus of $100 suggest there was no mort- gage attached to the new building

dedicated to God.

The opening of the new church was an event that attracted many people; even the weather showed favour. The following account was recorded.

“The eleventh of February, 1877 was a day of unusual interest to the Presbyterians of Lot 16. On that day, their new church, so neatly and beautifully completed, was open for divine worship. The day and state of

the roads being unusually good,

friends of the cause flocked to this church from all the surrounding dis- tricts filling it to overflowing, so that many of the men had to stand in the aisles and porch during all the ser- vices. In the morning, the Reverend Henry Crawford, who had been set— tled recently as pastor, having con- ducted the opening service was fol— lowed by the Reverend A.F. Carr of Alberton, a native of North St. Eleanor’s and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Carr. Mr. Carr delivered

an impressive sermon from the book

54 LOT 16 UNITED CHURCH AND ITS PEOPLE