The Anglican Synod Meets in Annual Session in Woodstock Today

Year
1894
Month
7
Day
3
Article Title
The Anglican Synod Meets in Annual Session in Woodstock Today
Author
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Page Number
3
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
THE ANGLICAN SYNOD MEETS IN ANNUAL SESSION IN WOODSTOCK TODAY. Some Account of Woodstock As a Mission Field, and of Its Early Missionaries—Places of Worship Erected toy Their Efforts. Of recent years the custom has prevailed with all Christian denominations of holding the annual meetings of their several deliberative assemblies at the principal centers of population throughout the province in order that each may in turn receive whatever benefit may be derived therefrom. That the plan has substantial advantages is indicated by the fact that it has for years been adopted by the Methodist, Baptist and other churches. Up to the present time, however, the Church of England, with a conservatism that is characteristic of that body, has confined the annual meetings of its synod and church society to St. John and Fredericton as being the most convenient and accessible placed. This year, however, a new departure has heed made, and the annual meeting is to be held in the enterprising town of Woodstock, where preparations have been in progress for some time in order to extend to the representative body of the Church a cordial welcome. The holding of a meeting at any other point than the more central ones heretofore selected is regarded by many as experimental, and fears have been expressed that it would be impossible to secure a quorum of laymen for the business of the synod. Recent assurances, however, have removed all fears on that score, And it is believed that the variety and importance of the subjects that are down for consideration will render the session about to open one of unusual interest. The town and parish of Woodstock has long been regarded by the members of the Church of England as one of their strongholds. This in a large measure is due to the circumstances attending the settlement of that section of the country which gave the Church of England a foothold it has since retained. As this point is a matter of historic interest a brief account may here be given. The American loyalists who had fought for old King George in the revolutionary war were enrolled in what were known as the provincial regiments. At the peace, in 1783, these regiments were disbanded in New Brunswick, and assigned grants of land on the St. John River, extending from Fredericton upwards. The end in view was not only to promote the settlement of a wilderness country but to provide for the defense of the western frontier, And also to facilitate communication between Halifax and Quebec by the St John river valley, an object which General Haldimand, at Quebec, and Governor Parr, at Halifax, seem to have taken greatly to heart. The 1st and 2nd battalions of DeLancey’s brigade received a grant of land, practically co-extensive with the parish of Woodstock, and the descendants of the officers and men of the old Loyalist brigade, in many cases, still occupy the lands originally granted their ancestors. About eight miles below the town of Woodstock was the Site of the old Indian village, and fort, known from very early times as the Medoctec (or Maductic) fort. Here the Loyalists found a numerous settlement of Indians, for whom a reserve was made and to whom early in the year 1788 Frederick Dibblee was sent as missionary and instructor by an English society for the propagation of the gospel among the Indians of America. Mr. Dibblee had at this time thoughts of entering , the ministry. He had received his education at King’s College, New York (now Columbia College); his father, Rev. Dr. Dibblee, was a prominent Loyalist clergyman at Stamford, Connecticut, and thus, both by early association and college training, the way had been paved to that end. (It may be noted in passing that in addition to the son of Rev. Mr. Dibblee, whose work we are about to Consider, three other of his descendants are now engaged in the ministry of the Church of England in this province—all of them natives of Woodstock—namely, the Rev. Canon Ketchum, rector of St. Andrews; the Rev. W. O. Raymond, of St. John, and Rev. H. E. Dibblee, rector of Maugerville. After the death of Rev. George Bisset, first rector of old Trinity parish In St. John the name of the Rev. Dr. Dibblee of Stamford was mentioned as his successor, but as he was at that time in his 74th year, his friends did not desire to press his claims, and the appointment went to Rev. Mather Byles.) A Stamford lady, writing to a relative in St. John in the early part of the year, 1788, referring to Rev Dr. Dibblee, says: "In case his son Frederick was by your bishop admitted to holy orders this spring, Mr. Dibblee had intended to be present." Mr. Frederick Dibblee’s appointment as missionary and instructor to the Indians at Maductic did not prevent his officiating as lay reader and conducting divine service in the houses of settlers. At length, yielding to their importunity he consented to take holy orders, and for that purpose, in the autumn of 1791 undertook an arduous journey to Halifax proceeding by canoe to Fredericton, and by schooner to St John, and across the bay to Annapolis, thence by land to Halifax. The modem traveler who journeys at his ease from Halifax to Woodstock in 16 hours with all the comforts of the palace or Pullman can at the C. P. R., can only by a vivid exercise of the imagination, realize the arduous and even perilous journey, occupying some 10 weeks in all, undertaken by Frederick Dibblee in the months of October and November, 1791, in order that his fellow settlers might have the benefit of an ordained clergyman to minister to their spiritual needs. Mr. Dibblee’s mission field was an immense one, embracing the entire valley to the St. John river, from the parishes of St. Marys and Kingsclear to the Grand Falls, since divided into 10 separate missions, each served by a clergyman of its own. The old parish church was not erected for some years after the ordination of its first incumbent. It has since been replaced by the present beautiful little building. The spot overlooking the waters of the St John on the sloping hillside is one of the most beautiful imaginable. Tall elms cast their shadows amid the mounds where repose the ashes of the pioneer founders of the community and many a quaint inscription marks the headstone. The town of Woodstock is situated, as is well known, not where the early inhabitants had imagined it ought to namely, in the vicinity of Bedell’s Cove, but at the mouth of the Meduxnakeag River. As late as the year 1826 there were but two houses at the mouth of this stream, one on the south side occupied by Capt. Jacob Smith, of DeLancey’s brigade, and the other on the north side occupied by his son, Richard Smith. Today the site is occupied by a bustling town of some 4,000 inhabitants. St. Luke’s church was erected on a commanding site in the town of Woodstock about the year 1844, and after its destruction by fire in 1877 the present handsome and commodious structure was erected in its stead. Three clergyman it may be said have loyally served the full term of their ministry in the parish of Woodstock. The first missionary Rev. F. Dibblee from his ordination in 1791 to his death in 1827, his successor Rev. S. D. Lee Street from about 1829 to 1870 upwards of 40 years, and the present incumbent Rev. Canon Neales has now been in charge nearly a quarter of a century and is still in the prime and vigor of life with the prospect of much useful work before him. Among the questions which will claim the attention of the meetings of the Synod and Church Society this week, the most important is that of the union of the Synod and Church Society in one corporate body. The proceedings will open at 2 o’clock, this afternoon, with a meeting of the general committee of the Diocesan Church Society in the parish hall adjoining the church. A public meeting will be held in the town hall, at 8 p. m.. the Right Rev. Bishop Kingdon presiding. The speakers who will address the meeting are Archdeacon Brigstocke, Rev. G. E. Lloyd and Judge Hanington. Wednesday morning there will be a choral service at 7.30 in St Luke’s church, for which careful preparation, has been made by the vested choir. The first session of the synod will be held at 10 a. m. in the Parish Hall, and the work will be continued during the afternoon session. In the evening the Church Society will resume its work at 8 o’clock. Thursday morning and afternoon will be devoted to the work of the synod. In the evening the anniversary meeting of the church society will be held in the parish hall; the speakers on the occasion will be Rev. A. G. Dicker, Judge Peters. W. M. Jarvis and others. Mention will doubtless be made of the great loss experienced by the society in the recent deaths of the late H. W. Frith and the late C. H. Fairweather. During the week we shall try to give our readers a lair summary of the proceedings at the meetings, which will doubtless he watched with interest by the members of the Church of England and others.