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"The Grade One students at Bradford Public school performed two plays last Friday for their parents. One play dealt with Santa and his reindeer, while the other was about the birth of Jesus. The shepherds and wise men gathered 'round and looked on as Jesus was born in a manger."

"The established church in Canada is nothing to crow about, according to the new minister at St. John's Bradford Presbyterian Church and Second West Gwillimbury Presbyterian Church. Student minister Bill Lennips, 39, sees a lot wrong with the organized church and he wants more emphasis on the age-old teachings of the Bible. The new minister laments over the church's loss of a leadership role in the issues of the day. Mr. Lennips is replacing Rev. Harold Heustin, who retired earlier this year. He is no stranger to the Bradford area, having worked as a Christian Reformed lay evangelist in River Drive Park from 1969 to 1974. He left the Christian Reformed Church, feeling there was undue pressure to have children attend Christian separate schools. He and his wife Betty have six children: Cindy, Jim, Martin, Robert, Douglas, and Billy. Mr. Lennips says the church should be more active and its ministers less distant from the public. He said new policy committees that have been established by Canadian churches - including the Presbyterian Church - are a step toward a more active role for the church and an impact on world events."

"The Pocket Treasury" Military Edition. Bible verse book with gold cover that and black writing on cover, name and address information written on inside cover in pencil (presumably by Norman Coutts). Owned by Norman Coutts (1903-2002), husband of Isobel Watson Coutts. He did not go to war due to a heart murmur and was raised on Concession 4, Lot 7 in West Gwillimbury.

"The Auld Kirk, a historical church located at the Scotch Settlement will be the scene of an old time church service Sunday, June 22 at 3:00 p.m. The service is being jointly arranged by the Barrie Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church and the Simcoe Presbytery of the United Church. The Auld Kirk is on the 6th line of West Gwillimbury Township south of Highway 88 at the Scotch Settlement. The outdoor service will be led by Rev. Henry Dahlin, minister of Bond Head United Church and Chairman of the Simcoe Presbytery. Also participating in the service will be Rev. Ken Purdon, minister of Burton Ave. United Church in Barrie and Rev. Ed MacDonald, minister of the Presbyterian Church in Orillia and moderator of Barrie Presbytery. The guest preacher will be Rev. W. Stanford Reid, Professor of History at the University of Guelph.
The Auld Kirk's beginnings go back to 1823 when a log church was built by the settlers of the Scotch Settlement. In 1827, a frame church was built and the original log building was moved and used as a school until 1840. The present Auld Kirk building was erected in 1869 at a cost of $1,000. Due to a dwindling population the church was closed in 1885 and for some years fell into disrepair. In 1912, it required a new roof. In 1953, the restoration of the cemetery was started and in 1958 restoration work began on the church."

If you have any additional information about this photo please contact the library at 905-775-3328.

Sketch of the Rev. Featherstone Lake Osler (1805-1895), who was the first resident clergyman in West Gwillimbury. Rev. Osler was born in Falmouth, England, and left for Bond Head with his wife, Ellen, in 1837. He was an Anglican minister who looked after parishioners spread out over 240 square miles (of Simcoe County). He set up the Anglican Church in Bond Head, which still has a pew from his era in the church.

"A congregation of more than 150 people gathered at the Auld Kirk in the Scotch Settlement near Bradford on Sunday afternoon. The churchgoers were attending an outdoor service arranged by the South Simcoe Presbytery."

Souvenir private post card looking north from Bond Head. Trinity Anglican Church is to the left. Photograph taken c. 1906-1912.

The article accompanying this photograph gives a quick history of the Presbyterian Church in Bradford. A biography of its charge in 1906, Rev. D.N. Morden, is also included.

"The Bradford Community Centre...was where they bid farewell to the friends and parishioners they had served for ten years...Padre Hopkins, at the age of 69, is taking early retirement from the Anglican parish of Bradford..."