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Watt, Charles William obituary

Event Date : Thursday, March 19, 1953
Event Type : Death

Description : A most highly esteemed and well known resident of the Bond Head district for a period of about sixty years, Charles William Watt passed away at his home, 1580 Bathurst St., Toronto, on Thursday, March 19. Mr. Watt had been in failing health for some time but had been up and around his home until two weeks before his death. Born at Beeton 82 years ago, the late Mr. Watt received his education in Beeton schools and resided there until twenty years of age when he came to Bond Head. In 1907 he married Kathleen Smith of that village and Mr. and Mrs. Watt lived and farmed in Tecumseth near Bond Head, until 1941 when they retired at Bond Head. A little over a year ago Mr. and Mrs. Watt joined their daughter, Miss Jane Fair (Fairy) in Toronto and with her took up residence in that city. Mr. Watt was always active in church and Sunday School work. In 1902 he was made an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Bond Head and continued in this office in the United Church, thus he was a church elder for fifty years. He was superintendent or a teacher in the Sunday School for over 60 years. He also served as secretary-treasurer of Bond Head Cemetery Board for a number of years. Possessing a kindly and friendly disposition, Mr. Watt had a wide circle of friends and though never aspiring to municipal office he took an active and helpful interest in affairs of the community. Mr. Watt is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters, namely, Miss Jane Fair (Fairy) of Toronto; William of Bond Head; Anne (Mrs. Jack Hughes) of Churchill; and James of Hamilton.The funeral was held on Sunday afternoon from the home of his son, William, at Bond Head. The services were conducted by the present minister of the church assisted by a former minister, Rev. F. W. Newell, and Rev. W. J. Burton, now of Hillsdale. Interment was in Bond Head Cemetery.The pallbearers were W. E. Brooks, Gordon Brethet, Les. Holmes, Chas. Cerswell, Duncan McArthur and John Lloyd. The flower bearers were Elwell McKay, Jas. Smith, Percy Reynolds, Cardy McLean, Alf. McLean, Kenneth Holmes, Adrian Bateman, Roy Bell. Among those from a distance attending the funeral on Sunday were: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Tomlin (sister of Mrs. Watt), Mrs. Chas. Davis, Mr. Allan Davis, Mr. Jack Davis, Mrs. Austin Faulkner, and two representatives of the Jenny Lind Candy Company, Messrs. Wm. Taylor, Larry Reid, and Jas. Bushey, of Hamilton.

Bradford Witness

Edney, Earl James & Sturgeon, Mary Arlene

Event Date : Saturday, July 07, 1956
Event Type : Marriage

Description : Mary Arlene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs, McCalla Sturgeon of Bradford, to Earl James Edney of Newton Robinson, son of Mrs. Edney of Newton Robinson and the late James Edney. The wedding took place in Bradford Presbyterian Church. Rev. H. P. Maitland officiated. The bride's cousin, Miss Shirley Ringling of Toronto was maid of honour. Bridemaids were Miss Julia Varga of Bradford and her sister, Miss Joan Sturgeon. Mr. Wm. McArthur of Bond Head was groomsman and the ushers were Messers. Ralph Connery of Weston, brother-in-law of the groom, and Ronald Sturgeon of Toronto, brother of the bride. Mr. and Mrs. Edney will reside on the groom's farm at Newton Robinson.

Bradford Witness

Compton, Gordon William & Ritchie, Marilyn Marie

Event Date : Wednesday, February 19, 1958
Event Type : Marriage

Description : Marilyn Marie, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Milton Ritchie of Bradford, to Gordon William Compton, only son of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Compton of Bradford. The wedding took place in Bradford Presbyterian Church. Rev. E. C. McLarnon of Toronto, and formerly of Bradford, officiated. The bride had four attendants. Mrs. Robert Miller of Newmarket was matron of honour, the bridesmaids were Mrs. Keith Collings of Cayuga and Miss Margaret McInnes of Toronto, and little Miss Donna Glassford, niece of the bride, was flower girl. The groomsman was Mr. Robert Hanna of Toronto and the ushers were Mr. Robert Veale of Toronto and Mr. Keith Collings of Cayuga. Mr. and Mrs. Compton will reside in Bradford.

Bradford Witness

Cairns, Isaac obituary - long

Event Date : Saturday, September 06, 1958
Event Type : Death

Description : About eight weeks before his death, Mr. Isaac Cairns became ill and was taken to York County Hospital where he underwent an operation. He failed to make a good recovery, and for the several weeks following it was realized that he was failing. He passed away on Saturday, September 6. Although in his 85th year, Mr. Cairns enjoyed remarkably good health until his last illness. He was a familiar figure about town, and a regular spectator at athletic meets, rarely missing games of hockey, lacrosse or ball, and always being an enthusiastic fan for the home team. Born in Nottawasaga Township, near Creemore, he spent his younger years in that area. In 1920 he gave up farming for about a year to operate a grocery store in Collingwood, and when he decided to return to farming he purchased the West Gwillimbury farm where his son, Stanley, now resides and moved to that farm in 1921. Twenty-two years ago last June, with his late wife, he retired to Bradford when Stanley was married.On February 10, 1901, he married Mary Grace Fisher of Stayner. Mrs. Cairns predeceased her husband seventeen years ago last June. Their eldest son, Elmer, died twelve years ago. Surviving are one son, Stanley, on the West Gwillimbury farm; one daughter, Mrs. Eben Sawyer (Myrtle) of Churchill, and several grandchildren. A Presbyterian in religion, Mr. Cairns had been an elder of that church for thirty years. He was a member of the L.O.L. and for 67 years had never missed an Orange walk, this year being his first time absent from the annual celebration since his joining the lodge. In Nottawasaga Township he served as a school trustee for a long period of years. The funeral was held from Bradford Presbyterian Church on Tuesday afternoon, September 9, where the services were in charge of his minister, Mr. Williams, assisted by Rev. F. G. MacTavish of Bradford United Church. Interment was in St. John's Cemetery, Coulson's Hill. The pallbearers were former neighbours and church friends, namely, Milton Ritchie, Wm. Langford, Seward Lee, Harold Scarrow, F. C. Cook and Kenneth Wood.

Bradford Witness

Church Street - looking south

View of Church Street looking south. To the right is Trinity Anglican Church, and further down is St. John's Presbyterian Church. St John's was demolished and relocated to 10th Sideroad in 2003, and the site became Trinity's parking lot and expansion area.

Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library

Presbyterian Church

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.

Edmund Garrett

Morden, Rev. Donald N.

This is a portrait engraving of Rev. Donald N. Morden, the minister of the Presbyterian Church in 1906. He began his charge here in 1905.

Edmund Garrett

129 James Street - The Old Presbyterian Manse

The Old Presbyterian Manse is located at 129 James St. (on the northeast corner of James and Essa Streets). It was built around 1875 in the Neoclassical style. It was being used as a manse at the turn of the century and has since been converted into duplex units.
The two-storey, rectangular building has a symmetrical façade, a centre hall plan and a medium-pitched, gable roof. It has large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and large, 6/6, double-hung windows. The original entrance probably had sidelights and a transom. There appears to have been a broad verandah at the front entrance and identical chimneys at both ends of the gable roof at one time. The building has sculptured, curvilinear, soffit brackets, solid brick construction (Flemish bond), and an exposed, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the existing entrance and many windows and doors do not reflect the original design intent. It also notes that the existing duplex unit arrangement suggests major interior modifications. (1, 3)

George Jackson

81 John Street West - Bradford Presbyterian Church

The Bradford Presbyterian Church was once located at 81 John St. West (on the northwest corner of Church and John Streets). A Presbyterian church in Bradford dates back to 1856. The original frame building was built on this site and used until 1893. At that time it was sold to the Anglican Church and moved a short distance north to be used as the Parish Hall. The structure seen in this photo (from 1996) was designed in the Romanesque style by Siddell Baker Architects in Toronto. It was constructed in 1893 for $5,000 by local builder Dougald (George) MacDonald. George was able to do short-hand blueprints and he was also the Sunday school teacher. The church pipe organ was installed in 1915 (with a portion of it funded by the Carnegie Foundation). A seven-foot section of interior, cornice molding fell off and crashed through some front seating and the floor and landed in the basement in 1937. It was rediscovered years later in George MacDonald’s barn.
The 1½-storey building had a modified, cruciform plan with an apse, narthex, and square and polygonal entrance towers. There was a steeply-pitched, gable roof with pyramidal and polygonal roofs on the towers. This structure was a complex massing of heavy, simple forms, each of which had a clear function. The main entrance was through a large, round-arched doorway with a crescent-shaped transom light and a heavy, panelled, wood door. It was set into a high, square tower at the southeast corner of the church and it marked the site as a landmark within the town. Tall, narrow, window openings had thin windows with a vertical emphasis. Some secondary windows were set in rectangular openings (but with the same narrow proportions). Windows having round-arched openings of various sizes in groups, and as singles, lit the nave. The simplicity of this church and the lack of typical Romanesque Revival details such as heavy, stone stringcourses and lintels gave the church a Norman feel with its squared tower and massive walls. Square pinnacles topped the four corners of the entrance tower. The building had masonry construction with brick cladding and a cut-stone foundation. Len Saint, a local stone mason and brick layer, did the plastering for the church. There were metal panels on the steeple and tower roofs. According to the 2000 inventory, the church was in excellent condition with many original features.
The congregation moved to St. John’s Presbyterian Church which was located on the Middleton Sideroad (circa 2004). Trinity Anglican Church purchased the old Presbyterian Church building and land in 2004 and the building was demolished in 2005 to provide additional parking for the congregation of Trinity Anglican Church. (1, 3, 4, Trinity Anglican Church Bradford website)

George Jackson

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