Ruby M. Cusack
He went on to tell us that Dr. Ryan was a famous dentist in Paris and the castle was his summer residence.
As we drove away from Grampie's house, Cliff asked, "Where is Ryan
Castle?"
Much to our surprise, Dad answered, "I'll take you to see it on our way home."
It seemed to take forever to drive along the post road from Bloomfield. We crossed the iron bridge at Hampton and went up the hill and suddenly Dad made a right hand turn. My poor neck was almost twisted off with trying to watch both sides of the road to spot the castle.
When Dad turned down a hidden driveway, we saw a huge vacant
house.
Cliff and I jumped out of the car and ran to explore Ryan's Castle. The
door
was hanging open and we wanted to go inside but Mum would not allow us
to
enter.
We had to be content with running from window to window, pressing our noses to the glass to see the interior.
I just could not believe my eyes at all I was seeing. The hardwood floor in the parlour started from a centre square and worked outward. The rooms were huge and Cliff couldn't stop talking about the staircase.
As Dad backed out of the driveway, Mum suggested he stop at the nearby church to show us the lych gate.
I whispered to Cliff, "What is a lych gate?"
Mum overheard my question and answered, "When somebody died and the pallbearers were carrying the casket into the church or cemetery, they would pause under the lych gate that had a roof to wait for the minister to approach."
Dad spoke up to tell us of the box gate that was at the back of the cemetery. It was so designed that it allowed the walkers to exit or enter but the livestock of the adjoining farms could not get into the cemetery.
This church is known as St. Paul's Anglican Church, Lakeside. It had been built near to Darlings Lake, a part of the Kennebecasis River, as folk used the streams as their highway. Still, today there is a right of way from the church to the water's edge.
Actually this church was consecrated by Bishop Medley in 1871. It replaced the old church that was framed up in 1811 to accommodate not only the communicants from Hampton but also from the surrounding areas. The subscription list to build the church was signed by eighty-one persons, the amount contributed being 344 pounds or more than $1600. The subscribes included the name of Demille, Raymond, Crawford, Smith, Morrell, Wannamaker, Upham, Ketchum, Hoyt, Frost and Fairweather. The two largest subscriptions were Isaiah Smith and Daniel Micheau who gave 20 pounds each.
The first Church Wardens and Vestry were elected on April 5, 1812. It appears the congregation attended service until 1817 without the benefit of pews or heat. Rev. Elias Scovil of Kingston helped out until the first Rector, Rev. James Cookson, came out from England in the spring of 1919. His first sermon was preached on June 17th of that year.
The publication, ‘St. Paul's Anglican Pariah, Hampton, N.B. 1810-1996 - A History' is filled with names of those who participated in the church parish. Some names are ones that have been long associated with the local area - Demille, Hoyt, Wetmore, Fowler, Upham, Ketchum but the name Wedderburn was unfamiliar to me.
It would seem this congregation was giving thought to the family researcher of the future. They passed a motion on July 3, 1819, "That books be procured for the insertion of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, and that a convenient chest be got to deposit them in, with all Parish papers and books, with two keys, one for the Rector and the other for the Church Wardens." It is interesting to note that these Registers are still preserved among the records of the Parish.
The first recorded Baptism in the Register is that of James Henry, son of William and Anne Frost of Kingston, baptized on Aug. 01, 1819. The first Marriage is of John Roberts of St. John's Parish, Saint John and Elizabeth Vincent of this (Hampton) Parish on Nov. 04, 1819. The first burial was Frances Sarah, infant daughter of Thomas and Lydia Fairweather of Kingston, on Sep. 12, 1819. The church now has most of the records in a database.
This 66 page publication ‘ST. PAUL'S ANGLICAN PARISH, HAMPTON, N.B., 1810 - 1996, A HISTORY' is available from: St. Paul's Anglican Church, 486 Kennebecasis River Rd., Hampton, NB, Canada, E5N 6L3. E-Mail address is stpaulang@nb.aibn.com
If you have Anglican roots in the area served by this church, you will find the book very informative. It provides details on the twenty-three rectors who served the parish as well as the involvement and activities of many of the parishioners in their association with the church.
Query 98-591
Warnock - Morrison - Frazier: I am searching for information
on John Warnock and Mary Anne Morrison who had a daughter, Sarah
Elizabeth and at least two sons, Hugh and James. The family moved to
Boston, MA. and Sarah Elizabeth married there in 1872 to Charles
Frazier. On Sarah Elizabeth's death
record it states that she was born about 1852 in Saint John, New
Brunswick. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
-Lucille A. Hoag, N2188 County Road D, New London, WI., USA.,
54961-9112. E-mail lahoag@athenet.net.
Query 98-593
McKew -McCue: James Mckew was born in 1860 in New Brunswick
and married in Wisconsin in 1884 to Mathilda Walsh born also in New
Brunswick (possibly the daughter of Luke Walsh and Margaret
White). The McKews are both buried in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Does anyone
have any information on the families of this couple?
-Tim Gonnering, 599 Upper Paradise Rd., Hamilton, Ontario, L9C
5P5. E-mail totimgonnering@hotmail.com
or gonnering@quickclic.net