| 1. | Wellington St. 0015 - church stone - First United Church Cambridge was born constructed 1863, 15 Wellington St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario; died standing 2011. Other Events:
- Alt Address: First United Church, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario
- Former Geographic Area: Galt
- Parcel Information: 15 Wellington St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario
Notes:
First United Church
Begun: 1824
An Associate Synod of North America [Presbyterian] congregation, with its base in the United States, the Church's original communion rolls give the date of organization as July 8, 1824. The first church building was erected in late 1828 or early 1829, and was enlarged in 1841. The church often was referred to as Strang's Meeting House for Rev. James Strang who arrived in Galt in 1832 and who was ordained minister to the congregation on July 3, 1833.
The Associate Synod of North America, to which the congregation belonged, was "the American counterpart of the Antiburgher wing of the Scottish Secession" (Grant 1988:72). It is of interest to note that when the cornerstone for the new Town Hall was laid in 1857 Rev. James Strang was referred to as the minister of the United Secession Church. The United Presbyterian Church of North America was formed on May 26, 1858, the result of a union of several groups including the Associate Synod Church. In 1863, the frame meeting house was replaced by the present stone building; the official opening was on April 24, 1863. (The date stone above the front door reads: United Presbyterian Church 1863.)
In early 1907 the congregation held a vote to determine whether or not to disassociate itself from the American church body and join the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The vote was strongly in favour of this change. Release from the United Presbyterian Church was granted on May 13, 1907. The following week the church, now known as First Presbyterian Church, received its official welcome to its new church association at a Guelph Presbytery meeting. In 1925 First Church was the only Presbyterian congregation in Galt to vote for union with the Methodist, Congregational and some Presbyterian churches to form the United Church of Canada, thereby becoming First United Church.
Records:
Baptism dates: 1833- Location of records: at church
Marriage dates: 1835- Location of records: at church
Burial dates: 1833- Location of records: at church
At the Archives of Ontario: Baptisms 1833-1900, Marriages 1835-1903, Burials 1855-1907, and the Communion Roll 1824-1889. At the Presbyterian Church Archives: Baptisms 1833-1899, Marriages 1835-1899, Burials 1855-1899, Congregational Book 1828-1899, and Communion Roll 1824-1879. Records on microfilm at the Cambridge Public Library include Baptisms 1833-1903, Marriages 1835-1903, and Burials 1833-1907. Refer also to Huber (1986) for early marriages. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints microfilm 0204144 contains Session Minutes 1849-1895, Congregational Records 1829-1899, Baptisms 1833-1902, Marriages 1835-1903, Deaths 1855-1906, and Communion Rolls 1824-1903.
[ADDRESS/LOCATION: 15 Wellington St., Cambridge, ON N1R 3Y4 - located in the Galt section of Cambridge; 621-8441.]
References: Cant 1915:25-29; Dickson, WHS 1977(65):15; Grant 1988:72,78; Hamilton 1941:25-26; Quantrell, WHS 1988(76):113; A. Taylor 1949:13; A. Taylor 1970:188,196,286; A. Taylor, WHS 1974(62):30; R. Taylor 1986; Young 1880:83.
Church History: Taylor, Andrew W. Banners Unfurled. The History of First United Church, Galt, 1824-1949. Galt: Galt Printers, 1949.1a
1aAmbrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]
Parcel Information:
15 WELLINGTON ST, CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Property Code Category SPECIAL PURPOSE Survey Description PLAN 455 PT LOT 18 PLAN 615 LOT 3 E/S WELLINGTON S/S BEVERLY Acres 0.66 Roll Number 300608001712600 Teranet PIN 038170022
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