Wesley United Church Cambridge

Other Events:

• Alt Address: Wesley United Church, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario
• Former Geographic Area: Galt
• Parcel Information: 6 Cambridge St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario
• Name: Galt Wesleyan Methodist Church Cambridge
• Church: 1854, Galt Wesleyan Methodist Church, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario; congregation begun

Notes:

Wesley United Church

Begun: 1854

The Galt Wesleyan Methodist church was established in 1854 with the arrival of the Rev. George Kennedy (1854-1855). A first church building was located on the north side of North Street not far from the corner of North and Ainslie Streets and next to the Primitive [Methodist] Church and Mission, as shown on Pollock's 1867 Map of Galt. In 1872 the Wesleyan Methodist congregation, known as Ainslie Street Methodist Church, purchased the former Knox Free Presbyterian church building at the northeast corner of Dickson and Ainslie Streets. At the Annual Meeting of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in June 1872, the "Galt Mission" was given "permission to sell the old church and apply the funds in aid of paying for the new one." Rev. John B. Clarkson was minister at the time.

After the union of the Wesleyan and New Connexion Methodists in 1874 the two congregations became one. The new united congregation also included Primitive Methodists whose church had closed c.1865. The former Knox Church building, which had been used for Methodist services, was sold to the Town in 1877 and was removed in 1879. Construction of the present Wesley Church was begun in 1879 and completed in early 1880. The congregation was given permission in 1878 at the Annual London Conference of the Methodist Church to sell "the church lot" and to apply the proceeds towards the building of the new church. At the 1880 Annual Conference permission was granted to sell the "late New Connexion property in Galt" and to apply the proceeds towards the new church. Rev. John V. Smith, who was appointed to Galt in 1875, was minister when the new church was built. New galleries were added in 1885; dedication services to mark reopening of the sanctuary for worship were held on February 14, 1886.

When the Methodist Church voted for union with the Congregationals and many Presbyterian congregations to form the United Church of Canada on June 10, 1925, the name of the church was changed to Wesley United Church. More space for a Sunday School was made in 1937 in the enlarged church basement; an addition for the chapel and the ladies' parlour was built at the same time.

Records:
Baptism dates: 1888- Location of records: at church
Marriage dates: 1888- Location of records: at church
Burial dates: 1888- Location of records: at church

The original records are at the church. Records on microfilm at the Cambridge Public Library include Register of Members 1888-1902 and the Marriage Registers 1888-1904. In Waterloo County Marriages 1858-1869: Marriage records for 1858-1859, 1861-1864, 1866-1868. Wesleyan Methodist Baptisms for Waterloo County c.1830-c.1874 are in an indexed card file at the Kitchener Public Library. Some records for Births 1860 and Marriages 1854-1855 are in the Civil Registers for Waterloo County 1855-1861, on National Archives microfilm C-15758, available at the Kitchener Public Library. Refer also to Huber (1986) for some early marriages.

[ADDRESS/LOCATION: 6 Cambridge St., Cambridge, ON N1R 3R6 - located in the Galt section of Cambridge; 621-6060.]
References: Cant 1915:58-61; Hamilton 1941:35; Hulet, WHS 1964(52):43; McLaughlin 1987:66; Methodist Church; Semple 1985:i(chart); R. Taylor 1986; WHS 1971(59):73; Wesleyan Methodist Church 1872:101; Young 1880:184-185.
Church History: One Hundred Years of Christian Witness 1854-1954. Wesley United Church Galt, Ontario. A Brief History, 1954.<sup>1a

1a</sup>Ambrose, 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:
Address 51 AINSLIE ST N,
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Property Code Category SPECIAL PURPOSE Survey Description PLAN 615 LOTS 2 AND 3 PT LOT 1 W CAMBRIDGE RP 58R15422 PTS 16 AND 17 Acres 0.58651242 Roll Number 300604001600600 Teranet PIN 038150364
Address 53 AINSLIE ST N,
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Property Code Category SPECIAL PURPOSE Survey Description PLAN 615 LOTS 2 AND 3 PT LOT 1 W CAMBRIDGE RP 58R15422 PTS 16 AND 17 Acres 0.58651242 Roll Number 300604001600600 Teranet PIN 038150364
Address 55 AINSLIE ST N,
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Property Code Category SPECIAL PURPOSE Survey Description PLAN 615 LOTS 2 AND 3 PT LOT 1 W CAMBRIDGE RP 58R15422 PTS 16 AND 17 Acres 0.58651242 Roll Number 300604001600600 Teranet PIN 038150364
Address 6 CAMBRIDGE ST,
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Property Code Category SPECIAL PURPOSE Survey Description PLAN 615 LOTS 2 AND 3 PT LOT 1 W CAMBRIDGE RP 58R15422 PTS 16 AND 17 Acres 0.58651242 Roll Number 300604001600600 Teranet PIN 038150364