Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Stanley Street Presbyterian Church Gone Ayr

1843 - 1915  (~ 72 years)


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  • Name Stanley Street Presbyterian Church Gone Ayr 
    Nickname
    Born constructed 1843  Stanley St., Ayr, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Unknown 
    Alt Address Stanley Street Presbyterian Church, Ayr, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Church 1843-1915 
    Name Canada Presbyterian Church (Paris Presbytery) Ayr 
    Name United Presbyterian Church (Flambororo Presbytery) Ayr 
    Died demolished 1915 
    Person ID I558  Properties
    Last Modified 6 Dec 2011 

  • Notes 
    • Stanley Street Presbyterian Church

      Begun: 1834       Closed: 1914

      Early Ayr Presbyterians, most of whom had belonged to the United Secession Church in Scotland, travelled to Galt or to St. George for worship services.  The Ayr congregation was organized by Rev. George Murray on July 27, 1834; formal organization was on October 19, 1834, the date of the first Presbyterian church service in Ayr.  On October 31st of the same year work began on the construction of a meeting house which was located one mile east of Ayr on the Ayr-Wrigley Road.  A newer church was built on the south side of Stanley Street in Ayr in 1843 and was opened for worship on October 15th of that year.  According to A. Taylor (1970:256) the "galleries were finished in 1850 and the basement was made in 1869."

      Rev. Alexander Ritchie who arrived in June 1842 was the first full-time minister.  He was still listed as minister to the West Dumfries congregation at Ayr in 1859.   Other early ministers were George Irving (1861-1864), Stephen Balmer (1867-1868), and Walter Inglis (c.1875-1885).

      With successive mergers and unions of Presbyterian groups, Stanley Street became United Presbyterian (Flamboro Presbytery) in 1857, Canada Presbyterian (Paris Presbytery) in 1861 and Presbyterian Church in Canada (Paris Presbytery) in 1875.  The congregation joined with Knox Presbyterian on May 31, 1914 with the name of Knox United Presbyterian Church.  The building was demolished in 1915.

      Records:
      Baptism dates:    1863-1914*        Location of records: United Church Archives
      Marriage dates:    1858-1868;1869-1892*    Location of records: United Church Archives
      Burial dates:    1863-1872*        Location of records: United Church Archives

      *Records on microfilm at the Kitchener Public Library include: Baptisms 1863-1914, Marriages 1858-1868, 1869-1892, Burials 1863-1872, and Minutes 1834-1900.  The Congregational Minutes 1834-1900 are also at the United Church Archives.  Some information can also be found in Waterloo County Marriages 1858-1869, on microfilm at the Kitchener Public Library.  Huber and Taylor (1991c) have published an indexed list of Marriages, Stanley Street Presbyterian Church Marriages 1858-1892, also available at the Kitchener Public Library.

      References: Canada Presbyterian Church; Gemmell, WHS 1960(48):65,67; Presbyterian Church; A. Taylor 1970:254-256; R. Taylor 1986; United Presbyterian Church; Whitson, WHS 1951(39):19-20.
      Church History: Knox United Church, Ayr, Ontario, 1834-1984.1a

      1aAmbrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener,  Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - constructed 1843 - Stanley St., Ayr, Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsAlt Address - - Stanley Street Presbyterian Church, Ayr, Ontario Link to Google Earth
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