Rev. James Anderson Ross Dickson, B.D. Ph.D.

Other Events:

• Interesting: religion, life story
• Name: J. R. Dickson
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65794P
• Immigration: 1857, , Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 14 Oct 1879, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; called to serve to Union Church
• Occupation: 1881, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Clergyman
• Occupation: 1882, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; minister
• Occupation: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Minister
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; P;resbyterian
• Occupation: 1901, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Minister
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Pastor, Central Presbyteian Church
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Notes:

Central Presbyterian Church

A United Presbyterian congregation was formed on April 6, 1857 by Rev. John M. King, and a church was built at the junction of Metcalfe Street and the Blair Road. The church was renamed The Second Canada Presbyterian Church in 1861 and then Melville Presbyterian Church on January 7, 1866. In early 1870 the church was joined by the members of the short-lived Bayne Church and the name was changed to Union Presbyterian Church; it then became Central Presbyterian Church (with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church) on May 18, 1880. Rev. James A. R. Dickson had been called to Union Church on October 14, 1879 and therefore assumed the ministry for the new joint congregation. Rev. Dr. Dickson was to remain minister until forced to retire in January 1914 due to ill health. Ministers who followed him were Revs. M. B. Davidson (1914-1952) and David Gowdy (1952-1974).

On July 26, 1880, the cornerstone for a new stone church was laid; nearly two years later, on March 5, 1882, the opening sermons were preached in the new church. The gallery was added in 1889 and in 1905 electric lighting was installed. The church bells date from the following year, 1906. Many years later a large addition was constructed for office, meeting and Christian Education space; it was opened and dedicated on April 10, 1954.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose

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Union Presbyterian Church

The church was formed from the union of Melville Presbyterian Church and the short-lived Bayne Church (or the New Presbyterian Congregation) on April 13, 1870. Bayne Church had been formed on August 19, 1869, and had held its first and last communion in November 1869. In June of 1879 the pulpit of Union Church, which had been occupied by Rev. Richard Bentley since 1871, became vacant. Rev. James A. R. Dickson, who was soon to serve the new united Central Presbyterian Church congregation, was called to Union Church on October 14, 1879. Union joined with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church to become Central Presbyterian Church on May 18, 1880. The Union Church building was sold to Thomas Hamilton and was "used as a dwelling until destroyed by fire in 1890" (Barrie 1982: 33).

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose

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Knox Preston Presbyterian Church

Rev. Charles Freshman, who served as a German Wesleyan Methodist missionary in Preston and area c.1860-1869, stated in his autobiography that the Presbyterian Church engaged a "young Swiss preacher and sent him out to evangelize the Germans in Waterloo County" (Freshman 1868: 284). Dr. Freshman reported that the young Presbyterian preacher preached in the "Lutheran Church in that place [Preston] ... but he failed to establish a cause" (Ibid:285).

According to the Minutes of the Second General Assembly (1876) of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a German Mission was established in Preston on August 10, 1875 and an English one was begun on March 14, 1876. Rev. George Haigh was inducted as Minister to the combined congregations of Preston, Doon and Hespeler on April 24, 1876. Formal organization of this English-speaking congregation was on August 29, 1876. Services at the German Mission were "suspended" in January, 1878, "for want of encouragement", according to the Minutes of the Fourth General Assembly in 1878.

Commencing in 1880, services were held by Rev. Haigh in a stone building at the corner of Duke and Argyle Streets in Preston. However, on March 20, 1883 Preston was separated from Doon and Hespeler which remained under the ministry of Rev. Haigh. Preston reverted to a Mission Station at that time, only to be "dissolved" on September 16, 1884, according to the Minutes of the Eleventh General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1885.

The congregation was reorganized in 1891 by Dr. James A. R. Dickson of Central Presbyterian Church, Galt; the first church service was held on April 5, 1891 by Mr. P. W. Anderson in the Royal Templars' Hall in the Schultz Block. The Town Hall was then used for a short time; the first Kirk Session was elected there on March 12, 1893. The Lyceum Hall on King Street was purchased in 1893, renovated, and dedicated on July 16, 1893. Preston and Doon were placed on a two-point charge in 1893; the first minister was Rev. Herbert Francis Thomas (1893-1898) who was ordained and inducted into Knox Presbyterian on August 21, 1893. The church was rebuilt in 1938 and was in use until 1965 when the new church was completed; the King Street property was then sold.

The cornerstone for a new church on Argyle Street North, between King and Duke Streets, was laid on October 18, 1964. Dedication services for the new building held on March 27, 1965 included locking the door of the old church. In 1973 the name of the church was changed to Knox Preston Presbyterian Church when Preston joined with Galt and Hespeler to form the city of Cambridge. Dates on church: 1893, 1965.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose

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Rev. James A. R. Dickson came to Galt in 1879 and served as the last minister of the Union Presbyterian Church and the first minister of Central Presbyterian Church. He came to Brantford in 1857 and attended Brantford Grammar School and later graduated McGill University. He graduated Congregational College in 1865 and served in First Congregational Church in London, later to the Northern Congregational Church in Toronto. He joined the Presbyterian church before coming to Galt in 1879. He was a frequent contributor of religious periodicals and publications and the author tracts and books including "Ebenezer, a History of Central Presbyterian Church" He served until illness forced his retirement in 1915.


Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book]

Occupation:
Rev. James A.R. Dickson had been called to Union Church on October 14, 1879 and therefore assumed the ministry for the new joint congregaton. <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]

James — Isabella Elliot Fairbairn. Isabella was born 29 Aug 1850, London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada; died 15 Aug 1902, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-333332
• Occupation: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Not Given
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65796
• Occupation: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Teacher
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Teacher, Public
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Name: Minnie Pearse
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-67560
• Occupation: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Teacher
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Minnie married Thomas Cephas Pearse 5 Feb 1896, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Thomas (son of Thomas Pearse and Elizabeth Ann) was born 22 Jun 1867, Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario; died 11 Jul 1945, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried 14 Jul 1945, Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-103934
• Occupation: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Not Given
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1904, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Doctor

David married Lavina Reid 3 May 1904, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Lavina (daughter of William Reid and Jessie Patterson) was born 10 Mar 1876, , Canada; died 7 Sep 1955; was buried , Oakhill Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-103935
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Bookkeeper, Shoe Factory Office
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-103936
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-421254

Charles married Florence Christina Saunders 2 Jun 1909, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Florence was born 6 Aug 1877, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65797
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1901, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Druggist
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Druggist, Store
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Charles — Florence C. Saunders. Florence (daughter of David Saunders and Emma MacDonald) was born 6 Aug 1878, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-333339
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65798
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Nurse
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-333340
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Name: Isabella Minne
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65799
• Occupation: 1924, Flint, Genesee, Michigan, USA; school nurse

Isabella married Frank E. Minne 1 Jan 1924, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States. Frank (son of Frank G. Minne and Mary L. Ballentine) was born 1879, Brockway, St. Clair, Michigan, USA; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65800
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-207065
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Nurse
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-333342
• Residence: 1891, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-65801

Other Events:

• Name: Florence Isabella Knowles
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-67571

Florence married James Harvey Knowles 5 Sep 1925, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. James (son of Jonas Knowles and Emma Kelly) was born 7 Jun 1896, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 14 May 1937, Ancaster Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario; was buried 17 May 1937, Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-422398

James — Viola M.. Viola was born 1905; died 1983; was buried , Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-213790
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian