Some Clues to help solve the Mystery of the St. George Strawberry Festival

 

Here are some clues to help solve the mystery posted a few days ago.

 

First of all, the handbill refers to Ashley Cooper, superintendant of the Sabbath School.

 

The cemetery in St. George has two "Ashley Coopers" buried in it.

 

Murray E. Fair compiled a list of all the tombstones that can be found at the IntermentNet.com website: 

http://www.interment.net/data/canada/ontario/brant/south_dumfries/stgeo_uc/george_ce.htm

Saint George Cemetery (Saint George UC Cemetery)
St George, South Dumfries, Brant County, Ontario, Canada: 

Cooper, Ashley, b. 1842, d. 1922

Cooper, Ashley, d. 27 Aug 1840, 81 yrs

Another source for clues can be found in the "History of St. George United Church" available at:

http://comdir.bfree.on.ca/stgeorge/History01.html

 

(The author is not credited, and I would like to give credit if someone could let me know)

 

Here is some of the story:

Early History

Methodism was first on the scene in 1831 followed by Presbyterianism the next year and finally in 1925 Union was achieved and the St. George United Church has been active ever since.  In those very early days when Methodism held sway, residents -- settlers if you will --around the Village of St. George were eager for religious experience and spiritual guidance.

So it was that in 1831, a circuit rider rode through bush country along a trail only a horse could follow, called on a few settlers, asked them to meet for a church service at Tykerts Schoolhouse, about a mile northeast of St. George, and the first Methodist services commenced in the district. A frame church was erected at the site of what is now the United Church Cemetery in about 1840. In 1867 with Rev. James Harris as pastor, the first organ was placed in the church. In 1869 the foundation stone of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, on Main Street, was laid and 10 years later came dedication of a new stone and white brick church.

The circuit rider mentioned earlier was Rev. G. Ferguson and his field of labour extended into the County of Waterloo. The St. George Circuit included St. George, Sheffield, Branchton, Tranquliity, Germans, Steel's, West's, and Harrisburg. Between 1867 and 1925, revival meetings and Camp meetings characterized early Canadian Methodism and, as far as the church itself was concerned, it seated 400, the men and women sitting on opposite sides of the sanctuary. Following Rev. James Harris there were a number of preachers with some conducting Union Evangelistic services around 1900.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
(visit the website for this part of the story!)

THEN CAME UNION!

As early as 1902, Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists were talking Union across Canada. When it was finally consummated on June 10, 1925, a great communion service was held in an arena in Toronto with 7,646 worshippers receiving communion and Church Union was hallowed.

 

The new Council following Union in 1925, included the moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly, Dr. George Pidgeon. For all practical purposes, it may be said all Methodists and all Congregationalists entered Union. The Presbyterian Church entered Union as a church, with 17°/o of the congregation remaining outside Union.

In 1925, Rev. H.F. Deller became minister of the St.George United Church. It was a time of adjustment for both of the uniting churches, when they met to consider the methods of procedure, and elect the Session and boards of the church. The United Church congregation worshipped in the former Methodist Church on Main Street until 1929. In November of that year closing and opening services were held when the congregation moved to the renovated and newly decorated former Presbyterian Church on Beverly Street. The pipe organ was removed from the Methodist Church repaired and installed in the United Church.

 

The Methodist Church which was erected in 1869 was taken over by Sunny Hill Dairy and in 1964 the St. George Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion purchased and renovated the building, but in 1967 fire destroyed the 98-year-old church.

Finally, it would be helpful to know which historic years featured a "Saturd'y, July 1."

According to The Calendar Home Page's "Like Years Utility":

Years where July 1 lands on a Saturday (between 1831 and 1925):

Non Leap-Years:  1837, 1843, 1854, 1865, 1871, 1882, 1893, 1899, 1905, 1911 & 1922

Leap-Years:  1848, 1876 & 1916

 

 

Does that help a bit?

 

Let me know when you solve the mystery....