CHURCHES:
UNITED CHURCH, formerly METHODIST
UNITED CHURCH, formerly METHODIST
NOTE: To see photos of Bell Island's United Church/Methodist buildings, click on "Photo Gallery" in the top menu, then "Built Heritage" in the drop-down menu.
Information will be added to this page as it is found.
Information will be added to this page as it is found.
A report in the Daily News in the summer of 1900 mentioned that the "new Methodist and Presbyterian churches were being built that summer."
Some of the Ministers who served Bell Island
(see below for sources of these names)
(see below for sources of these names)
1899-1903: Jabez Hill*
1903-1906?: W. Hill*
1906: E.J. Pratt [the poet]**
1907-1908: Edwin Moore (Supply)*
1908: Alfred Bishop**
1908-1909: Solomon Matthews*
1909-1911: A.F. Bamford** [A new Methodist school was opened at The Mines (10 Commandments Range) on June 20, 1911 and named "Bamford Hall" in his honour.]
Also mentioned between 1909-1910: W.H. Norman*
Also mentioned in 1910: Joseph Noseworthy*
Also mentioned between 1910-1914: William Dotchon*
1911-1912: J.V. Westlake***
Also mentioned in 1912: John William Baggs and Isaac King (Layman)*
1912-1913: W.J. Arms***
1914: William Swann, Supernumerary**
1914-1916: W. Henry Browing*
1917: Isaac King (Layman)*
1918: W.R. Butler**
1920: Ira F. Curtis**
1922: W.T.D. Dunn**
1924-1927: W.E. Cockram**
1927-1931: Oliver Jackson.**** His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "J" in the drop-down menu.
1931-1932: Norman Burns****
1932-1934: S.I. Murley****
1934-c.1939: Sidney Bennett****
?c.1939: Roland Baggs?
c.1939-1942: W.J. Woolfrey. [Mentioned in dedication ceremony for Jackson UC, summer 1951, and Daily News, Mar. 18, 1942: left Bell Island in June 1942 after serving Bell Island for 3 years.]
1942-1948: Reginald Norman Rowsell. His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "R" in the drop-down menu.
Also mentioned in 1946: W.D. Rose (Layreader) and Rev. W.E. Cockram*
1949-1951: T.J. Pitt. [He was minister when Jackson UC was dedicated in summer 1951.]
1951-1955: Francis Gordon Weir*****
c. 1955-1959: Nelson B. Hodder.
c.1959-1960: Frances? Lodge? [Info needs confirmation. The 1959 Telephone Directory lists "United Church Manse, Davidson, Lodge." A photo of United Church clergy visiting the Wabana Mines about that time includes Frances Lodge.]
1960-c.1964: B. Hicks. [The Telephone Directories for 1960 through 1967 lists "Hicks" at the United Church Manse. This seems to be an error as Frank Curtis served Bell Island from c.1964-66.]
c.1964-c.1967: Frank Curtis.
c.1967-c.1971: Cecil Hobbs.
1971-1973: Ernie Lacasse. His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "L" in the drop-down menu.
1973-c.1984: Information being sought.
1985-198?: Wayne Cole*
-1994: Information being sought.
1994: Chaulk. [The Express, Aug. 17, 1994, p. 9: photo regarding the rebuilding of Jackson United Church following fire.]
199?-2000: Ian Marche-McCuish*
2009: Karen Thorne. [Listed in Bell Island souvenir Telephone Directory for 2009.]
c.2013-2014: Mary Harris.
2020: Susan Sheppard (Layreader).
*These names are from "History of the Memorial United Church Portugal Cove/Bell Island" on the Chebucto Grand Banks website at http://ngb.chebucto.org/Hr_Main/Church/United/bell-u.shtml# (Aug. 10, 2020).
**These names are from the book, History of Methodism in Eastern British America including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Bermuda, W.D. Johnson, Sackville, NB, c.1925?
***These names were from both the above sources.
****These names were mentioned in the Daily News of the day and recorded by Addison Bown in his "Newspaper History of Bell Island."
*****From Offbeat History column "Of Flowers and Shipwrecks" by Michael Harrington in the Evening Telegram, June 20, 1993? or 1998?, p.6
1903-1906?: W. Hill*
1906: E.J. Pratt [the poet]**
1907-1908: Edwin Moore (Supply)*
1908: Alfred Bishop**
1908-1909: Solomon Matthews*
1909-1911: A.F. Bamford** [A new Methodist school was opened at The Mines (10 Commandments Range) on June 20, 1911 and named "Bamford Hall" in his honour.]
Also mentioned between 1909-1910: W.H. Norman*
Also mentioned in 1910: Joseph Noseworthy*
Also mentioned between 1910-1914: William Dotchon*
1911-1912: J.V. Westlake***
Also mentioned in 1912: John William Baggs and Isaac King (Layman)*
1912-1913: W.J. Arms***
1914: William Swann, Supernumerary**
1914-1916: W. Henry Browing*
1917: Isaac King (Layman)*
1918: W.R. Butler**
1920: Ira F. Curtis**
1922: W.T.D. Dunn**
1924-1927: W.E. Cockram**
1927-1931: Oliver Jackson.**** His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "J" in the drop-down menu.
1931-1932: Norman Burns****
1932-1934: S.I. Murley****
1934-c.1939: Sidney Bennett****
?c.1939: Roland Baggs?
c.1939-1942: W.J. Woolfrey. [Mentioned in dedication ceremony for Jackson UC, summer 1951, and Daily News, Mar. 18, 1942: left Bell Island in June 1942 after serving Bell Island for 3 years.]
1942-1948: Reginald Norman Rowsell. His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "R" in the drop-down menu.
Also mentioned in 1946: W.D. Rose (Layreader) and Rev. W.E. Cockram*
1949-1951: T.J. Pitt. [He was minister when Jackson UC was dedicated in summer 1951.]
1951-1955: Francis Gordon Weir*****
c. 1955-1959: Nelson B. Hodder.
c.1959-1960: Frances? Lodge? [Info needs confirmation. The 1959 Telephone Directory lists "United Church Manse, Davidson, Lodge." A photo of United Church clergy visiting the Wabana Mines about that time includes Frances Lodge.]
1960-c.1964: B. Hicks. [The Telephone Directories for 1960 through 1967 lists "Hicks" at the United Church Manse. This seems to be an error as Frank Curtis served Bell Island from c.1964-66.]
c.1964-c.1967: Frank Curtis.
c.1967-c.1971: Cecil Hobbs.
1971-1973: Ernie Lacasse. His bio is on the People page in the top menu. Click on "L" in the drop-down menu.
1973-c.1984: Information being sought.
1985-198?: Wayne Cole*
-1994: Information being sought.
1994: Chaulk. [The Express, Aug. 17, 1994, p. 9: photo regarding the rebuilding of Jackson United Church following fire.]
199?-2000: Ian Marche-McCuish*
2009: Karen Thorne. [Listed in Bell Island souvenir Telephone Directory for 2009.]
c.2013-2014: Mary Harris.
2020: Susan Sheppard (Layreader).
*These names are from "History of the Memorial United Church Portugal Cove/Bell Island" on the Chebucto Grand Banks website at http://ngb.chebucto.org/Hr_Main/Church/United/bell-u.shtml# (Aug. 10, 2020).
**These names are from the book, History of Methodism in Eastern British America including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Bermuda, W.D. Johnson, Sackville, NB, c.1925?
***These names were from both the above sources.
****These names were mentioned in the Daily News of the day and recorded by Addison Bown in his "Newspaper History of Bell Island."
*****From Offbeat History column "Of Flowers and Shipwrecks" by Michael Harrington in the Evening Telegram, June 20, 1993? or 1998?, p.6