Fonds F948 - Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

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Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland fonds

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Fonds

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1818-1914 (Creation)
    Creator
    Presbyterian Church of Canada

Physical description area

Physical description

2.85 m of textual records, 24 microfilm reels : positive, 24 microfilm reels : negative

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(n.d.)

Administrative history

The early history of the Presbyterian Church in Canada is very complex. At one time there were eleven
distinct self-governing Presbyterian organizations. This was the result of disunion and fragmentation
in Scotland, partly because of geographical influences and from the fact that Presbyterians entered the country in two streams one from the United States and one from Scotland and ties were kept with the parent bodies. The beginnings of the Presbyterian Church in Canada were in the Maritimes. The first presbytery was formed at Truro in 1786. This was followed by the presbytery of Pictou in 1795. The two groups united in 1817 to form the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia. The first Presbyterian congregation in the Canadas was organized in Quebec about 1765 and the second one at Montreal in 1786. The Presbytery of the Canadas was formed in Montreal in 1918 and became a synod in 1820. This synod was reorganized in 1831 and was known as the United Synod of Upper Canada. In the same year the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland was established. After nine years of negotiations these two synods united in 1840 and became known by the name of the latter synod -- Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland. It is the records of this Synod that are in Queen's University Archives. Between 1840 and 1875, the year of union, various branches of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces, the Synod of the Maritime Provinces, the Presbyterian Church of Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland and the Canada Presbyterian Church. When in 1875 these four united, they adopted the name of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The Reverend John Cook, minister of St. Andrew's Church, Quebec, was elected first Moderator. The General Assembly of the United Church was divided into 4 synods and 33 presbyteries, and had on their rolls some 600 ministers and about 88,000 members.

Custodial history

The Hand-book of the Presbyterian Church in Canada by Reverend A.F. Kemp and Reverend F.W. Farries published in Ottawa by J. Durie and Son in 1883 has a section on "The Church - Its Constitution, June 15th, 1875. Part of the constitution describes what is to be done with the archives of the different branches after union. The Archives of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland were to be deposited in Queen's College, Kingston.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of the records created and held by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in Connection with the Church of Scotland. It includes correspondence; memoranda; addresses to the King or Queen, Lieutenant-Governor of Governor-General; synod rolls; legal documents; memorials; overtures; petitions, including the 10 July 1844, 'Dissent and Protest of Mr. Bayne and Others'; resolutions; motions and minutes; reports; financial Records; statistics. A considerable portion of the papers documents the close connection of the church with the growth and development of Queen's College. There is also considerable material relating to the union of the various branches of the Presbyterian Church which took place in 1875.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

The papers are arranged chronologically and within the year or years by type of material. The correspondence for each period is in strict chronological order: The other types of material chronologically by year only.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

2263
F3 D9
MF 1306-MF 1329

Availability of other formats

The material is all available on microfilm.

Restrictions on access

Open

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Public domain

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No further accruals are expected

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Location (use this to request the file)

  • Shelf: 2263
  • Shelf: F3 D9
  • Shelf: MF 1306-MF 1329