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LOWER MONTAGUE PRE-1971
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The churches of the Methodist and Presbyterian and then later the Union and United Church denominations were the churches of Lower Montague throughout the years. The Methodist were first with Francis Meterall, A Bible Christian missionary, arriving in the “Three Rivers Settlement” in 1832 and taking up an appointment in Lower Montague. A great revival was experienced in 1843 with about 100 persons from Sturgeon and Lower Montague professing conversion. Association between the Methodist churches of Lower Montague and Montague appear to have started about 1877.
There was also a Presbyterian Church in Lower Montague. In 1920 the Presbyterians and Methodists of Lower Montague requested permission to demolish their two buildings and build a Union Church for the use of both denominations. That actually did not happen. Instead the Prebyterian Church was sold to a Mr. Rielly and moved to Montague to be used as a dwelling. The Methodist Church was then renovated. A choir room and vestry were added. Architects for the renovation were Chappell and Hunter of Charlottetown, and the renovation cost $4,535.35. The application to the PEI Legislature for incorporation of the two churches was made in 1921, making it in 1922, when it was dedicated, the first church of its kind on the Island. This union movement was part of a wider movement with many Union churches being formed prior to the union which resulted in The United Church of Canada in 1925. The Lower Montague Union Church seated 500. Trustees from the Presbyterians were George Wright, Benjamin Wright and S.B Aitken; from the Methodists, Mont Annear, Thomas Taylor and G.A. Poole. In 1922 at the first Annual Meeting it was agreed to pay the secretary $25 per year, and the janitor $1 for Sundays when a fire was needed, and 50 cents for other Sundays. |
In 1925 this church became a part of the Montague Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada. In 1932 the church was repainted at a cost of $125.92. An organ was purchased in 1943 using some of the money from the legacy of the late Otto Poole. The organ was electrified in the 1960's. Organists were Agnes Annear, Helen (Martin) Annear, and Alice Annear Ross.
As a part of a Presbytery wide project to realign pastoral charge boundaries, the Lower Montague congregation merged with Trinity Congregation in Montague in 1968. The pews, communition table, and hymn books went to various churches. The building was sold and converted into a dwelling place, at time of this writing occupied by Mrs. Alice Ross. Church groups active in Lower Montague throughout the years included: Women's Missionary Society, Ladies Aid, “The Sterling Young Peoples”, Mission Band and Sunday School. After the church closed in 1968, Sunday School classes were held at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Taylor for several years. |