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Home My WebLink About440"SOME NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF WHITEVALE UNITED CHURCH Typewritten article, undated, 2 pages. (1) The congregation which we associate with this church building, and the earlier o ne whose foundation stone is set into the back of the present church auditorium, goes back to some time before 1854. The Annual Report of the Missionary Society of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada which is dated 1852-3 (pages 16-17), under the heading of ""Pickering Branch"", lists 41 contributors to the missionary funds of the Church, in addition to items such as ""Collection at Meeting,"" ""Small sums,"" etc. The total of donations that year was twelve pounds and eight shillings, a very creditable amount for those days when money was exchangeable for much more than it is now! The number of givers recorded probably indicates a group of people with some years of worshipping and working together already. It will be shown below that the ""Pickering Branch"" consists of people in what was then the ""Village of Major"" and the surrounding country. This is logical since it was part of the Methodist ""circuit"" of Markham, and from Markham's point of view ""Pickering"" would be that part of the Township of Pickering nearest to Markham. Further evidence may be found in the surnames of the abovementioned contributor and this should be checked with old land-ownership maps of the area. Here are some names: White, Hodgson, Vero, Lankins, Stephenson, Turner, Trueman, Hallihon, Purdy, Fuller, Wilkinson, Major (also ""Majors""), Phillips, Herrick, Burton, Hagerman, Barnes, Hocklon. The Collectors were: Miss M. Hodgson, Mrs. R. Fuller and Mrs. T. Burton. It is interesting ..that (according to the Christian Guardian, the newspaper of the Methodist Church, Apr.7,1852 (page 102, column 5)) a remarkable Revival took place in Markham Circuit during the early part of that year. It lasted for seven weeks, unusual even in that generation, and a good many professed their faith in Christ. This spiritual awakening doubtless had some influence upon the interest in missionary outreach we have noted, and perhaps ultimately in the movement to build the Church on the 5th Concession in 1854-56. (2) As we know from the old foundation stone already mentioned, work on the first church building began in 1854. Apparently it was in process of building for more than a year, since the Christian Guardian of Jan.23, 1856 (p.63, c.4) has the following under ""Special Notices"": CHURCH OPENING The new Wesleyan Stone Church in the Township of Pickering, 5th Concession, in Markham Circuit, will be opened for divine worship on Sabbath Feb.10th 1856. The Rev. Enoch Wood president of the Conference will preach at 11 o'clock a.m. and the Rev. G. R. Saunderson at 3 o'clock p.m. A collection will be taken up at the close of each service to aid the Trustees in paying the debt on the Church. A Tea Meeting will be held on the following Monday evening commencing at 4 o'clock. Tickets 1s 10pc to be had at the door. Markham Jan.14th 1856. Thomas Jeffers (3) In the Missionary Society Reports (such issues as are available) we can trace something of the history of the ""Pickering Branch"" of the Markham Circuit until it is renamed ""Whitevale Branch"": --1855-6 (p.l4) shows some of the same names mentioned above: this was at the very time the church was being built. - 1868-9 now gives donations in dollars and cents (total $30.79). The surnames Major, Lankin and Stephenson reappear. (In 1870 T.P.White changed the name of ""Village of Major"" to ""Whitevale"".) - The 1871-72 Report still reads ""Pickering Branch: Major and White are notable among the names given. - 1872-73 changes the name of the Branch to ""Whiterate"" — apparently the new name puzzled the typesetter! -- but the names indicate the same group of people. - 1873-74 gets the spelling right (""Whitevale"") and the same names recur. (4) Items in the Christian Guardian show the progress of the new church building (the present one) in 1884 and 1885: - Mar.19,1884 (p,93,C.3): ""excavations have been made for the foundation of the new Methodist Church...The Ladies Aid have been making great efforts to raise funds. . . the building fund...nearly $2,500. - Aug.20,1884 (p.279,c.3): ""A 'harvest home' on behalf of funds, on September 4th,... on the grounds of Brother W. Major."" - Feb.25,1885 (p. 116, c.2-3): ""Feb.1st opened and dedicated our new beautiful house at Whitevale ... congregations overflowing...debt $2 005."" - Mar.18, 1885 (p.164, c.4): ""congregation at Whitevale nearly fill our beautiful and commodious church...Sunday School organized. Brother Carter, superintendent. Class meeting reorganized . . .leader Bro.W. Major."" " "SOME NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF WHITEVALE UNITED CHURCH (cont'd) p.2 (Page references on this page are to the 1892-1978 Minute Book of the Trustees and the Congregation) ""In or about the year 1883"" the first Trustees for the ""new church to be built at Whitevale"" (i.e. the present church) were appointed by the Quarterly Official Board of the Methodist Church, Markham Circuits William Major, John Wilson, Peter R. Hoover, Alexander Peebles, Abraham Hamilton, Samuel Lankin and Charles Hodgson. Later Thomas Carter, Albert E. Major, Thomas Beare and Joseph Laughlin were added. (pp.2 & 7) 1894 - Anniversary Services held February 11th,""and English Dinner and Entertainment on Monday evening Feby. 12th, 1894."" (p.5) Thus the traditional Service followed by Dinner and program started early, but in February (the month of the actual Church Dedication in 1885). In 1894 also ""the Trustees estimated value of church property at $6000.""(p.9) 1908 - Weekly envelope system adopted (to begin May 1st 1909) (p.19) 1915 - New organ purchased for $75.00. (pp.24, 25) 1916 - Anniversary Service held in October (instead of February) (P.25&24) 1924 - Electric lights installed by the Ladies Aid. (pp.39-40) 1925 - Church Board agrees to pay $30.00 per year toward lighting.(p.43) - With Church Union Whitevale Methodist becomes Whitevale United. 1928 - New furnace installed with help from Ladies Aid and Sunday School. (pp.45-46) 1929 - Membership at Whitevale reported as 106 (six new members this year). In the ""circuit"" (pastoral charge?) as a whole there are ""over 200."" (p.48) 1932 -- CGIT group active: conducted church service Jan.31st. (p.55) 1935 - Cemetery Board (still under church control) increased from 3 ""to 5 members (Messrs. Dickson, N. K .Robinson, Annis, H. Pugh, Mrs. Geo. Burkholder). (p.62) Additional land purchased adjoining cemetery, (p.63, cf.p.66) 1935 - Tablet from original stone church (at site of cemetery), which had been ""preserved by the late Wm. Burton... placed here (i.e. in back of the auditorium of the present church) on fiftieth anniversary of this Church, July 1,1935."" The Tablet reads: ""WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL ERECTED A.D. 1854. T. P. White, builder."" 1936 - Communion Table and chairs, Pulpit and Platform Furnishings given ""To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Lydia G. Whitson by Ernest A. and Lillie L. Thornton."" 1936 - Church reshingled for $366.72. (p.67) (N.B. Later reshingling by government after ""North Pickering"" project set up in 1970's.) 1937 - Baby Band formed, (p.66) 1938 - Monthly Missionary Program at Sunday School instituted; $62.10 raised for missions in the year, (p.7l) Following year $60.80 raised.(p.75) 1944 - Sigma-C and Tyro groups for boys and CGIT and Explorers for girls. 1949-Diploma system 'used' in Sunday School. 75% attendance required: after 15 years children presented with copies of The Hymnary. 1954 - New Communion Set donated to the church. - Adult group for Locust Hill, Cherrywood and Whitevale formed. (This group still meets six times a year.) 1962 - United Church Women replaces Woman's Missionary Society and Women's Association: charter membership 31 ladies. In the 1960's a Boy Scout troop met in the Church. 1970 - Cherrywood-Whitevale (two-point) pastoral charge formed. (pp.218-221) 1976 - New electric organ donated to the church. 1977 - The loud-speaker system installed in the church. - Heritage-York pastoral charge (four-point) formed: Box Grove, Cedar Grove, Cherrywood, Whitevale. NOTE: Additions (or corrections) to the information on this sheet would be welcomed. Please contact Mrs. Florence Metcalfe or the minister. "