Grafton heritage Covenantor church holds 165th years services

Nestled in a grove of trees on the north side of Route 221, between the roads to Harbourville and Black Rock, the Cornwallis Reformed Presbyterian Church in Grafton has been a land mark for 165 years.

Built in the years following 1842, this meeting house of the Covenanter church is a testament to the devoted ministry of the Rev. William Sommerville.

Born July 1, 1800 in Ballyroney, County Down, Ireland, he was ordained a missionary to the colonies in 1831 and came initially to New Brunswick, then to Horton (Wolfville/ Grand Pre) and Cornwallis. At this stage of Nova Scotia history, “Cornwallis” was all the land from Blomidon to Aylesford including the North and South mountains, and was the best agricultural land in Nova Scotia.

Sommerville was a powerful personality, both charismatic and evangelical. He contributed greatly to this early period of intellectual growth and development of the Nova Scotia identity, until his death in 1878. Many of the families of Cornwallis had the same Scottish/ Irish roots as Sommerville. Eighteen people agreed to the formation of this congregation August 29, 1842, on land donated by Johnathan Newcomb. These included Solomon Woodwoth, Wm. G. Morton, Samuel Kennedy, Wm. Cochrane, Henry Ewing, Henry Ewing Sr., Wm. White, Hugh Newcomb, Eben Condon, John Kennedy, John Caldwell, Guy Morton, Andrew Woodworth, David Cogswell, Samuel Beckwith, Eliakim Tupper, Leander Woodworth, Lemuel Morton, Jonathan Newcomb, John Parker and George Parker. These names are still familiar in the descendants living locally in this area today.

Dr. Eldon Hay, Department of Religious Studies, Mount Allison University, Sackville N.B.; has carefully researched the Covenanter history and notes two unusual features to the establishment of this church: first, the involvement of women. One of the early documents surrounding the formation of the congregation in 1843 was actually signed by a woman, Ann M. Morton, most unusual for the time. The second item was the notation of the donation of 5,000 shingles by Stephen Jefferson. These face-nailed shingles are still the original shingles on the church today and were considered instrumental to the decision to designate the Cornwallis Reformed Presbyterian Church Meeting House a Nova Scotia Heritage property in 1991.

Annual summer services for the Covenanter church are being held August 3 and 10, 2 p.m., with the Rev Kenneth G. Smith presiding. Smith and his wife, Floy, are residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, while officially retired, offer their services to the church at large, ministering in many states and countries. Smith is a faculty member at the Ottawa Theological Hall and is co-author with his wife of the book, “Learning to be a Family,” published by Great Commission Publications.

All are welcome to these services, especially any who may be descended from the founding fathers of this church.