just off a narrow country road ...

Just off a narrow, dusty, rural road in the Elora countryside is a cairn pictured to the left, which pays homage to the original Scottish settlers, who immigrated in the 1830's to Nichol Township, Wellington County, Ontario and settled on land that they quickly named, Bon Accord, after the sign on the coat of Arms in Aberdeen Scotland, their homeland. This is the the site of the first church in which they worshiped. The history of the Knox Church, Elora says, "There was only a handful of Presbyterian Folk in the settlement - just five men and four women, nine in all. The leaders of this little group were Mr. Alexander Watt and Mr. John Keith," both eventual neighbors of my great great grandparents Thomas and Catherine Gray. "After exploring various sections of Ontario for a spot suitable for settlement, the little community had chosen Bon-Accord. They wanted a land of running streams and especially of one considerable stream and here along the Grand River and along the Irvine River they set up their homes, built their school and founded their Church. The first services were help in the shanty that occupied by Mr. Keith and Mr. Watt on the north bank of the Grand River. This was in the late Fall of 1834." Mr. George Elmslie one of the first group of settler writes in his account," Shortly after, Mr. Gilkinson invited us to his home, where were assembled the villagers and a few of the nearest settlers." Mr. Watt, as office as Clerk of Session, recorded, "A few individuals, having in the Providence of God, left Scotland, their native country, and settled in the Eleventh and Twelfth Concessions of the Township of Nichol in the Province of Upper Canada, feeling deeply the value of Gospel ordinances from their being deprived of them and now completely destitute met and unanimously resolved to used every means that might advance or obtain from time to time a supply of Sermon and a dispensation of sealing ordinances as frequently as possible." The account goes on to say that they had formerly been members of the United Associate Church in Scotland and they petitioned the Missionary Presbytery of Scotland to form a Church and receive a minister, or at least sermons. The meeting of the Presbytery authorizing the formation of the Congregation of Upper Nichol took place on February 8th, 1837. On Thursday, May 18th a small group of people gathered in Mr. Watt's barn and Reverend Thomas Christie, representing the Presbytery of the Canadas, although almost sixty years of age, traveled fifty miles by foot to preach and set apart this congregation as a worshipping unit of the United Associate Church in Scotland. "During the winter and spring of 1838 the congregation was busy erecting their first church on land donated by Mr. George Baron on his farm on the 11th Con. of Nichol. It was built of logs with plaster between the layers and is known as "The Old Log Church," pictured above to the right. The first service in this church was held on Saturday, June 2, 1838. It was a service preparatory to the service on the morrow and was conducted by Rev. Thomas Christie and the record reads. "The session admitted six persons to the membership of the Church - Thomas Gray, Catharine Gray, James Young, Margaret Young, Margaret Rennie, and James Argo, bringing the membership of the Congregation up to fifteen." Yes, Thomas and Catharine Gray, my great, great grandparents, who had immigrated probably in 1837 and Margaret Rennie, Margaret Webster Rennie, wife of Alexander Rennie, my Great, Great Grandmother Jane Rannie/Rennie Lillie's sister-in-law. I doubt they knew each other on the other side of the ocean, but here two sides of my family, both relatively new immigrants to Canada, united in a small congregation and a new log church thousands of miles from their Aberdeen, Scotland homeland. A beautiful, quiet spot off of a narrow dirt road in the same concession Thomas and Catharine Gray built their new home, marks the spot and after many, many searches, over a number of trips to Ontario, I found it. It was a quiet, quiet, peaceful moment and as the picture shows, it was like the sun was casting its rays right on the cairn and the people who worshipped there ... our people! It feels like a sacred spot even now. (Information taken from the booklet, "The History of Knox Church, Elora.")