Old Church at Maugerville (New Brunswick)

An entry found in Daniel F. Johnson’s New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics pertaining to the “Old Church at Maugerville”.  Thanks (as always) to the Province of New Brunswick Archives for making this database available on-line!  If your ancestry has a connection with New Brunswick (Canada) then this database is worth a search … or two!

Transcribed by Daniel F. Johnson.

 Volume 89 Number 2030
Date January 18 1893
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper The Daily Sun

The Old Church at Maugerville (Sunbury Co.) On the site where now stands the Episcopal Church at Maugerville, there stood, some thirty years ago, an old Episcopal Church, said to be the first Protestant Church erected in New Brunswick. For many years this was the only Church in Maugerville. Later came the Baptist Church. The Congregational and Methodist Churches were in the adjoining parish of Sheffield. … One rector Rev. John SAYRE died in 1794. (see original) SUN Jan. 24 – Your correpondent is indebted to postamaster W.H. BENT and James H. CLARK for the information hereunto appended. It may be noticed as far as traditionally known as the first superstructure of the Church in question was of logs; and about the year 1787, a more substantial structure of the Church was put up upon which repairs were made in 1792, which date we get from J.H. Clark, who now has in his possesion the old copper weather-cock, iron spindle and shaft made and placed upon the Church at that time by his grandfather. The inscription reads thus: ‘Made by Alexander CLARK, for Christ’s Church, Maugerville, 1792. It may be here mentioned that Alexander Clark was one of the first vestry men and Col. DEPEYSTER one of the first wardens of this Church. Our informant claims that his father William CLARK worshipped in all three of those Churches, which have the longest continuity upon the same sight of any in the Province. The first rector of this old Episcopal Churchn was Rev. John Sayre. And herewith is a true copy of what is inscribed upon an ash cross about 4 1/3 feet high: ‘Here Lies the Body of the Rev. John Sayre – formerly Rector of Trinity Church, Fairfield, Connecticut and one of society’s missionaries to that place, from thence refugee with his family within His Majesty’s lines in New York and from New York, upon the evacuation of it by British troops to this place; who departed this life at Burton on the St. John River, upon the 5th of August, in the year of Our Lord, 1784, in the 47th year of his age. The next rector was Rev. John BEARDSLEY, a graduate of Parr Town, who after a time went to Kings Co. and died there. J.H. Clark took up his residence here in 1884, a lapse of 91 years from the time his grandfather left. He learned that the old Church edifice had been sold to Eben HORTON of Boston. The material which went into Mr. Horton’s buildings, where he found the old trophy now in his possession, which was 100 years old last July. In the Church yard we find an irregular field stone, upon the west side of which was cut, ‘B. CARMAN, died 29th Jan. 1793, aged 8 years 2 mos.’ (see original) (see also SUN Jan. 5 – The Old Maugerville Church)