“The Methodist people of Waterdown have put up a new Sunday School Hall. The opening was marked by appropriate services which provoked many happy recollections. The occasion also marks the Jubilee of United Methodism in Waterdown, for 1874 saw the Wesleyan and New Connexion branches united. An added interest lies in the fact that this year is to be the last for the Methodist Church as such, seeing her course henceforth is to be a part of the United Church of Canada.

In view of this it seems fitting to recall the past. In doing so, one is deeply indebted to such men as Carroll, Green, Sanderson and Cornish, whose diaries, reminiscences, letters and like data go a long way to make up the story of the years. From a paper of the Wentworth Historical Society supplied by Mr. Wellington Griffin something of the start of Waterdown may be learned.

In 1823 Ebenezer Culver Griffin who was born at Smithville in February 1800, the son of Smith and Eleanor Culver Griffin, bought off Colonel Alexander Brown 360 acres of land where the village of Waterdown now stands. He also bought 200 acres more adjacent to this from William Applegarth. He built a saw-mill, the first industry to be started in most settlements of those days on the Grindstone Creek, near the Falls, and later a gristmill lower down near the Great Falls. This was about 1827-1828. Absalom Griffin, a brother of Ebenezer, bought 150 acres on the north side of the Dundas Street from his brother and started a cloth and carpet mill. The two brothers also carried on a mercantile business. Ebenezer Griffin surveyed the village and encouraged manufacturing. Tradition has it that the first house built in Waterdown is still standing. It was occupied by Ebenezer Griffin and stands on Griffin Street. A Mr. Ripson occupies it at present (1924). To-day it is rough cast, as the writer knew it it was boarded. Mr. Wellington Griffin says it is log beneath the boards. For years Ebenezer Griffin was the only magistrate in East Flamboro. During the days of the Rebellion of 1837 he held a Commission. He was a Methodist and took his religion seriously. Being superintendent of the Sunday School in Smithville in 1820, it is not unlikely that on coming to Waterdown Mr. Griffin would be less zealous for the cause. Anyway, Methodism in Waterdown is at least 100 years old.

The name Griffin is a very familiar one in Waterdown. Most of those known to the present generation are the descendants of Solomon Griffin. The Griffin family sprang from Richard and Mary Griffin, who migrated from New York State and settled at Smithville. Their fourth son was Isaiah, the father of Ebenezer C. Griffin, and their fifth was Smith, the father of Solomon, who was born 1805, and died at the home of his grandson, Mr. Wellington Griffin, 1896, in his 92nd year. Rev. W. W. Prudham tells that his first attempt to preach was in the Waterdown Church in 1888. Solomon Griffin, then a class leader and a preacher of over 70 years standing was in his pew as usual, praying in his heart that the young man might break down, for he said one never amounted to much unless he broke down a few times at the start.

To a former generation the names of James K. and William Smith Griffin are very familiar, both being sons of Ebenezer Griffin and born in Waterdown. James K. was educated for the ministry, but became a contractor. His name has long been associated with the winding toll road from Waterdown to Hamilton. Late in life, while on a visit from New York, he trailed the C.P.R. surveyor from Hamilton to Waterdown and showed him the easiest grade. So far as recollection goes, he is the first known superintendent of the Waterdown Methodist Sunday School. William Smith, his brother, became a preacher of nation wide repute and for nearly sixty years was active in high places in the church. His name was a name to be conjured with. Sanderson tells us in his history that one Elijah Griffin acted as secretary of the Ryanite Convention held at Copetown, 1828 or 1829, but the Griffin family tree shows no Elijah. There is an Ezekiel and an Ebenezer. It is likely that the latter was meant, for in those days, Ancaster and Copetown were part with Waterdown of the same circuit.

The Ancaster Circuit of 1815 extended from York to the Thames. There were then only four Church of England clergymen in Upper Canada. Methodism has twelve stationed ministers and many local preachers at work. Upper Canada could boast of about 77,000 of a population at that time. There was Methodist preaching in or around Waterdown before the Griffins. For in 1816 the Westminster Circuit was organised out of the Ancaster, embracing all west of Norwich and Burford. The development of Methodism in Westminster is traceable to Charles Peters, an East Flamboro local preacher who took up residence in that township and preached to the people. On one occasion he turned a ball into a prayer meeting and a revival broke out, making it necessary to organise the circuit. Many members of the Waterdown congregation will still remember Rev. George Fergusson, who was minister 1890-1892, and during whose pastorate the old side galleries of the church were removed, but none will remember his grandfather, bearing the same name, who travelled the circuit in 1819-1820. In 1820 Alvin Torry was associated with George Fergusson Sr., and both preachers that year had the misfortune to lose their horses. Mr. Torry went out to the pasture one morning to get his horse to start his tour of 300 miles around his circuit, and found the beast dead. He had given his poor mother half of his meagre salary and had but a few shillings left, so had to borrow a horse. Shortly after this Mr. Fergusson had a similar loss. It meant even more to him than to Mr. Torry, for he had a large family and was very poor. He had been bought out of the army by the Wesleyans and made a preacher some few years previous.

In 1821 Ancaster Circuit suffered another division. This time the New Settlements, comprising six townships, Toronto, Etobicoke, Chinguacousey, Trafalgar, Esquesing and Erin were being settled and a new circuit formed. It was in this year that the First Methodist Church was built in Hamilton, long known as the King Street Church. It was not only the first Methodist Church, but the first of any denomination for years, and was loaned by the Methodist people to others. Many an Anglican class received confirmation in the old church. The present magnificent structure is the third upon the same site. Ancaster was John Ryerson’s first circuit. Of this year he writes, “Ancaster circuit extended over an area nine-tenth of which was wilderness, 28 appointments, classes after preaching, and all the families to visit. My support was $65. I lost my horse and had to buy another. At the close of the year I was very poor and destitute of suitable clothing”.

1824 stands for the organization of the first Canada Conference and the organization of the Missionary Society. Of the income of $144 for the Society for this year, Ancaster gave $22, Trafalgar $10, Saltfleet $22, John Keagey $13.25 and Beverly $5. This is the first and only reference we can find to Beverly in Methodist appointments. The Conference of 1826 stationed Joseph Gatchell and Anson Green on this circuit. The latter remained a second year and has given us a fine account of the work in and around Waterdown in those days. Mr. Green relates that he came up to his new circuit from Picton accompanied by John Black, from whom he parted at the Credit. Mr. Green preached at Munn’s School house at Palermo, on Sunday, at Mr. Bowes’ on Tuesday, and from there on at Widow Harrison’s, Coates’, Countriman’s, on the mountain, at Butt’s, now Lowville, and finds at comfortable home at Moses McCoy’s on the Dundas Street, where Nelson village now is. Mr. McCoy afterwards gave the site for the Nelson church, which was built in 1828 to hold 500 people and cost $900. (The stone church was erected about 1852). Nelson was formerly called Hannahsville, after Mrs. Hopkins, wife of Caleb Hopkins, who afterwards became an M.P.P. Mr. Hopkins’ farm was that on which the Nelson School stands. His was a home for the preachers also. Mr. Hopkins was superintendent of the Sunday School in Nelson in 1825. There used to be a vault standing in the school grounds at Nelson. It would be interesting to know who was interred there.

From Nelson, Mr. Green ascended the mountain on the Dundas Street and found his colleague, Joseph Gatchell, living in an old log house – note old in 1826. His wife was the sister of Nathan Bangs. Mr. Green was mortified to find them having to live in such a miserable hut. Some who attended the school under the mountain on the Dundas Street will remember this old house about 1880. Among other places mentioned by Mr. Green are Shaver’s, Glanford, Barton, Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Dundas, Pearson’s, John Green’s, Bowman’s, Cummings’ Chapel, Davis’ School house, Van Norman’s on the Middle Road and so on.