HISTORY OF TRINITY
ANGLICAN CHURCH
ANGLICAN CHURCH
| TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH BRADFORD |
“From Then, Until Now — A brief History”
TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, BRADFORD
155th Anniversary
1851 — 2006
IN THE BEGINNING —
The story of Trinity Anglican Church and The Parish of Bradford begins before the year in which the
Village of Bradford was incorporated. In the early 1830’s the area was visited by various traveling
ministers. In the 1840’s worship was conducted in a cabinet shop on Holland Street. It was probably
about 1849 that the Rev. F. L. Osler, joined by the Rev. Arthur Hill began intensive work in West
Gwillimbury including Bradford and Coulson’s.
By 1851 the first church had been erected in Bradford. It was a wooden structure built in the form of
a cross. Built on a hillside, it looked across the great marshes at the junction of the Holland and
Schomberg Rivers. The rector was the Rev. Arthur Hill.
This first church had a lofty spire which was blown down during a wind storm in 1865 and a few
years later narrowly missed being burned when the old public school located nearby was destroyed by
fire. But on April 12, 1900 the original church and most of its furnishings were destroyed by fire. The
baptismal font we use today was one of the few things saved from the fire, being dragged out by Mr.
McKinstry, the blacksmith.
The embers were scarcely cool before the congregation under the energetic leadership of their
rector, the Rev. Canon George Benjamin Morley, set to work to rebuild. The present brick building, at
the corner of Church and James Streets, was erected and opened for service only eight months later,
on December 2, 1900.
The contractors for the present church building were Messrs. Jarrett & Sons of Alliston who
erected the church at a cost of $4,500, raised the same year by subscription. It is built of Milton
pressed brick in a style known as Early English. The interior walls are of dark red and light buff pressed
brick, set off with artistically carved brick moulding. The chancel furniture, all of ash, was crafted by the
firm which built the church.
The stained glass window above the altar commemorates Col. Tyrwhitt who commanded the local
regiment and also represented this constituency in the House of Commons. Given by officers of the
regiment, the central light depicts Christ, the light on one side depicts the Tyrwhitt family coat-of-arms,
and the other the insignia of the 36th Peel Battalion.
Plaques commemorating those who went to war are mounted on the walls of the church nave.
Unlike most churches today, Trinity has working bells in its steeple— one to call the faithful to
worship Sunday mornings, the other to be tolled at funerals.
MORE RECENTLY —
In 1986 the addition of the Bantam wing gave Trinity a much-needed narthex, an additional Sunday
School room, and washrooms and was made possible by a generous bequest from the late parishioner,
Helen Bantam. In 1994, Trinity was building again. The Hopkins Wing was named in honour of the
dedication and years of service of the Rev. Ormond and Ernestine Hopkins. (Padre Hopkins passed
away in May 2006.) This addition provided an entrance and washroom suitable for the handicapped, an
elevator, offices for the rector and secretary, a choir room, a small reception area, and other rooms
downstairs. The additions are of style and brick well-matched to that of the original brick church. Given
over the years as memorials or thank-offerings, beautiful stained glass windows, oak doors, light
fixtures, and other furnishings adorn the church.
MOST RECENTLY —
A fine-crafted aluminum cross was donated in 2002, and with the help of memorial donations was
erected on our steeple. In 2003 the colourful tri-light window was installed in the hall of the Hopkins
Wing as a memorial. Along the hallway of this wing is a collection of historic photographs put together
and donated by a parishioner. Amongst the photos are those of past rectors and a view of the church
in earlier days. Many generations have worshipped here over the past century and a half, and as a
result of their dedication we have this beautiful church today.
Becoming the Parish of Trinity Bradford in June 2002, meant separating from St. Paul’s Coulsons’
Hill after 150 years together. Trinity is presently in a process of development to accommodate the
growth and expansion happening in our town.
“Celebrating Our Ministries” was a special event at Trinity in 2005! It was an occasion to
‘communicate’ with one another about the many ministries of our church, to ‘celebrate’ them, and to
‘welcome’ others to participate with us. Today, with our current Stewardship and Visioning initiatives,
this focus continues to be a priority. Our Outreach ministry remains strong. One of our projects is
providing a home for the Community Meals program in which parishioners from Trinity and other
churches prepare home-cooked meals each week for people in our community.
An exciting event in the life of Trinity Church occurred when Erin Dewhirst, a life-long parishioner
of Trinity, was ordained a Priest in May, 2006 at the Cathedral Church of St. James, Toronto. Her great
grandfather, The Rev. Walter John Creighton, was rector at Bradford from 1911 until 1927.
Recently The Anglican Diocese of Toronto purchased the former Presbyterian property next door to
Trinity Church. Soon afterwards, the old building was razed making way for our new and much-needed
parking lot. In time, this will be the site of our new church building. We invite you to join us in our
Christian journey.
We go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Incumbents of Trinity, Bradford
1851 – 2006
The Rev. Arthur Hill (1849–1856)
The Rev. John Fletcher (1857–1863)
The Rev. Charles Ruttan (1864–1872)
The Rev. Thomas Wilson Paterson (1873–1876)
The Rev. John Widmer Ralph (1877–1878)
The Rev. Henry Burnand Owen (1878)
The Rev. Albert Warburton Spragge (1879–1881)
The Rev. Charles Roles Bell (1882–1883)
The Rev. Bernard Bryan (1884–1887)
The Rev. Alfred John Greer (1889–1891)
The Rev. Ernest Chilcott (1893–1897)
The Rev. George Benjamin Morley (1898–1911)
The Rev. George Frederick Burton Doherty (Curate, 1906)
The Rev. Walter John Creighton (1911–1927)
The Rev. Thomas Joseph Dew ((1928–1935)
The Rev. Albert Gordon Channen (1935–1941)
The Rev. Harold Gordon Blake (1942–1953)
The Rev. Walter Sidney Johnson (1953–1956)
The Rev. E. Ross Woolly (1957–1966)
The Rev. William H. (Bill) Warnica (1966–1969)
The Rev. Jack House (1970–1980)
The Rev. Canon T. Garnet Whitfield (1980–1984)
The Rev. Ormond Hopkins (1984–1994)
The Rev. Grahame Charlton Thompson (1995–1999)
The Rev. Terrance William (Terry) Whitlam (1999 –
◊
Interim Priests, 1950 – 2002
The Rev. F. V. Abbott (1953)
The Rev. Edward G. Morley (1957)
The Rev. Lewis Tunbridge (1980)
The Rev. James Rhodes (1980)
The Rev. Paul Scuse (1995)
The Rev. Dawn Gilby (1999)
TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, BRADFORD
155th Anniversary
1851 — 2006
IN THE BEGINNING —
The story of Trinity Anglican Church and The Parish of Bradford begins before the year in which the
Village of Bradford was incorporated. In the early 1830’s the area was visited by various traveling
ministers. In the 1840’s worship was conducted in a cabinet shop on Holland Street. It was probably
about 1849 that the Rev. F. L. Osler, joined by the Rev. Arthur Hill began intensive work in West
Gwillimbury including Bradford and Coulson’s.
By 1851 the first church had been erected in Bradford. It was a wooden structure built in the form of
a cross. Built on a hillside, it looked across the great marshes at the junction of the Holland and
Schomberg Rivers. The rector was the Rev. Arthur Hill.
This first church had a lofty spire which was blown down during a wind storm in 1865 and a few
years later narrowly missed being burned when the old public school located nearby was destroyed by
fire. But on April 12, 1900 the original church and most of its furnishings were destroyed by fire. The
baptismal font we use today was one of the few things saved from the fire, being dragged out by Mr.
McKinstry, the blacksmith.
The embers were scarcely cool before the congregation under the energetic leadership of their
rector, the Rev. Canon George Benjamin Morley, set to work to rebuild. The present brick building, at
the corner of Church and James Streets, was erected and opened for service only eight months later,
on December 2, 1900.
The contractors for the present church building were Messrs. Jarrett & Sons of Alliston who
erected the church at a cost of $4,500, raised the same year by subscription. It is built of Milton
pressed brick in a style known as Early English. The interior walls are of dark red and light buff pressed
brick, set off with artistically carved brick moulding. The chancel furniture, all of ash, was crafted by the
firm which built the church.
The stained glass window above the altar commemorates Col. Tyrwhitt who commanded the local
regiment and also represented this constituency in the House of Commons. Given by officers of the
regiment, the central light depicts Christ, the light on one side depicts the Tyrwhitt family coat-of-arms,
and the other the insignia of the 36th Peel Battalion.
Plaques commemorating those who went to war are mounted on the walls of the church nave.
Unlike most churches today, Trinity has working bells in its steeple— one to call the faithful to
worship Sunday mornings, the other to be tolled at funerals.
MORE RECENTLY —
In 1986 the addition of the Bantam wing gave Trinity a much-needed narthex, an additional Sunday
School room, and washrooms and was made possible by a generous bequest from the late parishioner,
Helen Bantam. In 1994, Trinity was building again. The Hopkins Wing was named in honour of the
dedication and years of service of the Rev. Ormond and Ernestine Hopkins. (Padre Hopkins passed
away in May 2006.) This addition provided an entrance and washroom suitable for the handicapped, an
elevator, offices for the rector and secretary, a choir room, a small reception area, and other rooms
downstairs. The additions are of style and brick well-matched to that of the original brick church. Given
over the years as memorials or thank-offerings, beautiful stained glass windows, oak doors, light
fixtures, and other furnishings adorn the church.
MOST RECENTLY —
A fine-crafted aluminum cross was donated in 2002, and with the help of memorial donations was
erected on our steeple. In 2003 the colourful tri-light window was installed in the hall of the Hopkins
Wing as a memorial. Along the hallway of this wing is a collection of historic photographs put together
and donated by a parishioner. Amongst the photos are those of past rectors and a view of the church
in earlier days. Many generations have worshipped here over the past century and a half, and as a
result of their dedication we have this beautiful church today.
Becoming the Parish of Trinity Bradford in June 2002, meant separating from St. Paul’s Coulsons’
Hill after 150 years together. Trinity is presently in a process of development to accommodate the
growth and expansion happening in our town.
“Celebrating Our Ministries” was a special event at Trinity in 2005! It was an occasion to
‘communicate’ with one another about the many ministries of our church, to ‘celebrate’ them, and to
‘welcome’ others to participate with us. Today, with our current Stewardship and Visioning initiatives,
this focus continues to be a priority. Our Outreach ministry remains strong. One of our projects is
providing a home for the Community Meals program in which parishioners from Trinity and other
churches prepare home-cooked meals each week for people in our community.
An exciting event in the life of Trinity Church occurred when Erin Dewhirst, a life-long parishioner
of Trinity, was ordained a Priest in May, 2006 at the Cathedral Church of St. James, Toronto. Her great
grandfather, The Rev. Walter John Creighton, was rector at Bradford from 1911 until 1927.
Recently The Anglican Diocese of Toronto purchased the former Presbyterian property next door to
Trinity Church. Soon afterwards, the old building was razed making way for our new and much-needed
parking lot. In time, this will be the site of our new church building. We invite you to join us in our
Christian journey.
We go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Incumbents of Trinity, Bradford
1851 – 2006
The Rev. Arthur Hill (1849–1856)
The Rev. John Fletcher (1857–1863)
The Rev. Charles Ruttan (1864–1872)
The Rev. Thomas Wilson Paterson (1873–1876)
The Rev. John Widmer Ralph (1877–1878)
The Rev. Henry Burnand Owen (1878)
The Rev. Albert Warburton Spragge (1879–1881)
The Rev. Charles Roles Bell (1882–1883)
The Rev. Bernard Bryan (1884–1887)
The Rev. Alfred John Greer (1889–1891)
The Rev. Ernest Chilcott (1893–1897)
The Rev. George Benjamin Morley (1898–1911)
The Rev. George Frederick Burton Doherty (Curate, 1906)
The Rev. Walter John Creighton (1911–1927)
The Rev. Thomas Joseph Dew ((1928–1935)
The Rev. Albert Gordon Channen (1935–1941)
The Rev. Harold Gordon Blake (1942–1953)
The Rev. Walter Sidney Johnson (1953–1956)
The Rev. E. Ross Woolly (1957–1966)
The Rev. William H. (Bill) Warnica (1966–1969)
The Rev. Jack House (1970–1980)
The Rev. Canon T. Garnet Whitfield (1980–1984)
The Rev. Ormond Hopkins (1984–1994)
The Rev. Grahame Charlton Thompson (1995–1999)
The Rev. Terrance William (Terry) Whitlam (1999 –
◊
Interim Priests, 1950 – 2002
The Rev. F. V. Abbott (1953)
The Rev. Edward G. Morley (1957)
The Rev. Lewis Tunbridge (1980)
The Rev. James Rhodes (1980)
The Rev. Paul Scuse (1995)
The Rev. Dawn Gilby (1999)