Thursday,
January 8th, is the date of a notable event in the village of Waterford,
when Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Church celebrated the 66th anniversary of their
wedding. So far as we know, this venerable couple hold the record in
Norfolk County in this respect. Both are in good health despite their
advanced years.
Although he
will be 92 years old on Saturday, Mr. Church retains the vigour of a man
many years younger and enjoys his daily walks about the town. Born in
Walpole township, Haldimand county, on Jan. 10, 1839, he moved with his
parents as a boy to Simcoe and then to Vittoria.
When fifteen years old,
he began his apprenticeship at Innerkip near Woodstock, as a
harness-maker, binding himself for three and a half years for the handsome
sum of $137.50. During that time he was bound neither to marry or become
engaged to marry anyone.
Becoming a
journeyman saddler, he worked first for the late W. Hewitt of Vittoria,
for eight dollars a month and board. At the end of a year, Mr. Church
asked that his wages be raised to $13 a month. His request being denied,
he started out on foot with his store of worldly goods in his carpet-bag.
He would hunt a better job. The hunting was good but the jobs scarce, and
he returned to Vittoria where he worked for Mr. Hewitt again who paid him
$13 a month and board.
In the year
1844 Mr. Church travelled on foot to Waterford to start in business
for himself. During the time he had worked, he had managed to accumulate
about $200. With the late M. C. Brown of Simcoe he hoofed it to Brantford
where they entrained for Hamilton and bought stock for Mr. Church's new
business. This took almost his last cent and he had to go to work making
up his stock into harness and boarding at the Beemer house, with no money
to pay his board. At the end of six weeks he and the late William Schram
began "batching it." Business improved and in January 1845, with
about $30 after paying all his debts, he ventured to marry.
He remained
continuously in the business until 1901, when he sold out to his son, W.
J. Church. He was a member of the village council for five years, Reeve in
1909 and 1919 and member of the county council. As a pedestrian Mr. Church
has few equals. He often walked from Waterford to Port Rowan for the
week-end. On one occasion he walked from Vittoria to Innerkip, a distance
of 55 miles.
Mrs. Church,
whose maiden name was Ester Pitman, was born in Bristol, Eng., on Sept.
19th, 1844, and came to this country with her parents in 1851, settling at
Port Rowan.
Mr. and Mrs.
Church have lived in their present home since 1867, the year of
Confederation.
Naturally they
have seen many changes in Waterford and its people. "There are
scarcely any residents here today who were living here when we came,"
states Mr. Church, "just a few of the young fellows like 'Ab' McMichael and Nelson Beam."
Speaking of the
early industries, Mr. Church referred to the enterprises of James L. Green
& Sons who operated a foundry and manufactured the Royce reaper.
Disastrous fires visited their plants and finally put them out of
business.
"We have had a wonderful lot of fires in Waterford,"
remarked Mr. Church in referring to fires which swept the business block
where the Tench garage now stands, the Beemer House fire and another which
took the north side of Alice street.
Mr. Church was
a subscriber to the first Waterford newspaper, the Express, conducted by
John L. Chipman, and has been a lifelong reader of its successor, the Star, founded by the late P. J. Pearce.
Two of his
oldest friends are Mr. John Terry, now aged 94 years, who followed the
vocation of cabinet-maker in Waterford for a lifetime, and Mr. Nelson
Clark, aged 95, who conducted a general store here for many years.
Mr. Church
comes from a long lived family, having had an aunt and two cousins, all of
whom lived to the age of 96. Incidentally he had a total of 30
cousins.
He was sick
only once in his life, having contracted typhoid fever and being confined
to his bed for two months. Otherwise he has not known a day of sickness.
Endowed with a strong constitution, he has been moderate in everything and
today has a vitality that is surprising in one of his years.
Mrs. Church
has not been so well in recent years but is bright, cheerful and able to
look after her household.
They had a
family of four boys and four girls, of whom two boys and two girls are
known to be living:
W. J. Church of Waterford,
Mrs. David Duckworth of
Cherry Valley,
Mrs. A. S. Moyer of Toronto,
and Frank of Toronto.
