St-Bartholomew Anglican Cemetery

Taken from a Historic Sketch written by Freda Gray Roberge in 1985

The Church of St. Bartholomew was built in 1840 during the ministry of the Rev. William Wait,  who was a travelling missionary at that time.  It was consecrated by Bishop Mountain in1852.  At one time this historic church and cemetery stood seemingly divorced from civilization in wooded surroundings.  It has served the early settlers of this district and their descendants for the last 140 years.  Many names which appeared in the Church registers in the 1840’s are still to be found on the parish list in 1985, for example, Gray, Edgley, Smith, Pyle, Livingstone and many others.

The original church, which still stands, is in a very good state of repair due to the continued effort of the members of the congregation and a Ladies Guild, though the number is decreasing, but at the present time we have approximately 25 families contributing to the church.  Only a small part of the congregation of slightly over five souls live in the immediate vicinity of the Church.  The larger portion now resides in Chute Panet, St. Raymond, St. Basile and Cap Sante.

Of special interest within the Church are the Memorial windows above the altar and the fireplace at the back of the church beside the organ.  The window was given by St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury, in memory of two priests, the Rev. C. Roberts and the Rev. F. J. Cookesley, who were sent from the College to minister to the settlers in the new land.  You will see their names on the windows above the altar.  The first came to Bourg Louis, and Rev. Cookesley went to Labrador, and later succeeded Mr. Roberts here.   The presence of the fireplace at the back of the church is probably unique in our Diocese.  We assume that the English settlers were not aware of the severity of the Canadian winters when they hooped to heat the building in this manner.  Today, it is heated with an oil furnace.

If one looks very carefully, the crumbling foundation of the old rectory can be found on the opposite side of the highway.  For some years, here, in the midst of a thriving farming community, a school was attached to the rectory and classes were conducted by the resident clergyman.  Students from the district, as well as from the Quebec City area were in attendance, and many are still surviving who remember coming out here to the rectory for a vacation and enjoy the country.

More than 45 years ago, this church and congregation ceased to have a resident clergyman due to the decreasing English population.  Many years ago, regular ministrations were conducted by the clergyman of Portneuf, but at the present  time this Church is being ministered by a clergyman from Valcartier.

Transcriptions provided by D. Clark McIntosh, 1995.

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