Parish History - A Brief Historical Sketch

Christ Church - St. Stephen, NB

In the spring of 1784, Captain Nehemiah Marks led an expedition of Loyalist settlers from Port Mouton, N.S., to the head of tide on the St. Croix River, where they encountered the small number of settlers who had trekked overland from Machias, Me. in the winter of 1779-80. Both groups came for the wealth of the forests and the water power of the St. Croix and its tributaries.

By 1802 timber and shipbuilding were beginning to bring a measure of prosperity to the settlement. Britain, France and Spain had signed the treaty of Amiens on March 27th after Nelson's victory in Egypt, and hostilities between the Napoeonic forces and Austria continued. The United States navy battled the Barbary pirates off Tripoli, while President Jefferson expressed concern over Spain ceding Louisiana and the Floridas to the French. It was against this background that the

St. Peter's Church - Milltown, NB

adherents of the Church of England met on Easter, Monday, April 19, to establish a parish corporation. Occasional Anglican services had been held earlier in Captain Marks' house, when the Rev. Samuel Andrews, rector of St. Andrews from 1786, had visited St. Stephen. Indeed, Captain Marks, who died in 1799 had been a member of the first Vestry in St. Andrews.

In January 1802 the Crown granted 195 acres, nearly all of the 230 acres reserved in 1786 for the Passamaquaddy, to the parish as the glebe for the support of a clergyman, and this was the impetus to elect Elisha T. Andrews, William Andrews, William Grant, Robinson Crocker, Peter McDiarmid, Peter McCallum and Abner Hill to the Vestry, and Peter Cristy and Joseph Porter, Esq. as Church Wardens. Willaim Andrews was Vestry clerk.

St. Thomas' Church - Moore's Mills, NB

The parish bought the lot next to the Old Burial Ground on King Street, and a school was opened. The new Christ Church was consecrated by the Rev. Samuel Andrews on January 4, 1809. In 1811 the Rev. Richard Clark came from Gagetown to become the first rector of St. Stephen.

The first church on King Street burned about 1815, and the congregation moved to the present site in 1818. On his death in 1824, Mr. Clark was succeeded by his assistant curate, the Rev. Dr. Skeffington Thompson, who served until his death in 1865. It was in these years that the first St. Peter's, Miltown, St. Jude's, Upper Mills, and St. Thomas, Morres Mills were built. In turn, Dr. Thompson was succeeded by his curate, the Rev. Edward Medley, the Bishop's son.

When the second Christ Church burned in 1863, Mr. Medley designed and supervised the construction of the present Christ Church, consecreated in 1864. Differences in theology, ways of worship, and personality led to a split in the congregation - a large number withdrawing to form Trinity Church, consecrated in 1870 and for more than 100 years St. Stephen had two Anglican congregations.