Westchester
Meeting HouseOn January 25, 1834, a group of residents of Westchester formed a committee to establish "A Free Meeting House for All Gospel Preachers". It seems that nothing further was done until the early 1850's when the structure was finally constructed and put into use.
Experienced Cumberland County researchers are well aware of the lack of primary source material for Westchester and vicinity. While not substitutes for a complete census, these documents will help fill some of the gaps in the historical record.
The source for these lists is the "Notebook on the Westchester Meeting House, 1834-1886".
J.J. Stewart Papers, Dalhousie University Archives, DAL MS2 193 B-2. Note that this volume does not contain any vital statistics.
Note that when this list was transcribed, ca. 1852, the copyist noted that three of the original subscribers were deceased. No dates were given.
Atkinson, Thomas Deceased Colborn, Benjamin Embree, Jacob Fountain, Aaron Sr. Fountain, Ezra Deceased Fountain, Henry P. Fountain, Matthew Fountain, William Giles, Thomas Griffin, William Holiday, Ebenezer Holiday, Jonathan C. Holiday, Samuel McDonald, Alexander McDonald, R. Morrell, James A. Pudry, Jacob G. Purdy, Gabriel B. Purdy, Gabriel Esq. Deceased Purdy, Gabriel Sr. Purdy, Gilbert Purdy, Henry Purdy, Samuel J. Robblee, William Rushton, Abraham Rushton, George Rushton, Thomas Stewart, Alexander Stewart, Donald Stewart, James Stewart, William "Ruffus and James"
When the Westchester Meeting House came into active use in the mid-1850's, pews were rented to members of the congregation on an annual basis (as was the custom elsewhere). Other than noting the sale of Jacob Embree's estate in September 1864, no dates are given for transfers of pews.
Pew numbers 16, 19, & 21 were apparently held jointly by two individuals or families.
Name Pew# ========================================================== Atkinson, David 21 Budd, John 1 Burnsides, William 26 Embree, Jacob 25 To John Atkinson, Sept. 1864 Fountain, Henry P. 20 Fountain, Matthew 17 To Atkinson Fountain Halliday, Jonathan C. 3 Jackson, William 19 Langille, Benjamin 14 McDonald, Alex 24 Morrell, James A. 2 Pudry, Jacob G. 10 Purdy, Alex B. 9 Purdy, Edwiin J. 8 Purdy, Gabriel 23 Purdy, Gabriel F. 27 Purdy, Gilbert 4 Purdy, Henry Esq. 7,13 Purdy, James D. 12 Rushton, George 28 Stevenson, William 18 To Alexander Fountain Stewart, Grace 16 Stewart, James 6 Stewart, Jane 21 Stewart, Robert 5 Stewart, William 15 Stewart Christy 16 Stonehouse, Isaac 22 Stonehouse, Wesley 11 Stonehouse, Zachirius 19