Reverend Major George Neal
Encyclopedia
Methodist Episcopal circuit riders from New York State began to arrive in Canada West at Niagara, and the north shore of Lake Erie
in 1786, and at the Kingston
region on the northeast shore of Lake Ontario
in the early 1790s. At the time the region was part of British North America
and became part of Upper Canada after the Constitutional Act of 1791
. Upper
and Lower Canada
were both part of the New York Episcopal Methodist Conference until 1810 when they were transferred to the newly formed Genesee Conference. Reverend Major George Neal began to preach in Niagara in October of 1786, and was ordained in 1810 by Bishop Philip Asbury, at the Lyons, New York Methodist Conference. He was Canada's first saddlebag preacher.
George Neal was the son of a Scottish Highlander
, whose family fled to Ireland during the Clan uprisings. After 1746 there was a great wave of Scottish settlers who came to the Carolina's and George was born in South Carolina
in Feb. 1750. He grew up on the family farms, and during the War of Independence
, he stayed loyal to the British side and distinguished himself at the Siege of Ninety-six
, and the evacuation of Charles Town and was promoted to Major. By 1783, when the war was over, he found his lands confiscated, and his papers in the hands of a fellow soldier who had evacuated to Nova Scotia. His health was poor but he taught school for a year, in Georgia, and was converted to Methodism
by the Rev. Hope Hull. Recognizing his ability to preach, he was sent by the presiding elder of his ‘class',to minister on a circuit among the Scottish settlers, along the Pee Dee River
, in South Carolina. Finding it increasingly dangerous to still be loyal to the King, he decided to emigrate, and he made his way to CharlesTown
, but found the last ship had sailed. He decided to go overland, and the trip took almost a year, but he crossed the border at Niagara into Canada West, (later the Province of Ontario) in Oct. 1786. He began to preach right away, but the Church of England
was the only recognized church, and his fervor excited his listeners, and angered the garrison commander at Newark (Niagara), and he was ordered out of the country. The commander died before the sentence could be carried out, and Major Neal started the first Methodist ‘Class' in Canada the same year. He traveled the Niagara area, and established a 'class' along the Lake Ontario shore, and appointed Christian Warner as the elder, and built the first chapel building, shared with the Presbyterians, known as the 'Warner Chapel'. George Neal started the Stamford Church 'class' in 1790 and then into Norfolk by 1792. Mary Polly (Cope) Cronk, from Copetown, had become a widow in the Niagara District, and became a member of the first Methodist ‘Class’ started by George, and George and Mary were married in Lewiston N.Y. As they started their family, she returned to her parents home, while George continued to travel and bring the ‘word’ to the forests of Niagara, Norfolk and the Talbot Settlement.
His father-in-law, Frederick Cope heard of the great forests of Norfolk County
from George and he and other members of the ‘class’ explored the north shore of Lake Erie, by boat, and came ashore at a landing in 1798. Brother Daniel Freeman was the senior Elder, and they held a service to thank God for their good fortune at finding this new land. George came to preach in Cope’s Landing often, and the adherents established a grove, inland for all to come to Camp meeting services. The Long Point ‘Class' was formed by 1801, with Bro. Daniel Freeman as the leader. Neal was finally ordained in 1810 by Bishop Philip Asbury, at the Lyons, New York, Methodist Conference. When the War of 1812 threatened along the border, Neal Left the Niagara District, and took up his land grant and added to it by purchasing 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in the Port Rowan, Long Point area, at Cope’s Landing, (later called St. Williams) and he continued to travel and preach for more than 50 years as Canada's first Saddlebag Preacher. In later years, his son-in-law Adam Procunier took over his property, and he and Mary moved in with his daughter, Esther, and her husband Col. John Backhouse Hutchinson, at Port Rowan, near the Backhouse Mill, ( now part of the National Heritage Site of Backus Heritage Village). Almost completely blind at the age of 88, Neal had his granddaughter read scripture lessons to him, so he could memorize them, and continue to preach.
Reverend Major George Neal died on his birthday, February 28, 1840, with Mary following in 1843. They were buried in the Backus Pioneer Cemetery. In 1908 Rev. E Garnham, of the Methodist Church in Port Rowan, became interested in Canada's first Saddlebag Preacher, Rev. Major George Neal. Albert Hazen, Neal's grandson, showed him where the Neals' were buried, in the Backhouse Cemetery and Garnham brought forth the idea of erecting a memorial church in honour of Major Neal. Fund raising and subscription began, and ground was broken in 1911, for Neal Memorial Methodist Church, in Port Rowan, Ontario. George and Mary Neal were moved to a crypt in the church walls, and a memorial stained glass window was installed commemorating Rev. Major George, and Mary Neal. The official dedication took place in September 1912 by Neal's grandson, Rev. George Neal Hazen, and today , as a part of the United Church of Canada, it remains to honour Canada's First Saddlebag Preacher.
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
in 1786, and at the Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
region on the northeast shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
in the early 1790s. At the time the region was part of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
and became part of Upper Canada after the Constitutional Act of 1791
Constitutional Act of 1791
The Constitutional Act of 1791, formally The Clergy Endowments Act, 1791 , is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain...
. Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
were both part of the New York Episcopal Methodist Conference until 1810 when they were transferred to the newly formed Genesee Conference. Reverend Major George Neal began to preach in Niagara in October of 1786, and was ordained in 1810 by Bishop Philip Asbury, at the Lyons, New York Methodist Conference. He was Canada's first saddlebag preacher.
George Neal was the son of a Scottish Highlander
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, whose family fled to Ireland during the Clan uprisings. After 1746 there was a great wave of Scottish settlers who came to the Carolina's and George was born in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in Feb. 1750. He grew up on the family farms, and during the War of Independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, he stayed loyal to the British side and distinguished himself at the Siege of Ninety-six
Siege of Ninety-Six
The Siege of Ninety Six was a siege late in the American Revolutionary War. From May 22 to June 18, 1781, Continental Army Major General Nathanael Greene led 1,000 troops in a siege against the 550 Loyalists in the fortified village of Ninety Six, South Carolina. The 28-day siege centered on an...
, and the evacuation of Charles Town and was promoted to Major. By 1783, when the war was over, he found his lands confiscated, and his papers in the hands of a fellow soldier who had evacuated to Nova Scotia. His health was poor but he taught school for a year, in Georgia, and was converted to Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
by the Rev. Hope Hull. Recognizing his ability to preach, he was sent by the presiding elder of his ‘class',to minister on a circuit among the Scottish settlers, along the Pee Dee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
, in South Carolina. Finding it increasingly dangerous to still be loyal to the King, he decided to emigrate, and he made his way to CharlesTown
Charlestown
-Australia:*Charlestown, New South Wales** Electoral district of Charlestown, an electoral district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly including the area-United Kingdom:*Charlestown, Black Isle, in the Highland council area*Charlestown, Cornwall...
, but found the last ship had sailed. He decided to go overland, and the trip took almost a year, but he crossed the border at Niagara into Canada West, (later the Province of Ontario) in Oct. 1786. He began to preach right away, but the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
was the only recognized church, and his fervor excited his listeners, and angered the garrison commander at Newark (Niagara), and he was ordered out of the country. The commander died before the sentence could be carried out, and Major Neal started the first Methodist ‘Class' in Canada the same year. He traveled the Niagara area, and established a 'class' along the Lake Ontario shore, and appointed Christian Warner as the elder, and built the first chapel building, shared with the Presbyterians, known as the 'Warner Chapel'. George Neal started the Stamford Church 'class' in 1790 and then into Norfolk by 1792. Mary Polly (Cope) Cronk, from Copetown, had become a widow in the Niagara District, and became a member of the first Methodist ‘Class’ started by George, and George and Mary were married in Lewiston N.Y. As they started their family, she returned to her parents home, while George continued to travel and bring the ‘word’ to the forests of Niagara, Norfolk and the Talbot Settlement.
His father-in-law, Frederick Cope heard of the great forests of Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
from George and he and other members of the ‘class’ explored the north shore of Lake Erie, by boat, and came ashore at a landing in 1798. Brother Daniel Freeman was the senior Elder, and they held a service to thank God for their good fortune at finding this new land. George came to preach in Cope’s Landing often, and the adherents established a grove, inland for all to come to Camp meeting services. The Long Point ‘Class' was formed by 1801, with Bro. Daniel Freeman as the leader. Neal was finally ordained in 1810 by Bishop Philip Asbury, at the Lyons, New York, Methodist Conference. When the War of 1812 threatened along the border, Neal Left the Niagara District, and took up his land grant and added to it by purchasing 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in the Port Rowan, Long Point area, at Cope’s Landing, (later called St. Williams) and he continued to travel and preach for more than 50 years as Canada's first Saddlebag Preacher. In later years, his son-in-law Adam Procunier took over his property, and he and Mary moved in with his daughter, Esther, and her husband Col. John Backhouse Hutchinson, at Port Rowan, near the Backhouse Mill, ( now part of the National Heritage Site of Backus Heritage Village). Almost completely blind at the age of 88, Neal had his granddaughter read scripture lessons to him, so he could memorize them, and continue to preach.
Reverend Major George Neal died on his birthday, February 28, 1840, with Mary following in 1843. They were buried in the Backus Pioneer Cemetery. In 1908 Rev. E Garnham, of the Methodist Church in Port Rowan, became interested in Canada's first Saddlebag Preacher, Rev. Major George Neal. Albert Hazen, Neal's grandson, showed him where the Neals' were buried, in the Backhouse Cemetery and Garnham brought forth the idea of erecting a memorial church in honour of Major Neal. Fund raising and subscription began, and ground was broken in 1911, for Neal Memorial Methodist Church, in Port Rowan, Ontario. George and Mary Neal were moved to a crypt in the church walls, and a memorial stained glass window was installed commemorating Rev. Major George, and Mary Neal. The official dedication took place in September 1912 by Neal's grandson, Rev. George Neal Hazen, and today , as a part of the United Church of Canada, it remains to honour Canada's First Saddlebag Preacher.