William Sword Frost Scrapbook - Volume 3

This page shows the three Presbyterian Ministers of the Orillia Presbyterian Church founded in 1852. The Rev. J. Grey, founder. The Rev. R. N. Grant, incumbent minister. The Rev. D. C. MacGregor, assistant minister.

The picture in the lower left corner shows the Orillia Presbyterian Church as it was in 1852. Reference is made in another part of this volume to the new church which was erected. The old Manse of 1852 is still in existence although structurally changed. The Church was replaced.

As regards St. James Church this is the old stone church referred to in another place in this volume.

The top picture on the latter page is the English Church choir 1896 and is, of course, quite different from that of today. A fire some ten years afterwards destroyed the roof and much of the building making way for the great changes of today. Of the Presbyterian choir of 1896 the same may be said. The choir loft was completely changed. The leader of the choir in this picture is Herbert Cook, who’s business, H. Cook and Company, Druggist, was very well-known in Orillia. Mr. Cook was a very prominent resident and other references are made to him in this volume.

These pictures relate to the grave of Elizabeth Brooking who died the 4th of Clay, 1862 and is buried in the Indian Burial Grounds on Chief Island. The stories behind this photograph and behind Robert Brooking and his wife are extremely interesting and important from an historical standpoint.

Elizabeth Brooking’s grave in the early days of this century was completely neglected. The tombstone had been knocked down and broken. The Frost family lived a large part of the time on the lakeshore and with boats and familiarity with the lake the existence of the Brooking grave was known. As part of the Centenary celebrations of 1932 the cairn shown on the picture was erected and the broken tombstone was imbedded in the same. The originator of this idea was the Women’s Missionary Society of which Mrs. W. S. Frost was president.

Years after the erection of this cairn the original Brooking diaries and documents came into the possession of the Hon. Leslie M. Frost, then Prime Minister of Ontario. The originals have been placed in the archives of Victoria University. Copies, however, were placed by Mr. Frost in the Orillia Public Library with the other papers of historical value placed there by him.

Robert Brooking was a Wesleyan Missionary. He first of all went to Africa with his wife, Elizabeth, who was a very dedicated and extremely delicate person. The accounts of their African Mission are extremely interesting and tell of the very primitive conditions and the low value placed on human life in those days. The scene of their mission was on the Gold Coast of Africa. From here many of the slaves had been taken to America. The tribesmen were in a very primitive state. Mrs. Brooking took seriously ill while in Africa and was compelled to return to England leaving her husband in Africa. After convalescence she returned to Africa by sailing vessel and suffered many tribulations. On arriving at the seaport in Africa before she landed she was advised that a day or two previously her husband had returned to England. Accordingly she herself returned. The accounts of her feelings are given in her diary.

After a period in England the Rev. Mr. Brooking and his wife, Elizabeth, came to Canada and were sent by the then Wesleyan Church as missionaries to the Canadian West. References are made to them in the writings of Rev. John Rdyerson and the Champlain Society. The Brooking’s, however, left their own accounts of what had taken place. The site of their missionary endeavours was at Norway House on Lake Winnipeg. There they met with the utmost rigours. In the late 50’s, after very considerable service, they returned again to Upper Canada, now Ontario. They served at various stations among the Indians but one of the most important was at Rama where Mrs. Brooking died. Her Doctor was Dr. John Ardagh to whom reference has been made in this volume.

The Brooking diaries are extremely interesting and important. Among other things they tell of the almost appalling hardships suffered by the early missionaries of those days about which comparatively little has been written at this time (1965).

Reference is made to this picture in the Ware sketch of the St. John log house of Page 5.

The original St. John house is shown in the Ware sketch and is located as is described in the notes pertaining to that page. In this sketch the Frost cottage is located where the tents are shown in the picture. This is now owned (1965) by Dr. Hipwell. The original St. John log cabin was in the distant background obscured by the maple trees in the picture. The ruins of the fireplace are imbedded in the stonework to the south side of the Wetherwax cottage.

The St. John’s built their permanent residence to the extreme right of this photograph. This residence was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Paine and was called Mona Cottage. Alfred and Mrs. Paine were very well-known residents of Orillia. They apparently acquired the property and the farm from the St. John family.

References to Mona cottage are contained in some of the correspondence placed by the Hon. Leslie M. Frost in the Orillia Public Library. It states that when the brick veneer of the house was removed on tearing down the house that white pine boards of unbelievable width were disclosed. Mona Cottage was erected when saw mills were in use. The old log house was definitely pioneer.

Mrs. Alfred Paine was a Drinkwater, a well-known Orillia Township Medonte family.

The Weary Willies Camp was located on the unopened concession line referred to for many years. The Township decided to close this line and sold it to Mrs. Waterworth, a high school teacher. The Weary Willies and a great many of their friends were very much disturbed.

The latter page shows pictures of the Frost horses. These were very definitely horse and buggy days. At the time these pictures were taken automobiles were virtually unknown in Orillia.

At the time of the Tudhope fire, 1910, the manufacturing of motor vehicles was commenced. First of all was an incredible contraption known as an auto buggy, the noise and operation of which was astounding. About that time the Tudhope’s obtained an unknown engine known as the Fisher while their competitors, the McLaughlin Carriage Works, obtained an unknown engine known as the Buick. The success of the latter made all of the difference and Oshawa became the motor capital of Ontario.

In the Frost home the usual order was that one of the boys would hitch the horse and drive down for their father, W. S. F., every evening.

In the order of things on Sunday the family used to go for drives. W. S. F. was a strict Presbyterian but did not believe that this offended against the strict Sabbath of those days. This view, however, was not held by some of his Presbyterian contemporaries who criticized such an offense against the Sabbath. In the Frost home newspapers were read on Sunday but this was not so in a great many Presbyterian homes of those days.

The former is a sketch of the room that the Frost’s called the Library in the “Highlands” located at North and Canice Streets. This sketch was drawn by W. S. F and sent to England to his son as shown in the description of the sketch on the latter page.

This is a Golden Wedding Anniversary Tribute prepared by Charles Harold Hale. It is an interesting example of his own work.

This is a picture of the Old Orillia Boys assembled in 1932.

Prominent in the first row are W. S. Frost, W. H. Tudhope, James Curran, Editor of the issue St. Mary Star. In the second row are Wm. McInn, well-known as a camp overseer, Donald MacNab, and Wm. Grant. In the centre of the picture with the wing collar is Jesky. This picture was taken at the site of the old school on Coldwater Street where the Bowes’ home was at that time. This was located between the Ardagh residence and the Salvation Army Citadel. Chief Big Wind is shown in the picture.

The Orillia Presbyterian Church Choir of 1910 shows Herbert Cook, the choir leader, in the extreme left background which was an unusual place for him. The central figure with the large white hat is Mrs. Herbert Eaton who was the organist for many years and a very well-known musician.

In the picture are shown Mrs. Effie McLean, also noted for her musical talent; E. D. Alport with the beard, Archie McLean, father-in-law of Charles Hale; Rena Hill, and others.

These pictures of the Orillia Presbyterian Church are quite interesting. All of the figures in the picture have been commented on previously in this volume.

Reference has been made to the Manse. This is the present Manse, renovated, of course. The same goes back well over a hundred years.

Thomas Dallas was a very well-known Orillian and a great Presbyterian. His daughter, Miss Lottie Dallas, was well-known in Orillia in the first days of this century and was a prominent Presbyterian Sunday School teacher.

The banquet of 1936 was inspired by Charles Harold Hale who was one of the real originators of the Champlain Monument which is an outstanding piece of art. The March brothers were the sculptors chosen to design the war memorial at Ottawa. The Champlain monument was their first Canadian effort and is a very worthy one. Mr. Hale afterwards Dr. Hale, always sponsored good fellowship between Quebec and Ontario. In many ways Mr. Hale was ahead of his times. He always felt that the working together of the two basic races of Canada was of importance. This banquet held in 1936 was addressed by Dr. Herbert Bruce, Lt.-Gov. of Ontario. It was, as can be seen, an occasion of some formality. In the picture are Mrs. C. H. Hale and Mr. Russell Hale. Many other prominent Orillians are shown. Charles Harold Hale Is probably shown on the extreme left of the head table.

This shows the visit of King George 6th and Queen Elizabeth to Toronto in 1939. Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Frost were guests as shown by the invitation. At that time Leslie Frost was M.P.P. for Victoria, Member of the Opposition. The approximate location of himself and his wife is shown on the picture.

It shows W. S. F. and James Brockett Tudhope.

James B. Tudhope was a man of many parts and great ability. He represented Simcoe East in the Ontario Legislature as a liberal and Simcoe east in the House of Commons as a Unionist. His inclination after that time were conservative. \

The war days and the election of 1917 had a tremendous effect on the political affiliations of a large number of people.