Tuesday, February 12, 2008
St. James Anglican, Ingersoll, Ontario
Ingersoll, Ontario was first settled by Major Thomas Ingersoll in 1793 who was promised some 80,000 acres of land in the present Oxford County for himself and a group of American associates. He brought a number of settlers into this area before the government revoked the agreement in 1797 and Ingersoll moved away in 1805. His son Charles (1791-1831) a veteran of the War of 1812 and a half-brother of Laura Secord, acquired the Oxford family homestead in 1817. He became a leading citizen of the pioneer community known at first as Oxford but later re-named Ingersoll.The first services for St. James' parish were held in the schoolhouse in 1834, 18 years before Ingersoll was incorporated as a village in 1852. Three members of the first council were also members of St. James' parish. A new church building was proposed in 1865 and the present building was completed in 1869.
Today, the congregation numbers 250 families and individuals. The rector is the Rev. Jim Carr. On January 31, 2008, Ted Winter was ordained a deacon (non stipendiary) with special responsibilities for outreach ministry at St. James, Ingersoll.
