Hi There is a St Patrick's church in Perkinsfield There is another one at the bottom of the hill across the bay from Penetang, on Champlain Rd My speculation is that the one in Perkinsfield is the one on the marriage registrations for Simcoe County and registrations from the one at the bottom of the hill would be entered through Ste Anne's Penetanguishene Can anyone confirm or correct me. I am trying to be as accurate as I can. (I wish the English speaking people were not the record takers) Georgina Dean

Georgina and all, A few years ago, David Dupuis wrote a history of St. Ann's Church in Penetanguishene - "St. Anne's of Penetanguishene, Huronia's First Mission". It is available for sale at the Museum and the Reading Room on Main Street. Much of the following information can be found easily in the records at the Genealogy and History Research Centre in the first pages of each church register transcription. My sincere thanks to Denise Ladouceur who extensively researched the history of the churches and their priests. It is fascinating reading and you can't help but admire the courage and determination of these early priests and their parishioners. So here is your history lesson for the day: The church you refer to on Champlain Road at the top of the hill, on the bend, was originally called St. David's. It was constructed in 1938 and opened in December of that year. It was a one storey structure from 1949 until 1962 when a top floor was built. At this time the name was changed to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was and, I believe still is, a mission church of St. Ann's. Records for sacramental events would have been kept in the St. Ann's register, if there were any performed there. You can call the rectory and verify this as our copy of the register ends in 1910 before the mission was established. In the years prior to 1835 when St. Ann's (as it is now called) was established with its own missionary priest, services were held in local homes and sacramental events were performed by visiting priest or bishops from 1831 to September of 1835. Those records are NOT in the parish register. If anyone says their ancestor was baptised here or they have an exact date of birth in Penetanguishene for any time prior to 1835, ask for documented proof. The first dated entry is a baptism on October 27, 1835 by Fr. Jean Baptiste Proulx. He was a busy guy - baptising as many as 125 children and adults in one day. He served the First Nations population from Sault Ste. Marie to Beausoleil Island (300 miles) in addition to his charge of Manitoulin Island. You will find many First Nations entries in the registers and in fact the first marriage recorded was performed for two First Nations residents of Christian Island. After 1861 you will find few entries for Christian Island as it had its own mission from that date onward. The priest from St. Ann's covered a wide territory so you will find entries of events that took place in Barrie, Washago, Waubaushene, Port Severn, Wyevale, Baxter, Muskoka, Sunnidale, Orillia, Midland, Nottawasaga, Owen Sound and Collingwood. I've probably missed some places. In 1850 a mission, administered by St. Ann's, was established in Ste-Croix, now Lafontaine. The first register entry appears in 1856. Now it gets a bit confusing. From October 10, 1857 to October 1, 1861 entries were recorded in the St. Ann's register. You will find duplicate entries in the registers. The first church was built in 1856 on land in front of the present day structure on the original cemetery grounds. In 1877 the present day church was built. We have a habit of moving cemeteries in this area! The priest at Ste-Croix was responsible for the establishment of St. Patrick's in Perkinsfield or, as it is referred to in many records, St-Patrice. St. Patrick's was a mission of St. Ann's and Ste-Croix in Lafontaine, in that order, in the early days. In 1870 a chapel was built called "La Chapelle" and a cemetery was established. The present building was erected in 1884. In 1909 it was detached from Ste-Croix when the first resident priest arrived. The registers begin January 9, 1909. St. Margaret's of Midland has its early history recorded in the registers of St. Ann's also. The Orange Hall in Midland was the scene of early events from 1879 until the church was built in 1881. Prior to it's detachment from the mission of St. Ann's in 1883, records will be found in the Penetang registers. St. John the Evangelist of Waubaushene and St. Mary's of Victoria Harbour were included in the St. Margaret's mission. St. John's detached in 1906 and St. Mary's in 1919. St. Margaret's register begins in November 1883. Some trivia for you: St. Ann is the patron saint of voyageurs. The church's correct name is the Jesuit Memorial Church of St. Ann Ste-Anne en Francais and St. Ann in English. The first community vault in Penetang for the storing of caskets during the winter months was built in 1941. If you think the dates in burial records in this area correspond to the actual date the body was interred, think again of the weather in the winter months. With pick and shovel they dug through 3 feet of snow and into frozen ground to bury the dead? I remember my shock when I arrived here from the Sun Parlour of Canada to discover they kept bodies in storage all winter. And now I have to go and do something else................. Pam Tessier Research Co-Ordinator Genealogy & History Research Centre Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives >

Pam Tessier ... Bless You, and All of your Descendants !!!!!!!! Altho, not of the Faith, I am truly enjoying your Histories, and EXPLANATIONS of the various Dioceses, and Missions. It breathes new life into so much of what we often accept as ' laissez faire " . One passage, however, caught my attention.. That is the use of the ORANGE LODGE by Members of the Catholic Faith. I commend them for their resilience . but wasn't that considered as something like ' sleeping with the Devil ' ?????? ( At least, at that time ???? ). Thank Goodness that we have moved beyond that era of thinking . Thanks for the Input ... We are never too old to keep learning. Paul Robins -----Original Message----- From: can-ont-simcoe-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:can-ont-simcoe-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Pam Tessier Sent: August-14-07 8:41 AM To: can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] St Patrick's Church Tiny Twsp Georgina and all, So here is your history lesson for the day: St. Margaret's of Midland has its early history recorded in the registers of St. Ann's also. The Orange Hall in Midland was the scene of early events from 1879 until the church was built in 1881. Prior to it's detachment from the mission of St. Ann's in 1883, records will be found in the Penetang registers. St. John the Evangelist of Waubaushene and St. Mary's of Victoria Harbour were included in the St. Margaret's mission. St. John's detached in 1906 and St. Mary's in 1919. St. Margaret's register begins in November 1883. And now I have to go and do something else................. Pam Tessier Research Co-Ordinator Genealogy & History Research Centre Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message