Old Hay Bay Church and Its People
(a talk by Kathy Staples)

January 27, 2018

Our topic was “Old Hay Bay Church and Its People” presented by Kathy Staples. Kathy Staples has a long history with Lennox & Addington County historic landmarks. This began with her role as Chair of Adolphustown’s Bicentennial celebrations in 1984. She worked at the Adolphustown UEL Museum for more than a decade before getting involved with the restoration and promotion of the Old Hay Bay Church, built in 1792.

Kathy spoke briefly about the meetinghouse itself, since most present had at least some knowledge of the building. It’s the oldest Methodist Meeting House in Canada. William Losee, the first saddlebag preacher who served the area, led meetings in houses until 1792, by which time the assemblies had outgrown the log cabins where they were meeting. In 1792 Loyalist Paul Huff donated a portion of his land, and 22 subscribers contributed 127 “Halifax currency” (approx.1 Pound = 4 dollars) to erect a building. It was enlarged in 1835. In 1860 the building was sold and used as a barn until 1911, when a group bought it back, renovated it and had it dedicated once again as a church. On the fourth Sunday of August the Annual Pilgrimage Service is held. This year on August 26th they will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Paul Huff’s death.

List provided by Kathy Staples.

Kathy spoke about the 1984 celebrations at Adolphustown and activities since, such as a large “Roots 2016” reunion held at Hay Bay. Over the years the church has been rented for weddings and other events, and occasionally other churches ask permission to hold special services there. In 2003 a movie, “Discovering Emma” was filmed there. All these rentals provide funding towards the maintenance of the building.

In 2015, CNN decided to explore the ancestry of its anchors, and found that Jake Tapper is a descendant of Solomon Huff (who is technically not a Loyalist, having been removed from the “Loyalist List” in the nineteenth century, but was brother of Paul Huff and one of the original subscribers). They arranged for Mr. Tapper and a film crew to visit Hay Bay Church, and Kathy Staples arranged for him to visit the church and graveyard etc. and to meet some distant cousins (including Peter Johnson, co-Dominion Genealogist). It was not a successful visit: Tapper kept saying how embarrassed he was to find out he had “traitorous Tories” in his Ancestry – completely ignoring the fact that his mother was born in Winnipeg, making him half-Canadian.

Kathy spoke about some offbeat groups and individuals who have also had an interest in visiting the church. The Correctional Officers Paranormal Society (COPS) have visited the site. Dowsers have come to dowse for graves, and found some around the church and under the 1835 addition that had not been previously known. Psychics have visited, drawn – they said – by the church’s aura. And then Kathy told us about an experience last August.

Despite the unhappy experience of Jake Tapper and CNN’s visit, the trustees agreed to allow a film crew and cast from a program “The Other Side” to visit. The program runs on APTN, the Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network. Without giving all the details – you’ll want to catch the program in Fall 2018 – Kathy is convinced that the staff did have contact with the “energy” or “spirit” of Catherine German, mother of two of the children drowned on August 29, 1819. A leaky boat containing 18 people, mostly children, was crossing the water to attend church when it sank. Eight were rescued, but ten children died. 

Kathy invited all to visit the Old Hay Bay Church, which is open, this year, daily from May 19th to Thanksgiving; and especially to visit on August 26th for the Pilgrimage Service. She also mentioned that the church has embarked on a three-year campaign to raise $300,000 to do the necessary repairs of the church, cottage, cemetery and grounds in an appropriate heritage maintenance project. The first priority is to replace the clad siding and window casements of the church. Donations are welcome: charitable tax receipts are issued for donations over twenty dollars. You can donate by sending a cheque, made payable to: Old Hay Bay Church, c/o K. Staples, 1105 – 828 Sutton Mills Ct., Kingston, ON K7P 2S9 or you can donate online through the website http://www.oldhaybaychurch.ca/