A Brief History of the Parish of Lockeport - Barrington

The Parish of Lockeport was originally a mission served by the rector and curate of the Parish of Shelburne. The first mention of a Church of England congregation was in 1874, where 150 people gathered at the old Temperance Hall in Locke Port. The town was a thriving place, and it was soon decided that the congregation would be best served by erecting a church. After some financial difficulty, the church was opened for service in September of 1878 and consecrated in May 1879. On his visit, Bishop Herbert Binney referred to Holy Cross Church as the "new and pretty Church at Locke Port."

In 1880, "Locke Port and a part of Jordan River" formed a parish with their own resident clergy. The original Holy Trinity Church in Jordan Falls was constructed in 1848. The Rev. Simon Gibbons, constructed a new church in Jordan Falls, which was consecrated in 1890. In 1885, a third church in West Green Harbour was completed. After fire destroyed the church, a fund raising campaign was launched and St. Peter’s was reconstructed.

The Parish of Barrington began its life in Christ through a small number of Loyalists who arrived in the area from Shelburne in the 1780s. In 1790, The Rt. Rev. Charles Inglis wrote that there were 120 families in the Barrington township of which only six preferred the Church of England. The rector of Shelburne occasionally visited the area, and found a desire for a resident clergy person. Barrington was then to be served by a missionary who was sent to Yarmouth, though it is reported that he never visited. Over the years, the congregation in Barrington was served through visits by both the rector of Shelburne and the rector of Yarmouth. The Church of the Ascension was completed in 1846, and they had a resident minister with The Rev. Mr. Nichols. The Church of the Resurrection in Churchover and St. Paul’s Church, Birchtown, both mission churches of the Parish of Shelburne, joined together with the Church of the Ascension to become a parish.

Due to declining Anglican population and financial resources, the two parishes joined together in 1972. This was done on a trial basis and was confirmed two years later. The Rector resided in Lockeport and served the six churches. Although each kept its own legal identity, for all practical purposes the two parishes became one. The rectory in Barrington Passage was sold in 1977. St. Paul’s, Birchtown closed in 1990 and is now the property of the Black Loyalist Society.

In 2006 both parishes passed a motion requesting the Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to legally amalgamate the two parishes. The instrument of amalgamation was signed on 8 February 2007, making the amalgamation official.

In June 2007, the people of St. Peter's Church in West Green Harbour asked the Parish Council to petition the bishop to revoke the sentence of consecration and close their church. The attendance had dwindled to an average Sunday attendance of 6. Regular services ceased with the Christmas Eve candlelight service in 2007, and the church was deconsecrated on 20 January 2008. The church building has been sold and will be removed from the site.

Rectors who have served the Parish of the Church of the Ascension, Barrington Passage:

The Rev. E. B. Nichols

The Rev. P. Toque

The Rev. A. Jordan

The Rev. E. H. Ball

The Rev. S. J. Andrews

The Rev. W. J. Tooth

The Rev. G. T. Lewis

The Rev. R. Fenton

The Rev. T. G. Mitchell

The Rev. P. S. MacDonald

The Rev. C. Pretty

The Rev. R. Mowry

The Rev. A. Nash

The Rev. C. Wagner

The Rev. M Langille

The Rev. E. Richard

The Rev. R. Knight

The Rev C. Bull

The Rev. M. Sponagle

Rectors who have served the Parish of Holy Cross Church, Lockeport:

The Rev. Charles Churchward 1879-1883

The Rev. Charles Croucher 1883-1885

The Rev. Simon Gibbons 1885-1889

The Rev. Thomas Johnston 1889-1893

The Rev N. Reginald Raven 1893-1895

The Rev. George Foster 1895-1899

The Rev. Hebert Beers 1899-1904

The Rev. D. V. Warner 1905-1906

The Rev. A. E. Allaby 1907-1908

The Rev John Hackenly 1908-1909

The Rev W. F. Miller 1909-1911

The Rev. C. H. Lalmay 1911-1913

The Rev. J. H. Penny 1914-1918

The Rev. J. H. Markham 1918-1923

The Rev. Stephen Jeffery 1923-1954

The Rev. Abraham Pitcher 1954-1955

The Rev. D. B. Houghton 1955-1956

The Rev. David Minton 1956-1958

The Rev. Rederick Doering 1958-1960

The Rev. M. D. Clattenburg 1961-1967

The Rev. Calvin Pretty 1967-1970

The Rev. Dennis Walsh 1970-1972

The Rev. Arthur Nash 1972-1975

The Rev. James Livingston 1975-1976

The Rev. Charles Wagner 1976-1983

The Rev. Melvin Langille 1983-1986

The Rev. Eldie Richard 1986-1991

The Rev. Robert E. Knight 1991-1995

The Rev. Charles Bull 1995-2002

The Rev. Matthew Sponagle 2003-2008